False Claimants of “Promised Mahdi”

Written by: Ayatullah al-Uzma Nasir Makarim Shirazi

Hasn\'t Mahdi Appeared?

In the history of Islam, approximately from the beginning, we see the names of those who had called themselves “promised Mahdi”, or others had called them so, and had big claims, or others had considered for them; although, none of this claimant were not successful in correcting the world and didn’t fill the world full of oppression and injustice with justice, even they were not the source of a small corrective movement in their small environment.

Maybe the first person who had been called with this name - although he was not satisfied with this act - was Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah son of Ali (as) albeit from a mother other than Fatima (sa), that the group of “Kaysanites” believed that:

He is the promised Mahdi and after his death, they cried out that he has never been died; but he is concealed in mount “Radwa”1 guarding by lions!

While we know that “Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah” died in the year 80 or 81 after Hijrah and was buried in Baqi’ (famous cemetery of Medina), and fortunately, today nothing is heard from this group.

Then some of Abbasid tyrants introduced themselves as Mahdi for achieving the title of caliph and using pure beliefs of simpleminded people for reaching this goal, by considering mental readiness of Muslims about the promised Mahdi.

But, time shows that not only they were not Mahdi, but also they were from the oppressors who should be destroyed by Mahdi and his sword!

This matter continued and once in a while someone claimed of being Mahdi and gathered a group around him and deceived them; but these seasonal Mahdi’s became known soon and their plans failed.

Because claim of being Mahdi is dangerous and our of the benefits of exploiters as it is useful and attractive for temporary attraction of a group of people, because Mahdi should fill the world with justice and this is what decries false claimant very soon.

There were all types of people among these false claimants.

In some of them, signs of mental illness, idiotism and at least simplemindedness can bee seen, while some others were ambitious and materialist and for saturation of this feeling, claimed this claim without studying its results.

Some others were the tools of recognized enemies of Islam, who were being used for deviating the minds of Muslims from vital issues with which they were facing, and for separation and concision and weakening religious power, specially the power of clergies who were always their strong disturbance.

Briefly, this game of being Mahdi continued until these days that they take “Sayyid Muhammad Ali Baab” to the scene.

Although, he didn’t have the courage for this claim but according to living evidences and his own expressions which are available today in writings, he didn’t claimed of being Mahdi, but it was enough for him to be considered as “Baab” and “special representative of Mahdi”.

But, by the pass of time and gathering some people around him, and motivations of those who was directing the piece, he changed his claim to be al-Qa’im (Mahdi).2

Evidences and proofs which have been collected from the story of his life and his followers - and how good they have collected - show that his claim was from all three roots; which means, he was officially “motivated”, “strengthened” and “supported” by the agents of imperialistic government - like “Tsarian Russia” at the beginning, “Britain” and “United Estates the heir of imperialism” in the following; also special ambition which dominated his soul didn’t leave him alone; and he was not free of a mental complex, too.3

Albeit, this series continued and successors have practically left him behind and made him as a second-degree person who was the preliminary of their advent and had bigger claims in mind!

But, multiplicity of their branches on one side4, and distribution of living evidences proving their direct connection with imperialistic governments on the other side5, and most important of all, nonexistence of considerable contents in their invitation, which can at least saturate the commons, on the third side, and enlightenments of a group of aware Muslims which have been performed for introducing this “imperialistic political party” in the fourth side, cleared their conditions very soon.

Albeit, our goal in this discussion is not to talk about the weaknesses; that this matter needs a separated book and fortunately, many books have been written in this subject that some of them are interesting in contents.6

Here, our goal is only expressing two matters:

1) Some says:

We know that the belief of the advent of Mahdi has been abused many times and still is being abused, isn’t it better to keep silence about the main matter in order not to be abused by these many abusers; essentially, why should we accept a thing which can be taken this much wrong and undesirable?

2) Another question, which is approximately the opposite point of the first question, is that:

Is it really acceptable that all the claimants of being Mahdi were fake; don’t you assume that one of them was real and all of them were not opportunist and abuser or motivated by imperialism?

In this discussion, our only goal is answering the two above questions and analyzing them.

About the first question, first this question should be asked that: which valuable reality had been available which had not been abused by a group of evil persons?

History shows us this much of false claimant of prophet hood who are still claiming in the age of atom and space and we hear the murmur of their claims everywhere.

Therefore, it is good to forget the invitation of prophets and like “Brahmans” deny the prophecy itself in order not to be disturbed by these abuses!

Do you consider this expression logical!

In daily life, we hear about many people who have abused the titles of doctor and engineer and like them for taking money from people or for other purposes and maybe sometimes, they continue their way without leaving any trace behind, and were famous with this fake title.

Is it possible to say, now that the title “doctor” has been illegitimately abused by a group of persons then we should completely deny the existence of physicians and doctors!

This kinds of speech, although seems to be strongly illogical, but unfortunately, it can be seen in the writings of those who essentially deny the advent of Mahdi.

Anyway, it is a general rule that always any lie puts on the clothes of truth and uses that truth’s validity for covering its invalidity that “This lie shines by truth!”

No traitor, dishonest, thief and liar appear in his/her main feature, but reach his/her illegitimate goals by using the honor and reputation and “trust and purity and honesty” and pretending them.

Is it the reason for invalidity of these superior human values! Secondly, is believing the advent of Mahdi a reality that has been abused or an imaginary matter?

If we have accepted its reality - as we should accept because we have many evidences for that - then it is not possible to leave it behind because of the abuses of others, and if (assumable) it is not real then it should be left aside, whether it has been abused or not!

Anyway, correct or incorrect way of using a matter cannot be the means of judging that.

If someday, cruel fire-starters of the world misuse “atomic energy” and in an atomic attack to “Hiroshima” kill 300 hundred thousand persons and injure another 300 hundred thousand persons that after 30 years, terrible injuries of some of them have not been healed yet then can it be the reason for us to completely abstain from this great source of energy or completely deny its existence, because cruel imperialists has abused that; or by accepting this reality, try to use it in correct way and in benefits of human society?

After this question and its answer, it is the time for the second question that is more important in some aspects that whether all of this false claimant of being Mahdi were liars and there was no reality in their claims, or not?

According to our belief, reaching the answer of this question is very easy by having the signs, reflections and results of this great advent.

We understood enough in previous discussions that “Mahdi” has a universal responsibility, and uses all gifted facilities and available equipments and those, which he will make himself for fulfilling this responsibility.

His main responsibility is removing all kinds of oppression and injustice from the living environment of humans, and designing a new plan for universal government based upon justice and fighting against all kinds of discriminations, imperialisms, exploitations and oppression of the tyrants.

He mutates the minds.

He greatly advances sciences and knowledge and industries.

He makes movement in sleeping world in all aspects.

He gathers all the followers of religions under one flag.

He divined the wealth of the world fairly.

He juices up the world’s economy, in the way that nobody remains needful in the world.

He gives any right to its owner.

He leaves no ruins in the world except that constructs it.

And in his age, the world is secure in the way that a woman can travel from the East to the West alone without being disturbed.

He extracts the resources of the earth.

And position everyone in a multilateral monotheistic system.

These are practical programs and responsibilities of that great revolutionary man of the world in the greatest revolution of human history, which has been mentioned, in different resources and we presented the evidences of them in previous chapters.

Did any of these claimants fulfill one-thousandth of this program, were they successful in adjusting their place or city according to this program?

We see that oppressions and injustices and aggressions are still advancing; The First and the Second Word War have left millions of casualties and tens of millions of wounded persons and filled the world with blood.

Dangerous competitions of superpowers becomes more day by day, and their distance with poor countries becomes farther; each night, about one billion people of the world sleep hungry; and prisons are full of innocents.

Devilish autocrats are still performing different kinds of tortures on the people.

It means that still, the world is going to the congestion of oppression and injustice, where and when has been filled with justice?

And this reason is the strongest and the most effective answer to all claimants of the entire history and living evidence for there lies, a short and summarized reason, but sharp and certain!

Yes! That Sun is still behind the clouds, and we should still wait for that day that clouds will disappear completely and the dark world shines by his essence; and perhaps the dawn is near.

Notes:

1. “Radwa” or “Razwa” is a mount near Medina; I have expressed the reason of mentioning the name of this mount in Nudba supplication in the book “Answers to Religious Questions”.

2. We read in the book “Appearance of Truth” (ظهور حق) , which is accepted by this sect (in page 173), that “Baab” in the middle of the year 1265, in Maku prison, wrote to Mulla Abdul Khaliq

“انا القائم الحق الّذي انتم بظهوره توعدون”

and after this, Mulla Abdul Khaliq was very upset of his claim.

3. The reason for his mental illness, regardless of the contents of his books and expressions and phrases which are completely similar to a mentally ill person, is that we read in the book “Kashf al-Qita’” (كشف الغطاء) from “Mirza Abul Fazl Golpayegani”, who is one of his heads, that Mujtahids of Tabriz said after their inquest from “Baab” in that famous meeting: “Your words makes your blood Mubah (neutral) for us but the reason that we don’t order to execute you is the possibility of your madness”.

4. Hitherto, their sects have become more than twenty sects.

5. Refer to the books written by “Kinyaz Dalgurki” and “Prince Dalgurki” and the book “What else Baha’is Say?” (بي بهايي باب و بها).

6. Refer to the books “What does Baha’i Say” and “Trial and Revision” and “Fine Words of Yar Gholi” and “Hadyat al-Namlat” and “Prince Dalgurki”.

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