(), also known as (), is a doctrine in
Shia Islam
Shia Islam is the second-largest Islamic schools and branches, branch of Islam. It holds that Muhammad in Islam, Muhammad designated Ali ibn Abi Talib () as both his political Succession to Muhammad, successor (caliph) and as the spiritual le ...
positing that some of the dead will return to life before the
Resurrection
Resurrection or anastasis is the concept of coming back to life after death. Reincarnation is a similar process hypothesized by other religions involving the same person or deity returning to another body. The disappearance of a body is anothe ...
to avenge their oppression.
In
Twelver Shia
Twelver Shi'ism (), also known as Imamism () or Ithna Ashari, is the largest branch of Shi'a Islam, comprising about 90% of all Shi'a Muslims. The term ''Twelver'' refers to its adherents' belief in twelve divinely ordained leaders, known as th ...
doctrine, the concept of is closely intertwined with the
eschatological concept of
occultation
An occultation is an event that occurs when one object is hidden from the observer by another object that passes between them. The term is often used in astronomy, but can also refer to any situation in which an object in the foreground blocks f ...
() and the reappearance of the twelfth Imam
Muhammad al-Mahdi
Muhammad al-Mahdi () is believed by the Twelver Shia to be the last of the Twelve Imams and the eschatological Mahdi, who will emerge in the end of time to establish peace and justice and redeem Islam.
Hasan al-Askari, the eleventh Imam ...
in the end times to establish peace and justice on earth. This doctrine, which was elaborated in the early 10th century by the then emerging Twelver sect, goes back on earlier ideas developed by early Shia sects such as the late 7th-century and the early 9th-century , who denied the deaths of
Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyya
Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyya (, , 15–81 AH) was a son of Ali ibn Abi Talib, who was the fourth caliph in Sunni Islam () and the first imam in Shia Islam. Ibn al-Hanafiyya was an effective lieutenant for his father Ali during his caliphate. Aft ...
(died 700) and
Musa al-Kazim
Musa al-Kazim (; 745–799) was a descendant of the Prophets and messengers in Islam, Islamic prophet Muhammad and the seventh Twelve Imams, imam in Twelver Shi'ism, Twelver Shia Islam. Musa is often known by the title al-Kazim (), apparently ...
(died 799) and awaited their return. The doctrine was also current among the 8th/9th-century Shias known as (), whose elaboration of the idea may have influenced early Twelver scholars.
The concept was later also used in the
Baháʼí Faith
The Baháʼí Faith is a religion founded in the 19th century that teaches the Baháʼí Faith and the unity of religion, essential worth of all religions and Baháʼí Faith and the unity of humanity, the unity of all people. Established by ...
(19th century) to designate the cyclical return of the
Manifestation of God, which appeared in prophet figures such Jesus or Muhammad, as well as in
the Báb (1819–1850) and in
Baháʼu'lláh
Baháʼu'lláh (, born Ḥusayn-ʻAlí; 12 November 1817 – 29 May 1892) was an Iranian religious leader who founded the Baháʼí Faith. He was born to an aristocratic family in Iran and was exiled due to his adherence to the messianic Báb ...
(1817–1892), the two founders of the Baháʼí Faith.
Occultation and in Twelver Shia
Twelver Shias believe that their twelfth
Imam
Imam (; , '; : , ') is an Islamic leadership position. For Sunni Islam, Sunni Muslims, Imam is most commonly used as the title of a prayer leader of a mosque. In this context, imams may lead Salah, Islamic prayers, serve as community leaders, ...
,
Muhammad al-Mahdi
Muhammad al-Mahdi () is believed by the Twelver Shia to be the last of the Twelve Imams and the eschatological Mahdi, who will emerge in the end of time to establish peace and justice and redeem Islam.
Hasan al-Askari, the eleventh Imam ...
, was concealed by God and continues to oversee human affairs and offer inward spiritual guidance during his occultation, which began in 874 CE.
While various sects disagree about the identity of the eschatological
Mahdi
The Mahdi () is a figure in Islamic eschatology who is believed to appear at the Eschatology, End of Times to rid the world of evil and injustice. He is said to be a descendant of Muhammad in Islam, Muhammad, and will appear shortly before Jesu ...
, the belief in him remains popular among all
Muslims
Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...
, possibly owing to numerous traditions to this effect in canonical
Sunni
Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam and the largest religious denomination in the world. It holds that Muhammad did not appoint any successor and that his closest companion Abu Bakr () rightfully succeeded him as the caliph of the Mu ...
and
Shia
Shia Islam is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that Muhammad designated Ali ibn Abi Talib () as both his political successor (caliph) and as the spiritual leader of the Muslim community (imam). However, his right is understood ...
sources.
Shortly before the
Day of Judgment, when commanded by God, Muhammad al-Mahdi will return to lead the forces of righteousness against the forces of evil in an apocalyptic war that would ultimately establish peace and justice on earth, according to the Twelvers. In his mission, al-Mahdi will be assisted by
Jesus
Jesus (AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Chris ...
, who will pray behind al-Mahdi in his
Second Coming
The Second Coming (sometimes called the Second Advent or the Parousia) is the Christianity, Christian and Islam, Islamic belief that Jesus, Jesus Christ will return to Earth after his Ascension of Jesus, ascension to Heaven (Christianity), Heav ...
. Jesus also kills
al-Dajjal (
antichrist
In Christian eschatology, Antichrist (or in broader eschatology, Anti-Messiah) refers to a kind of entity prophesied by the Bible to oppose Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ and falsely substitute themselves as a savior in Christ's place before ...
) in some Sunni accounts, though that function is reserved for al-Mahdi in Twelver sources.
In Twelver thought, al-Mahdi is also expected to avenge the injustices suffered by
Husayn, grandson of the prophet, whose innocent blood is believed to have plunged the Muslim community into a cycle of violence, corruption, and oppression. This vengeance is necessary, it is said, to rid the Muslim community of the most odious crime ever committed in their name. It also involves the return to life of the evildoers and their victims, which is known as the doctrine of (). The purpose of this return is for the oppressed to exact their revenge on their oppressors.
It is generally said that the prophet or the Imams will return to aid in the victory of al-Mahdi. In Shia traditions, particular emphasis is placed on the return of Husayn, who is expected to rule until old age upon his return. In some traditions, the rule of Husayn would be followed by that of
Ali ibn Abi Talib
Ali ibn Abi Talib (; ) was the fourth Rashidun caliph who ruled from until Assassination of Ali, his assassination in 661, as well as the first imamate in Shia doctrine, Shia Imam. He was the cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muha ...
, often referred to as .
Quran
In Twelver exegeses of the
Quran
The Quran, also Romanization, romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a Waḥy, revelation directly from God in Islam, God (''Allah, Allāh''). It is organized in 114 chapters (, ) which ...
, several verses have been associated with , including Q2:259, Q17:6, Q24:55, Q27:83, Q28:5-6, and Q28:85. In particular, Q27:83 includes the passage, "On the day when We shall muster out of every nation a troop." Verse Q43:61 includes the sentence "He
esus
Esus is a Celtic god known from iconographic, epigraphic, and literary sources.
The 1st-century CE Roman poet Lucan's epic ''Pharsalia'' mentions Esus, Taranis, and Teutates as gods to whom the Gauls sacrificed humans. This rare mention of Cel ...
is surely a knowledge of the Hour," which has been connected to the descent of Jesus during the rulership of al-Mahdi and the imminence of the Day of Judgment after his descent. An analogy is often made with verse Q2:243, where God brought to life a group of the
children of Israel.
Earlier uses
Non-Twelver sects of Shia have used the term to refer to the return of their imams from concealment, including the now-extinct sects of
Kaysanite and
Waqifite Shia, who denied the deaths of
Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyya
Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyya (, , 15–81 AH) was a son of Ali ibn Abi Talib, who was the fourth caliph in Sunni Islam () and the first imam in Shia Islam. Ibn al-Hanafiyya was an effective lieutenant for his father Ali during his caliphate. Aft ...
(died 700) and
Musa al-Kazim
Musa al-Kazim (; 745–799) was a descendant of the Prophets and messengers in Islam, Islamic prophet Muhammad and the seventh Twelve Imams, imam in Twelver Shi'ism, Twelver Shia Islam. Musa is often known by the title al-Kazim (), apparently ...
(died 799), respectively, and awaited their return. In Twelver Shia, however, the reemergence of the Hidden Imam is most commonly referred to as (). While often considered outside the pale of Islam, has also been used by some of the
() to refer to the passing of the soul into another body (
metempsychosis
In philosophy and theology, metempsychosis () is the transmigration of the soul, especially its reincarnation after death. The term is derived from ancient Greek philosophy, and has been recontextualized by modern philosophers such as Arthur Sc ...
, ).
It has been argued that the conceptualization of in 8th/9th-century texts such as ('What Will Happen at the Appearance of the Mahdi') attributed to
al-Mufaddal ibn Umar al-Ju'fi (died before 799) has influenced the early 10th-century development of the Twelver Shi'i doctrine on the return of the twelfth and Hidden Imam Muhammad al-Mahdi.
[.]
Baháʼí Faith
The concept of periodic return of a
Manifestation of God is central to prophetology of the
Baháʼí Faith
The Baháʼí Faith is a religion founded in the 19th century that teaches the Baháʼí Faith and the unity of religion, essential worth of all religions and Baháʼí Faith and the unity of humanity, the unity of all people. Established by ...
, which originated in the 19th century. Baháʼís do not view the return of the prophets and saints of the past as a physical return, or resurrection, but rather a return of spiritual characteristics and archetypal roles. This was developed in a milieu of Shiʽa
eschatology
Eschatology (; ) concerns expectations of the end of Contemporary era, present age, human history, or the world itself. The end of the world or end times is predicted by several world religions (both Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic and non-Abrah ...
, initially by
Shaykh Ahmad (1753–1826), considered by Baháʼís to be an inspired predecessor to their own faith. The return of the attributes of God in an individual are expected about every thousand years, and these people are termed
Manifestations of God. Jesus and Muhammad are regarded as such, as well as
the Báb (1819–1850) and
Baháʼu'lláh
Baháʼu'lláh (, born Ḥusayn-ʻAlí; 12 November 1817 – 29 May 1892) was an Iranian religious leader who founded the Baháʼí Faith. He was born to an aristocratic family in Iran and was exiled due to his adherence to the messianic Báb ...
(1817–1892), the two founders of the Baháʼí Faith. Each prophet is described by Baháʼu'lláh as in a sense the return of every previous prophet. The concept of return is further extended to the companions of the Manifestations of God. For example,
Aaron
According to the Old Testament of the Bible, Aaron ( or ) was an Israelite prophet, a high priest, and the elder brother of Moses. Information about Aaron comes exclusively from religious texts, such as the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament ...
,
Saint Peter
Saint Peter (born Shimon Bar Yonah; 1 BC – AD 64/68), also known as Peter the Apostle, Simon Peter, Simeon, Simon, or Cephas, was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus and one of the first leaders of the Jewish Christian#Jerusalem ekklēsia, e ...
,
Ali, and
Quddús are all considered equivalent minor prophets that championed and spread the cause of the major prophet.
See also
*
Last Judgment
The Last Judgment is a concept found across the Abrahamic religions and the '' Frashokereti'' of Zoroastrianism.
Christianity considers the Second Coming of Jesus Christ to entail the final judgment by God of all people who have ever lived, res ...
*
Occultation (Islam)
Occultation (, ') in Shia Islam refers to the Islamic eschatology, eschatological belief that the Mahdi, a descendant of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, has already been born and he was subsequently concealed, but he will reemerge and he will esta ...
, Shi'ite eschatological belief in the concealment and subsequent reemergence of an Imam or Mahdi, who will establish justice and peace on earth in the end of time
**
Minor Occultation
The Minor Occultation (, '), also known as the First Occultation (, '), refers in Twelver Shia Islam to a period of nearly seventy years (874–941 CE, 260–329 AH) during which the Hidden Imam, Muhammad al-Mahdi, is believed to have communicat ...
, first period of concealment of the Imam (874–941) in Twelver Shi'ism, during which the Hidden Imam Muhammad al-Mahdi is believed to have communicated regularly with his followers through four successive agents
**
Major Occultation
In Twelver Shia Islam, the Major Occultation (, ', 329 AH-present, 941 CE-present) is the second occultation of the Hidden Imam, Muhammad al-Mahdi, which is expected to continue until his rise at the end of time to establish peace and justice ...
, second period of concealment of the Imam (941–present) in Twelver Shi'ism, during which the Hidden Imam is believed to be without agent
***
(al-Nu'mani), a work on the occultation of the Imam by the Twelver Shi'ite scholar Muhammad ibn Ibrahim al-Nu'mani (died )
*** (al-Tusi), a work on the occultation of the Imam by the Twelver Shi'ite scholar
Shaykh Tusi (995–1067)
*
Resurrection of the dead
General resurrection or universal resurrection is the belief in a resurrection of the dead, or resurrection from the dead ( Koine: , ''anastasis onnekron''; literally: "standing up again of the dead") by which most or all people who have died ...
*
Second coming
The Second Coming (sometimes called the Second Advent or the Parousia) is the Christianity, Christian and Islam, Islamic belief that Jesus, Jesus Christ will return to Earth after his Ascension of Jesus, ascension to Heaven (Christianity), Heav ...
References
Sources
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Raj'a
Shia eschatology
Arabic words and phrases
Islamic terminology
Mahdism