False Claimants of “Promised Mahdi”

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!