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According to Twelver Shi'as Imam Hujjat al-Mahdī (المهدى) (or Hujjat ibn Hasan ibn Ali) is the twelfth Imam and the Mahdi, the ultimate savior of mankind. Other Shi'a schools adhere to different Imam successions and do not, along with Sunnis, consider ibn-Al-Hassan the Mahdi. Twelver Shi'as believe that Muhammad was born in 868 and has been hidden by God (referred to as occultation) to later emerge to fulfill his mission.

Contents 1 Birth and early life according to Twelver Shi'as 2 The Occultation 2.1 Period 2.2 Reasons 2.3 Minor Occultation 2.4 Major Occultation 3 Reappearance 4 Sunni view 5 Bahá'í View 6 Scholarly observations 7 See also 8 Notes 9 References 10 Further reading 11 External links

Twelver Shi'as believe that Muhammad was born in 868 AD as Muhammad ibn Hasan ibn Ali. There is debate within the Twelver community who his mother is. Many believe his mother, Narjis (Melika), was a Byzantine princess who pretended to be a slave so that she might travel from her kingdom to Arabia. ^[1] However, some Shi'ah and scholars like Hamid Algar state that it is more likely that his mother was a Nubian slave. ^[2] His father, Hasan al-Askari, is believed to have been the eleventh and penultimate Shi'a Imam. Shi'as believe that his birth was kept a secret due to the persecution that the Shi'a were facing during this time at the hands of Al-Mu'tamid, the Abbasid Caliph. ^[3][4]

To support Muhammad's claim, Twelver Shi'as quote the following Hadith: "I and `Ali are the fathers of this nation; whoever knows us very well also knows Allah, and whoever denies us also denies Allah, the Unique, the Mighty. And from `Ali's descendants are my grandsons al­-Hasan and al-­Husayn, who are the masters of the youths of Paradise, and from al-­Husayn's descendants shall be nine: whoever obeys them obeys me, and whoever disobeys them also disobeys me; the ninth among them is their Qa'im and Mahdi." ^[5]

The eleventh Shi'a Imam Hasan al-Askari died on 1 January 874 AD (8th Rabi' al-awwal, 260 AH)^[6] and since that day, his son Muhammad is believed by Shi'as to be the Imam, appointed by God, to lead the believers of the era. The most popular account of Muhammad al-Mahdi in Shi'a literature is taken from his father's funeral. It is reported that as the funeral prayer was about to begin, Muhammad al-Mahdi's uncle, Jafar ibn Ali approached to lead the prayers. However, Muhammad al-Mahdi approached and commanded, "Move aside, uncle; only an Imam can lead the funeral prayer of an Imam." Jafar moved aside, and the five-year-old child led the funeral prayer for his father. It is reported that it was at this very moment that Muhammad al-Mahdi disappeared and went into ghaybat, or occultation.

Shi'as believe that, for various reasons, God concealed the twelfth and current Shi'a Imam, Muhammad al-Mahdi, from humankind.

The period of occultation (ghaybat) is believed to consist of two parts:

• Ghaybat al-Sughra or Minor Occultation (874-939) is the shorter of the two periods, during which deputies of the Imam maintained communication to the rest of the world.
• Ghaybat al-Kubra or Major Occultation began 939 and is believed to continue until a time decided by God, when the Mahdi will reappear to bring absolute justice to the world.

Shi'as cite references from the Qur'an and from various hadith (reports) in order to provide the following reasons behind the Mahdi's occultation.

• 1) Unknown

One of the reasons behind the Mahdi's occultation has been concealed by God from humankind.

• 2) Trial

The occultation, and in particular, its long duration, is a trial for believers. Shi'as believe that God examines the believers for the faith in their hearts and their beliefs in relation to the existence of the Mahdi, as well as their loyalty to him.

• 3) Preparation

Before the Mahdi reappears to establish absolute justice throughout the world, humankind needs to make a certain amount of preparation. There will come a point when all ideologies and doctrines will fail and when every leader and government will rise to solve problems but will fail. It will then become clear that no one is capable of establishing justice in the world except God's viceregent, the Mahdi. Due to the lack of preparation and mankind's low level of readiness to accept the rules of God, Imam Mahdi has been concealed.

• 4) Lack of acceptance

Due to the persecution of believers and, in particular, of the other Shi'a Imams, as well as the prophets, it is clear that people are still refusing to accept God's viceregents. Thus, just as Shi'as believe that God concealed prophets Isa (Jesus), Idris (Enoch), Ilyas (Elijah) and Khidhr. God has also hidden the Mahdi from humankind until such a time when suitable circumstances have arisen for his reappearance.

During the Minor Occultation (Ghaybat al-Sughra), it is believed that Muhammad al-Mahdi maintained contact with his followers via deputies (Arab. an-nuwāb al-arbaʕa). They represented him and acted as agents between him and his followers.

Whenever the believers faced a problem, they would write their concerns and send them to his deputy. The deputy would ascertain his verdict, endorse it with his seal and signature and return it to the relevant parties. The deputies also collected zakat and khums on his behalf. For the Shia, the idea of consulting a hidden Imam was not something new because the two prior Shia Imams had, on occasion, met with their followers from behind a curtain.

Shia Tradition hold that four deputies acted in succession to one another:

1. Uthman ibn Sa’id al-Asadi
2. Abu Jafar Muhammad ibn Uthman
3. Abul Qasim Husayn ibn Ruh al-Nawbakhti
4. Abul Hasan Ali ibn Muhammad al-Samarri

In 941 (329 AH), the 4th deputy announced an order by Muhammad al-Mahdi, that the deputy would soon die and that the deputyship would end and the period of the Major Occultation would begin.

The 4th deputy died six days later and the Shi'a Muslims continue to await the reappearance of the Mahdi. In the same year, many notable Shi'a scholars such as Ali ibn Babwayh Qummi and Muhammad ibn Yaqub Kulayni, the learned compiler of al-Kafi also died.

According to the last letter of Muhammad al-Mahdi to Ali ibn Muhammad al-Samarri "from the day of your death [the last deputy] the period of my major occultation (al ghaybatul kubra) will begin. Hence forth, no one will see me, unless and until Allah makes me appear. My reappearance will take place after a very long time when people will have grown tired of waiting and those who are weak in their faith will say: What! Is he still alive?" [6]

As he said in this letter, nobody will claim to have seen him except liars.[7]

Another letter from Muhammad al-Mahdi says: "Rest assured, no one has a special relationship with Allah. Whoever denies me is not from my (community). The appearance of the Relief (al-Faraj) depends solely upon Allah. Therefore those who propose a certain time for it are liars. As to the benefit of my existence in occultation, it is like the benefit of the sun behind the clouds where the eyes do not see it." [8]

With regards to advice for his followers during his absence, he is reported to have said: "Refer to the transmitters of our traditions, for they are my hujja (proof) unto you and I am God’s proof unto them."

Twelver Shi'as cite various references from the Qur'an and reports, or Hadith, from Muhammad and the twelve Shi'a Imams with regard to the reappearance of Muhammad al-Mahdi who would, in accordance with God's command, bring justice and peace to the world by establishing Islam throughout the world.

• Muhammad is reported to have said:

"During the last times, my people will be afflicted with terrible and unprecedented calamities and misfortunes from their rulers, so much so that this vast earth will appear small to them. Persecution and injustice will engulf the earth. The believers will find no shelter to seek refuge from these tortures and injustices. At such a time, God will raise from my progeny a man who will establish peace and justice on this earth in the same way as it had been filled with injustice and distress."^{[citation needed]}

Shi'as believe that Muhammad al-Mahdi will reappear when the world has fallen into chaos and civil war emerges between the human race for no reason. At this time, it is believed, half of the true believers will ride from Yemen carrying white flags to Mecca, while the other half will ride from Karbala, in Iraq, carrying black flags to Mecca. At this time, Muhammad al-Mahdi will come wielding God's Sword, the Blade of Evil's Bane, Zulfiqar (Arabic: ذو الفقار, ðū l-fiqār), the Double-Bladed Sword.

Majority of Sunni Muslims do not consider Muhammad to be the Mahdi nor to be in occultation. Yet there are few Sunni scholars who have recorded narrations about the birth of Imam Mahdi in the house of Imam Hasan Al-Askari[9]^{[citation needed]}

Bahá'u'lláh and `Abdu'l-Bahá considered the story of the occultation of the Twelfth Imam to have been a pious fraud conceived by a number of the leading Shí`ahs in order to maintain the coherence and continuity of the Shí`ah movement after the death of the 11th Imam, Hasan al-`Askarí [10]. Bahá'ís believe that Siyyid `Alí Muhammad-i-Shírází, known as the Báb (1819-1850), is the promised Twelfth Imam, the Mahdi, who had already made his advent and fulfilled all the prophecies. The Shaykhi movement of the early 19th century claimed to have made preparations for the Mahdi. In 1848 the Báb and his followers began to teach more openly, and the Báb was publicly executed in 1850.

Most scholars doubt that Muhammad al-Mahdi existed at all and hold that the 11th Imam died without leaving any offspring, though others believe that he may have existed [11].

Some scholars, including Bernard Lewis^[7] also point out, that the idea of an Imam in occultation was not new in 873 but that it was a recurring factor in Shia history.

Later, Fatimid Caliph al-Hakim, the grandson of the Imam Nizar, and Taiyab abi al-Qasim were believed by their followers to have gone into occultation as well.

• Mahdi
• Narjis
• People claiming to be the Mahdi
• Azadari

1. ^ [1]
2. ^ [2]
3. ^ [3]
4. ^ [4]
5. ^ Ikmal of Al­Saduq
6. ^ [5]
7. ^ The Assassins: A Radical Sect in Islam, Bernard Lewis, pp. 23, 35, 49.

• Kitab al-Irshad, Muhammad b. Muhammad b. Nu'man (al-Shaikh al-Mufid), 4th A.H./10 A.D.
• Review of 'Kitab al-Irshad' by Al-Mufid , by Dr. I. K. A. Howard

• al-Qarashi, Baqir Sharif (2006). The Life of Imam Al-Mahdi, translated by Syed Athar Husain S.H. Rizvi. Ansariyan Publications. ISBN 9644388062. 
• al-Sadr, Muhammad Baqir (1983). Awaited Saviour. Imam Al Khoei Islamic. ISBN 0686903986. 
• Amini, Ibrahim (1996). Al-Imam Al-Mahdi: The Just Leader of Humanity, translated by Abdulaziz Abdulhussein Sachedina. Islamic Education and Information Center. ISBN 0968071708. 
• Corbin, Henry (1993). History of Islamic Philosophy, translated by Liadain Sherrard and Philip Sherrard. Kegan Paul International

in association with Islamic Publications for The Institute of Ismaili Studies. ISBN 0710304161. 

• Hussain, Jassim M. (1986). Occultation of the Twelfth Imam: A Historical Background. Routledge. ISBN 0710301588. 
• Nasr, Seyyed Hossein; Hamid Dabashi (1989). Expectation of the Millennium: Shiʻism in History. SUNY Press. ISBN 088706843X. 
• Sachedina, Abdulaziz Abdulhussein (1981). Islamic Messianism: The Idea of Mahdī in Twelver Shīʻism. Suny press. ISBN 0873954424. 
• Tabatabae, Sayyid Mohammad Hosayn; Seyyed Hossein Nasr (translator) (1979). Shi'ite Islam. Suny press. ISBN 0-87395-272-3. 

• Muhammad al-Mahdi al-Hujjah an article by Encyclopedia Britannica Online
• ghaybah an article by Encyclopedia Britannica Online
• Mahdi an article by Encyclopedia Britannica Online
• ghaybah(The Occultation) an article by Encyclopedia Britannica Online
• MAHDI'S DEPUTIES by Verena Klemm, an article by encyclopedia Iranica
• List of sites about Imam Mahdi
• Guide to the 12 Imams - Inc. Imam Muhammad al-Mahdi (www.shiacode.com)
• Information and Biography of Imam Mohammed Al Mahdi
• The Awaited Saviour by Ayatullah Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr & Ayatullah Murtadha Mutahhari
• A Discussion concerning the Mahdi, by Ayatullah Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr
• Imam Mahdi's Biography
• The Period of Confusion and Perplexity After the Death of Imam al-Askari
• - Iran prepares people for 'messiah miracles'
• [12] Unravelling lies from people about Imam Muhammad Mahdi

Preceded by Hasan al-Askari

Twelver Shia Imam 874–

Succeeded by none