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Awaiting the Mahdi - Covenant or Creed? (Part 3)
By Sheikh
Salman al-Oudah, Saudi Arabia
This article was taken from
IslamToday
We have already presented a selection of
the hadith to be found on the Mahdi. We have also discussed a number of
historical events that were directly related to this issue. Now, in closing, we
shall offer some observations about what we have presented.
1st Observation:
We can easily observe that overwhelming
despair causes people to look for an escape. Even if the solution is only
imaginary, it gives them something to cling to and focus on in the face of their
great failures and dashed hopes. This is the reason we find the Mahdism so
prevalent among the Shi'ah. They had always been a minority and for the most
part, political power rested in the hands of Ahl al-Sunnah. They felt alienated
and excluded. Their leaders were far away from the centers of influence and
decision making, so they substituted for these shortcomings by providing their
followers with concepts that would protect their spirits and fortify their
resolve. This might have been something purely psychological, for though it may
have been a deliberate ploy for some, others may have been so enthralled with
these ideas that they actually believed them and then spread them to others with
genuine conviction. Other people would then be ready to accept such ideas being
expressed with such obvious earnest, honesty, and sincerity. They would also
inherit their enthusiasm.
Mahdism provided an outlet for the Shi'ah
who had no opportunity to acquire political power. They instigated many revolts,
but these were all failures. A discussion of these revolts and their outcomes
can be found in al-Asfahani's book Maqatil al-Talibīn.
Likewise, some people from Ahl al-Sunnah,
on occasions when circumstances brought them to despair, took these ideas as a
means of escape. When the Spanish expelled the Muslims from Spain, some Muslims
resorted to claiming that the Mahdi had appeared. They waited for him
expectantly, believing that when he came, he would lead them to victory against
the Spanish.
The same can be said for some of the
Muslims in the Caucasus who believed that Sheikh Mansur, who led one of the
liberation movements shortly before the time of Sheikh Shamil, would return
again and lead the jihad.
The Kurds are a people who without doubt
have gone through bitter suffering in many countries and throughout their
history, with the historical exception of Salah al-Din al-Ayyubi and his
descendants. As a consequence, many Kurds have held the belief that one of their
leaders, Hasan b. `Ali, was going to return.
Feelings of frustration might come after a
failure in some major undertaking or in the failure of the hopes connected with
it. This could be a war effort or some other movement on which people pin their
hopes and look towards as a way out of their desperation. When such efforts fail
and their hopes are dashed to the ground, they become demoralized and fall into
despair. They can find an escape in waiting for someone.
It is best for the Muslim nation not to pin
its hopes on a specific undertaking. The area of Islamic work is far broader
than to be confined to one enterprise or another. If some efforts fail, others
will succeed. In this way, people's hearts can stay clear of debilitating
frustration and despair. Defeat, failure, and frustration provide the ideal
environment for Mahdist ideas to proliferate, especially among those who do not
possess a positive plan of action that can fulfill them and channel their
energies.
Despair often leads a person to believe
that work is pointless and that the solutions to the problems they are facing
are far beyond the reach of human effort. They see no way out aside from divine
intervention of a miraculous nature, intervention that comes in the form of the
Mahdi sent to them as divine assistance to inflict heavy casualties upon their
enemies and visit them with destruction. He will unite the Muslims and dispel
their differences.
When we embrace such ideas, we excuse
ourselves from engaging in any serious or fruitful work. We become complacent
while we wait for the Mahdi to arrive and abandon the duty that Allah commands
us in the Qur'an to carry out:
"And if Allah did not check one set of
people by means of another, the Earth would indeed be full of mischief. But
Allah is full of bounty to all the worlds."
[Surah al-Baqarah: 251]
Such feelings, in my opinion, stem from a
combination of two afflictions:
The first is a defeatist attitude that can
affect a group of people or even an entire nation when the hopes that they had
vested in something specific evaporate. This is why, whenever a "Mahdi" dies,
the people transfer their hopes to another or claim that he did not die or that
he will one day return.
The second affliction is a longing for
radical and total change and dissatisfaction with anything gradual. This is a
failure to take into consideration the divine order in Creation. It is also a
failure to recognize the value of gradual or partial reform. Such people dream
that all of the iniquity that prevails around the world will just be swept away
in the blink of an eye. Yes, we must believe that Allah has the power to change
whatever He wills.
In the blink of an eye, before it can open
again, Allah changes one situation into another.
However, Allah has established a natural
order for the change and reform that He has ordered us to work towards. This is
why Allah says:
"Allah will not change the condition of a
people until they change what is within themselves."
[Surah al-Ra`d: 11]
There are those who dream of a final
solution to bring their difficulties to an end. Their problem is that they want
all of this to happen within their lifetimes. The idea of planting a seedling
that they and their children after them will nurture while they toil and wait
for the results is something that stretches their determination beyond its
limits. They are not waiting for the fruits of their own efforts and endeavors,
but for something that requires no effort from them except to wait and dream.
It can be observed that people who engage
in productive work like providing aid to others, teaching, calling people to
Islam, and effecting reform - people who have projects, objectives, and
activities that focus their attentions, energies, and hopes - are unmoved by
Mahdist ideas. Such ideas have no appeal to them, even if they are themselves
simple people. This is because the productive work that they engage in fulfills
their lives and provides them with satisfaction. They do not need a mental
crutch to support them. If one day such a person does arrive, they would readily
join with the others in supporting him. All the same, they do not depend upon it
happening, nor do they suspend their efforts waiting for it to happen.
As for those who pin their hopes on some
distant, unattainable objective while at the same time make no effort to bring
it any closer to realization but just sit around and wait, such people often
look upon the efforts of others with derision. They ask: "What do you think you
can do? Can you turn back the raging winds or the floodwaters with your puny
little hands?" Such people see nothing as a solution except for radical and
total change, and such change will only come at the hands of the Awaited One.
This is why most Mahdist claims throughout
history have come about in an atmosphere of tension and crisis and in times of
social or political upheaval. All such Mahdist movements took place at times
when people, especially the youth, felt trapped, when they could see no way out
and no light at the end of the tunnel. They found no recourse but to turn to
these ideas.
We must also observe that Mahdism
throughout history had almost invariably been associated with the Shi'ah,
whereas today we see a startling reversal of this trend. The Shi'ah, whose whole
history has been one of expectation and waiting - the very Shi'ah who had
produced dozens of Mahdis, and claimed that the Friday prayer, jihad, and many
other works were not valid until the Mahdi arrives - have now learned their
lesson and evolved their ideas about awaiting the Mahdi. They have not discarded
the idea. The vast majority of them still believe in the Awaited Mahdi, but they
have found alternatives to waiting. They have begun to work, plan, and achieve
results. Because of this change, they have established nations for themselves.
They have formed political parties and organizations. Their media operations and
their activities are unparalleled today. At the same time, Ahl al-Sunnah has
begun to drone on about the Mahdi and how they wait for him in anticipation,
speculating about who he is.
This is a very strange reversal in thought.
The youth of Ahl al-Sunnah should stop and consider that they are putting
themselves into a very difficult situation. They are heading for the very
situation from which others had to bring themselves out. Nothing good can be
said about this trend, especially after history has shown us how dangerous and
debilitating it is.
2nd Observation:
There are two types of people who claim to
be the Mahdi. The first type is the person who knows that he is lying. He is out
to deceive people, turn them into his followers, them exploit them. If we look
at the Fatimid state, we see that it was established on the basis of such a
claim. The same can be said for the Almohads, the dynasty founded by the "Mahdi"
Ibn Tumart. These people raised the Mahdist banner for political ends and
material gain, and they achieved what they had aspired to. Other claimants who
had the same goals were not so fortunate.
The second type of person who comes with
this claim is confused and imagines that he actually is the Mahdi. Such people
are afflicted, as Ibn Hajar puts it with: "a deteriorated mental state." This
situation is well understood by contemporary Psychology. There are people who
become disturbed or have a split personality. Some people claim to be Jesus or
the Mahdi or even someone greater than that.
3rd Observation:
Overemphasizing an issue is a form of
deviance, even when dealing with a legitimate issue. As a case in point,
consider the appointment of an imam to lead the Muslims. There is no dispute
about this principle, except for the unusual opinion held by al-Asamm. As for
the rest of the Muslims - and all of Ahl al-Sunnah without exception -
appointing an imam is seen as a religious requirement and a necessity.
The Shi'ah, however, go overboard on this
issue, making it the demarcation line between them and everybody else. They have
built upon it an imposing ideological edifice. When you read their books and
consider their principles and beliefs, it seems as if the Earth and the entire
universe were created only for the office of the imam, specifically the imamate
of 'Ali b. Abi Talib and his descendants. They make it seem as if these imams
are the ones who sustain all of existence, and that the life of the Hereafter
emanates from them and is for them. They are depicted as the only true
leadership for the people and the only source of reform for humanity. The
protection of the faith is only through them. There are many other causative
relationship that they tie to their imams, besides those that we have mentioned,
and all these claims are made without any evidence to support them.
Ahl al-Sunnah should grasp this fact that
overemphasizing any issue can be a form of deviance. Yes, you must believe in a
matter that is legitimate, but you must likewise give it its legitimate
emphasis, neither blowing it out of proportion nor neglecting it. This principle
applies to the question of the Mahdi. Some people go so far as to deny the
hadith about the Mahdi altogether. Often they do this because of the great many
ways the idea of the Mahdi has been abused throughout history, as if denying his
existence will put and end to the problem. Sometimes, though, the reason for
their denial is a lack of knowledge about the Sunnah. This is one extreme. Then
there are those who embrace the idea of Mahdism with such force and excessive
zeal that it consumes them. They are as much in error as those who reject the
Mahdi altogether.
The same can be said for any other issue,
even the issue of worship. If someone goes to an extreme in his fear of Allah,
he can wind up falling into the errors of the Kharijīs (1). On the other hand,
excessive hope for Allah's forgiveness can lead one into the mistakes of the
Murji'ah (2). Excessive love can lead to the errors of the Sufis. This is true
for all legitimate Islamic principles. We must believe in them and give them
their proper weight, neither exaggerating their importance nor neglecting them.
This is a very important concept. This is part of the "just balance" that is
given special mention in the Qur'an:
"We have made you a nation justly balanced."
[Surah al-Baqarah: 143]
This just balance is to have moderation by
neither going to extremes in these matters nor shunning them altogether. When we
consider the questions about which the Muslims differ, whether we are talking
about the Muslims in general or the Islamic workers and organizations in
particular, we often see that the cause of such disagreement is their adopting
one extreme position or another. One group goes to extremes on the issue of
Islamic government, so much so that they accuse Muslim governments of unbelief,
as well as those scholars and citizens who are contented with these governments.
Then there are others who neglect this same issue and belittle its importance,
claiming without any proof from Allah that people are free to govern themselves
by any law and political system they see fit. These people are as excessive in
their neglect of these issues as those others are in promoting them.
Then there is the moderation that gives
every question its legitimate weight and its due consideration, eschewing all
extremes. Allah says:
"Verily, for all things Allah has appointed
a due proportion"
[Surah al-Talaq:3]
There is no escaping the fact that
overemphasizing one matter always means neglecting another of equal, if not
greater, importance.
4th Observation:
Islam provides a powerful alternative to
waiting, and those who are engrossed in the question of the Mahdi and his
expected appearance generally fail to take notice of it. This is the principle
of renewal found in the hadith related by Abu Hurayrah: "Allah sends
to this nation at the beginning of each century those who renew the religion." [Sunan
Abi Dawud (4291)] This is an authentic hadith that has enjoyed
widespread acceptance among Muslims. The issue of renewal is a legitimate
Islamic concept, and it has been acted upon by the leading scholars. Abu Bakr
engaged in it after the death of the Prophet (peace be upon him) by bringing the
people back to the truth and fighting the apostates. `Umar b. `Abd al-'Aziz
engaged in it when dealing with the Umayyads. Al-Shafi`i, Ahmad and other
scholars carried out this effort throughout the ages. Each one of these people
carried out renewal in his own area of efficacy.
This is the issue that can actually reform
the circumstances of the people and even inspire them to participate in their
own reform. The reason for this is that renewal is not something that awaits the
arrival of any individual like the Mahdi; it is the duty of every Muslim.
Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said: "those who renew the religion."
This is a general statement, not indicative of any particular individual or
group. It embraces numerous people working in different areas of life. Who can
single-handedly renew all aspects of Islam which embraces so many aspects of
life, including education, work, worship, economics, and the media? This cannot
be achieved by any one individual or even a group of individuals. Such sweeping
renewal requires a vast number of people.
Even so, the Muslim nation will always
require more reform and continued renewal. This is why Allah's Messenger (peace
be upon him) mentioned the divinely supported group that would remain steadfast
on Allah's command and would neither be harmed by those who would forsake them
nor by those who would go against them until the coming of Allah's decree. The
concern of this group is reform and renewal. Some of them engage in education,
some in jihad, and others in economic reform. Some of them engage in study, some
in Islamic work, while others participate in relief efforts. We need to take our
nation, its youth, its organizations, and its diverse peoples, out of the
despair in which they dwell. This is a responsibility that we all share.
I wish to conclude with four points:
1. We must foster dialogue about the major
issues facing the Muslims today. We must develop in our youth and our men the
ability to listen. This is especially true for our leaders, both intellectual
and political. For when people know that they are being listened to, it removes
some of the discontent in their hearts. It opens up avenues for understanding,
negotiation, and exchange. This preserves the unity of the Muslims and the
energies of the youth. It directs their energies to the important task of
confronting the real dangers surrounding them.
2. We must encourage our intellectual
institutions to engage in Islamic work, education, and relief. We must encourage
them to employ the media. Our charitable organizations must be supported and
promoted as well, along with all other charitable efforts. We have to remove the
despair and frustration that the Muslims are suffering from, because despair
produces nothing. It can only bring about harm by placing people in a defeatist
mindset.
3. We must provide opportunities for our
young Muslims to live decent, respectable lives. We must provide this for our
families and our society at large. Poverty and unemployment turn people into the
fuel for any deviant ideology that comes along.
4. We must safeguard the Islamic nation
from the vicissitudes of deviant though and moral depravity. There can be no
doubt that these factors have the power to incite a reaction with grave negative
consequences. We have begun to see in the Arab media and on the Internet and
chat sites people maligning Allah and denouncing His Glory and Greatness. They
are likewise slandering Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him), deprecating that
which the Muslims hold sacred, and profaning the symbols of Islam. We must
permit dialogue, but this dialogue must stay within the bounds of what is
Islamically permitted. We must not give those who are sick and depraved and
morally weak the opportunity to do abuse Islam in such an obscene and vulgar
manner, because this can sometimes give birth to violent and extraordinary
reactions. It is imperative for us to safeguard the Muslims from the deviant and
filthy ideas and mores that the media, through the television, the Internet, and
other means at its disposal, is pumping into our Muslim societies. We must put
forth a major effort to do this.
I ask Allah to give strength to Islam and
the Muslims and to instill weakness in polytheism and the polytheists. May Allah
assist the Muslims everywhere and protect them from the evil of the wicked and
the plots of the devious as long as there is day and night. May Allah help us to
say righteous words and perform righteous deeds. Verily, He is capable of all
things. And may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon our Prophet Muhammad
and upon all of his family and Companions.
(1) An early Islamic sect that declared
anyone who commits a major sin to be an unbeliever, damned for eternity.
(2) Another early Islamic sect that declared belief sufficient for salvation and
considered deeds, sinful or otherwise, of no consequence.
Back
Awaiting the
Mahdi...(Part 1)
Awaiting the
Mahdi...(Part 2)
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