Turkish Journal of Shiite Studies (Jun 2020)
Some Notes on Mahdi Perception in Contemporary Shi'ism
Abstract
The thought of Mahdi is one of the main beliefs of Imamiyya. According to Imamiyya, Twelfth Imam Muhammad al-Mahdi entered into occultation in 873. This disappearance of her will continue until the Apocalypse. For this reason, this thought has been occupying the minds of the Imamites for more than a thousand years. They tried to create all political andbelief systems accordingly. But according to Shiite Imamiyya, no situation would necessarily require the return of Mehdi. However, the ulama, sitting at the center of politics with the Islamic Republic of Iran, needed some new tools to make its legitimacy permanent. In this context, they focus on religious arguments to demonstrate that they have fulfilled their responsibilities for the people and to promote their expansion policies outside Iran. For this reason, this is why the narrations of Mahdi which constitute a considerable amount inthe Classical Shiite books, are reinterpreted and tired to keep them alive.
