Who is the Mahdi (the Savior of the End Times)?

Introduction

All praise and gratitude belong to the One and Unique God, who created the world through His infinite generosity and mercy. He calls for humanity to embrace friendship, support one another, and stand against any form of discrimination related to wealth, social standing, race, or skin color. God instructs us never to engage in the oppression of others and to devote our worship solely to Him.
God is complete and lacks nothing; these guidelines are for the betterment and benefit of humanity. He chose prophets from among us to convey His divine guidance, granting them miracles as proof. Each generation of prophets brought messages of noble human values to their people.
Many individuals devoted themselves to the prophets, offering aid to those who were oppressed and in need, often making significant sacrifices. Unfortunately, the negative traits of selfishness, greed, arrogance, sloth, avarice, envy, lust, and anger have led certain individuals astray from the teachings of divinity, resulting in their oppression and harm toward others and themselves.
Some lie and deceive for personal gain, even modifying sacred scriptures to serve their own interests, betraying their trust. Powerful and wealthy oppressors have exploited people and kept societies ignorant of the Divine teachings of the Prophets, knowing that widespread spiritual awareness would threaten their unjust rule.
All humans seek inner peace, though they pursue it in different ways. In this noisy age, tranquility is the deepest need of every soul. Today, many around the world suffer from mental and emotional afflictions as their minds endure numerous stresses. Severe inequalities and injustices exacerbate the human condition.
What plan does the Merciful Creator have for humanity in these challenging times? As always, the Supreme God revealed His plan through His Prophets, seeking our well-being, happiness, and prosperity according to the nature He designed. Who knows us better than our Creator, who is all-wise, all-knowing, and utterly compassionate?

Who is the Mahdi?

Justice: The Innate Need of Humans

Tranquility, that cherished yet elusive treasure of humanity, can only be achieved through justice. Justice is about ensuring that everything is in its proper place and that everyone receives their rightful rights. Furthermore, it encompasses a much broader significance: the realization of all human capabilities, acknowledging humans as intricate individuals with boundless potential. Neglecting these abilities reduces individuals to beings driven solely by physical desires, leading to suffering. On the other hand, humans can attain genuine serenity, guided by their inherent nature given by a higher power. This inherent inclination, particularly noticeable in children, guides them towards moral behavior and stems from their innate goodness.
Now, look around you. To what extent is justice observed in your surroundings? How much are justice and ethics respected worldwide? How well are human rights respected? How often are people deprived of even their most basic rights across the globe? How successful have individuals, ideologies, schools of thought, movements, and trends been in reforming the current state of the world?

A Global Event

One global event remains to be fulfilled: the arrival of the Savior, as predicted by various religious beliefs and holy scriptures. He will appear when oppression, injustice, and darkness have engulfed the world, liberating all humanity. Under his just rule, peace will prevail on earth. The Savior is a perfect, pure, and immaculate human, embodying compassion and love for others. As God's chosen one, he represents the divine plan for humanity's salvation in the end times. To truly know him, we must first understand the Divine Prophets.

The Divine Prophets Pave the Way to Knowing the Savior

God chose pure and truthful messengers from diverse communities to serve as Divine Prophets, imparting knowledge, wisdom, and ethics to their peoples through revelation. As evidence of their spiritual mission, God granted prophets miraculous signs. Among them was Moses, who was sent to the Pharaoh and the Israelites, bearing numerous miracles from God and using one to liberate the Jews from Egyptian tyranny. Centuries later, Jesus was chosen in an event so momentous that his miraculous birth marked the beginning of the Gregorian calendar. Like the prophets before him, he guided humanity to noble values through extraordinary acts performed by God's leave, substantiating his prophethood. Then came Muhammad, whose coming was anticipated by followers of prior faiths who discerned signs of him in their sacred texts.
Prophet Muhammad was a divine gift bestowed upon all of humanity by God. Selected as a prophet, he had the responsibility of improving the ethics of the population. God revealed the Quran through a blessed heart, and it serves as Islam's final and most comprehensive holy text. It contains a multitude of evidence demonstrating its divine nature. It confirms all previous scriptures and prophets. It promotes independent thinking, unlike the media's imposed ideals. Countless individuals have discovered profound guidance in the sacred teachings of God and have embraced the Islamic faith after immersing themselves in the study and contemplation of its verses.
By God's decree, all Divine Prophets had designated successors. Entrusted with preserving the Prophet's mission, successors dutifully continued inviting humanity to righteousness, interpreting the scriptures conveyed after the Prophet's departure. Neither prophets nor their successors ever requested anything from the people. Facing tremendous adversity, they sacrificed greatly, even their lives, while conveying the divine word despite powerful dissenting forces. Through such hardship, their solitary hope lay in the Creator's reward, not in any worldly gain, as they served only God's cause of human redemption. Their selfless struggles against terrible odds exemplify virtuous leadership appointed according to God's will to guide society righteously.

The Promised Mahdi

Prophet Muhammad was the final Divine Messenger, declaring that no prophet would come after him. He and his successors foretold the coming of the Promised Mahdi as the Savior of the End Times. Currently, in occultation, the Mahdi will one day emerge to dispel injustice and oppression, establishing justice and fairness worldwide. Even before his birth, numerous books detailed the Mahdi, mentioning his name, status, ancestry, character traits, appearance, conditions of his hidden period and unveiling, his uprising, and the state of the world in the end times and after his appearance.
All accounts originate from the Prophet and his rightful successors. The Mahdi was born on the 15th of Sha'ban in the year 255 AH (869 AD) in Samarra. His father was Imam Hassan al-Askari, considered by Shia Muslims as the eleventh righteous successor of the Prophet. His mother, Narjis, was a descendant of Sham'un, the successor of Prophet Jesus. The oppressive rulers, who had wrongfully imprisoned and eventually poisoned Imam Hassan al-Askari, knew his son would purge the world of tyranny and injustice. After martyring the Imam, the Abbasid caliph al-Mu'tamid ordered a thorough search of the Imam's entire residence, which had previously been sealed. He also kept the Imam's wives under surveillance to see if any were with children. However, God protected the five-year-old Mahdi from the oppressors' reach through His divine power.

The Occultation of the Mahdi

As previously stated, the rulers during the time of the Mahdi were well aware of his ability to put an end to all forms of oppressive rule. Consequently, they made relentless efforts to locate and eliminate him. Due to this particular reason, Imam Mahdi, who had been witnessed by his family and close companions of his father, mysteriously vanished and entered a state of occultation. His occultation had been foretold by his father and ancestors, who are regarded by Shia Muslims as the successors of the Prophet.
The occultation of the Mahdi continues to this day. God has protected him through His infinite wisdom and power to fulfill the promise concerning him mentioned in the Quran and other sacred texts. He is the Savior of humanity in these challenging times, alive today though hidden from sight, much like the sun behind clouds. His reemergence, God willing, shall end injustice worldwide as prophesied.

The Mahdi from the Words of the Prophet and His Successors

Reports from the Prophet and his righteous successors indicate that the Mahdi's appearance and virtuous traits bear a striking resemblance to those of the Prophet. One of the main reasons why people were drawn to the Prophet was his genuine concern and love for others. In addition, they mentioned that the Mahdi's occultation would be unusually long. Every day, the state of the world will worsen as individuals are confronted with countless disasters throughout this time. Over time, his name and memory will gradually fade away until, at a moment only known to God, the Mahdi will reveal himself.
His reappearance will be a blessed and joyous event, bringing peace, justice, tranquility, and happiness to the world. Humanity will reach its highest potential as hostility and conflict give way to friendship, harmony, and serenity. All ruins on earth will be rebuilt during that era. Roads will be safe to travel, with no one causing harm or theft. Merciful rains will bless the land, making it lush and beautiful. Security and calm will prevail, such that reports say a woman could travel alone from Iraq to Syria without fear of harassment, threats to her life or possessions, or even wild animal attacks while carrying all her valuables. Poverty will vanish, and the charitable will search globally for someone in need and find none. After his emergence, the truth of Islam and Prophet Muhammad will become apparent to all. People will embrace Islam with sincere faith and love, ending religious plurality.

In Conclusion

Finally, let us act on the invitation of the Quran, the holy book of the last Prophet Muhammad, which calls for reflection and contemplation, and we encourage you to consider the following questions and any others that may emerge:
1. Does the greatness and order of the world necessitate an Able and Knowledgeable Creator?
2. Given the non-material phenomena around us, such as witnessing scenes previously seen in dreams or near-death experiences, which operate outside the laws of matter, can our world be considered purely material?
3. Did the creation of this world and humanity occur without any purpose?
4. Did God create humans and then abandon them to their own devices?
5. What is the cause of human problems and misery?
6. How does God choose to communicate with humans?
7. What truths does the history of the Divine Prophets reveal about them?
8. What is God's plan for the end of the world?
9. Who is the Savior of the End Times?
10. Who is the Promised Mahdi foretold by the last Prophet of God and his successors?