The Mahdi's Spiritual Army in This

World
H A R U N Y A H Y A
Printer-friendly format E-mail this article

When Allah's help and victory have arrived and you have seen people entering Allah's religion in
droves, then glorify your Lord's praise and ask His forgiveness. He is the Ever-Returning. (Surat an-
Nasr, 1-3)

Through the verses of the Qur'an, our Almighty Lord has imparted the glad tidings that He will place Islam
above all other faiths and cause the moral values of the Qur'an to prevail over the world. In the Hadith, the
Prophet (saas) tells us that Allah will bring about this welcome event through the efforts of the Mahdi. The
Messenger of Allah (saas) has reported that the Mahdi, the spiritual leader of Muslims at this time, will
perform a great service for the good of all mankind and Islam, and will carry out very important activities.

By Allah's leave, the Mahdi—likened to the Prophet (saas) in terms of his excellent moral virtues—will
restore to its essential nature the faith, which has been distorted from its true essence through various
superstitious beliefs and false practices. Together with the Prophet ‘Isa (as), he will cause Islam, the one
true faith, to prevail on Earth. According to the information contained in the Hadith, the Mahdi will make
sincere efforts, to ensure mankind's salvation in this world and in the Hereafter. And thanks to him, peace,
plenty and abundance will be found on Earth.

According to the tawatur (completely trustworthy) Hadith, the long-awaited coming of the Mahdi will be one
of the most important events in the Islamic world. The entire Muslim world is hoping for—and
enthusiastically awaiting—the renewal of Islamic civilization and the moral values of the Qur'an to prevail on
Earth, through this blessed personage.

Likened to the Prophet (saas) in terms of his excellent moral virtues, the Mahdi--
according to the information contained in the Hadith--will make sincere efforts to ensure
mankind's salvation in this world and in the Hereafter, and will be a means for peace,
plenty and abundance on Earth.
In the
Hadith of the Prophet (saas), it is also reported that as the Mahdi performs this honorable and superior task,
the number of those around him will be very small. Yet despite their being so few in number, the moral
values of Islam will, by Allah's leave, come to prevail across the entire globe. This is, of course, a miracle of
Allah's. In the Qur'an, he tells us that, "Allah reinforces with His help whoever He wills. There is
instruction in that for people of insight" (Surah Al ‘Imran, 13).

Allah desires Islamic virtues to prevail on Earth, and He has the power to bring this about in the manner of
His choosing. Indeed, events taking place in our own day herald the fact that, by Allah's leave, this time is
close at hand.

All Activities Around the Globe Serve the Mahdi and the Dominion of Islamic Moral
Values

As reported in the Hadith of the Prophet (saas), the Mahdi will have around him a group of supporters and
helpmates that, as stated above, will be comparatively small in number. But, by Allah's will, anyone who tries
to assist in the development of Islam and the spreading of Qur'anic moral values will, knowingly or
otherwise, be serving the Mahdi.

For that reason, every activity on Earth is actually a service rendered to the Mahdi. Everyone who writes
books or articles, publishes newspapers or magazines, or arranges conferences to that end is, wittingly or
unwittingly, assisting and supporting the Mahdi, in preparing for the dominion of Islamic moral values under
his leadership.

No doubt that this is a promise and assistance from Allah to His true servants. Nothing can obstruct the will
of Allah. He wills Islamic moral values to be installed over the world, and by His leave, this promise will come
about. It is reported in the Qur'an that by Allah's will, the faithful will be victorious:

We supported them, and so they were the victors. (Surat as-Saffat, 116)

Allah wills Islamic virtues to prevail on Earth, and has the power to bring this about in
the manner of His choosing.
All
Activities Carried out against the Mahdi in fact serve his Coming and his Mission

This century is a glad epoch when signs of the End Times are coming about, one by one, and the whole
Muslim world is in a state of expectancy. The second coming of Prophet ‘Isa (as)—who, as indicated in the
verses of the Qur'an, did not die and will return to Earth again, as is described in great detail in the Hadith—
is awaited with great excitement. In the same way, the appearance of the Mahdi, whose name, qualities and
activities are all set out in detail in tawatur Hadith of the Prophet (saas), is another event awaited by the
entire Islamic world.

Some of the Hadith referring to the second coming of Prophet ‘Isa (as) and the appearance of the Mahdi
read as follows:

By Him in Whose Hands my soul is, son of Maryam [‘Isa] will shortly descend amongst you people
as a just ruler. (Sahih al-Bukhari)

‘Isa (as), son of Maryam, will come down as a just judge [ruler] and imam for his nation. . . . (Al-
Tabari, Al-Awsat, Hadith no. 4577, 5:292.)

[The Day of Judgment] will not come until you see ten signs . . . [one of which is] the descent of ‘Isa
son of Maryam . . . . (Sahih Muslim)

Abu Dawud reported a Hadith from Abd Allah ibn Masud: The Prophet said, If there were only one
day left for the world, that day would be lengthened until a man from among my descendants or
from among the people of my household, was sent; . . . He will fill the earth with justice and fairness,
just as it will have been filled with injustice and oppression. (Abu Dawud)

. . . From Abu Hurairah, the Prophet said, "If there were only one day left for this world, Allah would
lengthen it until he [the Mahdi] took power." (at-Tirmidhi)

All the Ahlul Sunnah scholars are in agreement about these glad tidings in the Hadith. Among eminent
Islamic scholars, there is no difference of opinion at all about the coming of these blessed individuals who
will cause Islamic virtues as imparted by the Prophet (saas) to prevail on Earth. Therefore, the coming of
Prophet ‘Isa (as) and the Mahdi is too certain a matter to be concealed or misinterpreted.

Even so, some may still harbor doubts about the second coming of Prophet ‘Isa (as) and the appearance of
the Mahdi—which doubt is a most serious error. The important fact to realize is this: Even if people do hold
such views, this is actually nothing more than another sign of the appearance of the Mahdi. The position of
such people is a clear indication of the imminence of the Mahdi's coming.
These glad tidings are imparted thus in the Hadith of the Prophet (saas):

Allah Almighty will send the Mahdi after despair has reached the point that people will say, "There is
no Mahdi."
(Nu'aym ibn Hammad)

The Mahdi will appear with the standard of the Messenger of Allah (saas), when people encounter
one trouble after another and when all hope for his emergence is lost . . .
(Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir al-zaman, p. 55)

The Mahdi is an individual whose tidings have been imparted and who is
enthusiastically awaited by the faithful. It is the duty of every Muslim to await and
spread the good news of his coming.
In the
Qur'an, too, Allah has revealed that some may doubt that He will send a messenger to lead the faithful. As
an example, he cites those who said that there would be no prophet after Prophet Yusuf (as):

Yusuf brought you the clear signs before, but you never stopped doubting what he brought to you to
the extent that when he died, you said, "Allah will never send another messenger after him." That is
how Allah misguides those who are unbridled and full of doubt. (Surah Ghafir, 34)

In the light of tawatur (trustworthy) Hadith, the Mahdi's long-awaited coming is one of
the most important events in the Islamic world.
In the
Qur'an, our Lord has promised that He will cause Islamic values to prevail over the world and will bestow
power and authority on His faithful servants. He tells us that this promise is a certain one. The Hadith of the
Prophet (saas) and the words of all the great Islamic scholars state that Prophet ‘Isa (as) and the Mahdi will
be instrumental in this taking place. In the light of this absolute promise of Allah's, Islamic moral values will
come to rule, and an individual will assume leadership of Muslims.

For a long time now, Muslims have had no such leader to bring them all together. By Allah's leave, this first
leader—the tidings of whom have been reported for 1,400 years—will be the Mahdi. He will eliminate
oppression and darkness and be a means whereby the beauty of Islamic virtues is experienced by all the
world.

As this concluding time approaches, all the events taking place, be they great or small, will play important
roles in the coming about of this destiny determined by Allah. Knowingly or unknowingly, willingly or not,
people's every action will help in this outcome being attained. All efforts and propaganda expended against
its happening will be just as effective as work carried out to further the appearance, recognition and service
of the Mahdi. Every action taken in opposition to the Mahdi will further increase his effectiveness and
contribute to his activities being echoed around the world.

Those who maintain that Prophet ‘Isa (as) and the Mahdi will not appear, those who say "I do not believe in
the second coming of Prophet ‘Isa (as) and the Mahdi," will, through their very words and deeds, again draw
attention to those two blessed individuals and, by serving them thus unwittingly, become a means whereby
others can reflect on these important tidings. In that sense, therefore, to say "Prophet ‘Isa (as) will not come"
is the same as saying "Prophet ‘Isa (as) will come"! Similarly, saying "The Mahdi will not come" actually
means "The Mahdi will." Anyone who says "I stand opposed to the Mahdi" will encourage , further curiosity,
interest in and discussion about the Mahdi. By Allah's leave, deniers and hypocrites, those who adopt ideas
opposed to Qur'anic moral values, and the enemies of Prophet ‘Isa (as) and the Mahdi greatly assist—albeit
unwillingly and unknowingly—in these glad tidings being disseminated and in Islamic virtues spreading
across the world.

Even if some are reluctant, Allah's promise will become reality; He will cause Islamic
moral values to prevail on Earth, and will bestow the virtues of the faith through one
who will become the spiritual leader of all Muslims.
It must not
be forgotten that Allah's promise is the truth. Even if some prove reluctant, Allah's promise will be fulfilled: He
will cause Islamic moral values to prevail on Earth, and will bestow the virtues of the faith through one who
will become the spiritual leader of all Muslims. By the will of Allah, these are all events that cannot be
prevented; they have already taken place in destiny. And our Almighty Lord has turned all the propaganda
and measures taken against Prophet ‘Isa (as) and the Mahdi into means by which this blessed outcome will
be achieved, and has placed even those opposed to the Mahdi at his service.

To believers, Allah reveals this state of affairs in the Qur'an:

It is He Who sent His messenger with guidance and the religion of truth [Islam] to exalt it over every
other religion, even though the idolaters detest it. (Surat at-Tawba, 33)

They desire to extinguish Allah's Light with their mouths, but Allah will perfect His Light, though the
unbelievers hate it. It is He Who sent His messenger with guidance and the religion of truth [Islam] to
exalt it over every other religion, though the idolaters hate it. (Surat as-Saff, 8-9)

Even if some are reluctant, Allah's promise will become reality; He will cause Islamic
moral values to prevail on Earth, and will bestow the virtues of the faith through one
who will become the spiritual leader of all Muslims.
The
Power of the Mahdi's Faith will Spread a Spiritual Awakening Across the World

As already mentioned, those who surround and support the Mahdi will be few in number. But the light of the
Mahdi's system has illumined the whole world. Without being aware of it, the whole world will abide by the
logic and perspective of the Mahdi's message and will come to be influenced by the fervor of his faith.
Spiritual excitement and the tendency towards faith will spread from the Mahdi to his disciples, and from
them to others around them, and thus throughout the whole world. One person will read a book, listen to a
talk or see a film; increase in spiritual fervor as a result, and then tell someone else of what he's learned.

And that person will tell others. There will be a chain reaction, increasing spiritual fervor, and influence will
spread over the entire world, reaching even Jews and Christians. As a result, a huge spiritual awakening will
take place all over the Earth.

The world will not know the origin of this spiritual excitement; those opposed to faith will be unaware that this
fervor originates from the system of the Mahdi. But in fact, this is one of the most important signs of the
Mahdi and his order.

The brightness of the system of the Mahdi has fallen over the whole world. Without
being aware of it, everyone will abide by the logic and perspective communicated by the
message of the Mahdi and will come to be influenced by the fervor of his faith. This is
one of the most important signs of the Mahdi.
Islamic
scholars have stated that this spiritual fervor, spreading in waves across the world, will stem from the
Mahdi’s attributes of being “Qutb al-Irshad” and “Qutb al-Aqtab.” Qutb al-Irshad is one who provides a
means for the world to awaken from heedlessness, who leads it to guidance and the true path, and who is
the true heir of the Prophet (saas)—a great individual who inherits his knowledge and manners, his task of
purifying souls by means of light, his work of turning hearts towards Allah, and his art of taming lower selves
and giving balance to life. The Qutb al-Aqtab is one who brings order to the world, a means whereby people
discover the true path through the greatest mentor of their time:

. . . Indeed, [Qutb al-Madar] always exists, and it also exists in our day. It had also existed in the time
of the Prophet (saas). Such people are also called Qutb al-Aqtab. However, they need seclusion. No
one knows them. Furthermore, sometimes, they even do not know themselves. The duty of
protecting Islam is granted to that blessed person called Qutb al-Irshad. Guidance and faith is
granted to everyone through . . . that person, who protects Islam, so it does not remain vulnerable.
The enemies of the religion cannot dare to demolish or change it.

In the Thirty-fifth Marifat of his book [Ma'arif-i Ladunniyya], Imam Rabbani says: Qutb al-Abdal, that
is, Qutb al-Madar [the one who becomes the means], becomes a means of prosperity for everything
in the universe and the world to exist and to remain in existence. Qutb al-Irshad, on the other hand,
becomes a means for prosperity to be granted for the guidance of the universe. Creation of
everything, grant of blessings, removal of trouble and ills, recovery of the sick, well-being of the
people are possible through the prosperity of the Qutb al-Abdal. Having faith, being guided to the
true path, being able to engage in worship, asking for repentance, on the other hand, become
possible through the prosperity of the Qutb al-Irshad. The existence of Qutb al-Abdal is essential in
every time and age. Its absence is unthinkable, for the universe orders itself thanks to its existence.

. . . Through the Qutb al-Irshad, all people are granted faith and guidance. (Tam Ilmihal, Saadet-i
Ebeddiyye ["The Complete Laws of Islam, Eternal Happiness"], Hakikat Publishing, 93rd Edition,
Prepared by: Huseyin Hilmi Isik, p. 909.)

In the second letter in his Mabda' wa Maad, Imam Rabbani describes the matter under the heading "The
Prosperity of the Qutb al-Irshad":

A qutb al-irshad who possesses inherent personal excellence exists very rarely. Such great virtue
comes only after several ages. The dark universe becomes bright with the light of his coming. His
luminous guidance surrounds the entire universe. Whoever receives the true path through his
means, takes benefit from it—guidance, faith and knowledge, from the heights of the Divine Might to
the midst of the Earth. Without his mediation, no one can reach this blessing. His guiding light
surrounds the entire universe like an ocean. And as if frozen, this ocean never moves. In one who is
sincerely drawn toward this great person, the heart opens at the very moment of this inclination.
Through this means, one feels fulfilled with his sincerity and love, his heart filling with prosperity. A
person who gives himself to keep in mind remembrance of Allah and fails to tend to this individual—
not out of denial, but from ignorance of his existence—also benefits from this prosperity. In the first
case, however, the prosperity is greater than in the latter.

. . . Even if they remain distant from remembering Allah and turning to Him, for those who turn to
that great person and love him sincerely, the light of guidance reaches them, merely on account of
their love. May peace be upon those who are subject to guidance. (Mabda' wa Maad, Sufi Books,
Istanbul, October 2005, pp. 23-24.)

Today, waves of people are turning to faith in Allah.

In our own
time, a great many developments are taking place day by day to show that great spiritual awakening,
prosperity and excitement are increasing across the entire world. As revealed by Allah in the verse, "and
you have seen people entering Allah's religion in droves" (Surat an-Nasr, 2), droves of people are
turning to faith in Allah.

Many examples reveal this state of affairs. For example, in the 15 August, 2006, edition of the British daily
The Guardian, an article titled "How Did We Get Here?" noted that an astonishing 30% of students in the UK
did not believe in evolution, and that this level had been much lower in the past. "Evolution," it concluded, "is
on the way out."

As reported in Science magazine, according to research conducted from the year 1985 to 2004 in 34
countries by Michigan State University in the USA, Turkey has become the only country in which the
overwhelming majority believe that the theory of evolution is invalid.

A report on the American website www.pitch.com quoted the evolutionist professor Umit Sayin as saying,
"There is no fight against the creationists now. They have won the war. . . In 1998, I was able to motivate six
members of the Turkish Academy of Sciences to speak out against the creationist movement. Today, it's
impossible to motivate anyone." The report went on to describe Turkey as a country in which adherents of
the theory of evolution had been almost entirely routed.

Even a few of these developments clearly reveal the effects of this spiritual strength spreading across the
world. Most remain unaware of the source of this spiritual awakening and of the effect it is having on the
world. Yet this spiritual resurrection is one of the clearest signs that the Mahdi's appearance is close at hand
—because this spiritual fervor originates from the radiant powerful faith, prosperity and abundance of the
Mahdi.

But as we know, one of the great signs of the Mahdi is the way that this blessed personage will not claim to
be the Mahdi, because there is no need for the Mahdi to make himself known. Since his destiny has
entrusted him this duty, Allah will let him become known to people through his global impact, the light of his
faith and his fervor.

Our Almighty Lord revealed the moral virtues of the Mahdi, his physical characteristics, his actions, service
and global impact to our Prophet (saas), 1,400 years ago. In the same way that it is impossible to imitate
these features or to acquire them through one's own efforts, so by Allah's leave, it is impossible to obstruct
or neutralize his work. Allah has placed the whole world at the service of the Mahdi. All who work for him or
against him, whether willingly or not, knowingly or unknowingly, are actually helping the Mahdi attain this
outcome appointed by Allah and is contributing to the glorious destined rise of Islamic moral values. In that
sense, therefore, it is impossible to engage in any activity against the Mahdi, since Allah converts every
development working against him into one working in the Mahdi's favor.

Very soon, Prophet ‘Isa (as) and the Mahdi will appear in the manner appointed in their
destinies. And by Allah's leave, they will cause Islamic moral values to prevail across
the world.
Prophet
‘Isa (as) and the Mahdi will very soon appear in their appointed destinies and, as reported by the Prophet
(saas), will discharge all their duties and, by Allah's leave, cause Islamic moral values to prevail across the
world. This is the destiny appointed by Allah.

The Qur'an tells us that no matter how unwilling unbelievers may be, Allah will preserve His influence:

They desire to extinguish Allah's Light with their mouths. But Allah refuses to do other than perfect
His Light, even though the unbelievers detest it. (Surat at-Tawba, 32)

It is He Who sent His messenger with guidance and the religion of truth [Islam] to exalt it over every
other religion, even though the idolaters detest it. (Surat at-Tawba, 33)

Allah confirms the truth by His words, even though the evildoers hate it. (Surah Yunus, 82)