Middle East Institute
mei.edu › home › iran’s revolutionary guard and the rising cult of mahdism: missiles and militias for the apocalypse
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and the Rising Cult of Mahdism: Missiles and Militias for the Apocalypse - Middle East Institute
January 8, 2026 - According to the doctrine of Mahdism, part of preparing for the reappearance of the 12th Imam is removing all obstacles and barriers to his return. Against this backdrop, Iran’s hardline clergy affiliated with the IRGC claim religious hadiths state that the “Jewish state will be destroyed before Mahdi’s arrival.” According to these accounts, which are legitimized through religious scripture, “Sh’ia Muslims will be on the side of the war against Jews” prior to the reappearance of Mahdi.
Jewish Virtual Library
jewishvirtuallibrary.org › the-doctrine-of-mahdism
Islam: The Doctrine of Mahdism
The Doctrine of Mahdism explores Shi’ite beliefs about the Twelfth Imam's occultation and the awaited return of divine justice.
Imam Mahdi Coming Out After This War? THE TRUTH NO ...
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Is There a 12th Imam?; The Significance of the Number 12 - Maulana ...
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Losing Hope In The 12th Imam’s Return - YouTube
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The Final Countdown — The True Signs Before the Return of Imam ...
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The Huge SIgns of Mahdi: End Times Prophecies Explained - YouTube
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Shocking Signs Before Imam Mahdi’s (ajtf) Reappearance in the ...
Who are the Twelve Imams in Twelver Shiʿah belief?
The Twelver Shi'ah is the largest branch of Shi'i Islam. Twelvers believe that there were twelve Imams (leaders) who were the spiritual and political successors to the Prophet Muhammad.
The Imams, in Twelver belief, are ʿAlī, Ḥasan, Ḥusayn, ʿAlī Zayn al-ʿĀbidīn, Muḥammad al-Bāqir, Jaʿfar al-Ṣādiq, Mūsā al-Kāẓim, ʿAlī al-Riḍā, Muḥammad al-Jawād, ʿAlī al-Hādī, Ḥasan al-ʿAskarī, and Muḥammad al-Mahdī.
The 12th Imam, Muhammad al-Mahdi, is believed to have gone into occultation (ghaybah) around 874 CE and will reappear at the Day of Judgement to bring justice to the world.
britannica.com
britannica.com › philosophy & religion › religious movements & organizations
Twelver Shi’ah | Meaning, History, & Beliefs | Britannica
What is the importance of the twelfth Imam in Twelver Shiʿah?
In Twelver Shi'ism, the twelfth Imam, Muhammad ibn al-Hasan, also known as the "Hidden Imam," holds immense importance. Twelvers believe that the spiritual-political leadership of the Muslim community was ordained to pass to Ali, the Prophet Muhammad's cousin and son-in-law, and then to other Imams down to the 12th.
Born circa 870, he went into occultation (ghaybah, meaning "concealment by God") soon after his father’s death. The Hidden Imam is believed to be still alive and will reappear when God determines it to be appropriate and safe. As the Rightly Guided One (mahdi), his return will inaugurate the last days and the Day of Judgment; Jesus will also return as part of that process.
britannica.com
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Twelver Shi’ah | Meaning, History, & Beliefs | Britannica
Where is Twelver Shiʿah Islam mainly practiced today and how does it influence local cultures?
Today, Twelver Shi'ah, the largest of the Shi'i groups, is mainly practiced in Iran, where it is the established state religion. It is also the majority Muslim population in Iraq and Bahrain and a significant minority in Lebanon, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia. Pockets of Twelver Shi'ah communities exist in Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, eastern Africa, Nigeria, Southeast Asia, Europe, and North America.
The faith significantly influences local cultures through its scholarship centers in Iran and Iraq, which attract religious scholars. Twelvers seek guidance from the Qurʾān and hadith, as well as the statements and actions attributed to the imams. The concept of the guardianship of the jurist, advocating for the political leadership of religious scholars, impacts the constitutional arrangements of the Islamic Republic of Iran, although it is not universally accepted among Twelver scholars.
britannica.com
britannica.com › philosophy & religion › religious movements & organizations
Twelver Shi’ah | Meaning, History, & Beliefs | Britannica
PJ Media
pjmedia.com › david-solway-2 › 2026 › 03 › 11 › obama-and-the-twelfth-imam-n4950524
Is the Twelfth Imam Already Among Us? – PJ Media
March 11, 2026 - The Shi’ite branch of Islam, which has flourished as the official religion of the Islamic Republic of Iran under the various ayatollahs for the last half century, believes in the return of the so-called Twelfth Imam, who is descended from Mohammed’s son-in-law Ali ibn Abni Talib.
EBSCO
ebsco.com › research-starters › ethnic-and-cultural-studies › mahdi-islamic-eschatology
Mahdi (Islamic eschatology) | Ethnic and Cultural Studies | Research Starters | EBSCOhost
Beliefs surrounding the Mahdi vary notably between Sunni and Shia Muslims; Sunnis anticipate a wise leader from the lineage of the Prophet Muhammad, while Shia Muslims await the return of the twelfth imam, a historical figure believed to have ...
Middle East Forum
meforum.org › mahdism-the-apocalyptic-ideology-behind-iran
Mahdism: The Apocalyptic Ideology Behind Iran's Nuclear Program - Middle East Forum
December 21, 2023 - According to the doctrine of Mahdism, part of preparing for the reappearance of the 12th Imam is removing all obstacles and barriers to his return. Against this backdrop, Iran’s hardline clergy affiliated with the IRGC claim religious hadiths state that the ‘Jewish state will be destroyed before Mahdi’s arrival.’ According to these accounts, which are legitimized through religious scripture, ‘Sh’ia Muslims will be on the side of the war against Jews’ prior to the reappearance of Mahdi.
Al-Islam
al-islam.org › occultation-twelfth-imam-historical-background-jassim-m-hussain › role-traditions-occultation-twelfth
The Role of Traditions in the Occultation of the Twelfth Imam | The Occultation of the Twelfth Imam (A Historical Background) | Al-Islam.org
March 31, 2016 - The Zaydite sect, the Jarudiyya, narrate many traditions attributed to the Prophet and al-Baqir concerning the political role of the Twelfth Imam. One of their distinguished scholars in Kufa was Abu Said ‘Abbad b. Ya'qub al-Rawajini al-’Asfari ...
Iran International
iranintl.com › en › 202503259224
The expected one: Shi'ite messiah animates and divides Islamic Republic | Iran International
January 6, 2026 - Iran’s system of clerical rule broadly considers the Supreme Leader to be the representative of the Mahdi, the twelfth Imam in Shi'ite Islam, who is destined to return and rule over a period of divinely-inspired justice just ahead of the end times.
The Irish Times
irishtimes.com › news › shias-await-the-return-of-the-twelfth-imam-1.1033888
Shias await the return of the Twelfth Imam – The Irish Times
August 4, 2006 - Shia Muslims hold the same fundamentals of faith as Sunni Muslims, with one main exception
HubeAli
hubeali.com › books › awaiting reappearance of the 12th imam
Awaiting Reappearance of the 12th Imam · HubeAli
December 5, 2023 - It is important to note that the Imam-asws have acted upon the Divine Commands, Revealed to them-asws in the Sealed Tablet and each one of them-asws opened his-asws Sealed Documents of the Tablet and acted accordingly[1], hence the nine Imams-asws devoted their-asws time worshiping and teaching religion to their-asws followers. And similarly, during the Grand Occultation, we are urged to wait until a Caller, from the Heavens, announces the reappearance of the 12th Imam-ajfj, only then a believer must become active in supporting the cause of the 12th Imam-ajfj, see for example Ahadith in Appendix II.
Encyclopedia Britannica
britannica.com › philosophy & religion › religious movements & organizations
Twelver Shi’ah | Meaning, History, & Beliefs | Britannica
July 20, 1998 - Twelvers believe the imamate was ordained to pass to ʿAlī, the Prophet’s cousin and son-in-law, and then to other imams down to the 12th, Muhammad ibn al-Hasan, who is believed to be in occultation and will return as the Rightly Guided One.
Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Reappearance_of_Muhammad_al-Mahdi
Reappearance of Muhammad al-Mahdi - Wikipedia
September 22, 2026 - The reappearance of Muhammad al-Mahdi is the Twelver eschatological belief in the return of their Hidden Imam in the end of time to establish peace and justice on earth. For Twelvers, this would end a period of occultation that began shortly after the death of Hasan al-Askari in 260 AH (873–874 ...
UASV Bible
uasvbible.org › home › what is the twelfth imam in islamic eschatology?
What Is the Twelfth Imam in Islamic Eschatology? - Updated American Standard Version
June 13, 2026 - The Mahdi remains an awaited figure whose arrival lies in the future. Twelver Shiism takes this general expectation and attaches it to one specific person: Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Askari, the Twelfth Imam.
PBS
pbs.org › wgbh › pages › frontline › tehranbureau › 2010 › 07 › mahdi-slideshow.html
The Hidden Imam and His Cult - Tehran Bureau | FRONTLINE | PBS
[ analysis ] Although Mahdaviat, or the cult of Mahdi -- associated with Shia Islam's 12th Imam, believed to be in occultation before he returns to save the world -- is over a millennium old, it has only attained the status of a mass movement ...
The Zahra Trust USA
zahratrust.org › home › who is imam mahdi (ajtfs)? the twelfth imam explained
Who is Imam Mahdi (ajtfs)? The Twelfth Imam Explained - The Zahra Trust USA
August 31, 2026 - Imam Mahdi (ajtsf) is the twelfth Imam of Islam, born in 869 AD (255 AH) in Samarra, Iraq, and believed to be in occultation, awaiting his divinely appointed return. In Shia Islam, he is the final Imam in a line of spiritual successors to the ...
FrontPage Magazine
frontpagemag.com › home › the twelve imams
The Twelve Imams | Frontpage Mag
July 14, 2026 - Shi’ites believe, however, that he managed to have a son anyway, although there are differing traditions about who his wife was and where she was from, and no one is sure how she got to the Imam under the watchful eyes of the Sunnis. Nonetheless, the Shi’ites revere the couple’s offspring, the awaited Twelfth Imam:
Shiavault
shiavault.com › books › humanitarian-rights-in-the-time-of-appearance-of-the-mahdi-pbuh-or-world-promised-saviour › chapters › 7-preparation-for-the-coming-of-the-12th-imam-as-in-light-of-the-conditions-that-will-prevail-before-his-as-appearance
Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books
Those who are engaged in these endeavours to make the revolution of the Mahdi (AS) possible and successful are the ones who are truly awaiting for deliverance through the appearance of the 12th Imam (AS) . It is in way that we can also affect our social and cultural surroundings and thus be ...
Al-Islam.org
al-islam.org › articles › signs-reappearance-twelfth-imam-ajtf
The Signs of the Reappearance of the Twelfth Imam (ajtf) | Al-Islam.org
July 8, 2020 - The standards of Qays and the Arabs will come among the people of Egypt; the standards of Kinda (will go) to Khurasan; horses will come from the west until they are stabled in al-Hira; the black standards will advance towards them from the east; the Euphrates will flood so that the water comes into the alleys of Kufa; sixty liars will come forward, all of them claiming prophethood, and twelve will come forward from the family of Abu Talib, all of them claiming the Imamate; a man of important rank of the supporters of the 'Abbasids will be burnt between Jalula' and Khaniqin.
CBN
secure.cbn.com › spirituallife › onlinediscipleship › understandingislam › 12thimam_baptistpress0608.aspx
“12th Imam,” Key Facet Of Islamic Prophecy, Fuels Middle East Turmoil -- Spiritual Life CBN.com
Among the nearly 68 million people in Iran, the vast majority are Muslim who place their hope not in modern-day politics or rulers but in a person who walked the earth centuries ago and is promised to return -- from CBN.com's Understanding Islam.
The Guardian
theguardian.com › world › 2006 › feb › 21 › iran.islam
President leads the faithful awaiting return of 12th imam | World news | The Guardian
February 21, 2006 - Encouraged by the preacher's impassioned pleas, they were expressing their desire for the return of the hidden, or 12th, imam - the revered saviour of Shia Islam, whose reappearance after more than a millennium in occultation is awaited by believers ...
Israel My Glory
israelmyglory.org › article › the-doctrine-of-mahdism
The Doctrine of Mahdism – Israel My Glory
However, when the Twelfth Imam Muhammad Al-Mahdi1 disappeared in [A.D.] 941 CE, his connection with the Shi’ite believers was severed, and since then, the Shi’ites are commanded to await his return at any time. In the meantime, Shi’ite senior clerics are considered to be the representatives of the Imams, and thus have the authority to handle the affairs of the Shi’ite community, mainly in the religious and judicial spheres, until the Hidden Imam returns to lead the Shi’ite community and deliver it from its suffering.