Demand for War: Fascinating Details of the Twelver Messiah of Shia Muslims

Understanding Bibi’s Urgency: Israel is Only Target of Iran’s Need for Islamic Apocalypse

By Kelly O'Connell ——Bio and Archives--October 2, 2012

Cover Story | CFP Comments | Reader Friendly | Subscribe | Email Us

Why does Iran seem to only fixate upon war with Israel above any other goal? In fact, the need for an apocalyptic war against the Israeli state is the centerpiece of their religion and the key to unlocking paradise, in their estimation. The issue of the Shia's messiah brings to light perhaps the most important aspect of the warmongering now occurring in the Middle East--that the bloodlust is religious in nature and not likely to go away on its own, ever. In fact, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad recently stated he'd like to see Israel gone. So how do we understand Shia Iran's seeming eternal hatred for Israel?

Perhaps the best way to understand this is that the Iranian Shias see attacking Israel as a way to jump-start the final Muslim holy war and usher in the beautiful era of Islamic world preeminence--a time of peace and plenty. This final apocalypse is interpreted as Iran's war against Israel, which must occur before paradise is established. This is why the Israelis fear a nuclear armed Iran.

I. Islamic Sects: Sunni & Shia

There are two main sects of classic Islam. The first is the approximately 90% majority Sunni. Shia, are the 10%-15% minority sect. Both believe in a Muslim Messiah who comes back to restore the righteous kingdom of Allah. One writer describes them:

The Muslim world is separated into two main groups of adherents, the Sunni and the Shiite (or Shia). The Sunnis are the dominant group with Shiites being found predominantly in Iraq and Iran. Of the Shia, the largest group is the Twelvers, or Imami Muslims. The schism dates back to death of Mohammed in AD 632. The Shia believe that the head of the Islamic religion is passed through the bloodline of Mohammed or imams selected by Allah. The Shia believe that leadership of Islam passed to Mohammed's cousin and son-in-law, Ali. The word "Shia" is a shortened form of "Shia-t-Ali," which means "the party of Ali." Shia leaders are called "imams." Sunnis, on the other hand, believe that the legitimate head of Islam is elected from among the qualified Islamic clerics. Sunnis chose Abu Bakr, a close friend and protégé of Mohammed, as the first Caliph of the greater Islamic nation. The word "Sunni" means "one who follows in the traditions of the prophet." The Shia have always rejected these elected Sunni leaders.

II. Who Are the Twelvers?

The Twelvers are the largest sect in Shia Islam. In Shia, there were 12 holy Imams, the last one hidden by Allah until the time came for his righteous judgment. Therefore, this group is known as the Twelvers and they await the return of the Mahdi messiah who comes back to lead his people to victory over all foes. After this the Mahdi creates a worldwide just Muslim state. This final apocalypse is interpreted by Iran as war against Israel, which must occur before paradise is established. This is why the Israelis fear a nuclear armed Iran. Says Sacred Texts:

The Twelver Shī‘a, or Ithna-‘asharīya, are numerically the largest of the Shī‘ī sects, and exhibit most of the doctrines which became classical with the Shī‘a. Theologically, they believe that since God is essentially good, He cannot do evil. He has created man with free will in order to know Him, and desires man's welfare. It follows that He would not leave man without guidance; thus the books of the prophets have been sent down. Even so, as the sects of Islam attest, confusion arises, so it follows that God has given man in addition to the Prophet an infallible guide in religious matters. This guide is the Imām. It is also clear then that the selection of the Imāms is a matter which could not be left to human error; they were Divinely appointed from birth. The true Imāms are the direct line of ‘Alī.

III. Muslim Messiah: Shia Mahdi Imamate

There are messiah figures found in all the Bible-derived religions. Both Jews and Christians expect the Messiah to come, although Christians believe he has already appeared in the form of Jesus. Now they await the Second Coming. In Islam is also found a messiah, called the al-Mahdi, according to to Abdulaziz Abdulhussein Sachedina in Islamic Messianism: The Idea of the Mahdi in Twelver Shi'ism. This figure owes much to Jewish and Christian doctrines, despite overall differences. Further, Sunni and Shia disagree as to what his nature will be, as well. According to Sachedina, the Muslim messiah is he who will "appear" (zuhur) or "rise" (qiyam) against the intolerable secularists and their depraved system. Sachadina says the Muslim messiah differs from the Christian type in that he does not offer personal salvation since mankind is not dead in its sins. Neither does he offer national salvation into a separate, autonomous godly kingdom. Instead, the Mahdi is responsible for the creation of the umma, "a worldwide membership of all those who believe in God and his revelation through Muhammad." One can trace the development of Shia Islam itself into the seeking of the godly Imam who comes back in the spirit of Muhammad, from a descendant of his lineage (ahl al-bayt). The Sunnis resisted any continuation of the line of Mohammad, considering this idolatry. Curiously, the development of the idea of Islamic salvation comes after the political establishment of the idea of the Muslim state, according to Sachedina, who writes:

Quranic teaching about salvation had to wait on historical events, and this fact undoubtedly had a major impact on their formulation. If the Islamic doctrine of salvation was conceived in the formation of an ideal religio-political community living under a fitting legal and social system of Islam on earth, then such an ideal was dependent on the leadership which could assure its realizationMost of these early discussions on the Imamate took at first sight political form, but eventually the debate encompassed the religious implications of salvation. This is true of all Islamic concepts, since Islam as a religious phenomenon was subsequent to Islam as a political reality. The Sunnites looked upon salvation as possible only through the allegiance and loyalty of all believers in the community. As long as the community continued to be fully committed to the promulgation and observance of the Law (Shari'a), its salvation was guaranteed regardless of the qualities of the leader

The Shia rejected this, insisting that without a worthy messianic leader salvation was not certain, but acknowledging the rightness of the chosen Imam guarantees salvation. The general belief of Islam on its messiah was summed up by Ibn Khaldun:

It has been well known (and generally accepted) by all Muslims in every epoch, that at the end of time a man from the family (of the Prophet) will without fail make his appearance, one who will strengthen the religion and make justice triumph. The Muslims will follow him, and he will gain domination over the Muslim realm. He will be called the Mahdi. Following him, the Antichrist will appear, together with all the subsequent signs of the Hour (the Day of Judgment), as established in (the sound tradition of) the Sahih. After (the Mahdi), Isa (Jesus) will descend and kill the Antichrist. Or, Jesus will descend together with the Mahdi, and help him kill (the Antichrist), and have him as the leader in his prayers.

The Mahdi is not just a suffering, gentle leader who comes to exhort his followers towards good. Instead, he returns to take up arms and bring in the umma through force. It's helpful that the Imam is also a sinless person, or is infallible ('isma), who also had the Light of God, passed down from the Prophets. The Prophetic weapons (al-silah) are also at his disposal, being those left behind by the Prophet--his sword, efficacious coat of mail, and short spear (anaza). Included in this bequest are many scrolls of knowledge, as well. In the chosen Imam dwells bodily the full ability to interpret all religious questions, and all knowledge.

IV. The Occultation (Ghayba)--Hidden Muslim Messiah

The term occultation in general means to obscure. In Shia the term concerns the doctrine of the hidden Imam, whom Allah sent into hiding until the time of the apocalypse. One site describes the doctrine:

For our master, mahdi - the expected one, there has been two occultations: the minor occultation and the major occultation. The minor occultation started from the time of mahdi's birth and continued till the end of the special deputyship which lasted for seventy-four years. The major occultation commenced after the minor occultation and will continue as long as God wills mahdi to emerge and revolt with his might.

Writes David Thornton,

There were a total of twelve imams beginning with Imam Ali. The last imam was Mahmoud al-Mahdi who lived in Samarra, Iraq and was last seen in AD 874. Twelvers believe that al-Mahdi disappeared into "occultation," hiding in the spirit world, and is still alive. The Mahdi, as the twelfth imam is known, supposedly communicated from the spirit world through intermediaries called Babs, or "gates." The last Bab died in AD 941, marking the end of the lesser occultation and the beginning of the greater occultation. In the greater occultation, the Mahdi can no longer communicate with earth until he returns to earth shortly before the Final Judgment and the end of the world. Twelver theology indicates that the twelfth imam will one day return when the world is in a time of great chaos and upheaval. The Mahdi will return to usher in a period of peace and justice under a worldwide Islamic caliphate. They also believe that Jesus Christ will return to rule alongside the Mahdi as his aide.

V. Apocalypse Before Paradise

The return of the righteous Mahdi is an expression of chiliastic belief, according to Sachadina. This is a biblically derived idea, where a religious leader comes to destroy evil and usher in a period of righteousness and orthodoxy. Fascinatingly, the Shia teach that the righteous Mahdi will team up with Jesus Christ for the Second Coming. Sachedina writes,

The Imamite doctrine of the Mahdi at one point merges with the return of Jesus, another prominent figure of Islamic eschatology. The doctrine of the return of Jesus, as described in the Sunnite sources and cited by the Shi'ite traditionists is explained in a more or less uniform manner. He will descend in the Holy Land at a place called Afiq with a spear in his hand; he will kill with it al-Dajjal (the Antichrist of Islamic eschatology) and go to Jerusalem at the time of the morning prayer. The Imam will seek to yield his place to him, but Jesus will refuse and will worship behind him according to the Sharia of Muhammad. Thereafter he will kill the swine, break the cross, and kill all the Christians who do not believe in him.

The Antichrist is also portrayed in memorable imagery. Sachadina describes him,

He is one-eyed, his eye being in his forehead and shining like the morning star. On his forehead is written, "This is the kafir (non-believer)," which will be legible to both literate and illiterate persons. His emergence will be preceded by a time of great hardship.

VI. Iran Versus Israel: Countdown to Armageddon?

Armageddon, or the Battle of Israel's Megiddo Plain, is the final war before the Last Judgment and pits the forces of God against those of Anti-Christ (Revelation 16:16). Could Iran be bringing something resembling this onto the Middle East? Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is a Shia who recently called for a New World Order at the United Nations. He stated, in part:

The current abysmal situation of the world and the bitter incidents of history are due mainly to the wrong management of the world and the self-proclaimed centers of power who have entrusted themselves to the devil. Continued threat by the uncivilized Zionists to resort to military action against our great nation is a clear example of this bitter reality Are we to believe that those who spend hundreds of millions of dollars on election campaigns have the interest of the people of the world at their hearts? There is no doubt that the world is in need of a new order and a fresh way of thinking.

In fact, instead of asking for what is typically called the NWO, he is hearkening back to classic Mahdi doctrine. Further, he implies to his followers that his upcoming nuclear missile will help bring in the period of paradise after Israel is destroyed. Here, Ahmadinejad stated classic Shia Mahdi doctrine:

-God Almighty has promised us a man of kindness, a man who loves people and loves absolute justice, a man who is a perfect human being and is named Imam A1-Mahdi, a man who will come in the company of Jesus Christ (PBUH) and the righteous. By using the inherent potential of all the worthy men and women of all nations and I repeat, the inherent potential of "all the worthy men and women of all nations" he will lead humanity into achieving its glorious and eternal ideals. -The arrival of the Ultimate Savior will mark a new beginning, a rebirth and a resurrection. It will be the beginning of peace, lasting security and genuine life. -His arrival will be the end of oppression, immorality, poverty, discrimination and the beginning of justice, love and empathy. -He will come and he will cut through ignorance, superstition, prejudice by opening the gates of science and knowledge. He will establish a world brimful of prudence and he will prepare the ground for the collective, active and constructive participation of all in the global management.

Conclusion

Is America doing everything we can to stop World War III? In fact, it seems the current administration cannot even admit how Iran's theology plays into their foreign policy. Yet, as we see from the above UN speech, the apocalypse and the Muslim messianic Mahdi is constantly in Iran's thinking. So, if we don't stop their building a nuclear weapon, we may have no choice but to watch the last war of mankind take place. So, what are we going to do?

Support Canada Free Press

View Comments

Kelly O'Connell——Bio and Archives

Kelly O’Connell is an author and attorney. He was born on the West Coast, raised in Las Vegas, and matriculated from the University of Oregon. After laboring for the Reformed Church in Galway, Ireland, he returned to America and attended law school in Virginia, where he earned a JD and a Master’s degree in Government. He spent a stint working as a researcher and writer of academic articles at a Miami law school, focusing on ancient law and society. He has also been employed as a university Speech & Debate professor. He then returned West and worked as an assistant district attorney. Kelly is now is a private practitioner with a small law practice in New Mexico.