When his occultation comes to an end: Shiite Islamic messianism on the foundations of a religious-political identity Quando a sua ocultação chegar ao fim: o messianismo islâmico xiita nos fundamentos de uma identidade religiosa-política (original) (raw)
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Politics, Religion and Ideology, 2023
Messianic aspirations have been growing in Iran over the last two decades. With Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's coming to power in 2005 and his apocalyptic language including his claim to have direct connections with the hidden Imam, a noticeable shift took place in the religious and political orientation of the Islamic Republic. Does this flow represent a return to traditional Shiism or a break from it? In what way do Messianic aspirations challenge the Shiite theology of salvation and existing clerical rule? This paper attempts to answer these questions by examining popular Messianism and Mahdism (Mahdaviyyat). While popular Messianism is a redemptive political movement, Mahdism is a political project to reappropriate the popular imagination through the messianization of politics and hastening of the Parousia. Mahdism reveals a discursive turn in which the Iranian Revolution and the Islamic Republic are imagined as a prelude to the Parousia and the appearance of the Hidden Imam. Nevertheless, it resulted in the 'routinization of the Messiah'. The paper examines the Messianic imagination and the ways in which it challenges clerical rules and investigates the dilemma it poses for it. KEYWORDS Mahdism; popular Messianism; era of appearance; redemptive aspirations; Messianization of politics; permanent disorder; routinization of the Messiah For the Islamic Revolution to be legitimate, it must prepare the ground for the hidden Imam to emerge. 1 Introduction: from early Messianism to Mahdism Chiliastic vision of history is a key element of Shiism. It is the expression of its redemptive aspirations from tyrannical rule and injustice. 2 The evolution of Shiite messianism
MessianismIn Islamic Thought: An Analytical Study Of The Notion Of Mahdiyya In Islam
IOSR Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 2016
The notion of the Mahdiyya (messianism) is one of the controversial and most complicated topics in the history of Islam, not just for its seemingly confusing features, but also for its unclear and vague characteristics. This ambiguous nature of the Mahdiyya invites several interpretations and misinterpretations from various Islamic sects, each asserting that his own version of the Mahdiyya is not only pure and authentic but also the most-followed. This article intends to study the notion of the Mahdiyya from historical perspective by critical examination ofits meaning and the methods adopted by Muslim scholars in discussing and analyzing it. The paper also explores the political turmoil that revolved around the period of which this concept was developed into political movement. It concludes by presenting the views of scholars on the personality of the expected Mahdi or Messiah and the role he is expected to play. The article adopts qualitative and analytical methods in presenting, analyzing and interpreting data.
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In this dissertation, I use primary and secondary sources to trace the development and transformation of the concept of Mahdi in Iran from the early 1900s to the late 1970s. I provide an alternative historiography of the Mahdi that has been missing from the Mahdist scholarly work arguing that there was a significant discursive shift regarding the Mahdi in Iranian religious writings from a distant figure in the early period to a revolutionary figure of future hope and justice in the late 1970s. In the early period, intellectual circles did not focus on the urgency of the Mahdi's arrival, content to maintain the Mahdi's distance. This changed in the early 1940s where the Mahdi took on a revolutionary aura and writings regarded his imminent arrival as critical for the revolutionary ethos to reach its logical conclusion in religious and political emancipation. In this dissertation, I argue that this discursive shift occurred due to a number of factors which caused contemporary Iranian society to question the idea that emancipation would iii come from the constitutional revolution. This shift also occurred due to rising divergences among intellectual circles including leftists, secularists, and nationalists whose criticisms of religion forced the religious figures out of their intellectual comfort zones. I am mainly focused on unpacking the nature of this factor by charting discursive treatments of the Mahdi through this period among these various intellectual milieus.
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2020
Islam has a political and social aspect in its essence and by no means, it is not considered as a purely spiritualistic and individualistic religion. The political legacy of Muhammad (PBUH) appears both in his holy book and in his nation and the political community that he provided to Medina during his ten years of migration. Hence, political affairs are intertwined with the history of Islam, and not only the social developments of Muslims, but also many religious divisions are influenced by political affairs. The present article is to take the role and function of politics, and political affairs into consideration in the Shiite world and in the early centuries of Islam and the time of the presence of the innocent and innocent Shiite Imams. The author tries to study the role of politics in the emergence of Shiism, and the sectarianization of Shiites by referring to narrative and historical sources and analyzing them appropriately, and by reviewing the political affairs and policy...
Martyrdom, Shi’a Islam, Ta’ziyeh Political Symbolism in Shi’a Islam
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The most powerful mythic figure in the life of Shiʽa Muslims is the figure of the hero-martyr, Imam Hossein, third Imam of the Shi’ite sect of Islam, grandson of the prophet Mohammed through his cousin Ali and his daughter Fatima. No other figure in Shiʽism commands the power of Imam Hossein to inspire sincere believers in their quest for ritual purity. This paper traces the influence of this powerful religious symbol in contemporary Iranian politics. In particular the symbolic role of martyrdom in framing Iranian interpretation of contemporary history and political confrontation with the United States and other nations external to Iran. The role of the passion drama, ta'ziyeh is also featured in the discussion.
The Ideology and Praxis of Shi'ism in the Iranian Revolution
Comparative Studies in Society and History, 1983
The Iranian revolution of 1979 presents a case in which religion has stimulated profound social change, rather than serving only as a basis for social integration. Although scholars have recently been reminded of the revolutionary potential of religious commitments, the view that religion tends to inhibit large-scale social change continues to enjoy currency. It may be that, in the light of events in Iran in the last five years, observers of Islamic societies will now be tempted to overstress the revolutionary tendencies of that great world religion. Yet it is difficult to exaggerate the force and depth of feeling which Shi'i belief and practice has generated in Iran for the purpose of the structural transformation of society.
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Central European Journal of International and Security Studies, 2021
This article argues that the rise of Mahdism within Shi'a political Islam during Ahmadinejad's presidency did not lead to a significant break with previous persuasions. The relevance of Mahdism within the politicised and ideologised Shi'a Islam in Iran has been on the rise since the second half of 20th century. The issue occurred in Shi'a political philosophy and theory prior to the Islamic Revolution in Iran and in the post-revolutionary period, Mahdism became an inherent part of the Islamic political system. The emphasis placed on Mahdism during Ahmadinejad's political career could be also explained by the complex relationships among key political, cultural, economic and religious actors. This article conceptualises Mahdism as a doctrinal catch within the Shi'a political Islam in Iran, focusing on the rise of Mahdism and on the roles key religious leaders played since 1978. In this regard, the role of political philosopher Ali Shariati and theoretician Ayatollah Khomeini are investigated. Revolutionary and post-revolutionary Iran is also evaluated in the text though more attention is paid to the issue of Mahdism. Specifically, the article looks at the "timing" of Mahdism during Ahmadinejad's period in office.