منتظر نجات دہندہ: قرآن میں امام مہدی کی حقیقت
The idea of the last savior is a strong belief of most religions. In the Islamic faith, this is referred to as Imam Mahdi. He is a prophesied redeemer. Muslims are of the view that he will come before the Day of Reckoning. He will rid the world of evil. Therefore, he shall create a world justice government. It is one of the foundations of the Islamic eschatology, or the study of end times. He is expected with so much anticipation by many Muslims.
There is a frequent inquiry about this significant person. Does the Quran directly mention Imam Mahdi? The Quran is Islam’s holy book. It is the ultimate guide for every Muslim. However, to answer this question, it is necessary to take a direct look at the text. Care is necessary in this exploration. It is a matter of examining both unambiguous verses and interpretations.
Direct Mentions: An Examination of the Text
The mere fact can be determined by searching the Quran. The name Mahdi is nowhere mentioned in the text. This is one of the most important details to grasp the topic. The Quran does not specifically mention the name of a personality known as the Mahdi, who will come at the end times. This absence is significant. Scholars of various Islamic schools of thought note it. Thus, the two most highly respected Sunni collections of hadith, Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, have no reference to the Mahdi by name.
This causes one main divergence in knowledge. Other Muslims claim that the Mahdi was an essential component of the creed, and hence, he would have been mentioned. They consider that the Quran is a whole. It covers every crucial point of belief and action. The fact that it is not explicitly mentioned implies that the concept may not be central, as some may think. Therefore, this perspective gives precedence to the straightforward and direct text of the Quran over other sources. It poses the issue of the beginnings and significance of the Mahdi belief.
Nevertheless, it is not the only point of view. A different faction of a large number of Muslims, especially under the Shia tradition, has a different opinion. They argue that the Quran has layers of meaning. Some meanings are direct. Others are either symbolic or refer to the future. In their case, the name is not a lack of existence of the concept.
اہم نکات
- قرآن میں امام مہدی علیہ السلام کا نام براہ راست نہیں آیا۔
- یہ ایک اہم نکتہ ہے، جس پر مختلف فقہوں کے علماء نے زور دیا ہے۔
- صحیح بخاری اور صحیح مسلم میں بھی امام مہدی کا نام ذکر نہیں ہے۔
- کچھ مسلمانوں کے نزدیک اس کا مطلب ہے کہ مہدی عقیدے کا بنیادی حصہ نہیں۔
- اہل تشیع کے مطابق قرآن میں اشارے اور رمز پوشیدہ ہوتے ہیں، براہ راست ذکر نہ ہونا غیر موجودگی کے برابر نہیں۔
It is the opinion of many scholars that the Quran mentions Imam Mahdi obliquely. Thus, they cite many verses. These lines talk of a victory of the righteous in the future. They assure the servants of God of inheriting the earth. The secret to unlocking these verses is found in Hadith literature, which is the compilation of sayings and traditions of the Prophet Muhammad. Hadith are those promises used by scholars to explain the Quranic text in which the Promises relate to the future position of Imam Mahdi.
Let’s explore some of these verses.
The Triumph of the Righteous
A surah that is much quoted is Surah Al-Anbiya.
“And We have already written in the book of Psalms after the Reminder [the Torah] that My righteous servants shall inherit the earth.” (Quran 21:105)
A lot of Shia hadiths make meaning of this verse as a direct prophecy. They explain that it is said in the book of Imam Mahdi and his companions, My righteous servants. They will bring justice to the world. This exegesis links a promise about the future related to the general Quran to a particular eschatological event. The Mahdi will take control of the world, leading a group of the pious.
Another powerful verse is found in Surah Al-Qasas.
“And We wanted to confer favor upon those who were oppressed in the land and make them leaders and make them inheritors.” (Quran 28:5)
In this verse, the original meaning is the Children of Israel and how they were oppressed by Pharaoh. Nevertheless, the meaning of Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib’s traditions goes further. He used this verse on the family of the Prophet Muhammad. He promised they will have their Mahdi as raised by God. Such a figure would make them honorable and conquer their rivals. The verse turns into a general axiom. God is on the side of the oppressed, and they will receive ultimate victory.
Establishing God’s Religion
The Quran speaks of Islam’s ultimate victory. Surah At-Tawbah is a key example.
“It is He who has sent His Messenger with guidance and the religion of truth to manifest it over all religions, even if the polytheists dislike it.” (Quran 9:33)
The verse is echoed in Surah As-Saff (61:9). According to the commentators, its full fulfillment will happen in the era of Imam Mahdi. It will be he who will make Islam the dominant religion all over the world. Monotheism will prevail fully under his reign. This relates the mission of the Prophet Muhammad to the last mission of the Mahdi. The Mahdi employs the Prophet.
The Belief in the Unseen
The very beginning of the Quran offers another point of interpretation.
“This is the Book about which there is no doubt, a guidance for those conscious of Allah – Who believe in the unseen…” (Quran 2:2-3)
What is “the unseen” (al-ghayb)? Different interpretations are presented by Islamic scholars. It may refer to God, angels, or the afterlife. Nevertheless, certain hadiths of the Imams do give a precise interpretation. Here, they refer to the Hidden Imam, the Mahdi, in his occultation. Trusting him when one does not see him is a manifestation of piousness among his followers. This understanding forms the idea of waiting for the Mahdi with a strong Quranic base. It becomes an act of faith.
The Distressed and The Successors
Another verse in Surah An-Naml is often connected to Imam Mahdi.
“Is He [not better] who responds to the distressed one when he calls upon Him and removes the evil and makes you successors on the earth?” (Quran 27:62)
The Mahdi is attributed as the recipient of this verse by Hadith literature (refer to Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq). The degraded one is recognized as Imam Mahdi himself. They say that he will pray at the Kaaba in Mecca. God will respond to his appeal, eliminate the evil of tyranny, and make him the heir, or caliph, on Earth. The verse creates an image of what the Mahdi will look like as a reaction to a crisis world.
Conclusion
The Imam Mahdi discussion in the Quran is not only concerned with the name. It concerns knowing the promise of God. In the Quran, the Mahdi is never explicitly written. It is a fact that cannot be ignored in a text. Nevertheless, nothing deeper and constantly repeated in its verses is that the truth will eventually triumph over falsehood, justice over tyranny. The Quranic story is hopeful. It gives hope to the believers that one day righteousness will win. The personage of Imam Mahdi, which evolved as a result of the hadith and scholarly explanation, is the incarnation of this Quranic hope. He is the vessel by which the promise of God of a just world is achieved.
Hence, the fact that Imam Mahdi is not mentioned in the direct text of the Quran does not make his role less important. Rather, his narrative can be regarded as the final resolution of the major ethical drama of the Quran. He is the symbol of an era when the verses concerning the victory of the righteous cease to constitute a mere promise of the future. They become an experienced reality of the entire humankind. His faith in him turns the Quran into a book of historical events and laws into a living roadmap to some end-of-the-world, divine triumph on Earth.
