Demand for War: Fascinating Details of the Twelver Messiah of Shia MuslimsUnderstanding Bibi’s Urgency: Israel is Only Target of Iran’s Need for Islamic Apocalypsehttp://www.canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/49907
 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. 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 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. 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.
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. 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?
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Monday, October 1, 2012
Understanding Bibi’s Urgency: Israel is Only Target of Iran’s Need for Islamic Apocalypse
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