Dr. Ali Akbar Badiei
Gust Professor at University of Palermo/Italy
In the Name of God the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful
The Theory of the Reappearance of the Promised Savior in Divine Religions
The most beautiful annunciation ever given to mankind is that of the Reappearance of the promised savior; annunciating that one day human’s misery will end; war and killing will be replaced by peace, security and justice. Mankind will reach his Utopia and will fly in the sky of prosperity through wings of spirituality and materiality.
The theory of the savior and the appearance of a holy man to save mankind is one of the most comprehensive theories. No other theory, after theism (unity of God), has become so comprehensive among humankind.
Belief in reappearance of the savior and demolishing of injustice exists, in different forms, in doctrines and instructions of different religions and nations.
Divine religions such as Judaism, Zoroastrian, Christianity, and Islam believe in the savior all together. The savior is known by different names among different religions; he is called Saoshiyant in Zoroastrian, Masia or M’shiha in Christianity or in Judaism and in Islam called Al- Mahdi.
Through a brief review over characteristics of the savior in religions and beliefs relevant to end of the world, one can offer a better description about similarities and differences among religions in this field.
All religions believe when mankind, spiritually and morally, is approaching destruction and perish, and when oppression and ignorance overwhelm everywhere the One who saves mankind will reappear.
Zoroastrian texts have annunciated about a savior who will give justice to the world. Most of Zoroastrians, based on holy recitations of Avesta, believe that someone or some ones will reappear in end of the world, and will revive Mazdaism.
In Judaism Masia or M’shiha promotes justice everywhere. Most Judaist scholars believe that the reappearance of the savior has been the aim of God, from the beginning of creation, to improve the status of the world and to answer people’s requirements. In Judaism, the savior is a human as other people; however, he enjoys divine majesty and dignity, and illuminates the world by his light which is manifestation of Godly light.
The Book of Daniel also uses literary style of revelation. Literature of revelation belong to some era of Judaist history in which Judaist people were under oppression, and so, used to express their dreams in the form of signals and symbols. Text of revelation speaks of “God’s Day” and of God who starts to work in order to correct corruption, to condemn the wicked and to release those who have insisted on their belief in the world. As stated in revelation literature, as a sign of God’s Day coming, “a son of mankind will descend from heaven and will raise holy kingdom”.
Christianity also believes in a savior who is the Juses, he will be alive once again and will save the world. New Testamen of Luke says, “... I tell you won’t see me anymore, until you say it is welcomed to come in the name of God.”
In paragraphs 12 to 15 of Gospel of john, there is interesting and thorough promise about the promised savior , it says, “his soul does not belong to the region of the dead, and his body does not rot; then, God will revive the José’s and we all will be witnessed upon him.”
Also, as Juses has once been sacrificed to clear people’s sins, once again he will reappear innocent for those who wait for him and as a savior. When he comes, he guides people to all Righteousness. He will force people to observe justice and he will judge justly. Before his reappearance the world becomes full of oppression and the unjust people will surround the whole world. When he comes, all enemies will live together happily ever after, even wild animals and pests do not hurt domestic animals. He will destroy the most powerful superpowers, and will destroy all miscreants generally so there will remain no sign of them. After his reappearance, the righteous people will heritage the earth, and the world, and whatever within it will belong to them.
Gospel of John says, “All must wait for him, because the time of his reappearance is not clear, even the angels of the heaven don’t know when he comes; no one knows but God the Almighty. Therefore, all must be aware and wait for his coming.
Matthew Bible says, “All will be surrender to his command and he will com proudly and powerfully on the clouds of the sky.”
Gospel of John says that, “he will spread God’s belief all over the world and all people will become theist.”
Briefly speaking, as The Gospel of Mark says, “people’s duty, during his absence is to pray for his reappearance and wait for him all the time, because he will comes suddenly.
Savior in Islam
All Muslims also believe in the reappearance of the promised savior; however, they differ in his quality and personal features.
Ibn Khaldoon (808) expresses Muslim’s view about Al-Mahdi as follows:
“It must be known that all Muslims in all eras have recited that, in end of the world, a man from offspring of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) will surely reappear. He will empower Islam and will rule all Islamic lands. He is called Al-Mahdi.”
Numerous books are written by Shia and Sunni scholars about Imam Al-Mahdi. At least independent books are written by 36 Sunni experts in this field such as: al-Mahdi by Abu Davood, Al’am’aat al-Mahdi by Jalaleddin Soyouti, al-Qowl al-Mokhtar fi Al’am’aat al-Mahdi al-Montazar by Ibn Hajar, al-Bayan fi Akhbar saheb al-Zaman by Abu Abdollah Mohammad Yousof Gangi Shafei, Mahdi-e- Ale Rasool by Sultan Mohamad Heravi Hanafi, Man’aqib al-Mahdi by Hafez Abu- Naeim Esfahani, Akhbar al-Mahdi by Hafez Abu Naeim and so on..
Many verses of Quran and numerous Hadiths also accord this point:
وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الَّذينَ آمَنُوا مِنْکُمْ وَ عَمِلُوا الصَّالِحاتِ لَيَسْتَخْلِفَنَّهُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ کَمَا اسْتَخْلَفَ الَّذينَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ وَ لَيُمَکِّنَنَّ لَهُمْ دينَهُمُ الَّذِي ارْتَضي لَهُمْ وَ لَيُبَدِّلَنَّهُمْ مِنْ بَعْدِ خَوْفِهِمْ أَمْناً يَعْبُدُونَني لا يُشْرِکُونَ بي شَيْئاً وَ مَنْ کَفَرَ بَعْدَ ذلِکَ فَأُولئِکَ هُمُ الْفاسِقُونَ55. /نور
Generally in Islamic view, Al-Mahdi is going to have a global mission beginning from Arab lands. His name is as same as the Prophet name and is an offspring of his daughter Fatimah.
He is the son of the 11th Imam of Shia Muslim; he was born in 225 Hijri in Samarra, a city in Iraq. Many Sunni scholars have also written this issue in their books; however, others believe that Al-Mahdi is not born yet.
Late Seyed Mohsen Amin, in his precious book entitled Ayaan al Shia, enumerates the name of thirteen Sunni experts who believed that Al-Mahdi is the Son of Imam Askari the 11th Imam in of shi’a Muslims(PBUH) and he is born. That is, like shi’a, they believe his absence and long life. Such scholars include Muhammad ibn Yousuf Gangi Shafei in his book al-Bayan fi Akhbar Saheb al-Zaman, and Ibn Jozy in the well-known Tazkera al-Khawas.
The Muslim World League (Rabitat al-Alam al-Islami issued a statement on October 11, 1976 in Mecca. This statement asserts that over 20 companions of the holy prophet have confirmed many hadiths about Imam Al-Mahdi. Furthermore, it contains a list of narrators who have narrated such hadiths and also the experts who have written about Imam Al- Mahdi.
A part of this statement says:
Memorizers and narrators have confirmed that there are numerous correct hadiths about Al-Mahdi. Most of these hadiths are accurate; belief in Al-Mahdi is obligatory and is one of the beliefs of al-Sunni and al- Jama’a, Only the ignorant deny it.
Sunni Muslims believe in Al-Mahdi’s reappearance as an offspring of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), and in that he will come in the future; however, belief in a live Imam is leading in Shi’a and some Sunni scholars. As a result, both Shi’a and Sunni, through successive hadiths from the holy prophet, believe in the savior by whose coming domination and oppression will be replaced by peace and justice.
About the features before reappearance, it is said that prior to the reappearance of Imam Al-Mahdi (PBUH), oppression is spread everywhere, people will suffer from misery , some narrations speak of vast deaths and numerous slaughter prior to reappearance; as a result, many people die for war or infectious diseases . The social systems disrupt and the world will suffer from chaos and heavy sedition . The governments become so unstable that they go as fast as they come . Then, disappointment surrounds human. No cry is heard to release mankind and disunity of those pretending to save people is decayed, so people only wait for a divine savior and Godly miracle.
The important point in the beliefs of Judaism, Zoroastrianism, Christianity, and Islam is the certainty of reappearance of the promised savior. Zoroastrians believe in reappearance of Soshiyant at the end of third millennium,ملانی یوم Christians are certain about descending and returning Juses Christ in the end of the world. In Islam, according to a hadith of the holy prophet that says, “if only one day remains of the life of the world, God will extend that day until a man of my offspring reappear’, thus, the reappearance of the savior is certain.
Annunciation or glad tiding of reappearance
Annunciation to reappearance has also come in different religions: Zoroastrians wait for three saviors, each coming after a millennium and all are the offspring of zoroaster, and the third savior is the last one. In Judaism, this annunciation has come several times about M’shiha.
The Book of Daniel says, on that day a great mikailian prince will rise, and among the sleepers within the dust many will get up some of whom enemy everlasting life and some others for everlasting shame .
All Christians are waiting for the promised savior. Matthew Bible says, “When the son of Adam came in his glory, all the angels will be placed on their great seat...”
Global Government
Most great religions regard the government of the savior as a global one in a way that all nations, religions and cultures live together in complete satisfaction.
The book of David says, “O God, bestow your religion and rules and your property to the prince so that ... he rules from sea to sea and from river to river to the farthest places on the earth...”
It is also said in Bible, “... all nations gather by his side...”
Quran says, “He is the God sending His Prophet by guidance and just religion to overwhelm all religions, even if non-believers or pagan don’t like...”
The Book of David, says, “he will judge your people to justly, and behave justly to the poor, ... and will make the oppressors contemptible... the righteous will bloom in his era... and all nations of the world will call him happy.”
Performance of justice in the philosophy of reappearance
The philosophy of reappearance of Soshiyant in Zoroastrianism means to destroy oppression and false thoughts; this theory exactly accords with the ideas of Islam: “He will fill the earth with justice after overwhelming of oppression.”
Another common sign is the natural events before reappearance of the savior. All features that Christians express for the rule of José’s Christ in his 1000 years of ruling, such as prosperity of cities, blessing and abundance of sustenance, security, belief and Satan and the oppressors will be in chains and they can do nothing, are all the features expressed in Islam during the reappearance of the savior.
On the other hand, in Christian sources, there is an era called “great suffering period” which is so similar to signs of reappearance and contains oppression and many sins.
Imam Mohammad Al- Baqir the fourth shi’a imam says, “Imam Mahdi does not appear but after great fears, earthquakes, and great sedition and disasters which surround people.
The Rule of the Oppressed and the Believers
That the oppressed and the believers will come to power and inherit the earth, is said in most religions and all hope for a day that the apparently powerful battle of oppression fails and the oppressed take the power. It is said in Judaist holy book of Psalms سامزof David, “those who trust in God inherit the earth...the modest people who heir the earth enjoy of health... the righteous who heir it live in it forever.” Also it is said in Quran of Muslims,
“we wanted to bestow the oppressed of the earth and make them imam or leader and inheritor of the earth.”.
But there is a great difference between the savior of Shi’a Muslims and that of other religions that is Shia believes that the savior is alive, and it has complete information about his parents, his birth place, and recites hadiths from him, and even some experts of Shia have visited him.
While other promised saviors are in the status of a fetus and other religions have no true information about their promised savior.
It is concluded that the doctrine of saving by a promised one who will come at the end of the world and will make a unified system based on divine instructions exists in all religions. But who the promised savior is and when or where he will reappear is under dispute. The common idea is that the savior of mankind is an offspring of prophets and contains all virtues ethics.
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