Muhammad al-Mahdi

Muhammad al-Mahdi, born on July twenty-ninth in the year eight hundred sixty-nine, is revered by the Twelver Shia as the final Imam in a lineage of Twelve Imams. His significance extends beyond mere succession; he is believed to be the eschatological Mahdi destined to emerge at the end of time, heralding an era of peace, justice, and the redemption of Islam.

Following the death of his father, Hasan al-Askari, the eleventh Imam, in AH 260, a pivotal moment unfolded. Uthman ibn Sa'id al-Asadi, al-Askari's principal representative, proclaimed that Muhammad al-Mahdi was an infant son hidden from public view due to the threat of Abbasid persecution. This declaration led to a fragmentation within the Shia community, yet the Twelvers ultimately recognized Muhammad al-Mahdi as their twelfth Imam, who remains in a state of occultation.

The period known as the Minor Occultation was marked by the leadership of Uthman and three subsequent agents, collectively referred to as the Four Deputies. This phase lasted approximately seventy years and concluded with the death of the fourth deputy, Abu al-Hasan Ali ibn Muhammad al-Samarri, who reportedly received a final letter from Muhammad al-Mahdi. This letter foretold his imminent death and announced the onset of the Major Occultation, a state that persists to this day.

The Twelver belief in the occultation of Muhammad al-Mahdi solidified in the early fourth century AH, supported by both rational and textual arguments. It is widely held that his life has been miraculously extended, ensuring that the earth remains graced by the presence of an Imam. In his absence, the leadership of the Twelver community has been assumed by jurists, while many believe that the Hidden Imam occasionally reveals himself to the devout, with numerous accounts of such encounters circulating among the Twelvers.