Summary Article: Mahdism Intellectual Heritage Starting from the Second Half
of the Fifth Century to the Second Half of the Seventh Century (A.H)
Sayed Ali Al-Husainy
Translated by: Mujtaba Al-Helu
The line chart of intellectual efforts, concerning Mahdism, has undergone various ups and downs in the time line of Islamic history. Yet, it has been the center of the focus of Muslim scholars, particularly the Twelvers. The centuries specified in this research are no exception.
This research tends to shed light on specific intellectual heritage, composed in the fifth and sixth centuries (A.H).
Imam Hasan Al-Askary (P.B.U.H) was martyred in ٢٦٠ (A.H), when no individual had identified Imam Al-Mahdi and got to know him, except a very small number of Imam Al-Askary’s disciples. Al-Hasan bin Musa Al-Nobakty and Saad bin Abdulah Al-Ashary, two historians at the time, have claimed that the Shias of the time could not publically discuss affairs related to Imam Al-Mahdi (P.B.U.H), in order not to jeopardize their lives.
However, after the spread of Shiism among the Muslims, the number of people, who believe in Imam Al-Mahdi (P.B.U.H) and his Debut, started to increase.
On the opposite front, the number of refuters have also increased to raise the amount of skeptical queries directed toward this belief. The fifth and sixth centuries (A.H) have witnessed these heated debates.
Thus, this research makes a quick perusal of books in this regard, to analyze some of its significant subjects.
