Muslim Apocalyptic Consciousness: Representation of Imam al-Mahdi (a.s) in Literature

Abstract

The concept of apocalypse is well established in all the major religions of the world, be they Semitic religions (which include, Judaism, Christianity and Islam) or Hinduism. The underlying idea behind the concept in all the religions remains the same, that is, the world will come to an end. The end itself, which has been called the Judgment Day, Day of Resurrection, or the Day of Retribution or Reckoning will be preceded by some signs. It has also been called the day of Apocalypse, the day when the whole world will be destroyed. One of the distinct forms of it is Muslim Apocalypse about which a lot has been written. However, the argument of the present research paper shall be to examine the concept of the Mahdi (a.s) primarily from the Shi’te Muslim point of view. The premise of the argument is that Shi’te argument or concept of the Mahdi (a.s) is far more substantial having a solid theoretical foundation than the other perspectives about it. No wonder, therefore, the concept of the Mahdi (a.s) has manifested itself in literature across cultures and ages. There are so many poets, primarily, Muslim poets who have highlighted this concept in their poetry and thus the research paper shall make an attempt to look at some of those poets and their understanding of it.