I just read a book entitled The Apocalypse of Ahmadinejad by Mark Hitchcock. It was a revealing look at the eschatology of the Hojjatieh Society. There were 17 points that were identified as central points to this belief. They are:
1. The Mahdi is coming soon.
2. Waiting for his coming is called "Awaiting Redemption."
3. The Imam Mahdi is a direct descendant of the prophet Muhammad.
4. He will appear suddenly.
5. A voice from the skies will announce his reappearance at the Holy Ka'ba in Mecca.
6. He will be joined by 313 of the most devoted, enlightened believers, who will pledge loyalty to him.
7. Only God knows the exact time of his appearance on earth, although some believe it will occur on a Friday or in conjunction with the spring equinox.
8. The Mahdi will remain in Mecca for a while after his reappearance.
9. He will then travel to Medina.
10. Sofyani, an archenemy, will attack Syria and Iraq and commit great crimes against humanity in Iraq.
11. The Mahdi will send troops who kill Sofyani in Jerusalem.
12. Jesus will return and serve as the Mahdi's lieutenant or deputy.
13. The Mahdi will establish the seat of his global government in the city of Kufa. His headquarters will be the Sahla Mosque.
14. The earth will be filled with justice-a global government of peace and justice.
15. Islam will be the pinnacle of faith. All will convert to Islam. It will be the one pure, lasting world religion, practiced by all.
16. The world will experience astounding growth in science and technology as the Mahdi corrects all of man's scientific mistakes.
17. The earth will experience abundant rain, and vegetation will flourish-like an eternal springtime.
The book establishes that the central belief of the Hojjatieh society is that their devotees believe they can hasten or encourage the arrival of the Mahdi. They don't believe they can force his return but they do believe they can speed up his return by stirring up chaos. This precept is known as taajil. They believe that one of the significant signs is worldwide chaos, bloodshed, violence, and conflict. Thus this serves as the basis for war with Israel and the United States. Yes they hate the "Little Satan" and the "Great Satan", but their actual goal is to bring about the Muslim version of the end times described by the 17 points listed above.
My question to Muslims, is this an accurate representation of Muslim eschatology or is this belief unique just to this sect known as the Hojjatieh? If this is a belief just of the Hojjatieh sect, is it not in the best interest of Muslims to prevent Iran from acquiring an atomic bomb, to keep a possible first strike by Israel or it's allies from happening? If Islam is a religion of peace, what do mainstream Muslims think of a brother Muslim (Ahmadinejad) preparing to possibly start a chain of events that could kill millions or even hundred of millions around the world in an atomic conflict?
1. The Mahdi is coming soon.
2. Waiting for his coming is called "Awaiting Redemption."
3. The Imam Mahdi is a direct descendant of the prophet Muhammad.
4. He will appear suddenly.
5. A voice from the skies will announce his reappearance at the Holy Ka'ba in Mecca.
6. He will be joined by 313 of the most devoted, enlightened believers, who will pledge loyalty to him.
7. Only God knows the exact time of his appearance on earth, although some believe it will occur on a Friday or in conjunction with the spring equinox.
8. The Mahdi will remain in Mecca for a while after his reappearance.
9. He will then travel to Medina.
10. Sofyani, an archenemy, will attack Syria and Iraq and commit great crimes against humanity in Iraq.
11. The Mahdi will send troops who kill Sofyani in Jerusalem.
12. Jesus will return and serve as the Mahdi's lieutenant or deputy.
13. The Mahdi will establish the seat of his global government in the city of Kufa. His headquarters will be the Sahla Mosque.
14. The earth will be filled with justice-a global government of peace and justice.
15. Islam will be the pinnacle of faith. All will convert to Islam. It will be the one pure, lasting world religion, practiced by all.
16. The world will experience astounding growth in science and technology as the Mahdi corrects all of man's scientific mistakes.
17. The earth will experience abundant rain, and vegetation will flourish-like an eternal springtime.
The book establishes that the central belief of the Hojjatieh society is that their devotees believe they can hasten or encourage the arrival of the Mahdi. They don't believe they can force his return but they do believe they can speed up his return by stirring up chaos. This precept is known as taajil. They believe that one of the significant signs is worldwide chaos, bloodshed, violence, and conflict. Thus this serves as the basis for war with Israel and the United States. Yes they hate the "Little Satan" and the "Great Satan", but their actual goal is to bring about the Muslim version of the end times described by the 17 points listed above.
My question to Muslims, is this an accurate representation of Muslim eschatology or is this belief unique just to this sect known as the Hojjatieh? If this is a belief just of the Hojjatieh sect, is it not in the best interest of Muslims to prevent Iran from acquiring an atomic bomb, to keep a possible first strike by Israel or it's allies from happening? If Islam is a religion of peace, what do mainstream Muslims think of a brother Muslim (Ahmadinejad) preparing to possibly start a chain of events that could kill millions or even hundred of millions around the world in an atomic conflict?
