A documentary video, "
The Coming is Near," released on March 28
by the Iranian government
promotes the idea that the Mahdi, an apocalyptic Muslim messiah, is
about to return to usher a new Islamic civilization. The documentary is
based in Twelver Muslim theology to which many of Iran's highest
leaders subscribe.
Twelver Muslims
are a branch of Shia (Shiite) Islam. Shiites and Sunnis, two factions
prominent in the Iraq War, split after the death of Muhammad in A.D.
632 in a disagreement over who his successor should be. Sunnis, the
dominant branch of Islam, believe that leadership should be by elected
leaders, while Shiites believe that Muslim leaders should come from
Muhammad's family line. The Shia believe that there were twelve such
leaders, called
imams, although many Shia religious leaders use the title today.
The twelfth imam, Imam al-Mahdi, lived in Samarra, Iraq and was last seen in A.D. 874. Twelvers believe that the
Mahdi
is in "occultation," in the spirit world, where he is still alive. They
believe that he will one day return during a time of world chaos to
usher in a worldwide Islamic
caliphate (kingdom).
According to the Iranian documentary (you can see a translated version
here),
the second coming of the Mahdi will occur in the near future. Although
the Mahdi is not mentioned in the Koran, his return is discussed the
hadiths, collections of narrative sayings by Islamic leaders.
Some of the signs of the Mahdi's return discussed in the film include
fear, earthquakes, and sedition throughout the world. Cultural decay,
such as adultery, homosexuality, and women not wearing the
hejab (head scarf and/or veil) are also cited.
The film addresses recent world events and
singles out the United States and Israel as sources of evil in the
world. It also specifically points to several nations that the film's
producers believe are keys to the return of the Mahdi. Most obviously,
Iraq, home to many of the world's Shiites, is mentioned. Twelvers
believe that Iraq will be central to the conflicts that precede the
Mahdi's return as well as the eventual capitol of the Mahdi's worldwide
Islamic caliphate. In the final battle against Israel, Iraqi forces
will march under flags that say "Alghovah." The film also mentions Yemen, one of many Arab nations where
protesters are demanding the resignation of the ruling authoritarian government. The film focuses on the Shiite guerillas
allied with al-Qaeda. Yemen was the
origin of several bombs
sent to the U.S. and U.K. in October 2010. According to the hadiths
about the Mahdi, Yemen will be the embroiled in a revolution prior to
the Mahdi's second coming. When the Mahdi returns, one of his first
battles will be against an army of
one of the Yemeni tribes. Yemeni soldiers will be among the first to enter Mecca after the Mahdi's return.
The hadiths also refer to turmoil in Egypt.
The filmmakers say that that the people of Egypt were prophesied to
rise up and kill their leader, plunging the country into turmoil. The
people of Egypt recently ousted their dictator, Hosni Mubarak, but they
did not kill him. Thus far, the Egyptian revolution has been relatively
peaceful. Saudi Arabia, the location of Mecca, also
is found the film's interpretation of Islamic prophecy. The hadiths
mention a royal line that some Muslim theologians believe is the house
of Saud. The death of a Saudi king named Abdullah is one of the key
signs of the Mahdi's return. The current king of Saudi Arabia is named
Abdullah and is suffering from an unspecified and possibly
life-threatening illness. It is perhaps unsurprising to anyone
familiar with the Middle East that the Twelvers believe that Palestine
(Israel) is also central to their end-time prophecies. Imam Ali, the
first imam after the Sunni-Shia split, said that Jews would come from
the west and take control of Palestine while Arabs were divided.
According the film, Jewish control would last "until the time that the
Arabs rid themselves of the influence of others, take back control of
their affairs, and once again have strong determination. At that time,
they shall conquer the land of Palestine and the Arabs will be
victorious and united." The destruction of Israel is the most important
event marking the Mahdi's return. Also unsurprising is the Iranian view of
Iran's role in the Mahdi's return. The filmmakers believe that the 1979
revolution was a precursor to the Mahdi's return and that Iran's
purpose is to prepare the way for the Mahdi. Muhammad is believed to
have said, "In the end of time, descendents of Imam Ali will join
ranks, their hearts close to one another through the cause of
Ruhollah." The film depicts this is a reference to the Ayatollah
Ruhollah Khomeini, who they believe fulfills the prophecy of the man
from Qom (a city in Iran where Khomeini studied).
Imam Bagher,
the fifth imam, is quoted in the film as saying, "I can see that the
oppressed will rise from the East and request their rights and justice,
but when it is ignored, they draw their swords and confront the enemy
and that is how they succeed. But they are not satisfied until all will
revolt to see the guidance of the last messiah and their killed will be
one of Martyrs." The film also discusses the primary characters in the Mahdi prophecies. The Sofiani is only briefly mentioned in the film, but
other sources
indicate that this is a bloodthirsty leader with links to Syria. The
Sofiani will send an army to oppose the Mahdi. He will also kill women
and children. Ironically, suicide bombers, terrorists, and Arab
dictators all make war on women and children. Seyed Khorasani is another prominent
figure. The film says that he is a high official who controls a great
army and will pass the flag of Islam to the Mahdi. He will reportedly
be from the town of Bani Hashem and the province of Khorasan (although
Bani Hashem is in Hormozgan rather than
Khorasan).
He will also have a sign or disorder in his right hand and is
associated with black flags. The film claims that Ayatollah Ali
Khamenei may be Seyed Khorasani
. Khamenei is from Mashad, which is in Khorasan, and his right arm has been paralyzed since an assassination attempt in 1981.
The Yamani is also named in the film.
Yamani is a soldier of the Mahdi with strong ties to Yemen. The film
points to Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of the terrorist group
Hezbollah, as the Yamani. The film claims that he was born in Yemen and
immigrated to Lebanon, but
western sources indicate that he was actually born in Beirut.
Finally, Shoeib-Ebne Saleh is the
commander-in-chief appointed 72 months prior to the Mahdi's second
coming. Saleh is appointed by Seyed Khorasani with the goal of
capturing Jerusalem. Not surprisingly, the identity of Shoeib-Ebne
Saleh is purported to be none other than Iran's president, Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad. Ahmadinejad was took office on August 6, 2005. In the
estimation of the filmmakers, end time events will be occurring 72
months, six years, after Ahmadinejad's inauguration. That will be this
August. Accordingly, Ayatollah Khamenei is quoted
in the film as saying, "I can tell you with utmost confidence: The
promise of Allah for The Coming and the establishment of a new Islamic
civilization is on its way." The approaching date of August 2011 also
explains the title of the documentary. The leaders of Iran truly
believe that the emergence of their Islamic messiah is only a few
months from occurring. Many western observers, particularly
those who are secular, may discount the effect of Twelver prophetic
beliefs on the geopolitical actions of Iran's leadership. However,
Ahmadinejad and Khamenei have a long history of working to
prepare the world for the Mahdi.
Their goal of a Muslim Jerusalem and an Islamic caliphate extending
around the world puts them on a collision course, not only with Israel,
but with the United States and most of the rest of the world. If the
Iranian regime obtains nuclear weapons, they may set in motion events
that will spark a
large-scale atomic holy war.