The belief in Imam Mahdi (as) and the concept of Imam Mahdi (as) that a person would come from the progeny of the Holy Prophet (sawa) and establish justice and equity on this earth ingrained in people. This was due to the large number of discussions regarding the Mahdi which was continuously done right from Holy Prophet (sawa) and all Aimmah (as). So much so that in almost every age, the Aimmah (as) were asked if they were the promised Mahdi who would establish justice. The following traditions are sufficient to establish this point.
An important conclusion to derive from these traditions – the similarity of concept and style of questioning is that the belief in Imam Mahdi (as) is a true Islamic belief and not one limited to Shiahs alone. In fact one can extend the argument and say that the belief in an Awaited Saviour is a universal belief and not one restricted to Islam. (more…)