Hazrat Mir Muhammad Ismail (ra) — Page 3
3 an age of darkness would ensue, which would eventually engulf the Muslims. But, o n the other hand, he also gave them the glad tidings of a Divinely guided leader - the Imam Mahdī - who would appear in that age of darkness as their S aviour , and guide and lead them out of that darkness. By means of this two - faceted prophecy, he warned his Ummah of the appea rance of the Antichrist, called the Dajjal [Daj - jaal] , and also gave them the good news of the Mahdī who would deliver them from the Dajjal. It is this great prophecy that carries in it, the promise for the final victory of Truth. Allah promised His M essen ge r s as , and His M essenger s as in turn, promised the human race of the appearance of the Mahdī. It is f or this reason that in Islamic Eschatology the Mahdī is commonly referred to as the Mau ‘ū d or the "promised one". Moreover, as narrated frequently in the s ayings of the Holy Prophet s as (the Hadith ), it was also predestined that the Promised Mahdī would come in the spirit of Jesus Christ, and his advent would , thus, figuratively symbolize the second advent of Jesus as. Hence, in the prophecies of the Holy Prop het s as , the Mahdī has also been metaphorically spoken of as "Jesus", "Son of Mary" and "Messiah". The terms , "Imam Mahdī " and "Promised Messiah” are , t herefore, not only synonymous but also interchangeable. Even today, monarchs and leaders bestow upon th eir favoured ones, titles of honour. But such titles are not necessarily founded on facts. In contrast to worldly titles , a title granted by an apostle of God, is always factual and invariably based on veracity. For instance, the Holy Prophet Muhammad s as n amed Ḥaḍrat Abu Bakr ra " S idd ī q " because he was, by all standards, the most truthful or