analysis ] Although Mahdaviat, or the cult of Mahdi -- associated with Shia Islam's 12th Imam, believed to be in occultation before he returns to save the world -- is over a millennium old ...

Ahmed Al-Hassan, an Iraqi Shia Muslim religious leader, became the most prominent of figures after he claimed to have been sent by the Imam Mahdi and that he is "the messianic al-Yamani".

Imam al-Mahdi. This celebration marks the fulfillment of the divine promise, the birth of the eschatological messiah. The Twelfth Imam is believed by the Shi’as to be the promised Messiah ...

Miscellaneous Information on Imam Mahdi (AS) In a tradition upon whose authenticity all Muslims agree, the Prophet Mohammad (S) has said: "Even if the entire duration of the world's existence has ...

Wait, what? To be fair, the Hidden Imam -- known also as the Twelfth Imam and the Mahdi, sanctified with the religious and political authority of the prophet Muhammad -- is a big deal.