islam

Waiting for the Mahdi

By George Thomas
CWNews

CWNews.com – QOM, Iran - Whether it's his belief that Israel should be wiped off the map, denials of the Holocaust, obsession with going nuclear or support for radical Islamic terrorist groups, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is a man on a divine mission.

To understand him and that mission, you have travel to the small dusty village of Jamkaran tucked in a corner of Iran's holy city of Qom.

Behind the Jamkaran mosque there is a well. And according to many Shiite Muslims, out of this well will emerge one day their version of an Islamic savior.
They call him the Mahdi or the 12th Imam.

"The Mahdi is a personage that is expected to come on the scene by Islam as a messiah figure," said Ron Cantrell, author of "The Mahdi."

Enter Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Since becoming the president of Iran in August 2005, Ahmadinejad has emerged as the Mahdi's most influential follower.

"He has stated that his mandate is to pave the way for the coming of this Islamic messiah," Cantrell said.

In almost all his speeches, the president begs Allah to hasten the return of the Mahdi.
Last night, just before ending his speech at the United Nations, Ahmadinejad said the world was yearning for the Mahdi's return.

"O, Almighty God, all men and women are your creatures and you have ordained their guidance and salvation. Bestow upon humanity that thirsts for justice, the perfect human being promised to all by you, and make us among his followers and among those who strive for his return and his cause."

Ahmadinejad is reportedly tied to a radical Islamic society in Iran that believes man can hasten the appearance of the Mahdi by creating chaos in the world.

"With him it is a win-win situation. If we attack him, he wins because chaos happens. If we don't attack him, he gets to create the chaos which he has said he is willing to do," Cantrell said.

On this Tuesday, as the sun dips behind the mountains that surround Jamkaran, the faithful, many of whom voted for Ahmadinejad, arrive by the thousands from across Iran to pray for the Mahdi's return.

The night begins with a visit to the sacred well. CBN News was given a rare opportunity to film people praying there. The opening of the well is covered by a green-like metal box to prevent people from jumping in.

Most of the time here is spent praying and kissing the metal box. Others scribble prayer requests to the Mahdi on pieces of paper that are then dropped into the well.

Many, like a young boy here with a flashlight, believe the Mahdi is actually hiding at the bottom of the well reading those prayer requests.

"I was looking into the well with my flashlight hoping to see the Mahdi but not to tonight," said Abbas Rezaie, a follower of Mahdi.

And if all this wasn't mystical enough, there's also the belief that when the Mahdi comes back, he will be accompanied by Jesus Christ, who is referred to as the prophet Isa.

"The Mahdi will take Jesus to Mecca, they will circumambulate the Kabah together," Cantrell said. "The Mahdi will teach Jesus to pray at which time Jesus will then replace the Gospel with the Koran and then all of us as Christians, wherever you are on the face of the earth, will convert to Islam because Islam will be deemed the one lasting pure religion."

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