Summary Article: A Study of the Documentation of Mahdism by German Orientalists
Hasan Jasem Al-Khaqani (Ph.D.)
In a new optimistic dawn, the expecting supporters await the arrival of the last savior, Imam Al-Mahdi bin Al-Hasan (PBUH), with whose debut, the reign of love, peace, and justice begin, after long periods of injustice and darkness. Hereby, we can recognize the importance of Mahdism, for which many books and researches have been published in the Islamic world. Moreover, Orientalism paid sufficient attention to this field. The German school of Orientalism had a great share, both positively and negatively, in this field. On the one hand, some orientalists sought to study this field for scientific purposes, while on the other hand, others aimed at this study for ideological purposes, diverting the conclusions to what may adapt to their goals, like creating intellectual crises in the Islamic world.
The German orientalists encountered Mahdism from different perspectives, like the very foundation of this field and its findings. The case of the birth of the Imam has also been a site of attention for these researchers. They investigated all the surrounding historical, political, and social contexts of the birth and life of Imam Al-Mahdi. They also studied both the Minor and Major Occultations, in addition to the four Ambassadors of the Imam and their impact on the political, social, and economic life of the followers of Ahlulbait (PBUT).
Thereby, I have classified his study into the following sections:
First: the skeptical attitude of the orientalists towards the very identity of Imam Al-Mahdi (PBUH).
Second: the orientalist study of the political context that surrounds the birth of the Imam.
Third: a study of both the Minor and Major Occultations, as well as the socio-political life of the four Ambassadors.
