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The Formation and Consolidation of the Nexus between Mahdism (Mahdawiyya) and the Return (Rajʿa) in Imami Discourse: A Historical-Hadith Study
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Zinab Aghagolizadeh *   , Hadi Gerami , Hasan Naghizadeh |
| Ferdavi University of Mashhad , hozormahdy@yahoo.com |
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Abstract: (29 Views) |
Although Mahdism (al-mahdawiyya) and the Return (al-rajʿa) are foundational, intertwined doctrines in Imami Shi'i thought, their historical linkage remains a complex subject requiring thorough investigation. Employing conceptual history to analyze hadith, theological, and heresiographical texts from the first to the fifth centuries AH, this study demonstrates that this connection developed through a gradual, three-stage process. The formative stage (1st-2nd c. AH) saw the emergence of a functional link, shaped by persistent leadership crises within early sects like the Kaysaniyya and Waqifiyya. In the expansion stage (late 2nd-early 3rd c. AH), while the identity of the "Qaʾim of the Family of Muhammad" was being defined in Imami discourse, the concept of rajʿa broadened. Promoted by ghulāt (extremist) movements, it came to include the return of believers and disbelievers, shaping the eschatological worldview of the Qaʾim's era. Finally, in the consolidation stage (4th-5th c. AH), theologians of the Baghdad School systematized this doctrine, using rational and transmitted arguments to establish the link between the Qaʾim’s appearance and rajʿa as an essential Imami tenet. By delineating this complete trajectory, this research offers a new understanding of how initial, fluid ideas were transformed into an established theological doctrine.
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| Keywords: Mahdism (Mahdawiyya), Return (Rajʿa), Occultation (Ghayba), History of Ideas, Ghulat, Kaysaniyya, Waqifiyya, Imami Shi'ism, Shi'i Theology (Kalam), Baghdad School. |
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Type of Study: Research |
Subject:
Islamic History
Received: 2025/04/6 | Revised: 2025/09/13 | Accepted: 2025/09/1 | ePublished ahead of print: 2025/09/13
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