Analytical Review of Mahdism among the Messianic Kaysanites from the Death of Abu Hashem (98 AD) until the Final Extinction

“Kaysanites” is one of the first sects¡ which separated from the main body of Shiite with the imamate and messianic allegation of Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥanafiyya. Mahdism among the Kaysanites can be traced in the two groups of Mahdi-believers and extremist after the death of Abu Hashem (the son of ibn Hanafiyya); in the sense that¡ a group of Kaysanites continued its life in the second century by remaining faithful to the family of Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥanafiyya and believing him as the Messiah and separating themselves from the extremist. Using the historical sources¡ knowledge of sects and theological and traditional resources and by profiting the analysis and examination of the obtained data from the earliest sources¡ the writer has tried to present a clear image of Mahdism in the messianic Kaysanites at the time when they would get entangled with the challenges like the lack of powerful leaders¡ empowerment of the opposite flows and the prolonged absence of Muhammad ibn Hanafiyye that this approach eventually led to the sharp decline of the fans in the late second and perhaps early third century and led to their annihilation.