A Study and Critique of the Viewpoint of the Second Generation of Iranian Religious Intellectuals in Denying the Birth of the Twelfth Imam, Relying on the Analytical Propositions of the Philosophy of History

Mahdism is a genuine Islamic belief. Of course some famous Sunni scholars have also confirmed the birth of the Twelfth Imam. The religious intellectuals with doubt in the sources of Islamic history including hadith consider the achievements of modernity as historical destiny and by praising postmodern thought and fearing the idea of neo-Mu'tazilites and mysticism reject the birth of the twelfth Imam historically due to lack of evidence. This research based on library sources has used reasoning methods in examining and criticizing this claim. The purpose of this research is a new look at the subject of Mahdism by applying the analytical method of discussions of the philosophy of history. Accordingly ignoring historical events under the pretext of lack of evidence is a distortion of history and this evidence does not benefit the skeptic. The way to understand historical propositions is empathy and insight, and the meaning of objectivity is a logical choice among these propositions. Birth evidence is also a logical choice based on perspective and the issue of values. The result of the postmodern view is absolute skepticism and the destruction of the foundations of science including history but due to this approach having elements of pluralism and relativism the birth of the Twelfth Imam can not be denied with this view.