The Doctrine of the Promised and Awaited Savior from the Viewpoint of the Sunnites

According to the written documents and other works of the Sunnites throughout history, most of their spiritual leaders and thinkers have accepted the doctrine of the Promised and Awaited Savior called “Mahdism”, but they have different views toward the Imam Mahdi (PBuH) and the application of the doctrine with regard to Mahdism. The Sunnites’ look into Imamate has deeply influenced these leaders’ opinion in Mahdism, which mostly seems to be a social perspective. In this article, we have divided the Sunnites into the Speakers (Mutakallemin), the followers of traditions, and Salafiyya (the followers of predecessors); and we have found that all the Mutakallemin have accepted the doctrine of Mahdism. Even the sect of Mu’tazelah, the most rationalist of them have agreed to the idea of the Promised Savior.The view of the Followers of Traditions is much nearer to the belief of the Followers of Imams. (called Imamiyya); some of them even have the same application to the belief. Salafiyya, on the other hand, who have treated more strictly than the other ones consider Mahdi (PBuH) to be one of the kinfolks and an offspring of Fatemea (PBuHer). They do not pay any attention to the fact that there is no citing or quotation of Mahdi and Mahdism in the book “Sahih Bukhari” by “Muslim”. Their opinion about Mahdi’s being just is a material, earthly picture they draw from that great personality, the most important part of which is “Social Welfare” attributed to him in practice. Of course, most great religious authorities of the Sunnites do not believe in Mahdi (PBuH) to be a spiritual personality or to perform such an operation. Even, some of them do not regard the Imam’s rising to belong to the world but only to the Islamic world. However, the view of the Followers of Traditions about Mahdism is similar to the Shiite thought. They believe in his spiritual practice as well as its being global for everybody in the world.