| has gloss | eng: Many people through history have claimed to be the Mahdi (مهدي), a messianic figure expected in Islam. These have had varying degrees of success in convincing fellow Muslims of their station, however the predominant set of Muslims regard them as false claimants, or pretenders. These claimants were often at the centre of political intrigue or radical social upheaval. It is believed by Muslims, Shias in particular, that many people will claim to be the Mahdi, although all will be false. Shias believe that the true Muslim will know when the Mahdi has arrived. It is believed furthermore, that when the true Mahdi does arrive, the state of the world will be such that corruption will be at its greatest, and will have reached a level whereby it cannot grow worse. |
