HAZRAT MAHDI (AS) IS NOT A COLLECTIVE PERSONALITY

ADNAN OKTAR’S LIVE INTERVIEW ON KACKAR TV (8 January2009)

ADNAN OKTAR: Said Nursi makes it quite clear that Hazrat Mahdi (as) will appear. He says he will come as an individual, but that even some of his own followers, some of Bediuzzaman’s own followers do not expect Hazrat Mahdi (as) to come, even though he openly tells them that he will. He speaks of the return of the Prophet Jesus (as), but that does not interest them, either. They say that they are both collective personalities, there is not such a reality, they will not appear as individuals but as collective personalities, they say. The fact is that hadith, Said Nursi’s statements and the Qur’an expressly state that the Prophet Jesus (as) ascended to the sky in bodily form and will return again in bodily form. Yet some people feign ignorance about it. Said Nursi says that that some people whose faith is weak, but whose ego and arrogance is strong, just chose to deny these facts.  They deny it because it bears hard on them to come under his command and to obey him when Hazrat Mahdi (as) comes, and to have to obey the Prophet Jesus (as) if he returns, because some people regard themselves as greater than Hazrat Mahdi (as) and the Prophet Jesus (as) and even, Allah is beyond that, as greater than Allah Himself. For that reason the idea of obedience bears very hard on them. As you know, obedience came as very difficult to satan. Allah told him to prostrate himself before the Prophet Adam (as), but because of his pride and arrogance satan was maddened and refused to do what Allah commanded. He was enraged, and became the first entity to behave like a psychopath. People who follow satan are similarly proud and arrogant, and are unwilling to recognize and obey any authority over them. It may sometimes stem from this, and sometimes from ignorance. Sometimes people’s faith may be weak, and other people may be apathetic, unconcerned by anything in this world.

ADNAN OKTAR'S INTERVIEW ON KRAL KARADENIZ TV (3 April 2009)

ADNAN OKTAR: This question of the collective personality is emphasized 38 times in 36 different places in the Risale-i Nur collection, saying that Hazrat Mahdi (as) is a person, a human being and an individual. Look, he says 38 times in his book, in 36 different places, that he is an individual human being.

For example, there are three repetitions of “that great personage of the End Times.” “He will be from the Ahl al-Bayt of our Prophet (saas).”

For example: “Muhammad Mahdi (first expression) from the Ahl al-Bayt, a radiant personage (second repetition), that individual (third repetition), (will prepare a plan for himself  (look, fourth repetition) from the works made by lengthy analysis and investigation of a community. However that great personage of the End Times…(fifth repetition)” Even an unintelligent person can grasp that. It is because Said Nursi was well aware of it that he kept repeating it, so that others would understand; yet they still deny it. That is unbelievable.

For example, he refers to Hazrat Mahdi (as) as “that unique individual (sixth repetition) who will come in the future, and that great commander (seventh repetition) and great renovator (see how he refers to Hazrat Mahdi (as) as a renovator, as an individual) (eighth repetition) and the greatest mujaddid (ninth repetition) and a judge (someone who will serve as a judge, tenth repetition), and the qutb az-azam (greatest saint of the time) (there can only be one qutb  az-azam, eleventh repetition), and radiant personage (that means a single individual, twelfth repetition), and that person (thirteenth repetition)... and goes on…” He says that by Allah’s leave the true owners long in the future, in the broad sphere of the End Times (look how he describes the Risale-i Nur), long in the future, in the broad sphere of the End Times (refers to this period, the period after the year 1400 according to the Islamic calendar), in other words Hazrat Mahdi (as) (fourteenth repetition) and his followers will come, and will broaden that sphere and the seeds thereof will sprout. If someone still fails to understand then I really do not know what else I can say.

For example, “A collective personality can only combine in the End Times in Hazrat Mahdi (as) (fifteenth repetition) who represents the radiance of the community of the Ahl al-Bayt of our Prophet (saas) and in his community (group of followers).” In other words we have Hazrat Mahdi (as), his community, and also a collective  personality. In other words, there is a government, a prime minister, ministers, and the collective personality of the government. There is a prime minister, and the collective personality of the government as a whole. Is there any invisible government in Turkey? It is not a collective personality, there is prime minister and there is government.

For example, “..the individual (sixteenth repetition) awaited in the End Times..”; “..holy community represented by Hazrat Mahdi (as) (seventeenth repetition)..”; “..therefore can be seen to be that holy individual (an individual is a person, is that not right? (Eighteenth repetition) who will come in the future; that individual (who will come in 1400 according to the Islamic calendar, nineteenth repetition)..”; “..who is truly awaited and will appear in the next century is of course that great personage (twentieth repetition) of the End Times...”

REPORTER: It goes on.

ADNAN OKTAR: I can go on with a few more. In the Rays he says; “there are separate different reports about Hazrat Mahdi (as) who will be descended from our Prophet (saas) and come from the Ahl al-bayt (twenty-first repetition)”. He says “I am not a sayyid, but Hazrat Mahdi (as) is a sayyid.” They rejected them saying he is descended from the Prophet (saas) (twenty-second repetition).” He refers to Hazrat Mahdi (as) and his followers as those luminous individuals. For example, “Of course a great and sovereign power will appear, and Hazrat Mahdi (as) will pass to its head and will encourage the truth and the true signs (twenty-fourth repetition).” It goes on, and if someone still fails to understand, then I am totally at a loss for words.

ADNAN OKTAR’S LIVE INTERVIEW ON KOCAELI TV AND KACKAR TV (30 April 2009)

Said Nursi expounded this in hundreds of pages; I do not think that those who read it have not understood it. It is very clear, even a five-year old would understand it. Probably, Allah forbid, some might have weak faith, or some others might think what would happen in case he did not come and thus Said Nursi  proves to be wrong. They are not in a position to make an explanation about this subject; may be they would like to make an explanation regarding his location if he came. They might have been in such a deadlock. Otherwise, Said Nursi’s explanations are quite clear. The part where our brother has read and explained is very explicit. It says that he will perform all the three duties together. I ask your attention; one, two, three; he says that he will render all the three duties at the same time and that is why he has earned the title of Great Hazrat Mahdi (as). He says that the others have not earned the title of Great Mahdi. He says this very explicitly and adds that, in one respect, he has performed the first duty. This is very clear, explicit. Islam will prevail over the Earth, Christians and Muslims will unite, Prophet Jesus (as) will descend. When all these will become clear, Islam will entirely prevail over the earth. Yet people here, some of them, employ a style that deny this. Said Nursi also brings an explanation to this. Some hodjas, he says, whose  faith is weak but  whose ego is strong, whose arrogance is strong, just chose to deny these facts. That is, they simply say, he does not exist. Some, on the other hand, say Hazrat Mahdi (as) has come and passed away. Now; those brothers of us are the addressee of this saying of Said Nursi; they are the ones who say “he has come and passed away.” Some others say “he does not exist”; they are the ones whose faith is weak. Said Nursi also adds that some others await the kind of Mahdi with impossible features. For instance they think he has a cloud over his head with an angel appearing within who says, “This is Mahdi”. According to them, this angel continuously says, “This is Mahdi so comply with him.” In this case, of course, everyone would comply with Hazrat Mahdi (as). In this case, a person’s free will would not be taken away. This aside, he would no longer be tested. Besides, he says that tank, cannon, atom bomb, nothing would have an affect upon him. Does such a person go through pain=? Think of how much suffering have the prophets gone through. All the prophets have suffered. Does such a person ever face trouble, a person upon whom tanks, cannons or atom bombs have no affect?

He says, “atom bomb or bomb will have no affect on him.” Bomb, cannon, none of them have any affect on him. This being the case, then how will Hazrat Mahdi (as) go through suffering? Is it possible to put a person upon whom bombs or cannons have no affect into prison? He will be imprisoned, go through suffering and be oppressed. Why should such a person hide? A person who is not affected by tanks or cannons? Look how stupid this claim is. This aside, there will be a cloud above his head, and an angel upon this cloud and say, “This is Hazrat Mahdi (as).” In this case, who would not have faith? Who can challenge him? Think of a man upon whom neither tanks nor cannons can have affect. This would hinder one’s ability to exercise his freewill. There is also an angel upon his head and it says, “This is Hazrat Mahdi (as).” That is,  so foolish. At this point, these people make one abandon the religion and give harm to the religion. The fact is, however, in the realm of angels, for instance, there is Hazrat Jibril (as), Hazrat Mikhail (as) and Hazrat Israphil (as). There are angels everywhere but we can not see them, for Allah says that if they descend to Earth, then people would have no reprieve. Even, as related in the Qur’an, unbelievers say that there had to be an angel next to our Prophet (saas) to confirm him. In other words, this is the style employed by unbelievers. Allah has granted angels to none of the prophets. In the Qur’an there is not one incident in which an angel comes and commands people to obey the prophet. They say, “Why has an angel not been sent down to him so that it can be a warner along with him?” Said Nursi says that since there will not be an angel with him, people will not lose their discretion and even Hazrat Mahdi (as) himself will not know that he is Mahdi. So how can this be possible? If there exists an angel above his head and tells that he is Hazrat Mahdi (as), and neither tanks nor cannons can have any affect upon him, what would you do if you were him? What does tank or cannon mean? This means that no power can withstand him.

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It is the Hazrat Mahdi (as) who will best understand the Risale-i Nur collection. He is the real owner of Risale-i Nur. Said Nursi says that the real owners of Risale-i Nur is Hazrat Mahdi (as) and his followers. Consequently, that those brothers of ours failed to understand the Risale-i Nur is also, in one sense, compatible with the words of Said Nursi. One feature of Hazrat Mahdi (as) is his application of Risale-i Nur to the letter. Said Nursi also states this. Look what he says, “A person of light from Ahl al-Bayt in the name of Muhammad Mahdi” will remove dajjalism. Look, “A person of light from Ahl al-Bayt in the name of Muhammad Mahdi”, “A person of light.” When I say, “A person of light” to a person of average wisdom and ask him what he understands from this expression, he would say, “A person is mentioned here.” Hence, this is not something complicated. While explaining this, Said Nursi tells it in a way that a normal, average person, one who attends to university, alternatively in a way, even a kid who attends secondary school can understand it. He does not say something complicated, incomprehensive. “That great person of the End Times will be a descendant of Ahl Al-Bayt.” When “that great person” is said, I would immediately understand what is meant here. For instance, “That person will take that work which is written after lengthy scrutiny as a program for himself.” When the expression, “That person” is read to me, in any community, even a secondary school pupil would say that “a person” is mentioned here. That is to say, he would say that “a persona, an individual” is mentioned here. In other words, he would not talk about “a spiritual entity, a community”. “With that he will fully fulfill that first duty; the force and spiritual army upon which this duty will be based will be some disciples fully possessing the attributes of sincerity, loyalty and social solidarity. From this we understand that there will also be the disciples. “...No matter how few they may be...”, Said Nursi says that their number will be few, “they are spiritually regarded as strong and precious as an army.” This means that Hazrat Mahdi (as) has a distinguished community. He also adds, “I told them, I do not know myself to be from the descend of our Prophet (saas). In this age, one does not know his descend. However that great person – not the spiritual entity- of the End Times will be from the Ahl Al-Bayt, from the descend of our Prophet (saas). I do not see something complicated here. Trying to choke this with in depth interpretation, attempting to put Risale-i Nur into a totally different form is an attitude far removed from sincerity. There is not an awkward explanation here; he makes a very explicit explanation. “I assume that I am a servant of that amazing person who will come in the future and a force of security who will prepare grounds for him and a vanguard of that great commander.” Now what does this mean? “that amazing person who will come in the future” he says. He says that he will come in the future. “Amazing person, peculiar person, astounding person.” He says that he is a servant of that person. Said Nursi. Some disciples do not attribute this to him but Said Nursi himself says that he is a servant of him. He says that he will lay the grounds for him, he will feel at ease when he comes and he is a vanguard of him. In the sense that he is a pioneering soldier of him. What is that? Even a kid would understand this. Interpretation of this in another way would be unreasonable. There are very explicit expressions here. Said Nursi tells about a time that will come after him, in the End Times, a time of conflicts. Indeed there is conflict right now. Surely He will send a person of light as the greatest mujdahid (renovator), the greatest mujaddid (reviver), the judge, the Mahdi, the teacher, the greatest scholar of the time. That person will be related to our Prophet (saas). That is, he will be from the descend of our Prophet (saas). Is there any mention to a spiritual person here? He very clearly relates the coming of Hazrat Mahdi (as). He will send a person of light, a person, as a great mujdahid, a great mujaddid, a judge, a Mahdi, a scholar, the greatest scholar of the time, and that person will be from the descend of Ahl Al-Bayt. A descend of our Prophet (saas). A five-year-old can understand that. Bring in the primary school, secondary school pupils, high school pupils, and ask them what is being explained here, they would immediately tell them. Consequently it would be insincere to change them to such extent. Look, far in the distance, he says, what does this mean? In the future, in the End Times; he explains about a period after him. ‘In the wide scope of life..’, he mentions about the real owners, the real owners of Risale-i Nur. There is an owner, and there is a real owner. He is the real owner. That means, there is also those who are not the real owners. But the real owner is Hazrat Mahdi (as), he says. ‘The real owners..’, in the case of its not being understood, he brings an explanation; he says ‘the real owners are Hazrat Mahdi (as) and his disciples’. Is there anything that is not understood here. ‘By All-Mighty Allah’s leave he comes, expands that sphere and those seeds’ – he says they are in a state of seed in his time- ‘bloom’. In addition, he says, “it is unlikely that these three duties can be fulfilled by a person or a community in his time”. Look, he says, “in his time.” It is unlikely and unacceptable that these three duties can be perfectly fulfilled in his time. That is to say, he says that Mahdism is impossible in his time and it is unlikely that Hazrat Mahdi (as) could come in his time. He says he will come in the End Times, after his time. After his time, in the End Times. Said Nursi says, after his time, that is, in the End Times a person who represents the light of the community of the descend of our Prophet (saas) will come. We should pay attention that he mentions of Hazrat Mahdi (as) as a person, because who is the head of the state? Prime Minister. Who represents the government? Prime Minister, right. Look what our Prophet (saas) says, Hazrat Mahdi (as) who represents the light of the community of the descend of our Prophet (saas). Look, he says “the community” and not “my community.” That means, there is the Hazrat Mahdi (as), there is his community and the spiritual entity that is formed of his community. But he says these can only happen in the End Times, not in his time. He says it is unlikely that they can happen in his time. There are three duties of the holy community represented by Hazrat Mahdi (as). Please pay attention that there is the Hazrat Mahdi (as), his holy community and the spiritual entity of them. The person awaited by the Islamic community in the End Times has three duties. The word “three” is significant here, and also a response to those who insistently claim that Hazrat Mahdi (as) has two duties. He says the entire the Islamic community awaits, he himself awaits him. That person will come in the End Times; “a person.” When one says “a person”, even a primary school kid understands it. According to the grammar rules one understands an individual when one says “a person.”

The greatest, and most important, most precious of the three duties of that person is to spread the genuine faith. What does a person understand when one mentions this? One understands from this fact that he will come later. Look, he will come later. For instance if I tell someone that a person – referring to someone else- will come later, what would one understand? It is also understood from this fact that he will come later. Look, he will come later, for instance if I tell someone referring to another person that he, that holy person, will come later, what would one understand? It is understood from this fact that he, that holy person, will come later. That is, he will come later. That holy person will apply and spread Risale-i Nur as a program. This means that he is the real owner, Said Nursi also tells this. Consequently, it is very natural that some people can not understand because only its real owner can understand it. In this time there are so influential movements that, because it takes everything under its sway, the one who is absolutely awaited – see he makes an emphasis here as “absolutely awaited”-  and he will come after a century. That is to say, he will come after a century, that is, one century after him. So what do we learn here? The one, a person, who is absolutely awaited and who will come. It does not mention a “spiritual entity.” That person. The fact is however, that great person of the End Times will be from the descend of our Prophet (saas). I quote from the section in which Said Nursi gives answers. Said Nursi tells that there is information about Hazrat Mahdi (as), who is one of the portents of the End Times and a descendant of our Prophet (saas) in the accounts. Said Nursi writes in one of his objections that he is not a sayyid but Hazrat Mahdi (as) will be a sayyid (Rays, p.318) but some people denied this. They simply say that  this is not true and Said Nursi is a sayyid. Why should Said Nursi tell a lie? Why do you accuse Hazrat Said Nursi with being a liar? If he says that he is not a sayyid, then he is not. Do you know better than him? I, for instance, say that I did not sit on this armchair but someone else comes out and says, “No, you did.” He says Hazrat Mahdi (as) will be sayyid. Look, as an answer he says that he is not sayyid but Hazrat Mahdi (as) will be. He says that flowers bloom in spring, but there is a need to lay the grounds for flowers. That is to say, he says that he lays the grounds for flowers, and that is true. ‘And we have understood that with this service we make, that is to say, with this work we prepare a ground for Hazrat Mahdi (as) and his disciples’. Surely with that great power a zeal will come into existence, there will be an exuberance and Hazrat Mahdi (as) will lead this movement. But this exuberance has not come into existence yet. In the entire world of Islam there will be a great exuberance, and due to the oppression and torture inflicted on Muslims, due to the cruelty inflicted on Hazrat Mahdi (as) – Hazrat Mahdi (as) will undergo great cruelty and oppression – and people will say “That is enough.” “Surely  in the entire world of Islam there will be a great exuberance and Hazrat Mahdi (as) will take the lead of this movement and lead to the true path.” Said Nursi has not fulfilled such a duty, he has not come in. He has not become the spiritual leader of the Islamic world. “In every age there comes a person, a kind of Mahdi, a mujaddid guiding to the truth, and he has come.” In every century a mujaddid comes. Said Nursi relates this also with the hadith, which also exists in the accounts. Their reasoning is the following; they think a mujaddid will not come in this century. According to what? Because there will be the Mahdi then; If they accept that a mujaddid comes in this century, of course it is evident that it is Hazrat Mahdi (as). What is the solution? Then a mujaddid will not come. They say he will come many centuries later. And they state that Islam will not reign in this century. The fact is however, disbelievers despair of Allah’s mercy. They eliminate the possibility of reigning Islam in this century, because otherwise it will be Hazrat Mahdi (as) who will lead it. They have put themselves into a very inconceivable logical fallacy. “In every age a Mahdi, the one who guides to the true path and a mujaddid comes and he came. But Said Nursi says that every one of them fulfilled one of the three duties in only one aspect. Look, “every one of them fulfilled one of the three duties in only one aspect.” Said Nursi says, “I came and explained the signs leading to faith [which is one aspect]. Imam-i Rabbani came and discharged only one aspect of this duty, likewise Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani came and discharged the duties in another aspect. They are all Mahdis but they could not take the name of the Great Mahdi of the End Times. The Great Mahdi of the End Times will discharge all of these three duties simultaneously.” I emphasize this because it is important. The respective explanations of these accounts is that the Great Mahdi has many duties; in the realm of politics, in the realm of religion and in the realm of sultanate. Just as he has many in the realm of religion, he has many accomplishments in many other spheres. Said Nursi did not have such a duty in the realm of politics. He discharged his duty in the realm of religion. Said Nursi says he partially fulfilled it. His duty was in the realm of religion but he says that Hazrat Mahdi (as) will discharge three of the duties. In the first place, “the Great Mahdi” he says. For instance, Said Nursi says that time and conditions do not permit Hazrat Mahdi (as) to prepare a lengthy program for himself. There are so many things to explain, hundreds of pages of length. If a person does not understand what Said Nursi explains here, then he does not want to understand. In this case, I have nothing to say.

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Said Nursi refutes the statements of those who say Hazrat Mahdi (as) is a collective personality a hundred times but some of these people have the reasoning of the djinn.

This is very hard to believe. Even this point closes the subject. In other words, it is obvious that Hazrat Mahdi (as) will not be a sayyid. He talks about a person. He calls him “person” about forty times. He says Hazrat Mahdi (as) will come after him. It is evident that collective personality will not be sayyid. He talks about a person and calls him “a person” for forty times and adds that he will come after him. He calls him a “peculiar person” and stresses that he will perform three of the duties simultaneously. That person insistently talks about two duties. Can’t you see the difference between the number three and two? Said Nursi tells that it will be three. At this point, people should respect Said Nursi’s statements. If one is a disciple of Nur, if he respects Said Nursi, if he believes that what Said Nursi says is true, then he should believe that Hazrat Mahdi (as) will perform three of the duties altogether, for Said Nursi clearly stresses various times that he will perform three of the duties at the same time. Even he states that Hazrat Mahdi’s (as) first duty will be to demolish materialism and Darwinism. He says this is his greatest and most important duty. He also adds that Hazrat Mahdi (as) will tell people the signs leading to faith. If a person witnesses these words and still insists that he has two duties, then we have nothing to say to him.

STATEMENTS FROM BEDİÜZZAMAN SAİD NURSİ’S STUDENTS ABOUT HAZRAT MAHDI (AS)

Sayyid Salih Özcan  is one of the most reliable trustees. He is a descendant of our Prophet (saas), he is a sayyid. He is one of the beloved students of Said Nursi. He told that Said Nursi tapped him gently on his forehead—he told this to me—he said, “He [Said Nursi] touched my forehead and said, “Kecili, I won’t be able to see him [Hazrat Mahdi (as)] but you will.” This is clear. For instance, I also talked to Brother Sungur, and we were talking about the predominance of Islam, he also stated there, “He [Said Nursi] told me that, I won’t see him, but you will.” and there were his disciples there. They were all astonished, he told this for the first time. This was an explanation he had never made before. I was surprised. I met Brother Sungur years ago, in 1986 in a mosque, the Kılıç Ali Pasha Mosque. He was there. We were having a conversation with our friends there. He proceeded, indicating that he wanted to talk to me in private, and I said, “Yes sir.” He asked my name and last name and made a numerological analysis. He did this calculation on a notebook he took from his pocket. But he did not tell me what he was doing. He only made a numerological calculation. Asking my name and last name, he made an analysis. Meanwhile I asked him, “Sir, will Hazrat Mahdi (as) be a disciple of Said Nursi?” He answered, “Said Nursi told me that he [Hazrat Mahdi (as)] will be a totally different person, a totally different movement.” He explained that he will be dissimilar. I hesitated to ask more questions not to bother him since it was a very important piece of information; it was an information that was not revealed to anyone before. So I did not insist, and was contended with that [the answer.]

But probably with good intentions, some of them might have thought that the good opinion about the Master could be harmed. They might have thought that if he were known as Hazrat Mahdi (as), he would become more respectable and efficient. The fact is, however, Said Nursi is also the guide of Hazrat Mahdi (as). Because he says that Hazrat Mahdi (as) will spread and adopt the Risale-i Nur as a ready program for himself. In other words, he says that he is a private, a vanguard for Hazrat Mahdi (as) laying the groundwork for him. As you see he is such a modest and good-natured person. He feels the pride of being a soldier to Hazrat Mahdi (as). He does not take offence from it. He does not consider it as an abnormality. This does not belittle him. This [state] glorifies him.  For instance, I can even not be a nail of Said Nursi. He is a very great and precious person. I love him very very much. And he is the kind of person having lots of metaphysical features; he is a very important person of this age. This does not belittle him. They say, “If there is a greater Mahdi, what would his state be?”  People should leave the appreciation to Allah. I tell this is to people who express their opinions.  Isn’t it? Allah knows who is superior or inferior. Allah knows the status of people. Furthermore, we will not say that that particular person is definitely Hazrat Mahdi (as). This will be clear in the Hereafter. People say that Hazrat Mahdi (as) should write a work such as the Risale-i Nur. The fact is however, Hazrat Mahdi (as) will focus on the signs leading to faith, he will actually have books, and from the accounts we understand that even Jesus (as) will find his books, and benefit from them. The fact that he writes about the signs leading to faith does not necessitate that he employs the same style as Said Nursi. Furthermore, Said Nursi says that he will prepare these books basing them on some ready works. For instance, Said Nursi says that while struggling against materialism and darwinism, Hazrat Mahdi (as) will not have enough time and condition to work on this subject. As you see, he gives so many details. He does not have the time and proper conditions. For this reason, he will benefit from [the existing information ] in some of the works of scientists, the Western scientists, the ones around the world and fulfil his first duty by the help of them that is he will prepare his books by the help of them. He will base his works on them because he will not have the time to make research himself. Even if you put the lifetimes of ten people together, it will still not suffice to discharge such a task.  He says, he will have such a work. Despite this explanation, they still feign ignorance about this subject. But feigning ignorance does not change the destiny and the events. But feigning ignorance, on the other hand, is the shield and veil of Hazrat Mahdi (as). By this way Hazrat Mahdi (as) will not be apparent.  They, in fact, comply with their destinies. This is how their destinies are.  For the disciples of Hazrat Mahdi (as), Said Nursi says “Although they are very few in number, they will spiritually be as strong and precious as an army.” They are very few in number.

INTERVIEWER: Was it 313?

ADNAN OKTAR: That is true, 313. Prophet Abraham’s disciples were 313 people. The number of Ahl al-Badir was 313. The number of people who crossed the river with Talud was also 313. Also the disciples of Hazrat Mahdi (as) are 313. They are  all 313. In addition there is also another team made up of 50 women. It is related in the hadith that there is a team of 313 people made up of both women and men, and another team of  50 women, in addition to the first one. This is very meaningful.

INTERVIEWER: Is this second group also close to Hazrat Mahdi (as)?

ADNAN OKTAR: Of course, of course. But for some wisdom, in the hadith it is explained as a second part. Hazrat Mahdi (as) will be a sayyid. But Said Nursi says he is not a sayyid. But people say that he is absolutely a sayyid. Why should Said Nursi tell a lie? It is the person himself who knows himself best, right? If he says that he is not a sayyid, then he is not. Besides, not being a sayyid is not a crime. Does the fact that our Master is a Kurd belittle him? No, this does not belittle him. Because they are all descendants of Adam (as). Someone having the spirit of Allah. And Said Nursi is a very precious scholar. A very precious Kurdish scholar. But what a scholar! In my opinion, he is the greatest mujaddid, that is reviver, and interpreter of Islamic law of the last thousand years. In addition, he is an extraordinary person with metaphysical aspects.


STATEMENTS BY SAID NURSI TO THE EFFECT HE WAS NOT HAZRAT MAHDI (AS)

In the Barla Addendum, Said Nursi told that he is a soldier, a private and a vanguard of Hazrat Mahdi (as). They say, “No, that is not, true.” In other words, they claim that he told a lie. “He told so, but this is not the case”, they say. What is written in his books are fundamental for us. We do not act based on the myths we hear from you. What is written in the works in the Risale-i Nur Collection are essential. They say, “Said Nursi told this but this is not the case.” This is unacceptable. We consider the explanations in his book. For instance Said Nursi says that Hazrat Mahdi (as) will be a sayyid and that he is not one. He says that with his works, he lays the ground for Hazrat Mahdi (as).  He says that these books belong to him (Hazrat Mahdi (as)), that the real owners of these books are Hazrat Mahdi (as) and his disciples. He further says that Hazrat Mahdi (as) will come one century after his time, in his Kastamonu Addendum, page 57. What I have just told is written in Tasdiki Gaybi of the Risalei Nur collection, on page 189. He says he would be deceased by the time Hazrat Mahdi (as) comes. Tasdiki Gaybi, on page 172. He explains that attribution of Mahdism to him is an error and a confusion. He states that Hazrat Mahdi (as) will discharge all three duties in the fields of politics, reign and religion, all of them. I ask your attention here; Politics, reign and religion. He will discharge the three great duties altogether, all of them, he says. Hazrat Mahdi (as) will render the irreligious movements based on denial of Allah such as materialism, atheism and darwinism ineffective in its real sense and save people’s faith in Allah, he says. Hazrat Mahdi (as), as also stated by our Prophet (saas), will carry the title of being the spiritual leader of all Muslims. That he will revive the essentials of Islamic morality.  He says, he will be recognized by all the Islamic world. As we know, this is not the case right now. There are very few people who accept Said Nursi as the leader of the Islamic World. Hazrat Mahdi (as) will bring peace, justice and equity to the entire world and remove the cruelty inflicted on the Islamic world. This is on Emirdağ Addendum, page 259. On Letters, page 411 and 440. On Rays, page 456. He tells that Hazrat Mahdi (as) will have the feature of the Grand Mujaddid (Reviver). He further explains that Hazrat Mahdi (as) will abolish all Islamic schools and give judicial opinion as the Grand Interpreter of the Islamic Law. This is in Talismans journal, in Letters, 411. For instance, Bediuzzaman did not abolish the Islamic schools; throughout his life he abided by the Shafii school. Hazrat Mahdi (as), on the other hand, will abolish all Islamic schools.  This is also related in the hadith, and Said Nursi also tells this. He also relates that Hazrat Mahdi (as) will establish Islamic Unity. In Emirdağ Addendum, page 260. Muslims all around the world did not come under a single roof during his time. He says, this will occur in the time of Hazrat Mahdi (as). He stresses that this will happen after him. He explains that Hazrat Mahdi (as) will receive the support of all Islamic scholars, all sayyids coming from the descent of our Prophet (saas) and all Muslims, but during his time Said Nursi did not receive the support of such masses. He says that he will accomplish it with the support of millions of self-sacrificing sayyids. This event is still in the process of formation. Said Nursi did not receive the support of masses, but he says that Hazrat Mahdi (as) will. There are hundreds of explanations, these are just a few examples that I give.

ADNAN OKTAR’S BAŞKENT TV INTERVIEW (23 January 2009)

ADNAN OKTAR: If a Muslim appears and announces that he is Hazrat Mahdi (as), then he is declaring himself to be irreligious, and we can also tell from this that he is not Hazrat Mahdi (as) at all. Such a thing is impossible according to the Qur’an. What does such a claim mean? It means I am destined for Paradise, I have no need of the test, I am free of sin and like an angel. But that is unlawful. No Muslim can say such a thing. We come here to be tested, and we may end up in Paradise or in Hell. Nobody can make such a claim and it is impossible to make this claim. Because the innocence of the prophets is set out in the Book. And since no Book will be sent down, how can anyone claim to be Hazrat Mahdi (as)? Everyone who has claimed to be Hazrat Mahdi (as) to date has lied, and that is definitive proof they are not Hazrat Mahdi (as), and they would have to repeat the Kalima Shahadat, that is to testify that there is none to worship besides Allah, in order to re-enter the religion.

A Muslim may say to his brother that he may be Hazrat Mahdi (as). He may say, insha’Allah you are Hazrat Mahdi (as). One may call everyone that he loves a blessed person. I regard Imam Rabbani as a saintlike person, but I cannot say so for certain. Said-i Nursi is a virtuous person, a kind of saint, insha’Allah, and a kind of Mahdi. But nobody can say that he’s saved with 100% certainty. And it is no sin if someone comes up and says to me that I am Hazrat Mahdi (as). I will take it as a compliment. Insha’Allah I may be him, I will say. And I will pray that he may be Mahdi insha’Allah. It may be me or it may be someone else, as being Hazrat Mahdi (as) is a great glory and blessing. We want people to be saintlike and to go to Paradise. Insha’Allah they will enter Paradise, we say. It means exactly the same thing. Hoping someone is Hazrat Mahdi (as) is the same as hoping him to go to Paradise.  

ADNAN OKTAR’S LIVE INTERVIEW ON KON TV (8 February 2009)

ADNAN OKTAR: And Hazrat Mahdi (as) will reject the oath of allegiance. They will say, “May the blood of the entire community of believers be upon you, may all the blood, the innocent blood spilled be upon you” if you refuse. They will curse and threaten him, and eventually he will accept. But Hazrat Mahdi (as) will not accept it in any other way. He will especially deny that he is Hazrat Mahdi (as). They will say: “All the signs are upon you. Your physical attributes matches them, and your line of descent, and events, and the place and your activities, all match them. You match the descriptions given by Said Nursi, and the hadith and everything.” They will cite whatever evidence the time provides. But he will say that he makes no such claim and that he is just a poor servant of Allah. He will say that I am someone who has surrendered to Allah, and I may go to Paradise or I may go to Hell. But then Hazrat Mahdi (as) will say, but since you consider me to be the proper person, and since you lay such a responsibility upon me, and since you say the blood of all Muslims be upon me, then I will accept. And so he will assume the leadership. 


HAZRAT MAHDI (AS) WILL BE OBLIGED TO ASSUME THE LEADERSHIP

ADNAN OKTAR'S LIVE INTERVIEW ON KANAL 35 (IZMIR) (18 January 2009)

ADNAN OKTAR: For example, it says in the Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar fi `Alamat al-Mahdi al-Muntazar that “he will deny it when they say, ‘You are Hazrat Mahdi’.” It also says in the Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar fi `Alamat al-Mahdi al-Muntazar, “They will say to him your name is this and your father’s name is that, but he will again decline.” They will say to Hazrat Mahdi (as) that if you do not protect us against the system of the dajjal and the irreligious, then may all our sins and all the spilled blood of Muslims be yours, in other words, may the sins of all be upon your head if you refuse. Following those words, Hazrat Mahdi (as) will assume the spiritual leadership in order not to assume such a great spiritual responsibility, it says in the Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar fi `Alamat al-Mahdi al-Muntazar.

ADNAN OKTAR’S LIVE INTERVIEW ON KON TV (8 February 2009)

ADNAN OKTAR: There will be a rise in the number of people claiming to be Hazrat Mahdi (as), and that is even stated in the New Testament. The prophet Jesus (as) says, “There will be false Messiahs before me.” And these are now appearing. You see them out and about with dyed hair and beards. We see Mahdis all over the place. They openly say that such and such a person is Hazrat Mahdi (as). And that person does not hide it, “I am Hazrat Mahdi (as)” he says. Look, they say, you can see my signs. In other words, these people are neither mad nor sane, do not resemble Muslims in the least, and are by no means ignorant. And this is a miracle, a marvel. What effrontery, what nerve, what shamelessness! But Hazrat Mahdi (as) will never say, “I am Hazrat Mahdi (as).” 


HAZRAT MAHDI (AS) WILL BE PRESSURIZED INTO ASSUMING THE SPIRITUAL LEADERSHIP OF MUSLIMS

ADNAN OKTAR’S BASKENT TV INTERVIEW (28 February 2009)

Let me explain the existence of Hazrat Mahdi (as) thus: He is a person of love; He will teach us compassion, mercy, exuberance, friendship and brotherhood. He will be leading this. He will put this bliss into people’s spirits. He has no interest in this world. Hazrat Mahdi (as) has also no interest in politics. Moreover, he will have no claim. Hazrat Mahdi (as) will be compelled to become the spiritual leader. This is also related in the accounts.  Even in one account it is related that he is threatened.


HOW WILL HAZRAT MAHDI (AS) BE RECOGNIZED?   

ADNAN OKTAR’S LIVE INTERVIEW ON KACKAR TV (8 JANUARY 2009)

ADNAN OKTAR: At first, Hazrat Mahdi (as) will be recognized only by the light of his faith. In other words, we will be unsure. We will wonder if it is this person. At the beginning we will have enormous doubts.  But real recognition will come with his praying together with the Prophet Jesus (as). The Prophet Jesus (as) will push him from behind to assume the role of imam. After such a great prophet propels him toward the role of imam, we will say that this is certainly Hazrat Mahdi (as), insha’Allah. We will say he is Hazrat Mahdi (as), insha’Allah.                             

ADNAN OKTAR'S LIVE INTERVIEW ON KANAL 35 (IZMIR) (18 January 2009)

ADNAN OKTAR: “His devout and close followers in proximity to him will know him from the light of faith. Otherwise, nobody will recognize him at once and with certainty.” Said Nursi says this on page 60 of his Letters. (Said Nursi, Letters, p. 60) He says that the world is a place of experience and that may be open to mind but can not exceed its boundaries, meaning people’s free will is never taken away from them, and that nothing happens in such a way as to oblige people to have faith. So much so that the great majority of people, and maybe even that person himself, will be unaware of his identity, and that person may be known by the radiance of faith in the End Times, that Hazrat Mahdi (as) may be known in that way.
   
ADNAN OKTAR’S LIVE INTERVIEW ON KON TV (8 February 2009)

ADNAN OKTAR: The sword of our Prophet (saas) will be strapped on for the first time; nobody has borne the sword of our Prophet (saas) before. He will strap that sword on directly. Nobody has ever worn our Prophet’s (saas) jacket, but he will wear it. He will raise the standard of our Prophet (saas). People will lose themselves at the moment of the swearing of the oath of allegiance. This is a promise expressing their love for him, and it will come about.

ADNAN OKTAR’S LIVE INTERVIEW ON TEMPO TV (13 January 2009)

ADNAN OKTAR: The most distinguishing and irrefutable feature of Hazrat Mahdi (as) is his praying together with the Prophet Jesus (as). The Prophet Jesus (as) will propel him forward from behind and tell him to lead the salat. He will push him by his two shoulders. The Prophet Jesus (as) will decline and say you are the imam, you must lead the prayer. And he will lead the salat, and thus he will emphasize the leadership of Hazrat Mahdi (as).

ADNAN OKTAR'S LIVE INTERVIEW ON KANAL 35 (IZMIR) (18 January 2009)

ADNAN OKTAR: Wherever the Sacred Relics are, that is where Hazrat Mahdi (as) will be, insha’Allah. Allah has preserved and maintained the Sacred Relics in Istanbul, even though it was occupied by the enemy, and Allah could have done away with them, but that was not in destiny. For example, nothing happened to the sword of our Prophet (saas), it has been preserved up to the present. And nothing happened to his standard, and that has also been preserved. There is even a second banner, and Hazrat Mahdi (as) will open that, says our Prophet (saas). It is folded up in antelope skin and has never been opened he says, and it is also in Topkapı Palace. 

ADNAN OKTAR:  The banner, insha’Allah. He will appear with those Sacred Relics, and that will cause enormous excitement among Muslims, insha’Allah. Insha’Allah, we will live to see those days.

ADNAN OKTAR’S KANAL 35 TV (IZMIR) INTERVIEW (25 January 2009)

ADNAN OKTAR:  Naim relates from Salman Ibn Isa that he said: “I have heard that the Ark of the Covenant will be extracted from Lake Tiberias in the hand of Hazrat Mahdi (as).” The holy ark from the time of the Prophet Musa (as) will be uncovered in Lake Tiberias and placed before him in Jerusalem. When the Jews see this the great majority of them will become Muslims, he says.

ADNAN OKTAR’S EKINTURK TV INTERVIEW (27 April 2009)

There is a conviction that when Hazrat Mahdi (as) appears, all of a sudden he puts everything in a state of confusion. People will inflict enormous cruelty on Hazrat Mahdi (as). People will put him into prison, slander him, hatch plots against him. These will happen many times, recurrently, this will not be a single case. People think that Hazrat Mahdi (as) will be put into prison for once, or slandered once. But this is not the case. This will happen recurrently. It will continue. Were this is not the case, he would be deprived of the power of being a Mahdi. In order for his resistance, power and profundity of his faith to be understood, such incidents are requisite. If this were not the case, then everyone would walk on straight path. There should be cavities on the road, obstacles, barbs, so that one would overcome those obstacles with all his might as he proceeds. Otherwise, running on a smooth road is easy; everyone would do that. You can gather young people and tell them to run, you will see that everyone will run. But if you put a 50 kg. weight on their feet, and ask them to run, many people would fail. If you put even more weight, they would never make it. But they will put 100 kg. onto him [Hazrat Mahdi (as)] , he will still run like lions. They will put obstacles before him, he will again run. Even it is related in the hadith that people will put mountains before him, but he [Hazrat Mahdi (as)] will still find a way to proceed. You should consider that this is a mountain! People will inflict enormous cruelty on him, they will hatch enormous plots. False witnesses, false players, imposters…People will employ all the means available at that time against Hazrat Mahdi (as). But you will see, none of them will deter him. And he will proceed towards his goal as he eliminates all of them with full force, full strength. For this reason, you should look for Hazrat Mahdi (as) in the place where incidents that take place. Wherever there are a lot of attacks against a person, much oppression upon a person, on a person, where all people, perversion, satan is [inflicting pain] upon a person, atheists, communists, darwinists, outcasts, hookers, crooks…whoever there is, if all of them unite to attack one person somewhere, then one should seek Hazrat Mahdi (as) there; if our brothers absolutely want to find him; you know they ask how to find Hazrat Mahdi (as),  then this is the way to do it. For instance we want to find Prophet Musa (as) and we live in Pharaoh’s (as) time. We are in Egypt and ask for Pharaoh. We can go to Pharaoh, or rather tell people around that we look for Musa (as). Then people would point Pharaoh as the expert [who would find him]. They would ask us to go to Pharaoh. He would show you who Musa (as) is by his [Pharaoh’s] attacks on him. For instance, when you go to Namrud, we can immediately understand who Prophet Abraham (as) is. We can understand it from the way he attacks Abraham (as). Because Namrud attempts to burn no one, but Abraham (as). Doesn’t he? Why doesn’t he try to burn someone else but Abraham (as)? Because he sees him (Abraham (as)) as the gravest threat. Why? Because Allah shows him as the gravest threat. For this reason, dajjalism, pharaohism, namruds of the time, Ergenekon, freemasonry, outcasts, darwinists, materialists of the time will find him. They will say, “There he is! We will try to get rid of him.” But meanwhile Muslims may not notice this. They [those cited above] strongly notice. For this reason, what Muslims fail to notice will be noticed by dajjalism. For instance, if you ask the Baron he will know it. If you ask him who the greatest threat is, he will point that person. But of course, he would not say, “He is Mahdi.” He would give this answer only if you ask him what the greatest threat [to his system] is. Because he would not accept Hazrat Mahdi (as), he does not believe in Allah, so how could he accept Hazrat Mahdi (as)? If you ask him who is the greatest enemy to you, the structure you have formed and your goals, then he would say, “There he is!” So those willing to learn should ask him. But Muslims generally do not know Hazrat Mahdi (as). The disciples of Said Nursi also do not know, Said Nursi says. Said Nursi states that in the End Times, Hazrat Mahdi (as) and his disciples, the real owners of Risale-i Nur Collection, will come. Hazrat Mahdi (as) will be severely oppressed, people will be more sensitive about protecting him and say, “This is enough!” And his disciples will be under amazing persecution. Hazrat Mahdi (as) will also be persecuted but this is Hazrat Mahdi’s (as) attribute. It is related that as people beat him more in the back, his back will expand. That is, dajjal persecute Hazrat Mahdi (as), they will hatch plots, inflict cruelty on him by the means of the time. They will employ all the means of the time to the full extent. But meanwhile Hazrat Mahdi (as) will increasingly get stronger, and as Said Nursi tells, people will lose their temper and say, “That is enough!” and they will make Hazrat Mahdi (as) their spiritual leader. And in return, Hazrat Mahdi (as) will turn the path to the truth. That is, everything will proceed to truth.


HAZRAT MAHDI’S (AS) THREE GREAT DUTIES    

ADNAN OKTAR’S LIVE INTERVIEW ON KACKAR TV (8 January 2009)

ADNAN OKTAR: With the spread of materialism and Darwinism among people, he says, he will first silence that ideology and thus teach a lesson to mankind. And that is Hazrat Mahdi’s (as) first task: Darwinism and materialism. He describes this very comprehensively. Said Nursi says Hazrat Mahdi (as) will primarily direct his attention toward materialism and Darwinism. And by the wisdom of Allah we are now in the time when Darwinism and materialism are in the most parlous state. They are dead or dying, as we can see. This is how Said Nursi describes the matter. He says that as he has described several times in his Letters there is a holy community represented by Hazrat Mahdi (as), and that community will persist.  First, he says, they will appear under the guise of science and philosophy and will afflict people with irreligion and scourges, and that Darwinism and materialism are a pestilence when they appear among people, and that his first duty will be to silence this philosophy, Darwinism and materialism, and thus to rescue religious belief. He says that Hazrat Mahdi (as) will preserve faith with evidence and prevent believers from falling into unbelief. And he will do this by abandoning all else in the world, in other words by involving all aspects of life, and that since this will require much study and research, Hazrat Mahdi (as) will not have the time or means to discharge that duty personally. In other words, he will not have the time to devote to it, he says, since he will be very busy. He says he will lack the means to do all that research himself. In other words, he says he will not be the kind of classic ulama we are familiar with, meaning he will have a new kind of knowledge. He will not have a madrassa education or be like a madrassa scholar, says Said Nursi. His activities will not leave him enough time to concern himself personally, says Said Nursi. He predicts that a group of followers will occupy themselves with it before him.  In other words, some people will do research before him. The person, Hazrat Mahdi (as) will draw up a program using works prepared for him as a result of that lengthy investigation. He says he will take advantage of ready prepared works and books, and will combine these together for his own work. He will draw up his own program. And thus he will discharge his first duty. His colleagues will have the strength and spiritual power that this task relies on and they will be very devout and devoted to him. In other words, he says, they will be highly devoted to Islam, the Qur’an and Allah. And he says they will be allied, will be tightly bound to one another. And no matter how small their numbers, they will be as strong and valuable as a whole spiritual community. He says they will be very few in number.


HAZRAT MAHDI (AS) WILL BRING THE TURKISH WORLD TOGETHER

ADNAN OKTAR’S LIVE INTERVIEW ON KON TV (8 February 2009)

ADNAN OKTAR: The accounts are quite clear. Our Prophet (saas) spoke quite plainly when he said that Hazrat Mahdi (as) “will bring the dispersed Turkish flags together again.” 

REPORTER: So he uses the expression Turkish?

ADNAN OKTAR: Of course, the word Turkish appears very clearly. And he says the Turkish world will be scattered, our Prophet (saas) knew that. He says they will be fragmented under separate banners. He says he will bring the banners back together; he says that first red banners will appear, and then green ones. He means that first the Turkish-Islamic Union will be established. Green is the color of the flags of all Islamic countries, and then green flags will appear, he says. Our Prophet (saas) says he will unite the red and green flags. This is a crystal clear hadith. I have looked at the Muslims gathered together in Lebanon and seen bright red Turkish flags and their own green flags. I have looked at Palestine, bright red Turkish flags and green Palestine flags again, just as described in the hadith. 

ADNAN OKTAR’S BASKENT TV INTERVIEW (23 January 2009)

ADNAN OKTAR: Our Prophet (saas) says that Hazrat Mahdi (as) will have helpmates, they will be Turks. He says they will be dispersed Turks. As you know, there are various fragmented Turkish peoples. They are all descended from a single nation. Eskişehir was established separately, and then Kayseri. And then Konya, may Allah forbid. These will all combine together and help Hazrat Mahdi (as), says our Prophet (saas).

ADNAN OKTAR’S LIVE INTERVIEW ON HILAL TV (24 January 2009)

ADNAN OKTAR: Accounts in the Ishaduf al-Ragibin say that Hazrat Mahdi (as) will come from the Rum, in other words from the Turks, because Turkey used to be known as Land of the Rum. One hadith in Tirmidhi says that Doomsday will not happen until Hazrat Mahdi (as) rules Arabia (mentioned in Tirmidhi), from which it appears that he will not come from among the Arabs. Because in order to rule over the Arabs, one has to be from outside them. (Portents of Doomsday, p. 170)

Ibni Khaldun and Kurtubî record that Hazrat Mahdi (as) will come from the east, from the area to the west of the Caspian Sea, Horasan, and from the Ceyhan River, and these are regions inhabited by Turks. 

Look, he says that Ibrahim ibn Ibeaydullah ibn Ala told his father that Imam Jafar-i Sadiq, a great expert on Islamic law said that Hazrat Ali spoke of the coming of the Qaim (Hazrat Mahdi (as)) after him, and that all the dispersed Turkish flags would combine together to help Hazrat Mahdi (as). In other words, he will combine all the dispersed Turkish states together and will join with them, taking advantage of their strength and thus bring the whole Islamic world together.

Said Nursi refers to the Turkish nation and the Turkish Army as “a heroic army and a devout nation.” He says the Turkish nation will perform great services and will lead the Turkish-Islamic Union.


HAZRAT MAHDI (AS) WILL FOUND THE TURKISH-ISLAMIC UNION   

Look, what you say is very important. For the Turkish-Islamic Union, you say that none of the Islamic communities are willing to unite. That is true. None of them would accept that. There is a single person whom they will accept. Hazrat Mahdi (as). The entire Islamic ummah, the Shiti, Alawis or Sunnis, they would not ally with any person. They would only ally with Hazrat Mahdi (as). That is why, they will be compelled to seek Hazrat Mahdi (as). And when they seek, they will  find him. Because Hazrat Mahdi (as) has appeared. And they will unite around Hazrat Mahdi (as).

In the time of Hazrat Mahdi (as) Turkish-Islamic Union will be certainly established. In a decade, and even in 2014, people will understand that what I am telling is true insha’Allah. And in 2021 this subject will be totally over. This is the case both according to the hadith and the accounts of Said Nursi. The Turkish-Islamic Union is the great salvation of the End Times. It is like the Nuh’s Ark. Those entering the Turkish-Islamic Union will be saved from this fitnah, this economic collapse, this economic crisis, this spiritual crisis and spiritual breakdown and all kinds of ordeals insha’Allah. Because right now there is a storm raging throughout the world. It is both a spiritual and an economic crisis. Those entering the Turkish-Islamic Union will be like getting on Nuh’s Ark and be saved from this ordeal.

Hazrat Mahdi (as) will Conquer the World with Love and Compassion

ADNAN OKTAR’S LIVE INTERVIEW ON KACKAR TV (8 Junuary 2009)

ADNAN OKTAR: He says he will not waken the sleeper. He says that Hazrat Mahdi (as) will be very loving and compassionate. He says he will cause no blood to be spilled, not even a drop of blood. He says he will establish his dominion with love and affection.

REPORTER: With no blood being spilled.

ADNAN OKTAR: Yes. No blood will be shed. That is the principal characteristic of Hazrat Mahdi (as). It is a great miracle. Allah will give him great strength without any blood being spilled, through love, affection, scholarship and knowledge.  Allah will lead people to salvation by his hand, and Allah will make people love him. People will speak of Hazrat Mahdi (as) everywhere. He says they will clasp Hazrat Mahdi (as) to their bosoms. Our Prophet (saas) says that a fervent love for Hazrat Mahdi (as) will arise. 

ADNAN OKTAR’S KANAL 35 TV (IZMIR) INTERVIEW (18 January 2009)

ADNAN OKTAR: Love will be the greatest weapon in the time of Hazrat Mahdi (as). In other words, Hazrat Mahdi (as) will bring love, the greatest weapon in the world, to the fore, and with that love he will conquer the whole world, insha’Allah.

ADNAN OKTAR’S LIVE INTERVIEW ON KON TV (8 February 2009)

ADNAN OKTAR: Hazrat Mahdi (as) is an exceedingly warm person, one full of respect, who neither wakens the sleeper nor sheds any blood, whom the entire Ummah will love with great intensity. Allah has created him to be loveable, to be loved. He is someone who has suffered and matured through suffering and been trained by pain. He is someone who will go through a thousand and one tribulations. The Ummah’s devotion to Hazrat Mahdi (as) is destined. Everyone has devoted himself to Hazrat Mahdi (as). Hazrat Mahdi (as) is a man of the heart, who loves people and is not greedy. He will interfere with nobody, and will be democratic and moderate. He will interfere with nobody’s beliefs, and will approach them with love. In other words, he will not impose his views. He will shed no blood and will not waken the sleeper, and neither will he engage in politics; yet everyone will love him as their spiritual leader. His word will prevail over everyone and the wronged will seek refuge in him. No terror, anarchy, conflict or high costs of living will remain anywhere.


THE CHARACTERISTICS OF HAZRAT MAHDI’S (AS) COMMUNITY

ADNAN OKTAR’S LIVE INTERVIEW ON HILAL TV (24 January 2009)

ADNAN OKTAR: With regard to the characteristics of Hazrat Mahdi’s (as) community Amira Bint-i Nufayl says: I heard Imam Husayin say that one should seek the followers of Hazrat Mahdi (as) on the edges of the world, that they will lead simple lives and carry their homes on their backs (in other words, they will have no fixed abodes and will travel about from here to there). Even if ready, they are not recognized (the public will not recognize them). If they are lost, none will seek them (or, nobody around them will attach any worth to them). If they are ill, none will visit them, and if they wish to marry, none will come to them (meaning nobody will wish to marry them as they are regarded as odd and dangerous). If they die, none will attend their funerals. They will divide their possessions equally among themselves and visit one another’s graves. Even if they live in different towns, their desires are all the same. (al-Ghaybah al-Nomani, p. 238) And that is an 800-year-old book.

Purity, loyalty and solidarity. Purity, in other words, sincerity; solidarity, meaning alliance. In other words they are loyal and allied to one another. He says his followers will fully possess all these qualities. Said Nursi says that even if they are few in number, they will be, in spiritual terms, very powerful and valuable. See what Imam Muhammad Baqir and Imam Jafar al-Sadiq have said about the followers of Hazrat Mahdi (as): they will conquer the east and west of the world. Each one of them will be as powerful as 40 normal people. That means they will be very industrious and hard-working. (Bihar al-Anwar, in vol. 52)

Hazrat Ali says; Allah will protect the helpmates of Hazrat Mahdi (as) and will assist them with signs and portents and will make them victorious over all, and people will thus enter the true religion, willingly or unwillingly. Hazrat Mahdi (as) will fill the world with justice, light and manifest proofs, all countries will obey him completely and bow their heads to him, so much so that all unbelievers will have faith and the wicked will become pure and wicked people will attain salvations and become genuine Muslims.  (Isbat al-Hudat, Vol/ 7, p. 49)

There are 313 people who will disappear from their beds and homes; the helpers of Hazrat Mahdi (as) will not remain at home, he says. They are constantly in a state of activity, he says, and they disappear from their homes. Look, this is highly significant. Fazil Ibn Shazan Abdullah Ibn Sinan  narrates from Imam Jafar Sadiq that 313 people will leave their homes, and that is the number of Muslims who took part in the battle of Badr, they are 313 followers of the Qaim (Hazrat Mahdi (as)).  They will number 313, the number of the people of Badr, and in the same way that those who went before could not surpass them, neither can those who come after. Their number is that of the people who crossed the river with Talut (a story in the Qur’an). (Al Burhan fi Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir Zaman.) There are lengthy accounts such as this regarding Hazrat Mahdi (as). We are told that Hazrat Mahdi’s (as) friends are heroic, select, pure and devout individuals. They are Muslims who fear no condemnation on the path of Allah. That appears in the  Sunan  Ibn Majah,10/259.

Their hearts are like iron and they are lions in the daytime and slaves to Allah at night. (Al Burhan fi Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir Zaman.)

ADNAN OKTAR’S LIVE INTERVIEW ON TEMPO TV (13 January 2009)

ADNAN OKTAR: This shows that Hazrat Mahdi’s (as) community will be depicted as rather odd, that the press, television and radio will be opposed to him, and that many institutions and organizations will work against him. My apologies to that part of the press, that is an exception. But it seems that these people will be portrayed in that way, as being on the wrong path, sinister, dangerous and flawed, otherwise everyone would want to join the community. But we can see from the accounts that Hazrat Mahdi’s (as) community will be in the middle of a very difficult environment and will constantly attract troubles and tribulations. Because they will wage war against the system of the dajjal. They will wage war against Darwinism and materialism. They will wage war against atheism, for which reason they will be opposed by masons, atheist-zionists and some irreligious people. But they will make all atheist-zionists oppose themselves. This being the case, forces affiliated to the dajjal, which control a large part of the media and the press, will of course use all their means to try to crush Hazrat Mahdi (as) and his community. And they will blacken their name. They will spread gossip about them as has happened before in the times of the prophets. They will spread defamation and slander about them as they did with other scholars who followed the prophets. They will face sanctions in economic and all other respects. The atmosphere around Hazrat Mahdi (as) will not be one that is welcome to most people’s earthly desires.

ADNAN OKTAR’S INTERVIEW ON KANAL 35 TV (IZMIR) (25 January 2009)

ADNAN OKTAR: Abu Basr says that Imam Abu Abdullah said: “There will be very few people with the Qaim (Hazrat Mahdi (as)) from the Arabs. They will be cleansed from the people. They will be cleansed and sieved. Many people will be excluded during the sieving process. He says that people will be purged in Hazrat Mahdi’s (as) community, and that the pure and immaculate will remain. So much so that there will be no more people in Hazrat Mahdi’s (as) community than there is kohl on the eye or salt in food. In other words, Hazrat Mahdi’s (as) community will have very few members.  Eventually, a group among you that corruption cannot touch will be left. In other words, he says that Hazrat Mahdi’s community will be so purged that only a very small number of people that corruption cannot pollute will be left. 

ADNAN OKTAR’S INTERVIEW ON VATAN TV (15 March 2009)

Surat al-Kahf in any case refers to the followers of Hazrat Mahdi (as). The Companions of the Cave (People of Kahf) consist of young people who have left their families and come together. As you know, al-Kahf is the 18th Sura and is made up of 110 verses. 18x110 gives the date 1980. That is also the date of the coming of Hazrat Mahdi (as). The year 1400 according to the Islamic calendar. At that time, at that very ancient time, the Companions of the Cave fled the pressure from their friends and families and came together and sheltered in a cave in order to live by Islam, the true religion. It appears that this will happen again in the End Times. Once more in the time of Hazrat Mahdi (as) young people will quit their families, by which I refer to some immoral families, and come together. One great scholar was saying in 1979, even before the coming of Hazrat Mahdi (as) that some would be a famous person’s child and some others would be the children of others, but  eventually they would come together and suffer terrible intimidation, and I listened to that on the tape in question. There will be such an organization, one like the Companions of the Cave. But it is clear that they will not represent all the 313 people in question. Our prophet (saas) says that not all of these will be Arabs. He says there will be very few Arabs among them, very few people of Arab origin. And he says he will come from Turkey. Said Nursi also gives Istanbul as the place where Hazrat Mahdi (as) will appear, and he describes that very clearly. He says that various places have been cited as the locations of the Coming of the End Times, such as Basra, Kufa and Damascus, or Mecca and Medina. They have all found their ways into the accounts because they were all important places in Islam, he says, and the people narrating the accounts imagined they would stay that way. But Said Nursi says that the last center of the Islamic world was Istanbul. For that reason, he says, all the individuals and phenomena of the End Times will take place in Istanbul. In other words, he also says that Hazrat Mahdi (as) will appear in Istanbul. 

ADNAN OKTAR’S INTERVIEW ON EKINTURK TV (27 April 2009)

Our Prophet (saas) says that the students of Hazrat Mahdi (as) are lions during the day and heroes at night. There will also be hypocrites among them. Our Prophet (saas) also says that they will be in various countries. Even he adds that they will go to different countries by various vehicles and communicate with one another by looking at their palms. This means, they will use computers, blueberries, cellular phones. Our attention is drawn to these. From the hadith we know that Hazrat Mahdi (as) remains in his home and addresses from his home. Or according to the hadith they watch him from the streets. This is a 800-year old book.


HYPOCRITES WILL EMERGE FROM HAZRAT MAHDI’S (AS) COMMUNITY

ADNAN OKTAR’S KANAL 35 TV (IZMIR) INTERVIEW (25 January 2009)

Nonetheless, there will still be people who abandon the community of Hazrat Mahdi (as), who are hypocrites, we are told. These will act in opposition to the community. He says that Medina will be shaken three times and will expel the hypocrites from its midst. The hadith say there will be three great departures from the community of Hazrat Mahdi (as).

“A group from my Ummah will continue to receive help until Doomsday; and the abandonment of those who leave them will do them no harm.”

It is narrated from Muaviya that: “Doomsday will not take place until a group from my Ummah reigns over all – in other words, until the community of Hazrat Mahdi (as) reigns supreme. They will pay no heed to those who abandon them, and neither will they heed those who help them.”

“Then the city of Mecca and its surroundings will be rocked three times,” he says. “Mecca will expel its filth in the same way the blacksmith expels the dirty iron from his bellows.” The account equates hypocrites with filth and says that they will be expelled like it.

Verses also provide information about the hypocrites. “If they had gone out among you, they would have added nothing to you but confusion. They would have scurried about amongst you seeking to cause conflict between you, and among you there are some who would have listened to them. Allah knows the wrongdoers.” In other words, there will be hypocrites outside and within the community of Hazrat Mahdi (as), and they will carry news to one another. He says this happens in normal Muslim communities. It also happened in the time of our Prophet (saas). It is actually describing events in the time of our Prophet (saas), but these events will also apply to the community of Hazrat Mahdi (as) and in true communities.

For example, Allah says: “Among the people there are some who say, ‘We believe in Allah and the Last Day,’ when they are not believers. They think they deceive Allah and those who believe. They deceive no one but themselves but they are not aware of it. There is a sickness in their hearts and Allah has increased their sickness. They will have a painful punishment on account of their denial.”

For example, “Among them are those who listen to you and then, when they leave your presence, say to those who have been given knowledge, ‘What was that he just said?’” – the hypocrites suppose, in their own eyes, that they are mocking the Prophet – “They are those whose hearts Allah has sealed up and who follow their own desires.”