ADNAN OKTAR: Now, if this strength had not been taken away from the students of the Nur, in other words if they awaited the system of the Mahdi and the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) for, then an ineffable joy would have arisen in their souls. A glorious fervor would have arisen. Because Bediuzzaman says, "Every time of despair means a need for a Mahdi." We are in the severest period of the End Times, the time of the worst corruption. That is why Said Nursi speaks of the period of the worst corruption (fitnah) of the End Times. He describes the features of that time, in terms of the coming of Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh).

The time is a most severe one, but against it, the system of the Mahdi is described as a collective personality, an indefinite entity. The fact is, however, that Allah has created human nature with a tendency to expect a mujaddid [restorer of the faith], a Mahdi. Indeed, a mujaddid has come in every century. For example, Mevlana Halid did not come as a collective personality. He came as a person. Now, they may talk about the Shah-i Nakshibend, who is in one sense a Mahdi, and say that he came but his collective personality still persists and is still active. There are at least 200-300 million Nakshibendis in the world. Then we could comfortably say that he is Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) in that sense. He has passed away, but we would say his followers have dominion of the world. We would say they rule the Islamic world, everywhere in the world. Meaning the students he taught. In that event, that collective personality would be far greater than the Risale-i Nur. Incomparably, there are at least 300 million of them. The Nakshibendi sect is in the Caucasus, in China, in Africa and everywhere. In that event, we would say that collective personality is now ruling the world right now and pretend not to understand, claim that Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) has already come, and then put an end to the matter. But that is not so. We know the truth of the matter.