Intizār-e-Mehdiwiyat is a profound exploration of one of the central beliefs of Islamic thought: the expectation of the reappearance of the Promised Savior, Imam al-Mahdi (a). In this work, Allama Murtaza Mutahhari explains the philosophy, spirituality, and social implications of “intizār” — the meaningful and active waiting for divine justice.
Mutahhari emphasizes that waiting for the Mahdi is not a passive or escapist belief; rather, it is a transformative worldview that inspires ethical development, resistance against oppression, and hope in humanity’s ultimate spiritual evolution. He clarifies the difference between positive, constructive waiting—which motivates believers to reform themselves and society—and negative, paralyzing waiting based on fatalism or withdrawal from responsibility.
The book examines how the belief in the Mahdi has historically strengthened oppressed communities, nurtured moral courage, and kept alive the dream of a world governed by justice, truth, and peace. Mutahhari also addresses misconceptions about Mahdism, refuting ideas that promote stagnation, fatalism, or political apathy.
Ultimately, Intizār-e-Mehdiwiyat presents Mahdism as a dynamic force in Islamic thought—a belief that shapes individual character, fuels social justice movements, and keeps alive the promise that humanity is progressing toward a divinely guided future. Through clear reasoning and spiritual insight, Mutahhari invites readers to understand waiting for the Mahdi as an active commitment to goodness, reform, and readiness for the dawn of a just world.
