In his works Bediuzzaman has stated that “Hazrat Mahdi (as) will have three great duties” and that “the performance of these three duties together is one of the main signs in the recognition of Hazrat Mahdi (as).” The first of these duties is “intellectual struggle against materialist, Darwinist and atheist philosophies and the complete silencing of them intellectually.” The second is, “the establishment of the Islamic Union by assuming the leadership of the Islamic world”, and the third “the restoration of the moral values of the Qur’an and the Sunnah of our Prophet (saas) and causing these to rule across the world.” Bediuzzaman also said that these three duties had not been discharged together in his own time and that only Hazrat Mahdi (as) can do that:
These THREE QUALITIES BEING PRESENT AT ONE TIME IN ONE PERSON OR COMMUNITY, AND THEIR BEING PERFECT AND NOT IMPAIRING ONE ANOTHER SEEMS VERY REMOTE, OR EVEN IMPOSSIBLE. In the End Times, THEY CAN ONLY COME TOGETHER IN THE GREAT MAHDI AND THE COLLECTIVE PERSONALITY OF HIS COMMUNITY, WHO REPRESENT THE LUMINOUS COMMUNITY OF THE AHL AL-BAYT [the line of the Prophet (saas)]. (Kastamonu Addendum, p. 139) |
....a guide, a kind of Mahdi and reformer comes in every century, BUT IN TERMS OF DISCHARGING EACH OF THESE THREE DUTIES, NONE HAVE RECEIVED THE TITLE OF THE GREAT MAHDI OF THE END TIMES. (Emirdag Addendum, p. 260) |
Bediuzzaman said that Hazrat Mahdi (as) would discharge the "THREE DUTIES TOGETHER:" and that none of the previous mujaddid (renovators of the faith), himself included, had ever combined the three together. In the words “AT THIS TIME,” Bediuzzaman says that it is impossible for a single individual in his time to discharge the three duties that Hazrat Mahdi (as) will perform. Moreover, he says that it is impossible for these three duties to hinder one another. The powerful nature of this opinion of Bediuzzaman’s is confirmed by the words “VERY REMOTE” and “LITERALLY IMPOSSIBLE.” Bediüzzaman reveals that only the Great Mahdi who will appear a century after him will perform them all together.
In another passage, Bediuzzaman says that various Muslim individuals had come in previous centuries with the aim of causing the moral values of the Qur’an to rule across the world, but that none of these had discharged the three duties of Hazrat Mahdi (as) together. He says that this is why none of them was able to assume the title of "GREAT MAHDI” of the End Times.
Bediuzzaman says that his Risale-i Nur collection also discharged the first of these duties of Hazrat Mahdi (as), “saving the faith.” But that this service had been rendered in only a very narrow sphere or framework. “Hazrat Mahdi’s (as) faith-related work will bring Islamic moral values to rule “over the whole world:”
Some verses and hadith speak in allegorical terms OF THE GREATEST RENNOVATOR, WHO WILL APPEAR IN THE END TIMES. BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT OF THE THREE DUTIES OF THAT INDIVIDUAL WHO WILL COME AND HIS COMMUNITY, and that which appears on the surface to be the smallest, is to salvage faith and illuminate the truths leading to faith like a Sun, and since it is the collective personality of the Risale-i Nur collection and its students who will discharge that duty, THEY HAVE ATTEMPTED TO INVENT THE REPORTS AND SIGNS REGARDING THAT PERSONAGE WHO WILL APPEAR IN THE FUTURE, AND EVEN SOMETIMES THE INTERPRETATION OF THE COLLECTIVE PERSONALITY OF THE RISALE-I NUR COLLECTION, AND HAVE FAILED TO CONSIDER THIS IMPORTANT DUTY of restoring the essence of the moral values of Islam and applying the caliphate THAT RULES WITHIN A VERY BROAD SPHERE. ( The Seal of Affirmation of Hidden Things, p. 9) |
Bediuzzaman stated that HAZRAT MAHDI (AS) who will bear the title of the “Great Mahdi” will discharge the duty of SALVAGING THE FAITH AND THE TWO OTHER DUTIES ALL TOGETHER, AS WELL AS ACROSS THE WORLD. “Bediuzzaman did not discharge Hazrat Mahdi’s (as) other duties, did not establish the Islamic Union, he did not bear the attribute of spiritual leader of all the Muslims of the world, did not forge an alliance with the Christian world with that attribute, and did not conduce in restoring the moral values of the Qur’an and the Sunnah of the Prophet (saas) and causing them to prevail across the world.”
Since all these facts make the truth perfectly clear, it is dishonest to say that the fact that Bediuzzaman discharged only one or two of these duties only partially is a sign that he is the Mahdi. It is evident that Bediuzzaman did not cause Islamic moral values to rule the world, establish Islamic Union among the Muslims of the world or cause all Christians to convert to Islam.
Bediuzzaman stated that Hazrat Mahdi (as) would serve as Mahdi in three different fields, and that he would be “THE MAHDI OF POLITICS,” “THE MAHDI OF GOVERNMENT” and the “MAHDI OF RELIGION.” One of the passages in which Bediuzzaman clarifies this important feature of Hazrat Mahdi (as) reads:
“the Great Mahdi will have numerous functions. He will carry out duties IN THE WORLD OF POLITICS, THE WORLD OF RELIGION, THE WORLD OF GOVERNMENT, AND IN THE MANY SPHERES OF THE WORLD OF STRUGGLE....” (Rays, p. 590) |
... THE SECOND DUTY OF THIS INDIVIDUAL WILL BE TO APPLY AND IMPLEMENT THE ESSENCE OF QUR’ANIC MORAL VALUES AND THE SUNNAH OF OUR PROPHET (SAAS). Although the first duty will not be with physical force, but perhaps through a powerful and genuine faith and observance of the approval of Allah alone and through sincere devotion, A VERY GREAT MATERIAL FORCE AND DOMINION IS NECESSARY IN ORDER FOR THIS SECOND DUTY TO BE DISCHARGED. (The Seal of Affirmation of Hidden Things, p. 9) |