According to Bediuzzaman, the Mahdi Will Be on Duty
during the Fifteenth Islamic Century

In his explanations, Bediuzzaman pointed to the beginning of the fifteenth Islamic century as the time of Mahdi's advent. In one of his explanations, Bediuzzaman relates that Mahdi will come 1,400 years after the Blessed Period.

"Why did the Companions of the Prophet with their vigilant hearts and keen sight, who had been taught all the details of the hereafter, suppose a fact that would occur one thousand four hundred years later to be close to their century, as though their ideas had deviated a thousand years from the truth?" (The Words, 'The Twenty-fourth Word: Third Branch)

As Bediuzzaman stated: "one thousand four hundred years later to be close to their century" is the beginning of the fifteenth century, that is, the years 1979-1980 (of the Gregorian calendar).

In his address to 10,000 people in a mosque in Damascus (Hijri 1327), Bediuzzaman explained the future of the Islamic world after Hijri 1371. In this address, he gave some dates about the End Times and called attention to the Mahdi's struggle. Bediuzzaman gives the following dates regarding Mahdi's taking up his task and defeating the disbelieving mentality ideologically:

The facts revealed in the address of Damascus that glance at the destiny of the Islamic world after the Hijri 1371... may be not now but 30-40 years later, in order to fully equip science and, knowledge acquired through arts, science and skills, the goodness of civilization and those three forces, and to overcome the nine obstacles, he sent inclination for investigating the truth, moderation and love for human beings to the fronts of those nine foes. By God's Will, he will demolish them after half a century. ("The Damascus Sermon," p. 25)

In this speech, Bediuzzaman draws attention to developments that will take place after Hijri 1371, and informs us that the Mahdi will launch his efforts 30-40 years after this date. This date is the period between Hijri 1401-11 (Gregorian calendar: 1980-90).

In the latter part of his speech, Bediuzzaman said that the Mahdi will silence the ideology of disbelief via the benefits of science and civilization. The date of this ideological superiority will be half a century later: Hijri 1421. (Gregorian calendar: 2001)

"Maybe not now (1371), but 30-40 years later..."

By God's Will, he will demolish them after half a century.

1371 + 50 = 1421 (Gregorian calendar: 2001)

Bediuzzaman calls attention to Hijri 1400 as the beginning of Mahdi's ideological struggle against disbelieving philosophies. He further points out that between the years 1401-11 (1981-91), he will unite the benefits of science, skills, and the goodness of civilization to be used in his struggle, and discloses Hijri 1421 (Gregorian calendar: 2001) as the date when the Mahdi will ideologically destroy the disbelieving philosophies.

Another of his explanations related to the End Times is as follows:

"In [13]71, the Sun began to rise or will rise. Even if this is only the initial redness in the horizon, in 30-40 years the second enlightenment will appear." ("The Damascus Sermon," p. 23)

1371 + 30 = 1401 = 1981
1371 + 40 = 1411 = 1991

Bediuzzaman likens the rise of the Sun to the prevalence of Islam's moral values in the world. Just as the Sun rises again after it sets, he indicates that Islam's moral values also will rise and shine again. The expressions of "initial redness" and "second enlightenment" indicate the beginning years of this time.

Accordingly, he points to 1981-91 as the time when the Mahdi begins to disperse atheism and materialist philosophy, as well as the unjust ideologies that oppose the true religion. He also calls attention to 2001 as the year when these ideologies will be totally silenced and dispersed. (God knows best.)

In this period there are such prevalent movements so that may the expected person who is due to come after a century emerge... (Kastamonu Letters, p. 57)

In this statement, the phrase "the expected person who is due to come after a century" means that the Mahdi had not come yet in his time, that he had been awaited by Muslims, and that he is due to come after a century - in the fifteenth Islamic century.

In his Risale-i Nur Collection, Bediuzzaman provided related evidence regarding the Mahdi's period of struggle and his dominance:

"They desire to extinguish God's Light with their mouths. But God refuses to do other than perfect His Light, even though the unbelievers detest it." (Surat at-Tawba, 9:32)

Writing about "But God refuses to do other than perfect His Light," Bediuzzaman makes the following comment:

"It now occurs to [my] mind that if each of the letters "mim" and "lam" bearing the gemination mark are counted as two, the people who will dissolve the oppressions a century later may be the disciples of the Mahdi." (First Ray, p. 85)

The abjad (numeration of the verse by alphabetical Arabic letters) is Hijri 1424 and 2004 (Gregorian calandar). Bediuzzaman points to the prevalence of Islamic morality in the Mahdi's leadership.

In the verse "But those who disbelieve have tagut as protectors" (Surat al-Baqara, 2:257), Bediuzzaman calls attention to the numeration of tagut (the ideology opposing the true religion) by alphabetical Arabic letters. This is 1417 (1997 Gregorian calendar), the date when tagut will experience a collapse within itself.

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