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peoples also follow the Moslem faith,
including those of Iran, Afghanistan,
Pakistan, Turkey, Indonesia, and
parts of India and Africa. In fact, one
person in six in the world today is a
Moslem. The concept of the unity of
the entire Islamic world- both Arab
and non-Arab-is called "Pan-Is–
lam." Though all Moslems recognize
the tremendous possibilities tbat
might be realized through greater co–
operation, such ideals often clash
with the pragmatic interests óf indi–
vidual Moslem nations. Like the less–
er-scope concept of Pan-Arabism,
Pan-Islam's chances for success- in
the estimation of most observers–
are small.
Religious Upheaval
What hope remains, then? Will the
long-sought unity of the Arab and
Moslem worlds ever be realized? If
so, most observers feel, it will proba–
bly have to come through swift and
possibly violent change-in the wake ,
of tumul tuous political or religious
upheaval.
The Moslem world today is ripe for
something new. After centuries of di–
visive religious and political infighting
and frustrated ambitions, Moslem
sentiments are coming toa head. Mos–
lems are ready for a new concept to
provide the catalyst toward realizing
their long-thwarted dreams. They
want to again become a powerful force
in world affairs, in a role befittingtheir
siú: and glorious past.
Increasing numbers of Moslems–
Arab and non-Arab alike-believe it
is time for a rekindling of the fires of
their faith , time for a wide-scale reli–
gious aod spiritual reviva! in the face
of growing secularization, material–
ism and Westernization (witness re–
cent events in lran, for example).
From Morocco to Indonesia, "back–
to-the-Koran" sentiments are grow–
ing, along with calls for a united,
fundamentalist Islam.
The lacking vital ingredient is
/eadership.
"There have been many
attempts at a pan-lslamic policy,
none of which has made much prog–
ress," observes Bernard Lewis, a
British scholar of the Middle East.
"One reason for this lack of success is
that those who have made the at–
tempt have been so unconvincing.
The
PLAIN TRUTH December 1979
This still leaves the possibility of a
more convincing leadership, and
there is ample evidence in virtually
all Muslim countries of the deep
yearning for such a leadership and a
readiness to respond to it."
Moslems in general and Arabs in
particular have historically respond–
ed like no other people to the charis–
matic personality. Since the founding
of Islam, men have periodically aris–
en in various parts of the Moslem
world claiming to be the long–
awaited
Mahdi,
the expected end–
time messiah who 1s to cleanse and
restore the Islamic faith to its origi–
nal purity, unify the Moslem world
and usher in a seven-year golden age
just before the end of the world.
Many of these individuals-often
men of considerable eloquence and
extraordinary personal magnetism–
gathered great armies and attempted
to unify the Moslem world by reli–
gious wars. Sorne gained thrones;
others-the majority-died bloody
deaths on the field of battle. But none
were to be ignored.
·
One of the most recent Mahdis
was Mohammed Abmed, the "Suda–
nese Mahdi," who united numerous
tribes against British and Egyptian
control of tbe Sudan and succeeded
in capturing the strategic Nile city of
Khartoum from General Charles
George Gordon in 1885. His goal of a
single united Moslem nation, howev–
er, went unfulfilled.
A Thing of the Past?
Nearly a century has passed since the
Sudanese Mahdi's victory at Khar–
toum. To many observers, militant
Mabdism is a thing of the past. A
major flare-up of radical messianism
is deemed unlikely-by sorne, even
impossible. But is it really?
The expectation of a coming Mah–
di (in Arabic, "the divinely guided
one") is prevalent among virtually all
Moslem sects, though they often dif–
fer in the specifics of the concept.
Moslems today yearn for a guide, a
teacher, a deliverer-one who em–
bodies their innermost hopes and
dreams, who will breathe new life
into Islam, give new direction, and
set about healing the schisms which
divide the Moslem world.
There has always been magic in
the name
Mahdi.
Were a revolu–
tionary new religious figure to sud–
denly appear in the Moslem world–
a dynamic, charismatic leader who
could capture the imagination of
Moslems
everywh~re
and effectively
capitalize on their hunger for great–
ness- the Middle East picture could
be transformed overnight!
The appearance of a 20th century
Mahdi- as fantastic as the prospect
might appear to Western minds–
cannot be quickly dismissed. In Is–
lam, politics and religion are inex–
tricably mixed. There is a close rela–
tionship between the spiritual and
civil power.
·
Islam waits to be united. The role
of Mahdi- the Great Unifier of Is–
lam-awaits a player. Mahdis have
marched in their dozens and scores
through the pages of Moslem history.
Tbere is no reason to believe the days
of Mahdism are past. lndeed, cir–
cumstances in the Moslem world ap–
pear riper than ever for a Mahdist
flare-up. Even now a Mahdi may be
waiting in the wings for the oppor–
tune moment.
Prophesled In the Bible?
As the Bible so clearly demonstrates,
it is
God
wbo makes and unmakes
nations. The prophet Daniel declared
that God "removes kings and sets up
kings" (Daniel 2:21, RSV). And it is
God who declares "the end from the
beginning, and from ancient times
the things that are not yet done"
(Isaiah 46: 10). God reveals the fu–
ture before it happens!
The Bible is not si lent about the
Arab world. Among other prophecies
for the region, it strongly suggests
the emergence of a coming Arab–
Moslem Confederation, possibly un–
der
t~e
overall leadership of one
powerful individual!
In chapter 11 of the book of Daniel
is found the longest prophecy in the
Bible. The prelude is found in the
tenth chapter. There, the arcbangel
Gabriel appears to Daniel: "Now I
am come to make tbee understand
what shall befall thy people
in the
/atter days:
for yet the vision is for
ma:ny days" (verse 14).
The prophecy of Daniel 11 details
events- at that time, still future–
from the remaining days of tbe
11