The Promised Savior: An inquiry into the imamate of Imam Mahdi (as) from the viewpoint of Muslim thinkers

Translator's Note

In the Name of God the Beneficent the Merciful

Written by Professor Milani, The Promised Savior is a short but significant work that deals with the doctrine of Mahdawiyyat (the belief in Imam Mahdi as ultimate savior).

Despite being short, it has not ignored any vital issues concerning the doctrine of Mahdawiyyat. It is composed of three main parts.

The first part is devoted to introducing Mahdi and that the belief in his existence is not restricted to Shias alone. Based on authentic prophetic traditions, all Islamic sects accept the doctrine of Mahdawiyyat in one way or the other.

As to the second part, it treats traditions that are apparently opposed to the traditions that prove the question of Mahdivyat as an essential article of Islamic faith.

The last part sheds light on issues concerning Imam's life, his residence, the exact time of his reappearance, his methodology of judgment etc.

The top peculiarity of this work is that it deals with the issue in a particularly scholarly and impartial manner. It approaches the issue not only from a Shiite perspective but also from a Sunnite angle.

Though the time for translation was very limited and the translator was also faced with certain limitations, rendering was made with extensive care and many terminologies and phrases were replaced by new ones when the work was carefully reviewed. It was accomplished on Ramadan 21st, 1435 AH in Qom, Iran. May Allah accept this humble work.

Sayyid Abdur Rauf Afzali[^1]

[^1]: rauf afzali@yahoo.com