The College of Islamic Sciences at the University of Karbala held a discussion for a master’s thesis entitled “The Mahdist Doctrine According to the Exegetes – A Comparative Study,” submitted by the student Muna Kareem Hayawi, in the presence of a specialized academic committee, along with a number of professors and graduate students.

The study aims to shed light on the Mahdist issue from both Qur’anic and exegetical perspectives, through presenting and analyzing the views of exegetes from both the Imami and Sunni schools, in an attempt to offer a comprehensive comparative vision that contributes to expanding the scholarly and doctrinal understanding of this pivotal topic in Islamic thought.

The thesis addressed several key themes, including: defining the Mahdist concept within the Qur’anic context, the philosophy of occultation (ghaybah), the role of Imam al-Mahdi (may Allah hasten his reappearance) in establishing divine justice, in addition to the historical roots of the concept of the savior in divine religions. The study also highlighted the psychological and intellectual readiness for the Imam’s reappearance, with particular emphasis on the role of women in this context.

The researcher recommended the need to promote the culture of positive expectation (intidhar), and to activate the social and intellectual dimensions of the Mahdist doctrine, as well as to incorporate this subject into academic curricula and encourage in-depth scholarly research in this field.