Occultation (Islam)

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Occultation (Arabic: غَيْبَة, ghayba) in Shia Islam refers to the eschatological belief that the Mahdi, a descendant of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, has already been born and he was subsequently concealed, but he will reemerge and he will establish justice and peace on earth at the end of time.^[1] The signs of his (re)appearance are largely common in Shia and Sunni,^[2][3] (although Sunni do not believe the Mahdi has already been born and is in occultation), and the belief in the eschatological Mahdi remains popular among all Muslims, possibly owing to numerous traditions to this effect in canonical Sunni and Shia sources.^[2]

However, the branches of Shia Islam that believe in it differ with regard to the identity of the Mahdi. The mainstream Shia identifies him as Muhammad al-Mahdi, the twelfth imam,^[2] who is believed to be responsible for the affairs of men and, in particular, their inward spiritual guidance during the occultation.^[4][5]