Mahdi
/ˈmɑːdi/ proper noun
Forms Mahdis
- proper noun (Sunni Islam) A leader who, according to Sunni eschatology, will appear and restore peace and justice before the end of the world. “Ahmadis consider Mirza Ghulam Ahmed to be the Mahdi.”
- proper noun (Twelver Shiite Islam) Muhammad b. Hasan al-Mahdi, the last of the Twelve Imams, born in 868 AD but believed alive and present in this world in a state of occultation; Similarly to Sunni belief, he will reappear before the end of time.
- proper noun A male given name from Arabic.
- proper noun A surname from Arabic.
Etymology
Borrowed from Arabic مَهْدِيّ (mahdiyy, “guided one”).
Webster’s 1913
- noun Among Mohammedans, the last imam or leader of the faithful. The Sunni, the largest sect of the Mohammedans, believe that he is yet to appear.
Etymology [Ar., guide, leader.]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “Mahdi”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details