The Savior
In Islam, Christianity, Judaism And three other minor religions
 

By:
Maryam Akhoondali
Fatemeh Amerian

Instructor: Ms. Shirazi
May 2003
 

I. Introduction

II. The Messianic Belief in Judaism

III. The Messianic Belief in Christianity

IV. The Messianic Belief in Islam

V. The Messianic Belief in Zoroastrianism

VI. The Messianic Belief in Hinduism

VII. The Messianic Belief in Buddhism

VIII. The closing Paragraph

IX. Bibliography

The belief of a ‘Promised Messiah’ or an awaited leader who will save the world in the future can be traced in almost every religion. However, different religions have different concepts about this ‘Promised Messiah’ or ‘Savior’.
In this paper, the authors will examine the existence of such a belief in three major religions of the world, Judaism, Christianity, Islam and also in three minor religions including, Zoroastrianism, Hinduism, and Buddhism.
The Jewish believe in the coming of ‘The Son of Man’ or ‘Messiah’, the Christians expect the reappearance of ‘Jesus Christ’, and the Muslims await ‘Imam Mahdi’. Among other Religions, the Zoroastrians believe in the coming of ‘Sochiant’, Hindus are waiting for ‘Kalki’ and Buddhist for ‘Maitreya’.

In Judaism, ‘the Messiah’ or ‘Son of Man’ is considered to be the Savior. As stated in the Encyclopedia of Religion, the word ‘Messiah’ is derived from ‘mashah’, which is a Hebrew word meaning, using oil to anoint somebody or something for both secular and sacral purposes. As time passed by, the meaning changed to “anyone with a specific mission from God”. It finally came to suggest a savior who will lead to “the kingdom of God,” restore Israel and reorder the state of the world at the end of time. (472)
The Jewish messianic beliefs of the interstamental period were divided into two branches, one of which was national and political. The national messiah is “a descendent of David,” who after defeating the great powers of the world and liberating the people from tyrannies will create a worldwide, powerful, and happy kingdom (470).
Another branch of messianic beliefs, which is found in the Ethiopic Apocalypse of Enoch, concerns about ‘Son of Man’, who according to the apocalyptic books, is a “more or less divine” figure that goes beyond human knowledge. This “pre-existent” savior, now hidden in heaven, will judge the world regarding “the resurrection of the dead”. He will be the eternal ruler of a just world. He is also known as “the Chosen one” (470). According to the Revelation 13.1-18, “he has a name known only to himself” (931).
The messianic belief is a trivial part of Judaism, which is considered as an abstract idea. The Jewish Messiah is only remembered at the time of suffering and unsatisfactory conditions. However, this phenomenon should be preserved from being forgotten.
In Christianity, the idea of messianism is applied to Jesus who is also known as the ‘Savior’. In contrast to the Jewish messianic beliefs, the Christian Messiah is considered to be the son of God. According to the Gospel, Jesus uses it himself: “Surely I am coming soon” (Revelation 22.20). In some other cases, it could probably mean “a human being” or “this man”.
In the New Testament, Messiah is also mentioned as the “Son of Man” who will appear at the end of time. There are different beliefs regarding ‘Son of Man’. In the Encyclopedia of Religion, it is stated that one of these beliefs refers to the suffering and death of Jesus. Another group of ‘Son of Man” references mention Christ as the Judge of the world after his second coming (470).
As written in the Gospel of John, ‘the Son of Man’ is a pre-existent figure in Heaven, also described as “the glorified Lord, as the king and Judge”(470).
On the whole, the Christians believe that the innocent Christ voluntarily bore the sins of all men when he was sacrificed. He suffered to bring man back to god. He sacrificed himself in order to bring the gift of salvation to the world. It is believed that the Christ is the world Savior and will bring peace for Humanity.
Muslims believe in the physical return of Jesus to the world and his victory over the Antichrist . Jesus will end all wars and convert the Jews and Christians to Islam. (Internet)
In Islam, the idea of Messianism refers to the coming of Imam Mahdi as the Savior of the world. The literal meaning of Mahdi is ‘the rightly guided’ or ‘God-guided’.
The two major sects of Islam have different opinions about this savior. The Sunnis believe that Jesus Christ will come at the end of time as an Imam, while the Shias believe that Imamate has been passed on to the descendents of Prophet Mohammad and has finally reached the Twelfth Imam, ‘Imam Mahdi’. Henry Corbin of Sorbonne University says:
To my mind, the Shiite sect is the only sect, which has preserved and perpetuated the links of divine guidance between man and God through its belief in the Imamate. According to the Jews, the prophet hood, a real link between man and God, came to an end with Moses. They do not believe in the Prophet hood of Jesus and Mohammad. The Christians too, do not go beyond Jesus. The Sunnite sect has also stopped at the Prophet Muhammad and believes that the man and God relation has been severed with the end of prophet hood. (Internet)

It is only the twelver Shias who believe that the link still exists through the Mahdi and will continue to exist forever.
As mentioned in the Shias beliefs, after the death of the eleventh Imam, al-Hasan al-Askari, in 874 AC, his son was alive but leaving first in near concealment and then after 941 AC in total concealment. As Ayatollah Sadr has stated in his essay, ‘The Awaited Savior’, it is only the Shias who have given a concrete shape to an abstract idea of Messianism. (Internet)
According to the holy Prophet of Islam, he will fill the world with freedom and security. Hasan Saeed in his “The Last Luminary” provides a hadith of the Prophet of Islam:
The twelfth Imam should try for the realization of the efforts of the past prophets in setting up and developments of the divine rule. He is responsible to follow the ultimate cause and glorious aim behind the prophetic mission, which is the rule of justice throughout the world, to suppress tyrants. (23)

Therefore, Imam Mahdi has a great responsibility. According to the prophet’s saying s on many occasions, he should be the savior of mankind and the healer of human pains. As Hasan Saeed has noted, all the Divine leaders have come and attempted for the sake of Imam Mahdi’s victory. (24)
The twelfth Imam will come to save the world with the hidden helps from God. Imam Ali, the first Imam of the Shias, has stated in Nahjul Balagha:
He will take out the hidden wealth from the breast of the earth and will distribute it equitably amongst the needy deserving … he will revive the teachings of the Holy Koran and the traditions of the Holy Prophet after the world has ignored them as dead letters…
He will defend and protect himself with resources of science and supreme knowledge. His control over these resources will be complete … he will be the final demonstration of proof of God’s merciful wish to acquaint man with the right ways of life. (khutba 141,187)

At the time of Imam Mahdi’s appearance, Jesus will not be following the Christian law. He will be following the Mahdi ‘the master of the time’, and he will be offering prayers behind him.
Zoroastrians also expect a coming savior of the world. His name is known to be Sochiant; “one who will bring benefit to the world. Sochiant can be any pious person who does some good things to the world.” (Internet)
According to Avesta, the Sochiants are specific, divine people actually those who will come after every other 1000 years to cleanse the world from evil. They are born from virgin women. In Avesta, it is also mentioned that the Sochiant will fight evil forever and bring righteousness to the world. (Farvardin Yast 13.129)
The messianic expectations in Hinduism refer to the coming of Kalki who is a figure almost like the Savior in other religions. “The Savior is the messenger of God. Whenever people refuse to accept religion in any part of the world, the savior is sent thee from God” (Internet) . Whenever the law is disobeyed, Kalki is believed to come and reestablish righteousness upon earth.
In Buddhism, the savior is a Buddha known as the Maitreya Bodhisattva. There are many forms and images of Maitreya. In Buddhist traditions, Sakyamuni was the Buddha born in this world 2000years ago and preached the teachings of salvation for all humanity. After the passage of 5,670,000,000 years in to the future, as Christmas Humphreys states in his book ‘Buddhism’, after the death of Sakyamuni, Maitreya the next human Buddha will appear and save all beings who have lost their ways(198). At that time a flower known as the Dragon Blossom will bloom and Maitreya will convene a gathering three times to preach the teachings and save the world. Stanly Jeyaraja Tambiah in his book ‘The Buddhist Saints of the Forest and the Cult of Amulets’ declares that Maitreya is believed to be developing in a place called “Tusita” waiting to be born. (50)
Regarding messianic beliefs in all the mentioned religions, the expectation of a world Savior is a forceful flowing movement. However, it is only Muslims specifically the Shias, who believe that their Savior Imam Mahdi is alive and living among people. In fact, this belief is the definite cause behind the forceful messianic hopes among the followers of this sect.


Bibliography


1. Saeed, Shaikh Hassan. The last luminary. Trans. HosseinVahid Dastjerdi. Iran; international Scientific Educational Relations Department of Isfahan University.

2. Tambiah, Stanley Jeyaraja. The Buddhist Saints of the Forest and the Cult of Amulets. USA: Cambridge University Press, 1998

3. Humphreys, Christmas. Buddhism. Great Britain: Penguin Books, 1958

4. Mircea, Eliade, ed. (in chief). The Encyclopedia of Religion. V. 9. USA: Macnillan Publishing Company, 1987.

5. Noruziaan, Bahman. 22 Feb. 2001 <http://www.zbnet.com/-disc1/0000002a.htm

6. herman, Jessi. 30 May, 2003 <jherman @globalengage.org

7. Al-sadr, ayatollah Baqir and Mutahari, Ayatollah Murtada. The Awaited Savior. Karachi, Pakistan: Islamic Seminary Publications. <www.al-islam.org/awaited/