Ahmad al-Hassan

Ahmad al-Hassan
احمد الحسن
Born Ahmad bin Ismail
احمد إسماعيل
1968 (age 49–50)
Basra, Iraq
Nationality Iraqi
Home town Basra, Iraq
Movement Ansar of Imam al-Mahdi
Parent(s) Ismail bin Saleh bin Hussain bin Salman bin Muhammad bin al-Hassan al-Askari

Ahmad al-Hassan, full name Ahmad bin Ismail bin Saleh bin Hussain bin Salman (Arabic: احمد بن اسماعيل بن صالح بن الحسين بن سلمان‎, born in Basra, Iraq) is the leader of the Shia Iraqi movement Ansar of Imam al-Mahdi who claims to be the savior of mankind.[1] He started claiming to be the messenger of the messianic figure the Imam Mahdi, after he had a vision in which Imam Mahdi told him to enroll in the religious institute Hawza Ilmiya in Najaf, Iraq. Ahmad al-Hassan isolated himself at home to learn the sciences of the Hawza with an attempt of reforming it as he claims it to be disordered. He later formed a group called the Ansar. His followers believe him to be al-Yamani, the eschatological Yamani leader who will precede the return of the Imam due to his claim of being al-Yamani.

According to Iraqi Basra police, investigations conducted revealed that his ancestry does not go back to the prophet. He uses the Star of David as his logo.[2] His uncle Muhsin ibn Saleh, Sayyed Hasan bin Muhammad Ali al-Hamami (son of the late Marja' Sayed Muhammad Ali Musawi al-Hamami), a tribal leader from Bani Abas and 2 other regional clerics have attested that his family tree traces back to Muhammad al-Mahdi.[3]

Claims

Ahmad al-Hassan makes a number of claims, which include that he is the son, messenger, vicegerent, and executor of the affairs of Imam Mahdi, al-Yamani, an infallible Imam, the first of 12 Mahdis, a messenger of the prophets Isa and Elijah.[1]

Religious call

Ahmad al-Hassan started his religious call privately, only first announcing it publicly in 2002, during the last months of Saddam’s rule, after his attempted Hawza reformations.

Regarding the purposes of his movement, he claimed:

His followers have described his call as being universal,[6][7] because his preaching addresses Muslims, Christians, Jews, and all of mankind.

The adherents of Ahmad al-Hassan collectively identify themselves as Ansar of Imam al-Mahdi ("Supporters of the Imam Mahdi"), or Ansars. While many of his supporters are in Iraq, he has followers outside of Iraq as well, largely due to dissemination of his teachings through English websites.

Middle East Research and Information Project has reported that "the majority of his public affrays—they often take the form of theological duels known as munazarat—have been with Sadrist followers."[7] He was claimed to have been involved in the Najaf clashes, though he denied any such involvement.[8]

He has written some books, as well as having a section on his website dedicated to answering questions sent to him.

He claims that Shia Muslims are being "deceived" by the Marja'. He claims that imitating a scholar is not obligatory for Muslims, and it is considered Shirk to blindly follow a scholar.

Controversies

Mahdi claim

The Yamani is one of the major signs that is awaited by Shi'a Muslims before the appearance of the 12th Imam Mahdi. The Shia clerics that are informed about Ahmad al-Hassan's call have largely condemned him, and issued corresponding fatwas classifying Ahmad al-Hassan as an impostor, a fabricator, a deceiver, an innovator, and a liar.[9][10] Shi'a Muslim scholars such as Sheikh Ali al-Korani and Jalal al-Din Ali al-Saghir have expressed their negative views of al-Hassan's claims in numerous TV broadcasts.[11]

Battle of Najaf

Shortly after the January 2007 Battle of Najaf, conflicting reports and news coverage emerged as to who exactly was involved in the clashes. The Los Angeles Times and RFERL identified the leader of the Soldiers of Heaven group as Dhiyaa' Abdul Zahra, who was killed in the clashes.[12][13] However, The New York Times reported that Iraqi officials at a press conference had named the group that was involved in the clashes as Soldiers of Heaven (Jund al-Samaa’), but offered several names for the group's leader, including Ahmad Ismail and Diyah Abdul Zahraa Khadom. The Times article also reported that Diyah Abdul Zahraa Khadom was the same person as Ahmad Hassan al-Yamani, and whose alleged role was deputy of the group, not the leader.[14]

Timothy Furnish of mahdiwatch.org wrote, "Security officials say that Ansar Ahmad [al-Hassan] al-Yamani and the Jund al-Samaa [Soldiers of Heaven] are one and the same, while National Security Minister Shirwan al-Waili denies any relation between the two [groups]."[15]

Sheikh Saadiq al-Hasnawi, who is a teacher in the Scientific Hawza of Honorable Najaf says, "This movement (Soldiers of Heaven), we have never heard about it before, and we used to guess that the leader of it is Sayed Ahmad al-Yamani, and they told me about the book Qathi al-Sama which was spread around in multitudes and by anonymous people, and when I read the content of the book I was shocked in its strange ideas completely, over the method of Ahmad son of al-Hassan al-Yamani."[16]

Sayyed Hasan bin Muhammad Ali al-Hamami (son of the late Marja Sayed Muhammad Ali Musawi al-Hamami) states that Soldiers of Heaven was led by Dhiyaa' [Abdul-Zahra] Al-Qara'wi, who had rejected the 12 Imams of Shia Islam, had claimed to be the 12th Imam Mahdi himself, and had later died in the battle.[17]

Ahmad al-Hassan himself and representatives of his group Ansar of Imam al-Mahdi have denied any involvement in these clashes, and claim they have no links to the group Soldiers of Heaven.[18]

Books

Ahmad al-Hassan's books which are translated into English:[19]

  • For the Supremacy of God, not for the Supremacy of the People
  • They ask you about the Spirit
  • The Successor and Messenger of Imam Al-Mahdi pbuh in the Torah, Gospel, Quran
  • The Journey of Moses to the junction of the Two Seas
  • The Thirteenth Disciple
  • The Sealing Prophecy
  • The Atheism Delusion
  • Letter of Guidance
  • Enlightenments from the calls of the Messengers
  • The Wilderness or the Path to God
  • The Allegories
  • The Return

References

  1. 1 2 "Glad Tidings". saviorofmankind.com. Retrieved 18 August 2016.
  2. ↑ "Iraqi police expose doomsday cult chief". Al Arabiya. 4 February 2008.
  3. ↑ "ABOUT - Savior of Mankind". Savior of Mankind. Retrieved 2017-04-07.
  4. ↑ "Interview with Ahmad al-Hassan by independent journalist Zyad Qasim Al-Zubaidi". the-savior.com. Archived from the original on 2012-04-10. Retrieved 2012-05-13.
  5. ↑ الحسن, احمد (2006). بيان الحق والسداد (PDF). p. 16.
  6. ↑ "Questions sent to Ahmad al-Hassan followers (Ansars)". Dr. Timothy Furnish. 2008-03-13. Archived from the original on 2012-04-18. Retrieved 2012-07-30.
  7. 1 2 "MERIP Basra analysis". Dr. Reidar Visser. 2008-03-13. Retrieved 2012-07-30.
  8. ↑ "Article name: Bloody Ashura and a Shia Group which denies having a connection to the Battle of Najaf. Translation of second paragraph under 'Battle of Najaf'(in bold): The adherents of Ahmad Hassan AlYamani - who describes himself as the Messenger of awaited Imam Mahdi - say that their movement is peaceful and has no connection with the group known by the name "Soldiers of Heaven" which participated in the battle; and that the Iraqi authorities falsely accused their leader (Ahmad AlHassan) of being involved in the fight". AlJazeera. 2008-03-13. Retrieved 2012-08-01.
  9. ↑ "»الإجابة على الأسئلة العقائدية »مركز الأبحاث العقائدية". Retrieved 18 August 2016.
  10. ↑ "سماحة الشيخ جلال الدين الصغير - الموقع الرسمي". Retrieved 18 August 2016.
  11. ↑ "جديد مكتبة الوسائط". alameli.net.
  12. ↑ Fakhrildeen, Saad; Daragahi, Borzou (2007-01-31). "Cult had dug in for huge battle". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2012-05-19.
  13. ↑ "Iraq: Al-Najaf Mystery Reflects Iraqi Divisions". RFERL free press. 2007-02-02. Retrieved 2012-05-21.
  14. ↑ Cave, Damien (2007-02-01). "Mystery Arises Over Identity of Militia Chief in Najaf Fight". The New York Times. Retrieved 2012-05-19.
  15. ↑ "Dr. Timothy Furnish reporting on Battle of Najaf". mahdiwatch.org. 2008-02-02. Archived from the original on 2012-04-14. Retrieved 2012-05-19.
  16. ↑ "Sheikh al-Hasnawi on Soldiers of Heaven". akhbaar.org. 2007-02-01. Retrieved 2018-01-10.
  17. ↑ "Interview with the son of the late Marja Sayed Muhammad Ali Musawi Alhammamy". Ansar Imam Mahdi. Retrieved 2012-05-19 – via YouTube.
  18. ↑ "Analysis of what happened in the Battle of Najaf". Dr. Reidar Visser. 2008-03-13. Retrieved 2012-07-30.
  19. ↑ "Ahmed al-Hasan's books in English". Ahmad al-Hassan. 2018-01-10. Retrieved 2018-01-10.
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