Mahdavi movement

Beliefs

Mahdavis are followers of Syed Muhammad Jaunpuri who declared himself to be the Mahdi.

The Mahdavis had strictly adhere to the Five Pillars of Islam, Sunnah, and Sharia, while having high respect and reverence for the House of Muhammad and his immediate progeny (Ahl-e-Bayt), the Rashidun Caliphs, and the Companions of Muhammad (Sahaba).

Mahdavis also respect all four schools of Islamic jurisprudence, but widely follow traditions similar to Hanafi jurisprudence.

They offer prayers five times a day led by their Murshids, or spiritual guides; fast during Ramadan; offer special thanks on Dugana Lailat-al-Qadr past midnight between 26 and 27 Ramadan; perform Hajj; and pay Zakat. They also attach great significance to Zikr (remembrance of Allah), after dawn Fajr prayers, and in the evening after Asr prayer.

Syed Muhammad was disturbed by the spiritual and moral degradation of Muslims. He preached a message of non-materialism and spirituality.

Mahdavis follow the seven obligations of sainthood, known as Faraiz-e-Vilayat-e-Muhammadiya. These obligations are: rejection of material lust (Tark-e-Dunya), quest for divine vision (Talab-e-Deedar-e-Ilahi), company of truthfuls and renunciants (Sohbat-e-Sadiqeen), migration (Hijrah) from place to place to avoid materialist lust, retreat and solitude (Uzlat-az-Khalq), submission to the will of God (Tawakkul), remembrance of God (Zikr-e-Ilahi) and distributing tithe (Ushr). Followers of Jaunpuri strictly follow some of these obligations in their day-to-day life. Most of them initiate renunciation in the advanced stage of their lives, after getting retirement from the jobs or by handing over business to their heirs. Their renunciation is in any way not related to celibacy, because almost all of them get married.

Mahdavi community centers are known as Da'iras. Mahdavis engaged in extensive missionary activity.

Mohammad Jaunpuri declared himself to be the Mahdi, and a "Caliph of Allah". He claimed to teach the true inner meaning of the Qur'an and strictly adhere to the Sunnah of Muhammad. Jaunpuri's declaration was ignored by the Ulema of Mecca, but after he repeated his declaration in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, he gained a group of followers and established a line of caliphs who led the movement after his death.