The 1979 Iranian Revolution and Mahdist religious expectations

Record summary

During the Iranian Revolution, public and clerical discourse drew on Twelver Shi'i expectations concerning the Hidden Imam, martyrdom, sacred history, and divine justice. Sermons, pamphlets, demonstrations, and memoirs from 1978–79 offer identifiable material for studying how eschatological and visionary language operated during political upheaval. The lead concerns historical rhetoric and religious interpretation, not proof of miraculous intervention or private visions. Researchers should separate Khomeinist political theology, popular rumors, later memoirs, and contemporaneous reporting, which often present sharply different accounts.