Mahdawi movement

The Mahdawi movement, also called Mahdavia or Mahdavism, is an Islamic movement founded by Syed Muhammad Jaunpuri in India in the late 15th century. Syed Muhammad claimed to be Mahdi at the holy city of Mecca, in front of the Kaaba in 1496, and is revered as such by the Mahdavia community. 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 tradition, 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 ascetics (sohbat-e-sadiqeen), migration (hijrah) from place to place to avoid materialist lust, retreat and solitude (uzlat-az-khalq), resignation to the will of God (tawakkul), repetition of the names 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.