Messiah

===Ahmadiyya===
[[File:Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (c. 1897).jpg|thumb|Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, founder of the Ahmadiyya Movement in Islam, considered by [[Ahmadis]] to be the Promised Messiah of the latter days.]]
In the theology of [[Ahmadiyya]], the terms ''Messiah'' and ''[[Mahdi]]'' are synonymous terms for one and the same person.<ref name="rororg">{{cite web| url = http://www.reviewofreligions.org/1599/my%E2%80%88claim-to-promised-messiahship/| title = Messiah and Mahdi - Review of Religions| date = January 2009}}</ref> The term ''Mahdi'' means 'guided [by God]', thus implying a direct ordainment by God of a divinely chosen individual.<ref>{{cite web|title="Mahdi" in a Special Meaning and Technical Usage|url=http://www.al-islam.org/discussions-concerning-al-mahdi-gulpaygani/"mahdi"-special-meaning-and-technical-usage|publisher=Ahlul Bayt Digital Islamic Library Project|access-date=30 April 2014}}{{Dead link|date=August 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> According to Ahmadi thought, Messiahship is a phenomenon through which a special emphasis is given on the transformation of a people by way of offering to suffer for the sake of God instead of giving suffering (i.e. refraining from revenge).{{Citation needed|date=May 2010}} Ahmadis believe that this special emphasis was given through the person of Jesus and [[Mirza Ghulam Ahmad]] (1835–1908)<ref name="askislamorg">{{cite web| url = http://www.askislam.org/concepts/prophecy_and_prophethood/question_577.html| title = Ask Islam: What is the different between a messiah and a prophet? (audio)}}</ref> among others.

Ahmadis hold that the prophesied eschatological figures of Christianity and Islam, the Messiah and Mahdi, were, in fact, to be fulfilled in one person who was to represent all previous prophets.<ref name=":3">{{cite web |url=http://www.alislam.org/quran/tafseer/?page=2739&region=E1&CR= |title=The Holy Quran |publisher=Alislam.org |access-date=9 November 2012}}</ref>

Numerous [[hadith]] are presented by the Ahmadis in support of their view, such as one from [[Sunan Ibn Majah]], which says, "There is No Mahdi other than Jesus son of Mary."<ref>Ibn Majah, Bab, Shahadatu-Zaman</ref>

Ahmadis believe that the prophecies concerning the Mahdi and the second coming of Jesus have been fulfilled in Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (1835–1908), the founder of the Ahmadiyya Movement. Unlike mainstream Muslims, the Ahmadis do not believe that Jesus is alive in heaven, but that he survived the crucifixion and migrated towards the east where he died a natural death and that Ghulam Ahmad was only the promised spiritual second coming and likeness of Jesus, the promised Messiah and Mahdi.<ref>{{cite web |title=Jesus: A humble prophet of God|url=http://www.alislam.org/topics/jesus/|publisher=Ahmadiyya Muslim Community|access-date=30 April 2014}}</ref> He also claimed to have appeared in the likeness of [[Krishna]] and that his advent fulfilled certain prophecies found in Hindu scriptures.<ref>{{cite book |author=Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian |date=2007 |title=Lecture Sialkot |url=http://www.alislam.org/library/books/LectureSialkot.pdf |location=Tilford, Surrey, United Kingdom |publisher=Islam International Publications Ltd. |pages=39–40 }}</ref> He stated that the founder of [[Sikhism]] was a Muslim saint, who was a reflection of the religious challenges he perceived to be occurring.<ref name="honor">{{cite journal|last=Robinson|first=Francis|title=Prophets without honour? Ahmad and the Ahmadiyya|journal=History Today|volume=40|issue=June|page=46}}</ref> Ghulam Ahmad wrote ''[[Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya]]'', in 1880, which incorporated Indian, Sufi, Islamic and Western aspects in order to give life to Islam in the face of the [[British Raj]], Protestant Christianity, and rising Hinduism. He later declared himself the Promised Messiah and the Mahdi following Divine revelations in 1891. Ghulam Ahmad argued that Jesus had appeared 1300 years after the formation of the Muslim community and stressed the need for a current Messiah, in turn claiming that he himself embodied both the Mahdi and the Messiah. Ghulam Ahmad was supported by Muslims who especially felt oppressed by Christian and Hindu missionaries.<ref name=honor/>