Introduction: A Special Experience
Last weekend, I lived through a very particular experience. It was not my first webinar — I have already given three, as part of this monthly series that I call “Paradigm Shifts.”
These gatherings aim to accompany those who listen to me in a spiritual journey. A journey that remains profoundly spiritual, yet takes its foundation in the rational: a displacement, a shaking of beliefs — necessary to liberate thought and recover the coherence and relevance of the spiritual teachings we have received.
A Capital of Hope for the Ummah?
This last webinar was truly special, because it touched upon a belief still alive, still present — unlike the more philosophical or distant themes we had previously explored, which disturb less.
This time, I chose to stand in a clear posture, unequivocal and without nuance: no, belief in the coming of a Messiah, belief in the appearance of a Mahdi, is not a belief that is salutary or beneficial for human beings.
I understand this can shock. And indeed, it did disturb. I received questions, critiques, concerns — from people troubled by what this could mean: the loss of a capital of hope for the Ummah.
A friend wrote to me in this sense. For him, Al-Mahdi represents a capital of hope for the community. To believe in his coming is not only beneficial, but necessary, so that the hope of a better future for all humanity might remain alive.
According to him, this belief was recommended to man by the Divine Intelligence itself, as a consolation addressed to the oppressed: “You are not alone. Despite all the difficulties you endure, salvation will come. A solution exists.”
This friend took the example of the children of Gaza: for them, he said, it is vital to believe in the coming of a savior who will restore justice. In his view, such belief does not lead to passivity, but rather gives courage and motivation. That is why, he added, we see people fighting until their last breath, sustained by the hope that the Mahdi, that the Messiah, will come.
This, in summary, is what he wrote to me — his message was much longer — and his reflection ended with a question addressed directly to me:
“Do you not think that such a belief is precious? That it motivates people to act positively, to bring about meaningful change? And that, by rejecting it and criticizing it in this way, you deprive the community of an indispensable capital of hope to nourish the expectation of a better future?”
Here is my response.
The Dangers of Impulses Born of Belief
We must find a way to create momentum that does not depend solely on motivation born of belief. For the impulses that arise from belief are dangerous — doubly dangerous.
First danger: they can cause immense harm.
When a person is mobilized only by a belief that speaks to their sentiment, this belief leaves no room for reason. Rationality, which should intervene to temper and nuance, is short-circuited. The individual passes directly from sentiment to emotion, then to the decision to act — and acts without the mediation of reason.
This is how fanaticism and extremism are born. This is what explains the Crusades, certain radical religious movements, or ideological excesses. For a person under the sway of belief acts on the conviction of a promise — even a messianic one.
We see it today with the crimes committed by the State of Israel, justified by belief: messianic expectation. The idea that one must “prepare the ground for the Messiah.” Similarly, Nazism relied on a myth of national salvation. The so-called “Islamic State” also mobilized thousands of young people convinced they were working for the coming of the Mahdi. History is strewn with revolutions and movements inspired by blind belief in a salvific promise — with consequences always destructive.
Second danger: such impulses are ephemeral.
They do not last. That is why so many revolutions, after causing immense damage, collapsed only a few years later.
Those engaged in sects, cults, or movements founded on belief inevitably end up disillusioned. But this disillusion does not necessarily bring them back to health. It often leaves behind broken individuals, in need of an accompaniment they rarely find.
Many come out with psychological wounds, deep disappointments, and such exhaustion that they no longer respond to any call for change, even positive ones. Having burned all their energy in an engagement fueled by belief, they become like smoldering ashes — incapable of being reignited by the breath of a new hope.
Messianism and Mahdism: Hope or Peril?
Yes, messianic or mahdic movements do carry a form of hope. They can give momentum to demand a better world, to mobilize for revolution, to engage in change. I recognize this potential.
But this hope is not salutary. Because it is partial. It is not universal.
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Jews await a Messiah for themselves.
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Christians await a Messiah for themselves.
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Muslims await a Mahdi for themselves.
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And some Shi’a Muslims await an even more exclusive Mahdi — for themselves alone.
Yet the very conception of a Messiah or a Mahdi ought to be universal: a principle that emanates from all, responds to all, and brings good to all. But humanity, today, has not reached this level. Expectations remain partisan.
Therefore, a movement mobilized by the expectation of a Messiah or a Mahdi risks reproducing exactly what we see in Israel today: violence, bloodshed, crimes committed in the name of a messianic belief. Similarly, the self-proclaimed “Caliphate” of the Islamic State ignited a generation of young people convinced they were preparing the advent of the Mahdi.
Conclusion: Toward a Universal Momentum
Yes, messianism and mahdism can stir a breath, a revolt, a desire for change. But this hope remains limited. It is exclusive. It is partial. It is therefore not truly salutary.
The true momentum — the one we need — must come from a deeper source than mere belief: from a rational, universal, and responsible consciousness, capable of creating change that is lasting, just, and beneficial for all.
Our age thirsts for such a new breath. A breath that surpasses messianic promises and opens humanity to a truly universal future.
