Warnings from Islam’s ‘messianic whirlpool’

Not that I am a big fan of WorldNetDaily or anything (more of a DrudgeReport kind of guy), but this one was valid enough to make some of the intel warning lists:

An Israeli intelligence analyst sees a frenzy of jihadist Internet communications as part of a “dangerous Islamic messianic whirlpool” featuring a number of prophecies culminating in the coming of the “Mahdi,” reports the latest issue of the premium online intelligence newsletter Joseph Farah’s G2 Bulletin.

Muslim believers – both Sunni and Shiite – expect the Mahdi to return one day to restore justice to the world. This messenger is not as great as Muhammad, but is a messianic figure found in all branches of Islam.

Interestingly, since the end of 2001, bin Laden has been signing his name “Osama bin Muhammad bin Laden,” rather than just Osama bin Laden. This is significant because it gives the al-Qaida leader an apocalyptic dimension. The Hadith says the Mahdi will be recognizable, among other things, by the fact that he carries the name of the prophet.

The Mahdi is supposed to come, according to Islamic clerics, just before the advent of the day of judgment – when believers are severely oppressed in every corner of the world. He will fight the “oppressors,” unite the Muslims, bring peace and justice to the world, rule over the Arabs, and lead a prayer in Mecca at which Jesus will be present, according to Islamic scholars.