Imams

thumb|Imam presiding over prayer, Nasreddine Dinet, circa 1922 Imam (; , '; : , ') is an Islamic leadership position. For Sunni Muslims, imam is most commonly used as the title of a prayer leader of a mosque. In this context, imams may lead Islamic prayers, serve as community leaders, and provide religious guidance. Thus for Sunnis, anyone can study the basic Islamic teachings and become an imam.

thumb|An image from a Falnama|Falname made in India around 1610–1630, depicts [[Jesus fighting the Dajjal (right). Behind, the Mahdi with a veiled face.]]

religious leader in Egypt

Mahdism () is a kind of messianism. In the Twelver branch of Shia Islam, it is derived from the belief in the reappearance of the Twelfth Shiite Imam, Muhammad al-Mahdi, as the savior of the apocalypse for the salvation of human beings and the establishment of peace and justice. From this perspective, it is believed that Jesus and Khidr are still alive and will emerge with Muhammad al-Mahdi in order to fulfil their mission of bringing peace and justice to the world.