Op-Ed: The Whole World Is Talking About the Mahdi

From The Guardian to VICE to The Telegraph, the UK can’t stop talking about Abdullah Hashem and the growing AROPL community in Crewe. What mainstream outlets might not realize is that in their attempt to profile, critique, or sensationalize this movement, they’re actually doing something far greater—spreading the call of the Mahdi to millions. Like it or not, they’re fulfilling prophecy. And if recent headlines are anything to go by, this call is only going to get louder.

How Did This Prophecy Begin?

The Black Banners of the East, proclaiming that allegiance is to God alone, appeared in 2015 to herald the arrival of the awaited guide, or Mahdi, from the family of Prophet Mohammed. This event fulfilled a long-anticipated prophecy for both Sunni and Shia Muslim clerics and sheikhs across the Middle East, sending shock waves throughout the region. The satellite channel that came forth brought glad tidings to millions of people in their own languages, in their own sitting rooms, clarifying indeed that:

“When the Mahdi appears, God will make the seeing and hearing of the people so powerful that nothing shall be concealed between them and their Divine King who shall address the people directly and the people shall see and hear the Divine King from their own places.” (Bihar Al-Anwar, Vol. 52, p. 336, Hadith 72)

In 2025, ten years after the Black Banners were first raised, the banners appeared again in the West at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome during Easter celebrations, to herald the arrival of the True Father of the Church of Jesus Christ, as Prophet Mohammed prophesied: 

“There must be a Riser from the sons of Fatima who rises from the west...” (Sharh Al-Akhbar, Qadi Nu’man Al-Maghribi, Vol. 3, p. 363)

Within less than 24 hours, in a remarkable turn of events, the self-appointed Pope Francis was pronounced dead, and the true Pope or Father of the Universal Church, Aba Al-Sadiq, was ordained, in essence, by God and His people.

This is the same banner that Isaiah promised would gather the scattered tribes of Israel from the four corners of the earth in the unveiling times we find ourselves in today. Soon after Abdullah Hashem Aba Al-Sadiq ascended the pulpit and declared that he was indeed the true successor to Simon Peter, to unify the call for the Abrahamic faiths, the sons of Ismael and Isaac. In doing so, he provided the wisdom and pathway that could end the bloodshed and hatred by ushering in a golden age of peace and prosperity for mankind.

Prophet Mohammed clarified that the banner of truth would not be widely accepted and would actually be cursed by many people in the East and the West. The prophecies indicated that the Riser would appear in times of uncertainty to clarify matters. Increasingly, his name would be mentioned and his mission would become apparent, his name and title frequently called out by both those who regard him as true and by those who regard him as false. Clearly, it is God who sends His messenger with guidance and His religion of truth, to make it prevail over all religions, even if the polytheists dislike it.

Based on these clear revelations, it is not surprising that today, we see how the call of Aba Al-Sadiq has reached from the the sky through the satellite and social media, more than half a billion homes worldwide, shaking the thrones of the tyrants in politics and religion and awakening many truth seekers to the universal call. From the propagation of the call through social media and satellite TV, the name and ideology of Aba Al-Sadiq has spread across the globe, significantly in the UK as well.

UK Newspapers Spread the Call

The UK Guardian was the first to publish a story about Aba Al-Sadiq and the call of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light on 1st July 2025. The Guardian sells over 100,000 print copies a day, with a digital readership reaching 27 million per month, targeting a more liberal and affluent, predominantly middle-aged audience. The article used a seemingly sensational headline indicating that Abdullah Aba Al-Sadiq is referred to as the father or guide for the people who appear during the apocalypse.

The Guardian relates how AROPL members live together with their children, which should not really come as a surprise for a blossoming community of believers who like to share their faith and goals. Just as the companions of Jesus and Lord Buddha would willingly give up their worldly possessions and share everything they had so that those without would not be deprived of their sustenance, as a principle to ensure the establishment of a Divine Just State where the emphasis is on equity and humanity first.

The article also claimed Aba Al-Sadiq to be self-proclaimed, while he was testified to on the tongue of his predecessor with a letter of appointment from the Seal of the Prophets, Prophet Mohammed. As Jesus affirmed: if he testified about himself, the testimony would not be true. They also emphasize that AROPL attire is commonly black with beanie hats, which is symbolic of our solidarity with the working man. The black also symbolizes the sins of the people, as rejecting God's supremacy has led to suffering across the world for generations. There is no obligation to wear black or beanie hats, and many believers choose otherwise. More fundamentally, by returning to God's supremacy and choice of leader can we return to white and purity.

The article also highlighted that AROPL is recognized as a US 501(c)(3) NGO, with believers persecuted and targeted across the world and the Middle East, such as in Iran, Iraq, Algeria, and Morocco, simply for professing faith in God and His chosen messenger. This is also because the faith is regarded as heretical in many Muslim-majority nations that lean towards fundamental extremism and bigotry, particularly in relation to the non-obligation to wear the hijab or pray in a non-statutory fashion, as well as the end to the prohibition on drinking alcohol in moderation. Moreover, the so-called kingdoms of Jordan and Morocco also claim that their leader represents a divine right connected to the Hashemite family of God but have no legitimate evidence. Yet, they know that this is the true divine family of God, hence, their effort to make a Hashemite claim is an attempt to legitimize their authority and delude their subjects, even if the claim is entirely fabricated.

The article was followed up on 2nd July 2025 by a further publication from VICE News, also featured on MSN on 4th July 2025, which once again emphasized the fact that families are living and sharing together in a religious community. Once again, this should not come as any surprise to people who follow the Christian faith and the teachings of the disciples, such as Simon Peter:

“All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need.” (Bible, Book of Acts, Chapter 4, Verses 32-35)

Another article appeared in The Telegraph online on 4th July 2025, which has a large and affluent readership across both print and digital platforms. The print version reaches approximately 734,000 daily readers, and the website attracts 26 million global users and 300 million page views per month. This article focused again on the fact that families are living and sharing their lives in a religious community. Once again, this should not come as any surprise to people who follow the Christian faith and the teachings of the disciples, who advocated for people to share in everything so that, in essence, there would be no excess or lack in the community representing God's Ideal State. We even see many Christian communities across the UK studying their faith and worshipping together, and it is actually quite common.

What about VICE?

The VICE readership on its YouTube channel boasts 8.7 million subscribers, with a target audience of young adults, particularly millennials and Generation Z, showing the wider appeal of the call of the Mahdi among those who are increasingly curious.

The VICE article features comments from apostates of the faith, those with a vendetta who had previously willingly shared assets to support the call and pledged full faith to do so, yet when disgruntled, falsely claimed they were coerced and scammed, a clear hypocritical stance for those with eyes to see. The article also featured reports on the raising of the Black Banners in Vatican City prior to the death of the fake Pope Francis, an event publicised by the AROPL Media team.

The article uses the term 'cult' loosely for the movement, when we know in essence it is already a mini 'cult-ure' or working community or religious movement with faith in God. Surely, those who observed the infancy of the faiths of Christ and Mohammed, when they had just a few strong-willed advocates following them with no fixed abode, would have heard the media circus declare the same statement.

The article recognizes that AROPL features aspects of faith connected to gnostic sects, which history records have often been deemed heretical because they do not follow the mainstream, which is often corrupted and controlled by religious ministries who support government agendas. If we observe countries such as Morocco and Egypt, they use religion to create an opiate for the masses, focusing on rules and rituals, even laying claim to a lineage from the family of God, and keep the population sedated under fear, control, and false promises of an Eden in the hereafter, even if their lives are desperate and intolerable today. AROPL and the Riser focus on the essence of religion rather than rules and ritual, putting humanity and spiritual development ahead of political agendas and religious dogma and laws, just as Jesus himself warned those lettered in the law in the Gospels:

“Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean. 28 In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.” (Bible, Book of Matthew, Chapter 23, Verse 26)

To the modern world, 'cult' implies a negative stance, a movement that is against God's true religion and His messengers, and therefore anti-Christ or anti-Mohammed. Yet we find that the teachings of Jesus resonate with those of AROPL, he said to do unto others as you would have done unto yourself. In our faith, mercy regardless of religion, and selflessness as opposed to selfishness, is the core abiding principle and surely far more important than reciting rote words from scriptures and following prescribed rituals divorced from humanity. So those with a looking glass need to examine more closely before making sweeping statements about a movement that has a deeply embedded theology.

“Whoever is not speaking to his brother should not say that he is one of my Ansar and I do not want him. Everyone must love everyone, everyone must protect everyone, everyone must prefer everyone over their own selves, and everyone must prefer the children of everyone else over their own children. Everyone is in front of me, and I am last. That should be your motto, I shall not take until my brother takes, I shall not eat until my brother eats, I shall not dress until my brother dresses. I shall sleep hungry, and my brother shall sleep comfortably. I shall sleep on the floor and my brother shall sleep in a warm bed. I shall die in order for my brother to live. If you are not like this and more, by God, by God, by God, a Divine Just State shall not be established. It shall not be established until this justice and equality is established between you first. It must begin from within you, O believers.” (Imam Ahmed Al-Hassan)

The article reports on the ideology of The Mahdi’s Manifesto and how the community has begun with th germ of an Ideal State where true justice is being served and harmony prevails, though it would be more pertinent to call it the seed or prototype. This is a glorious concept featured by Socrates and Plato in their Divine Republic, which calls for true justice, or putting things in their rightful place, including people based on their skill sets. In reality, everybody has the right to a dwelling space, education, occupation, mode of transport, and reliable health care regardless of creed, former nationality, race, gender, or sexual orientation, so true equity can be served. All members of the Ideal State are free to worship the one true God in their temples or houses of worship as per their faith and will be judged by the laws pertaining to their faith. In fact, for former members to claim that they did not receive support for their health concerns or material needs is flatly a lie, examples abound where, if even one received extra, the Riser Aba Al-Sadiq would ensure all would receive as such and there is no deficit or excess allowed in a Divine Just State.

The Holy Prophet said: “Allah will raise a man from my progeny, from my Ahlul Bayt, by whom the earth will be filled with justice thoroughly the same as it has been filled with injustice and oppression.” (Al-Musannif, Vol. 11, p. 371)

This brings us to the concept of faith in the man himself, and it is important to dispel myths that Aba Al-Sadiq is an anti-christ, impossible, as the Antichrist is specifically defined in the Bible as someone who rejects Jesus Christ and deceives people, whereas Al-Aba Sadiq honors Jesus Christ.

“Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist—denying the Father and the Son.” (Bible, Book of 1 John, Chapter 2, Verse 22)

On the contrary, Islamic teachings clearly portray Jesus and the Mahdi as allies, opposing the Antichrist together and reestablishing divine justice, not as portrayed by some deviant, silver-tongued televangelists who state that the Mahdi represents an Antichrist figure. This is a devilish idea intended to fracture and divide the people of God and cause hatred and bloodshed, as we see with the global wars today over such doctrine. 

Prophet Mohammed said: “There will not be any tribulation on earth, since the time Allah created the offspring of Adam, that will be greater than the tribulation of Dajjal. Allah has not sent any Prophet but he warned his nation about Dajjal.” (Sunan Ibn Majah, Book 36, Hadith 4077)

The invitation to join the call extends not only to the highlighted Palestinians, but far from exclusively, it extends to all people of the earth, as the banner of the Mahdi represents a unification of 124,000 former prophets sent from east to west throughout the ages. This draws together followers of divine archetypes, for instance, Lao Tzu and Confucius in the East, and Plato and Socrates in the West. This critical point needs to be reminded to all truth seekers and investigators of the call of the Mahdi, as in essence they all came to establish a Kingdom of Heaven on earth, not as Sunday school teachers. As made crystal clear by Jesus  in his prayer:

“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” (Bible, The Lord’s Prayer)

This brings the article and the discussion to the enigmatic man himself, Abdullah Hashem, whose honorific is "The Father of Truth," which he embraces in totality. He is known by these fruits that Jesus mentioned, as his courageous and virtuous leadership and firm determination to expose all falsehood and lies in whatever form they manifest are enabling the foundation to be laid for the Divine Just State of peace and prosperity, with full trust in God, irrespective of any risk it could pose to his personal safety.

So, while the VICE article is right to claim there have been antagonists, this is only logical in a world where evil is often perceived as good and good as evil, in a world of great deception. In these confusing times, holding onto true religion is like holding onto hot coals. To claim Aba Al-Sadiq has spellbound his audience is simply defamation when he comes forward with the same goal to bring liberty to the captives, like Christ. He was mentioned in a clear letter of appointment by Prophet Mohammed from 1,400 years ago that was not claimed by anyone else despite many false Mahdis coming forward. He was sent forth by a predecessor, the Yamani, just as Jesus was himself by Isaiah as the Messiah. To deny this identification stamp and call is likewise to deny Jesus as a messenger of God and the whole of religion. And as even VICE declares themselves, AROPL is recognized as a religion in Europe and the States and therefore legitimized as a formal movement, and thus with a formal leadership and a head of Faith, Aba Al-Sadiq. Abdullah is Israel, or the servant of God, who represents that Mandate from Heaven, or the Philosopher King, who is infallible from taking us out of truth as he only does the will of God who sent him forth and is the doorway to lasting peace on earth.

“Until philosophers are kings, or the kings and princes of this world have the spirit and power of philosophy, and political greatness and wisdom meet in one, and those commoner natures who pursue either to the exclusion of the other are compelled to stand aside, cities will never have rest from their evils.” (The Republic, Plato)

This is therefore a time not to be sad or downbeat, as it spells instead the dawn of a great awakening for humanity and the coming of justice, and God will not misguide His sincere servants.

Prophecy Fulfilled: The Blessings of the Media Storm

We see how, through diverse media outlets in the UK, there is now an interest in the concept of the call of the Mahdi by all classes, genders, wealth bands, and ages of people. This is indeed the fulfillment of the prophecy that a multitude of people, in their own homes, would hear about the call and wisdom, and utter the Mahdi's name, those who believe and those who do not.

Imam Al-Sadiq: "When our Qa'im rises he will face the ignorance of the people more severely than what the Messenger of Allah (pbuhahf) faced from the ignorant ones of Jahiliyya (before Islam)." It was asked, "How would this be?" He (pbuh) said: "Verily, the Messenger of Allah (pbuhahf) came to people who were worshipping stones, rocks and carved wood, and when our Qa'im rises, he shall come to the people, all of them interpreting the Book of Allah and protesting against his interpretation. He then said: “By Allah, his (meaning the Qa'im's) justice shall enter inside their houses, just as the heat and the cold enter them.” (Al-Ghayba Al-No'mani, p. 307, hadith 1 (Online book: p. 305); Mo'jam Ahadeeth Al-Imam Al-Mahdi, Ali Al-Korani, Vol. 3, p. 500, hadith 1072 (Online book: p. 493))

While other movements desperatly seek for the attention of mayor media outlets like the Guardian or VICE to spread their message, AROPL has managed to become a household name in the biggest UK newspapers overnight. It is clear that this is the fulfilment of prophecy.

Truly, happiness is hidden in the other, as Aba Al-Sadiq has wisely revealed, and the State mantra of working for the common good and not the self is a massive conscious and karmic shift in a world primarily obsessed with self-proclamation. In the manifest working prototype of this universal, inclusive, and progressive Divine Just State, this directive is now bearing its fruits, seeing the world’s media stand up and take notice just as it did with the early movements of Prophets Jesus and Mohammed. We just ask the media and investigators into the call of AROPL and the Riser Aba Al-Sadiq to be open-minded, and to do as the divine messenger Jesus reminded those in his own time who were rebuking and stereotyping his character to do:

"Stop judging according to outward appearances; rather, judge according to righteous judgment." (Bible, Book of John, Chapter 7, Verse 24)

Hopefully, this DJS article helps people realize that AROPL is a wholly transparent religious movement that prefers people to reach out to us directly, and that our doors are always open to fair, honest, and sincere dialogue about our goals, aspirations, and practices. Just as our beliefs are transparently revealed in our seminal gospel, The Goal of the Wise, and The Mahdi’s Manifesto, which explain mankind’s shared history through the divine covenants, the need for a restoration of global peace and justice, and the method of forging an Ideal Just Community for the sake of God, and that we are indeed a working model of, in practice.