Link to order the book (yes, this is shameless self-promotion!):
Links to reviews of Holiest Wars:
"This is probably the single most important book in English on this topic."
"While cautious about designating any currently visible Islamic fundamentalist as the next Mahdi, Furnish argues that
it is only a matter of time before Mahdism reemerges full-blown. And when that happens, all bets will be off and no rules
will apply, inside or outside the Islamic community. It is a grim prospect - but one all too credible in the context of Furnish's
scholarship."
—MultiCultural Review, Spring 2006:
"Throughout the history of Islam, a number of revolutionary movements have emerged that were centered on a "rightly
guided one" who was meant to lead the world to rightness. These movements were based on a branch of Islam known as Mahdism,
a topic that Timothy Furnish argues is overlooked in most discussions of the Middle East. Because of the potential of a Mahdist
movement to create sweeping changes through violent means, Furnish believes Mahdism to be a particularly applicable subject
to the modern context of the Middle East. Furnish addresses the origins of Mahdism, Mahdism throughout history, as well as
the potential for a Mahdist movement in modern times."
—Middle
East Journal
Jews, Christians and Muslims will all profit from this book because it describes a tradition deeply rooted in all
three religions and surprisingly relevant to the current geopolitical situation....[F]urnish writes about Mahdism, the Islamic
tradition that anticipates the appearance of a messianic figure who will purify and unite Islam, eradicate all socioeconomic
injustices in the world and establish the Muslim faith as a universal religion. This idea is rooted in Judaism, is similar
to Christian eschatological ideas and is hotly debated throughout the Muslim world....Most fascinating (and fearful) are his
musings about Osama bin Laden's Mahdist potential, especially considering this sobering assertion: "Muslim messianic movements
are to fundamentalist uprisings what nuclear weapons are to conventional ones: triggered by the same detonating agents, but
far more powerful in scope and effect."
—"The Lexington Herald
Leader/The Wichita Eagle/Birmingham News/The Dallas Morning News," December
3, 2005
