Mahdawiyyah Ibn Tumart dari Perspektif Sejarah: Kajian Analisis Terhadap Dakwaan Kemaksuman dan Ideologi Reformasi

Mahdism of Ibn Tumart from a Historical Perspective: An Analytical Study of the Claims of ‘Ismah and Reformist Ideology

Abstract

The mahdawiyyah claims of Ibn Tumart represent a major polemic in the Islamic history of the Maghrib and Andalus. This article determines whether his mahdawiyyah was a genuine theological doctrine or a political strategy for religious reform and state formation. Employing a qualitative approach, the article critically analyzes Ibn Tumart’s claims of ʿismah by comparing them against Sunni and Shia traditions. Ibn Tumart’s primary writings, together with classical and modern historical sources, are examined through analytical and comparative methods. The findings reveal that Ibn Tumart’s claims of ʿismah and mahdawiyyah functioned primarily as instruments for political legitimation and social reform rather than a coherent theological system. Although he adopted Shia terminology such as imamah and mahdawiyyah, his core thought remained anchored within a Sunni framework aimed at purifying Islamic creed. Ultimately, Ibn Tumart’s mahdawiyyah is more accurately understood as a product of historical and geopolitical pragmatism than a purely theological conviction.