Ibn Tumart proclaims himself Mahdi

1130

At the Atlas mountain stronghold of Tinmel, the founder of the Almohad movement formally claimed the title of Mahdi, the divinely guided one who would restore true Islam before the end of time. His handful of Berber followers were now a messianic state in waiting. Ibn Tumart's theology, blending rigorous monotheism with Berber tribal solidarity, gave his movement a cohesion that mere political ambition could never have provided.