Placing himself within a mosque situated on a roadside, Ibn Tumart used to watch those passing by, and whenever he saw something reprehensible, he would take action. Arriving in Morocco, he continued as before, and clashes with the authorities were inevitable. Then, finally, one Yintan b. Umar, an Islamic legist who had taken Ibn Tumart under his protection, succeeded in convincing the stubborn preacher of his mortal danger, so that he prudendy withdrew to Agmat. Until then Ibn Tumart had apparendy neither viewed himself as an actual or potential leader of a movement, nor considered himself in terms of a rebel against an established authority. On the other hand, his learning and piety must have made an impression, for during the many long halts in his journey, he often found ready audiences. This was also the case among his countrymen, although their motive appears to have been more connected with the political circumstances of the day than with their concern for the individual fulfilment of their religious obligations. Thus, he was encouraged to assume the spiritual leadership of substantial tribal forces which without doubt were held together by their common hostile sentiments against the current Almoravide government. After what may seem as a ritual withdrawal and due considerations, Ibn Tumart ‘reappeared’ in public, and declared himself to be the Mahdi promised to the Muslim community at the end of Time in order to fill the World with righteousness. He then retired to his Berber Hargha tribe of Mamuda, who are not nomads but mountain peasants, built a mosque in Tinmal (Tin Mallal) in the High Atlas, and began to work out a doctrine for his Mahdist aspiration and an organization to promote it.
Mahdist Movements and Evolution of Islamic Reformism
