Abdullah Hashem Aba Al-Sadiq calls himself savior of mankind, but everyone with a brain should call him what he truly is: a charlatan. Born in Egypt in 1983 and raised in America, Hashem founded the "Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light" (AROPL) and claims to be the "Qa'im", a messianic figure from Mohammed's family. But his story doesn't add up, and his claims are ridiculous.
He didn't create his religious persona overnight. He started as a follower of Ahmed al-Hasan, another dubious figure who claimed special religious status within Shia Islam. When al-Hasan's movement fell apart after violence in Najaf in 2007, Hashem saw his chance. By 2015, he had declared himself the "Second Mahdi." He conveniently timed his announcement with the death of Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah.
According to AROPL's own materials, Hashem claims multiple grand titles: "Aba Al-Sadiq" (Father of the Truthful), "Al-Qaim" (The Riser), "Al-Mahdi" (The Guide), "Al-Hadi" (The First), "Al-Masri" (The Egyptian), and "Sahib Masri" (The Companion of Egypt). His followers even add the honorific "From Him is Peace" after his name. And yes, this guy has a lot of followers who swear their allegiance to him. I saw one of his videos on X, apparently he is quite popular on Tiktok.
Yes, he's kinda charismatic. His videos are polished, his social media presence well done. But charisma doesn't make someone a prophet, it just makes them a more effective charlatan if you can't back it up.
The theatrical performance of a false messiah
If you've seen Hashem's viral video where he dramatically declares "I am Abdullah," you've witnessed his performance firsthand. Everything seems staged. Dressed head to toe in black with a long rather modern coat and beanie pulled low, he has a deliberately mysterious aesthetic, like he's cosplaying a prophet from a low budget film. He actually reminded me of Assassin's Creed. It looks entirely ridiculous.
His delivery is stiff and theatrical, with an intense wide eyed stare meant to convey divine authority. He grips the podium, occasionally gesturing dramatically, but the effect is more televangelist than messiah. There's something unsettlingly artificial about his presentation, like he's studied charismatic leaders but can't quite replicate their authenticity. At first I wasn't even sure if this was AI or not. For someone supposedly chosen by God, you'd expect effortless authority, not someone who appears to be acting out a role he's still learning.
AROPL's official narrative states that Hashem is "the long awaited Savior of Mankind" who has been "sent as a messenger by the 12th Imam Mohammed ibn Al Hassan Al Askari." They even claim his name was written in the "Will of Prophet Mohammed," citing obscure references that mainstream Islamic scholars reject. You can read all of their nonsense on their website. But even that one is terrible. I could barely read the alleged references with gray font on white background.
His followers point to a string of so called "fulfilled prophecies" to legitimize him. They claim he's the "Egyptian" mentioned in certain Shia traditions, and that he "built a platform in Egypt calling towards the Ahlul Bayt." Even more bizarrely, they link his emergence to the death of Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz in January 2015. According to AROPL, there was a prophecy that stated: "There shall rule Hijaz a man whose name is the name of an animal, if you look at him from afar you will think that he is cross eyed... he will be succeeded by a brother named Abdullah." They claim this refers to King Fahd (whose name means "cheetah" in Arabic) being succeeded by his brother King Abdullah. Their website proudly proclaims that after King Abdullah's death, Hashem "rose with the prophesied Black Banners of the East from Egypt with his companions and followers." And they emphasize that he emerged at age 32, supposedly matching yet another prophecy about "a successful youth."
These cherry picked, creatively interpreted "prophecies" follow a predictable pattern seen in many fringe religious movements: take vague historical texts, find coincidental matches, and ignore the countless ways the "prophecies" don't align with reality.
His "evidence" consists entirely of dreams, visions, and twisted interpretations of religious texts. The AROPL website relies heavily on obscure sources, often misinterpreted or taken out of context. They claim Hashem released an "enlightening and incredible book" called "The Goal of the Wise" in 2022, which supposedly contains "great knowledge and revelations of truths." Yet mainstream religious scholars have dismissed it as incoherent pseudo theology.
One of the most damning points against Hashem is that he openly calls himself "Al Mahdi" and "Al Qaim." I'm not Muslim, but I think he should adhere to basic Islamic beliefs. According to authentic Islamic tradition, the true Mahdi will not need to announce himself or claim these titles. As stated in hadith collections, the Mahdi will be recognized by the believers through his actions and the signs accompanying his appearance, not through self promotion. His identity will be confirmed by respected scholars and the Muslim community at large, not proclaimed by himself. Hashem's eagerness to claim these titles for himself directly contradicts this principle.
Even more troubling is how AROPL instructs followers to relate to Hashem. Their website states that people must "pledge their allegiance to him" and then "migrate to him, to support him with all they have, even if it means traveling and flying in the clouds or even crawling on ice." This extreme language about absolute loyalty is a glaring red flag for cult like control.
But these false prophets cause real harm. They prey on vulnerable people, gradually pulling them into a distorted worldview that's difficult to escape. The AROPL website's insistence that followers must "migrate to him" and "support him with all they have" shows how these movements isolate people from their families and communities.
Abdullah Hashem is selling spiritual fiction. His Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light has no foundation beyond his own claims and charisma. The "prophecies" they cite are vague, cherry picked, and twisted to fit their narrative.