The belief in Mahdaviyat creates transcendent, warmth in the hearts of Muslims. As a result whenever the Islamic world is facing calamities, and Muslims become aware of their helplessness, they turn towards that great protector whose advent has been prophesized clearly in the Holy Quran and the tradition of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.). History is a witness that whenever the Islamic society has been torn with strife and discord there has risen a person who claimed to be a Mahdi, whom we believe to be the last deputy of Allah and that he would cause Islam to reign over the rest of the religions of the world. The list of such claimants is an extremely long one.
Below is the list of people who claimed to be Mahdi and deviated people from the truth
