In J.R.R. Tolkien’s appropriation of the Mahdi story from Islamic sources and lore. Each character mirrors specific figures in the original story of the Mahdi, from 1400 years ago.
Tolkien’s character Gandalf the Grey is a long lived and mysterious wanderer. He and his role mirrors that of Khidr, the long lived and mysterious wanderer whose adventure with the Prophet Moses is told in the Quran’s Sura Kahf, and whose many mysterious appearances, especially to the People of the West (Ahl Maghrib / أهل الغرب ) is chronicled in numerous Arabic sources.
This is an illustration of Khidr, in the imagination of a Muslim artist, side by side with Gandalf as portrayed in Peter Jackson’s film cycle. Beneath are additional depictions of Khidr from other Classical Muslim artists, and an artistic depiction of Gandalf. Notice how his “Grey robes” almost appear greenish. Much like Khidr’s. This can be seen in many artistic depictions of Gandalf as well as in many scenes of Gandalf the Grey in the various films. His gray robes are sometimes almost, but not quite, an off-green color. Which is a small hint.
In the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings Gandalf set events in motion through his relationships with the Hobbits and multiple generations of the Baggins family in particular. From watching over and encouraging Bilbo to set out on a quest to kill the dragon Smaug before the movie’s events, to watching over his young nephew Frodo and grooming Frodo to be a ring-bearer.
Khidr (الخضر) is a mysterious wise and long-lived wanderer mentioned in many original Islamic Sources. The name Khidr means “the Green one.” He is known worldwide from India (where even Hindus venerate him as “Khawaha Khizr) to The West in North Africa (Maghreb). Even the European Green man, and the Green Knight in the King Author cycle of legends are based after him.
This servant from among God’s servants is identified as Khidr. Like Gandalf had a role in defeating Saruman and Sauron, so too in the Prophecies that Tolkien used as his sources Khidr has a role in helping to defeat the Dajjal.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Eo-7NPxBhU
Khidr is known for wandering the earth, meeting and holding counsel with the wise, helping the lost, and other secret travels. Gandalf’s role in Lord of the Rings exactly mirrors Khidr.
Gandalf set the dwarves’ quest to regain the Lonely Mountain in motion, Gandalf engineered Thorin’s considering Bilbo Baggins as an unlikely member of the quest, and Gandalf further manipulated Bilbo into going out on the quest in the first place. By doing this Gandalf removed the dragon Smaug as a power in Middle Earth’s geopolitical scene. By doing this Gandalf prevented Sauron’s being able to use Smaug as a force against the Freemen of Middle Earth/Muslims of the Middle East.
Gandalf engineered all of this to occur at the same time as the assault by the Council of the White upon Sauron’s stronghold at Dol Guldur. This seemingly fortunate timing was within Gandalf’s plans as Smaug was distracted with the Dwarves’ quest and Sauron with the assault on Dol Guldur, hence both were unable to assist each other. This video discussed it at minute 4:03/4:04.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWjcwUlPuYs
In Islamic sources Khidr also wanders the earth on mysterious errands, according to a plan that not even Prophets like Moses are aware of, lending aid hope and succor in times of needs, and even killing evil individuals when his errands call for it.
Gandalf does the same thing, wandering Middle-earth on mysterious errands, meeting and giving counsel to the good, strategically encouraging specific people to take specific actions and moving them into position, and prior to Lord of the Rings seeking clues on Bilbo’s mysterious ring and Sauron’s emergence.
Some Tolkien scholars believe that Gandalf may have even subtly encouraged the Steward of Gandalf, Denethor, to take his own life in order to remove an obstacle from Aragorn/Jesus. Denathor himself, in an early scene, accuses Gandalf of subtly manipulating the situation to do exactly that.
In this scene of The Hobbit Gandalf persuades and manipulates Eldond the Elf-Lord into giving his company information on the Dwarv’s map, after persuading Thorin to give Elrond the map to examine, and maneuvering the situation to prevent Thorin from further insulting Elrond.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JzKklW9fR4
Just like Gandalf meet Thorin at the Prancing Pony at the right time Elrond remarks on the uncanny timing of the Dwarves’ and Gandalf’s arrival: “These runes were written on a mid-summer’s eve by the light of a crescent moon nearly two hundred years ago. It would seem you were meant to come to Rivendell. Fate is with you, Thorin Oakenshield. The same moon shines upon us tonight.”
While elsewhere Thorin the Dwarf levels the same accusations at Gandalf that Denathor would. Of trying to manipulate him.
In the film version of The Two Towers Gandalf says: “Three hundred lives of men I have walked this earth and now I have no time.” The Mean age of All men in Tolkien’s works was 163 years (See http://lotrproject.com/statistics/ ). Which gives Gandalf around 49,020 years. This is mentioned only in the movie dialogue not the book. It is an interesting clue. In Tolkien’s book chronology Gandalf was created 9,000 years before arriving on Middle Earth, in year 1000 of the Third age. This was roughly 2000 years before The Lord of the Rings. Which would make Gandalf 11,000 or so years old. In either case he’s extremely long lived.
So too, Khidr is long-lived and according to one report verbally called out benedictions on the Prophet on the occasion of his passing away.
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