and consultation. . . And the people of fifty and seventy, and the scholars and students for carrying knowledge and receiving it, and the rest of the tribes for repelling the enemy. . . (63) Perhaps Ibn Tumart derived this organization from the system of Shura that the Messenger (peace be upon him) and the Rightly Guided Caliphs after him followed, and he added to it a quotation from the system of councils of notables that prevailed in the Berber mountainous region before its unification at the hands of Yusuf ibn Tashfin.

The media campaign: The Mahdi exerted great effort in preparing souls to accept his call, to be enthusiastic about carrying it, and to spread it. This was done by organizing a wide media campaign aimed at psychological influence by instilling strength and pride in the hearts of his companions, and weakness and humiliation in the hearts of his enemies, the Murabitun and their followers. This campaign relied on two basic elements: Instilling self-confidence: It was necessary for the Mahdi's followers to have deep faith in the righteousness of the cause that led them to success in this world and the hereafter, so that this faith would give them the impetus to preserve their ranks and the mission. They were to believe that they were the righteous community that fights for the truth and upholds it in the end times, and that this community, even if it was in the Maghreb, would be remembered for its greatness and abundant merit.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "You are the people of the West, and you are the ones for whom God has prepared victory. You are the ones who will conquer Rome and Persia, and you will kill the Antichrist. And among you is the Amir." (Ibn al-Khatib, al-Hallal, no. 33) See: Abdullah Allam, The Almohad State in the Maghreb, p. 34. A collection of hadiths in this context is mentioned in p. 35 and onwards, including: "Mجموع Azma" for Ibn Tumart, which was narrated by Muslim in the Book of Emirs from Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas, who said: The Messenger of God (peace be upon him) said: "The people of the West will always be victorious in the truth until the Hour comes." Al-Nawawi mentioned several interpretations of the meaning of "people of the West," including the Arabs, due to their specialization in the large bucket called "al-gharb." Others include the people of the West of the earth, and others include the people of hardship and endurance.

See Sharh Muslim (13/118) by Al-Nawawi, published by Hijazi, Cairo.