He continued to pave the way for that. In the year 1129 AH / 1134 AD, he prepared a great army of forty thousand men, and appointed Abu Muhammad al-Bashir over it, and sent him to conquer Marrakesh. But luck was not on his side. He suffered a terrible defeat, and his commander and a large number of his soldiers were killed. The battle became known as the Battle of the Lake. Despite this terrible defeat, he did not despair of victory. He considered it a trial, and to alleviate the impact of the setback on his companions and to renew their hope, he said to the first one who came to inform him of what had happened: "Did Abd al-Mu'min bin Ali live?" When he was answered in the affirmative, he said: "It is as if no one has died, and the blessing is in his survival. It is as if you are on the verge of victory." He did not live long after that, and then he passed away.

The educational and social aspect: The Mahdi attached great importance to the educational and social aspect and dedicated great effort to it. He aimed to create a new generation from this group that surrounded him and adhered to his call. Therefore, since he announced his mission, he has been laying down ideological, moral, and social foundations for his followers, conveying them through theoretical teachings and instilling them through diligent practical educational methods. He considered this aspect of his revolution the most important, as it was the foundation for the military aspect. He believed that the military aspect was a consequence of the ideological aspect, and that the military victory was a result of the correct ideological conception and social relations based on an Islamic foundation. To achieve this, he subjected his companions to serious scientific and social education.

Scientific education: The Mahdi found himself among a people, most of whom were Bedouins, who could not comprehend sciences.