"Light Charisma of the Fuhrer." Islamic element in the Propaganda of the Third Reich

Islamic studies, as well as in general, the humanities in the Third Reich were carried out under the control and in accordance with the instructions of the Nazi party organs, the purpose of which was to create an integral image of the world history, in which the so-called Aryan or Aryan-German race played a central role. German researchers of the Muslim religious and philosophical tradition sought to prove that it was based on the ideas of the same ancient Aryan heritage, which nourish German and more widely European culture. The article discusses specific examples of research in which Islamic experts tried to substantiate the thesis of Adolf Hitler's special, Messianic mission on the material of the Muslim tradition. The purpose of this research was to use the arguments obtained in the propaganda work among the Muslim peoples. Among the issues studied, special attention was paid to the Muslim doctrine of the Messiah (Mandi), and the second coming of the prophet Isa (Jesus). Scholars' attention was also attracted by the idea that special, chosen personalities in Islam, such as prophets, imams, have a special "light" nature. As an appendix to the article, a letter is published by Professor Walter Wiist, the head of the Heritage of Ancestors Society ("Das Ahnenerbe"), in which these studies are discussed. This topic remains practically unexplored in modern science.