The Royal Ottoman Society reflects on a prophecy that ties the historic grandeur of the Ottoman Empire to an awaited moment in Konya: the story of the “final Selim,” in which historic events, sacred relics and the promise of divine guidance meet.
The First Fulfillment – Sultan Selim I (1517)
In 1517 the ninth Ottoman sultan, Sultan Selim I, marched into Egypt and received the Sacred Trusts. Among these treasures is the blessed sword of the Prophet ﷺ, also identified with the sword of Sayyidina Dawud (peace be upon him), which today rests in the Topkapı Palace Museum in Istanbul. Within our tradition this is regarded as the first half of a larger prophetic sequence, linking the Ottoman throne with the sacred heritage of the Prophet ﷺ.
The Awaited Transfer – Sultan Selim IV and Imam Mahdi
The prophecy continues that, after a century marked by “Jababira, biting tyranny” following the dissolution of the Ottoman Caliphate, the 37th sultan, known as Sultan Selim IV, will arise. His mission will be to retrieve the Sacred Trusts and hand them directly to Imam Mahdi (peace be upon him) in Konya, the historic heart of Sufi spirituality. When the divine hour arrives, Imam Mahdi will in turn entrust the relics to Sayyidina Isa (peace be upon him), completing a spiritual chain that links our Ottoman legacy with the final fulfillment.
The story affirms that the spirit of the Ottomans endures beyond political decline. The relics stand for continuity: a bridge from the empire’s golden age, through its trials, toward the fulfillment of the divine promise.
Further resources on this prophecy are available in our online library: Royal Ottoman Society Library
