41.
Identification of the Prophesied Imam Mahdi
The
Holy Prophet Muhammad(SAW) has prophesied about several events that will occur
just before the advent of the day of judgment. Among these,
Rasulullah(SAW) has foretold the advent of one of his descendants, Al Mahdi (the
guided one), which will materialize when the believers are severely oppressed in
every corner of the world. He will fight the oppressors, unite the
Muslims, bring peace and justice to the world, rule over the Arabs, and lead a
prayer in Mekkah at which Isa(pbuh) (Jesus) will be present.
Throughtout
the history of Islam, a few individuals -- driven either by the desperate state
of Muslims in their community or a selfish pursuit of power and prestige -- laid
claim to being Mahdi and found a following among the uninformed masses who were
looking for salvation from the heavens. For some of these individuals
(like Bab of Iran or Mirza Ghulam of India) the claim to being Mahdi was just a
stepping stone to the development of heretic sects which broke away from the
fold of Islam. Thus, it is at least prudent to visit the facts of this
prophecy and avoid falling pray to false claimants that will appear from time to
time.
As
Muslims, we should remember that the prophecy about Mahdi is one that will come
to pass. This prophecy, however, does not absolve the Muslim ummah from its duty
to strive in the cause of Allah(SWT), oppose injustice, and seek peace and
betterment of human condition. Centuries have passes from the time of the holy
Prophet(SAW) and there is a good possibility that many more will expire before
the advent of Al Mahdi. Muslims who are negligent in their duty hoping for
a savior are committing a grave mistake and are not following the divine decrees
ordained in Quran or taught by Rasulullah(SAW).
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The
following are the collection of Sahih (authentic) Hadith regarding Mahdi.
Hadhrat
Abdullah bin Mas'ood(RA) reports from the Prophet(SAW), who said:
The
world will not come to pass until a man from among my family, whose name will be
my name, rules over the Arabs. (Tirmidhi Sahih, Vol. 9, P. 74; Abu Dawud, Sahih,
Vol. 5, P. 207; also narrated by Ali b. Abi Talib, Abu Sa'id, Umm
Salma Abu Hurayra)
The
Prophet(SAW) said:
Allah
will bring out from concealment al-Mahdi from my family and just before the day
of Judgment; even if only one day were to remain in the life of the world, and
he will spread on this earth justice and equity and will eradicate tyranny and
oppression.
(Musnad
Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, Vol. 1, P. 99)
Hadhrat
Ali(RA) narrates that Rasulullah(SAW) said:
Even
if only a day remains for Qiyamah to come, yet Allah will surely send a man from
my family who will fill this world with such justice and fairness, just as it
initially was filled with oppression. (Abu Dawood)
Ali
b. Abi Talib(RA) has related a tradition from the Prophet(SAW) who informed him:
The
promised Mahdi will be among my family. God will make the provisions for his
emergence within a single night. (Ibn Majah, Sahih, Vol. 2, P. 519)
Hazrat
Umme Salmah(RA), Prophet's wife, narrates that she heard the Prophet(SAW) say:
The
promised Mahdi will be among my progeny, among the descendants of Fatima. (Abu
Dawud, Sahih, Vol. 2, P. 207; Ibn Majah, Sahih, Vol. 2, P. 519)
Rasulullah(SAW)
announced:
The
Mahdi will be of my family, of the descendants of Fatima (the Prophet's
daughter). (Sunan Ibn Majah, Vol. 2, Tradition No. 4086)
The
Prophet(SAW) taught:
Al-Mahdi
is one of us, the members of the household (Ahlul-Bayt).
(Sunan
Ibn Majah, Vol. 2, Tradition No. 4085)
Abu
Sa'id al-Khudari(RA) narrated that the Prophet(SAW) said:
Our
Mahdi will have a broad forehead and a pointed (prominent) nose. He will fill
the earth with justice as it is filled with injustice and tyranny. He will rule
for seven years.
(Abu
Dawud, Sahih, Vol. 2, p. 208; Fusul al-muhimma, p. 275)
Hadhrat
Abu Saeed Khudri(RA) relates that Rasulullah(SAW) said:
Al
Mahdi will be from my progeny. His forehead will be broad and his nose will be
high. He will fill the world with justice and fairness at a time when the world
will be filled with oppression. He will rule for seven years.
Hadhrat
Umme Salmah(RA) narrates that Rasulullah(SAW) said:
After
the death of a Ruler there will be some dispute between the people. At that time
a citizen of Madina will flee (from Madina) and go to Makkah. While in Makkah,
certain people will approach him between Hajrul Aswad and Maqaame Ibraheem, and
forcefully pledge their allegiance to him.
Thereafter
a huge army will proceed from Syria to attack him but when they will be at
Baida, which is between Makkah and Madina, they will be swallowed into the
ground.
On
seeing this, the Abdaals of Shaam as well as large numbers of people from Iraq
will come to him and pledge their allegiance to him. Then a person from the
Quraish, whose uncle will be from the Bani Kalb tribe will send an army to
attack him, only to be overpowered, by the will of Allah. This (defeated) army
will be that of the Bani Kalb. Unfortunate indeed is he who does not receive a
share from the booty of the Kalb. This person (Imam Mahdi) will distribute the
spoils of war after the battle. He will lead the people according to the Sunnat
and during his reign Islam will spread throughout the world. He will remain till
seven years (since his emergence). He will pass away and the Muslims will
perform his Janazah salaat. (Abu Dawood)
The
holy Prophet(SAW) said:
A
group of my Ummah will fight for the truth until near the day of judgment when
Jesus, the son of Marry, will descend, and the leader of them will ask him to
lead the prayer, but Jesus declines, saying: "No, Verily, among you Allah
has made leaders for others and He has bestowed his bounty upon
them".(Sahih Muslim)
It
is reported from Abu Hurayra(RA) that the Prophet(SAW) said:
What
will be your reaction when the son of Mary (Jesus) descends and your Imam is
from among yourselves? (Sahih Muslim, bab nuzul 'isa, Vol. 2; Sahih Bukhari,
kitab bad' al-khalq wa nuzul 'isa, Vol. 4)
The
holy Prophet(SAW) said:
What
would be your situation if the Son of Mary (i.e. Jesus) descends upon you and
your Imam is from among you? (Bukhari, kitabul-Anbiya, Chapter Nuzul Isa bin
Maryam)
According
to these reliable, authentic, and universally accepted narrations, Mahdi will:
1.
Be from among the family of Prophet(SAW), among the descendants of Fatima(RA);
2.
Have a broad forehead and pointed noise;
3.
Appear in one night;
4.
Appear just before the day of judgment;
5.
Have same name as hazrat Muhammad(SAW);
6.
Escape from Madina to Makkah where people will pledge allegiance to him;
7.
Receive pledge and help of Iraqi people;
8.
Fight in battles;
9.
Rule over the Arabs for seven years according to Sunnah;
10.
Spread justice and equity on earth;
11.
Eradicate tyranny and oppression;
12.
Lead a prayer in Mekkah which Jesus(pbuh) will follow in;
13.
NOT be the same individual as the Promised Messiah (Jesus).
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The
following narrations have been taken from books on which there is no consensus
among Muslim scholars. Their authenticity is in question:
The
holy Prophet(SAW) said:
The
world will not come to an end until a man from my family (ahl al-bayt), who will
be called al-Mahdi, emerges to rule upon my community. (Bihar al-anwar, Vol. 51,
P. 75; Ithbat al-hudat, Vol. 1, P. 9)
Umme
Salmah(RA), the wife of the Prophet, has related a tradition of the
Prophet(SAW):
Mahdi
will be among my progeny, among the children of Fatima. (Bihar al-anwar, Vol.
51, P. 75)
Rasullullah(SAW)
said:
The
world will not come to an end until a man from the descendants of Hussain takes
charge of the affairs of the world and fills it with justice and equity as it is
filled with injustice and tyranny. (Bihar al-anwar, Vol. 51, P. 66)
Abu
Sa'id al-Khudari(RA) has related a tradition from the Prophet(SAW) who declared:
The
earth will be filled with injustice and corruption. At that time, a man from
among my progeny will rise and will rule for seven or nine years and will fill
the earth with justice and equity. (Ahmad b. Hanbal, Musnad, Vol. 3, P. 27)
Abu
al-Hujaf(RA) quotes the Prophet(SAW) saying three times:
Listen
to the good news about the Mahdi! He will rise at the time when people will be
faced with severe conflict and the earth will be hit by a violent quake. He will
fill the earth with justice and equity as it is filled with injustice and
tyranny. He will fill the hearts of his followers with devotion and will spread
justice everywhere. (Bihar al-anwar, Vol. 51, P. 74)
Ali
b. Abi Talib(RA) said, I asked the Prophet(SAW):
"Is
Mahdi going to be among our own family or from some other?"
He
replied: "He will be among us. God will conclude His religion through him,
just as He began it with us. It will be through us that people will find refuge
from sedition, just as it was through us that they were saved from polytheism.
Moreover, it will be through us that God will bring their hearts together in
brotherhood following the animosity sown by the sedition, just as they were
brought together in brotherhood in their religion after the animosity sown by
polytheism." (Bihar al-anwar, Vol. 51, P. 84; Ithbat al-hudat, Vol. 7,P.
191; Majma` al-zawa'id by `Ali b. Abi Bakr Haythami(Cairo edition), Vol. 7, P.
317)
I
heard the Prophet(SAW) declare from the pulpit:
The
Mahdi from among my descendants, from my family, will rise at the End of Time,
while the heavens will pour rain and the earth will bring forth green grass for
him. He will fill the earth with justice and equity as it is filled with tyranny
and injustice. (Bihar al-anwar, Vol. 51, P. 74; Ithbat al-hudat, Vol. 7,P. 9)
Abu
Sa'id al-Khudari(RA) narrated that Prophet(SAW) said:
Severe
calamity from the direction of their ruler will befall my people during the Last
Days. It will be a calamity which, in severity, shall be unprecedented. It will
be so violent that the earth with injustice and corruption will shrivel for its
inhabitants. The believers will not find refuge from oppression. At that time
God will send a man from my family to fill the earth with justice and equity
just as it is filled with injustice and tyranny.
The
dwellers of the heavens and the earth will be pleased with him. The earth will
bring forth all that grows for him, and the heavens will pour down rains in
abundance. He will live among the people for seven or nine years. From all the
good that God will bestow on the inhabitants of the earth, the dead will wish to
come to life again. (Ibn Hajar, al-Sawa'iq al-muharriqa, P. 161; Yanabi'
al-mawadda, Vol. 2, P. 177)
Abu
Hurayra(RA) narrated on behalf of the Prophet(SAW):
People
will pay allegiance to the Mahdi between rukn and maqam (in Mekkah). (Ibn Tawus,
Kitab al-malahim wa al-fitan, P. 64.)
According
to these hadith, Mahdi will:
1.
Be from the Family of Prophet(SAW) and descend from Hussain(RA), son of
Fatima(RA);
2.
Appear at the end of time;
3.
Appear when earth is filled with injustice and tyranny and believers are
severely oppressed;
4.
Appear when a severe earthquaker will occur and green grass will grow
(presumably in Arabia);
5.
Fill the earth with justice and equity;
6.
Spread brotherhood, equity, and devotion among Muslims;
7.
Rule over Muslim community, according to Hadith, for seven or nine years;
8.
Live and act with the qualities of the holy Prophet(SAW).
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The
following are narrations not attribute to the Holy Prophet(SAW) and only
represent second hand narrations attributed to companions of the holy
Prophet(SAW). Thus, they are included only for completeness and are unreliable.
Ammar
Yasir has related:
At
the time when Nafs al-Zakiyya is killed a caller from the heaven will say: 'Your
commander is so-and-so.' (announce Mahdi) Following it the Mahdi will emerge and
fill the earth with justice and equity. (Ibn Tawus, Kitab al-malahim wa
al-fitan, P. 179)
Abd
Allah b. Umar mentioned the name of Mahdi in the presence of an Arab who said:
Mahdi is Mu'awiya b. Abu Sufyan. Abd Allah said:
It
is not as you say. Mahdi is a person behind whom Jesus will offer his prayers.
(Ibn
Tawus, Kitab al-malahim wa al-fitan, P. 179)
Mujahid
said about Mahdi:
One
of the Prophet's companions told me that the Mahdi will not appear until that
time when Nafs al-Zakiyya will be killed. At that time he will take the command
and will fill the earth with justice and equity. (Ibn Tawus, Kitab al-malahim wa
al-fitan, P. 171)
Nufayl's
daughter Umayra narrates that she heard Hasan b. Ali's daughter saying:
This
affair about which you are waiting will not occur until among you some seek to
distance themselves from the others and curse each other. (Majlisi, Bihar
al-anwar, Vol. 52, P. 211)
Salma
b. Zafar reports that one day people were talking about the appearance of the
Mahdi in the presence of Hudhayfa. Hudhayfa said:
If
Mahdi has indeed appeared while you are living close to the Prophet's period and
while his companions are living among you, then you are truly fortunate.
However, that is not the case. Mahdi will not appear until people are devoured
by oppression and tyranny and there is no one (Kitab al-hawi li al-fatawa,
Vol. 2, P. 159)
These
narrations are based on opinion of single individuals and are not reliable.
However, they indicate that Mahdi might:
1.
Not appear until all Muslims are divided and curse each other (i.e. no
brotherhood);
2.
Appear when tyranny and oppression rule and no Muslim is free;
3.
Be announced by a voice from heavens;
4.
Fill the earth with justice and equity;
5.
Lead the prayer which Jesus(pbuh) will follow.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The
following narration has not been attributed to the Holy Prophet(SAW). It has
been identified as false and has been rejected by Muslim scholars for centuries.
Amr
son of Shamer quoted Jabir, who quoted Mohammed bin Ali to have said:
For
our Mahdi, there are two signs. Since the birth of Universe, these events have
never taken place. Those two signs are that there will be Lunar Eclipse on the
first night of Ramadhan and Solar Eclipse in the middle of Ramadhan.
(Dar-e-Qatni, Vol. 1, P.188)
Note:
This
narration is not attributed to holy Prophet(SAW), but attributed to Mohammed bin
Ali. No other person has substantiated this statement attributed to Mohammed bin
Ali.
Muslim
scholars have always rejected this and other narrations of Amr and Jabir, as
both have been known to transmit unreliable and forged narrations.