Imam Mahdi (AS)

(By Muhammad Yousaf Taibi)

Allah’s Messenger predicted that Mehdi would establish a just government in the world. It has been recorded on the authority of Abu Saeed Khidrib that Allah’s Messenger a said:

عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ الْمَهْدِيُّ مِنِّي أَجْلَى الْجَبْهَةِ أَقْنَى الْأَنْفِ يَمْلَأُ الْأَرْضَ قِسْطًا وَعَدْلًا كَمَا مُلِئَتْ جَوْرًا وَظُلْمًا يَمْلِكُ سَبْعَ سِنِينَ *

“Mehdi will be from amongst my offspring. He will have a wide forehead and a smart but long nose. He will fill the earth with justice as it would have been filled with tyranny. He will rule the world for seven years.”—(Sunnan Abu Daud 375/1)

In another tradition recorded on the authority of Alib, Allah’s

Messenger a said, “Mehdi will be from amongst the family of Muhammad a. Allah will reform him within a night.”—(Musnad Ahmad 58/2, Sunnan Ibne Maja 1367/2)

Hafiz Ibne Kathhir says ‘Allah will reform him’ means that Allah will give attention to him and show him the right path and grant him the courage to adopt it.—(Al-Nihayata Fe AL-Fitn 29/1)

The main characteristic of the real Mehdi is that he will suddenly adopt the right path. Then he will become the caliph and overpower the world, providing justice to everyone. This reveals that he will not be already a known Muslim figure. Rather Allah will at once reform him for the welfare of humanity.

In another tradition recorded on the authority of Abdullah bin Masoodb, Allah’s Messenger a said the world would not be destroyed until a person from amongst my family would become the ruler of the Arabs. His name will resemble my name and his father’s name to my father’s name.

(Sunnan Abu Daud 380/11)

His another characteristic is that there will be no shortage in his era. No one shall have any complaint in this regard.

It has been recorded on the authority of Abu Saeedb that Allah’s Messenger a said,

يخرج فى آخر امتى المهدى يسقيه الله الغيث وتخرج الارض نباتها ويعطى المال صحاحا وتكثرالماشية ويعيش سبعا او ثمانيا يعنى حججا (مستدرك حاكم 557,558/4 )

“At the last part of my Ummah, Mehdi will appear. Allah will satiate him with rainwater. Earth will be grow vegetation and he will justly distribute the riches. Everyone will own cattle-heads and he will remain as ruler for seven to eight years.”—(Mustadrek Hakim 557, 558/4)

Another distinctive feature of Mehdi’s era is that clashes among the people will be order of the day. Earthquake will be a routine matter.

It has been recorded on the authority of Abu Saeedb that Allah’s Messenger a said, “I give you a  happy news (of the appearance) of Mehdi, who will appear at a time when clashes among people and earthquakes will be order of the day. He will establish justice in the earth like it has been filled with oppression. The Creator and the created both will be happy with him. He will justly distribute the riches. Allah will grant contentment to the hearts of the disciples of Muhammad a. His justice will be for all in so much as he will ask the announcer to announce that if anybody wants riches he may take it. But no one will turn up for the purpose except one. He will ask him to go to his treasurer and ask him to give you riches, as it is the order of Mehdi. The treasurer will say take as much you want. After collecting a big fortune, the seeker will be ashamed and will say sorrowfully that he was the strongest of all the disciples of Muhammad a. If their riches were enough for them, then why not it is so for him.

Then he will return the wealth. But the treasurer will say that they do not recover the wealth once given to anyone. Thus, he will rule the world for seven, eight or nine years. After it there will be no good in the world.—(Musnad Ahmad 37/3)

His another feature is that he will be a pious, devout person and prayer leader.

It has been recorded on the authority of Jabarb that Allah’s Messenger a said,

ينزل عيسى بن مريم فيقول امرهم المهدى تعال صل بن فيقول لاان بعضهم امير بعض تكرمة الله هذه الامة (مسند حارث بن ابى اسامة ذكره ابن القيم فى المنار المنيف)

“When Eisa bin Mariyamf will descend on the earth, the leader of its inhabitants will ask him to lead in the prayer. Then he will reply in the negative, saying the leader will be from amongst you as this is the honour granted by Allah to this Ummah.”—(Musnad Haris bin Abi

Osama, Ibne Qayyam mentioned it in al-Minar al-Muneef Pp 147,148)

This reveals that Sydna Mehdi will have established his rule before the arrival of Sydna Eisaf. This has also been mentioned in Saheeh Bukhari’s chapter on prophets, while there are also some details in Saheeh Muslim.

It has been recorded on the authority of Sydna Jabarb that Allah’s Messenger a said,

لَا تَزَالُ طَائِفَةٌ مِنْ أُمَّتِي يُقَاتِلُونَ عَلَى الْحَقِّ ظَاهِرِينَ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ قَالَ فَيَنْزِلُ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَيَقُولُ أَمِيرُهُمْ تَعَالَ صَلِّ لَنَا فَيَقُولُ لَا إِنَّ بَعْضَكُمْ عَلَى بَعْضٍ أُمَرَاءُ تَكْرِمَةَ اللَّهِ هَذِهِ الْأُمَّةَ

)صحيح مسلم كتاب الايمان باب نزول عيسى)

“A party will stick to its stance till the Judgment Day and continue fighting (in the way of Allah).

When Eisa bin Mariyamf will escend on the earth, the leader of its inhabitants will ask him to lead in the prayer. He will reply in the negative, saying the leader will be from amongst you as this is the honour granted by Allah to this Ummah.”

There is another tradition in Saheeh Muslim according to which Allah’s Messenger a said, “There will be a caliph from amongst my Ummah who will distribute riches (among the subjects) with open hands and not by counting.”

The narrator of this tradition Jareeri says that he asked Abual Ala (successor to the Holy Prophet a ’s companions) if Omar bin Abdul Aziz was meant by it. He said, “No.” (Saheeh Muslim, Kitab Al-Fitn)

Yet another feature of Mehdi is that he will appear from the east

and rule the Arabs. It has been recorded on the authority of Syedna Sobanb that Allah’s Messenger a said,

يَقْتَتِلُ عِنْدَ كَنْزِكُمْ ثَلَاثَةٌ كُلُّهُمُ ابْنُ خَلِيفَةٍ ثُمَّ لَا يَصِيرُ إِلَى وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمْ ثُمَّ تَطْلُعُ الرَّايَاتُ السُّودُ مِنْ قِبَلِ الْمَشْرِقِ فَيَقْتُلُونَكُمْ قَتْلًا لَمْ يُقْتَلْهُ قَوْمٌ ثُمَّ ذَكَرَ شَيْئًا لَا أَحْفَظُهُ فَقَالَ فَإِذَا رَأَيْتُمُوهُ فَبَايِعُوهُ وَلَوْ حَبْوًا عَلَى الثَّلْجِ فَإِنَّهُ خَلِيفَةُ اللَّهِ الْمَهْدِيُّ*  (سنن ابن ماجه كتاب الفتن 1367/4)

“Three sons of caliph will fight for your treasure (Kaaba) and no one of them will get it. Then black flags will come from the east. They will kill you like no one has killed (anyone). Then he asked something which I did not remember. Then he said that when you see them take oath to their allegiance even if you have to crawl on snow (for the purpose). For he will be Mehdi the caliph of Allah.—(Sunnan Ibne Maja Kitab

Al-fitn 1367/2 & Mustadrek Hakim 463/4)

Albanig says this tradition is accurate, however, its last sentence ‘he will be Allah’s caliph’ has not been reported with accurate certification.

—(Al-Silsalata Az-Zaeefat 119-121/1 Page 85)

This reveals that Mehdi will appear from the east and not from Samra or Rizvi mountains.

Hafiz Ibne Kathir says Mehdi will appear from the east and the eastern people will support him. The people will take oath to his allegiance near Kaaba as is revealed in some Ahadith.—(Al-Nihayat Fil Fitn 29/1)  

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