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:
Be from among the family of Prophet(SAW), among the descendants of
Fatima(RA);
Have a broad forehead and pointed noise;
Appear in one night;
Appear just before the day of judgment;
Have same name as hazrat Muhammad(SAW);
Escape from Madina to Makkah where people will pledge allegiance to him;
Receive pledge and help of Iraqi people;
Fight in battles;
Rule over the Arabs for seven years according to Sunnah;
Spread justice and equity on earth;
Eradicate tyranny and oppression;
Lead a prayer in Mekkah which Jesus(pbuh) will follow in;
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:
Be from the Family of Prophet(SAW) and descend from Hussain(RA), son of
Fatima(RA);
Appear at the end of time;
Appear when earth is filled with injustice and tyranny and believers are
severely oppressed;
Appear when a severe earthquaker will occur and green grass will grow
(presumably in Arabia);
Fill the earth with justice and equity;
Spread brotherhood, equity, and devotion among Muslims;
Rule over Muslim community, according to Hadith, for seven or nine
years;
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 absent
more beloved and more needed than him.
(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:
Not appear until all Muslims are divided and curse each other (i.e. no
brotherhood);
Appear when tyranny and oppression rule and no Muslim is free;
Be announced by a voice from heavens;
Fill the earth with justice and equity;
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.
