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!UNDER CONSTRUCTION!
Al-Mahdi/The Guided One
Introduction:
Allah said in the Qur'an:
"Allaah has promised those among you who believe and do righteous good deeds, that He will certainly grant them succession to (the present rulers) in the earth as He granted it to those before them, and that He will grant them the authority to practise their religion, that which He has chosen for them (i.e. Islam). And He will surely give them in exchange a safe security after their fear (provided) they (believers) worship Me and do not associate anything (in worship) with Me. But whoever disbelieved after this, they are the Faasiqoon (rebellious, disobedient to Allaah). [Qur'an 24:55]
What is Al-Mahdi/Imam Mahdi?
In Islamic eschatology [es-kuh-tol-uh-jee, the branch of theology that is concerned with the end of the world] the Mahdi/Mehdi, "the Guided One" is the prophesied redeemer of Islam who will stay on earth seven to eight years before the coming of the end of world. The Mahdi will restore righteousness and change the world into a just Islamic society alongside Prophet Isa (Jesus, peace be upon him). The concept of the Mahdi is not explicitly mentioned in the Qu'ran but some scholars believe it implicity mentioned.
"For them there is disgrace in this world, and they will have a great torment in the Hereafter" [Qur'an 2:114]
Al-Qurtubi related from Qatada and as-Suddi that "disgrace in this world" refers to the advent of the Mahdi and the conquest of various great cities of the unbelievers.
Ibn Kathir, as-Suddi, 'Ikrima and Wa'il ibn Da'ud explained "disgrace in this world" as being the emergence of the Mahdi.
Ash-Shawkani also states in his tafsir that their disgrace in this world shall be when the Mahdi emerges, conquers and slays them.
In spite of that, there are numerous ahaadiths (traditions) concerning the Mahdi and they are mutawatir (authentic hadith to a level beyond reasonable doubt), as are the ahaadith concerning the Dajjal and the descent of Prophet Isa (Jesus, peace be upon him). Therefore, denial of the Mahdi is to commit disbelief. This is the belief of Ahl al-Sunnah wa Jama'ah.
Ibn Hajar al-Haytami said in his fatwa that denial of the Mahdi is disbelief.
Ibn Taymiyya said: "The ahaadith used as a proof of the coming of the Mahdi are sound and related by Abu Dawud, at-Tirmidhi, Ahmad and others from Ibn Mas'ud and others"
Imam al-Bayhaqi said: "The ahaadith about the emergence of the Mahdi have sound isnads (chains) and make it clear that he will be from the family of the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him)."
Myth - There is no Mahdi
Please do not confuse Imam Mahdi with Prophet Isa (Jesus, peace be upon him). They are two different persons and both will come during the last days. The hadith is related by bn Majah and al-Hakim from Ibn 'Abbas (may Allaah be pleased with them) says: "There is no Mahdi except Isa 'Jesus' (peace be upon him)".
As-San'ani said that it is a fabricated hadith.
Adh-Dhahabi said that it is contradicted elsewhere.
Ibn Taymiyyah said that it is weak, as did alBayhaqi, al-Haythami and Ibn al-Qayyim.
Al-Qurtubi said that the hadiths from the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) regarding the emergence of the Mahdi as being from his family from the descendants of Fatima are firmer and sounder than this hadith and so one does not judge by it.
According to numberous authentic ahaadeeths, Imam Mahdi will appear first and Prophet Isa will appear during the Mahdi's lifetime. Furthermore, only Prophet Isa will be able to kill ad-Dajjal "the anti-Christ/the Liar".Myth - The Mahdi has been a live for hundred of years
All those who are gifted with sound mind know that the Mahdi who the Shiites are waiting for does not and did not exist. They believe that the Mahdi is their 12th Imam, that he is alive and in occultation for 1200 years and will emerge when the time comes. The Muslim nation has faced numerous hardships and calamities because of this mystical belief that the Shiites carry and propagate regarding this Mahdi.
In the Shiite mythology, believing in the Imams is a cornerstone of their faith. However such mythology is similar to Greek and Persian mythology, as well as the beliefs of the other nations of Al-Jahiliyyah (ignorance).
Ibn Kathir states: "The Madhi will come at the end of time. He will be one of the Rightly-guided Caliphs and guided Imams and he is not the one from whom the Rafidites (Shiite) awaits, expecting him to emerge from underground in Samarra. That has no basis or source or authentic provenance."
Muhammad Nasir ad-Din al-Albani says in describing people's deviant views regarding the Mahdi: "They include those who know that which is related from the common people is superstition and think at the same time that such superstion is an inseparable part of belief in the coming of the Mahdi..."
In reality, the Salaf-as-Salih, early righteous generations believe that Al-Mahdi will be an ordinary man, born to an ordinary women, raised by ordinary men and living an ordinary life with the people of his time. Al-Mahdi will be an Imam and a Caliph, among other Caliphs who will rule Muslims with justice. However, what differentiates Al-Mahdi from other Caliphs is that he will meet Isa, son of Mary (peace be upon him).
The Mahdi mentioned in the Books of the Jews and Christians
Some Muslim believe that the Mahdi has been mention implicitely in the Books of the Jews and Christian. Muslim scholar Ka'b al-Ahbar a prominent Jewish convert to Islam during Umar ibn Khutaab reign said: "I find the Mahdi recorded in the books of the Prophets. There will be no injustice in his rule".
Book of Revelation says: "Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, "Come!" I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest." [Revelation 6:2]
After that it says: "And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads." [Revelation 14:1]
He said that it is clear that this man is the Mahdi who will ride a white horse and judge the Qur'an (with justice) and with whom will be men with the marks of prostration on their foreheads, Allah knows best.
Who is Al-Mahdi?
1. Ali (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: "The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: The Mahdi is one of us, a member of my family. Allaah will guide him in a single night." [Musnad Ahmad, 2/58, hadeeth 645, edited by Ahmad al-Shaakir, who said: its isnaad is saheeh; Sunan Ibn Maajah, 2/1367. This hadeeth was also classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami’ al-Sagheer, 6735]
Ibn Katheer said: "This means that Allaah will forgive him, grant him help, inspire him and guide him, when he was not like this before." [Al-Nihaayah, al-Fitan wa’l-Malaahim, 1/29; edited by Taha Zayni]2. Narrated by Ali bin Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him), the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) 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, Saheeh by al-Albaani]
3. Umm Salamah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said: "I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: "The Mahdi is of my lineage and family, from the descendants of Faatimah." [Sunan Abu Dawud, 11/373; Sunan Ibn Maajah. 2/1368. Al-Albaani said that it is saheeh in Saheeh al-Jaami, 6734]
4. Narrated Abu Ishaq: Ali ibn AbuTalib looked at his son al-Hasan and said: This son of mine is a sayyid (leader) as named by the Prophet (peace be upon him), and from his loins will come forth a man who will be called by the name of your Prophet (peace be upon him) and resemble him in conduct but not in appearance. He then mentioned the story about his filling the earth with justice. [Narrated by Abu Dawud #4276, Saheeh by Ibn Kathir but Daeef by al-Albaani]
5. Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: "The Messenger of Allaah(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "He is one of us, behind whom ‘Eesaa ibn Maryam will pray." [Reported by Abi Na’eem in Akhbaar al-Mahdi. Al-Albaani said it is saheeh; see al-Jaami’ al-Sagheer, 5/219, hadeeth 5796]
6. Abu Sa`id Al-Kudri (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet said: "Al-Mahdi is from my Ummah; he will be born and live to rule five or seven or nine years. (If) one goes to him and says: ‘Give me (a charity), he will fill one’s garment with what one needs." [Authenitc, reported by At-Tirmidhi, Al-Hakim; and some of them were reported by Abu Dawud, At-Tirmidhi, Ibn Maqah, Imam Ahmad, and others]
What are the Mahdi's feature?
1. Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri said: "The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "The Mahdi is of my lineage, with a high forehead and an aquiline nose. He will fill the earth with fairness and justice as it was filled with oppression and injustice, and he will rule for seven years." [Abu Dawud, Sahih, Vol. 2, p. 208; Fusul al-muhimma, p. 275, hadeeth 4265; Mustadrak al-Haakim, 4/557; Saheeh al-Jaami, 6736]
When will Al-Mahdi Emerge?
1. On the authority of Thawbaan (May Allah be pleased with him), that the Prophet said: "Three men will be killed at the place where your treasure is. Each of them will be the son of a Khalifah but none of them will get hold of the treasure. Then the black banners will come out of the east, and they will slaughter you in a way that has never been seen before. If you see him, give him your allegiance, even if you have to crawl over ice because he is the Khalifah of Allah, the Mahdi." [Narrated by Ibn Majah in Kitab al-Fitan, Baab Kharuj al-Mahdi page 300, Ahmad' s Musnad Mustadrak al-Hakim. Hakim classified it as saheeh on the conditions set by al-Bukhari and Muslim and al-Dhahabi agreed and Ibn Kathir wrote that its isnaad is strong al-Badayah wal-Nihayah (al-Fitan wa al-Malahim)]
2. Hudhaifah bin Al-Yaman (may Allaah be please with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Prophethood (meaning himself) will remain with you for as long as Allah wills it to remain, then Allah will raise it up wherever he wills to raise it up. Afterwards, there will be a Caliphate that follows the guidance of Prophethood remaining with you for as long as Allah wills it to remain. Then, He will raise it up whenever He wills to raise it up. Afterwards, there will be a reign of violently oppressive [The reign of Muslim kings who are partially unjust] rule and it will remain with you for as long as Allah wills it to remain. Then, there will be a reign of tyrannical rule and it will remain for as long as Allah wills it to remain. Then, Allah will raise it up whenever He wills to raise it up. Then, there will be a Caliphate that follows the guidance of Prophethood. Then Hudhaifah said, "The Prophet stopped speaking." [As-Silsilah As-Sahihah, vol. 1, no. 5]
3. Narrated by Thawban (may Allah be pleased with him) in which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "If you see the black banners emerging from Khurasan, seek to join their supporters even if creeping, because among them will be caliph Al-Mahdi." [Reported by Al-Hakim and Ahmad. But the chains of narration of that hadith were all unauthentic, though some Hadith scholars rendered it sound in general]
4. Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri (may Allaah be please with him) reported that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "At the end of the time of my ummah, the Mahdi will appear. Allaah will grant him rain, the earth will bring forth its fruits, he will give a lot of money, cattle will increase and the ummah will become great. He will rule for seven or eight years." [Mustadrak al-Haakim, 4/557-558; he said: this is a hadeeth whose isnaad is saheeh, although it was not reported by al-Bukhaari and Muslim. Al-Dhahabi agreed with him, and al-Albaani said: this is a saheeh sanad, and its men are thiqaat (trustworthy), Silsilat al-ahaadeeth al-saheehah, vol. 2, p. 336, hadeeth 771]
What is the Mahdi's role? 1. Harith b Abi Rabi'a and 'Abdullah b. Safwan both went to Umm Salama, the Mother of the Faithful, and they asked her about the army which would be sunk in the earth, and this relates to the time when Ibn Zubair (was the governor of Mecca). She reported that Allaah's Messenger (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) had said that: "A seeker of refuge would seek refuge in the Sacred House and an army would be sent to him (in order to kill him) and when it would enter a plain ground, it would be made to sink. I said: Allaah's Messenger, what about him who would be made to accompany this army unwillingly? Thereupon he said: He would be made to sink along with them but he would be raised on the Day of Resurrection on the basis of his intention. Abu Ja'far said. ' This plain, ground means the plain ground of Medina." [Reported by Muslim, no. 6886]
2. Jaabir (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: "The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Eesaa ibn Maryam will descend, and their leader (the Mahdi) will say, "Come and lead us in prayer," but he will say, "No, one of them should lead them as an honour to this ummah from Allaah. The version narrated by Muslim says: "… Then ‘Eesaa ibn Maryam (peace be upon him) will descend and their leader will say, ‘Come and lead us in prayer,’ but he will say, ‘No, some of you are leaders over others as an honour from Allaah to this ummah.’" [Reported by Muslim, no. 225]
3. Abu Nadra (may Allaah be pleased with him) reported: We were in the company of Jabir b. 'Abdulldh that he said it may happen that the people of Iraq may not send their qafiz and dirhams (their measures of food and their money). We said: Who would be responsible for it? He said: The non Arabs would prevent them. He again said: There is the possibility that the people of Syria may not send their dinar and mudd. We said: Who would be responsible for it? He said : This prevention would be made by the Romans. He (Jabir b. Abdullab) kept quiet for a while and then reported Allaah's Messenger (peace be upon him) having said: "There would be a caliph in the last (period) of my Ummah who would freely give handfuls of wealth to the people without counting it." I said to Abu Nadra and Abu al-'Ala: Do you mean 'Umarb. 'Abd al-Aziz? They said: No (he would be Imam Mahdi).'" [Reported by Muslim 6961]4. Hudhaifah bin Al-Yaman (may Allaah be please with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "...Then, there will be a Caliphate that follows the guidance of Prophethood..." [As-Silsilah As-Sahihah, vol. 1, no. 5]
How long is the Mahdi's reign?
1. Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri (may Allaah be please with him) reported that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "... He will rule for seven or eight years." [Mustadrak al-Haakim, 4/557-558; he said: this is a hadeeth whose isnaad is saheeh, although it was not reported by al-Bukhaari and Muslim. Al-Dhahabi agreed with him, and al-Albaani said: this is a saheeh sanad, and its men are thiqaat (trustworthy), Silsilat al-ahaadeeth al-saheehah, vol. 2, p. 336, hadeeth 771]
1. Be from among the family of Prophet (peace be upon him), among the descendants of Fatima (may Allah be pleased with her);
2. Have a broad forehead and pointed noise;
3. Appear in one night;
4. Have same name as the Messenger, Muhammad bin Abdullah (peace be upon him);
5. Escape from Madina to Makkah where people will pledge allegiance to him;
6. Receive pledge and help of Iraqi people;
7. Fight in battles;
8. Rule over the Arabs for seven or Eight years according to Sunnah;
9. Spread justice and equity on earth;
10. Eradicate tyranny and oppression;
11. Lead a prayer in Mosque of Sinai which Jesus (peace be with him) will follow in;
12. NOT be the same individual as the Promised Messiah (Jesus).
13. Allaah will grant him rain, the earth will bring forth its fruits,
14. He will give a lot of money, cattle will increase and the ummah will become great.
15. He is one, behind whom ‘Eesaa ibn Maryam will pray.
I want to emphasis here as mentioned before, the ahaadeeth concerning the appearance of the Mahdi reach the level of mutawatir (tradition which was narrated by so many reputable people through so many chains that it is inconceivable that they could all have agreed on a lie). The imaams and scholars of this ummah have stated this and a few of their comments are quoted below:
1. Al-Haafiz Abu’l-Hasan al-Aabiri said: "The mutawaatir reports from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) describing the Mahdi are very many. They state that the Mahdi will be of his family, that he will rule for seven years, that he will fill the earth with justice, that ‘Eesaa ibn Maryam will emerge and help him to kill the Dajjaal, and that he will lead this ummah in prayer and ‘Eesaa will pray behind him."
2. Muhammad al-Barzanji said, in his book al-Ishaa’ah li Ashraat al-Saa’ah: "The major signs and the signs that will be immediately followed by the Hour: these signs are many, of which the Mahdi will be the first. Know that the ahaadeeth that have been narrated about him in various reports are numerous." He also said: "You know that the ahaadeeth which speak of the Mahdi, his appearance at the end of time, and his lineage and descent from the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon Him) via Faatimah reach the level of tawaatur in meaning, so there is no point in denying them."
3. Al-‘Allaamah Muhammad al-Safaareeni said: "There are so many reports which speak of the appearance of the Mahdi that they reach the level of tawaatur in meaning; they are very popular among the scholars of Sunnah and have become part of their faith." Then he quotes a number of ahaadeeth and reports about the appearance of the Mahdi and the names of the Sahaabah from whom they were narrated: "Many reports were narrated from the Sahaabah whose names were mentioned and others whose names were not mentioned, may Allaah be pleased with them all, and from the Taabi’een after them, all of which proves that this is definitive knowledge. Belief in the appearance of the Mahdi is obligatory, as it has been confirmed by the scholars and is listed among the beliefs of Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah."
4. Al-‘Allaamah al-Mujtahid al-Shawkaani said: "The ahaadeeth that we have come across that speak of the awaited Mahdi reach the level of tawaatur, including fifty saheeh, hasan and da’eef munjabar ahaadeeth. There are mutawaatir without a doubt; indeed they are more mutawaatir than others, according to all the standards of usool. There are also many reports from the Sahaabah that speak about the Mahdi and that reach the level of marfoo’, so there is no room for individual opinions in such an issue."
5. Al-‘Allaamah al-Shaykh Siddeeq Hasan Khaan said: "Even though there are different versions of reports concerning the Mahdi, they are so many that they reach the level of tawaatur in meaning. They are to be found in al-Sunan and other books of Islam."
6. Al-Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ja’far al-Kattaani said: "The conclusion is that the ahaadeeth narrated concerning the Mahdi are mutawaatir, as are the ahaadeeth concerning the Dajjaal and the descent of ‘Eesaa ibn Maryam, upon whom be peace."
You should be aware that some liars have fabricated ahaadeeth about the Mahdi and others have even claimed to be he, or that he belongs to a group other than Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah. Some of these "false mahdis" have tried to deceive the slaves of Allaah for some worldly gain and to distort the picture of Islaam. Some have started movements and revolutions and gathered those people and supporters whom they were able to deceive. Then they were destroyed, and their lies and falsehood were exposed. None of this affects the belief of Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah in the Mahdi, upon whom be peace, and that he will undoubtedly appear and rule the earth in accordance with Islamic Sharee’ah (jurisprudent).
*Important narration by Hudhaifah bin Al-Yaman reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
"Prophethood (meaning himself) will remain with you for as long as Allah wills it to remain, then Allah will raise it up wherever he wills to raise it up. Afterwards, there will be a Caliphate that follows the guidance of Prophethood remaining with you for as long as Allah wills it to remain. Then, He will raise it up whenever He wills to raise it up. Afterwards, there will be a reign of violently oppressive rule (the reign of Muslim kings who are partially unjust) and it will remain with you for as long as Allah wills it to remain. Then, there will be a reign of tyrannical rule and it will remain for as long as Allah wills it to remain. Then, Allah will raise it up whenever He wills to raise it up. Then, there will be a Caliphate that follows the guidance of Prophethood."
Then Hudhaifah said, "The Prophet stopped speaking." [As-Silsilah As-Sahihah, vol. 1, no. 5]
A Caliphate That Follows the Guidance of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) mentioned that just before the end of this world, the Muslim nation will be ruled by a Caliphate that will follow the guidance sent with the Messenger of Allah.
The reason behind mentioning this Hadith here is to state that Al-Mahdi will live in the last period of rightly guided Caliphs that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) mentioned himself.
In this Hadith, the Messenger of Allah divided the history of the Muslim nation into the following stages:
1. The reign of the Prophet Muhammad
2. A Caliphate that rules according to the guidance revealed to the Messenger of Allah sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam This period is called the reign of the rightly guided Caliphs, starting with Abu Bakr, then Umar, then Uthman and ending with the murder of Ali bin Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased withthem all. Some scholars included the short reign of Al-Hasan bin Ali, the grandson of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). These are the thirty years which the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) stated comprised the reign of the rightly guided Caliphs [The Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam said? "The Caliphate will remain in my nation after me for thirty years. Then, it will be a monarchy after that." [Ahmad, Tirmidhi and others, Sahih Al-Jami` ' As-Saghir no. 3341].
3. The reign of unjust rule. This reign contains some injustice to a varying degree between one king and another. This period started after Al-Hasan bin Ali and includes the Umayyad, Abbasid, Mamluks and until the fall of the Ottoman State in the twentieth century.
This period includes all states that ruled in the Muslim World during those centuries. However, we exclude the reign of those rulers whose rule was similar to the rule of the rightly guided Caliphs, such as the reign of Abdullah bin Az-Zubayr and Umar bin Abdul-Aziz. These two are considered among the just Caliphs from among the tribe of Quraish who ruled or will rule the Muslim nation.
4. The reign of the tyrannical rule. This period started in the end of the Ottoman state and continues. We ask Allah that He saves us from the evils of this period and that we witness its end soon.
This reign includes all the regimes that ruled the Muslim World, whether imperial, party oriented, governments controlled by the disbelievers which all sought to deprive Allah's right as the Only Legislator in all matters of life and religion.
When the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) mentioned the periods that this nation will experience, he categorized them according to the type of government, whether unjust, or follows the guidance of the Prophet, or tyrannical as we experience today.
5. The return of a Caliphate that rules following the guidance of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). This period requires the Muslims to be prepared and strive for its imminent coming, by spreading the knowledge of the Book and the Sunnah and the way of our righteous ancestors, As-Salaf As-Salih. Until this final period comes, the religion will become a stranger, the same way it started in Makkah, a stranger to its masters and slaves, the powerful and the weak, its women, and its children.
Those who will strive to establish this righteous period are those ghurabaa (strangers) as the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) called them, who will carry this religion with knowledge, sound comprehension and determination. They will willingly sacrifice their well-being, face hardships, and persecution, with patience and steadfastness. They will follow the advice of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) when he said,
"Therefore, hold fast to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the rightly guided Caliphs, hold it between your front teeth! And beware of innovations (in the religion), for every innovation is a bid'ah, and every bid'ah is a deviation, and every deviation is in the Fire." [Sahih Al-Jami ' As-Saghir, no. 2549]
We ask Allah, the Praised and Ever-High One, that He grants us steadfastness on the path of His Messenger sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam and the path taken by the companions and those who followed their lead until the Day of Judgment.