who is Imam Mahdi?
The term "MAHDI" is a title meaning "The Guided one".
Hadhrat Abdullah bin Mas'ood (R.A.) says that Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) said, "This world will not come to an end until one person from my progeny does not rule over the Arabs, and his name will be the same as my name." (Tirmidhi)
Hadhrat Ali (R.A.) narrates that Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) 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 initally was filled with oppression." (Abu Dawood)
His Features:
Hadhrat Abu Saeed Khudri (R.A.) relates that Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) 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."
Other ahadeeth inform us that:
* He will be tall
* He will be fair complexioned
* His facial features will be similar to those of Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam)
* His character will be exactly like that of Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam)
* His father's name will be Abdullah
* His mother's name will be Aamina
* He will speak with a slight stutter and occasionally this stutter will frustrate him causing him to hit his hand upon his thigh.
* His age at the time of his emergence will be forty years
* He will receive Knowledge from Allah.
His Emergence and Rule:
Hadhrat Umme Salmah (R.A.) narrates that Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) 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 Madinah) 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)
According to a Hadeeth, Sayyidena Eesa (A.S.) will lead the Janaazah of Imam Mahdi (A.S.).
While the people will be pledging their allegiance to Imaam Mahdi, a voice from the unseen will call out:
"This is the representative of Allah,
The Mahdi, listen to him and obey him"
This announcement which will be heard by all those present will establish his authenticity. Another sign which will indicate the authenticity of Imaam Mahdi wil be that in the Ramadhaan prior to his emergence an eclipse of the sun and moon will occur.
Hadhrat Abu Umamah (R.A.) says that Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) said: "There will be four peace agreements between you and the Romans. The fourth agreement will be mediated through a person who will be from the progeny of Hadhrat Haroon (A.S.) and will be upheld for seven years."
The people asked: "O Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam), who will be the Imaam of the people at the time?"
Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) said: "He will be from my progeny and will be forty years of age. His face will shine like a star and he will have a black spot on his left cheek. He will don two "Qutwaani" cloaks and will appear exactly as a person from the Bani Israeel..." (Tabrani)
According to hadith narrated by Abu Saeed Khudri (R.A.) Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) said: "...(regarding the rule of Imaam Mahdi) the skies will rain down in abundance and the earth will yield forth its crop in abundance, and those alive will desire that those who have already passed away should have been alive to enjoy this prosperity..."
Hadhrat Buraidah (R.A.) says that Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) said: "There will be many armies after me. You must join that army which will come from Khurasaan." (Ibn Adi)
Abu Hurairah (R.A.) says that Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) said: "(Armies carrying) black flags will come from Khurasaan. No power will be able to stop them and they will finally reach Eela (Baitul Maqdas) where they will erect their flags."
from: "Signs of Qiyamah"
by Mohammed Ali Ibn Zubair Ali.
Traditions have been reported mentioning the signs for the time of the appearance of the Imam who will arise (qa'im), peace be on him, and the events which will take place before his appearance, together with the indications and features of it. Among them are: The Sufyani
the land will be swallowed up at al-Bayda'; it will be swallowed in the east-it will be swallowed up in the west; the sun will stay still from the time of its decline to the middle of the time for the afternoon prayer; it will rise from the west; a pure soul (nafs zakiyya) will be killed in the outskirts of Kufa with seventy righteous men; a Hashimite will be slaughtered between the corner (of the Ka'ba) and the station of Abraham); the wall of the mosque of Kufa will be destroyed; black standards will advance from Khurasan; al-Yamani will come out in revolt; al-Maghribi will appear in Egypt and take possession of it from Syria; the Turk will occupy the region of al-Jazira; the Byzantines will occupy Ramla; the star will appear in the east giving light just like the moon gives light; then (the new moon) will bend until its two tips almost meet; a colour will appear in the sky and spread to its horizons; a fire will appear for a long time in the east remaining in the air for three or seven days; the Arabs will throw off the reins and take possession of their land, throwing out the foreign authority; the people of Egypt will kill their ruler and destroy Syria; and three standards will dispute over it (Syria); the standards of Qays and the Arabs will come among the people of Egypt; the standards of Kinda (will go) to Khurasan; horses will come from the west until they are stabled in al-Hira; the black standards will advance towards them from the east; the Euphrates will flood so that the water comes into the alleys of Kufa; sixty liars will come forward, all of them claiming prophethood, and twelve will come forward from the family of Abu Talib, all of them claiming the Imamate; a man of important rank of the supporters of the 'Abbasids will be burnt between Jalula' and Khaniqin; the bridge next to Karkh in the city of Baghdad will be established; a black wind will raise it at the beginning of the day and then an earthquake will occur so that much of it will be swallowed up;
fear will cover the people of Iraq and Baghdad; swift death (will occur) there and there will be a loss of property, lives and harvests;locusts will appear at their usual times and at times not usual so that they attack agricultural land and crops and there will be little harvest for what the people planted; two kinds of foreigners will dispute and much blood will be shed in their quarrel; slaves will rebel against obedience to their masters and kill their masters (mawali); a group of heretics (ahl al-bida) will be transformed until they become monkeys and pigs; slaves will conquer the land of their masters; a cry (will come) from the sky (in such a way) that all the people will hear it in their own languages; a face and a chest will appear in the sky before the people in the centre of the sun; the dead will arise from their graves so that they will return to the world and they will recognize one another and visit one another; that will come to an end with twenty- four continous rainstorms and the land will be revived by them after being dead and it will recognize its blessings; after that every disease will be taken away from those of the Shia of the Mahdi, peace be on him, who believe in the truth; at that time they will know of his
appearance in Mecca and they will go to him to support him.
(These signs) are as the reports have mentioned. Among the total of
these events are some which are bound (to happen) and other which
are conditional. God knows best what will take place. We have only
mentioned them on the basis of what is recounted in basic sources of
tradition (usul) because of their inclusion in traditions which have
been handed down. From God we seek help and Him do we ask for
success.
[Abu al-Hasan 'Ali b. Bilal al-Muhallabi informed me:
Muhammad b. Jafar al-Mu'addib told me on the authority of
Ahmad b. Idris, on the authority of 'Ali b. Muhammad b. Qutayba,
on the authority of al-Fadl b. Shadhan, on the authority of Ismaeil b.
al-Sabbah, who said: I heard an old man among our colleagues
mention on the authority of Sayf b. Umayra, who said:]
I (i.e. Sayf b. 'Umayra) was with Abu Jafar al-Mansur and he said
to me of his own accord: "There will certainly be a voice calling from
the sky the name of a man from the descendants of Abu Talib."
"May I be your ransom, Commander of the faithful," I said, "do
you relate that?"
"Indeed, by Him in Whose hands is my life," he replied, "because
my own ears have heard it."
"Commander of the faithful," I said, "this tradition which you
have heard is before my time."
"Sayf, it is the truth," he told me. "When it happens, we will be the
first to answer it. Indeed the call will be for a man from the
descendants of our uncle."
"A man from the descendants of Fatima, peace be on her?" I
asked.
"Yes," he replied. "Sayf, if it was not for the fact that I have heard
from Abu Jafar Muhammad b. Ali (al-Baqir), who told me about it,
even though all the people of the earth have told me about it, I would
not accept it from them. However it was Muhammad b. Ali (al-
Baqir), peace be on them, (who told me)."
[Yahya b. Abi Talib reported on the authority of Ali b. Asim, on
the authority of Ata' b. al-Sa'ib, on the authority of his father on the
authority of Abd Allah b. Umar, who said:]
The Apostle of God, may God bless him and his family, said: "The
hour (of the end of the world) will not arise until the Mahdi from my
descendants comes forth. The Mahdi will not come forth until sixty
liars come forward, all of them declaring: 'I am a prophet.' "
[al-Fadl b. Shadhan reported on the authority of one who reported
it on the authority of Abu Hamza al-Thumali, who said:]
I (i.e. Abu Hamza al-Thumali) asked Abu Jafar (al-Baqir), peace
be on him: "Is the revolt of the Sufyani one of the things which must
happen?"
"Yes," he replied. "The call is one of the things which must happen
as is the rising of the sun from the west one of the things which must
happen. The dispute of the Abbasids over the state is also one of
them and the killing of the pure soul (al-nafs al-zakiyya). The
appearance of the one who will arise (al-qa'im) from the family of
Muhammad, may God bless him and his family, is another of the
things which must happen."
"How will the call be?" I asked.
"There will be a call from the sky at the beginning of the dayù
indeed the truth is with Ali; and his Shia,'' he said. "Then at the end
of the day, Satan will call from the earth - indeed the truth is with
Uthman and his supporters. At that the false one will feel doubt."
[al-Hasan b. Ali al-Washsha' (reported) on the authority of
Ahmad b. A'idh, on the authority of Abu Khadija, on the authority
of Abu Abd Allah (Ja'far al-Sadiq, peace be on him:]
(Jafar al-Sadiq) said: "The one who will arise (al-qa'im) will not
come forth until twelve of the Banu Hashim come forth before him,
all of them summoning men to themselves."
[Muhammad b. Abi al-Bilad (reported) on the authority of Ali b.
Muhammad al-Azdi, on the authority of his father, on the authority
of his grandfather, who said:]
The Commander of the faithful, peace be on him, said: "Before the
one who will arise (al-qa'im), there will be red death and white death;
there will be locusts at their usual time and at their unusual time like
the colours of blood. As for red death that is (from) the sword,while
white death is (from) plague."
[al-Hasan b. Mahbub (reported) on the authority of 'Amr b. Abi
Miqdam, on the authority of Jabir al-Jufi on the authority of Abu-
Jafar (al-Baqir), peace be on him:]
(Al-Baqir) said: "Stay close to the ground. Don't move an arm or a
leg until you see the signs which I will mention to youùI don't think
that you will live until that time. The Abbasids will dispute; a voice
will call from the sky; one of the villages of Syria called
al-Jabiyya will be swallowed up; the Turks will occupy the region of al-Jazira;
the Byzantines will attack al-Ramla; at that time there will be much
conflict throughout the land until Syria is destroyed. The cause of its
destruction will be the meeting of three standards there: the standard
of the Red, the standard of the Spotted and the standard of the
Sufyam."
[Ali b. Abi Hamza (reported) on the authority of Abu al-Hasan
Musa, peace be on him:]
Concerning the words of Him, the Mighty and High: We will show
them our signs on the horizons and in themselves so that it will become
clear to them that it is the truth [XLI 53], (Musa) said: "(There will be)
a disturbance on the horizons and the enemies of truth will be
changed in form."
[Wahb b. (Abi) Hafs (reported) on the authority of Abu Basir, who
said:]
I (i.e. Abu Basir) heard Abu Jafar (al-Baqir) speak concerning the
words of Him, the Exalted: If We wish, We will send down on them
signs from the sky, and their necks will remain bent submissively to
them (XXVI 4). He said: "God will do that to them."
"Who are they?" I asked.
"The Umayyads and their supporters," he answered.
"What is the sign?" I asked.
"Between the decline of the sun (at noon) and the time of the
afternoon prayer, the sun will remain still," he said. "The chest and
face of man will appear in the centre of the sun, who will be
recognized by his standing and genealogy. That will occur in the time
of the Sufyani. At that moment his destruction will occur and the
destruction of his people."
[Abd Allah b. Bukayr (reported) on the authority of Abd al-
Malik b. Ismail, on the authority of his father, on the authority of
Said b. Jubayr:]
(Sa'id b. Jubayr) said: "In the year in which the Mahdl will rise,
twenty rain storms will rain on the earth. You will see their effects and
benefits."
[al-Fadl b. Shadhan (reported) on the authority of Ahmad b.
Muhammad b. Abi Nasr , on the authority of Thalaba al-Azdi, who
said:]
Abu Jafar (al-Baqir), peace be on him, said: "Two signs will come
before the one who will arise (al-qa'im), peace be on him: there will be
an eclipse of the sun in the middle of the month of Ramadan and an
eclipse of the moon at the end of it."
"Son of the Apostle of God," I said, "usually the eclipse of the sun
occurs at the end of the month and the eclipse of the moon occurs in
the middle of it?"
"I know what I have said," replied Abu Jafar (al-Baqir), peace be
on him. "They are signs which have not occurred since Adam came
down."
[Thalaba b. Maymun (reported) on the authority of Shuayb al-
Haddad, on the authority of Salih. b. Maytham, who said:]
I (i.e. Salih b. Maytham) heard Abu Jafar (al-Baqir), peace be on
him, say: "There is no longer than fifteen nights between the
appearance of the one who will rise (al-qa'im), peace be on him, and
the killing of the pure soul (al-nafs al-zakiyya)."
[Amr b Shamir (reported) on the authority of Jabir (al-Jufi) who
said:]
I (i.e. Jabir al-Jufi) said to Abu Ja'far (al-Baqir), peace be on him:
"When will this event occur?"
"Jabir, that will occur at a time when the killing between al-Hira
and Kufa is considerable," he replied.
[Muhammad b. Sinan (reported) on the authority of al-Husayn b.
al-Mukhtar, on the authority of Abu Abd Allah (Jafar al-Sadiq),
peace be on him:]
(Ja'far al-Sadiq) said: "When the wall of the mosque of Kufa,
which adjoins the house of Abd Allah b. Masud is destroyed, then at
that time the ruler of the people will disappear. At his disappearance,
the one who will rise (al-qai'im), peace be on him, will come forth."
[Sayf b. 'Umayra (reported) on the authority of Bakr b.
Muhammad, on the authority of Abu 'Abd Allah (Jafar al-Sadiq),
peace be on him:]
(Jafar al-Sadiq) said: "There will be three appearances in one year,
one month and one dayùthe Sufyani, the Khurasani and the
Yamam. The standard of guidance will not be among them, except
the standard of the Yamani, because he will summon (people) to the
truth."
[al-Fadl b. Shadhan (reported) on the authority of Ahmad b.
Muhammad b. Abi Nasr, on the authority of Abu al-Hasan al-Rida,
peace be on him:]
(Al-Rida) said: "What you stretch your necks for will not occur
until you are able to discern and to be tested. Only a few of you will
remain."
Then he recited: Alif Lam. Do the people consider that they can
abandon saying " We believe whenever they are tempted? [XXIX 1-2].
He said: "Among the signs of the relief is an event which will occur
between the two mosques (of Mecca and Medina). So-and-so from
the descendants of so-and-so will kill fifteen leaders of the Arabs."
[Al-Fadl b. Shadhan (reported) on the authority of Muammar b.
Khallad, on the authority of Abu al-Hasan (al-Rida), peace be on
him:]
(Al-Rida) said: "(It is as if I see) standards, dyed green, coming
from Egypt until they come to the Syrian (standards). Then they will
be guided to the descendant of the one who gave the testamentary
bequests of authority (to the Imams)."
[Hammad b. Isa (reported) on the authority of Ibrahim b. Umar
al-Yamani on the authority of Abu Basir, on the authority of Abu
Abd Allah (Jafar al-Sadiq), peace be on him:]
(Jafar al-Sadiq) said: "The kingdom of these men will not
disappear until they slaughter people in Kufa on Friday. It is as if I
was looking at heads falling between the Gate of al-Fil and (the place
of) the soap-sellers."
[Ali b. Asbat (reported) on the authority of (Abu) al-Hasan b. al-
Jahm, who said:]
A man asked Abu al-Hasan (Musa), peace be on him, about the
relief. He asked: "Do you want most of it or shall I give you a
summary?"
"Would you give me a summary?" he said.
"(It will be) when the standards of Qays are carried in Egypt and
the standards of Kinda in Khurasan," he replied.
[Al-Husayn b. Abi 'Ala' (reported) on the authority of Abu Basir,
on the authority of Abu Abd Allah (Ja'far al-Sadiq), peace be on
him:]
(Jafar al-Sadiq) said: "Because of the sons of so-and-so there will
be a battle at your mosqueùmeaning the mosque of Kufa. On one
Friday four thousand will be killed between the Gate of al-Fil to (the
place of) the soap-sellers. Beware of this street. Avoid it. Those who
are in the best situation will take the street of the Ansar."
[Ali b. Abi Hamza (reported) on the authority of Abu Basir, on
the authority of Abu 'Abd Allah (Jafar al-Sadiq), peace be on him:]
(Jafar al-Sadiq) said: "Before (the coming of) the one who will rise
(al-qa'im), peace be on him, there will be a year of abundant rain in
which the fruits and the dates on the palms will be destroyed. But
don't complain of that."
[Ibrahim b. Muhammad (reported) on the authority of Ja'far b.
Sad, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Abu Abd
Allah (Jafar al-Sadiq), peace be on him:]
(Jafar al-Sadiq) said: "In the year of the Conquest (by the Mahdi)
the Euphrates will flood so that the water goes into the alleys of
Kufa."
[It is reported in the account (hadith) of Muhammad b. Muslim,
who said:]
I (i.e. Muhammad b. Muslim) heard Abu Abd Allah (Jafar al-
Sadiq), peace be on him, say: "Before (the coming) of the one who
will rise (al-qaim) there will be a trial from God."
"May I be your ransom, what is that?" I asked him.
He recited: Let Us test you with fear, with hunger, and with lack of
money, of lives and of harvests. Good news will come to those who are
steadfast [II 55]. Then he said: "The fear will be from the kings of the
Banu so-and-so; the hunger will be as a result of exorbitant prices; the
lack of money will be due to the failure of trade and the scarcity of
surplus (goods) in it; the lack of lives will be because of swift death;
the lack of harvest will be due to the great rains and the little benefit
they bring to the crops." Then he continued: "The good news for
those who are steadfast is that the one who will rise (al-qa'im) will
soon come forth."
[Al-Husayn b. Sa'id (reported) on the authority of Mundhir al-
Jawzi, on the authority of Abu Abd Allah (Jafar al-Sadiq), peace be
on him:]
(Mundhir al-Jawzi) said: I heard (Ja'far al-Sadiq) say: "Before the
coming of the one who will rise (al-qa'im), peace be on him, the people
will be chided for their acts of disobedience by a fire which will appear
in the sky and a redness which will cover the sky. It will swallow up
Baghdad, it will swallow up Kufa. There blood will be shed and
houses destroyed. Death (fana) will occur amid their people and a
fear will come over the people of Iraq from which they shall have no
rest."
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