Is the Mahdi Real?

Praise be to Allah.

Hadiths about Imam Al-Mahdi

There are authentic Hadiths that indicate that the Mahdi (peace be upon him) will appear at the end of time. He is one of the signs of the Hour.

Among these Hadiths are the following:

•  Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (Peace & Blessings of Allah be upon Him) said: "At the end of the time of my Ummah, the Mahdi will appear. Allah 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. (Narrated in Mustadrak Al-Hakim, 4/557-558; he said: this is a Hadith whose chain of narration is authentic, although it was not reported by Al-Bukhari and Muslim. Adh-Dhahabi agreed with him, and Al-Albani said: this is an authentic chain of narration, and its men are trustworthy, Silsilat Al-Ahadith As-Sahihah, vol. 2, p. 336, Hadith 771)

• `Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "The Messenger of Allah (Peace & Blessings of Allah be upon Him) said: The Mahdi is one of us, a member of my family. Allah will guide him in a single night." (Narrated by Ahmad in Al-Musnad, 2/58, Hadith 645, edited by Ahmad Shakir, who said: its chain of narration is authentic; Sunan Ibn Majah, 2/1367. This hadith was also classed as authentic by Al-Albani in Sahih Al-Jami` As-Saghir, 6735).

Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "This means that Allah will forgive him, grant him help, inspire him and guide him, when he was not like this before." (End quote from An-Nihayah fi Al-Fitan wal-Malahim, 1/29; edited by Taha Zayni).

• Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "The Messenger of Allah (Peace & Blessings of Allah be upon Him) said: The Mahdi is of my lineage, with a high forehead and a long, thin, curved 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." (Narrated in Sunan Abu Dawud, Kitab Al-Mahdi, 11/375, Hadith 4265; Mustadrak Al-Hakim, 4/557, who said: this is an authentic Hadith according to the conditions of Muslim, although it was not reported by Al-Bukhari and Muslim. (See also Sahih Al-Jami`, 6736)

• Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: "I heard the Messenger of Allah (Peace & Blessings of Allah be upon Him) say: The Mahdi is of my lineage and family, from the descendants of Fatimah." (Narrated in Sunan Abu Dawud, 11/373 and Sunan Ibn Majah, 2/1368. Al-Albani said that it is authentic in Sahih Al-Jami`, 6734)

• Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "The Messenger of Allah (Peace & Blessings of Allah be upon Him) said: `Isa 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 Allah."" The version narrated by Muslim says: " Then `Isa 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 Allah to this Ummah." (Narrated by Muslim, 225)

• 6. Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "The Messenger of Allah (Peace & Blessings of Allah be upon Him) said: "He is one of us, behind whom `Isa ibn Maryam will pray." (Narrated by AbuNa`im in Akhbar Al-Mahdi. Al-Albani said it is authentic; see Al-Jami` Al-Saghir, 5/219, Hadith 5796)

• Abdullah ibn Mas`ud (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (Peace & Blessings of Allah be upon Him) said: "The world will not come to an end until the Arabs are ruled by a man from my family whose name will be the same as mine." (Narrated in Musnad Ahmad, 5/199, Hadith 3573. Another version says: "whose name is the same as mine and whose fathers name is the same as my fathers." Sunan Abu Dawud, 11/370).

Scholarly Opinions on Hadiths about the Mahdi

The Hadiths concerning the appearance of the Mahdi reach the level of Tawatur in meaning (Tawatur refers to a Hadith which was narrated by so many people through so many chains of narrations that it is inconceivable that they could all have agreed on a lie).

The Imams and scholars of this Ummah have stated this, and a few of their comments are quoted below:

• Al-Hafidh Abu Al-Hasan Al-Abiri (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "The Mutawatir reports from the Prophet (Peace & Blessings of Allah 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 `Isa ibn Maryam will emerge and help him to kill the Dajjal, and that he will lead this Ummah in prayer and `Isa will pray behind him."

• Muhammad Al-Barzanji (may Allah have mercy on him) said, in his book Al-Isha`ah li Ashrat Al-Sa`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 Hadiths that have been narrated about him in various reports are numerous." He also said: "You know that the Hadiths which speak of the Mahdi, his appearance at the end of time, and his lineage and descent from the Prophet (Peace & Blessings of Allah be upon Him) via Fatimah reach the level of tawatur in meaning, so there is no point in denying them."

• Muhammad Al-Safarini (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "There are so many reports which speak of the appearance of the Mahdi that they reach the level of Tawatur in meaning; they are very popular among the scholars of Sunnah and have become part of their faith." Then he quotes a number of Hadiths and reports about the appearance of the Mahdi and the names of the Companions from whom they were narrated: "Many reports were narrated from the Companions whose names were mentioned and others whose names were not mentioned, may Allah be pleased with them all, and from the Successors 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 As-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah."

• Ash-Shawkani (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "The Hadiths that we have come across that speak of the awaited Mahdi reach the level of Tawatur, including fifty authentic, sound and weak Hadith that is strengthened by supporting evidence of Hadiths. There are Mutawatir without a doubt; indeed they are more Mutawatir than others, according to all the standards of Usul. There are also many reports from the Companions that speak about the Mahdi and that reach the level of Marfu`, so there is no room for individual opinions in such an issue."

• Ash-Shaykh Siddiq Hasan Khan (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "Even though there are different versions of reports concerning the Mahdi, they are so many that they reach the level of Tawatur in meaning. They are to be found in As-Sunan and other books of Islam."

• Ash-Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ja`far Al-Kattani (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "The conclusion is that the Hadiths narrated concerning the Mahdi are Mutawatir, as are the Hadiths concerning the Dajjal and the descent of `Isa ibn Maryam, upon whom be peace." (See Ashrat Al-Sa`ah by Yusuf ibn `Abdullah Al-Wabil, pp. 195-203)

You should be aware that some liars have fabricated Hadiths about the Mahdi, and others have even claimed to be he, or that he belongs to a group other than Ahl As-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah. Some of these "false Mahdis" have tried to deceive the slaves of Allah for some worldly gain and to distort the picture of Islam. 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 As-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah in the Mahdi, upon whom be peace, and that he will undoubtedly appear and rule the earth in accordance with Islamic Shari`ah.

Refer to these answers for clarification: (10301, 170174, 43840, 34890, 39187)

And Allah knows best.