Imam Al-Mahdi

Hazrat Abu Hurairah (radiyallahu anhu) narrates that Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said: 

"If only one day is left for the end of the world, Allah will lengthen that day until a man from my family, whose name will be the same as mine, rules the world.” (Tirmizi Shareef) 

This indicates the emphasis, which The Holy Messenger of Allah Sallallahu alayhi wasallam laid on the coming of Imam Mahdi. 

This booklet contains all the details about the life and advent of Imam Mahdi, and all these facts are derived from authentic Ahadith on this topic. 

There is much speculation nowadays on whether Imam Mahdi has already been born and if so, what would be his present age, and when the impending appearance. Some Ulama have claimed that he is already born.

However, Muslims should realise that mere speculation does not represent concrete evidence upon which any firm and clear-cut ruling could be based. Hence, the best course of action is to believe that Imam Mahdi will appear' before Qiyaamat, but exactly when, only Allah knows. The date and time of his arrival we leave to The Knowledge of Allah. However, Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) did give certain signs, which will herald the arrival of this great Imam. The Ahadith on this issue leave no room for rejecting or even doubting the coming of Imam Mahdi. Neither do the facts leave us in the dark as to recognising this great Imam when he eventually does arrive. 

Details of Imam Mahdi:

The following are facts taken from the Ahadith of Rasulullah( Sallallahu alayhi wasallam): 

Name and Title:

His name will be the same as that of (Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wasallam), i.e. Muhammad. In addition, his father's name will be Abdullah. His title is Al-Mahdi, meaning the guided one. The Holy Prophet Sallallahu alayhi wasallam also called him Khaleefatullah, meaning "the Deputy of Allah". 

Family lineage:                                                

 Imam Mahdi will belong to the tribe of Quraish and the family of Hazrat Fatima (radiyallahu anha), the offspring of Hazrat Imam Hasan (radiyallahu anhu). 

Character:                                                                                                    

He will have the character and morals of Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam). In one night Allah will grant him unique qualities of faith, piety, leadership and knowledge. Hence the title Mahdi. 

Birthplace:

He will be born in Madinah Shareef. 

Physical features:

He will have a broad forehead (with not much hair on the front of his head) and the bridge of his nose will be raised. 

Signs before his appearance as the Mahdi:

The world will be filled with a great amount of injustice and oppression. There will be widespread evil in which all people will be heavily involved. 

Muslim countries and their people will have become so weak that even animals would defeat them in battle. 

Muslims would be totally disunited, hence their state of weakness. On the other hand, the Kuffaar (Jews and Christians) of the whole world would be united under one leader. Their rule would spread over the entire world, and would reach as far as Khaibar, a mere hundred miles from Madinah Shareef. Such would be the dominance of kuffaar during that era. 

The Muslims would also be under severe persecution and oppression from the Khaleefah of that time and they will have no place to run. 

The Ahle Bait (Family of Nabi Muhammad Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) will experience difficulties and persecution. 

Throughout the world earthquakes would occur frequently. Innocent people will be put to death. A man by the name of Haarith Harraath will emerge from beyond the Euphrates river, and before him will be another by the name of Mansoor. The former (i.e. Haarith) will be preparing the minds of Muslims to-accept Imam Mahdi when he comes. He will perform the same task for Imam Mahdi, what the Quraish performed for Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) in Madinah before Hijrat. Mansoor will aid him in this direction. 

It is wajib upon every Muslim to help this Haarith, or to respond to his call.

The Abdaals and pious leaders will all be on the lookout for Imam Mahdi, knowing that only he could bring relief to the failing Ummat. 

There will be a fight in Makkah between three people, each one being the son of a Khaleefah, over leadership of the Muslims. However, none of them will gain the Khilafat. This fight will take place in the month of Zul-Qa'dah, and even in Mina during Hajj, there will be quarrelling. All this will occur in the same year as Imam Mahdi's election. 

An army will come from the East towards Arabia. The East here refers to Khurasan, i.e. northeastern Iran, which includes the borders of the Soviet Union and Afghanistan. They will pave the way for the establishment of Imam Mahdi's kingdom. This army will carry black banners. Nothing shall stop their onward march, and eventually they will plant their flag on the soils of Jerusalem. 

This army will seek the leadership of Arabia. The current leader will refuse to hand over the Khilafat. 

A tremendously fierce battle will ensue, the likes of which Muslims had never yet experienced. The army from Khurasan will be victorious and will eventually be granted the leadership. 

Imam Mahdi's appearnce as the New Khaleefah:

Having gained the right to appoint the new Khaleefah, they will nominate a member of their army, a man from The Holy Prophet's family, for this position. This man will be The Mahdi, who had also joined the ranks of this army when they entered Arabia. 

He will not accept this post and will fleet from Madinah Munawwarah to Makkah Mukarramah. However, his people will be convinced that this is the only man for, the job. And so consequently, a group of people from Makkah will look for him in The Holy City and find him making tawaaf. They will force him to accept the post of Khilafat. Imam Mahdi will reluctantly agree to this offer. They will actually lead him by the hand towards the Hajare Aswad, where people will then formally pledge their allegiance to him as the Khaleefah. This pledge will take place in front of The Holy Ka 'ba, between the Hajare Aswad and the Maqaame Ibraheem, during or just after the days of Hajj. 

At the time of this Bay 'at a voice will call out from the heavens: “This is the appointed Khaleefah of Allah, the Mahdi!”

Initially the number of people to take the bay 'at pledge of allegiance at his hands will be 313, which is the number of Sahaba that took part in the battle of Badr. He will be forty years old at the time of his appointment. 

Protection and acceptance by Allah (SWT):

Immediately upon his appointment as the new Khaleefah Imam Mahdi will witness the direct Help of Allah. A man from the heart of Damascus, known as Sufyaani (from the family of Abu Sufyaan) will begin a horrendous campaign of bloodshed and killing, during which no tribe or community will be left alone. Even women and children will be mercilessly butchered. His chief supporters and followers will be the tribe of Kalb. 

When this Sufyaani hears of Imam Mahdi, he will immediately dispatch an army towards Makkah (where the Mahdi will be). This army will be easily defeated by the Imam and his handful of followers. Then this Sufyaani will himself lead a contingent from Syria towards Makkah to fight against Imam Mahdi. 

This army will be destroyed by an enormous earthquake at Baidaa, a place just after Zhul-Hulaifa, on the way to Makkah. First the rear of the army will be devastated, and when those in front go back to see what had happened, they too will meet the same fate. All but one member of this army will perish, and this sole survivor will take back the news of this disaster. There will be many in this army who had been brought along by force, people who did not intend to oppose Imam Mahdi. Such people would also be destroyed along with the others, but on Qiyaamat they will be raised up according to their intentions. When the story of Divine Help being granted to Imam Mahdi spreads through the Muslim world, the Abdaals of Syria and the pious people of Iraq will come to pledge allegiance to Imam Mahdi and join his ranks. 

Similarly, other Muslim armies from Madinah and elsewhere will also come to Makkah and offer their support and allegiance to Imam Mahdi. 

A man from the Quraish tribe will then emerge and oppose the Imam. This man also will have the backing of the tribe of Kalb. He too will send an army against Imam Mahdi, who will yet again, through The Grace of Allah, inflict heavy defeat on his enemies. 

The Prophet of Allah actually castigated those who do not participate in this battle against the Kalb. The inhabitants of the heavens and the inhabitants of the earth will be pleased with him. 

It will be wajib upon all Muslims who hear of Imam Mahdi to pledge their allegiance and full support to him. 

His leadership, battles, and acheivements:

With his army now bolstered by saintly and pious people Imam Mahdi will defeat his enemies, as we have seen in the initial battles mentioned above. 

He will become the supreme leader and reformer of the Muslim Ummat. 

There will be a great Islamic revival, and this Deen will reign supreme. He will fill the world with justice after it had been plagued with oppression. 

He will practice and lead people according to the Sunnat of Nabi Muhammad (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam). 

He will rule for seven to nine years, with complete justice and righteousness, and all this time Islam will be the predominant religion of the world. . 

During his rule, the Muslims will experience great economic enrichment. There will be no droughts and lands will be exceptionally fertile. The earth will yield crops in abundance and of the best quality. This rich agricultural state will ensure a glut of money and food. In fact, so much that people who come to the Baitul-Maal for assistance will be given as much as they can take away. 

In short the Muslims will live a most luxurious and comfortable life, something they will never ever experience again in this world. 

Imam Mahdi will distribute lands equally among people. Muslims will live in great harmony with each other. Gone will be the days of in fighting, strife and disunity. 

The hearts of people will become so independent of wealth and so dependent on Allah that when an announcement is made for the needy to come forward, only one person will stand up. When this person will be given wealth in such abundance, he will feel ashamed and would want to return the wealth, but the answer will be: "We do not take back what has been given. It's all yours to keep." 

Jerusalem will also be captured by Muslims (as stated earlier under "signs before his appearance"). 

Imam Mahdi will conquer the city of Constantinople (presently known as Istanbul). The story behind this conquest is as follows: 

After the earthquakes, which destroyed his enemies, and the subsequent amassing of Muslim armies under his leadership, the Imam will leave Makkah for Madinah, where he will offer salaam at the Rowzha Mubarak (The Grave of Rasulullah Sallallahu alayhi wasallam). 

Having done this his next step would be to proceed on to Damascus, where the bulk of the Nasaara (Christian) forces would be deployed. 

In Damascus, the Imam will set up his headquarters. From here, he will conduct military operations against the enemies of Islam, and from here, he will rule. 

At a place known as either A 'maaq or Daabiq, somewhere near Allepo Syria, 960,000 Christian forces would be assembled under 80 banners, quite clearly to annihilate the Muslims.

Imam Mahdi will send a battalion of Muslim fighters, from among the best people on earth, to engage them. When the two groups encounter each other face to face, the Romans will request that the Muslims hand over to them those who had fought and captured their Roman brethren. The Muslims will refuse, saying: “We will never hand over our Muslim brothers” thus triggering off a fierce battle. A third of the Muslim army will flee, and Allah will never ever grant them towba (repentance). A third will be slain, and they will be the noblest martyrs in The Sight of Allah. The surviving third will be victorious, never to suffer defeat thereafter. 

This battle will last four days. Each day the Muslim troops will resolve on oath that they will not return but as victors. For three days, they will fail to crush the enemy, with many men becoming martyrs. On the fourth day, the Christians will falter and succumb to a tremendous onslaught from the remaining Muslim troops. The ensuing slaughter will be unprecedented in history. This decimation will utterly shatter the morale of the Christians. 

Thus, Imam Mahdi will smash the might of the non-Muslims forces in that period, forces which had come together from all parts of the world. 

Pressing forward, the next destination will be Turkey. From the Syrian coast, Imam Mahdi will dispatch seventy thousand soldiers of the Banu Ishaq tribe to conquer Constantinople. They will cross the Mediterranean Sea, bound for Turkey and will conquer Istanbul without the use of a single weapon. Parts of the city will collapse upon the Takbeer and Tahleel of these warriors. They will recite' Laa ilaha ilial-laahu wallahu Akbar' and simply walk over the city. The   Muazhzhins of the Muslims will then establish the five times daily azhaan throughout the city. 

This will occur about six years after Imam Mahdi had come to power. 

Imam Mahdi will also arrive at Constantinople and set up the structure for his rule, appoint people to govern there and most importantly, make arrangements for the implementation of Islamic law. 

This conquest will deliver untold fortunes into the hands of the Muslims. As he and his men busy, themselves capturing and rounding up these vast riches a rumour will spread that "the Dajjaal has broken loose in Syria and is wreaking havoc among your families.” This news will be very disturbing to the Imam, and so consequently, he will hurriedly leave for Syria. In the meantime, ten men will be sent ahead to ascertain the truth. About these ten The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said: “ I know their names and the names of their fathers they will be among the best warriors in that era.” Nabi e Kareem (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) even knew the colour of their horses. 

One of them will report that the whole story is false. Dajjaal has not yet emerged. This was a lie fabricated by Shaitaan to try and disrupt the progress of the Muslims. Imam Mahdi will resume his return journey to Syria with greater ease and comfort once he learns that Dajjaal is not yet loose. 

He will stop over in all the towns and cities along the route to survey the situation and make necessary arrangements for government. 

Meanwhile the conquerors of Istanbul will march on and invade parts of Western Europe (Greece, Italy, etc.) in the same manner, with the Takbeer and Kalimah. All this area will fall under the rule of Imam Mahdi. 

A few weeks after Imam Mahdi reaches Damascus the great imposter, Dajjaal will now truly emerge and begin his campaign of mischief and corruption. 

Since the Dajjaal will have a large following of mainly Jews and illegitimate people (those born out of marriage), the Muslims under Imam Mahdi will resume preparations for war.               They will be busy arranging the formation of their troops during the time of Fajr. The jamaat salaah will be almost about to start when suddenly Sayyidina Eesa (Alayhis salaam) will descend from the heavens and join the ranks of Muslims for salaah. He will lead the Fajr salaah. 

After the slaying of Dajjaal by Nabi Eesa, Imam Mahdi will not live for very long. A few months will elapse and this great Imam, a man who provided the perfect sequel to Allah's Supreme Religion -ISLAM, will pass on to the realms of the hereafter. The Muslims will perform his Janaaza salaah and bury him. The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) warned that there would be no better in life after Imam Mahdi. 

All the above happenings are taken from the authentic Ahadith of Rasulullah( Sallallahu alayhi wasallam). Therefore, the fulfillment of these prophecies will leave absolutely no doubt in the, minds of even the most ardent critics or sceptics, as to the veracity and truthfulness of Our Noble Prophet (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam).

The Shia's beliefs:

The facts mentioned thus far totally refute the false beliefs of the Shia sect regarding Imam Mahdi. In the book Tuhfaa lthnaa Ashriyya written by Hazrat Shah Abdul Azeez Dahlwi (Rahmatullaahi alayhi) the Shia beliefs concerning Imam Mahdi are recorded as follows: 

• The Shias believe in twelve Imams, the first being Hazrat Ali (radhiyallahu anhu) and the last being Imam Mahdi. 
• When Imam Mahdi was a child, he fled from his enemies and went to hide in a cave in the city of Samarra, Iraq. He is still hiding in that cave till this very day. 
• He will emerge from that cave a thousand years after entering it, with a sword in his hand to slay his enemies. This will be before Qiyaamat. This means that the Mahdi, which they are awaiting, will be over a thousand years old! 
• His name will be Muhammad bin Hasan Askari. 
• Their Mahdi is invincible, so none has the power to kill him. 
• For centuries now the Shias make regular dua to Allah to bring out their Mahdi. 

The above are beliefs that followers of the Shia religion maintain. Compare this to what we have read from the authentic Ahadith of Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) and you will quickly see the falsehood and deception in the Shia beliefs. Their Mahdi does not exist, except as a figment of their imagination. It is one big myth, which vehemently conflicts with the true teachings of Islam. 

May Allah save all Muslims from such un-Islamic and false beliefs, and grant us all the correct understanding of Imam Mahdi's coming, Ameen. 

Article taken (with Thanks) from JamiatKZN