Fath al-Rabbani

Benefits: … The meaning of "islah" (reformation) here is that Allah, the Exalted, will turn towards him, grant him success, and inspire him with guidance and right-mindedness—qualities which he did not possess before.

Shaykh al-Albani rahimahullah says: Shaykh Ghazali said: "I am but a student; in any case, to the best of my knowledge, there is no explicit hadith mentioning Imam Mahdi, and if there is any clear hadith, it is not authentic."

I (al-Albani) say: Respected Ghazali! Which of the shuyukh have instructed a student like you to deny such narrations? Are they not the theologians (mutakallimun), those poor souls who possess neither knowledge of hadith nor of the narrators of hadith?

What value does this claim have, when on the other hand, the scholars of hadith have established the coming of Imam Mahdi in light of various ahadith? Imam Ghazali should have, in accordance with the principles of authentication and criticism, reviewed the Qur'an and hadith and the rulings and issues derived from them, and not cast Muslims into unnecessary doubt.

My Muslim brother! In the present age, most Muslims have deviated from the straight path; they are seen explaining various texts of the Shari'ah in light of personal inventions and self-made opinions. Some say that Islam will only attain dominance and authority after the emergence of Imam Mahdi (and that before him, there is no possibility of Islam's ascendancy).

This is a baseless claim and misguidance and deviation, which Satan has cast into the hearts of most people, especially the Sufis. Whereas, in all the Prophetic ahadith narrated regarding the coming of Imam Mahdi, not a single one establishes this claim. What is established is that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam gave glad tidings to the Muslims of the appearance of a person who will be from his Ahl al-Bayt, and he will, along with judging by the rulings of Islam, spread justice and fairness. In reality, he will be among those renewers (mujaddidun) whom Allah, the Exalted, sends at the turn of every century. This does not mean that we should abandon striving for knowledge and action for the renewal of the religion.

Similarly, the coming of Imam Mahdi does not mean that we should make no effort for the implementation of Allah's Shari'ah on earth and merely sit in hope of him.

The baseless statements of the common people that we have mentioned—some Sufis and others are aware of them—but when they develop the suspicion that holding the belief in the emergence of Imam Mahdi will necessarily entail these matters, they immediately begin to deny it. This is just like someone saying: "He treated me with something that contained the disease itself." Such people are no different from the Mu'tazilites, who denied predestination (qadar) on the basis that some people used it as an argument for compulsion (jabr). These poor souls, on the one hand, could not refute the argument for compulsion, and on the other, denied something whose belief was obligatory.

One group thinks that Islamic history bears witness that some self-serving and foolish people have exploited the story of Imam Mahdi to plunge people into great tribulations, such as the fitnah caused by Juhayman al-Saudi in the Haram of Makkah. Therefore, it is necessary to deny the coming of Imam Mahdi altogether, so that the mischief of troublemakers may be suppressed. Shaykh Ghazali also alluded to this at the end of his discourse.

Those who give an opinion in favor of this corrupt notion are like those false claimants who, in the last era, denied the descent of 'Isa alayhis salam on the basis that some liars and impostors have stirred up tribulation by presenting themselves as the Promised Messiah, for example, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani. People like Shaykh Shaltut have openly denied the descent of 'Isa alayhis salam, and some do not clarify, but their tongues continue to utter such corrupt ideas. It is possible that I may assert definitively that those who denied the coming of Imam Mahdi have also denied the descent of 'Isa alayhis salam.

In my view, the example of these deniers is like that of a person who denies the divinity of Allah, the Exalted, on the basis that some Pharaohs also claimed divinity; therefore, Allah's being the deity should be denied altogether, so that the Pharaohs may be silenced. {فَھَلْ مِنْ مُّدَّکِرٍ} (Surah al-Qamar: 15) … So is there anyone who will take heed?

(Sahihah: 1529)

The example of these poor souls is like that of a person who, to escape the heat of the sand, plunges into the fire. The truth is that tribulations should be refuted in the light of Shari'ah knowledge and action.