Authored by: Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Amrpuri
According to the consensus of Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama'ah, based on the consistent (Mutawatir) narrations, it is believed that Imam Mahdi's name will be Muhammad bin Abdullah. He will be from the descendants of Sayyida Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her), and he will emerge near the end of times, establishing justice and equity across the world.
The scholars of the religion are unanimous in the belief that the narrations concerning the emergence of Imam Mahdi are authentic and constitute authoritative evidence. Below are the opinions of a few scholars on this matter:
Imam Abu Ja'far Muhammad bin Amr bin Musa bin Hammad Al-Aqeeli (d. 322 AH) states:
"There are excellent narrations regarding Imam Mahdi."[Al-Du’afa Al-Kabir by Al-Aqeeli 254/3]
Imam Abu Bakr Ahmad bin Al-Husayn bin Ali bin Musa Al-Bayhaqi (384-458 AH) mentions:
"The narrations regarding the specific emergence of Imam Mahdi are more authentic in their chains, and they clarify that he will be from the family of the Prophet (peace be upon him)."[Tarikh Ibn Asakir: 517/47, Tahdhib al-Tahdhib by Ibn Hajar: 126/9]
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (661-728 AH) states:
"The narrations that provide evidence for the emergence of Imam Mahdi are authentic."
[Minhaj al-Sunnah by Ibn Taymiyyah: 95/4]
Shaykh al-Islam Thani, Allama Ibn al-Qayyim (691-751 AH) says:
"These narrations are of four types: authentic, good, rare, and fabricated."
[Al-Manar al-Munif by Ibn al-Qayyim, p. 148]
Allama Abu Abdullah Muhammad bin Ja'far bin Idris Al-Kattani (1274-1345 AH) summarizes after a detailed discussion:
"In summary, the narrations regarding the awaited Mahdi are consistent (Mutawatir)."
[Nazm al-Mutanathir fi al-Hadith al-Mutawatir by Al-Kattani, p. 47]
Allama Shams al-Din Abu al-Awn Muhammad bin Ahmad bin Salim al-Saffarini (1114-1188 AH) writes:
"Among the signs of the Hour that have been reported in the narrations, and are consistently reported in their contents, is the emergence of Imam Mahdi."
[Lawami’ al-Anwar al-Bahiyya by Al-Saffarini: 70/2]
Allama Muhammad Amin bin Muhammad Mukhtar Al-Shinqiti (1325-1393 AH) states:
"The reports regarding the coming of Imam Mahdi, and that he will be from the family of the Prophet (peace be upon him), have been consistently and widely narrated from the Prophet (peace be upon him)."
[Al-Jawab al-Muqni' al-Muharrar by Al-Shinqiti, p. 30]
This was the perspective of the scholars and religious leaders regarding the narrations about Imam Mahdi. Now, let's examine some of these narrations and reports:
Narrated by Sayyidina Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him):
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
"Even if only one day remains for the world, Allah will extend that day until He sends a man from my family or my household, whose name will match mine, and his father's name will match my father's name."[Musnad Ahmad: 430, 377/1, Sunan Abu Dawood: 4282, Sunan al-Tirmidhi: 2230, and he declared it Hasan Sahih, and its chain is Hasan]
Narrated by Sayyidina Ali (may Allah be pleased with him):
"A tribulation will occur in which people will be purified as gold is purified in a furnace. Do not curse the people of Sham (Syria), but curse their oppressors, for among them are the Abdal. Allah will send a flood from the sky that will drown them, and even if cunning foxes were to fight them, they would defeat them. Then, Allah will send a man from the family of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) with twelve thousand, if they are few, or fifteen thousand, if they are many. Their sign will be 'Amit Amit' (Kill, Kill) under three banners. They will fight the people of seven banners, and none of the banner holders will desire anything but kingship. They will fight and be defeated, then the Hashemite will appear, and Allah will restore people's unity and blessings, and they will remain in this state until the emergence of the Dajjal."[Al-Mustadrak ‘ala al-Sahihain by Al-Hakim: 596/4, Hadith: 8658, and its chain is Sahih]Imam Al-Hakim declared this narration as "Sahih al-Isnad" and Hafiz Al-Dhahabi agreed, calling it "Sahih."
In contrast to these authentic narrations, the Rafidhi Shia have fabricated a concept of an "Imam Ghaib" (hidden Imam) who they claim is their "Mahdi al-Muntazar." His name is Muhammad bin Hasan al-Askari.
Regarding this, Hafiz Ibn Kathir (701-774 AH) states:
"The Mahdi who will appear at the end of times is one of the rightly guided caliphs and not the one awaited by the Rafidhis, whom they expect to emerge from a cellar in Samarra, as this has no reality nor basis."[Al-Nihaya fi al-Fitan wa al-Malahim by Ibn Kathir: 49/1]
He further adds:
"Imam Mahdi will emerge, and his appearance will be from the east, not from the cellar of Samarra, as the ignorant Rafidhis claim that he is currently present in it and they await his emergence in the end times. This is a kind of delusion, significant failure, and severe obsession instilled by Satan. There is no evidence or proof for this, neither from the Quran nor the Sunnah, nor from rational thinking or reasoning."
[Al-Nihaya fi al-Fitan wa al-Malahim by Ibn Kathir: 55/1]
Hafiz Ibn Kathir further explains:
"This Hadith indicates that there will be twelve just caliphs, but they are not the twelve Imams of the Shia, as many of them did not have any authority. However, these twelve caliphs will be from the Quraysh, who will rule and bring justice. The prophecy of their coming is mentioned in earlier scriptures. It is not necessary that they follow one after another, but their existence will be successive and intermittent in the Ummah. Four of them came in succession: Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali (may Allah be pleased with them all). After them, there was a gap, and then others came as Allah willed. Among them will be Imam Mahdi, whose name will correspond to the name of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), and his father's name will correspond to the name of the Prophet's father. He will fill the earth with justice and equity as it was filled with tyranny and oppression."
[Tafsir Ibn Kathir: 568, 569/4, under Surah al-Nur: 55]
In another place, he states:
"The Hour will not be established until their (the twelve caliphs') rule is established. It is apparent that among them will be the Mahdi, who is promised in the Hadiths, which mention that his name will match the name of the Prophet (peace be upon him), and his father's name will match the name of the Prophet's father. He will fill the earth with justice and equity as it was filled with tyranny and oppression. He is not the awaited Imam that the Rafidhis imagine to be present in the cellar of Samarra. This has no reality and no existence at all; rather, it is the obsession of weak minds and the delusion of frail imaginations. The twelve caliphs are not the twelve Imams in whom the Twelver Rafidhis believe out of ignorance and lack of understanding."
[Tafsir Ibn Kathir: 504/3, under Surah al-Maidah: 12]
Regarding the "hidden Imam" of the Imamiyyah Shia, Allama Ibn al-Qayyim states:
"As for the Imamiyyah Rafidhis, they have a fourth opinion, which is that Mahdi is Muhammad bin al-Hasan al-Askari, who is awaited, from the descendants of Hussain bin Ali, not from the descendants of Hasan. He is present in the towns but invisible to the eyes, who will inherit the staff and rule the earth. He entered the cellar of Samarra as a small child more than five hundred years ago, and since then, no eye has seen him, nor has any news been heard of him. They await him every day and stand with their horses at the entrance of the cellar, calling out to him to emerge: 'Come out, O our master! Come out, O our master!' Then they return disappointed and deprived. This is their habit and his, and a poet has rightly said:'Hasn't the time come for the cellar to produce the one whom you, in your ignorance, claimed to be present?'(Now time has come to wipe off your reason for indeed, you have made the mythical Phoenix and Ghoul into three.)They have become a disgrace to mankind, and every rational person laughs at their foolishness."
[Al-Manar al-Munif by Ibn al-Qayyim: 153]
In fact, Anqa is a mythical bird that is mentioned but never seen, just like Ghilan is a name for a demon that exists only in stories, but not in reality. Similarly, the Mahdi and hidden Imam of the Shia are names without any actual existence.
Narrated by Sayyidina Ali (may Allah be pleased with him):
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
"Even if only one day remains of the world, Allah will certainly send a man from my household who will fill it with justice as it was filled with oppression."
[Musnad Ahmad: 90/1, Sunan Abu Dawood: 4283, and its chain is Hasan]
Narrated by Sayyida Umm Salama (may Allah be pleased with her):
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
"The Mahdi will be from my family, from the descendants of Fatimah."
[Sunan Abu Dawood: 4284, Sunan Ibn Majah: 4086]
Narrated by Sayyidina Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him):
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
"The Hour will not be established until the earth is filled with oppression and hostility, then a man from my progeny or my household will emerge, and he will fill it with justice and equity as it was filled with oppression and hostility."[Musnad Ahmad: 36/3, and its chain is Sahih]Imam Ibn Hibban [2823] declared this Hadith as "Sahih," and Imam Hakim [Al-Mustadrak 557/4] said it meets the criteria of Imam Bukhari and Muslim for being "Sahih." Hafiz Dhahabi agreed with him.
Imam Mahdi's Rule of Seven Years
"Imam Mahdi will rule for seven years." [Musnad al-Imam Ahmad: 17/3, Sahih Ibn Hibban: 6826, with a Hasan chain]
Contrary to these authentic hadiths, the Rafidhis (Shia) claim that Mahdi’s name is Muhammad bin Hasan al-Askari. They call upon him by name, saying phrases like: “Ya Sahib al-Zaman, al-Ghawth al-Ghawth al-Ghawth, adrikni adrikni adrikni,” and others.
They consider it impermissible to mention his name directly, instead referring to him by titles such as al-Mahdi, al-Qa'im, al-Muntazar, Sahib al-Zaman, Sahib al-Amr wal-Hujjah, and al-Khatim, or Sahib al-Dar. They also refer to him as Niqmah. [Rawdat al-Kafi by Al-Kulayni, p. 195]
In their view, it is not permissible to mention Imam Mahdi by his name. Their authoritative books state: "It is not permissible to mention him by name." [Usul al-Kafi: 1/333, Al-Irshad, p. 394, Ikmal al-Din by Ibn Babawayh, p. 608]
Any Shia who mentions Mahdi by name is considered a disbeliever. They say: "The one who mentions him by his name is a disbeliever." [Usul al-Kafi: 1/333]
If they must write the name of Mahdi, the Shia write it in disjointed letters, for example, M H M D. [Usul al-Kafi: 1/339]
The Shia claim that their Mahdi was born in 255 AH and disappeared in 260 AH. They say: "He attends the pilgrimage and sees them, but they do not see him." [Usul al-Kafi: 1/337-338, Al-Ghaybah by Al-Nu'mani, p. 116]
The famous Shia scholar Al-Fayd Al-Kashani (d. 1091 AH) has written about Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her): "When our awaited Mahdi rises, he will bring back the Hamira (Aisha) to life and establish the hadd (punishment) on her." [Al-Tafsir al-Safi by Al-Fayd Al-Kashani: 3/359, Nur al-Yaqin by Al-Majlisi: p. 347]
May Allah protect us! How wicked and malicious these people are, who do not hesitate to malign the pure wives of the Prophet (peace be upon him). Allah Himself declared Sayyida Aisha’s (may Allah be pleased with her) purity in the Holy Quran, yet these lying and oppressive Rafidhis contemplate punishing her. About such people, Allah says:
“Indeed, those who invent falsehood are those who do not believe in the verses of Allah, and it is they who are the liars.”
(Quran 16:105)
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) writes about their "Imam of the Time":
"None of them knows him, neither by his person nor by his characteristics. They merely say that this person, whom no one has seen and from whom no news has been heard, is their Imam of the Time. It is clear that this does not constitute knowledge of the Imam." [Minhaj al-Sunnah al-Nabawiyyah by Ibn Taymiyyah: 1/114]
Shaykh al-Islam (may Allah have mercy on him) further states: "They say they are on the right path because they have the infallible Imam among them. According to the Rafidhi Imamiya Twelvers, the infallible Imam is the one who entered the cellar of Samarra after the death of his father Hasan bin Ali al-Askari in 260 AH, and he remains hidden until now. No news of him has been known, nor has anyone seen any trace of him."
[Majmu' al-Fatawa by Ibn Taymiyyah: 27/452]
However, this view is baseless and contrary to authentic hadiths and reports. A century before Allama al-Shatibi, the famous Mufassir Allama Shams al-Din Abu Abdullah Muhammad bin Ahmad bin Abu Bakr al-Qurtubi (may Allah have mercy on him) (600-671 AH) had already stated: "Some say that Imam Mahdi is Isa (peace be upon him) alone, but this is not correct because the authentic hadiths have reached the level of Tawatur (mass transmission) that Mahdi will be from the family of the Prophet (peace be upon him), so it is not permissible to consider Mahdi as Isa (peace be upon him)."
[Tafsir al-Qurtubi: 8/122]
Some people also rely on a "weak" narration that says: “There is no Mahdi except Isa.” [Sunan Ibn Majah 4039, Hilyat al-Awliya by Abu Nu'aym: 9/161, Al-Mustadrak 'ala al-Sahihain by Al-Hakim: 4/441, Jami' Bayan al-'Ilm wa Fadlih by Ibn 'Abd al-Barr: 1/155, Tarikh Baghdad by Al-Khatib: 4/221]
"Imam Mahdi will rule for seven years." [Musnad al-Imam Ahmad: 17/3, Sahih Ibn Hibban: 6826, with a Hasan chain]
Contrary to these authentic hadiths, the Rafidhis (Shia) claim that Mahdi’s name is Muhammad bin Hasan al-Askari. They call upon him by name, saying phrases like: “Ya Sahib al-Zaman, al-Ghawth al-Ghawth al-Ghawth, adrikni adrikni adrikni,” and others.
They consider it impermissible to mention his name directly, instead referring to him by titles such as al-Mahdi, al-Qa'im, al-Muntazar, Sahib al-Zaman, Sahib al-Amr wal-Hujjah, and al-Khatim, or Sahib al-Dar. They also refer to him as Niqmah. [Rawdat al-Kafi by Al-Kulayni, p. 195]
In their view, it is not permissible to mention Imam Mahdi by his name. Their authoritative books state:"It is not permissible to mention him by name." [Usul al-Kafi: 1/333, Al-Irshad, p. 394, Ikmal al-Din by Ibn Babawayh, p. 608]
Any Shia who mentions Mahdi by name is considered a disbeliever. They say:"The one who mentions him by his name is a disbeliever." [Usul al-Kafi: 1/333]
If they must write the name of Mahdi, the Shia write it in disjointed letters, for example, M H M D. [Usul al-Kafi: 1/339]
The Shia claim that their Mahdi was born in 255 AH and disappeared in 260 AH. They say:"He attends the pilgrimage and sees them, but they do not see him." [Usul al-Kafi: 1/337-338, Al-Ghaybah by Al-Nu'mani, p. 116]
The famous Shia scholar Al-Fayd Al-Kashani (d. 1091 AH) has written about Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her):"When our awaited Mahdi rises, he will bring back the Hamira (Aisha) to life and establish the hadd (punishment) on her." [Al-Tafsir al-Safi by Al-Fayd Al-Kashani: 3/359, Nur al-Yaqin by Al-Majlisi: p. 347]
May Allah protect us! How wicked and malicious these people are, who do not hesitate to malign the pure wives of the Prophet (peace be upon him). Allah Himself declared Sayyida Aisha’s (may Allah be pleased with her) purity in the Holy Quran, yet these lying and oppressive Rafidhis contemplate punishing her. About such people, Allah says:
“Indeed, those who invent falsehood are those who do not believe in the verses of Allah, and it is they who are the liars.”
(Quran 16:105)
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) writes about their "Imam of the Time":"None of them knows him, neither by his person nor by his characteristics. They merely say that this person, whom no one has seen and from whom no news has been heard, is their Imam of the Time. It is clear that this does not constitute knowledge of the Imam." [Minhaj al-Sunnah al-Nabawiyyah by Ibn Taymiyyah: 1/114]
Shaykh al-Islam (may Allah have mercy on him) further states:"They say they are on the right path because they have the infallible Imam among them. According to the Rafidhi Imamiya Twelvers, the infallible Imam is the one who entered the cellar of Samarra after the death of his father Hasan bin Ali al-Askari in 260 AH, and he remains hidden until now. No news of him has been known, nor has anyone seen any trace of him." [Majmu' al-Fatawa by Ibn Taymiyyah: 27/452]
However, this view is baseless and contrary to authentic hadiths and reports. A century before Allama al-Shatibi, the famous Mufassir Allama Shams al-Din Abu Abdullah Muhammad bin Ahmad bin Abu Bakr al-Qurtubi (may Allah have mercy on him) (600-671 AH) had already stated:"Some say that Imam Mahdi is Isa (peace be upon him) alone, but this is not correct because the authentic hadiths have reached the level of Tawatur (mass transmission) that Mahdi will be from the family of the Prophet (peace be upon him), so it is not permissible to consider Mahdi as Isa (peace be upon him)."
[Tafsir al-Qurtubi: 8/122]
Some people also rely on a "weak" narration that says: “There is no Mahdi except Isa.” [Sunan Ibn Majah 4039, Hilyat al-Awliya by Abu Nu'aym: 9/161, Al-Mustadrak 'ala al-Sahihain by Al-Hakim: 4/441, Jami' Bayan al-'Ilm wa Fadlih by Ibn 'Abd al-Barr: 1/155, Tarikh Baghdad by Al-Khatib: 4/221]
According to the consensus of Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama'ah, based on the consistent (Mutawatir) narrations, it is believed that Imam Mahdi's name will be Muhammad bin Abdullah. He will be from the descendants of Sayyida Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her), and he will emerge near the end of times, establishing justice and equity across the world.
The scholars of the religion are unanimous in the belief that the narrations concerning the emergence of Imam Mahdi are authentic and constitute authoritative evidence. Below are the opinions of a few scholars on this matter:
Imam Abu Ja'far Muhammad bin Amr bin Musa bin Hammad Al-Aqeeli (d. 322 AH) states:
"There are excellent narrations regarding Imam Mahdi."[Al-Du’afa Al-Kabir by Al-Aqeeli 254/3]
Imam Abu Bakr Ahmad bin Al-Husayn bin Ali bin Musa Al-Bayhaqi (384-458 AH) mentions:
"The narrations regarding the specific emergence of Imam Mahdi are more authentic in their chains, and they clarify that he will be from the family of the Prophet (peace be upon him)."[Tarikh Ibn Asakir: 517/47, Tahdhib al-Tahdhib by Ibn Hajar: 126/9]
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (661-728 AH) states:
"The narrations that provide evidence for the emergence of Imam Mahdi are authentic."
[Minhaj al-Sunnah by Ibn Taymiyyah: 95/4]
Shaykh al-Islam Thani, Allama Ibn al-Qayyim (691-751 AH) says:
"These narrations are of four types: authentic, good, rare, and fabricated."
[Al-Manar al-Munif by Ibn al-Qayyim, p. 148]
Allama Abu Abdullah Muhammad bin Ja'far bin Idris Al-Kattani (1274-1345 AH) summarizes after a detailed discussion:
"In summary, the narrations regarding the awaited Mahdi are consistent (Mutawatir)."
[Nazm al-Mutanathir fi al-Hadith al-Mutawatir by Al-Kattani, p. 47]
Allama Shams al-Din Abu al-Awn Muhammad bin Ahmad bin Salim al-Saffarini (1114-1188 AH) writes:
"Among the signs of the Hour that have been reported in the narrations, and are consistently reported in their contents, is the emergence of Imam Mahdi."
[Lawami’ al-Anwar al-Bahiyya by Al-Saffarini: 70/2]
Allama Muhammad Amin bin Muhammad Mukhtar Al-Shinqiti (1325-1393 AH) states:
"The reports regarding the coming of Imam Mahdi, and that he will be from the family of the Prophet (peace be upon him), have been consistently and widely narrated from the Prophet (peace be upon him)."
[Al-Jawab al-Muqni' al-Muharrar by Al-Shinqiti, p. 30]
This was the perspective of the scholars and religious leaders regarding the narrations about Imam Mahdi. Now, let's examine some of these narrations and reports:
Narrated by Sayyidina Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him):
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
"Even if only one day remains for the world, Allah will extend that day until He sends a man from my family or my household, whose name will match mine, and his father's name will match my father's name."[Musnad Ahmad: 430, 377/1, Sunan Abu Dawood: 4282, Sunan al-Tirmidhi: 2230, and he declared it Hasan Sahih, and its chain is Hasan]
Narrated by Sayyidina Ali (may Allah be pleased with him):
"A tribulation will occur in which people will be purified as gold is purified in a furnace. Do not curse the people of Sham (Syria), but curse their oppressors, for among them are the Abdal. Allah will send a flood from the sky that will drown them, and even if cunning foxes were to fight them, they would defeat them. Then, Allah will send a man from the family of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) with twelve thousand, if they are few, or fifteen thousand, if they are many. Their sign will be 'Amit Amit' (Kill, Kill) under three banners. They will fight the people of seven banners, and none of the banner holders will desire anything but kingship. They will fight and be defeated, then the Hashemite will appear, and Allah will restore people's unity and blessings, and they will remain in this state until the emergence of the Dajjal."[Al-Mustadrak ‘ala al-Sahihain by Al-Hakim: 596/4, Hadith: 8658, and its chain is Sahih]Imam Al-Hakim declared this narration as "Sahih al-Isnad" and Hafiz Al-Dhahabi agreed, calling it "Sahih."
In contrast to these authentic narrations, the Rafidhi Shia have fabricated a concept of an "Imam Ghaib" (hidden Imam) who they claim is their "Mahdi al-Muntazar." His name is Muhammad bin Hasan al-Askari.
Regarding this, Hafiz Ibn Kathir (701-774 AH) states:
"The Mahdi who will appear at the end of times is one of the rightly guided caliphs and not the one awaited by the Rafidhis, whom they expect to emerge from a cellar in Samarra, as this has no reality nor basis."[Al-Nihaya fi al-Fitan wa al-Malahim by Ibn Kathir: 49/1]
He further adds:
"Imam Mahdi will emerge, and his appearance will be from the east, not from the cellar of Samarra, as the ignorant Rafidhis claim that he is currently present in it and they await his emergence in the end times. This is a kind of delusion, significant failure, and severe obsession instilled by Satan. There is no evidence or proof for this, neither from the Quran nor the Sunnah, nor from rational thinking or reasoning."
[Al-Nihaya fi al-Fitan wa al-Malahim by Ibn Kathir: 55/1]
Hafiz Ibn Kathir further explains:
"This Hadith indicates that there will be twelve just caliphs, but they are not the twelve Imams of the Shia, as many of them did not have any authority. However, these twelve caliphs will be from the Quraysh, who will rule and bring justice. The prophecy of their coming is mentioned in earlier scriptures. It is not necessary that they follow one after another, but their existence will be successive and intermittent in the Ummah. Four of them came in succession: Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali (may Allah be pleased with them all). After them, there was a gap, and then others came as Allah willed. Among them will be Imam Mahdi, whose name will correspond to the name of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), and his father's name will correspond to the name of the Prophet's father. He will fill the earth with justice and equity as it was filled with tyranny and oppression."
[Tafsir Ibn Kathir: 568, 569/4, under Surah al-Nur: 55]
In another place, he states:
"The Hour will not be established until their (the twelve caliphs') rule is established. It is apparent that among them will be the Mahdi, who is promised in the Hadiths, which mention that his name will match the name of the Prophet (peace be upon him), and his father's name will match the name of the Prophet's father. He will fill the earth with justice and equity as it was filled with tyranny and oppression. He is not the awaited Imam that the Rafidhis imagine to be present in the cellar of Samarra. This has no reality and no existence at all; rather, it is the obsession of weak minds and the delusion of frail imaginations. The twelve caliphs are not the twelve Imams in whom the Twelver Rafidhis believe out of ignorance and lack of understanding."
[Tafsir Ibn Kathir: 504/3, under Surah al-Maidah: 12]
Regarding the "hidden Imam" of the Imamiyyah Shia, Allama Ibn al-Qayyim states:
"As for the Imamiyyah Rafidhis, they have a fourth opinion, which is that Mahdi is Muhammad bin al-Hasan al-Askari, who is awaited, from the descendants of Hussain bin Ali, not from the descendants of Hasan. He is present in the towns but invisible to the eyes, who will inherit the staff and rule the earth. He entered the cellar of Samarra as a small child more than five hundred years ago, and since then, no eye has seen him, nor has any news been heard of him. They await him every day and stand with their horses at the entrance of the cellar, calling out to him to emerge: 'Come out, O our master! Come out, O our master!' Then they return disappointed and deprived. This is their habit and his, and a poet has rightly said:'Hasn't the time come for the cellar to produce the one whom you, in your ignorance, claimed to be present?'(Now time has come to wipe off your reason for indeed, you have made the mythical Phoenix and Ghoul into three.)They have become a disgrace to mankind, and every rational person laughs at their foolishness."
[Al-Manar al-Munif by Ibn al-Qayyim: 153]
In fact, Anqa is a mythical bird that is mentioned but never seen, just like Ghilan is a name for a demon that exists only in stories, but not in reality. Similarly, the Mahdi and hidden Imam of the Shia are names without any actual existence.
Narrated by Sayyidina Ali (may Allah be pleased with him):
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
"Even if only one day remains of the world, Allah will certainly send a man from my household who will fill it with justice as it was filled with oppression."
[Musnad Ahmad: 90/1, Sunan Abu Dawood: 4283, and its chain is Hasan]
Narrated by Sayyida Umm Salama (may Allah be pleased with her):
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
"The Mahdi will be from my family, from the descendants of Fatimah."
[Sunan Abu Dawood: 4284, Sunan Ibn Majah: 4086]
Narrated by Sayyidina Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him):
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
"The Hour will not be established until the earth is filled with oppression and hostility, then a man from my progeny or my household will emerge, and he will fill it with justice and equity as it was filled with oppression and hostility."[Musnad Ahmad: 36/3, and its chain is Sahih]Imam Ibn Hibban [2823] declared this Hadith as "Sahih," and Imam Hakim [Al-Mustadrak 557/4] said it meets the criteria of Imam Bukhari and Muslim for being "Sahih." Hafiz Dhahabi agreed with him.
Imam Mahdi's Rule of Seven Years
"Imam Mahdi will rule for seven years." [Musnad al-Imam Ahmad: 17/3, Sahih Ibn Hibban: 6826, with a Hasan chain]
Contrary to these authentic hadiths, the Rafidhis (Shia) claim that Mahdi’s name is Muhammad bin Hasan al-Askari. They call upon him by name, saying phrases like: “Ya Sahib al-Zaman, al-Ghawth al-Ghawth al-Ghawth, adrikni adrikni adrikni,” and others.
They consider it impermissible to mention his name directly, instead referring to him by titles such as al-Mahdi, al-Qa'im, al-Muntazar, Sahib al-Zaman, Sahib al-Amr wal-Hujjah, and al-Khatim, or Sahib al-Dar. They also refer to him as Niqmah. [Rawdat al-Kafi by Al-Kulayni, p. 195]
In their view, it is not permissible to mention Imam Mahdi by his name. Their authoritative books state: "It is not permissible to mention him by name." [Usul al-Kafi: 1/333, Al-Irshad, p. 394, Ikmal al-Din by Ibn Babawayh, p. 608]
Any Shia who mentions Mahdi by name is considered a disbeliever. They say: "The one who mentions him by his name is a disbeliever." [Usul al-Kafi: 1/333]
If they must write the name of Mahdi, the Shia write it in disjointed letters, for example, M H M D. [Usul al-Kafi: 1/339]
The Shia claim that their Mahdi was born in 255 AH and disappeared in 260 AH. They say: "He attends the pilgrimage and sees them, but they do not see him." [Usul al-Kafi: 1/337-338, Al-Ghaybah by Al-Nu'mani, p. 116]
The famous Shia scholar Al-Fayd Al-Kashani (d. 1091 AH) has written about Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her): "When our awaited Mahdi rises, he will bring back the Hamira (Aisha) to life and establish the hadd (punishment) on her." [Al-Tafsir al-Safi by Al-Fayd Al-Kashani: 3/359, Nur al-Yaqin by Al-Majlisi: p. 347]
May Allah protect us! How wicked and malicious these people are, who do not hesitate to malign the pure wives of the Prophet (peace be upon him). Allah Himself declared Sayyida Aisha’s (may Allah be pleased with her) purity in the Holy Quran, yet these lying and oppressive Rafidhis contemplate punishing her. About such people, Allah says:
“Indeed, those who invent falsehood are those who do not believe in the verses of Allah, and it is they who are the liars.”
(Quran 16:105)
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) writes about their "Imam of the Time":
"None of them knows him, neither by his person nor by his characteristics. They merely say that this person, whom no one has seen and from whom no news has been heard, is their Imam of the Time. It is clear that this does not constitute knowledge of the Imam." [Minhaj al-Sunnah al-Nabawiyyah by Ibn Taymiyyah: 1/114]
Shaykh al-Islam (may Allah have mercy on him) further states: "They say they are on the right path because they have the infallible Imam among them. According to the Rafidhi Imamiya Twelvers, the infallible Imam is the one who entered the cellar of Samarra after the death of his father Hasan bin Ali al-Askari in 260 AH, and he remains hidden until now. No news of him has been known, nor has anyone seen any trace of him."
[Majmu' al-Fatawa by Ibn Taymiyyah: 27/452]
Are Imam Mahdi and Isa bin Maryam (Jesus) the Same?
Some people hold the view that Imam Mahdi and Isa (peace be upon him) are the same. When Ibn Tumart claimed to be "the awaited Mahdi," Allama Ibrahim bin Musa bin Muhammad al-Shatibi (may Allah have mercy on him) (d. 790 AH) refuted this by saying: "He lied because Imam Mahdi is Isa (peace be upon him)." [Al-I'tisam by Al-Shatibi: 2/92, and in another edition: 2/585]However, this view is baseless and contrary to authentic hadiths and reports. A century before Allama al-Shatibi, the famous Mufassir Allama Shams al-Din Abu Abdullah Muhammad bin Ahmad bin Abu Bakr al-Qurtubi (may Allah have mercy on him) (600-671 AH) had already stated: "Some say that Imam Mahdi is Isa (peace be upon him) alone, but this is not correct because the authentic hadiths have reached the level of Tawatur (mass transmission) that Mahdi will be from the family of the Prophet (peace be upon him), so it is not permissible to consider Mahdi as Isa (peace be upon him)."
[Tafsir al-Qurtubi: 8/122]
Some people also rely on a "weak" narration that says: “There is no Mahdi except Isa.” [Sunan Ibn Majah 4039, Hilyat al-Awliya by Abu Nu'aym: 9/161, Al-Mustadrak 'ala al-Sahihain by Al-Hakim: 4/441, Jami' Bayan al-'Ilm wa Fadlih by Ibn 'Abd al-Barr: 1/155, Tarikh Baghdad by Al-Khatib: 4/221]
Response:
This narration is "weak" for two reasons:- The narrator, Muhammad bin Khalid al-Jundi, is "unknown" (Majhul).
- Imam Al-Hakim (Tarikh Ibn Asakir: 47/517) and Imam Al-Bayhaqi [Bayyan Khata li-Al-Bayhaqi: 299] have declared him "Majhul."
- Imam Al-Bayhaqi has also written: "He is unknown in such a way that his reliability and the necessity of accepting his narration have not been established."
- No reliable Imam has authenticated him, although Imam Ibn Abd al-Barr declared him "abandoned" (Matrook).
- Imam Al-Bayhaqi states: "We do not accept the narrations of unknown narrators." [Kitab al-Qira'at by Al-Bayhaqi: 197] He also says: "We do not accept the religion of Allah from those whom the scholars of hadith do not recognize as reliable, nor has any of the earlier scholars from Kufa used such narrators as evidence." [Kitab al-Qira'at by Al-Bayhaqi: 180-181, under Hadith 392]
- The narrator, Imam Hasan al-Basri, is a Mudallis (one who conceals defects in the chain) and did not explicitly state that he heard it.
- Allama Ibn al-Jawzi (may Allah have mercy on him) after mentioning this hadith, cites Imam al-Nasa'i's comment: “This hadith is Munkar (rejected).” [Al-'Ilal al-Mutanahiya by Ibn al-Jawzi: 2/862, Hadith 1447]
- Imam Al-Bayhaqi (may Allah have mercy on him) says: “If this hadith is Munkar (rejected) with this chain, then the blame falls on Muhammad bin Khalid al-Jundi.” [Bayyan Khata li-Al-Bayhaqi]
- Hafiz Al-Dhahabi (may Allah have mercy on him) says: “It is a Munkar report.” [Mizan al-I'tidal by Al-Dhahabi: 3/535]
- Allama Al-Qurtubi (may Allah have mercy on him) says: “It is not authentic.” [Tafsir al-Qurtubi: 8/122]
- Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) says: “It is weak.” [Minhaj al-Sunnah al-Nabawiyyah by Ibn Taymiyyah: 4/211]
- Allama Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) says: “It is not authentic, and even if it were authentic, there would be no evidence in it.” [Al-Manar al-Munif by Ibn al-Qayyim: 148]
- Allama Al-San'ani (may Allah have mercy on him) declared it "fabricated" (Mawdu). [Al-Fawaid al-Majmoo'ah by Al-Shawkani: p. 510]
"Imam Mahdi will rule for seven years." [Musnad al-Imam Ahmad: 17/3, Sahih Ibn Hibban: 6826, with a Hasan chain]
Contrary to these authentic hadiths, the Rafidhis (Shia) claim that Mahdi’s name is Muhammad bin Hasan al-Askari. They call upon him by name, saying phrases like: “Ya Sahib al-Zaman, al-Ghawth al-Ghawth al-Ghawth, adrikni adrikni adrikni,” and others.
They consider it impermissible to mention his name directly, instead referring to him by titles such as al-Mahdi, al-Qa'im, al-Muntazar, Sahib al-Zaman, Sahib al-Amr wal-Hujjah, and al-Khatim, or Sahib al-Dar. They also refer to him as Niqmah. [Rawdat al-Kafi by Al-Kulayni, p. 195]
In their view, it is not permissible to mention Imam Mahdi by his name. Their authoritative books state:"It is not permissible to mention him by name." [Usul al-Kafi: 1/333, Al-Irshad, p. 394, Ikmal al-Din by Ibn Babawayh, p. 608]
Any Shia who mentions Mahdi by name is considered a disbeliever. They say:"The one who mentions him by his name is a disbeliever." [Usul al-Kafi: 1/333]
If they must write the name of Mahdi, the Shia write it in disjointed letters, for example, M H M D. [Usul al-Kafi: 1/339]
The Shia claim that their Mahdi was born in 255 AH and disappeared in 260 AH. They say:"He attends the pilgrimage and sees them, but they do not see him." [Usul al-Kafi: 1/337-338, Al-Ghaybah by Al-Nu'mani, p. 116]
The famous Shia scholar Al-Fayd Al-Kashani (d. 1091 AH) has written about Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her):"When our awaited Mahdi rises, he will bring back the Hamira (Aisha) to life and establish the hadd (punishment) on her." [Al-Tafsir al-Safi by Al-Fayd Al-Kashani: 3/359, Nur al-Yaqin by Al-Majlisi: p. 347]
May Allah protect us! How wicked and malicious these people are, who do not hesitate to malign the pure wives of the Prophet (peace be upon him). Allah Himself declared Sayyida Aisha’s (may Allah be pleased with her) purity in the Holy Quran, yet these lying and oppressive Rafidhis contemplate punishing her. About such people, Allah says:
“Indeed, those who invent falsehood are those who do not believe in the verses of Allah, and it is they who are the liars.”
(Quran 16:105)
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) writes about their "Imam of the Time":"None of them knows him, neither by his person nor by his characteristics. They merely say that this person, whom no one has seen and from whom no news has been heard, is their Imam of the Time. It is clear that this does not constitute knowledge of the Imam." [Minhaj al-Sunnah al-Nabawiyyah by Ibn Taymiyyah: 1/114]
Shaykh al-Islam (may Allah have mercy on him) further states:"They say they are on the right path because they have the infallible Imam among them. According to the Rafidhi Imamiya Twelvers, the infallible Imam is the one who entered the cellar of Samarra after the death of his father Hasan bin Ali al-Askari in 260 AH, and he remains hidden until now. No news of him has been known, nor has anyone seen any trace of him." [Majmu' al-Fatawa by Ibn Taymiyyah: 27/452]
Are Imam Mahdi and Isa bin Maryam (Jesus) the Same?
Some people hold the view that Imam Mahdi and Isa (peace be upon him) are the same. When Ibn Tumart claimed to be "the awaited Mahdi," Allama Ibrahim bin Musa bin Muhammad al-Shatibi (may Allah have mercy on him) (d. 790 AH) refuted this by saying:"He lied because Imam Mahdi is Isa (peace be upon him)." [Al-I'tisam by Al-Shatibi: 2/92, and in another edition: 2/585]However, this view is baseless and contrary to authentic hadiths and reports. A century before Allama al-Shatibi, the famous Mufassir Allama Shams al-Din Abu Abdullah Muhammad bin Ahmad bin Abu Bakr al-Qurtubi (may Allah have mercy on him) (600-671 AH) had already stated:"Some say that Imam Mahdi is Isa (peace be upon him) alone, but this is not correct because the authentic hadiths have reached the level of Tawatur (mass transmission) that Mahdi will be from the family of the Prophet (peace be upon him), so it is not permissible to consider Mahdi as Isa (peace be upon him)."
[Tafsir al-Qurtubi: 8/122]
Some people also rely on a "weak" narration that says: “There is no Mahdi except Isa.” [Sunan Ibn Majah 4039, Hilyat al-Awliya by Abu Nu'aym: 9/161, Al-Mustadrak 'ala al-Sahihain by Al-Hakim: 4/441, Jami' Bayan al-'Ilm wa Fadlih by Ibn 'Abd al-Barr: 1/155, Tarikh Baghdad by Al-Khatib: 4/221]
Response:
This narration is "weak" for two reasons:- The narrator, Muhammad bin Khalid al-Jundi, is "unknown" (Majhul).
- Imam Al-Hakim (Tarikh Ibn Asakir: 47/517) and Imam Al-Bayhaqi [Bayyan Khata li-Al-Bayhaqi: 299] have declared him "Majhul."
- Imam Al-Bayhaqi has also written:"He is unknown in such a way that his reliability and the necessity of accepting his narration have not been established."
- No reliable Imam has authenticated him, although Imam Ibn Abd al-Barr declared him "abandoned" (Matrook).
- Imam Al-Bayhaqi states:"We do not accept the narrations of unknown narrators." [Kitab al-Qira'at by Al-Bayhaqi: 197]He also says:"We do not accept the religion of Allah from those whom the scholars of hadith do not recognize as reliable, nor has any of the earlier scholars from Kufa used such narrators as evidence." [Kitab al-Qira'at by Al-Bayhaqi: 180-181, under Hadith 392]
- The narrator, Imam Hasan al-Basri, is a Mudallis (one who conceals defects in the chain) and did not explicitly state that he heard it.
- Allama Ibn al-Jawzi (may Allah have mercy on him) after mentioning this hadith, cites Imam al-Nasa'i's comment:“This hadith is Munkar (rejected).” [Al-'Ilal al-Mutanahiya by Ibn al-Jawzi: 2/862, Hadith 1447]
- Imam Al-Bayhaqi (may Allah have mercy on him) says:“If this hadith is Munkar (rejected) with this chain, then the blame falls on Muhammad bin Khalid al-Jundi.” [Bayyan Khata li-Al-Bayhaqi]
- Hafiz Al-Dhahabi (may Allah have mercy on him) says:“It is a Munkar report.” [Mizan al-I'tidal by Al-Dhahabi: 3/535]
- Allama Al-Qurtubi (may Allah have mercy on him) says:“It is not authentic.” [Tafsir al-Qurtubi: 8/122]
- Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) says:“It is weak.” [Minhaj al-Sunnah al-Nabawiyyah by Ibn Taymiyyah: 4/211]
- Allama Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) says:“It is not authentic, and even if it were authentic, there would be no evidence in it.” [Al-Manar al-Munif by Ibn al-Qayyim: 148]
- Allama Al-San'ani (may Allah have mercy on him) declared it "fabricated" (Mawdu). [Al-Fawaid al-Majmoo'ah by Al-Shawkani: p. 510]