The Mahd¢ in the Traditions

The Mahd¢ in the Traditions

The number of those narrations that deal with the establishment of a universal government based on peace and justice through a member of the Household, called Mahd¢, is extremely numerous in both Sh¢`ah and Sunni sources.

Those narrations dealing with the fact that Mahd¢ is the twelfth Imam, a successor to the Prophet(s), the ninth descendant of Imam °usayn(s) and the son of Imam °asan `Askar¢, are indeed numerous in the Sh¢`ah sources.

The frequency of narrations dealing with Mahd¢’s appearance that are recorded in Sunni sources is so high that Sunni scholars have had to refer to it explicitly in their books. In a treatise published recently by R¡bi§at al-`ªlam al-Isl¡m¢, one of the most distinguished religious centers in the °ij¡z, says: “He is the last caliph of the twelve rightly guided caliphs to whom the Prophet(s) refers in the ¥i¦¡¦ and the narrations dealing with the Mahd¢’s appearance are reported from many of the companions of the Prophet(s).”

Having mentioned the names of twenty of the Prophet’s companions who have spoken of the Mahd¢’s appearance narrating directly from the Prophet(s), this treatise continues to say: “A great group of others, too, have reported such narrations… some Sunni scholars have written special books on the Mahd¢. Among them are Ab£-Na`¢m Isfah¡n¢, Ibn °ajar al-Haytham¢, al-Sak£n¢, Idr¢s Maghrib¢, and Ab£’l-`Abb¡s Ibn `Abd al-Mu'min.” Then it continues: “A group of ancient and contemporary Sunni scholars emphasize the fact that there are many narrations dealing with the Mahd¢’s appearance.”

After mentioning the names of Sunni scholars who have dealt with narrations concerning this, the treatise brings its discussion to an end: “A group of reciters and narrators have stated explicitly that they believe the narrations dealing with the Mahd¢ are correct (¥a¦¢¦) and good ones (¦asan) and naturally are among those Hadith that go back to many sources (mutaw¡tir). Belief in Mahd¢’s uprising is obligatory and this is one of the fundamental beliefs of the Sunni and the Muslim community and nobody will doubt it except for those who are ignorant, or those who follow heresy.”

The Narrations on the Mahd¢ Relayed by Sh¢`ah Scholars

Suffice it to say that there are hundreds of narrations concerning the Mahd¢ relayed by both the Prophet’s Companions and by the Imams(s). The notion of the Mahd¢’s appearance is a fundamental Sh¢`ah’s belief. Every Sh¢`ah believes in his appearance and is aware of al-Mahd¢’s characteristics and the signs of his appearance.

Since the first centuries of the advent of Islam up to the present time, the great Sh¢`ah scholars have written many books on this topic and have collected a tremendous number of narrations dealing with this issue.

Here we will present you with two or three of such traditions and refer readers who are interested, to books such as “Al-Mahd¢; the Great Revolutionary,” “The Good News of Peace and Security,” and the translation of the book “Al-Mahd¢,” by the honorable writer Sayyid ¯adr al-D¢n al-¯adr.

The great Prophet of Islam has stated:

لَوْ لَمْ يَبْقَ مِنَ الدَّهْرِ إلاَّ يَوْمٌ لَطَوَّلَ اللهُ ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمَ حَتَّى يَبْعَثَ رَجُلاً مِنْ أَهْلِ بَيْتِي يَمْلأُهَا قِسْطاً وَعَدْلاً كَمَا مُلِئَتْ ظُلْماً وَجَوْراً.

“If there were left only one day of the earth’s life, God would prolong it until the time when a member of my Household would rise by God’s command to fill the earth with justice.”⁽[1]⁾

In another narration reported from Imam ¯¡diq (s) we read:

إذَا قَامَ القَائِمُ حَكَمَ بِالْعَدْلِ وَارْتَفَعَ الْجَوْرُ فِي أَيَّامِهِ وَأُمِّنَتْ بِهِ السُّبُلُ وَأَخْرَجَتِ الأَرْضُ بَرَكَاتِهَا وَرُدَّ كُلُّ حَقٍّ إلَى أَهْلِهِ... وَحَكَمَ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ بِحُكْمِ دَاوُدَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ وَحُكْمِ مُحَمَّدٍ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ. فَحِينَئِذٍ تُظْهِرُ الأَرْضُ كُنُوزَهَا وَتُبْدِي بَرَكَاتِهَا وَلاَ يَجِدُ الرَّجُلُ مِنْكُمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ مَوْضِعاً لِصَدَقَتِهِ وَلِبِرِّهِ لِشُمُولِ الغِنَى جَمِيعَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ.

“When the revolutionary Imam rises up, he will base his government on justice. Injustice and hegemony will vanish during his reign. Roads will become safe in the light of him; the earth will pour out its wealth; every right will return to its possessor; He will judge among people in the way D¡w£d and Mu¦ammad (s) judged. At this time the earth will reveal its hidden treasures; it will manifest its bounty; nobody will be able to find any poor person to give his poor-rate to; this is because all believers will become affluent…”⁽[2]⁾

We know that during the Mahd¢’s absence (occultation), the continuation of the line of imamate will continue through his deputies i.e., the jurisprudents.