Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

1. The Awaited Mahdi

The Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alaihi wa alihi, predicted that a time would come when oppression, injustice and aggression would become extremely rampant all over the globe. At that period, a man from the offspring of Muhammad would rise to power over the entire earth, and he would successfully make oppression, injustice and aggression very rare on its surface. Imam Ahmad (d. 241 H) records the hadith in his Musnad:

حدثنا عبد الله حدثني أبي قال الحسن بن موسى قال ثنا حماد بن سلمة عن أبي هارون العبدي ومطر الوراق عن أبي الصديق الناجي عن أبي سعيد الخدري قال قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم تملأ الأرض جورا وظلما فيخرج رجل من عترتي يملك سبعا أو تسعا فيملأ الأرض قسطا وعدلا

‘Abd Allah (b. Ahmad) - my father (Ahmad b. Hanbal) - al-Hasan b. Musa - Hammad b. Salamah - Abu Harun al-‘Abdi and Maṭar al-Warraq - Abu al-Siddiq al-Naji - Abu Sa’id al-Khudri:

The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: “The earth will be filled with oppression and injustice. Then, a man from my offspring will come out. He will rule by kingdom for seven or nine years. He will fill the earth with equity and justice.”1

Shaykh al-Arnauṭ states:

حديث صحيح دون قوله " يملك سبعا أوتسعا "

It is a sahih hadith, with the exception of his statement: “he will rule by kingdom for seven or nine years.”2

Imam Ibn Hibban (d. 354 H) also documents a mutaba’ah for it:

أخبرنا أحمد بن علي بن المثنى قال حدثنا أبو خيثمة قال حدثنا يحيى بن سعيد قال حدثنا عوف قال حدثنا أبو الصديق عن أبي سعيد الخدري عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال لا تقوم الساعة حتى تمتلئ الأرض ظلما وعدوانا ثم يخرج رجل من أهل بيتي أو عترتي فيملؤها قسطا وعدلا كما ملئت ظلما وعدوانا

Ahmad b. ‘Ali b. al-Muthanna - Abu Khaythamah - Yahya b. Sa’id - ‘Awf - Abu al-Siddiq - Abu Sa’id al-Khudri - the Prophet, peace be upon him:

“The Hour will not occur until the earth is filled with injustice and hostility. Then, a man from my Ahl al-Bayt, or my offspring, will come out. So, he will fill it with equity and justice just as it had been filled with injustice and hostility.”3

Al-Albani (d. 1420 H) says:

صحيح

Sahih4

And al-Arnauṭ concurs:

إسناده صحيح على شرط الشيخين

Its chain is sahih upon the standard of the two Shaykhs.5

This man will be “sent” by Allah Himself, in the same way that He sent His prophets and messengers, to purify His earth. Imam Abu Dawud (d. 275 H) in his Sunan - under the heading: “The Book of al-Mahdi” (Kitab al-Mahdi) records:

حدثنا عثمان بن أبي شيبة ثنا الفضل بن دكين ثنا فطر عن القاسم بن أبي بزة عن أبي الطفيل عن علي رضي الله تعالى عنه عن النبي صلى الله عليه و سلم قال "لو لم يبق من الدهر إلا يوم لبعث الله رجلا من أهل بيتي يملؤها عدلا كما ملئت جورا "

‘Uthman b. Abi Shaybah - al-Fadhl b. Dukayn - Fiṭr - al-Qasim b. Abi Barzah - Abu al-Tufayl - ‘Ali, may Allah the Most High be pleased with him - the Prophet, peace be upon him:

“Even if there remains only one more day left before the end of Time, Allah will surely SEND a man from my Ahl al-Bayt. He will fill it with justice just as it had been filled with injustice.”6

‘Allamah al-Albani says:

صحيح

Sahih7

Dr. al-Bastawi, commenting upon the same hadith, states:

إسناده صحيح

Its chain is sahih.8

The same word has been employed to describe the appointment and mission of the prophets and messengers, ‘alaihim al-salam, as well in the Qur’an:

كان الناس أمة واحدة فبعث الله النبيين مبشرين ومنذرين

Mankind were one community and Allah SENT prophets as givers of glad tidings and warners.9

And:

ولقد بعثنا في كل أمة رسولا

Verily, We have SENT within every Ummah a messenger.10

Of course, this man will not be a prophet or messenger. However, he obviously will occupy a separate divine rank which will certainly be very similar in nature to both. One of the top Imams of the Ahl al-Sunnah from the senior Tabi’in, Ibn Sirrin (d. 110 H), indicated the status of this man in one of his brave pronouncements. Imam al-Maruzi (d. 288 H) records:

حدثنا ضمرة عن ابن شوذب عن محمد بن سيرين أنه ذكر فتنة تكون فقال إذا كان ذلك فاجلسوا في بيوتكم حتى تسمعوا على الناس بخير من أبي بكر وعمر رضي الله عنهما قيل يا أبا بكر خير من أبي بكر وعمر؟ قال قد كان يفضل على بعض الأنبياء

Dhamrah - Ibn Shawdhab:

Muhammad b. Sirrin mentioned a sedition that would occur. Then he said, “When that occurs, sit in your houses until you hear from the people about the one who is superior to Abu Bakr and ‘Umar, may Allah be pleased with them both.” So, it was said, “O Abu Bakr, someone superior to Abu Bakr and ‘Umar?!” He replied, “He is even superior to some prophets.”11

Al-Hafiz (d. 852 H) says about the first narrator:

ضمرة بن ربيعة الفلسطيني أبو عبد الله أصله دمشقي صدوق يهم قليلا

Dhamrah b. Rubay’ah al-Filisṭini, Abu ‘Abd Allah, his origin was Damascus: Saduq (very truthful), hallucinates a little.12

Concerning the second narrator, he equally states:

عبد الله بن شوذب الخراساني أبو عبد الرحمن سكن البصرة ثم الشام صدوق عابد

‘Abd Allah b. Shawdhab al-Khurasani, Abu ‘Abd al-Rahman, he lived in Basra, then Syria: Saduq (very truthful), a devout worshipper of Allah.13

So, the sanad is hasan.

Al-Maruzi has included the report under the heading “Way of Life of the Mahdi and His Justice and Length of His Time.”14 We know from this then that Ibn Sirrin was describing “the Mahdi” - the same man mentioned in the hadith of Abu Dawud above - as being superior to some prophets in rank.

Meanwhile, here is another riwayah about this Mahdi, ‘alaihi al-salam, from the same Abu Dawud:

حدثنا سهل بن تمام بن بزيع ثنا عمران القطان عن قتادة عن أبي نضرة عن أبي سعيد الخدري قال قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم " المهدي مني أجلى الجبهة أقنى الأنف يملأ الأرض قسطا وعدلا كما ملئت جورا وظلما ويملك سبع سنين "

Sahl b. Tammam b. Buzay’ - ‘Imran al-Qaṭṭan - Qatadah - Abu Nadhrah - Abu Sa’id al-Khudri:

The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: “The Mahdi is from me, with a broad forehead, a curved nose. He will fill the earth with equity and justice just as it had been filled with oppression and injustice, and he will rule by kingdom for seven years.”15

Al-Albani says:

حسن

Hasan.16

Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah (d. 728 H) also declares:

الأحاديث التي يحتج بها على خروج المهدي أحاديث صحيحة

The ahadith that are relied upon as hujjah (proof) for the coming out of the Mahdi are sahih ahadith.17

So, he will be “the Mahdi”, from the blood and flesh of the Messenger, and “will rule by kingdom”. He will be “sent” by Allah to reduce oppression and injustice on the earth to the barest minimum. He will rule the whole planet as a just, righteous and rightly guided royal khalifah, assisted by his Lord.

Interestingly, his personal name will be Muhammad, like that of our Prophet. Imam al-Tirmidhi (d. 279 H) documents:

حدثنا عبيد بن أسباط بن محمد القرشي الكوفي قال حدثني أبي حدثنا سفيان الثوري عن عاصم بن بهدلة عن زر عن عبد الله قال قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم لا تذهب الدنيا حتى يملك العرب رجل من أهل بيتي يواطئ اسمه اسمي

‘Ubayd b. Asbaṭ b. Muhammad al-Qurashi al-Kufi - my father - Sufyan al-Thawri - ‘Asim b. Bahdalah18 - Zirr - ‘Abd Allah (b. Mas’ud):

The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: “This world will not end until a man from my Ahl al-Bayt rules the Arabs by kingdom. His name will correspond with my name.”19

Al-Tirmidhi says:

هذا حديث حسن صحيح

This hadith is hasan sahih.20

And al-Albani agrees:

حسن صحيح

Hasan sahih.21

His government, obviously, will be that of the House of Muhammad, and he will bring the supreme glory to Islam all over the universe. He will achieve the impossible, with divine help, and will fulfill the dreams of all the prophets and messengers.

Meanwhile, there are certain quick points about the Mahdi that must not be overlooked. First, belief in his coming in an ‘aqidah of Islam, and has been so named by ‘ulama of the Ahl al-Sunnah too. For instance, al-Albani states:

وما مثل هؤلاء إلا كمثل من ينكر عقيدة نزول عيسى عليه السلام في آخر

الزمان التي تواتر ذكرها في الأحاديث الصحيحة، لأن بعض الدجاجلة ادعاها، مثل

ميرزا غلام أحمد القادياني، وقد أنكرها بعضهم فعلا صراحة، كالشيخ شلتوت،

وأكاد أقطع أن كل من أنكر عقيدة المهدي ينكرها أيضا

These people are only like those who deny the ‘aqidah of the descent of ‘Isa, ‘alaihi al-salam, at the end of Time - whose mention has reached the level of tawattur in sahih ahadith - simply because some impostors claim it, such as Mirza Ghulam Ahmad al-Qadiyani. Some of them, like Shaykh al-Shaltut, have explicitly denied it. Also, I am fairly certain that everyone who denies the ‘AQIDAH of the Mahdi also denies it too.22

This means that whoever does not believe in the descent of Prophet ‘Isa, ‘alaihi al-salam, during the End Time or in the coming of the Mahdi and his mission and activities, has a defective iman (faith). Shaykh Ibn Baz (d. 1420 H) puts the matter forward in an even stronger manner:

وقدصحت وتواترت هذه الأخبار عن رسول الله عليه الصلاة والسلام في نزول الممسيح ابن مريم من السمماء في آخر الزمان، ومن خروج يأجوج ومأجوج وخروج الدجال في آخر الزمان، ومن مجيء المهدي، كل هذا االأربعة ثابتة: المهدي في آخر الزمان يملأ الأرض قسطاً بعد أن ملئت جوراً، ونزول المسيح ابن مريم، وخروج الدجال في آخر الزمان، وخروج يأجوج ومأجوج، كل هذا ثابت بالأحاديث الصحيحة المتواترة عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، فإنكارها كفر وضلال

Sahih and mutawatir reports have been reported from the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, concerning the descent of the Masih Ibn Maryam from the sky during the End Time, and concerning the coming out of Yajuj and Majuj and the coming out of the Dajjal during the End Time, and concerning the arrival of the Mahdi. All these four are well-proved - the Mahdi during the End Time who will fill the earth with equity after it had been filled with oppression; the descent of the Masih Ibn Maryam; the coming out of the Dajjal during the End Time, and the coming out of Yajuj and Majuj - each of these is well proved through sahih, mutawatir ahadith from the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him. THEREFORE, denial of them is kufr (disbelief and apostasy) and dhalal (heresy).23

We also read this Q&A by the same Shaykh:

يوجد لدينا رجل ينكر المسيح الدجال والمهدي ونزول عيسى عليه السلام ويأجوج ومأجوج ولا يعتقد في شيء منها، ويدعي عدم صحة ما ورد في ذلك من أحاديث… وهو يصلي ويصوم ويأتي بالفرائض. فما حكمه؟ ….

مثل هذا الرجل يكون كافراً

(Question) There is a man with us who denies the Masih al-Dajjal, THE MAHDI, the descent of ‘Isa, ‘alaihi al-salam, and Yajuj and Majuj, and does not believe any of it, and rejects the authenticity of the ahadith narrated about (all) that …. And he performs salat and fasts, and fulfils the obligatory duties (of Islam). So, what is his status?....

(Answer) Anyone like this man is a kafir.24

It is thus absolutely obligatory upon all Muslims to believe in the coming of Muhammad the Mahdi from the offspring and Ahl al-Bayt of the noble Rasul to overturn oppression and injustice in our world. Failure to uphold this belief may kick a Muslim out of Islam.

Another point is that the supplication ‘alaihi al-salam (peace be upon him) is added after the name of the Mahdi too, like in the case of prophets and angels. Al-Albani again says about ‘Isa b. Maryam:

فيأتم هو بالمهدي عليهما السلام

He (‘Isa) himself will be led in salat by the Mahdi, ‘alaihima al-salam (peace be upon them both).25

And:

كما فعل بعض الفرق قديما حين بادروا إلى إنكار القدر الإلهي إبطالا للجبر، وبعض العلماء في العصر الحاضر إلى إنكار عقيدة نزول عيسى وخروج المهدي عليهما السلام

It is like how some sects did in the past when they denied the existence of divine destiny in order to invalidate the doctrine of fatalism, and how some contemporary ‘ulama deny the ‘aqidah of the descent of ‘Isa and the rise of al-Mahdi, ‘alaihima al-salam.26

Imam al-Mubarakfuri (d. 1282 H) submits too:

قال الخطابي ويكون ذلك في زمن المهدي أو عيسى عليهما الصلاة والسلام أو كليهما

Al-Khaṭṭabi (d. 388 H) said: “That will occur during the time of the Mahdi or ‘Isa, ‘alaihima al-salat wa al-salam (peace and blessings be upon them both), or during the time of both of them.”27

However, we have seen Sunni scholars who prefer to say radhiyallahu ‘anhu and other supplications instead.

Lastly, one of the titles of the Mahdi is al-Muntazar (the Awaited). Imam al-Kattani (d. 1345 H) gives this heading in his book:

خروج المهدي الموعود المنتظر الفاطمي

The coming out of the Promised Mahdi, the Awaited (al-Muntazar) al-Faṭimi (i.e. from the offspring of Faṭimah).28

Al-Mubarakfuri also writes:

وقال القاضي الشوكاني في الفتح الرباني الذي أمكن الوقوف عليه من الأحاديث الواردة في المهدي المنتظر خمسون حديثا

Al-Qadhi al-Shawkani (d. 1250 H) said in al-Fath al-Rabbani: “What I have been able to study from the ahadith documented about the Awaited Mahdi (al-Mahdi al-Muntazar) are fifty ahadith.”29

The title of one of Dr. al-Bastawi’s books bears the appellation as well:

المهدي المنتظر في ضوء الأحاديث والآثار الصحيحة وأقوال العلماء وآراء الفرق المختلفة

The Awaited Mahdi (al-Mahdi al-Muntazar) in the Light of Sahih Ahadith and Athar and the Statements of the Scholars and the Views of Different Sects.

In that same book, he mentions this book by Imam Ibn Hajar al-Haythami (d. 974 H):

القول المختصر في علامات المهدي المنتظر

A Concise Statement on the Signs of the Awaited Mahdi (al-Mahdi al-Muntazar).30

He further cites a book by Shaykh Mur’i b. Yusuf al-Hanbali (d. 1033 H):

فوائد الفكر في ظهور المهدي المنتظر

The Benefits of Thinking about the Appearance of the Awaited Mahdi (al-Mahdi al-Muntazar).31

He gives also the title of a treatise by Shaykh ‘Abd al-Muhsin al-‘Abbad, whom he identifies as a former Vice Chancellor of the Islamic University of al-Madinah al-Munawwarah, published in the journal of the university of Dhu al-Qa’dah 1389 H, pp. 126-164:

عقيدة أهل السنة والأثر في المهدي المنتظر

The ‘Aqidah of the Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Athar Concerning the Awaited Mahdi (al-Mahdi al-Muntazar).32

This again reminds that the issue of the Mahdi is a matter of ‘aqidah.

‘Allamah al-Albani mentions this as well:

فمنهم مثلا من يتبع من ادعى أنه المهدي أو عيسى، كالقاديانيين

الذين اتبعوا ميرزا غلام أحمد القادياني الذي ادعى المهدوية أولا، ثم العيسوية

، ثم النبوة، ومثل جماعة (جهيمان) السعودي الذي قام بفتنة الحرم المكي على

رأس سنة (1400) هجرية، وزعم أن معه المهدي المنتظر، وطلب من الحاضرين في

الحرم أن يبايعوه

Among them, for example, are those who follow someone who calls himself the Mahdi or ‘Isa, like the Qadiyanis, who follow Mirza Ghulam Ahmad al-Qadiyani who claimed first that he was the Mahdi, then he claimed that he was ‘Isa (b. Maryam), then he claimed prophethood. Another example is that of the Saudi group (Juhayman)33 that perpetrated the crisis of the Haram of Makkah at the beginning of 1400 Hijri, and claimed that the Awaited Mahdi (al-Mahdi al-Muntazar) was with it, and demanded allegiance for him from those present (in Makkah).34

Notes

1. Abu ‘Abd Allah Ahmad b. Hanbal al-Shaybani, Musnad (Cairo: Muasassat Qurṭubah) [annotator: Shu’ayb al-Arnauṭ], vol. 3, p. 70, # 11683

2. Ibid

3. Abu Hatim Muhammad b. Hibban b. Ahmad b. Hibban b. Mu’adh b. Ma’bad al-Tamimi al-Darimi al-Busti, Sahih Ibn Hibban bi Tartib Ibn Balban (Beirut: Muasassat al-Risalah; 2nd edition, 1414 H) [annotators: Muhammad Nasir al-Din al-Albani and Shu’ayb al-Arnauṭ], vol. 15, p. 236, # 6823

4. Ibid

5. Ibid

6. Abu Dawud Sulayman b. al-Ash’ath al-Sijistani al-Azdi, Sunan (Dar al-Fikr) [annotator: Muhammad Nasir al-Din al-Albani], vol. 2, p. 509, # 4283

7. Ibid

8. Dr. ‘Abd al-‘Alim ‘Abd al-‘Azim al-Bastawi, al-Mahdi al-Muntazar fi Dhaw-i al-Ahadith wa al-Athar al-Sahihah wa Aqwal al-‘Ulama wa Ara al-Firaq al-Mukhtalifah (Beirut: Dar Ibn Hazm; 1st edition, 1420 H), p. 238

9. Qur’an 2:213

10. Qur’an 16:36

11. Abu ‘Abd Allah Na’im b. Hammad al-Maruzi, Kitab al-Fitan (Dar al-Fikr; 1414 H) [annotator: Prof. Dr. Suhayl Zakar], part 5, p. 221

12. Ahmad b. ‘Ali b. Hajar al-‘Asqalani, Taqrib al-Tahdhib (Beirut: Dar al-Maktabah al-‘Ilmiyyah; 2nd edition, 1415 H) [annotator: Mustafa ‘Abd al-Qadir ‘Aṭa], vol. 1, p. 445, # 2999

13. Ibid, vol. 1, p. 501, # 3398

14. Abu ‘Abd Allah Na’im b. Hammad al-Maruzi, Kitab al-Fitan (Dar al-Fikr; 1414 H) [annotator: Prof. Dr. Suhayl Zakar], part 5, p. 220

15. Abu Dawud Sulayman b. al-Ash’ath al-Sijistani al-Azdi, Sunan (Dar al-Fikr) [annotator: Muhammad Nasir al-Din al-Albani], vol. 2, p. 509, # 4285

16. Ibid

17. Abu al-‘Abbas Ahmad b. ‘Abd al-Halim b. Taymiyyah al-Harrani, Minhaj al-Sunnah al-Nabawiyyah (Muasassat Qurṭubah; 1st edition, 1406 H) [annotator: Dr. Muhammad Rashad Salim], vol. 8, p. 254

18. There are valid objections to the reliability of this ‘Asim. We will be examining them later in this book. So, this hadith has a dha’if chain due to this ‘Asim. However, its matn is confirmed in sahih Sunni ahadith, as our esteemed reader can see.

19. Abu ‘Isa Muhammad b. ‘Isa al-Sulami al-Tirmidhi, al-Jami’ al-Sahih Sunan al-Tirmidhi (Beirut: Dar Ihya al-Turath al-‘Arabi) [annotator: Muhammad Nasir al-Din al-Albani], vol. 4, p. 505, # 2230

20. Ibid

21. Ibid

22. Abu ‘Abd al-Rahman Muhammad Nasir al-Din b. al-Hajj Nuh b. Tajati b. Adam al-Ashqudri al-Albani, Silsilah al-Ahadith al-Sahihah wa Shayhun min Fiqhihah wa Fawaidihah (Riyadh: Maktabah al-Ma’arif li al-Nashr wa al-Tawzi’; 1st edition, 1415 H), vol. 4, p. 43, # 1529

23. ‘Abd al-‘Aziz b. ‘Abd Allah b. Baz, Fatawa Nurun ‘ala al-Darb (Dar al-Waṭan; 1st edition, 1428 H), vol. 1, p. 355

24. Ibid

25. Muhammad Nasir al-Din al-Albani, Qissat al-Masih al-Dajjal wa Nuzul ‘Isa (‘Amman: al-Maktabah al-Islamiyyah; 1st edition, 1421 H), p. 54, footnote # 1

26. Abu ‘Abd al-Rahman Muhammad Nasir al-Din b. al-Hajj Nuh b. Tajati b. Adam al-Ashqudri al-Albani, Silsilah al-Ahadith al-Sahihah wa Shayhun min Fiqhihah wa Fawaidihah (Riyadh: Maktabah al-Ma’arif li al-Nashr wa al-Tawzi’; 1st edition, 1416 H), vol. 6, p. 368, # 2668

27. Abu al-‘Ala Muhammad b. ‘Abd al-Rahman b. ‘Abd al-Rahim al-Mubarakfuri, Tuhfat al-Ahwazi bi Sharh Jami’ al-Tirmidhi (Beirut: Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah; 1st edition, 1410 H), vol. 6, pp. 514-515

28. Abu ‘Abd Allah Muhammad b. Ja’far al-Idrisi al-Kattani, Nazam al-Mutanathir min al-Hadith al-Mutawatir (Egypt: Dar al-Kutub al-Salafiyyah; 2nd edition), p. 225, # 289

29. Abu al-‘Ala Muhammad b. ‘Abd al-Rahman b. ‘Abd al-Rahim al-Mubarakfuri, Tuhfat al-Ahwazi bi Sharh Jami’ al-Tirmidhi (Beirut: Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah; 1st edition, 1410 H), vol. 6, p. 402

30. Dr. ‘Abd al-‘Alim ‘Abd al-‘Azim al-Bastawi, al-Mahdi al-Muntazar fi Dhaw-i al-Ahadith wa al-Athar al-Sahihah wa Aqwal al-‘Ulama wa Ara al-Firaq al-Mukhtalifah (Beirut: Dar Ibn Hazm; 1st edition, 1420 H), p. 42, # 7

31. Ibid, p. 42, # 9

32. Ibid, p. 137, # 33

33. This is a reference to Juhayman b. Muhammad b. Sayf al-‘Utaybi (September 16, 1936 - January 9, 1980), an ultra-Salafist from Najd in Saudi Arabia, who militarily took control of the Ka’bah in Makkah on November 20, 1979 and held its pilgrims hostage. He was an ex-student of Shaykh Ibn Baz, and had become very dissatisfied with the Salafi credentials of the Saudi monarchy. He led a small militia of 1300-1500 to seize the Haram Mosque, and then announced his son-in-law - Muhammad b. ‘Abd Allah al-Qahṭani - as the Mahdi. He was eventually defeated, after three weeks, by a combination of the Saudi army, the Pakistani army (who were called upon for help by Saudi authorities), and French commandos (similarly invited) who tactically converted to Islam in order to be able to take part in the military operations. He was publicly beheaded, along with 67 of his fighters, on January 9, 1980.

34. Abu ‘Abd al-Rahman Muhammad Nasir al-Din b. al-Hajj Nuh b. Tajati b. Adam al-Ashqudri al-Albani, Silsilah al-Ahadith al-Sahihah wa Shayhun min Fiqhihah wa Fawaidihah (Riyadh: Maktabah al-Ma’arif li al-Nashr wa al-Tawzi’; 1st edition, 1415 H), vol. 5, p. 278, # 2236

2. The Amir Over ‘Isa B. Maryam

The Masih, ‘alaihi al-salam, obviously, is a member of our Ummah, under the Shari’ah of Muhammad b. ‘Abd Allah, sallallahu ‘alaihi wa alihi. This is explicitly indicated in this chapter-heading by Imam Muslim (d. 261 H):

باب نزول عيسى بن مريم حاكما بشريعة نبينا محمد صلى الله عليه و سلم

Chapter on the Descent of ‘Isa b. Maryam to Judge with the Shari’ah of our Prophet Muhammad, Peace Be Upon Him.1

Imam al-Bukhari (d. 256 H) also records this hadith:

حدثنا إسحاق أخبرنا يعقوب بن إبراهيم حدثنا أبي عن صالح عن ابن شهاب أن سعيد بن المسيب سمع أبا هريرة رضي الله عنه قال : قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم والذي نفسي بيده ليوشكن أن ينزل فيكم ابن مريم حكما عدلا

Ishaq - Ya’qub b. Ibrahim - my father - Salih - Ibn Shihab - Sa’id b. al-Musayyab - Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him:

The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: “I swear by Him in Whose Hand my life is, surely the son of Maryam will soon descend amongst you as a just judge.”2

Explaining this riwayat, al-Hafiz (d. 852 H) states:

والمعنى أنه ينزل حاكما بهذه الشريعة فان هذه الشريعة باقية لا تنسخ بل يكون عيسى حاكما من حكام هذه الأمة

The meaning is that he will descend to judge with this Shari’ah, for this Shari’ah is eternal. It will never be abrogated. In fact, ‘Isa will be one of the judges of this Ummah.3

Meanwhile, it is an undisputable fact that whosoever follows the Shari’ah of Muhammad is from his Ummah. This clearly is why al-Hafiz has proceeded to give him an entry in his book on the biographies of the Sahabah:

عيسى المسيح بن مريم الصديقة بنت عمران بن ماهان بن الغار رسول الله وكلمته ألقاها إلى مريم

ذكره الذهبي في التجريد مستدركا على من قبله فقال عيسى بن مريم رسول الله رأى النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم ليلة الاسراء وسلم عليه فهو نبي وصحابي وهو آخر من يموت من الصحابة

وألغزه القاضي تاج الدين السبكي في قصيدته في آخر القواعد له فقال من باتفاق جميع الخلق أفضل من خير الصحاب أبي بكر ومن عمر ومن علي ومن عثمان وهو فتى من أمة المصطفى المختار من مضر

‘Isa the Masih b. Maryam the Siddiqah bint ‘Imran b. Mahan b. al-Ghar, the messenger of Allah and His Word which He said to Maryam.

Al-Dhahabi mentioned him in al-Tajrid, supporting those before him, and said: “‘Isa b. Maryam, the messenger of Allah. He saw the Prophet, peace be upon him, on the night of al-Isra and said salam to him. Therefore, he is a prophet AND A SAHABI; and he will be the last of the Sahabah to die.”

Al-Qadhi Taj al-Din al-Subki indirectly referred to him in his poem at the end of his al-Qawaid, and said: “He, who by consensus of all creatures, is better than the best of the Sahabah, Abu Bakr; and he is better than ‘Umar, ‘Ali and ‘Uthman. He is a young man from the Ummah of the Chosen Mustafa from Mudhar.”4

Imam al-Dhahabi (d. 748 H) further says in his Siyar:

ولم يسم الله تعالى في كتابه صحابيا باسمه إلا زيد بن حارثة وعيسى بن مريم عليه السلام الذي ينزل حكما مقسطا

Allah the Most High has not mentioned in His Book any Sahabi by name except Zayd b. Harithah and ‘Isa b. Maryam, ‘alaihi al-salam, who will descend as a just judge.5

Basically, ‘Isa b. Maryam is the best of the Sahabah - by Sunni reckoning - and not Abu Bakr (contrary to the popular Sunni myth). He will follow and enforce the Shari’ah of Muhammad, and will be the last of the Sahabah to die. Since the advent of our Prophet, the Masih became a member of our Ummah, and will die as one of our own.

Interestingly, after ‘Isa’s descent, he will not be the supreme leader of the Ummah. Of course, he will be a judge who will enforce our Shari’ah. However, he will, in doing that, be taking orders from a higher authority, the khalifah of his time. Imam al-Bukhari records:

حدثنا ابن بكير حدثنا الليث عن يونس عن ابن شهاب عن نافع مولى أبي قتادة الأنصاري أن أبا هريرة قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم كييف أنتم إذا نزل ابن مريم فيكم وإمامكم منكم

Ibn Bukayr - al-Layth - Yunus - Ibn Shihab - Nafi’, freed slave of Abu Qatadah al-Ansari - Abu Hurayrah:

The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: “How will you be when the son of Maryam descends amongst you while your Imam will be from you?”6

Dr. al-Bastawi interprets that in this manner:

" فإمامكم منكم " أي أن الإمام يكون غير عيسى، رجل من أمة محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم

“while your Imam will be from you”, that is: the Imam will NOT be ‘Isa, he will be a man from the Ummah of Muhammad, peace be upon him.7

Of course, ‘Isa too is from this Ummah. However, he is a naturalized member while the Imam will be someone born into it. Well, by divine decree, only people from the Arab tribe of Quraysh can be khalifahs; and this rule will never change till the Hour. Imam Ibn Abi ‘Asim (d. 287 H) confirms:

ثنا أبو صالح هدبة بن عبد الوهاب، حدثنا النضر بن شميل، ثنا شعبة، عن حبيب بن الزبير، عن عبد الله بن أبي الهذيل قال: كنا نجالس عمرو ابن العاص نذاكره الفقه فقال رجل من بكر لتنتهين قريش أو ليجعلن الله هذا الأمر في جمهور من جماهير العرب فقال عمرو بن العاص: كذبت سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول: الخلافة في قريش إلى قيام الساعة

Abu Salih Hudbah b. ‘Abd al-Wahhab - al-Nadhr b. Shumayl - Shu’bah - Habib b. al-Zubayr - ‘Abd Allah b. Abi al-Hudhayl:

We were sitting with ‘Amr b. al-‘As, discussing al-fiqh. Then, a man from Bakr, said, “If Quraysh do not desist, Allah will place this affair in another group among Arabs.” So, ‘Amr b. al-‘As replied, “You lied! I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, saying: ‘The khilafah is in Quraysh till the establishment of the Hour.’”8

And ‘Allamah al-Albani (d. 1420 H) says:

إسناده جيد

Its chain is good.9

Imam Abu Ya’la (d. 307 H) also records:

حدثنا الحسن بن إسماعيل أبو سعيد بالبصرة حدثنا إبراهيم بن سعد عن أبيه عن أنس رضي الله عنه قال : قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم : الأئمة من قريش

Al-Hasan b. Isma’il Abu Sa’id - Ibrahim b. Sa’d - his father - Anas, may Allah be pleased with him:

The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: “The Imams are from Quraysh.”10

Shaykh Dr. Asad says:

إسناده صحيح

Its chain is sahih11

Since the Masih is an Israilite, he is automatically disqualified from running the khilafah. He can only pledge allegiance to and take orders from a supreme royal ruler from Quraysh. Imam al-Tirmidhi (d. 279 H) documents too:

حدثنا أحمد بن منيع حدثنا زيد بن حباب حدثنا معاوية بن صالح حدثنا أبو مريم الأنصاري عن أبي هريرة قال قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم الملك في قريش

Ahmad b. Mani’ - Zayd b. Hubbab - Mu’awiyah b. Salih - Abu Maryam al-Ansari - Abu Hurayrah:

The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: “The kingdom is in Quraysh.”12

Al-Albani comments:

صحيح

Sahih13

The descent of ‘Isa will create a huge potential for confusion within the Ummah. Would it be proper for a prophet to take orders from a non-prophet? In order to forestall the possibility of disarray, both the Masih and the khalifah of his time will explain the matter clearly by deeds. Normally, the Imam of the Ummah cannot be led in salat by any of his subjects. Imam al-Nasai (d. 303 H) records:

أخبرنا إبراهيم بن محمد التيمي قال حدثنا يحيى بن سعيد عن شعبة عن إسماعيل بن رجاء عن أوس بن ضمعج عن أبي مسعود قال قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم لا يؤم الرجل في سلطانه ولا يجلس على تكرمته إلا بإذنه

Ibrahim b. Muhammad al-Taymi - Yahya b. Sa’id - Shu’bah - Isma’il b. Raja - Aws b. Dham’aj - Abu Mas’ud:

The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: “No one can lead a man in salat in his place of authority, and no one can sit in his place of honour except with his permission.”14

And al-Albani declares:

صحيح

Sahih15

Knowing this, the then amir of the believers will nonetheless offer leadership of the salat to ‘Isa b. Maryam. If the Masih accepts it and leads the amir, then he (the Masih) confirms himself as the overall master of the Ummah. However, if he rejects it, in that case he submits to the authority and leadership of the khalifah. Imam Muslim here presents how this will be resolved:

حدثنا الوليد بن شجاع وهارون بن عبدالله وحجاج بن الشاعر قالوا حدثنا حجاج (وهو ابن محمد) عن ابن جريج قال أخبرني أبو الزبير أنه سمع جابر بن عبدالله يقول سمعت النبي صلى الله عليه و سلم يقول لا تزال طائفة من أمتي يقاتلون على الحق ظاهرين إلى يوم القيامة قال فينزل عيسى بن مريم صلى الله عليه و سلم فيقول أميرهم تعال صل لنا فيقول لا إن بعضكم على بعض أمراء تكرمة الله هذه الأمة

Al-Walid b. Shuja’, Harun b. ‘Abd Allah and Hajjaj b. al-Sha’ir - Hajjaj b. Muhammad - Ibn Jurayj - Abu al-Zubayr - Jabir b. ‘Abd Allah:

I heard the Prophet, peace be upon him, saying: “There will never cease to be a group within my Ummah who will be fighting upon the Truth, victorious till the Day of al-Qiyamah. Then, ‘Isa b. Maryam, sallallahu ‘alaihi wa salam, will descend, and their amir will say, ‘Come and lead us in salat.’ But, he (‘Isa) will reply, ‘No. Verily, some of you are the amirs of the others. This is the honour of Allah to this Ummah.’”16

The Masih rejects the offer and performs salat behind the amir. Al-Albani records that the Prophet said:

منا الذي يصلي عيسى بن مريم خلفه

The one behind whom ‘Isa b. Maryam will perform salat is from us.17

Then, he comments:

فالحديث عندي صحيح

The hadith, in my view, is sahih18

Therefore, the authority of the khalifah over Prophet ‘Isa is perfectly established. No one can lead a man in salat in his place of authority; and the son of Maryam will be led. As such, he will not be the one in overall authority over the Ummah.

Who then will this amir be, who will give commands to ‘Isa?

Dr. al-Bastawi has copied a hadith which identifies for us the Imam of the Ummah during ‘Isa’s Second Coming:

عن جابر قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم :ينزل عيسى بن مريم فيقول أميرهم المهدي: تعال صل بنا. فيقول: لا، إن بعضهم أمير بعض. تكرمة الله لهذه الأمة

Narrated Jabir:

The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: “‘Isa b. Maryam will descend and their amir, the Mahdi will say, ‘Come and lead us in salat.’ But, he will reply, ‘No. Verily, some of them are the amirs over others. It is the honour of Allah to this Ummah.’”19

After quoting its sources and extensively examining its narrators, he concludes:

إسناده صحيح

Its chain is sahih20

He also documents:

عن ابن سيرين قال :المهدي من هذه الأمة وهو الذي يؤم عيسى بن مريم

Ibn Sirrin said: “The Mahdi is from this Ummah, and he will be the Imam of ‘Isa b. Maryam.”21

And he has this verdict on it:

إسناده صحيح. رجاله كلهم ثقات

Its chain is sahih. Its narrators are trustworthy.22

So, he will be the Mahdi, ‘alaihi al-salam. He will be the amir and Imam of the Ummah, before and after Prophet ‘Isa joins it. This fact reveals that the coming out of the Mahdi will occur during the very last part of life on earth, as ‘Isa will come at that time. Something to note also is that the Mahdi will actually rule the last section of our Ummah, as Imam al-Hakim (d. 403 H) documents:

أخبرني أبو العباس محمد بن أحمد المحبوبي بمرو ثنا سعيد بن مسعود ثنا النضر بن شميل ثنا سليمان بن عبيد ثنا أبو الصديق الناجي عن أبي سعيد الخدري رضي الله عنه أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال : يخرج في آخر أمتي المهدي يسقيه الله الغيث وتخرج الأرض نباتها ويعطى المال صحاحا وتكثر الماشية وتعظم الأمة يعيش سبعا أو ثمانيا يعني حججا

Abu al-‘Abbas Muhammad b. Ahmad al-Mahbubi - Sa’id b. Mas’ud - al-Nadhr b. Shumayl - Sulayman b. ‘Ubayd - Abu al-Siddiq al-Naji - Abu Sa’id al-Khudri, may Allah be pleased with him:

The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said, “The Mahdi will come out at the END of my Ummah. Allah will provide rain to him, and the earth will bring out its vegetation, and he will give wealth correctly. Livestock will become abundant and the Ummah will become great. He will witness seven or eight Hajjs.23

Al-Hakim comments:

هذا حديث صحيح الإسناد

This hadith has a sahih chain24

Imam al-Dhahabi (d. 748 H) agrees:

صحيح

Sahih25

Al-Albani also says about the hadith in his Sahihah:

قلت: وهذا سند صحيح

I say: This chain is sahih26

Dr. al-Bastawi has the same verdict on it:

إسناده صحيح

Its chain is sahih.27

Notes

1. Abu al-Husayn Muslim b. al-Hajjaj al-Qushayri al-Naysaburi, Sahih Muslim (Beirut: Dar Ihya al-Turath al-‘Arabi) [annotator: Muhammad Fuad ‘Abd al-Baqi], vol. 1, p. 134, chapter # 71

2. Abu ‘Abd Allah Muhammad b. Isma’il b. Ibrahim b. Mughirah al-Bukhari al-Ju’fi, al-Jami’ al-Sahih al-Mukhtasar (Beirut: Dar Ibn Kathir; 3rd edition, 1407 H) [annotator: Dr. Musṭafa Dib al-Bagha], vol. 3, p. 1272, # 3264

3. Shihab al-Din Ibn Hajar al-‘Asqalani, Fath al-Bari Sharh Sahih al-Bukhari (Beirut: Dar al-Ma’rifah li al-Taba’ah wa al-Nashr; 2nd edition), vol. 6, p. 356

4. Ahmad b. ‘Ali b. Hajar al-‘Asqalani, al-Isabah fi Tamyiz al-Sahabah (Beirut: Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah; 1st edition, 1415 H) [annotators: Shaykh ‘Adil Ahmad b. ‘Abd al-Mawjud and Shaykh ‘Ali Muhammad Ma’udh], vol. 4, pp. 633-634, # 6164

5. Shams al-Din Muhammad b. Ahmad b. ‘Uthman al-Dhahabi, Siyar A’lam al-Nubala (Beirut: Muasassat al-Risalah; 9th edition, 1413 H) [annotators of the first volume: Shu’ayb al-Arnauṭ and Husayn al-Asad], vol. 1, p. 220, # 36

6. Abu ‘Abd Allah Muhammad b. Isma’il b. Ibrahim b. Mughirah al-Bukhari al-Ju’fi, al-Jami’ al-Sahih al-Mukhtasar (Beirut: Dar Ibn Kathir; 3rd edition, 1407 H) [annotator: Dr. Musṭafa Dib al-Bagha], vol. 3, p. 1272, # 3265

7. Dr. ‘Abd al-‘Alim ‘Abd al-‘Azim al-Bastawi, al-Mahdi al-Muntazar fi Dhaw-i al-Ahadith wa al-Athar al-Sahihah wa Aqwal al-‘Ulama wa Ara al-Firaq al-Mukhtalifah (Beirut: Dar Ibn Hazm; 1st edition, 1420 H), p. 283

8. Abu Bakr b. Abi ‘Asim, Ahmad b. ‘Amr b. al-Dhahhak b. Mukhlid al-Shaybani, Kitab al-Sunnah (al-Maktab al-Islami; 1st edition, 1400 H) [annotator: Muhammad Nasir al-Din al-Albani], vol. 2, p. 527, # 1109

9. Ibid

10. Abu Ya’la Ahmad b. ‘Ali b. Muthanna al-Mawsili al-Tamimi, Musnad (Damascus: Dar al-Mamun li al-Turath; 1st edition, 1404 H) [annotator: Dr. Husayn Salim Asad], vol. 6, p. 321, # 3644

11. Ibid

12. Abu ‘Isa Muhammad b. ‘Isa al-Sulami al-Tirmidhi, al-Jami’ al-Sahih Sunan al-Tirmidhi (Beirut: Dar Ihya al-Turath al-‘Arabi) [annotator: Muhammad Nasir al-Din al-Albani], vol. 5, p. 727 # 3936

13. Ibid

14. Abu ‘Abd al-Rahman Ahmad b. Shu’ayb al-Nasai, al-Mujtaba min al-Sunan (Halab: Maktab al-Maṭbu’at al-Islamiyyah; 2nd edition, 1406 H) [annotator: Muhammad Nasir al-Din al-Albani], vol. 2, p. 77, # 783

15. Ibid

16. Abu al-Husayn Muslim b. al-Hajjaj al-Qushayri al-Naysaburi, Sahih Muslim (Beirut: Dar Ihya al-Turath al-‘Arabi) [annotator: Muhammad Fuad ‘Abd al-Baqi], vol. 1, p. 137, # 156 (247)

17. Abu ‘Abd al-Rahman Muhammad Nasir al-Din b. al-Hajj Nuh b. Tajati b. Adam al-Ashqudri al-Albani, Silsilah al-Ahadith al-Sahihah wa Shayhun min Fiqhihah wa Fawaidihah (Riyadh: Maktabah al-Ma’arif li al-Nashr wa al-Tawzi’; 1st edition, 1415 H), vol. 5, p. 371, # 2293

18. Ibid

19. Dr. ‘Abd al-‘Alim ‘Abd al-‘Azim al-Bastawi, al-Mahdi al-Muntazar fi Dhaw-i al-Ahadith wa al-Athar al-Sahihah wa Aqwal al-‘Ulama wa Ara al-Firaq al-Mukhtalifah (Beirut: Dar Ibn Hazm; 1st edition, 1420 H), p. 180, # 6

20. Ibid, p. 182

21. Ibid, p. 219, # 14

22. Ibid, p. 220

23. Abu ‘Abd Allah Muhammad b. ‘Abd Allah al-Hakim al-Naysaburi, al-Mustadrak ‘ala al-Sahihayn (Beirut: Dar al-Kutub al-’Ilmiyyah; 1st edition, 1411 H) [annotator: Mustafa ‘Abd al-Qadir ‘Aṭa], vol. 4, p. 601, # 8673

24. Ibid

25. Ibid

26. Abu ‘Abd al-Rahman Muhammad Nasir al-Din b. al-Hajj Nuh b. Tajati b. Adam al-Ashqudri al-Albani, Silsilah al-Ahadith al-Sahihah wa Shayhun min Fiqhihah wa Fawaidihah (Riyadh: Maktabah al-Ma’arif li al-Nashr wa al-Tawzi’; 1st edition, 1415 H), vol. 2, p. 328, # 711

27. Dr. ‘Abd al-‘Alim ‘Abd al-‘Azim al-Bastawi, al-Mahdi al-Muntazar fi Dhaw-i al-Ahadith wa al-Athar al-Sahihah wa Aqwal al-‘Ulama wa Ara al-Firaq al-Mukhtalifah (Beirut: Dar Ibn Hazm; 1st edition, 1420 H), p. 165