The Promised Savior: an Inquiry Into the Imamate of Imam Mahdi (a.s) From the Viewpoint of Muslim Thinkers

Chapter Four: The Promised Mahdi is born

The fourth point is that Imam Mahdi (a.s) is born and he is the son of Imam Hasan Askari (a.s).

In the light of many successively reported traditions accepted by all Muslims, we have thus far reached the following conclusions.

  1. This community has one Mahdi and it is a must to believe in him.

  2. Mahdi is from the Holy Prophet's progeny whom we are required to follow and obey not surpassing them in any matter.

  3. Mahdi (a.s) is among those twelve persons whom the Messenger of Allah (s) has introduced as his successors and the leaders of Muslims after his demise and whom we are supposed to obey and follow for they belongthe Holy Prophet's progeny.

  4. Mahdi is from the offspring of Husain bin Ali, the martyr of Karbala. He is the son of Imam Hasan Askari, the son of Imam Hadi, the son of Imam Jawad, the son of Imam Reza, the son of Imam Kazim, the son of Imam Sadiq, the son of Imam Baqir, the son of Imam Sajjad, the son of Imam Husain and the son of Imam Ali bin Abi Talib.

The conclusions drawn show that the earth is never devoid of righteous leaders. These righteous leaders who are from the progeny of the Holy Prophet (s) are twelve persons. It is also clear that he is the twelfth Imam and that he is born and is alive now.

It is on the basis of these facts that most of Sunni scholars confess that Imam Mahdi (a.s) is born and is alive now. They think that he is the son of Imam Hasan Askari (a.s). Below are the names of some of these scholars.

Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Hashim Balazari (d. 270 AH).

Abu Bakr Umar Bayhaqi (d. 458 AH).

Abu Muhammad Abdullah bin Khashshab (d. 567).

Ibn Azraq, a historian (d. 590 AH).

Fakhr Razi, (d. 606 AH).

Ibn Athir (d. 630).

Ibn Arabi Andulusi (d. 638).

Kamal al-Din Ibn Talha (d. 652 AH).

Sabt Ibn Jawzi (d. 654)

Abu Abdullah Ganji Shafiee (d. 658 AH).

Sadr al-Din Qunawi, (d. 672 AH).

Shams al-Din Ibn Khallakan (d. 681 AH).

Sadr al-Din Hamuee (d. 723 AH).

Shams al-Din Dahabi (d. 748 AH).

Umar bin Woordi (d. 749 AH).

Salah al-Din Safdi, (d. 764 AH.)

Shams al-Din ibn Jazari, (d. 833 AH).

Ibn Sabbagh Maliki, (d. 855 AH).

Jalal al-Din Suyuti, (d. 911 AH).

Sheik Abd al-Wahhab Sha'arani, (d. 973 AH)

Ibn Hajar Makki, (d. 974 AH).

Sheikh Ali Qadiri, (d. 1013 AH).

Sheikh Abd al-Haq Dehlavi (d. 1052 AH).

Shah Waliullah Dehlawi, (d. 1176 AH).

Sheikh Qunduzi Hanafi, (d. 1294 AH).