Mahdaviyat in Hadith

Imam Mahdi (a.s.) in Sehah-e-sitah

The belief in Imam Mahdi (A.S.) has been a topic of debate since the very inception of Islam. Most of the Islamic scholars are so deeply drowned in the pit of prejudice that they deny the existence of Imam Mahdi (A.S.) in its entirety. They assert that it is an idea fabricated by the Shias which has no origin either in Quran or in Prophetic traditions and is an unfounded belief.

As far as Quran is concerned, time and again in several articles of Yamahdi.com we have proved the point. God-willing in this article we shall try to prove the holy existence of Imam Mahdi (A.S.) from the Prophetic traditions.

We shall also try to establish that not only this belief is not concocted by Shi'te zealots but it is such a foundation of Islam which cannot be rejected. The Holy Prophet (S.A.) and his companions were awaiting such a 'Reformer' who will establish justice and equity in the world and thus fulfill the Divine Promise of "so that it (Islam) may prevail upon all the religions" (Quran).

Why Sehah-e-Sittah?

Often it happens that when Shia Scholars bring some proofs, then immediately the Sunni learned men retort by, "If you prove it from Sehah-e-Sittah we will believe. We believe only in the references of Sehah-e-Sittah and nothing else." How far their reply is correct or incorrect is beyond the limits of this article.

But it will not be out of place to mention that umpteen Sunni beliefs are not to be found in Sehah-e- Sittah. For instance the belief in 'Ashrae Mubashshirah', these are those ten 'fortunate' companions of the Holy Prophet (S.A.) who were promised paradise in their lifetime. But, this belief Of Ahle-Sunnat is not to be found in any of the Sehah. Nevertheless in order to exhaust the arguments, we will confine our references and citations from Sehah Sittah alone.

Imam Mahdi (A.S.) is from the Holy Ahlebait (A.S.)

1- Hafiz Abu Abdullah Mohammad bin Yazid Al Qazvini narrates in his 'Sunane-Ihn Majah' that Hazrat Ali (A.S.) related from the Holy Prophet (S.A.) that :

"The Mahdi is from us Ahlebait, Allah shall organize his affairs within one night." (Sunane-lbn Majah, Kitabul Fitan, Tradition No. 4085). Bukhari has quoted the same tradition ditto in his 'Tarikh' but only Allah knows who advised him against quoting the tradition in his 'Sahih'.

2- Saeed bin Musayyab relates that once we were sitting in the company ofUmme Salmah (R.A.) when we mentioned about Mahdi, she replied that I have heard the Holy Prophet (S.A.) saying : "The Mahdi is from the offspring of Fatema."

3- Anas bin Malik related from the Holy Prophet (S.A.) that "We, the progeny of Abdul Muttalib viz. I, Hamza, Ali, Jafar, Hasan, Husain and Mahdi are the chiefs of inhabitants of Paradise." 4- Abu Isa Mohammad bin Sauda narrates in his Sahihe-Tirmizi, that the Holy Prophet (S.A.) said :

"The world will not perish unless a man from my progeny will not rule on the land of Arabs-." (Sahihe-Tirmizi, Kitabul Fitan, Chapter of The Reports on Mahdi', Tradition No. 2230.)

Abu Isa opined that the tradition is also quoted from Ali (A.S.), Abu Saeed Umme Salma and Abu Huraira. This is a correct and authentic tradition. Apart from this, classifying a separate chapter in his Sahih about Hazrat Mahdi (A.S.) itself speaks volumes about the importance of the subject. There are numerous such traditions from the Holy Prophecy (S.A.) which proclaim that the Mahdi will be only from Ahlebait (A.S.) and none else. Two conclusions can be derived from such traditions.

Firstly, Haznit Mahdi (A.S.) is not an ordinary person. He is such an extraordinary and sublime person of whom the Holy Prophet (S.A.) is proud. He (S.A.) heaves a breathe of pride when he announces that Hazrat Mahdi (A.S.) is from his own progeny. Secondly, these traditions exposed and unmasked all those importers and pseudo-Mahdi is who were neither related to the Holy Prophet (S.A.) nor were in any way linked to his Ahlebait (A.S.).