AL MAHDI, JESUS & MOSHAIKH (the ANTI-CHRIST)

Narrated by the late Grand Muhaddith Hafez Abdullah ben Sadek,
(1914 - 1993) may Allah be pleased with him

Translated by Shaykh Ahmad Darwish and Khadeijah A. Stephens

©1984-2025 Allah.com Muhammad.com and Darwish Family.

All rights reserved.

In the Name of Allah, the Merciful, the Most Merciful

This book is divided into four parts. The first part is the translation of the work of the late Grand Muhaddith of Morocco, Hafez, Habib Shaykh Abdullah ben Sadek, may Allah have mercy upon him, and consists of prophetic sayings (hadith) pertaining to coming of Al Mahdi and his circumstances. It also mentions several hadiths concerning Prophet Jesus and the false Messiah.

The second part contains hadiths extracted from "The Gardens of Righteousness" by Imam Nawawi in which there are additional authentic hadiths pertaining to the arrival of the false Messiah and the second coming of Prophet Jesus, peace be upon him.

The third part is a summary written in layman's terms of the preceding hadith however, they should not be used as a substitute for the study of the hadith that are the actual sayings of Prophet Muhammad, praise and peace be upon him, that have been verified and transmitted verbatim from one generation to the next since his time.

The fourth part consists of questions and answers replied to by Hafez Habib Abdullah.

Muhaddith, Hafez Habib Abdullah ben Sadek

The Acclaimed Scholar of Ahle Sunnat Wa Jamat

Muhaddith, Hafez Habib Abdullah ben Sadek, a direct descendant of Prophet Muhammad, praise and peace be upon him, was not only the foremost Muhaddith of Africa but one of the top seven scholars in the world on the Science of Hadith. The Science of Hadith is the transmission of the sayings and practices of Prophet Muhammad, praise and peace be upon him.

At a young age the Muhaddith became a Professor of Hadith at Al Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt, and to his credit several of his former students include Grand Muhaddiths and Islamic officials in many parts of the Islamic world. During his lifetime he wrote over one hundred books on Islam, including an encyclopedia of hadith falsely attributed to Prophet Muhammad. He also originated the Science of the Innovations of the Explanation of the Holy Koran.

Hafez Abdullah was born in Tangier, Morocco in 1914 (A.H. 1328). As a child he learned the Holy Koran by heart and studied the Koranic science of calligraphy. Later, he studied the complete sciences of Malik Jurisprudence and the Explanation of the Holy Koran at Kairouan Mosque in Fez, Morocco. In December, 1931, he began his studies at Al Azhar Mosque where he took and passed its final examination within the short period of one year after which he was offered a teaching position in the prestigious university of Al Azhar. In 1942 he received his Ph.D. then returned to Tangier where he continued to teach up until the time of his death in the mosque and center founded by his father. May Allah be pleased with them.

TRANSLATOR'S NOTES:

The first part of this book was first printed in Arabic at the beginning of the Iranian Islamic Revolution and was so well received that it was completely sold out in the first week of its publication, in Cairo, Egypt.

Until now there has never been such a well documented book in English on the subject of Al Mahdi from authentic Sunni sources, which incidentally, with the exception of a few minor issues – i.e birth in the past or the future - is very close to that of the Shi'ite. It was decided to make an abridged translation of Hafiz’s book into the English language for the enlightenment of all English speaking Muslims, and those interested in the return of Jesus, as well as the warning of the anti-Christ and his activities.

When we referred to the book as having been abridged, we refer to the omission of the chains of narrators with the exception of the Prophet's companions, because this matter is only of real interest to the scholars of the Science of Hadith Terminology to which the average western reader is unfamiliar. However, these omissions do not detract from the information contained within this book, rather, it simplifies it's reading.

Also omitted in this translation are the false statements that he warned about which unscrupulous liars tried to attribute to the Holy Prophet, praise and peace be upon him. This has been undertaken so that the reader does not confuse the false with the truth. However, for those who wish to study these false statements we refer them to the original Arabic version of this book.

In the original Arabic version, Hafez Abdullah draws the attention of the reader to the falsely attributed statements by using the expression "very weak". In Hadith terminology we are forbidden to use such statements as an argument, or that it has been reported as being an 'hadith' of the Holy Prophet, praise and peace be upon him.

In the section "The Prophetic Sayings transmitted by Thirty-Three Companions" , the reader will observe that more than thirty-three hadith are mentioned. This is because some of the companions transmitted more than one hadith relating to Al Mahdi, or, that the hadiths have been combined.

PREFACE
by Muhaddith, Hafez Habib Abdullah ben Sadek

Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds. Veneration and peace be upon our master Muhammad, the honest Prophet. Surely, Allah is pleased with his purified family and his righteous companions - the supporter and migrator.

I have written two other books concerning the end of time, the first is called: "Establishing the Proof of the Descent of Jesus from Heaven at the End of Time", and the second, "The Islamic Belief in the Descent of Jesus." 

The aim of this book is to destroy the false statements made concerning the rejection or denial of the Prophetic statements relating to Al Mahdi, Al Muntazar, the Expected, Guided Leader, by proving these statements to be 'mutawatira’ ¹. Whosoever denies these statements is considered to have fallen into the error of innovation and is thereby classified.

I call this book "Al Mahdi Al Muntazar", and Allah is the One who should be asked to benefit its reader through its reading in the way in which He benefited the readers of it's two brother books. Surely, He is near us, and answers supplications.
 
THE VERACITY OF PROPHET MUHAMMAD'S SAYINGS
Unfortunately, there are many people, including some who are knowledgeable, who believe there will be no Mahdi. This is because they are ignorant of the Prophetic sayings prophesying his appearance towards the end of time.

A person told me during the course of a meeting in which Al Mahdi was mentioned, that a knowledgeable teacher stated that the Hadiths bearing the news of Al Mahdi were false. I asked that person why he had not questioned their falsehood by asking which authoritative source from the Science of Hadith had judged them false. By Allah, if he had asked these questions the teacher would not have been able to reply. It is impossible that the Hadiths which have been proved to be 'mutawatira', by Al Hufaz (the highest authorities in Hadith terminology) to be false.

Hafiz² Abu Hussain Al Abiri said in his book, "The Merits of Imam Al Shafi'i", may Allah be pleased with him, "The news reported via the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, of Al Mahdi was spread far and wide and has been verified as 'mutawatira'. He is from the family of the Holy Prophet, and when he comes the earth will be filled with justice, and Jesus, upon whom be veneration and peace, will follow him and assist him in the slaying of al masiikh often referred to as ad-dajal - the lying, false messiah, the anti-Christ."³

Al Muhaddith, Idris Al Iraqi Al Hussaini wrote, "The Prophetic sayings concerning Al Mahdi are 'mutawatira' or extremely close, however, the first opinion has been certified by many Al Hufaz⁴.

Ash-Shawkani said in his book, “The Authentic Proof Concerning Transmissions about the Expected Imam, the false Messiah and the Messiah, " ... there are fifty transmitted prophetic sayings concerning Al Mahdi. Amongst them are those classified as authentic, good and also the amended. There is no doubt that they are all mutawatira."

The expression 'mutawatira' can also be applied to Hadiths of a lesser degree according to all the expressions listed in the principle of this science. On account of so many of the companions reporting the same narration it is impossible to say these statements were generated from themselves and are not from the Holy Prophet because the information contained therein is above their capability.

The King of Bohpal in India, Al Muhaddith Al Kinnawji said in his book, "The Broadcasting of what Happened and what is Going to Happen before the Hour of
Judgement, "  '... the Prophetic sayings concerning Al Mahdi together with their various narrations are numerous and are classified as being mutawatira. This fact has also
been recorded in other references of Hadith and Islamic records such as dictionaries together with their chains of narrations of each transmitter ...' Then he added, 'Some of the Prophetic sayings concerning Al Mahdi are extremely high in their soundness, some sound, whilst others are lesser in soundness. One must also take into account that throughout each generation his circumstances have always been very well known."

The scholar, Abu Abdullah Jasus said, "The news concerning Al Mahdi has been reported in many hadiths and Al Hafiz As-Sakhawy judged that they had reached the level of 'mutawatira.'"

Ash-Shaykh Al Arabi of Fez said, "Every science has been delivered through the authentic news via the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him. That which has been prophesied is a truth to be expected and will, indeed, occur ...  and the news of Al Mahdi is transmitted in numerous narrations so therefore it is powerful."

The scholar Abu Zayd Abdur-Rahman of Fez commented, "There is an abundance of news about Al Mahdi and he will be sent at the end of Time ..."

As-Safarini wrote in his poem describing the articles of belief, "Everything came in the Prophetic text from the true science. There is no deviation amongst them concerning the eloquent seal - Imam Muhammad Al Mahdi and Jesus."

Explaining his poems, As-Safarini said, "There are many opinions concerning Al Mahdi -- even the false -- and it has been said that there is no Mahdi except Jesus. The authentic reports followed by truthful people is that Al Mahdi is other than Jesus and that he will come before Jesus descends from the heavens. There are many narrations reaching the degree of 'tawatur' and because of this it became very well known among the scholars of the Sunnah⁵, as it is agreed that any news transmitted by tawatur methodology is considered as being an article of belief.

After this As-Safarini mentioned some of the Hadiths reported by a group of the Prophet's Companions and commented, "These have been reported via the Companions together with others who are also mentioned in numerous chains of narrations. It has also been mentioned via the second generation of Muslims from which we glean great benefit with the absolute knowledge of Al Mahdi. Therefore, belief in the coming of Al Mahdi is obligatory because it has been confirmed by knowledgeable scholars and listed in the Articles of Faith of the people of the Sunnah."

Amongst those who describe the Prophet's sayings relating to Al Mahdi as 'mutawatira' is the shaykh of several of our shaykhs, the Imam, the Seal of the Scholars of Hadith in Fez, As-Sayyid Muhammad, son of Jafar Al Kittani. In his book, "Organizing the Scattered Mutawatira Prophetic Sayings" via twenty Companions, he reported statements similar to those already stated by the previously mentioned scholars.

He also said, "In his introduction, ibn Khaldun traced the chains of the Prophetic sayings concerning the coming of Al Mahdi according to his knowledge, however, he approached them incorrectly." Accordingly, the scholars criticized him saying that the Prophetic sayings reported about Al Mahdi are numerous and reach the height of being 'mutawatira.' It is reported in the references of Ahmad, At-Tirmizi, Abu Dawood, ibn Majah, Al Hakim, At-Tabarani, Abi Yal'ly, Al Bazaar and others that they were able to trace them directly to a group of the Prophet's companions." Consequently, the denial of this together with all the above are illicit because the Prophetic sayings support each other and become powerful with witnesses and arguments. The Prophetic sayings pertaining to Al Mahdi either reach the highest degree of soundness, or are determined to be sound, or some are classified as being lesser.

Scholarly witnessing to these statements are numerous, however, it is not our aim to gather them all, neither is it to defeat the opinion of ibn Khaldun, because this has already been dealt with in "The Appearance of the Hidden Delusions from the Sayings of ibn Khaldun" by my brother As-Sayyid Ahmad. This book defeats all ibn Khaldun's criticisms word-by-word, in a way that leaves no room for anyone else to add to it.

Our aim is that we mention the Prophetic sayings relating to Al Mahdi with their references as reported by the scholars of this Science of Hadith, together with their chains of narrations with an examination of these chains that sustain the proof of their degree of soundness according to the indisputable regulations of the Science of Hadith with its high principles thus making it 'tawatur' clear to everyone.

Al Mahdi is mentioned in the Prophetic Sayings reported by thirty-three of the companions - they are:
1. Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib
2. Imam Hussain ibn Ali
3. Al Abbas ibn Al Muttalib
4. Ibn Abbas
5. Ammar ibn Yasir
6. Abi Sa'id Al Khudri
7. Abdullah ibn Masood
8. Lady Ummu Salamah, Mother of the Believers, may Allah be pleased with her
9. Thawban
10. Abdullah ibn Al Harth
11. Anas ibn Malik
12. Uthman ibn Affan
15. Hudhayfah ibn Al Yamam
16. Jabir ibn Majid As-Sadafi
17. Abu Ayyub Al Ansari
18. Kyrrah Al Muzani
19. Lady Ummu Habibah, Mother of the Believers, may Allah be pleased with her
20. Abi Umamah Al Bahily
21. Abdullah ibn Amru ibn Al As
22. Tamim Ad-Dari
23. Lady Ayesha, Mother of the Believers, may Allah be pleased with her
24. Abdu Rahman ibn Awf
25. Abdullah ibn Omar ibn Al Khattab
26. Talha ibn Ubaydillah
27. Ali Al Hilali
28. Imran ibn Hasan
29. Amru ibn Murrah Al Juhani
30. Awf ibn Malik
31. Abi A Tafil
32. A man from the companions
33. Kays ibn Jabir via his father, via his grandfather.

Al Mahdi has also been mentioned in the Prophetic sayings reported by five of the friends of the companions:

1. Sa'id ibn Al Musayyab
2. Al Hasan Al Basri - student of Imam Ali
3. Kitadah
4. Shahr ibn Hawshab
5. Mumar

Christian's Messiah vs Jew's Moshiakh

It is important for the reader to know that many Arabic and Hebrew words are very close in pronunciation. At this point we would like to draw the attention of the reader to an important issue:

The Arabic word "Masiih" = the Messiah.
The Arabic word "Masiikh" = the false messiah, which is equivalent in pronunciation to the Hebrew word "Moshiakh"  =  the Messiah.

When the Arabic language is compared to the Hebrew, it is found that the Arabic letter 's' is equal to that of the Hebrew 'sh', as in the Arabic word 'Salaam' and the Hebrew word 'Shalom' both of which mean peace.

The Jews await the coming of the 'Moshiakh' to lead them, therefore one understands the Jews will follow the false messiah, and once again reject Jesus who is the true Messiah.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Part 1 - Authentic Sayings of Prophet Muhammad, praise and peace be upon him,   concerning Al Mahdi narrated by thirty-three Companions and five of their Companions
  Al Mahdi's Lineage. Physical appearance and characteristics
  The state of the world before Al Mahdi’s advent
  The stern trial
  Al Mahdi and Jerusalem
  Distribution of wealth
  The certainty of Al Madhi’s appearance
  The importance of following Al Mahdi
  The return of justice
  Unification of Muslims
  Warning
  Children of Lady Fatima
  When and where Al Mahdi is given allegiance
  The Black Banners
  The government of Al Mahdi
  Constantinople and the mountain of Al Daylam
  The emergence of the false messiah
  Dwellers of Paradise
  An army from the direction of Iraq
  The coming of Prophet Jesus
  The tyranny of kings
  Description of Al Mahdi
  The worst creation of Allah
  Battles
  Caliphs, princes, kings and tyrants
  Al Hasan and Al Hussain
  When the desert swallows up the army
  When Medina shakes thrice
  When pilgrims are robbed
  The hidden treasures of Antioch
  Pure musked children
  The march against Al Mahdi
  The facial description of Al Mahdi
  The Youth from Tamimi
  The Trial
  Some of the Prophet's last words to Lady Fatima, peace be upon them
  Seventy-three sects of Muslims
  The purified soul

 The Narrations of Five Friends of the Companions
  Black Banners
  Time of Al Mahdi's appearance

The Narrations of Imam Ali and several Companions of the Holy Prophet, praise   and peace be upon him.
  Master in Paradise
  Al Harth
  Arrival of Al Mahdi
  Four trials
  Anxiousness for Al Mahdi
  The Gate of Istakhr
  Ar Rufaka and Al Abdal
  Trials
  Al Talakan
  The birth place of Al Mahdi
  The Black Banners
  The false messiah
  Slaying of Muslims in Kufa
  The sign of the coming of Al Mahdi Hasan
  Murder on the pilgrimage
  Shuayb, the son of Salih
  As-Sufyani and Kufa
  Four people from the House
  When Constantinople is opened
  Prophet Jesus and Al Mahdi
  The eclipse of the sun and moon during Ramadan
  Upon finding Al Mahdi
  The Black Banners
  The Black Banners in Kufa
  A youth with a thin, yellowish beard
  The battle in Medina
  The death of As-Sufyani
  The children of Lady Fatima, peace be upon her
  As-Sufyani
  The marked Banner
  Personality of Al Mahdi
  Humility of Al Mahdi
  Disbelief in Allah
  Al Rukn and Al Makam
  Safety after the trial
  The four thousand men of Shuayb, son of Salih
  Abundance of Wealth
  When a man sleeps as a believer and wakes as an unbeliever
  Justice
  Muhammad, the son of Ajlan

PART 2: Quotations of Prophet Muhammad, praise and peace be upon him,
 concerning the coming of the anti-christ, then Prophet Jesus and the
 events at the end of the world
  Description and deeds of the anti-Christ
  Water and fire of the anti-Christ
  The events surrounding the end of time
  The protection of Mecca and Medina
  The seventy thousand Jews from Isfahan
  The fear of the anti-Christ
  The mischief of the anti-Christ
  The tortures of the anti-Christ
  The provisions of the anti-Christ
  The mark of the anti-Christ
  When Paradise appears to be Hell
  Description anti-Christ's eye
  The tree of the Jew
  When a mountain of gold appears in the river Euphrates
  Abandoning of Medina
  Scarcity of men

PART 3: A summary of the preceding hadiths in layman's terms
  Conditions before the advent of Al Mahdi
  Al Mahdi's lineage, name and physical description
  His place of birth, his appearance and allegiance
  The enemy of Al Mahdi
  Al Mahdi's army, troops and battles
  The appearance of the anti-Christ
  Prophet Jesus, the true Messiah, peace be upon him
  The description of the false Messiah, the anti-Christ
  The affairs of the anti-Christ
  The time of Truth

PART 1
Authentic Sayings of Prophet Muhammad, praise and peace be upon him, concerning Al Mahdi narrated by thirty-three of his Companions and five of their Companions

Al Mahdi's Lineage. Physical Appearance and Characteristics:
Prophet Muhammad, praise and peace be upon him, said :

"Al Mahdi is (descended) from me.
His forehead will be radiant,
and his nose prominent.
He will fill the earth with both fairness and justice
just as it will have been filled by oppression and injustice,
and he will govern for seven years."

"... so a man will come to him saying:
'O Mahdi, give me, give me!"
So he will fill his clothes with as much as he can carry."

The State of the World before his Advent:
The Hour will not occur until the ground
has been filled with injustice and transgressions.
Then, a man from the Family of my House
will come and fill it with fairness and justice
just as it was filled by harm and oppression."

"At the end of my nation Al Mahdi will come
for whom Allah will send rain
so that the earth produces its plants.
He will distribute wealth evenly;
cattle will increase and the nation will be great.
He will live for seven or eight⁶."

" ... so a man from my pure musked children
will govern for seven or nine ... "

 A Stern Trial:
"At the end of time a stern trial from their governor
will come upon my nation -
never before will they have heard of a trial such as it.
The wide earth will shrink before them
and the earth will become full of oppression and injustice
so that believers find no refuge from harm.
So, Allah, the Mighty, the Purified will send a man
from my pure musked descendants
who will fill the earth with fairness and justice,
just as it was filled by oppression and injustice.
The inhabitants of heaven and earth will be pleased with him.
The earth will not withhold any of its seed -- all will be produced.
Nor will the heaven withhold any of its showers
except that Allah pours it upon them in abundance.
And he will live among them seven, eight or nine years;
the dead will wish for life because of that!
Allah, the Mighty, the Glorified
will give the inhabitants of the earth from His Goodness."

"At the end of time, a Caliph will come
who distributes wealth without count."

Al Mahdi and Jerusalem:
"A man from my nation will come who speaks with my Sunnah⁷
and Allah, the Mighty, the Glorified
will send showers of rain from the heavens
so that the earth will produce its blessing.
Through him the earth will be filled with fairness and justice
just as it had been filled by oppression and injustice.
He will govern this nation for seven years, and go to Jerusalem."

"I bear good tidings for you concerning Al Mahdi.
He will be sent when people differ
and the earth quakes!"

Distribution of Wealth:
"He will fill the earth with fairness and justice
just as it had been filled by oppression and injustice.
The inhabitants of the heavens and earth will be pleased with him.
He will distribute wealth equally."
At this point a Companion asked what 'equally' meant so the Prophet replied:
"Equally, between the people, and Allah will fill the hearts
of the nation of Muhammad with richness
and his justice will satisfy them
until he sends a messenger saying:
'Who is in need of wealth?'
None, except one man will stand and say, 'Me'.
So he will say, 'Go to the treasurer and tell him
that Al Mahdi orders you to give me wealth.'
So the treasurer will say to him,
'Fill with your hands!'
And he will put it in his clothing then tie it.
Then he will become contrite and say,
'I was the most greedy among the nation of Muhammad,
and he will attempt to return it but it will not be accepted,
and it will be said to him,
'We do not accept what we have given.'
And so he (Al Mahdi) will remain
seven, eight or nine years --
then, there is no goodness left in life
nor yet in living after him.

The preceding narrations were reported by Abi Said Al Khudri in the reference of Abi Dawood, Al Hakim, At-Tirmizi, Ahmad, ibn Hibban, Muslim, Al Tabarani (in his middle dictionary), Al Barudi and Abu Nu’aym in his forty Hadith concerning Al Mahdi.

The Certainty of his Appearance:
"Even if there remained only one day left to be lived
Allah will prolong that day until He sends a man from me⁸
His name is like my name,
and his father's name is like my father's name.
He will fill the earth with fairness and justice
just as it was filled by oppression and injustice."

"The days will not end and life will not vanish
until the Arabs are governed by a man
from the Family of my House -- his name is the same as mine."

The Importance of Following Al Mahdi:
Ibn Masood reported:
"We went to the Messenger of Allah, praise and peace be upon him,
and he came out with good news --
and happiness was easily recognizable upon his face.
When we asked him about a matter
he would tell us about it,
and we were never silent about anything until he spoke of it,
until a party from the Bani Hashim passed by
amongst whom were Al Hasan and Al Hussain, peace be upon them.
When he saw them he hugged them with tears in his eyes,
so we asked, 'O Messenger of Allah'
we see something has changed your face which distresses us.'
Thereupon he replied,
'We are a Family of a House
for whom Allah has chosen the Hereafter rather than the present.
After me my family will be refugees,
driven out of countries until the Black Banners are raised in the east.
They will ask for the truth
but they will not be given it,
so they will ask again for it,
and they will not be given it ,
so they will fight and be given victory.
Those of you or your descendants who live during that time
go to the Imam of the Family of my house
even if you have to crawl over ice to him.
Indeed, they are banners of guidance.
They will deliver it to a man from the Family of my House
his name is the same as my name,
and the name of his father is the same as my father,
and he will fill the ground with fairness and justice."

This hadith is in found in the references of Abu Dawood, Al Hakim, At-Tirmizi, Ibn Hibban, Ibn Majhah, Au Ash-Shaykh, Ibn Adiy, Abu Dhabi, Ibn Asakir and Abu Nu’aym.

Return of Justice:
Prophet Muhammad, praise and peace be upon him, said:
"If only one day in life remains,
Allah will send a man from the Family of my House.
He will fill the earth with justice
just as it has been filled by injustice."

"Al Mahdi is from the family of the House
Allah will 'yuslihu'⁹ him in a night."

Unification of Muslims:
 "He is from us -
as Allah opened with us, so He will close,
and with us they will be saved from polytheism.
And with us Allah arbitrates between the hearts after open hostility
as He arbitrates between their hearts after the hostility of polytheism."
Ali asked, 'Are they believers or unbelievers?'
He answered, "Some are on trial and others are unbelievers."

Warning:
"At the end of time there will be a trial in which people will be sorted
in a way similar to that in which gold is sorted from metal."

"So do not rebuke the people of Syria
but rebuke the evil people among them
because amongst them is Al Abdal.
A flood is about to be sent down upon the people of Syria
which will disperse their groups in such a way
that if foxes attacked they would be beaten.
At that time a man from the Family of my House
will come under three banners;
between twelve and fifteen thousand
and their password is - 'Die, die.'
Then, there will come seven banners
and under each will be one man seeking the kingdom.
Allah will kill all of them and restore unity and favors upon the hearts of Muslims,
and those who were far come close."

The preceding hadith was reported by Imam Ali in the references of Ahmad, Abu Dawood, Ibn Majah and At-Tabarani.

Children of Lady Fatima, may Allah be pleased with her and them:
"Al Mahdi is from my pure musked descendants
from the children of Fatima¹⁰"

"Yes, he is the truth,
and he is from the children of Fatima."

When and Where Al Mahdi is given Allegiance:
"Differences will occur after the death of a caliph
and a man from the people of Medina will escape to Mecca.
Then, some of the people of Mecca
will come to him and drag him out against his desire¹¹
and give him their allegiance between Ar-Rukn and Al Makam.¹²
An army will be sent against him from Syria
that will be swallowed up in Al Bayda - desert
between Mecca and Medina.
When people see this the Abdal of Syria will come to him
as well as a group of people from Iraq
and pledge their allegiance between Ar-Rukn and Al Makam.
Then a man from the Koraysh will come
whose cousins are from Kalb¹³,
and he will send an army that will overcome them
and this will become known as the Battle of Kalb.
Whosoever does not witness the spoils of war from Kalb is lost!
And he (Al Mahdi) will distribute wealth and practice the Sunnah
of their Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, with the people.
And Islam will spread throughout the earth.
He will remain seven years then die,
and the believers will pray¹⁴ for him."

This hadith was reported by Lady Ummu Salamah, wife of the Prophet, Mother of the Believers, may Allah be pleased with her, and is found in the references of Abu Dawood, Ibn Majah, Al Hakim, Ibn Hibban and At-Tabarani.

The Black Banners:
"Before your treasure, three will kill each other --
all of them are sons of a different caliph but none will be the recipient.
Then the Black Banners will appear from the east
and they will kill you in a way that has never before been done by a nation."
Thawban, a Companion said,
'Then he said something that I do not remember by heart'
then continued to say that the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, said,
"If you see him give him your allegiance, even if you have to crawl over ice,
because surely he is the Caliph of Allah, Al Mahdi.
If you see the Black Banners coming from Khurasan go to them immediately,
even if you must crawl over ice,
because indeed amongst them is the Caliph, Al Mahdi."

"The Black Banners¹⁵ will come to you from the east,
their hearts are like iron.
Whosoever hears about them
let them go crawling -- even over ice!"
 
The preceding Hadith was reported by Thawban and is found in the references of Ibn Majah, Al Busiri, Al Hakim, Ahmad, Nuaym, Ad-Daylami, Al Hasan, son of Sufyan, and Abu Nuaym.

The Government of Al Mahdi:
"People will come from the east
and will establish the government for Al Mahdi."

Reported by Abdullah son of Al Harth and found in the references of Ibn Majah and
At-Tabarani in his middle dictionary.

"If only one night remains in the world,
a man will come from the House of the Prophet,
praise and peace be upon him, who will govern it."

"Al Mahdi will be in my nation for at least seven (years)
or eight or ten,
and my nation will enjoy favors
which it has never enjoyed before.
The heavens will send an abundance of rain,
the earth will not store any seed, rather it will yield all its fruits.
There will be a surplus of wealth
but a man will stand up and say:
'O give me,' so he will be told 'Take.'"

"The Hour will not occur until a man from the Family of my House comes.
He will beat them until they return to the truth."

It was asked, "How long will he govern?'
Whereupon he answered, "Five plus two."

Constantinople/Istanbul and the Mountain of Al-Daylam
"If there only remains but one day left in the world,
Allah will prolong it until a man from my house governs.
He will open Constantinople
and the Mountain of Al-Daylam."

"A man named As-Sufyani will come from the center of Damascus.
The majority of his followers will be from the tribe of Kalb.
He will kill until he rips women open and kills children.
So the tribe of Kays will rise up in retaliation and he will slaughter all of them!
Then a man from the Family of my House will come in Al Hirrah
and the news will reach As-Sufyani.
Then he will send his army but it will suffer defeat.
As-Sufyani will march with his followers to him until they reach a desert
and the ground will swallow them up.
None will be saved except the one bearing the news."

The Emergence of the False Messiah:
"The Romans¹⁶ will surround a leader from my pure musked children.
His name will be the same as mine.
They will fight each other at a place called Al Imak
and one third, or thereabouts, of the Muslims will be killed.
They will fight again on another day
and again one third or thereabouts of the Muslims will be killed.
On the third day they will fight again and the Romans will be defeated.
And they will remain there until they open Constantinople.
It is whilst they are distributing the spoils of war that a messenger will come
informing them that the false messiah is in their home town with their children."

Reported by Abu Hurayrah in the reference of Ibn Hibban, At-Tirmizi, Abuya'li, At-Tabarani, Al Bazaar, Abu Nuaym and Al Hakim.

Dwellers of Paradise:
"We are the children of Abd Al Muttalib,
the Masters of the Dwellers of Paradise
myself, Hamza, Ali, Jafar, Al Hasan, Al Hussain and Al Mahdi."

An Army from the Direction of Iraq:
When the Holy Prophet, praise and peace be upon him,
slept in the house of Lady Ummu Salamah he awoke saying:
"There is no movement or power except from Allah."
"What prompted you say that?" asked Lady Umm Salamah.
He replied, "Because an army will come from the direction of Iraq
to seize a man from Al Medina whom Allah protects.
When they reach the desert in the direction of Dhi Hulayfah
the ground will swallow them up.
Those who are on top cannot reach those beneath,
and those beneath cannot reach those on top
up until the Day of Judgement.
Their motivations are different."
Lady Umm Salamah then asked,
"O Messenger of Allah, praise and peace be upon him,
how is it that they will be swallowed up although their motives are different?"
He replied, "Among them are those that have been coerced to join."

This Hadith was reported by Anas and is found in the references of Ibn Majah, Al Busiri and Al Bazaar.

"At the end of my nation a Caliph will scatter wealth without count."

When the second narrator, Abi Nadrah, was asked if this referred to Caliph Omar Abdul Aziz, he replied: "No".

The Coming of Prophet Jesus, peace be upon him:
"Jesus, the son of Mary, peace be upon him,
will descend when the prince is Al Mahdi
and Al Mahdi will say to Jesus,
'Come, lead us in prayer.'
But he will decline saying,
'You are princes over each other
which is the Favor of Allah to this nation.'"

"A group from my nation will keep fighting for the truth
until Jesus, the son of Mary descends at dawn in the Mosque of Jerusalem.
He will approach Al Mahdi who will say,
'O Prophet of Allah, come, lead us in prayer.'
But he will decline saying,
'This nation has princes over each other.'"

The two preceding Hadiths were reported by Jabir, son of Abdullah, and found in the references of Muslim, Abu Nuaym, Abu Amru Ad-Dani and Al Bazaar

"If only one day remains in the world,
Allah will send a man with a name like mine.
His manners will be likened to my manners."

The Tyranny of Kings:
"Woe to this nation from the dictatorship of kings!
Why do they kill and make pious people fear except those who obey them,
and the pure believer soothes them with his tongue but resists them with his heart?
If Allah wishes to revive Islam in might
He will break the back of every stubborn tyrant --
He is Able to do anything and can reform the nation after its corruption.
O Hudhayfah, if there remains but one day left in the world
Allah will prolong that day until a man from the Family of my House will govern
and fierce battles will be in his hands, and Islam will spread.
Allah does not change His Promise and He is quick to recompense."

Description of Al Mahdi:
"Al Mahdi is a man from my children.
His face is like a glittering star,
his skin is the color of an Arab,
and his body is like that of Israel.
He will fill the earth with justice
just as it will have been filled by injustice,
and the dwellers of heaven and earth
will be pleased with his Caliphate."

"Al Mahdi is a man from my children
his color is that of the Arab, and his body is like that of Israel.
On his right cheek there is a mole that glitters like a star."
Al Mahdi will glance to the side as Jesus, the son of Mary descends
with water dripping from his hair.
So Al Mahdi will say to him,
'Come forward and lead the people in prayer.'
But he will answer,
'The Call to Prayer has been made for you to lead.'
So he will pray behind a man from my children."

The Worst Creation of Allah:
"There will be a battle at Az Zawra
which is a city in the east among rivers.
It is inhabited by the worst creations of Allah
and the tyrant of my nation.
It will be subjected to four kinds of chastisement --
the sword, swallowing-up, missiles, and transformation¹⁷."

Battles:
"When the dark¹⁸ people come after the Arabs they will be defeated
and thrown into the lowest part of the earth¹⁹.
While these circumstances exist, As-Sufyani will come
with three hundred and sixty riders until he reaches Damascus.
After a month, he will be followed by thirty-thousand from Kalb,
so he will send an army to Iraq and kill a hundred thousand in Az-Zawra.
Then they will go to Kufa and pillage.
When this occurs a banner will come from the east
led by a man from Tamim called Shuayb, the son of Salih
who will restore what is in their hands from the captured people of Kufa
and he will kill them²⁰.
Then, another army from As-Sufyani will go to Al Medina
and pillage it for three days and thereafter proceed towards Mecca
until they find themselves in a desert.
Then, Allah will send Gabriel and say to him, 'Chastise them!'
So he will beat them with his leg once and Allah will cause them to be swallowed up.
None will remain except two men who will return to As-Sufyani to inform him
of the swallowing-up of his army, but this will not scare him.
Several men from the Koraysh will escape to Constantinople
and As-Sufyani will send them to the leader of the Romans
who will return them to him and he will slit their throats
together with their followers.
At that time a voice will come from heaven saying,
'O people, surely Allah prevents dictatorship, tyrants and their followers
for you and gives leadership to the best of the nation of Muhammad.
So join him in Mecca -- he is Al Mahdi!"
Then, Hudhayfah asked, 'O Messenger of Allah, how shall we know him?'
He replied: "He is a man from my children,
he looks like the men from the children of Israel,
upon him are two white cloaks with frayed edges.
His face is like a colorful, glittering star,
upon his right cheek there is a black mole and he is forty years old.
Al Abdal, and those looking like them will come to him from Syria.
An-Nujaba will come to him from the dwellers of Egypt
and groups of dwellers from the east, and those looking like them
until they gather altogether in Mecca
and so they will pledge their allegiance to him
between Al Rukn and Al Makam.
Then he will direct himself towards Syria
with Gabriel at his front and Michael at his middle
and the dwellers of heaven and earth will be joyful because of him.
Water will be plentiful in his country, and the river will be spread, and treasures found.
When he reaches Syria he will slay As-Sufyani under the tree,
the branches of which grow in the direction of Lake Tiberias²¹ and he will kill Kalb.
So the loser of that Day of Kalb is he who does not gain even a rein."
Hudhaybah asked,
'O Messenger of Allah, praise and peace be upon him,
how is it permitted to kill them when they believe in the Oneness?'
The Messenger of Allah, praise and peace be upon him, replied,
"O Hudhayfah, they are at that time apostates,
they claim that wine is permitted and do not pray."

The preceding hadiths were narrated by Hudhayfah and are found in the references of Abu Nuaym, At-Tabarani, and Abu Amru Ad Dani.

Caliphs, Princes, Kings and Tyrants:
"After me there will be caliphs, and after the caliphs, princes
and after princes, kings, and after kings, tyrants.
Then, a man from the Family of my House will come
and fill the earth with justice just as it had been filled with transgression.
Then, the Prince after him is Al Kahtani
and by He who sent me with the Truth he is not lesser than him."

This hadith was reported by Jabir, son of Majid As Sadafi in the references of At-Tabarani (in his large dictionary), Ibn Mandah, Abu Nuaym and Ibn Asakir.

Al Hasan and Al Hussain:
The Messenger of Allah, praise and peace be upon him,
said to his daughter, Lady Fatima, peace be upon her:
"Our Prophet is the best of the prophets and he is your father.
Our martyr is the best of the martyrs and he is your father's uncle Hamza
and amongst us is he who has two wings
with which he will fly in Paradise wherever he wishes,
and he is the son of your father's uncle Jafar
and from us are the two subt²² of this nation --
Al Hasan and Al Hussain, and they are your children, and from us is Al Mahdi."

This Hadith was reported by Abi Ayyub Al Ansari in the reference of At-Tabarani.

"A nation will not be destroyed when I am at their beginning,
and Jesus, the son of Mary, is at its end and Al Mahdi is in the middle."

In an another narration:
"And Al Mahdi from my House at its middle."

Reported by ibn Abbas in the references of Abu Nuaym, Al Hakim and Ibn Asakir

When the Desert Swallows the Army:
"People will come from the east to seize a man by the House²³.
When they are in the desert of the earth it will swallow them
and when those who were delayed reach it the same thing will happen to them."
Lady Ummu Habibah asked, "O Messenger of Allah, praise and peace be upon him,
what about those who were coerced into joining them?"
He replied, "What happened to the others will happen to them also,
then Allah will assemble each one according to his intention."

Reported by Lady Ummu Habibah, peace be upon her, and found in the reference of At-Tabarini.

When Medina Shakes Thrice:
The Messenger of Allah, praise and peace be upon him, spoke to us
mentioning the false messiah until he said:
" ... Al Medina and its people will shiver thrice,
so that neither hypocrite, female or male, remain (therein)
and they will go to him (the false messiah).
It (Al Medina) will cast out its dirt as a fire casts rust from iron
and this day will be called 'The Day of Salvation.'
Umm Sharik inquired, "Where will the Arabs be on that day?"
He replied, "There will be a few on that day,
most of them will be in the House of Jerusalem
and their leader, Al Mahdi, is a good²⁴ man.
When he steps forward to lead them in the Dawn prayer,
Jesus, the son of Mary will descend during that time
so the Imam will step backward
in order for Jesus to come forward but he will say to him,
'Go forward and pray, because it has indeed been established for you.'
So he will lead them in prayer as an Imam.

Reported by Ibn Abi Umamah Al Bahili and found in the references of At-Tabarani, Ibn Khuzaymah, Abu Awanah, Al Hakim, Abu Nuaym, and Al Rawyani.

When Pilgrims will be Robbed:
"In the month of Dhil Kidah, the tribes will start to fight
and pilgrims will be robbed.
There will be a fierce battle at Minan until their companion escapes
and he will be pledged allegiance between Al Rukn and Al Makam whilst he dislikes²⁵ it.
The allegiance will be pledged by the same number of fighters at Badr²⁶
and the inhabitants of the heaven and earth will be pleased with him."

Reported by Abdullah son of Amru and found in the references of Al Hakim, Nuaym ibn Hammad's book 'Al Fitan'.

The Messenger of Allah, praise and peace be upon him,
said to Lady Fatima, peace be upon her,
"Bear good tidings, Al Mahdi is from you."

 Reported by Imam Al Hussain, son of Ali and Lady Fatima, peace be upon them in ibn Asakir's reference.

The Hidden Treasures of Antioch:
I said, "O Messenger of Allah, praise and peace be upon him,
I have never seen a Roman city like the city of Antioch²⁷
and I have never seen more rain than it has."
Whereupon the Messenger of Allah, praise and peace be upon him, said,
"Yes, that is because the Torah, Staff of Moses,
Tablets, and the Table of Solomon, the son of David are in its caves.
There is not a single cloud that comes from any direction
to it that does not pour its blessing in that valley.
And the days and night will not pass until a man
from my musked children live in it.
His name is like my name and his father's name is like my father's name;
his manners are like my manners.
He will fill the world with fairness and justice
just as it had been filled by harm and transgressions."
Reported by Tamin Ad-Dari, in the reference of Ibn Hibban Ad-Du'fa.

Pure, Musked Children:
"Al Mahdi is a man from my pure, musked children.
He will fight with the guidance of my Sunnah
as I fought with the guidance of the Revelation."

The March Against Al Mahdi:
"Wandering is for the people of my nation
who aim to the House trying to seize a man from the Koraysh
that is supported by the House until they reach a desert and are swallowed up."
We asked, "O Messenger of Allah, praise and peace be upon him,
the road gathers different people."
Whereupon he replied, "Yes, among them are the weak sighted
walking, looking around them, and those that are forced
as well as those having no home.
They will be destroyed in one way and assembled in different places
and Allah will resurrect them according to their intentions."

These two Hadiths were reported by Lady Ayesha, wife of the Prophet, Mother of the Believers, may Allah be pleased with her, and found in the references of Bukhari, Muslim and Nuaym ibn Hammad and Abu Ya'li.

Facial Description of Al Mahdi:
"Surely, Allah will send from my pure musked children a man
with evenly spaced teeth and a high forehead,
and he will fill the earth with justice and wealth with overflow."

Reported by Abd Ar Rahman ibn Awf in the reference of Abu Nuaym
 

The Youth from Tamimi:
The Messenger of Allah, praise and peace be upon him,
was among a group of migrants and supporters.
Ali, the son of Abi Talib was on his left side and Abbas on his right side
when Abbas and a man from the supporters started to debate with one another.
The supporter spoke harshly to Abbas,
then the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him,
took the hand of Abbas and the hand of Ali and said,
"From the loins of this (indicating to Abbas)
will come a youth who will fill the earth with transgression and injustice
and from the loins of this (indicating to Ali)
a man who will fill the earth with fairness and justice.
If you see this pay attention to the Tamimi youth who will come
from the direction of the east -- he is the owner of the Banner of Al Mahdi."

"Al Mahdi will come upon his Banner and the herald will proclaim,
'This is Al Mahdi, the Caliph of Allah so follow him!"

These two Hadiths were reported by Abdullah, the son of Omar ibn Al Khattab and found in the references of At-Tabarani, Abu Nuaym, Al Kidji and Al Khatib.

The Trial:
"It will be a trial when one side moves
and the other does not, and when that side moves
the other does not until a herald will cry from the heaven
'Your Prince is so and so!" (referring to Al Mahdi).

Reported by Talha ibn Ubayd and found in the reference of At-Tabarani.

Some of the Prophet's Last Words to Lady Fatima:
”I entered to (visit) the Messenger of Allah, praise and peace be upon him,
during his last illness before he died and found Fatima, peace be upon her,
near his head crying.
The Messenger of Allah, praise and peace be upon him,
raised his eyes to (look at) her and asked,
"O Fatima, what makes you cry?"
She replied, "I fear the loss after you."
Whereupon he said, "Don't you know that Allah, the Mighty, the Glorified
looked to the earth once and chose your father and sent him with His Message,
then He looked once to the earth and chose your husband
and revealed to me that I should let you marry him?
O Fatima, we are the Dwellers of a House
and Allah has given us seven merits that He never gave to anyone else before ...
By He who sends me with the Truth, amongst both of them²⁸ is Al Mahdi of this nation.
When life is full of murder and strife, and trials increase,
and roads are blocked (by thieves),
and people start attacking one another,
and when the elderly show no mercy to the young,
and the young show no mercy to the elderly,
Allah, the Mighty, the Glorified will send from them²⁹ at the end of time
one who will open the fortress of error and open hearts that have been sealed
and repair the Religion as I established it in the beginning of time.
And he will fill the world with justice
just as it will have been filled by oppression."

Reported by Ali, son of Ali Al Hillali and found in the reference of Abu Nuaym.

Seventy-three Sects:
"How will you be O Awf when this nation is divided into seventy-three sects.
One sect will be in Paradise and the rest in Hell."
I asked, "When will this be O Messenger of Allah, praise and peace be upon him."
He answered saying, "When the police increase and slave girls take authority,
and when the lambs (weak authorities) sit on the pulpit,
and when the Koran is used as flutes and mosques decorated
and the spoils of war manipulated,
and the obligatory charity becomes an excessive debt,
and trust is taken like spoils of war,
and religious study is not for the sake of Allah³⁰
and when husbands obey their wives,
and disobey his mother,
and banishes his father,
and the last of this nation curses the beginning of it,
and when the tribe is mastered by a deviator,
and the leader of the nation is the worst of them
and a man is treated generously to avoid his evil.
Upon that day it will happen and men will run to Syria
to the City of Damascus, which is one of the best cities in Syria
that protects them from their enemy ... "
I asked, "Will Syria be opened?"
He answered, "Yes soon, then after its opening
the trials will start and a dark and dusty trial will come.
Trials will follow one another
until a man from the Family of my House called Al Mahdi comes.
If you reach him, follow him and be among those who are guided."

Reported by Awf ibn Malik Al Ashja'l in the reference of At Tabarani

The Purified Soul:
"Surely, Al Mahdi will not come until the purified soul has been killed.
When this occurs those in the heaven and those on earth will be angry.
So people will come in a procession to Al Mahdi;
like the procession of a bride to her husband on their wedding night,
and he will fill the earth with fairness and justice
and the earth will produce its plants and the heaven will pour its rain
and my nation will enjoy his government
and favors never before enjoyed."

Reported by a Companion who informed Mujahid, and found in the reference of ibn Abi Shaybah
 

THE NARRATIONS OF FIVE FRIENDS OF THE COMPANIONS

Black Banners:
"The Black Banners will come from the East for the children of Al Abbas.
Then there will remain whatsoever Allah wishes.
Then, small Black Banners will come
to fight a man from the children of Abu Sufyan from the East.
They will give their allegiance to Al Mahdi."

This Hadith/Mursal was reported by Said ibn Al Musayyab in the reference of Nuaym ibn Hammad.

"Allah will send a Black Banner from the East,
and Allah will give victory to whosoever supports it.
Whosoever does not support it, Allah will forsake them
until they come to a man whose name is like my name
and give him the power of their affairs,
and so Allah will support him and give him victory."

This Hadith/Mursal was reported by Al Hasan Al Basri in the reference of Nuaym ibn Hammad.

"Al Mahdi will leave Mecca to go to Medina.
The people will bring him out from their midst
and pledge allegiance to him between Al Rukn and Al Makam
while he dislikes it."

This Hadith/Mursal was reported by Katadah in the reference of Nuaym ibn Hammad.

Time of Al Mahdi's Appearance:
"During Ramadan there will be a sound,
in Shawwal there will be a hum,
in Dhi  Kidah tribes will fight,
in Dhi Hijjah pilgrims will be robbed,
and in Al Muharram a herald will call from heaven.
'Attention! Surely, the choice from His creation is so and so (referring to Al Mahdi)
so hear him and obey!'"

"During Ramadan there will be a sound
in Shawwal there will be a hum,
in Dhi Kidah tribes will fight.
In that year pilgrims will be robbed,
and there will be a fierce battle in Minan with myriad of murders,
blood will flow there until their blood flows over Al Jamrah
and their companion escapes and stands between Al Rukn and Al Makam
where he is pledged allegiance whilst he dislikes it.
And it is said to him:
'If you refuse we will slit your throat,
and the inhabitants of heaven and earth will be pleased with him."

This Hadith/Mursal was reported by Shahr ibn Hawshab in the reference of Nuaym ibn Hammad and Abu Amru Ad-Dani.

"Al Kahtani is not lesser than Al Mahdi."

This Hadith/Mursal was reported by Mamar in the reference of Nuaym ibn Hammad.
 
 

                                      THE NARRATIONS OF IMAM ALI
                         AND SEVERAL COMPANIONS OF THE HOLY PROPHET
                                      PRAISE AND PEACE BE UPON HIM
                                              CONCERNING AL MAHDI

The following narrations were reported via Imam Ali, may Allah honor his face.

Master in Paradise:
One day as Imam Ali looked at his son, Al Hussain, (peace be upon them)
he said:

"Surely, this my son is a Master
as the Messenger of Allah, praise and peace be upon him, has named him.
From his loins comes a man whose name is like the name of your Prophet.
He is similar to him in manner and will fill the earth with justice."

Al Harth:
The Holy Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, said:
"A man called Al Harth will come from beyond the river.
At his front is a man called Mansoor who will pave
and establish the government for the family of Muhammad just
as the Koraysh established it for the Messenger of Allah praise and peace be upon him.
It is obligatory for all believers to support him (or he said obey him)."

Arrival of Al Mahdi:
Muhammad, the son of Al Hanafiyyah said:
"We were with Ali, peace be upon him,
when a man asked him about Al Mahdi.
Imam Ali, may Allah honor his face said: 'But oh!'
Then joined his hands and counted seven fingers as he said:
'He comes at the end of time when men (hypocrites) say
that Allah has been killed!
Then Allah will gather the scattered nation for him like the scattered clouds,
and Allah will arbitrate between their hearts
so that they do not feel lonely,
nor will they be happy if someone joins them.
Their number is like that of the people of Badr.
Neither those who are at the beginning overtake them,
nor those who are at the end reach them.
And their number is the same as Talut's (Saul) companions
those who crossed the river with him."

Four Trials:
Imam Ali, peace be upon him, said:
"The trials are four:
the trial of happiness,
the trial of harm,
the trial of gold,
then, a man will come
from the pure musked children of the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him,
and Allah will repair their affairs upon his hand."

Anxiousness for Al Mahdi:
Imam Ali, peace be upon him, said:
"After a herald proclaims from heaven
that the truth is in the Family of Muhammad
that is the time in which Al Mahdi will appear upon the lips of people.
They will drink his love and their talk is only about him."

The Gate of Istakhr:
Imam Ali, peace be upon him, said:
"The horses³¹ of As-Sufyani will go to Kufa,
and he will send his army against the dwellers of Khurasan.
(At that time) the people of Khurasan will demand Al Mahdi.
He that meets with Al Hashimi
with the Black Banners at his front is Shuayb, the son of Salih
who will engage As-Sufyani at the Gate of Istakhr --
between them there will be a tremendously fierce battle
and the Black Banners will win,
but the horses of As-Sufyani will escape.
It is at that time that the people will wish for Al Mahdi, because they need him."

Ar Rufaka and Al Abdal:
Imam Ali, may Allah honor his face, said:
"When he from the Family of Muhammad comes
Allah will gather dwellers from the east and west for him,
just as autumn clouds gather.
As for Ar-Rufaka, he will come from the dwellers of Kufa
and Al Abdal will come from the dwellers of Syria."

Trials:
"Surely, a man from my children will come near the Hour
(at a time) when the hearts of believers died
just as their bodies died through harm, hunger, murder,
continuous trials, great battles, the death of the Sunnah,
the revival of innovations, abstention from honoring good
and forbidding the prohibited that pursued them.
Then, through Al Mahdi, Muhammad the son of Abdullah,
Allah will revive the Sunnah that died
and He will please with his justice,
and the hearts of the believers will be blessed.
Groups of Persian and Arab tribes will unite because of him,
and so he will remain for some years, which are but a few, then die."

Al Talakan:
"Good for Al Talakan!
Surely, for Allah in it are treasures, not of gold or silver
but men who know Allah through truthful knowledge
and they will support Al Mahdi at the end of time."

The Birth Place of Al Mahdi:
"The birth-place of Al Mahdi will be in Medina.
He is from the family of the House of the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him,
and his migration is to the House of Jerusalem.
His beard is thick, his eyes naturally mascaraed,
his teeth are radiant and upon his face is a mole
and upon his shoulder is the sign of the Prophet,
praise and peace be upon him.
And he will come out under
the Banner of the Prophet
made from a marked woolen black square
that will not have been unfolded since the time of the Messenger,
praise and peace be upon him,
and it will not be unfolded until Al Mahdi comes.
Allah will support him with three thousand angels
who will beat the faces and buttocks of those that oppose him.
He will be sent between the age of thirty and forty."

The Black Banners:
"When the Black Banners are aimed at As-Sufyani
and the people of Shuayb, the son of Salih,
long for and search for Al Mahdi
he will emerge from Mecca
and with him will be the Banner of the Messenger,
praise and peace be upon him.
He will pray two units of prayer
after the people have given up hope of his coming
during the lengthy period of their trials
and when he finishes his prayer he will go to them and say:
'O people, continuous trails came to the nation of Muhammad,
praise and peace be upon him,
especially to the Family of his House --
you have been conquered and wronged.'"

"Al Mahdi is a man from us,
from the children of Fatima, peace be upon her."

The False Messiah:
"At the end of Time there will be a trial
in which people will be sorted in a similar way
to that in which gold is sorted from metal.
Therefore do not rebuke the people of Syria
rather, rebuke the evil people among them,
because amongst them are Al Abdal.
Allah will send a flood from heaven
that will disperse their groups in a way
that if foxes were to attack them they would be victorious.
Then Allah will send a man from the perfumed musked children
of the Messenger, praise and peace be upon him,
amongst approximately twelve and fifteen thousand under three banners
and their password is 'Die, die!'
And they will be fought by the people of seven banners
under each is a man seeking the kingdom.
They will be killed, defeated,
then Al Hashimi will appear,
so Allah will restore unity and favors to the people
and this will be the case until al-dajjal (the lying, false messiah) comes."

The Slaying of Muslims at Kufa:
"As-Sufyani will overcome Syria,
then between them there will be a battle in Kurkisa
until the birds of the air are filled
and the savage animals of the earth are filled
from their perishing.
Then, an opening will occur at their rear,
and a group will come from them until
they enter the land of Khurasan.
The horses of As-Sufyani will come
demanding the people of Khurasan,
and they will slay the followers of the Family of Muhammad in Kufa,
then the people of Khurasan will come seeking Al Mahdi."

The Sign of the Coming of Al Mahdi:
Abdullah, son of Amru said,
"When the army is swallowed up in the desert,
it is the sign of the coming of Al Mahdi"

A Man from the children of Hasan
He also said,
"A man from the children of Hasan will come from the east,
if he faces the mountains he will destroy them
making a passage through them."

Murder on the Pilgrimage
"To the people on pilgrimage standing on Arafat without an imam,
a burning desire will come as they remain in Minan.
The tribes will revolt against each other
and they will kill each other
until their blood flows on Al Aqabah.
Then the best of them will go when the alarm is raised
and they will reach him (Al Mahdi) when his face is touching the stone of Al Ka’bah
and it seems to me as if he is tearful,
and they will say to him:
'Come to us so that we can give you our allegiance!'
But he will reply:
'Woe to you, how many promises did you break
and how much blood did you shed!'
So, he is given allegiance under duress.
Therefore, if you reach him, pledge your allegiance to him,
because, surely, he is Al Mahdi in the earth
and Al Mahdi in the heaven."

Shuayb, the son of Salih, Ammar, the son of Yasir, may Allah be pleased with both of them, said,
"The bearer of the Banner of Al Mahdi
is Shuayb, the son of Salih."

As-Sufyani and Kufa:
He also said:
"When As-Sufyani reaches Kufa
and kills the supporters of the family of Muhammad,
praise and peace be upon him,
Al Mahdi will come and the bearer of his Banner
will be Shuayb, the son of Salih."

Four People from the House:
Abdullah, the son of Abbas, may Allah be pleased with both of them, said to Mujahid,
"If I had not heard that you are like the people of this House
I would never tell you this."
Whereupon Mujahid said,
"It is surely in secret,
I will not mention it to someone you hate."
So ibn Abbas told him,
"There are four people from the House.
From us is As-Saffah, and from us Al Mundhir,
and from us Al Mansoor, and from us is Al Mahdi."
So Mujahid said,
'Clarify these four for me."
He answered, "As for As-Saffah,
perhaps he will kill his supporters and forgive his enemy.
Al Mundhir will give away plenty of wealth,
he will be humble and keep but a little of his rights.
Al Mansoor, will be given victory over his enemy
and part of what was given to the Messenger of Allah,
praise and peace be upon him,
and that is that terror was cast into the hearts of his enemies

the traveling distance of two months,
whereas the enemy of Al Mansoor will be frightened away from him
the traveling distance of one month.
Al Mahdi will fill the earth with justice
just as it has been filled with transgression --
livestock and foxes will live together peacefully.
And the earth will bring forth that which is hidden from its depths --
they look like cylinders of gold or silver."

When Constantinople is opened:
As-Sudayy said when explaining the Word of Allah,
'For them in the world is ignominy ...'
"As for their ignominy in the world,
it is that when Al Mahdi comes and Constantinople is opened
they will be killed -- this is the ignominy.
As for the great chastisement,
it is the chastisement of Gehenna (Hell)
that is neither reduced for its people
nor will they vanish or die."

It was said to Hudhayfah,
"Al Mahdi has already come!"
Whereupon he replied,
"You will  be successful if he comes
while the Companions of Muhammad are among you.
Indeed, he will not come until there is no one absent
that is more beloved to people than he
on account of the evil they face."

Prophet Jesus and Al Mahdi:
ibn Siriin said:
"Al Mahdi is from this nation and he will lead (in prayer)
Jesus, the son of Mary - peace be upon both of them."

The Eclipse of the Sun and the Moon in Ramadan:
Muhammad, the son of Ali said,
"For Al Mahdi there are two signs
that have never before existed
since Allah created the heaven and earth.
The moon will eclipse on the first night of Ramadan,
and the sun will eclipse during its middle --
this has never occurred since Allah created the heavens and earth."

Upon Finding Al Mahdi:
Ibn Masood said,
"When commerce and roads are blocked and trials increase,
seven knowledgeable people will come
from different directions without previous appointment.
Each will receive the allegiance of over three hundred men
until they meet in Mecca.
The seven will meet and asked one another;
'What brought you here?'
They will reply,
'In search of the man upon whose hand the trials will be calmed,
and for whom Constantinople will be opened.
We know him by his name, his father's name, his mother's name, and his army.'
So the seven will agree upon this and search for him then find him in Mecca.
So they will ask him,
'Are you so and so, son of so and so?'
He will reply,
'No, I am a man from the supporters.'
And escape from them, so they will describe him to people in their midst
that are both righteous and knowledgeable and it will be said to them,
'The one whom you seek was in your company,
and he will go to Al Medina.'
So they will search for him in Al Medina
but at that time he will be in Mecca.
So they will search for him in Mecca and say to him,
'You are so and so, son of so and so,
and your mother is so and so, daughter of so and so,
and in you are the signs of such and such, and such and such.
You escaped from us once so stretch out your hands
and we will pledge our allegiance to you.'
So he (Al Mahdi) will say,
'I am not your companion.'
Then he will escape from them so they will search for him
in Al Medina when he has returned to Mecca,
then they will find him in Mecca beside Al Rukn and say to him:
'Our sins will be upon you and our blood upon your neck
if you do not stretch out your hand so that we may pledge our allegiance!
The army of As-Sufyani is coming demanding us in which there is a man from Jurm.
So he will sit between Al Rukn and Al Makam and stretch out his hand
and allegiance will be pledged to him.
So, Allah will sow love of him in the chests of the people
and he will lead a nation
that are lions during the day and worshippers at night."
 

The Black Banners:
Muhammad, son of Al Hanaffia, said,
"The Black Banners will come out for the children of Al Abbas.
The other black banners will come from Khurasan.
Their turbans will be black and their clothes white.
At their front will be a man named Shuayb, the son of Salih, from Tamim.
They will defeat the companions of As-Sufyani
until he comes to the House of Jerusalem
where he will establish his power for Al Mahdi,
and he will be supplied with three hundred (men) from Syria upon his arrival
and the matter will be settled for Al Mahdi in seventy-two months."

The Black Banners in Kufa:
Hammad, the son of Abi Jafar, said,
"The Black Banners that come from Khurasan will arrive in Kufa,
so when Al Mahdi appears in Mecca their allegiance will be sent to him."

Of a youth with a thin, yellowish beard
Ka'b, the son of Alkamah said:
"In front of the Banner of Al Mahdi will come a youth
whose beard is yellowish and thin.
If he fights the mountains will destroy them
until he reaches Alya'."

The Battle in Medina
Abu Hurayrah said,
"A battle in Medina will occur until the stones of oil are flooded (with blood),
and Al Hirrah will be so small -- like a strike of a truncheon.
Then people will go two miles outside Medina
and give their allegiance to Al Mahdi."

Death of As-Sufyani:
Muhammad, son of Al Haniffia said,
"Al Mahdi, As-Sufyani and Kalb will fight in the House of Jerusalem
after the allegiance has been given.
As-Sufyani will be captured and slain at the gate of Ar Rahbah."

The Children of Lady Fatima, peace be upon them
Kitadah said,
"I asked Sa'id, son of Al Musayyab:
Is Al Mahdi a truth?"
He replied, "Yes,"
I asked: "Who is he from?"
He replied, "From the children of Fatima, peace be upon her."

As-Sufyani:
Al Walid, son of Muslim, said,
"Al Mahdi will not come until As-Sufyani is established."

The Marked Banner:
Abdullah, the son of  Shuraykh, said,
"With Al Mahdi is the marked Banner of the Messenger of Allah,
praise and peace be upon him."

The Personality of Al Mahdi
Tawus said,
"The sign of Al Mahdi is that he will be strict with his staff,
generous with wealth and merciful to the servile."

Ibn Abbas said,
"Al Mahdi is from us, the people of the House, and he is a youth."
So it was said to him,
"Your elderly people are not capable of aspiring to this
so now you wish for your youth."
He answered, "Allah does whatever He wants."

The Humility of Al Mahdi:
Az-Zuhriy said,
"From the children of Fatima,
Al Mahdi will be taken out against his desire from Mecca
and given allegiance."

Disbelief in Allah:
Matar Al Warrak said,
"Al Mahdi will not come until
disbelief in Allah will be expressed openly."

Al Rukn and Al Makam:
Abu Hurayrah said,
"Al Mahdi will be given allegiance
between Al Rukn and Al Makam."

Safety after the trial:
Katadah said,
"Al Mahdi is the best of people.
The people who give their support and allegiance
are the dwellers of Al Kufa, Yemen and Al Abdal of Syria.
At his front is Gabriel,
at his middle is Michael
and he is loved throughout creation.
With him Allah extinguishes the blind trial
and the land will feel secure,
and a woman can travel (for pilgrimage)
amongst five ladies with no man among them,
fearing nothing except Allah,
and the land will bring forth its produce,
and the heaven will give its blessing."

The Four Thousand Men of Shuayb, the son of Salih:
Al Hasan Al Basri said,
"A man of medium stature will come from Ar-Ray (a far-eastern town).
He will be dark and from the children of Tamim --
a Wasaj, named Shuayb son of Salih with four thousand men.
Their clothes will be white and banners black,
and at his front is Al Mahdi.
He meets no one that he does not defeat and scatter."

Abundance of Wealth:
When Omar, the son of Abdul Aziz was mentioned to Matar Al Warrak, he said,
"It has reached us that Al Mahdi will do something
that Omar, son of Abdul Aziz never did."
So it was asked, "What is that?"
He replied, "A man will come to him asking
and so he will tell him to enter the treasure house and take.
So he will enter then come out but when he sees the people
he will have regrets and return saying,
'Take what you have given me.'
But he will be declined with the words:
We give, but we do not take back."

Hakim, the son of Sa'ad said,
"When Sulayman came and showed what he had
I asked my father, Abi Yahya:
'Is this Al Mahdi who is mentioned?'
He replied, 'No.'"

Ibrahim, the son of Maysarah said,
"I asked Tawus, ‘Is Omar, son of Abdul Aziz, Al Mahdi?"
He replied, "He is guided, but he is not Al Mahdi
and he has not completed all the (aspects of) justice."

Abi Jafar, Muhammad, the son of Ali, son of Al Hussain said,
"They claim that I am Al Mahdi,
surely I am closer to my end
to that which they are calling me."

When a man sleeps as a believer and wakes as an unbeliever:
Al Hakam, the son of Utaybah said,
"I said to Muhammad, the son of Ali,
we heard that a man will come from you
who will be the judge of this nation."
He replied, "We wish what the people wish
and hope if there does not remain from the world
but a day that Allah will prolong that day
until the wishes of the nation have come to pass,
but before this is a trial which is the worst of trials.
Man will sleep as a believer but wake as an unbeliever
and wake as a believer but go to sleep as an unbeliever."

Justice:
Jafar, the son of Yasar said,
"Al Mahdi will return the wrongly possessed goods
in a way that he will extract even the slightest thing
that is under a molar to return it."

Khalid, the son of Samir said,
"Musa, the son of Talha, son of Ubaydillah
escaped from Al Mukhtar to the City of Basra
when people believed him to be Al Mahdi."

From this statement and the foregoing reported by Muhammad, son of Ali, we understand that the matter of Al Mahdi was a well-known topic and discussed during the first generation of Muslims.

Muhammad, the son of Ajlan
Malik, the son of Anas said,
"When Abdullah, the son of Hasan left Medina,
Muhammad, the son of Ajlan accompanied him.
After Abdullah had been killed
and Jafar, the son of Sulayman
took over Medina he sent for Muhammad, the son of Ajlan.
When he was brought before him
he (Jafar) mocked him and spoke harshly saying,
'You went with that liar!'
But Muhammad, the son of Ajlan did not utter a word
except by the inaudible movement of his lips,
so they assumed he was supplicating.
The jurists and honorable people
attending Jafar, the son of Sulayman stood saying,
'May Allah reform the prince, Muhammad, the son of Ajlan,
the jurist of Medina and His worshiper.
It seems he was confused and thought himself to be the Mahdi
referred to in the narrations and they kept questioning him until he left them.
But Muhammad, the son of Ajlan left without uttering a word."

There are other statements transmitted via another group of Companions and their followers together with their followers, and their followers concerning Al Mahdi, but we decided not to mention them in this book as that which has been mentioned suffices.

PART 2
   QUOTATIONS OF PROPHET MUHAMMAD
  CONCERNING TO THE COMING OF THE ANTI-CHRIST,
             PROPHET JESUS AND THE END OF THE WORLD

One of the Prophet's Companions, Nawas, the son of Saman reported the hadith of Prophet Muhammad, praise and peace be upon him, saying:

Description and deeds of the false messiah:
" ... he (the false messiah) will be a young man with coarse hair
and have an eye that floats like a grape.
He might resemble Abdul Uzza, the son of Katan.
Whosoever encounters him should recite to him the opening verses of the Cave Chapter (Koran, Chapter 18).
He will emerge from the road between Syria and Iraq
and be the cause of destruction and bloodshed to the left and right.
O worshipers of Allah, remain firm!"
We asked,
"O Messenger of Allah, how long will he remain on the earth?"
He answered, "Forty days.
One of his days will be like a year,
one like a month,
one like a week
and the rest of his days will be like your days."
We asked,
"O Messenger of Allah,
on the day that will be like a year,
will it suffice for us to observe the prayers of one day?"
He answered,
"No, you should estimate the passage of time."
We asked,
"O Messenger of Allah,
what will be the speed of his movement throughout the earth?"
He replied,
"Like a cloud left behind in the wind³²
He will approach people and invite them,
and they will respond by believing in him.
He will command the sky and it will send down rain³³ on people.
He will command the earth and it will produce green herbage for them;
cattle will return in the evening with firm humps,
full udders and fattened sides.
Then he will come to another people and invite them to obey him,
but they will reject his call so he will turn away from them.
They will be stricken by drought and famine
and thereafter become destitute.
He (anti-Christ) will pass through deserted places
and call on them to bring forth their treasures
and their treasures will follow him like wasps.
He will call a man in the prime of his youth
and strike³⁴ him with his sword cutting him in half.
The pieces will be separated from each other the distance of an arrow.
Then he will summon him
and the youth will respond, coming with a cheerful, smiling face.
While he (the anti-Christ) is doing this,
Allah, the Exalted,
will send the Messiah, (Jesus) the son of Mary, peace be upon him,
who will descend near a white minaret to the east of Damascus,
wearing two yellow dyed garments,
with his hands resting upon the wings of two angels.
As he bends his head, droplets of water will fall from it
and when he raises it droplets like pearls will fall from it.
The unbelievers that smell the fragrance of his breathe will die,
and his breath will reach the extent of his sight.
He will pursue the anti-Christ
and find him at the Gate of Lud and kill him.
Jesus, peace be upon him, will then come to the people
whom Allah shielded from the anti-Christ.
He will wipe away the dust from their faces
and inform them of their ranks in Paradise.
At that time, Allah, the High, will reveal to Jesus,
'I have brought out some of My worshipers
with whom no one is able to withstand.
Therefore, lead these, My worshipers to Mount Tur (Sinai).'
Then Allah will raise Gog and Magog
and they are let loose and slide down out of every slope (Koran, Ch.21:96).
Their advance groups will pass over Lake Tabariah
and consume all its water.
When its group at the rear pass nearby they will say,
'At one time there was water here.'
The Prophet of Allah, Jesus (peace be upon him)
and his companions will descend from the Mount
and will be unable to find even the space of a span of a hand
free among the corpses of the followers of Gog and Magog -- and their stench!
Then, the Prophet of Allah, Jesus (peace be upon him),
and his companions will supplicate to Allah, the Mighty, the High,
and He will send birds as large as the necks of camels
to carry off the corpses and drop them wherever Allah wills.
After this, Allah, the Mighty, the Glorified,
will send down rain whereby every dwelling,
no matter whether it is constructed from clay or hair
will be cleansed and become like mirrors.
Then, the earth will be commanded to produce its fruits
and return its blessings,
so much so that a party of people is sufficed by sharing a single pomegranate
and shelter will be found under the shade of its peel.
Allah will bless the newly birthing camels in its milk
so that it will suffice a large group of people,
and that (the milk of ) a cow will suffice a tribe
and the milk of a goat will suffice a branch of a tribe.
It is while they are in this condition that
Allah, the High, will send a pure breeze
that will take the Muslims under their armpits
whereby the soul of every believer
and every Muslim will pass away.
After this, only the worst people will remain
that copulate openly with women,
unabashed like donkeys.
It is on such people that the Hour will commence."

The preceding Hadith is found in Nawawi's reference: "Gardens of Righteousness".

Water and fire of the anti-Christ:
"The anti-Christ will appear
and with him will be both water and fire.
That which people perceive to be water will be fire that burns
and that which people perceive to be fire will be cool and sweet water.
If any among you encounters him,
you should jump into that which you perceive to be fire
because it is sweet and palatable water."

This Hadith is  reported by Ribi, the son of Hirash, via Hudhayfah, Companions of the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, the  reference of Nawawi, "Gardens of Righteousness".

The events surrounding the end of time:
"The anti-Christ will appear among my nation
and will remain for forty."
Abdullah, the son of Amr commented,
'I do not know if it was forty days, forty months or forty years.'
"Then Allah will send Jesus, the son of Mary,
who will pursue and kill him.
After this people will remain for seven years
with no enmity between any two.
Then Allah, the Lord of Honor and Glory,
will send a cool breeze from the direction of Syria
and no one having a single particle of good or belief in their heart will remain
on the face of the earth -- their soul will be taken from them.
Even if any of you happen to be in a mountain cave,
the breeze will reach you and take possession of your soul.
After this time only the worst people will remain
who will be unsettled like birds and cunning like the fox.
They will not know any good,
nor will they refrain from any evil.
Then satan will appear among them disguised as a human
and will ask, 'Will you not obey me?'
Whereupon they will ask, 'What do you command us to do?'
So he will command them to worship idols and
because of this their provision will be plentiful and their life comfortable.
It is at this time that the Trumpet will be blown
and everyone who hears it will turn his neck, raising it towards it.
The first to hear it will be a man repairing his camel's drinking trough --
he will fall unconscious with others around him.
Then, Allah will send rain which will be like dew
and their bodies will grow on account of it.
The trumpet will be blown a second time and people will stand, looking on.
Then it will be said,
'People, come forward to your Lord.'
Then there will be a command,
'Make them stand, they will be called to account!'
Then it will be said,
'Separate from them those to be sent to the Fire.'
It will be asked, 'How many?"
So it will be said, 'Nine-hundred and ninety-nine out of each thousand (for Hell)."
That will be the Day in which children turn to be gray-haired
and the Day when the calamity overtakes the guilty."

Reported in the reference of Nawawi, "Gardens of Righteousness", Abdullah, the son of Amr.

The Protection of Mecca and Medina:
"The anti-Christ will enter each and every city
except Mecca and Medina.
The domes in those two cities will be guarded
by angels standing in rows.
The anti-Christ will arrive at Sabakhah
and Medina will shake thrice --
every unbeliever and hypocrite will be cast out."

Reported by Anas in the reference of Nawawi, "Gardens of Righteousness"

Seventy Thousand Jews of Isfahan:
"The anti-Christ will be followed by
seventy thousand Jews from Isfahan
who will wear robes of satin."

Reported by Anas in the reference of Nawawi, "Gardens of Righteousness"

Fear of the anti-Christ:
"People will flee to the mountains
seeking refuge from the anti-Christ."

Reported by Umm Sharik in the reference of Nawawi, "Gardens of Righteousness"

The Mischief of the anti-Christ:
From the creation of Adam to the Day of Judgement
there is no affair that is greater
than the mischief of the anti-Christ."

The Tortures of the anti-Christ:
Reported by Imran, son of Hussain in the reference of Nawawi, "Gardens of Righteousness",
"When the anti-Christ appears,
a believer will set out towards him and encounter his guards.
They will ask, 'Where are you going?'
He will reply, 'I am going to the one who has appeared.'
They will ask him, 'Don't you believe in our lord!'
He will reply, 'Our Lord has no secrecy.'
Then some will say to the other,
'Let us kill him!'
But they will say,
'Hasn't your lord forbidden you to kill anyone without his order?'
So they will take him to the anti-Christ.
When the believer sees him he will call out,
'O people, this is the anti-Christ who was mentioned by the Messenger of Allah!'
Upon this the anti-Christ will command them to kill him,
and inflate his back and stomach.
Then he will ask the man,
'Don't you still believe in me?"
But he will reply, 'You are the anti-Christ.'
Then the anti-Christ will order him to be sawn in half,
through his skull to the top of his legs.
After that the anti-Christ will step between the two parts of his body
and address them saying, 'Rise up!'
Whereupon the man will become whole and stand up.
The anti-Christ will question him again,
'Do you believe in me?'
But the man will answer, 'I have only learned more about you!'
And he will turn to the people and say,
'Now, he will be unable to do anything to anyone!'
So the anti-Christ will seize him in order to kill him
but Allah will make his neck from its base upwards
to be as if it were made of brass
and the anti-Christ will be rendered incapable of killing him.
Thereafter he will take hold of his arms and legs and throw him.
People will think that the anti-Christ has thrown him into the fire,
but instead he will be thrown into Paradise.
The Messenger of Allah, praise and peace be upon him, added,
"This man will be the greatest martyr in rank before the Lord of the Worlds."

Reported by Abu Sa'id Khudri in the reference of Nawawi, "Gardens of Righteousness"

Provisions of the anti-Christ:
"No one asked the Messenger of Allah praise and peace be upon him,
about the anti-Christ more than I.
He told me, 'He will not harm you.'
Then I asked him,
'O Messenger of Allah, praise and peace be upon him,
it is said that a mountain of bread will be with him, and a stream of water.'
Whereupon the Messenger of Allah, praise and peace be upon him, said,
'The affair is easier for Allah.'"

Reported in the reference of Nawawi, "Gardens of Righteousness", and Bukhari and Muslim by Mughirah, the son of Shu'bah.

The Mark of the anti-Christ:
"Every Prophet warned his nation against the one-eyed liar.
Listen! He is one-eyed
and your Lord is not one-eyed.
Between the eyes of the anti-Christ will be written KFR³⁵"

Reported in the reference of Nawawi, "Gardens of Righteousness" and Bukhari and  Muslim by Anas.

When Paradise appears to be Hell:
"I shall tell you something about the anti-Christ
that no Prophet has told his people --
he is one-eyed and will have with him
what appears to be Paradise and Hell.
That which he calls Paradise will be Hell,
and that which he calls Hell is Paradise."

Reported in the reference of Nawawi, "Gardens of Righteousness" and Bukhari and  Muslim by Abu Hurayrah

Description of the anti-Christ's eye:
"Allah is not one-eyed,
but listen, the anti-Christ is blind in his right eye
and it will appear like a swollen grape."

Reported in the reference of Nawawi, "Gardens of Righteousness" and Bukhari and  Muslim by ibn Omar.
 

The Tree of the Jew:
"The Day of Judgement will not commence until
the Muslims have fought the Jews
and the Jews seek refuge behind a rock or a tree,
and the rock or tree calls out,
'O Muslim, there is a Jew hiding behind me,
come and kill him.'
But the thorny Gharkad³⁶ tree will not call out
because it is the tree of the Jews.'"

Reported in the reference of Nawawi, "Gardens of Righteousness" and Bukhari and  Muslim by Abu Hurayrah.

A Mountain of Gold in the River Euphrates:
"The Day of Judgement will not occur until
a mountain of gold appears in the river Euphrates
over which people will be killed in great numbers --
as many as ninety-nine out of a hundred,
with everyone saying,
'Perhaps I will be the one to be saved'"
We are also informed,
"Soon, a treasure of gold from the Euphrates will appear.
Whosoever sees it should take nothing from it."

Reported in the reference of Nawawi, "Gardens of Righteousness" and Bukhari and  Muslim by Abu Hurayrah.

Abandoning of Medina:
"People will leave Medina in good condition;
no one will inhabit it except for wild beasts and birds.
Then, two shepherds from the tribe of Muzainah will come
hoping to enter Medina with their goats
but upon finding it full of wild beasts they will turn away.
When they arrive at Thaniat Al Wada³⁷
they will fall on their faces (die)."

Reported in the reference of Nawawi, "Gardens of Righteousness" and Bukhari and  Muslim by Abu Hurayrah.
 

Scarcity of Men:
"The time will come when a man will have
gold to distribute in charity
but he will be unable to find anyone to take it.
Also, a man will be followed by forty women
desiring him due to the scarcity of men and excess of women."

Reported in the reference of Nawawi, "Gardens of Righteousness" and Bukhari and  Muslim by Abu Musa.
 

PART 3
A SUMMARY OF THE PRECEDING HADITHS IN LAYMAN'S TERMS
by
Shaykh Habib Ahmad ben Sadek
with further information
added by Ahmad and Khadeijah Darwish

Conditions before the Advent of  Al Mahdi:
Amongst other things injustice, harm, starvation, murder and continuous trials will be prevalent and religious innovations common. Forbidden things will be practiced, and it will be said that wine is permitted and most do not pray. Weak authorities will speak on religious matters and the recitation of the Koran will be used as flutes. Mosques will be ornate and the spoils of war manipulated. The obligatory lunar charity (zakat) will be an excessive debt and trusts will be not be returned but taken as if they were spoils of war. Religious study will be for the sake of prestige and not for the sake of Allah, and husbands will obey their wives but disobey their mothers and banish their fathers. The elderly will show no mercy to the young and the young no mercy to the elderly.

At this time the Muslim nation will curse the beginning of it -- many of them will be apostates -- and they will be ruled by a deviator. The ruler of the nation will be the worst person, and harmdoers will be treated generously to avoid their evil. People will go to sleep as believers but awake as unbelievers, and the opposite.

Al Mahdi's Lineage, Name and Physical Description:
Al Mahdi is a descendant of Prophet Muhammad, may praise and peace be upon him, via his daughter, Lady Fatima from either her son Al Hasan or both her sons Al Hasan and Hussain³⁸, may Allah be pleased with them. Al Mahdi’s name will be the same as Prophet Muhammad's -- Muhammad, the son of Abdullah.

He will be tall with a dark complexion. He will be handsome and his face will shine like a glittering star. His forehead will be broad, and he will have a prominent nose; his eyebrows will be shaped and long, however they will not be joined. As for his eyes, they will appear to be mascaraed but they are not, it is natural. Upon his right cheek there will be a mole, his beard will be thick and his teeth evenly spaced. On his shoulder will be a black lump of flesh surrounded by hair resembling a seal, and his thighs will be widely set. As for his clothing, he will wear a white cloak with a fringe³⁹.
 

His Place of Birth, his Appearance and Allegiance:
He will be born and raised in Medina, the City of the Prophet, may praise and peace be upon him, that lies to the north of Mecca in the Arabian peninsula.

Allah will send a great sign to herald his advent. So great will be the sign that it has never occurred in the history of the creation of the heavens and the earth. The sign is that on the first night of Ramadan the moon will eclipse and during the middle of Ramadan the sun will eclipse.

Just before allegiance is pledged to him, a great battle will be fought at Ahjar Al Zayt -- The Stone of Oil -- between the army of As-Sufyani and the Muslims of Medina in which the people of Medina will suffer.

Unbeknown to the other, seven knowledgeable people, each accompanied by over three-hundred followers will arrive in Mecca at the same time. When they meet, they will ask one another what brought them to Mecca, and each will say they have come seeking Al Mahdi. Their followers will search for him in Mecca and when they find him they will ask if his name is Muhammad, the son of Abdullah, however he will be overcome by the implications and through sincere humility, he will say no, then leave Mecca for Medina.

The followers will return to their knowledgeable leaders and describe the man they had met whereupon their leaders will confirm that the person they had spoken with was the one for whom they were searching, but by then Al Mahdi will have left for Medina, so they will go to Medina to look for him, but he will have already returned to Mecca.

Upon their return to Mecca they will search for him again but this time when they find him they will tell him that he is indeed Muhammad, son of Abdullah and inform him of
his mother's name and of his signs. Yet again, Al Mahdi will tell them that he is not the one they seek and return to Medina. The followers will go to Medina again but once more he will have returned to Mecca, where, on the 10th day of Muharram they will catch up with him whilst he is standing beside Al Rukn and say: 'Our sins will be upon you and our blood upon your neck if you do not stretch out your hand so that we may pledge our allegiance! The army of As-Sufyani is coming demanding us in which there is a man from Jurm.' So he will humbly sit between Al Rukn and Al Makam and receive their allegiance. At this time Allah will sow love of him in their chests and he will lead a nation that are like lions during the day but worshippers at night.

The Enemy of Al Mahdi:
Before the advent of Al Mahdi, As-Sufyani, will emerge from the center of Damascus and be followed, for the most part, by the tribe of Kalb, and will have fought with anyone daring to oppose him. Injustice will rule the day and his disregard for life will reach the point where defenseless women will be ripped open and innocent children slain unmercifully. The tribe of Kays will rise up against him, however, they will not succeed, and he will slaughter all of them.

As-Sufyani's army will go to Kufa and from there he will launch an attack against the people of Khurasan. At the Gate of Istakhr, Shuayb, the son of Salih and Al Hashimi  under the Black Banners, will join forces and engage the army of As-Sufyani. The battle will be extremely fierce with a tremendous loss of life and the army of As-Sufyani will suffer a temporary defeat. It is at this time that a yearning for Al Mahdi's appearance is on the lips of everyone.

The army of As-Sufyani will march from the direction of Iraq to seize Al Mahdi, however, when they reach the desert near Dhi Hulayfah the ground will swallow them up. However, two will escape to convey the news to As-Sufyani but even when he learns of the occurrence he will not be deterred. There will be some people from the Koraysh who manage to escape from him to Constantinople⁴⁰, which will be at that time under the control of the Romans⁴¹. When As-Sufyani asks for their return they will be returned whereupon not only the escapee’s throats will be slit but those like them.

Al Mahdi's Army, Troops and Battles:⁴²
After receiving the pledges of allegiance, Al Mahdi, together with his warriors will leave Mecca to fight against As-Sufyani in Syria. People will be on the verge of rebuking the Syrians, but the Prophet, may praise and peace be upon him, warned just to rebuke the evil people among them because in their midst is the Abdal and his followers who will join forces with Al Mahdi.

When news of Al Mahdi's appearance spreads people from the east and west will join him. Shuayb, the son of Salih from Tamin will learn of the coming of Al Mahdi and march to join him from Khurasan under three banners, under which will be five thousand warriors ready to pledge their allegiance to Al Mahdi. Muslims from Talakaan, Kufa, Yemen and Tunisia will also march to join him and Al Hashimi will join him with forces from Ar-Ray.

As for the remaining armies, they will gather together in Tiberius to pledge their
allegiance. Shortly after the pledging, As-Sufyani will launch another attack but this will be the final battle between them and he, and is army will be defeated. As-Sufyani will be captured and put to death under a tree, the branches of which grow in the direction of Lake Tiberius and the tribe of Kalb will suffer the same fate. This battle will become known as "The Battle of Kalb" and the spoils of war will be distributed fairly by Al Mahdi.

After the defeat of As-Sufyani, Al Mahdi will dispatch his forces in different directions then go to Antioch to rest. One of the Prophet's Companions commented upon the
lushness of Antioch saying that he had never seen a place that had so much rain, whereupon the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, told him that it was because the Torah, Staff of Moses, Tablets and the Table of Solomon, the son of David are concealed within its caves and that not one single cloud comes to it from any direction that does not pour its blessing upon that valley.

The Appearance of the Anti-Christ:
After his rest in Antioch, Al Mahdi will lead his followers to Constantinople and surround it. Then Allah will open it for him and the spoils of war will be distributed amongst them.
Whilst the spoils of war are being distributed, a herald will arrive with news that the false messiah, the anti-Christ has appeared and is among their families, so Al Mahdi and his army will leave Constantinople for Jerusalem.

Prophet Jesus, the True Messiah:
Al Mahdi and his men will take their stand in the Mosque of Jerusalem. They will be under siege by the army of the false-messiah and suffer greatly from starvation. At the end of this time, Allah will send Prophet Jesus, may peace be upon him, to Al Mahdi. He will descend with angels bearing him after the call to the Dawn prayer has been made, with droplets of dew falling from his brow. Al Mahdi will be just about to lead the prayer when he sees Prophet Jesus and beckon him to come forward and lead the prayer. However, Prophet Jesus will decline saying that the prayer has been established for Al Mahdi to lead.

After the offering of the prayer, Al Mahdi will accompany Prophet Jesus outside the Mosque where the false-messiah will be waiting. When the false-messiah sees the real Messiah, Prophet Jesus, may peace be upon him, he knows he cannot withstand him whereupon Prophet Jesus steps forward and slays him. When the followers of the anti-Christ see that their leader has been slain they will scatter far and wide; the siege will be over and Prophet Jesus will receive the Caliphate.

Prophet Jesus, peace be upon him,  will reject and correct the falsities introduced into Christianity and follow the way of Prophet Muhammad, praise and peace be upon him. He will marry, father children and when he dies, he will be buried next to Prophet Muhammad, in Medina.

The Description of the False Messiah, the Anti-Christ:
The false-messiah will have one eye, and upon his forehead will be written the word "Kafir" meaning unbeliever. Every believer will be able to read it even if he/she is illiterate.

Maulana Shaykh Habib Ahmad ben Sadek commented, "It is logical that the false messiah will be a Jew, and that the Jews await his coming. One is able to discern that Allah has planned the establishment of the State of Israel as an introduction to his arrival and as a trial for the world. It is also understandable that the Jewish State will be rich, and that its population will include congregations which hail from Europe, and through the merging of these congregations Israel will become a very advanced state even though its inception has only recently been established.

Bearing these factors in mind, when their leader, the one-eyed liar appears he will already have at hand all the tools of invention together with the support of well-known Jewish magic which are necessary for him to lead the world deeper into error, disbelief and competition." We already know that he will come at a time when ignorance of religious knowledge is common. Therefore it is easy to comprehend the Hadith which informs us that the majority of those who follow him will be Jews, women and Bedouins. We also know that seventy thousand Jews from Isfahan will follow the anti-Christ.

The Affairs of the Anti-Christ:
The anti-Christ will be supported by satan, the stone and cursed, and his devils who claim that he is their lord, Allah. He will come after years of drought and famine therefore many ignorant people will believe and follow him when he produces rain⁴³ from the heavens - although it does not rain - so that the ground sprouts forth with fresh vegetation.

In one of the Prophet's Hadith reference is made to the false messiah being able to travel throughout the world in forty days, with one day being equal to a year, another equal to a week and so on. Perhaps in this day and age with its technological advances in transportation we are better able to comprehend this Hadith as man is able to circumnavigate the world in a matter of hours as opposed to the time needed to journey from one city to another on the back of a camel.

The Time of Truth:
Prophet Jesus, peace be upon him, will correct the falsities introduced into his teachings and follow the way of Prophet Muhammad, praise and peace be upon him. Peace and harmony will exist, wealth will be abundant and Muslims will practice Islam as it was practiced during the time of Prophet Muhammad, praise and peace be upon him. This state of affairs will continue for several years, then, Allah will send a sweet smelling wind that will carry away the souls of every believer. After that time no good will be left in the world, depravity will be a way of life, drought and famine will return until satan, the stoned and cursed, appears in the disguise of a man and claims to be their lord.

The unbelievers will accept satan as their lord and on account of this their lives will be comfortable until the Trumpet, heralding the approach of the Day of Judgement, is blown.
 

PART 4
QUESTIONS REPLIED TO BY

THE GRAND MUHADDITH, HAFEZ HABIB ABDULLAH BEN SADEK

Question:
If the nation and the rest of the world are pleased with Al Mahdi and they are both secure and satisfied, what is the benefit of the descent of Jesus at that time, because the Messenger of Allah, may praise and peace be upon him, said, "May Allah have mercy upon a nation that I am at its beginning and Jesus, son of Mary is at its end?"

Answer:
The benefit of sending Prophet Jesus, may peace be upon him, is to kill the false messiah, and to disperse the forces which surround Al Mahdi. It has been reported in the Hadith that the false messiah will surround Al Mahdi and his followers in the House of Jerusalem in such a severe way that their circumstances will be extremely difficult and they will be forced to eat the strings of their bows. When such circumstances prevail, Jesus will descend. Then, when the false messiah sees this he will start to dissolve as salt dissolves in water but Jesus will say to him, "Be patient, I have one strike which will never miss." Then he will strike the false messiah with a sword and his companions will scatter and the siege of the Muslims will be over. This is the benefit of the descent of Jesus.

As for the Hadith you mentioned in your question, its phrasing is inaccurate. The accurate phrasing is:

"A nation in which I am at its beginning,
and Al Mahdi is in its middle
and Jesus, the son of Mary is at its end
will never be destroyed."

Question:
If Jesus is at the end of the nation, what is the meaning of the Holy Prophet's saying,
"My nation will be sealed by Al Mahdi as it has been opened by us."

Answer:
The phrasing of this Hadith reported by Imam Ali, may Allah honor his face is,
"I asked the Messenger of Allah praise and peace be upon him,
is Al Mahdi from us, the family of Muhammad
or from someone else?"
He replied, 'Yes, he is from us,
with us Allah will seal as He opened with us ...'"

The meaning of this is that as Allah opened this Religion with the Holy Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, so He will close it with Al Mahdi. Therefore, Al Mahdi is the seal for the appearance of the Religion -- not the nation. The nation will remain after him, but the Religion will not prevail after him more than it appeared during his time.

Question:
During Al Mahdi's time will the whole world adhere to the Religion of Islam, and will the Day of Judgement start upon this as the Messenger (s.a) said, "If it was the last day of life, Allah will prolong that day until Al Mahdi comes from my nation."

Answer:
During Al Mahdi's time, the world will not profess one religion. There will be Muslims and others just as it is now, and how it was before. He will take the poll tax from the non-Muslims as it was taken during the first generation. As for the Hadith:

"If there only remains from the world a day
Allah will prolong that day until
a man from the family of my house comes."

Do not misunderstand it. This does not mean that Al Mahdi will be at the end of time in which the Day of Judgement commences. It means that his appearance is a truth and even, if supposedly, there were to remain just one day, Allah would prolong it until he appears. This does not mean that he will remain up to the Day of Judgement.

I would also like to advise the questioner not to refer to the praise and peace upon the Prophet by using letters such as "s.a" etc., as he did in the question, because this is not sufficient to fulfill one's obligation when the name of the Holy Prophet, may praise and peace be upon him, is mentioned. In addition to this it includes a lesser degree of respect. Do not be deceived by some of those who are knowledgeable and righteous, but none-the-less do it, because this is bad behavior towards the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him.

Question:
If the Day of Judgement comes after Al Mahdi and Jesus, and the Religion of Islam has been described, what is the meaning of the saying of the Holy Prophet, praise and peace be upon him: "Islam started strangely and will return as it started."

Answer:
The Hadith is:

"Islam started strangely
and will return as strangely as it started."

This Hadith is reported amongst those classified as 'mutawatira'. The Holy Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, referred to this time because Islam is a stranger in it and will remain as it is. Its strangeness will increase until Al Mahdi comes, then Islam will reappear and he will revive its justice. During this revival, trials and hatred will disappear between Muslims. Then, as this time ends, a good, delicate wind will come and take the spirit of every believer leaving no one on earth who knows Allah or remembers Him. The remaining nations will stampede like cattle, and it is upon them that the Day of Judgement will start. This has been reported in the authentic collection of Imam Muslim as well as others, and Allah is the Most Knowledgeable.
 
 

FOOT NOTES

^1. Linguistically, "Mutawatira" means  "successive". In Hadith terminology it means that each Hadith has been transmitted by many Companions, which is also the same way in which the verses of the Holy Koran were transmitted. Whosoever rejects a Hadith that has been classified as "mutawatira" becomes an unbeliever.

^2. When the average reader hears the phrase "Al Hafiz", he or she automatically associates it with the person who remembers all of the Koran by heart. However, when it is used in reference to Hadith it bears the meaning of the highest authority in Hadith Science.

^3. The Arabic word "Masiih" = the Messiah.
The Arabic word "Masiikh" = the false messiah, which is equivalent in pronunciation to the Hebrew word "Moshiakh" which means the Messiah.
When the Arabic language is compared to the Hebrew, it is found that the Arabic letter 's' is equal to that of the Hebrew 'sh', as in the Arabic word 'Salaam' and the Hebrew word 'Shalom' both of which mean peace. The Jews await the coming of the 'Moshiakh' to lead them, therefore one understands the Jews will follow the false messiah, and once again reject Jesus who is the true Messiah.

^4. Plural of 'Hafiz'.

⁵. Also the Shi'ite scholars. Mentioned on page 5. maybe renumber superscript?

^6. The pilgrimage seasons

⁷. Sunnah, the teachings and ways of the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him

^8. The Family of the Holy Prophet, praise and peace be upon them

⁹. The Arabic word 'yuslihu' means  forgive him, give him success and the inspiration of wisdom and guidance, the like of which he did not possess before.

^10. Lady Fatima, the daughter of the Holy Prophet, peace be upon them, was given the endearing title of "The Resplendent Blossom - Az-Zahra.

^11. Al Mahdi's reluctance to receive their allegiance will be because of his humility.

^12. The corner of Prophet Ishmael, the stone upon which Prophet Abraham stood to build Ka’bah in Mecca, peace be upon them.

^13. A tribe from Syria

^14. The funeral prayer,

^15. The Black Banners are not those of Abu Muslim of Khurasan. They are different banners that come in the company of Al Mahdi. As for the treasure, it is the treasure of Ka’bah. In other Hadiths it has been reported that Al Mahdi will open the treasure of Ka’bah after a battle over it. It is also noticeable that he is referred to as "Caliph of Allah" - this is the same expression used for Prophet Adam.

^16.  During the time of the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, little was known about the western world, so it might be that reference to the "Romans" could refer to the western powers, but Allah knows best.

^17. Transformation into animals

^18. This refers to the non-Muslims of Ethiopia

^19. Or Jordan

^20. The army

^21. At the time of translating this work, news cam that the Jews in Palestine are presently digging and replenishing the Lake of Tiberius with water

^22. Graceful in stature/grandsons/branches.

^23. The House of Allah, Ka’bah

^24. Good, in Islamic terminology means whosoever fulfills the obligations belonging to Allah, and also fulfills the obligations belonging to the creation.

^25. His dislike is on account of humility.

^26. Three hundred and thirteen.

^27. Antioch in Syria.

^{28 and 29}.  Al Hasan and Al Hussain

^30. Western Islamic degrees granted to Muslims by non-Muslims, or the study of Religion for prestigious, personal gain.

^31. The horses are either a reality or the utilities of war.

^32. The prophesy of air travel.

^33. Artificial, chemical rain

^34. Use of sorcery

^35. KFR - Kafir meaning unbeliever.

^36. Known as the Tree of the Jew. Israel has already planted many of these trees.

^37. The Place of Farewell.

^38.  Some hadiths refer to Al Mahdi as being descended from both of the sons of Lady Fatima whereas others mention just Al Hasan which may appear confusing. However, throughout the centuries descendants of Al Hasan and Al Hussain inter-married so therefore it is possible that Al Mahdi could be both Hasani and Hussaini at the same time, i.e. his father being Hasani and his mother being Hussaini.

^39. This might refer to the edges of his cloak being frayed.

^40.  Now Istanbul

^41.  During the time of the Prophet, may praise and peace be upon him, little was known about the western world, so it might be that reference to the "Romans" could refer to westerners, but Allah knows best.

^42. The battles are not necessarily in chronological order but they will occur.

^43. Maulana, Shaykh Habib Ahmad ben Sadek draws the reader's attention to the possible use of modern day inventions such as the ability to produce rain by chemicals and such like which would no doubt appear to the uneducated as a miracle.