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Note: Please do not confuse Imam Mahdi with Hadhrat
Isa (Jesus) Alayhis Salaam. They
are two different persons, and both will come
during the last days. According to Hadeeth,
Imam Mahdi will appear first, and Hadhrat Isa
(A.S.) will appear during Imam Mahdi's
lifetime. Furthermore, only Hadhrat Isa (A.S.)
will be able to kill Dajjal (the "anti-Christ").
The term "MAHDI" is a title meaning "The Guided
one".
Hadhrat Abdullah bin Mas'ood (R.A.) says
that Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) said,
"This world will not come to an end until one
person from my progeny does not rule over
the Arabs, and his name will be the same as my
name." (Tirmidhi)
Hadhrat Ali (R.A.) narrates that Rasulullah
(Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) said, "Even if only a
day remains for Qiyamah to come, yet Allah will
surely send a man from my family who
will fill this world with such justice and fairness,
just as it initally was filled with
oppression." (Abu Dawood)
His Features
Hadhrat Abu Saeed Khudri (R.A.) relates
that Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) said,
"Al Mahdi will be from my progeny. His forehead
will be broad and his nose will be high. He
will fill the world with justice and fairness
at a time when the world will be filled with
oppression. He will rule for seven years."
Other ahadeeth inform us that:
* He will be tall
* He will be fair complexioned
* His facial features
will be similar to those of Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam)
* His character will
be exactly like that of Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam)
* His father's name
will be Abdullah
* His mother's name
will be Aamina
* He will speak with
a slight stutter and occasionally this stutter will frustrate him
causing him to hit his
hand upon his thigh.
* His age at the time
of his emergence will be forty years
* He will receive Knowledge
from Allah.
His Emergence and Rule
Hadhrat Umme Salmah (R.A.) narrates that
Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) said, "
After the death of a Ruler there will be some
dispute between the people. At that time a
citizen of Madina will flee (from Madinah) and
go to Makkah. While in Makkah, certain
people will approach him between Hajrul Aswad
and Maqaame Ibraheem, and forcefully
pledge their allegiance to him.
Thereafter a huge army will proceed from
Syria to attack him but when they will be at
Baida, which is between Makkah and Madina, they
will be swallowed into the ground.
On seeing this, the Abdaals of Shaam as well as
large numbers of people from Iraq will
come to him and pledge their allegiance to him.
Then a person from the Quraish, whose
uncle will be from the Bani Kalb tribe will send
an army to attack him, only to be
overpowered, by the will of Allah. This (defeated)
army will be that of the Bani Kalb.
Unfortunate indeed is he who does not receive
a share from the booty of the Kalb. This
person (Imam Mahdi) will distribute the spoils
of war after the battle. He will lead the
people according to the Sunnat and during his
reign Islam will spread throughout the world.
He will remain till seven years (since his emergence).
He will pass away and the Muslims will
perform his Janazah salaat." (Abu Dawood)
According to a Hadeeth, Sayyidena Eesa (A.S.)
will lead the Janaazah of Imam Mahdi
(A.S.).
While the people will be pledging their
allegiance to Imaam Mahdi, a voice from the unseen
will call out:
"This is the representative
of Allah,
The Mahdi, listen to
him and obey him"
This announcement which will be heard by all those
present will establish his authenticity.
Another sign which will indicate the authenticity
of Imaam Mahdi wil be that in the
Ramadhaan prior to his emergence an eclipse of
the sun and moon will occur.
Hadhrat Abu Umamah (R.A.) says that Rasulullah
(Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) said: "There
will be four peace agreements between you and
the Romans. The fourth agreement will be
mediated through a person who will be from the
progeny of Hadhrat Haroon (A.S.) and will
be upheld for seven years."
The people asked: "O Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi
Wasallam), who will be the Imaam of the
people at the time?"
Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam)
said: "He will be from my progeny and will be forty
years of age. His face will shine like a star
and he will have a black spot on his left cheek.
He will don two "Qutwaani" cloaks and will appear
exactly as a person from the Bani
Israeel..." (Tabrani)
According to hadith narrated by Abu Saeed
Khudri (R.A.) Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi
Wasallam) said: "...(regarding the rule of Imaam
Mahdi) the skies will rain down in