Mahdi In Sihah Sitta – Part I

Both the Shiites and those from the Ahle Sunnah are unanimous that Imam Mahdi (as) shall appear. The writers of Sihah Sittah – the most authentic books of the Ahle Sunnah also quote some traditions about the certainty of Mahdi’s uprising.

Uprising of Mahdi

The Holy Prophet (sawa) said, “If only one day of this world remains, Allah would lengthen that day to an extent that he raises up in it a man who belongs to me or to my family whose name is the same as mine. He will fill the earth with equity and justice as it has been filled with oppression and tyranny” (Sunan Tirmidhi volume 4, page 438, Sunan Abu Dawud, traditions 4282 (in brief) and 4283)

At another place, the Holy Prophet (sawa) said, “The world will not cease to exist until someone from my family becomes the king of Arabia whose name will be the same as my name.” (Sunan Tirmidhi, tradition 2230)

Mahdi is from the household of Prophet Mohammed (sawa)

The above traditions make it amply clear that the Mahdi (sawa) is from the household of the Prophet (sawa). Now let us take a look to some other traditions.

“Mahdi is one of us, Ahlul Bayt (the people of the household.)” (Sunan Ibne Majah, tradition 4085)

“We are members of a Household for whom Allah has chosen the Hereafter over this world. The people of my Household will face calamity, expulsion and exile after I am gone, until some people will come from the east carrying black banners. They will ask for something good but will not be given it. Then they will fight and will be victorious, then they will be given what they wanted, but they will not accept it and will give leadership to a man from my family. Then they will fill it with justice just as it was filled with injustice. Whoever among you lives to see that, let him go to them even if he has to crawl over snow.” (Sunan Ibne Majah, tradition 4082)

“Mahdi will be one of the descendents of Fatemah (as).” (Sunan Ibne Majah, tradition 4086)

This hadith has been related by Umme Salma from Prophet Mohammed (sawa). The same has been related by Abu Dawud, “Mahdi is From my household and one of the descendents of Fatemah (sa).”

As per the above traditions, it can be concluded that the writers of Sihah (including Ibne Majah) accepted primarily that the Mahdi (as) is from the household of Prophet Mohammed (sawa) and secondly that Mahdi (as) is from the descendants of Fatemah (sa).

Another tradition from Sunan Ibne Majah which he relates from Anas Ibne Malik from that Holy Prophet (sawa) said, “Adhering to religion will only become harder and worldly affairs will only become more difficult, and people will only become more stingy, and the Hour will only come upon the worst of people, and the only Mahdi (after Muhammad (sawa) is Isa Ibne Maryam. (Sunan Ibne Majah, tradition 4039)

It is surprising that Ibne Majah neglected the traditions which which he himself quoted and considered Mahdi (as) as Jesus and the same time as household and descendants of Fatemah (sa)! Perhaps this hadith has been added to his book!

Preparation for Imam Mahdi’s (as) rule

People will come from the east, paving the way for Mahdi,” meaning, for his rule. (Sunan Ibne Majah, tradition 4088)

According to quotations from Ahle Bayt (as), it is deduced that there are two categories of signs for the arrival of Imam Mahdi (AS). The first category are general signs while the second category are definite signs and their number are five:

Uprising of Sufiani
Cry from the sky
Killing of Nafs-e-Zakiyyah (pure person)
Khasf-e-Beida (swallowing by the earth in Beida)
Uprising of Yemeni

These 5 signs are definite according to the traditions. Sunni scholars have referred to the uprising of Sufiani and Khasf-e-Beida in their books. In the next part we shall take a look upon some of their narrations about uprising of Sufiani.

“An army will invade the Kaabah and when the invaders reach Al-Beida, all the ground will sink and swallow the whole army.” (Sahih Bukhari, volume 3, page 329)

Muslim narrates, “A man will advance to the Kaabah and an army will follow him which will sink in the ground.” And in the next hadith he relates from Abu Jafar that the ground is in the vicinity of Medina.

“The people will not finish attacking this House (Kaabah) until it is attacked by an army which, when they are at Al-Beida’, or a Beida’ in the land, it will swallow from the first of them to the last of them, and the middle of them shall not be saved (Sunan Tirmidhi, tradition 2184)

Ibne Majah has related something similar (Sunan Ibne Majah, tradition 4063). Abu Dawud has made it clearer, The Holy Prophet (sawa) said, “Disagreement will occur at the death of a caliph and a man of the people of Medina will come flying forth to Makkah. Some of the people of Makkah will come to him, bring him out against his will and swear allegiance to him between Rukn and Maqam. An expeditionary force will then be sent against him from Syria but will be swallowed up in the desert between Mecca and Medina. When the people see that, the eminent saints of Syria and the best people of Iraq will come to him and swear allegiance to him between Rukn and Maqam… He will divide the property (equitably), and will govern the people by the Sunnah of their Prophet” (Sunan Abu Dawud, tradition 4286)

Hakim confirms the quotation of Abu Dawud, ”…then they will take the oath on his hand between black stone and the station of Ibrahim (at Makkah in the Kaabah). An army will set out towards them from Syria but it will be crushed into the ground as it reaches Beida… (Mustadrak of Hakim, tradition 8327)

Hakim narrates this event in another tradition and refers to Sufiani and sinking his armies in the desert,l A man (named Sufiani) shall uprise from Damascus and a man from my household shall uprise. Sufiani will be informed and will march toward him with an army. When they reach a desert the will be swallowed up by the desert and no one is saved except one man. (Mustadrak of Hakim, tradition 8586)

It should be noted that the second tradition is an authentic tradition according to the conditions of Bukhari and Muslim, but they have not reported it in their books.

Mahdi in Sihah Sitta – Part I | Part II | Part III
Identification of Imam Mahdi (as) from Sihah Sitta

Read more about Imam Mahdi in the Ahle Sunnah