Post by Badr313 on Nov 14, 2021 20:02:14 GMT
Will there be a Mahdi? Or do Each of us Qualify as the Mahdī?
Various dubious attempts to deform Islam can be increasingly seen via the field of Islamic eschatology. Recently, some have sought to spread confusion about the emergence of the Mahdī. The claims variously include: “the Mahdī” means rightly guided and anyone could be a Mahdī; that Isā عليه السلام will come and he would be the Mahdī; that there is no sound ḥādīth that indicates the Mahdī to be an independent person who will come towards the end of times.
The exposition below will demonstrate how such claims seem to rely on linguistic and semantic obfuscation and spuriously oppose the ḥādīth literature.
Statements of Ḥādīth Authorities
We will begin by presenting statements and positions from classical ḥādīth authorities concerning the veracity of reports about the Mahdī.
Shaykh Barzanjī رحمه الله and Imām Suyūtī رحمه الله says: "Tawātur-Ma'anawī is referred here."[2]
Qādhī Ash-Shawkānī رحمه الله writes in Fatḥ ar Rabbānī:
"All the narrations that we have recorded have reached the level of tawātur. This is not hidden from those of knowledge."[3]
Allāmah Munāwī رحمه الله says in Fayḍ ul Qadīr, the commentary of Jāmi' us Saghīr:
"The Ahādīth concerning Mahdī have been narrated in great number, and they are famous as well. Scholars have compiled separate works only on this subject."[4]
Note:
Tawātur means: A narration that has been narrated by such a large number of people, through every era, that it's impossible to conceive that all of them lied.
Ma'anwī means: A number of narrations whose subject matter or meaning has reached the level of tawātur.
Approximately more than 90 Marf'ū Aḥādīth have been narrated, 30 of which clearly state the name of Mahdī.
Note: The name of Mahdī is not mentioned clearly in some Aḥādīth. However, according to the scholars of ḥadīth, there is a principle that states, if there are different Aḥādīth narrated on one particular event, and some are concise or unclear, while others are detailed, then the detailed narrations will be considered the explanation of the concise or unclear narrations.
Companions who have narrated about the Mahdī
Approximately 25 Ṣaḥābah have narrated about Imām Mahdī. Among them are great personalities like Uthmān, Alī, Ibn Masūd, Ibn Abbās, Ibn Umar Abū Huraīrah, Talḥa, Anas, Abdur Raḥmān bin Awf, Abū Saīd Khudrī, Umm Salamah, and Umm Ḥabībah. (رضي الله عنهم أجمعين)
Aḥādīth pertaining to the Mahdī in the collections
In the 6 most authentic books of ḥadīth, 3 Imāms, (Abū Dāwūd, Tirmidhī and Ibn Mājah رحمة الله عليهم) have included a separate chapter dealing solely with the subject of Mahdī.
Beyond these collections, the following Ḥadīth scholars have made special mention of Mahdī in their books:
2. Imām Bazzār رحمه الله
3. Ibn Abī Shaybah رحمه الله
4. Imām Ḥākim رحمه الله
5. Imām Tabrānī رحمه الله
6. Imām Abū Ya'lā Mūsilī رحمه الله
7. Imām Abdur Razzāq bin Humām رحمه الله
8. Imām Nu'aym bin Ḥammād (The teacher of Imām Bukhārī)
9. Ḥāfiẓ Nūr ud Dīn Alī bin Abī Bakr Haythamī رحمه الله
10. Alā' ud Dīn Alī al Muttaqī رحمه الله.
"Thus they are ten in all."
"Those who are affiliated with the field of ḥadīth are aware of the fact that the scholars of ḥadīth record the chapters in their books of those things which, according to them are proven in the Aḥādīth. This is especially the case when after transmitting the ḥadīth they remain silent. In accordance to this principle, it can be safely said that those scholars of ḥadīth that transmitted Aḥādīth about the emergence of Mahdī and recorded separate chapters for these Aḥādīth had the belief of the emergence of Mahdī. They also had the belief that he (Mahdī) is one of the signs of Qiyāmah.”[5]
Is Isā عليه السلام the Mahdī?
"There is no Mahdī besides Isā Ibn Maryam."[6]
Secondly, the interpretation of this ḥadīth is demanded rather than the apparent wording.
Hāfiz Dhahabī رحمه الله in Mizān al I'tidāl states the following under the biography of Muhammad bin Khālid al Janadī who is alone in narrating this, and he is highly debated about.
"The ḥadīth 'There is no Mahdī except for Isā narrated by him is Munkar."[7]
Munkar: a narration whose narrator makes a lot of mistakes or is very negligent and forgetful or he is responsible for any other open sin besides lying and innovation.[8]
"Outwardly it seems that this ḥadīth contradicts those that explain of a Mahdī besides Isā عليه السلام. However, upon careful scrutiny and thought, we understand that there is no contradiction between the two. The meaning of the above narration is that the title 'Mahdī' refers to Isā عليه السلام to a complete degree. And Isā عليه السلام being a Mahdī does not negate another person being a Mahdī."[9]
Further, the authentic narration in Ṣahīh Bukhārī is clear. The Prophet ﷺ said,
"What will be your condition when Isā bin Maryam will descend among you while your leader will be from among you."[10] (emphasis added).
Ḥāfiẓ ibn Ḥajar Asqalānī رحمه الله writes in the commentary of “while your leader will be from among you”, that Abū al-Ḥasan Al Khasa'ī Abidī رحمه الله says in Manāqib Ash Shāfi'ī:
"The Aḥādīth explaining that Mahdī is from this Ummah and that Isā عليه السلام will perform Ṣalāh behind him have reached the level of Tawattur."[11]
A similar explanation has been given by Allāmah Badr ud Dīn Aynī رحمه الله in Umdatul Qārī, a commentary of Ṣahīh al Bukhārī.[12]
Allāmah Shabbir Aḥmad Uthmānī رحمه الله, commentator of Ṣahīh Muslim says:
"'Their leader' only refers to the honourable promised leader of the believers, Mahdī."[13]
The following narration of Musannaf Abdur Razzāq also corroborates the interpretation of “your leader from among you” to be Mahdī,
"Ibn Sīrīn رحمه الله was of the view that it is Mahdī who will perform salāh behind Isā عليه السلام."[14]
Mullā Alī Qārī رحمه الله expounding the aforementioned ḥadīth says,
"‘From among you’ means a person of your religion, or it is said to mean from the Quraysh and this implies that it is Mahdī."[15]
Allāma Anwar Shāh Kashmīrī رحمه الله writes in Faydhul Bārī, while commentating on the above ḥadīth:
"The apparent comprehended meaning of the words 'your leader' is Mahdī."[16]
Shāh Walīullāh Muḥaddith Dehlawī رحمه الله says,
"The emergence of Mahdī close to Qiyāmah is a certainty. Mahdī will be a truthful ruler in the sight of Allāh and Rasūlullāh ﷺ. Rasūlullāh ﷺ also prophesised him to be a Khalīfah."
He further writes,
"It will be obligatory to follow Mahdī in those matters that deal with the Khalīfah during his Khilāfah (rule)."[17]
An Enduring Belief
Maulānā thought of a plan, if this family is to remain until Qiyāmah, then they will still be in existence during the era of the emergence of Mahdī. So, he took a small Qur'ān (in another translation, a sword belt hung from the shoulders), a sword and wrote the following letter addressed to Mahdī:
"I have given these items to the Shaybī family and I have told them that your family will remain until Qiyāmah. This is a trust for Mahdī. When you pass away, then make a bequest to those who will come after them. Every generation should make this bequest to the next until this trust reaches Mahdī."[18]
Maulānā Rafī' ud Dīn رحمه الله had migrated to Makkah, passed away there and is buried there too.
May Allāh keep us steadfast upon the beliefs of Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jamā'ah till we breath our last.
Amīn.
________________________________________
Reference
[1] Irshād Usūl Ḥadīth, p.42.
[2] Ibid., p.44.
[3] Tuhfatul Ahwadhī, 6/402.
[4] Fayḍ ul Qadīr, 2/279.
[5] Aqīdah Zuhūr-e-Mahdī, p.78.
[6] Ibn Mājah.
[7] Mizān al I'tidāl, 3/52.
[8] Irshād Usūl al Ḥadīth, p.116.
[9] Misbāh az Zujājah, p.300.
[10] Ṣahīh Bukhārī, 3449.
[11] 6/611.
[12] Umdatul Qārī, 16/40.
[13] Fatḥul Mulhim, 1/303.
[14] Musannaf Abdur Razzāq, 11/399.
[15] Mirqāt ul Mafātīh, 10/232.
[16] Faydhul Bārī, 4/45.
[17] Izālatul Khifā.
[18] Khutubāt Ḥakīm ul Islām.
