About two years ago (1) a person called Abu Mohammad from Kenya asked “Muslim World League”, which is one of the most effective religious centers of Mecca and Hejaz a question about the advent of the promised Mahdi.

Secretary General of the league, Mohammad Salih al-Qazzaz, sent a brief treatise which was written by five presently famous scholars of Hejaz about this matter for him, in answering his question adding to affirming that “Ibn Taymiyyah”, the founder of Wahhabism, has also accepted the ahadith of the advent of Mahdi.

We read in this treatise, after mentioning the name of his holiness Mahdi and the place of his appearance, which is Mecca, that:

… at the time of dominance of corruption in the world and distribution of infidelity and oppression, God fills the world with justice by him (Mahdi) as it is filled with oppression and injustice.

He is the last one of twelve Rashidun Caliphs whom prophet (pbuh) has informed us about them is authentic (صحیح) books.

Ahadith related to the Mahdi have been quoted by many of companions of prophet (pbuh), including:

Uthman Ibn Affan, Ali ibn Abi Talib, Talha ibn Ubayd-Allah, Abdur Rahman bin Awf, Abdullah ibn Abbas, Ammar ibn Yasir, Abdullah ibn Mas’ud, Abu Sa’id al-Khudri, Thawban, Qarat ibn Asas Mazani, Abdullah ibn Harith, Abu Hurairah, Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman, Jabir ibn Abdullah, Abu Umama, Jabir ibn Majed, Abdullah ibn Umar, Anas ibn Malik, Umar ibn Haseen and Umm Salama.

These are twenty people of those who have quoted the narratives about Mahdi and there are also many others beside them.

Also, companions have said many expressions about the advent of Mahdi which is possible to consider them in the category of narratives of prophet (pbuh); because this issue is not among the issue which are possible to be discussed in ijtihad (therefore, they have also heard the matter from the prophet).

Then he adds:

Both the above ahadith which are quoted from prophet (pbuh) and testimonials of companions which are considered here as hadith, have been quoted in many famous Islamic books and main hadith texts of prophet (pbuh) including traditions (سنن), Ma’ajim (معاجم) (pl. of Mu’jam) and supported books (Musnads), including:

Sunan Abu Dawood, Sunan al-Tirmidhi, ibn Maja, ibn Amr al-Dani, Musnad Ahmad and ibn Ya’li and Bazzaz. And Sahih al-Hakim and Ma’ajim al-Tabarani (Kabeer and Awsat) and Ruyani and al-Daraqutni and Abu Na’eem in Akhbar al-Mahdi and Khatib in History of Baghdad and ibn Asakir in History of Damascus and other than them.

Then he adds that:

Some of Islamic scholars have written special books in this subject, including:

Abu Na’eem in “Akhbar al- Mahdi”, Ibn Hajar al-Haythami in “Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar fi Alamat al-Mahdi al-Muntazar”, Shawkani in “al-Tawdhih fi Tawatur ma Ja'a fi al-Muntazar wa al-Dajjal wa al-Masih”, Idris al-Iraqi al-Maghribi in “al-Mahdi”, Abu al-Abbas ibn Abd al-Mu’min al-Maghribi in the book “al-Wahm al-Maknoon fi Radd Ala ibn Khaldun”.

And the latest person who has written an explained discussion in this subject is the dean of Medina Islamic University who has discussed in some issues of the magazine published by the university.

Some of great scholars of Islam including past and present ones have also confirmed in their writings that ahadith about Mahdi are in the limit of Tawatur (and are not deniable) including:

Al-Sakhawi in the book “Fath al-Mugeeth”, Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Safawini in “Sharh al-Aqida”, Suyuti in “al-Hawi”, Idris Iraqi in the book that he has written about “Mahdi”, Shawkani in the book “al-Tawdhih fi Tawatur ma Ja'a fi al-Muntazar …”, Mohammad Ja’far al-Kattani in “Nazm al-Mutanathir”, Abu al-Abbas ibn Abd al-Mu’min in “al-Wahm al-Maknoon …”.

He says at the end of the discussion:

(Only) it is Ibn Khaldun who has tried to oppose ahadith about Mahdi with a baseless fake hadith that says “لا مهدی الا عیسی” (Mahdi in nobody but Jesus!), but great leaders and scholars of Islam has denied his expression; especially “Ibn Abd al-Mu’min” who has written a special book in denying his expression which has been published in the East and the West from 30 years ago.

Memorizers of ahadith and superior scholars have also affirmed that ahadith of Mahdi contain “authentic” (صحیح) and “acceptable” (حسن) ahadith which are totally Mutawatir (reach the source).

Therefore, believing the advent of Mahdi is obligatory to (any Muslim) and it is considered as the beliefs of Ahl as-Sunnah wa’l-Jama’ah and nobody ignores that except the ignorant persons and the heretics.

***

According to my opinion, the above discussion is so much clear that it needs no extra explanation; accordingly, aren’t people, who say that believing the advent of Mahdi is an imported thought, making a big mistake!

Now the Main Text of the Letter

Here, we mention the main test of the letter which had been sent by a man from Kenya to “Muslim World League” which is an official Islamic center in Mecca about “the promised Mahdi” and the text of the answer which has been sent for him by the Secretary General of the league under supervision of five famous scholars of Hejaz.

And this is the same letter which we mentioned the translation of its important part without the wane before.

The only point which is necessary to be reminded here is that the “important difference” of this writing which the beliefs of Shiites is that the name of the father of his holiness Mahdi (pbuh) is mentioned “Abdullah”, while in Shiite books the name of his respected father is certainly “Imam Hassan al-Askari” and the source of this disagreement is that in some of the narratives of Ahl Sunnah this sentence has been mentioned that “اسم ابیه اسم ابی” (His father’s name is the name of my father) while evidences show that this sentence was originally “اسم ابیه اسم ابنی” (His father’s name is the name of my son”, and this change has happened because of a mistake in punctuation. (This possibility has been also affirmed by al-Kanji al-Shafi’i in the book “al-Bayan fi Akhbar Sahib al-Zaman”). And anyhow, that sentence is not reliable because:

Firstly, this sentence is not available in most of Sunni narratives.

Secondly, we read in the famous narrative of Ibn Abi Layli “اسمه اسمی و اسم ابیه اسم ابنی”.

Thirdly, Mutawatir narratives through Ahl al-Bayt (pbut) testify that his father’s name is “Hassan”.

Fourthly, it is also affirmed in some of Sunni narratives that he is the son of Imam Hassan Askari.

(For more explanation about this matter, refer to the book “Muntakhab al-Athar” pages 231 to 236, chapter 11, and the book “Noor al-Absar”).

***

الکرم ابومحمّد ـ المحترم (کنیا)

السلام علیکم و رحمة اللّه و برکاته ـ اشارة الى خطابکم (المورخ فى 21 یوما 1976م) المتضمن عن موعد ظهور المهدى و فى اى مکان یقیم؟ نفیدکم باننا نوفرلکم مع خطابنا الیکم ما جاء من الفتوى فى مسأله المهدى المنتظر و قد قام بکتابته فضیلة الشیخ محمد المنتصر الکنانى واقرته اللجنه المکنونه من اصحاب الفضیله الشیخ صالح بن عثیین و فضیلة الشیخ احمد محمد جمال و فضیلة الشیخ احمد على و فضیلة الشیخ عبداللّه خیاط. مدیر اداره مجمع فقهى اسلامى: محمد منتصر کنانى و قد دعم الفتوى بما ورد من احادیث المهدى عن الرسول(صلى الله علیه وآله وسلم) و ما ذکره ابن تیمیه فى المنهاج بصحه الاعتقاد و ابن القیم فى المنار و ان شاء اللّه تعالى ستجدون فى الکتابه مطلبکم و ما یغنیکم عن مسأله المهدى انتم و من کان على نهجکم آملین لکم التوفیق والسداد. الامین العام محمد صالح القزاز بعد التحیه جوابا عما یسأل عنه المسلم الکینى فى شأن المهدى المنتظر عن موعد ظهوره عن المکان الذى یظهر منه و عن ما یطمئنه عن المهدى(علیه السلام) هو محمد بن عبداللّه الحسنى العلوى الفاطمى المهدى الموعود المنتظر موعد خروجه فى آخر الزمان و هو من علامات الساعة الکبرى یخرج من الغرب و یبایع له فى الحجاز فى مکة المکرمه بین الرکن والمقام ـ بین باب الکعبه المشرفه والحجر الاسود عند الملتزم و یظهر عند فساد الزمان و انتشار الکفر و ظلم الناس یملا الارض عدلا و قسطا کما ملئت جورا و ظلما یحکم العالم کله و تخضع له الرقاب بالاقناع تارة و الحرب اخرى وسیملک الارض سبع سنین و ینزل عیسى(علیه السلام) من بعده فیقتل الدجال او ینزل معه فیساعده على قتله بباب «اللّد» بارض فلسطین. هو آخر الخلفاء الراشدین، الاثنى عشر الذین اخبر عنهم النبى صلوات اللّه و سلامه علیه فى الصحاح، و احادیث المهدى واردة عن الکثیر من الصحابه یرفعونها الى رسول اللّه(صلى الله علیه وآله وسلم) و منهم عثمان بن عفان; و على بن ابى طالب، وطلحة بن عبیداللّه، و عبدالرحمن بن عوف، و عبداللّه بن عباس; و عمار بن یاسر، و عبداللّه بن مسعود، و ابوسعید الخدرى، و ثوبان، وقرة بن ایاس المزنى، و عبداللّه بن الحارث بن جز، وابوهریره، و حذیفة بن الیمانى، جابر بن عبداللّه; و ابوامامه، و جابربن ماجد الصدفى; و عبداللّه بن عمر و انس بن مالک، و عمران بن حصینى، و ام سلمه. هولاء عشرون منهم، ممن وقفت علیهم، و غیرهم، کثیر، و هناک آثار عن الصحابه، مصرحة بالمهدى، من اقوالهم، کثیره جدا، لها حکم الرفع، اذ لامجال للاجتهاد فیها. احادیث هؤلاء الصحابة التى رفعوها الى النبى(صلى الله علیه وآله وسلم); والتى قالوها من اقوالهم اعتماد على ما قاله رسول اللّه و سلامه علیه ورواها الکثیر من دواوین الاسلام; و امهات الحدیث النبوى; من السنن، و المعاجم، والمسانید منها. سنن ابى داود، والترمذى، و ابن ماجه، و ابن عمروالدانى; ومسانید احمد، و ابن یعلى; و البزاز، و صحیح الحاکم; و معاجم الطبرانى الکبیر والالوسى والرویانى والدار قطنى فى الافراد، و ابونعیم فى اخبار المهدى، والخطیب فى تاریخ بغداد، و ابن عساکر فى تاریخ دمشق و غیرها. و قد خص المهدى بالتالیف ابونعیم فى «اخبار المهدى» و ابن حجر الهیثمى فى القول المختصر فى علامات المهدى المنتظر والشوکانى فى التوضیح فى تواتر ما جاء فى المنتظر و الدجال والمسیح; وادریس العرقى المغربى فى تالیفه «المهدى» وابوالعباس بن عبدالمؤمن المغربى فى کتابه «الوهم المکنون فى الرد على ابن خلدون». و آخر من قرات له عن المهدى، بحثاً مستفیضا، مدیر الجامعه الاسلامیه، فى المدینه المنوره فى مجلة الجامعه; اکثر من عدد. و قد نص على ان احادیث المهدى، انها متواتره، جمع من الاعلام قدیما و حدیثا منهم السخاوى فى «فتح المغیث»، و محمد بن احمد السفاوینى فى شرح العقیده و ابوالحسین الابرى فى «مناقب الشافعى» و ابن تیمیه فى فتاواه والسیوطى فى الحاوى; و ادریس العراقى المغربى فى تألیف له عن المهدى، والشوکانى فى «التوضیح فى تواتر ما جاء فى المنتظر; و الدجال، والمسیح» و محمد بن جعفر الکنانى فى «نظم المتناثر فى الحدیث المتواتر»، و ابوالعباس بن عبدالمؤمن المغربى فى «الوهم المکنون من کلام ابن خلدون» رحمهم اللّه و حاول ابن خلدون فى مقدمته ان یطعن فى احادیث المهدى، محتجا بحدیث موضوع لا اصل له عند ابن ماجه لا مهدى الا عیسى. ولکن رد علیه الائمه والعلماء; و خصه بالرد شیخنا ابن عبدالمؤمن، بکتاب مطبوع متناول فى المشرق والمغرب منذ اکثر من ثلاثین سنه. و نص الحفاظ والمحدثون على ان احادیث المهدى فیها الصحیح والحسن و مجموعها متواتر مقطوع بتواتره و صحته. و ان الاعتقاد بخروج المهدى، واجب و انه من عقائد اهل السنة و الجماعة ولاینکر الاجاهل بالسّنّة، و مبتدع فى العقیده. واللّه یهدى الى الحق و یهدى السبیل. مدیر ادارة المجع الفقهى الاسلامى محمد المنتصر الکنانى

***

Here, it is necessary to add some other expressions of some of famous Sunni scholars about what has been said:

1) Famous scholar, Sheikh Mansour Ali Nasif, the writer of the book “at-Taj”3 writes in his book:

اشتهر بین العلماء - سلفاً و خلفاً - انه فی آخر الزمان لابد من ظهور رجل من اهل البیت یسمی المهدی یستولی علی الممالک الاسلامیه و یتبعه المسلمون و یعدل بینهم و یؤید الدین.

And he continues:

و قد روی احادیث المهدی جماعة من خیار الصحابه و اخرجها اکابر المحدثین کابی داود؛ والترمذی و ابن ماجه و الطبرانی؛ وابی یعلی؛ والبزاز؛ و الامام احمد، و الحاکم؛ رضی الله عنهم اجمعین و لقد اخطأ من ضعف احادیث المهدی کلها کابن خلدون و غیره.4

It means, it is famous among all past and present scholars that finally a man from the dynasty of the prophet (pbuh) appears who dominates over all Islamic countries, and Muslims follow him; and he establishes the justice among them, and strengthens the religion … ahadith of Mahdi have been quoted but many of superiors of companions and hadith tellers … and a person like Ibn Khaldun, who has considered them as weak sources, has made a mistake.

2) Ibn Khaldun himself, who is famous of opposing ahadith of Mahdi, hasn’t denied the famousness of ahadith of Mahdi among all Islamic scholars, and he says:

It was famous among all Muslims in all centuries and still is that a man from Ahl al-Bayt will appear in End of Days who stresses the religion of Islam and shows the justice and Muslims follow him.5

3) Mohammad Shablanji, famous Egyptian scholar, writes in the book “Noor al-Absar”:

تواترت الاخبار عن النّبی (ع) علی انّ المهدی من اهل بیته و انّه یملأ الارض عدلاً6

(Mutawatir news has reached from prophet (pbuh) that Mahdi is from his dynasty; he will fill the earth with justice).

4) Sheikh Mohammad Sabban3 writes in the book “As’aaf ar-Raghibeen”:

Mutawatir (reaches the source) news has been quoted from holy prophet (pbuh) that testifies that Mahdi will (finally) rise and he is from prophet’s dynasty and will fill the earth with justice.

5) “Ibn Hajar” quotes from Abul Hassan Amri in the book “Sawa’iq al-Muhragha”:

Mutawatir and several news has been quoted from prophet (pbuh) that finally Mahdi appears and he is from Ahl al-Bayt of prophet (pbuh) … and will fill the earth with justice.7

6) Author of the book “at-Taj” says after pointing to the book of “Shawkani”, famous Sunni scholar, which is all about Tawatur of ahadith of Mahdi and appearance of Dajjal and return of messiah and an explained discussion about Tawatur of ahadith Mahdi (pbuh):

هذا یکفی لمن کان عنده ذرّة من الایمان و قلیل من انصاف!8

(What has been said seems to be enough for those who has a bit of faith and little fairness!)

For more explanation about ahadith of the rise of this great revolutionary man of the world, which have been quoted through Ahl Sunnah, refer to the book “al-Mahdi” and “Muntakhab al-Athar fi Ahwal al-Imam al-Thani Ashar”.

1. Consider the time of writing the book.

2. A group of great scholars of al-Azhar and Egypt have written important commentaries on this book, as it is written in its preface, it has been written for collecting a reliable collection of “quintet hadith books” which is one of the most important hadith books of Sunnis.

3. at-Taj, vol. 5, page 310.

4. Ibn Khaldun, printed in Beirut, page 311 (according to the quotation of Mahmoud Aburiya in the book “Azwa’ ala al-Sunnah al-Mohammadiya”).

5. Noor al-Absar, page 157.

6. Risalah of Sabban, commentary on Noor al-Absar, printed in Egypt, page 138.

7. Sawa’iq, page 99.

8. at-Taj, vol. 5, page 327.