IMAM AL MAHDI

May Allah hasten his reappearance

We (shia and sunni) all believe that a person from Ahlulbayt (a.s) will appear at the end of
the world and spread justice and equality, in times when oppression and injustice will be
then commonplace. This person has been proven to be Imam al Mahdi (atfs) from both the
shia and the sunni literature. The point on which the shias and sunnis disagree is with
respect to the time of the birth of Imam al Mahdi (atfs).
We shias can prove from our own sources that Mohammed ibn Hasan al Mahdi (atfs) is
Imam al Mahdi (atfs), is the twelfth imam, and give details of the two occultations and
other related information which is proven through mutawater ahadith.
The question arises whether we can prove to the Ahlus sunnah whether we can prove the
existence of Imam al Mahdi (atfs) through their books. The answer is yes!
Since sunnis also believe that Imam al Mahdi is a khalifa and will appear at the end of time,
it means that Imam al Mahdi (atfs) is the twelfth imam. Especially if we go to Sunan Abu
Dawood, under the chapter of Imam al Mahdi (atfs), he narrated the hadith of the 12 imams.
One wonders why he did so? It is not difficult to ascertain, it is obvious that he believes
that Imam al Mahdi is one of those twelve and since he will appear at the end of time, he
must be number 12.

Is Mohammed ibn al Hasan born?

1. al Hasan al Askari has 2 sons and 2 daughters. One of his sons is Saheb az Zaman
(ajalallaha faraj) and the second one is Musa who died during his fathers life. He has 2
daughters Fatima who died during the days of her father and Umm Musa who died in his
lifetime as well.
Note: ajalallaha faraj is added by Fakhr al Razi after he wrote Saheb az Zaman
Reference: Al Shajara al Mubarak by Fakhr al Razi, page 78
2. Al Yamami is a Zaidi scholar and in this book, he spoke about family trees and provided
one about Ahlulbayt (a.s) in which he wrote the name of the 11th Imam - al Askari (a.s) and
under him he wrote the name Mohammed and stated Muntadhar al Imamiya (the one
awaited by Imamis) ie. Imam al Mahdi.
Thus, for al Yamami, Imam al Mahdi is the child of Imam Hasan al Askari (a.s).
Reference: Raudhat al Albaab, page 105 by Al Yamami
3. He said: Mohammed al Mahdi, the son of Hasan al Askari. I received a family tree during
our time that ends up to Ali ibn Mohammed al Mahdi ibn Hasan al Askari. This is surprising
because Imam al Mahdi disappeared during very young age and there is no dispute among
shias and sunnis about this. Imam Mahdi was born in Samarrah in the mid of Shaban in the
year 255 AH and he is the only son of his father who did not have any other son besides
him and his mother is called Nargis.
Later, he (al Kutbi) mentions a quotation from Ibn Hajar al Haythami : Imam al Mahdi was
5 years old when his father died and Allah gave him wisdom and was called Al Qaim al
Muntadhar because he was hidden in al-Medina and disappeared and no one knows where
he went. And there are some historians who deny his birth and (al Haythami) said that it is
wrong (that they should not deny his birth). And what is proven through the people of
knowledge from the old and new scholars that his (al Mahdis) news was disconnected (we
didnt know what happened to him after he disappeared) and we dont know where his
grave is (al Kutbi assumed that he died) and shias claim and it is mutawater in their books
that he was hidden in a sardab and did not appear after that and this was in year 266 AH.
Al Kutbi later commented: And my personal analysis is that since he disappeared in early
age, he should not have any child and thats why I have doubts with regards to those family
trees. But there are lots of people from ash-Sham, Egypt and Morocco whose family trees
end to Imam al Mahdi and they are called al Sadaat al Jafera and their ancestors are famous
and they are known to be the children of Ali ibn Mohammed al Mahdi ibn Hasan al Askari.
Reference: Al Usool fe Doriat Bedh'at al Batool page 98 by Al Kutbi
4. In year 260 AH, Imam Hasan al Askari died and he is the father of Mohammed.
(Thus Ibn al Atheer believes that Mohammed ibn al Askari was born)
Reference: Tarikh ibn al Atheer by al Atheer, vol. 7, page 274

5. In year 256 AH, Mohammed ibn al Hasan ibn al Hadi...until he reached Imam Ali (a.s),
he was born.
Reference: Al Ebar by al Dhahabi, vol. 3 page 31
6. He was speaking about Imam al Askari (how he died etc) and in the end said that he has
a child called Mohammed ibn al Hasan who was born in the year 258 or 256 AH.
Reference: Tarikh Dowal al Islam by adh-Dhahabi, page 251-260
7. He was speaking about Imam al Hasan al Askari (a.s) and said that he did not have any
child except Mohammed al Hujjah and his age when his father died was 5 years, however
Allah gave him wisdom and was called al Qaim al Muntadhar because he disappeared in
Medina and nobody knows where he went.
Reference: Al Sawaeq al Mohriqa, page 313 by Ibn Hajar al Haythami
We will now present further proofs from sunni scholars who believe that Mohammed ibn
al Askari was born, and he really is Imam Mahdi (atfs). Who are these scholars? Lets see
a few of them below:
1. Ibn Talha Shafei (Dhahabi said many good things about him and said that he is a faqih.)
He said that Mohammed ibn Askari was born and he is Imam al Mahdi
2. Al Kenji al Shafei
3. Ibn Sabagh al Maliki
4. Al Fadhl bin Rozbahan in his book: Ebtal al Batel while refuting the Imamis
admitted that Mohammed ibn al Askari was born and that he is Imam al Mahdi (atfs).
5. Al Jami in his book Shawahid al Nubuwa pg 21 said the same thing.
6. In the cover of his book, al Sharani mentioned names of many sunni scholars like Sheikh
Shahabuddin bin Shalabi al Hanafi, Sheikh al Islam al Fotohi al Hanbali, Sheikh
Shahabuddin Umayra al Shafei, Sheikh Nasiruddin al Laqani al Maliki, Sheikh Mohammed
al Hanafi. These sunni scholars stated that whoever denies what is in this book is a liar and
a person with big doubts.
One of the things mentioned by al Sharani in the book is: We should be waiting for the
appearance of Imam Mahdi, the son of Imam Askari who was born in the middle of Shaban
in year 255 AH, he is still alive till he meets Prophet Isa and his age is 766 years. Then he
(al Sharani) said: This is what my teacher Hasan al Iraqi told me when he met him (al
Mahdi). Then he mentioned a miracle from al Arabi in his book Fotohat al Makiyya ,
chapter 366 wherein al Arabi saw Imam Mahdi offering prayers on a carpet while it was
flying.
Reference: Al Sharani in Al Yawaqet Wal Jawaher.

REFUTATION OF OBJECTIONS REGARDING IMAM MAHDI

1. How is it possible that Imam Mahdi has such a long life?
Reply: It is not surprising that Imam Mahdi is blessed with such a long life especially when
there are numerous examples from the Holy Quran to support this. Lets check a few of
them here:
Prophet Nuh (a.s) lived for almost a thousand years as attested for in this verse 29:14
We (once) sent Noah to his people, and he tarried among them a thousand years less fifty:
but the Deluge overwhelmed them while they (persisted in) sin.
After the fish had swallowed Prophet Yunus (a.s), Allah stated:
He would certainly have remained inside the Fish till the Day of Resurrection 37:144
Iblis has been granted a long life as in the verses below:
He (Iblis) said: Give me respite till the day they are raised up.(God) said: Be thou among
those who have respite Holy Quran 7:14-15
(Iblis) said: O my Lord! give me then respite till the Day the (dead) are raised. (God) said:
Respite is granted thee Till the Day of the Time appointed.- Holy Quran 15:36-38
(Iblis) said: "O my Lord! Give me then respite till the Day the (dead) are raised. (God) said:
Respite then is granted thee - Till the Day of the Time Appointed.- Holy Quran 38:79-81
Also there are many ahadith in sunni books which talk about long life being granted to
others Dajjal was alive during the days of Holy Prophet and will come once Imam Mahdi (atfs)
appears.
Reference: Sahih Muslim hadith no: 5235
Al Khidr will meet Imam Mahdi, once he reappears.
Reference: Sahih Muslim hadith: 5229
Some people out of ignorance claim that al Khidr is not alive. This is proven false by Ibn
Taymiyyah in Majmoa al Fatawa, Vol 4 page 388-340 wherein he proved that al Khidr
is still alive.

2. What is the benefit of a hidden Imam?

Reply: We have many answers to this question, however we would like to focus on the
issue of tawheed. We are well aware of the level of tawheed that Prophet Ibrahim
recognized. He would always ask Allah for help and would turn to none other than him.
This is evident from the following verses of the Holy Quran 26:78-81
Who created me, and it is He Who guides me; Who gives me food and drink, And when I
am ill, it is He Who cures me; Who will cause me to die, and then to life (again)
Such was his recognition of Allah, that even when he was thrown in the blazing fire and
Gibrael came to him to ask him if he wanted his help, Prophet Ibrahim (a.s) replied that he
doesnt need his help but only Allahs. This kind of tawheed is also spoken again in the
following verses 43:26-28
And when Ibrahim said to his father and his people: Surely I am clear of what you worship,
Save Him Who created me, for surely He will guide me. And he made it a word to continue
in his posterity that they may return.
Thus we see that this recognition of tawheed will continue from Prophet Ibrahim through
his progeny till the day of judgement. It reached Prophet Mohammed as affirmed in this
verse:
And thy movements among those who prostrate themselves Holy Quran 26:219
According to hadith al thaqalain, this continued in Prophet Mohammeds Ahlulbayt (a.s).
Thus there must be someone present today from the pure Ahlulbayt (a.s) who possesses
such a level of recognition of Allah.
If someone says that such a recognition is practically not possible in todays day and age,
we should say that Imam Mahdi does have such a recognition even though he is alive
amongst us in this day and age and possesses the recognition of Allah in the same way that
Prophet Ibrahim (a.s) did during his time.
The above conclusion is also based on an authentic hadith present in both shia and sunni
books which states that:
The earth is never devoid of him who stands for Allah with a proof (Hujjah)
Reference: Fath al Bari by Ibn Hajar Asqalani, vol. 6, page 385
Here, Ibn Hajar was talking about the hadith that Isa (a.s) will prayer behind Imam Mahdi
(atfs) and said that this is a support to the authentic hadith that earth will not be empty of a
hujjah.

Also, Ibn al Hadid al Motazili after he mentioned the above hadith, he said So that time
will not be empty of a person who controls the universe and this is almost of clear proof
for the Imami madhab.
Reference: Sharh al Nahjul Balagha vol 18, page 351

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