Significance of Rabiul Awwal

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ إِنَّا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ شَاهِدًا وَمُبَشِّرًا وَنَذِيرًا (45) وَدَاعِيًا إِلَى اللَّهِ بِإِذْنِهِ وَسِرَاجًا مُنِيرًا

“O Prophet! Truly We have sent thee as a Witness, a Bearer of Glad Tidings, and Warner, and as one who invites to Allah’s (grace) by His leave, and as a lamp spreading light (Siraajan-Munir).” [TMQ Al-Ahzab 33:45-46]


Rabiul awwal is the 3rd month of Islamic calendar. The month of Rabiul Awwal has special significance in the history of Islam. There are 3 main significant issues we have in Islamic history in this month of Rabiul Awwal. They are mainly:

* Birth of Prophet (saw)
* Hijra to Madina and establishment of the Islamic state (known as Dar al-Hijra and Khilafah after the death of the Prophet).
* Death of Prophet (saw) and selection of 1st Khalifah Abu Bakr Siddiq (ra).

So, to understand the significance of this month we have to look deep into Seerah of Prophet (saw). Because by scrutinizing these incidents we have lot of things to follow especially in our age of decline.


Birth of Prophet (saw)


This is the month in which our beloved Prophet (saw) was born who liberated the people from darkness (days of jahilliyah) to the light of Islam. We are the best nation because we are the Ummah of Muhammad (saw) who was the master of messengers and we have one degree higher grade than other nations, because Allah (swt) says,

كُنْتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ تَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ

“You are the best of peoples ever raised up for mankind; you enjoin al ma’roof and forbid al munkar, and you believe in Allah…” [TMQ Al `Imran 3:110]

Allah (swt) praises us as khaira Ummah, as we are the Ummah of Mohammad (saw) who enjoins good and forbid evil. Many Prophets of Allah wanted to be a part of this Ummah, though Allah only granted Isa (as). Luckily we are part of his Ummah. The Islamic Ummah are obliged to love their Prophet (saw) more than their life and it is directly linked to the Iman. Allah (swt) says,

لَقَدْ كَانَ لَكُمْ فِي رَسُولِ اللَّهِ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ لِمَنْ كَانَ يَرْجُو اللَّهَ وَالْيَوْمَ الْآَخِرَ وَذَكَرَ اللَّهَ كَثِيرًا

“Indeed in the Messenger of Allah you have a good example to follow for him who hopes in (the Meeting with) Allah and the Last Day and remembers Allah much” [TMQ Al-Ahzab 33:21]

النَّبِيُّ أَوْلَى بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ مِنْ أَنْفُسِهِمْ وَأَزْوَاجُهُ أُمَّهَاتُهُمْ

“The Prophet is closer to believers than their ownselves and his wives are their (believers) mothers” [TMQ Al-Ahzab 33:6]

Anas narrated that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said:


«لا يؤمن عبد حتى أكون أحب إليه من أهله وماله والناس أجمعين»

“None of you can believe until I become more beloved to him than his family, wealth and all the people.” (Agreed upon).

These ayah and hadith are interrelated. Allah is ordering us to follow Prophet (saw) and Prophet (saw) said that none of us have Imaan until we love him more than anything of us. Our question is how we can follow someone or love someone if we don’t know about his life? That is why knowledge of Seerah is important to every Muslim.

Brothers, you may say we follow Prophet (saw) but unfortunately we follow him only in few aspects. Let us compare some of our daily routine,


* We follow him when eating food but do we follow him in how to interact with the opposite sex?
* We follow him in prayer but do we follow him when we trade?
* We follow him in fasting but do we follow him on ruling?

If we judge carefully may be we will see lot of contradiction in our life. So let us know about our beloved Prophet (saw) studying authentic Seerah and act according to it throughout our life.

The Prophet (saw) was born in a notable family of Quraish (Bani Hashim) in the year of 571 C. E that was 12th of Rabiul Awwal, Monday. Both his father, Abdullah Ibn Abdul Muttalib, and mother, Amina Bint Wahab, were well-known individuals for their attractive personality. Prophet (saw) lost his father before he was born and he lost his mother at the age of 6. So his grandfather Abdul Muttalib looked after him. He got married to Ummul Mu’min Kadija before 15 years of his Nabuwwah. Eventually He got revelation from Allah through Jibreel at the age of 40.


PHASES AND STAGES OF THE CALL OF TAWHEED


Muhammad’s (saw) Call could be divided into two phases distinctively demarcated:

1. The Makkahn phase: nearly thirteen years.
2. The Madinese phase: fully ten years.

The Makkahn phase can be divided into three stages:

1. The stage of the secret Call: three years.
2. The stage of the proclamation of the Call in Makkahh: from the beginning of the fourth year of Prophethood to almost the end of the tenth year.
3. The stage of the call to Islam and propagating it beyond Makkahh: it lasted from the end of tenth year of the Prophethood until Muhammad’s (Peace be upon him) emigration to Madinah.

In Makkah initially the Prophet (saw) was propagating Islam secretly until the ayah was reveled commanding Prophet (saw) for open proclamation. So there after, Prophet (saw) and his cultured Sahaba went out in public and propagate Islam in various ways. They were tortured and some of them were killed but nothing could stop their message to Islam that “there is no god but Allah”. They accepted this single god in every field of their life i.e. Ibadat and muamalat (transactions). So we see many ayah like:

تَبَّتْ يَدَا أَبِي لَهَبٍ وَتَبَّ


“Perish the hand of abu Lahab” [TMQ Al-Masad: 1] or:


قُلْ يَا أَيُّهَا الْكَافِرُونَ (1) لَا أَعْبُدُ مَا تَعْبُدُونَ


“Say: O ye that reject Faith! I worship not that which ye worship” [TMQ Kafirun: 1-2]

They were challenging the rulers and system of the time. The oneness of Allah does not mean only in worship but also in ruling i.e. every sector whatever you can think of. This is the true meaning of shahadah. (This is a separate discussion; we can have it some other time)

In Makkah, Prophet (saw) was looking for nussrah (protection) from different tribes. Finally the two tribes of Madinah gave the Nussrah – The Aus & the Khazraj and Prophet (saw) establish the Islamic authority in Madina.

Hijrah

The Prophet (saw) made hijrah to Madina and he (saw) reached there on Friday 12th of Rabiul Awwal. From the very first day he (saw) established the authority for Islam. The Establishment of Islam in Madina was the first day of joy for the Muslims. The Messenger of Allah was greeted by a huge number of its people, Muslims, polytheists and Jews alike. They were all eager to witness his awesome presence and he soon came to be surrounded by the Muslims who were all anxious to serve him and to offer him comfort and hospitality. They were ready to offer themselves to him and to the deen he had brought to them, they were ready to sacrifice their lives in the way of the Message of Islam.

Allah’s Messenger implemented Islamic laws from the very first day he arrived in Madinah and began to structure it by forming the society on a solid foundation as well as by gathering the appropriate force in order to be able to protect the State and convey the Message. With this accomplished, he could begin to remove the material obstacles that stood in the way of the spreading of Islam.

The Prophet (saw) was the ruler of Madina (the first Islamic state) until his last day in duniya. He established a strong state that was a superpower for over 1000 years and it rules continued until 1924. Eventually the Khilafah or the Islamic state established by Prophet (saw) himself was destroyed by the hands of kuffar and the sunnah of our beloved Prophet (saw) was abandoned.

Death of Prophet (saw) and selection of 1st caliph Abu Bakr (ra)

The Prophet (saw) died on Monday, 12th of Rabiul Awwal. Instead of burying Prophet (saw) the Sahaba (companions) did certain actions which give us a lesson to learn and act. Generally if a Muslim dies, it is obligatory for Muslims to bury him as soon as possible. But the Sahaba did not bury the Prophet (saw) immediately; rather they involved themselves seriously in selecting the Khalifah for Muslims, who is the one to take care of the affairs of the Muslims. For this they gathered in the courtyard of bani Saida and after the discussion of two days they came to a conclusion that Abu bakr (ra) should be their Khalifah. After appointing the Khalifah, the Sahaba’s then made preparation for the burial of Prophet (saw). By their actions we come to know the importance of appointing an Imam for the Muslims within three days and it should be dealt as life or death issue like the Sahaba did. This is an Ijma of sahaba but now we are living without an Imam who takes care of the affairs of the Ummah for more than eight decades. So all the problems we face today is due to the one reason that is we forget the issue which was dealt by the sahaba’s as vital i.e. the Khilafah. We will definitely revive by establishing the Khilafah rashidah, if we have firm belief in Allah (swt) and follow the sunnah of Prophet (saw).

Lessons of this glorious month

Lessons we got from this month is mainly to have love for Allah and his messenger (saw) more than anything else. But unfortunately today many people claim that they love Prophet (saw) without understanding of true meaning of love for Allah and his messenger. So maximum time they end up doing wrong actions like bid’a and even worst than it. The classical scholars of Islam like Al-Azhari said: “A servant’s love for Allah and His Messenger means obeying them and following their command.” Al-Baydaawi said: “Love is the will to obey.” Az-Zajjaaj said: “Man’s love for Allah and His Messenger is to obey them and to accept what Allah (swt) has commanded and the Messenger of Allah (saw) has brought.” Love for Allah and his messenger (saw) has greatest of reward in Islam. Allah says:

قُلْ إِنْ كَانَ آَبَاؤُكُمْ وَأَبْنَاؤُكُمْ وَإِخْوَانُكُمْ وَأَزْوَاجُكُمْ وَعَشِيرَتُكُمْ وَأَمْوَالٌ اقْتَرَفْتُمُوهَا وَتِجَارَةٌ تَخْشَوْنَ كَسَادَهَا وَمَسَاكِنُ تَرْضَوْنَهَا أَحَبَّ إِلَيْكُمْ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَجِهَادٍ فِي سَبِيلِهِ فَتَرَبَّصُوا حَتَّى يَأْتِيَ اللَّهُ بِأَمْرِهِ وَاللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الْفَاسِقِينَ

“Say: If your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your wives, your kindred, the wealth that you have gained, the commerce in which you fear a decline, and the dwellings in which you have delight in are dearer to you than Allah and His Messenger, and striving hard and fighting in His Cause, then wait until Allah brings about His Decision (torment). And Allah guides not the people who are Al-Fasiqun.” [TMQ At-Tawbah: 24]

Anas (ra) narrated:

“That a man asked the Prophet (saw) about the final Hour. He asked: when is the final hour? He said: What have you prepared for it? He said: nothing, but I love Allah and His Messenger. He said: you will be with the one you love. Anas said: nothing made us so overjoyed more than when we heard the Prophet saying you will be with the one you love. Anas said: I love the Prophet, Abu Bakr and ‘Umar and I wish to join them because of my love for them even though I have not done as many good deeds as them.” (Agreed upon).

The Sahaba had Prophet (saw) with them. So they were loving him, obeying him and sacrificing all of their wealth for him and for the cause of Islam. Anas (ra) said:


“I have never witnessed a day better or brighter than that day on which the Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) came to us; and I have never witnessed a more awful or darker day than that one on which the Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) died on.”


We don’t have the messenger (saw) with us. But we have his sunnah with us. Our true love for him will be following his sunnah completely in our actions, protecting his honour which is insulted everyday by the kuffar. The way to do that is restoring the complete system of Islam by restoring the Khilafah. Muslim reported on the authority of al-Araj on the authority of Abu Hurairah that the Prophet (saw) said:


"Behold, the Imam is but a shield from behind which the people fight and by which they protect themselves."

Ragging/Hazing Or Decent Interaction?

'Ayisha (ra) reported that the Prophet (saw) said:

“Allah is gentle and loves gentleness in all things. He grants on account of gentleness what he does not grant for harshness or anything else.”

I want to discuss about a current ongoing process in campuses and job places. We are involved in many actions without proper justification from Islam. We do many things just because we have fun on it. Ragging and hazing are prime of those actions. Did you ever think is it allowed in Islam to involve such an action like ragging or hazing? As a Muslim we have to think all of our actions will be accounted and we will be punishing if any of our action contradicts Islam.

Allah Says:

“And follow not that of which you have no knowledge; for every act of hearing, or of seeing or of (feeling in) the heart will be enquired into (on the Day of Reckoning)” [TMQ Al-Israa: 36]

Ragging is term normally used in India, Pakistan and some other countries."Society Against Violence in Education" gives the definition of Ragging as such:

" Ragging' means the doing of any act which causes, or is likely to cause any physical, psychological or physiological harm of apprehension or shame or embarrassment to a student, and includes– (a) teasing or abusing of playing Practical joke on, or causing hurt to any student. or (b) asking any student to do any act, or perform any thing, which he/she would not, in the ordinary course, be willing to do or perform."

Similar action in west is define as "Hazing". Hazing is defined by the FIPG (Fraternal Information Programming Group) as:

"Any action taken or situation created, intentionally, whether on or off fraternity premises, to produce mental or physical discomfort, embarrassment, harassment, or ridicule. Such activities may include but are not limited to the following: use of alcohol; paddling in any form; creation of excessive fatigue; physical and psychological shocks; quests, treasure hunts, scavenger hunts, road trips or any other such activities carried on outside or inside of the confines of the chapter house; wearing of public apparel which is conspicuous and not normally in good taste; engaging in public stunts and buffoonery; morally degrading or humiliating games and activities; and any other activities which are not consistent with fraternal law, ritual or policy or the regulations and policies of the educational institution."

I’m giving you some data which explains that many students ware victimise in India because of such action. Ragging causes physical and mental harms to a student. Worst effect of it may lead to suicide.

* Amit Sahai was a student of NIT Jalandhar, Punjab and he committed suicide on October 11, 2005 by jumping in front of a speeding train. He blamed nine senior students of NIT Jalandhar in his suicide note for having had mercilessly ragged him.

* Durgesh Shukla hanged himself from a ceiling fan on September 18, 2007. He blamed seniors in his suicide note.

* Manjot Singh, an MBBS student, committed suicide by consuming a poisonous substance on August 8, 2007 .

* 18 year-old Chetan Raj committed suicide on September 20, 2007. His body was found hanging from the roof of his lodge room. He had already complained to his parents that he was being ragged in his college.

* A first year engineering student, C Abraham, hanged himself to death on December 14, 2005 at his residence in Hyderabad. In his suicide note, he mentioned that he was not interested in studies. His parents suspect that his suicide to be a result of ragging.

* A 19-year-old first year engineering student, Anup Kapoor, committed suicide on September 19, 2002 by hanging himself from a ceiling fan at his residence in Kanpur. In his suicide note, Anup said that he was going through mental agony due to the sexual harassment by second-year students of the institute (Institute of Engineering and Technology, Lucknow) in the name of ragging.

* Azad Nair was a 22 year old cadet at the Officer's Training Academy(OTA) in Chennai.He had hanged himself from the fan of his room on 5th November, 2006. Prior to his suicide he had told his brother Soumendu over telephone that he was being ragged and humiliated at the OTA and he had pleaded to his father Padmanabhan Nair to rescue him from the OTA.


So let us understand the topic from the Islamic view point.


Actions Involve during ragging


Insulting

When students take ragging from a junior they speak in insulting manner.

Abu Hurayrah (ra) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said:


“Truly Allah detests the obscene and foul-tongued.”

Reported by Ahmad with a reliable chain of transmitters. Reported by at-Tirmizi who said the hadith is hasan sahih. Also reported by al-Haakim and Ibn Hibbaan in his Sahih.

‘Ayisha (ra) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said:


“Be calm, O 'Ayisha! Take care of kindness, and beware of harshness and bad language.”

Pride

Students are often too proud as they are senior. Pride is only for Allah

Al-Bukhari and Muslim reported on the authority of al-Haritha b, Wahb al-Khuzaa'I that the Prophet (saw) said:

“Shall I not inform you about the inmates of Hell? It is every violent, impertinent and proud person.”

Making Fun

It is so obvious that senior student’s demand singing, dancing, acting from a new comer so that they can make fun.

Al-Hasan (ra) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said:

“Verily those people that make fun of people – for them a gate of Jannah will be opened. It will be said to them: Come (and enter). That person will come with all of his anguish and depression – but when he gets close, the gate will be closed in his face. Then another gate (to Jannah) will be opened and it will be said: Come (and enter). So that person comes with all of his anguish and depression. But when he gets close, the gate will be closed in his face. This will keep happening to him until it gets to the point where it will be said to someone: Come (and enter), and he will not come out of despair from ever entering paradise.”

Oppression/Injustice

Oppression doesn’t only mean physical torture; mental torture is also a kind of oppression. Pulling out of shirt by force is simplest mean of torture.

Ibn ‘Abbas (ra) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (saw) sent Mu’az to Yemen and said:


“Fear the du’a of the oppressed for between it and Allah there is no barrier.” (Agreed upon)


How should we behave with a fresher?

Look at Other Muslim as brother

Allah says:

“The Believers are but a single Brotherhood: So make peace and reconciliation between your two (contending) brothers; and fear Allah, that ye may receive Mercy.” [TMQ Al-Hujurat: 10]

In the hadith of ‘Umar it is narrated that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said:

“A Muslim is the brother of a Muslim. He neither oppresses him nor deserts him. Whoever helps to remove the hardship of his brother, will have his difficulties removed by Allah in this world and in the Hereafter.”

Muslims are strongly tight up with bond of imaan. Therefore a Muslim must loves another muslim. If we look at many Quaanic ayah and sayings of Rasulallah (saw) we will see that Islam teaches us to love our brothers, hide their faults, standby their side when they need, protect them from enemy and be like a mirror to each other. Allah says:

“The Believers, men and women, are protectors one of another: they enjoin what is just and forbid what is evil: they observe regular prayers, practise regular charity, and obey Allah and His Messenger. On them will Allah pour His mercy: for Allah is exalted in power, wise.” [TMQ At-Tawbah: 71]

And, on the authority of Abu Dardaa` (ra) who said that the Prophets (saw) said:

“Whoever defends his brother's honour, Allah will protect his face from the Fire on the Day of Resurrection.”

So, it an essential part of our aqeeda that we must love our muslim brothers from our heart. The hadith of Anas (ra) reported by al-Bukhari states that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said:

“None of you will taste the sweetness of Imaan until a man does not love a person except for Allah’s sake.”

Similar hadith is mentioned by Huthaifah (ra), the Prophet said:

"Whoever does not take an interest in the affairs and problems of the Muslims, he is not of them. And whoever’s state is such that, each morning and evening, he is not loyal and earnest to Allah, his Apostle, His Book, the Islamic ruler and towards the Muslims, as a whole, he is not of them."

Also at-Tabaraani reported with a trustworthy chain of transmitters which is classed as hasan ahadith on the authority of Zayd b. Thabit that the Messenger of Allah (saw):

“Allah continues to help a servant so long as he goes on helping his brother.”

So, therefore we must be careful of matter that all Muslims around the globe are our brothers as long as they are strict to the point “la ilaha illahu mohammadur rasullah”. We must love our brother’s regardless ethnicity, colour or country. We must not oppress or humiliate any Muslim brother by the means of ragging. We should help the fresher so that Allah becomes pleased on us. Neither we should look think us superior as we are senior. We must work for unity of Muslim and this will lead us to Jannah.

Be nice to a non Muslim for the sake of Dawah

Quran instructs Muslims to treat non-Muslims courteously in a spirit of kindness and generosity, given they are not hostile towards Muslims. Allah says:

“Allah does not forbid you from those who do not fight you because of religion and do not expel you from your homes – from dealing kindly and justly with them. Indeed, God loves those who act justly. ” (Al-Mumtahanah 60:8)

Al-Qarafi, a classical Muslim scholar, describes the depth of the meaning of “dealing kindly” referred to in the above verse. He explains the term:

“…gentleness towards the weak, providing clothing to cover them, and soft speech. This must be done with affection and mercy, not by intimidation or degradation… Also, praying they receive guidance and [thus] join the ranks of the blessed with external reward, advising them in all wordily and spiritual matters, protecting their reputation if they are exposed to slander, and defending their property, families, rights, and concerns. Assisting them against oppression and getting them their rights.”

Divine commandments to treat non-Muslims in this manner were taken seriously by Muslims. They were not just verses to be recited, but Divine Will to be acted upon. The Prophet (SAW), himself was the first person to put the divine commands into practice, followed by his caliphs and the general population of believers. The life-story of the Prophet of Islam gives many instances of his kind, tolerant co-existence with non-Muslims. Some of his neighbors were non-Muslims and the Prophet would be generous towards them and exchange gifts. The Prophet of Islam would visit them when they fell sick and do business with them. There was a Jewish family he regularly gave charity to and the Muslims after his death maintained his charity towards them.

In another instance, a Jewish man named Zayd bin Sana came to the Prophet of Islam to reclaim a debt. He grabbed the Prophet by his robe and cloak, pulled the Prophet close to his face, and said, ‘Muhammad, are you not going to give me my due? You and your clan Banu Muttalib never pay debts on time!’ Umar, one of the companions of the Prophet, got agitated and said, ‘Enemy of God, am I really hearing what you just said to God’s Prophet. I swear by the One who sent him with truth, if I were not afraid that he would blame me, I would have taken my sword and cut your head off!’ The Prophet looked calmly at Umar and censured him gently:

“Umar, that is not what we needed to hear from you. You should have counseled me to pay my debts in time and asked him to seek repayment in a respectful manner. Now take him, repay him his debt from my money and give him an extra twenty measures of date.”

The Jewish man was so pleasantly surprised by the Prophet’s behavior that he immediately declared his acceptance of Islam!

The companions of Prophet Muhammad followed his example in how they treated non-Muslims.

Advice for the Muslims who are involve in such actions

Islam does not teach you to be harsh and unjust. Again Islam tells you be friendly with people. So we should receive a new comer with happy face. We should help him as he needs help. Also we should introduce ourselves to them and get their introduction in a proper manner.

Speaking good is a charity

Hurayrah (ra) narrated that the Prophet (saw) said:


“Speaking a good word is charity.”

Smiling is a charity

Abu Zarr (ra) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said:


“Your smiling in your brother's face is charity.”


Advice to the juniors

'Amr b. Shu'ayb (ra) narrated from his father whose grandfather narrated that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said:

“He is not one of us who shows no mercy to our younger ones and does not acknowledge the honour due to our elders.”

Reported by Ahmad, at-Tirmizi, Abu Dawud and al-Bukhari in al-Adab al-Mufrad. An- Nawawi said the hadith is sound.

Ibn 'Abbas narrated that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said:

“The blessing is in your elders.”

Reported by al-Haakim who said the isnad is sound according to the condition of Bukhari. IbnHibbaan reported it in his Sahih and Ibn Muflih said in al-Adaab the isnad is jayyid.

May Allah give us opportunity to behave in the way pf prophet (SAW).

Coming of Imam Mahdee, descent of Isa (as) and fitna of Dajjal

It was narrated by Ahmed in his Musnad, from Al-Nu’man b. Bashir. Allah’s Massenger (saw) said,

“Then there will be a Khilafah on the way of Prophethood.”

Mahdee is one of the twelve khulafa-e-rashidun. He will come in future. Some Muslims who have fallen into this trap of Jews and Christians and they have begun to justify their view by interpreting the Islamic texts in a way which has led to inactivity and fatalism. The effect of this interpretation has led many Muslims to do nothing to remove the causes that have led to the predicament of the Islamic Ummah. Rather, they spend much of their time justifying inactivity by looking for the signs of Dajaal and waiting for the Al-Mahdee and the return of Isa (as) to rescue the Ummah from the clutches of the West.

It is important to understand the mentality we need to have when looking to the divine texts and how they should regulate our behaviour and attitudes.

(As it is matter of unseen we should not discuss it in detail beyond our knowledge. We should be careful on selecting the sahih hadith on this matter. I’m discussing this matter just to clarify few points and to encourage ourselves. What ever I say wrong is from Shaitan and whatever I say correct is from Allah.)

Coming of Mahdee

The Mahdee will come at the end of time; he is one of the Rightly-Guided Caliphs and Imaams. He is not the Mahdee who is expected by many of us wrongly. Many of the claims about Mahdee have no basis in reality nor in any reliable source. The matter I intend to discuss has been proven by Ahaadeeth narrated from the Prophet (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam): that the Mahdee will appear at the end of time. According to strtongest opinion of ulema, He will appear before Isa Ibn Mariam (a) comes down, as the Ahaadeeth indicate.

Hajjaaj said that he heard Ali say,

"The Prophet (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) said, "Even if there were only one day left for the world, Allaah would send a man from among us to fill the world with justice, just as it had been filled with oppression and justice." [Ahmad]

Ali narrated, "The Prophet (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) said, "The Mahdee is one of us, from among the people of my household. Allah will make him worthy of that in one night." [Ahmad, Abu Dawood and Ibn Maajah]

Ali said, whilst looking at his son al-Hasan,

This son of mine is a Sayyid (master), as the Prophet (sal-Allaahu 'alayhewa sallam) named him. Among his descendants there will be man named after your Prophet (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam). He will resemble him in behaviour but not in looks. Then he told them the report which mentions that the earth will be filled with justice. [Ahmad, Abu Dawood and Ibn Maajah]

Abu Daawood reported a Hadeeth from Abd Allaah ibn Masood:

"The Prophet (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) said, "If there were only one day left for the world, that day would be lengthened until a man from among my descendants or from among the people of my household, was sent; his name will be the same as my name, and his fathers name will be the same as my fathers name. He will fill the earth with justice and fairness, just as it will have been filled with injustice and oppression." [Abu dawood]

Abu Sa'eed Al-khudri reported,

"The Prophet (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) said, 'The Mahdee will be one of my descendants; he will have a high forehead and a hooked nose. He will fill the earth with justice and fairness just as it was filled with injustice and oppression, and he will rule for seven years.'" [Abu Daawood]

Abu Dawud also published from Umm Salamah by way of Salih Abu'l-Khaleel from a companion of his from Umm Sal amah, that he said,

"There will be disagreement at the death of a Khilafah, so a man from Madinah will come out fleeing to Makkah, and the people of Makkah will come to him and bring him out (as a claimant for the Khilafah) against his will and swear allegiance to him between the Corner (of the Ka'bah in which the black stone is) and the station (of Ibrahim). An expeditionary force will be sent against him from Sham (Syria) and the earth will swallow them up in the waterless desert between Makkah and Madinah. When people see that, the Abdal of the people of Sham will come to him and the companies of the people of Iraq and they will swear allegiance to him. Then a man of Quraysh will arise (in rebellion) whose maternal uncles are (the tribe of) Kalb, and an expeditionary force will be sent against them and they will conquer them, and that is the expeditionary force of Kalb, and there is disappointment for whoever does not attend (the division of) the spoils of Kalb. So he will divide up the wealth, and he will act among people according to their Prophet's Sunnah and he will throw Islam by its neck on the earth. He will remain seven years then die and the Muslims will pray over him" [Abu Dawud Book 36, Number 427]

The hadith on Imam Mahdi show us a number of things. He will be one of the Muslims from this Ummah, He will be a descendent of Muhammad (salAllahu alaihi wasallam). He will not carry out any miracles or receive any revelation but will rule with justice which will bring prosperity for the Khilafah state. He will not know that he is the Mahdi, as the hadith indicates that he will be reluctant to take the allegiance (bay'ah), and he will need to be convinced to take it. The Hadith explicitly states that he will follow the death of a Khaleefah, and there will be a dispute about the next one. The Ummah will be debating who to give bay'ah to, and they will give it to him. All this indicates that the Ummah will have a Khilafah state, and that they will know how to appoint a Khaleefah.

These points also indicate that the Mahdi will learn Islam from around them, as he will receive no revelation. The hadith states what he will act among the people according to the Sunnah which again indicates that it is the Ummah which will have to be ready to teach and groom the Mahdi to take up the tasks of Khaleefah. Therefore there is no indication for some Muslims to remain inactive and do nothing; certain event must pass before his arrival such as the re-establishment of Khilafah state, and the preparation of the Ummah to resume the Islamic way of life. This obligation still lies upon the Muslims and not upon Imam Mahdee.

At the time of the Mahdee, there will be peace and prosperity, with abundant crops and wealth, strong rulers, and Islam will be well established.

Abu Sa'eed said,

"By Allaah every ruler we have had has been worse than the previous one, and every year has been worse than the year before, but I heard the Prophet (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) say, 'Among your rulers will be one who will give out wealth freely, without counting it. A man will come and ask him for money, and he will say, "Take"; the man will spread his cloak out and the ruler will pour money into it.' The Prophet (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) spread out a thick cloak he had been wearing, to demonstrate the mans actions; then he gathered it up by its corners and said, 'Then the man will take it and leave.'" [Ahmad]

The descent of Isa (as) and the destruction of Dajaal

Anas reported that Rasulallah (saw) said,

“The affair will not increase save in severity, the world would only experience a downfall, people would go niggardly and the last hour but on the evil people and the Mahdee is only Isa ibn Mariam” [Ibn Majah]

This hadith is sahih and the narrators are trustworthy. Although the hadith apparently contradicts other Ahadith which suggest that Isa and Mahdee (as) are two different people, yet he is the Mahdee before the descent of Isa (as) while after his descent there is no denying the Mahdee confirmed another Mahdee who is Isa (as) It doesnot rule out that there can be another Mahdee apart from Mohammad Mahdee. Linguistically Mahdee means “the directed”, “the director”, “the guide” etc.

And (remember) when Allah (subhanhu wa ta’aala) said:

"O `Isa! I will take you and raise you to Myself.'' [TMQ Al-Imran: 55]

The meaning here is that Isa (as) was raised up by Allah (subhanhu wa ta’aala) and his mission had ended. There are many hadith regarding his return,

"By Him in Whose Hands my soul is, the son of Maryam (`Isa) will shortly descend among you as a just ruler, and will break the cross, kill the pig and abolish the Jizyah. Then there will be an abundance of wealth and nobody will accept charitable gifts any more. At that time, one prostration will be better for them than this life and all that is in it." [Bhukhari]

Al-Bukhari recorded that Abu Hurairah said that the Messenger of Allah(salAllahu alaihi wasallam) said,

”How will you be when Al-Masih, son of Maryam (`Isa) descends among you while your Imam is from among yourselves” [Bhukhari]

In another long hadith narrated in Sahih Muslim by Abu Hurairah it mentions the fitna of Dajaal and the power of the illusions that he will have to confuse the Muslims, it also mentions the descent of Isa (as).

“Like the storm when driven by the wind. He will come to a people and will call them (to his worship), and they will believe in him and accept his call. He will order the sky and it will rain, the land and it will grow (vegetation). Their cattle will return to them with their hair the longest, their udders the fullest (with milk) and their stomachs the fattest. He will come to a different people and will call them (to his worship), and they will reject his call. He will then leave them. They will wake up in the morning destitute, missing all of their possessions. He will pass by a deserted land and will say to it, `Bring out your treasures', and its treasures will follow him just like swarms of bees. He will summon a man full of youth and will strike him with the sword once and will cut him into two pieces (and will separate between them like) the distance (between the hunter and) the game. He will call the dead man and he will come, and his face will radiant with pleasure and laughter.” [Muslim]

Afterwards (while all this is happening with Ad-Dajaal), Allah will send Al-Masih (`Isa), son of Maryam down. He will descend close to the white minaret to the east of Damascus. He will be wearing garments lightly coloured with saffron and his hands will be placed on the wings of two angels. Whenever he lowers his head droplets fall. Whenever he raises his head, precious stones that look like pearls fall. No disbeliever can survive `Isa's breath, which reaches the distance of his sight. He will pursue Ad-Dajaal and will follow him to the doors of (the Palestinian city of) Ludd where he will kill him. A group of people, who, by Allah's help, resisted and survived Ad-Dajaal, will pass by `Isa and he will anoint their faces and inform them about their grades in Paradise.

Shortly afterwards, while this is happening with `Isa, Allah will reveal to him, `I raised a people of my creation that no one can fight. Therefore, gather my servants to At-Tur (the mountain of Musa in Sinai).' Then, Allah will raise Gog and Magog and they will swiftly swarm from every mound. Their front forces will reach Lake Tabariah (Sea of Galilee) and will drink all its water. The last of their forces will say as they pass by the lake, `This lake once had water!'

For anyone who contemplates on this hadith it is clear that Isa (as) will return, he will be a ruler, and follow the Shariah of Muhammad (salAllahu alaihi wasallam). Many hadith will indicate that he will have a discussion with the Khaleefah of the Muslims i.e. there will already be a Khaleefah/Imam of the Muslims and Isa will be a citizen of the Islamic state. This again indicates, that the situation for the return of Isa (as) will be when the Khilafah state exists, which again is motivation for us to work to re-establish it, as Isa (as) will not return until it is established. Also the hadith explicitly links the fact that the Khilafah state will be the shield from the fitnah of ad-Dajaal. This is one of the reasons why Muhammad (salAllahu alaihi wasallam) said;

"The Imam (Khaleefah) is a shield for them. They fight behind him and they are protected by (him from tyrants and aggressors). If he enjoins fear of Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, and dispenses justice, there will be a (great) reward for him; and if he enjoins otherwise, it redounds on him." [Muslim]

So going through the hadith on this subject there is no basis found why anyone should be inactive and rely upon these honourable hadith as a means to do nothing and sit idle waiting for the return of Imam Mahdee and Isa (as).

Many Muslims use these Ahadith to justify their inactivity in working to change the political situation and to bring back the Khilafah State. They incorrectly believe that this earth will be filled with injustice until Imam Mahdi appears and revives the Muslim Ummah. There is in fact no indication from these, or other Ahadith, that we are relieved from fulfilling our obligation of comprehensively establishing Islam if the Islamic State is absent, and working in all situations to make the deen of Allah (subhanhu wa ta’aala) dominant.