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.