Mouood Mouood English Edition
The Hidden Reformer
We have at hand more than three thousand hadiths from the Prophet (S.A.) and from the pure Imams about the Imam of the Age. From them it is clear that the Imam of the Age is the ninth son of Husayn ibn ‘Ali (A.S.), his father is Hazrat Imam Hasan ‘Askari (A.S.), his mother Nargis Khatun. His name is the same as that of the Prophet of the end of time, his title is al-Mahdi. It was to happen that he would be born during his father’s lifetime in Samarra, that his father would die when he was young, that he would live even to this day, and as long as God wished it. Then he will reappear and the world will be filled with justice at a time when there is injustice everywhere and that is why he is now hidden from the sight of men. And when he comes with his back towards the Ka’bah’s edifice, he will lean against the wall and cry out and call for his followers, who will number 313 persons. Hazrat ‘Isa (A.S.) will come from the heaven down to the earth, and will pray in a prayer led by al-Mahdi. The Imam of the Age will cause the commands of Islam to reach all over the world, and the earth will be like paradise.
There are very many hadiths related by the Shi’a and Sunni scholars on many aspects connected with this great Imam, and these are mentioned in books like Bihar al-Anwar and Muntakhab al-Athar. First we shall indicate here some of these hadiths which the author of Muntakhab al-Athar wrote down in his book and then we shall give the text of some of them. The total amount of hadiths
1. A hadith in which it is related that the Imams are twelve, the first being ‘Ali, the last being al-Mahdi (A.S.) (No. of hadith: 58)
2. A hadith which give news of the appearance of al-Mahdi(A.S.). (No. of hadith: 657)
3. A hadith which identify him as descendent of the Prophet (S.A.). (No. of hadith: 389)
4. A hadith which say that his name and agnomen are the same as the Prophet’s. (No. of hadith: 48)
5. A hadith which say al-Mahdi is a descendent of Amir al-Muminin(A.S.). (No. of hadith: 214)
6. A hadith which say he is a descendent of Hazrat Fatimah (A.S.) (No. of hadith: 192)
7. A hadith which say he is a descendent of Hazrat Husayn (A.S.) (No. of hadith: 185)
8. A hadith which say he is the ninth descendent of Imam Husayn (A.S.) (No. of hadith: 148)
9. A hadith which say he is a descendent of Imam Zayn al-‘Abidin (A.S.) (No. of hadith: 185)
10. A hadith which say he is a descendent of Imam Baqir (A.S.) (No. of hadith: 103)
11. A hadith which say he is a descendent of Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (AS.) (No. of hadith: 103)
12. A hadith which say he is a descendent of Imam Musa Kazim (A.S.) (No. of hadith: 101)
13. A hadith which say he is a descendent of Imam Rida (A.S.) (No. of hadith: 95)
14. A hadith which say he is a descendent of Imam Jawad (A.S.) (No. of hadith: 90)
15. A hadith which say he is a descendent of Imam Hadi (A.S.) (No. of hadith: 90)
16. A hadith which say he is a descendent of Imam Hasan al-‘Askari (A.S.) (No. of hadith: 146)
17. A hadith which say that the name of his father is Hasan(A.S.) (No. of hadith: 147)
18. A hadith which say that he will fill the world with justice (No. of hadith: 123)
19. A hadith which say his occultation will be prolonged (No. of hadith: 91)
20. A hadith which relate the extent of al-Mahdi’s life (No. of hadith: 318)
21. A hadith which say that Islam will rule over the world through him
(No. of hadith: 47)
22. A hadith which say he will be the twelfth and the last Imam. (No. of hadith: 136)
When looking at the above mentioned and other hadiths, it should be kept in mind that the hadiths mentioning al-Mahdi (A.S.) have been narrated most frequently, and that there are few subjects in Islam which have been mentioned in hadiths so often. Thus, in this light, anyone who believes in Islam and its Prophet (S.A.) must necessarily declare his belief in the existence of the promised al-Mahdi who is now in occultation. Now we shall relate some of these hadiths.
1. The author of Yanabi’ al-Mawaddah relates that the Prophet (S.A.) said: “A1-Mahdi is a descendent of mine. He will be in concealment, and when he manifests himself, the earth will become filled with justice, just as it was previously filled with injustice.”
2. In this book it is also related that Salman al-Farsi said: “I went to the Prophet, when Husayn ibn ‘Ali was sitting in his lap and the Prophet was kissing his eyes and mouth, and he said: ‘You are a noble one, the son of a noble one, and the brother of a noble one; you are the Imam, the son of the Imam, and the brother of the Imam. Your are the Proof, son of the Proof and the brother of the Proof; you will be the father of nine Proofs of whom the ninth will be the Qa’im.”
3. Ibn Abi Dalaf says: “I heard from Hazrat ‘Ali ibn Muhammad (the 10th Imam) that he said: ‘The Imam after me will be Hasan, my son, and after him his descendent the Qa’im, who will fill the earth with justice, when it was previously filled with injustice.
4. Hudhayfah said that the Prophet (S.A.) said: “If no more than one day is left of the world, Allah will make that day so long that a man, descendent of mine, whose name is my name, will appear.” Salman asked: “O Prophet of Allah, which descendent will he be?” The Prophet put his hand on Husayn and said that he would be one of his descendents.
5. Mas’adah relates from Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq (A.S.) that he said: “The Qa’im will be born of Hasan (the 11th Imam, Hazrat Imam Hasan al-‘Askari), and Hasan will be son of ‘Ali (the tenth Imam, Hazrat Imam ‘Ali al-Naqi), and ‘Ali will be son of Muhammad (the ninth Imam, Hazrat Imam Muhammad at-Taqi), and Muhammad will be born of ‘Ali (the eighth Imam, Hazrat ‘Ali ibn Musa ar-Rida) and ‘Ali will be son of this child (he pointed to Hazrat Musa ibn Ja’far, the seventh Imam). We are twelve Imams, all pure and of a noble birth. I swear by Allah, if there remains of the world no more than one day, Allah will make that day so long that the Qa’im of us, the Husehold of the Prophet (S.A.), will appear.”
