Is the Mahdi mentioned in any authentic hadith--Answered by Shaykh Gibril F Haddad

Q. I have heard from some people that the hadith about the mahdi are weak , is this true? and what are the hadith that talk or give signs about the coming of the mahdi?
A.

As-Salamu `alaykum:

The hadiths about the Mahdi are so numerous that many of the Ulema consider the topic to be mutawatir in meaning, i.e. mass-transmitted and not possibly invented.

Following is a hadith of interest for the present time.

In the summer of 1990, at the time the words ALLAHU AKBAR first appeared on the flag of Iraq, Saddam Hussain declared he was a descendent of the Prophet Muhammad, upon him peace, and produced a family chart to prove it. This chart hangs in one of the heavily frequented Shi`i mosques in Iraq, next to the presumed grave of one of Ahl al-Bayt. Saddam also began to address King Hussayn of Jordan, a real 27-generation descendent, as "cousin."

Abu Dawud in his Sunan and Ahmad in his Musnad narrated that `Abd Allah ibn `Umar said - Allah be well-pleased with him:

We were sitting with the Messenger of Allah - upon him blessings and peace - when he mentioned the strifes. He spoke at length about many of them until he mentioned the "strife of the saddle-blankets" (fitnat al-ahlas). He said the latter was all flight and war. Then he mentioned the "strife of prosperity" (fitnat al-sarra').

He said, "Its heat and smoke (dakhan) would seep in from under the feet of a man from my family - he will claim that is descends from me but he does not descend from me. My relatives are only those who fear God."

Then [the Prophet said] the people will rally around a man like a rib-bone on top of a hip-bone [=a temporary, impermanent arrangement].

Then will come the "pitch-dark, blind strife" (al-fitnat al-duhayma'). "It will leave none of this Umma except it will smite him. When they think it is over it will linger some more. At that time, a man will rise a believer in the morning and will reach night a disbeliever. People will eventually take two sides - the rallying - place of belief which will contain no hypocrisy; and the rallying- place of hypocrisy which will contain no belief. When you see this, expect the appearance of the Anti-Christ (Dajjal) from one day to the next."

Was-Salam.
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GF Haddad

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