The Promised Deliverer (Kitab Al-Mahdi)

Amr ibn Uthman narrated to us: Marwan ibn Muawiyah narrated to us, from Ismail, meaning Ibn Abi Khalid, from his father, from Jabir ibn Samurah, who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say, “This religion will remain established until there have been twelve caliphs over you, all of whom the community gathers around.” I heard words from the Prophet ﷺ that I did not understand. I asked my father, “What is he saying?” He replied, “All of them are from Quraysh.”

Musa ibn Ismail narrated to us: Wuhayb narrated to us: Dawud narrated to us, from Amir, from Jabir ibn Samurah, who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say, “This religion will remain strong through twelve caliphs.” The people exclaimed “God is greatest” and raised a commotion. Then he said a quiet word. I asked my father, “What did he say, Father?” He replied, “All of them are from Quraysh.”

Ibn Nufayl narrated to us: Zuhayr narrated to us: Ziyad ibn Khaythamah narrated to us: al-Aswad ibn Said al-Hamdani narrated to us, from Jabir ibn Samurah, with this report. It adds: When he returned home, Quraysh came to him and asked, “What will happen after that?” He said, “Then there will be killing and turmoil.”

Musaddad narrated to us that Umar ibn Ubayd related to them. Another chain: Muhammad ibn al-Ala narrated to us: Abu Bakr, meaning Ibn Ayyash, narrated to us. Another chain: Musaddad narrated to us: Yahya narrated to us, from Sufyan. Another chain: Ahmad ibn Ibrahim narrated to us: Ubayd Allah ibn Musa informed us: Za idah narrated to us. Another chain: Ahmad ibn Ibrahim narrated to us: Ubayd Allah ibn Musa narrated to me, from Fitr. The meanings of all these reports agree; all are from Asim, from Zirr, from Abd Allah, from the Prophet ﷺ, who said: “If only one day of this world remained…” Za idah wording adds: “God would lengthen that day,” until He raised in it a man from me—or from my household—whose name matches mine and whose father name matches my father name. Fitr wording adds: “He will fill the earth with fairness and justice as it was filled with oppression and injustice.” Sufyan wording says: “The world will not end—or pass away—until a man from my household, whose name matches mine, rules the Arabs.” Abu Dawud said: The wordings of Umar and Abu Bakr carry the meaning of Sufyan version.

Uthman ibn Abi Shaybah narrated to us: al-Fadl ibn Dukayn narrated to us: Fitr narrated to us, from al-Qasim ibn Abi Bazzah, from Abu al-Tufayl, from Ali, may God be pleased with him, from the Prophet ﷺ, who said: “If only one day of time remained, God would raise a man from my household who would fill it with justice as it was filled with oppression.”

Ahmad ibn Ibrahim narrated to us: Abd Allah ibn Jafar al-Raqqi narrated to us: Abu al-Malih al-Hasan ibn Umar narrated to us, from Ziyad ibn Bayan, from Ali ibn Nufayl, from Said ibn al-Musayyab, from Umm Salamah, who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say, “The Mahdi is from my family, from the descendants of Fatimah.” Abd Allah ibn Jafar said: I heard Abu al-Malih praise Ali ibn Nufayl and speak of his integrity.

Sahl ibn Tammam ibn Bazi narrated to us: Imran al-Qattan narrated to us, from Qatadah, from Abu Nadr, from Abu Said al-Khudri, who said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “The Mahdi is from me, broad of forehead and prominent-nosed. He will fill the earth with fairness and justice as it was filled with injustice and oppression, and he will rule for seven years.”

Muhammad ibn al-Muthanna narrated to us: Muadh ibn Hisham narrated to us: My father narrated to me, from Qatadah, from Salih Abu al-Khalil, from a companion of his, from Umm Salamah, wife of the Prophet ﷺ, from the Prophet ﷺ, who said: “There will be disagreement when a caliph dies. A man from the people of Medina will flee to Mecca. Some people of Mecca will come to him and bring him out, against his will, and pledge allegiance to him between the Corner and the Station. An expedition from Syria will be sent against him and swallowed by the earth at al-Bayda, between Mecca and Medina. When people see that, the righteous substitutes of Syria and groups from Iraq will come to him and pledge allegiance between the Corner and the Station. Then a man from Quraysh, whose maternal uncles are Kalb, will arise and send an army against them; they will defeat that army. That is the Army of Kalb. Lost is the one who misses the spoils of Kalb. He will distribute wealth and govern the people according to the Sunnah of their Prophet ﷺ, and Islam will settle firmly upon the earth. He will remain for seven years, then die, and the Muslims will pray over him.” Abu Dawud said: Some narrated from Hisham, “nine years,” and some, “seven years.”

Harun ibn Abd Allah narrated to us: Abd al-Samad narrated to us, from Hammam, from Qatadah, with this report. He said, “nine years.” Abu Dawud said: Narrators other than Muadh also reported “nine years” from Hisham.

Ibn al-Muthanna narrated to us: Amr ibn Asim narrated to us: Abu al-Awwam narrated to us: Qatadah narrated to us, from Abu al-Khalil, from Abd Allah ibn al-Harith, from Umm Salamah, from the Prophet ﷺ, with this report. The report of Muadh is more complete.

Uthman ibn Abi Shaybah narrated to us: Jarir narrated to us, from Abd al-Aziz ibn Rufay, from Ubayd Allah ibn al-Qibtiyyah, from Umm Salamah, from the Prophet ﷺ, regarding the story of the army swallowed by the earth. I asked, “Messenger of Allah, what about someone who was forced to join them?” He said, “They will be swallowed, but on the Day of Resurrection each will be raised according to his intention.”

…al-Mughirah said: Amr ibn Abi Qays narrated to us, from Shuayb ibn Khalid, from Abu Ishaq, who said: Ali, may God be pleased with him, looked at his son al-Hasan and said, “This son of mine is a leader, as the Prophet ﷺ named him. A man will emerge from his descendants, bearing the name of your Prophet. He will resemble him in character, but not in appearance.” Then he mentioned the account of the man who will fill the earth with justice.

Harun said: Amr ibn Abi Qays narrated to us, from Mutarrif ibn Tarif, from Abu al-Hasan, from Hilal ibn Amr, who said: I heard Ali, may God be pleased with him, say: The Prophet ﷺ said, “A man called al-Harith ibn Harrath will emerge from beyond the river, with a man called Mansur at the head of his force. He will prepare the way—or establish power—for the family of Muhammad, just as Quraysh prepared the way for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Every believer must support him”—or he said, “respond to him.”