The Mahdi -- in the light of Hadith

Belief in the Mahdi (the 'guided' latter-day ruler who will establish justice) is deeply rooted in Islam, and is an obligatory part of belief in the view of some ulema. There may be differences of opinion on the characteristics and the person of the Mahdi, but all are of the opinion that most of the traditions on the Mahdi are right and that the tidings about him are mutawatir.

In addition to the direct references to the Mahdi in Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, there are almost 50 traditions, with direct reference to the Mahdi, in other well-known collections such as Abu Daud, Tirmizi, Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Ibn Maja, Tabarani (in all the three collections: Al-Kabir, Al-Awsat and Al-Saghir), Mustadrak al-Hakim, Abu Ya'li, al-Bazzar, Ibn Hibban, Abu al-Shaykh (Kitab al-Fitan), Ibn Asakir, Ibn Adi, Abu Na'im (Akhbar al-Mahdi), Al-Royani (Musnad), al-Dailami, Al-Dani (Sunan), Ibn Mandah, Na'im ibn Hammad (Kitab al-Fitan), Al-Harith ibn Ali Usamah (Musnad), Al-Khatib al-Baghdadi (Tarikh), Ibn Abi Shaibah (Musannaf), Al-Darqutni, Abu Na'im (Dalail al-Nubuwwah and al-Hilyah), Ibn al-Munadi (Al-Malahim), Abu Ghannam al-Kufi (Kitab al-Fitan), Tammam (Fawaid), Ibn Sa'd (Tabaqat), Ibn Jarir (Tafsir), Al-Muhami (Al-Almali), etc.

These authoritative source books contain almost 50 traditions of the Prophet, (Peace and benediction be upon him and his infallible progeny), which clearly foretell the emergence of the Mahdi before the Day of Resurrection. Many of these traditions are 'Sahih' and directly narrated on the authority of the Prophet by 33 well-known companions, who include Ali ibn Abi Talib, Husain ibn Ali, Abu Sa'id al-Khudari, Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, Umme Salmah, Thauban, Abu Hurairah, Anas ibn Malik, Jarir ibn Abdullah, Usman ibn Affan, Awf ibn Malik, Talha ibn Ubaidullah, Huzaifah ibn al-Yaman, Umran ibn Husain, Abdullah ibn Umar, Ayesha, Abdul Rahman ibn Awf, Abu Ayub al-Ansari, Ibn Abbas, Tamim al-Dari, Umme Habibah, Abbas ibn Abdul Muttalib and Ammar ibn Yasir. The most famous of these traditions is the one narrated by Abdullah ibn Mas'ud in which the Prophet said: "Even if a (single) day is left in (the life of) the world, Allah will lengthen that day to send a person of my House whose name will be like my name and whose Kuniyah will be similar to mine. He will fill the world with justice and equity just as it was previously full of injustice and oppression." (Abu Daud, Tabarani, Ibn Hiibban, Hakim, Ibn Maja, Abu Na'im, Ibn Asakir, etc.)

This and many other traditions are in accordance with the highest standards of scrutiny set by traditionalists and therefore it is the consensus of Islamic scholars of all ages that the tradition is true and mutawatir (uninterruptedly conveyed on the authority of the Prophet). Following is a selection of affirmative references to the Mahdi by Muslim authorities from the old to the modern times:

Ibn Taimiyyah, Minhaj al-Sunnah al-Nahawiyyah

Al-Qurtubi, Al-Tazkirah

Al-Hafiz, Abdul Hasan al-Abiri, Manaqib al-Imam al-Shafi'i

Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar, Fat-hul Bari

Al-Hafiz al-Sakhawi, Fat-hul Mugheeth

Jalaluddin Suyuti, Al-'Urf al-Wardi and Al-Kashf'an

Mujawazat Hazihi al-Ummah al-Alf

Al-Zarqani, Sharh al-Mawahih al-Ladunniyyah

Abul 'Ala al-Iraqi al-Husayni, Al-Mahdi

Al-Shaukani, Al-Tawzih fi tawatur me jaa fi'l Mahdi al-Muntazar wa'l Dajjal Masih

Siddiq Hasan Khan, Al-Izh'ah lima kana wa ma yakunu baina yadai al-Sa'ah

Abu Abdillah Muhammad Jassis, Sharh Risalah ibn Abi Zaid

Muhammad al-Arabi al-Fasi, Al-Marasid

Abu Zaid Abd al-Rahman al-Fasi, Muhhij al-Maqasid

Al-Safarini, Al-Durrah al-Mudi'ah fi 'Aqidah al-Firqah al-Murdiyah

Qutbuddin Muhammad ibn Jafar al-Kitabi, Nazm al-Mutanathir min al-Hadith al-Mutawatir

Abdullah ibn Muhammad al-Siddiq, Al-Mahdi al-Muntazar

Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Ghimari, Ibraz al-Wahm al-Maknun min Kalam ibn Khalladun

Ibn al-Qayyim, Al-Manar

Al-Hafiz al-Zahabi, Al-Muntaqa

Abu al-Tayyib ibn Ali al-Hasan al-Hasani, Al-Iza'ah lima kana wa ma yakunu baina yadai al-Sa'ah