al-‘Alā’ (1), ‘Do you both think that he was Umar ibn Abd al-Azīz?’ They replied, ‘No.’” (2).

These hadiths found in the two Sahih collections indicate two things:

First, when Jesus son of Mary, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, descends from heaven, the Muslims will be governed by a man from among them.

Second, the fact that their ruler will attend the prayer, pray with the Muslims, and, when Jesus, peace be upon him, descends, ask him to step forward and lead them in prayer indicates that this ruler will possess righteousness and guidance. Although these hadiths do not explicitly use the term (the Mahdī), they nonetheless describe the qualities of a righteous man who will lead the Muslims in prayer at that time. Hadiths found in the Sunan and Musnad collections and elsewhere explain these hadiths in the two Sahih collections and indicate that this righteous man will be named Muhammad ibn Abdullah and will be known as the Mahdī. The sunnah explains itself.

Among the hadiths indicating this is the report narrated by al-Hārith ibn Abī Usāma in his Musnad from Jābir, may Allah be pleased with him, who said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: “Jesus son of Mary will descend, and their ruler, the Mahdī, will say…” (3).