more than one other person. Nor is he unknown, as al-Hākim claimed. Indeed, it has been related that Ibn Maīn regarded him as trustworthy. However, some transmitters narrated it from him, from Abān ibn Abī Ayyāsh, from al-Hasan al-Basrī, in mursal form. Our teacher mentioned in al-Tahdhīb (1), on the authority of one of them, that he saw al-Shāfiī in a dream saying, ‘Yūnus ibn Abd al-Alā al-Sadafī falsely attributed this to me; this is not one of my hadiths.’ I say: Yūnus ibn Abd al-Alā al-Sadafī is trustworthy, and he cannot be impugned merely on the basis of a dream. At first glance, this hadith appears to conflict with the hadiths we cited establishing the coming of a Mahdi other than Jesus son of Mary—either before Jesus descends, as is more apparent, and Allah knows best, or afterward. Upon careful consideration, however, they do not conflict. Rather, its intended meaning is that the Mahdi in the fullest sense is Jesus son of Mary. This does not preclude another person from also being a Mahdi. And Allah knows best.” (2)

Abū Abd Allah al-Qurtubī said: “It is possible that his words—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—‘There is no Mahdi except Jesus’ mean that there is no fully perfect and infallible Mahdi except Jesus. Understood in this way, the hadiths are reconciled and the apparent contradiction is removed.” (3)

I say: Even if we allow that this hadith may be authentic, it cannot stand against the numerous established hadiths concerning the Mahdi, whose chains of transmission are sounder than that of this hadith, regarding whose authenticity the scholars have differed. And Allah knows best.