Al-Bayhaqī also transmitted the report through the chain of al-Aʿmash, from al-Ḍaḥḥāk, from Ibn ʿAbbās, as a Prophetic narration:

“From us will arise al-Saffāḥ, al-Manṣūr, and the Mahdī.” (1)

This isnād is weak, for al-Ḍaḥḥāk, according to the sound view, never heard anything from Ibn ʿAbbās; thus the chain is broken. Allah knows best.

ʿAbd al-Razzāq said—reporting from al-Thawrī, from Khālid al-Ḥadhdhāʾ, from Abū Qilābah, from Abū Asmāʾ, from Thawbān—that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

“Three men, all of them sons of a caliph, will fight over your treasure, yet none of them will secure it. Then the black banners will come from Khurāsān and will put them to a slaughter the like of which they have never witnessed. After that there will come Allah’s Caliph, the Mahdī. When you hear of him, go to him and give him your pledge, even if you must crawl over snow, for he is Allah’s Caliph, the Mahdī.” Ibn Mājah recorded it through Aḥmad ibn Yūsuf al-Sulamī and Muḥammad ibn Yaḥyā al-Dhuhlī, both from ʿAbd al-Razzāq. (2)

Al-Bayhaqī narrated the ḥadīth through several routes from ʿAbd al-Razzāq, then remarked, “ʿAbd al-Razzāq is alone in transmitting it.” He added: “ʿAbd al-Wahhāb ibn ʿAṭāʾ also reported it from Khālid al-Ḥadhdhāʾ, from Abū Qilābah, from Abū Asmāʾ, from Thawbān, but as a mawqūf report.” (3)

Al-Bayhaqī further said: “ʿAlī ibn Aḥmad ibn ʿAbdān informed us; Aḥmad ibn ʿUbayd al-Ṣaffār related to us; Muḥammad ibn Ghālib narrated to us; Kathīr ibn Yaḥyā narrated to us; Shurayk narrated to us, from ʿAlī ibn Zayd, from Abū Qilābah, from Abū Asmāʾ, from Thawbān, who said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ declared:

‘When the black banners come from the direction of Khurāsān, go to them, even if you must crawl over snow, for with them is Allah’s Caliph, the Mahdī.’” (4)

Al-Ḥāfiẓ Abū Bakr al-Bazzār said: “Al-Faḍl ibn Sahl narrated to us; ʿAbd Allāh ibn Dāhir al-Rāzī narrated to us; my father narrated to us, from Ibn Abī Laylā, from al-Ḥākim, from Ibrāhīm, from ʿAbd Allāh ibn Masʿūd—that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ mentioned some youths of Banū Hāshim, his eyes filled with tears, and he spoke of the banners, saying:

‘Whoever lives to see them, let him go to them, even if he must crawl over snow.’” (5)

He then commented: “We know of no one who related this from al-Ḥākim except Ibn Abī Laylā, nor do we know it to be transmitted except through Dāhir ibn Yaḥyā. He was of the people of opinion and acceptable in ḥadīth, and the report is otherwise known only through the chain of Yazīd ibn Abī Ziyād from Ibrāhīm.” (6)

Al-Ḥāfiẓ Abū Yaʿlā said: “Abū Hishām ibn Yazīd ibn Rifāʿah narrated to us; Abū Bakr ibn ʿAyyāsh narrated to us; Yazīd ibn Abī Ziyād narrated to us, from Ibrāhīm, from ʿAlqamah, from ʿAbd Allāh—meaning Ibn Masʿūd—who said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ stated:

‘Black banners will come from the east, and the horses will wade in blood up to their knees; they will proclaim justice and will demand…’”