that this prayer has been assigned to the Mahdi, who therefore has the greater right to lead on this occasion. Jesus will pray behind him to demonstrate that he follows our Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.” He went on to say: “In Sharh al-‘Aqā’id (Commentary on the Creed), the more correct view is that Jesus, peace be upon him, will lead the people in prayer, with the Mahdi praying behind him, because Jesus is of greater merit and has the greater right to lead.” End of quotation. ‘Alī Qārī said: “This does not contradict what we stated earlier, as is clear. He then mentioned the other events in sequence: the emergence of Gog and Magog, the death of the believers, the rising of the sun from the west, and the taking away of the Quran.”
Shaykh ‘Abd al-Ra’ūf al-Munāwī (d. 1032 AH), author of Fayd al-Qadīr, a commentary on al-Jāmi‘ al-Saghīr, said in that work: “Reports concerning the Mahdi are numerous and well known, and more than one author has devoted a separate work to them.” He went on to say: “Note: The reports concerning the Mahdi are not contradicted by the report, ‘There is no Mahdi except Jesus son of Mary,’ for, as al-Qurtubī said, its meaning is that there is no perfect, infallible Mahdi except Jesus son of Mary.”
Commenting on the hadith, “A community that has me at its beginning, Jesus son of Mary at its end, and the Mahdi in its middle will never perish,” al-Munāwī said: “By ‘the middle’ he meant the period before the end, for Jesus, peace be upon him, will descend to kill the Dajjāl during the time of the Mahdi and will pray behind him, as the reports state and a number of the righteous have affirmed with certainty.”
When discussing the hadith, “Among us is the one behind whom Jesus son of Mary will pray,” he mentioned that, after descending, Jesus will come and find Imam Mahdi about to pray. The Mahdi will step back to let Jesus come forward, but Jesus, peace be upon him, will put him forward and pray behind him. He said: “How great a distinction and honour this is for this community!” He then said: “What is mentioned in this hadith does not contradict the implication of some traditions that Jesus will lead the Mahdi in prayer—a view categorically affirmed by al-Sa‘d al-Taftāzānī, who based it on Jesus’ greater merit. The two can be reconciled: Jesus will first pray behind the Mahdi to demonstrate that he has descended as a follower of our Prophet, ruling according to his law. Thereafter, the Mahdi will pray behind Jesus, in keeping with the established principle that one of lesser merit prays behind one of greater merit.” End of quotation.
Shaykh Muhammad al-Saffārīnī said in his book Lawāmi‘ al-Anwār al-Bahiyyah wa-Sawāti‘ al-Asrār al-Athariyyah, his commentary on his versified creed entitled al-Durrah al-Ma‘niyyah fī ‘Aqd al-Firqah al-Mardiyyah:
All the signs set forth in revelation
Are true, with no deviation.
Among them are the final imam, sincere in counsel—
Muhammad the Mahdi—and the Messiah.
“‘Among them’ means among the signs of the Hour described in the reports, whose substance is established by mass-transmitted traditions; that is, among the major signs. The first of these is the appearance of the imam whose words and deeds are followed, the last of the imams, after whom there will be no imam—just as the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, is the seal of prophethood and messengership, after whom there will be no prophet or messenger. He is eloquent of speech, for he is of true Arab descent, belonging to a people of eloquence and fine expression.”
He then said: “The words ‘Muhammad the Mahdi’ give his name and his best-known description. As for his name, it is Muhammad, as stated in several reports. Some of them state that his name and the name of