his father are ‘Abd Allāh. It is authentically reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: ‘His name will match my name, and his father’s name will match my father’s name.’ Abū Nu‘aym related it from Abū Hurayrah with the following wording: ‘If only one day remained, Allah would prolong that day until a man from my household assumed authority. His name will match my name, and his father’s name will match my father’s name. He will fill the earth with equity and justice, just as it was filled with injustice and oppression.’

Al-Tirmidhī, Abū Dāwūd, al-Nasā’ī, al-Bayhaqī and others related a similar report from Ibn Mas‘ūd, may Allah be pleased with him. Another narration from Ibn Mas‘ūd states: ‘The world will not pass away until a man from my household rules, whose name will match my name. He will fill the earth with justice and equity, just as it was filled with oppression and injustice.’ Al-Tabarānī recorded it in his al-Mu‘jam al-Saghīr. Al-Tirmidhī also recorded it with the wording, ‘until a man from my household rules the Arabs,’ and graded the hadith sound and authentic. Abū Dāwūd likewise recorded it in his Sunan.

Ibn Mas‘ūd, may Allah be pleased with him, also related a report traced back to the Prophet stating that the Mahdi’s name is Muhammad. In a report from Hudhayfah traced back to the Prophet, his name is Muhammad ibn ‘Abd Allāh, and he is known as Abū ‘Abd Allāh. Among his names is also Ahmad ibn ‘Abd Allāh, as stated in some narrations.”

He went on to say: “As for the name and description given to him in a number of reports…” He then went on to say: “As for his appellation, it is Abū ‘Abd Allāh. As for his lineage, he belongs to the household of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Numerous narrations and abundant reports explicitly state that he is a descendant of Fātimah al-Batūl, daughter of the Prophet and Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and may He be pleased with her and her pure children. Some hadiths state that he is a descendant of al-‘Abbās, but the former account is more authentic.

Ibn Hajar said in his book al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar: ‘As for the report, “The Mahdi will be a descendant of al-‘Abbās, my uncle,” al-Dāraqutnī said that it is a singular hadith, narrated solely by Muhammad ibn al-Walīd, a client of Banū Hāshim. He said that this is not contradicted by al-Rāfi‘ī’s report from Ibn ‘Abbās, may Allah be pleased with them both, traced back to the Prophet: “Shall I not give you glad tidings, O uncle? Among your descendants will be the chosen ones, and among your family will be the caliphs. From you will come the Mahdi at the end of time. Through him Allah will spread guidance and extinguish the fires of misguidance. Allah began this affair through us and will bring it to a close through your descendants.”’”

Then Ibn Hajar cited several reports to this effect. He then said: “None of these reports contradicts the Mahdi’s being a descendant of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, through Fātimah al-Zahrā’, for the hadiths stating that the Mahdi is one of her descendants are more numerous and more authentic. Indeed, some of the community’s hadith masters and eminent imams have said that the Mahdi’s being a descendant of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, is established by mass-transmitted reports from him. It is therefore not permissible to depart from this or give consideration to another view. Ibn Hajar said that the reports could be reconciled if he is a descendant of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, while also tracing his ancestry to al-‘Abbās through an ‘Abbāsid woman in the maternal line.”