that the Mahdī will appear at the end of time, without any specific month or year being designated, because the reports on this subject are mass-transmitted and the overwhelming majority of the Muslim community have agreed upon it, generation after generation, apart from those whose dissent carries no weight.” He went on to say: “There is therefore no reason to doubt this promised, awaited descendant of Fātimah, whose coming is established by the evidence. Rather, denying this is an act of great audacity in the face of the widespread, well-known texts that have reached the level of mass transmission.”

6- Among the later scholars who affirmed the mass transmission of the hadiths concerning the Mahdī was Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ja‘far al-Kattānī, who died in 1345 AH. In his book Nazm al-Mutanāthir min al-Hadīth al-Mutawātir, he said: “They have stated that the descent of our master Jesus son of Mary, blessings and peace be upon him, is established by the Book, the Sunnah and consensus.” He then said: “In sum, the hadiths concerning the awaited Mahdī are mass-transmitted, as are those concerning the Dajjāl and the descent of our master Jesus son of Mary, blessings and peace be upon him.”

[Fifth: Mention of Some Hadiths in the Two Sahīh Collections Relating to the Mahdī]

Mention of some hadiths recorded in the two Sahīh collections that relate to the Mahdī.

1- Al-Bukhārī narrated in his Sahīh, in the chapter on the descent of Jesus son of Mary, that Abū Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“How will you be when Jesus son of Mary descends among you and your imam is one of you?”

2- In the Book of Faith in his Sahīh, Muslim narrated from Abū Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, a hadith similar to the one recorded by al-Bukhārī. He also narrated it from Abū Hurayrah with the wording:

“How will you be when the son of Mary descends among you and leads you?”

He also narrated it from Abū Hurayrah with the wording:

“How will you be when the son of Mary descends among you and leads you as one of you?”

This narration includes the explanation given by Ibn Abī Dhi’b, the narrator of the hadith, of the words “and leads you as one of you”: he will lead you according to the Book of your Lord, Blessed and Exalted is He, and the Sunnah of your Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.

3- Muslim narrated in his Sahīh that Jābir, may Allah be pleased with him, heard the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say:

“A group of my community will continue fighting for the truth and prevailing until the Day of Resurrection.” He said: “Then Jesus son of Mary, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, will descend, and their leader will say: ‘Come and lead us in prayer.’ He will reply: ‘No; some of you are leaders over others, as an honour bestowed by Allah upon this community.’”

These hadiths recorded in the two Sahīh collections indicate two things:

First: When Jesus son of Mary, blessings and peace be upon him, descends from heaven, the Muslims will be under the leadership of a man from among themselves.

Second: Their leader’s attendance at the prayer, his leading the Muslims in prayer, and his request that Jesus, blessings and peace be upon him, step forward upon his descent to lead them in prayer indicate that this leader is righteous and rightly guided. Although these hadiths do not explicitly mention the Mahdī, they describe a righteous man who will lead the Muslims in prayer at that time. Hadiths recorded in the Sunan, Musnads and other collections explain these hadiths in the two Sahīh collections and indicate that this righteous man is named Muhammad ibn ‘Abd Allāh, is a descendant of al-Hasan ibn ‘Alī, and is called