the Mahdī. Different parts of the Sunnah explain one another. Among the hadiths indicating this is the report narrated by al-Hārith ibn Abī Usāmah in his Musnad, through his chain of transmission from Jābir, may Allah be pleased with him, who reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:
“Jesus son of Mary will descend, and their leader, the Mahdī, will say: ‘Come and lead us in prayer.’ He will reply: ‘No; some of them are leaders over others, as an honour bestowed by Allah upon this community.’”
Ibn al-Qayyim said of this hadith in al-Manār al-Munīf: “Its chain of transmission is good.” End of quotation. It indicates that the leader mentioned in Sahīh Muslim, who asked Jesus son of Mary, blessings and peace be upon him, to step forward to lead the prayer, is called the Mahdī.
Shaykh Siddīq Hasan included a large number of hadiths concerning the Mahdī in his book al-Idhā‘ah, concluding with the aforementioned hadith of Jābir recorded by Muslim. He then commented: “It does not mention the Mahdī, but it and similar hadiths can only be understood as referring to the awaited Mahdī, as indicated by the preceding reports and the numerous transmitted accounts.”
Since there is not enough space here to cite and discuss the many hadiths concerning the Mahdī recorded outside the two Sahīh collections, I have chosen to cite only some of them and discuss some of their chains of transmission:
[Sixth: - Mention of Some Hadiths Concerning the Mahdī Recorded Outside the Two Sahīh Collections, with Discussion of Some of Their Chains of Transmission]
Mention of some hadiths concerning the Mahdī recorded outside the two Sahīh collections.
1- Abū Sa‘īd al-Khudrī, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:
“I bring you glad tidings of the Mahdī. He will be sent at a time of discord among people and upheaval. He will fill the earth with equity and justice just as it had been filled with oppression and injustice. The inhabitants of heaven and earth will be pleased with him. He will distribute wealth fairly.” A man asked him: “What does ‘fairly’ mean?” He replied: “In equal shares. Allah will fill the hearts of the community of Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, with contentment, and his justice will extend to them all.”
The hadith continues beyond this. Al-Haythamī said in Majma‘ al-Zawā’id: “Ahmad narrated it through several chains of transmission, and Abū Ya‘lā in a much abridged form. The narrators in both transmissions are trustworthy.”
2- Abū Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, said that the Mahdī was mentioned to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, who said:
“If his rule is short, it will be seven years; otherwise eight, or else nine. He will certainly fill the earth with justice and equity just as it had been filled with injustice and oppression.”
Al-Haythamī said: “Al-Bazzār narrated it. Its narrators are trustworthy, though there is some weakness in some of them.”
3- Abū Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:
“The Mahdī will arise among my community. If his rule is short, it will be seven years; otherwise eight, or else nine. During those years, my community will enjoy prosperity unlike any they have enjoyed before. Rain will be sent down upon them in abundance, and the earth will withhold none of its vegetation. Wealth will be piled in heaps. A man will stand up and say: ‘O Mahdī, give me something,’ and he will reply: ‘Take.’”
Al-Haythamī said: “Al-Tabarānī narrated it in al-Awsat. Its narrators are trustworthy.”
4- Abū Dāwūd devoted a book in his Sunan to this subject, writing at its beginning, “Beginning of the Book of the Mahdī,” and at its conclusion, “End of the Book of the Mahdī.” He included a single chapter containing thirteen hadiths. He opened this book with the hadith of Jābir ibn Samurah, who said that he heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say:
“There will continue to be this