The Ruling on Asking Allah to Send Forth the Mahdi
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Hadiths have come in the Sunnah, and they have been transmitted with semantic consensus, mentioning the Mahdi.But my question has two parts: The first part: The true Mahdi. Is it permissible for us to ask Allah, the Exalted, to send forth the Mahdi among us?The second part: The word "al-muntadhir" (the awaited one) appears in the writings of later Islamic scholars who mention the awaited Mahdi. Is there a basis for this? May Allah reward you with good.
Hadiths regarding the Mahdi have been divided into four categories: fabricated hadiths falsely attributed to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), good hadiths, and authentic hadiths supported by other evidence.
The correct view is that he will emerge when the wisdom of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) wills it, when the earth is filled with injustice and tyranny. Pay attention to the phrase "the earth is filled," meaning that no justice or excellence remains. When the earth is filled with injustice and tyranny and no justice or excellence remains, Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) will send al-Mahdi, who will clarify the truth for the people and call them to it, and Allah (Mighty and Majestic) will guide them through his hands. This is the correct belief held by us. Shaykh 'Abd al-Mحسن al-'Abbadi has a lecture in the journal of the Islamic University from the time when Shaykh 'Abd al-'Aziz ibn Baz was the head of the university. It is a valuable lecture, and I refer the brother questioner to it so that the ruling on the emergence of al-Mahdi becomes clear to him.
As for the phrase "the awaited Mahdi", this is the Mahdi of the Rafidah, whom they claim is in a cellar in Iraq, that he is alive, that he is awaiting relief, and that he will emerge. Their ignorant ones—as al-Safarini (may Allah have mercy on him) reported from them—come out every morning to this cellar with a horse, a spear, water, honey, and bread,Every day they say: waiting for his emergence that morning so that he can break his fast with bread, water, and honey. Then he mounts the horse with his spear and goes out to the people to fight the oppressors; because they hold, or many of them hold, that all people are oppressors, even Abu Bakr and 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) are oppressors in their view,They say: because they wronged 'Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) and took the caliphate from him and seized it by force. So they are oppressors, not caliphs. The rightful caliph for the caliphate is 'Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him).
And it is astonishing that I saw in al-Shahrastani's book al-Milal wa al-Nihal a strange statement where he said: that Abu Bakr and 'Umar are oppressors, and that 'Ali is also an oppressor; because he did not take revenge for himself.
We ask Allah for safety! These have become oppressors in the view of the extremist faction! But the majority of the Rafidah do not say this,They say: that Abu Bakr and 'Umar were oppressive usurpers of the caliphate, and that 'Ali ibn Abi Talib is the caliph.
There is no doubt that their statement is rejected by the statement of 'Ali ibn Abi Talib himself, for it is authentically reported from him through mass transmission that he said on the pulpit of Kufa: [The best of this Ummah after its Prophet is Abu Bakr, then 'Umar].
He (may Allah be pleased with him) declared this, and this is the complete fairness and complete truth and justice from him (may Allah be pleased with him). But those who claim to be his followers contradicted his path in this. He had pledged allegiance to Abu Bakr and pledged allegiance to 'Umar and supported them, and was with them. Indeed, he pledged allegiance to 'Uthman (may Allah be pleased with them both). This is well known in biographies and history. So appending the word "al-muntadhir" (the awaited one) to the word "al-Mahdi" is taken from the Rafidah.
And we say: This Mahdi—I mean: the Mahdi of the people of the Sunnah, not the Mahdi of the Rafidah—will emerge if the wisdom of Allah, the Exalted, necessitates it, such that the earth is filled with tyranny and injustice,And the one who says: "O Allah, send him forth." This has a scent of Rafidism; because he believes now that the earth is filled with tyranny and injustice. The earth now—praise be to Allah—is not filled with tyranny and injustice. The earth now has people who rule with justice, judge by truth, and establish the Shari'ah as much as possible, whether they are individuals from the peoples or rulers of the peoples. This is a matter known by everyone. Indeed, people today, especially the peoples, are better than they were yesterday.
Groups have appeared, praise be to Allah, in all Islamic lands calling for Islam and striving for it, and applying what they can of Islam. So Islam now, praise be to Allah, has a future, even in the disbelieving nations like America, France, and England, and others. There are many Muslim groups in them calling to Islam. And now Islam has its weight, even in America in the present time, praise be to Allah. Even the President of America congratulated the Muslims of America on 'Id al-Fitr this year and the Muslims of the entire world, as reported from him. This indicates that Islam now has its weight. And what was mentioned by these tyrants—I mean: the tyrants of the disbelievers—that Islam threatens humanity, this is from the inspiration of Satan. Islam guides humanity and does not threaten humanity. What system is better than the religion of Allah? [Al-Ma'idah: 50].
The questioner: Do some of the early scholars use the term "al-muntadhir" (the awaited one) for the Mahdi?The Shaykh: This is not correct.We say: The Mahdi is as it came in the hadith only.And we do not say: The awaited one.
Hadiths regarding the Mahdi have been divided into four categories: fabricated hadiths falsely attributed to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), good hadiths, and authentic hadiths supported by other evidence.
The correct view is that he will emerge when the wisdom of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) wills it, when the earth is filled with injustice and tyranny. Pay attention to the phrase "the earth is filled," meaning that no justice or excellence remains. When the earth is filled with injustice and tyranny and no justice or excellence remains, Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) will send al-Mahdi, who will clarify the truth for the people and call them to it, and Allah (Mighty and Majestic) will guide them through his hands. This is the correct belief held by us. Shaykh 'Abd al-Mحسن al-'Abbadi has a lecture in the journal of the Islamic University from the time when Shaykh 'Abd al-'Aziz ibn Baz was the head of the university. It is a valuable lecture, and I refer the brother questioner to it so that the ruling on the emergence of al-Mahdi becomes clear to him.
As for the phrase "the awaited Mahdi", this is the Mahdi of the Rafidah, whom they claim is in a cellar in Iraq, that he is alive, that he is awaiting relief, and that he will emerge. Their ignorant ones—as al-Safarini (may Allah have mercy on him) reported from them—come out every morning to this cellar with a horse, a spear, water, honey, and bread,Every day they say: waiting for his emergence that morning so that he can break his fast with bread, water, and honey. Then he mounts the horse with his spear and goes out to the people to fight the oppressors; because they hold, or many of them hold, that all people are oppressors, even Abu Bakr and 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) are oppressors in their view,They say: because they wronged 'Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) and took the caliphate from him and seized it by force. So they are oppressors, not caliphs. The rightful caliph for the caliphate is 'Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him).
And it is astonishing that I saw in al-Shahrastani's book al-Milal wa al-Nihal a strange statement where he said: that Abu Bakr and 'Umar are oppressors, and that 'Ali is also an oppressor; because he did not take revenge for himself.
We ask Allah for safety! These have become oppressors in the view of the extremist faction! But the majority of the Rafidah do not say this,They say: that Abu Bakr and 'Umar were oppressive usurpers of the caliphate, and that 'Ali ibn Abi Talib is the caliph.
There is no doubt that their statement is rejected by the statement of 'Ali ibn Abi Talib himself, for it is authentically reported from him through mass transmission that he said on the pulpit of Kufa: [The best of this Ummah after its Prophet is Abu Bakr, then 'Umar].
He (may Allah be pleased with him) declared this, and this is the complete fairness and complete truth and justice from him (may Allah be pleased with him). But those who claim to be his followers contradicted his path in this. He had pledged allegiance to Abu Bakr and pledged allegiance to 'Umar and supported them, and was with them. Indeed, he pledged allegiance to 'Uthman (may Allah be pleased with them both). This is well known in biographies and history. So appending the word "al-muntadhir" (the awaited one) to the word "al-Mahdi" is taken from the Rafidah.
And we say: This Mahdi—I mean: the Mahdi of the people of the Sunnah, not the Mahdi of the Rafidah—will emerge if the wisdom of Allah, the Exalted, necessitates it, such that the earth is filled with tyranny and injustice,And the one who says: "O Allah, send him forth." This has a scent of Rafidism; because he believes now that the earth is filled with tyranny and injustice. The earth now—praise be to Allah—is not filled with tyranny and injustice. The earth now has people who rule with justice, judge by truth, and establish the Shari'ah as much as possible, whether they are individuals from the peoples or rulers of the peoples. This is a matter known by everyone. Indeed, people today, especially the peoples, are better than they were yesterday.
Groups have appeared, praise be to Allah, in all Islamic lands calling for Islam and striving for it, and applying what they can of Islam. So Islam now, praise be to Allah, has a future, even in the disbelieving nations like America, France, and England, and others. There are many Muslim groups in them calling to Islam. And now Islam has its weight, even in America in the present time, praise be to Allah. Even the President of America congratulated the Muslims of America on 'Id al-Fitr this year and the Muslims of the entire world, as reported from him. This indicates that Islam now has its weight. And what was mentioned by these tyrants—I mean: the tyrants of the disbelievers—that Islam threatens humanity, this is from the inspiration of Satan. Islam guides humanity and does not threaten humanity. What system is better than the religion of Allah?
Then is it the judgement of [the time of] ignorance they desire? But who is better than Allah in judgement for a people who are certain [in faith].
أَفَحُكْمَ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ يَبْغُونَ وَمَنْ أَحْسَنُ مِنَ اللَّهِ حُكْماً لِقَوْمٍ يُوقِنُونَThe questioner: Do some of the early scholars use the term "al-muntadhir" (the awaited one) for the Mahdi?The Shaykh: This is not correct.We say: The Mahdi is as it came in the hadith only.And we do not say: The awaited one.