It is proven from Sahih and Hasan hadith that before the Qiyamah there will be a Caliph of Muslims and His name is "Imam Mahdi" and in his period of time Saydna Isa ibn Maryam (Jesus) will be sent down who were appointed as a prophet for Bani Israel, following are the Sahih and Hasan ahadith mentioned on coming of Mahdi عليه السلام.
Saydna Abu Huraira رضیﷲ عنه reported from Rasoolallah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said:
كيف انتم ازا نزل ابن مريم فيكم وامامكم منكم؟
How will you be when the son of Mary (i.e. Jesus) descends amongst you and your imam is among you."
[Sahih Bukhari 3449, Sahih Muslim 155 Tarqeem Darussalam 392]
The Imam mentioned in this hadith refers to Imam Mahdi AhiruzZama according to a statement.
[Ref: Akmal Akmal Al Muallim Mohammad bin khalifa al washtani al ubyi (Sharah ubyi Ala Sahih Muslim vol 1 pg 450 Kitabul Imaan #244]
Hafiz Ibn Hibban رحمہ اللہ derived from this hadith that until the descending of Isa ibn Maryam alayh Ummah will have Imamat (Caliphate).
[Al Ahsan 15/213 #6802]
in some of the narration فامكم word is mentioned and Mohammad bin Abdurrahman bin abi Dhi'b Al Madani رحمہ اللہ (d.158) explained about this.
فامكم بكتاب ربكم عزوجل وسنة نبيكم صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم
He would lead you according to the Book of your: Lord (hallowed be He and most exalted) and the Sunnah of Mohammad صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم
[Sahih Muslim Kitabul Imaan 299]
Saydna Jabir bin Abdullah رضیﷲ عنه reported that he heard Mohammad صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم saying:
لا تزال طاىٔفة من امتي يقاتلون على الحق ظاهرين الىٰ يوم القيامة،قال: عيسى بن مريم عليه السلام فيقول اميرهم: تىال صلّ لنا فيقول: لا، ان بعضكم علىٰ بعض امراء، تكرمة اللّٰه هزه الامة.
A section of my people will not cease fighting for the Truth and will prevail till the Day of Resurrection. He said: Jesus son of Mary would then descend and their (Muslims') commander would invite him to come and lead them in prayer, but he would say: No, some amongst you are commanders over some (amongst you). This is the honour from Allah for this Ummah.
[Sahih Muslim 156]
The commander mentioned in this hadith refers to Imam Mahdi عليه السلام.
[See: Mirqaat al Mafatih Sharah Mishkat al masabih Al Mulla Ali Qari 9/441 #5507]
It has been narrated from Saydna Jabir bin Abdullah رضیﷲ عنه that Mohammad صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said:
يكون في آخر امتي خليفة يحثي المال حثياً ولا يعدّه عدًّا.
having said there would be a caliph in the last (period) of my Ummah who would freely give handfuls of wealth to the people without counting it.
[Sahih Muslim 2913 Darussalam 7315 Sharah As Sunnah Al Bagawi 15/86,87 #4271 baab Al Mahdi wa Qaal haaza hadees Sahih]
Caliph mentioned in this hadith refers to Imam Mahdi عليه السلام.
It has been narrated from Abu Saeed Al Khudri رضیﷲ عنه that Mohammad صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said:
يخرج في آخر أمتي المهدي، يسقيه الله الغيث، وتخرج الأرض نباتها، ويعطى المال صحاحا، وتكثر الماشية، وتعظم الأمة، يعيش سبعا أو ثمانيا يعني حججا.
At the end of my ummah the Mahdi will emerge; Allah will send rain for him and the earth will bring forth its vegetation wealth will be distributed equally and justly, livestock will increase and the ummah will become great, and he will live or stay alive for 7 or 8 years.
[Al Mustadrak 4/557,558 #8673 sanad sahih]
[Imam Hakim and dhahabi bothe of them classified this hadith as Sahih]
[Sahih Muslim 2913]
It was narrated from Saydna Ali رضیﷲ عنه that Mohammad صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said:
المهدي منا اهل البيت، يصلحه اللّٰه في ليلة
Mahdi is one of us, the people of the Household. Allah will rectify him in a single night.
[Musnad Ahmad 1/84 #645 sanad hasan Sunan Ibn Majah 4085]
The chain of transmission of this hadith is Hasan li Zatihi, because Yaseen al ajli al koofi and Ibrahim bin Mohammad bin al Hanafiyah, both of them are truthful and trustworthy according to Majority of the Mohaddiseen they're Hasan ul hadees and Jarah on them is rejected, for more refe to Sunan Abi Dawood 4283 sanad hasan.
Sayyidah Umme Salmah رضى اللٰه عنها narrated that Mohammad صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said:
المهدي من عترتي من ولد فاطمة.
The Mahdi will be of my family, of the descendants of Fatimah.
[Sunan Abu Dawood 4284 sanad hasan, Sunan Ibn Majah 4086]
Saynda Abdullah bin Masood رضیﷲ عنه reported that Mohammad صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said
لا تزهب الدنيا،حتى يملك العرب رجل من اهل بيتي يواطى اسه اسمى
The world will not pass away before the Arabs are ruled by a man of my family whose name will be the same as mine (Mohammad)
[Musnad Ahmad 1/377 #3573 pg 430 #4098 sanad Hasan, Sunan Abi Dawood 4282 Sunan Tirmidhi 2230 Wa qaal Hasan Sahih wa sahih Zahbi fi Talkhées Al Mustadrak 4/442]
The narrator of this hadith Qari Aasim bin abi al khoud al kufi رحمہ اللہ is hasan ul hadees according to majority of the Mohaddiseen because he was Muatthaq hence Jarah on him has rejected and remaining sanad is Sahih Li zatihi.
And there's an addition that Mohammad صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said ابيه اسم واسم ابي (his father's name will be same as my father's name) in the narration of Sadooq ul hadees wa Thiqa al jamhoor Fatr bin khalifa.
[Musannaf ibn abi Shaybah 21/292 #38802 sanad Hasan Al Moajjam al kabeer tabarani 10/163 #10213]
ref to: Sahih ibn hibban Al Ahsan 6785/ 6824, Muwaariduz Zamaan 1878 "that name of Imam Mahdi عليه السلام will be "Mohammad bin Abdullah".
Saydna Ali رضیﷲ عنه reported that Mohammad صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said:
لو لم يبق الدهر الا يوم لبعث اللّٰه عزوجل رجل من اهل بيتي يملوها عدلا كما ملىت جورا
If only one day of this time (world) remained, Allah would raise up a man from my family who would fill this earth with justice as it has been filled with oppression.
[Sunan Abi dawood 4283 sanad hasan]
Sayyida Aayesha رضى اللٰه عنها reported that Mohammad صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said:
العجب ان ناسا من امتي يومون البيت برجل من قريش قد لجا بالبيت حتى ازا كانو بالبيداء خسف بهم
Strange it is that some people of my Ummah would attack the House (Ka'ba) (for killing) a person who would belong to the tribe of the Quraish and he would try to seek protection in the House. And when they would reach the plain ground they would be sunk.
[Sahih Muslim 2884]
Sayyida Umme Salmah رضى اللٰه عنها reported that mohammad صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said
يعوز عاىٔز بالبيت اليه بعث فازا كانو ببيداء من الارض خسف بهم
A seeker of refuge would seek refuge in the Sacred House and an army would be sent to him (in order to kill him) and when it would enter a plain ground, it would be made to sink
[Sahih Muslim 2882]
The conclusion of all of these Marfoo narrations is that before the Qiyamah Imam Mahdi will arrive and this is proven from Mutawatir narrations and this is fact which is undeniable without any doubts and arguments.
Many of the scholars classified the hadiths of Arrival of Mahdi as Mutawatir.
-Hafiz Abul hussain Mohammad bin Al Hussain Al Aaburi Al sajzi
[Fathul bari 6/493,494 #3449 Al Minaarul Munéef La ibn Al Qayyim pg 141-142]
-Mohammad bin Jafar bin Idrees al Qattani
[Nazmul Mutanathar Min al Hadees Al Mutawatirah pg 236 #289]
Following are the statements of Salaf on Arrival of Imam Mahdi عليه السلام.
Saydna Ali رضیﷲ عنه said: There will be trials, people will burn in it like gold got heat in the furnace hence do not say any bad things to the people of Ash shaam because there are pious Slaves of Allah among them and say ill about the oppressors of Ash shaam then people will battle and they will get defeated then Hashmi will appear so Allah will make them brave and content again and Allah will bestow his blessings upon them then Dajjal will come while the condition of the people remain the same.
[Mustadrak al haakim 4/553 #8658 sanad sahih]
Saydna Abdullah bin Abbas رضى اللٰه عنه said:
I believe that one day a young boy will arrive from our Ahle bayt, he will face trials but he will be saved from those trials and he will fix up the issues of this ummah
[Musannaf ibn Abi Shaybah 15/196 #37620]
Saydna Abdullah ibn Abbas رضیﷲ عنه said:
منا ثلاثة منا السفاح ومنا المنصور ومنا المهدي
There will be three among us, the soldiers, the one who get helped, and the Mahdi
[Musannaf ibn Abi Shaybah 15/197 #37631 sanad hasan]
It is reported from a Sahabi that Mahdi won't appear until the Nafs e zakiyah get killed.
[Musannaf ibn Abi shaybah 15/199 #37642 sanad hasan]
Saydna Abdullah ibn Amru bin al aas رضیﷲ عنه said regarding the people of Koofa that they will treat Mahdi عليه السلام with beautiful behaviour.
[Al Fitan lildani 5/1058,1059 #578 sanad hasan]
The conclusion of all these hadith and the aathar is that before the Qiyamah a caliph named Mohammad bin Abdullah al Fatimi al Hashmi whom we also call al Mahdi will appear, in his period of time Saydna Isa عليه السلام will descend from the sky and Islam will dominate the whole world.
Many reliable scholars classified the hadiths as autheny on Arrival of Mahdi عليه السلام like, Imam Tirmidhi, Hafiz Ibn Hibban, Imam Hakim, Uqayli and Dhahabi etc.
Note: it is attributed to Rasoolallah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم that he said:
ولا المهدي الا عيسى بن مريم
No one is Mahdi besides Isa عليه السلام.
[Sunan ibn majah 4039]
This narration is weak and rejected due to four reasons.
-Imam Hasan al basri رحمہ اللہ was Mudallis and he is narrating this with عن
-Mohammad bin Khalid al jundi is unknown narrator and the tautheeq from Imam ibn Mayeen رحمہ اللہ is not proven.
-Abaan bin saleh didn't hear this hadith from Hasan Al Basri رحمہ اللہ
-No one from the Mohaddiseen declared this hadith as Sahih or authentic although this hadith is declared munkar and rejected by Bayhaqi, Haakim Dhahabi etc.
By Mohaddis Al Hafiz As Shaikh Zubair Ali Zai Rahimahullah
