AHAADITH REGARDING IMAAM MAHDI (ALAYHIS SALAAM) IN THE SAHEEHAIN

Ahaadith regarding Imaam Mahdi (alayhis salaam) in the Saheehain

There is no explicit and clear narration in the Saheehain regarding Imaam Mahdi (alayhis salaam), however, the subject of some of their Ahaadith can be found, verbatim, in other Ahaadith Kitaabs, wherein these narrations (which appear in the Saheehain) are better understood and ‘interpreted’.

Hereunder are some Ahaadith which appear in the Saheehain:

“It is reported from Abu Hurairah (radhiyallahu anhu) who said, ‘Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said, ‘What will be your condition when the son of Maryam descends and your Imaam will be amongst you?” [Narrated in Bukhari in the chapter, Nuzoolu Isaa Bin Maryam)
Imaam Muslim (rahmatullah alayh) has narrated in his Saheeh, from Hadhrat Jaabir (radhiyallahu anhu), that he heard Nabi (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) saying, “A group from my Ummat will always be engaged in fighting upon the Haqq (and) they will be victorious until (just before the advent of) The Day of Qiyaamah… Isaa Ibn Maryam (alayhis salaam) will descend and their Ameer will say to him, ‘Come and lead our Salaat’. He will reply, ‘No! some of you are leaders unto others. Allah Ta`ala has honoured this Ummat.’”

Two points are worth noting here:
(1) At the time of Hadhrat Isaa’s (alayhis salaam) descension, the Muslim Ummat will have a pious and just leader.
(2) The fact that Hadhrat Isa (alayhis salaam) will ask this Imaam to lead the Salaat is ample proof that he will be a pious and virtuous Imaam.
Now the question arises as to whether this Imaam is in fact Imaam Mahdi (alayhis salaam)? The excellent qualities and traits of this pious Imaam are borne out by numerous Ahaadith. His name,
Imaam Mahdi (Alayhis Salaam)

Muhammad Ibn Abdillah, has also been mentioned in numerous Ahaadith. In a narration reported in Masnad Al Haarith Ibn Abi Usaamah, and exact narration such as this one is reported by Hadhrat Jaabir (radhiyallahu anhu), wherein he states the word, Al Mahdi, after the words ‘their Ameer’. This narration becomes a Tafseer of the Hadith which appears in Muslim Shareef.
Examine the narration which appears in Musnad Al Haarith Bin Usaamah:
“It is reported from Jaabir (radhiyallahu anhu), who says that Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said, ‘A group from my Ummat will always be engaged in fighting upon the Haqq (and) they will be victorious until (just before the advent of) The Day of Qiyaamah… Isaa Ibn Maryam (alayhis salaam) will descend and their Ameer, Al Mahdi, will say to him, ‘Come and lead our Salaat’. He will reply, ‘No! some of you are leaders unto others. Allah Ta`ala has honoured this Ummat.’”
Regarding this Hadith, Ibn Qayyim states in Al Manaarul Muneef , “Isnaaduhu Jayyidun” (Its chain of narrators is excellent). It is very clear and evident that this narration forms an interpretation and dilation of the narration which appears in Muslim Shareef. Those Ahaadith wherein the name of Imaam Mahdi (alayhis salaam) is not mentioned, and he is merely described as a pious/virtuous man, are clarified by other Ahadith which describes Imaam Mahdi with clarity. There are other narrations which clearly state that the person who will ask Hadhrat Isa (alayhis salaam) to lead the Salaat will be Imaam Mahdi (alayhis salaam). Therefore, in the above-mentioned Hadith, the pious/virtuous man who will ask Hadhrat Isa (alayhis salaam) to lead the Salaat is Imaam Mahdi (alayhis salaam). In the Saheehain his name is not given but owing to the narration which appears in Sanad Al Harith, we come to know that the pious/virtuous Imaam who will ask Hadhrat Isa (alayhis salaam) to lead the Salaat will be Imaam Mahdi (alayhis salaam).
Imaam Mahdi (Alayhis Salaam)

Allamah Siddiq Hasan Qanooji (rahmatullah alayh) has compiled a large number of Ahaadith regarding Imaam Mahdi (alayhis salaam) in his Kitaab, Al-Izaa`a. At the end, he quotes the above-mentioned narration from Muslim Shareef and comments, “The word, ‘Mahdi’ is not mentioned in this Hadith, but in this Hadith and other such Ahaadith, there is no possibility of this person being any other, than the awaited Mahdi, as can be borne out by the above-mentioned Ahaadith and numerous narrations.”

SOURCE: IMAAM MADHI BY THE MAJLIS