Will the Mahdi Lead Jihad of the Sword?

Introduction

It is a prevalent belief amongst the non-Ahmadi Muslims, especially the ‘Sunnis’, that when the Mahdi comes, he will be appointed as ‘Commander’ of the Muslim Army and will Lead Jihad of the Sword against non-muslims instead of peacefully spreading the true teachings of Islam. To prove this, they quote the following hadith:

حَدَّثَنَا عُثْمَانُ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا مُعَاوِيَةُ بْنُ هِشَامٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ صَالِحٍ، عَنْ يَزِيدَ بْنِ أَبِي زِيَادٍ، عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، عَنْ عَلْقَمَةَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، قَالَ بَيْنَمَا نَحْنُ عِنْدَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ إِذْ أَقْبَلَ فِتْيَةٌ مِنْ بَنِي هَاشِمٍ فَلَمَّا رَآهُمُ النَّبِيُّ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ اغْرَوْرَقَتْ عَيْنَاهُ وَتَغَيَّرَ لَوْنُهُ قَالَ فَقُلْتُ مَا نَزَالُ نَرَى فِي وَجْهِكَ شَيْئًا نَكْرَهُهُ ‏.‏ فَقَالَ ‏ “‏ إِنَّا أَهْلُ بَيْتٍ اخْتَارَ اللَّهُ لَنَا الآخِرَةَ عَلَى الدُّنْيَا وَإِنَّ أَهْلَ بَيْتِي سَيَلْقَوْنَ بَعْدِي بَلاَءً وَتَشْرِيدًا وَتَطْرِيدًا حَتَّى يَأْتِيَ قَوْمٌ مِنْ قِبَلِ الْمَشْرِقِ مَعَهُمْ رَايَاتٌ سُودٌ فَيَسْأَلُونَ الْخَيْرَ فَلاَ يُعْطَوْنَهُ فَيُقَاتِلُونَ فَيُنْصَرُونَ فَيُعْطَوْنَ مَا سَأَلُوا فَلاَ يَقْبَلُونَهُ حَتَّى يَدْفَعُوهَا إِلَى رَجُلٍ مِنْ أَهْلِ بَيْتِي فَيَمْلَؤُهَا قِسْطًا كَمَا مَلَؤُوهَا جَوْرًا فَمَنْ أَدْرَكَ ذَلِكَ مِنْكُمْ فَلْيَأْتِهِمْ وَلَوْ حَبْوًا عَلَى الثَّلْجِ ‏”‏ ‏.‏

It was narrated that ‘Abdullah said:

“While we were with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), some youngsters from Banu Hashim came along. When the Prophet (ﷺ) saw them, his eyes filled with tears and his color changed. I said: ‘We still see something in your face that we do not like (to see).’ He said: ‘We are members of a Household for whom Allah has chosen the Hereafter over this world. The people of my Household will face calamity, expulsion and exile after I am gone, until some people will come from the east carrying black banners. They will ask for something good but will not be given it. Then they will fight and will be victorious, then they will be given what they wanted, but they will not accept it and will give leadership to a man from my family. Then they will fill it with justice just as it was filled with injustice. Whoever among you lives to see that, let him go to them even if he has to crawl over snow.'”

^{[Sunan Ibn Majah 4082]}

Refutation

Firstly, this hadith does not say Mahdi at all. How can anyone claim its about Mahdi?

Secondly, this hadith is Dai’f (weak).

١. فضيلة الشيخ الإمام محمد ناصر الدين الألباني – ضعیف

٢. فضيلة الشيخ العلّامة شُعيب الأرناؤوط إسناده – ضعيف

٣. مجلس علمي (دار الدّعوة، دهلي) – ضعيف

٤. فضيلة الشيخ حافظ زبير علي زئي – إسناده ضعيف

_{[Mohaddis.com]}

So what does this prove? Absolutely nothing. Sunnis cherry-pick Da’if (weak) ahadith to feed into their fantasy of a violent Mahdi who will go on a killing spree – all while ignoring or outright rejecting authentic ahadith that don’t fit the narrative.

Moreover, there’s a glaring contradiction: If the Messiah is prophesied to come and abolish war and jizya, then how can the Mahdi, who supposedly precedes him, be justified in leading wars? The logic of the Anti-Ahmadis does not hold at all.

يَنْزِلَ فِيكُمُ ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ…ويَضَع الحربَ

“…son of Mary will soon descend amongst you.. and abolish war“

_{[Sahih al-Bukhari, 3448]}

Conclusion

There is no authentic Hadith that states Mahdi will become Commander of the Muslim Army and lead Jihad of the Sword.

In fact, authentic narrations indicate that only a minority of Muslims will accept the Messiah, while the majority will oppose the Mahdi. Other Ahadith also mention that the scholars of the latter days will be the worst of creation under the sky. Islamic scholars have further explained that the Mahdi will face opposition from the majority, and it will be the scholars of that time who will lead this Fitna.

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