Masih is Al-Mahdi

Introduction

One question that confuses Non-Ahmadis is that they say that if Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad(AS) is the Maseeh, then where is the Mahdi? There are numerous aspects that need to be understood. 1) Most Hadiths on the Imam Mahdi are Dhaif 2) Masih Maud(AS) although from the ahlul Bayt does not claim to be the Fatimid Mahdi as those ahadith are dhaif and he does not base his claim of Mahdi from the hadith 3) There are many Mahdis in Islam 4) The authenticity of the Hadith ‘La Mahdi illa Isa’.

Most Ahadith on the Mahdi are Dhaeef

Hazrat Maulana Jalaludeen Shams(RA) and Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad(AS) discussed how Ibn Khaludun quoted Muhaditheen and found that most of the Mahdi Hadith are dhaeef.

Hadith # 1

Narrated AbuSa’id al-Khudri:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: The Mahdi will be of my stock, and will have a broad forehead a prominent nose. He will fill the earth will equity and justice as it was filled with oppression and tyranny, and he will rule for seven years.

Sunan Abi Dawud 4285

The following tradition, furthermore, was published by Abu Dawud, as well as by Ibn Majah and al-Hakim in the Mustadrak, through ‘Ali b. Nufayl,849 on the authority of Sa’id b. al-Musayyab, on the authority of Umm Salimah, who said: “I heard the Messenger of God say: ‘The Mahdi is one of my family, one of the descendants of Fatimah.’ ” This is Abu Daw6d’s recension. He did not make any critical remarks concerning it. Ibn Majah’s recension has: “The Mahdi is one of Fatimah’s descendants.” Al-Hakim’s recension has: “I heard the Messenger of God mention the Mahdi. He said: ‘Yes, he is a fact, and he will be one of the children of Fatimah.’ ” Neither (Hakim) nor anyone else discussed the soundness of the tradition (critically). Abu Ja’far al-‘Ugayli declared it to be weak. He said: “‘Ali b. Nufayl has not been followed in this tradition, and it is known only through him.”

Al Muqaddimah by Ibn Khaldun on Abi Dawud 4285

Hadith # 2

whom there is doubt whether they actually heard their traditions from their authorities, a tradition is accepted only when it expressly states that they actually heard it. In this case, moreover, the tradition does not expressly state that it is concerned with the Mahdi, although Abu Dawud did, it is true, mention it in his chapters dealing with the Mahdi.

Abu Dawud, followed by al-Hakim, also published the following tradition of Abu Sa’id al-Khudri through ‘Imran al-Qattan,856 on the authority of Qatadah, on the authority of Abu Nadrah,857 on the authority of Abu Sa’id al-Khudri, who said: The Messenger of God said: “The Mahdi is from me. He has a bald forehead and an aquiline nose. He will fill the earth with equity and justice, as it had been filled with injustice and crime. He will rule seven years.”

This is Abu Dawud’s recension. He did not make any remarks critical of it. Al-Hakim’s recension has: “The Mahdi is from us, the people of the House. He has a well formed, aquiline nose, and a bald (forehead). He will fill the earth with equity and justice, as it had been filled with injustice and crime. He will live this long-and he opened out his left hand and two fingers of his right hand, the thumb and index finger, bending (the other) three down.” Al-Hakim said: “This is a sound tradition, according to the rules laid. down by Muslim (for sound traditions), but neither (alBukhari nor Muslim) published it.” End of the quotation

Scholars differ as to whether ‘Imran al-Qattan can be used as evidence. AlBukhari published traditions of his only as additional evidence, and not as the sole basis. Yahya alQattan used not to transmit any traditions on his authority. Yahya b. Main said: “He is not strong.” Once he said: “He is nothing.” Ahmad b. Hanbal said: “I hope that he is sound in his traditions.” Yazid b. Zuray’ 858 said: “He was a Kharijite and considered it permissible to put the people of the Qiblah 859 to the sword.” An-Nasa’i said: “He is weak.” Abu ‘Ubayd al-Ajurri 860 said: “I asked Abu Dawud about him, and he replied that he was a transmitter of ‘good’ traditions and that he had heard only good things (about him). Another time, I heard him mention him and say that he was weak.” In the days of Ibrahim b. ‘Abdallah b. Hasan,861 he gave an unfortunate legal opinion that led to bloodshed

At-Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah, and al-Hakim published the following tradition of Abu Sa’id al-Khudri through Zayd al’Ammi,862 on the authority of Abus-Siddiq anNaji,863 on the authority of Abu Sa’id al-Khudri, who said: “We feared that something might happen after our Prophet (had died). Therefore we asked him, and he said: ‘In my nation, there will come forth the Mahdi. He will live five, or seven, or nine’-increasing the number, as if in doubt.” He said: “We asked what (the numbers meant). He replied: ‘Years.’ Then he continued: ‘Someone will come to the Mahdi and say to him: “O Mahdi, give me something.” ‘ He said: ‘And (the Madhi) will pour into his garment as much as he can carry.’ “

This is the recension of at-Tirmidhi, who said: “It is a ‘good’ tradition. It was transmitted in more than one way, on the authority of Abu Sa’id al-Khudri, on the authority of the Prophet.”

The recension of Ibn Majah and al-Hakim has: “There will be in my nation the Mahdi. If he lives (among you) a short time, it will be seven years; if not, it will be nine. My nation will experience a prosperity the like of which they have never experienced before. The earth will bring forth its food and will not hoard any of it. There will be piles of money. A man will get up and say: ‘O Mahdi, give me something,’ and he will reply: ‘Just take.’ ” 864

Ad-Daraqutni, Ahmad b. Hanbal, and Yahya b. Main said that Zayd al- ‘Ammi was all right. Ahmad added that he was superior to Yazid ar-Raqashi 865 and Fadl b. ‘Isa.866 However, Abu Hatim said concerning him that he was weak, and that his traditions may be written down but not used as evidence. Yahya b. Main said of him in connection with another tradition: “(He is) nothing.” He once also said: “His traditions may be written down, but he is weak.” AlJuzajani said: “He is just holding on (mutamasik).” Abu Zur’ah said: “He is not strong, his traditions are futile, and he is weak.” Abu Hatim said: “He is not such (a good man). 867 Shu’bah transmitted traditions on his authority.” An-Nasa’i said: “He is weak.” Ibn ‘Adi 868 said: “Most of his traditions and authorities are weak, even though Shu’bah transmitted traditions on his authority. Shu’bah possibly did not transmit traditions on the authority of anyone weaker than he.”

It has been said that at-Tirmidhi’s tradition is an interpretation of Jabir’s , and Abu Sa’id’s traditions, which are transmitted by Muslim in the Sahih. 969 Jabir said: “The Messenger of God said: ‘At the end of my nation, there will be a caliph who will not count money, but just throw it around.’ ” Abu Sa’id’s tradition reads: “. . . among your caliphs a caliph who will throw the money around.” As transmitted by another chain of transmitters, the tradition on the authority of (Jabir and Abu Sa’id) reads: “At the end of time, there will be a caliph who will distribute money without counting it.” End of the quotation.

Muslim’s traditions do not mention the Mahdi, and there is nothing in them to show that the Mahdi is meant in them.