Accumulate All Hadiths of Prophet (SA) regarding the Imam Mahdi of the End Times:
Certainly, Islamic eschatology contains references to the Mahdi, who is prophesied to be a future leader to guide the Muslim community and establish righteousness before the Day of Judgment. While there are numerous hadiths about the Mahdi across various collections, not all of them are deemed authentic by all Muslim scholars. Below is a compilation of some of the hadiths about the Mahdi:
Popular Hadiths about Imam Mahdi
Sunan Ibn Majah (Vol. 3, Book 9, Hadith 2894):
Narrated ‘Ali: “The Prophet (SA) said, ‘Mahdi is one of us, the people of the Household. Allah will prepare him in one night.'”
Sahih Muslim (Book 41, Hadith 6961):
Muhammad bin Ali narrates regarding the Mahdi: “He said: ‘The Messenger of Allah (SA) promised that the Mahdi will be among my progeny, among the descendants of Fatimah.'”
Sunan Abu Dawood (Book 36, Hadith 4270):
Abu Sa’id al-Khudri reported the Messenger of Allah (SA) as saying: “The Mahdi will be from my stock, and will have a broad forehead and a pointed nose. He will fill the earth with equity and justice as it was filled with oppression and injustice.”
Sunan Ibn Majah (Vol. 3, Book 9, Hadith 2896):
Umm Salamah, the wife of the Prophet (SA) narrated: “I heard the Messenger of Allah (SA) say: ‘The Mahdi is of my lineage and family, from the descendants of Fatimah.'”
Sunan Abu Dawood (Book 36, Hadith 4272):
Thawban, the freed slave of the Messenger of Allah (SA) said: “The Prophet (SA) said: ‘Three will fight for your treasure, each one of them the son of a caliph, but none of them will gain it. Then the black banners will come from the east and they will kill you in an unprecedented manner.’ Then he mentioned something that I do not remember, then he said: ‘When you see them, then pledge allegiance to them even if you have to crawl over snow, for that is the caliph of Allah, the Mahdi.'”
Jami` at-Tirmidhi (Book 33, Hadith 2230):
Narrated from Abu Sa’id al-Khudri: “The Prophet (SA) said: ‘The Mahdi is from me. He will be born with a free forehead and a beautiful nose. He will fill the earth with justice and fairness at a time when it will be filled with oppression. He will rule for seven years.'”
Jami` at-Tirmidhi (Book 33, Hadith 2232):
From Ali ibn Abi Talib: “The Prophet (SA) said: ‘Even if there remains only one day until the Day of Judgment, Allah will extend that day until a man from my family is sent, whose name matches mine.'”
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Sahih Al-Bukhari (Book 88, Hadith 237):
Allah’s Apostle said, “The Hour will not be established until the son of Mary (i.e., Jesus) descends amongst you as a just ruler, he will break the cross, kill the pigs, and abolish the Jizya tax. Money will be in abundance so that nobody will accept it (as charitable gifts).”
Sunan Abu Dawood (Book 36, Hadith 4271):
Narrated Abu Sa’id al-Khudri: “The Prophet (SA) said: The Mahdi will be of my stock, and will have a black mole on his cheek. He will take refuge in the city of Ghouta and will be called out as the caliph of Allah. Then Allah will send Jesus son of Mary, and he will descend at the white minaret in the east of Damascus.”
Sunan Ibn Majah (Vol. 3, Book 9, Hadith 2895):
Narrated Abu Hurairah: “The Prophet (SA) said: ‘The Mahdi will emerge from my nation, and he will rule for five or seven or nine.’ Zuhair bin Harb and Abu Bakr bin Abi Khaythamah narrated to us, from Khalid, from Ikrimah: ‘For nine.'”
Jami` at-Tirmidhi (Book 33, Hadith 2233):
From Ali: “The Prophet (SA) said: ‘The Mahdi is one of us, from the members of the household (Ahl al-Bayt). Allah will rectify him in a single night.'”
Sunan Ibn Majah (Vol. 3, Book 9, Hadith 2897):
Narrated Ali bin Abi Talib: “The Prophet (SA) said: ‘The Mahdi is one of us, from among the members of the household (Ahl al-Bayt). In one night Allah will inspire him and prepare him to carry out his task successfully.'”
Musnad Ahmad (18465):
The Prophet (SA) said: “The Mahdi will be of my family, of the descendants of Fatimah (the Prophet’s daughter).”
Sunan Abu Dawood (Book 36, Hadith 4273):
Narrated by Umm Salamah: “The Prophet (SA) said: ‘People will pledge allegiance to the Mahdi between the Rukn (a corner of the Kaaba) and the Maqam (place of Abraham in the Mosque, referring to the stone on which Prophet Abraham stood while he was building the Kaaba).”
Musnad Ahmad (8769):
Abu Sa’id Al-Khudri reported: “The Prophet (SA) said, ‘The Mahdi will emerge from me, and he will not come unless it happens to the people what they will hate.’ They said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, how long will he stay?’ The Prophet said, ‘Seven, and perhaps eight or nine.'”
Jami` at-Tirmidhi (Book 33, Hadith 2234):
From Abu Hurairah: “The Prophet (SA) said: ‘The Hour shall not be established until the tribes of my nation attach themselves to the polytheists, and tribes of my nation worship idols. And indeed there shall be thirty imposters in my nation, each of them claiming he is a prophet, while I am the final Prophet, there is no Prophet after me.'”
Musnad Ahmad (14184):
Abdullah bin Mas’ud reported: “The Prophet (SA) said, ‘The world will not pass away until the Arabs are ruled by a man from my family whose name will be the same as mine.'”
Al-Mustadrak alaa al-Sahihain (by al-Hakim) (4/557):
The Prophet (SA) said: “Even if only one day remains for Qiyamah (Day of Judgment) to come, Allah will send a man from my family who will fill this world with such justice and fairness, just as it was filled with oppression.”
Sunan Ibn Majah (Vol. 3, Book 9, Hadith 2898):
It was narrated from Jabir bin Abdullah that: “The Messenger of Allah (SA) said: ‘Isa bin Maryam will descend, and their leader, the Mahdi, will say: “Come and lead us in prayer.” But he will say: “No, one of them should lead them as an honor from Allah to this nation.”‘
Sahih Muslim (Book 41, Hadith 6924):
Narrated Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman: “The people used to ask the Messenger of Allah (SA) about good, but I used to ask him about evil for fear that it might overtake me. Once I said: Messenger of Allah, we were in the midst of ignorance and evil, and then Allah brought us this good (time through Islam). Is there any bad time after this good one? He said: Yes. I asked: Will there be a good time again after that bad time? He said: Yes, but it will be tainted. I asked: What will taint it? He said: A people who will guide others not according to my tradition. You will approve of some of their deeds and disapprove of some others. I asked: Will there be a bad time after that good one? He said: Yes. (In it) there will be some people who will call at the gates of Hell; whoever responds to their call, they will throw them into the fire. I said: Messenger of Allah, describe them for us. He said: They will be of our stock and will speak our language. I said: What do you order me to do if I reach that time? He said: Stick to the group of Muslims and their leader. I asked: If there is neither a group (of Muslims) nor a leader? He said: Keep away from all those different sects, even if you have to bite upon the root of a tree until death overtakes you while you are in that state.”
Sunan an-Nasa’i (Kitab al-Fitan, Hadith 5405):
It was narrated that Umm Salamah said: “I heard the Messenger of Allah (SA) say: ‘The Mahdi is of my lineage and my family, from the descendants of Fatimah.'”
Sunan Abu Dawood (Book 39, Hadith 4252 – Kitab Al-Fitan):
Narrated by Abdullah ibn Mas’ud: “The Prophet (SA) said: If only one day of this world remained, Allah would lengthen it until he raised up in it a man who belongs to me or to my family whose father’s name is the same as my father’s, who will fill the earth with equity and justice as it has been filled with oppression and tyranny.”
Conclusion
These hadiths reflect the challenging circumstances that will surround the advent of the Mahdi, emphasizing the intense trials and tribulations of the period leading up to his arrival. Again, it’s crucial to approach these hadiths with a scholarly lens, as interpretations and nuances can vary.
Finally, There are more hadiths found across other collections as well. Shia Muslims particularly place a lot of emphasis on the concept of the Mahdi, and they believe he has already been born and is in occultation, soon to reappear. Sunni Muslims believe that the Mahdi is yet to be born. Both sects agree that he will play a pivotal role in the End Times, restoring justice and righteousness.