Assaalamu 'Alikum.
Long post warning! A couple of days ago I made a post discussing about the Mahdi. I didn't go in to the details because for Sunni Muslims we really don't have much narrations about the Mahdi and about his life. Imams are not the cornerstone of our religion as such there is not any focus on them. So I have been reading about the Mahdi from Shia Islam. The Mahdi or the 12th Imam is a vital part of the belief and the Shias pray for his return and revere him extremely and as such there is a lot of material regarding him in the Shia literature.
Today I want to ask about some of the contents of this book called
"The Ghayba" written by Muhammad b. Ibrahim al-Nu'mani. I found some traditions in it that are extremely troublesome and disturbing. After reading these hadith I don't have a positive impression of the Shia's Mahdi as I feel he is portrayed as a merciless and violent and not the peaceful and loving Mahdi like what is shown by the Shias in public. Like I never see the Mahdi mentioned in this violent nature. Which means either these hadith are weak and fabricated or the scholars of Shias are hiding it from the laymen. I don't think a divinely appointed guide from Allah behaves in this way and the Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم is the greatest example for us.
Here is
the link for كتاب الغيبة by محمد بن إبراهيم النعماني on the Shia Online Library in Arabic. I found the English translation of the book on Al-Islam too.
It can be found on this link. I don't know how reliable the English translations are so that is why I will provide the hadith in English and the link for the original text in Arabic. I am taking all English translations from the Al-Islam book. To try and keep the post small I will not quote the chain of narrators. The chain of narrations will be found in the source link.
I want your help to discuss some hadith in this book and tell me if they are authentic or not and if they are elaborate on them. What do scholars comment on them? I would also welcome your personal opinions regarding them. So Bismillah let's start:
These hadith are all from
Chapter 13 of the book titled "Door to what is narrated about attributes, biography, deeds, and what is revealed about him (Al Mahdi) in the Quran."
[Unrelated to topic] “The man of this matter has a likeness to Prophet Joseph (as). He is a son of a (black) bondmaid. Allah will make him succeed within a night.” (
Hadith No. 8, Pg. 231)
I found this hadith to be similar to one of our Sunni hadith. The Arabic of the hadith is similar to ours. From our hadith we read, "الْمَهْدِيُّ مِنَّا أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ يُصْلِحُهُ اللَّهُ فِي لَيْلَةٍ " and we read the hadith in your book, " يصلح الله عز وجل له أمره في ليلة واحدة "To my knowledge the Shias don't believe that Allah will make the Mahdi upright/rectify in a single night or in a short time because he is already upright as he is infallible. This gives me the impression that not all hadith which I am about to quote will be Sahih and authentic beliefs of the Shia.
“I want you to mention to me the name of one of the virtuous men-I meant al-Qa'im (as).” He said: “His name is like mine.”I said: “Will he act like Muhammad (as)?” He said: “O Zurara, how far! He will not act as the Prophet (S) has acted.”I asked: “May I die for you! Why not?” He said: “The Prophet (S) has acted leniently towards his umma. He has entreated people kindly whereas al-Qa'im (as) will use his sword with them. He has been ordered by the book, which is with him,to do so. He will kill (bad) people without forgiving anyone. Woe unto whoever opposes him then.” (
Hadith No. 14 Pg. 234-235)
My question is that since "He has been ordered by the book, which is with him,to do so," what book does he have? If it is the Quran why not just say so? Is it another book? And even in the Quran the violence that is there has historical context and violence is never encouraged and mercy and co-existence is the focus.
Once I was sitting with Abu Abdullah as-Sadiq (as) when al-Mu’alla bin Khunays asked him: “Will al-Qa'im (as), when he appears, act unlike the way, in which Ali (as) has acted?” He said: “Yes, he will. Ali has acted with leniency and forgiving because he has known that his Shia are going to be controlled after him. But al-Qa'im (as), when appears, will kill and capture because he knows that his Shia will not be defeated after him forever.” (
Hadith No. 16, Pg 235)
Does Ali (RA) know the future? It is not true to begin with as during and after the Safavid Empire the Shias have land of their own now with proper Government and everything. No one controls them and the Qaim is not even here yet. I think this is false.
“If people know what al-Qa'im (as) will do when he appears, most of them will wish he would not appear. He kills great numbers of people. He begins with the people of Quraysh. He kills much many of them until many people say: He is not from Muhammad’s progeny. If he is from Muhammad’s progeny, he will be merciful!” (
Hadith No. 18, Pg 236)
This is so problematic and disturbing. I find it shocking.
“Al-Qa'im will rise with a new task, new principles and new judgements. He will be severe with the Arabs. He will do not but killing. He will not forgive anyone and he will not care for any blame because he acts for the sake of Allah.” (
Hadith No. 19, Pg 236)
Umm what is this? Is the Mahdi bringing a new Shariah other than Prophet Mohammad's صلى الله عليه و سلم? And again he is shown to be like a blood thirsty violent person.
“When al-Qa'im appears, there will be nothing between him and between the Arabs and Quraysh except the sword. There will be nothing save killing. So why do they urge on his appearance? By Allah, he wears rough cloths and eats coarse barley. It will be just the sword and killing under the shadow of the sword.” (
Hadith No. 21, Pg 237)
Again too much violence and barbarism. Where is all the love and justice and peace?
Al-Qa'im (as) will not appear unless his appearance is preceded by great terror, earthquakes, seditions, calamities, spread of plague, killing among the Arabs, great disagreements among people, separation in religion and bad conditions until one wishes to die day and night because of what madness he sees among people and their trying to eat each other. Al-Qa'im (as) will appear after people reach a very high extent of despair. Blessed is he, who sees al-Qa'im (as) and becomes one of his supporters, and woe unto whoever opposes him, disobeys his orders and becomes his enemy. (
Hadith No. 22, Pg 238)
This is the hadith I wanted to mention which contains signs that people link to coming of Mahdi. I can't help but see the events of the Syrian civil war, Yemen, and the whole of Levant and the heavy involvement of the Iranian regime in these events. What if it is backed by this hadith? I see it reflected in daily life as there is a tremendous hate/racism for Arabs. Actually from both sides. To be clear I am not taking sides of the Arabs. I am not an Arab myself. Far from it.
“O Bishr, when al-Qa'im al-Mahdi appears, he will bring five hundred men of those, who have remained of Quraysh (the Arabs), and kill them. Then he brings other five hundred men and kills them. Then he brings other five hundred and kills them.” Basheer bin Ghalib, the brother of Bishr, said: “I witness that al-Husayn bin Ali (as) has mentioned to my brother six times five hundreds.” (
Hadith No. 23, Pg 238-239)
“Nothing remains between us and the Arabs except slaughter. (He pointed with his hand at his mouth).” (
Hadith No 24, Pg 239)
Again really disturbing. This narration is mistranslated though as he pointed with his hands at his throat not his mouth. The Arabic says وأومأ بيده إلى حلقه . Halq is throat. So you know kinda like the slitting throat action. This is hardly the kind of thing a pious man of God would narrate using this kind of rude gesture. It makes me doubt this hadith as evil and fabricated.
These were some of the hadith I had problem with. There were a lot more of similar nature. Too much death and destruction. The Mahdi for the Sunnis is supposed to avert the death and destruction that Al-Dajjal will cause not be the cause of it himself. Please explain to me are these authentic? Are they taken and believed by the Shia and scholars? How do they interpret them?
