The coming of the Mahdi before the Day of Judgment

1-1-2001 | IslamWeb

Question:

Assalam-o-Aleykum, I want to get the answers of a few questions. Before writing my questions I should make clear that I am Urdu speaking and don't know Arabic so I may write some words those will be used in Urdu for the subjects I want to know about. Please manage for these Urdu words. Question 1: I have come to know that after marriage the sexual intercourse must be done before "Valima (The dinner given by the man after his Nikah)".Is it Correct? Question 2: From so many people I have heard that before the day of Judgement "Qayamah" Imam Mehdi will come who will lead the Islamic Army against the Christians and Prophet Isa will also come back on the earth the same days. Please tell me the details about this evidence of Qayamah as per Quran and Hadith. Please give the answers of the following questions according to Fiqah-as-Sunnah.

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Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

If you mean that the husband has to have sexual intercourse with his wife before the Waleemah (marriage banquet, wedding party), then this is not true.

In fact, the Waleemah is a Sunnah because the Prophet did it himself and ordered us to do it. So, it is permissible for the husband to perform the Waleemah before or after the consummation of the marriage. However, the consummation of the marriage must be after conducting the marriage contract.

As regards the coming of the Mahdi at the end of times before the Day of Judgment, then this is confirmed in many authentic Hadeeths.

For instance, the Prophet said: “This life will not come to an end until a man from my family whose name will be like mine would fill this earth with justice as it has been filled with oppression and he will rule for seven years.” [Abu Daawood and At-Tirmithi]

Another narration reads: “Al-Mahdi is from my progeny, an offspring of Faatimah.” [Al-Haakim]

Also, another narration reads: “The Mahdi is from me, he will have a broad forehead and 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.” [Abu Dawood and Al-Haakim]

All Muslims will follow him. He will restore Jihad and fight the non-Muslims and the aggressors. Allah will help him remove injustice and inequity from the people of the earth.

Also, there is sound evidence from the Quran, the Sunnah and the consensus of the scholars that ‘Eesa (Jesus) will descend before the Day of Judgment.

The evidence from the Quran is the saying of Allah (which means): {And there is none from the People of the Scripture but that he will surely believe in him [i.e. Jesus] before his death. And on the Day of Resurrection he will be against them a witness.} [Quran 43:61]

Abu Hurayrah gave evidence of this verse about the descent of ‘Eesa (Jesus) as we will discuss below.

Allah also says (what means): {And indeed, he [i.e. Jesus] will be [a sign for] knowledge of the Hour.} [Quran 43:61] Ibn Abbas and Qataadah explained this verse to mean the descent of ‘Eesa the son of Mary, before the Day of Judgment.

As regards evidence from the Sunnah, there are many Hadeeths that reached the degree of Tawaatur (i.e. transmitted by a group of narrators from a group of narrators, generation after generation and so forth, and they are all trustworthy people and it is absolutely impossible for them to agree on a lie) which clearly state the descent of ‘Eesa the son of Mary, before the Hour. Among these Hadeeths are the following:

1- Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Prophet said: “I swear by Him in Whose hands my soul is, the son of Mary (Jesus) will shortly descend amongst you people (Muslims) as a just ruler and will break the Cross and kill the pig and abolish the Jizyah (a tax taken from the non-Muslims who are in the protection of the Muslim government), then there will be abundance of money and nobody will accept charitable gifts, to an extent that one prostration will be better than what is in this whole world.” Abu Hurayrah added: “Recite if you wish (the saying of Allah) {And there is none from the People of the Scripture but that he will surely believe in him [i.e. Jesus] before his death. And on the Day of Resurrection he will be against them a witness.} [Quran 43:61] [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

2- Nawaas Ibn Sam’aan narrated that the Prophet said in a long Hadeeth: “…While he (the anti-Christ) is at that stage, Allah will send ‘Eesaa (Jesus), the son of Maryam (Mary) who will descend at the white minaret in the east of Damascus, and he will be placing his hands on the wings of two angels. When he lowers his head, there would fall drops of water from his head, and when he raises it up, drops like pearls would scatter from it. Every disbeliever who will smell his (i.e., ‘Eesa's) scent will die and his scent will reach as far as his sight reaches. He will fight the anti-Christ and will kill him at the door of Lod. Then ‘Eesa, , will come to a people whom Allah protected from the Anti-Christ, and he will wipe over their faces and he will inform them about their degrees in Paradise.” [Muslim and Ahmad]

3- Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Prophet said: “How will you be when Ibn Maryam descends and your Imaam is one of you?” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

4- Jaabir narrated that the Prophet said: “A group of my nation will continue to be prevalent on the Truth (until the Day of Judgment). Then ‘Eesa Ibn Maryam will descend and their Emir (leader) would say (to him): “Come and lead us in prayer”. He (‘Eesa) would reply: “No, Allaah has honored this Ummah (nation) by putting some of you Emir over the others.” [Ahmad and Muslim]

It is also narrated in some Hadeeths that this Emir is the Mahdi. Ibn Hajr reported from some scholars that religious texts prove with Tawaatur that the Mahdi is from this Ummah (nation) and that ‘Eesa will pray behind him.

Allah knows best.