Signs of the appearance of the Mahdi

The signs of the appearance of the Mahdi are the collection of events, according to Islamic eschatology, that will occur before the arrival of the Mahdi, The signs differ based on Sunni and Shia branches of Islam.

Detailed Eschatological Chart

Sunni signs

Mahdi will be the last of the minor signs of the Judgement Day. Therefore all signs of the Judgement Day are also considered as the signs of the appearance of Mahdi.^[1]

Minor signs

Main article: Signs of the coming of Judgement Day

1. The coming of fitna (tribulations) and removal of khushoo (fearfulness of God, reverence of God, etc.)^{[note 1][2]}
2. A person passing by a grave might say to another the following: "I wish it were my abode."^{[note 2][3]}
3. The loss of honesty, as well as authority put in the hands of those who do not deserve it.^{[note 3][4]}
4. The loss of knowledge and the prevalence of religious ignorance.^{[note 4][5]}
5. Frequent, sudden, and unexpected deaths.^{[note 5][6]}
6. Increase in Al-Harj (pointless killings).^{[note 6][7]}
7. Acceleration of time.^{[note 7][8]}
8. Rejection of the Hadith.^{[note 8][9]}
9. The spread of riba and zina^{[10][note 9][note 10][note 11]} and the drinking of alcohol.^{[note 12][11]}
10. Widespread acceptance of music.^{[note 13][12]}
11. Pride and competition in the decoration of mosques.^{[note 14][13]}
12. Women will increase in number and men will decrease in number so much so that fifty women will be looked after by one man. ^{[note 4][5]}
13. Abundance of earthquakes.^{[note 15][14]}
14. Frequent occurrences of disgrace, distortion, public humiliation and defamation.^{[note 16]}
15. When people wish to die because of the severe trials and tribulations that they are suffering.^{[note 17][15]}
16. When paying charity becomes a burden.^{[note 18][16]}
17. People will compete in the construction of tall buildings.^{[note 15][14]}
18. Women will appear naked despite their being dressed.^{[note 19][17]}
19. People will seek knowledge from misguided and straying scholars.^{[note 20][18]}
20. Liars will be believed, honest people disbelieved, and faithful people called traitors.^{[note 21][19]}
21. The death of righteous, knowledgeable people.^{[note 4][5]}
22. The emergence of indecency (obscenity) and enmity among relatives and neighbours.^{[note 22]}
23. The rise of idolatry and polytheists within the Ummah.^{[note 23][20]}
24. The Euphrates will uncover a mountain of gold.^{[note 24][21]}
25. The land of the Arabs will return to being a land of rivers and fields.^{[note 25][22]}
26. People will increasingly earn money by unlawful (Haraam) ways.^{[note 26][23]}
27. There will be much rain but little vegetation.^{[note 27]}
28. Evil people will be expelled from Medina.^{[note 28][24]}
29. Wild animals will communicate with humans, and humans will communicate with objects.^{[note 29][25]}
30. Lightning and thunder will become more prevalent.^{[note 30]}
31. There will be a special greeting for people of distinction.^{[note 22]}
32. Trade will become so widespread that a woman will help her husband in business.^{[note 22]}
33. No truly honest man will remain and no one will be trusted.^{[note 31][26]}
34. Only the worst people will be left; they will not know any good nor forbid any evil (i.e. No one will say there is no god but Allah).^{[note 30]}
35. Nations will call each other to destroy Islam by any and every means.^{[note 22]}
36. Islamic knowledge will be passed on, but no one will follow it correctly.^{[note 32][27]}
37. Muslim rulers will come who do not follow the guidance and tradition of the Sunnah. Some of their men will have the hearts of devils in a human body.^{[note 33][28]}
38. Stinginess will become more widespread and honorable people will perish.^{[note 34]}
39. A man will obey his wife and disobey his mother, and treat his friend kindly while shunning his father.^{[note 35][29]}
40. Voices will be raised in the mosques.^{[note 36]}
41. The leader of a people will be the worst of them.^{[note 36]}
42. People will treat a man with respect because they fear the evil he could do.^{[note 36]}
43. Much wine will be drunk.^{[note 36]}
44. Muslims shall fight against a nation who wear shoes made of hair and with faces like hammered shields, with red complexions and small eyes.^{[note 37][30]}
45. The emergence of the Sufyani within the Syria region.^{[note 38][31]}
46. The truce and joint Roman-Muslim campaign against a common enemy, followed by al-Malhama al-Kubra (Armageddon), a Roman vs. Muslim war.^{[note 39]}
47. The Black Standard will come from Khorasan (see Hadith of black flags), nothing shall turn them back until it is planted in Jerusalem.^{[note 40]}
48. Emergence of an army, from Yemen, that will make Islam dominant.^{[note 41][32]}
49. An Arab king will die. There will be disagreement concerning succession. Then a man will emerge from Medina. He will hurry to Mecca, and the people of Mecca will come out to him and urge him and try to force him to accept the Bai'aa. One of the last of the lesser signs, and which will signal the coming of the 10 major signs is the appearance of the Mahdi.^{[note 42][33][34][35]}
50. Lunar eclipse on the first night in the month of Ramadhan and solar eclipse in middle of it, with varying interpretations (1st/15th of Ramadhan) or (13th/28th of Ramadhan). It is largely accepted among past scholars.^[36]
51. Successive wars and death of many people in the world^[37]
52. Creation and development of science and knowledge in Qom^[38]
53. Increasing injustice and corruption in the world^[39]
54. People will fornicate on the roads "like donkeys".^{[citation needed]}
55. A pleasant breeze will blow from the south that shall cause all believers to die peacefully.^{[citation needed]}

Shia signs

According to some narrations, there are five certain signs that will occur prior to the appearance of the Mahdi. The hadith of Ja'far al-Sadiq mentions these signs: "the appearance of Sufyani and Yamani, the loud cry in the sky, the murder of Nafs-e-Zakiyyah, and the earth swallowing (a group of people) in the land of Bayda which is a desert between Mecca and Medina.^[40][41]

Loud Cry in the Sky

Gabriel will shout loudly and it will be heard from the sky and in other interpretations it is stated to be that "...some of the people of Mecca will come to him, bring him out against his will and swear allegiance to him between the Corner and the Maqam...". Hence, that loud cry may be actually from the people present at the Kaaba on that particular day.

Appearance of Sufyani

Main article: Sufyani

According to some narrations Sufyani, one of the descendants of Abu Sufyan, will arise before Mahdi's appearance.^[41] He has been depicted as an outwardly devout man that will take care to remember Allah at all times. But in reality he will be the most wicked man in the world. He will upraise during the Rajab. After he realizes that Mahdi has appeared, he will send away an army to fight him. Some books say that the army of Sufyani before getting to the army of Mahdi will sink into the earth in the Bayda, a desert between Mecca and Medina.^[42][43][44] The appearance of Sufyani is mentioned in both Shia and Sunni narrations.^[43][45]

Appearance of Yamani

Main article: Al-Yamani (Shiism)

In some narrations, the appearance of Yamani is mentioned as one of the certain signs of twelfth Imam's reappearance.^[41][46][47] The fifth Shia Imam, Muhammad al-Baqir, described Yamani in detail in a hadith:"... among these individuals (Sufyani, Yamani and Khorasani) the Yamani is the closest to guidance, for he calls the people to join the Mahdi. When he rises, the trading of weapons will be prohibited for every Muslim. When he rises, join him immediately, for his flag is the flag of guidance and prosperity and no Muslim should oppose it. Any one who does so will go to hell, because the Yamani calls to the right path."^[42] Some sources mention that the Yamani and the Khurasani will be allied against the Sufyani.^[48]

The loud cry in the sky

Main article: The voice from sky

The third certain sign that is mentioned in the above narration is the loud cry in the sky.^[41] According to tradition two cries will be heard. In the first of them Gabriel will call the name of Al-Qa'im and his father and say that truth is with Ali and his Shia. All people will hear Jibreel's cry in their own language.^[49] In a tradition of Ja'far al-Sadiq that is narrated by Zurarah ibn A'yan, it is said that after this cry Shaitan will call certainly, so and so and their followers are victorious ones and his meaning is a man from Banu Umayya. He adds that the person who make the first cry says the truth.^[50]

The murder of Nafs al-Zakiyyah

Main article: Al-Nafs al-Zakiyyah

Al-Nafs al-Zakiyyah will be one of the descendants of Husayn ibn Ali.^[41][51] He will be without any sin or crime; yet he will be murdered.^[40] According to many narrations, he will be the envoy of Mahdi to Mecca before his reappearance. When he arrives in Mecca and delivers his message, the people of Mecca will slay him near the Kaaba.

Earth sinking in the land of Bayda

Main article: Khasf al-Bayda

The sinking of Sufyani's army into the earth is a certain sign of reappearance of Mahdi.^[41] In addition to above-mentioned hadith of Ja'far Sadiq, in a hadith Ali ibn Abi Talib mentions that Sufyani's army will sink into the earth, and be swallowed up, in the land of Bayda.^{[52][53][40][41]}

See also

• Mahdi
• Hadith of Isa ibn Maryam Praying Behind Mahdi

Notes

1. Sahih Muslim, Book 1, Hadith 0213
2. Sahih Muslim, Book 41, Hadith 6947
3. Sahih Bukhari, Volume 8, Book 076, Hadith 503
4. Sahih Bukhari Volume 1, Book 3, Hadith 81
5. Sahih Muslim Book 41, Hadith 7040
6. Sahih Bukhari Volume 9, Book 88, Hadith 184
7. Sahih Bukhari, Vol. 2, Book 17, Hadith 146
8. Sunan Abu Dawud, Book 41, Hadith 4587
9. For further informations, see the concept of Sotadic Zone, which includes both the Arab and Islamic world. See also Child sexual abuse, Sexual exploitation of children, Bacha bazi, and The Dancing Boys of Afghanistan.
10. For further informations, see the articles Capital punishment in Islam, LGBT in Islam, Lut (prophet in Islam), and Sexual taboo in the Middle East.
11. For further informations, see the articles Cousin marriage in Islam, Cousin marriage in the Middle East, and Mahram.
12. Sahih Muslim Book 41, Hadith 7015
13. Sahih Bukhari Volume 7, Book 69, Hadith 494
14. Sunan Ibn Majah, Vol. 1, Book 4, Hadith 739
15. Sahih Bukhari Volume 9, Book 88, Hadith 237
16. Al-Adab Al-Mufrad 485, Book 1, Hadith 3
17. Sahih Bukhari Volume 9, Book 88, Hadith 231
18. Sahih Bukhari Volume 9, Book 88, Hadith 236
19. Sahih Muslim Book 40, Hadith 6840
20. Sahih Bukhari, Vol. 1, Book 3, Hadith 100 | Musnad Imam Ahmad (no.21,334 and no.21,335
21. Sunan Ibn Majah, Vol. 5, Book 36, Hadith 4036
22. Musnad Ahmad
23. Jami` at-Tirmidhi, Vol. 4, Book 7, Hadith 2219 | Abu-Dawud, Book 36, Hadith 4239
24. Sahih Muslim Book 041, Hadith 6918
25. Sahih Muslim Book 5, Hadith 2208
26. Sahih Bukhari, Vol. 3, Book 34, Hadith 275
27. Reported by Anas and declared Sahih by Hasan al Albani
28. Sahih Muslim Book 7, Hadith 3188
29. Jami` at-Tirmidhi, Vol. 4, Book 7, Hadith 2181
30. Ahmad
31. Sahih Bukhari, Vol. 9, Book 88, Hadith 208
32. Jami` at-Tirmidhi, Vol. 5, Book 39, Hadith 2653
33. Sahih Muslim, Hadith 1847
34. Mujamma'uz-Zawaa'id 7/327
35. Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Vol. 4, Book 7, Hadith 2211 and Vol. 4, Book 7, Hadith 2210 Grade: Da'if (Darussalam)
36. Sunan al-Tirmidhi
37. Sahih Muslim, Book 41, Hadith 6960
38. Sahih Muslim, Book 41, Hadith 6926
39. Narrated with sound chains from Dhu Mikhbar al-Najashi by Abu Dawud, Ahmad, Ibn Majah, Ibn Hibban, and al-Hakim who declared it sahih and al-Dhahabi concurred. See Shaykh Shu`ayb Arna'ut's documentation of this hadith in his edition of Sahih Ibn Hibban (15:101–103 #6708–6709).
40. Sunan At-Tirmidhi, 2269 Grade: Da'if (Darussalam)
41. Hadith of Aden-Abyan
42. Sunan Abu-Dawud : Book 36, Hadith 4273 Grade: Da'if (Al-Albani)

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38. Montakhab al-Asar, Page 443
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41. al-shia.org
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43. Amini, Chapter 10
44. Al-Kourani, Page 30
45. Hashemi Shahidi, Page 524
46. Shaykh Tusi, Page 267
47. en.abna24.com
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51. Tafsir Ayyashi, Page 64
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