The signs before reappearance of al-Mahdi A.S

Introduction

During their missions, all the Prophets and Apostles have emphasized the fact that a savior will arrive at the end of time who will implement the government of justice over the globe. This news has been heard since the human being appeared on the earth. Allah has indicated this promise in all the early scriptures and commanded humans throughout ages to wait for the manifestation of the kingdom of Allah. The Holy Qur’an also gives glad tidings of the day for ...

 

The rest of the text in the next page...(ادامه مطلب)

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The Mahdi from among the Descendants of the Prophet

 

Such hadith-reports are abundant. The main idea that runs through all of them suggests that the topic about the future coming of the Mahdi and Qa’im during the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny) was well known. In fact the way these reports speak about the subject indicates that it was not something new which was being presented to the people. On the contrary they relate the signs and characteristics of the person who would emerge as the Mahdi as in the statement "the promised Mahdi will be among my descendants."

The following traditions reflect such a pattern in their presentation. It is reported from Ali bin Abi Talib who said:

I asked the Prophet: "Is Mahdi going to be among our own family or from some other?" He replied: "He will be among us. God will conclude His religion through him just as He began it with us. It will be through us that people will find refuge from sedition just as it was through us that they were saved from polytheism. Moreover it will be through us that God will bring their hearts together in brotherhood following the animosity sown by the sedition just as they were brought together in brotherhood in their religion after the animosity sown by polytheism."[6]

Abu Sa’id al-Khudari a close associate of the Prophet says:

"I heard the Prophet declare from the pulpit: "The Mahdi from among my descendants from my family will rise at the End of Time while the heavens will pour rain and the earth will bring forth green grass for him. He will fill the earth with justice and equity as it is filled with tyranny and injustice."[7]

In another tradition from Umm Salma the wife of the Prophet there is even more specific information given to the community. The Prophet says: "Mahdi will be among my progeny among the children of Fatimah."[8]

On another occasion the Prophet said:

"The Qa’im will be among my descendants. His name will be my name and his patronymic will be my patronymic. His character will be like my own. He will call people to my custom and to the Book of God. Anyone who obeys him would be obeying me and any one who turns away from him would be turning away from me. Anyone who denies his existence during his concealment would have denied me and anyone who falsifies him would have falsified me. Anyone who confirms his existence would have confirmed my existence. As for those who are engaged in falsifying what I have said about him and thereby mislead my community I will complain against them to God. "Those who do wrong shall surely know by what overturning they will be overturned." ( 28:88) [9]

Abu Ayyub Ansari says: I heard the Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny) say: "I am the chief of the prophets and Ali is the chief of the legatees. My two grandsons are the best among the descendants. The infallible Imams will come forth from among us through Hussein. Moreover the Mahdi of this community is among us." At that time an Arab stood up and asked: "O Prophet of God how many Imams are there after you?" He replied: "Equal to the number of the apostles of Jesus and the chiefs of the Children of Israel." [10]

A tradition with similar information has been cited from Hudhayfa another companion of the Prophet who heard the Prophet declare:

The Imams after me will be equal to the number of the tribal chiefs among the Children of Israel. Nine among them will be the descendants of Hussein. The Mahdi of this community is among us. Beware! Truth is with them and they are with truth. Thus be careful of the way you treat them after me. [11]

In still another tradition Sa’id b. Musayyib reports from Amr b. Uthman b. Affan who said: We heard from the Prophet saying:

"The Imams after me will be twelve in number of whom nine will be from the progeny of Hussein. Moreover the Mahdi of this community will be among us. Anyone who holds on to them after me holds on to the rope of God; and whoever abandons them has abandoned God." [12]

There are numerous hadith-reports of this kind in the sources which one can undertake to examine.

Note: This time we will work on just ten parts of this useful book but as always accompany us for other parts of this book in future.

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(6). Ibid. Vol. 51 p. 84; Ithbat al-hudat Vol. 7 p. 191; Majma" al-zawa’id by "Ali b. Abi Bakr Haythami (Cairo edition) Vol. 7 p. 317.

(7). Bihar al-anwar Vol. 51 p. 74; Ithbat al-hudat Vol. 7 p. 9.

(8). Bihar al-anwar Vol. 51 p. 75.

(9). Bihar al-anwar Vol. 51 p. 73.

(10). Ithbat al-hudat Vol. 2 p. 531.

(11). Ibid. p. 533.

(12). Ibid. p. 526.

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Source: The book named The Just Leader of Humanity

By Ayatullah Ibrahim Amini

Translated by: Dr. Abdulaziz Sachedina

The Sunni hadith on the Subject of the Mahdi

Dr. Fahimi: Mr. Hoshyar! Our friends know it. But let me tell you that I follow the Sunni school of thought. Hence the positive evaluation that you have of the Shia hadith-reports I do not share. In all likelihood extremist Shi’s for whatever reasons after having accepted the narratives about the Mahdiism must have fabricated traditions in support of their views and ascribed them to the Prophet. The evidence for my contention is that the traditions about the Mahdi are recorded only in your Shia books. There is no trace of these in our authentic --Sihah-- compilations. Yes I am aware that there are some traditions on the subject in our less reliable compilations. [13]

Mr. Hoshyar: In spite of the most unfavorable conditions under the Umayyads and the Abbasids whose politics and oppressive governments did not allow the discussion or the spread of hadith about Wilayat and Imamate and the Ahl-ul-Bayt or their being recorded in the books of the hadith your compilations of hadith are not completely void of any traditions on the subject of the Mahdi. If you are not tired I may cite some of them for you.

Engineer Madani: Mr. Hoshyar! Please continue your conversation.

Mr. Hoshyar: Dr. Fahimi! In your compilations the Sihah there are chapters devoted to the subject of the Mahdi in which traditions from the Prophet have been recorded. For example the following:

Abd Allah reports from the Prophet who said: "The world will not come to pass until a man from among my family whose name will be my name rules over the Arabs."

Tirmidhi has recorded this hadith in his Sahih [14] and comments: "This hadith on the Mahdi is reliable and has been related by Ali bin Abi Talib Abu Sa’id Umm Salma and Abu Hurayra":

Ali bin Abi Talib has narrated from the Prophet who said: "Even if there remains only a day on earth God will bring forth a man from my progeny so that he will fill the earth with justice and equity as it is filled with tyranny."[15]

In another hadith Umm Salma narrates that she heard the Prophet say: "The promised Mahdi will be among my progeny among the descendants of Fatimah."[16]

Abu Sa’id al-Khudari says: The Prophet said: "Our Mahdi will have a broad forehead and a pointed nose. He will fill the earth with justice as it is filled with injustice and tyranny. He will rule for seven years." [17]

Ali bin Abi Talib has related a tradition from the Prophet who informed him:

The promised Mahdi will be among my family. God will make the provisions for his emergence within a single night. [18]

Abu Sa’id al-Khudari has related a tradition from the Prophet who declared:

The earth will be filled with injustice and corruption. At that time a man from among my progeny will rise and will rule for seven or nine years and will fill the earth with justice and equity. [19]

Greater detail is provided in another hadith reported by Abu Sa’id al-Khudari. In this tradition the Prophet said:

Severe calamity from the direction of their ruler will befall my people during the Last Days. It will be a calamity which in severity shall be unprecedented. It will be so violent that the earth with injustice and corruption will shrivel for its inhabitants. The believers will not find refuge from oppression. At that time God will send a man from my family to fill the earth with justice and equity just as it is filled with injustice and tyranny. The dwellers of the heavens and the earth will be pleased with him. The earth will bring forth all that grows for him and the heavens will pour down rains in abundance. He will live among the people for seven or nine years. From all the good that God will bestow on the inhabitants of the earth the dead will wish to come to life again."[20]

There are numerous traditions that convey these meanings in your books. I believe we have cited enough reports to make our point.

Note: This time we will work on just ten parts of this useful book but as always accompany us for other parts of this book in future.

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(13). Hasan Sa’d Muhammad al-Mahdiyya fi al-islam (Cairo 1373) p. 69; Ibn Khaldun al-Muqaddima (Cairo edition) p. 311.

(14). Sahih Vol. 9 p. 74; also see: Shaykh Sulayman Yanabi’ al-mawadda (1308 AH edition) Vol. 2 p. 180; Muhammad b. Yusuf al-Shafi’i al-Bayan fi akhbar sahib al-zaman (Najaf edition) p. 57; and other Sunni sources.

(15). Abu Dawud Sahih Vol. 5/207; see also all the sources mentioned in note s 2. In addition see: Shablanji Nur al-absar p. 156; Ibn Hajar al-Sawa’iq al-muharriqah p. 161; Ibn Sabbagh Fusul al-muhimma p. 275; al-Saban As’af al-raghibin.

(16). Abu Dawud Sahih Vol. 2 p. 207; Ibn Majah Sahih Vol. 2 p. 519 and the sources mentioned in note s 3.

(17). Abu Dawud Sahih Vol. 2 p. 208; Fusul al-muhimma p. 275; and numerous other Sunni sources.

(18). Ibn Majah Sahih Vol. 2 p. 519. Also Ibn Hajar al-Sawa’iq al-muharriqa p. 161.

(19). Ahmad b. Hanbal Musnad Vol. 3 p. 27.

(20). Ibn Hajar al-Sawa’iq al-muharriqa p. 161; Yanabi’ al-mawadda Vol. 2 p. 177.

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Source: The book named The Just Leader of Humanity

By Ayatullah Ibrahim Amini

Translated by: Dr. Abdulaziz Sachedina

Sunni Documentation on Imam al-Mahdi (A.S) part 3

Also Ahmad Ibn Hanbal recorded:

The Prophet (PBUH&HF) said: "Allah will bring out from concealment al-Mahdi from my Family and just before the Day of Judgment; even if only one day were to remain in the life of the world, and he will spread on this earth justice and equity and will eradicate tyranny and oppression."

Sunni references:

Musnad Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, v1, p99

A close version has also been narrated in Sunan Abu Dawud, English version, Ch. 36, Tradition #4270 narrated from Ali Ibn Abi Talib (AS).

It is narrated in Sahih Muslim that:

Jabir Ibn Abdillah al-Ansari (RA) said: I heard the Messenger of Allah saying: "A group of my Ummah will fight for the truth until near the day of judgment when Jesus, the son of Marry, will descend, and the leader of them will ask him to lead the prayer, but Jesus declines, saying: "No, Verily, among you Allah has made leaders for others and He has bestowed his bounty upon them."

Sunni reference:

Sahih Muslim, Arabic, part 2, p193

Musnad Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, v3, pp 45,384

al-Sawa'iq al-Muhriqah, by Ibn Hajar al-Haythami, Ch. 11, section 1, p251

Nuzool Isa Ibn Maryam Akhir al-Zaman, by Jalaluddin al-Suyuti, p57

Musnad, by Abu Ya'ala which provides another version of the tradition with more clear words on the authority of Jabir that the Messenger of Allah said: "A group among my Ummah will continue to fight for the truth until Jesus, the son of Marry, will descend, and the Imam of them will ask him to lead the prayer, but Jesus replies: "You have more right to it, and verily Allah has honored some of you over others in this Ummah."

Sahih Ibn Habban, whose tradition reads: "their leader al-Mahdi" and the rest of tradition is the same.

Ibn Abu Shaybah, another Sunni traditionist, and the mentor of al-Bukhari and Muslim, has reported several traditions about Imam al-Mahdi (AS). He has also reported that the Imam of the Muslims who will lead Prophet Jesus in prayer is Imam al-Mahdi himself.

Jalaluddin al-Suyuti mentioned that: "I have heard some of the deniers of (truth) deny what has been conveyed about Jesus that when he descends will pray the Fajr prayer behind al-Mahdi. They say, Jesus has higher status than to pray behind a non-Prophet. This is a bizarre opinion since the issue of prayer of Jesus behind al-Mahdi has been proven strongly via numerous authentic traditions from the Messenger of Allah, who is the most truthful." And then al-Suyuti goes on narrating some of the traditions in this regard. (See Nuzool Isa Ibn Maryam Akhir al-Zaman, by Jalaluddin al-Suyuti, p56).

Also al-Hafidh Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani mentioned that:

"The Mahdi is of this Ummah, and that Jesus (PBUH&HF) will come down and pray behind him."

Sunni reference: Fat'h al-Bari, by Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, v5, p362

This is also mentioned by another Sunni scholar, Ibn Hajar al-Haythami, who wrote:

"The Ahlul-Bayt are like the stars through whom we are guided in the right direction, and if the starts are taken away (or hidden) we would come face to face with the signs of the Almighty as promised (i.e., the Day of Resurrection). This will happen when the Mahdi will come, as mentioned in the traditions, and the Prophet Jesus will say his prayers behind him, the Dajjal will be slain, and then the signs of the Almighty will appear one after another."

Sunni reference: al-Sawa'iq al-Muhriqah, by Ibn Hajar, Ch. 11, section 1, p234

Also Ibn Hajar quoted Abu al-Husain al-Ajiri saying:

The traditions of al-Mustafa (PBUH) on the rising of al-Mahdi has been transmitted via numerous authorities and is more than the level of (being sufficient for) Mutawatir, describing that he is of his Ahlul-Bayt, and will fill the earth with justice, and that Jesus (A.S) will come at the same time and he will assist Jesus for killing al-Dajjal in the land of Palestine, and that he will lead this nation and Jesus will pray behind him.

Sunni reference:

Abu al-Husain al-Ajiri as quoted in al-Sawa'iq al-Muhriqah, by Ibn Hajar, Ch. 11, section 1, p254

So if al-Mahdi and Jesus are to be the same person as some ignorants claim, then how can one prays behind himself?! Moreover this shows that Imam al-Mahdi and Jesus (the Messiah) will come at the same time so that they could pray the morning prayer together in Jerusalem.

In fact, the equivalent word of "Messiah" in Arabic is "al-Maseeh" which means "Wiped Clean; Purified". This word has been used in Quran as the title of Prophet Jesus (A.S). As such, the "Messiah" is the Prophet Jesus (A.S) and not the Imam al-Mahdi (AS). However, the word "Messiah" in English has another meaning, that is "savior". As a result, there have been some English translators who used the word "Messiah" for Imam al-Mahdi (A.S) with the meaning of "Savior" which does NOT have anything to do with Arabic word "al-Maseeh".

I should point out that, there exists a fabricated tradition which is mainly used by Ahmadis and Qadianis to prove that al-Mahdi and Jesus are the same. The tradition states: "And no Mahdi except Jesus." This tradition has been rated by al-Hakim as unknown and strange and he said there are discrepancy in its chain of authorities. al-Bayhaqi said Muhammad Ibn Khalid said this tradition is single (Mufrad). al-Nisa'i has mentioned that this tradition is unfamiliar and is denied, and that the memorizers of traditions confirm that the traditions which state that al-Mahdi is the descendants of Fatimah are authentic and reliable. (See al-Sawa'iq al-Muhriqah, Ch. 11, section 1, p252 for details).

Prophet Jesus is not the Imam of Muslims, and when he comes back, he will be the follower of the Imam of Muslims who is known as Imam al-Mahdi (A.S).

In Sahih al-Bukhari, it is narrated that:

The Prophet (PBUH&HF) said: "What would be your situation if the Son of Marry (i.e. Jesus) descends upon you and your Imam is among you?"

Sunni reference:

Sahih al-Bukhari, Arabic-English, v4, Tradition #658

NOTE: The above is my own translation. The Saudi-paid translator of Sahih al-Bukhari (Muhammad Muhsin Khan) has shown pure dishonesty in translating the above tradition. His translation of the last portion of the tradition does not bear any similarity what so ever with the Arabic text of the tradition which is as follows:

Now let us look at the false translation of Mr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan:

Muhammad Muhsin Khan> Sahih Bukhari Hadith: 4.658

Muhammad Muhsin Khan> Narrated Abu Huraira:

Muhammad Muhsin Khan>

Muhammad Muhsin Khan> Allah's Apostle said "How will you be when the son

Muhammad Muhsin Khan> of Mary (i.e. Jesus) descends amongst you and he

Muhammad Muhsin Khan> will judge people by the Law of the Quran

Muhammad Muhsin Khan> and not by the law of Gospel.

Mr. Muhsin Khan has trimmed the last part of the tradition which states that the Imam of Muslims (i.e., Imam al-Mahdi) is among Muslims when the son of marry descends. Instead, the translator has added another sentence which does not exists in the Arabic text. I should mention that this is not the only place that he has altered the text, and there are much more examples in this regard which proves his bias and his dishonesty.

Al-Hafidh Muhammad Ibn Ali al-Shawkani (d. 1250/1834) wrote in a book called "al-Tawdhih fi twawatur ma jaa'a fil muntadar wad-djjal wal masih" (the explanation about the frequent reports concerning the Awaited one, the Dajjal, and the messiah) in which he wrote about Imam al-Mahdi (A.S) that: "The traditions about al-Mahdi have been related by numerous authorities and are therefor reliable beyond doubt or confusion, because in jurisprudence the qualification of Mutawatir is valid even for (traditions) with less than this number of narrations. There are also many sayings of the companions (of the Prophet) which explicitly mention the Mahdi, which have the status of narrations from the Prophet since there is no question of establishing such saying through Ijtihad (one's opinion and research)". The author gives the same opinion in his other book "al-Fat'h al-Rabbani". (In this connection see also Mawsu'atil Imam al-Mahdi, v1, pp 391-392,413-414,434, and also Tuhfatul Ahwadhi, v6, p485).

to be continued...

source: shia.org

Sunni Documentation on Imam al-Mahdi A.S part 1

For the Sunni brothers, there are six major collections of traditions based on the Sunni standards for verifying the authenticity of a tradition. These six books are: Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, Sahih al-Tirmidhi, Sunan Ibn Majah, Sunan Abu Dawud, and Sahih al-Nisa'i. I just quote few traditions from these six books to prove that a knowledgeable Sunni brother/sister can NOT deny that:

al-Mahdi (A.S) will come in the last days to make a universal Government,

al-Mahdi (A.S) is from the Ahlul-Bayt of the Prophet (PBUH),

al-Mahdi (A.S) is from the progeny of Fatimah (A.S), the daughter of the Prophet (PBUH),

al-Mahdi (A.S) is different than Prophet Jesus (the Messiah),

Prophet Jesus (A.S) will come as one of the followers of Imam al-Mahdi and will pray behind him in congressional prayer.

Another undeniable fact is that many leading Sunni scholars have written books after books exclusively about Imam al-Mahdi (A.S) which I included some of their names at the end of this article.

Moreover, Insha Allah in the next article, I will give a list of Sunni scholars who believe that Imam al-Mahdi (A.S) is son of Imam Hasan al-Askari (A.S), and is alive and went into occultation. In that article will also discuss the special specifications of Imam al-Mahdi which are the points of disagreement between the Shia and the Sunni.

The following are only some of the traditions about Imam al-Mahdi which Sunnis admit to their authenticity and existence:

The Prophet (PBUH) said: "Even if the entire duration of the world's existence has already been exhausted and only one day is left (before the day of judgment), Allah will expand that day to such a length of time, as to accommodate the kingdom of a person from my Ahlul-Bayt who will be called by my name. He will fill out the earth with peace and justice as it will have been full of injustice and tyranny (by then)."

Sunni References:

Sahih al-Tirmidhi, v2, p86, v9, pp 74-75

Sunan Abu Dawud, v2, p7

Musnad Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, v1, pp 84,376; V3, p63

al-Mustadrak ala al-Sahihayn, by al-Hakim, v4, p557

Jami' al-Saghir, by al-Suyuti, pp 2,160

al-Urful Wardi, by al-Suyuti, p2

al-Majma', by al-Tabarani, p217

Tahdhib al-Tahdhib, by Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, v9, p144

Fat'h al-Bari fi Sharh Sahih al-Bukhari, by Ibn Hajar Asqalani, v7, p305

al-Sawa'iq al-Muhriqah, by Ibn Hajar al-Haythami, Ch. 11, section 1, p249

al-Tathkirah, by al-Qurtubi, p617

al-Hawi, by al-Suyuti, v2, pp 165-166

Sharh al-Mawahib al-Ladunniyyah, by al-Zurqani, v5, p348

Fat'h al-Mugheeth, by al-Sakhawi, v3, p41

Kanz al-Ummal, v7 P186

Iqd al-Durar Fi Akhbar al-Mahdi al-Muntadhar, v12, Ch. 1,

al-Bayan fi Akhbar Sahib al-Zaman, By Ganji al-Shafi'i, Ch. 12

al-Fusool al-Muhimmah, by Ibn Sabbagh al-Maliki, Ch. 12

Arjahul Matalib, by Ubaidallah Hindi al-Hanafi, p380

Muqaddimah, by Ibn Khaldoon, p266

and also in the works of Ibn Habban, Abu Nua'ym, Ibn A

Sunni Documentation on Imam al-Mahdi (A.S) part 2

 

Also:

The Prophet (PBUH) said: "al-Mahdi is one of us, the members of the household (Ahlul-Bayt)."

Sunni reference: Sunan Ibn Majah, v2, Tradition #4085

It is evident from the above traditions that Imam al-Mahdi (A.S) is from the Ahlul-Bayt of Prophet Muhammad, so he can not be Jesus (the Messiah; al-Maseeh). Thus, al-Mahdi and Messiah are two different personalities but they come at the same time, al-Mahdi as Imam and Jesus as his follower. The following tradition clearly mentions that Imam al-Mahdi is one of descendants of the daughter of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH):

The Prophet (PBUH) said: The Mahdi will be of my family, of the descendants of Fatimah (the Prophet's daughter).

Sunni references:

Sunan Abu Dawud, English version, Ch. 36, Tradition #4271 (narrated by Umm Salama, the wife of the Prophet)

Sunan Ibn Majah, v2, Tradition #4086

al-Nisa'i and al-Bayhaqi, and others as quoted in:

al-Sawa'iq al-Muhriqah, by Ibn Hajar al-Haythami, Ch. 11, section 1, p249

Also:

The Prophet (PBUH) said: "We the children of Abd al-Muttalib are the Masters of the inhabitants of the heaven: Myself, Hamza (RA), Ali (A.S), Ja'far Ibn Abi Talib (RA), al-Hasan (A.S), al-Husain (A.S), and al-Mahdi (AS)."

Sunni references:

Sunan Ibn Majah, v2, Tradition #4087

al-Mustadrak, by al-Hakim, on the authority of Anas Ibn Malik

al-Daylami

al-Sawa'iq al-Muhriqah, by Ibn Hajar al-Haythami, Ch. 11, section 1, p245

The Prophet (PBUH&HF) said: "The Mahdi will appear in my Ummah. He will appear for a minimum of 7 or a maximum of 9 years; at that time, my Ummah will experience a bountiful favor like never before. It shall have a great abundance of food, of which it need not save anything, and the wealth at that time is in great quantities, such that if a man asks the Mahdi to give him some, and the Mahdi (A.S) will say: Here! Take!"

Sunni reference: Sunan Ibn Majah, v2, Tradition #5083

Remark: According to Shi'i sources, the Government of Peace and equality that Imam al-Mahdi will establish will last hundreds of years with no rival, and then the day of Judgment will commence. What is mentioned in the above tradition as 7 or 9 years is the length of time that Imam al-Mahdi (A.S) will fight to conquer the world when he starts his mission.

The Prophet (PBUH&HF) said: "We (I and my family) are members of a household that Allah (SWT) has chosen for them the life of the Hereafter over the life of this world; and the members of my household (Ahlul-Bayt) shall suffer a great affliction and they shall be forcefully expelled from their homes after my death; then there will come people from the East carrying black flags, and they will ask for some good to be given to them, but they shall be refused service; as such, they will wage war and emerge victorious, and will be offered that which they desired in the first place, but they will refuse to accept it till they pass it to a man from my family (Ahlul-Bayt) appears to fill the Earth with justice as it has been filled with corruption. So whoever reaches that (time) ought to come to them even if crawling on the ice/snow since among them is the Vice-regent of Allah (Khalifatullah) al-Mahdi."

Sunni references:

Sunan Ibn Majah, v2, Tradition #4082,

The History Tabari

al-Sawa'iq al-Muhriqah, by Ibn Hajar, Ch. 11, section 1, pp 250-251

Also:

The Messenger of Allah said: "The world will not perish until a man among the Arabs appears whose name matches my name."

Sunni reference: Sahih al-Tirmidhi, v9, p74

In Sahih Muslim, in the Chapter of al-Fitan, there are some interesting traditions on what will happen in the last days of the world. I would like to quote two of them here:

Abu Nadra reported: We were with the company of Jabir Ibn Abdillah... Jabir Ibn Abdillah kept quite for a while and then reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) having said: "There would be a Caliph in the last (period) of my Ummah who would freely give handfuls of wealth to the people without counting it." I said to Abu Nadra and Abu al-Ala: Do you mean Umar Ibn Abd al-Aziz? They said: NO, (he would be Imam Mahdi).

Sunni references:

Sahih Muslim, English version, v4, chapter MCCV, p1508, Tradition #6961

Sahih Muslim, Arabic version, Kitab al-Fitan, v4, p2234, Tradition #67

[ NOTE: What are inside the parentheses in the above tradition are NOT my comments. They are the words of the translator of Sahih Muslim (Abdul Hamid Siddiqui).]

Similarly, we read in Sahih Muslim:

Abu Sa'id and Jabir Ibn Abdullah reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: "There would be in the last (phase) of the time a Caliph who would distribute wealth but would not count."

Sunni references:

Sahih Muslim, English version, v4, chapter MCCV, p1508, Tradition #6964

Sahih Muslim, Arabic version, Kitab al-Fitan, v4, p2235, Tradition #69

It is also narrated:

In the end of the time, my Ummah will undergo very hard affliction like never before, so that man can not find any way out. Then Allah will appear a person from my progeny, that is my Ahlul-Bayt, who will fill the earth with justice as it was filled with injustice. The inhabitants of the earth and the inhabitants of the heaven love him. The sky will bring down its water everywhere and the earth will bring all what it can offer and will become green all over.

Sunni references:

al-Sahih fi al-Hadith, by al-Hakim, as quoted in:

al-Sawa'iq al-Muhriqah, by Ibn Hajar al-Haythami, Ch. 11, section 1, p250

Ibn Majah in his Sunan quotes Muhammad Ibn Hanafiyyah and Imam Ali saying that the Holy Prophet (PBUH) said:

"al-Mahdi is from our Ahlul-Bayt, no doubt Allah will enforce his appearance within a night (i.e., his coming is very unpredictable and is very sudden)."

Sunni references:

Sunan Ibn Majah, v2, p269

Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, as quoted in:

al-Sawa'iq al-Muhriqah, by Ibn Hajar al-Haythami, Ch. 11, section 1, p250

Moreover, it is narrated that:

Ali Ibn Abi Talib (AS) said: "When the 'Support' of the family of Muhammad (al-Qa'im Aale Muhammad) rises Allah will unite the people of east and the people of west."

Sunni references:

Ibn Asakir, as quoted in:

al-Sawa'iq al-Muhriqah, by Ibn Hajar al-Haythami, Ch. 11, section 1, p252

Ibn Hajar wrote that:

Muqatil Ibn Sulayman and those who followed him among the (Sunni) commentators of Quran said that the verse: "And he shall be a Sign for (the coming of) the Hour" (Quran 43:61) was revealed about al-Mahdi.

Sunni reference: al-Sawa'iq al-Muhriqah, by Ibn Hajar, Ch. 11, section 1, p247

To be continued ...

Source: shia.org