The holy appearance that will identify Hazrat Mahdi (as) to people
For hundreds of years now, the Islamic world has been awaiting for Hazrat Mahdi (as), who will be instrumental in people attaining salvation, restore the moral values of Islam and unite Muslims by dispersing the darkness over the Muslim world. Our Prophet (saas) has imparted the glad tidings of the coming of Hazrat Mahdi (as) to the whole Muslim world through the hadiths. And he has described a great many highly significant phenomena that are portents of the coming of Hazrat Mahdi (as). And just about all of these have come about, one after the other, over the last few years. Muslims are now preparing to welcome this holy person they have been awaiting for the last 1,400 years.
According to the hadiths, the coming of Hazrat Mahdi (as) will take place in this century. The whole Muslim world is experiencing the excitement of these great tidings, awaited for centuries, becoming a reality and of Hazrat Mahdi (as) appearing in our own day.
People still do not recognize Hazrat Mahdi (as) by that title. But Hazrat Mahdi (as) is active now. And again according to the hadiths, the Islamic world will have the honor of becoming personally acquainted with Hazrat Mahdi (as) within the next few decades.
The century we are living in is that of Hazrat Mahdi (as). All Muslims are enjoying the excitement of the coming of Hazrat Mahdi (as) being so imminent.
The hadiths of our Prophet (saas) contain unbelievably detailed descriptions of the physical features of Hazrat Mahdi (as), as well as of his moral virtues, life and activities. Our Prophet (saas) does not provide such detailed information about anyone else or other events that will take place centuries after him.
In the hadiths, our Prophet (saas) reveals separate details for each of Hazrat Mahdi’s (as) physical features, using separate descriptive terms for each.
He sometimes refers to a MOLE, or a MARK, a SIGN or a SEAL and likens these to a LEAF, PEARL or STAR.
In addition to all these, Hazrat Mahdi’s (as) complexion, hair and beard color, stature, build, the general outline of his face, the shape of his head and forehead and features such as his eyebrows, nose and teeth are all described in detail. Putting all this information together, it is clear that these features have never been seen together in one person.
Our Lord has revealed such great detail in order to identify Hazrat Mahdi (as) to the entire world.
This reveals how important it is for Muslims to be able to accurately recognize Hazrat Mahdi (as).
When Hazrat Mahdi (as) is encountered, insha’Allah all Muslims will personally see the accuracy of these astonishingly detailed descriptions of Hazrat Mahdi’s (as) physical characteristics.
They will also be amazed to see how every stage of this holy individual’s life, everything he does everything that happens to him and the moral values he displays in the face of them will all be in complete agreement with the information revealed by our Prophet (saas) 1400 years ago.
And as a result of all this, they will be able to identify Hazrat Mahdi (as) and realize that he is the “Hazrat Mahdi (as)” who has been awaited with great longing and love for so many years.
How will the Islamic world recognize Hazrat Mahdi (as)?
There is no doubt that the hadiths of our Prophet (saas) are the most important guides to Muslims’ being able to identify Hazrat Mahdi (as).
As a blessing from Allah, Rasulullah (saas) has made people acquainted with Hazrat Mahdi (as) through the most flawless descriptions, as if he had seen and known him and witnessed his life.
Our Prophet’s (saas) descriptions of Hazrat Mahdi (as) are so detailed and explicit that when Hazrat Mahdi (as) appears those who see him will, by Allah’s leave, immediately be able to recognize him.
Allah reveals in the Qur’an that the People of the Book recognizes our Prophet (saas) sent to them as a messenger in the same way they “recognize their own sons:”
Those We have given the Book recognise it as they RECOGNIZE THEIR OWN SONS. Yet a group of them knowingly conceal the truth. (Surat al-Baqara, 146)
In one respect, this verse also indicates how Hazrat Mahdi (as) can easily be recognized by these details revealed in the hadiths.
Birth of Hazrat Mahdi (as)
Hazrat Mahdi (as) will appear from Turkey
In the hadith of our Prophet (saas) it is mentioned that Hazrat Mahdi (as) will emerge from Turkey and will never leave until the end of his struggle:
"THE MAHDI WILL NEVER LEAVE RUM, THE TURKS (because Turkey used to be known as region of Rum.)”
(Narrated from Ishaf ar-Raghibin by Tilsimlar, Bediuzzaman Said Nursi, p. 212)
Hazrat Mahdi (as) will be born in a large city
In another hadith it is mentioned that Hazrat Mahdi (as) will emerge from a big city :
The Prophet (saas) said: "… a man [Hazrat Mahdi (as)] of the PEOPLE OF MADINA (A LARGE CITY) will come forth to Mecca."
(Mar'iy Ibn Yusuf Ibn Abi Baqr Ibn Ahmad Ibn Yusuf al-Maqdi'si "Faraidu Fawaidi'l Fikr Fi'l Imam Al-Mahdi al-Muntadhar)
"Madina" means "big city". Thus as our Prophet (saas) mentioned Hazrat Mahdi will be born in medina, in other words, in a big city.
Hazrat Mahdi (as) "will come from the village of Kara"
In one of the hadiths of our Prophet (saas) it is mentioned that Hazrat Mahdi "will come from the village of Kara":
"IT IS SAID THAT HAZRAT MAHDI (AS) WILL COME FROM THE VILLAGE OF KARA"
(Mustafa Resit Filizi, Risalat al-Khuruj al-Mahdi, p. 69)
Hazrat Mahdi (as) will be born at home
In the hadiths it is also mentioned that the birth of Hazrat Mahdi (as) will be hidden, in other words his birth will be at home:
Imam Zayn-ul Abidin (as) said: "Our Qaim [Hazrat Mahdi (as)] will resemble the messengers of Allah in various ways. He will individually resemble Noah (as), Abraham (as), Moses (as), Jesus (as), Job (as) and Muhammad (saas) and the other prophets. HE WILL RESEMBLE Noah (as) in being long-lived, ABRAHAM (AS) IN HIS BIRTH BEING CONCEALED [AT HOME] and away from the public eye.
(Kamal ad-Din p. 322, Chapter 31, Hadith 3)
Ali Ibn Hussain Zaynal Abidin (as): "HIS [HAZRAT MAHDI’S (AS)] BIRTH WILL BE HIDDEN FROM PEOPLE..."
(Bihar al-Anwar, Vol. 51, p. 135)
Hazrat Mahdi's (as) name
"Hazrat Mahdi's (as) name will be compatible with that of our Prophet (saas), but it will not be identical to that of our Prophet (saas)"
The hadith of our Prophet (saas) state that Hazrat Mahdi’s (as) name will be compatible with that of our Prophet (saas) and that Hazrat Mahdi’s (as) father’s name will be compatible with that of the father of the Prophet (saas).
According to Abu Dawud and Tirmidhi’s accounts from Ibn Masud, Rasulullah (saas) said: "His name will be compatible with mine, and his father’s name with my father’s name..."1
"Even if only one day is left to the life of this world, Allah will certainly prolong that day until the coming of a man [Hazrat Mahdi (as)] from the Ahl al-Bayt whose name is compatible with mine."
(narrated in Ahmad Ibn Hanbal’s Musnad)
According to Abdullah Ibn Umar’s (ra) account;
Rasulullah (saas) said: "The world will not come to an end until a man from my Ahl al-Bayt [Hazrat Mahdi (as)] whose name is compatible with mine imposes his rule over all the Arabs."
According to another account, he said:
"Even if only one day remains from the life of this world, Allah will certainly prolong that day until He sends a man from my Ahl al-Bayt [Hazrat Mahdi (as)] whose name is compatible with mine. He will fill the world that was previously filled with cruelty and oppression with truth and justice instead." related by Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, Nasai, Bayhaqi and Abu Amr Ad-Dani.
Again according to Abdullah Ibn Umar (ra) he said:
"The world will not come to an end until a man from my Ahl al-Bayt whose name is compatible with mine establishes dominion (on earth). He will fill the world that was previously filled with cruelty and oppression, with truth and justice instead." – Related in Abu al-Qasim Sulaiman ibn Ahmad ibn At-Tabarani "al- Mu’jam As-Saghir." In addition, Tirmidhi’s "Al-Jami" and Abu Dawud’s "Sunan" by and large repeat this account, with a few minor alterations.
The hadith emphasize that these names will be "compatible with one another." In other words, one must not expect Hazrat Mahdi (as) to be directly called "Ahmad or Muhammad,"nor his father to go by the name of "Abdullah." (Allah knows the truth.)
Ahmad Muhammad Hazrat Mahdi (as) is the name Allah gives to one who will come in the End Times. Rasulullah (saas) has reported that name. In other words, his birth name will not be “Ahmad Muhammad Mahdi.” This is a name given him by Allah. Our Prophet (saas) does not say “his name will be the same as mine” in the hadith; he says “it will be compatible with mine.” In the same way, he says, “His father’s name will be compatible with my father’s name.” There is a sign and a secret in this.
Allah has selected the person He wishes in destiny and has given him the name “Ahmad Muhammad Mahdi.” Some being given or not being given that name cannot change situation in the slightest.
Our Prophet (saas) kept the name of Hazrat Mahdi (as) secret
Jabir quotes from Abu Ja’far: “When Umar asked Hazrat Ali (ra) about Mahdi, he (Umar) said: Ibn Abu Talib (Hazrat Ali), tell me about Mahdi. What is his name?” And Hazrat Ali (ra) said: “My dear, close friend, our Prophet saas) said: “ALLAH HAD ME PROMISE NOT TO REVEAL HIS NAME TO ANYBODY UNTIL HE WOULD APPEAR. HIS [HAZRAT MAHDI (AS)] NAME IS ONE OF THE KNOWLEDGE WHICH ALLAH ENTRUSTED UPON HIS MESSENGER.
(Iqmal al-Din) (Gaybah, Allame Muhammad Baqir Majlisi, Ansariyan Publishing, Iran, 2007)
Hazrat Ali (ra), Asadullah (the Lion of Allah), asked our Prophet (saas) to reveal the name of Hazrat Mahdi (as), who will emerge in the End Times and will have the greatest role and will be the wali (saint) of the End Times. But our Prophet (saas) stated that Hazrat Mahdi’s (as) name would be kept as a secret until Allah would have him emerged and this was a confidential information that Allah had entrusted upon him. We therefore understand that Hazrat Mahdi’s (as) name will be kept as a secret i.e. will be unknown to people until its time to come. That is, Hazrat Mahdi’s (as) name will not be one of the names of our Prophet (saas) such as Ahmad, Mustafa or Muhammad but it will be determined when he (saas) will emerge.
The line of Hazrat Mahdi (as)
Hazrat Mahdi (as) will be descended from our Prophet (saas)
All the prophets are related to one another.
According to the hadiths, the Hazrat Mahdi (as) will also be descended from that same line.
People descended from the Prophet (saas) are popularly known as “sayyid”:
It is related from the blessed Ali that the Prophet (saas) stated: “Even if no more than a day remains until the day of Judgment, ALLAH WILL SEND AN INDIVIDUAL (THE HAZRAT MAHDI (AS)) FROM MY AHL AL-BAYT.”
(Sunan Abu Dawud, 5/92)
Days and nights will not end until ONE FROM MY HOUSE rules the entire world.
(Al-Uqayli, An-Najmu's-saqib)
Learn the glad tidings of Hazrat Mahdi (as). HE IS FROM THE QURAISH AND ONE OF MY HOUSE.
(Al-Burhan fi `Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir az-Zaman, p. 13)
“HAZRAT MAHDI (AS) IS ONE OF MY CHILDREN. His face is like a star shining in the heavens.”
(Ali ibn Sultan Muhammad al-Qari al-Hanafi “Risalat al- Mashrab al-Vardi fi mazhab al-Mahdi”)
In the Qur’an it is revealed that all prophets are related to one another:
Allah chose Adam and Noah and the family of Abraham and the family of ‘Imran over all other beings – descendants one of the other. Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.
(Surah Al 'Imran, 33-34)
Our Lord, make us both Muslims submitted to You, and OUR DESCENDANTS A MUSLIM COMMUNITY SUBMITTED TO YOU. Show us our rites of worship and turn towards us. You are the Ever-Returning, the Most Merciful.
(Surat al-Baqara, 128)
AND SOME OF THEıR FOREBEARS, DESCENDANTS AND BROTHERS; WE CHOSE THEM AND GUIDED THEM TO A STRAIGHT PATH.
(Surat al-An'am, 87)
One Characteristic that will establish Hazrat Mahdi's (as) identity is his descent from Hazrat Hassan (ra)
People descended from the Hazrat Hassan (ra), grandson of the Prophet (saas) through his daughter Hazrat Fatima (ra) are known as “sayyid” in Islamic culture. People descended from the Prophet Muhammad’s (saas) other grandson Hazrat Hussein (ra) also used to be referred to as sayyid, but such people later began to be known as “shariff.”
In the hadith, our Prophet (saas) has revealed that Hazrat Mahdi (as) will have “distinctive and distinguishing features” so that Muslims can recognize him. One of these is that “Hazrat Mahdi will be descended from the Hazrat Hassan (ra).”
We are told in some detail in the hadith and in the works of Islamic scholars who handed down the hadith that Hazrat Mahdi (as) is a sayyid and a descendant of Hazrat Hassan (ra). Some of these hadith read:
“HAZRAT MAHDI (AS) IS A CHILD OF FATIMA AND DESCENDED FROM HASSAN."
(Abu Dawud, Hazrat Mahdi (as), 1)
Abdul-Ghafir ibn Isma`il al-Farisi in his book Majma al-Gharaib and Ibn al-Jawzi in the fi Garib al-Hadith and in An-Nihaya Ibn al-Athir have stated that Hazrat Ali (ra) said this about the hadith:
HAZRAT MAHDI (AS) IS DESCENDED FROM HAZRAT HASSAN.
(Ali Ibn Husamaddin al-Muttaqi, Hadith from the Jalaladdin Suyuticollection – Portents of the Mahdi of the End Times, p. 22)
Tamman in his Fawaid and Ibn Athaqir relate from Abdullah Ibn Amr that he said: A CHILD OF HASSAN [THE MAHDI (AS)] will appear from the east, and even if mountains stand against him, he will crush them and use those mountains as roads.
(Ali Ibn Husamaddin al-Muttaqi, Hadith from the Jalaladdin SuyutiCollection – Portents of the Mahdi of the End Times, p. 22)
According to another hadith that has come down from Hazrat Ali, he looked at his son Hazrat Hassan one day and said: “As named by the Prophet (saas), this son of mine is a sayyid. (from the lineage of the Prophet (saas)) Someone [Hazrat Mahdi (as)] known by the name of the Prophet WILL COME FROM THE LINE OF HASSAN, and will resemble him [the Prophet (saas)] in moral values, but not in his nature (physical and body features).”
(Al-Taj V, 363)
The age of Hazrat Mahdi (as)
Hazrat Mahdi (as) will begin work between the ages of 30 and 40
In the hadiths, our Prophet (saas) refers to the years when Hazrat Mahdi (as) is still unknown to people but when he begins work to bring about the global dominion of Islamic morals. This period is described as lasting 30-40 years, and with his activities during it, Hazrat Mahdi (as) will attract people’s notice, and these will be the years when people watch what he does. However, people will not know that he is Hazrat Mahdi (as) during this time, and they will only realize the truth very much later.
The following information about the age of Hazrat Mahdi (as) is provided in the hadiths:
HE WILL BE SENT WHEN HE IS BETWEEN 30 AND 40. THE MAHDI IS ONE OF MY CHILDREN. HE IS AROUND 40.
(Al-Haythami, Al-Qawl Al-Mukhtasar, P. 41)
The Mahdi is one of my people. HE IS 40 YEARS OLD. His face is like a bright star.
(Mariy ibn Yusuf ibn Abu Bakr ibn Ahmad ibn Yusuf al-Makdisi Fara Idu Fawaidi'l Fiqr Fi'l Imam al-Mahdi al-Muntadhar)
"HE [HAZRAT MAHDI (AS)] IS A YOUNG MAN."
(Mariy ibn Yusuf ibn Abu Bakr ibn Ahmad ibn Yusuf al-Makdisi Fara Idu Fawaidi'l Fiqr Fi'l Imam al-Mahdi al-Muntadhar)
Hazrat Mahdi (as) will be of advanced age, but look young
In the End Times in which we are living, it is notable how many young people undergo a rapid physical collapse. Many young people develop wrinkly skin very early, with lines constantly developing around their eyes and signs of aging rapidly manifesting themselves.
Hazrat Mahdi (as) will age as time passes just like all other people. Yet Allah will preserve Hazrat Mahdi’s (as) youthful appearance, and he will look 40 even in advanced years. Therefore, this will also be a distinguishing feature of Hazrat Mahdi (as). People will recognize Hazrat Mahdi (as) by the way he still looks extraordinarily young, despite his advancing age, and maintains his physical beauty.
Our Prophet (saas) describes this characteristic of Hazrat Mahdi (as) as follows in the hadiths:
And ONE OF HIS [HAZRAT MAHDI’S (AS)] SIGNS IS THAT HE WILL NOT AGE WITH THE PASSAGE OF DAYS AND NIGHTS.
(Muntakhab al-Asar, Lutfullah Gulpaygani, p. 285)
Hazrat Riza (as) replied to Rayyan Ibn Salti when he asked whether he were the Sahib al-Amr (Master of the Authority): Yes, I am also Sahib al-Amr . But I am not the Sahib al-Amr who will fill the world with justice. How could I be that Sahib al-Amr despite all this weakness and feebleness you see? THE PROMISED QAIM [HAZRAT MAHDI (AS)] WILL APPEAR ADVANCED IN AGE, BUT WILL HAVE A YOUTHFUL APPEARANCE.
(Bihar Al-Anwar, Vol. 52, p. 32; Ithbat Al- Hudat, Vol. 6, p. 19)
HE WILL BE LONG-LIVED AND HAVE A YOUTHFUL FACE. PEOPLE WHO SEE HIM WILL THINK HE IS A MAN AGED AROUND 40, AND HE WILL NOT AGE UNTILL ALLAH’S COMMAND ARRIVES...
(Kamal ad-Din, p. 625 and al-Muntahab al-Azhar, vol. 2. P 284)
From Abu Said: Hasan b. Ali ... he said: “... DURING HIS (HAZRAT MAHDI’S (AS)) TIME OF OCCULTATION ALLAH WILL EXTEND HIS LIFE, AND HE WILL THEN MANIFEST HIM WITH HIS POWER LOOKING YOUNGER THAN FORTY and this will be so that people know of Allah’s Omnipotence.”
(Kamal ad-Din, Vol. 1, p. 315)
Hazrat Mahdi's (as) general appearance
Hazrat Mahdi (as) is of medium stature, like our Prophet (saas)
Our Prophet (saas) is described as being of medium height in accounts from the Shamail Sharif:
Anas stated that: "THE PROPHET (SAAS) WAS OF MIDDLING HEIGHT."
(Hadith at-Tirmidhi, Shamail Sharif, p. 15)
Hazrat Mahdi (as) will be of average height, like our Prophet (saas):
HAZRAT MAHDI (AS) WILL BE OF AVERAGE HEIGHT.
(Al-Haythami, Al-Qawl Al-Mukhtasar, P. 41)
According to accounts by Abu Abdullah Nuaym ibn Hammad from Abu Jafar ibn Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Bakir, Hazrat Ali (as) was asked about the attributes of Hazrat Mahdi (as) and replied: "HE (HAZRAT MAHDI (AS) IS OF MEDIUM HEIGHT AND A YOUNG MAN with an attractive face…"
(Al-Uqayli "An-Najm al-saqib fi Bayan Anna al-Mahdi min Awladi Ali Ibn Abu Talib Ala't-Tamam wa al-qamal ")
“... HE (HAZRAT MAHDI (AS)) IS ONE OF THOSE OF MEDIUM STATURE...”
(Muhyiddin IbnArabi, al-Jawab al-Mustaqim amma Seele anhu al-Hakim al-Tirmidhi, Bayazid, no: 3750, page 242b)
"…HE (HAZRAT MAHDI (AS)) IS OF MEDIUM HEIGHT, with an attractive face and attractive hair..."
(Ahbar ad- Duwal, p. 117 - Hijri 1382 edition)
Hazrat Mahdi (as) is very majestic and sturdily built
The hadiths say that Hazrat Mahdi (as) will be majestic, sturdily built and have a striking appearance:
“He is majestic…with a (broad) brow.
(Iqdud Durar)
Mugaira Nasr says: When I asked Imam Jaffar Sadiq, “HOW WILL THE IMAM [HAZRAT MAHDI (AS)] BE RECOGNIZED?” he replied: BY HIS GRANDEUR AND DIGNITY. (Sheikh Muhammad bin Ibrahim Nomani, al-Ghaybah al-Nomani, p. 283)
… Abu’l Jarud says:
When I asked Imam Muhammad Bakir, “... HOW WILL THE IMAM [HAZRAT MAHDI (AS)] BE KNOWN?” he replied:“BY HIS SPIRITUAL GUIDANCE AND GRANDEUR AND BY THE GREAT MUHAMMAD’S (SAAS) REPETITION OF HIS [HAZRAT MAHDI’S (AS)] VIRTUES.”
(Sheikh Muhammad bin Ibrahim Nomani, al-Ghaybah al-Nomani, p. 284)
Hazrat Mahdi (as) will resemble the children of Israel in appearance
Our Prophet (saas) has revealed in the hadiths that Hazrat Mahdi (as) will resemble the Children of Israel in appearance. The reference in the hadiths to the “B’nai Israel” means that Hazrat Mahdi (as) will be physically “powerful and majestic:”
THE BLESSED MAHDI'S STATURE AND POSTURE RESEMBLE THOSE
OF THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL.
(Al-Qawl Al-Mukhtasar Fi Alamat Al-Mahdi Al-Muntadhar, p. 29.)
HIS BODY IS AN ISRAELITE ONE.
(Al-Burhan Fi Alamat Al-Mahdi Akhir Al-Zaman, p. 24.)
THE MAHDI IS LIKE ONE OF THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL. (HIS DEMEANOR RESEMBLES THEIRS, IT IS MAJESTIC AND WISE)
(Al-Burhan Fi Alamat Al-Mahdi Akhir Al-Zaman, pp. 23-30.)
“HAZRAT MAHDI (AS) is one of my grandchildren... HIS BODY RESEMBLES THAT OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL...”
(Al-Bayan fi Akhbari Sahib az-Zaman)
HE [HAZRAT MAHDI (AS)] WILL RESEMBLE ONE OF THE ISRAELITES [IN HIS EXTERNAL APPEARANCE].
(Al-Uqayli, An-Najmu's-Saqib Fi Bayan Anna'l Mahdi Min Awladi Ali B. Abu Talib Ale't-Tamam Ve'l Qamal)
HAZRAT MAHDI'S (AS) STATURE AND POSTURE RESEMBLE THOSE OF THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL.
(Al-Qawl Al-Mukhtasar Fi Alamat Al-Mahdi Al-Muntadhar, pp. 36-29.)
Hazrat Mahdi's (as) body is broad
One of the features of Hazrat Mahdi (as) revealed by our Prophet (saas) is that, just like the Prophet (saas), his who body will be very broad, or in other works majestic:
HE IS LARGE OF BODY.
(al-Uqayli, an-Najmu al Saqib)
Hazrat Mahdi's (as) stomach is wide
Hazrat Mahdi (as) is described as having a body that is entirely majestic and broad, and his stomach will be wide in proportion to the rest of his body:
His stomach is large...
(Mariy Ibn Yusuf Ibn Abu Bakr Ibn Ahmad Ibn Yusuf Al-Makdisi Fara Idu Fawaidi'l Fiqr Fi'l Imam Al-Mahdi Al-Muntadhar”)
From Yahya ibn Nufal, indeed Musa ibn Ja’afar (as) raise his hands and supplicates after Asr prayer, I inquire from him saying, to whom did you offer prayer for? He said: to Al-Mahdi among the family of Muhammad (saas) and said: HE IS HAVING BIG STOMACH, his eyebrow very close, HIS LEGS ARE VERY ENERGETIC, HIS SHOULDER IS WIDE.
(Bihar al-Anwar: 86-81).
In another tradition Hazrat Ali (as) again mentions about Imam Mahdi (a.s) in the
following words: “HE SHALL HAVE A CLEAR AND WIDE BELLY, BROAD THIGHS, ...”
(Yanabiul Mawaddah, p. 423)
Through his forefather Hazrat Imam Muhammad Bakir (as), Abu Ja’far has narrated that the chief of Ahl al-Bayt, Amir al-Momineen (as) proclaimed from the pulpit as, “IN THE LAST AGE A MAN [HAZRAT MAHDI (AS)] FROM MY PROGENY WOULD RISE…HAVING A CLEAR AND WIDE BELLY and his thighs would be broad and his bones shall be long (big) and prominent….
(Imam Mehdi’nin Hayatı (Life of Imam Mahdi), Allama Bakir al-Shariff al-Quraysh)
Humran bin A’yân says: To Imam Muhammad Bakir: "… YOUR LORD HAZRAT MAHDI (AS) WILL HAVE A WIDE STOMACH ...”
(Sheikh Muhammad bin Ibrahim Nomani, al-Ghaybah al-Nomani p. 253)
Hazrat Mahdi's (as) shoulders are wide
Another hadith notes that Hazrat Mahdi (as), whose whole body is broad and majestic, will also have broad shoulders in proportion to the rest of his body:
From Yahya ibn Nufal, indeed Musa ibn Ja’afar (peace be upon him) raise his hands and supplicates after Asr prayer, I inquire from him saying, to whom did you offer prayer for? He said: to Al-Mahdi among the family of Muhammad (saas) and said: …HIS SHOULDER IS WIDE.
(Bihar al-Anwar: 86-81)
Hazrat Mahdi's (as) thighs will be broad and with a gap between them
Since Hazrat Mahdi (as) will have a wide stomach, his thighs will naturally be broad, as well.
In another tradition Hazrat Ali (as) again mentions about Imam Mahdi (as) in the
following words: “He [HAZRAT MAHDI (AS)] shall have a wide forehead and a clear and wide belly, BROAD THIGH...”
(Yanabiul Mawaddah, p. 423)
(THERE IS A SPACE BETWEEN HIS THIGHS...
(Mar'i İbn Yusuf Al-Maqdisi "Fera Idu Fevaidi'l Fiqr Fi'l Imam Al-Mahdi Al-Muntadhar, p.13)
Through his forefather Hazrat Imam Muhammad Bakir (a.s), Abu Ja’far has narrated that the chief of Ahl al-Bayt, Amir al-Momineen (as)
proclaimed from the pulpit as, “In the last age a man [HAZRAT MAHDI (AS)] from my progeny would rise…and having a clear and wide belly AND HIS THIGHS WOULD BE BROAD… (İmam Mehdi’nin Hayatı (Life of Imam Mahdi), Allama Bakir al-Shariff al-Quraysh)
Hazrat Mahdi's (as) gait will also be extraordinarily majestic
Because of the breadth of his thighs and the space between them, Hazrat Mahdi’s (as) gait will also be exceedingly majestic, and his feet will point outward. Our Prophet (saas) speaks of this characteristic of Hazrat Mahdi (as) as follows:
One Feature of his is That AS HE WALKS THERE IS A SPACE BETWEEN HIS THIGHS, AND THEY ARE AT A DISTANCE FROM ONE ANOTHER.
(Al-Haythami, Al-Qawl Al-Mukhtasar, P. 32)
Hazrat Mahdi (as) will use his hand to emphasize what he is saying
Hazrat Mahdi (as) will use his hands when he talks; he will move his hand as he wishes to emphasize what he is saying and that people will see those motions:
HAZRAT MAHDI (AS) WILL BE SLOW OF SPEECH. HE WILL STRIKE HIS LEFT KNEE WITH HIS RIGHT HAND WHEN HE SPEAKS SLOWLY AND STEADILY.
(Jalaladdin Suyuti, Portents of the Judgment Day, Death and Resurrection, p. 174)
Hazrat Mahdi's (as) complexion will be "Arabic", like that of our Prophet (saas), in other words, "a white tending to red"
The complexion of the Arab race is white mixed with red. The complexion that tends to resemble red, which comes into existence as a result of the effects of the sun and winds, is called dark complexion; and the color of the skin remaining under the clothes so that no sunrays reach is called white complexion.
Rasulullah’s (saas) is described as follows in Islamic reference sources:
IT WAS A LUMINOUS REDDISH-WHITE.
(Ibn Kathir, Shamail ar-Rasul, p. 28)
Anas ibn Malik narrates: ". THE COLOR OF HIS HOLY (SOMETHING ON WHICH DIVINE GOODNESS HAS BEEN BESTOWED) FACE WAS SAINTLY WHITE.”
(At-Tirmidhi Imam Abu I'sa Muhammad, Shamail Sharif, Vol. 2, Hilal Press, Ankara, 1976, pp. 7-8)
Hz. Hasan narrates: "OUR PROPHET’S (SAAS) COLORING WAS WHITISH AND BRIGHT..."
(At-Tirmidhi Imam Abu I'sa Muhammad, Shamail Sharif, Vol. 1, Hilal Press, Ankara, 1976, p. 18-22-23)
Anas ibn Malik (ra) narrates: " HIS COMPLEXION WAS NEITHER WHITE, NOR DARK.
(Sunan at-Tirmidhi Translation, Translated by: Osman Zeki Mollamehmetoğlu, Yunus Emre Press, Istanbul, Vol. 4, p. 201)
RASULLULLAH (SAAS) WAS A WHITISH PINK IN COLOR…"
(Hz. Ali (ra), G. Ahmed Ziyauddin, Ramuz al-Ahadith, Vol. 2, Gonca Press, Istanbul, 1997, p. 519/4)
Anas ibn Malik said this about our Prophet’s (saas) complexion: HE WAS WHITE, BUT A DARKISH WHITE.
(Ibn Kathir, Shamail ar-Rasul, p. 28)
The accounts show that Hazrat Mahdi (as) will have the same complexion as that of our Prophet (saas).
HAZRAT MAHDI (AS) HAS ARAB COLORING.
(Ibn Hajar Al Makki; Al-Qawlul Muhtasar Fi Alamat al-Mahdi Al-Muntadhar, pp. 15-75)
HIS COLORING IS ARAB.
(Portents of the Judgment Day, Barzanji, p. 162-163)
HE IS ARAB IN COLORING.
(Al-Burhan fi' 'Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir al-Zaman, 24)
Through his forefather Imam Muhammad Bakir (a.s), Abu Ja’far has narrated that the chief of Ahl al-Bayt, Amirul Momineen (a.s) proclaimed from the pulpit as, “IN THE LAST AGE A MAN [HAZRAT MAHDI (AS)] FROM MY PROGENY WOULD RISE, HAVING A FAIR COMPLEXION THAT HAS SOME REDNESS (HUE) …
(Imam Mehdi’nin Hayati (Life of Imam Mahdi), Allama Bakir al-Shariff al-Quraysh)
Hazrat Mahdi (as) is from my descendants. His face is like a bright star and HIS COMPLEXION IS OF ARAB and his body is of an Israelite.
(Al Bayan fi Akhbare Sahib az- Zaman)
Characteristics of Hazrat Mahdi's (as) face, described in the most amazing detail
Hazrat Mahdi's (as) face is very beutiful, bright as pearl and luminous
HE [HAZRAT MAHDI (AS)] WILL BE HANDSOME AND HIS FACE WILL BE BEAUTIFUL. THE DIVINE LIGHT OF HIS FACE REACHES FOR HIS HEAD AND THE BLACK OF HIS HAIR.
(Mehdilik Ve Imamiye (Mahdism And Imamate), 153 (From Iqdud Durar)
“HE IS BEAUTIFUL OF FACE. THE LIGHT OF HIS COUNTENANCE BESTOWS GRANDEUR ON HIM”
(Mar’iy Ibn Yusuf Ibn Abu Bakir Ibn Ahmad Ibn Yusuf Al-Makdi’s “Feraidu Fevaidi’l Fikr Fi’l Imam Al-Mahdi Al-Muntadhar”)
He [Hazrat Mahdi (as)] is a young man of medium stature and with a beautiful face … the radiance of his face shines like day in his hair, beard, and the blackness of his head, and gives him greatness.
(Al-Uqayli, Al-Najmu Al-Saqib )
Humran bin A'yân says, to Imam Muhammad Bakir: "… Your lord HAZRAT MAHDI (AS) has a wide stomach, and a mark on his forehead AND A BEAUTIFUL FACE."
(Sheikh Muhammad ibn Ibrahim Nomani, al-Ghaybah al-Nomani, p. 253)
It is reported that Hazrat Imam Huseyin said: "People will not recognize Hazrat Mahdi (as) when he appears. Because HE [HAZRAT MAHDI (AS)] WILL APPEAR AS ONE WITH A BEAUTIFUL FACE..."
(Iqdud Durar, p. 41)
"...HE [HAZRAT MAHDI (AS)] IS A TEMPERATE YOUNG MAN WITH AN ATTRACTIVE FACE and hair, a fine nose and broad face."
(Simt al-Nujum al'awali, Vol 4, p. 138) (Hazrat. Mahdi (as), Abdullah Turan, Al-i Taha, p. 157)
Hazrat Mahdi (as) is one of my children. HIS FACE IS LIKE A STAR SHINING IN THE HEAVENS.
(Ali ibn Sultan Muhammad al-Qari al-Hanafi Risalat al- Mashrab al-Vardi fi mazhab al-Mahdi)
The Prophet (saas) said: “Hazrat Mahdi (as) is one of my children. HIS FACE IS LIKE A BRIGHT STAR.”
(Al-Uqayli, An-Najmu's-saqib)
HAZRAT MAHDI (AS) IS AN INDIVIDUAL FROM MY LINE. HIS FACE IS LIKE THE PEARL STAR.
(Abu Dawud, Mahdi 1., Portents of the Judgment Day, Ismail Mutlu p. 155)
HIS (HAZRAT MAHDI’S (AS)) FACE IS BRIGHT, LIKE A SHINING STAR.
(Ahmad Ibn Ibn Hajar al-Makki (Haytami), The Book of Portents of the Mahdi of the End Times, al-Haythami, Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar, p. 33; Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi Alamat al-Mahdi, p. 22)
“Mahdi is from my descendants. HIS FACE IS LIKE A BRIGHT STAR, ... All the folks of the heaven and the earth and also the birds would be happy during his kingdom and caliphate. He would reign for twenty years.”
(Al Bayan fi Akhbare Sahib az-Zaman)
This information in the hadiths about the beauty and brightness of Hazrat Mahdi’s (as) face bears a close similarity to the Prophet Joseph (as). As we know, our Prophet (saas) says in the hadiths “There will be similarities between the lives of Hazrat Mahdi (as) and the Prophet Joseph (as)”:
Muhammad Bakir said: “THE PERSON CONCERNED (HAZRAT MAHDI (AS) WILL RESEMBLE THE PROPHET JOSEPH (AS).”
(Sheikh Muhammad ibn Ibrahim Nomani, al-Ghaybah al-Nomani P. 189)
Just like the Prophet Joseph (as), Hazrat Mahdi (as) will have a beautiful and radiant face that has a profound impact on people and inspires great admiration. The beauty of the Prophet Joseph (as) is revealed as follows in the Qur’an:
... When they saw him, they were amazed by him and cut their hands. They said, ‘Allah preserve us! This is no man. What can this be but a noble angel here!’ (Surah Yusuf, 31)
Hazrat Mahdi (as) will have a peaceful and calming countenance
Another characteristic of Hazrat Mahdi (as) is how with his lofty moral values, depth, powerful personality and the perfection of his behavior, all stemming from faith, he inspires calm and trust in people around him. This important characteristic is also reflected in Hazrat Mahdi’s (as) face. Just by looking at his face, people will be able to see Hazrat Mahdi’s (as) profound faith in and submission to Allah.
Under the effect of this faith-inspired calm reflected in his face, everyone will find people alongside him. This attribute of Hazrat Mahdi (as) is described in this hadith:
The prominent and acknowledged poet, Agha Sayyid Hasan has thus mentioned about Hazrat Mahdi (as): “THE ELEGANCE CAME UP (AROSE) THROUGH HIS CLEAR FACE. THE MORNING BREEZE SPREAD FROM HIS CALMING COUNTENANCE.”
[ Minanur Rahman, 2/237]
Hazrat Mahdi's (as) skin is very beautiful and bright
Many hadiths reveal that Hazrat Mahdi (as), who will appear to be aged around 40, will have very bright, beautiful and healthy skin:
HIS FACE IS SOMETIMES LIGHT IN COLOR AND BRIGHT AS GOLD AND SOMETIMES DARK IN COLOR AND BRIGHT LIKE THE MOON.
(Bihar Al-Anwar, Vol. 13)
HAZRAT MAHDI’S (AS) FACE WILL SOMETIMES BE DARK AND BRIGHT, TANNED IN THE SUN, AND AT OTHER TIMES IT WILL BE LIGHT, of his own Arab complexion, meaning a pinkish color, and bright.
(Bihar al-Anwar, v. 13)
“HAZRAT MAHDI’S (AS) SKIN IS VERY BRIGHT.”
(Bihar al-Anwar, v. 13, p. 243 (Farsi translation))
Hazrat Mahdi's (as) hair is black
According to accounts narrated by Abu Abdullah Nuaym b. Hammad from Abu Jaffar ibn Mohammad ibn Ali Al-Bakir, Hazrat Ali (as) was asked of the characteristics of Hazrat Mahdi (as) and he answered as follows:
THE LIGHT OF HIS FACE RISES TO HIS HEAD AND THE BLACK OF HIS HAIR.
(Mahdism And Imamate, P. 153)
HE (HAZRAT MAHDI (AS)) HAS BLACK HAIR. HIS BEARD IS BLACK.
(Fera Idu Fevaidi'l Fiqr)
THE RADIANCE OF HIS FACE SHINES LIKE DAY IN HIS HAIR, beard and the blackness of his head, and gives him greatness.
(al-Uqayli, al-Najmu al-Saqib)
Hazrat Mahdi's (as) hair is strikingly thick and beautiful
Hazrat Mahdi (as) will attract people’s attention by the thickness and beauty of his hair, as well as by his bodily majesty and the loveliness of his face. The hadiths reveal this feature of Hazrat Mahdi’s (as) hair thus:
“HIS (HAZRAT MAHDI’S (AS) HAIR IS VERY THICK...”
(Bihar al-Anwar, Vol. 13)
Ahmad ibn Yusuf B. Ahmad al-Dimashqi al-Qaramani (1019), a famous Sunni scholar, writes in his book the “Akhbar al-Duwal:” “…HE [HAZRAT MAHDI (AS)] WILL BE OF MEDIUM HEIGHT WITH A BEAUTIFUL FACE AND HAIR...”(Akhbar al-Duwal, p. 117 printed in 1382 (Hijri calendar))
'Abd al-Malik al-Shafi'i al-Makki al-'Isami (1111), a famous historian resident in Macca, writes in his four volume work of history the “Simt al-Nujum al'awali:” “... HE [THE MAHDI (AS)] IS A MODEST YOUNG MAN WITH A BEAUTIFUL FACE AND BEAUTIFUL HAIR, WIDE FACE AND A SLENDER NOSE.”
(Simt al-Nujum al'awali, Vol. 4, p. 138) (The Mahdi, Abdullah Turan, Al-i Taha, p. 157)
Hazrat Mahdi (as) has a broad face
The hadiths describe how Hazrat Mahdi’s (as) whole body is very broad and splendid.
In parallel to these details provided about his body, the hadiths also say that Hazrat Mahdi’s (as) “face is also broad”
"... HE (HAZRAT MAHDI (AS)) is a gentle, YOUNG MAN with an attractive face, beautiful hair, a thin nose and A BROAD FACE."
(Sımt-ul Nucum-il Avali, Vol. 4, p. 138) (Hz. Mehdi Aleyhisselam, Abdullah Turan, Al-i Taha, p. 157)
Hazrat Mahdi (as) has a clear, wide brow
The hadiths state that Hazrat Mahdi’s (as), whole body and face will be broad, and “will also have a wide brow.”
All these details about his face and forehead show that, like the holy head of our Prophet (saas), Hazrat Mahdi’s (as) head will also be quite large.
Some of the hadiths referring to the width of Hazrat Mahdi’s (as) brow are as follows:
“HAZRAT MAHDI HASS DESCENDED FROM ME. HIS BROW WILL BE BROAD.”
(Abu Dawud, 4285)
His BROW WILL BE BROAD, and his nose fine.
(Tirmidhi, Great Hadith Collection, Rudani Vol. 5, p. 365)
“HE (HAZRAT MAHDI (AS)) IS BROAD OF BROW...”
(Muhammad Ibn Rasul Al-Husayn Al Barzanji, Portents of the Day of Judgment)
“HAZRAT MAHDI HAS DESCENDED FROM ME… HE HAS A CLEAR BROW.”
(Al-Burhan fi Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir al-Zaman, p. 21)
HE HAS A CLEAR BROW.
(Mar’iy ibn Yusuf ibn Abu Bakr ibn Ahmad ibn Yusuf al-Makdisi Fara Idu Fawaidi'l Fiqr Fi'l Imam al-Mahdi al-Muntadhar")
“ALMIGHTY ALLAH WILL SEND A CHILD OF MINE (HAZRAT MAHDI (AS), one from my line, WITH A CLEAR BROW, who will fill the world with justice and offer goods in plenty to people.”
(Ibn Hajar al-Haytami al-Makki, Portents of the Awaited Mahdi, Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar fi alamat Al-Mahdi Al-Muntadhar, p. 23)
Certain it is that ALLAH WILL SEND A PERSON [HAZRAT MAHDI (AS)] FROM MY LINE WITH A CLEAR BROW.
(Fara Idu Fawaidi'l Fiqr Fi'l Imam al-Mahdi al-Muntadhar, p. 11)
“HE (HAZRAT MAHDI (AS)) WILL HAVE A CLEAR BROW …”
(Imam Suyuti, Portents of the Judgment Day, Death and Resurrection, p.1699, p.174)
“HAZRAT MAHDI (AS) HAS A CLEAR BROW.”
(This hadith is narrated in the Abu Dawud Sunan and by Hakim in the al-Mustadrak.)
“HE (HAZRAT MAHDI (AS)) HAS A BROAD BROW.”
(The hadith also suggests that Hazrat Mahdi (as) will have a large head.) (Ali Ibn Husamaddin al-Muttaqi, Hadiths from Jalaladdin Suyuti's Commentary – Portents of the Mahdi of the End Times, p. 22)
Hazrat Mahdi's (as) forehead will be bright
The hadiths describe Hazrat Mahdi (as) as having a very bright and attractive skin, and as a reflection of this characteristic, his brow will also be bright and striking:
Abu Saeed Khudri narrates from the Messenger of Allah (saas) that he said, “Indeed, the
Almighty Allah will raise from my progeny and Ahl al-Bayt a man, who would have appropriate gap between his front teeth and HAVE A BRIGHT FOREHEAD so that he may fill the earth with justice, welfare and economic equality.”
(Iqdud Durar fi Akhbar-e-Muntazar, p. 101)
Hazrat Mahdi (as) will have a slight concavity on his forehead
The hadith notes the presence of a small concavity on Hazrat Mahdi’s (as) broad forehead:
His (Hazrat Mahdi’s (as)) hair is thick, his forehead is broad and there is a slight concavity on his forehead.
(Bihar al-Anwar, Vol. 13)
Hazrat Mahdi (as) will have a mole on his forehead
Abu Basir quotes Imam Muhammad Bakir (as) or Ja'far as-Sadiq (as) (the uncertainty stems from the narrator) that he said: "There are two signs of the Qaim (as). There will be a mark and a mole on the head and a mole between the shoulders.
(Sheikh Muhammad bin Ibrahim Nomani, al-Ghaybah al-Nomani, p. 253)
Hazrat Mahdi (as) will have a mark (scar) on his forehead
Other hadiths report that there will be “A MARK” on Hazrat Mahdi’s (as) brow:
Humran bin A'ayan says: I asked Imam Muhammad Bakir (as): ... THERE WILL BE A MARK ON HIS FOREHEAD, and a mole on his face.
(Sheikh Muhammad bin Ibrahim Nomani, al-Ghaybah al-Nomani, p. 252)
Humran bin A'ayan quotes Imam Muhammad Bakir (as) that he said: "... the Mahdi, WILL HAVE A MARK ON HIS FOREHEAD, and his face will be beautiful..."
(Sheikh Muhammad bin Ibrahim Nomani, al-Ghaybah al-Nomani, pp. 252-253)
This mark on Hazrat Mahdi’s (as) brow is probably A SCAR. In addition, the use of the word “mark” in the hadiths, instead of “mole,” suggests that the mark will be lighter in color than a mole.
Hazrat Mahdi's (as) eyebrows are curved
One of the characteristics that will identify Hazrat Mahdi (as) to people is that his eyebrows are curved:
HIS (HAZRAT MAHDI’S (AS)) EYEBROWS ARE CURVED.
(Barzanji, Al-Isha'ah, P. 163)
Hazrat Mahdi (as) will have a dip between his eyebrows
In this hadith narrated from our Prophet (saas), it is said that Hazrat Mahdi (as) WILL HAVE A NATURAL DIP (IN THE FORM OF A SINGLE LINE) between his eyebrows.
Hazrat Mahdi (as)… WILL HAVE A SMALL DIP BETWEEN HIS EYEBROWS …
(Bihar al-Anwar, Vol. 13, p. 243 [Farsi translation])
Hazrat Mahdi (as) has slanted eyes
Another of the astonishing details about Hazrat Mahdi’s (as) face provided in the hadiths is that he has slanted eyes:
Humran bin A'ayan says: I asked Imam Muhammad Bakir: ... The Mahdi will have SLANTED EYES...
(Sheikh Muhammad bin Ibrahim Nomani, al-Ghaybah al-Nomani, p. 252)
Hazrat Mahdi's (as) nose is handsome and thin
Our Prophet (saas) has informed us in the hadith about the beauty of Hazrat Mahdi’s (as) face. One feature of the beauty of Hazrat Mahdi’s (as) face is that he has a small, fine and thin nose:
HIS BROW IS BROAD, AND HIS NOSE WILL BE THIN.
(Hadith Al-Tirmidhi)
HE WILL HAVE A CLEAR BROW AND A SMALL NOSE.
(Barzanji, Al-Isha'ah, P. 163)
"...HE (HAZRAT MAHDI (AS)) IS A TEMPERATE YOUNG MAN WITH AN ATTRACTIVE FACE AND HAIR, A FINE NOSE AND broad face."
(Simt al-Nujum al'awali, Vol 4, p. 138) (Hz. Mahdi Aleyhisselam, Abdullah Turan, Al-i Taha, p. 157)
According to Abu Said Al Hudri ‘s account, Rasulullah (saas) said: "The Mahdi (as) is from my line. He will have a clear brow and A FINE NOSE...
(Ahmad ibn Hanbal II-291, 111-17, Sunan Abu Dawud Translation and Commentary, Samil Press: 14/403-404.)
Hazrat Mahdi's (as) nose is small...
(Bihar al-Anwar, V. 13)
According to Imam Ahme Abu Ya’la, Samuyah and Abu Said in al-Muhtara, our Prophet (saas) said: Day of Judgment will not take place until SOMEONE from my ahl al-bayt, with straight hair, a clear brow and A FLAWLESS NOSE fills the world that was filled with oppression before him, with justice instead. (Muhammad ibn Salih ad-Dimashqi, The Prophet (saas) Collection, p. 202)
There is a slight protrusion on the center of Hazrat Mahdi's (as) nose
Our Prophet (saas) has reported that Hazrat Mahdi (as) will have a slight protrusion on the center of his nose:
“HAZRAT MAHDI (AS) has thick hair, a broad brow and a slight cavity on his brow. HIS NOSE IS SMALL AND THERE IS A SMALL PROTRUSION ON THE CENTER OF HIS NOSE...”
(Bihar al-Anwar, Vol. 13)
There is a mole on Hazrat Mahdi's (as) cheek
One of the very detailed pieces of information about Hazrat Mahdi’s (as) face in the hadiths is that he will have a mole on his cheek. It appears from the accounts that the mole on Hazrat Mahdi’s (as) cheek will resemble a pearl and be as bright as a star, in other words very light in color:
THERE IS A MARK ON HIS CHEEK, REMINISCENT OF A PEARL, ILUMINATING HIS FACE LIKE A STAR.
(Muhammad Ibn Rasul Al-Husseini Al-Barzanji, "Portents Of the Judgment Day" Pamuk Publications, Trans. Naim Erdogan)
The Mahdi has a thick beard, bright front teeth, A MOLE ON HIS FACE, and a broad forehead.
(Fera Idu Fevaidi'l Fiqr)
HE (HAZRAT MAHDI (AS)) HAS A MOLE ON HIS FACE.
(al-Haythami, Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar, p. 41)
The presence on the cheek of A SIGN ENLIGHTENING THE STAR-LIKE FACE, REMINISCENT OF A PEARL, of Hazrat Mahdi (as) has been reported in the hadiths. Not only the word “mole” is used for this feature of Hazrat Mahdi (as), as all the features of this mole have been described. Terms such as “reminiscent of a pearl,” “like a star” and “illuminating” provide great detail about its shape and color. All this information shows that this mole will be the color of skin and not dark.
The mole on Hazrat Mahdi's (as) cheek will rotrude from it
It is also reported in the hadiths that the mole on Hazrat Mahdi’s (as) cheek will protrude from it:
“HAZRAT MAHDI (AS) has thick hair, a broad brow and a slight cavity on his forehead. His nose is small and there is a small protrusion right on the center. THERE IS A PROTRUDING MOLE ON HIS CHEEK.”
(Bihar al-Anwar, Vol. 13)
The mole on Hazrat Mahdi's (as) cheek will resemble that of the Prophet Moses (as)
The hadith notes that the Prophet MOSES (as) had a similar mole on his cheek to the light-colored one on the cheek of Hazrat Mahdi (as). Hazrat Mahdi (as) descended from our Prophet (saas) and comes from the same line as all the Prophets. Allah has used this blood bond to create similarities between the other Prophets and Hazrat Mahdi (as).
The similarity between the moles on the face of Hazrat Mahdi (as) and that of the Prophet MOSES (as) is described thus in the hadiths:
Hazrat Mahdi (as) will HAVE A DIP at the beginning of his straight nose, BETWEEN HIS EYEBROWS. AS WITH THE PROPHET MOSES (AS), THE MOLE ON HAZRAT MAHDI’S (AS) CHEEK WILL PROTRUDE SLIGHTLY AND BE BRIGHT LIKE A STAR. HIS COMPLEXION IS VERY BRIGHT.
(Bihar al-Anwar, Vol. 13, p. 243 [Farsi translation])
Hazrat Mahdi's (as) beard is black
Another piece of information that identifies Hazrat Mahdi’s (as) face is that, like his hair, his beard is black:
HE HAS BLACK HAIR. HIS BEARD IS BLACK. (Fera Idu Fevaidi'l Fiqr)
Hazrat Mahdi's (as) beard will be copious and thick
Hazrat Mahdi’s (as) beard is strikingly attractive and thick:
HIS [HAZRAT MAHDI’S (AS) BEARD IS THICK.
(Signs of The Judgment Day, 163)
“...THE RADIANCE OF HIS [HAZRAT MAHDI’S (AS)] FACE, his hair, HIS BEARD and THE BLACKNESS ON HIS HEAD SHINE LIKE DAY AND GIVE HIM GREATNESS.”
(Al-Uqayli "An-Najm al-saqib fi Bayan Anna al-Mahdi min Awladi Ali Ibn Abu Talib Ala't-Tamam wa al-qamal ")
“HAZRAT MAHDI (AS) HAS A THICK BEARD...”
(Mar'iy Ibn Yusuf Ibn Abi Baqr Ibn Ahmad Ibn Yusuf al-Maqdi'si "Faraidu Fawaidi'l Fikr Fi'l Imam Al-Mahdi al-Muntadhar")
His (HAZRAT MAHDI’S (AS)) beard will be copious and THICK.
(Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar fi alamat Al-Mahdi Al-Muntadhar p. 23)
Hazrat Mahdi (as) will have a light beard, thin at the sides and long at the front
A MAN OF AVERAGE HEIGHT, DARK, WITH A LIGHT BEARD, THIN AT THE SIDE AND LONG IN THE FRONT. ...
(Al-Fatawa al-Hadithiyyah, Abul Abbas Shahabuddin Ahmad Ibn Hajar al-Haytami, p. 41)
One of the details our Prophet (saas) supplies about Hazrat Mahdi (as) is to do with his beard. Our Prophet (saas) has said in several hadith that Hazrat Mahdi (as) will be bearded, and in this hadith he provides detail about the shape of that beard. He says that Hazrat Mahdi’s (as) the texture of his beard will be light, and that the sides will be thin while the lower part is long.
Hazrat Mahdi's (as) front teeth will be bright
One of the distinguishing features of our Prophet (saas) was the brightness of his teeth:
"RASULULLAH (SAAS) was very handsome and attractive. His holy face shone like the fourteenth day of the full moon... His nose was very attractive... he had a thick beard, large eyes and smooth cheeks. His mouth was wide and HIS TEETH WERE BRIGHT LIKE PEARLS... His neck was like a silver beam... The space between his shoulders was broad and the ends of his shoulder bones were thick..."
(Great Hadith Collection, Cem'ul-fevaid min Jami'il-usul ve Faharis kitab Majma' al-zawaid, , Muhammad bin Sulayman Al-Maghribi Ar-Rudani, Vol. 5, Iz Press, p. 31)
The hadiths note the brightness of Hazrat Mahdi’s (as) teeth, like those of our Prophet (saas):
In another hadith Hazrat Ali (as) again speaks of the Imam Mahdi (as) in the words: “... HIS FRONT TEETH ARE BRIGHT ....”
(Yanaabee al-Mawaddah, p. 423)
His (HAZRAT MAHDI’S (AS)) TEETH WILL BE BRIGHT.
(Nu'aym ibn Hammad, vr. 52a; al-Haythami, Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar, p. 41)
The Mahdi will have a thick beard, and HIS FRONT TEETH WILL BE BRIGHT.
(Fera Idu Fevaidi'l Fiqr)
Distinguishing features on Hazrat Mahdi's (as) body, described in astonishing detail
There will be two moles on Hazrat Mahdi's (as) body, both the same color as those of our Prophet (saas)
Other information about Hazrat Mahdi (as) imparted by our Prophet (saas) is that he will have two separate moles, both the same color as those of the Prophet (saas):
Through his forefather , Imam Muhammad Bakir (a.s), Abu Ja’far has narrated that the chief of Ahl al-Bayt, Amirul Momineen (a.s)
proclaimed from the pulpit as, “In the last age a man (HAZRAT MAHDI (AS)])from my progeny would rise…HE WOULD HAVE TWO BEAUTY SPOTS ONE OF WHOM SHALL BE THE COLOR OF THE PROPHET. HE SHALL RISE UP.”
(Life of Imam Mahdi, Allama Bakir al-Shariff al-Quraysh)
Hazrat Mahdi (as) has the 'seal of the Prophethood' on his shoulder
Those accounts that describe the appearance of our Prophet (saas) speak of a sign on his back, between his shoulders. In Islamic reference sources and accounts, this sign between the Prophet’s (saas) shoulders is known as the “the Seal of Prophethood”.
It is related by al-Mustadrak from Wahb ibn Munabbih that other Prophets have had a mark of prophethood similar to that of our Prophet (saas), but that his is different:
"… Allah has sent no prophet without his having the mole (mark of Prophethood) on his right hand. But our Prophet Muhammad (saas) represents an exception. BECAUSE HIS MARK OF PROPHETHOOD IS BETWEEN HIS SHOULDER BLADES (NOT ON HIS RIGHT HAND). When our Prophet (saas) was asked about this, he said: "THIS MARK BETWEEN MY SHOULDER BLADES is like that of all the prophets before me…"
(From the translation of Tirmidhi’s book Shamail, Prof. Dr. Ali Yardım, Peygamberimizin Şemaili (Shamail ar-Rasul), Damla Press, 3 Edition, Istanbul, 1998, p. 73)
Some of the accounts describing our Prophet’s (saas) mark of prophethood are as follows:
Jabir ibn Samurah (ra) relates: “I SAW THE MARK OF PROPHETHOOD BETWEEN RASULULLAH’S (SAAS) SHOULDER BLADES.”
(At-Tirmidhi Imam Abu I'sa Muhammad, Ash-Shama’il as-Sharifa, Vol. 1, Hilal Press, Ankara, 1976, p. 36)
Abu Saib ibn Yazid relates that:
"MY EYE SAW THE SEAL OF THE PROPHET (SAAS) BETWEEN HIS SHOULDERS."
(Sunan Tirmidhi, 6:126)
Ibrahim b. Muhammed, one of the grandsons of Hazrat Ali (as), relates:
“In describing the characteristics of our Prophet (saas), my grandfather Hazrat Ali (as) would relate all the hadiths about the physical appearance of Rasulullah (saas) at length and say:
"THERE WAS THE SEAL OF PROPHETHOOD BETWEEN HIS SHOULDER BLADES. And he is the last of the Prophets."
(At-Tirmidhi Imam Abu I'sa Muhammad, Ash-Shama’il as-Sharifa, Vol 1. Hilal Press, Ankara, 1976, p. 38)
We are also told in the hadiths that, like the Prophet Muhammad (saas), Hazrat Mahdi (as) will have this clear sign, the "seal of prophethood"
The Mahdi will have the sign of our Prophet (saas) on his shoulder.
(al-Haythami, Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar, p. 41)
The sign of the Prophet (saas) is on his (HAZRAT MAHDI’S (AS)) shoulder.
(Barzanji, Al-Isha'ah, p. 165; Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi Alamat al-Mahdi, p. 23)
The mark of the Prophet (saas) is on his (HAZRAT MAHDI’S (AS)) shoulder.
(Barzanji, Al-Isha'ah, p. 163)
THE SEAL IS DARK IN COLOR AND COVERS THE SURFACE. In addition, this mark on Hazrat Mahdi’s (as) back is fully described in terms of location by giving a certain measure.
Accounts say that every Prophet has had the mark of prophethood on his right hand. But the Prophet Muhammad’s (saas) seal of prophethood is described as “being at the level of the heart on the skin of the left shoulder blade.”
Therefore, the way the hadiths described Hazrat Mahdi (as) as having the seal of prophethood of our Prophet (saas) on his shoulder shows that Hazrat Mahdi (as) will also have “A DARK, WIDE MARK AT THE LEVEL OF THE HEART ON HIS LEFT SHOULDER BLADE.”
Hazrat Mahdi (as) has a mole shaped like a leaf on his shoulder blade
Another hadith refers to a second mark on Hazrat Mahdi’s (as) back:
Abu Basir quotes Imam Muhammad Bakir (as) or Ja'far as-Sadiq (as) that he said: ... THERE WILL BE A LEAF BELOW AND TO THE LEFT OF HIS LEFT SHOULDER BLADE, JUST LIKE THE LEAF OF THE MYRTLE.
(Sheikh Muhammad bin Ibrahim Nomani, al-Ghaybah al-Nomani, p. 253)
This second mark on Hazrat Mahdi’s (as) back is described in detail in the hadiths, saying that it will be BETWEEN HIS SHOULDER BLADES; ON THE LOWER LEFT OF THE LEFT SHOULDER BLADE.
The shape of the mark is also described in detail as resembling ‘A MYRTLE LEAF.’
The comparison with a ‘LEAF’ here suggests that ‘the mole will resemble a tree leaf with the edges being higher than the stem’ and that ‘it will be the color of a faded leaf’ in other words a yellowish or skin tone.
Hazrat Mahdi (as) will have a black mark on his right leg
In one hadith our Prophet (saas) says “HAZRAT Mahdi (as) will have a BLACK MARK on his RIGHT leg.”
Great detail is provided about this distinguishing feature of Hazrat Mahdi (as) in the hadiths. Our Prophet (saas) does not just speak of a mark, but provides distinctive detail, saying it will be BLACK and on his RIGHT LEG:
(Hazrat Mahdi (as)) WILL HAVE A BLACK MARK ON HIS RIGHT LEG.
(Sheikh Muhammad bin Ibrahim Nomani, al-Ghaybah al-Nomani, p. 251)
Hazrat Mahdi (as) will have a mole on his right thigh
In another tradition Hazrat Ali (a.s) again mentions about Imam Mahdi (a.s) in the
following words: “He shall have…A MOLE ON HIS RIGHT THIGH.”
(Yanabiul Mawaddah, p. 423)
Hazrat Mahdi (as) will come in this century and all people will know him from the signs in the hadiths
The information about Hazrat Mahdi (as) in the hadiths is highly detailed. Our Prophet (saas) provides no such detailed description of anyone else in the hadiths. The fact that such detailed information about Hazrat Mahdi’s (as) physical appearance is provided, as well as about his life, is a most important sign for Muslims awaiting Hazrat Mahdi (as) with great love and wishing to recognize him, and also a most exciting blessing.
The fact that the hadiths tell us that,
- Hazrat Mahdi (as) will assume the spiritual leadership of all Muslims,
- That he will be instrumental in uniting the whole Islamic world,
- That he will cause Islamic morality to rule the world by neutralizing all ideologies based on irreligion,
- He will come together with the Prophet Jesus (as) and act as his imam in the prayers,
- That he will be instrumental in the whole Christian world converting to Islam and
- He will intellectually neutralize the dajjal together with the Prophet Jesus (as),
As well as giving us all the other signs and the details of his physical appearance, will leave no doubt as to Hazrat Mahdi’s (as) identity when, by Allah’s leave, he finally appears. (Allah knows the truth.)
Following the appearance of Hazrat Mahdi (as), the world will live the peace, comfort and happiness longed for centuries since the Age of Happiness in the leadership of the Prophet Jesus (as) and Hazrat Mahdi (as).
And the Golden Age that will embrace all those beauties will come during the century that we are now living insha’Allah.
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