Imam Muhammad b. al-Hasan al-Mahdi (a): Difference between revisions

In Shi'a hadiths, the Twelfth Imam (a) is referred to by names such as Muhammad, Ahmad, and 'Abd Allah. However, among the Shi'as he is most famously referred to as al-Mahdi which is one of his titles.

According to a number of hadiths, he is [[the Prophet (s)]]'s namesake. In some hadiths and written Shiite sources, such as ''[[al-Kafi]]'' and ''[[Kamal al-din]]'', his name is written with separate letters as "{{ia|م ح م د}}" (M Ḥ M D). This is in accordance with hadiths forbidding any mention of Imam al-Mahdi's (a) name.

There are many hadiths in Shiite sources according to which it is forbidden to mention the Twelfth Imam's (a) real name. There are two well-known theories about these hadiths: the first view, which is propounded by scholars such as [[al-Sayyid al-Murtada]], [[al-Fadil al-Miqdad]], [[al-Muhaqqiq al-Hilli]], and others, restricts the ban to the period in which the Shi'as had to practice [[Taqiyya]] (dissimulation). However, [[Mir Damad]] and [[al-Muhaddith al-Nuri]] take the ban to be in force before the [[Reappearance]].

In different sources, supplications, and [[ziyaras]], the Twelfth Imam of the Shi'as is characterized with different [[kunyas]] and titles, the best-known of which are: al-Mahdi ({{ia|المَهدی}}, guided), Ṣāḥib al-Zamān ({{ia|صاحب الزمان}}, the owner of the time), Muntaẓar ({{ia|مُنتَظَر}}, expected), Baqīyyat Allāh ({{ia|بَقیّة الله}}, what remains with [[Allah]]), Muntaqim ({{ia|مُنتَقِم}}, avenger), Maw'ūd ({{ia|مَوعود}}, promised), Khātam al-Awṣīyā' ({{ia|خاتَم الأوصیاء}}, the last successor), Ghā'ib ({{ia|غائب}}, hidden), Ma'mūl ({{ia|مأمول}}, hoped), and Muḍṭarr ({{ia|مُضطرّ}}, distressed). Another well-known title of Imam al-Zaman (a) is "Qa'im" ({{ia|قائم}}, upriser or standing) upon the hearing of which the Shi'as stand up and put their hands on their heads, as practiced by [[Imam al-Rida (a)]].

The names and titles of the Twelfth Shiite Imam (a) are mentioned in Sunni sources as well. In these source, "al-Mahdi" is the mostly mentioned title. The title "Qa'im" is rarely found in Sunni sources.

Imam al-Zaman's (a) mother is referred to in different ways: Narjis, Susan, Saqil or Sayqal, Haditha, Hakima, Malika, Rayhana, and Khamt. In general, there are four accounts of her life and characteristics. According to a [[hadith]] cited by [[al-Shaykh al-Saduq]] in his ''[[Kamal al-din wa tamam al-ni'ma]]'', Imam al-Zaman's (a) mother was a Roman princess. And in other hadiths, her life story is not mentioned and it is only said that she was trained and raised in the house of [[Hakima bint Imam al-Jawad (a)|Hakima]], the daughter of [[Imam al-Jawad (a)]]. According to a third group of hadiths (cited by [[al-Mas'udi]] in his ''[[Ithbat al-wasiyya li l-Imam 'Ali b. Abi Talib (al-Mas'udi)|Ithbat al-wasiyya]]''), Imam al-Zaman's (a) mother was not only raised in the house of [[Imam al-Hasan al-'Askari (a)]]'s paternal aunt, but was also born there. The last group of hadiths has a fundamental difference with these three groups. According to these hadiths, Imam al-Zaman's (a) mother was a black bondwoman. The first three groups of hadiths can be considered as complementary, but the last one cannot be reconciled with them. However, some scholars have tried to reconcile the last group of hadiths with others by taking it to be concerned with Imam al-Zaman's (a) nurse.

Some old sources did not talk about the birth date of Imam al-Mahdi (a), taking it to be a secret. However, many Shiite and some Sunni hadiths take the year of the Twelfth Shiite Imam (a) to be [[255]]/869 or [[256]]/870.

There is also a disagreement about the month in which the Imam (a) was born. The majority of scholars take it to be [[Sha'ban]] as is evidenced by many old Shiite sources. However, some Shiite and Sunni sources take it to [[Ramadan]], and some Sunni sources take it to be [[Rabi' I]] or [[Rabi' II]].

In historical sources, there are different accounts of the day on which the Twelfth Imam (a) was born, the best-known of which is [[Sha'ban 15th]].

Historians who talked about the issue agree that Imam al-Zaman (a) was born in the house of his father, Imam al-Hasan al-'Askari (a), in [[Samarra]]. The house is now part of the [[shrine of 'Askariyyayn|shrine]] of [[Imam al-Hadi (a)]] and Imam al-'Askari (a). Imam al-Hadi (a) and Imam al-'Askari (a) were summoned to Samarra, the center of the [[Abbasid]] [[Caliphate]], years before the birth of Imam al-Zaman (a) and lived there until they were martyred.

Abbasid caliphs knew from the hadiths by [[the Prophet (s)]] and the [[Imams (a)]] that the Twelfth Imam was al-Mahdi, and thus, they assigned some guards to monitor Imam al-Hasan al-'Askari (a) and his house. According to historians, [[al-Mu'tamid al-'Abbasi]] had ordered the midwives to drop by [[sadat]]'s houses, especially the house of Imam al-Hasan al-'Askari (a), search inside the house, learn about his wife, and report him about it.

The birth of Imam al-Zaman (a) was hidden from people. The secrecy of his birth and its reasons are mentioned in some hadiths. According to a hadith from [[Imam al-Sajjad (a)]], "our [[Qa'im]] bears some traditions of the [[prophets]]. A tradition from [[Abraham (a)]] is the secrecy of his birth and his isolation from the people". And according to a hadith from [[Imam al-Sadiq (a)]], "the birth of [[Sahib al-Amr]] is hidden from the people until he reappears. This is in order for him not to have to pledge allegiance to anyone".

Some Sunni scholars have reported the birth of Imam al-Hasan al-'Askari's (a) son, but they are silent about the son being the promised Mahdi: some examples are Ibn Athir (d. 630/1232) in his ''al-Kamil fi l-tarikh'', Ibn Khallikan (d. 681/1282) in his ''Wafiyyat al-a'yan'', and al-Dhahabi (d. 748/1347) in his ''al-'Ibar''. Other Sunni scholars have, in addition to reporting his birth, pointed to his being the promised Mahdi as well, such as Ibn Talha al-Shafi'i (d. 652/1254) in his ''Matalib al-su'ul'' and Ibn Sabbagh al-Maliki (d. 855/1451) in his ''al-Fusul al-muhimma''.