Messiah and Mahdi Are One
حَدَّثَنَا يُونُسُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الأَعْلَى، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِدْرِيسَ الشَّافِعِيُّ، حَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ خَالِدٍ الْجَنَدِيُّ، عَنْ أَبَانَ بْنِ صَالِحٍ، عَنِ الْحَسَنِ، عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ قَالَ " لاَ يَزْدَادُ الأَمْرُ إِلاَّ شِدَّةً وَلاَ الدُّنْيَا إِلاَّ إِدْبَارًا وَلاَ النَّاسُ إِلاَّ شُحًّا وَلاَ تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ إِلاَّ عَلَى شِرَارِ النَّاسِ وَلاَ الْمَهْدِيُّ إِلاَّ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ " .
It was narrated from Anas bin Malik that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“Adhering to religion will only become harder and worldly affairs will only become more difficult, and people will only become more stingy, and the Hour will only come upon the worst of people, and the only Mahdi (after Muhammad ﷺ) is ‘Eisa bin Maryam.”
Is it authentic?
Video: Is the Hadith that there is no Mahdi except Isa (as) wrong? Explantion
The report is authentic because the narrator is Muhammad bin Khalid Al Jundi who is deemed to be very reliable. Scholars of the repute of Imam Shafi, for example, have heard from him and have taken down his narrations and Ibn-e-Mueen has called this ravi “trustworthy and reliable” (Tehzeeb ul Tehzeeb, vol 9, page 144)
Ibn-e-Mueen has been titled “Imamul Jarah wat ta’adeel” and concerning him it is:
“A hadith not known to Ibn-e-Mueen is a concoction” (Tehzeeb ul Tehzeeb page 180-188)
Such a learned scholar of hadith saying that the narrator is “trustworthy” and “reliable” is enough proof of the authenticity of the tradition.
The Promised Messiah(as)'s input
Hadhrat Ahmad(as) quoting the hadith of Ibn Maja states:
" This Hadith is found in Ibn-e-Majah, a renowned book [of Hadith]. It, as narrated by Anas bin Malik, is also found in Mustadrak by Hakim to whom it was related by Muhammad bin Khalid Jundi; Jundi relates it, having heard it from Aban bin Salih; Aban bin Salih from Hasan Basri; Hasan Basri from Anas bin Malik; Anas bin Malik from the Holy Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be on him. This Hadith means that except the person, who will come with the disposition, and in the spirit, of Jesus, no other Mahdi will come. That is, he will at once be both the Promised Messiah and Mahdi, who will come with the disposition, and in the spirit, of Jesus; and whose teachings will be similar to those of Jesus, peace be on him. That is to say that he will not respond to evil with evil and will not fight; rather, he will spread guidance through his holy example and heavenly signs." (True Nature of the Mahdi, Pages 5-6)
It is corroborated by Sahih Hadith
عن أبي هريرة عن النبي صلى الله عليه و سلم قال : يوشك من عاش منكم ان يلقى عيسى بن مريم إماما مهديا وحكما عدلا فيكسر الصليب ويقتل الخنزير ويضع الجزية وتضع الحرب أوزارها
“It is near that one who lives from amongst you shall meet ‘Eisa bin Maryam. He will be the Imam Mahdi, a leader and a just ruler..”(Musnad Ahmad #9117)
Scholars said that the Mahdi and Isa are same
A student of Hazrat Ibn Abbasra and Hazrat Alira named Mujahid Ibn Jabr stated:
حدثنا الوليد بن عتبة؛ عن زائدة، عن ليث، عن مجاهد، قال: المهدي عيسى ابن مريم.
“Al Mahdi is Jesus Son of Mary (Al Musannaf, Kitab al Fitan, #38660)
Hazrat Ibn al Qayyim stated:
إنما المهدي عيسى ابن مريم، يعني المهدي الكامل المعصوم.
“Al Mahdi is only Jesus son of Mary, who is the Perfect and infallible Mahdi” (Al-Manar al Munif Page 148)
Imam Al Qurtubi stated something similar:
لا مهدي كاملا معصوما إلا عيسى.
“There is no Perfect and infallible Mahdi except Jesus” (At-Tahkirah, 2/723)
Ibn Kathir stated:
وعند التأمل لا يتنافيان، بل يكون المراد من ذلك أن المهدي حقا هو عيسى ابن مريم. “
But the meaning is that al-Mahdi in the true sense is Jesus son of Maryam” (Al Bidayah Wa’an Nihayah 19/67)
