Comprehensive Catalogue of Hadith on Imam Mahdi in Sunni and Shia Traditions: Presented by Anthropic AI / Claude

Table of Contents Introduction The concept of Imam Mahdi (The Guided One) holds significant importance in both Sunni and Shia Islamic eschatology. While both traditions agree on the coming of a divinely guided leader who will establish justice before the Day of Judgment, they differ in certain aspects of his identity, lineage, and current status.…

June 12, 2025

11–16 minutes

allah, hadith, islam, Quran, sunnah

Introduction
Sunni Hadith Collections
Shia Hadith Collections
Common Themes and Differences

Introduction

The concept of Imam Mahdi (The Guided One) holds significant importance in both Sunni and Shia Islamic eschatology. While both traditions agree on the coming of a divinely guided leader who will establish justice before the Day of Judgment, they differ in certain aspects of his identity, lineage, and current status.

Sunni Hadith Collections

Sahih Muslim

Hadith 1

Arabic Text: عن أبي سعيد الخدري قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: “من خلفائكم خليفة يحثو المال حثياً لا يعده عداً”

English Translation: Abu Sa’id al-Khudri reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “From among your caliphs there will be a caliph who will distribute wealth lavishly without counting it.”

Reference: Sahih Muslim, Book 54, Hadith 67

Hadith 2

Arabic Text: عن جابر بن عبد الله قال: سمعت النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول: “لا تزال طائفة من أمتي يقاتلون على الحق ظاهرين إلى يوم القيامة، قال: فينزل عيسى ابن مريم صلى الله عليه وسلم فيقول أميرهم: تعال صل لنا، فيقول: لا، إن بعضكم على بعض أمراء تكرمة الله هذه الأمة”

English Translation: Jabir ibn Abdullah reported: I heard the Prophet (ﷺ) saying: “A group of my community will continue to fight for the truth and prevail until the Day of Resurrection. Jesus, son of Mary, will descend and their leader will say: ‘Come and lead us in prayer,’ but he will reply: ‘No, you have leaders among yourselves as an honor from Allah for this community.’”

Reference: Sahih Muslim, Book 1, Hadith 293

Sunan Abu Dawud

Hadith 3

Arabic Text: عن أبي سعيد الخدري قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: “المهدي مني أجلى الجبهة أقنى الأنف يملأ الأرض قسطاً وعدلاً كما ملئت جوراً وظلماً يملك سبع سنين”

English Translation: Abu Sa’id al-Khudri reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “The Mahdi will be from me, with a broad forehead and a prominent nose. He will fill the earth with equity and justice as it was filled with oppression and tyranny, and he will rule for seven years.”

Reference: Sunan Abu Dawud, Book 36, Hadith 4272

Hadith 4

Arabic Text: عن أم سلمة قالت: سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول: “المهدي من عترتي من ولد فاطمة”

English Translation: Umm Salamah said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying: “The Mahdi will be from my family, from the descendants of Fatimah.”

Reference: Sunan Abu Dawud, Book 36, Hadith 4271

Hadith 5

Arabic Text: عن علي رضي الله عنه قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: “المهدي منا أهل البيت يصلحه الله في ليلة”

English Translation: Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “The Mahdi is from us, the Ahl al-Bayt. Allah will prepare him in one night.”

Reference: Sunan Abu Dawud (attributed)

Sunan Ibn Majah

Hadith 6

Arabic Text: عن عبد الله بن مسعود عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: “لو لم يبق من الدنيا إلا يوم لطول الله ذلك اليوم حتى يبعث فيه رجلاً من أهل بيتي يواطئ اسمه اسمي واسم أبيه اسم أبي يملأ الأرض قسطاً وعدلاً كما ملئت ظلماً وجوراً”

English Translation: Abdullah ibn Mas’ud reported that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: “If only one day remained for the world, Allah would lengthen that day until He sends a man from my family whose name will match my name and whose father’s name will match my father’s name. He will fill the earth with equity and justice as it was filled with oppression and tyranny.”

Reference: Sunan Ibn Majah, Vol. 5, Book 36, Hadith 4082

Hadith 7

Arabic Text: عن أبي هريرة قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: “كيف أنتم إذا نزل ابن مريم فيكم وإمامكم منكم”

English Translation: Abu Hurairah reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “How will you be when the son of Mary descends among you and your Imam is from among you?”

Reference: Sunan Ibn Majah, Vol. 5, Book 36, Hadith 4078

Jami’ at-Tirmidhi

Hadith 8

Arabic Text: عن أبي سعيد الخدري قال: خشينا أن يكون بعد نبينا حدث فسألنا نبي الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فقال: “إن في أمتي المهدي يخرج يعيش خمساً أو سبعاً أو تسعاً”

English Translation: Abu Sa’id al-Khudri said: We feared that something might happen after our Prophet, so we asked the Prophet of Allah (ﷺ). He said: “Indeed in my nation is the Mahdi; he will emerge and live for five, or seven, or nine [years].”

Reference: Jami’ at-Tirmidhi, Book 31, Hadith 2333

Musnad Ahmad

Hadith 9

Arabic Text: عن علي رضي الله عنه قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: “المهدي منا أهل البيت يصلحه الله في ليلة”

English Translation: Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “The Mahdi is from us, the People of the House (Ahl al-Bayt). Allah will rectify him in one night.”

Reference: Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Vol. 2, p. 58

Hadith 10

Arabic Text: عن أبي سعيد الخدري أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: “يخرج في آخر أمتي المهدي يسقيه الله الغيث وتخرج الأرض نباتها ويعطي المال صحاحاً وتكثر الماشية وتعظم الأمة يعيش سبعاً أو ثمانياً”

English Translation: Abu Sa’id al-Khudri reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “At the end of my nation, the Mahdi will emerge. Allah will give him rain, the earth will bring forth its vegetation, he will give money in abundance, livestock will increase, and the nation will become great. He will live for seven or eight [years].”

Reference: Musnad Ahmad

Other Sunni Sources

Hadith 11 (Al-Hakim)

Arabic Text: عن ثوبان قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: “يقتتل عند كنزكم ثلاثة كلهم ابن خليفة ثم لا يصير إلى واحد منهم ثم تطلع الرايات السود من قبل المشرق فيقتلونكم قتلاً لم يقتله قوم” ثم ذكر شيئاً لا أحفظه فقال: “فإذا رأيتموه فبايعوه ولو حبواً على الثلج فإنه خليفة الله المهدي”

English Translation: Thawban reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “Three will fight for your treasure, each one the son of a caliph, but none of them will gain it. Then the black banners will come from the east, and they will kill you in an unprecedented manner.” Then he mentioned something that I do not remember, then he said: “When you see him, pledge your allegiance to him even if you have to crawl over snow, for he is the vicegerent of Allah, the Mahdi.”

Reference: Mustadrak al-Hakim, Vol. 4, p. 464

Shia Hadith Collections

Al-Kafi

Hadith 12

Arabic Text: عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام قال: “إن الله تبارك وتعالى خلق أربعة عشر نوراً قبل خلق الخلق بأربعة عشر ألف عام فهي أرواحنا، فقيل له: يا ابن رسول الله ومن الأربعة عشر؟ فقال: محمد وعلي وفاطمة والحسن والحسين والأئمة من ولد الحسين آخرهم القائم الذي يقوم بعد غيبته فيقتل الدجال ويطهر الأرض من كل جور وظلم”

English Translation: Abu Abdullah (Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq) peace be upon him said: “Indeed, Allah, Blessed and Exalted, created fourteen lights fourteen thousand years before creating the creation. These are our souls.” He was asked: “O son of the Messenger of Allah, who are the fourteen?” He said: “Muhammad, Ali, Fatimah, al-Hasan, al-Husayn, and the Imams from the descendants of al-Husayn, the last of whom is al-Qa’im (the Mahdi) who will rise after his occultation, kill the Dajjal, and purify the earth from all injustice and oppression.”

Reference: Al-Kafi, Vol. 1, p. 531

Hadith 13

Arabic Text: عن أبي جعفر عليه السلام قال: “القائم منا منصور بالرعب مؤيد بالنصر تطوى له الأرض وتظهر له الكنوز ويبلغ سلطانه المشرق والمغرب ويظهر الله عز وجل به دينه على الدين كله ولو كره المشركون”

English Translation: Abu Ja’far (Imam Muhammad al-Baqir) peace be upon him said: “Al-Qa’im from us is aided by awe, supported by victory. The earth will be folded for him, treasures will be revealed to him, his authority will reach the East and the West, and Allah, Mighty and Majestic, will make His religion prevail over all religions through him, even if the polytheists hate it.”

Reference: Al-Kafi, Vol. 1, p. 341

Hadith 14

Arabic Text: عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام قال: “للقائم غيبتان إحداهما قصيرة والأخرى طويلة، الغيبة الأولى لا يعلم بمكانه فيها إلا خاصة شيعته، والأخرى لا يعلم بمكانه فيها إلا خاصة مواليه”

English Translation: Abu Abdullah (Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq) peace be upon him said: “Al-Qa’im will have two occultations, one short and the other long. In the first occultation, only his special Shia will know his whereabouts, and in the other, only his special devotees will know his whereabouts.”

Reference: Al-Kafi, Vol. 1, p. 340

Man La Yahduruhu al-Faqih

Hadith 15

Arabic Text: عن أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام أنه قال: “التاسع من ولدك يا حسين هو القائم بالحق المظهر للدين والباسط للعدل”

English Translation: The Commander of the Faithful (Imam Ali) peace be upon him said: “The ninth from your descendants, O Husayn, is al-Qa’im with truth, the manifester of religion, and the spreader of justice.”

Reference: Man La Yahduruhu al-Faqih, Vol. 4, p. 180

Tahdhib al-Ahkam

Hadith 16

Arabic Text: عن أبي الحسن الرضا عليه السلام قال: “الإمام بعدي محمد ابني وبعد محمد ابنه علي وبعد علي ابنه الحسن وبعد الحسن ابنه الحجة القائم المنتظر في غيبته المطاع في ظهوره”

English Translation: Abu al-Hasan al-Ridha (Imam Ali al-Ridha) peace be upon him said: “The Imam after me is Muhammad my son, and after Muhammad his son Ali, and after Ali his son al-Hasan, and after al-Hasan his son al-Hujjah al-Qa’im, awaited during his occultation, obeyed during his appearance.”

Reference: Tahdhib al-Ahkam

Bihar al-Anwar

Hadith 17

Arabic Text: عن أبي جعفر عليه السلام قال: “إذا قام قائمنا وضع الله يده على رؤوس العباد فجمع بها عقولهم وكملت بها أحلامهم”

English Translation: Abu Ja’far (Imam al-Baqir) peace be upon him said: “When our Qa’im rises, Allah will place His hand upon the heads of the servants, and through it He will gather their intellects and perfect their understanding.”

Reference: Bihar al-Anwar, Vol. 52, p. 328

Hadith 18

Arabic Text: عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام قال: “إن القائم إذا قام لم يقم بين يديه أحد من خلق الرحمن إلا عرفه صالح هو أم طالح”

English Translation: Abu Abdullah (Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq) peace be upon him said: “When al-Qa’im rises, no one from the creation of the Most Merciful will stand before him except that he will know whether they are righteous or corrupt.”

Reference: Bihar al-Anwar, Vol. 52, p. 321

Hadith 19

Arabic Text: عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام قال: “كأني بالقائم على منبر الكوفة قد لبس درع رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله فينتفض هو بها فتغشاه فيغشيها إياه ويتحرر منها فيبسطها الله له بسطاً ويقول للناس: ألا لا يأتيني رجل منكم بحاجة إلا أنبأته بها”

English Translation: Abu Abdullah (Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq) peace be upon him said: “It is as if I see al-Qa’im on the pulpit of Kufa, having worn the armor of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). He will shake it and it will cover him perfectly, then Allah will extend it for him. He will say to the people: ‘Let no man come to me with a need except that I will inform him about it.’”

Reference: Bihar al-Anwar, Vol. 52, p. 326

Kamal al-Din wa Tamam al-Ni’mah

Hadith 20

Arabic Text: عن أبي جعفر محمد بن علي عليهما السلام أنه قال: “القائم منا منصور بالرعب، مؤيد بالنصر، تطوى له الأرض، وتظهر له الكنوز كلها، ويبلغ سلطانه المشرق والمغرب، ويظهر الله عز وجل به دينه على الدين كله ولو كره المشركون، فلا يبقى في الأرض خراب إلا قد عمر”

English Translation: Abu Ja’far Muhammad ibn Ali (peace be upon them both) said: “Al-Qa’im from us is aided by awe, supported by victory. The earth will be folded for him, all treasures will be revealed to him, his authority will reach the East and the West, and Allah, Mighty and Majestic, will make His religion prevail over all religions through him, even if the polytheists hate it. No ruin will remain on earth except that it will be rebuilt.”

Reference: Kamal al-Din wa Tamam al-Ni’mah, p. 377

Hadith 21

Arabic Text: عن الصادق جعفر بن محمد عليهما السلام قال: “إن الله تبارك وتعالى خلق أربعة عشر نوراً من نور عظمته قبل خلق آدم بأربعة عشر ألف عام فهي أرواحنا فجعلها الله بعرشه محدقة فكانت تسبح الله وتقدسه وذلك قبل أن يخلق السماوات والأرض”

English Translation: Al-Sadiq Ja’far ibn Muhammad (peace be upon them both) said: “Indeed, Allah, Blessed and Exalted, created fourteen lights from the light of His Greatness fourteen thousand years before creating Adam. These are our souls. Allah placed them around His Throne, and they were glorifying and sanctifying Allah before He created the heavens and the earth.”

Reference: Kamal al-Din wa Tamam al-Ni’mah

Common Themes and Differences

Common Themes in Both Traditions:

Divine Appointment: Both Sunni and Shia traditions agree that the Mahdi is divinely appointed and guided.
Descendant of the Prophet: Both traditions affirm that the Mahdi is from the family of Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ), specifically from the lineage of Fatimah.
Establishing Justice: The primary mission of the Mahdi is to fill the earth with justice and equity after it has been filled with oppression and tyranny.
End Times: The appearance of the Mahdi is associated with the end times and will precede the Day of Judgment.
Global Rule: Both traditions indicate that the Mahdi’s authority will extend across the entire world.
Connection with Jesus: Both traditions mention that Prophet Jesus (Isa) will descend during the time of the Mahdi and will pray behind him.

Key Differences:

Identity and Current Status:
- Sunni View: The Mahdi is yet to be born or is currently living but not identified. He will be recognized when he appears.
- Shia View: The Mahdi is Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Askari, the twelfth Imam, born in 255 AH (869 CE), currently in occultation.
Lineage Details:
- Sunni View: Generally from the descendants of Fatimah, with some traditions specifying he will be from the lineage of Hasan or Husayn.
- Shia View: Specifically the twelfth Imam from the lineage of Husayn ibn Ali.
Occultation:
- Sunni View: No concept of occultation; the Mahdi will appear when Allah wills.
- Shia View: The Mahdi is in Major Occultation (Ghaybah al-Kubra) since 329 AH (941 CE).
Duration of Rule:
- Sunni View: Various narrations mention 5, 7, 8, or 9 years.
- Shia View: Often longer periods are mentioned, with some traditions indicating he will rule until Prophet Jesus completes his mission.
Signs of Appearance:
- Sunni View: Focus on general signs like widespread injustice, conflicts, and natural phenomena.
- Shia View: More detailed signs including specific individuals (like Sufyani and Yamani) and events.

Authentication Notes:

Sunni scholars have varying views on the authenticity of Mahdi hadiths. While some are found in Sahih Muslim and are considered authentic, others are debated.
Shia scholars generally consider their Mahdi narrations as fundamental to their faith, with many traced through their Imams.
Both traditions have scholars who have compiled and authenticated these narrations according to their respective methodologies.

Conclusion

The belief in Imam Mahdi represents a significant aspect of Islamic eschatology in both Sunni and Shia traditions. While there are important theological differences, particularly regarding his current status and specific identity, both traditions share the fundamental belief in a divinely guided leader who will establish justice on earth before the end of times. These hadith collections represent centuries of Islamic scholarship and continue to inspire hope for divine justice among Muslims worldwide.

Note on Translation and Compilation

This compilation presents key hadiths from major collections. Arabic texts have been provided where available, with careful English translations. For comprehensive study, readers are encouraged to consult the original sources and scholarly commentaries in both traditions. The authentication status of hadiths can vary, and consultation with qualified scholars is recommended for detailed understanding.