Recently, I heard that a hadith states that the day of judgement will never be appear before the arrival of Imam al-Mahdi.

Then, I started searching details about Imam al-Mahdi.

I gone through many documents in internet like this.

I also heard some strange things about Imam al-Mahdi from some Islamic scholars personally, like

  • Imam al-Mahdi had already born just a few years ago(ie, the day of judgement nears us)
  • Even Imam al-Mahdi does not know he is Imam al-Mahdi.
  • At the time of His Hajj, a sound from sky will appear which sounds that he is Imam al-Mahdi.(This will happen within a two or three years,Insha Allah)
  • Muslims all over the world(Sunnis,Shias,and all other muslims) will come under his Khalifath.
  • Then only Dhajjal will come.

Can anyone explain detail about Imam al-Mahdi and also about the above informations.

  • There are two completely distinct references to the name "Al-Mahdi". Shiites use it to refer to one of their Imams, and this is not the one referred to in the particular Hadith you're citing. Sunnis use it to refer to an unknown man who is yet to come, and interpret the word "Mahdi" in the Hadith as an adjective, not a name. I'll try to follow up with an answer later if I have time isA. – Hosam Aly Nov 19 '12 at 6:03
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    Related question: islam.stackexchange.com/questions/12252/… – Battle of Karbala Apr 6 '14 at 17:07

The day of judgement will never be appear before the arrival of Imam al-Mahdi

Prophet Muhammad (saww) 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 out of Ahl al-Bayt who will be called by my name and my father's name. He will then fill the Earth with peace and justice as it will have been filled with injustice and tyranny before then." [Sahih Tirmidhi, V2, P86, V9, P74–75]


Twelver Shia Muslims believe that Imam Mahdi _ may Allah hasten his advent_ is the Twelfth Imam, who was born in 869 and was hidden by God at the age of five (874). He is still alive but has been in occultation, "awaiting the time that God has decreed for his return".


Since he is the twelfth Imam and has been awaiting his advent for hundreds of years, of course he knows this. however, it's true that even Imam Mahdi (aj) doesn't know when his advent is.


  1. There are certain specific signs about Imam Mahdi(aj)'s advent, one of them is the Cry/Scream of supernatural origin, coming from the sky and calling man to defend the Imam’s cause. This call is said to be by Gabriel.[Birth and occultation of the Mahdi]
  2. The ultimate arrival of Imam Mahdi_ may Allah hasten his advent_ is unknown and only Allah knows when his advent is.

Muslims all over the world (Sunnis, Shias, and all other Muslims) will come under his Khalifath.

When Imam Mahdi (aj) comes, the whole world will be taken to submission. Imam Mahdi (aj) will be in control upon the earth for certain time, after which ensues the death of all civilization just preceding the Day of Judgment.

Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq (as), the Sixth Imam, has made the following prophecy:

"The Mahdi will conquer the world; at that time the world will be illuminated by the light of God, and everywhere in which those other than God are worshiped will become places where God is worshiped; and even if the polytheists do not wish it, the only faith on that day will be the religion of God."

[Bihar al-Anwar: 51: 146]

Conquering the world is predicted in Quran and this will happen to be true by Imam Mahdi a.s.

هُوَ الَّذِي أَرْ‌سَلَ رَ‌سُولَهُ بِالْهُدَى وَدِينِ الْحَقِّ لِيُظْهِرَ‌هُ عَلَى الدِّينِ كُلِّهِ وَلَوْ كَرِ‌هَ الْمُشْرِ‌كُونَ



Then only Dhajjal will come.

Masih ad-Dajjal is an evil figure in Islamic eschatology. He is to appear pretending to be Hazrat Masih (as). Shias believe that Dajjal will be killed by Imam Mahdi (aj).[source]




The following QA is from the book "پرسش‌های شما و پاسخ‌های آیت الله العظمی بهجت" written by Hamed Islamju, published with a permission from Ayatullah Bahjat's office, page 50.

Q: Some people say that even Imam Mahdi himself doesn't know the time for his rise, is it right?

A: in a Hadeeth from Imam Sadiq --peace be upon him-- he says "…. we wait and endure what we know but our Shia followers wait and endure what thy don't know". How patient is Imam Mahdi! He knows all what we know and what we don't know, he is aware of all our troubles and difficulties. He is waiting for the day to rise as well but he knows when it would be. That is sometimes stated that he doesn't know its time is not correct.

This also has many witnesses in Ahadeeth when Imams say they are told by the holy prophet --peace be upon him and his household-- every happening that will occur until the Day of Judgement! That they know Sufyani, his name and his fathers' names, his apparent looking and many more. After all the prophet and his household are those firmly grounded in knowledge cited in Quran.

In the book "عصر شکوهمند رجعت" (The glorious era of Return) written by Muhammad Reza Akbari, many different Ahadeeth on Return (Rij'ah) is stated and discussed, it is actually a research book on the issue. After a beautiful discussion on great many Ahadeeth it states that one can classify the Ahadeeth about what happens after Imam's passing away in 6 categories:

  1. Twelve Mahdi becoming rulers
  2. Jesus being a ruler
  3. fifty years of chaos
  4. forty days being left to the Judgement day
  5. Imam Hussein becoming a ruler (whose ruling would last for 300 years and nine years more) and after him Imam Ali (a moving creature from the Earth according to Quran: دابة الأرض, see [27:82]) becoming a ruler

The three first categories are least probable as the Ahadeeth pointing toward them are rather weak, so the 4th and 5th category are more probable, and the fifth one is most probable. Maybe one wants to gather these two categories in one category by stating that those two imam would return in the time of ruling of Imam Mahdi, like the other Imams and all the prophets would return in his time, but it is not probable when we mention they will have their own rulings.

Anyway, after the last friend of Allah passes away, be it Imam Mahdi or Imam Ali, peace be upon them, there would be forty days left to the end of this world. People of this time are the worst of ever and the news about the wrath of Allah over them is spread everywhere in Quran, people are always scared of such a wrath, cf. [22:2].

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  • it would seem that only 2 parts of this answer is properly citations. but the other parts aren't, WHo will kill the dajjal part, the signs part. Can you please provide citationsfor the parts that don't have? – مجاهد Nov 7 '12 at 16:54
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    @AlUmmat - I got the whole answer from those 2 Wiki links. I think the title More Information was quite misleading. It's now edited to Reference – Zahra Ezati Nov 7 '12 at 17:04
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    some points to add: 1. After Imam's coming there would be a very long time before the Judgment Day, only remember the Return (rij'ah), it is stated that the time before imam's coming is like an introduction chapter to the whole story of human living on the Earth; 2. according to some scholars (including Ayatullah Bahjat) Imam knows when he would rise as there is a Hadeeth from Imam Sadiq --peace be upon him-- that we hold on while we know whereas our followers hold on while they don't know. – owari Nov 14 '12 at 21:24
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    Also note that 40 days before the end of the world no friend of Allah would be left alive and all the happenings of the last day of the human's life on Earth before the Judgement day is only for the wrongdoers of those times, such big wrath is not for ordinary people or even ordinary wrongdoers, don't you think so? See [22:2] for a description of that day. Therefore, not everything after the rise of Imam would be constantly good until the end of the World, even we certainly know that Imam Mahdi would be killed and this clarifies the situation better and more realistic. – owari Nov 14 '12 at 21:34
  • @owari - If you have enough citations, feel free to edit this answer. Even another answer could enrich this page for those of future viewers who want to know more. – Zahra Ezati Nov 15 '12 at 8:02

I do not know of a Hadith that says that he Day of Judgement won't appear until The Mahdi comes, but there is a Hadith that says:

If only one day of this world remained. Allah would lengthen that day (according to the version of Za'idah), till He raised up in it a man who belongs to me or to my family...

Sunan Abi Dawood This Hadith Is graded as Hasan Sahih حسن صحيح

Al Mahdi will be of the family of the Prophet (May Allah's Blessings and Peace be upon Him) from the descendants of Fatimah (May Allah be pleased with Her) Source. He will have a broad forehead a prominent nose. He will fill the earth will equity and justice as it was filled with oppression and tyranny, and he will rule for seven years Source.

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