Narrative common grounds between Shi'a and Sunni on the subject of Mahdism
The popularity of Mahdism and the abundance of related narrations were so huge that even years before the birth of Imam Mahdi, numerous independent scientific works and books had been written about his birth, occultation, advent, and signs of appearance. On the issue of Mahdism, some researchers collected around two thousand narrations from both Shi'ite and Sunnite narrative books, showing their many commonalities on the subject of Mahdism. Some of these shared aspects include: Imam Mahdi's lineage, facial features, resemblance to the Prophet Muhammad, having the same patronymic and namesake with the Prophet, being from the descendants of Imam Ali and honorable Lady Fāṭima al-Zahrā, physical features, the certainty of the appearance, the place of his appearance, his companions, conditions of the pre-appearance era, the signs of the appearance, the characteristics of his government, the effects and blessings of the appearance, Prophet Jesus and Imam Mahdi, and the global government of Imam Mahdi. Here, for brevity, we will suffice to mention only a few instances:
a) The certainty of Imam Mahdi’s advent and arising
The first accepted issue in the narrations of Shi'a and Sunni is the certainty of Imam Mahdi's appearance and uprising. It is one of the common beliefs between these two groups in a way that there are many authentic narrations in both Shi'a and Sunni narrative sources in this regard. For example, there is a narration from the Prophet Muhammad to have said:
“If there remains only one day for the world to come to an end, God will prolong this day till a man from my progeny raises. His name is the same as mine.”
(Al−Irshād, by Sheikh al-Mufīd, vol. 2, p. 340; Sunan, by al-Tirmidhī, Hadith no. 2332; Al−Mu'jam al−Kabīr, by Ṭabarānī, vol. 10, p. 135; Al−Jāmi‘ al−Caghir, by al-Siyūtī, vol. 2, p. 438)
b) Mahdi is from the Household of the Prophet Muhammad
The promised Mahdi is from the family and the progeny of the Messenger of God- the Prophet Muhammad, and there are numerous Hadiths revealing this fact. It can be said that this issue has been emphasized in most of the Hadiths related to Mahdism and reflected in various phrases and wordings; the reason behind such an emphasis was probably the predictions that the false claimants would claim that the promised Mahdi belongs to them. So, from the very beginning, the Prophet had asserted that Imam Mahdi is from his progeny among the children of Lady Fāṭima. For instance, narrated from Umm-e Salamah, the Prophet said:
“Narrated Umm-e Salamah, she said: “I heard the Messenger of God saying: The Mahdi is from my lineage, from the sons of Fāṭima.”
(Biḥār al−Anwār, vol. 51, p. 75, Hadith 30; Sunan, by Abī Dāwūd, vol. 4, p. 1832, Hadith 4284; Sunan, by Ibn Mājih, kitāb al−Fitan, Section Khurūj al-Mahdi, Hadīth 4086)
c) Imam Mahdi’s resemblance to Prophet Muhammad
The Muslims' Promised Saviour bears a striking resemblance to the Prophet Muhammad. His name is the same as the Prophet's and he is completely similar to the Messenger of God in terms of complexion and disposition. It seems that the symmetry and similarity between the Prophet and the Promised Mahdi indicate that as the emergence of Islam and its development was by the Messenger of God, its completion at the End of the Time.
Time will also be accomplished by someone resembling the Messenger of God in every way. Shi'a and Sunni in different wordings have narrated many Hadiths from the Prophet on this subject. It is quoted from the Prophet to have said:
“A man from among my progeny will rise. He is my namesake, and his temperament is the same as mine.”
(Kashf al−Ghummah Fī Ma’rifat al−A’immah, by Ali Ibn-e 'Isā, al-Irbilī, vol. 3, p. 259; Caḥīḥ, by Ibn-e Ḥabbān, vol. 15, p. 237)
It is worthy of noting that both Shi'a and Sunni scholars have narrated many traditions regarding the appearance and physical characteristics of the Promised Mahdi in the Appearance Time. For example, we can mention having a luminous face, a broad long forehead, a black mole on his right cheek and non-condensed two front teeth, and being like a forty years-old man.
d) Establishment of the pervasive Justice by Imam Mahdi
One of the most famous topics reflected in many narrations related to Imam Mahdi is the prevalence of oppression and violence throughout the world before his appearance, especially on the threshold of his advent. These narrations, before describing the method and conditions of the establishment of global justice at the hands of the Promised Mahdi, talk about the excess of oppression and tyranny before the advent of the Imam such that the following phrase has been mentioned repeatedly with different wording in many Hadiths:
“If there remains only one day for the world to come to an end, God will prolong that day till a man rises from my progeny who will fill the entire Earth with justice as it would be fraught with injustice and oppression.”
(Ṣaḥiḥ, by Abu Dāwūd, Beirut, vol. 2, p. 207; Mustadrak al-Wasāyil, vol. 12, p. 283)
In this direction, some items like people's hopelessness and helplessness, the prevalence of inflation, starvation, poverty, recession, wars, killings, and calamities are also among the commonalities between Shi'ite and Sunnite Hadiths in depicting the backbreaking conditions of the period before or near the Imam's advent.
Source: Mahdism.net
