In addressing this question, one should note that the Quran uses various ways to refer to an individual:
- By referring to people’s names: This is like the name of the Prophet Muhammad, Abraham, and some other individuals as we read in Surah al-Fath, verse 29,
﴿مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ...﴾
“Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah…”
- By referring to the number of a group of people: This is like the 12th verse of Surah al-Mā’edah that Allah says,
﴿وَ لَقَدْ أَخَذَ اللَّهُ ميثاقَ بَني إِسْرائيلَ وَ بَعَثْنا مِنْهُمُ اثْنَيْ عَشَرَ نَقيباً...﴾
“And verily, Allah took the covenant from the Children of Israel; and We appointed twelve chieftains from among them...”
- By pointing out to their traits: This is like the 157th verse of Surah al-A‘rāf that Allah refers to some of the features of the Prophet of Islam without referring to his name and says,
﴿الَّذينَ يَتَّبِعُونَ الرَّسُولَ النَّبِيَّ الْأُمِّيَّ الَّذي يَجِدُونَهُ مَكْتُوباً عِنْدَهُمْ فِي التَّوْراةِ وَ الْإِنْجيلِ يَأْمُرُهُمْ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَ يَنْهاهُمْ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ...﴾
“Those who follow the unlettered Messenger whose characteristics they will find written in their own Scriptures; in the Torah and the Gospel [will see that] this Messenger enjoins [people] to what is good and forbids them from what is evil…”
In the same way, Imam Mahdi is the one whose name is not explicitly mentioned in the Quran, but there are many verses that give reference to him and his followers implicitly.
Moreover, if he would be mentioned by name in the Quran, the opponents could again claim that it referred to another man with the same name and not to him. This is exactly like what the people of the book did in regard to the Prophet of Islam. As the Quran says, they were as familiar with the signs and personalities of the Prophet as they were with their own children, but they intentionally denied him. This is what Allah says in the 146th verse of Surah al-Baqarah,
﴿الَّذينَ آتَيْناهُمُ الْكِتابَ يَعْرِفُونَهُ كَما يَعْرِفُونَ أَبْناءَهُمْ وَ إِنَّ فَريقاً مِنْهُمْ لَيَكْتُمُونَ الْحَقَّ وَ هُمْ يَعْلَمُون﴾
“Those to whom We gave the Scriptures recognize him as they recognize their sons [since they have read about Messenger's characteristics in the Torah and the Gospel]. But verily, a party of them conceal the truth stubbornly while they know it only so well.”
It should also be noted that the verses of the Quran have general meanings and are not limited to some specific cases. Therefore, if a narration explains a verse in a way that is related to Imam Mahdi, it just points to the best or one of the best examples of it and never harms the generality of the verse. The verses of the Quran, as the commentators of the Quran believe, have many layers without any contradiction existing between them. As a result, these narrations sometimes point to a deeper layer of a verse without contradicting its apparent meaning or limiting its generality.
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