How will the Mahdibe recognized? (The Mahdi's spiritual attributes)

The hadiths of our Prophet (saas) contain a great deal of detailed
information and signs about the End Times thatwill take place close to
Doomsday. According to the information imparted by our Prophet(saas),
a great many significant events will take place one after the other at
that time. In thefirst stage of the End Times there will be
greatcorruption and chaos onEarth, and in the second stage peace and
securitywill prevail as people begin living by true religious moral
values.
In the first stage of the End Times there will be terrible
degeneration and chaos among people because of various philosophical
systems that inculcate atheism and irreligion by their refusal to
acceptthe existence of Almighty Allah (God). Humanity will turn away
from the purpose behind its creation, leading to enormous spiritual
emptiness and moral degeneration. There will be terrible disasters,
wars and famines, and all people will seek the answer to the question,
How can we be saved? in order tobring these troubles to an end. The
majority of these developments related as portents of the End Times in
the hadiths of our Prophet (saas) have taken place in our time, just
as reported. The recent growing rise in war and conflict, terror,
violence, anarchy and chaos, slaughter and torture are a sign that the
first stage of the End Times is now taking place.
According to the information in the hadiths of our Prophet (saas),
Allah will rescue people from the chaos ofthe End Times after this
period of darkness and bestow a great salvationupon them. Allah will
make the Mahdi, in other words a servant with superior moral values
and who bears the title of he who leads to the truth, lead people who
have turned their backs on proper moral values and societies that have
suffered degeneration to the truepath. By the will of Allah,the Mahdi
will enable humanity to live by true Qur'anic moral values by ridding
Islam of all corruption and superstition. In the first stage of the
End Times, he will resolve all the chaos, social problems and societal
difficulties facing humanity and willbe a means whereby happiness,
peace, security and proper moral values prevail over the entire world.
THE SPIRITUAL ATTRIBUTESOF THE MAHDI
Various features of the Mahdi are described in several of the hadiths
of our Prophet (saas). The spiritual attributes of theMahdi that we
shall be examining in the light ofthese hadiths are all important
guides to our being able to recognize this great individual of the End
Times.
In these hadiths that we are looking at, our Prophet (saas) provides a
great deal of descriptive information about the spiritual attributes
of the Mahdi. He has reported that the Mahdi's moral values resemble
his own, and praised his fear of Allah and moral virtues. Our Prophet
(saas) stated that the Mahdi would bea very valuable personage who
would be a means whereby people attain salvation in this world and in
the Hereafter. He also told people to abide by him even if it means
crawling over snow when the Mahdi appears.
The period we are living in is the period awaited for the last
fourteen hundred years, when this historic event related by our
Prophet (saas) has drawn near. All Muslims who are aware of this fact
and who wish to attain the honor of being at the Mahdi's side when he
appears must carefully read the information described throughout this
article and impartedin the hadiths of our Prophet (saas), and
mustgrasp all means of accurately identifying this holy individual.
Because the careful study and examination of this information will, by
Allah's leave, be a guide to the recognitionof this holy personage.
There can be no doubt that preparing the ground for and assisting such
a holy individual who will be a means whereby Islam returns toits true
essence and Qur'anic moral values prevail over all the world is an
important responsibility for Muslims. Being one of those close to such
a blessed individual as the Mahdi, being able to support him and being
able to help in his work aimed at the benefit of all humanity is a
great blessing and honor for all believers.
The Mahdi is a holy personage, the tidings of whose sending in the End
Times have been imparted by our Prophet(saas), who will free Muslims
from a climate of oppression and trouble, who will eliminate the
strife on Earth and bring peace, justice, plenty, happinessand
well-being to all the world. According to reliable accounts
transmitted from our Prophet (saas), the Mahdi will restore the faith,
which has been turned away from its true essence with various
superstitious beliefs and practices, to that original nature, will
meet with the Prophet 'Isa (as), and will, by Allah's leave, be a
means whereby the moral values of Islam, the one true faith, come to
prevail over the whole world.
He Will Be A Fighter
According to what we are told in the hadiths ofour Prophet (saas), the
Mahdi will be a role model for all believers, both with his superior
moral values and with his powerful, fighter character:
The Mahdi will be dedicated to his work. (Portents of the Last
Day,Barzanji, p. 175)
The Mahdi will perform his duties scrupulously and will not go back on
his word. (The Book of Portents of the Mahdi of the End Times, p. 24)
The Mahdi will appear from the East. Even if mountains rise up before
him he will crush and cross them, and he will find a path for himself
in those mountains. (The Book of Portents of the Awaited Mahdi, p. 39)
He Will Fear Allah
The more a person fears Allah, the closer he draws to Him. That is
because fear of Allah brings with it the devotion and love felt for
Almighty Allah. As is stated in the hadiths of our Prophet (saas), the
fear of Allah possessed by the Mahdi will be exceedingly powerful:
Mahdi is a person who, as the shaking of a bird's wings, has a deep
fear for Allah. (The Bookof Portents of the Awaited Mahdi of the End
Times [Al- Burhan fi `Alamat al-Mahdi al-Muntadhar], p. 23)
His Maintenance and Observance of the Bounds Set by Allah
Even a word uttered against Islam offends hisfeelings. (Ibn Hajar
Al-Makki, "Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar fi `Alamat al-Mahdi al-Muntadhar", p.
15-75)
He Will Be Virtuous
Almighty Allah has dispatched many emissaries throughout history. It
is reported in the Qur'an that the emissaries possess excellent moral
values. In the verse, "Indeed you are truly vast in character." (Surat
al-Qalam, 4), it is reported that our Prophet Muhammad (saas)
possessed superior moral virtues. As we are told in the hadiths, the
Mahdi, a holy envoy of Allah, will also possess this attribute:
Mahdi is extremely submissive towards Allah. In moral terms, he is
like the Prophet (saas). (Portents of the Last Day, Barzanji, p.163)
A child of mine whose morality is similar to me will emerge.
(Al-Burhan fi `Alamat al-Mahdi Akhiraz-Zaman, p. 21)
He Will Behave Justly
Abu Jafar Muhammad ibn Ali Said:
"When the Mahdi from our Ahl al-Bayt emerges, he will distribute the
goods equally. He treats the people justly. Whoever submits him, he
would submit to Allah. He is named as theMahdi. That is because He
will guide to a secret (unknown) deed."
(Mer'iy ibn Yusuf ibn AbuBakr ibn Ahmad ibn Yusuf al-Makhdi, "Faraidu
Fawaidil Fikri fi Imamil Mahdi al-Muntadhar")
Just as how the earth was full of cruelty and injustice, Mahdi will
fill itwith justice and righteousness. (Ali Ibn Sultan Muhammad al
Qaari "Risalat Mashrab alVardi fi Mazhabi'l Mahdi)
He Will Be Greatly Loved by All
The measure that believers observe in loving someone is that person's
closeness to, love and fear of and devotion to Allah. For that reason,
whoever most manifests the titles of our Lord that is the person who
is most loved and respected by believers. Indeed, the envoys were
people who most manifested the titles of Almighty Allah and who
exhibited the highest virtues in terms of faith. Our Prophet (saas)
has indicated that the Mahdiwill be the best-loved individual of the
age during the End Times:
Allah (c.c.) will fill all people's hearts with his (Mahdi's) love.
(Al-Khavlu'l Mukhtasar Fi Alamat al-Mahdi al-Muntadhar, p. 42)
No individual who will not be pleased with the ummah of the Muhammad
will remain. (Portents of the Last Day,Barzanji, p. 163)
Abu Abdullah Nuaym ibn Hammad related from Abdullah ibn Masud as follows:
Allah will place his [Mahdi's] love in people's hearts. This waythey
will be a community who becomelions during the day and spend their
nights in worship. (Ukayli "En-Necmu's-sakıb fi Bayanı Anna'l Mahdi
minAvladı Ali ibn Abu Talib Ala't-Tamam va'l Kamal")
The people of the earth and heavens, and even the birds in the sky
will assent to his caliphate. (Al-Khavlu'l Mukhtasar Fi Alamat
al-Mahdi al-Muntadhar, p. 29)
He Will Be the Most Auspicious of the Time
The world, which will bein a state of chaos in the period when the
Mahdi appears, will begin experiencing an enlightened age by means of
him. Through him, much that is auspicious will take place. It is
reported in the hadiths of our Prophet (saas) that the Mahdi will be
the most auspicious person of the age:
Join the person who is the most auspicious of the ummah of the
Muhammad and your guardian who removes the difficulties…He is
theMahdi. (Al-Burhan fi `Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir az-Zaman, p. 57)
He will be the most auspicious of his time. (Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar fi
`Alamat al-Mahdi al-Muntadhar, p. 27)
Mahdi is the most auspicious of the people (in his time.) (Al-Burhan
fi `Alamat al-Mahdi Akhiraz-Zaman, s. 58) "Mahdi is the most
auspicious of people." (Ali ibn Sultan Muhammad al-Khari al-Hanafi
"Risalatul Mashrab alvardi fi mazhabil Mahdi")
The Power of His Message
The hadiths below concerning the power ofthe Mahdi's message are
interpreted in different ways in addition to theirapparent meanings.
One of these interpretations may take this form: By turning to someone
whois compared to a dry treeand being a means whereby they come to the
truth, the Mahdi will make this person, who was formerly of no use to
his surroundings, just like a dry tree, useful to his surroundings,
like a tree that has flourished and borne fruit, in other words to his
state, nation, faith and all of humanity.
When the Mahdi plants adry tree, the tree will immediately turn green
and sprout. (Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar fi `Alamat al-Mahdi al-Muntadhar, p.
43)
He (the Mahdi) will plant a dry seed in a dry land, and it will at
once turn green and sprout. (Portents of the Last Day,Barzanji, p.
165)
Similarly, it is reported in the hadiths below that someone who was
previously ignorant, parsimonious and timid will become generous and
courageous in the End Times through the message and teaching ofthe
Mahdi, and that he will change his character, just like a treethat was
formerly dry and unproductive flourishing and bearing leaves:
In his age, an ignorant, parsimonious and timid man will immediately
become learned, generous and courageous. (Portents ofthe Last Day,
Barzanji, p. 186)
His Wisdom and Power of Understanding
It is reported in the hadiths that the Mahdi will have a special power
bestowed on himby Allah:
He is called the Mahdi, for he is the holder of a secret power nobody
is able to know. (The Portents of the Mahdi of the End Times, Ali ibn
Husamaddin Al Muttakhi,Kahraman Publishing House. p. 77)
Muhyiddin Arabi, one of the great Islamic scholars, has set out in his
works nine of the main noteworthy characteristics of the Mahdi:
1. He has foresight
2. He understands the Holy Book
3. He knows the meaning of the verses
4. He knows the condition and actions of the people he will appoint
5. He remains compassionate and just even when angered
6. He knows the classes of entities
7. He knows the hidden sides of matters
8. He has a good understanding of people's needs
9. He knows the secret knowledge particularly needed in his own time.
He Preserves the Truth inthe Face of Oppressors
Hafiz Abu Abdullah Nuaym ibn Hammad has reported from Jafar ibn Yasar
A-sami in his book Fiten:
The Mahdi will defend the truth against the oppressors. Indeed, he
will extract the molar tooth (anything unjustly held) of a (cruel)
person and restore it to its rightful owner. (An-Nacmu's-Saqib fi
Bayanı Anna'l Mahdi minAvladı Ali b. Abu Talib Ale't-Temam ve'l Qamal)
The Surveillance – Following – of the Mahdi
When the Dajjal appears, a person among the believers (the Mahdi)
turns against him. Then, manyarmed men, those armed men charged with
surveillance in Dajjal's headquarters oppose him. (Muslim, related
from v. 11/s. 393)
At the beginning of the hadiths it is reported that the Mahdi will be
subjected to surveillanceby the supporters of the Dajjal. We also
learn from the Qur'an that some prophets struggling on the path of
Allah had also been subjected to surveillancein earlier periods, and
that the aim had been tothus keep them under control:
He is nothing but a man possessed so wait a while and see what happens
to him. (Surat al-Muminun, 25)
He Will Face Troubles and Difficulties
Most of the envoys sent to warn peoples living far removed from
religious moral values and to call them to the true path have been
rejected by the peoples to whom they were sent and subjected to
variousfalse accusations and slanders. We are told in hadiths that the
Mahdi, who will be descended from the line of the Prophet (saas), will
also encounter such troubles and difficulties. (Allah knows best.)
Our Prophet (saas) stated:
The Mahdi is among us, one from the Ahl al-Bayt…We are such a
household that, for us, Allah preferred the Hereafter over this world.
After me, my Ahl al-Bayt will surely be subjected to trouble,
abduction and banishment.
After me, my Ahl al-Bayt will meet trouble and torment, and be
subjected to expulsion. (Al-Burhan fi `Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir az-Zaman,
p.14)
…Mahdi will emerge at atime when, one after another, disasters befall
people and people lose hope of his appearance. He prays two rakaat.
When he returns from the prayer he says: "People! The Ummah of
Muhammad and especially his Ahl al-Bayt have undergone many troubles…"
(Al-Burhan fi `Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir az-Zaman, p. 55)
Those troubles befalling the one who is profoundand strong in his
faith are grand. (Ibn Hibban)
He Will Appear With Sacred Objects
We are told in many hadiths that the Mahdi will emerge from a
placewhere there are sacred objects and that he will be the first
person to open these. One of thesehadiths reads:
Naim ibn Hammad related from Abu Jaffar;
"Mahdi emerges at the time of night with our Prophet's banner, shirt,
sword, signs, light and beautiful expression."(Ali Ibn Sultan Muhammad
al-Qaari al-Hanafi "Risalat Mashrab al Vardi fi Mazhabi'l Mahdi)
He [the Mahdi] will emerge with the Prophet's banner. That banner has
four edges and is seam-free and its color is black. There exists a
ring above it. That banner has not been opened since the time our
Prophet passed away and it will be opened when Mahdi emerges.
(Portents of the Mahdi of the Akhir Zaman, Ali ibn Husamattin Al
Muttaki, p.22)
He Will Be Grateful to Allah Alone
When we examine the stories of the prophets in the Qur'an we see
thatthey have turned to Allah under all circumstances. We also learn
of their sincere devotion to Allah and the love and fear they felt
towards Him from the Qur'an. As emphasized in the hadiths below, this
characteristic will also be seen in the Mahdi:
"Mahdi is one of us, one of the Ahl-i Bayt. He is a person who does
not feel grateful to anyone other than Allah." (as-Suyuti, al-Havi,
2/24)
There Will Be Black Propaganda about the Mahdi
The supporters of the Dajjal, the enemy of Islam, will blacken the
name of the Mahdi in written and verbal media and will attempt to
weaken his prestige in the public eye. This is indicated as follows in
one of the hadiths:
When that Muslim personage (the Mahdi) sees the Dajjal, he says:
"People! This is the Dajjal of whom the Prophet (saas) mentioned."
Dajjal giveshis order about him right away and that person is laid
upon his stomach and from his back it is said: "Take himand beat him."
Then thatperson's back and stomach is broadened bybeating. This time
he [the Dajjal] grabs him by his two hands and two feet and hurls him.
People assume Dajjal throws him into a fire. But in fact he is thrown
away to the Garden. (Mahdism and Imamism, Ibrahim Suleymanoglu, p. 40)
We are told in the hadiths that the Mahdi will be broadened by being
beaten on his back and stomach. The author of the book says in
reference to this section that the Mahdi's fame will constantly be
declared and disseminated. Yet since itis the supporters of the Dajjal
who will do this, itmay be said that this propaganda will blackenthe
name of the Mahdi. However, although this may appear to be
infelicitous at first sight, it will be a means whereby the Mahdi is
recognized and wherebythe moral values of Islamare spread.
He Will Be Far from Sight
Naim ibn Hammad reported thus from Abu Jafar:
...At nights he will be engaged in worship while he will be hidden
during the day... (Ukayli "An-Najmu's-sakıb fi Bayanı Anna'l Mahdi
minAwladi Ali ibn Abu Talib Ala't-Tamam va'l kamal")
He Will Be Supported by Angels
In the majority of storiesabout the prophets it can be seen that they
were always supported by help from Allah in communicating their
message of religious moral values or whenever they encountered a
difficult situation. In the same way that this assistance might reach
the prophets in a moment, or take various forms such as natural
phenomena, it also took place with help from angels. In one of the
hadiths, our Prophet (saas) has revealed that Allah will help the
Mahdi by means of angels:
"Allah (cc) will help him (the Mahdi) by means of three angels. They
will beat the faces and backsof those who oppose him (the Mahdi)."
(Ikdu'd Durer, p. 12)
He Will Know What is Lawful and Unlawful
Since the Mahdi will possess superior moral virtues and have a
powerful fear of Allah, he will know Almighty Allah's bounds and what
is lawful and unlawful:
Hussain was asked:
"By what signs will the Mahdi be known?" He replied: "By his ease of
heart and dignity, by hisknowing what is lawful and unlawful." (Fera
Idu Fevaidi'l Fiqr Fi'l Imam al-Mahdi al-Muntadhar)
He Will Be Compassionate Towards the Poor
The infinite compassion of Allah is recalled at the end of many verses
in the Qur'an. In addition, the Qur'an commands believers to "be one
of those who believe and urge each other to steadfastness and urge
each other to compassion." (Surat al-Balad, 17)
Our Almighty Lord's title of The Most Compassionate of the
Compassionate is manifested in all prophets and believers. We are told
in one hadiths that the Mahdi will also be exceptionallycompassionate:
"His exercising disciplineover those working for him, his distribution
of goods generously and his being very compassionate towards the poor
are the signs ofthe Mahdi." Fera Idu Fevaidi'l Fiqr Fi'l Imam al-Mahdi
al-Muntadhar", Islamic Scholars' Views about the Mahdi, p. 133,
Footnote number: 26, Kopru Publishing House.)
The Mahdi's sign is his being disciplined on those working for him,
his generosity about goods, and his compassion for the oppressed."
(Ukayli "An-Nacmu's-sakib fi Bayanı Anna'l Mahdi minAvladı Ali b. Abu
Talib Ale't-Tamam va'l Kamal)
He Will Assume All Responsibilities
He assumes all responsibilities and helps the poor and thosein need.
(M. Muhyiddin Arabi "Futuhat-Al Makkiya", 366. bab, v. 3, p. 327- 328)
He Will Disappear Twice
The way that the Mahdi will disappear twice appears in this form in
the hadiths of our Prophet (saas):
"The one who will fulfill this deed (the Mahdi) will hide twice. One
of these will lengthen to such an extent that some of them will say,
"He is dead" whereas others will say, "He has gone." Neither those who
love him nor otherswill know his whereabouts. Only his servant who is
very closeto him knows his place. (Al-Saa Fi Eshrad-is Saa" p. 93,
Egyptian edition.)
He Will Not Declare His Needs
One of the most important characteristicsof the Mahdi is that he will
not declare his needs:
Hussain was asked:
"By what signs will the Mahdi be known?" He replied: "... People will
need of him but he will express his needs to no one." (Fera Idu
Fevaidi'l Fiqr Fi'l Imam al-Mahdi al-Muntadhar")
He Will Possess Exemplary Virtues
Almighty Allah has sent envoys to issue warningsin all periods, and
they have been charged with telling people of the truefaith. However,
their message was not limitedto expounding religious moral values, and
they were role models with their behavior and attitudes. The
exemplarymoral virtues of the Mahdi are reported as follows in one
hadith:
Divine superior virtues inspired by Allah reach him. He receives
knowledge of the faith and exemplary moral virtue from Allah. (Konavi
Risalet-ul Mahdi,p. 161 B)
He Will Know the Scienceof Numerology
Some of them said this book that has reached maturity is attributed to
the appearance of Mahdi who is expected to appear in the End Times. He
is very competent of the science of jifr and its secrets. This
knowledge is the kind of wisdom that reached from the books endowed to
the prophets of the past. (Mahdism and Imamism, Ibrahim Suleymanoglu,
p. 252)

Unseen knowledge given to our Prophet (saas)

Only Almighty Allah knows the unseen thingsabout the past and the
future that are beyond the capacity of human senses to perceive.
Everything that happens in all the worlds of the universe is
controlled by Allah and contained in His knowledge. The miracle of
unseen knowledge was vouchsafed to our Prophet (saas) to the extent
that Allah willed. Allah told our Prophet (saas) about events hidden
in the past that no one else knew and about things that would happen
in the future, and he revealed this knowledge to his companions and
all his people.
It is Allah Who created time and taught the concept of it to the
people. He is exalted above time and not limited by it, He knows all
secrets and He can reveal the secret things hidden in his Presence to
any of His messengers according to His will. Those to whom He has
given secret knowledge can, by His will, tell about things past and
the yet to come; they seethe inner face of events and know their
various consequences.
Allah tells us in the Qur'an that He has given some of the unseen
knowledge hidden in HisPresence to some messengers:
He is the Knower of the Unseen, and does not divulge His Unseen to
anyone–except a Messenger with whom He is well pleased, and then He
posts sentinels before him and behind him, so that He may know that
they have indeed transmitted the Messages of their Lord. (Surat
al-Jinn, 26-27)
Our Prophet Muhammad (saas) was a messenger special to Allah to whom
He gave much secret knowledge from His Presence. Our Prophet (saas)
knew things that happened in the past unknown to anyone elseand
learned from Allah many things that were going to occur in the future.
Allah reveals this in the Qur'an:
This is news of the Unseen which We revealto you. You were not with
them when they decided what to do and devised their scheme.' (Surah
Yusuf, 102)
OUR PROPHET'S (saas) MIRACULOUS UNSEEN KNOWLEDGE
Our Prophet's (saas) ability to know unseen things did not come from
himself. But he revealed these things to those around him in
accordance to Allah's will. All-knowing Allah revealed this
knowledgeto His messenger which pointed to events that happened in the
past or that were with certainty about to occur in the future. This
shows that all the knowledge our Prophet (saas) revealed was a
miracle. Several times throughout his life, our Prophet (saas)
delivered information that could only be known by Allah's revelation.
He was given knowledge e about the past, the present and thefuture and
this was a proof that he was a true prophet. The Qur'an describes many
details of the divine knowledgegiven to Muhammad (saas) together with
his devotion and submissionto Allah:
Say: 'I possess no power to help or harm myself, except as Allah
wills. If I had had knowledge of the Unseen, I would have sought to
gain much good and no evil would have touched me.I am only a warner
and a bringer of good news to people who believe.' (Surat al-A'raf,
188)
As a result of the revelations given to Allah's holy Prophet Muhammad
(saas) both personally and through the verses of the Qur'an, he gained
knowledge about the past, present and future. According to Allah's
will, he had knowledge about many matters that no one else could know.
Because of this knowledge, he could announce victory to Muslims in
dire straits by which he was able to bolster their zeal. The
occurrence in sequence of each of these events predicted by our
Prophet (saas) was miraculous.
There are many events predicted by our Prophet (saas) 1400 years ago
that are coming true today. Manyscholars of the Hadiths such as
Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawud, Thirmidhi, Nasai, Ibn Majah, witnessto the
fact that secret knowledge revealed by our Prophet (saas) in
theHadiths is true. They attest to the miracle thatall the secret
knowledge revealed by our Prophet (saas) has come true andcontinues to
come true.
False Accusations AgainstOur Prophet (saas) Despite The Miracle of His
Unseen Knowledge
From the time our Prophet (saas) started to communicate what is
revealed to him in the Qur'an to the people around him, unbelievers
accused this blessed personage of not telling the truth. They
approached every piece of information brought by him with suspicion
and were unwilling to believe in him. However,our Prophet (saas) was
apersonage whose honesty and credibility could easily be understood
just by looking at his face and way of living. Although he was a
person who was unanimously qualified as "Al-amin" (reliable)
throughout hislife and addressed with this epithet, some people
insisted on saying lies not to complywith the right path to which he
called.
In their savage attacks on our Prophet (saas), deniers reject the
possibility that a person can tell the truth every moment of his life.
They say that an individual cannot live his life speaking the truth
everymoment until his death. But our Prophet (saas) was a devout and
self-sacrificing man who prayed day and night; he was patient and his
moral rectitude was an example to the whole world. He entered battle
with great courage and fought in the front ranks. Even faced with the
threat of death, he continued to proclaim the truth.
Our Prophet (saas) always practiced the moral teachings of the Qur'an
impeccably and was an example for all believers. Our blessed Prophet
(saas) taught generosity and gave liberally of all he had; heoffered
his life and his possessions to gain the favor of Allah. He taught
patience, self-sacrifice, true love and friendship and lived these
moral qualities in the best possible way. Also, he urged people to be
merciful and forgiving and he practiced these virtues with singular
determination. The unbelievers that accusedour Prophet (saas) should
have considered following:
It does not belong to thepower of human nature to perpetuate a lie
throughout a lifetime. It is not possible for a person to be a liar
and live his life consistently in accordance with thousands of
non-conflicting verses. And why would a liar persist in such an
attitude until the end of his life? And why would people put their
lives at risk in order to show theright path to the Hereafter?
And is it possible for everything a liar says to be the vehicle of
such great wisdom? Is it possible for everything he has said to be
perfect from the aspect of eternity; to be possessedof a certain
numerical code; for everything he has said throughout 23 years to be
in an eternal,mathematical and scientific harmony? Is it possible for
all he has said to contain the wisdom to answer all the questions
concerning social life to which people's consciences seek the answer?
It is certain thata liar cannot avoid detection when one day his words
do not hold together. However, everything our Prophet (saas) said has
come trueand both Muslims and deniers have witnessed that truth.
Undoubtedly, every miracle given to every prophet is important. But
the fact that masses of people witnessed the miracles of our Prophet
(saas) make him different from other prophets. For example, when 'Isa
(as) raised a person to life or cured a sick person, it was only the
people standing around who witnessed the miracles. And it was only
Pharaoh, his peopleand the children of Israelthat witnessed the
miracles of Musa (as). (Only Allah knows the whole truth). When our
Prophet (saas) predicted a victorious war, the number of people who
witnessed the battle wasmuch greater. Tens of thousands, even hundreds
of thousands of people saw these miracles happen.
Here are some of the announcements of our Prophet (saas) that qualify
as miracles:
The Victory over Byzantine Empire
One of the future predictions in the Qur'ancomes immediately at the
beginning of Surat ar-Rum. In these verses itis announced that the
Byzantine Empire has suffered defeat but that a short time later it
would again be victorious:
Alif Lam Mim. The Romans have been defeated in the lowest land, but
after their defeat they will themselves be victoriousin a few years'
time. The affair is Allah's from beginning to end. On that day, the
believers will rejoice. (Surat ar-Rum, 1-4)
These verses were sent down in 620 A.D., 7 yearsafter the Christian
Byzantines suffered a major defeat by the pagan Persians in 613-614
A.D. The verses tell us that the Byzantines were going to be
victorious very soon. However, at that time, the Byzantines
hadexperienced such serious losses that it seemed impossible for them
even to survive, not to mention winning another victory. The Persians
defeated the Byzantines at Antioch in 613 A.D. and went on to take
Damascus, Cilicia, Tarsus, Armenia and Jerusalem. It was especially
the loss of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Church of the Holy
Sepulcher that dealt the greatest blow to the Byzantines. 1
At that time it was not the Persians but the Avars, Slavs and Lombards
that were the most serious threat to the Byzantines. The Avars came up
to the very gates of Constantinople. In order to supply the armies,
theByzantine emperor Heracleius had the gold, silver and precious
ornaments from the churches melted down and turned into money. When
this proved insufficient, he even melted down the bronzestatues to
make coins. Many governors revoltedagainst the Heracleius and the
empire came close to disintegration. The former Byzantine possessions
of Mesopotamia, Cilicia, Syria, Palestine, Egypt and Armenia were
occupied by the pagan Persians. 2
In short, everything pointed to the destruction of the Byzantine
Empire. But exactly at that time, the first verses of Surat ar-Rum
were revealed saying that, before 9 years had passed, the Byzantines
would again be victorious. The Arab hypocrites thought that this
victory announced in the Qur'an would never happen.
But, as with everything predicted in the Qur'an, this too was
inevitable. In 622 A.D., Heracleius invaded Armenia and won several
battles against the Persians.3 InDecember 627 A.D., therewas a major
battle between the Byzantines and the Persians near Baghdad, 50 km
east theTigris River by the ruins of Nineveh. The Byzantines defeated
the Persians and a few months later the Persians were forced to sign a
treaty restoring the occupied lands to the Byzantines. 4
The Byzantine victory in 630 A.D. and the defeat of the Persian
emperor, Chosrov II, meant that Jerusalem was returned to Heracleius
and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher came back under Christian
control. 5
So, as Allah said in the Qur'an and our Prophet (saas) proclaimed to
the people, the Byzantine victory happened miraculously within that
predicted 3-9 year period.
Another miracle of these verses is that facts of geography were given
that no one could have known at that time.
Verse 3 of Surat ar-Rum says that the Byzantines were defeated at the
thelowest land. The Arabic for this is edna el-ard, which can also
mean a nearby place. But this translation is not a literalrendering
of the original; it is metaphorical. The Arabicword edna is the
superlative form of deni (low) and means lowest. Ard means Earth.
So,edna el-ardmeans thelowest place on Earth.
Some commentators, thinking that this place is close to the Arabs,
translate the phrase asclosest. But the basic meaning of the word
points to a geological fact that no one could known at the time the
Qur'an was revealed: thelowest place on Earth is the area of the Dead
Sea where the Byzantines were defeated in 613 A.D. And, as we said
before, the hardest blowfor the Christians was the loss of Jerusalem,
close to the Dead Sea.
The Dead Sea, at 399 meters below sea-level, is the lowest point on Earth. 6
What is remarkable hereis that the level of the Dead Sea could only be
determined with the useof modern measuring equipment. Previously no
one could know that the Dead Sea was the lowest place on Earth. But
this area is describedin the Qur'an as the lowest land on Earth. This
is another proof that the Qur'an is the word of Allah; and it is a
miracle that Allah granted this knowledge to His Prophet.
The defeat of Mecca
Allah has confirmed His Messenger's vision with truth: 'You will enter
theSacred Mosque (Masjid al-Haram) in safety, Allahwilling, shaving
your heads and cutting your hair without any fear.' He knew what you
did not know and ordained,in place of this, an imminent victory.
(Surat al-Fath, 27)
While our Prophet (saas)was in Medina, he had a dream: he saw
believers safely entering the The Sacred Mosque (Masjid al-Haram) and
circling the Kaaba. He revealed this good news to the believers. It
was good news because the believers who had left Mecca for Medina had
not been allowed to return.
As an encouragement, Allah revealed verse 27 of Surat al-Fath to our
Prophet (saas). He said the dream was true and, according to His
will, believers could return toMecca. Indeed, later as the dream had
foretold, after the Treaty of Hudaybiya and the subsequent defeat of
Mecca, Muslims entered the Sacred Mosque in peace. So the glad tidings
inspired in our Prophet (saas) by Allah came true.
Buhari relates a story of Ibn-i Abbas concerning the defeat of Mecca:
İbnu Abbas said that in the verse, "He Who has imposed the Qur'an upon
you will most certainly bring you back home again" (Surat al-Qasas,
85), what is meant with the word home here is Macca."7
It is important to note here that verse 27 of Surat al-Fath mentions
another victory before the defeat of Mecca. As the verse foretold,
before they captured Mecca, Muslims took the Hayber Castle that had
been a Jewish possession.8 The famousJelaleyn interprets the verse of
Surat al-Fath as follows:
"…Allah made the dreamHe showed his Prophet (saas) come true. In the
year the Hudaybiya was signed, before going to expedition, the Prophet
(saas) saw in his dream himself and his people safely entering Mecca
with shaved heads and informed his people about this [good news]which
made his people pleased. He set out together with his people but
unbelievers averted them in Hudaybiya. Some of the hypocrites raised
suspicions of this. This is the time when this versewas revealed.
"InshaAllah you will enter Masjid al-Haram safely, with no fear
whatsoever, with shavedheads, (or some of you) with shortened hair.
But in terms of peace, for your benefit, Allah knew what you did not
know and before entering Mecca, granted a conquest. This was the
conquest of Haybar. And the next year the dream came true." 9
In the eighth year of the Migration, our Prophet (saas) entered Mecca
and conquered it. But when he delivered this good news to the
believers, it did not appear likely to happen. Conditions seemed to be
in favor of an opposite outcome; the hypocrites seemed determined to
keep the believers from entering Mecca. This caused those who had
sickness in their hearts to doubt the words of the Prophet (saas). But
our Prophet (saas) trusted in Allah and was not moved by what people
said; he believed in what Allah had told him and revealed it to the
people. The fact that this secret revelation from our Lord came to
pass is a miracle witnessed by millions of people.
The Defeat of Egypt
O my people! You are about to conquer Egypt. Keep the welfare of the
conquered people in view. You shall have to abide by the divine
covenant that their life and property and their honor should be
protected. 10
This Hadith announces that Egypt would be conquered. While our
Prophet (saas) was proclaiming this, Egypt was under the rule of Rome
and Muslims were not yet very strong. But these words of our Prophet
(saas) came true: in the year 641 A.D.,shortly after his death, inthe
caliphate of Omar, Egypt was conquered by Muslims commanded by Amr bin
As. 11 This event was another secret revelation of our Prophet (saas)
that cametrue.
The Conquest of Roman and Persian Lands
Kisra (Khosrau, King of Persia) will die; there will be no Kisra after
him, and Qaisar (Caesar, King of Rome) will die; there would be no
Qaisar after him, but, by One in Whose Hand is my life, you will spend
their treasures in the cause of Allah. 12
The word kisra that appears in this saying was a title used by Persian
kings. The title Caesar was used by Roman Empire. In the Hadiths, our
Prophet (saas) announces that the treasuries of these two monarchs
would remain in the possessionof Muslims.
It is important to notice here that, when our Prophet (saas) made
thisglad announcement, Muslims had no military or economic power and
did not yet have the ability to make such a great conquest. And, at
that time, the most powerful states were Persia and Rome. For
thisreason, when our Prophet (saas) announced these two conquests,
economic and military conditions seemed to be against the possibility.
Nevertheless, they happened. Persia was conquered in Omar's time and
the Empire of the PersianKisrawas brought to an end.13
The beginning of the end of the Roman Caesarand the Muslim
confiscation of his treasury started in the time of the Rashid caliphs
with the conquest of some important Roman centers. Starting in the
time of Abu Bakr, the Roman possessions of Jordan, Palestine,
Jerusalem, Syria and Egypt fell to Muslims. Constantinople was taken
by the Ottoman Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror in 1453. And with the fall
of the Roman Empire the title of Caesar ceased to be used.14 So, these
conquests that seemed impossible in the time ofour Prophet (saas) were
miraculously revealed to him by Allah.
Our Prophet (saas) Answered a Question before it was asked.
In the Qur'an, Allah tells us that 'Isa (as) knew by the will of Allah
what people ate and what they kept. (Surah Al 'Imran, 49) and that
Yusuf (as) could tell when a meal was about to come (Surah Yusuf, 37).
These miracles were gifts bequeathed by Allah's grace to His prophets.
As our Prophet(saas) says in the Hadiths, that, as a miracle from
Allah, he answered a question before a person asked it and could tell
what a person was thinking. Forexample, the Hadiths tells us that our
Prophet (saas) told his companions where and when there would be a
victory.15 Again, according to the Hadiths,our Prophet (saas) could
tell when someone was going to come home before they came and when
they would enter a room before they entered it. 16 He also was able to
recognize immediately the mind ofa hypocrite, those hostile to Muslims
and those who harbored evilideas. 17 (Surah Muhammad, 30)
There are hundreds of examples of such miracles in the Hadiths. In
one Hadith, our Prophet (saas) gave an answer to a question in the
mind of Abu Sufian who, as a result, bore witness to the fact that
this blessed person was indeed a prophet:
Abu Sufian was sitting ina corner of the Masjid. One day our Prophet
(saas) came out of his house. From where he sat Abu Sufian thought: "I
wonder with what he overcame?" Our Prophet(saas) came next to Abu
Sufian and touched his back, saying: "I overcame you with Allah." Abu
Sufian said: "Ibear witness that you are the Messenger of Allah". 18
Our Prophet (saas) knew what people were thinking and was able togive
them an answer to their questions. An example is the Hadith about
Vabisa:
I came to our Prophet (saas). My intention was to ask him every thing
about goodness and sins. He was surrounded by Muslims, asking him
questions and demanding fetwa. I wanted to proceed among them.
- "Stay away from Allah'smessenger, Vabisa!" they said.
- I replied: "Leave me so that I can come very close to him. He is the
most amiable of all those to whom I want tobe close!
- He said: "Leave Vabisa!" Then, he addressed me twice or three times:
"Vabisa, come closer! At the end I came close to him and sat in front
of him.
- He said: "Vabisa. Shall I tell you or would you like to ask to me!"
-" I want you to tell me"I said.
- He said: "You are here to ask me about goodness and sins, right?"
- I said: "Yes." Then, he showed my heart with his fingers and said:
"Vabisa, consult your heart, consult yourself! Goodness is what your
heart finds peace in even if people give you a fatwa or not; sin is
what eradicates (disturbs) the heart, the thing that wanders around in
chest!"19
As the Hadith says, our Prophet (saas) was givengrace from Allah to be
able to know the answerto a question often before he was even asked.
Another example of his ability to read a person's thoughts and
intentions is the Hadith about Abu Darda's beinga Muslim:
Abu Darda was worshipping an idol. Abdullah b. Ravaha and Abu Salam
went near that idol and broke it. When Abu Darda saw the idol in that
situation he couldn't help himself from saying: "What a pity! Couldn't
you protect yourself" Then the Prophet (saas) came. Abdullah b. Ravaha
saw him on the way and said: "That is Abu Darda! He should certainly
be here to find us." Upon this Allah's messenger said: "No! He is
coming here to be a Muslim. My Lord told that he would be a Muslim."20
All the above examples show that our Prophet Muhammad (saas) showed
many miracles by Allah's will. Our Prophet (saas) was an example of
excellent moral character, trust and faithfulness; with his miracles
he strengthened the eager resolve of those with faith.
The End Times that is being experienced in the light of our Prophet's
Knowledge about the Unseen.
The End Times is a period that will be experienced on Earth before the
Doomsday. Our Prophet's many news regarding the events that would
occur in the End Times have reached us. That these events occur one
after another in our time is also a miracle of our Prophet (saas). Our
Prophet (saas) explainedthe events that would occur 1400 years after
his time in details as if he watched that time. The rise of a comet,
the Iran-Iraq war, the Qaba raid, the increase in fitnah and moral
degeneration are only a few of the signs that would occur in the End
Times.
It should be stated at this point that the signs revealed by our
Prophet (saas) in the Hadiths mayhave been seen severallyover the past
1400 years at various times and in diverse places in the world. But
since the year1400 in the Muslim calendar they have happened one after
another in the same period of time. This shows that another event
predicted by our Prophet (saas) has come to pass:
Signs following one another like the pieces of a necklace falling
oneafter the other when its string is cut. 21
Many of these events announced in the Hadiths of our Prophet (saas) as
signs of the endare happening in our day. The increase of wars,
conflicts, terror, violence, anarchy, chaos,murders and torture is an
indication that the first period of the end times is upon us.
According to what our Prophet (saas) says in the Hadiths, Allah will
rescue people after this dark period and save them from chaos; it will
be a great salvation. In order to direct morally deficient, degenerate
societies onto the right path, Allah will appoint His excellent
servant, Mahdi, as mediator. Mahdi (the guide to the truth) will
assemble the Islamic world under one roof; he will cause the moral
teachings of the Qur'an to prevail throughout the world and, together
with 'Isa (as) who is to return to Earth a second time, he will engage
in an intellectual struggle against the strife of the End Times.
In the Hadiths, our Prophet (saas) told people to obey the excellent
Mahdi who would be the means of salvation in this world and in the
Hereafter; he pointed out all the good things that would mark this
period:
A man from my family appears to fill Earth withjustice, just as it has
been filled with corruption. So whoever reaches that [time] ought to
come to them, even if crawling on the ice/snow, since among them is
the caliph of Allah al-Mahdi. 22
All the miracles proclaimed by our Prophet (saas) concerning past
events or with regard to 'Isa (as), Mahdi and signs of the End Times
are a cause for rejoicing for allMuslims and a gracious help from
Allah. According to Allah's will, these miracles are proofsthat will
strengthen the faith of believers and bind them even more closely to
the glorious Qur'an sent down to our Prophet (saas) from Allah.

Fathwa - Licking one's lips while fasting/Breaking one's oath out of forgetfulness

Question
I have 2 questionsIn Sha Allah. Firstly, when I fast, is it
permissible to lick the lips, as they become quite dry? Also, after I
wake up, I always have to spit, because I think that I have licked the
pillow or something, but should I have to do this? Secondly if you
make an oath, (for example, "I won't say such and such") and
forgetfully break it, then I have readthat it doesn't require
expiation. However, if you forgetfully break the oath, and then think
you have broken it and say "such and such" would this require
expiation because you didn't breakit the first time because of
forgetfullness, but you thought it was broken, soyou did it?
jazakallah , and may Allah reward you.
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify
that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that
MuhammadisHis slave and Messenger.
If a fasting person licks his lips without moistening them with
hissaliva, then this is permissible and his fast isnot invalidated due
to that.
However, if one puts his saliva on his lips and thenhe licks his
saliva from them [his lips], then we have already clarified in
previousFataawathat this invalidates his fasting.
Ash-Sharh Al-Kabeer, oneof the books of the Hanbali school of
jurisprudance, reads: "If one's saliva comes out to his clothes or
between his fingers or between his lips and then he swallows it again,
or thathe swallows the saliva of another person, then, in this case,
his fast is invalidated because he swallowed it from other than his
mouth, it is exactly as if he swallowed something else other than the
saliva."[End of quote].
On the other hand, you are not obliged to spit when you wake up on the
pretext that you may have licked something (while sleeping); this is
nothing but an instance of severe whispers of Satan, so you should be
careful about this and not open a door (to whispers) which would be
very difficult for you to close.
As regards the oath, if one breaks it out of forgetfulness, then he is
not required to offer expiation for it as per theview we adopt here at
Islamweb. However, his oath does not become ineffective by breaking
itout of forgetfulness, but it still exists in a way that if he breaks
it afterwardsknowingly, he is obliged to offer expiation.
Asna Al-Mataalib, one of the books of the Shaafi'i school of
jurisprudance, reads:"The oath does notbecome ineffective if onedoes
what he made an oath on (i.e., not to do) out of forgetfulness or
ignorance or compulsion."[End of quote].
Also,Ar-Ruhaybaani,fromthe Hanbali school of jurisprudence, said:
"One's oath does not become ineffective if he breaks it in one of
these (three) cases."[End of quote].
However, if one breaks his oath deliberately while believing that his
oath no longer exists by what he did out of forgetfulness, then it
appears from the statements of the scholars that he broke hisoath
(i.e. the expiation would be required) unless he was emulating a
scholar who issued him aFatwato this effect.
Sharh Al-Bahjah, one of the books of the Shaafi'i school of
jurisprudance, reads: "If he does something (what he made an oath not
to do) while believing that his oath has become ineffective by what he
did out of forgetfulness for example, then he is not breaking his oath
if he relied on a Fatwa (to this effect) even if it was issued by a
person who isnot a scholar. However, ifhe did not rely on any Fatwa
but he acted according to his judgment that his oath no longer exists,
then he is breaking his oath…..."[End of quote].
Accordingly, if you had done what you made an oath not to do just
because of thinking that your oath no longer exists without relying on
aFatwa, then in this case you broke your oath and you are obligated to
expiate for it.
Allaah Knows best.

Fathwa - Beware of whispers about your fasting

Question
Assalam Aleikom .pleasehelp me it is very important.i am fasting and
also Ramadan is very close and i shall have this problem in Ramadan
even more since i'll be fasting everyday.Please explain if i sneeze ,i
have to spit out what i sneeze?i am constantly having colds plus i
have alergies for some types offlowers.when fasting i can not take my
medicine.but if im on thestreet how to spit it out?or in school while
having courses?.Is there any report from the Prophet sallahu aleihi
wasallam or sahaba for that?if i rinse my mouth in woodoo i have to
spit all the water i know but iread on this site that the saliva
remaining on the lips invalidates the fast if i lick my lips.why is
that?subhanallah what shall i do?whenever i spitthere is a fraction of
remaining saliva on the lips cause its liquid.i always have to wipe it
off to not accidentally lick my lips?what if i wipe it off with
parfumed hankerchieves? Or perfumed toilet paper?the perfume from this
could remain on the lips.if it enters the mouth it invalidates the
fast?did the Prophet sallallahu aleihi wasallan or sahabado things
like this in wiping off the remainingsaliva?if saliva from outside the
mouth can not enter the mouth,theni can not kiss my husbandduring
Ramadan?why does it seem all this so difficult for me?if i ask someone
they laugh in my face that i exagerate.but pelase help cause i read
the fatwa about the saliva here on this fatwa website and it was not
clear..Please subhanallah help me!!Please!Barak Allahu feek
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify
that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that
MuhammadisHis slave and Messenger.
First of all, dear questioner, you should know that your problem lies
in whispers, as it appears from your question that you suffer from
them. The best treatment for such whispers is to repel them and not
take heed to them.
As long as the saliva is inside the mouth, it does not invalidate
fasting if one swallows it because there is much hardship inavoiding
it. Moreover, you are not required to spit it out whether you are at
home or outside. Also, to avoid swallowingthe saliva if it comes out
of the lips is something very easy; rather, to not deliberately
swallow it is difficult and hard.
In addition, it was neither reported from the Prophet, nor his
Companions, may Allaah be pleased with them, that they used to wipe
off their lips while fasting out of fear of swallowing the saliva that
was on them. Therefore, this is an aberrant and dispraised
exaggeration and it is due to whispers that you should avoid.
Besides, wiping the lips with scented tissues doesnot invalidate
fasting as this is not eating nor drinking and it is not likeeating or
drinking. In addition, it does not invalidate the fast even ifthe
perfume enters your mouth as long as you do not swallow it. Since
fasting is not invalidated by putting water in the mouth when rinsing,
how can fasting be invalidated by putting something on the lips?
On the other hand, fasting does not become void by kissing but this is
disliked for a fasting person. The Fiqh Encyclopedia reads: "It is
disliked for a fasting person to kiss his wife if he is not safe from
committing something that invalidates the fast, like ejaculation and
intercourse. It is reportedthat'Abdullaah Ibn 'Umarsaid: "We were with
the Prophet,and a young man came and said:"O Prophet of Allaah, may I
kiss my wifewhile fasting?" The Prophetsaid: ''No." Then an old man
came and asked: "O Prophet of Allaah, may I kiss my wifewhile
fasting?" The Prophetsaid: "Yes." So,we began to look at one another.
Then, the Prophetsaid: ''I know why you are looking at each other. An
old man can control himself."Also,if someone is not safe from
committing what invalidates his fast, he probably would have sexual
intercourse, and his fasting would be rendered null. This is the view
of the Hanafi, Shaafi'i and Hanbali Schools of jurisprudence. It is
disliked to kiss one's wife if it is for the purpose of enjoying
oneself, but if there is no purpose of enjoyment, then it is not
disliked. Forexample, if the kissing is for bidding her good bye, or
as an act of mercy, then it is not disliked. Likewise, if one is safe
from committing something that would invalidate his fast, then itis
permissible for him to kiss (his wife) according to the view of the
majority of the scholars,as it was reported that'Aa'ishahnarrated
thatthe Prophetused to kiss and hug while fasting. Nonetheless, the
Maaliki School of jurisprudence, said:"Kissing is disliked for a
fasting person if it isfor the purpose of enjoyment provided that he
knows that he is safe from ejaculating or emitting Mathi, but if he
does not know that he is safe from this, then it is forbidden.
However, the juristsagreed that even if kissing is with desire, it
does not break the fast as long as this does not lead to ejaculation.
But if one kisses and ejaculates, then his fast is invalidated
according to the agreement of the four Schools of jurisprudence."
In case one discharges Mathi and not sperm by kissing, then his
fasting isnot invalidated according to the view weadopt here in
Islamweb. ImaamAn-Nawawisaid:"If one kisses a woman [i.e. his wife]
with desire and he discharges Mathi but not sperm, then this does
notinvalidate his fast according to our School of jurisprudence
without any difference of opinion. This is what Ibn Al-Munthir quoted
from Al-Hasan Al-Basri, Ash-Sha'bi, Al-Awzaa'i, Abu Haneefah and Abu
Thawr, and he said: "And this is my view." However, Maalik and Ahmad
are of the view that it breaks the fast, but our evidence is that itis
a discharge that does not necessitate Ghusl (ritual bath), so it is
like urine."
Allaah Knows best.