How long will the Mahdi rule, and what will happen after that? Since the Mahdi is the last of the Imams and Caliphs according to the narrations.
Muslims’ narrations about the duration of the Mahdi’s rule vary. In the narration of Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri, it has been stated that «يَمْلِكُ سَبْعَ سِنِينَ، أَوْ ثَمَانِيَ سِنِينَ، أَوْ تِسْعَ سِنِينَ»[1]; “he rules for seven years, eight years, or nine years.” This is the most well-known narration and the strongest in terms of the chain of narrators. It has not been narrated only by Zaid al-Ammi, contrary to what some have assumed, but others have also narrated it, such as Muqatil ibn Hayyan, Matar ibn Tahman, and ibn Umayr al-Hajari from Abu al-Siddiq, Qatadah and Ata’ ibn Ajlan from Abu Naḍrah, Ma‘mar ibn Rashid from Abu Harun al-Abdi, and Abu al-Waṣil from Abu Umayyah al-Ḥabṭi. It also has an attestation from the narration of Hisham ibn Hassan, from Muhammad ibn Sirin, from Abu Hurairah. In another narration, it has been stated that the Mahdi «يَقُومُ فِي عَالَمِهِ تِسْعَ عَشْرَةَ سَنَةً»[2]; “stays in his world for nineteen years,” which, despite its weakness, does not explicitly state the duration of his rule. In most sources, it has been stated that it lasts «مِنْ يَوْمِ قِيَامِهِ إِلَى يَوْمِ مَوْتِهِ»[3]; “from the day he rises until the day he passes away.” It has been stated in another narration that «يَمْلِكُ تِسْعَ عَشْرَةَ سَنَةً وَأَشْهُرًا»[4]; “he rules for nineteen years and months,” which is explicit and has a strong chain of narrators, and in another narration that «يَمْلِكُ عِشْرِينَ سَنَةً»; “he rules for twenty years,” narrated by al-Tabarani from Abu Umamah via Anbasah ibn Abi Saghirah[5], who is weak, but his narration is strengthened by the previous narration and by what al-Tabari has narrated in the missing part of Tahdhib al-Athar[6] and what al-Jurqani has narrated in al-Abatil Wa al-Manaqir Wa al-Sihah Wa al-Mashahir[7] from Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman, and al-Daylami has also mentioned it in al-Firdous Bima’thur al-Khitab[8]. It has been stated in another narration that «يَلِي الْمَهْدِيُّ أَمْرَ النَّاسِ ثَلَاثِينَ أَوْ أَرْبَعِينَ سَنَةً»[9]; “the Mahdi leads people for thirty or forty years,” narrated by ibn Hammad in al-Fitan, who said: “Abdullah ibn Marwan narrated to us from Haytham ibn Abd al-Rahman, from the one who narrated to him, from Ali.” Some scholars have also said this[10]. It has been stated in another narration that «يَمْكُثُ سَبْعَ سِنِينَ، مِقْدَارُ كُلِّ سَنَةٍ عَشْرُ سِنِينَ مِنْ سِنِيِّكُمْ هَذِهِ، ثُمَّ يَفْعَلُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى مَا يَشَاءُ»[11]; “he remains for seven years, each year being the equivalent of ten years of your years. Then Allah Almighty does what He wills.” All of this is possible but not certain, and Allah Almighty knows best which of these will come to pass. This is similar to His statement: ﴿قُلِ اللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا لَبِثُوا ۖ لَهُ غَيْبُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ﴾[12]; “Say: ‘Allah knows best how long they stayed. To Him belongs the unseen of the heavens and the earth.’” The same statement applies to what will happen after the Mahdi; because knowledge belongs to Allah alone, and there is nothing in the narrations that would lead to knowledge of this. Rather, what has been stated in them instructs refraining from discussing it; as previously mentioned in the narration: «ثُمَّ يَفْعَلُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى مَا يَشَاءُ»[13]; “Then Allah Almighty does what He wills.” Also, it has been stated in another narration that Asbagh ibn Nubatah asked Ali about what would happen after the Mahdi, and Ali
said: «ثُمَّ يَفْعَلُ اللَّهُ مَا يَشَاءُ، فَإِنَّ لَهُ بَدَاءَاتٍ وَإِرَادَاتٍ وَغَايَاتٍ وَنِهَايَاتٍ»[14]; “Then Allah does what He wills, for to Him belong changes of plans, wills, goals, and ends,” and this apparently indicates the lack of specific knowledge in this regard.
I believe that the necessity of the existence of a Caliph on the earth on the one hand and the limitation of the Caliphs to the twelve Imams, the last of whom is the Mahdi, on the other hand, necessitate one of two things: either the Mahdi lives until the Day of Judgment, or he passes away and the previous Imams return to the world after him. There is no third possibility.
There is nothing in the narrations that would lead to knowledge of what will happen after the Mahdi, as we have explained. However, they indicate four possibilities:
1. The Hour of Resurrection will come.
2. Some of the previous Caliphs will return to the world.
3. Some guided men will take charge.
4. Isa, son of Maryam will take charge.
As for the first possibility, it exists in all cases and should not be ruled out at any time; because Allah Almighty has said: ﴿يَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ السَّاعَةِ أَيَّانَ مُرْسَاهَا ۖ قُلْ إِنَّمَا عِلْمُهَا عِنْدَ رَبِّي ۖ لَا يُجَلِّيهَا لِوَقْتِهَا إِلَّا هُوَ ۚ ثَقُلَتْ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ ۚ لَا تَأْتِيكُمْ إِلَّا بَغْتَةً ۗ يَسْأَلُونَكَ كَأَنَّكَ حَفِيٌّ عَنْهَا ۖ قُلْ إِنَّمَا عِلْمُهَا عِنْدَ اللَّهِ وَلَكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ﴾[1]; “They ask you about the Hour, ‘When will be its appointed time?’ Say: ‘Its knowledge is only with my Lord. None will reveal it at its time but He. It is heavy on the heavens and the earth. It will not come to you but suddenly.’ They ask you as if you have full knowledge of it. Say: ‘Its knowledge is only with Allah, but most people do not know,’” and said: ﴿أَفَأَمِنُوا أَنْ تَأْتِيَهُمْ غَاشِيَةٌ مِنْ عَذَابِ اللَّهِ أَوْ تَأْتِيَهُمُ السَّاعَةُ بَغْتَةً وَهُمْ لَا يَشْعُرُونَ﴾[2]; “Then do they feel secure from the overwhelming punishment of Allah coming to them or the Hour coming to them suddenly while they are unaware?!” and said: ﴿فَهَلْ يَنْظُرُونَ إِلَّا السَّاعَةَ أَنْ تَأْتِيَهُمْ بَغْتَةً ۖ فَقَدْ جَاءَ أَشْرَاطُهَا ۚ فَأَنَّى لَهُمْ إِذَا جَاءَتْهُمْ ذِكْرَاهُمْ﴾[3]; “Are they just waiting for the Hour to come to them suddenly?! Its signs have already come. Once it comes to them, what good will their reminder be?!” and said: ﴿وَيَقُولُونَ مَتَى هُوَ ۖ قُلْ عَسَى أَنْ يَكُونَ قَرِيبًا﴾[4]; “And they say: ‘When is it?’ Say: ‘Perhaps it is near.’” Al-Mufid from the Shia is of the same view, where he has said: «أَكْثَرُ الرِّوَايَاتِ أَنَّهُ لَنْ يَمْضِيَ مَهْدِيُّ هَذِهِ الْأُمَّةِ إِلَّا قَبْلَ الْقِيَامَةِ بِأَرْبَعِينَ يَوْمًا يَكُونُ فِيهَا الْهَرْجُ وَعَلَامَةُ خُرُوجِ الْأَمْوَاتِ وَقِيَامِ السَّاعَةِ لِلْحِسَابِ وَالْجَزَاءِ، وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا يَكُونُ»[5]; “Most of the narrations indicate that the Mahdi of this nation will not pass away until forty days before the Day of Judgment, during which there will be chaos, signs of the resurrection of the dead, and the establishment of the Hour for reckoning and retribution, and Allah knows best what will happen.”
As for the second possibility, we have explained its existence in Q&A 35. It is also the view of most of the Shia. Among those who have been reported to have held it are Amir ibn Wathilah, Asbagh ibn Nubatah, Rushayd al-Hijri, Jabir ibn Yazid al-Ju‘fi, Muslim ibn Nudhayr al-Sa‘di, Kathir ibn Abd al-Rahman the poet, Abu Hamzah al-Thumali, Abu al-Yaqzan al-Bajali, Harith ibn Hasirah, al-Sayyid al-Himyari, and others.
As for the third possibility, it also exists. It is the view of ibn Abbas and Abdullah ibn Amr and a narration from the Ahl al-Bayt; as it has been narrated from Sa‘id ibn Jubayr that he said: «سَمِعْتُ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ عَبَّاسٍ وَنَحْنُ نَقُولُ: اثْنَيْ عَشَرَ أَمِيرًا ثُمَّ لَا أَمِيرَ، وَاثْنَيْ عَشَرَ أَمِيرًا ثُمَّ هِيَ السَّاعَةُ، فَقَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ: مَا أَحْمَقَكُمْ! إِنَّ مِنَّا أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ الْمَنْصُورَ وَالسَّفَّاحَ وَالْمَهْدِيَّ يَدْفَعُهَا إِلَى عِيسَى بْنِ مَرْيَمَ»[6]; “I heard Abdullah ibn Abbas while we were saying: ‘There will be twelve leaders, then no leader, and twelve leaders, then the Hour.’ Ibn Abbas then said: ‘How foolish you are! Indeed, from us the Ahl al-Bayt, there will be after that Mansoor, Saffah, and the Mahdi who will hand it over to Isa, son of Maryam,’” and from Abdullah ibn al-Hajjaj that he said: «سَمِعْتُ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ عَمْرٍو يَقُولُ: يَكُونُ بَعْدَ الْجَبَّارِينِ الْجَابِرُ، يَجْبُرُ اللَّهُ بِهِ أُمَّةَ مُحَمَّدٍ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ، الْمَهْدِيُّ، ثُمَّ الْمَنْصُورُ، ثُمَّ السَّلَامُ، ثُمَّ أَمِيرُ الْعُصَبِ، فَمَنْ قَدَرَ عَلَى الْمَوْتِ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ فَلْيَمُتْ»[7]; “I heard Abdullah ibn Amr say: ‘After tyrants, there will be Jabir, by whom Allah will assist the nation of Muhammad . Then there will be the Mahdi, then Mansoor, then al-Salam, then Amir al-Usab. So whoever can die after that shall die.’” It has been narrated from Abu Ja‘far
that the Mahdi stays in his world for nineteen years, from the day he rises until the day he passes away, then Mansoor emerges and seeks revenge for the blood of Husain
and the blood of his companions, then he kills and takes captive until Saffah emerges.[8] It has also been narrated from him and his son Sadiq
: «يَكُونُ بَعْدَ الْقَائِمِ اثْنَا عَشَرَ مَهْدِيًّا»[9]; “There will be twelve Mahdis (meaning guided men) after Qa’im,” and in another narration: «أَحَدُ عَشَرَ مَهْدِيًّا»[10]; “Eleven Mahdis.” What is inferred from the words of ibn Abbas, ibn Amr, and Abu Ja‘far is that the first of these Mahdis is “Mansoor,” a man who emerges from Khorasan with black flags to prepare the ground for the Mahdi’s rule; as it has been narrated from the Messenger of Allah
in describing him: «رَجُلٌ يُقَالُ لَهُ مَنْصُورٌ، يُوَطِّئُ أَوْ يُمَكِّنُ لِآلِ مُحَمَّدٍ، كَمَا مَكَّنَتْ قُرَيْشٌ لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَجَبَ عَلَى كُلِّ مُؤْمِنٍ نَصْرُهُ»[11]; “A man called Mansoor makes preparations for, or empowers, the family of Muhammad, as the Quraysh empowered the Messenger of Allah
. It is obligatory for every believer to help him,” and in another narration: «إِذَا رَأَيْتُمُ الرَّايَاتِ السُّودَ قَدْ جَاءَتْ مِنْ قِبَلِ خُرَاسَانَ فَأْتُوهَا، فَإِنَّ فِيهَا خَلِيفَةَ الْمَهْدِيِّ»[12]; “When you see black flags coming from Khorasan, then rush to them, for the Mahdi’s Caliph is among them.” This is possible only if he and the other Caliphs of the Mahdi are not Imams; because the Imams in Islam are twelve, the last of whom is the Mahdi[13]. Therefore, there cannot be another Imam after the Mahdi. Yes, he can have specific deputies who carry his knowledge and preserve his trusts until they deliver them to Isa, son of Maryam
or until the Hour comes to them. The difference between them and the Imams is that they are merely reciters of the Quran and narrators of authentic Hadiths. They do not command or prohibit except with clear evidence from them; as it has been narrated from Abu Basir that he said: «قُلْتُ لِلصَّادِقِ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَلَيْهِمَا السَّلَامُ: يَا ابْنَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ، إِنِّي سَمِعْتُ مِنْ أَبِيكَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: يَكُونُ بَعْدَ الْقَائِمِ اثْنَا عَشَرَ مَهْدِيًّا، فَقَالَ: إِنَّمَا قَالَ: اثْنَا عَشَرَ مَهْدِيًّا وَلَمْ يَقُلْ: اثْنَا عَشَرَ إِمَامًا، وَلَكِنَّهُمْ قَوْمٌ مِنْ شِيعَتِنَا يَدْعُونَ النَّاسَ إِلَى مُوَالَاتِنَا وَمَعْرِفَةِ حَقِّنَا»[14]; “I said to Sadiq Ja‘far ibn Muhammad
: ‘O son of the Messenger of Allah! I heard from your father
that he said: “There will be twelve Mahdis after Qa’im.”’ So he said: ‘He only said twelve Mahdis and did not say twelve Imams. However, they are a people from our followers who invite people to support us and know our right.’” It is not impossible for these men to be in the position of Allah’s Caliphs on the earth; because they are the Caliphs of His Caliphs on it, and Allah enables them to obey Him and obey His Caliphs until the Hour comes or Isa, son of Maryam
is sent down.
As for the fourth possibility, it also exists. Rather, it is the closest and strongest possibility; because the Quran and the Sunnah indicate that Isa, son of Maryam will be sent down before the Day of Judgment. Also, the narrations about this happening during the time of the Mahdi are widely transmitted, and there is no evidence that he will pass away before the Mahdi. Rather, there are narrations that indicate he will live after the Mahdi; as it has been narrated from the Messenger of Allah
that he said: «أَنَا أَوَّلُ هَذِهِ الْأُمَّةِ، وَالْمَهْدِيُّ أَوْسَطُهَا، وَعِيسَى آخِرُهَا»[15]; “I am the beginning of this nation, the Mahdi is the middle of it, and Isa is the end of it,” and in another narration: «كَيْفَ تَهْلِكُ أُمَّةٌ أَنَا أَوَّلُهَا، وَعِيسَى بْنُ مَرْيَمَ فِي آخِرِهَا، وَالْمَهْدِيُّ مِنْ أَهْلِ بَيْتِي فِي وَسَطِهَا؟!»[16]; “How can a nation that begins with me, ends with Isa, son of Maryam, and the Mahdi from my Ahl al-Bayt is in the middle of it perish?!” and in another narration: «لَنْ يُخْزِيَ اللَّهُ أُمَّةً أَنَا أَوَّلُهَا، وَعِيسَى بْنُ مَرْيَمَ آخِرُهَا»[17]; “Allah will never disgrace a nation that I am the beginning of it and Isa, son of Maryam, is the end of it.” This does not mean that Islam will be abrogated; because Isa, son of Maryam
will rule only according to the Quran and the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah
; as it has been stated in a narration: «يَنْزِلُ عِيسَى بْنُ مَرْيَمَ، فَيَقْتُلُ الْخِنْزِيرَ، وَيَمْحُو الصَّلِيبَ، وَتُجْمَعُ لَهُ الصَّلَاةُ، وَيُعْطِي الْمَالَ حَتَّى لَا يُقْبَلَ، وَيَضَعُ الْخَرَاجَ، وَيَنْزِلُ الرَّوْحَاءَ، فَيَحُجُّ مِنْهَا أَوْ يَعْتَمِرُ، أَوْ يَجْمَعُهُمَا»[18]; “Isa, son of Maryam, is sent down. Then he kills the pig, destroys the cross, and congregational prayer is established for him. He gives away wealth to the extent that no one accepts it. He levies taxes, descends in Rawḥa’, and goes to Hajj or Umrah from there, or combines both,” and in another narration: «فَيَكْسِرُ الصَّلِيبَ، وَيَقْتُلُ الْخِنْزِيرَ، وَيَضَعُ الْجِزْيَةَ، وَيُعَطِّلُ الْمِلَلَ، وَيَدْعُو النَّاسَ إِلَى الْإِسْلَامِ، حَتَّى يُهْلِكَ اللَّهُ فِي زَمَانِهِ الْمِلَلَ كُلَّهَا غَيْرَ الْإِسْلَامِ»[19]; “Then he breaks the cross, kills the pig, takes jizyah (from the people of the Book), abolishes all religions until Allah eliminates all religions in his time except for Islam.”
These are the four possible scenarios that may happen after the Mahdi, and Allah knows which one will happen. We do not have to know that at this time. We only have to act upon what we know, which is to prepare the ground for the Mahdi’s advent by helping Mansoor who invites toward him. This is just as Allah commanded His Messenger to say: ﴿وَمَا أَدْرِي مَا يُفْعَلُ بِي وَلَا بِكُمْ ۖ إِنْ أَتَّبِعُ إِلَّا مَا يُوحَى إِلَيَّ وَمَا أَنَا إِلَّا نَذِيرٌ مُبِينٌ﴾[20]; “And I do not know what will be done with me or with you. I only follow what is revealed to me, and I am but a plain warner.”