It is said that when the Mahdi comes, he will slaughter men and slit the bellies of women until the blood reaches the knees! Is this saying true?
This is an evil assumption that has no basis. Rather, it is a great slander; because all of the narrations that have been widely transmitted from the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him and his family, his Ahl al-Bayt, and his companions indicate that the Mahdi is not a tyrant or a disobedient one, but rather he is a just Imam from the progeny of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him and his family, who reforms Earth and extinguishes the fires of oppression and corruption. The Mahdi is the caliph of Allah and the caliph of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him and his family. Therefore, he acts according to the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him and his family, and does not go against them in anything. This means that he does not kill a soul that Allah has forbidden to kill, except rightfully, nor does he exceed the limits in killing, nor does he kill women and children, nor does he destroy crops and lives; because these actions are not permissible in the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him and his family; as He has said: ﴿وَلَا تَقْتُلُوا النَّفْسَ الَّتِي حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ إِلَّا بِالْحَقِّ ۗ وَمَنْ قُتِلَ مَظْلُومًا فَقَدْ جَعَلْنَا لِوَلِيِّهِ سُلْطَانًا فَلَا يُسْرِفْ فِي الْقَتْلِ ۖ إِنَّهُ كَانَ مَنْصُورًا﴾[1]; “And do not kill a soul that Allah has forbidden (to kill), except rightfully, and whoever is killed unjustly, We have given authority to his guardian, but he should not exceed the limits in killing; he shall be helped,” and said: ﴿مَنْ قَتَلَ نَفْسًا بِغَيْرِ نَفْسٍ أَوْ فَسَادٍ فِي الْأَرْضِ فَكَأَنَّمَا قَتَلَ النَّاسَ جَمِيعًا﴾[2]; “Whoever kills a human being, except (as a punishment) for killing a human being or (spreading) corruption on Earth, it is as if he has killed all people,” and said: ﴿وَلَا تَكْسِبُ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ إِلَّا عَلَيْهَا ۚ وَلَا تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٌ وِزْرَ أُخْرَى﴾[3]; “and each soul earns only for itself, and no bearer of burdens shall bear the burden of another,” and said: ﴿وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَنْ يُعْجِبُكَ قَوْلُهُ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَيُشْهِدُ اللَّهَ عَلَى مَا فِي قَلْبِهِ وَهُوَ أَلَدُّ الْخِصَامِ وَإِذَا تَوَلَّى سَعَى فِي الْأَرْضِ لِيُفْسِدَ فِيهَا وَيُهْلِكَ الْحَرْثَ وَالنَّسْلَ ۗ وَاللَّهُ لَا يُحِبُّ الْفَسَادَ﴾[4]; “And among people is he whose speech pleases you in the life of the world, and he calls Allah to witness what is in his heart, yet he is the fiercest of opponents, and when he gains power, he strives on Earth to cause corruption on it and destroy crops and lives, while Allah does not like corruption.” It has been narrated that «أَنَّ امْرَأَةً وُجِدَتْ مَقْتُولَةً فِي بَعْضِ مَغَازِي رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ، فَأَنْكَرَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَتْلَ النِّسَاءِ وَالصِّبْيَانِ، وَنَهَى عَنْ ذَلِكَ»[5]; “a woman was found killed in one of the battles fought by the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him and his family. So the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him and his family, disapproved of the killing of women and children and forbade it.” It has also been narrated that when he would send a military expedition, he would say to them: «لَا تَقْتُلُوا شَيْخًا فَانِيًا، وَلَا طِفْلًا صَغِيرًا، وَلَا امْرَأَةً»[6]; “Do not kill a decrepit old man, a young child, or a woman.” Therefore, these heinous crimes cannot be committed by one whom Allah appoints as a caliph and the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him and his family, appoints as a caliph, knowing his beautiful qualities and his being a mercy for all the worlds. These heinous crimes are committed only by those whom people appoint as caliphs based on their desires, under the title of the pledge of allegiance of the council of elders and assembly of experts, the will of the previous ruler, or other new methods that they have innovated, copying some of the early rulers; as they were committed in the past by the likes of Yazid ibn Mu‘awiyah and Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan from the Umayyad and Abbasid caliphs, and they are committed today by the caliphs of ISIS. Perhaps this misconception that when the Mahdi comes, he will slaughter men and slit the bellies of women until the blood reaches the knees, has arisen from these historical experiences, and this is not strange; because the same happened to the Angels when Allah said to them: ﴿إِنِّي جَاعِلٌ فِي الْأَرْضِ خَلِيفَةً ۖ قَالُوا أَتَجْعَلُ فِيهَا مَنْ يُفْسِدُ فِيهَا وَيَسْفِكُ الدِّمَاءَ وَنَحْنُ نُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدِكَ وَنُقَدِّسُ لَكَ﴾[7]; “Indeed, I am the Appointer of a caliph on Earth. They said: ‘Do you appoint one on it who will cause corruption and shed blood on it?! While we glorify You with Your praise and sanctify You.’” It has been narrated that the Angels said that because of what they had experienced of the corruption and bloodshed of the inhabitants of the Earth; since there were nations of jinn and nasnas on Earth that engaged in such actions[8]. The Angels did not know that Allah’s caliph would not be like the caliph of jinn and nasnas; because Allah chooses His caliph with His knowledge, while they choose their caliph with their ignorance, and they are not equal. That is why Allah said to the Angels: ﴿إِنِّي أَعْلَمُ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ﴾[9]; “I know what you do not know,” meaning that He knows who is qualified to be a caliph, while they do not know it. Then He taught Adam the names of His caliphs on Earth, all of them. ﴿ثُمَّ عَرَضَهُمْ عَلَى الْمَلَائِكَةِ فَقَالَ أَنْبِئُونِي بِأَسْمَاءِ هَؤُلَاءِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ صَادِقِينَ قَالُوا سُبْحَانَكَ لَا عِلْمَ لَنَا إِلَّا مَا عَلَّمْتَنَا ۖ إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ الْعَلِيمُ الْحَكِيمُ قَالَ يَا آدَمُ أَنْبِئْهُمْ بِأَسْمَائِهِمْ ۖ فَلَمَّا أَنْبَأَهُمْ بِأَسْمَائِهِمْ قَالَ أَلَمْ أَقُلْ لَكُمْ إِنِّي أَعْلَمُ غَيْبَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَأَعْلَمُ مَا تُبْدُونَ وَمَا كُنْتُمْ تَكْتُمُونَ﴾[10]; “Then He presented them to the Angels and said: ‘Inform Me of their names if you are truthful! They said: ‘Glory be to You! We have no knowledge except for what You have taught us; You are indeed the All-Knowing, the Wise!’ He said: ‘O Adam! Inform them of their names.’ Then, when he informed them of their names, He said: ‘Did I not tell you that I know the unseen of the heavens and the Earth, and I know what you reveal and what you conceal?!’” As one of our companions informed us, he said:
«سَأَلْتُ الْمَنْصُورَ عَنْ قَوْلِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى: ﴿وَعَلَّمَ آدَمَ الْأَسْمَاءَ كُلَّهَا ثُمَّ عَرَضَهُمْ عَلَى الْمَلَائِكَةِ فَقَالَ أَنْبِئُونِي بِأَسْمَاءِ هَؤُلَاءِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ صَادِقِينَ﴾، مَا كَانَتْ تِلْكَ الْأَسْمَاءُ؟ فَقَالَ: كَانَتْ أَسْمَاءَ خُلَفَاءِ اللَّهِ فِي الْأَرْضِ؛ لِأَنَّهُ لَمَّا قَالَ لِلْمَلَائِكَةِ: ﴿إِنِّي جَاعِلٌ فِي الْأَرْضِ خَلِيفَةً ۖ قَالُوا أَتَجْعَلُ فِيهَا مَنْ يُفْسِدُ فِيهَا وَيَسْفِكُ الدِّمَاءَ﴾، فَعَلَّمَ آدَمَ أَسْمَاءَ خُلَفَائِهِ فِي الْأَرْضِ كُلَّهَا، لِيُنْبِأَ الْمَلَائِكَةَ، فَيَعْلَمُوا أَنَّهُ لَا يَجْعَلُ فِيهَا مَنْ يُفْسِدُ فِيهَا وَيَسْفِكُ الدِّمَاءَ خَلِيفَةً، وَلَكِنْ يَجْعَلُ النَّبِيِّينَ وَالصِّدِّيقِينَ وَالشُّهَدَاءَ وَالصَّالِحِينَ، وَحَسُنَ أُولَئِكَ رَفِيقًا، ﴿فَلَمَّا أَنْبَأَهُمْ بِأَسْمَائِهِمْ قَالَ أَلَمْ أَقُلْ لَكُمْ إِنِّي أَعْلَمُ غَيْبَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَأَعْلَمُ مَا تُبْدُونَ وَمَا كُنْتُمْ تَكْتُمُونَ﴾، وَكَانَ الْمَهْدِيُّ وَاللَّهِ مِنْ تِلْكَ الْأَسْمَاءِ»[11]; “I asked Mansoor about the words of Allah Almighty Who says: ‘And He taught Adam the names, all of them, then presented them to the Angels and said: “Inform Me of their names if you are truthful!”’ What were those names? So he said: ‘They were the names of the caliphs of Allah on Earth; because when He said to the Angels: “Indeed, I am the Appointer of a caliph on Earth,” they said: “Do you appoint one on it who will cause corruption and shed blood on it?” So He taught Adam all the names of His caliphs on Earth so that he would inform the Angels, so they would know that He does not appoint on it one who causes corruption and sheds blood as a caliph on it, but rather He appoints the Prophets, the truthful, the martyrs, and the righteous, and how excellent those companions are. “Then, when he informed them of their names, He said: ‘Did I not tell you that I know the unseen of the heavens and the earth, and I know what you reveal and what you conceal?!’” And I swear to Allah, Mahdi was one of those names.’”
Therefore, those claims that the Mahdi, when he comes, will slaughter men and slit the bellies of women until the blood reaches the knees, have fallen into the same error as the Angels. Our response to them is the same as Allah’s response to the Angels, that Allah knows what you do not know, and that is why He appoints as a caliph one other than those whom you appoint as caliphs. You appoint as a caliph one who slaughters men and slits the bellies of women until the blood reaches the knees, while He appoints as a caliph one who does not shed a drop of blood unjustly, nor does he wrong a small ant or a bigger creature, nor does he violate the Book of Allah or the Sunnah of His Prophet in anything, nor does he follow his own desires. Yes, the Mahdi strives in the way of Allah with the striving due to Him, is stern with disbelievers and hypocrites, and punishes every oppressor with justice. He does not neglect any of the limits set by Allah. However, he is merciful and compassionate towards believers, a protector and helper for the weak, and a friendly reliever for the oppressed; similar to Dhu al-Qarnayn, to whom Allah gave power on Earth, then He said to him: ﴿يَا ذَا الْقَرْنَيْنِ إِمَّا أَنْ تُعَذِّبَ وَإِمَّا أَنْ تَتَّخِذَ فِيهِمْ حُسْنًا قَالَ أَمَّا مَنْ ظَلَمَ فَسَوْفَ نُعَذِّبُهُ ثُمَّ يُرَدُّ إِلَى رَبِّهِ فَيُعَذِّبُهُ عَذَابًا نُكْرًا وَأَمَّا مَنْ آمَنَ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا فَلَهُ جَزَاءً الْحُسْنَى ۖ وَسَنَقُولُ لَهُ مِنْ أَمْرِنَا يُسْرًا﴾[12]; “O Dhu al-Qarnayn! Either punish them or treat them with kindness. He said: ‘As for one who does wrong, we will punish him. Then he will be returned to his Lord, and He will punish him with a severe punishment. As for one who believes and does righteous deeds, he will have the best of rewards, and we will ask him to do easy things.’” For this reason, His Eminence Mansoor has said in one of his sermons:
Beware, O you the ignorant nation! What are you looking for?! And who are you following?! Your leader is the Mahdi. The calmness of your nights and the delight of your days is the Mahdi. Your lasting happiness and the sweetness of your life is the Mahdi. Your prosperity in the world and your salvation in the Hereafter is the Mahdi. So what has stopped you from turning to him?! Or who has filled the void left by him?![13]
He has also said in another sermon:
He will implement the rulings of Allah among them and bring absolute justice into the backs of their houses and their stockyards, but rather he will take them to the promised lands that milk and honey flow in them, their soil is saffron, and their pebbles are diamonds and pearls. Woe to those who leave Mahdi to join the misguided; because they prefer darkness to light, blindness to sight, and ignorance to knowledge, like those who sold Yusuf for a low price, a few dirhams... They ignored the inviter toward Allah and answered the inviter toward Iblis, and by doing so disturbed the law of the world and severed the thread of nature. So their punishment in the world became the domination of tyrants so that they would cut off the heads of their men and cast lots for their women, and in the Hereafter a burning fire that melts the stone and takes their oil.[14]