We do not know of any matter in which disagreement has been good except this one. This is because if the location from which the Mahdi travels to Medina became known, his enemies would go there to find and capture him; just as they will go to Medina to find and capture him there, because they have learned that he will be in Medina shortly before his advent. As it has been narrated from Umm Salamah, who said: «إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ اسْتَيْقَظَ مِنْ نَوْمِهِ وَهُوَ يَسْتَرْجِعُ، فَقُلْتُ: مِمَّ تَسْتَرْجِعُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ؟ قَالَ: مِنْ أَجْلِ جَيْشٍ يَجِيءُ مِنْ قِبَلِ الْعِرَاقِ فِي طَلَبِ رَجُلٍ مِنَ الْمَدِينَةِ يَمْنَعُهُ اللَّهُ مِنْهُمْ، فَإِذَا عَلَوُا الْبَيْدَاءَ مِنْ ذِي الْحُلَيْفَةِ خُسِفَ بِهِمْ، فَلَا يُدْرِكُ أَعْلَاهُمْ أَسْفَلَهَمْ وَلَا أَسْفَلُهُمْ أَعْلَاهُمْ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ»[1]; “The Messenger of Allah woke up from his sleep while saying Inna lillahi Wa Inna Ilayhi Raji‘un (Indeed, to Allah we belong and to Him we shall return). So I said: ‘Why are you saying this, O Messenger of Allah?’ He said: ‘Because of an army that comes from the direction of Iraq in pursuit of a man from Medina whom Allah protects from them. When they reach the land of al-Bayda near Dhu al-Hulayfah, the earth will swallow them up; so those in the front never see those in the back again, nor those in the back those in the front—until the Day of Judgment.’” Moreover, Allah Almighty has said: ﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَسْأَلُوا عَنْ أَشْيَاءَ إِنْ تُبْدَ لَكُمْ تَسُؤْكُمْ﴾[2]; “O you who have believed! Do not ask about things that, if disclosed to you, may trouble you,” and the Messenger of Allah said: «إِيَّاكُمْ وَكَثْرَةَ السُّؤَالِ»[3]; “Beware of excessive questioning,” and he also said: «الدِّينُ النَّصِيحَةُ لِلَّهِ وَلِرَسُولِهِ وَلِأَئِمَّةِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ»[4]; “Religion is sincerity to Allah, His Messenger, and the Imams of the Muslims.” There is no disagreement that the Mahdi is one of the Imams of the Muslims, and sincerity to him includes refraining from delving into matters that could reveal his identity or location before his advent in Mecca; for this would draw attention to him and expose him to danger. It has been narrated from his pure forefathers that they said: «إِنَّ الْمُذِيعَ عَلَيْنَا سِرَّنَا أَشَدُّ عَلَيْنَا مَؤُونَةً مِنْ عَدُوِّنَا»[5]; “The one who reveals our secrets causes us more trouble than our enemy.” It has also been narrated from them that regarding the statement of Allah Almighty: ﴿وَيَقْتُلُونَ الْأَنْبِيَاءَ بِغَيْرِ حَقٍّ﴾[6]; “And they kill the Prophets without right,” they said: «أَمَا وَاللَّهِ مَا قَتَلُوهُمْ بِالسَّيْفِ، وَلَكِنْ أَذَاعُوا سِرَّهُمْ وَأَفْشَوْا عَلَيْهِمْ، فَقُتِلُوا»[7]; “By Allah, they did not kill them with the sword, but they revealed their secrets and exposed them; so they were killed.” For this reason, Shu‘ayb al-Jubba’i[8] used to say: “By Allah, if I wanted, I could tell you the name of the Mahdi, his description, and from where he will rise. But I find in the book: ‘Cursed is the one who speaks about him before he rises.’”[9]