1 . أَخْبَرَنَا عِيسَى بْنُ عَبْدِ الْحَمِيدِ الْجُوزَجَانِيُّ، قَالَ: سَأَلْتُ الْمَنْصُورَ عَنِ الْمَهْدِيِّ، فَقَالَ: إِنَّمَا يُقَالُ لَهُ الْمَهْدِيُّ لِأَنَّ اللَّهَ يَهْدِيهِ لِلْحَقِّ فِي كُلِّ شَيْءٍ، وَيَهْدِيهِ إِلَى أَمْرٍ خَفِيٍّ.

Translation of the saying:

Isa ibn Abd al-Hamid al-Jowzjani informed us, he said: I asked Mansoor about Mahdi, so he said: “He is called Mahdi[1] because God guides him to the truth in everything and guides him to a hidden matter.”

2 . أَخْبَرَنَا يُونُسُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الْخَتْلَانِيُّ، قَالَ: قُلْتُ لِلْمَنْصُورِ: لِمَاذَا سُمِّيَ الْمَهْدِيُّ مَهْدِيًّا؟ قَالَ: لِأَنَّ اللَّهَ يَهْدِيهِ إِلَى شَيْءٍ لَمْ يَهْدِ إِلَيْهِ أَحَدًا مِنَ الْعَالَمِينَ، وَإِنْ يَكُنِ الْحَقُّ مِثْقَالَ حَبَّةٍ مِنْ خَرْدَلٍ، فَيَكُنْ فِي صَخْرَةٍ أَوْ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ أَوْ فِي الْأَرْضِ، يَهْدِيهِ اللَّهُ إِلَيْهِ، إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَطِيفٌ خَبِيرٌ.

Translation of the saying:

Yunus ibn Abdullah al-Khatlani informed us, he said: I said to Mansoor: “Why is Mahdi called Mahdi?” He said: “Because God guides him to something to which He has guided none of the people of the world, and if the truth is the size of a mustard seed, then it is in a rock or in the heavens or inside the earth, God guides him to it, God is indeed the Subtle, the Aware.

3 . أَخْبَرَنَا وَلِيدُ بْنُ مَحْمُودٍ السَّجِسْتَانِيُّ، قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ الْمَنْصُورَ يَقُولُ: لَمْ يَجْعَلِ اللَّهُ خَلِيفَةً فِي الْأَرْضِ إِلَّا مَهْدِيًّا، أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: ﴿أُولَئِكَ الَّذِينَ هَدَى اللَّهُ﴾[2]، وَقَالَ: ﴿كُلًّا هَدَيْنَا ۚ وَنُوحًا هَدَيْنَا مِنْ قَبْلُ﴾[3]؟ وَإِنَّمَا يُقَالُ لِصَاحِبِ هَذَا الْأَمْرِ الْمَهْدِيُّ لِأَنَّهُ يُهْدَى إِلَى مَا لَمْ يُهْدَ إِلَيْهِ أَحَدٌ قَبْلَهُ، قُلْتُ: وَمَا هُوَ؟ قَالَ: إِنَّهُ يَمْلَأُ الْأَرْضَ عَدْلًا، كَمَا مُلِئَتْ ظُلْمًا.

Translation of the saying:

Walid ibn Mahmud al-Sajistani informed us, he said: I heard Mansoor say: “God has appointed no Caliph on the earth except he is a mahdi; have you not heard His words that has said: ‘They are the ones whom God has guided,’ and said: ‘We guided all of them, and we guided Nuh before’? And indeed, the owner of this affair is called Mahdi because he is guided to something to which none has been guided before him.” I said: “What is that?” He said: “He will fill the earth with justice as it has been filled with oppression.”

4 . أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ الْهَرَوِيُّ، قَالَ: ذُكِرَ عِنْدَ الْمَنْصُورِ الْمَهْدِيُّ، فَقُلْتُ: لِمَاذَا يُقَالُ لَهُ الْمَهْدِيُّ؟ قَالَ: لِأَنَّ اللَّهَ يَهْدِيهِ إِلَى مَا يُحِبُّ وَيَرْضَى، ثُمَّ قَرَأَ قَوْلَهُ تَعَالَى: ﴿قُلْ إِنَّ الْهُدَى هُدَى اللَّهِ﴾[4]، قُلْتُ: أَلَيْسَ اللَّهُ يَهْدِي كُلَّ مُؤْمِنٍ؟! قَالَ: بَلَى، وَلَكِنَّهُ يُبَاشِرُ هِدَايَةَ الْمَهْدِيِّ وَيُتِمُّهَا، ثُمَّ قَالَ: إِنَّ الْمَهْدِيَّ إِذَا خَرَجَ قَالَ لِأَصْحَابِهِ: ﴿إِنَّ مَعِيَ رَبِّي سَيَهْدِينِ﴾[5].

Translation of the saying:

Muhammad ibn Abd al-Rahman al-Harawi informed us, he said: Mahdi was mentioned in the presence of Mansoor, so I said: “Why is he called Mahdi?” He said: “Because God guides him to what He likes and is satisfied with.” Then he recited this verse: “Say: guidance is the guidance of God.” I said: “Is it not that God guides every believer?!” He said: “Yes, but He undertakes the guidance of Mahdi and perfects it.” Then he said: “When Mahdi sets out, he says to his companions: ‘My Lord is certainly with me, He will guide me.’”

5 . أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ السَّلَامِ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْقَيُّومِ الْبَلْخِيُّ، قَالَ: قُلْتُ لِلْمَنْصُورِ: لِمَاذَا يُقَالُ لِلْمَهْدِيِّ مَهْدِيٌّ؟ قَالَ: لِأَنَّهُ يَظْهَرُ فِي الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَهُمْ ضَالُّونَ.

Translation of the saying:

Abd al-Salam ibn Abd al-Qayyum al-Balkhi informed us, he said: I said to Mansoor: “Why is Mahdi called Mahdi?” He said: “Because he appears among Muslims while they are misguided.”