INTRODUCTION

• Foreword: A Statement Regarding the Torah and the Gospel
• Introduction: The End Times We are Living in and the Glad Tidings of Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)
• The Coming of Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) is Announced in all the Holy Scriptures
• Following the True Faith of the Prophet Abraham (pbuh)
• In the End Times, Religious Moral Values will Govern the World
• The Dominion Promised to the Heirs of the Prophet Abraham (pbuh) in Judaic Sources, and Hazrat Mahdi's (pbuh) Descent from the Line of the Prophet Abraham (pbuh)
• The People Promised Dominion in the Torah is the Community of Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)
• Signs of Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) in the Torah and Other Judaic Scriptures
• Sings of Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) in the Gospels
• Signs of Hazrat Mahdi's (pbuh) Coming in the Qur'an and Other Islamic Sources
• Conclusion: Allah Never Breaks His Promises
• Appendix I: Gog and Magog, Described in the Qur'an, Very Likely Refer to the First and Second World Wars
• Appendix II: Not a Drop of Blood Will Be Shed in the Time of the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) and Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)
  
  

FOREWORD:
A STATEMENT REGARDING THE TORAH AND THE GOSPEL

In the Qur'an, Allah (God) reveals that Muslims should believe in the Prophet Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) and all the Prophets sent before him, and in all the scriptures given to those Prophets. In verse 4 of Surat al-Baqara, our Lord refers to Muslims as "those who believe in what has been sent down to you and what was sent down before you ..."
As is mentioned in the Qur'an, the Torah and the Gospel, the Psalms and the pages of the Prophet Abraham (pbuh) are scriptures sent down to Prophets who lived in past centuries. Allah has revealed that these scriptures were guides for the societies to which they were sent. In one verse, our Lord reveals:

He has sent down the Book to you with truth, confirming what was there before it. And He sent down the Torah and the Gospel, previously, as guidance for mankind, and He has sent down the Furqan. (Surah Al 'Imran, 3-4)

Allah reveals this in another verse about the Torah:

We sent down the Torah containing guidance and light, and the Prophets who had submitted themselves gave judgment by it for the Jews–as did their scholars and their rabbis–by what they had been allowed to preserve of Allah's Book to which they were witnesses. (Surat al-Mai'da, 44)

In examining the portents of the End Times, we will also evaluate the related statements in the Torah and the Gospels in the light of the Qur'an and the Sunnah, and present the sections that are compatible with the divine verses of the Qur'an and the hadiths of our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). For that reason, Muslims can find in this website, the passages relating the End Times from the Torah and the Gospels as well as the Qur'an.

INTRODUCTION:
THE END TIMES WE ARE LIVING IN AND THE GLAD TIDINGS OF
HAZRAT MAHDI (PBUH)

"The End Times" is a term used to describe the final days of earth, prior to Judgment Day. In this period, according to Islamic belief, humanity will be confronted by terrible corruption and degeneration. This dark age will be one of increasing injustice, oppression, famine and poverty, moral collapse, war and conflict, anarchy and disorder. It will come to an end with people returning to Allah and religious moral values. Want will be replaced by plenty, injustice and oppression by justice and understanding, and anarchy and disorder by an environment of peace and security, and the world will enjoy a hitherto unseen beauty and abundance. Allah will make the return to Earth of the Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him) and Hazrat Mahdi (peace be upon him), a holy personage whose name means "he who has found the path of salvation" the means whereby the world attains enlightenment and abundance. These are all valuable glad tidings imparted by our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) as indicated in the Qur'an.

The portents of the End Times, the characteristics of Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) who will appear in that age, the changes to take place after his coming, and the return to Earth of the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) have already been covered in detail in earlier books. (For details, see Portents and Features of Hazrat Mahdi's (pbuh) Coming, The End of Times and Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh), The Golden Age, The Signs of Jesus' (pbuh) Second Coming, The End Times and The Beast of the Earth, The Prophet Jesus (pbuh) and Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) will Come in This Century all by Harun Yahya)

This website considers signs of the End Times in both the Bible and the Qur'an. In addition, we shall examine the characteristics of the time when religious moral values will rule the world which is known as Yamot HaMashiach or the Days of the Messiah to the Jews, "Millennium" to the Christians and described as prior to Judgment Day, "Golden Age" by the Prophet Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace).

In Judaic sources, the descriptions of both the portents of the period when Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) will appear in the End Times and the Golden Age under his rule have a great deal in common with those in Islamic texts. Both faiths state that at first, people will turn their backs on religious moral values. For that reason, they will suffer many difficulties and that following a time of troubles, an age of beauty and light will dawn. In the same way, a great many Gospels passages describing the signs of the End Times, as well as the age when religious moral values will reign supreme, are in agreement with Islamic sources.

This website also includes hadiths of our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) and statements by Islamic scholars, together with sections from the Torah* and the Gospels. You will see for yourself how closely those portents of the age prior to the coming of Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) match conditions of this present day.

In addition, this website explains how the community of Israel whose rule is promised in the End Times mentioned in the Torah is actually the community of Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh). True faith will distinguish the community of Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh). Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) and his community will be known for the success they achieve for Allah. Whoever Allah makes a means in destiny for the dominion of the religion (deen), it will be they who manifest that title.

All believers hope for true religious moral values to rule the world and for people to be liberated from all kinds of spiritual and material difficulties. As can be seen in the portents of Hazrat Mahdi's (pbuh) coming, many events currently taking place indicate that this long awaited holy age, has finally begun. Like all believers, we pray that Allah will let us witness this holy age and take part in the intellectual struggle that will spread religious moral values across the world.
* The Jewish Holy Book, also known as the “Hebrew Bible (Tanakh)", consists of 39 books. The first 5 of these are regarded as those sections of the Torah revealed to the Prophet Moses (pbuh). The other books are texts revealed to other Jewish Prophets or describing their lives after the Torah. In this book, the word “Torah” is used to refer to the whole of the Jewish Bible (Tanakh). Similarly, Judaic sources refer to these 39 books as “The Written Torah”.

THE COMING OF HAZRAT MAHDI (PBUH) IS ANNOUNCED
IN ALL THE HOLY SCRIPTURES

The "End Times," the period immediately preceding the end of the world, will contain a series of portents that Allah has revealed in all the sacred scriptures. In this special age, when disorder and strife reach their fiercest level, when people are as far removed from religious moral values as they can possible be, when degeneration is at a peak, our Lord will send Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)–"he who gives the way to salvation." With his powerful love and fear of Allah Who has sent him to fulfil this important task, Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) will be a means of salvation for the whole world. By Allah's will, Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) will be successful in this duty, as is written in his destiny, and will cause faith in Allah and religious moral values to reign supreme.
For that reason, the appearance of Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) will be one of the greatest events in history, one that is mentioned in all the sacred scriptures. Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) has been awaited not just since the time of our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), but for many thousands of years. The hadith of our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) reveal that the coming of Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) is described in all the sacred scriptures Allah revealed:

Naim has stated: "I find Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) thus in the pages of the Prophets (in the scriptures revealed to Adam, Seth, Enoch and Abraham [peace be upon them]): There will be no cruelty and nothing shameful in the actions of Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)." (Al-Burhan fi Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir al-zaman, p. 21.)

The books of the Prophets reveal that "The work of Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) is not cruel and evil." (Al-Qawl Al-Mukhtasar Fi alamat Al-Mahdi Al-Muntazar, p. 49.)

Ibn al-Munawi says: "Thus it is written in the book of Daniel (pbuh)… Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) will appear, and Almighty Allah will save those previously subject to persecution and believers. The sunnahs will be revived with him…" (This hadith is to be found in a handwritten copy of Al-Burhan fi Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir al-zaman in the Suleymaniye Library.)

These hadiths make it clear that all Abrahamic religions deal with the subject of Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh). Thousands of years ago, both the Torah and the Gospels described, the coming of Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh), his qualities and activities, and how he will be a vehicle for the reign of faith in Allah and the religious values. Such passages can be seen in those parts of the Torah and the Gospels that are compatible with the verses of the Qur'an and the hadiths of our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace).

That the scriptures revealed by Allah contain descriptions of the coming of Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh), thousands of years before the fact, is another proof of this event's enormous significance. The attributes and activities of Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh), Allah's final herald and bearer of warnings, are of great importance in the End Times, so close to Judgment Day. In addition, all believers have a major responsibility to make everyone aware of this vital issue and to be the spiritual supporters of this holy person.

FOLLOWING THE TRUTH FAITH OF THE
PROPHET ABRAHAM (PBUH)

Muslims and the People of the Book–Jews and Christians–have different laws. But true believers, of whatever faith, live by the same fundamental tenets of faith: Absolute faith in Allah; never ascribing equals to Him under any circumstances, and living for His mercy, approval and eventually, Paradise. All these communities have a responsibility to obey to the letter the commandments Allah has issued to them, to willingly submit themselves to our Lord for His mercy, and to compete in the performance of good deeds. Members of all three faiths, who believe in the existence and oneness of Allah and in the Hereafter and who perform good works, are united in the true faith revealed by our Lord to the Prophet Abraham (pbuh).
The Prophet Abraham (pbuh) is one of the holy and elect Prophets and a friend of Allah. He called on the society to which he was sent to abandon polytheism and to believe in the One and Only Allah. He was a holy servant of Allah, whose honesty and excellent moral values are models for everyone. In the Qur'an, Allah reveals that those who believe in Him and who willingly submit, like the Prophet Abraham (pbuh), are actually believers:

Who could have a better religion than someone who submits himself completely to Allah and is a good-doer, and follows the religion of Abraham, a man of pure natural belief? Allah took Abraham as an intimate friend. (Surat an-Nisa', 125)

The faith of the Prophet Abraham (pbuh) is referred in the Qur'an as a "pure" belief. Pure belief characterizes a devout individual who surrenders to Allah's commands and never strays from His religion in any way. In the Qur'an, Allah tells the Prophet Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) to abide by the pure belief of the Prophet Abraham (pbuh) and to invite people to this religion:

Then We revealed to you: "Follow the religion of Abraham, a man of pure natural belief. He was not one of the idolaters." (Surat an-Nahl, 123)

Say, "Allah speaks the truth, so follow the religion of Abraham, a man of pure natural belief. He was not one of the associaters." (Surah Al 'Imran, 95)

The sons, grandsons and other true believers who descended from the Prophet Abraham (pbuh) abided by the true belief that Allah imparted to him. This is how this fact is revealed in the Qur'an:

Who would deliberately renounce the religion of Abraham except someone who reveals himself to be a fool? We chose him in the world and in the Hereafter he will be one of the righteous. When his Lord said to him, "Become a Muslim!" he said, "I am a Muslim who has submitted to the Lord of all the worlds." Abraham directed his sons to this, as did Jacob: "My sons! Allah has chosen this religion for you, so do not die except as Muslims." Or were you present when death came to Jacob and he said to his sons, "What will you worship when I have gone?" They said, "We will worship your God, the God of your forefathers, Abraham, Ishmael and Isaac–one God. We are Muslims submitted to Him." (Surat al-Baqara, 130-133)

As the above extract shows, the world Muslim means "one who has submitted to God." The Prophet Abraham's (pbuh) pure belief is common to Jews, Christians and Muslims. Belief in the Prophet Abraham (pbuh), the love and respect felt for him, are important for Muslims in the same way as they are for Jews and Christians. However, those closest to the Prophet Abraham (pbuh) represent a role model for all believers. His joyous faith in and profound love for Allah, his willing submission to all our Lord's commandments, his obedience and his superior moral values all comply with the morality he preached. As our Lord reveals in the Qur'an:

The people with the strongest claim to Abraham are those who followed him and this Prophet and those who believe. (Surah Al 'Imran, 68)

Therefore, Jews and Christians who genuinely believe in Allah must, like the Prophet Abraham (pbuh) and the true believers who followed him, take their excellent moral values, sincerity and profundity as role models. No doubt, one of the best ways for believers to demonstrate their love, obedience and closeness to the Prophets is to strive for purity, like them. Muslims believe in all the revelations given to all Prophets, making no distinctions between them.

Say, "We believe in Allah and what has been sent down to us and what was sent down to Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and the tribes, and what Moses and Jesus were given, and what all the Prophets were given by their Lord. We do not differentiate between any of them. We are Muslims submitted to Him." (Surat al-Baqara, 136)
In addition, all the Prophets throughout history have preached a religious morality–that of the only true faith in the eyes of Allah. The Prophets Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Jesus, Noah, Shuaib (peace be upon them all) and all the other Prophets all preached unconditional belief in Allah and called on people to live for His approval alone and to abide by His commandments. As one verse reveals:

He has laid down the same religion for you as He enjoined on Noah: that which We have revealed to you and which We enjoined on Abraham, Moses and Jesus. (Surat ash-Shura, 13)

As you see, the faith revealed to Jews and Christians is essentially the same, despite a few differences in stipulations. The members of all three faiths consider each other as the descendants of the Prophet Abraham (pbuh). For example, Muslims, Jews and Christians share a responsibility to abide by the pure faith of the Prophet Abraham (pbuh), ascribing no equals to Allah.

Another verse of the Qur'an tells all believers how they have a duty to comply with the faith of the Prophet Abraham (pbuh):

They say, "Be Jews or Christians and you will be guided." Say, "Rather adopt the religion of Abraham, a man of natural pure belief. He was not one of the polytheists." (Surat al-Baqara, 135)

In Jewish and Christian scriptures, many expressions, commandments and ethical considerations bear the closest similarity to the Qur'an. (For detailed information, see A Call for Unity, by Harun Yahya.)

IN THE END TIMES, RELIGIOUS MORAL VALUES WILL GOVERN THE WORLD

Allah has promised in Qur'an that He will cause the moral values of Islam, the religion of Abraham (pbuh), the true faith, to reign supreme on earth and to give responsibility and leadership to His believing servants. This promise, which by Allah's permission will come true, is revealed in the Qur'an:
Allah has promised those of you who believe and do right actions that He will make them successors in the land as He made those before them successors, and will firmly establish for them their religion with which He is pleased and give them, in place of their fear, security… (Surat an-Nur, 55)

They desire to extinguish Allah's light with their mouths, but Allah will perfect His light, though the unbelievers hate it. It is He Who sent His Messenger with guidance and the Religion of Truth to exalt it over every other religion, though the associaters hate it. (Surat as-Saff, 8-9)

They desire to extinguish Allah's light with their mouths. But Allah refuses to do other than perfect His light, even though the unbelievers detest it. It is He Who sent His Messenger with guidance and the Religion of Truth to exalt it over every other religion, even though the associaters detest it. (Surat at-Tawba, 32-33)

As revealed in the Qur'an, the rule of Islamic moral values is a promise of Allah's, one which our Lord will indubitably keep. The moral values to reign over the world will be those of the true faith in the eyes of our Lord. That faith is the pure faith of the Prophet Abraham (pbuh), and the fact that these moral values are those of Islam is revealed in these terms in the Qur'an:

The religion with Allah is Islam... (Surah Al 'Imran, 19)

In the Qur'an, it is also revealed that communities of the faithful will most certainly have a leader at their head. In the End Times, the period through which we are living, Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) will lead the faithful, as is revealed in mutawatir (authentic) hadiths of our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace).

Several hadiths reveal that the name of Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) will be compatible with that of our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). Some of these hadiths read as follows:

O People, certain it is that Almighty Allah has forbidden you the oppressors, the hypocrites, and those who follow them, and has made Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh), the most auspicious of the community of Muhammad, he who is in Mecca, whose name is Ahmad, son of Abdullah, your leader. Join him. (Al-Qawl Al-Mukhtasar Fi alamat Al-Mahdi Al-Muntazar, p. 31.)

A voice will be heard from the sky: "O People, Allah has now removed the despots, the hypocrites and their helpers from you. He has placed the most auspicious of the Community of Muhammad at your head. Join him in Mecca. He is Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh). His name is Ahmad bin Abdullah. Another account states: "He has appointed Jabir, the most auspicious of the Community of Muhammad, over you. Join him in Mecca, for he is Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh). His name is Muhammad bin Abdullah!" (Alamat al-Qiyama, Madina Allama Muhammad bin Rasul al-Hussain al-Barzanji, Pamuk Publishing, 8th edition, p. 165.)

The names "Muhammad," which is that of our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), and "Ahmad"– which indicate Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) in the hadith – stem from the same verb in Arabic; Ahmad means "worthy of the highest praise" or "the most lauded," while "Muhammad" means "praised over and over again." In terms of meaning therefore, and as revealed in the hadith, the two names are compatible with one another.

One indicative verse on this subject reads:

... I am the Messenger of Allah... giving you the good news of a Messenger after me whose name is Ahmad... (Surat as-Saff, 6)

In Judaic sources, this individual who will establish dominion is referred to as the Messiah (or "anointed king"). The important thing, however, is not the name given to this person, who may be called by various names. What is certain is Allah's promise of the rule of the moral values of Islam. There will be a community of true believers and at their head, a holy individual who will be a means whereby this comes about.

The Messiah Awaited by the Jews and Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)
Awaited by Muslims are One and the Same Holy Personage

The term "Messiah," also known as the "awaited savior" in the revealed faiths, is manifested as Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) in Islamic belief. The system of Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) in Islam appears as the period of "Messiah" in Judaic scriptures. The Messiah whose coming the Jews anticipate for the salvation of mankind in the End Times is the same Hazrat Mahdi (as) awaited by Muslims.
However, the Prophet Jesus (pbuh), whose second coming as the Messiah is awaited by Christians, is not Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh). Muslims also believe that the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) will return to Earth during the End Times; however, when the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) does return, he will do so as a follower of Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)–with whom, by Allah's leave, he will help Islamic moral values to prevail across the world.
According to reliable reports handed on from our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), "The Prophet Jesus (pbuh) will perform the prayer behind Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)." (Al-Qawl Al-Mukhtasar Fi alamat Al-Mahdi Al-Muntazar, p. 24.)

This report appears as follows in other hadiths:

The Prophet Jesus (pbuh) will appear from the sky and accept his sovereignty. People will say to the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) "Lead the prayer," but he will respond, "The ameer is among you." He will say, "This is a gift of Allah to the community of Muhammad." (Al-Qawl Al-Mukhtasar Fi alamat Al-Mahdi Al-Muntazar, p. 24.)

When Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) is performing the morning prayer with the faithful at the Bayt al-Maqdis, the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) will appear, and the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) will place his hands on his shoulder and say, "The call to the prayer has been issued for you, so you must lead it," and finally Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) will lead the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) and the faithful in prayer. (Al-Qawl Al-Mukhtasar Fi alamat Al-Mahdi Al-Muntazar, p. 25.)

It is also revealed in authentic hadiths of our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) that the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) and Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) will appear at the same time and struggle together to spread Islamic moral values over the world. These facts, which appear in several authentic hadiths, show that the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) and Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) will meet in the End Times, and will carry on their intellectual struggle together.

As mentioned above, the Messiah (Mashiach) awaited by the Jews, on the other hand, is in fact Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh). In Judaic texts, the term "Messiah" in a general way can also be used to refer to kings, high priests and even a foreign king, so that the meaning is those "anointed to serve and close to God." However, the specific Messiah awaited by the Jews is an envoy, a religious leader who will be sent by Allah in the End Times, bring the world under his dominion and, by the will of Allah, turn people towards His path. And this description fits Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) in Islam.

In addition, an examination of the Torah and other Judaic scriptures shows that the individual described as the Messiah possesses the characteristics of Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh), and that their activities and changes these two will bring about in the world are exactly the same. For that reason, the Messiah awaited by the Jews is actually Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh).

In the hadiths of our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), Hazrat Mahdi's (pbuh) resemblance to the People of Israel, the descendants of the Prophets, is highly significant. Some of the hadiths on this subject read as follows:

Hazrat Mahdi's (pbuh) stature and posture resemble those of the People of Israel. (Al-Qawl Al-Mukhtasar Fi alamat al-Mahdi al-Muntadhar, pp. 36-29.)

His [Hazrat Mahdi's (pbuh)] body is an Israelite one. (Al-Burhan fi Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir al-zaman, p. 24.)

Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) is like one of the People of Israel. (His demeanor resembles theirs, it is majestic and wise.) (Al-Burhan fi Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir al-zaman, pp. 23-30.)

Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) has an Israelite body. He resembles one of the greatest of the People of Israel. (Ibn Hajar al-Makki)

His [Hazrat Mahdi's (pbuh)] body is like that one of an Israelite. (Mar'i ibn Yusuf al-Maqdisi, Fera Idu Fevaidi'l Fiqr Fi'l Imam al-Mahdi al-Muntadhar)

He [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] will resemble one of the Israelites [in his external appearance]. (Al-Uqayli, An-Najmu's-saqib fi Bayan Anna'l Mahdi min Awladi Ali b. Abu Talib Ale't-Tamam ve'l Qamal)

It is as if he [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] is a man from the people of Israel. (Nuaym ibn Hammad, vr. 52a; Mar'i ibn Yusuf al-Maqdisi, Fera Idu Fevaidi'l Fiqr Fi'l Imam al-Mahdi al-Muntadhar)

Allah reveals in the Qur'an that He has chosen and sanctified the Prophet Abraham (pbuh) and his line (Surat al-Baqara, 130, Surah Al 'Imran, 33). The same information also appears in the Torah (Genesis, 22:17, 12:2).

THE DOMINION PROMISED TO THE HEIRS OF THE PROPHET ABRAHAM (PBUH)

THE DOMINION PROMISED TO THE HEIRS OF THE
PROPHET ABRAHAM (PBUH) IN JUDAIC SOURCES, AND
THE DOMINION PROMISED TO THE HEIRS OF THE PROPHET ABRAHAM (PBUH) IN JUDAIC SOURCES, AND HAZRAT MAHDI'S (PBUH) DESCENT FROM THE LINE OF THE PROPHET ABRAHAM (PBUH)

The line of the Prophet Abraham (pbuh) continued with his two sons, the Prophets Ishmael and Isaac (peace be upon them). Throughout the course of history, a large number of Prophets descended from the Prophet Isaac (pbuh) came to the Israelites: the Prophets Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Aaron, Jonah, Job, Elijah, David, Solomon, Zaccariah, John and Jesus (peace be upon them). Descended from the line of the Prophet Ishmael (pbuh) are the Prophet of Islam, Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), teachers from his line and finally the Imam Muhammad al-Mahdi (pbuh). In addition, Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) comes from a line stretching back as far as the Prophet David (pbuh).
Therefore, the People of Israel, the People of Isaac and the People of Ishmael referred to in the Torah are all from the line of the Prophet Abraham (pbuh). All are descended from the Prophet Abraham (pbuh), one blessed by Allah. The holy personage who bears the title of "he who bestows the path of salvation" in the Abrahamic religions–and who will appear in the End Times as a means whereby the moral values of true belief come to rule the world–is also descended from the Prophet Abraham (pbuh). This means that Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) himself is descended from the Prophet Abraham (pbuh).

Allah Promises Dominion to the Line of the Prophet Abraham (pbuh)

Allah protected the two branches of the descendants of the Prophet Abraham (pbuh) in order for them to establish their dominion. In the End Times, He will unite the Imam al-Mahdi (pbuh) and the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) in order for that promise to be fulfilled. This period of dominion, revealed in the Qur'an and in the hadiths of our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), is also promised in the Torah to a community descended from the line of the Prophet Abraham (pbuh):

I will bless you greatly, and increase your offspring like the stars of the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your offspring shall inherit their enemies' gate; all the nations of the world shall be blessed through your descendants—all because you obeyed My voice. (Genesis, 22:17-18)

God said to Abraham:... I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you great; you shall become a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and he who curses you, I will curse. All the families of the Earth will be blessed through you. (Genesis, 12:1-3)
I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars of the sky, and grant them all these lands. All the nations on Earth shall be blessed through your descendants. (Genesis, 26:4)

Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. (Genesis, 28:14)

Parts of the Torah that describe how true believers of Allah will have leadership and responsibility on earth and how religious moral values will prevail in the End Times, the final age of this world:

The Lord replied, "I have forgiven them, as you asked. Nevertheless, as surely as I live and as surely as the glory of the Lord fills the whole earth." (Numbers, 14:20-21)

... The meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace... for the power of the wicked will be broken, the Lord upholds the righteous. The days of the blameless are known to the Lord and their inheritance will endure forever... (Psalms, 37:11, 17-18)

All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations will bow down before him, for dominion belongs to the Lord. (Psalms, 22:27-28)

For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land. A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found. (Psalms, 37:9-10)

... For the power of the wicked will be broken, but the Lord upholds the righteous... The wicked will perish: The Lord's enemies will be like the beauty of the fields, they will vanish—vanish like smoke. (Psalms, 37:17, 20)

Wait for the Lord and keep his way... The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord... The Lord helps them and delivers them; He delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him. (Psalms, 37:34, 39-40)

As these passages make clear, the "dominion" described in the Torah is not that of one specific group or lineage over other communities, but that of the moral values of the true faith–commanded to everyone by Allah–over the world. However, expressions of praise for the believing Jews in the Torah are the good news imparted to devout believers when the Torah was revealed. Therefore, taking Torah passages referring to the dominion promised to the People of Israel as the superiority of a certain nation, without considering sincere faith in Allah, will not be a correct approach.

In fact, the concept of "the dominion of the moral values of the religion (deen)," which exists in Islam and Judaism, is the eradication of evils and difficulties stemming from religious moral values not being complied with on earth with the commencement of that compliance, and the spread of moral virtues. Muslims hope that the moral values commanded by Allah–namely, solidarity, justice, honesty, loyalty, modesty, forgiveness and compassion—will form the basis of relations between people, and construct an environment wherein everyone competes to behave in accord with moral values to attain Allah's pleasure. The establishment of such a climate will undoubtedly eradicate all evils stemming from the lack of these virtues. Muslims who share that understanding aim not to possess power and sovereignty, but to use any blessings Allah bestows on them in the finest manner in order to spread the moral values of the faith. This excellent attribute of Muslims is revealed in the Qur'an:

... those who, if We establish them firmly on the earth, will establish the prayer and pay alms, and command what is right and forbid what is wrong. The end result of all affairs is with Allah. (Surat al-Hajj, 41)

The Features of the Community That is Promised Dominion in the Torah

AAllah has told the Jews that if they remain loyal to the true faith, obey the Prophets and believe in Him alone, He will bestow leadership on them. The characteristics of the servants to whom Allah has promised dominion are described in these terms in the Torah:

If you carefully safeguard and keep this entire Mandate that I prescribe to you today, [and if you] love God, walk in all His ways, and cling to Him... no man will be able to stand against you... I am setting before you today... the blessing if you obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today. (Deuteronomy, 11:22-27)

Devotion to Allah, scrupulous implementation of His commandments and love of Him are revealed as preconditions for the dominion of the People of Israel. In the continuation of this passage from the Torah, Jews are offered two choices; blessings if they choose faith, or tribulation if they turn their backs on it:

You can therefore see that I am placing before you both a blessing and a curse. The blessing [will come] if you obey the commandments of God your Lord, which I am prescribing to you today. The curse [will come] if you do not obey the commandments of God your Lord, and you go astray from the path that I am prescribing for you, following the gods of others, which you have not known. (Deuteronomy, 11:26-28)

The characteristics of the society that is promised dominion are also described as follows in the Torah:

... God your Lord, is the Supreme Being. God is the faithful, Who keeps in mind [His] covenant and love for a thousand generations when it comes to those who love Him and keep His commandments. (Deuteronomy, 7:9-10)

... Love the Lord your God, listen to His voice, and hold fast to Him... He will give you many years in the land He swore... (Deuteronomy, 30:20)

God will then grant you a good surplus in all the work of your hands, in the fruit of your womb, the fruit of your livestock, and the fruit of your land. God will once again rejoice in you for good, just as He rejoiced in your fathers. All this will happen when you obey God your Lord, keeping all His commandments and decrees, as they are written in this book of the Torah, and when you return to God your Lord with all your heart and soul. (Deuteronomy, 30:9-10)

Elsewhere in the Torah, it is revealed that dominion is promised to those who fear Allah:

Who, then, is the man that fears the Lord?... He will spend his days in prosperity, and his descendants will inherit the land. The Lord confides in those who fear Him. (Psalms, 25:12-14)

Again in the Torah, it is revealed that those who place their trust in Allah, who are humble, who take pleasure from their belief in Allah, will inherit dominion and His blessings:

Trust in the Lord and do good... Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him... Those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land... The meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace. (Psalms, 37:3-5, 9, 11)

... If you keep the commands of the Lord your God and walk in His ways... The Lord will grant you abundant prosperity—in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your ground—in the land he swore to your forefathers to give you. The Lord will open the good treasure in the heavens, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. The Lord will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the Lord your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom. Do not turn aside from any of the commands I give you today, to the right or to the left, following other gods and serving them. (Deuteronomy, 28:9-14)

When the features of the society to which dominion is promised in the Torah, are considered as a whole, it appears that the people on whom Allah will bestow sovereignty will have the following qualities:

* Living in Allah's path,
* Turning to Allah in all ways,
* Scrupulously obeying all His commandments,
* Loving Allah,
* Fearing Him,
* Ascribing no equals to Allah,
* Remaining loyal and faithful to Him,
* Trusting in Allah,
* Taking pleasure from belief in Allah,
* Doing good deeds, and
* Being humble.

The dominion in the Torah is that of the moral values of the true faith, of which believers have been told. As it is stated in the verse 85 of Surah Al 'Imran, "If anyone desires anything other than Islam as a religion, it will not be accepted from Him..." That true faith in the eyes of Allah is Islam.*
* Additional Statement:
Devout Jews refer to righteous Muslims as the "B'nai Noah (The Children of Noah.)" To put it another way, Jews regard Muslims as people who implement the commandments given to the Prophet Noah (pbuh). Our Almighty Lord reveals in the Qur'an that what He revealed to the Prophet Noah (pbuh) He also revealed to the other Prophets and our own Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace):

He has laid down the same religion for you as He enjoined on Noah: that which We have revealed to you and which We enjoined on Abraham, Moses and Jesus: "Establish the religion and do not make divisions in it." What you call the associaters to follow is very hard for them. Allah chooses for Himself anyone He wills and guides to Himself those who turn to Him. (Surat ash-Shura, 13)

For a Jew to regard a gentile (non-Jew) as a member of the B'nai Noah means that he abides by the following provisions:

1. Believing in the One and Only Allah (the prohibiton of ascribing equals to Allah; surely Allah is beyond that)
2. Feeling a profound respect for Almighty Allah (the prohibition of blasphemy; surely Allah is beyond that)
3. Protecting lives given by Allah (the prohibition of murder)
4. Protecting the concept of the family (the prohibition of adultery)
5. The protection of property (the prohibition of theft)
6. Eating lawful meat (the prohibition of eating meat from a living animal)
7. Ensuring justice (the foundation of the courts that provide justice)

In this sense, for a Jew, "Muslims" are righteous people who submit to Allah and live in compliance with these provisions. Jews hope that in the time of the Messiah (Hazrat Mahdi [pbuh]) all humanity will submit to Allah and live according to these fundamental laws. From the Jewish perspective, the fact that all mankind will be Muslim and that the moral values of the religion will rule in the End Times is seen as the same as saying all humanity will be proper "B'nai Noah".

THE PEOPLE PROMISED DOMINION IN THE TORAH IS THE COMMUNITY OF HAZRAT MAHDI (PBUH)

The attributes of Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) who will appear in the End Times, and of his community, and of the glorious period they will usher in are described in considerable detail in the holy scriptures of the Abrahamic religions. These descriptions are surprisingly similar in all three faiths. Today, the appearance of hundreds of proofs, of an environment described many centuries in the past, shows that the coming of Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) is now very close at hand.
According to the hadiths of our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) will perform very important actions, highly beneficial for the future of all humanity. But initially, he will not be recognized and will have no supporters, apart from a very small community of believers. However, those able to seeing with the eyes of faith will recognize Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) and his community through the excellent impression they make. His success in spreading the faith of Allah will manifest itself that he possesses the true rank of Mahdi.
One verse says that the People of the Book will recognize our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) as they recognize "their own sons":

Those We have given the Book recognize it as they recognize their own sons. Yet a group of them knowingly conceal the truth. (Surat al-Baqara, 146)

In figurative terms, this verse also indicates that Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh), too, will be recognized (Allah knows the truth). When Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) appears, people will recognize him as they do their own sons, in the light of our Prophet's (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) descriptions. Yet some people will nevertheless fail to recognize this holy personage and will persist in their denial.

Pure Faith is the Measure in Allah's Promise of Dominion

The rule of true faith referred to in Holy Scriptures and to be established in the End Times will be the result of sincere faith and moral rectitude. Neither genealogy nor any material criterion can substitute for pure faith. Some Jews maintain that the society promised dominion in the Torah is the Jewish people regardless of their devotion and sincerity. However, this view is not accepted by devout Jews, but even criticized and condemned by them.

Clearly, whoever possesses the qualities of the sincerely believing society promised dominion in the Torah, Allah will make them the means whereby the faith in Allah and moral values prevail. To put it another way, those who will bring about the dominion of religious moral values are believers of sincere faith, who fear and respect Allah, who maintain the moral virtues He has commanded, who are obedient to Him, and who live by love and compassion. Dominion is promised to true believers, not to any particular community or descent.

It is a grave error for any to imagine that they have been promised dominion solely on the grounds that they were simply born Jewish or Christian. What matters is not his birth, but his devotion to Allah, to His Prophets and the moral values of the faith, and his obedience and submission. If anyone denies the existence of Allah or fails to appreciate His might properly; if he fails to abide completely by religious moral values; if he does not believe in the Prophets or does not comply with their Sunnah, then his race or line of descent is to of no advantage at all. If someone who does not believe in Allah and has not truly surrendered to Him, it is irrelevant whether that person is descended from the Prophets Abraham, Jacob or Moses (peace be upon them). In any case, such a person has rejected the Prophets from whose very line he is descended. Merely being descended from the Prophets does not confer holiness on a person in the absence of true faith. The ancestry of someone who rejects the Prophets Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Moses (peace be upon them), who does not love and fear Allah, is of no importance in Allah's sight.

Allah has revealed in the Qur'an that fear [and respect] of Allah is the only measure that confers any value on someone in His sight:

The noblest among you in Allah's sight is the one who most fears [and respects] Allah. Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware. (Surat al-Hujurat, 13)

Another verse reveals the finest outcome that awaits those who fear and respect Allah:

... So be steadfast. The best end result is for those who fear and respect Allah. (Surah Hud, 49)

Those who fear and respect Him are those who hope for such an outcome from Allah by striving on His path, who hope for no other reward than His good pleasure, who have dedicated their lives and belongings to Allah, who have a great fear of and passionate love for Him. They are the true heirs of Allah for the dominion of the moral values of the true faith.

In conclusion, the fundamental requirement in Allah's promise of dominion is true faith. The accounts of and references to dominion in the Torah are not limited to any one particular nation. Muslims–in other words, those who have surrendered to Allah–and anyone who truly believes without ascribing any equals to Him, becomes part of the community of believers. "The People of Israel" was the name for this community in the Torah. To put it another way, the "People of Israel" includes the sincere, devout descendants of Jacob, and the true Muslims (who have surrendered themselves to Allah) regardless of their descent.

The community chosen and promised dominion by Allah, as revealed in verse 55 of Surat an-Nur, will possess the following qualities:

1) Believing in Allah,
2) Doing right actions,
3) Ascribing no equals to Allah, and
4) Worshipping Allah alone.

The dominion promised by Allah is directed towards such a community. Otherwise, it could hardly be expected that a people descended from the People of Israel, but lacking any devout belief, could rule the world. Moreover, it is out of question for ethnic groups to have lived in close proximity over the course of centuries without intermixing. Nor is it possible for the lines of the Prophets Isaac and Ishmael, sons of the Prophet Abraham (peace be upon them), to have survived in pure form. Obviously, what is being referred to is unity of belief, not genealogy.

In the Book of Genesis (28: 7-10), it is revealed that the son of the Prophet Isaac (pbuh) married the Prophet Ishmael's (pbuh) daughter. This event described in the Torah represents a clear example of how lines of descent became intermingled right from the outset. Furthermore, descendants of the Prophets Isaac and Ishmael (peace be upon them) who lived in areas very close to one another, have close family ties. Therefore, the community that will be given dominion is not any specific line, but a group that will adhere to the pure moral values of the Prophet Abraham (pbuh)–or to give it its contemporary name, Islam.

In addition, Allah has revealed in the Qur'an that all messengers represent one single family:

Allah chose Adam and Noah and the family of Abraham and the family of 'Imran over all other beings–descendants one of the other. Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing. (Surah Al 'Imran, 33-34)

In Surat al-An'am, Allah refers to messangers coming from each others' lines:

Those who believe and do not mix up their belief with any wrongdoing, they are the ones who are safe; it is they who are guided. This is the argument We gave to Abraham against his people. We raise in rank anyone We will. Your Lord is All-Wise, All-Knowing. We gave him Isaac and Jacob, each of whom We guided. And before him We had guided Noah. And among his descendants were David and Solomon, and Job, Joseph, Moses and Aaron. That is how We recompense the good-doers. And Zaccariah, John, Jesus and Elijah. All of them were among the righteous. And Ishmael, Eljada, Jonah and Lot. All of them We favored over all beings. And some of their forebears, descendants and brothers; We chose them and guided them to a straight path. (Surat al-An'am, 82-87)

All the Prophets are related to one another. Any reference to the line of the Prophet Jacob, or the Prophet Solomon, or the Prophet David (peace be upon them) also encapsulates the line of the Prophet Abraham (pbuh), and dominion is promised to the Prophet Abraham (pbuh), of the line of the Prophets. The Prophet Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) is also a member of this holy line. The hadiths also state that Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) will come from that same line. Everyone who can trace his lineage back to this line is popularly known as a "sayyid." Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) will be a sayyid.

In those hadiths of our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), it is revealed that:

Abu Dawud reported a hadith from Abd Allah ibn Masud: The Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, "If there were only one day left for the world, that day would be lengthened until a man from among my descendants or from among the people of my household [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)], was sent."

Days and nights will not come to an end until a man from the People of my House [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] will prevail. (Al-Uqayli, An-Najmu's-saqib)

Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) and His Community are Predetermined in Destiny

A human being is no more than a spectator of his own destiny and the world's. No one can change the course of that destiny. Similarly, making judgments about that destiny, submitting to or objecting to it, can in no way alter the promises Allah has set out in destiny. Whomsoever Allah chooses in destiny and determines as a vehicle whereby religious moral values are brought to rule the world, that individual will be Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh).

Otherwise, nobody can stand up and claim to be the Mahdi. The rank of the Mahdi is not based upon claims to be him. Neither is it a rank that can be attained through hard work. In order for someone to be the Mahdi, that must be written in his destiny; he needs to have been created as the Mahdi.

As set out in the hadiths and in analyses by Islamic scholars, Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) will be known more by his actions than by his lineage. Hazrat Mahdi's (pbuh) and his community's main activity will be waging an intellectual struggle against atheism and spreading the true faith all over the world. Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) is the one who will inflict an intellectual defeat on atheism, who will reveal the proofs of Allah's existence, and who, (by Allah's leave) by spreading moral values across the world, will be a means whereby people turn to faith. In the absence of these activities and phenomena, it is meaningless for any individual or group to make any claims about the identity of Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh).

SIGNS OF HAZRAT MAHDI (PBUH) IN THE TORAH AND OTHER JUDAIC SCRIPTURES

Belief in the coming of Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)—Mashiach (Messiah) as Jews call him—is one of Judaism's fundamental beliefs. Ever since the 12th century, the Jews have regarded Rabbi Maimonides (or in Arabic, Ibn Maimun) as one of the greatest scholars of the Torah. Maimonides stated that of the 13th fundamental principles of Judaism, the 12th was "to believe in the coming of the Messiah [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)]." According to these principles, Jewish belief regarding Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) is set out as follows: "I sincerely believe in the coming of the Messiah [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)], and even if his coming is delayed, I await his coming every day."

The Mishnah, the authorized explanation of the Judaic scriptures, describes the position of those who deny the coming of the Messiah—that is, of Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh):

Whoever does not believe in him, or does not await his coming, denies not only [the statements of] the other Prophets, but also [those of] the Torah and of Moshe (Moses [pbuh]), our teacher... (Maimonides, Mishnah Torah, Laws of Kings 11:1)

In addition, the Shmoneh Esrei prayer, which Jews perform three times every day, also includes the prayer for the coming of Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) to be close at hand. They recite this prayer in the expectation of Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh), for the restoration of justice as a requirement of religious moral values, for immorality, sin and evil to come to an end, and for the truth to prevail.This section contains those parts of the Torah that concern Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) and that agree with the verses of the Qur'an and the hadiths of our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace).

The Events Leading up to the Appearance of Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) in Judaic Scriptures

According to Jewish tradition, before the appearance of Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) (or the Messiah, as they refer to him), there will be a huge moral collapse stemming from atheism. People's feelings of shame will decline. Pride and oppression will grow. No one will have any compassion, the devout will be reviled, and corruption and denial will spread. On the larger scale, there will be a succession of wars and oppression. Land will become increasingly less fertile, and the cost of living, famine and poverty will increase.

Some of the features of this period preceding the coming of Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) are described in Judaic scriptures:

1. The appearance of portents in the End Times:

"And I... am about to come and gather all nations and tongues, and they will come and see My glory. I will set a sign among them…" [declares the Lord.] (Isaiah, 66:18-19)
"I am the Lord... See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you." (Isaiah, 42:8-9)

2. The spread of atheism

The generation when the son of David [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] comes... all the governments will be turned over to Minuth (will embrace the religion of the Minim [atheism]), and no preaching will avail... (Talmud, Sanhedrin 97a)
... [Even] the priests are godless; even in My Temple I find their wickedness," declares the Lord. (Jeremiah, 23:11)
The son of David [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] will not come until the whole world is converted to the belief of the heretics. (Talmud, Sanhedrin 97a)

3. The reviling of the devout:

In the footsteps of the Messiah [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)]... fearers of sin will be despised, and truth will be lacking. (Talmud, Sotah 49b)
In the generation when the son of David [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] comes... God-fearing men [will be] despised. (Talmud, Sanhedrin 97a)
In the generation when the son of David [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] comes... he that departs from evil makes himself a prey... He who departs from evil will be dubbed a fool by his fellow-men. (Talmud, Sanhedrin 97a)

4. Admiration of the wicked:

In the footsteps of the [Mahdi]. . . Fearers of sin will be despised, and truth will be lacking. (Talmud, Sotah 49b)
. . . and he that departs from evil makes himself a prey. . . . He who departs from evil will be dubbed a fool by his fellow-men. (Talmud, Sanhedrin 97a)

5. Distancing from religious education:

The Messiah [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] will not come... unless the disciples [who learn Allah's words] will decrease. (Talmud, Sanhedrin 97a)

6. Administrations turn their backs on religious moral values:

In the generation of Messiah's [Hazrat Mahdi's (pbuh)] coming... the Kingdom will be converted to heresy with none to rebuke them. (Talmud, Sanhedrin 97a)
In the footsteps of the Messiah [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)]... the government will turn to heresy, and there will be none [to offer them] reproof. (Talmud, Sotah 49b)
… The son of David [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] will not come until the wicked kingdom of Rome [irreligion] will have spread [its sway] over the whole world for nine months… (Talmud, Yoma 10a)

7. Rulers are not competent:

And I will make children their chiefs, and foolish ones will have rule over them. (Isaiah, 3:4)

8. A rise in female leaders:

... A babe is their master, and women rule over them... (Isaiah, 3:12)

9. Leaders look to their own interests:

In the generation when the son of David [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] comes... the leaders of that generation will have the nature of dogs. (Talmud, Sanhedrin 97a)
... Judges are wolves of the desert, they leave not a bone for the morrow. (Zephaniah, 3:3)

10. The wicked become strong:

... They strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that no one turns from his wickedness... (Jeremiah, 23:14)
... Their course is evil, and their force is not right. (Jeremiah, 23:10)
Her princes in the midst of her are roaring lions... (Zephaniah, 3:3)

11. No one is left to establish justice:

The son of David [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] will not come until all judges and officers are gone... (Talmud, Sanhedrin, 98a)
In the generation when the son of David [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] comes... truth [will be] entirely lacking... (Talmud, Sanhedrin 97a)

12. Increasing poverty:

The son of David [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] will not come... until the pockets will be empty... (Talmud, Sanhedrin 97a)

13. An increase in unfair earnings:

... The Lord enters into judgment against the elders and leaders of His people: "It is you who have ruined My vineyard; the plunder from the poor is in your houses. What do you mean by crushing My people and grinding the faces of the poor?" (Isaiah, 3:14-15)
In the generation in which the son of David [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] comes… [There will be] plunderers and plunderers of the plunderers... (Talmud, Kethuboth 112b)

14. Hunger and famine:

... In the seven-year cycle at the end of which the son of David [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] will come... the arrows of hunger will be sent forth... a great famine, in the course of which men, women, and children, pious men and saints will die. (Talmud, Sanhedrin 97a)
The son of David [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] will not come until a fish is sought for an invalid and cannot be procured… (Talmud, Sanhedrin 98a)

15. The land becomes less fertile:

... The vintage shall fail, the ingathering shall not come. Smiting upon the breasts for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine; for the land of My people whereon thorns and briers come up; yea, for all the houses of joy and the joyous city. (Isaiah, 32:10-13)
... The seeds are shrivelled beneath the clods. The storehouses are in ruins, the granaries have been broken down… How the cattle moan! Even the flocks of sheep are suffering… for the grain has dried up... flames have burned up all the trees of the field. (Joel, 1:17-19)

The fields are ruined, the ground mourns; the grain is destroyed... grieve for the wheat and the barley, because the harvest of the field is destroyed. The vine is dried up and the fig tree is withered; the pomegranate, the palm and the apple tree—all the trees of the field—are dried up... (Joel, 1:10-12)

16. Drought:

The earth dries up and withers, the world languishes and withers... (Isaiah, 24:4)
... The pastures of the wilderness are dried up... (Jeremiah, 23:10)
The vine withers... (Isaiah, 24:7)
... The grain has dried up... the streams of water have dried up... (Joel, 1:18-20)
The vine is dried up and the fig tree is withered; the pomegranate, the palm and apple tree—all the trees of the field—are dried up... (Joel, 1:12)

17. Animals suffer:

How the cattle moan! The herds mill about because they have no pasture; even the flocks of the sheep are suffering... even the wild animals pant for you; the streams of water have dried up and fire has devoured the open pastures. (Joel, 1:18-20)
A similar plague will strike the horses and mules, the camels and donkeys, and all the animals in those camps. (Zechariah, 14:15)

 

18. A time of trial and tribulation:

The cry on the day of the Lord will be bitter the shouting of the warrior there. That day will be... a day of distress and anguish, a day of trouble and ruin, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness... (Zephaniah, 1:14-15)
"Therefore their path will become slippery; they will be banished to darkness and there they will fall. I will bring disaster on them..." declares the Lord. (Jeremiah, 23:12)
... In the generation when the son of David [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] will come... and as for the rest [other than scholars], their eyes will fail through sorrow and grief. (Talmud, Sanhedrin 97a)
... The travails of the Messiah [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)]: "day" is written here... (Talmud, Shabbath 118a)
Let him [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] come... When one goes out into the field and meets a bailiff, it is as though he had met a lion. When he enters the town, and is accosted by a tax-collector, it is as though he had met a bear. On entering his house and finding his sons and daughters in the throes of hunger, it is as though he were bitten by a serpent!... Ask you now, and see whether a man travails with child? Wherefore do I see every man [gever] with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned into paleness? (Talmud, Sanhedrin 98b)

19. A succession of disasters:

In the generation when the son of David [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] will come... Multitudes of trouble and evil decrees will be promulgated anew, each new evil coming with haste before the other has ended... (Talmud, Sanhedrin 97a)
When you see a generation overwhelmed by many troubles as by a river, await him [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)], as it is written, when the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him [Isaiah, 59:19]; which is followed by, and the Redeemer [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] shall come [Isaiah, 59:20]... (Talmud, Sanhedrin 98a)
In the generation in which the son of David [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] will come... [there will be] test after test. (Talmud, Kethuboth 112b)
... A curse consumes the earth... (Isaiah, 24:6)
Whoever flees at the sound of terror will fall into a pit; whoever climbs out of the pit will be caught in a snare... (Isaiah, 24:18)
"When will the Messiah [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] come?" He replied, "When darkness covers those people." "You curse me," he exclaimed. He retorted, "it is but a verse: For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall shine upon you, and His glory shall be seen upon you." [Isaiah, 60:2] (Talmud, Sanhedrin 99a)

20. A rise in corruption:

... In the generation when the son of David [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] will come... multitudes of trouble and evil decrees will be promulgated anew... (Talmud, Sanhedrin 97a)
O my people, your guides lead you astray; they turn you from the path. (Isaiah, 3:12)
... They were still eager to act corruptly in all they did. (Zephaniah, 3:7)

21. The rule of despair:

[Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] will not come... unless they will renounce their hope to be redeemed. (Talmud, Sanhedrin 97a)

22. The spread of prostitution and adultery:

In the generation in which the son of David [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] will come, the houses of assembly will be converted into houses of prostitution. (Talmud, Sanhedrin 97a)
... And traded boys for prostitutes... they sold girls. (Joel, 3:3)
The land is full of adulterers... (Jeremiah, 23:10)
... I have seen something horrible: They commit adultery ... (Jeremiah, 23:14)

23. A decline in people's sense of shame:

... In the generation when the Messiah [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] comes... a son will not be abashed in his father's presence. (Talmud, Sanhedrin 97a)
In the generation of Messiah's [Hazrat Mahdi's (pbuh)] coming impudence will increase, esteem be perverted ... (Talmud, Sanhedrin 97a)
In footsteps of the Messiah [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] insolence will increase and honor dwindle... (Talmud, Sota 49b)
In footsteps of the Messiah [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)]... a son will revile his father... a son will not feel ashamed before his father. (Talmud, Sotah 49b)
... The child shall behave insolently against the aged, and the base against the honorable. (Isaiah, 3:5)

24. Increasing immorality:

Rabbi Johanan also said: The son of David [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] will come only in a generation that is... altogether wicked. (Talmud, Sanhedrin 98a)
Rabbi Johanan said: When you see a generation ever dwindling, hope for him [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)]. (Talmud, Sanhedrin 98a)

In the generation of Messiah's [Hazrat Mahdi's (pbuh)] coming... esteem [will] be perverted... (Talmud, Sanhedrin 97a)
In the footsteps of the Messiah [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)]... youths will put old men to shame, the old will stand up in the presence of the young... A son will not be ashamed before his father. (Talmud, Sotah 49b)
In the footsteps of the Messiah [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)]... the meeting-place [of scholars] will be used for immorality. (Talmud, Sotah 49b)
... They strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that no one turns from his wickedness... all of them become... as Sodom, and... as Gomorrah... (Jeremiah, 23:14)

25. An increase in lies and fraud:

... [They] walk in lies... (Jeremiah, 23:14)
In the generation in which the son of David [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] will come... [there will be] plunderers and plunderers of the plunderers. (Talmud, Kethuboth 112b)
... People shall oppress one another, every man his fellow, and every man his neighbor... (Isaiah, 3:5)

26. Faces grow ugly:

In the footsteps of the Messiah [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] the face of the generation will be like the face of a dog... (Talmud, Sotah 49b)
In the generation when Messiah [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] comes, the people shall be dog-faced. (Talmud, Sanhedrin 97a)

27. The marginalization of feelings of love and compassion:

In the footsteps of the Messiah [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)]... the dewellers on the frontier will go about [begging] from place to place without anyone to take pity on them... (Talmud, Sotah 49b)

28. Increasing rebelliousness:

... In the generation when the Messiah [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] comes... daughters will rise up against their mothers, and daughters-in-law against their mothers-in-law. (Talmud, Sanhedrin 97a)
In the footsteps of the Messiah [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)]... a son will revile his father, a daughter will rise against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. (Talmud, Sotah 49b)

29. A weakening of family ties:

In the footsteps of the Messiah [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)]... a man's enemies will be the members of his household... (Talmud, Sotah 49b)

30. Rising numbers of hypocrites:

... The son of David [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] will not come until denunciators [of believers] are in abundance. (Talmud, Sanhedrin 97a)
The treacherous deal treacherously; yea, the treacherous deal very treacherously. (Isaiah, 24:16)

31. A decline in the number of scholars:

... In the generation when the son of David [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] will come, scholars will be few in number... (Talmud, Sanhedrin 97a)

32. A decline in the importance attached to people of knowledge:

In the generation when the son of David [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] comes... the wisdom of scribes [men of knowledge] [will be] in disfavor... (Talmud, Sanhedrin 97a)

33. Intellectual bigotry:

In the footsteps of the Messiah [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)]... the wisdom of the learned will degenerate... (Talmud, Sotah 49b)
In the generation in which the son of David [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] will come, there will be prosecution against scholars. (Talmud, Kethuboth 112b)
... Her priests have profaned that which is holy, they have done violence to the law [of God]. (Zephaniah, 3:4)

34. Increasing wars:

... In the seven-year cycle at the end of which the son of David [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] will come... in the seventh, wars; and at the conclusion of the septennate the son of David [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] will come. (Talmud, Sanhedrin 97a)
They... are destined to be redeemed in the seventh year (of the coming of the Messiah [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)]) therefore the mention of redemption was placed in the seventh blessing. But a master has said, "In the sixth year will be thunderings, in the seventh wars, at the end of the seventh the son of David [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] will come?" — War is also the beginning of redemption. (Talmud, Megilah 17b)
And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. (Joel, 2:30)
I will gather all the nations... to fight against it; the city will be captured, the houses ransacked, and the women raped. Half of the city will go into exile... (Zechariah, 14:2)

35. Bloodshed in the Middle East:

"When will the Messiah [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] come?"... "give us a sign"... "The waters of the grotto of Paneas* turn into blood..." (Talmud, Sanhedrin 98a)

* Paneas: The name of an ancient city on the banks of the River Jordan, some 200 km from Jerusalem called Banias in modern atlases.

36. Ruin in the Middle East:

In the footsteps of the Messiah [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)]... Galilee* will be destroyed, Gavlan** desolated. (Talmud, Sanhedrin 97a; Sotah 49b)

*Galilee: The region to the west of the River Jordan, and north of the lake of Tiberias, in Palestine, now located in modern Israel.

** Gavlan: The region including part of the modern-day Golan Heights, northwest Jordan and southwest Syria.

37. The killing of the innocent:

... They shed innocent blood. (Joel, 3:19)

38. Rising numbers of refugees:

In the footsteps of the Messiah [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)]... the dwellers on the frontier will go about [begging] from place to place without anyone to take pity on them. (Talmud, Sotah 49b)

39. An increase in rebellion and revolt:

... Transgression thereof is heavy upon it [the earth], and it shall fall, and not rise again. (Isaiah, 24:20)

40. Looting:

The earth shall be utterly emptied, and despoiled: for the Lord had spoken this word. (Isaiah, 24:3)
... The houses rifled... (Zechariah, 14:2)

41. Signs in the bodies of those who oppose the truth:

.This is the plague with which the Lord will strike all the nations that fought... Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their sockets, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth. (Zechariah, 14:12)

... Their words and deeds are against the Lord... The look on their faces testifies against them; they parade their sin like Sodom; they do not hide it... (Isaiah, 3:8-9)

42. Unhappiness:

... All the merrymakers groan. The gaiety of the tambourines is stilled, the noise of the revelers has stopped, the joyful harp is silent. (Isaiah, 24:7-8)
Surely the joy of mankind is withered away. (Joel, 1:12)
... All joy turns to gloom, all gaiety is banished from the earth. (Isaiah, 24:11)

43. Despair among men of religion:

The priests are in mourning, those who minister before the Lord. (Joel, 1:9)
Put on sackcloth, you priests, and mourn; wail, you who minister before the altar. (Joel, 1:13)

44. Earthquakes:

... The foundations of the earth shake... The earth is thoroughly shaken... It sways like a hut in the wind... (Isaiah, 24:18-20)
... The heavens and the earth shall shake... (Joel, 3:16)

Therefore I [the Almighty Lord] will make the heavens to tremble, and the earth shall be shaken out of her place. (Isaiah, 13:13)
The earth trembled and quaked, and the foundations of the mountains shook... The valleys of the sea were exposed and the foundations of the earth laid bare... (Psalms 18:7, 15)

45. Ever more natural disasters:

The Lord of Armies will punish you with thunder, earthquakes, and loud noises, with windstorms, rainstorms, and fire storms. (Isaiah, 29:6)
... I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth... (Joel, 2:30)
... The windows on high are opened, the foundations of the earth shake. (Isaiah, 24:18)

46. Floods in one region and drought in another:

In the seven-year cycle at the end of which the son of David [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] will come–in the first year, this verse will be fulfilled: And I will cause it to rain upon one city and cause it not to rain upon another city. (Talmud, Sanhedrin 97a)

47. Locust attacks:

What the locust swarm has left the great locusts have eaten; what the great locusts have left the young locusts have eaten; what the young locusts have left other locusts have eaten... A nation has invaded my land, powerful and without number... (Joel, 1:4, 6)

48. Rising environmental pollution:

The earth is defiled by its people... (Isaiah, 24:5)

49. Spiritual decline:

He [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] will only come when all the souls destined to [inhabit earthly] bodies will be exhausted... (Talmud, Abodah Zarah 5a)

50. War in Iraq:

50. 1. The fact that the occupying army in the Iraq war was multinational:

... Listen, an uproar among the kingdoms, like nations massing together! (Isaiah, 13:4)
Listen, a noise on the mountains, like that of a great multitude!... (Isaiah, 13:4)

50.2 Distant countries wage war in Iraq:

An oracle concerning Babylon* that Isaiah... saw... They come from faraway lands, from the ends of the heavens... to destroy the whole country. (Isaiah, 13:1, 5)

*Babylon: The name of an ancient city near Baghdad, the capital of modern-day Iraq.

50.3. That war is declared with sirens and loud noises:

... Shout to them [warriors]; beckon to them to enter the gates of the nobles. (Isaiah, 13:2)

50.4. The death of many children and the young during the war:

Their bows will strike down the young men; they will have no mercy on infants nor will they look with compassion on children. (Isaiah, 13:18)

50.5. That women are wronged:

... Their wives [will be] ravished. (Isaiah, 13:16)

50.6. The looting of people's homes:

... Their houses will be looted... (Isaiah, 13:16)

50.7. Enormous bloodshed:

Whoever is captured will be thrust through; all who are caught will fall by the sword. Their infants will be dashed to pieces before their eyes... (Isaiah, 13:15-16)

50.8. The public in a state of fear and suffering:

... All hands will go limp, every man's heart will melt. Terror will seize them, pain and anguish will grip them... They will writhe... They will look aghast at each other ... (Isaiah, 13:7-8)

50.9. People flee to neighboring countries:

Like a hunted gazelle, like sheep without a shepherd, each will return to his own people, each will flee to his native land. (Isaiah, 13:14)

50.10. Cities deserted after the war:

But desert creatures will lie there [in Babylon], jackals will fill her houses; there the owls will dwell, and there the wild goats will leap about. Hyenas will howl in her strongholds, jackals in her luxurious palaces... (Isaiah, 13:21-22)
I will make man scarcer than pure gold, more rare than the gold of Ophir. (Isaiah, 13:12)

50.11. And the damage done to peace and order:

... No Arab [Bedouin] will pitch his tent there, no shepherd will rest his flocks there. (Isaiah, 13:20)
... To make the land desolate... (Isaiah, 13:9)
... The earth will shake from its place. (Isaiah, 13:13)

50.12. The razing of Iraqi cities:

Babylon, the jewel of kingdoms... will be overthrown by God. (Isaiah, 13:19)

51. The appearance of Gog and Magog in the End Times (World Wars I and II):

The travails of the Messiah [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)]: "day" is written here... The wars of Gog and Magog: "day" is written here; whilst there it is written, in that day when Gog shall come. (Talmud, Shabbath 118a)
... [Time on the earth] will be spent... some in the war of Gog and Magog, and the remaining [period] will be the Messianic era [that of Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)], whilst the Holy One, blessed be He, will renew His world only after seven thousand years. (Talmud, Sanhedrin 97b)

51.1. Their being a vast population:

... All the hordes gathered... (Ezekiel, 38:7)
You will advance... like a cloud that covers the land... (Ezekiel, 38:16)
... All of them brandishing their swords... (Ezekiel, 38:4)

51.2. Their constituting a multinational society:

... Many nations with you, all of them riding on horses... (Ezekiel, 38:15)
You and all your troops and the many nations with you will go up, advancing like a storm... (Ezekiel, 38:9)

51.3. Their having large armed forces:

... Your whole army—your horses, your horsemen fully armed, and a great horde with large and small shields, all of them brandishing their swords... with them, [their troops] all with shields and helmets... (Ezekiel, 38:4-5)
... All of them riding on horses, a great horde, a mighty army. (Ezekiel, 38:15)

51.4. Their causing corruption:

... You will devise an evil scheme. You will say... "I will attack a peaceful and unsuspecting people"... (Ezekiel, 38:10-11)
Every man's sword will be against his brother. (Ezekiel, 38:21)

51.5. Their being an aggressive, plundering society:

You will say, "... I will plunder and loot and turn my hand against the resettled ruins..." (Ezekiel, 38:11-12)
 [People] will say to you, "Have you come to plunder? Have you gathered your hordes to loot, to carry off silver and gold, to take away livestock and goods and to seize much plunder?" (Ezekiel, 38:13)
You and all your troops and the many nations with you will go up, advancing like a storm... (Ezekiel, 38:9)

51.6. Their waging war in the mountains:

"I will summon a sword against Gog on all My mountains," declares the Sovereign Lord... (Ezekiel, 38:21)

51.7. Their using chemical weapons in wars:

... I will pour down... hailstones and burning sulfur*... on the many nations... (Ezekiel, 38:22)

* Mustard gas, a chemical weapon containing sulfur chloride and used in World Wars I and II, was widely employed and had a burning effect on the human body.

51.8. The outbreak of epidemics in time of war:

I will execute judgment upon him with plague and bloodshed... (Ezekiel, 38:22)
Men will be regularly employed to cleanse the land [from epidemics]... (Ezekiel, 39:14)

51.9. The deaths of many people in war:

... Gog and all his hordes will be buried there... For seven months, [people] will be burying them in order to cleanse the land. All the people of the land will bury them... Some will go throughout the land and, in addition to them, others will bury those that remain on the ground... (Ezekiel 39:11-14)
You will fall in the open field... (Ezekiel, 39:5)
Every man's sword will be against his brother... (Ezekiel, 38:21)

51.10. Attacks on defenseless people:

... You will invade a land that has recovered from war whose people... now... live in safety... (Ezekiel, 38:8)
You will say, "I will invade a land of unwalled villages; I will attack a peaceful and unsuspecting people—all of them living without walls and without gates and bars. (Ezekiel, 38:11)

52. Statements by the Prophets (peace be upon them all) referring to the time of Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh):

All the Prophets prophesied only for the days of the Messiah [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)]... (Talmud, Berachoth 34b, Shabbath 63a)
All the Prophets prophesied [all the good things] only in respect of the Messianic era [the era of Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)]. (Talmud, Sanhedrin 99a)

53. The troubled period of the End Times having no effect on devout believers:

Abaye enquired of Rabbah: "What is your reason [for not wishing to see him]? Shall we say, because of the birth pangs [preceding the advent] of the Messiah [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)]?" But it has been taught... "What must a man do to be spared the pangs of the Messiah [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)]?" "Let him engage in study and benevolence; and your master do both." (Talmud, Sanhedrin 98b)

THE CHARACTERISTICS OF HAZRAT MAHDI (PBUH) IN JUDAIC SCRIPTURES

The Messiah (Hazrat Mahdi [pbuh]) whose coming is awaited in the Judaic tradition—will be a spiritual leader who will establish world peace. Besides being a guide to nations, he will be a just and honest judge who always makes the most accurate decisions. He will have exemplary moral values and be a model for the entire humanity, simply because of his fear and love of Allah. Since Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) will fill the world with justice, neutralize all corrupt societies and be a guide for all nations to follow, Jews refer to him using the title "Yahev" or "Shahev" (The one who restores the people, returns the people to God).

In addition, Judaic tradition says that Hazrat Mahdi's (pbuh) personality and beauty of soul will influence others, and that he will turn people in the direction of faith with very wise words. However, this servant whom Allah chooses and supports will very definitely not be any superhuman entity. He will be an individual born normally to ordinary parents, but whom Allah supports in every way physically and spiritually and bestows glory upon. Some of the characteristics ascribed to Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) according to Jewish references are:

1. He will be just:

With righteousness he [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] will judge the needy... (Isaiah, 11:4)
... In judging, [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] seeks justice... (Isaiah, 16:5)
... A scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom... (Psalms, 45:6-7)
Righteousness will be his [Hazrat Mahdi's (pbuh)] belt, and faithfulness the sash around his waist. (Isaiah, 11:5)
[Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) is] righteous and having salvation, gentle ... (Zechariah, 9:9)
"The days are coming," declares the Lord, "when I will raise up to David a righteous branch [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)]... who will... do what is just and right in the land... (Jeremiah, 23:5-6)

2. He will protect the rights of the oppressed:

With righteousness shall he [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] judge the poor, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth... (Isaiah, 11:4)

3. He will bring justice to the whole world:

Here is My servant, whom I uphold, My chosen one in whom I delight!... He [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] will bring justice to the nations. (Isaiah, 42:1)
... In faithfulness he [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] will bring forth justice; he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. ... (Isaiah, 42:3-4)
Who has stirred up one from the east, calling him [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] in righteousness to his service... (Isaiah, 41:2)

4. He will be honest and truthful:

You love righteousness and hate wickedness... (Psalms, 45:7)
... With righteousness shall he [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] judge the poor... (Isaiah, 11:4)
"In those days and at that time I will make a righteous branch sprout from David's line; he [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] will do what is just and right in the land." (Jeremiah, 33:15)
One from the house of David [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)]... who in judging seeks justice... (Isaiah, 16:5)
... [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] shall reign in righteousness... (Isaiah, 32:1)
The Messianic age [the Golden Age] will be ruled by the Messiah [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)], a righteous and honest king... (Maimonides, Mishnah Torah, Sanhedrin 10:1)

5. He will be a savior:

... [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) is] righteous and having salvation... (Zechariah, 9:9)

6. His message will influence the world:

He [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth [he will influence with his words without having a weapon]; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked [he will make them spiritually ineffective by his speech.] (Isaiah, 11:4)
... And he [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] will be called wonderful counselor. (Isaiah, 9:6)
You will rule them with an iron scepter; you will dash them to pieces like pottery [that is, Hazrat Mahd (pbuh) will demolish the irreligious systems by his ideas]. (Psalms, 2:9)

7. His words will act on people's hearts:

Let your sharp arrows pierce the hearts of the king's enemies [Hazrat Mahdi's (pbuh) words are so wise and affective that he will make the irreligious ideologies ineffective]. (Psalms, 45:5)

8. He will turn the whole world toward belief in Allah:

He [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] will [then] correct the entire world to serve God together, as is written: "For then I shall turn to the nations a pure tongue, that all shall call upon the name of God to serve Him shoulder to shoulder." [Zephaniah, 3:9] (Maimonides, Mishnah Torah, Laws of Kings 11:4)

9. He will spiritually cleanse mankind:

But who can endure the day of his [Hazrat Mahdi's (pbuh)] coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner's fire or a launderer's soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify... and refine them like gold and silver. (Malachi, 3:2-3)
... I will... make you [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)]... a light for the nations, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness. (Isaiah, 42:6-7)

10. He will succeed with the power of faith, without resorting to force:

"Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit," says the Lord Almighty. (Zechariah, 4:6)

11. He will possess power and success:

See, My servant [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] will act wisely; he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted. (Isaiah, 52:13)
"Here I will make a horn grow for David [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] and set up a lamp for My anointed one. I will clothe his enemies with shame, but the crown on his head will be resplendent." (Psalms, 132:17-18)
Through the victories You gave, his glory is great; You have bestowed on him splendor and majesty. Surely You have granted him eternal blessings and made him glad with the joy of Your presence. For the king [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] trusts in the Lord; through the unfailing love of the Most High he will not be shaken. (Psalms, 21:5-7)
... He [Lord] will give strength unto His king [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)], and exalt the horn of His anointed. (1 Samuel, 2:10)
... A son is given unto us; and the government is upon his [Hazrat Mahdi's (pbuh)] shoulder... That the government may be increased, and of peace there be no end... (Isaiah, 9:6-7, Targum and Debarim Rabbah)

12. He will be a spiritual leader to nations:

The Messiah [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] will be a very great king... (Maimonides, Mishnah Torah, Sanhedrin 10:1)
He [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] was given authority, glory and sovereign power. All the peoples, nations, and languages should serve him... (Daniel, 7:14)
 [He] will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)]... (Isaiah, 11:10)
All the nations will come to listen to him [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)]... (Maimonides, Mishnah Torah, Repentance 9:2)
In his [Hazrat Mahdi's (pbuh)] law, the islands will put their hope. (Isaiah, 42:4)
Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. Lift up your eyes and look about you: All assemble and come to you... (Isaiah, 60:3-4)
... Until Shiloh [sent by God] comes, and to him [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] will be the obedience of peoples. (Genesis, 49:10)

13. People will be subjected to Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh):

May the king's [Hazrat Mahdi's (pbuh)] name endure for ever; may his name be continued as long as the Sun; may men also bless themselves by him; may all nations call him happy. (Psalms, 72:17)
His [Hazrat Mahdi's (pbuh)] great righteousness and the wonders that he will bring about will cause all peoples to make peace with him and all lands to serve him... (Maimonides, Mishnah Torah, Sanhedrin, 10:1)
... Let the nations fall beneath your feet [All the people will be subjected to Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)]. (Psalms, 45:5)

14. He will possess hegemony:

... There was given him [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] dominion, and glory, and a kingdom. All the peoples, nations, and languages should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed. (Daniel, 7:14)
... He [your king] will proclaim peace to the nations. His [Hazrat Mahdi's (pbuh)] rule will extend from sea to sea and from the River [Euphrates] to the ends of the earth. (Zechariah, 9:10)
Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever... (Isaiah, 9:7)
Here I will make a horn grow for David [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)]... I will clothe his enemies with shame, but the crown on his head will be resplendent. (Psalms, 132:17-18)
He [God] gives His king [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] great victories. He shows unfailing kindness to His anointed. (2 Samuel, 22:51)
In future time, the King Moshiach [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] will arise and renew the Davidic dynasty, restoring it to its initial sovereignty... (Maimonides, Mishnah Torah, Laws of Kings 11:4)
He [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] will rule from sea to sea and from the River [Euphrates] to the ends of the earth. (Psalms, 72:8)

15. He will rule the world from his own base:

... Son of David [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh), like the the Prophet Solomon (pbuh)]... reigned only over his couch... (Talmud, Sanhedrin 20b)

16. He will rule the world through his helpers:

... Son of David [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh), like the Prophet Solomon (pbuh)]... reigned only over his staff [helpers]. (Talmud, Sanhedrin 20b)

17. He will establish world peace:

I will take away the chariots... and the battle bow will be broken... He [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] will proclaim peace to the nations... (Zechariah, 9:10)
His [Hazrat Mahdi's (pbuh)] great righteousness and the wonders that he will bring about will cause all peoples to make peace with him... (Maimonides, Mishnah Torah, Sanhedrin 10:1)
(In the days of the Messiah [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)])... battles and wars will cease... "They will not lift a sword, nation against nation." (Maimonides, Mishnah Torah, Sanhedrin 10:1)

18. He will be chaste:

... And the glory of the Lord rises upon you... and His glory appears over you. (Isaiah, 60:1-2)
Through the victories You gave, his [Hazrat Mahdi's (pbuh)] glory is great; You have bestowed on him splendor and majesty. (Psalms, 21:5)

19. He will trust in Allah and rely on Him:

... For the king [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] trusts in the Lord; through the unfailing love of the Most High he will not be shaken. (Psalms, 21:7)

20. Allah will support Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) in every way:

Here is My servant, whom I uphold, My chosen one in whom I delight; I will put My Spirit on him [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)]... (Isaiah, 42:1)
I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you... a light to the nations ... (Isaiah, 42:6)
And the Spirit of Lord shall rest upon him [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)], the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of Lord. (Isaiah, 11:2)
You welcomed him [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] with rich blessings and placed a crown of pure gold on his head. He asked You for life, and You gave it to him... (Psalms, 21:3-4)
Our Rabbis taught, The Holy One, blessed be He, will say to the Messiah, the son of David [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)]: "Ask of Me anything, and I will give it to you." (Talmud, Sukkah 52a)
This is what the Lord says: "In the time of my favor I will answer you, and in the day of salvation I will help you; I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people..." (Isaiah, 49:8)
The spirit of the God is upon me... (Isaiah, 61:1)
O Lord, the king [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] rejoices in your strength. How great is his joy in the victories You give! You have granted him the desire of his heart and have not withheld the request of his lips. (Psalms, 21:1-2)

21. He will be intelligent and wise:

"The days are coming," declares the Lord, "when I will raise up to David a righteous branch, a king [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land." (Jeremiah, 23:5)
That king who will arise from the descendants of David [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] will be even wiser than Solomon... (Mishnah Torah, Repentance 9:2)
The Messianic age [Golden Age] will be ruled by the Messiah [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)]... outstanding in wisdom... (Maimonides, Mishnah Torah, Sanhedrin 10:1)
Rabbi Nahman said: If he (the Messiah [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)]) is of those living today... he would be our holy master. (Talmud, Sanhedrin 98b)

22. He will be a servant beloved of Allah:

He gives His king [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] great victories; He shows unfailing kindness to his anointed ... forever. (2 Samuel, 22:51; Psalms, 18:50)
... Through the unfailing love of the Most High, he [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] will not be shaken. (Psalms, 21:7)
Here is My servant [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)], whom I uphold, My chosen one in whom I delight... (Isaiah, 42:1)

23. He will be filled with the fear of Allah: 

... The spirit of the fear of Lord shall rest upon him [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)]... His delight shall be in the fear of Lord... (Isaiah, 11:2-3)

24. He remains close to Allah:

The Messianic age [Golden Age]... will be ruled by the Messiah [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)]... outstanding in wisdom, close to God. (Maimonides, Mishnah Torah, Sanhedrin 10:1)

25. He is good-looking:

Your eyes will see the king [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] in his beauty... (Isaiah, 33:17)
You are the most excellent of men... (Psalms, 45:2)

26. Allah's glory will be upon him:

Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you... Nations will come to your light. (Isaiah, 60:1-3)

27. His speech is wise:

... And your lips have been anointed with grace... (Psalms, 45:2)

 28. He will teach and call people to Allah's path:  
... That king who will arise from the descendants of David [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)]... will therefore [be able to] teach the people the ways of God and to fear them. (Maimonides, Mishnah Torah, Repentance 9:2)
If a king [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] will arise from the House of David... and repair the breaches [in the observance of Allah's Laws]... (Maimonides, Mishnah Torah, Laws of Kings 11:4)
... He [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] will then perfect the entire world, to serve God together... (Maimonides, Mishnah Torah, Laws of Kings 11:4)

29. He will have majesty and splendor:

... You have bestowed on him [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] splendor and majesty. (Psalms, 21:5)

30. His dwelling will be magnificent:

... His [Hazrat Mahdi's (pbuh)] resting-place shall be glorious. (Isaiah, 11:10)

31. He will have humility:

... He [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] is triumphant, and victorious, lowly... (Zechariah, 9:9)

32. He will act in accord with Allah's approval:

If a king [Hazrat Mahdi's (pbuh)] will arise from the House of David... and if he will fight the wars of God [if he wages intellectual struggle for Allah]; we may, with assurance, consider him Mashiach [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)]. (Maimonides, Mishnah Torah, Laws of Kings 11:4)

33. He will rule not superficially, but with the knowledge of the hidden (ladun):

... He [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither decide after the hearing of his ears... (Isaiah, 11:3)
He [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] smells [a man] and judges, as it is written, and he will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. [Isaiah, 11:3-4] (Talmud, Sanhedrin 93b)

34. He will possess love and compassion:

For he [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] will deliver the needy who cry out, the afflicted who have no one to help. (Psalms, 72:12)
He [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] will have pity on the poor and needy, and the souls of the needy he will save. (Psalms, 72:13)
He [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] will redeem their soul from oppression and violence, and precious will their blood be in his sight. (Psalms, 72:14)
He [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] will defend the afflicted among the people, and save the children of the needy... (Psalms, 72:4)

35. He will be good-natured:

He [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. (Isaiah, 42:2)
A bruised reed he [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. (Isaiah, 42:3)

36. He will be courageous:

... He [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth... (Isaiah, 42:4)
O mighty one [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)]; clothe yourself with splendor and majesty. (Psalms, 45:3)

37. He will be given abundance:

He [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] grew up before Him [the Lord] like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground... (Isaiah, 53:2)
He [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] will be like rain falling on a mown field, like showers watering the earth. (Psalms, 72:6)
Surely You have granted him [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] eternal blessings... (Psalms, 21:6)

38. He will impart glad tidings:

How beautiful... are the feet of those... who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation... (Isaiah, 52:7)

39. He will epitomize Allah's title of the Salam (Peace):

... And he [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] will be called... prince of peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end... (Isaiah, 9:6-7)

40. He will have human form, and be a genuine human being:

In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)], coming with the clouds of heaven... (Daniel 7:13)
Rabbi Nahman said: If he [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] is of those living [today], it might be one like myself, as it is written. And their nobles shall be of themselves, and their governors shall proceed from the midst of them. [Jeremiah, 30:21] (Talmud, Sanhedrin 98b)

41. He will rule the world without working miracles:

Do not consider it possible that the King Messiah [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] must make signs and wonders and make new things in the world or revive the dead and the like, as the matter is not so... (Maimonides, Mishnah Torah, Laws of Kings 11:3)
Let no one consider that in the days of the Messiah [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] anything of the customary way of the world will be defunct, or that there will be anything new in Creation, rather the world will remain as it is. (Maimonides, Mishnah Torah, Laws of Kings 12:1)
Do not think that the ways of the world or the laws of nature will change in the era of the Messiah [in the time of Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)]... The world will continue as it is. (Maimonides, Mishnah Torah, Sanhedrin 10:1)
The Sages did not ask him [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] for any signs or wonders. (Maimonides, Mishnah Torah, Laws of Kings 11:2)

42. He will be known throughout the world:

He [Messiah (Hazrat Mahdi [pbuh])] will achieve great fame, and his reputation among the nations will be even greater than that of King Solomon... (Maimonides, Mishnah Torah, Sanhedrin 10:1)

43. He will appear in the End Times:

... And in the last jubilee* the son of David [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] will come. (Talmud, Sanhedrin 97b)
*Jubilee: a period that the Jews regard as holy and occurs once every 50 years.

44. He will appear unexpectedly:

(In calculating the time of the Messiah's [Hazrat Mahdi's (pbuh)] coming)... Three come unawares... Messiah [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)], a found article and a scorpion. (Talmud, Sanhedrin 97a)

45. He will be Allah's blessing upon humanity:

... What is his (the Messiah's [Hazrat Mahdi's (pbuh)]) name?... His name is Shiloh [sent by God]... His name is Yinnon [His name shall endure for ever]... His name is Haninah [blessed by God]... His name is Menahem [the comforter]... Because Menahem [the comforter], that would relieve my soul... Surely he has borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows... (Talmud, Sanhedrin 98b)

46. His value was unknown at first:

He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. (Isaiah, 53:3, Messianically quoted in Targum, Talmud Sanhedrin 98b)

47. He will be tested with hardships:

In the generation in which the son of David [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] will come there will be prosecution against scholars. When I repeated this statement in the presence of Samuel, he exclaimed, [there will be] test after test... (Talmud, Kethuboth 112b)
The Messiah [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)]—as it is written, and the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge of the fear of the Lord... Rabbi Alexandri said: "This teaches that He loaded him [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] with good deeds and suffering as a mill [is laden]. [Isaiah, 11:2] (Talmud, Sanhedrin 93b)
Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against His anointed one [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)]. "Let us break their chains," they say, "and throw off their fetters." (Psalms, 2:1-3)

48. His helpers' main task will be to serve Allah:

And you will be called priests of the Lord, you will be named ministers of our God. (Isaiah, 61:6)

49. Hazrat Mahdi's (pbuh) being is predestined:

The world was created only on David's account; Samuel said: On Moses account; Rabbi Johanan said: For the sake of the Messiah [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)]. (Talmud, Sanhedrin 98b)
Seven things were contemplated (by the Holy One, Blessed be He) before Creation: The Torah, repentance, the Garden of Eden and Gehinnom, the Throne of Glory, the Holy Temple and the Messiah's [Hazrat Mahdi's (pbuh)] identity. (Talmud, Pesachim 51a)
Seven things were created before the world, viz., the Torah, repentance, the Garden of Eden, Gehenna, the Throne of Glory, the Temple, and the name of the Messiah [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)]... The name of the Messiah [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)], as it is written, his name shall endure forever, and [has existed] before the Sun! [Psalms 72:17] (Talmud, Nedarim 39b)

50. Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) will have a serving period of 40 years:

It has been taught: Rabbi Eliezer said: The days of the Messiah [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] will last forty years, as it is written, forty years long shall I take hold of the generation. (Talmud, Sanhedrin 99a)