The signs of Muhammad al-Mahdi's reappearance in Islamic traditions

The signs of the reappearance of Muhammad al-Mahdi are the collection of events that will occur before the coming back of Muhammad al-Mahdi, an ultimate savior of humankind and the final Imam of the Twelve Imams in Shia Islam. The signs are classified as uncertain or certain signs.

According some Shia narrations there are five certain signs that will occur prior of the reappearance of the twelfth Imam. The hadith of Ja'far al-Sadiq mentions these signs: "there are five signs for our Dhuhur (the reappearance of the twelfth Imam), the appearance of Sufyani and Yamani, the loud cry in the sky, the murder of a pure soul (Nafs-e-Zakiyyah), and the earth swallowing (a group of people) in the land of Beyda.

According to some narrations Sufyani, one of the descendants of Abu Sufyan, will arise before Muhammad al-Mahdi's reappearance. He has been depicted as an outwardly devout man that will take care to remember Allah at all times. But in reality he will be the most wicked man in the world. He will upraise during the Rajab. After he realizes that Muhammad al-Mahdi has reappeared, he will send away an army to fight him. Some books say that the army of Sufyani before getting to the army of Muhammad al-Mahdi will sink into the earth in the Beyda, the area between Mecca and Medina. The appearance of Sufyani is mentioned in both Shia and Sunni narrations.

In some narrations, the appearance of Yamani is mentioned as one of the certain signs of twelfth Imam's reappearance. The fifth Shia Imam, Muhammad al-Baqir, described Yamani in detail in a hadith:"... among these individuals (Sufyani,Yamani and Khorasani) the Yamani is the closest to guidance, for he calls the people to join the Muhammad al-Mahdi. When he rises the trading of weapons will be prohibited for every Muslim. When he rises join him immediately, for his flag is the flag of guidance and prosperity and no Muslim should oppose it. Any one who does so will go to hell, because the Yamani calls to the right path." Some sources mention that Yamani and Khurasani will be allied against Sufyani.

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