পৃষ্ঠা 160: দ্বিতীয় অধ্যায়: মধ্যবর্তী আলামতসমূহ যা দৃশ্যমান হয়েছে এবং ক্রমবর্ধমানভাবে সংঘটিত হচ্ছে

Note: Resolving the Problem Concerning Traveling to Medina in a Short Period After the Pledge of Allegiance to al-Mahdi

in Mecca. Then those seven individuals come and find him for the third time in Mecca near the Corner (al-Rukn), saying: "Our sin is upon you, and our blood is on your neck if you do not stretch out your hand so that we may pledge allegiance to you! Here is the army of al-Sufyani marching in pursuit of us, led by a man from Hazm." They even threaten him with death if he refuses.

So he sits between the Corner and the Station (al-Maqam), stretches out his hand, and is pledged allegiance. He then manifests at the time of the Isha prayer bearing the banner of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), his shirt, and his sword.

When he finishes praying Isha, he comes to the Station (al-Maqam) and prays two rak'ahs, then ascends the pulpit and calls out at the top of his voice: "O people, I remind you of Allah and of your standing before your Lord!"

He delivers a lengthy sermon in which he urges them to revive the Sunnah and eradicate innovations (bid'ah). He manifests among three hundred and thirteen men, the exact number of the combatants of Badr, and the number of the companions of Talut (Saul) when they crossed the river with him, comprising the Abdal (substitutes) of the Levant (al-Sham), the elite groups ('Asa'ib) of Iraq, and the nobles (Naja'ib) of Egypt. They gather without prior appointment, drifting together like autumn clouds, monks by night and lions by day.

The army of the ruler of Medina comes against them and fights them, but they defeat them and pursue them until they enter Medina and liberate it from their hands.

Note

There is no problematic issue regarding their coming to Medina twice or thrice while the pledge takes place on the night of Ashura, even though the duration between the conclusion of the pilgrimage rites and the night of Ashura is approximately twenty or twenty-five days, and the distance between the Two Holy Sanctuaries is ten stages or more by standard travel, taking into account their searching for him in each of the Two Sanctuaries every time. This is because traveling on swift mounts can be accomplished in five days, so repeating it within twenty-five days is fully plausible. Furthermore, all of them are righteous saints (awliya), so the earth may be folded for them, or they may be among those granted miraculous swift strides (Ashab al-Khatawat), and Allah knows best.

News of his emergence reaches al-Sufyani, so he dispatches an army against them from Kufa. They arrive in Medina, sack it permissively for three days, and slaughter at al-Harrah to such an extent that earlier bloodshed seems like a mere whip lash in comparison. They then set out in pursuit of al-Mahdi, and when they depart