পৃষ্ঠা 187: দ্বিতীয় অধ্যায়: মধ্যবর্তী আলামতসমূহ যা দৃশ্যমান হয়েছে এবং ক্রমবর্ধমানভাবে সংঘটিত হচ্ছে

Therefore, there is no justification for denying them. Hence it has been narrated: "Whoever denies the Dajjal has indeed disbelieved, and whoever denies al-Mahdi has indeed disbelieved." It was narrated by Abu Bakr al-Iskaf in "Fawa'id al-Akhbar", and Abu al-Qasim al-Suhayli in his commentary on "al-Siyar".

As for what has been reported in some hadiths that "There is no Mahdi except 'Isa ibn Maryam", alongside the fact that it is deemed weak (da'if) by the Hadith masters (huffaz), it must be interpreted to mean: al-Mahdi makes no decree except through the consultation of 'Isa (peace be upon him), if we maintain that he is his vizier; or that there is no absolutely infallible Mahdi (guided one) except 'Isa (peace be upon him).

For indeed, al-Mahdi is protected from error in legal rulings alone, or it means that there will be no Mahdi after 'Isa (peace be upon him), because after him there will be rulers who mix righteousness with corruption.

One should not be misled by what might be understood from the words of Allamah al-Taftazani in "Sharh al-Aqa'id" regarding his denial based on the aforementioned hadith; for as previously stated, it is a weak hadith that contradicts authentic hadiths, and Allah knows best.

Al-Hafiz Ibn al-Qayyim stated in "al-Manar": The hadith "There is no Mahdi except 'Isa ibn Maryam" was narrated by Ibn Majah through the chain of Muhammad ibn Khalid al-Jundi, from Aban ibn Salih, from al-Hasan, from Anas ibn Malik, from the Prophet (ﷺ), and it is among the reports in which Muhammad ibn Khalid stood alone.

Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Isnawi stated in the book "Manaqib al-Shafi'i": This Muhammad ibn Khalid is unknown among the scholars of this discipline and the masters of transmission, whereas the reports from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) mentioning al-Mahdi and stating that he is from his household (Ahl al-Bayt) have reached the level of mass-transmission (tawatur).

Al-Bayhaqi said: This Muhammad ibn Khalid was solitary in narrating it. Al-Hakim Abu 'Abdullah said: He is unknown (majhul), and there are discrepancies in its chain of transmission regarding him. For it was also narrated from him, from Aban ibn Abi 'Ayyash, from al-Hasan, from the Prophet (ﷺ).

He said: Thus the hadith traces back to the narration of Muhammad ibn Khalid, who is unknown, from Aban ibn Abi 'Ayyash, who is discarded (matruk), from al-Hasan, which is broken (munqati').

The hadiths indicating the emergence of al-Mahdi have far more authentic chains of transmission, such as the hadith of Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him): "Even if there remained for the world only a single day, Allah would lengthen that day until He raises a man from me, or from..."