Ali Ibn Abi Talib - Volume 2 of 2

568 'Ali's attitude towards the Kharijites and Shia
3.9.2.g.
It was narrate&that Abu Sa'eed d-Khudri (&) said that the
Messenger of Allah (g) said: "The Mahdi is of me. He has a high
forehead and a prominent nose. He will fill the world with fairness
and justice as it was filled with wrongdoing and injustice, and he will
mle for seven years. ,,I084
There is no connection at all between the Mahdi of the Sunnah
and the Mahdi of the Ri?fi@ Shia. There are many differences
between them, such as:
*:* According to Ahl as-Sunnah, the Mahdi's name is
Muhammad ibn Abdullah, his name is the same as the
Prophet (g), and his father's name is the same as the
Prophet's father. As for the Mahdi of the RXdi Shia, his
name is Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-'Askari.
+:* According to Ah1 as-Sunnah, the Mahdi is one of the
descendants of al-Hasan (&). The Mahdi of the Rifidi
Shia is one of the descendants of d-Husayn (a).
*:* According to Ah1 as-Sunnah, the Mahdi will be born
naturally, and his lifespan will be natural. There is nothing
in the hadiths to indicate that he is at all different from
other people in that regard. As for the Mahdi of the RZdi
Shia, his conception and birth happened in one night, and
he entered the tunnel when he was nine years old; now he
has been in the tunnel for more than 1150 years.
+:- The Mahdi, according to Ahl as-Sunnah, will emerge to
support Islam and the Mushs, and he will not
differentiate between one nation and another. As for the
Mahdi of the R%i& Shia, he will emerge to support only
the R%& Shia and to wreak vengeance on their enemies.
He will hate the Arabs and Quraysh and will give them