⚔️The Kaysanite Mahdi

Going through all of the Mahdi hadith narrations to find the historical context and reason for such fabrications.

The Kaysanite Mahdi

Hadith 1:

Grading: Da’if

Isnad: Fadl b. Dukayn - Yasin Al-Ijili - Ibrahim b. Muhammad b. Al-Hanifiyyah - Muhammad b. Al-Hanifiyyah - Ali b. Abi Talib

The Prophet (Peace be upon him) said:

"The Mahdi is one of us’ Ahlal-Bait (the prophet’s family) and Allah will prepare him in one night"

(Musnad Ahmad 645, Book 5, Hadith 81)

Hadith 2:

Grading: Hasan

Isnad: Uthman b. Abi Shayba - Abu Dawud Al-Hafari - Yasin Al-Ijili - Ibrahim b. Muhammad b. Al-Hanifiyyah - Muhammad b. Al-Hanifiyyah - Ali b. Abi Talib

"Mahdi is one of us, the people of the Household. Allah will rectify him in a single night."

(Sunan Ibn Majah 4085, Book 36, Hadith 160)

Diagram & Conclusion

Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyya, being a prominent figure after the deaths of his father Ali and his brothers Hasan and Husayn, carried significant influence among certain factions of the early Muslim community, particularly among those who were dissatisfied with the ruling Umayyad dynasty. As the leader of the House of Ali, he would naturally have supporters who believed in his rightful claim to leadership.

With the emergence of beliefs surrounding the Mahdi, a figure awaited by Muslims to bring about justice and righteousness, Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyya's followers might have sought to solidify his position as the awaited Mahdi. Fabricating hadiths attributing the prophecy of the Mahdi to Ali's progeny could serve several purposes:

1. Legitimizing Ibn al-Hanafiyya's Authority: By associating the Mahdi prophecy with Ali's descendants, particularly with Ibn al-Hanafiyya, his supporters could bolster his legitimacy as a leader and further solidify his claim to authority among dissatisfied factions.

2. Galvanizing Support: Belief in the Mahdi's imminent arrival could serve as a rallying point for dissidents and those opposed to the ruling Umayyad dynasty. Fabricating hadiths about the Mahdi coming from Ali's lineage could inspire hope and unity among those who looked to Ibn al-Hanafiyya as their leader.

3. Political Motives: The fabrications could also serve political motives, aiming to challenge the legitimacy of the Umayyad caliphs by presenting an alternative lineage of leadership rooted in the House of Ali.

Considering the historical backdrop of Ibn al-Hanafiyya's prominence, his followers' desire for legitimacy and leadership, and the political tensions of the time, it's plausible that these hadiths were fabricated to serve the interests of Ibn al-Hanafiyya's supporters.