Excerpted from: “From the Loins of Pure Men, and the Wombs of Pure Women: The Family Tree and Lineage of the World And The Lineage of the Pride of Creation; The Most Exalted Amongst The Sons of Adam From Those Who Were Chosen and Sent; Hadrat Muhammad Mustafa.” Translated by Sayyid Ahmed Amiruddin
“Allah the Majestic promised in His Covenant with Ibrahim (alaihi salam) that He would make him the leader (Imam) of mankind. The Prophet Ibrahim (alaihi salam) then prayed, “And (make this Covenant) with my descendents as well” (Qur’an, 2:124). As such, Isma’il (alaihi salam), the eldest son of Ibrahim (alaihi salam) was the first recipient of this Divine Covenant of leadership over mankind. After Ismail (alaihi salam), this Covenant continued through his progeny until the Pride of Creation (sallallahu alaihi wa aalihi wa sallam) was born from amongst them.
On the Night of Mi’raj (the Night Journey), the Imamate of the Apostle of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wa aalihi wa sallam) over all of mankind, celestial beings and the entire creation was manifest. The Prophets are the best of Allah’s creation, and Allah’s Apostle (sallallahu alaihi wa aalihi wa sallam) was made to lead them all in prayer. The leading of the Prophets in prayer in Jerusalem, at al Aqsa, by Allah’s Apostle (sallallahu alaihi wa aalihi wa sallam) made manifest to the inhabitants of the heavens and the earth his leadership over all creation.
Allah accepted the prayer of Ibrahim (alaihi salam) and made the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alaihi wa aalihi wa sallam) the Imam of Creation, and all of the Prophets, including Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, Soloman, and Jesus (peace be upon them all) prayed behind him in presence of the Arch Angel Jibrael at al Aqsa. It was for this reason that al Aqsa held a key significance to the true followers of the Prophet, who were willing give their lives to protect it, as it was the blessed location at which the Imamate (leadership) of all of mankind was decided, and it was the hallowed place of the coronation of Allah’s Apostle as the Imam of all Prophets, Angels, Men and the entire creation. That is why the Commander of the Faithful, Umar ibn Khattab sought to conquer it and it was also the reason for which Salahuddin and his brave knights fought in frenzy to ensure it remained under the control of Muslims, for the honor of Muhammad (sallallahu alaihi wa aalihi wa sallam), the Imam of creation. Hence, Al Mahdi (alaihi rahma) will also (fight and) make Jerusalem (1) his capital with Jesus the son of Mary, who will unite the world under the flag of the Holy Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa aalihi wa sallam) and his household.
Hadrat Abi Bakr as-Siddiq the son of Abi Qahafa was the first of the Sahabah to believe and testify to the Night Journey of Allah’s Apostle and during the last illness of Allah’s Apostle , Hadrat Abi Bakr lead the Sahabah, who were the best of creation after the Prophets, in prayer. This imamate of Hadrat Abi Bakr over the Sahabah in prayer, was carried out in presence of the Imam of the Prophets, at his mosque in Medinah the Illuminated. It symbolized the imamate of Hadrat Abi Bakr over all of the Sahabah.
As such, after the departure of Allah’s Messenger from the world, Hadrat Abi Bakr was appointed as the imam in his place by the Sahabah, and he assumed the title “Caliphatul Rasulullah” (Successor to the Apostle of Allah) to himself.
Hadrat Abi Bakr was thus the first of the Rightly Guided Caliphs, who assumed the office of the Caliphate after the passing of Allah’s Apostle (sallallahu alaihi wa aalihi wa sallam). He was a direct descendent of Quraysh (Nadhr) and Quraysh, based upon what is documented in the form of names, was the forty –sixth descendent of Isma’il, the chosen son of Ibrahim and with whom the Covenant of Leadership (Imamate) was made by Allah Almighty (Qur’an, 2:124), and which is celebrated on ‘Eid al-Adha by all Believers.
After the demise of Allah’s Apostle (sallallahu alaihi wa aalihi wa sallam), Hadrat Abi Bakr prevented the Ansar from erring by attempting to claim the Divine Right of the Caliphate to themselves, by declaring, “the Imams can only come from the descendents of Quraysh”. Hadrat Umar who was also present with him, submitted to this declaration based upon the teachings of Allah’s Apostle (sallallahu alaihi wa aalihi wa sallam), of the Divine Right of Leadership (the Imamate) belonging only to the Quraysh, and pledged his oath of allegiance to Hadrat Abi Bakr .
The Ansar and the Sahabah followed Umar and from the era of the Rightly Guided Caliphs (Abi Bakr, Umar, Uthman and ‘Ali) onwards, the “Divine Right of the Quraysh” was accepted throughout all Muslim empires up until the demise of the Ottoman Caliphate in 1924 A.D. These empires included the Ummayads, the Abbasids and the Ottomans (who inter-married into the Quraysh as well after the reign of Selim I).
Also, in succession to the legacy of the “Divine Right of the Quraysh” of the Rightly Guided Caliphs, the last of the Rightly Guided Caliphs, whose appointment to the office of the “King‟ of the Kingdom of Heaven, behind whom even a Prophet will pray (Jesus, the son of Mary), will also be from the chosen (2) tribe of the Quraysh. However, in addition to being from the chosen tribe of the Quraysh, Al Mahdi will be from the best of the clans (from within the Quraysh), the Banu Hashim, and through his grandparents (‘Ali and Fatima), Al Mahdi will be from the descendents (3) of the Pride of Creation; Hadrat Muhammad Mustafa ‟.
The above mentioned was the reason behind the declaration of Imam Rabbani Mujaddid Alf Thani Ahmad al-Faruqi, al-Sirhindi , a descendent of Hadrat Umar ibn Khattab, who wrote in his “Maktubat‟ (Letters), “Al Mahdi will accept the teachings of the Khwajagan”. The secret behind the statement of Imam Rabbani was, because the Khwajagan are the only successors to Hadrat Abi Bakr, the first of the Rightly Guided Caliphs, it is only natural that the Mahdi will come from their ranks, or will read and accept their teachings. As such, the Mahdi’s affirmation of the legacy of the Khwajagan spiritual inheritance from Hadrat Abi Bakr and his own ancestral lineage and inheritance from the Holy Prophet , through his grandparents ‘Ali and Fatima will make his claim absolute.
Hence, Al Mahdi’s claim by divine right to the Imamate of the Kingdom of Heaven will be supreme and mandatory upon all Believers to submit and yield to, and any Muslim who denies the Imamate of Al Mahdi will become a blasphemer as highlighted in various sayings of Allah’s Apostle.
- The Apostle of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wa aalihi wa sallam) was reported to have said, “A man from my nation shall come who speaks with my Sunnah, and Allah the Majestic, the Glorified, shall send showers of rain from the heavens so that the earth will produce its blessings. Through him, the earth shall be filled with fairness and justice, just as it had been filled with oppression and injustice. He will govern this nation for seven years and go to Jerusalem”.
- Wathila ibn al Aska’ narrated that the Apostle of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wa aalihi wa sallam) said, “Allah chose Kanana from the sons of Isma’il, and Quraysh from Kanana, and from Quraysh, the sons of Hashim, and finally chose me from the sons of Hashim.” (Imam Allamah Yusuf ibn Isma‟il Nabhabani in his “Anwaar Muhammadiyya‟ pg.29)
- The Apostle of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wa aalihi wa sallam) was reported to have said in numerous reliable traditions as reported by thirty-three Sahabah, “The Mahdi will be of my family, of the descendants of Fatima” (Abu Dawud).