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The signs of the reappearance of Muhammad al-Mahdi are the collection of events that will occur before the coming back of Muhammad al-Mahdi, an ultimate savior of humankind and the final Imam of the Twelve Imams in Shia Islam. The signs are classified as uncertain or certain signs.
Contents
The certain signs
According some Shia narrations there are five certain signs that will occur prior of the reappearance of the twelfth Imam. The hadith of Ja'far al-Sadiq mentions these signs: "there are five signs for our Dhuhur (the reappearance of the twelfth Imam), the appearance of Sufyani and Yamani, the loud cry in the sky, the murder of a pure soul (Nafs-e-Zakiyyah), and the earth swallowing (a group of people) in the land of Beyda.
Appearance of Sufyani
According to some narrations Sufyani, one of the descendants of Abu Sufyan, will arise before Muhammad al-Mahdi's reappearance. He has been depicted as an outwardly devout man that will take care to remember Allah at all times. But in reality he will be the most wicked man in the world. He will upraise during the Rajab. After he realizes that Muhammad al-Mahdi has reappeared, he will send away an army to fight him. Some books say that the army of Sufyani before getting to the army of Muhammad al-Mahdi will sink into the earth in the Beyda, the area between Mecca and Medina. The appearance of Sufyani is mentioned in both Shia and Sunni narrations.
Appearance of Yamani
In some narrations, the appearance of Yamani is mentioned as one of the certain signs of twelfth Imam's reappearance. The fifth Shia Imam, Muhammad al-Baqir, described Yamani in detail in a hadith:"... among these individuals (Sufyani,Yamani and Khorasani) the Yamani is the closest to guidance, for he calls the people to join the Muhammad al-Mahdi. When he rises the trading of weapons will be prohibited for every Muslim. When he rises join him immediately, for his flag is the flag of guidance and prosperity and no Muslim should oppose it. Any one who does so will go to hell, because the Yamani calls to the right path." Some sources mention that Yamani and Khurasani will be allied against Sufyani.
The loud cry in the sky
The third certain sign that is mentioned in the above narration is the loud cry in the sky. According to tradition two cries will heard. In the first of them Gabriel will call the name of Al-Qa'im and his father and say that truth is with Ali and his Shia. All people will hear Gabriel's cry in their own language. In a tradition of Ja'far al-Sadiq that is narrated by Zurarah ibn A'yan, it is said that after this cry Satan will call certainly, so and so and their followers are victorious ones and his meaning is a man from Banu Umayya. He adds that the person who make the first cry says the truth.
The murder of Nafse Zakeyyah
A pure soul or Nafse Zakeyyah is one of the descendants of Husayn ibn Ali. In Shia sources his name is Hojat ibn al-Hasan. He will be murdered and is without any sin or crime. According to many narrations, he is the envoy of Muhammad al-Mahdi to Mecca before his reappearance. When he will arrive to Mecca and say his message, the people of Mecca slay him around the Kaaba.
Earth swallowing (Sufyani's Army) in land of Bayda
The sinking of Sufyani's army into the earth is a certain sign of reappearance of Muhammad al-Mahdi. In addition to above-mentioned hadith of Ja'far Sadiq, in a hadith Ali ibn Abi Talib mentions that Sufyani's army will sink on the earth.
Uncertain signs
There are many signs in the tradition whose occurrence is dependent on certain conditions. These signs are uncertain signs. Some of them: