The Authenticity of the Narration: The Mahdi's Origin from the East

Question

The question addresses the authenticity of the narration stating that the Mahdi will begin his mission from the East. It also inquires whether this implies that the initiation of his affairs and preparation for his appearance will take place in the East, specifically in Iran.

Answer 1

Peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings.

The narration in question is found in both our sources and those of the general public.

Our Master, the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him), said:

(His origin will be from the East, and when that happens, the Sufyani will emerge) (Al-Bihar: 52/252).

Additionally, several scholars from the general public have affirmed this, including Ibn Al-Athir, who stated:

The Mahdi's emergence and appearance will originate from the East, and he will be pledged allegiance to at the House (Kaaba), as indicated by some narrations.

We would like to point out two points:

(First Point): A question and answer.

(Second Point): A reference to the disagreement regarding the interpretation of the East.

Regarding the first point:

The mentioned narration raises a question for researchers: How can his emergence begin from the East when the narration explicitly states that he will appear from Mecca?

However, some scholars have attempted to resolve this question with a nuanced interpretation, suggesting that the term 'origin from the East' refers to the beginning of his affairs, meaning that the movement of his supporters will come from the East.

(Second Point)

There has been discussion among scholars regarding the precise meaning of the East. Some scholars from the general public believe that the East refers to the eastern part of the city, starting from Najd in Iraq and beyond, as indicated by Al-Khattabi, and they consider the narration from Al-Tirmidhi regarding Khorasan to be weak, a view supported by Al-Albani.

They have pointed out that Khorasan includes parts of Afghanistan and Iran, including Herat, Kabul, and Balkh, which are currently within the borders of Afghanistan.

This interpretation has not been accepted by several researchers, who have debated it. Sheikh Ali Korani has explicitly stated:

The second point is that the people from the East and the bearers of the black banners refer to the Iranians, which is a consensus among the generation of the companions who narrated the hadith, the generation of the followers who received it from them, and generations thereafter throughout the ages. No one among them has mentioned, even in a rare instance, that these people and banners refer to the actual Turks, for example, or Afghanistan, India, or other countries! Rather, several hadith scholars and authors have explicitly stated that they are the Iranians. They have even been referred to as the Khorasanis in various forms or phrases reported from the hadith, known as the hadith of the banners of Khorasan.

Therefore, the interpretation by Wahhabis of the banners of the East as referring to the people of Afghanistan, the Taliban, and Chechnya is a deviation from the understanding of all Muslims!

All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the worlds, and peace and blessings be upon our Master Muhammad and his pure family.

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For more, refer to:

The Hadith that the Mahdi's affairs begin from Iran