Q. Is the Aḥādīth of al-Mahdī are weak?

Q. Is it true that all of the Aḥādīth of al-Mahdī are weak?

A. There are authentic Aḥādīth that indicate that al-Mahdī (peace be upon him) will appear at the end of time. He is one of the signs of the Day of Judgment. Among these Aḥādīth is the following:

Abū Sa’īd al-Khudrī reported that the Messenger of Allāh (Peace & Blessings of Allāh be upon Him) said: “At the end of the time of my ummah, the Mahdī will appear. Allāh will grant him rain, the earth will bring forth its fruits, he will give a lot of money, cattle will increase and the ummah will become great. He will rule for seven or eight years. (Mustadrak al-Ḥākim, 4/557-558; he said: this is a Ḥadīth whose isnād is ṣaḥīḥ, although it was not reported by al-Bukhārī and Muslim. Also Imām al-Dhahabī agreed with him, and al-Albānī said: this is a ṣaḥīḥ al-sanad, and its men are thiqāt (trustworthy), Silsilat al-Aḥādīth al-Ṣaḥīḥah, vol. 2, p. 336, Ḥadīth 771)

~ Sheikh Prof. Muḥammed bin Gamal al-Suyūti al-Hanbalī