Will Khilafah be established before the coming of Al-Mahdi?

Whether Mahdi would be the one to revive the Khilafah or Khilafah will be established before him and he’ll be the one who’ll fasten the pace? Consider the mentioned points which hint to the establishment of Khilafah before the coming of Al-Mahdi.

We live in a world where there is no Islamic State (Khilafah) on the complete globe. There is no inch on the whole globe where the Hukm or Kalimah of Allah is established as a System. We all await the return of Khilafah and we don’t have any doubt that it will come.

قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: تكون النبوة فيكم ما شاء الله أن تكون، ثم يرفعها الله إذا شاء أن يرفعها، ثم تكون خلافة على منهاج النبوة فتكون ما شاء الله أن تكون، ثم يرفعها الله إذا شاء أن يرفعها، ثم تكون ملكًا عاضًا فيكون ما شاء الله أن يكون، ثم يرفعها إذا شاء الله أن يرفعها، ثم تكون ملكًا جبرية فتكون ما شاء الله أن تكون، ثم يرفعها الله إذا شاء أن يرفعها، ثم تكون خلافة على منهاج النبوة، ثم سكت.

It was narrated by Ahmed in his Musnad, from Al-Nu’man b. Bashir, who said: “We were sitting in the mosque of the Messenger of Allah (saw), and Bashir was a man who did not speak much, so Abu Tha’labah Al-Khashnee came and said: ‘Oh, Bashir bin Sa’ad, have you memorized the words of the Messenger of Allah (saw) regarding the rulers?’ Huthayfah replied, ‘I have memorized his words’. So Abu Tha’labah sat down and Huthayfah said, ‘The Messenger of Allah (saw) said ‘Prophet-hood will be amongst you as long as Allah wishes, then He will lift it up when He wishes to lift it up. Then there will be a Khilafah on the way of the Prophet, and it will be as long as Allah wishes it to be, then Allah will lift it up when He wishes to lift it up. Then there will be an inheritance rule (ملكًا عاضًا), and it will last as long as Allah wishes it to, then Allah will lift it up if when He wishes to lift it up. Then there will be a coercive rule(ملكًا جبرية), and it will last as long as Allah wishes it to be, then Allah will lift it up when He wishes to lift it up. Then there will be a Khilafah on the way of Prophet-hood.’ Then he was silent.”

Reference: Masnad Ahmed bin Hanbal (Hadith # 18430) , As-Saheeha al-Albani (Hadith # 5). It has been declared Hasan by Sh’uaib Arnaoot, and al-Albani classified it as Sahih. The text quoted is the one from Masnad Ahmed.

For many other references see this link : The Future of Islam – Khilafah Returns

Few people think that Khilafah, the rule of Allah, will not be established before the coming of Al-Mahdi and Isaعليهما السلام . Even if the case is so, that doesn’t take away from us the duty of striving for the establishment of rule of Allah (Jihad) until they come. No matter, how distant the achievement of the goal is in terms of time, we still have to strive for it for our salvation and to get our name written in the forces of Mahdi. Prophet Muhammad laid the foundation of a vision which will be accomplished in the times of Mahdi. All those who share the same vision, be it the sahaba, those in our times, or those in the times of Mahdi fall in the same Army!

There are few indications in the books of history and Ahaadith which seem to indicate that the rule of Allah (Khilafah) will be established before the coming of Al-Mahdi and Isa علبهما السلام.

Point # 1-

يأتي على الناس زمان لا يبقى فيه مؤمن إلا لحق بالشام

It was narrated by Al-Haakim, and classified as Sahih, the narration of Abdullah b. ‘Amr, who said: “There will come a time when there will not be one believer left, but will rush to Al-Shaam.”
Reference: Mastadrak Al Haakim (Hadith # 8413), Dhahbi says it is according to the conditions of Bukhari and Muslim, in his Talkhees

It will be a time saying: "Either you are with us or against us “! It will be a time when Khilafah will be revived in Ash Shaam, and it would become a compulsion on all muslims to submit to that Khilafah! Ash Shaam would become a Dar ul Hijrah, and Muslims throughout the globe who are in Dar ul Kufr will have no other option but to go and join Ash Shaam (The only Darul Islam, Darussalam and Dar ul Hijrah) on the globe. People will give Bai’ah to Imam Al Mahdi in Makkah, and perhaps later on he’ll move his center to Bait Al Maqdis. So, this hadith doesn’t seem to refer to his times.

Point # 2 -

يَكُونُ اخْتِلاَفٌ عِنْدَ مَوْتِ خَلِيفَةٍ فَيَخْرُجُ رَجُلٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْمَدِينَةِ هَارِبًا إِلَى مَكَّةَ فَيَأْتِيهِ نَاسٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ مَكَّةَ فَيُخْرِجُونَهُ وَهُوَ كَارِهٌ فَيُبَايِعُونَهُ بَيْنَ الرُّكْنِ وَالْمَقَامِ وَيُبْعَثُ إِلَيْهِ بَعْثٌ مِنَ الشَّامِ فَيُخْسَفُ بِهِمْ بِالْبَيْدَاءِ بَيْنَ مَكَّةَ وَالْمَدِينَةِ فَإِذَا رَأَى النَّاسُ ذَلِكَ أَتَاهُ أَبْدَالُ الشَّامِ وَعَصَائِبُ أَهْلِ الْعِرَاقِ فَيُبَايِعُونَهُ بَيْنَ الرُّكْنِ وَالْمَقَامِ ثُمَّ يَنْشَأُ رَجُلٌ مِنْ قُرَيْشٍ أَخْوَالُهُ كَلْبٌ فَيَبْعَثُ إِلَيْهِمْ بَعْثًا فَيَظْهَرُونَ عَلَيْهِمْ وَذَلِكَ بَعْثُ كَلْبٍ وَالْخَيْبَةُ لِمَنْ لَمْ يَشْهَدْ غَنِيمَةَ كَلْبٍ فَيَقْسِمُ الْمَالَ وَيَعْمَلُ فِى النَّاسِ بِسُنَّةِ نَبِيِّهِمْ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- وَيُلْقِى الإِسْلاَمُ بِجِرَانِهِ إِلَى الأَرْضِ فَيَلْبَثُ سَبْعَ سِنِينَ ثُمَّ يُتَوَفَّى وَيُصَلِّى عَلَيْهِ الْمُسْلِمُونَ

"Disagreement will occur at the death of a caliph and a man of the people of Medina will come... flying forth to Mecca. Some of the people of Mecca will come to him, bring him out against his will and give bay'ah to him between the Rukn and the Maqam. An expeditionary force will then be sent against him from Syria but will be swallowed up in the desert between Mecca and Medina. When the people see that, the God fearing people of Syria and the best people of Iraq will come to him and swear allegiance to him between the Corner and the Maqam. Then there will arise a man of Quraysh whose maternal uncles belong to Kalb and send against them an expeditionary force which will be overcome by them, and that is the expedition of Kalb. Disappointed will be the one who does not receive the booty of Kalb. He will divide the property, and will govern the people by the Sunnah of their Prophet (peace be upon him) and establish Islam on Earth. He will remain seven years..."

Reference: Reported by at-Tabarani in al-Awsat , by Imam Ahmed in his Masnad and by Abu Da’wud in his Sunan. According to Haithmi in his Majma' az-Zawaid the transmitters in at-Tabarani's narration are sound and authentic. But this hadith has been graded by al-albani as Da'eef in Ad Da'eefah and in The Takhreej of Sunan Abu Da'wud and also by Sh'uaib Arnaoot in the Takhreej of Masnad Ahmed.

The portion “Disagreement will occur at the death of a caliph” indicates the return of Khilafah before the coming of al-Mahdi.
Point # 3 –

يقتتل عند كنزكم ثلاثة كلهم ابن خليفة ثم لا يصير إلى واحد منهم ثم تطلع الرايات السود قبل المشرق فيقاتلونكم قتالا لم يقاتله قوم ثم ذكر شيئا فقال : إذا رأيتموه فبايعوه و لو حبوا على الثلج فإنه خليفة الله المهدي هذا حديث صحيح على شرط الشيخين تعليق الذهبي قي التلخيص : على شرط البخاري ومسلم

"Three men, all of them sons of Khalifah, will fight over your treasure and none of them will take it. Then black flags will appear in the Orient, they will kill you in a manner in which no one had been killed before. Thowban added the Prophet said something else that I do not remember very well, then the Prophet said: "When you see this (man) pledge allegiance to him even if this requires you to crawl on snow as he is the Caliph of Allah, Al Mahdi"

Reference: Quoted by Al Haakim in his Mustadrak and he say it is according to the conditions of Bukhari and Muslim an Ad Dahabi has supported his claim in the talkhees. Also mentioned by Ibn e Majah in his Sunan with a different chain. Albani says its meaning is authentic except for the statement: as he is the Caliph of Allah, Al Mahdi.

Perhaps the dispute mentioned is a dispute on Khilafah (or hold of Al-Ka’ba) which is similar to the narration mentioned above. The ending of the hadith tells us how to get out this dispute.

There are many similar narrations. All of them mention the sons of Khulafa before the advent of Mahdi.

Point # 4 - Narrations tell us that Mahdi will fill the world with justice as it was filled with Injustice and inequality. So, it will be a matter that will be done step by done, and the first step will be laid before the advent of Mahdi. Remember, the era of al-Mahdi will be only seven years.

Point # 5 -

Islam didn’t spread over the complete Arabian Peninsula and the Roman and Persian Empire in times of Prophet Muhammad, the expansion occurred in the times of Abu Bakr, Umer and Uthman, so it’s logical to believe that Mahdi won't be the only one in this spread of Islam and Pious Khulafaa will precede him before it.

Considering the above points it is more likely that Khilafah will be established in Ash Shaam before the advent of Mahdi, remember there is no hadith stating that Mahdi will be the one to establish Khilafah for the first time after it is lost.

والله اعلم

May Allah help us join those who are striving to make the Kalimah of Allah Supreme!