Abul-Hassan Abari says...

Abul-Hassan Abari says: Abundent traditions with successive transmission have come at band from Hazrat Mustafa (S.A.W.A.) that: Mahdi will emerge; that Mahdi is from the progeny of the Holy Prophet; that Mahdi will rule for seven years; that Mahdi will fill the earth with justice; that Mahdi will emerge along with Isa (A.S.) that Isa will assist Mahdi in killing Dajjal at the Gate of Lud in Palestine; that Mahdi will lead this nation and Isa will pray behind Hazrat.

Ibn-Hajar says: Abul-Hassan's statement that Mahdi would lead the prayers and Isa would stand behind him is a matter which is substantiated by traditions just as we have mentioned before. However Taftazani's statement that Isa would lead Mahdi because of the former being more superior that the latter and so Isa is more preferable and worthy is without any evidence.

This is because Mahdi's Imamate (leadership) for Isa means that Isa will descend from the heavens so that he remains as a follower of our Holy Prophet and remains governed by his 'Shariat' (religious laws)and does not possess any independence for his own 'Shariat'. Moreover the matter that Isa will follow someone from this nation (i.e. Mahdi) eventhough Isa may be more superior than the Imam whom he follows, is so explicit and clear that nothing remains concealed from this matter.

Besides, we can gather together these two sayings and say: Isa will first of all follow Mahdi in order that he manifests his motive (i.e. following the Islandi path) and after that Mahdi will follow Isa so that he has had acted upon the essence of the principle. Author says: Ibn-Hajar's objection and reply to Taftazani's views is a matter to think about just as the same is not concealed from our respected readers.

The author of "Es'aaf-ur-Raghebeen" (on page 163) says: In the book of "Kashf" Suyuti has narrated in various ways that after descending down, Isa would live for a period of forty years. Again Suyuti in his book "E'alam" says: As explicitly mentioned by the scholars Isa will judge as per the Shariat of our Holy Prophet (S.A.W.A). Traditions have come down in this regard and a consensus too has been agreed upon.

Author says: Traditions in this regard are numerous where in the third chapter of this book traditions have already been mentioned through Ganji tongue which is compatible with this matter is.