The hadith of our Prophet (saas) provide a lot of information showing that Hazrat Mahdi (as) will emerge from Istanbul. One hadith states that Hazrat Mahdi (as) will appear from Turkey and will never leave it until the end of his struggle:
THE MAHDI WILL NOT LEAVE RUM, THE TURKS (because Turkey used to be known as region of Rum).
(Tilsimlar Magazine narrated from Ishaf ar-Raghibin, Bediuzzaman Said Nursi, p. 212) |
HAZRAT MAHDI (AS) WILL EMERGE FROM THE FORMER CENTER OF THE CALIPHATE
Hazrat Mahdi (as) and his system represent the central point of the hadith concerning the events of the End Times. Most of the major incidents in the End Times will revolve around Hazrat Mahdi (as). There are various accounts concerning the location of these events, but Bediüzzaman Said Nursi clarifies the issue by saying:
Now, the difference in the narrations about individuals like the Mahdi, and their meaning, is this: those who expounded Hadiths applied the text of the Hadiths to their own interpretations and commentaries. For example, since the centre of power at that time was Damascus or Medina, they imagined the events connected with the Mahdi and Sufyan in places like Basra, Kufa, and Syria, which were in the region of those centers, and expounded them accordingly.”
(The Words / Twenty-Fourth Word - Third Branch - p.355) |
In another passage Bediuzzaman Said Nursi says on the issue:
Since in early times the centers of the Caliphate were in Iraq, Damascus, and Medina, on their own interpretations, the narrators showed these events as occurring close to the centre of Islamic government, as though it was always going to remain thus, and said Aleppo and Damascus. They added their own details to the succinct predictions of the Hadith.
(The Rays / The Fifth Ray - Second Station - p.107) |
Although different cities appear in the hadith, the common feature of the accounts concerning the location of the events of the End Times is that they will take place in the capital of the Caliphate, where the two standards, the sword and robe of our Prophet (saas) are kept. As can be seen from Bediuzzaman's statements, the scholars who narrated the hadith of the End Times spoke of the events of the End Times being based in the centers of the caliphate of their own times. With regard to the place where Hazrat Mahdi (as) will appear from, each scholar has cited places such as Iraq, Damascus, Kufa and Medina as the centers of the caliphate in their own times. That is the reason for the difference in the accounts regarding the location of Hazrat Mahdi’s (as) emergence. Because the knowledge and information possessed by the narrators of these hadith has gradually been added to the accounts (mixed with those of the original transmitters) and thus given them their present form. The capital of the Caliphate has changed several times since the days of our Prophet (saas) – Damascus, Aleppo, Kufa, Mecca and finally Istanbul.
However, the common feature of the accounts regarding the location of the events of the End Times is that they will take place in the center of the Caliphate.
Bediuzzaman also reached that conclusion. The final center of the caliphate was “Istanbul.” The caliphate was officially abolished at the beginning of the last century, and it was never transferred anywhere else after that time. The two standards, sword and robe of our Prophet (saas), together with other holy relics, are kept in Istanbul. In conclusion, Istanbul is the only city to still bear this spiritual title. For that reason, that is where Hazrat Mahdi (as) may be expected to appear from. (Allah knows the truth.)
HAZRAT MAHDI (AS) WILL APPEAR TOGETHER WITH THE HOLY RELICS KEPT IN ISTANBUL
It is narrated from Abdullah b. Surafa that:
Hazrat Mahdi (as) will have an embroidered banner of our Prophet (saas) with him.
(Al-Burhan fi Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir al-Zaman, p. 65)
He will appear with the camelhair banner of our Prophet (saas). That banner will have four corners, will be stitchless and black in color. There will be a crescent on it. That banner, never opened since the death of Rasulullah (saas), will be unfurled when Hazrat Mahdi (as) emerges.
(Al-Burhan fi Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir al-Zaman, p. 23) |
HAZRAT MAHDI (AS) WILL SPIRITUALLY CAPTURE ISTANBUL
It is narrated from Ibn Amr that: Our Prophet (saas) said: O, people! There are six things without which Doomsday will not happen, (the sixth) is the capture of the city.
-He was asked: Which city?
-He replied: Constantinople.
(*) This is the spiritual capture of Constantinople by Hazrat Mahdi (as).
(Muhammad ibn 'Abd ar-Rasul Barzanji, Portents of Doomsday, p. 204 – Ramuz al-Ahadith, p. 296) |
Your leader, who distinguishes between truth and error, who does not deceive, who does not steal and who is devoted to his religion [Hazrat Mahdi (as)] will capture Constantinople (Istanbul).
(The Mahdi and the Imam, p. 196)
Even if but a single day remains in this world, Allah will certainly prolong that day so that one from my family [Hazrat Mahdi (as)] can take possession of Mount (or the land of) Daylam and the city of Constantinople (Istanbul).
(Al-Burhan fi Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir al-Zaman, p. 74 / Death-Doomsday-The Hereafter and the Portents of the End Times, p. 440)
Hazrat Mahdi (as) will conquer Constantinople and Mount Daylam.
(Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar fi Alamat al-Mahdi al- Muntadhar, p. 27)
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