Hazrat Mahdi (as) will not appear in a way that will oblige people to believe. On the contrary, Hazrat Mahdi (as) will have a very reasonable appearance in complete conformity with the law of Allah and again in conformity with that law, with a perfectly reasonable life. It is for that reason that it will not be easy for people to recognize Hazrat Mahdi (as), and his identity will only gradually be realized. As Bedizzaman Said Nursi has said, “even his close followers will only recognize Hazrat Mahdi (as) through the luminosity of his faith when they really focus on him.”
“But already have come some tokens thereof.” (Surah Muhammad, 18), was written in order to protect the belief of the mass of believers and preserve it from doubt. Like mutashabih (having many meanings, ambigiuous, allegorical) verses of the Qur’an, some hadiths about the events of the End Times have profound meanings. They cannot be expounded in the same way as muhkam (incontestable, entirely clear)verses, and not everyone can understand them. Rather than being expounded, they are explained away (interpreted in a different meaning).
In compliance with the secret, “But none except Allah and those who are deeply rooted in knowledge, knows its final meaning (ta’wil)” (Surah Al ‘Imran, 7) their interpretation (real meanings)and what is intended by them is understood only after the event, so that those firmly grounded in knowledge say:
“We believe in it; the whole [of the divine writ]is from our Sustainer,” (Surah Al ‘Imran, 7)and they disclose those hidden truths. (Bediuzzaman Said Nursi, The Rays / The Fifth Ray - p. 455)
This Fifth Ray contains an Introduction and twenty-three ‘Matters.’ The Introduction consists of five ‘Points.’
First Point:
Since belief and accountability are a test, a trial, a competition within the bounds of man’s will(in terms of willpower and the power to choose), matters that are obscure, profound, and in need of careful study and experiment cannot obvious. They should not be so compelling that everyone has to affirm them willy-nilly. For in this way the Abu Bakr’s may rise to the highest of the high and the Abu Jahl’s descend to the lowest of the low. If there is no will, there is no accountability. It is because of this mystery and wisdom that miracles are displayed only rarely, and in this realm of accountability, like some mutashabih verses of the Qur’an, the signs of the end of the world, which will be visible and seen, are obscure and open to interpretation. Only when the sun rises in the west, it will be so clear everyone will be compelled to affirm it, the door of repentance will be closed and repentance and belief will no longer be accepted. For the Abu Bakr’s and the Abu Jahl’s will be equal in their affirmation of it (Both the good and the bad will affirm these facts and they will be in the same situation). In fact, although when the Prophet Jesus (as) comes, that he is the Prophet Jesus (as) is known by the light of faith.
Second Point:
Some of the matters of the Unseen, outside the realm of man’s perception, that were made known to the Prophet (saas) were made known in detail. These he could in no way alter or interfere with, like the muhkam verses of the Qur’an and ‘Sacred’ Hadiths. (Hadith Qudsi: A saying of the Prophet (saas) imparted to him by revelation or inspiration, the wording of which was his own. [Tr.]) Others, employing his eloquence, he would illustrate and explain in detail and is left to his opinion (since these are matters that are not commanded explicitly in the Qur’an they are left to the Prophet’s (saas) decree by referring to the Qur’an and the hadith). Like the hadiths regarding the matters of the universe (matters that take place and are not related to faith) and of the events of the future. In this, our Prophet (saas) explain and depict in detail in allegorical form suitably to the wisdom of man’s accountability. For example, one time when conversing with some people, a deep rumbling was heard.
Our Prophet (saas) said: “That is the sound of a rock which has been rolling down hill for seventy years and has at this moment come to rest in the very pit of Hell.” Five minutes after he made this strange announcement, someone came and said: “Such-and-such a dissembler has died. He was seventy years old, and has gone to Hell,” (Muslim, Janna, 31, No: 2844; Musnad, iii, 341)showing the meaning of the Prophet’s (saas) eloquent words.
The Third Point consists of two ‘Points’:
The First:
Because in the course of time ordinary people attached literal meanings to some hadiths, which had been narrated in the form of comparisons and allegories, such Hadiths are regarded to be not conformable with reality. Although they are pure truth, they appear not to be so since they are not consistent with the events taking place.
The Second:
Some hadiths refer to the majority of Muslims, or to the Islamic State (places where Islamic morality prevails), or to the centre of the governance but they were understood to refer to all the people in the world. Although being particular in some respect, they were supposed to be universal and general.
Fourth Point:
Just as for numerous reasons and instances of wisdom hidden matters of ‘the Unseen’ like death and the appointed hour remain secret, so the end of the world, which is its death and the appointed hour of mankind and that of the animal kingdom, has been left secret for many good reasons and wisdom.
... Also, if the death of the world had been specified, some of the truths of belief would have been clearly obvious and everyone would have affirmed them willy-nilly (all people would believe these facts). The mystery of man’s accountability (the power to chose using conscience)and the wisdom and purpose of belief (the secret behind the test of the life of this world), which are tied to man’s choice and will, would have been negated.
It is for numerous benefits such as these that matters related to the Unseen remain secret. Everyone therefore continually bears in mind both his death and his continued life (everyone thinks of their life and death at the same time), and he works both for this world and the Hereafter. He is also aware that the end of the world may occur in any age, or that it may continue, and so works for eternal life within the transiency of this world, and yet strives to build the world as though he was never going to die.
… It is because most hidden cosmic events are tied to such instances of wisdom that to give news of the Unseen or to foretell events has been prohibited. In order not to be disrespectful and disobedient in the face of the principle (in the Law of Allah) ‘None knows the Unseen save Allah’, those who with the leave of Allah, even give news of the Unseen other than matters concerning man’s accountability and the truths of belief, have done so only allusively and indirectly. In fact, the good tidings about the Prophet Muhammad (saas) in the Torah, Gospels, and Psalms, even are veiled and obscure, in consequence of which some of the adherents of those scriptures (those who obeyed those scriptures)put various meanings on those passages and did not believe by explaining them away (by misinterpreting these truths according to themselves). However, since the wisdom in man’s accountability necessitates that the questions included among the tenets of belief are communicated explicitly and repeatedly, the Qur’an of Miraculous Exposition and its Glorious Interpreter (saas) tell of the matters of the Hereafter in detail, and of future worldly events only in summary fashion.
Fifth Point:
Also, since the wonders of the times of the antichrist (dajjal), which are related to their centuries, have been narrated in connection with them, those wonders have been imagined to proceed from their persons and this has led to the narrations becoming allegorical and their true meanings being concealed. Like, for example, his travelling by aero plane and railway train…
And, for example, it is well-known that when the Islamic antichrist dies, the satan who serves him will shoutout the news to the whole world(Muslim, Kitab al-Fitan, 34)from ‘Dikilitas,’ the obelisk in Istanbul, and everyone will hear its voice saying he is dead. That is to say the news will be broadcast by radio, which is wonderful and leaves even satans in amazement.
Also, since the strange circumstances and fearsome activities of the antichrist’s regime, and the covert organization and government that he founds, have been narrated as referring to his person, their true meaning has remained obscure. For example, the hadith narrates “He will be so powerful and long-lived that only the Prophet Jesus (as) will be able to kill him; nothing else will be able to.”(Tirmidhi, Kitab al-Fitan, 62; Abu Dawud, Kitab al-Malahim, 14; Musnad, iii, 420; iv, 226; al-Hakim, al-Mustadraq, iv, 529-30).
That is, it will only be a revealed, elevated, pure religion (sent from the Sight of Allah that will be able to overturn his way and rapacious regime, and eliminate them. Such a religion will emerge among the true followers of the Prophet Jesus (as) (Christians), and it will follow the Qur’an and become united with it. On the coming of the Prophet Jesus (as) (his second coming to Earth)and emergence of the true Christian religion, the antichrist’s irreligious way will be wiped out and will cease. The antichrist’s person could otherwise be killed by a mere germ or by influenza.
Also, the explanations and statements of some narrators, made through their own exertions and interpretations, which are open to error, have been mixed up with the words of the hadith. Their words have been supposed to be part of the hadith, and the meaning (the real meaning of the hadith)has been obscured. It does not appear to be conformable with reality (therefore that the hadith are in conformith with the events that took place is not understood)and in a way has become mutashabih (it is assumed that these hadith require interpretation).
Also, in early times the social collectivity and its collective personality had not developed as it has at the present (that the spiritual entity of the community had not come to open) and the idea of the isolated individual (attributing many features to one person only)was predominant, the extensive attributes and widescale actions of the community (the distinctive feature of the community and its great acts), therefore, were ascribed to the persons who led them.
In order to be worthy and fitting for superhuman (out of the ordinary), universal attributes, those persons had to have gigantic bodies and be of vast stature and have colossal power and strength a hundred times surpassing their own, so that is how they were depicted. As this was not conformable with reality, and the narration became mutashabih.
... Also, the circumstances (features) of the Great Mahdi (as) do not fit the narrations alluding to the earlier Mahdis, and these have become mutashabih hadiths (they are considered as hadith that require interpretation)…
