Among the information delivered bythe Prophet (saas) about Hazrat Mahdi (as), who is the Imam of the End Times and spiritual leader of the time, his physical features are also told in great details. One of these features is the fact that Hazrat Mahdi’s (as) body is wide and majestic just like the Prophet’s (saas). In the hadiths it is pointed out that Hazrat Mahdi (as) is broad shouldered and has a wide stomach. Besides it is also understood that Hazrat Mahdi’s (as) eyebrows are close to one another, that he walks fast, meaning he has a lively creation.
He [Hazrat Mahdi (as)] is large of body. (Al-Uqayli, An-Najmu's-saqib fi Bayan Anna'l Mahdi min Awladi Ali b. Abu Talib Ale't-Tamam wa al-Qamal)
From Yahya bin Nufal, indeed Musa ibn Ja’far (as) raises his hands and supplicates after afternoon prayer, I inquire from him saying, “For whom did you offer prayer?” He said: “For Al-Mahdi (as) among the family of Muhammad (saas)” and continued: “HE IS HAVING WIDE STOMACH, HIS LEGS ARE VERY ENERGETIC, HIS SHOULDERS ARE WIDE … HIS NIGHT SHALL GUARD THE STARS BY HIS BOWING DOWN AND PROSTRATION TO ALLAH, HE WHOM THE BLAMES OF THOSE THAT BLAME SHALL NOT AFFECT HIM BEFORE ALLAH, HE IS THE LUMINOUS CANDLE, HE SHALL RISE WITH THE COMMAND OF ALLAH.” (Bihar al-Anwar, 86-81)
His Eminence, Abu Ja’far, Imam Muhammad Baqr (as) through his forefathers has narrated from the chief of Ahl al-Bayt, His Eminence, Commander of the Belivers (as) that His Eminence proclaimed from the pulpit, “IN THE LAST AGE A MAN FROM MY PROGENY [HAZRAT MAHDI (AS)] WOULD RISE, ... HAVING A CLEAR AND WIDE BELLY AND HIS THIGHS WOULD BE BROAD AND HIS BONES SHALL BE LONG (BIG) AND PROMINENT ...”(Allama Baqir Sharif al-Qurashi, The Life of Imam al-Mahdi (as), p. 47)
In another hadith, Hazrat Ali (as) again mentions about Imam Mahdi (as) in the following words: “HE SHALL HAVE A WIDE FOREHEAD… AND A CLEAR AND WIDE BELLY, BROAD THIGHS …”(Yanabee’-al-Mawadda, p. 423)
His [Hazrat Mahdi’s (as)] stomach large, and the space between his thighs is open ...(Mari’ bin Yusuf Karami Hanbali, Fawaid Fawaid al-Fikr fil Mahdi al-Montazar, p. 13)
His [Hazrat Mahdi’s (as)] ... brow is wide. (The hadith indicates that Hazrat Mahdi’s (as) head will also be large.) (Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir az-Zaman, p. 22)
