I have had the opportunity to debate hundreds of Shia Muslims over the years—on TikTok, social media, and satellite TV. Here are the questions almost any Shia will ask you, along with their answers:
There is only one Mahdi and that is Mohammed ibn Al Hassan Al Askari!
If you believe the Quran is distorted, then how can we trust the will?
Where are his miracles so we can believe in him? (The Yasir Al-Habib Phenomena)
Where is the Mahdi? I want to go to him or see him!
Who is the Yamani and how do I recognise him?
Who is the companion of Egypt?
How can I believe in your Mahdi if he changes the jurisprudence of the Prophet Mohammed?
You are not Shia!
These eight statements come up time and time again, so let’s address them.
1: There is only one Mahdi and that is Mohammed ibn Al Hassan Al Askari!
In order to know whether this statement is true or false, we need to ask the holy prophet and his household this very important question: How many Mahdis are there?
Let's see what the Ahlul Bayt have said about this matter:
1. In Bihar Al-Anwar Vol 53, we find door 30 “The caliphs of the Mahdi and what would happen after him.”
On the authority of Abu Basir, he said: I said to Al-Sadiq Jaafar bin Mohammed: O son of the Messenger of God, may God’s prayers, I heard from your father, that he said: After the Qaim, there will be twelve Mahdis. He said: He only said: Twelve Mahdis, and he did not say twelve Imams, but they are some of our Shia who call on people to support us and know our rights.
2. And also more than 1 Mahdi is mentioned in the book of Al-Ghayba Al-Tusi:
On the authority of Abu Abdullah, in a long hadith that he said: Oh Abu Hamza: After the Qaim, there will be eleven Mahdis from among the descendants of Al-Hussein. (Al-Ghayba Al-Tusi V1 chapter 52 H504)
As you can see, the Ahlul Bayt have historically informed us that there will be twelve Mahdis after the Imams. Now, let’s provide one more proof for the existence of these individuals, which we will discuss in more detail later in this article.
3. The most important evidence for the 12 men titled the "Mahdis", is the will of the prophet Mohammed, the document about which the prophet said, “Bring me a pen and paper and I shall write for you a document after which you will never be misguided again,” in the Calamity of Thursday narration. This writing mentions the twelve Mahdis clearly, as we see in the book of Al-Ghayba Al-Tusi, where the prophet dictates his will to Imam Ali:
The Messenger of God dictated his will until he reached this place and said: O Ali, there will be twelve Imams after me and after them twelve Mahdis… So those are twelve imams, then there will be twelve Mahdis after him, (so when death approaches him) let him hand it over to his son, the first of those close to him. He has three names: a name like my name and the name of my father, and he is Abdullah and Ahmad, and the third name: the Mahdi, he is the first of the believers.” (Al-Ghayba Al-Tusi V1 chapter 26 H111)
This will of prophet Mohammed was never previously mentioned by the scholars, despite its existence. Yet it serves as a major proof for the legitimacy and infallibility of the Imams, emphasizing their divine appointment as successors and guides for the Muslim community. It should be an important document for every Shia to read. Yet is it ignored in mainstream Shia Islam, because it undeniably states that there is more than one Mahdi.
2: If you believe the Quran is distorted, then how can we trust the will?
“The problem with the notion of the will being corrupt, is that there is no longer any religion, it’s done, it’s over. Because if the will is corrupt, it means nobody on the planet now knows, or has a way of knowing, who are Mohammed’s true successors, and if there is no way of identifying Mohammed’s true successors, then there's no way that God can legally, rightfully, justly, punish or hold anybody to account.” - Aba Al-Sadiq
The key issue here lies in the essential role of the will as a historical document, and as a logical evidence.
The foundation of religion, contrary to common belief, is not solely based on an incorruptible physical book. Instead, it rests on the physical event of appointing divine successors. All Shia would agree, that prophet Mohammed left two weighty things behind. The Quran AND his Ahlul Bayt. A physical book is not enough to serve as a guidance for an entire nation.
Every prophet has left a successor and publicly appointed him. Without this system of divine successorship, humanity would be left in a state of confusion. This is because there would be no clear way to recognize God's appointed representatives without it. Consequently, the absence of a divine appointment would invalidate the entire basis of accountability. God would no longer have a fair means of holding people accountable. How can he judge people that have no way of knowing, who the Imam or messenger of their time is?
The Will represents more than a lineage or historical document; it is the thread that connects humanity directly to God’s guidance. Without it, the words of Mohammed, “Whoever dies without knowing the Imam of their time dies a death of ignorance,” (Al-Kāfi - Volume 1, The Case of those who would Die without having an Imam from the Imams of Guidance, H3) would lose all meaning because it would mean that he did not leave us with a truly protected way to identify such an important character.
Each prophet throughout history has provided a clear successor. God appointed Adam as His caliph in front of the angels. Moses appointed Aaron, and later Joshua. Jesus, in the Christian tradition, appointed Simon Peter as his successor. Similarly, Mohammed without a shadow of doubt identified Imam Ali as his successor. How? By direct appointment in Ghadeer Khum, but more officially by the will. The will is the very bedrock upon which divine succession rests. Without it, nothing remains but confusion.
The Prophet assured that the will could not be falsified, corrupted, or misrepresented. Traditions from the Ahlul Bayt affirm that anyone who falsely claims the will would face divine retribution, effectively preventing misguidance.
Imam Al-Sadiq said, “This matter will not be claimed except by the rightful owner, or else Allah will cut off his age.” (Al-Kafi, Al-Shaikh Al-Kulayni, Vol. 1, Book 4, Ch 85, H 5)
For over 1400 years, no one has dared to claim this title except Ahmed Al-Hassan, and no one claimed to be ‘Abdullah’ in this will except Abdullah Hashem. Their unique position remains unchallenged, safeguarded against error, guiding those who follow with certainty.
In trusting the will, we trust in a line unbroken by misguidance, preserved by God’s protection, and we know with clarity and confidence whom to support in this time.
3: Where are his miracles so we can believe in him?
As for those who seek miracles, I have a simple request: Where did the family of the prophet tell us to ask for miracles from the Mahdi to prove himself?
I ask the reader to contemplate for a moment, about the nature of miracles. How would most people who lack knowledge of magic, differentiate between magic and miracles? It is impossible to know. Therefore this methodology was never a means to identify the Imam of the time and was never mentioned as such…
The Yasir Al-Habib phenomena
For those who don’t know Yasir Al-Habib, he is a Shia religious scholar who addressed a question about our call in one of his online videos. In his response, he disregarded the proofs from the holy household, the signs that took place and much more. He said the following in a video online on YouTube. The video is in Arabic, but this is the gist of it:
“Here I have a jar filled with all kinds of coins. We place this jar at the entrance to the mosque, and people fill it. Then we give this money as a donation. I don’t know how much money is in it, and no one in this room knows how much is in it. So, let their Imam call right now and tell us how much money is in the jar. And yes, we want to know how many of each coin are in there—for example, how many quarters are in the jar? Then, on camera right now, we will open the jar together and count it live on TV. If he’s correct, we will all believe, and I will be the first to pledge my allegiance.”
With this request, he proved he lacks the correct understanding of how to identify the Imam. How?
Yasir is asking the Imam to provide unseen knowledge, and according to Yasir, knowing how many coins are inside a jar represents divine knowledge. Therefore, he believes the authority of God belongs to such a person, and he is willing and ready to pledge his allegiance to that man. Let us debunk this entire concept with a single question. Keep in mind, a good question is half the answer: Can the jinn perform such a task?
Of course they can. Jinn have amazing powers: They can make people fall in love, break up relationships, move objects, and travel to the heavens and back. If a jinn can bring the throne of Balqees in the Quran,
One mighty jinn responded, “I can bring it to you before you rise from this council of yours. And I am quite strong and trustworthy for this task.” (Quran 27:39)
… surely, the task of counting the coins would be as easy as looking inside the jar and counting them right then and there, then laughing at Yasir Al-Habib and those who follow him blindly, as he and his followers give their pledge of allegiance to a jinn who told them the number of coins inside his jar.
Jokes aside, let’s just close this with,
‘While Amir Al-Momineen was addressing the people and he was saying: ‘Ask me before you lose me! By Allah! You will not ask me about anything past nor about anything to come into being, except I shall inform you all with it!’, Sa’ad Bin Abu Waqas stood up to him. He said, ‘O Amir Al-Momineen! Inform me, how many hairs are there in my head and my beard?’ He said to him: ‘But by Allah! You have asked me about an issue, my friend Rasool-Allah had narrated to me that you will be asking me about it, and there isn’t in your head and your beard any hair, except in its root is a Shaytan seated, and that in your house there is a goat who will be killing my son Al-Husayn, on that day, Umar Bin Sa’ad was crawling in front of him’’ (Bihar Al-Anwar, V 44, V31, H 5 &7)
4: Where is the Mahdi? I want to go to him or see him
For the sake of discussion, imagine if I gave you the exact location of the man we believe in. You book your flight, spend money, and take time off work. You fly over to meet him, you arrive outside his house, knock on the door, and a man comes out to greet you. You say to him, "Husam told me this is where the Mahdi lives. Are you the Mahdi?" And imagine he replies, "Yes, I am."
What would you do next? How would you know if this person is truly the Mahdi? Would your next question be, “How do I know you are the true Mahdi?” If so, keep reading.
My point is: Just by seeing the Mahdi physically, you won't be able to know that he is the real Mahdi.
Let’s start by saying that if we take our evidence from the narrations of the prophet and his holy household, there is no narration stating that when the Mahdi emerges from his occultation, every eye will see him. In fact, it’s quite the opposite; we find narrations indicating that two eschatological figures will appear before the Mahdi, tasked with gathering the believers' pledges to him. Let’s explore this further—please investigate along with me.
The two end times characters are: The Yamani and the Companion of Egypt.
5: Who is the Yamani and how do we recognise him?
The Yamani is the companion of the most guided of banners as mentioned by the Ahlul Bayt:
“There is no banner among the banners more guided than the banner of the Yamani. It is a banner of guidance because he calls to your companion. If the Yamani comes out, it is forbidden to sell weapons to people and every Muslim. And if the Yamani comes out, stand up to join him, for his banner is a banner of guidance. And it is not permissible for a Muslim to turn away from him, so whoever does that is one of the people of Hell, because he calls to the truth and a straight path.” (Al-Ghayba Al-Numani, The signs preceding the appearance, H13)
The Yamani’s mission is to invite people towards the cause of the Imam. He is depicted as a mysterious figure in the narrations. Ask any scholar you know, “How would we recognize the Yamani?” and you’ll hear some of the weakest arguments attributed to the family of the holy prophet—arguments that lack clarity or consensus.
There is no clear guidance on how to recognize the Yamani without using the principle of knowing the proof of God, which Imam Ahmed Al-Hasan, the Yamani, introduced when he appeared in 1999 as a messenger from the Twelfth Imam. Yes, we believe that the Yamani is Imam Ahmed Al-Hasan, a man who has exposed falsehood and prepared the way to fulfill God’s mission on earth.
6: Who is the companion of Egypt and how do we recognise him?
The Companion of Egypt is another end times figure of Shia Islam, who builds the media platform of the Mahdi:
I heard the prince of believers and he was complaining, and I was standing next to him: ‘I will build a pulpit in Egypt and Damascus would be broken rock by rock, and the Jews and the Christian will be expelled from every town of the Arabs, and I shall usher the Arabs with this stick of mine!’ He (the narrator) said, ‘I said to him, ‘O prince of the believers! It is as if you are informing that you will be living afterwards, you will not be dying!’ He said: ‘Far be it, O Abaya! You have gone another way. It will be done by a man from me.’’ Bihar Al Anwaar – V 53 , Ch 29 H 47
Pulpits in those times represented media, as the pulpit was the primary source of news and cultural ideology. This means the Companion of Egypt would establish a media platform, just as Aba Al-Sadiq has done. His media platform spans from the Arrivals and TADS projects to the present day, where he operates two satellite channels broadcasting to Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and parts of Asia. These channels engage the public directly through esoteric lectures from the School of Divine Mysteries, daily debates, and discussions. Additionally, there is a social media platform, which includes the magazine you are reading right now.
The narrations presented above, along with many others, affirm that the matter of the Mahdi does not begin when he emerges from his occultation; rather, it starts with the emergence of two key figures: the Yamani and the Egyptian. They represent the dawah (invitation or call) to pledge allegiance to the Imam before his public appearance. It is crucial to save oneself from dying the death of ignorance during this time.
We know from the narrative that when the Twelfth Imam's major occultation is over, only 12 people will directly see him, in secret. These individuals are the ones commanded by the Imam to go public and announce the glad tidings of the end of the major occultation:
Abu Abdullah as-Sadiq said: “Al-Qa’im will not appear until after twelve men will rise and agreed upon that they have seen him but they will be considered as liars.” (Al-Ghayba Al-Numani, The signs preceding the appearance, H58)
So the real answer to the question, “Where is the Imam? I want to go to him or see him” is: First know these two characters, because they are the only way, door, and path to reaching Mohammed son of Al-Hassan Al-Askari.
If you urgently want to know more about the Yamani and the Egyptian, read the Mahdi’s Manifesto which clearly explains the way: https://theahmadireligion.org/
Or watch the videos from Aba Al-Sadiq on the YouTube channel, @TheMahdiHasAppeared:
7: How can I believe in your Mahdi if he changes the jurisprudence of the prophet Mohammed?
First, let us ask the Prophet Mohammed this question: “By what way (sunnah) will the Mahdi walk?”
The answer will surely be: “On the way (sunnah) of the prophets.” If someone comes with a sunnah other than theirs, they are undoubtedly a false deceiver.
One major misconception shared by both Shia and Sunni Muslim sects is that they all believe the Mahdi, upon his appearance, will agree with their specific sect’s teachings. They also believe that the Mahdi will correct others to align with their way of Islam. Meanwhile, the Ismailis already have an Imam who is concerned about the next successor, which arguably demonstrates a lack of divine protection. Let us become aware of this narration if we have not heard it before, and remember it if we have:
“….Then he said: ‘The Jews differed, from after Moses and separated into seventy-one sects, one of which will be in the Paradise and seventy sects would be in the Fire. And the Christians separated, from after Jesus into seventy-two sects, one of which would be in the Paradise and seventy-one of the sects would be in the Fire. And this community will separate after its Prophet into seventy-three sects. Seventy-two sects would be in the Fire and one sect would be in the Paradise. And from these seventy-three sects, thirteen would be of those who claim to be in our Wilayah and show affection to us. Twelve sects from these would be in the Fire and one sect would be in the Paradise. And sixty sects from the rest of the people would be in the Fire.” (Al-Kāfi - V8, Differences among the followers of Musa, H1)
Having said that, when we return to the historical narrative that has reached us from Shia sources about the Mahdi, we find that he does change the jurisprudence and explains why he takes this significant action.
“The Qaim/Riser shall rise with a new matter, and a new book, and a new jurisprudence/rule which will be hard for the Arabs.” (Al-Ghayba Al-Numani V1 p.236)
Keep in mind, that this was narrated from multiple sources such as Abdullah son of Atta’, Mohammed son of Muslim, Asim son of Humaid Al Hanat and others.
As for why he does that?
Abu Abdullah Al-Sadiq said: “He (Imam al-Mahdi) will act as the Prophet has acted. He will annul all what has been established before him as the Prophet has annulled all that has been established in the pre-Islamic age. He will resume Islam anew.” (Kitāb al-Ghayba, V1, Ch13, H12 (13 in Arabic sources)
The Mahdi's approach aligns with that of prophets and messengers who historically implemented significant changes for certain reasons. Rather than attempting to repair a fundamentally flawed system, he introduces a fresh system. The true religious path will diverge from the fractured sects of the past, which have become irreconcilably divided.
For those with understanding, the observation of the seemingly irreparable sectarian divide within the Shia branch of Islam leads to a further insight: historical narratives have been shaped by those in power.
This realization compels truth seekers to question the integrity and pristine state of the jurisprudence throughout the complex and often turbulent Islamic history. Keep in mind that in countries such as Iraq, Syria, Pakistan, and others, sectarian-related fatalities in the 20th and 21st centuries may well exceed 300,000 to 500,000 deaths, including children, women, the elderly and young adults. The root cause of this tragic situation can be attributed to the persistent disregard by Islamic sects of the two weighty matters left by the Prophet.
God’s Prophet said, “It seems that I have been called in and I have accepted the call. I will depart you, but will leave two weighty things with you one of which is greater than the other one. God’s Book that is a rope extended out from the heavens onto the Earth. The other one is my ‘Itrat (crown); my Household. Therefore watch and see how you treat these two after me.” (Uyūn akhbār al-Riḍā - V2, H40)
It may sound strange for a Shia to read this, but it is true - the holy household has left the Shia muslims for over 1200 years now. Evidence of this manifests in the divergent opinions among scholars in significant matters, such as the permissibility of using modern technology to determine the start of Ramadan. Furthermore, the lack of divinely inspired jurisprudence or guidance on modern issues—such as organ donation or the appropriate ages for children to use digital devices—underscores the absence of an Imam who provides divine jurisprudence and laws for our cultural and technological age.
Given these circumstances, it is perfectly reasonable to expect that the Imam would “change” the jurisprudence and update laws to address modern realities. For instance, in a world that has largely moved beyond slavery, there is no need to be ruled by laws pertaining to that ancient and dying institution.
The Imam does not just change jurisprudence, read this narration with me:
Abu Ja’far al-Baqir said: “When the Riser of the Holy Household rises, he will divide the wealth equally and rule justly over the people. Whoever obeys him certainly obeys Allah and whoever disobeys him disobeys Allah. He is named as Mahdi because he guides to a hidden matter. He takes the Torah and the rest of the divine Books of Allah from the cave of Antakya (Antioch). He will judge among the people of the Torah with the Torah, among the people of the Bible with the Bible, among the people of Psalms (of Prophet David) with the Psalms and among the people of the Qur’an with the Qur’an.” (Al-Kitab Al-Ghayba, Book 2 chapter 13, H25)
So the Imam rules people according to their own jurisprudence, the Christian by the Bible, the Jewish by the Torah and so on… but those who follow and believe him to be the Mahdi, will live under a seventh and final everlasting covenant.
Statement 8: You are not Shia
Firstly, the assertion is often presented to us as an accusation, or a disownment, and sometimes as a question but nevertheless, and with all due respect to the reader: the claim of being a Shia cannot be taken lightly nor accepted at face value, because the caliber of a true Shia to Allah and the Ahlul Bayt, is very high. In the Quran it says,
“And indeed, one of his Shia was Abraham.” (Quran 37:83)
And the family of Mohammed in multiple narrations explain that being a Shia is not something that people are born as, like a culture or a religion:
And a man said to Al-Husayn Bin Ali ‘O son of Rasool-Allah! I am from your Shias.’ He said: ‘Fear Allah and do not be claiming something which Allah the Exalted would be saying to you: “You lied and burst forth in your claim!” Our Shia are the ones who save their hearts from every deception, malice, and corruption. But say, ‘I am from those who befriend you and from those who love you.’ (Al-Bihar Al-Anwar V65 p.229)
Here is a small list of sects claiming to be Shia today:
Twelver Shia (Ithna Ashariyah)
Usuli (believers in the science of man)
Akhbari (not believers in the science of man)
Ismaili Shia
Nizari Ismailis
Musta'li Ismailis (e.g., Dawoodi Bohra, Sulaymani)
Zaidiyyah (Zaydi Shia)
Alawites (Nusayris)
Druze (related to Ismailism but distinct from mainstream Shia Islam)
Bektashi Order (associated with Sufism and Shia thought)
Each of these Shia sects possess distinct beliefs and practices, differentiating them from one another. This diversity raises questions weather each of them can represent true Shia Islam. This claim becomes particularly contentious when considered alongside the widespread calamities affecting their communities. The prevalence of such issues within their societies challenges their claim to the esteemed title "Shia of the holy household of Mohammed."
Therefore, whenever an individual claims to be Shia, we have to question the authenticity of the claim, and what better way to test the authenticity of the claim than to examine the beliefs one holds and compare them to the teachings of the family of prophet Mohammed?
After engaging with hundreds of Shia followers since 2015, it has become evident that the majority of the so-called Shia population do not actually know how to recognize their Mahdi upon his appearance. This widespread ignorance is a significant calamity, one primarily instigated by those who present themselves as scholars and grand signs of God (Ayatollahs).
The Messenger of Allah said: A time will come upon the people when nothing will remain of the Qur'an except its form and of Islam except its name, they will be called by it and they are the farthest people from it, their mosques will be full but they will be empty of guidance, the jurists of that time will be the worst jurists under the shade of the sky, from them the strife will emerge and to them it will return. (Al-Kafi - V 8, Book 1, Ch/Hadith 479)
So I urge you to research and investigate for yourselves rather than relying on the non-working scholars of the end times. No one can really deny that we are currently in the end times, except for those who are entirely unaware of global events. Such individuals will soon come to realize the reality of our situation.
Thus, I encourage you to liberate your minds from the shackles of the non-working religious scholars.
I appreciate the dedication you have had to read thus far. Please visit us on our live TikTok, where I will be honored to host you and answer your questions, or visit our website and wiki page, and most importantly, follow the YouTube channel: @TheMahdiHasAppeared. This channel features lectures, sermons, and talks from the Riser of the family of Mohammed, the door to the Ahlul Bayt’s city of knowledge. For more misconceptions and questions about the Mahdi, click here.
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