THE STORY OF THE AWAITED IMAM MAHDI

Al-Mahdi (The Rightly-Guided One), The Imam, The Promised Deliverer, The Khalifatullah (Deputy of God), Al-Jabir (The Comforter), The Prince of Princes

The Holy Prophet Muhammad (upon whom be blessings and peace) has prophesied about several events that will occur before the advent of the Day of Judgment.  Among these, the Rasulullah (Messenger of God) (upon whom be blessings and peace) has foretold the advent of one of his descendants, the Mahdi (rightly-guided one), which will materialize when the believers are severely oppressed in every corner of the world.  He will fight the oppressors, calm the trials and tribulations, unite the Muslims under his Caliphate, lead a prayer in Damascus at which Prophet 'Eyssa (Jesus) will be present, and rule the world with equity and justice for seven years.

Throughout the history of Islam, a few individuals -- driven either by the desperate state of Muslims in their community or a selfish pursuit of power and prestige -- laid claim to being the Awaited Mahdi and found a following among the uninformed masses, looking for salvation from the heavens.  For some of these individuals (like Bab of Iran or Mirza Ghulam of India) the claim to being the Mahdi was just a stepping stone to the development of heretic sects which broke away from the fold of Islam.  Thus, it is at least prudent to visit the facts of this prophecy and avoid falling pray to false claimants that will appear from time to time.

Among the major signs of the Day of Judgment is the advent of the Mahdi. The Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) predicted the coming of the Mahdi towards the end of this worldly existence, i.e. just before The Day of Judgment. 

This indicates the emphasis, which The Holy Messenger of Allah Sallallahu alayhi wasallam laid on the coming of the Mahdi. This page contains many details about the life and advent of the Mahdi, and all these facts are derived from various sayings on this topic. 

There is much speculation nowadays on whether the Mahdi has already been born and if so, what would be his present age, and when the impending appearance. Some Ulema have claimed that he is already born. However, Muslims should realize that mere speculation does not represent concrete evidence upon which any firm and clear-cut ruling could be based. Hence, the best course of action is to believe that the Mahdi will appear before the Day of Judgment, but exactly when, only Allah knows. The exact date and time of his arrival we leave to the Knowledge of Allah. However, the Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) did give certain signs, which will herald the arrival of this great Imam as well as certain details of the time period in which he would appear. The sayings on this issue leave no room for rejecting or even doubting the coming of the Mahdi. Neither do the facts leave us in the dark as to recognizing this great Imam when he eventually does arrive.

To begin, the term "MAHDI" is an epithet - an honorific title meaning "rightly-guided one" or "one who is rightly-guided" and in this case, divinely-guided. The Mahdi is a normal man who Allah will inspire with special wisdom, knowledge and guidance and make preparations for him in one night to carry out his task successfully. His religion is Islam, his name will be Muhammad (or something similar) and his father's name will be Abdullah (or something similar). He will be a descendant of 'Ali the son of Abu Talib, and Fatima, the daughter of Prophet Muhammad, through their sons, Hasan and Hussein. The Mahdi will be very just and his capital will be in Jerusalem. The Mahdi is NOT a prophet but he is a Rightly-Guided Caliph and the Deputy of Allah. After he is given allegiance as the Caliph in Mecca, he will lead Muslims to a great victory against the tyrannical Sufyani, as well as others tyrants in the Arabian peninsula, al-Sham (the Levant) and Egypt, in six years, thus establishing his rule over the region. Following this would be the Great war ("Armageddon"), which will end up with a great victory for the Muslims against the Romans and the Turks. Muslims would then conquer their cities and six years after the war begin, they would conquer Rome without the use of a single weapon. In the following year, the Dajjal (false Messiah) will appear and a greater war will start between his followers and the believers  for 40 days (longer that usual days) and will end when the Messiah, 'Eyssa ("Jesus") son of Maryam ("Mary") descends from Heaven and slays the Dajjal along with his followers. All the remaining people (those that did not follow the Dajjal) will embrace Islam, and the Mahdi, with 'Eyssa, would rule the whole world with equity and justice for seven years thereafter, during which peace would prevail.

DETAILS OF THE MAHDI

The following are details taken from the sayings of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam): 

NAME AND TITLE

His name will be the same, or similar, as that of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam), i.e. Muhammad. In addition, his father's name will be Abdullah or something similar. His title is the-Mahdi, meaning the-(rightly) guided one. The Holy Prophet Sallallahu alayhi wasallam also called him Khalifatullah, meaning "Deputy of God" or "Vice-regent of God". 

FAMILY LINEAGE                                                                 

 The Promised Mahdi will be from the tribe of Quraysh and will be a sayyid (chief), descending from the family of  'Ali, son of Abu Talib and Fatima, daughter of Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam) through their sons; Hasan and/or Hussein.

CHARACTER                                                                                                     

He will have the character and morals of the Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam). In one night Allah will grant him unique qualities of faith, piety, leadership and knowledge, hence the title Mahdi.

BIRTHPLACE

 He will be born in Medina Shareef. 

PHYSICAL FEATURES

He will be tall with a fair complexion, having a broad forehead and an aquiline nose, with a mole on his right cheek. His face will be like a glittering star and his body will be like that of the people of Israel. He will have a slight stutter in his speech, as a result at times he will hit his thigh with his palm.

SIGNS BEFORE HIS APPEARANCE AS THE MAHDI

Before the appearance of the Mahdi, the world will be filled with a great amount of injustice and oppression. There will be widespread evil in which all people will be heavily involved. Throughout the world, earthquakes would occur frequently, corruption would be rampant, innocent people would be massacred, with major events and appalling things happening. Terrible wars, anarchy and chaos would also become common place, with constant bloodshed. As a result, great cities would be destroyed/ruined.  Muslim countries and their people will have become so weak that even animals would defeat them in battle, due to their love of life, and fear of death, as well as their disunity. On the other hand, the Kuffar of the whole world would be united under one leader. Their rule would spread over the entire world, and would reach as far as Khyber, a mere hundred miles from Medina Shareef. Such would be the dominance of the kuffar during that era. The Muslims would also be under severe persecution and oppression, not only from the Romans, but also from the tyrannical leader of that time (i.e. the Sufyani), who will rule Syria. The Ahl ul-Bait (Family of Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) will experience difficulties and persecution under his reign. The Abdaals and pious leaders will all be on the lookout for the Mahdi, knowing that only he could bring relief to the failing Ummah.

THOSE THAT PAVE THE WAY FOR THE MAHDI BEFORE HE APPEARS:

At head of the Hashemite's army will be the Mansoor, named Shu'ayb son of Salih from the tribe of Tamim. The term "Mansoor" is a title, meaning "victor", or "one who is given victory". As such, Shu'ayb is the one who leads the Mahdi's army to victory. He will lead the army of the Mahdi, who will come from the East carrying Black flags. The East here refers to Taliqan in Khurasan, i.e. Afghanistan. They will pave the way for the establishment of the Mahdi's kingdom and nothing shall stop their onward march, and eventually they will plant their flags on the soils of Jerusalem.

After al-Sham is taken over by the Romans, their rule would extend up to Khyber. At that point, the comet with a tail (a sign of the Mahdi), will appear. Its passing would cause much devastation across the world, resulting in a shift in the balance of powers. The Sufyani would then come and take over Syria, then start massacring people in Iraq. When some flee to Khurasan, the Sufyani's army would attempt to move eastward in pursuit of them. Then the Hashemite's army of the Mahdi, led by the Mansoor, would engage them in Iran, and defeat them. The Sufyani's army would escape, then launch an assault into Arabia, capturing the Hashemites there and imprisoning them in Iraqi city of Kufa. Then the Euphrates river would dry up, revealing a treasure, which everyone would kill each other over. The three leaders competing for authority over the entirety of al-Sham (the Sufyani, the Ashhab, and the 'Abqa) will also fight each over this treasure. However, none of them will attain it. After this, the Mahdi would appear.

THE MAHDI'S EMERGENCE AS THE NEW CALIPH

From the above we can see that that the Mahdi would be from amongst the family of Prophet Muhammad, his name would be Muhammad, and he would come to rule over the Arabs. 

Thus, the Mahdi will be inspired, and preparations will be made for him in one night to carry out his task successfully. They will actually lead him by the hand towards the Hajare Aswad, where people will then formally pledge their allegiance to him as the Khaleefah. This pledge will take place in front of The Holy Ka 'ba, between the Hajare Aswad and the Maqaame Ibraheem, during or just after the days of Hajj. 

Initially the number of people to take the bay 'at (pledge of allegiance) at his hands will be 313, which is the number of Sahaba that took part in the battle of Badr. He will be forty years old at the time of his appointment. This will all take place in the  month of Zul-Hijjah.

PROTECTION AND ACCEPTANCE BY ALLAH

The following new year, immediately upon his appointment as the new Caliph the Mahdi will witness the direct Help of Allah. This would be considered the first year of the Mahdi's rule, as he only emerged at the end of the previous year. Before the Mahdi, as has already been mentioned, a man from the heart of Damascus, known as the Sufyani (from the family of Abu Sufyaan) had begun a horrendous campaign of bloodshed and killing, during which no tribe or community will be left alone. Even women and children will be mercilessly butchered. His chief supporters and followers will be the tribe of Kalb. Just before allegiance is pledged to the Mahdi, a great battle will be fought at Ahjar Al Zayt -- The Stone of Oil -- between the army of the Sufyani and the Muslims of Medina in which the people of Medina will suffer. Shuayb, the son of Salih from Tamin will learn of the coming of the Mahdi and march to join him from Khurasan (Afghanistan) under three banners, under which will be 5,000 warriors ready to pledge their allegiance to the Mahdi. Muslims from Talakaan, Kufa, Yemen and Tunisia will also march to join him.

When this Sufyani hears of the Mahdi, he will immediately dispatch an army towards Mecca (where the Mahdi will be). The Imam and his handful of followers will easily defeat this army. Then this Sufyani will himself lead a contingent from Syria towards Mecca to fight against the Mahdi. 

This army will be destroyed by an enormous earthquake at Baidaa, a place just after Zhul-Hulaifa, on the way to Mecca. First the rear of the army will be devastated, and when those in front go back to see what had happened, they too will meet the same fate. All but two members of this army will perish, and these sole survivors will take back the news of this disaster. There will be many in this army who had been brought along by force, people who did not intend to oppose the Mahdi. Such people would also be destroyed along with the others, but on the Day of Judgment they will be raised up according to their intentions. When the story of Divine Help being granted to the Mahdi spreads through the Muslim world, the Abdaals of Syria and the pious people of Iraq will come to pledge allegiance to the Mahdi and join his ranks. 

Similarly, other Muslim armies from Medina and elsewhere will also come to Mecca and offer their support and allegiance to the Mahdi. 

The Mahdi then moves forward to Syria, where he fights the armies of the Sufyani who has the backing of the tribe of Kalb. He too will send an army against the Mahdi - who will yet again, through The Grace of Allah, inflict heavy defeat on his enemies. This will be known as the "Battle of Kalb". 

The Prophet of Allah actually castigated those who do not participate in this battle against Kalb. The inhabitants of the heavens and the inhabitants of the earth will be pleased with him. It will be compulsory upon all Muslims who hear of the Mahdi to pledge their allegiance and full support to him. 

HIS LEADERSHIP, BATTLES AND ACHIEVEMENTS

During the Mahdi's reign, he would be involved with three conflicts:

One conflict would be against the tyranny, oppression and injustice in the region, replacing it with equity and justice. Another conflict would be against the Romans and the Turks, who would be trying to destroy his Caliphate. Then, the final conflict would be against the False Messiah, who would be trying to rule the world, and misguide people to his false religion. This would occur as follows:

With his army now bolstered by saintly and pious people, the Mahdi will defeat his enemies, as we have seen in the initial battles mentioned above. Upon releasing Syria from the oppressive rule of the Sufyani, whom he captures and executes, he then sends his forces to Antioch to rest. One of the Prophet's companions commented upon the lushness of Antioch saying that he had never seen a place that had so much rain, whereupon the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, told him that it was because the Torah, Staff of Moses, Tablets and the Table of Solomon, the son of David are concealed within its caves and that not one single cloud comes to it from any direction that does not pour its blessing upon that valley.

Thereafter the Mahdi will become the supreme leader and reformer of the Muslim Ummah. 

There will be a great Islamic revival, and this Deen will reign supreme, with unity slowly being restored to the Muslims.

He will continue fighting against the despots of the region in his campaign of bringing equity and justice to the world after it had been plagued with oppression. Among these despots would be a disabled man, descending from the Kindah tribe, who would have seized control of Egypt from another despot; the 'Abqa (one with a spotted face). Another of these despots would be the As'hab (one who is gray or reddish white) in al-Sham.

He will practice and lead people according to the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam). 

He will live for twenty years after his emergence, in which he will fight for the first thirteen years, and rule for the last seven, with complete justice and righteousness. All of this time, Islam will be becoming the predominant religion of the world, until finally, when Prophet 'Eyssa (Jesus) descends to kill the Dajjal (False Messiah/Prophet) and confirm the Mahdi's Caliphate, Islam becomes the only religion.

The Mahdi will conquer the city of Constantinople (presently known as Istanbul). The story behind this conquest is as follows: 

After the earthquakes, which destroyed his enemies, and the subsequent amassing of Muslim armies under his leadership, the Imam will leave Mecca for Medina, where he will offer salaam at the Rowzha Mubarak (The Grave of The Messenger of Allah Sallallahu alayhi wasallam). 

Having done this his next step would be to proceed on to Damascus, where the tribe of Kalb and their Sufyani leader, would be based, as was previously mentioned. There, they will be defeated, and there, the Imam will set up his headquarters where he will conduct military operations against the despotic tyrants in the region and defeat them. The Bayt-ul-Maqdis (Masjid al-Aqsa) in Jerusalem will also be rebuilt, and then the Mahdi will move the capital of the Caliphate there from Medina, and the people of Medina will flock to it. At this point, the Mansoor will hand over the black banner army to the Mahdi.

In response to this, the Roman forces, in the following year, will start to gather their forces against the Mahdi.

At a place known as either Amuq or Dabiq, somewhere near Allepo Syria, 960,000 Roman forces would be assembled under 80 banners representing 80 nations, quite clearly to annihilate the Muslims.

At this time, the Muslims will be gathering their armed forces in Iraq, Syria and Yemen, forming a huge battalion. The Mahdi will send this battalion of mujahideen (Muslim fighters), from among the best people on earth, to engage them. The Romans and the Muslims will be gathering their forces for nine months. Between the time of the initial Roman treachery and their coming out to Dabiq, the Prophet said that nine months will elapse, during which the Mahdi will wage two campaigns initiated by the Dajjal, one against the Arabs that shall not recognize him, and one against the Persians of Khorasan that shall not recognize him. When the two groups, the Romans and the Muslims, encounter each other face to face, the Romans will request that the Muslims hand over to them those who had fought and captured their Roman brethren. The Muslims will refuse, saying: “By Allah, We will never hand over our Muslim brothers” thus triggering off a fierce battle, which is the beginning of the Great war (i.e. Armageddon). A third of the Muslim army will flee, and Allah will never ever grant them towba (repentance). A third will be slain, and they will be the noblest martyrs in The Sight of Allah. The surviving third will be victorious, never to suffer defeat thereafter. 

The initial battle will last four days. Each day the Muslim troops will resolve on oath that they will not return but as victors. For three days, they will fail to crush the enemy, with many men becoming martyrs. On the fourth day, the Romans will falter and succumb to a tremendous onslaught from the remaining Muslim troops. The ensuing slaughter will be unprecedented in history. This decimation will utterly shatter the morale of the Romans. 

Thus, the Mahdi will smash the might of the anti-Muslim forces in that period, forces which had come together from all parts of the world.

Pressing forward against the remaining Romans, the next destination will be Turkey. From the Syrian coast, the Mahdi will dispatch 70,000 soldiers of the Banu Is-haq to re-conquer Istanbul, liberating it from Roman rule. They will cross the Mediterranean Sea, bound for Turkey and will conquer Istanbul without the use of a single weapon. Parts of the city will collapse upon the Takbeer and Tahleel of these warriors. They will recite' Laa ilaha ilial-laahu wallahu Akbar' and simply walk over the city. The   Muazhzhins of the Muslims will then establish the five times daily azhaan throughout the city.  

The Mahdi will also arrive at Istanbul and set up the structure for his rule, appoint people to govern there and most importantly, make arrangements for the implementation of Islamic law. This conquest will deliver untold fortunes into the hands of the Muslims. As he and his men busy themselves capturing and rounding up these vast riches a rumor will spread that "the Dajjal has broken loose in Syria and is wreaking havoc among your families.” This news will be very disturbing to the Imam, and so consequently, he will send ten men ahead to ascertain the truth. About these ten The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said: “ I know their names and the names of their fathers they will be among the best warriors in that era.” Prophet e Kareem (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) even knew the color of their horses. 

One of them will report that the whole story is false. Dajjal has not yet emerged. This was a lie fabricated by Shaitan to try and disrupt the progress of the Muslims. So the Mahdi, along with the conquerors of Istanbul, will resume their march on and continue to invade the enemy territories of Western Europe (Greece, Italy, etc.) in the same manner, with the Takbeer and Kalimah, and eventually conquering Rome in the process. 

In the following year, after the Mahdi reaches Jerusalem the great imposter (Dajjaal), the False Messiah, will now truly emerge and begin his campaign of mischief and corruption between Syria and Iraq. He will remain to do his bidding for forty days, one day like a year, one like a month, one like a week, and the rest like regular days, so these days will in fact cover the length of 428 days. 

The Dajjal will have a large following of mainly Jews from Iran, Tatars, Bedouins, and illegitimate people (those born outside of marriage). The Muslims under the Mahdi will be in Damascus, surrounded by the armies of the Dajjaal, making preparations to fight them.

After the 40th day of the Dajjal's reign, the Mahdi and his companions will be busy arranging the formation for prayer during the time of Fajr. The jamaat salaah will be almost about to start when suddenly the Messiah Eyssa (Alayhis salaam) son of Maryam will descend from the heavens, dressed in two yellow garments, leaning on the shoulders of two angels and join the ranks of Muslims for salaah. The Mahdi will lead that Fajr salaah. He will go out, slaying the followers of the Dajjal, while the son of Maryam chases the Dajjal until he catches up with him at the Gate of Uhud and slays him. 

After the slaying of the Dajjal and his armies, the Mahdi will then rule the entire world for seven years with equity and justice.

During his rule, the Muslims will experience great economic enrichment. There will be no droughts and lands will be exceptionally fertile. The earth will yield crops in abundance and of the best quality. This rich agricultural state will ensure a glut of money and food. In fact, so much that people who come to the Baitul-Maal for assistance will be given as much as they can take away.

The hearts of people will become so independent of wealth and so dependent on Allah that when an announcement is made for the needy to come forward, only one person will stand up. When this person will be given wealth in such abundance, he will feel ashamed and would want to return the wealth, but the answer will be: "We do not take back what has been given. It's all yours to keep."

In short the Muslims will live a most luxurious and comfortable life, something they will never ever experience again in this world. The Mahdi will distribute lands equally among people.  

After these seven years, this great Imam, a man who provided the perfect sequel to Allah's Supreme Religion -ISLAM, will pass on to the realms of the hereafter. The Muslims will perform his Janaaza salaah and bury him in Syria. The Messiah son of Maryam will then become the new ruler of the Muslims and the authority of the Quraysh will be taken away.

THE TIMING OF THE MAHDI'S APPEARANCE

Among the general signs of the Mahdi, the timing of his appearance is also mentioned in obscure sources.

It is said in the “Kitab Al-Fitan” by Abu `Abdullah Nu`aym bin Hammad, that Abu Hurayrah had two areas of knowledge he gained from the Prophet; one of them he imparted, while he hid the other. Abu Hurayrah commented on that saying that if he had imparted the other area of knowledge, he would have been slaughtered (and he pointed to his neck when saying so). The same hadith of Abu Hurayrah's "hidden knowledge" is also confirmed in Sahih Bukhari:
 

 On his deathbed (he died in 59 AH / 681 CE), he is said to have disclosed this "hidden knowledge" to others.

In a rare manuscript from the third century (A.H.)/ tenth century (C.E.) found in the Islamic books section of the Turkish library in Istanbul, is a little known report related by Abu Hurayrah, Ibn ‘Abbaas and ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, which is narrated by Abu Hurayrah.

This narration is also recorded in another collection, with less of the text being eroded, but it does not mention Nasser ruling Egypt and the 2 wars that he lost:

The source mentioned for this narration, is said to be a rare hand-written book (manuscript), dated around 300 years after the Hijra and is found today, in Istanbul, Turkey in "Kitab Khane" (which is possibly the Süleymaniye Library), under the section listed as "Islamic manuscripts 3664/ Al Medina Al Munawara". This book contains an amazing collection of narrations, compiled by its author, Qalda bin Zayd bin Baraka, in Medina.

The above translation relies on the translations provide by "Harun Yahya" on his website, as well as this chain message, which provides more of the whole narration. Other translations include this excerpt from the book "The End of the World" by Dr. Muhammad al-'Areefi as well as this page on the discoveringislam.org website. The (...) is where the text was eroded.

So, to briefly summarize in light of this narration as well as the other ahadith on the matter; the Mahdi will fight the entire world in his effort to bring an end to tyranny, oppression and injustice in the world and replace it with equity and justice. The nations of the world will come to fight against the Mahdi by sea and air, except for the lands of extreme heat and extreme cold. They will gather against him on Mount Megiddo, where "America" will come out against him as well. The end is, as is also mentioned in other ahadith, the defeat of all those forces who waged war against him. In addition, this narration mentions the lands, seas and skies of those warring disbelievers being burned as God's punishment against them.

In other ahadith, this battle is called "Al-Malhama al-Kubra", which has been translated to mean "The Great(est) Battle" or "The Great(est) War", and coincides with the "Battle of Armageddon" in Christian eschatology, which this narration implies to be World War 3, or at least a part of it. However, the ahadith that mention it, say that the gathering place of the Romans for it is either the Amuq valley, which is in the southern part of Turkey, or the town of Dabiq, which is in north-western Syria. There are no narrations that mention "Mount Megiddo" as the gathering location of the battle besides this one. However, this narration says that it is "all the nations of the world" that gather at Mount Megiddo, rather than "the Romans" mentioned in the ahadith. This could imply that this battle has at least 2 fronts against 2 different  sets of armies; one being the "Romans" in Syria or Turkey and the other being all the other "nations of the world" on "Mount Megiddo". It may also be that "Mount Megiddo" is the gathering place of the the Dajjal and his armies against the Mahdi and the Muslims, which is said to take place after the war with the "Romans". In this case, it would also be more consistent with the "Armageddon" battle in Christian eschatology.

This narration's time-framing of future events, although it may seem strange and suspicious to some, isn't really unusual, as we can see this being done in the Holy Qur'an (30:2-5) and in a few ahadith from known, authentic sources (the end of the Rashidun Caliphate for example, in the Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi and Hanbal ahadith collections). The naming of people and locations also isn't unusual for prophecies in ahadith literature. What is unusual about this one, is its implied use of the hijrah calendar. However, it was narrated by Abu Hurayrah on his deathbed, and he lived during the time the hijrah calendar was first officially used by the 2nd Caliph 'Umar bin al-Khattab during his rule. This would give its implied use of the hijrah calendar precedence related to the time period it was first narrated to others. What this would imply, however, is that this hadith isn't an exact quote from the Prophet, but rather, a paraphrasing, which might've been "converted" to the hijrah calendar by Abu Hurayrah, when he conveyed it to others on his deathbed. This could possibly explain the uncertainty of the exact decade an event is to occur, in relation to the hijrah calendar, while, in relation to other events mentioned (i.e. the time between World War 1 and World War 2) the exact number is given (i.e. 2 decades).

The time of the appearance of the Mahdi provided in this narration is translated variously as "In the 1400s, give or take two or three decades...", "Count two or three decades after the decades of Hijri 1400...", and "In the hijri year 1400 and count two or three decades...", which, when taken together, suggest his appearance as occurring anywhere from 1411 AH (1990-1991 CE) to 1490 AH (2067-2068 CE).

If it is 2 or 3 decades after 1400 AH, then it would be from 1411-1430 AH (1990-2009 CE). There have been several Mahdi claims during this time, some of which are widely known about while others are mostly unknown, some of which may still be active today.

If it is 2 or 3 decades after the decades of 1400 AH, then it would at least be from 1431-1450 H (2009-2029 CE) - the 4th and 5th decades after 1400 AH - if not later. The narration also mentions 5 or 6 decades after the decades of 1300 AH in regards to Gamal Abdel Nasser's rule over Egypt, when he only began his rule of Egypt in the 8th decade of 1300 AH. Given how similarly the two events are narrated, the implication would then be that the Mahdi would not appear until the 5th decade of 1400 AH (1441-1450 AH / 2019-2029 CE). This would also be 3 decades after the Gulf War.

If it is in the 1400s, minus 2 or 3 decades, then it would be from 1471-1490 AH (2048-2068 CE). However, if his appearance were to occur so much later in time, it would seem strange that this narration would not mention any other events occurring between his appearance and the Gulf War. Therefore, his appearance would have been expected sooner rather than later.

Also, although this narration mentions the Mahdi's appearance in relation to the 1400s of the hijrah, it does not mention the timing of Saddam Hussein's rise to power, which occurred in 1979 CE (1399 AH), nor does it mention the timing of the Gulf War, which occurred during the 2nd decade of the 1400s, in 1990-1991 CE (1411 H). In fact, none of the events that are mentioned after Nasser begins his rule and before the appearance of the Mahdi are timed in this narration. This is likely because these events followed each other by only a few years, even though, collectively, they span 35 years:

Nasser's rule over Egypt began in 1956 CE (1375 AH).

Only 11 years later, Nasser's disgrace in 2 consecutive wars occurred; both of which were against Israel. The first one was in the 1967 CE (1387 AH) Six-Day War and second one was in the 1968 CE (1388 AH) War of Attrition.

Only 5 years after was Egypt's Ramadan victory, occurring in the 1973 CE (1393 AH) Ramadan War.

Only 6 years later did Anwar Sadat sign the peace agreement with Israel in 1979 CE (1399 AH).

Later that same year was Saddam Hussein's rise to power was in 1979 CE (1399 AH).

Then only 12 years after that was the Gulf War, which was from 1990-1991 (1411 AH).

Given that the appearance of the Mahdi is mentioned in the decades of the 1400s separately from the Gulf War, rather than in conjunction with it, then the implication would be that it would have to be at least a decade or two thereafter. In addition, this narration only says when the Mahdi will "appear", which may or may not coincide with when he begins his rulership.

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