Sunni Ḥadīth and Continuous Commentaries on the Eschatological Mahdī: A Literary Analysis
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
The article titled ‘Sunni Ḥadīth and Medieval Commentaries on the Eschatological Mahdī: A Literary Analysis’ covers an important issue from a very broad perspective. The content of this work, which has sufficiently benefited from classical and modern sources, is very suitable for the special issue. However, the article should be related not only to the hadith books but also to the sirah genre. The abstract of the article should also be rewritten within this framework. In particular, instead of the frequent emphasis on hadith scholars (scholars were experts in almost every branch at that time, there was no branching like today's academy, at least it must be difficult to cram many scholars like Suyuti and others into these narrow categories), it should be emphasized that the narrations in question are evaluated from the perspectives of hadith discipline. In addition, in the conclusion part, it is stated that the subject is handled from different aspects. One of them is in terms of psyche. This aspect is not very clear in the article. There is also a general hadith description right at the beginning of the article: ‘At its most basic level, ḥadīth is either a remark made by the Prophet Muhammad regarding a particular circumstance or in answer to one (or a query), or involves his ability to see the entire future’. Here his abilitiy to see the entire future’ causes misunderstanding and needs more explanation.
Please see some mini-repetitions, minor typos are pointed out below.
Books’ titles are always in italic. See for instance ʿIqd al-durar fī akhbār al-muntaẓar or al-Burhān fī ʿalāmāt mahdī ʾākhir zaman…
Arabic word in transliteration is always in italic: rajʿa, hadâ etc.
p.3. As scholars have argued that the doctrine of Mahdī refers to a theological discussion rather than a historical event, we will mostly time focus on the eschatological Mahdī. (seems most is better than mostly)
p. 3 and p.8 al-ʿArf al-wardī fī akhbār mahdī. P.4 al-ʿUrf al-wardī fī akhbār al-Mahdī (Arf or Urf?)
p.6 and p.11 This house (Kaaba). Kaaba should be written as Ka’bah.
p.7 and p.12 the words takhrîj, gharîb and bâb should be written properly.
p.8 sabāb wurūd, taʿaddud al-riwāyāt should be written in italic
P. 8 Repetitions: no need to mention these works again and again in a group: these contexts have an explicit and direct effect on the interpretation of specific ḥadīth? In order to answer this question, we will analyse some phrases from the seventh, eighth, and ninth centuries of Hijrah works: the ʿIqd al-durar fī akhbār al-muntaẓar of Yūsuf bin Yaḥyā bin ʿAlī bin ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz al-Salamī, al-ʿArf al-Wardī fī Akhbār al-Mahdī of Jalāl al-Dīn al-Suyūṭī, and al-ʿArf al-Wardī is al-Burhān fī ʿalāmāt al[1]mahdī akhir zamān of ʿAlī ibn Husām al-Dīn al-Mutqī al-Hindī
p.9 Its isnād is dhaʿīf (weak) (not dha’if but da’if (proper diacritics: there should be dot under the letter ‘d’ of da’if.
p.10 Hansu,2009 (space needed).
p.10 al-ʿArf al-Wardī is al-Burhān fī ʿalāmāt al-mahdī akhir zaman (‘is’ should be non-italic)
p.11 ashrāṭ al-sāʿa should be italic
Author Response
Response to Reviewer 1 Comments
Point 1: The article titled ‘Sunni Ḥadīth and Medieval Commentaries on the Eschatological Mahdī: A Literary Analysis’ covers an important issue from a very broad perspective. The content of this work, which has sufficiently benefited from classical and modern sources, is very suitable for the special issue. However, the article should be related not only to the hadith books but also to the sirah genre. The abstract of the article should also be rewritten within this framework. In particular, instead of the frequent emphasis on hadith scholars (scholars were experts in almost every branch at that time, there was no branching like today's academy, at least it must be difficult to cram many scholars like Suyuti and others into these narrow categories), it should be emphasized that the narrations in question are evaluated from the perspectives of hadith discipline.
Response 1: Astract: Many contemporary studies approach Mahdism from a political science orientation or historical perspective, as the evidence is marshalled from the influential Mahdist movement in Islamic history – Abbasids, Fatimids, Muwahhids, and Sudanese Mahdists, and so on. As such, it can be seen that there has been a lack of discourse as regards abstraction, and particularly the literary structure of Mahdī ḥadīth. This paper explores panoramic view of ḥadīth commentaries in order to understand their commentarial production on apocalyptic questions, and specifically the subject of Mahdī within this trend of Sunni ḥadīth scholarship. Ḥadīth commentaries are meant to bridge the gap in space and time between the Prophetic words or teachings and the actual world of the reader. Hence, this study provides a brief survey of the documentation of Mahdī ḥadīth, starting with the classical Sunnite ḥadīth compendia of the second century of Hijrah. The material has been drawn from ḥadīth compendia, topical ḥadīth works, sīrah literature, classical to modern ḥadīth commentaries and other theological writings, and has been balanced when feasible by the details (or lack thereof) contained in the Quran. Advocators have always adopted and adjusted their hermeneutics in order to answer challenges posed by deniers of Mahdī ḥadīth. Regardless of how exactly these strategies, attitudes and uses arose, it is safe to assume that these scholars undertook their work out of professional vocation in addition to religious devotion. Eventually, ḥadīth commentaries found their place in the theological discourse according to orientations and operations of eschatology, which to a certain extent reflect classical, medieval or contemporary attitudes toward the meaning and relevance of Mahdī ḥadīth.
- Diversity of the Record: The Mahdī Inscription in the Sīrah Literature
…
In general, the study of the Mahdī ḥadīth, as it is among the major eschatological issues, could also consider the literature of sīrah to analyse its position from the viewpoint of dalāʾil al-nubuwwah (proof and evidence of prophethood). Literature on sīrah of the Prophet is known to focus on the history of Arab society in the Arabian Peninsula before the birth of the Prophet, the events before his prophethood, his preaching, and the response of both Arab and non-Arabs towards his message, the establishment of the first Islamic community, and the life of the Prophet’s wives, family members, and his companions. Additionally, the events involving the miracles of the Prophet are recorded as part of the Sīrah accounts in early literature, as Kister (1983) once observed,
Stories about miracles, either performed by the Prophet himself or wrought for him by God, were widely current and were later collected; compilations of stories about his miracles were Amārāt al-Nubuwwah, Aʿlām al-Nubuwwah, Dalāil al-Nubuwwah. The miraculous power granted the Prophet by God, and his extraordinary feats, are often compared in these books with the miracles performed by the preceding prophets.
A glance at the earliest Sīrah works such as Ibn Isḥāq (d. 151/768) and Ibn Hishām (d. 213/828), Maghāzī of al-Wāqidī (d. 207/822), al-Sīrah al-Nabawiyyah of Ibn Ḥibbān (d. 354/965), and Jawāmiʿ al-Sīrah al-Nabawiyyah of ʿAli ibn Aḥmad al-Qutubī (d. 456/1063) found that there is no narration mentioned regarding the emergence of Mahdī. It is only clearly noticeable from the literature of Sīrah from around the fourth or fifth century of Hijrah, where Abū Saʿd ʿAbd al-Malik al-Kharkūshī (d. 407/1016) in his Sharaf al-Muṣṭafā (2003) mentioned a Mahdī ḥadīth, the Prophet said: “The world will not perish until it is reigned by a man from my House, his name will be my name, he will fill this world with justice and equity,” under the “Chapter on al-Mahdī, and he is from the House of the Prophet.” In the same century, al-Bayhaqī (d. 458/1065), in his Dalāʾil al-Nubuwwah (1988), also mentioned a specific chapter of “Collection of Narrations Regarding the Prophet’s Informing of Events after Him, and Allāh’s confirming in all that He promised to Him.” Concerning several Mahdī ḥadīth contained in the sub-chapter of “Compiling a number of narrations on the reign of the al-ʿAbbās clan,” it can be clearly remarked that the Mahdī ḥadīth in this work is to confirm the reign of the al-ʿAbbās clan in later Islāmic history where ʿAbd Allāh ibn al-ʿAbbās reported to say: “There will be from our family al-Manṣūr, al-Saffāh, and al-Mahdī.”
Another work of Sīrah identified to include Mahdī ḥadīth is Dhakhāʾir al-ʿUqbā fī Manāqib Dhawī al-Qurbā (1937) by Muḥib al-Dīn al-Ṭabarī (d. 694/1294) where it is mentioned in the light of Mahdī is descending from the two grandsons of the Prophet, al-Hasan and al-Husayn. Al-Tabarī even further confirms Mahdī’s lineage from al-Husayn by stating a ḥadīth narrated by Huzaifah, the Prophet said: “If there is only one day left in the world (before the Qiyāmah), Allāh will prolong that day until a man from my children, whose name is the same as my name, emerges”. Salman asked: O Messenger of Allāh, from which of your children will he come? He replied: “From my children, from this one”, and he pointed with his hand to al-Husayn.” Ibn Kathīr (d. 774/1372), in his al-Bidāyah wa al-Nihāyah (1990) also included Mahdī ḥadīth in the “Chapter of Dalāʾil al-Nubuwwah” under a subchapter regarding the reign of al-ʿAbbās Clan. He only mentioned a few ḥadīth to confirm that Mahdī comes from the family of al-ʿAbbās. In the ninth century of hijrah, Aḥmad bin ‘Ali al-Maqrīzī (d. 845/1441) compiled a number of Mahdī ḥadīth under the chapter “The Prophet’s Narrative on the Reign of al-ʿAbbās Clan” in his Imtāʿ al-Asmāʾ bimā lī al-Nabī min al-Aḥwāl wa al-Amwāl wa al-Ḥafadah al-Matāʿ (1999). This compilation of Mahdī ḥadīth covers several important issues, such as the Prophet’s prophecy on the emergence of Mahdī from the al-ʿAbbās Clan, as the al-Mansūr and al-Saffāh will also come from them, and of Mahdī’s black flag coming for Khurasān with the urge of the Prophet to give a pledge to him even if they are on snow.
Point 2: In addition, in the conclusion part, it is stated that the subject is handled from different aspects. One of them is in terms of psyche. This aspect is not very clear in the article. There is also a general hadith description right at the beginning of the article: ‘At its most basic level, ḥadīth is either a remark made by the Prophet Muhammad regarding a particular circumstance or in answer to one (or a query), or involves his ability to see the entire future’. Here his abilitiy to see the entire future’ causes misunderstanding and needs more explanation.
Response 2: Conclusion
We have covered multiplex production of Mahdī commentarial ḥadīth in a short paper to show the capacity this literature has for enriching contemporary readers. This type of Mahdī topic has directed scholars of ḥadīth across the ages to develop a specific genre with a view to preserving, whether intellectual, theological or emotional, the traditional sayings of the Prophet. Although the genre of ashrāṭ al-sāʿa, the subject of Mahdī ḥadīth, could be viewed from its protracted development, the interest of this paper is the discussion of commentary techniques for retaining the text and context of apocalyptic ḥadīth. The scope of apocalyptic ḥadīth mentioned in what we have selected here is a common, or general understanding which relates to the end of time, the eschaton, as well as the normal practice of Muslims in integrating contemporary reality to theology. In the modern time when the theological discourse was drifting farther from the specialised study of hadith, the Ṣaḥīḥayn became the most authoritative hadith references for deniers of Mahdī ḥadīth more narrowly focused on availability. In the maintenance of the Ṣaḥīḥayn culture, we see a direct respond of multiple narratives and interpretations of implicit ḥadīth of Ṣaḥīḥayn by the advocators.
Demonstrating compatibility with the fundamental roots of Islam, and so acquiring legitimacy, has been of paramount importance for a broad spectrum of Muslims, from classical ḥadīth scholars to madhhab-affiliated scholars, and commentary has proved to be an immensely valuable tool in this regard. Tawātur and takhrīj have played an important role in the arguments and conclusions of the many examples of commentaries presented in the paper. The problem of contradiction, in the “Mahdī is no other than Isa” ḥadīth, has been treated according to reconciliation or synthesis techniques, and these techniques then lend themselves to further contemporary reading corresponding to modes of source interaction, which is the primary architectural aspect of the prophetic guidance. Meanwhile, the typical qualities of ḥadīth commentaries appear to be undergoing some modification. Medieval authors such as al-Salamī, al-Suyūṭī, al-Hindī and others can still publish substantial work on a significant ḥadīth compendium, but a growing number of commentators choose their material from a variety of ḥadīth sources according to their preferences, rather than relying on a particular compendium. The rapid pace of this survey necessitated a breadth of depiction in order to follow change and continuity in the slow-moving, cumulative tradition of commentaries on Mahdī ḥadīth. Certainly, ḥadīth commentaries have found their place in theological discourse according to their orientations and operations, which to a certain extent reflect classical or medieval attitudes toward the meaning and relevance of Mahdī ḥadīth. Regardless of how exactly these strategies, attitudes and uses arose, it is safe to assume that ḥadīth commentators undertook their work due to both professional vocation, and religious devotion.
Point 3: Please see some mini-repetitions, minor typos are pointed out below.
Response 3: Corrected, and please see the attachment.
Author Response File: 
Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 2 Report
Please consider the following comments on the article " Sunni Ḥadīth and Medieval Commentaries on the Eschatological Mahdī: A Literary Analysis."
Introduction
The author defines ḥadīth as "either a remark made by the Prophet Muhammad regarding a particular circumstance or in answer to one (or a query), or involves his ability to see the entire future." Fitan and malahim hadiths make up a small percentage of the total number of hadiths. The definition here, however, gives the impression that this type is an important part of the hadith body. I believe it would be better to mention the underline part separately from the definition.
"Ryad (2017) recently argued that this attitude arose because contemporary rationalists questioned the extensive conventional information about life after death, and rewards in heaven." This is one of the reasons why modern rationalists criticize hadiths, but there are others that are more important, which are extensively discussed by Daniel Brown's in his "Rethinking Tradition in Modern Islamic Thought (1999)." I wish the author had included this excellent book as one of the works cited.
The introduction does not make the author's thesis clear. The author should clearly state the questions or the problem he will address and include a couple of sentences stating what he will argue in the paper.
Method and Scope
This section contains statements regarding the questions the paper will deal with and the purpose of the paper. These should be in the introduction. In addition, this section contains passages that are unrelated to method and scope. In general, the exposition in this section is not clear enough to follow. I suggest that the author reorganize this section and the introduction.
P 3. "…muhtadī (one finding the way, one coming to a conclusion, one reaching the right decision) four times; muhtadun (pl. muhtadūn) 18 times… " → muhtadin/al-muhtadī (or al-muhtadi) four times, muhtadūn (pl.) 17 times… (muhtadūn is the plural form of muhtadin/al-muhtadī. There is no "muhtadun" form).
The passage regarding the cognates of the verb h-d-y is in the same paragraph with the passage introducing the mahdi hadiths. They should be separated from.
There are numerous spelling and transliteration errors in the article. The following are a few examples. I strongly advise the author to carefully review the article and correct these errors.
P 4. al-Mustadrak al-Ḥākim → al-Mustadrak of al-Ḥākim
P 4. al-Maqdisī’s → al-Maqdisī
P 4. Ibn Kathīr’s → Ibn Kathīr
P 4. al-Mahdī min al-Rasul → al-Mahdī min al-Rasūl
P 5. al-Ṭabrānī → al-Ṭabarānī
P 5. Maʿmar ibn Rashīd → Maʿmar ibn Rāshid
P 6. Ethiopia → Ethiopians
P 7 and the following pages: Isa → 'Īsā
P 8. sabāb → sabab or asbāb
P 8 and P 10. al-ʿArf al-Wardī is al-Burhān fī ʿalāmāt al-mahdī akhir zaman → al-Burhān fī ʿalāmāt al-mahdī akhir zaman.
P 9. mudhāf → muḍāf
P 9. dhaʿīf → ḍaʿīf
3. Voices of the Text:
P 5. "Verily the earth will be beset with op-pression and hostility. Then a man will rise from my ahl al-bayt, who will fill it with equity and justice, as it will be replete with tyranny, hostility and oppression" → Incomplete translation.
The author does not mention in this section that Bukhari, Muslim, and Malik ibn Anas do not include any Mahdi hadiths. The author's hypothesis to explain why these great hadith compilers, who have been praised for their precise criteria in selecting hadiths, did not include such hadiths would pique the readers' interest.
4. Scheme of Ḥadīth Commentaries
This section contains useful information on the genre of hadith commentaries. It is, however, general and not directly related to the topic of the paper. I recommend that the author either incorporate this section into the following section or emphasize its importance to the subject.
5. A Bridge between Classical and Medieval Commentaries on Mahdī
There are generalizations in this section and throughout the paper that the author does not demonstrate or provide sufficient evidence for. For example:
P 8. "In these literatures, which were produced long after the canonisation of Kutub al-Sittah, all provides an interpretation of a ḥadīth found in Kutub al-Sittah in an attempt to denigrate their theological impetus."
P 8. "…did these contexts have an explicit and direct effect on the interpretation of specific ḥadīth? In order to answer this question, we will analyse some phrases from the seventh, eighth, and ninth centuries of Hijrah works" → The author may have discussed these issues in depth elsewhere, but the analysis of the phrases he provides in this paper does not provide an adequate answer. In the case of Salami's work, for example, the author merely lists the works influenced by al-Salami and briefly mentions his outline. The author provides brief introductory material about Suyuti's and Hindi's works on the following pages. The only contextual discussion is a brief mention of Hindi's criticism of the contemporary Mahdawiyya movement, which lacks any analysis to be considered an answer promised.
Conclusion
The author states in the conclusion, " …the interest of this paper is the discussion of medieval commentary techniques for retaining the text, context and psyche of apocalyptic ḥadīth." The discussion of commentary techniques is valuable; however, I do not believe that this article provides an adequate discussion of the context and psyche of apocalyptic hadith.
General Comments:
The topic of the article is intriguing. The argument promised in the abstract and several places throughout the article piques the readers' interest. It also offers a brief but useful survey of the literature through selected works. However, I have several concerns about the article. First, I believe that the analysis of the works in the body does not provide a sufficient foundation for the promised argument and the conclusion. I recommend that the author select one representative work and base a more in-depth and more extensive discussion on its analysis. Second, the topic of the article and its content have nothing to do with the topic of the special issue. The author could make the article more relevant by discussing how modern Muslims interpret the Mahdi hadiths. Of course, this would necessitate a significant change to the article. Third, the article's presentation is disorganized and lacks a clear flow of ideas in many places. I recommend that the author reorganize each section so that they all refer back to the main thesis. In addition, the thesis should be clearly stated in the introduction.
Author Response
Please see the attachment.
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 3 Report
- the theme is highly interesting, so are the sources (though possibly too many?); the study contains many precious remarks and insights, but these are mentioned in a too sporadic way and need to be elaborated and explained further and set into relation with the main concern/question of the paper
- the initial interrogations are too numerous or diverse, and finally cannot be answered in the conclusion
- the central research question and the main argument are not elaborated clearly enough; there is not enough focus
- the conclusion does not formulate a clear and distinct research result
-> suggestion: focus on one research question and analyze the sources correspondingly; the other questions can be treated and mentioned throughout the analysis as secondary questions and need to be raised/developed from the main question
- this should be a great contribution to the field on the condition that there is more analytical and argumentative focus
Author Response
Response to the Reviewer 3 Comments
Please see the attachment.
Point 1: the initial interrogations are too numerous or diverse, and finally cannot be answered in the conclusion
Response 1: Abstract: ... This paper explores panoramic view of ḥadīth commentaries in order to understand their commentarial production on apocalyptic questions, and specifically the subject of Mahdī within this trend of Sunni ḥadīth scholarship.
Point 2: the central research question and the main argument are not elaborated clearly enough; there is not enough focus
Response 2: Classical to modern scholars of ḥadīth interpreted these Mahdī ḥadīth in serial iterations over long periods of time in response to diverse sects and attacks. These interpretations and commentaries operated at two levels: to prove the authenticity of the ḥadīth of Mahdī amid the manoeuvres of a complex scholarly scene, while simultaneously championing the hermeneutic standard that Sunni scholars believed best preserved the meaning of ḥadīth. Overall, these interpretations and commentaries offered the commentator both social reward in the achievement of interpretive excellence through the practise of commentary.
Point 3: the conclusion does not formulate a clear and distinct research result
Response 3: We have covered multiplex production of Mahdī commentarial ḥadīth in a short paper to show the capacity this literature has for enriching contemporary readers. This type of Mahdī topic has directed scholars of ḥadīth across the ages to develop a specific genre with a view to preserving, whether intellectual, theological or emotional, the traditional sayings of the Prophet.
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Round 2
Reviewer 2 Report
The revisions/additions have unquestionably improved the paper. I believe that publication of this study in its current form would be a valuable contribution to scholarship; however, I believe that this study can be improved further. Perhaps this will be a good starting point for future Mahdi-based projects. Based on this general survey and valuable literature review, I hope the author will produce more specific and focused contextual studies.
There are still too many transliteration errors, especially in Arabic names (see, for example, page 6). I am hoping these mistakes will be caught during the process.
Reviewer 3 Report
The text looks better now; however, I still find that both the introduction and the conclusion can be improved as regards argumentative clarity
