Bismillah Al-Rahman Al-Raheem.(In The Name of Allah, The Beneficent, The Merciful)
The following is a refutation of the article on shia website Revisitingthesalaf.org entitled: ”Imam Mehdi (ajf) in Rabbinical Literature”, published on the 4th of March 2012.
This article on RTS is one of the most absurd; because Shia website RTS encourages and supports the Jews, who still await for their “coming” Messiah, whereas, in reality Jews had already rejected the Messiah (Jesus) when he was sent to them. Instead of spreading the guidance of Islam and informing the Jews that their Messiah whom God sent to them is Jesus son of Mary (as) the Shia of RTS agree with the Jews that the awaited Messiah is yet to come!! Maybe there’s a hidden agenda by RTS to please their Jewish Masters? Doesn’t RTS know that the Messiah whom the Jews are awaiting is `Isa (as), and they had rejected this Messiah a long time ago? Why play dumb and claim he’s their 12th hidden Imam? A better description can’t be given to Shias(rafidah) than the description given by Sheikh ul Islam Ahmed Ibn Taimiyya(rah) who said: Rafidah are the Donkeys of the jews – the jews ride on them in every fitna.
In the article which is titled as “Imam Mehdi (ajf) in Rabbinical Literature”, RTS tried to show that their mythical hidden Imam, is the Messiah prophesized in Rabbinical literature. The word “Rabbinical” means: [Of or pertaining to Rabbis or their learning, writings, etc.] So this literature which RTS used to support their mythical belief isn’t from any heavenly book which was given to nations in past, rather this literature is the writing of Jewish Rabbis. It’s their views and understandings. And as Muslims, we know where the Rabbis stand when it comes to their understandings and their views, we know that they are rubbish in our sight to say the least.
RTS tried to somehow fit their mythical Imam Mehdi to be the Messiah mentioned in the Rabbinical Literature. So let us analyze if their mythical Imam Mehdi, is the right candidate to be considered as Messiah from Rabbinical Literature, or it’s just another fraud and deceit from RTS; And is there any other candidate who fits as the Messiah mentioned in the Rabbinical Literature?
Who is the known Messiah for Muslims and Christians?
Answer: Muslims and Christians agreed upon the fact that, Jesus son of Mary (peace be upon both) is the true Messiah. This fact can be proven from Muslim as well as Christian scriptures.
We read in Glorious Quran:
When the angels said: O Marium, surely Allah gives you good news with a Word from Him (of one) whose name is the ‘. Messiah, Isa son of Marium, worthy of regard in this world and the hereafter and of those who are made near (to Allah). [Quran 3:45].
We read in Bible:
One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah”. [John 1:40-41].
Can Imam Mahdi be considered as Messiah(Masih)?
Answer: Ahlesunnah do not consider Imam Mehdi(as) to be a Messiah, it’s the view of a deviant and heretic cult of Qadiyanis, who consider the Messiah and the Mehdi to be one and the same. So it seems that RTS has followed the footsteps of their Qadiyani brethren and claimed that Messiah is Imam Mehdi.
Al-Mahdi and Messiah are two different personalities. In fact, the equivalent word of “Messiah” in Islam is “al-Maseeh” from “Masaha” which means “Wiped” in Arabic. Because `Isa (as) used to wipe the sick with his hand, this word has been used in the Quran as the title of Prophet Jesus (AS). As such, the “Messiah” is the Prophet Jesus(AS) and not the Imam al-Mahdi (AS). However, the word “Messiah” in English has another meaning, that is “Savior”. As a result, there have been some English translators who used the word “Messiah” for Imam al-Mahdi (AS) with the meaning of “Savior” which does NOT have anything to do with Arabic word “al-Maseeh”.
Who are the two Masih(Messiah) known to Muslims?
Answer:
The first Masih known to Muslims is Jesus(pbuh). We read in Quran:
When the angels said: O Marium, surely Allah gives you good news with a Word from Him (of one) whose name is ‘. Al-Masih, Isa son of Marium, worthy of regard in this world and the hereafter and of those who are made near (to Allah). [Quran 3:45].
The Second Masih known to Muslims is Masih dajjal(false Messiah). We read in Sahih Bukhari:
Narrated Abu Bakra: The Prophet said, “The terror caused by Al-Masih Ad-dajjal(false Messiah) will not enter Medina and at that time Medina will have seven gates and there will be two angels at each gate guarding them.” (Book#30, Hadith #103).
So the two Masih known to Muslims are Jesus(pbuh) and Dajjal(anti-christ). Muslims consider Jesus(pbuh) to be the true Masih, who was sent to the Jews, However RTS have rejected this fact by claiming that their awaited mythical Imam Mehdi is the Masih prophesized in rabbanical literature. Thus, by default the only Masih left for Shias is Dajjal(anti-christ). We congratulate them for this discovery!
The Messiah in Rabbinical Literature, Jesus(pbuh) or the mythical Mehdi of Shias? Let us analyze.
Shia website RTS states:
[Quote]Rabbinical literature prophecized that the King Messiah (the Qaim) would go through a Ghayba (occultation) :
Abarbanel; Yeshuot Moshicho 1:2:2 “The Moshiach will have to die in order to purify the generation and he will wait in a spiritual state in “heaven” until he rises from the dead, as it says in the Talmud Sanhedrin [98b].”Zohar; Parashat Balak 203b states that the Moshiach will have to “die,” which means go to a higher spiritual level, and return again with the new level he has attained.Rabbi Isaac Luria in his comment on Zohar, Parashat Shemot 8b says: “the man destined to be Moshiach births naturally in this world, and to him is given the [whole] spirit of Moshiach from Gan Eden, making him realize he’s the Moshiach, then he shall be hidden, risen to heaven, and then he shall be completely revealed and Israel will recognize him as Moshiach” (Zohar Harakia)[End Quote].{SCREEN SHOT}
As we previously stated, the one who fits the description of Messiah is Prophet `Isa (as). The quote from rabbinical literature states that the Messiah will wait in a spiritual state in Heaven and will then return. This perfectly applies to Messiah Jesus(pbuh).
The below verses of Quran and ahadeeth indicate, Messiah Jesus(pbuh) was taken and raised to heaven, which is the Ghayba(occultation) that RTS claims to be for their mythical Imam:
When God said, ‘Jesus, I will take you to Me and will raise you to Me, and I will purify you (of the falsehoods) of those who do not believe. “(Al-Imran 3: 55)
God raised him(Jesus) up to Him; God is Almighty, Allwise. (An-Nissa 4:158).
Allah’s Messenger Muhammad (SAW) said “What will be your condition when the son of Mary (i.e. Jesus) descends amongst you from the heavens?” (Baihaqi’s Asmaa wal Sifaat 2/432 Hadith 855)
Prophet Muhammad(SAW)) said: “Then Jesus son of Mary will descend from the heavens and lead the people.”” (Majma’ Al-Zawaid 7/349. Haithmi said, Bazzar has narrated it and all its narrators are those of the Sahih [i.e. Sahih Bukhari] except Ali bin Munzar and he is also trustworthy).
So, as the rabbinical literature states that Messiah will be risen to Heaven and then will return, we find the same being affirmed for Messiah Jesus(pbuh) from Quran and Hadith.
Note: RTS might argue that the rabbinical literature says that Massiah will have a natural birth thus it doesn’t apply to Jesus(pbuh), However as we said in the beginning that the rabbinical literature is just the understandings of the Rabbis, and We know that the Jews didn’t accept Messiah Jesus(pbuh), they accused Mary(pbuh) and rejected her claim and the claim of Jesus that He was born miraculously. Thus its obvious to find these hateful Jewish Rabbis to preach that Messiah will be born naturally, so as to falsify the claim of Messiah Jesus(pbuh) taking birth miraculously. Moreover, even the Shia Imam doesn’t fits into this category, because the birth of their Imams is unnatural since they are born from the things not the womb of their mothers. Shia scholars such as Bahrani in “Madinatul Majaiz” (8/22), Majlisi in “Biharul anwar” (51/26), Abbas al-Qummi in “al-Muntahal Amal” (p 608) with tahqiq of Sayed Hashim al-Milani, reported that al-Hasan al-Askari said:
انا معاشر الاوصياء لسنا نحمل في البطون وانما نحمل في الجنوب ولا نخرج من الارحام وانما نخرج من الفخذ الايمن من امهاتنا لأننا نور الله الذي لا تناله الدانسات
We the regents (awsiyah) are not carried in the stomachs but in the side, and we don’t be born from womb, but from the right thigh, because we are the light of Allah which is not defiled by impurity.
Shia website RTS states:
[Quote]The believers, including Israel, will not recognize him even though he will know them. The believers will not know he is there but he shall know who the believers are: “Yousf (as) recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him. This is one of the traits of Yousf (as) not only in his own generation, but in every generation, that Moshiach ben Yousf recognizes his brothers, but they do not recognize him. This is the work of Satan, who hides the characteristics of Moshiach ben Yousf (as) so that the footsteps of the Moshiach are not recognized and are even belittled because of our many sins. Otherwise, our troubles would already have ended. Were Israel to recognize Yousf (as), that is, the footsteps of ben Yosef the Mashiach which is the ingathering of the exiles etc., then we would already have been redeemed with a complete redemption.”From “Kol Hator,” authored by Rabbi Hillel Shklover, grand-nephew and disciple of the Vilna Gaon[End Quote].{Screen Shot}
Even this befits Messiah Jesus(pbuh), because Jesus(pbuh) wasn’t recognized by his own people who knew him. This quote is talking about the way the Messiah will be treated before his occultation not after it, because after the occultation and on his return he will be accepted by Israel as the above quote which was provided by RTS states. Anyways we will use the rabbinical quote itself to see what is the most plausible deduction.
It is stated in Bible regarding Messiah Jesus(pbuh):
He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. [John 1:11].
We read in the Glorious Quran:
And when Jesus came with clear arguments he said: I have come to you indeed with wisdom, and that I may make clear to you part of what you differ in; so be careful of (your duty to) Allah and obey me: Surely Allah is my Lord and your Lord, therefore serve Him; this is the right path: But parties from among them differed, so woe to those who were unjust because of the chastisement of a painful day. [Quran 44:63-65].
The bold part from the rabbinical quote provided by RTS states, that Satan will hide the Characteristics of Messiah, So that the footsteps of Messiah are not recognized or belittled. This is what happened with Messiah Jesus(pbuh), His own people didn’t recognize his characteristics, His miracles which he performed by the will of Allah, his clear arguments which are of a true Prophet as stated in the Quranic verses. And even He was offended by Jews, He was belittled as its stated in the Bible.
This rabbinical quote is not talking about Messiah being hidden, rather it talks about him being not recognized by his people, and that his Characteristics won’t be recognized by people. Thus, we find that even this rabbinical quote perfectly fits Messiah Jesus(pbuh).
Shia website RTS states:
[Quote]Attachment to the King Messiah (Qaim) is what brings true faith. As the Prophet (saw) said ‘“He who does not know the Imam of his time will die a death of ignorance (Jahiliyyah)”:
One who attached himself to the true tzaddikim has true faith. Mashiach is the true tzaddik. One who accepts Mashiach will receive from him pure faith, and will not have misplaced his faith. — From ‘Mashiach – Who? What? Why? How? Where? When?’ (an exposition of the teachings of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov), Chaim Kramer, Breslov Resarch Institute, Jerusalem, p. 86.[End Quote]. {Screen Shot}
This rabbinical quote also fits Messiah Jesus(pbuh). It talks about those who accept and obey the Messiah, they shall attain true faith.
We read in Quran:
And when Jesus came with clear arguments he said: I have come to you indeed with wisdom, and that I may make clear to you part of what you differ in; so be careful of (your duty to) Allah and OBEY ME: Surely Allah is my Lord and your Lord, therefore serve Him; this is the right path [Quran 44:63-65].
Also
Lo! herein verily is a portent for you, if you are believers. And (I come) confirming that which was before me of the Torah, and to make lawful some of that which was forbidden unto you. I come unto you with a sign from your Lord, so keep your duty to Allah and OBEY ME. Lo! Allah is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him. That is a straight path. [Quran 3:49-51].
And if one were to search in the Bible, he can locate verses where, we find that Messiah Jesus(pbuh) says that, if one follows Messiah Jesus(pbuh), He shall attain salvation. These Quranic verses we quoted are sufficient to prove our point.
Shia website RTS states:
[Quote]In the ghayba the King Messiah (Qaim) will have much suffering:
Pesikta Rabbati 146b
“Our Sages said, ‘King Messiah is subjected to sufferings in every generation according to the sins of that generation.’ The Holy One, blessed be He, said, ‘In that hour of the Redemption I shall resuscitate him – create him a new and he will no longer suffer.’”Zohar; Parashat Exodus 212a
“In the Garden of Eden there is a hall that is called the “hall of the afflicted.” Now it is into this hall that the Messiah goes and summons all the afflictions and pains and sufferings of Israel to come upon him. And so they all come upon him. And had he not eased the children of Israel of their sorrows, and taken their burden upon himself, there would be none who could endure the suffering of Israel in the penalty of neglecting the Torah. Thus it is written: “Surely our diseases he did bear and our pains he carried.” (Isaiah. 53:5) As long as the children of Israel dwelt in the Holy Land, they averted all afflictions and sufferings from the world by the service of the sanctuary and by sacrifice. But now it is the Messiah who is averting them from the habitants of the world”.[End Quote]. {Screen Shot}.
From the first quote that was provided by RTS from Pesikta Rabbati, then this more befits Messiah Jesus(pbuh), because we know that Messiah Jesus(pbuh) suffered a lot, we can quote several verses from Bible which affirms this fact, but since this is something which is widely accepted by both Muslims and Christians, then we don’t find it necessary to quote those verses proving the suffering of Jesus(pbuh).
Coming to the second quote by RTS from Zohar;Parashat Exodus, then this Rabbinical view is an erroneous view and a misunderstanding of the Rabbis, that Messiah will take the pains and diseases of Israel upon himself in the garden of Eden. It’s their misunderstanding, moreover this doesn’t even fit the mythical Imam Mahdi of Shias, because He isn’t suffering during his occultation, neither is He taking the suffering of his Shias upon himself. In fact, their mythical Imam went into hiding into a cave in order to save himself from sufferings and danger, and his Shia are supposed to be trialed with his absence with suffering.
In the quote from Zohar;Parashat Exodus, they based their view upon a verse of Isaiah( 53:5), and in accordance to Bible this befits Messiah Jesus(pbuh).
We find in Bible :
When Jesus came into Peter’s house, he saw Peter’s mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on him.When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:“He took up our infirmities and bore our diseases.”(Matthew 8:14-17).
Thus we find that the verse from Isaiah(53:5) which was misinterpreted and misunderstood by the Rabbis This in fact, fits Messiah Jesus(pbuh). And we Muslims are well aware that, they misunderstood the prophesies and rejected the true Messiah Jesus(pbuh).
Shia website RTS States:
[Quote]But it is precisely because the King Messiah (Qaim) endures the great trial of the Ghayba (Occultation) that he will be appointed as God’s supreme viceroy on Earth
“Therefore, Messiah who has endured what He has endured ever since the creation of the world, and suffered what He had suffered, after all this, God will in the end say to Him: ‘You are My Son, I have birthed You this day’ (Ps.2:7).” – (Rebbe Nachman, Likkutei Moharan 11:61:2). [End Quote].{Screen Shot}.
This prophecy also fits `Isa al-Maseeh (as)!
We read in Muslims texts that:
Prophet Muhammad (Saw) said, “The Hour will not be established until the son of Mary (i.e. Jesus) descends among you AS A JUST RULER, he will break the cross, kill the pigs, and abolish the jizya tax. Money will be in abundance so that nobody will accept it (as charitable gifts). Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 3, Book 43, Number 656 ).
Abu Umamah Al-Bahili said, “ Prophet Mohammad صلى الله عليه وسلم delivered a speech to us, most of which dealt with the Dajjal (the Anti-Christ) and warned us against him. Umm Sharik bint Abi-’Akr said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, where will the Arabs be at that time?’. Prophet Mohammad صلى الله عليه وسلم said, “At that time they will be few in number; most of them will be in the Bayt al-Maqdis (Jerusalem), and their Imam will be a righteous man. While their Imam is going forward to lead the people in the morning prayer, Isa (Jesus) son of Mary will descend. The Imam will step back, to let Jesus lead the people in prayer, but Jesus will place his hand between the man’s shoulders and say, ‘Go forward and lead the prayer, for the Iqamah was made for you.’ So the Imam will lead the people in prayer… Jesus son of Mary will be a just ruler and leader of my Ummah (Nation). He will break the cross, kill the pigs (outlaw raising pigs), and abolish the Jizyah (tax on Christians & Jews). He will not collect the Sadaqah (charity), so he will not collect sheep and camels. Mutual enmity and hatred will disappear. Every harmful animal will be made harmless, so that a small boy will be able to put his hand into a snake’s mouth without being harmed, a small girl will be able to make a lion run away from her, and a wolf will go among sheep as if he were a sheepdog. The Earth will be filled with peace as a container is filled with water. People will be in complete agreement, and only Allah will be worshipped. Wars will cease…”. Ibn Majah, Kitab al-Fitan, Tradition No. 4077, 2: 1363).
A Similar thing can be found in Christian records regarding Messiah Jesus(pbuh).
We find in the Bible:
The days are coming,” declares the Lord,“when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, A KING who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land.(Jeremiah 23:5).
FINAL NAIL IN THE COFFIN:
The rabbinical records which RTS used to deceive people, mentions about Messiah, i.e; Messiah ben Yosef(Joseph) or Messiah ben David(Dawood), Which means Messiah son of Yusuf or Messiah son of Dawood. We would like to present a Rabbinical quote for further clarification.
Zohar; Balak 340. “And from the hills I behold him” In the Future to Come, when Messiah will come, that higher hill needs to take and bring him inside her wings in order to firm him up and place him in the higher life. From it will emerge on that day, Messiah ben David. 341. That is the secret of: “I will tell of the decree: HaShem has said to me, ‘You are My son; this day have I begotten you’” (Tehilim 2:7): I am destined to speak to this place that is called ‘decree’, and give the good tidings. “HaShem, “has said to me, ‘You are My son; this day have I begotten you’”, that very day, produces that decree, from under her wings, with much life, with many adornments and many blessings, as is proper. 342. That law, will not remain on its own. Because then, another Messiah [ben Yosef], will be also be included in it. There, he will be fortified, and at no other place, because this is a lower hill, that has no life of its own. That Messiah will die and be killed, and he will remain dead until this hill, will gather life from the higher hill, Then [ben Yosef] will rise.” Notice in Sukka 51a that Ben David sees in the future how ben Yosef dies, ask for him Life, and G-d gives Life to ben David. So this Midrash can be understood as Messiah ben Yosef coming back from death as ben David. Actually Rabbi Haim Vital said in his book: Sefer Chizyonot that Moshiach ben David and Moshiach ben Yosef are two titles of two different functions of the same person (Sefer Chizyonot page 106).
Now the interesting point here is that Messiah Jesus(pbuh) traces back his ancestory or lineage to both Yusuf(as) and Dawood(as) and they trace back their lineage to Ishaq son of Ibrahim(as). But sadly(for RTS) the bad news is that, their mythical Imam Mehdi, doesn’t traces back his lineage to Dawood(as) or Yusuf(as), Al-Mehdi is to be from progeny of Prophet Muhammad(Saw), and his lineage is linked to Ismail son of Ibrahim(as) NOT Ishaq(as). Thus Imam Mehdi cannot be considered as Son of Yosef(as) or Son of David(as). However, as we have seen Messiah Jesus(pbuh) can be considered as Son of Yusuf(as) and Son of David(as), as His lineage traces back to these two Prophets. Genealogy of Jesus can be read in Bible, Matthew Chapter 1, The Genealogy of Jesus.
Thus even this fact proves that the Messiah mentioned in Rabbinical Literature in NO WAY could be considered the Mahdi of Islam or that of Shiasm, Rather the only candidate who fits the description of Messiah, Is the Messiah Jesus son of Mary(pbuh).
Some examples of how the Shia force their Imams into religious texts:
The Twelver Shia just like most Batini esoteric sects will explain any religious text in a way that suits their agenda, we will show the reader some examples of Qur’anic verses and how they explained them, attributed this to Ahlul-Bayt and how they forcefully tried to fit their Imams in these verses:
Example 1. Allah(swt) said in the Quran:
(016.068) And thy Lord taught the Bee to build its cells in hills, on trees, and in (men’s) habitations.
Shia commentary States, that masoom imam said: “That was revealed about us. We are bee, our shias are hills, and the trees are our women from believers. And imams are bees and Ali is our master”.(Source: Rajab al Borsi in “500 ayah nazalat fi ameral momeneen” with reference to tafseer al Mizan, tafseer al-Qummi).
Example 2. Allah said in Quran:
I swear by the fig and the olive, And mount Sinai, And this city made secure, Certainly We created man in the best make. Then We render him the lowest of the low. Except those who believe and do good, so they shall have a reward never to be cut off.(Surah At-Tin, chapter 95: 1-6)
Esteemed Shia scholar ibn Ibraheem al Qummi wrote in tafseer 2/429:
التين رسول الله (صلى الله وعليه وآله) والزيتون امير المؤمنين (عليه السلام) وطور سينين الحسن والحسين (عليهما السلام) والبلد الامين الائمة (عليهم السلام)
“And “fig” that’s prophet (sallalahu alayhi wa alihi), and “olive” that’s amiralmomineen (a.s), “and mount Sinai” that’s Hasan and Husayn, and secured city that’s imams”.
Example 3. Allah said in Quran, surah al Fatiha:
اهدِنَــــا الصِّرَاطَ المُستَقِيمَ
[1:6] Keep us on the right path
Shia commentary for this verse. Tafseer Ayashe vol 1, p 24
25 ـ عن داود بن فرقد عن أبى عبدالله (عليه السلام) قال: ” اهدنا الصراط المستقيم ” يعنى أمير المؤمنين صلوات الله عليه
“Daud ibn Farkad from Abu Abdullah (a.s) said: “Keep us on the right path” that’s mean Ameer Almomineen(sa).
Example 4. Allah(swt) said in the Quran:
(az-Zumar, 69) And the earth shall beam with the light of its Lord, and the Book shall be laid down, and the prophets and the witnesses shall be brought up, and judgment shall be given between them with justice, and they shall not be dealt with unjustly.
Shia scholar Ali ibn Ibrahim al-Qummi in the commentary of these words “And the earth shall beam with the light of its Lord”, narrated (2/253) that imam said:
رب الارض يعني إمام الارض
“Loard of the earth it’s mean imam of the earth”.
There are many more examples like these, that we cannot possibly include as it would take huge volumes to count them all.
LESSON FOR OUR ESTEEMED READERS:
“Truth has (now) arrived, and Falsehood perished: for Falsehood is (by its nature) bound to perish.” Quran (17:81).
In Defense of the Aal & Ashaab 
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