QUESTION:
What will Imam Al-Mahdi (peace be upon him) wear when he reappears? Would he dress in the same manner as his forefathers (peace be upon them), or will he wear what the people of his time do?
ANSWER:
In the Name of Allah, the All-Beneficent, the All-Merciful.
May Allah bless Muhammad and his Family and damn their enemies.
In Kafi al-Shari by Al-Kulayni (may Allah have mercy on him and grant him His highest reward), in vol. 1, it is narrated that Hamad Bin Uthman said:
I was in the company of Aba Abdullah when a man came to him and said: ‘May Allah reform your ways; you mentioned that Ali Bin Abi Talib (peace be upon him) wore rugged clothes, wore a 4 Dirham (currency) shirt, and the likes, but I see you are dressed fashionably.’ He said: ‘ The way Ali Bin Abi Talib (peace be upon him) dressed was not frowned upon in his time, but he would have been spoken ill of for dressing in the same manner today. It is best to wear what the people of your time wear; however, the Qa’im (i.e. he who stands ready) of Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) will wear what Ali (peace be upon him) wore and follow in his footsteps when he emerges
Also, in Al-Ghaiba by Al-Nu’mani (may Allah have mercy on him and grant him His highest reward), of Mu’amar Bin Khilad, who said:
The Qa’im was mentioned in the presence of Abi al-Hassan al-Ridha (peace be upon him), who said: ‘You are at ease now compared to then (the day of his reappearance).’ They asked: ‘How is that?’ He said: ‘When Our Qa’im (peace be upon him) emerges, there will only be blood and sweat [1], and sleep on saddles [2]. The Qa’im (peace be upon him) will only wear what is rugged and eat what is unsavoury.
[1] – A metaphor for hardships that exhaust and bleed out the individual.
[2] – Describes the state of the warrior taking part in the war alongside the Imam al-Mahdi (peace be upon him) who must sleep while riding his horse, emphasising how long and ceaseless it will be.
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