Question: Who is Al Yamani and is there any specific way that defines this character and allows us to identify his character? Is he from Yemen? Is he an infallible such that he would not engage people in falsehood and would not make them leave truth, as that was mentioned in the narration of Imam Al Baqir (AS) “His Banner is a banner of guidance, and it’s prohibited for any Muslim to turn away from him, and whoever turns away from him then he’s from the people of hell, because he calls to the truth and to a path is straight.”?
Answer by Sayed Ahmed Al-Hasan:
First, it is necessary to know that Mecca is from Touhama and that Touhama is from Yemen. Sheikh AlMajlesy: He (Prophet (p)) said that because Imaan (faith) started from Mecca which is Touhama from the region of Yemen and so it was called: The Yamani KaabaSheikh Ali AlNumazi v.10 p.602 and Bihar Al-Anwar v.22 p.1
Thus, Muhammed℗ and the Holy Family of the Muhammed℗ are all “Yamanis” (they are from Yemen).
Muhammed℗ is “Yamani”, Ali ℗ is “Yamani”, Imam Al Mahdi ℗ is “Yamani”, the twelve Mahdis are “Yamani”, and First Mahdi is also “Yamani”. The working jurists in the past knew that (May God’s mercy be upon them). “Now there hath succeeded them a later generation whom have ruined worship and have followed lusts. But they will meet deception.” (Maryam: 59).
Also Al-Majlisi (may God’s mercy be upon him) in the book of Bihar Al-Anwar, named the speech of the progeny of Muhammed ℗ as the “Yamani wisdom.” (Bihar Al-Anwar volume 1 p. 1).
That was also reported by the messenger of God ℗, as he named Abd Al-Mutalib ℗ the sacred house the Yamani Ka’aba. (Bihar Al-Anwar. Volumes. 22, 51, 75).
Concerning the Features defining Al Yamani`s character, it was narrated by Al-Imam Al-Baqir ℗ “There is no banner better than that of the banner of Yamani, it is the banner of guidance because he calls to your companion, so if the Yamani comes out, selling weapons to people or any Muslim becomes prohibited, and if the Yamani appears, stand up to him, because he’s banner is the banner of faith, and it is prohibited for any Muslim to turn away from him, and whoever turns away from him, then he’s from the people of hell because he calls to the truth and to the right path.” (Al-Ghaybah – Muhammed Ibn Ibrahim A’ Nomani p. 264).
In this account there is the following:- First: “and its prohibited for any Muslim to turn away from him, and whoever turns away from him, then he’s from the people of hell”… : and this means that Al Yamani has the role of a Divine vicegerent because no character can be a Hujjah (i.e. proof) upon people to a point that if they turn away from him they will enter hell, even if they pray, fast, unless they are the vicegerents of God on his earth and they are Prophets, messengers, Imams and Mahdis.
Second: “because he calls to the truth and to the right path”: And the call to the truth and the straight path means that this person never makes a mistake where it will make people enter into falsehood or takes them out of the path of truth. Therefore this person is an infallible and his infallibility is mentioned in a text. And based on that meaning, this constraint or limitation to his character will be useful for us to determine the character of the Yamani. So if one makes his own assumption to the meaning of this narration “because he calls to the truth and to the right path”, is rendering the words of the Imams ℗ useless since there will be no limits or restrictions to the character of the Yamani, and may God forbid people saying such a thing about our holy Imams ℗.
The result of what was discussed above (in the first and second part) is that Al Yamani is one of the proofs of God on His earth and he is infallible, his infallibility is mentioned in a text. And it has also been proven by many frequently narrated accounts and irrefutable texts that the proofs after the Prophet Muhammed ℗ are the 12 Imams ℗ and after them, there are 12 Mahdis and that there is no proof from God on this earth who is infallible other than them. And through them is the completion of favors and the perfection of religion and the heavenly messages are sealed. Additionally speaking, the 11 Imams ℗ have all been deceased and there only remains imam al Mahdi ℗ and the 12 Mahdis ℗. The Yamani calls to imam al Mahdi ℗. Therefore, the Yamani must be the First of the Mahdis because the 11 Mahdis after him are from his progeny “They were descendants one after another. God is the Hearer and Knower.” (34 Al-Imran).
They also come after the period of the appearance of Imam al-Mahdi ℗, indeed they arrive during the state of divine justice and what is known and is proven is that the first Mahdi will be during the time of imam al Mahdi and he is the first believer in imam al Mahdi ℗ when he first emerges. His aim is to provide the necessities for the emergence of imam al Mahdi as it was narrated in the will of Prophet Muhammed ℗. And from the characteristics of the Yamani become limited to the fact that the Yamani is the first Mahdi and he is from the 12 Mahdis. Also, the accounts of the Holy Family of the Prophet ℗ describe first Mahdi and give, in detail, His Name, His Attributes, and his location. Indeed his name is Ahmad, his Nickname is Abdullah (Servant of God), i.e. Israel, and i.e. that people will be compelled to call him “Israeli”. And Prophet Muhammed ℗ said: my name is Ahmad and I am Abdullah (the servant of God), my name is Israel, and whatsoever he commanded him, he has commanded me too and whatever God said to Israel, was meant to me. (Tafseer al Ayashi. Ch.1, pg. 44- Alburhan ch.1, pg95 – Al-Bihar Vol. 7, P 178)
And the first Mahdi is the first from the 313, and he is from al-Basra, on his cheek is a mark and on his forehead is dandruff. His body is similar to the body of Moses the son of Imran ℗. Also on his back is the seal of Prophethood and in Him, the Will of the Prophet ℗ is carried out, he is the most knowledgeable from all creation, after the Imams, in the Quran, Torah, and the bible. Moreover, at the beginning of his appearance, he will appear as a young man. The Prophet Muhammed ℗ said: (…then he mentioned a young man and he said, “if you see him pay allegiance to him because he is the vicegerent of the Mahdi) Besharat Al’ Islam p. 30.
“O Father of Al Hassan, bring me a pen and paper,” then he started dictating his will to Ali “O Ali, there will be twelve Imams and after them, there will be twelve Mahdis. You, O Ali, are the first of the twelve Imams, and he dictated his will until he came to a position where he completed mentioning the 12 Imams then he said: If the day of death comes to him (Al-Hassan), let him hand the will over to his son, Muhammed the Preserver of the Holy Family of Muhammed, Peace be upon them all. These are the twelve Imams. Then there will be twelve Mahdi’s after them. Then when the day of death comes to him, let him hand the will over to his son, the first of the close ones, he has three names, one like mine and my Father’s: Abdullah (Servant of God), Ahmad, and the third name is The Mahdi (the guided) and he is the first Believer.” – Bihar Al-Anwar Vol. 53 p. 147/ Al-Ghayba Al-Tusi p. 150
Also narrated from Al-Sadiq that he said: “From us, there is (i.e. our progeny), after Al Qaim, twelve Mahdis from the offspring of Hussein ℗.” (Bihar Al-Anwar. Vol. 53 p. 148. Alborhane. Vol. 3 p. 310. Al-Ghayba Al-Tusi p. 385).
Also from Imam Al-Sadiq ℗, he said: “From us, there is (i.e. our progeny), after Al Qaim, Eleven Mahdis from the offspring of Hussein ℗” (Bihar Al Anwar. Vol. 53 p. 145). And in this narration, the Qaim is the first Mahdi and not imam Al-Mahdi ℗ because Imam Al-Mahdi ℗ has 12 Mahdis after him.
Al-Baqir ℗ said in the description of the First Mahdi: “He said: “It is he, whose pigment has a strike of red, hollow eyes, unlinked eyebrows, wide shoulders, dandruff in his head and a mark on his face. May God have mercy upon Moses.” (The Occultation – Muhammed AlNomani, page 223)
Also about the Prince of Believers, Imam Ali ℗ said in a long narration: (…The first one of them shall be from Basra and the last one from Ebdal.) Evangel of Islam, page 249, Beirut year 1999
)Also about Imam Al-Sadiq ℗ said in a long narration where he mentioned in it the followers of the Qaim ℗: ((…and from Al Basra…Ahmad…)) Bisharat al Islam pg.148.
Also about Imam Al-Baqir ℗, he said: “The Qa’em (Riser) shall have two names; one is hidden while the other is announced. The one announced is Muhammed, while the one hidden is Ahmad”.
Kamal Al-Din, part 2 page 653 item 57.
Ahmad is the name of the first Mahdi and Muhammed is the name of Imam Al Mahdi ℗ as it has been clear from the will of Prophet Muhammed ℗.
About imam al Baqir ℗: “God Almighty has a treasure in Talqan, neither gold nor silver, twelve thousand in Khurasan. Their slogan is “Ahmed Ahmed” led by a young man from Hashim’s sons riding a gray mule, a red headband on him, as if I am looking at him cross the Euphrates. So if you hear about that, rush to him, even if you had to crawl over snow.” (Montakhab AlAnwar Almodi’a, page 343.
Ahmad is the name of the First Mahdi and in the book almalahim wal fitan by sayed bin tawos al hassany pg.27 ( the prince of anger is not from this neither from that but he is a vicegerent who is a Yamani).
Also in the book almalahim walfitan in pg.80 (they gather and look at who they pay allegiance to, and while they are like that, they will hear an unknown voice never said neither by a jinn nor by human “pledge allegiance to – such person – by his name He is neither this nor of that but He is a Khalifa (vicegerent) who is a Yamani.”
Also, Sheik Ali Al Korani mentioned in his book ‘mojam ahadeeth Al Imam Al Mahdi ℗’ chp.1 pg.299. (the Mahdi is only from Quraysh, and the Vicegerency is only within them, except that he has an origin and lineage from Yemen)
These attributes are the attributes of the victorious Yamani, and they are the attributes of the first Mahdi because they are indeed one person as shown above. However, if you want more information, I will say, that Al Yamani is the one who will pave the way during the period of the Holy Appearance. He is from the three hundred and thirteen and gives the banner to Imam Al-Mahdi pbuh. Moreover, the First Mahdi is also present during the period of Holy Appearance and he is the first believer in Imam Al Mahdi ℗ at the beginning of Holy Appearance and before the period of his rise. Therefore it becomes necessary that one of them becomes a “Hujjah” over the other, and since the Imams and the Mahdis are all the “Hujjah” i.e. proofs of God before all creation and the first Mahdi is from them, therefore the first Mahdi is a Hujjah over the Yamani- if these two characters are only but one person. Therefore the first Mahdi would be the leader of the revolution of paving the way, making the role of al Yamani become secondary and that is untrue because the Yamani is the primary facilitator and the main leader of the movement during the holy era of Appearance. So it becomes necessary that the first Mahdi is the Yamani and that the Yamani is the first Mahdi. Thus the Yamani (his name is Ahmad, he is from Basra, has a mark on his right cheek, at the beginning of his emergence he is a young man, has dandruff on his head, he is the most knowledgeable than all people in the Quran, Torah, and bible after the Imams, he is called the “Mahdi”, he is an infallible imam which people must obey, no Muslim should turn away from him and whoever turns away from him is from the people of hell because he calls to the truth and the straight path, he calls to Imam Al Mahdi ℗… and… and… all that have been mentioned from the Imams about the characteristics of the first Mahdi. So refer to the books Kitab Ghaybat Anno’ Amani and Ghaybat Attossi and Ikmal Addin and Bihar Al’ Anwar. Vol. 52 and 53, and other books of narrations (Books of hadiths).
What remains to be said is that all the followers of the Yamani from the 313 who are with the Imam ℗ are called “Yamaniyoon” since they are directly related to their leader Al-Yamani and include the Yamani of Sana’a and Yamani of Iraq.
Nay, by the Moon (32) And the night when it withdraweth (33) And the dawn when it shineth forth, (34) Lo! this is one of the greatest (portents) (35) As a warning unto men, (36) Unto him of you who will advance or hang back. (37) Every soul is a pledge for its own deeds; (38) Save those who are Al Yamin’s Companions. (39) In gardens they will ask one another (40) Concerning the guilty: (41) What hath brought you to this burning? (42) They will answer: We were not of those who prayed (43) Nor did we feed the destitute. (44) We used to wade (in vain dispute) with (all) waders, (45) And we used to deny the Day of Judgment, (46) Till the Inevitable came unto us. (47) The mediation of no mediators will avail them then. (48) Why now turn they away from the Admonishment, (49) As they were frightened asses (50) Fleeing from a lion! (51) Nay, but everyone of them desireth that he should be given open pages (from God). (52) Nay, verily. They fear not the Hereafter. (53) Nay, verily. Lo! this is an Admonishment. (54) So whosoever will may heed. (55) And they will not heed unless God willeth (it). He is the fount of fear. He is the fount of Mercy. (56)
(Al Muddathir) {by” The Moon”} the moon is the successor {the night} is the state of the oppressors and {the morning} is the dawn of Imam Al Mahdi ℗ and the beginning of his appearance is through his successor just like the beginning of sunrise because he is the Sun.
{this is one of the greatest (portents)} it’s the minor resurrection and the three Great Divine events. There are three of them: the minor resurrection, the return, and the great resurrection. {As a warning unto men} a warner, he is the successor and the first Mahdi℗ (the Yamani) Imam Al-Mahdi pbuh will send him as a giver of glad tidings and a warner with a severe punishment in between his hands so that whoever wants to proceed can and whoever wants to become late can to the caravan of Imam Al Mahdi pbuh. {Every soul is a pledge for its own deeds} and that is clear since every human is judged according to his own acts and deeds{save those who are Al-Yameen’s companions} these are excluded from judgment and they are the “close” ones and they are the followers of the Yamani who are from the 313, the companions of Imam Al- Mahdi pbuh. They will enter paradise without judgment. God the Almighty said {Thus if he is of the close ones} (88){Then for him is a rest and bounty and a garden of pleasure} (89) (39) In gardens they will ask one another (40) Concerning the criminals (41) What hath brought you to this burning? (42) They will answer: We were not of those who prayed (43) meaning, we were not from those who followed and obeyed the guardian of God and did not follow his vicegerent and the successor of Imam Al Mahdi pbuh, the first Mahdi (the promised Yamani). And the Yamani (it is prohibited for any Muslim to turn away from him and whoever does that then he is from the people of hell).
Sufficient for us is God, and [He is] the best Disposer of affairs.
Imam Ali was trialed with Muawiya son of hind (may God curse him) whom people came to him unable to distinguish between a she-Camel and a Camel, and I am tested today, as the Prince of the believers did but by seventy Muawiyas and all are being followed by people who can’t distinguish between a she-camel and a camel. God is sufficient from what they describe.
By God, the messenger of God℗ and my fathers, the Imams pbut did not leave a thing concerning my matter unless they described it. They described me in an accurate way and they mentioned my name and clarified my location. There is no confusion or suspicion concerning my position after this explanation. My matter is as clear as the sun at day “I am the first the Mahdis and the promised Yamani.”
Ahmed Al-Hasan