Iqamat al-Burhan fi al-Radd ala man Ankar Khuruj al-Mahdi wa al-Dajjal wa Nuzul al-Masih fi Akhir al-Zaman
- Author died
- 1413 AH
- Editions
- Maktabat al-Ma'arif
Iqamat al-Burhan fi al-Radd ala man Ankar Khuruj al-Mahdi wa al-Dajjal wa Nuzul al-Masih fi Akhir al-Zaman (Establishing the Proof in Refutation of Whosoever Denies the Emergence of the Mahdi and the Dajjal and the Descent of the Messiah at the End of Time) is a theological treatise by the Saudi Hanbali scholar Hammud ibn Abdullah al-Tuwayjiri (d. 1413 AH / 1992 CE) defending traditional Sunni eschatological doctrines.
Background and Composition
The work was composed as a direct polemical response to an article written by Abd al-Karim al-Khatib and published in the periodical al-Muslimun. In that article, al-Khatib rejected the prophetic reports concerning the end-times appearance of the Mahdi, the emergence of the Dajjal (the False Messiah), and the bodily descent of Isa ibn Maryam (Jesus), arguing that such narrations are not mentioned explicitly in the Quran, lack rational coherence, and bear no relation to essential Islamic creed. Al-Tuwayjiri completed writing the treatise on 16 Dhu al-Qi'dah 1402 AH.
Content and Arguments
Al-Tuwayjiri structures his refutation around addressing the gravity of rejecting established prophetic traditions and systematically answering al-Khatib's claims:
- The obligation of accepting authentic hadiths: The author begins by arguing that rejecting established prophetic reports constitutes a severe departure from Islamic orthodoxy and undermines the testimony of faith. To substantiate this, he cites classical scholars such as Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Ishaq ibn Rahwayh, al-Barbahari, Ibrahim ibn Ahmad ibn Shaqla, and Ibn Hazm.
- The Mahdi and the Dajjal: Al-Tuwayjiri notes that ten authentic hadiths affirm the emergence of the Mahdi (which he detailed in his separate work al-Ihtijaj bi-al-Athar ala man Ankar al-Mahdi al-Muntazar), while over 190 sound and good narrations establish the emergence of the Dajjal (which he compiled in his major work Ithaf al-Jama'ah). He states that early theological sects—namely factions of the Kharijites, Jahmiyyah, and Mu'tazilah—were the historical precedents for denying the Dajjal, contrary to the consensus of Sunni scholars as cited by Ibn Kathir and al-Nawawi.
- The Descent of Jesus: The treatise devotes substantial discussion to the return of Jesus, citing more than fifty prophetic traditions and interpreting Quranic passages including Surah al-Nisa' (4:159) and Surah al-Zukhruf (43:61) based on reports from Abdullah ibn Abbas, Abu Hurayrah, al-Hasan al-Basri, Qatadah ibn Di'amah, Ibn Jarir al-Tabari, and Ibn Kathir. He refutes the objection that Jesus's descent contradicts Prophet Muhammad ﷺ being the seal of the prophets, explaining that Jesus will not bring a new law or judge by the Gospel, but will govern as a follower of the Quran and the Sunnah.
- Correction of textual error: The author highlights a misreading (tashif) in al-Khatib's article, where al-Khatib misquoted the canonical hadith by writing that Jesus will "lay down war" (yada' al-harb) instead of "abolish the jizyah" (yada' al-jizyah).
- Consensus on Creed: Against al-Khatib's claim that these eschatological events do not belong to creed, al-Tuwayjiri cites consensus formulations across various Sunni traditions, referencing works by Abu al-Hasan al-Ash'ari (Maqalat al-Islamiyyin), Ibn Abi Zayd al-Qayrawani, Ibn al-Haddad al-Shafi'i, Muwaffaq al-Din Ibn Qudamah, Ibn Taymiyyah, al-Qadi Iyad, al-Munawi, and Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Saffarini.
Publication
The work was published as an independent book by Maktabat al-Ma'arif in Riyadh in 1405 AH / 1985 CE. It was also published as an article in the Saudi journal Majallat al-Buhuth al-Islamiyyah in its 13th issue, spanning Rajab to Shawwal 1405 AH (pp. 101–113).
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