Are there narrations that specify the place of the Mahdi's emergence and definitively settle the conflicting narrations regarding his emergence from Khurasan or Medina?
Upon reviewing specialized books on the narrations concerning the Mahdi, it becomes clear that the Marfu' (attributable to the Prophet) hadiths which specify the place of the Mahdi's emergence, either explicitly or implicitly by naming him, are two:
The first hadith: The hadith of Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, which has been reported through two chains, both of which are very weak. The first is due to Hanan ibn Sadir, and the second is due to Yazid ibn Abi Ziyad.
The second hadith: The hadith of Thawban, whose chain of narration has been presented in three ways, all of which are weak.
Conclusion: Verified hadith research indicates that no Marfu' report from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, is established regarding the determination of the Mahdi's place of emergence. However, the narrations reported from some Tabi'in (followers) and the leniency of some scholars towards weak narrations have led to the common belief in the books of the people of knowledge that the place of the Mahdi's emergence is the East, specifically Khorasan.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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