As-Salam Alaykum,
Sidi, where will the Imam Mahdi (A.S.) appear from?
Wa Alaykum as-Salam,
The Moroccan Tijani Master, Sidi Muhammad bin Abd-al-Wahid al-Nazifi (RA) answers your question in his renowned poem on the Tariqah entitled al-Yaqutah al-Faridah, where he says:
يقول سيدي محمد بن عبد الواحد النظيفي في قصيدته المشهورة الياقوتة الفريدة :
ويأخذها المهدي عند ظهوره *** لدى من له الإذن الصحيح بطيبة
And the Mahdi will take this Tariqah when he appears
From the one who will have the Ijazah in it, in Taybah (Medina)
It is also for this reason that our Master Shaykh Sidi Ahmad Tijani (RA) sent his Muqaddam Sidi Muhammad al-Ghali Bu-Talib (RA) to settle in the Hijaz (Makkah-Medina). So that he can receive the Mahdi when he appears from there and give him the Wird.
However, the Mahdi did not appear during the time of Sidi al-Ghali (RA), and he died in Makkah in the year 1244/1829 and was buried in the Jannat al-Ma’la.
Nevertheless, in the Hijaz, Sidi al-Ghali (RA) met and trained a forerunner of the Mahdi (RA), and that is none other than Amir al-Mu’imin al-Haj Umar al-Futi (RA).
Al-Haj Umar Tal (RA) was already a Tijani when he went to the Hijaz, but he received his Tarbiyah from Sidi al-Ghali (RA).
Shaykh Umar (RA) had also held the Maqam of the Mahdi. When asked, during his Jihad if he was “the awaited Mahdi?”, he replied:
“I am the Mahdi of my time”
This is also what was meant by those past Awliya who claimed to the Mahdi. Some of them were not as strong as al-Haj Umar (RA) and actually thought that they were the Final Mahdi (AS).
Numerous authentic Hadith of the Prophet (SAW) are clear that the Mahdi will from the Ahl al-Bayt and that he will appear from the Hijaz. His birth will be in Medina (and he will be initiated in the Tariqah there), his Bay’ah of Imamah will be Makkah and his Capital will be in al-Quds (Jerusalem).
This is also one of the reasons that Shaykh Ahmad Tijani (RA) wanted to migrate from Morocco and settle in Syro-Palestine, but the Prophet (SAW) stopped him due to the ardent plea of all the Awliya of the Maghreb.
There are a couple of reports that indicate that the Mahdi will appear from elsewhere (i.e. Morocco...etc), but these are considered extremely weak and even fabricated, as the Ulama of Hadith state.
One should think a hundred times before believing in questionable reports coming from questionable individuals.
Safety lies in believing in what is authentically reported from the Prophet (SAW) and Shaykh Ahmad Tijani (RA).
Note also that Mawlana Shaykh Ibrahim (RA) stated that the Mahdi (RA) will be from his followers and will be guided by him!
Al-Humduli’Llah!!!
Was-Salam,
Fakhruddin Owaisi al-Tijani al-Ibrahimi