# Does the Muslim account of the Mahdi, Jesus and Gog and Magog parallel Jewish messianic literature? *Qadhi on the Midrash: the minor and major messiah, Gog and Magog, and 'what a coincidence'* - URL: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/tr3nsx3ufy8/s/11/ - Date: 2021-03-14 · Kind: lesson · Transcript tier: machine · Recording: Reply to Yasir Qadhi's False Claims on 2nd Coming of Jesus | Mufti Abu Layth (43:24–47:19) - Status: a view quoted in order to be discussed, not a position held - Watch from the start of the segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TR3NSX3UFy8&t=2604s - Recording page: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/tr3nsx3ufy8/ **Topics:** Dajjal, Mahdi and the signs; Christians and other faiths; The second coming of Jesus **Summary (not a quotation; machine-made, unchecked):** Qadhi's own clip lays out the Midrash's two messiahs, Gog and Magog and judgement, notes the parallel with the Muslim Mahdi, Messiah and Gog and Magog, and suggests both traditions simply had it. Mufti Abu Layth responds with sarcasm and notes Qadhi's admission that Muslim books contain bizarre material. ## Longer summary In the clip Qadhi explains that belief in a messiah is one of the thirteen principles of Jewish creed set out by Maimonides and others, and that Jewish literature, the Midrash, speaks of two messiahs: a minor messiah who is the forerunner and defeats the enemies of Israel, meaning the children of Israel, including Gog and Magog, after which the real messiah comes and judgement takes place and the righteous are rewarded. Mufti Abu Layth interjects with the hadith that Muslims would follow the ways of the Jews and Christians. Qadhi says it is interesting that one paragraph of midrashic literature mentions two figures, Gog and Magog and the Day of Judgement, just as Muslims have the Mahdi, the Messiah, Gog and Magog and the Day of Resurrection, and that when asked how Muslims could have been influenced by Jewish literature he suggests that perhaps both simply had it. Mufti replies with repeated sarcastic exclamations of what a coincidence. Qadhi then says Muslim books also contain bizarre material and that one must be discerning, since being written in Arabic does not make something true, which Mufti contrasts with his earlier appeal to what the scholars have said; the clip ends with Qadhi saying he was relieved to find classical scholars who problematised the Gog and Magog hadith. ## Sources and names cited - Yasir Qadhi - Maimonides - the Midrash - Ya'juj and Ma'juj (Gog and Magog) - Mahdi - report: you will follow the ways of the jews and the christians ## Transcript (machine tier, 43:24–47:19) [43:09] scripture that as a part of his thirteen points of al-qaeda so jewish scholars had as part of the iraq either a belief like maimonides and others that they will be a messiah but also a forerunner 11 to the 12 point we're going to believe in the messiah a day will come when the messiah will come it is a part of jewish literature buddhism believe in two types of messiah the minor messiah and the major messiah [43:48] very interesting isn't it jewish people believed in a minor messiah they say that there will be a forerunner to the real messiah and this forerunner will defeat israel's enemies when they say israel they don't mean the country they mean bani israel remember this right when the midrash says israel they mean muslims jews from their perspective you understand they don't mean the country so they say that this jewish messianic precursor the minor messiah so the minor messiah this is jewish literature the midrash not [44:25] us yet obviously we too as the hadith says whatever the jews and the christians you two will go down that road so okay we'll defeat israel's enemies gog and magog and then the real messi will come and then judgment will take place and then the righteous will be rewarded meaning with jannah if that's their reward now this is interesting because this is midrashic literature and it mentions two figures and it mentions gogan magog and it mentions judgment day all in the same paragraph allahu alam we have the mahdi [45:03] we have the masih we have gog in magog we have yom kiyama all in the same paragraph as well then they ask how did we get how is it conceivable we got influenced by jewish literature he goes on to say well you know people say maybe we took it from them but maybe we both just had it right what a coincidence you you yeah what a coincidence what a coincidence you can dance okay so let's go back here people okay now we have some really bizarre interpretation so what do do we have [45:43] crazy stuff in our books our books muslim books do we huh that are found in our books and again we have to again be a bit more discerning just because it's written in arabic doesn't mean it's the allah knows best so note here very quickly a moment ago saying that look uh you know our scholars have said this blah blah now by the way we have bizarre stuff in our books anyway so what if it's written there but let's go perhaps perhaps this notion of a living tribe of is [46:23] not correct keep in mind that all the scholars of the past the dawns uh [Music] the greatest authority in islam even all of them believed in this this ya juju mahjud but he's about to say well this is actually this one big problem you know [47:02] i have to say i was relieved to find classical scholars some of them did problematize this hadith so the fact that he found one or two scholars disagreeing gave him great relief amongst them who said that this tradition this tradition seems to be uh it's an illa or a hidden defect that it is not from the prophet salam now pay attention here here is a tradition in islam with a hadith to the prophet sallallahu alaihi ## Cite Mufti Abu Layth Archive, segment TR3NSX3UFy8/s/11. https://muftiabulayth.org/r/tr3nsx3ufy8/s/11/ Not a fatwa: these answers were given to specific people at specific times. Ask a qualified scholar about your own situation.