Jabr ibn Nufayr narrates that he said to Abu Sa’id al-Khudri, “By God, no year comes except that it is worse than the previous one, and no ruler comes except that he is worse than the previous one.” Abu Sa’id replied, “What you are saying, I had heard from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), but I also heard from him that he said: ‘You will continue in this condition until a person is born in the midst of trials and oppression, knowing nothing but oppression and hardship. Then the earth will be filled with injustice… After that, Allah, the Almighty, will send a man from me and my family, who will fill the earth with justice, just as it was filled with oppression before him. At that time, the earth will bring forth its treasures for him, and he will give out wealth in handfuls without counting it. This will happen when Islam is firmly established.'”[1]
“The Mahdi will return the rights so completely that if there is something under the teeth of anyone, he will take it out and return it.”[2]
(Meaning he will reclaim the usurped rights from the oppressors, even if they are hidden under someone’s teeth.)
It is narrated from Burayd al-‘Ajli that he said to Imam al-Baqir (peace be upon him): “Our companions in Kufa are many, and if you give them an order, they will obey and follow it.” The Imam (peace be upon him) said, “Is there among them such generosity that one would go to his brother’s purse and take what he needs?” He replied, “No.” The Imam said, “Then they are more miserly with their blood. When they are stingy with their wealth, they are even more miserly with their lives.” Then he said: “… When the Qaim (may Allah hasten his reappearance) rises, true friendship and fellowship will be established. A man will go to his brother’s purse, take what he needs, and he will not be stopped.”[3]
These hadiths describe the state of the people of the world at the time of the appearance of Imam al-Mahdi (may Allah hasten his reappearance); a state that, when his government is fully established, will spread throughout the entire world. Naturally, in such a world, people will be free of need for material wealth, and the needs of everyone will be easily met. This condition might describe the saying that people express: “Everything becomes a gift,” meaning that people will work without compensation, for the sake of Allah, and their needs will be fulfilled without cost, simply by sending blessings upon the Prophet and his family (peace and blessings be upon them).
(Adapted from “Thematic Dictionary of the Hadiths of Imam Mahdi (A.S.)” by Hujjat al-Islam wal-Muslimeen Ali Korani)
Footnotes:
[1] (Amali al-Tusi, p. 512)
[2] (Al-Fitan, Vol. 1, p. 355)
[3] (Al-Istibsar, p. 24)