SIMILARITIES AMONG PROPHET SOLOMON (pbuh), DHU'L - QARNAYN (pbuh), AND THE MAHDI -3-

The Golden Age

As we mentioned earlier, the appearance of these signs one after another gives believers the good tidings of the coming Golden Age.
Just as in Prophet Solomon's (pbuh) day, the Golden Age will be a time of wealth, splendor, beauty, happiness, and peace. Life on Earth will be like Paradise, because the Qur'an's morality will prevail throughout the world. Doubtless, this is a grace and good tidings from God for the last period of world history. He announces in the following verse that:

God has promised those of you who believe and do right actions that He will make them successors in the land, just as He made those before them successors; will firmly establish for them their religion, with which He is pleased; and give them, in place of their fear, security. "They worship Me, not associating anything with Me." Any who disbelieve after that, such people are deviators. (Qur'an, 24:55)

God has promised those of you who believe and do right actions that He will make them successors in the land, as He made those before them successors; will firmly establish for them their religion, with which He is pleased; and give them, in place of their fear, security. "They worship Me, not associating anything with Me." Any who do not believe after that, such people are deviators. (Qur'an, 24:55)

The Times of Prophet Solomon (pbuh), Dhu'l-Qarnayn (pbuh), and the Golden Age

Up to this point, we have focused on Prophet Solomon's (pbuh) exemplary life and moral character, faithfulness toward God, and how he turned toward Him in everything he did. We have mentioned his courage, just dealings, and tolerance, as well as his forgiving, courteous, welcoming, peace-loving, and noble character. In addition, we have studied his methods of state administration and intelligence gathering, along with his diplomatic successes, public building, and artistic undertakings. We then looked at Dhu'l-Qarnayn (pbuh), a faithful servant who shared many similarities with Prophet Solomon (pbuh).
All of this information shows that Prophet Solomon (pbuh) was engaged in artistic and scientific work about which we know nothing and cannot even guess. This great leader and Prophet made extraordinary advancements in various scientific and other fields in his day. Dhu'l-Qarnayn (pbuh) also established dominion over a vast territory and governed societies with superior knowledge.
Another thing we considered while examining these accounts was the signs of the End Times that they contain. As we know from the hadiths, the Golden Age will be a time of extraordinary development in science, art, and technology, just as in the days of Prophet Solomon (pbuh) and Dhu'l-Qarnayn (pbuh). Although the other two periods have passed and the Golden Age is still to come, all of them are realities announced to us by God.
The term Mahdism connotes the establishment of these two leaders' superior morality on a new, different, and broader foundation. In other words, the spirituality, logic, intelligence, and social manifestation of Prophet Solomon (pbuh) and Dhu'l-Qarnayn (pbuh) will reveal themselves in society in the End Times.
These three periods are characterized by the prevalence of Islamic morality throughout their realms. God approves of all three of these periods. The times of Nebuchadnezzar II, Nimrod, and Pharaoh were governed by Satan and therefore were irreligious periods. Just as God made Islamic morality prevail after these periods, in the End Times our Lord will let His servants live under the rule of that same morality. This will be the Golden Age, which will be characterized by happiness, well-being, love, brotherhood, loyalty, peace, self-sacrifice, humanity, and helpfulness. Below are some examples of the similarity between the three times.

The Mahdi Will Rule the World

Prophet Solomon (pbuh) and Dhu'l-Qarnayn (pbuh), who made Islamic morality prevail in their vast territories and had mighty armies, have much in common with the Golden Age. For example, during the Golden Age Islamic morality will prevail throughout the world, streams of people will become Muslims, godless ideologies will be wiped off the face of the Earth, and religion will be lived as it was in the time of our Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace). Some hadiths describe this era, among them:
The Mahdi will own the entire world. (Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi 'Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir al-Zaman, p. 10)

The Mahdi will invade all the places between East and West. (Ibn Hajar al-Haythami, Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar fi 'Alamat al-Mahdi al-Muntazar, p. 56)

The Mahdi's Special Knowledge and the Great Knowledge Granted to Prophet Solomon (pbuh) and Dhu'l-Qarnayn (pbuh) We have already seen the various kinds of knowledge that God gave Prophet Solomon (pbuh): how to rule over jinns and demons, speak to birds, hear and understand ants talking among themselves, and subject the winds and copper to his command. All of these wondrous characteristics distinguished him from other people. Of Dhu'l-Qarnayn (pbuh), the Qur'an says: "We had encompassed that he had 'knowledge comprising essence' near him [or all that he had in knowledge]" (Qur'an, 18:91). From this, we know that he was a servant to whom God granted knowledge.
Like these two leaders, the Mahdi also will have special knowledge. In his Mevzuatu'l ulum (11:246), Taskopruluzade Ahmet Efendi writes that the Mahdi will possess 'ilm al-jafr (the art of divination through numbers). Another hadith reveals the following:

He is called the Mahdi because he is given guidance for a situation unknown to anyone. (Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi 'Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir al-Zaman, p. 77)

Our Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) also says that the Mahdi, like Prophet Solomon (pbuh), will know the language of animals and have power over human beings and jinns.

The Mahdi speaks the language of birds and other animals. Therefore, his justice will manifest itself over all people and jinns. (Muhammad ibn 'Abd ar-Rasul Barzanji, Al-Isha'ah li Ashrat as-Sa'ah, p. 188)

Scientific and Technological Developments

As we learn from the Qur'an, Prophet Solomon's (pbuh) and Dhu'l-Qarnayn's (pbuh) times witnessed great and unusual scientific and technological advancements. The hadiths describing the Golden Age present a similar situation.
The Golden Age will be a time of great scientific, technological, communication, and medical advancements. Every new development will serve humanity and make life easier in all respects. One sign of this in the hadiths is as follows:

The end of humanity's whip will speak to him. (Hadith at-Tirmidhi)

This hadith probably refers to the cell phone, one of the most common means of communication today. (God knows the truth.)

The hadiths also mention another important technological development:
People will reap 700 measures of wheat for every one they sow … People will throw down a few handfuls of seeds and reap 700 handfuls … Although much rain will fall, none will be wasted. (Ibn Hajar al-Haythami, Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar fi 'Alamat al-Mahdi al-Muntazar, p. 43)

We hurl the truth against falsehood and it cuts right through it… (Qur’an, 21:18)

This hadith may be speaking of modern agriculture, which is characterized by the use of machines. In former times, sowing seeds and harvesting by hand were extremely tiring and time-consuming chores. But technological advances have enabled great developments in agriculture, and modern machines have made both sowing and harvesting much easier. Improving seed stocks has increased agricultural production. As technology advances, new methods are developed to increase productivity.
In the Mahdi's time, many important agricultural and technological advances will make the lives of farmers much easier.
The Importance of Loving Animals The Qur'an gives some information about Prophet Solomon's (pbuh) love and compassion for animals. For example, he loved horses and did not want to harm ants.
In the Golden Age, love for animals will be encouraged. The hadiths reveal that there will be places in which every kind of animal can be easily watched and admired. Here are some examples:

... He will say to the sheep to go to the pasture and eat. The animals will pass through the crops, but will not eat even a single stalk of wheat. Snakes and scorpions will not hurt anyone, and wild animals will sit at our doors but not harm anyone. (Muhammad ibn 'Abd ar-Rasul Barzanji, Al-Isha'ah li Ashrat as-Sa'ah, p. 245)

Snakes will get along with children, cows will get along with lions. (Ibn Hajar al-Haythami, Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar fi 'Alamat al-Mahdi al-Muntazar, p. 64)

These hadiths indicate another similarity between the time of Prophet Solomon (pbuh) and the Golden Age: humanity's dominion over animals. Just as Prophet Solomon (pbuh) established his rule over birds and other animals, in the Golden Age all animals, including beasts of prey, will be under humanity's dominion and thus rendered harmless to people.
Working for Peace and Using Diplomacy Prophet Solomon's (pbuh) relations with neighboring countries were tolerant, forgiving, and peaceful, for he preferred diplomacy to war and applied democratic methods. He established a superior culture and founded his rule on diplomacy, art, and culture. Even though he had invincible armies, he did not use military might. Dhu'l-Qarnayn (pbuh), known to those around him as a man who opposed corruption and dissension, was a leader who brought peace and well-being to his people. From this point of view, their times were very similar to that of the Golden Age.
In the Golden Age, people will become Muslims of their own volition, the world will be dominated by Islamic morality, and war will become unnecessary.

No one will be awakened from their sleep or have a bleeding nose. (Ibn Hajar al-Haythami, Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar fi 'Alamat al-Mahdi al-Muntazar, p. 42)

When God’s help and victory have arrived and you have seen people entering God’s religion in droves, then glorify your Lord’s praise and ask His forgiveness. He is the Ever-Returning. (Qur’an, 110:1-3)

The Mahdi will follow the way of the Prophet. He will not wake up a sleeping person or shed blood. (Muhammad ibn 'Abd ar-Rasul Barzanji, Al-Isha'ah li Ashrat as-Sa'ah, p. 163)

The hadiths state that the Mahdi will make Islamic morality prevail all over the world by peaceful means through a great cultural initiative. At that time, God willing, the following verses will be fulfilled:

When God's help and victory have arrived, and you have seen people entering God's religion in droves, then glorify your Lord's praise and ask His forgiveness. He is the Ever-Returning. (Qur'an, 110:1-3)

Inviting People to Religious Morality Prophet Solomon's (pbuh) quick and intelligent decisions make him a good example for all believers. His letter to the Queen of Saba, inviting her and her people to true belief, shows his powers of communication. Placing great importance on quick decisions, he employed a knowledgeable person to bring him her throne. In order to stop the corruption of Gog and Magog among a people who were located far from his kingdom, Dhu'l-Qarnayn (pbuh) quickly built a barricade strong enough to stand until the end of the world. This showed his strength and power of reason. In these respects, the Golden Age will be very similar to the times of these two noble men.

When God’s help and victory have arrived and you have seen people entering God’s religion in droves, then glorify your Lord’s praise and ask His forgiveness. He is the Ever-Returning. (Qur’an, 110:1-3)

In addition, people will flock to Islam, and rapid and comprehensive efforts will be made to facilitate this movement. Societies will adopt Islamic morality, godless ideologies will be quickly and permanently removed, and every kind of oppression will pass into the dark depths of history. With regard to this, the great Islamic scholar, Muhyiddin ibn al-'Arabi, wrote:

God will give the Mahdi so much power that he will remove cruelty from the world overnight, religion will be established, and Islam will be revived. The Mahdi will restore lost value to it [Islam], and it will come to life after its apparent demise … Ignorant people, misers, and cowards alike will become very knowledgeable, generous, and brave … They will practice religion as in the time of Prophet Muhammad (may God bless him and grant him peace)… (Muhyiddin ibn al-'Arabi, Futuhat al Makkiyah, Bab 66, "Signs of the End Times," p. 186)

The Importance Given to Building Prophet Solomon (pbuh) placed great importance on public building. As we saw earlier, he used the jinns and demons under his command to construct high arches, statues, huge dishes, and vats. Everyone who saw his palace, including the Queen of Saba, was amazed. Dhu'l-Qarnayn (pbuh) also used a very effective construction technique to build the barricade mentioned above, so that, unless God wills, it will never fall.

God has written: “I will be victorious, I and My Messengers.” God is Most Strong, Almighty. (Qur’an, 58:21)

The hadiths also allude to the great importance of construction in the Golden Age. In this period, cities will attain a high level of civilization, and their people will live in happiness and peace. One of these hadiths is as follows:
The Mahdi works in the construction of Constantinople and other places. (Ibn Hajar al-Haythami, Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar fi 'Alamat al-Mahdi al-Muntazar, p. 40)
Wealth and Splendor Used to Benefit Islam and Gain God's Good Approval Prophet Solomon (pbuh) used his wealth to proclaim God's religion and spread Islamic morality in his realm. Especially in the cities that he conquered, he invited the people to believe in God and submit to Him. His letter to the Queen of Saba is an important proof of this. And Dhu'l-Qarnayn (pbuh), who said: "The power my Lord has granted me is better than that…" (Qur'an, 18:95), was blessed by God with stable political power, which he used to rid his realm of corruption.

“Earth belongs to God. He bequeaths it to any of His servants He wills. The successful outcome is for those who guard against evil.” (Qur’an, 7:128)

In the Golden Age, people will enjoy great wealth, well-being, and comfort. The Mahdi will use the world's wealth to make God's religion supreme and establish peace and high moral standards throughout his realm. He will do many things that the world has never seen before, soften people's hearts toward Islamic morality, and cause it to prevail within a short time. For example:
There will be a Mahdi among the people. God will send him to make people rich. People will have comfort and good fortune, animals will have plenty to eat, and the soil will bring forth plants… (Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi 'Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir az-Zaman, p. 15)
Before allegiance, people will flock to it, and everyone who goes there will enjoy the divine plenty. (Ibn Hajar al-Haythami, Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar fi 'Alamat al-Mahdi al-Muntazar, p. 25)

Plenty and Abundance

We can understand from the Qur'an that Prophet Solomon's (pbuh) time was characterized by great wealth and that the people lived comfortable lives. His palace was splendid, he had a mighty army, and he ruled a vast domain.
The Golden Age's plenty and abundance will be like that in Prophet Solomon's (pbuh) time. People will be given whatever they want and however much they want; even the birds will be happy with the Mahdi's rule. Many hadiths describe in great detail this plenty, abundance, and well-being, among them those given below:
A time will come when a person, withalms of gold in his hand, will go around, finding no one [in need] who is willing to receive them. (Mukhtasar Tazkirah Qurtubi)
Then will my ummah be blessed, the number of animals will increase, and the land will bear its fruits. (Ibn Hajar al-Haythami, Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar fi 'Alamat al-Mahdi al-Muntazar, p. 26)
Possessions will be in abundance then, flowing like water. Yet no one will (condescend) to take any. (Mukhtasar Tazkirah Qurtubi)
During this [period], my ummah [people] will lead a kind of comfortable and carefree life that they have never known before. [The land] will bring forth its yield and will not hold anything back... (Sunan Ibn Majah)
The land will turn like a silver tray growing vegetation... (Sunan Ibn Majah)
Justice and Tolerance Prophet Solomon (pbuh) ruled in a tolerant and democratic manner. This will also be the case in the Golden Age, when Islamic morality will dominate and the world will be tolerant and at peace. People will be treated with compassion and mercy, and people of every religion will live in happiness and security. The world's wealth will be distributed equally, and poverty and need will disappear. Here are some relevant hadiths:

A calligraphic inscription in the jali-thuluth script from 1280 AH: The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. Right: An inscription in the naskhi style by Sayyid Abdullah of the first verses of Surat al-An'am.

The Mahdi will bring justice and sovereignty to a world full of cruelty and injustice. (Muhammad ibn 'Abd ar-Rasul Barzanji, Al-Isha'ah li Ashrat as-Sa'ah, p. 305)
His justice will fill every place… (Ibn Hajar Haythami, Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar fi 'Alamat al-Mahdi al-Muntazar, p. 20)

We said: “Have no fear. You will have the upper hand.” (Qur’an, 20:68) There is good news for them in the life of this world and in the Hereafter. There is no changing the words of God. That is the great victory! (Qur’an, 10:64)

A man from my family [Ahl al-Bayt] appears to fill Earth with justice, just as it has been filled with corruption. So whoever reaches that [time] ought to come to them, even if crawling on the ice/snow, since among them is the vicegerent of God [khalifat Allah] al-Mahdi. (Sunan Ibn Majah)
In his time, the goodness of good people will increase, and goodness will even be shown to bad people. (Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi 'Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir az-Zaman, p. 17)
All nations will open their gates to him ... Security and tranquility will reign over Earth. (Muhammad ibn 'Abd ar-Rasul Barzanji, Al-Isha'ah li Ashrat as-Sa'ah, p. 164)