The Hadith
a) Marfu Hadith (Saying of Prophet peace be upon him)
Thawban (May Allah be pleased with him) narrated, “The Prophet(Sal Allah hu alayhe wasallam) said:
: ( يقتيل عند كنزكم ثلاثة كلهم ابن خليفة . ثم لا يصير إلى واحد منهم . ثم نطلع الرايات السود من قبل المشرق . فيقتلونكم قتلا لم يقتله قوم )
ثم ذكر شيئا لا أحفظه . فقال فإذا رأيتموه فبايعوه ولو حبوا على الثلج . فإنه خليفة الله المهدي
“Three men will be killed at the place where your treasure is. Each of them will be the son of a Khalifah, and none of them will get hold of the treasure. Then black banners will come out of the east…’ If you see him, go and give him your allegiance, even if you have to crawl over ice, because he is the Khalifah of Allah, the Mahdi.”[Ibn Majah no:4084]
Source: http://hadith.al-islam.com/Page.aspx?pageid=192&;TOCID=1534&BookID=35&PID=7508 )
b) Moquf Rout (saying of Companion)
Thawban said:
إذا رأيتم الرايات السود خرجت من قبل خراسان فأتوها ولو حبوا ، فإن فيها خليفة الله المهدي ”
If you see the black flags coming from Khurasan then go there even if you have to crawl because there is the Khalifah of Allah, the Mahdi.”[Mustadrak al Hakim hadeeth no: 8578, Behaqi in Dalail an-Nabuwwah 6/516].Source:http://www.islamweb.net/newlibrary/display_book.php?flag=1&;bk_no=74&ID=8409
Authentications
a) Imam al-Bazzar said after narrating،
وإسناده إسناد صحيح .
Chain is authentic.
b) Imam Hakim said after narrating:”
هذا حديث صحيح على شرط الشيخين
.This hadeeth is authentic on the criteria of Shaykhayn (Bukhari and Muslim)(end quote)
.
c) Ibn Katheer said
” وهذا إسناد قوي صحيح .This chain is powerful authentic
.
d) Qurtubee authenticated [Tadhkirah 1201]
.
e) Buseri authenticated [Misbah az-Zajjaj 3/263]
.
f) Sindee said
كذا إسناده صحيح رجاله ثقات ورواه الحاكم في المستدرك وقال : صحيح على شرط الشيخين .
Chain is authentic Narrators are trustworthy, narrated by al Hakim in Mustadrak and said Authentic on the criteria of Shaykhayn(Bukhari and Muslim)[Zawaid e Ibne Majah under this hadeeth]
.
g) Hamood at taweejari authenticated [Ittehaaf al Jamah bimaja fi al Fitan wal Malahum wa Sharaait as-Sa`ah 2/187]
.
h) Shaykh Zubair Ali Zai said the marfu rout is weak because of Sufiyan thawri who is mudallis and narrating from (an), but he said regarding the moquf rout
.
The chain of this rout is Hasan Lidhatihi and this is Marfu in hukam.[Al Hadith no: 80 page no: 6]
He also said “Authenticated by Buseri, and al-Hakim authenticated on the criteria of Shaykhayn (Bukhari and Muslim) 4/463,364 and 502. Ad-Dahabee agreed with him, Authenticated by Ibn Katheer[Notes of Ibn Majah hadeeth no: 4084]
see also: http://www.islamqa.com/ar/ref/136537
Hafiz Ibn Katheer said regarding this hadeeth
” وهذه الرايات السود ليست هي التي أقبل بها أبو مسلم الخراساني فاستلب بها دولة بني أمية في سنة اثنتين وثلاثين ومائة ، بل رايات سود أخر تأتي بصحبة المهدي ، وهو محمد بن عبد الله العلوي الفاطمي الحسني رضي الله عنه ، يصلحه الله في ليلة ؛ أي : يتوب عليه ويوفقه ويفهمه ويرشده ، بعد أن لم يكن كذلك ، ويؤيده بناس من أهل المشرق ينصرونه ويقيمون سلطانه ويشدون أركانه ، وتكون راياتهم سوداء أيضاً ”
And these black flags are not the one which Abu Muslim Al Khurasanin brought it, through which the kingdom of Banu Umayya was taken away/conquered in 132 Hijri. but these black flags would be brought by Imam Mehdi and he is Muhammad bin Abdullah Al Alawai Alfatmi Alhasani (ra) will be guided by Allah in one night. Which means he will be forgiven and will be successful and will be given understanding and will be guided even though he wasn’t like that before. And the people of Mashriq will back him up and will help him and will establish his kingdom and will make the pillars strong and their flag would be black.[Al Nihaya wal Fitan al Malahum by Ibn Katheer Page 44]