What are the physical characteristics of the Sufyani? (question)

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What are the physical characteristics of the Sufyani?
Upper entryMahdism / Preconditions for the reappearance of Imam Mahdi / Signs for Imam Mahdi's reappearance
Main entryCharacteristics of the Sufyani

Sufyani is reportedly a man with red and yellow colored skin. His eyes are lividly black and blue. Some of the narrated traditions suggest he is one-eyed. He hails from Umayyad lineage that is traced back to Abu Sufyan. He is the most decadent, degenerate and disgusting man to live during his times who will begin his insurrection and uprising from a dry and arid valley probably lying somewhere in south-western Syria. After having committed several crimes, he decides to fight against Imam Mahdi (a).

Short Comprehensive Answer

Within narrated texts, the Sufyani is described in these words:

He is a man with red and yellow colored skin. His eyes are lividly black and blue.[1] He is totally given to profligacy and licentiousness, and is corrupt and without respect for anyone’s dignity or honor.[2] He hails from Umayyad lineage that is traced back to Abu Sufyan.[3] Superficially, he praises God[2]and his lips are perpetually uttering the words, “O’ Lord! O’ Lord!”[4] as if in constant prayer. However, in reality he is the most decadent, degenerate and disgusting man to live during his times.[5] By hypocritically presenting himself as a pious and religious person, he will manage to befool a large number of people.[6] He will begin his insurrection and uprising, about six months before the reappearance of Imam Mahdi (a)[1], from a dry and arid valley probably lying somewhere in south-western Syria.

  • Some of the Sufyani’s physical characteristics are as follows:
  1. He is “Azraq” (meaning that his eyes are lividly black and blue in color)[7]
  2. He is “A’war” (meaning that he is similar to a one-eyed individual)[7]
  3. He is “Waḥsh al-Waj” (meaning that his face is terrifying to look at)[7]
  4. He is “Ashqar” (meaning that his skin is red and white, with red being the dominant pigmentation)[7]
  5. He is “Aḥmar” (meaning that his face is red)[7]
  6. He is “Jadrī” (meaning that his face pimply)[7]
  7. He is “Ḍakhm al-Hāmmah” (meaning that he has a big face)[7]
  8. He is “Rab’ah” (meaning that he is medium sized in height)[7]
  • Some of the narrated traditions regarding this issue are as follows:
  1. Imam Ali (a) is reported to have said : “… he is a medium-heighted man with a terrifying and large face that is scarred with pimples. If you were to see him, you would think that he is one-eyed”.[8]
  2. Imam Sadiq (a) is narrated to have said : “… he face is red in color with a tinge of white and his eyes are lividly black and blue”.[9] This is the only credible narration regarding the subject at hand.[7]
  3. Imam Baqir (a) is reported to have stated : “The Sufyani has a red face, white skin and lividly black eyes …” [10]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Zahādat, Abdul Majīd, Maʿārif wa ʿAqāʾid 5 vol. 2, p. 264. Tūnaʾī, Mujtabā, Mu’ūdnāma, p. 404.
  2. 2.0 2.1 Tūnaʾī, Mujtabā, Mu’ūdnāma, p. 404.
  3. Tūnaʾī, Mujtabā, Mu’ūdnāma, p. 404. Zahādat, Abdul Majīd, Maʿārif wa ʿAqāʾid 5, vol 2, p. 264; Pejuhishgarān-e Mu’assase-e Āyande-ye Rawshan, Mahdawīyat, Pursishhā wa Pāsukhhā, p. 390.
  4. Ismā’īlī, Ismā’īl, Barrisī-ye Nishānihā-ye Ẓuhūr, Chashm bi Rāh-e Mahdī, pp. 273-275.
  5. Tūnaʾī, Mujtabā, Mu’ūdnāma, p. 404; Ismā’īlī, Ismā’īl, Barrisī-ye Nishānihā-ye Ẓuhūr, ''Chashm bi Rāh-e Mahdī, pp. 273-275.
  6. Pejuhishgarān-e Mu’assase-e Āyande-ye Rawshan, Mahdawīyat, Pursishhā wa Pāsukhhā, p. 390. Ismā’īlī, Ismā’īl, Barrisī-ye Nishānihā-ye Ẓuhūr, Chashm bi Rāh-e Mahdī, pp. 273-275.
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 7.7 7.8 Āyatī, Nuṣratullah, Taʾammuli dar Nishāniha-ye Ḥatmī-ye Ẓuhūr , pp. 137-138.
  8. Āyatī, Nuṣratullah, Taʾammuli dar Nishāniha-ye Ḥatmī-ye Ẓuhūr, pp. 137-138; Mahdīpūr, ʿAlī Akbar, Dar Āstāna-ye Ẓuhūr, Salīmīyān, Khudāmurād, Darsnāma-ye Mahdawīyat, vol 3, pp.125-126; Ramḍānīyān, ‘Alī Riḍā, Sharāʾiṭ wa ʿAlāʾim-e Ḥatmī-ye Ẓuhūr, pp .45-47.
  9. Āyatī, Nuṣratullah, Taʾammuli dar Nishāniha-ye Ḥatmī-ye Ẓuhūr, pp. 137-138; Mahdīpūr, ʿAlī Akbar, Dar Āstāna-ye Ẓuhūr.
  10. Mahdīpūr, ʿAlī Akbar, Dar Āstāna-ye Ẓuhūr Salīmīyān, Khudāmurād, Darsnāme-ye Mahdawīyat, vol 3, pp. 125-126.