Do Surah Az-Zalzala and the following surah foretell the coming of the Imam Mahdi?

These surahs do not name the Imam Mahdi explicitly. They describe a time of enormous upheaval, and whether one also sees in them glad tidings of a guide sent by God is a matter of careful interpretation.

Surah Az-Zalzala is short and very striking. The earth is shaken, it brings forth its burdens, and man asks in astonishment what is happening to it. Then people come forth in groups, and each sees what he has done.

Many read these verses as a description of the Day of Judgement. They can, however, also be applied to a time in this world when everything changes at its roots. The earth releases its treasures, hidden knowledge comes to light, and people marvel at what they themselves discover. The following surah continues this picture and describes how, in such a time, man easily becomes ungrateful and attached to his possessions.

These surahs mention no name. Those who see in them glad tidings of the Imam Mahdi connect them with other passages of the Holy Qur’an and with what has been handed down about the latter days. This is a matter of careful interpretation, in which each verse must be seen in its context. A quick answer would not do justice to the text.

One thing, however, the surahs say very clearly. Especially in times of great upheaval, God remains the Lord of events, and nothing a person does is lost. The last verse above invites us not to think little of even the smallest good.