Who Is the “Wheat‑Colored Man” Who Fills the Earth with Justice?

Dar al-Hedayah | Based on Islamic narrations about the signs of the Reappearance (Zuhur), some claimants attempt to describe influential personalities of that era. Nazim al-Aqili, citing a report from the book “Al-Malahim wa al-Fitan,” identifies the “wheat-complexioned man” mentioned in the hadith as Ahmad al-Basri. The report states that this individual will establish a just rule before the uprising of the Promised Mahdi (as), then pledge allegiance to him and fight by his side.

 The Claim of Nazim al-Aqili

Nazim al-Aqili claims, based on the following report in the book “Al-Malahim wa al-Fitan,” that the phrase “a wheat-complexioned man (rajulun asmaru)” refers to Ahmad al-Basri:

وَ أَخْرَجَ السَّيِّدُ ابْنُ طَاوُسٍ أَيْضاً عَنْ نُعَيْمِ بْنِ حَمَّادٍ: …ثُمَّ يَمْلِكُ رَجُلٌ أَسْمَرُ يَمْلَأُهَا عَدْلًا ثُمَّ يَسِيرُ إِلَى الْمَهْدِيِّ، فَيُؤَدِّي إِلَيْهِ الطَّاعَةَ وَ يُقَاتِلُ عَنْهُ.

Translation: …Then a wheat-complexioned man will rule and fill it with justice. Then he will set out to the Mahdi, pledge obedience to him, and fight on his behalf.

Al-Aqili’s argument hinges on a critical omission. By citing this abbreviated version, he implies the pronoun “it” (ha) refers to the entire earth, thus allowing him to apply this grand description to his leader.

 Critical Examination: Three Decisive Flaws

This claim collapses under scrutiny for three fundamental reasons:

1.  The Missing Phrase: A Critical Omission

The first and most crucial error is citing from an incomplete secondary source.

• The original source of this report is the book “Al-Fitan” by Nu’aym ibn Hammad.

• When we refer to this original source, we find the complete text that was omitted in the later book “Al-Malahim wa al-Fitan” which al-Aqili used:

قَالَ أَبُو قَبِيلٍ: يَكُونُ بِأَفْرِيقِيَّةَ أَمِيرًا اِثْنَتَا عَشْرَةَ سَنَةً ثُمَّ تَكُونُ بَعْدَهُ فِتْنَةً، ثُمَّ يَمْلِكُ رَجُلٌ أَسْمَرُ يَمْلَؤُهَا عَدْلًا ثُمَّ يَسِيرُ إِلَى الْمَهْدِيِّ فَيُؤَدِّي إِلَيْهِ الطَّاعَةَ وَ يُقَاتِلُ عَنْهُ.

Translation: Abu Qabil said: A man will be a ruler in Africa for twelve years, then after him there will be a tribulation. Then a wheat-complexioned man will rule and fill it with justice, then he will set out to the Mahdi, pledge obedience to him, and fight on his behalf.

The key omitted phrase is: “يَكُونُ بِأَفْرِيقِيَّةَ” – “will be in Africa.”

2.  The Pronoun “It” Refers to Africa, Not the Earth

This omission is not a minor detail; it completely changes the meaning.

• By removing the phrase “in Africa,” the pronoun “it” (ha) in “he will fill it with justice” is deceptively made to refer to the entire earth.

• In the original, complete narration, the pronoun “it” clearly refers back to “Africa” (Ifriqiyah). The sequence is explicit:

  1. Events occur in Africa.

  2. A tribulation happens there.

  3. A wheat-complexioned man rules that region (Africa) and fills it with justice.

  4. He then travels from Africa to join Imam al-Mahdi (aj).

Therefore, this is a narrative about specific events in Africa, not a global description applicable to a claimant from Basra (Iraq).

3.  The Source is a Weak Report from a Sunni Narrator

Even the original report lacks the necessary authority for Shia doctrine.

• This report is narrated from Abu Qabil, a narrator from Sunni sources. It is not a hadith transmitted from the Infallible Imams (as).

• The reliance of Ahmad al-Basri and his followers on such reports from general Sunni sources—which do not even qualify as authenticated narrations in Shia hadith science—exposes the emptiness of their evidence. It demonstrates their desperate search for any text that can be vaguely twisted to fit their narrative.

 Conclusion: A Misrepresentation Exposed

The claim that the “wheat-complexioned man” is Ahmad al-Basri is built on a double distortion:

1. Textual Distortion: It relies on an incomplete and abridged version of the report from a secondary source, which crucially omits the geographical context (Africa).

2. Contextual Distortion: It then misapplies this locally specific description to a global, messianic role for their leader.

The original report simply describes a local, just ruler emerging in Africa after a period of tribulation, who then travels to pledge allegiance to the Imam of the Time (aj). It provides no evidence whatsoever for the claims of Ahmad al-Basri’s faction. This attempt at “applying” narrations (tatbiq) is a clear example of manipulating texts by stripping them of their original context and meaning.