A Comparative Study of Sufyani’s Characteristics in the Narrations of Two Schools of Thought

Sufyani's arising is one of the definite events in the end times, which has been clarified by the narrations of the two schools of thought. Since Sufyani is the flag bearer of the leadership of infidelity and Taghut against the flags of truth, acquaintance with the characteristics of Sufyani including his name, lineage, attributes, time and place of his arising is necessary for those waiting for Hazrat Mahdi (May Allah Hasten His Appearance); Because if the believers and those who are waiting for Hazrat Mahdi (May Allah Hasten His Appearance) do not know the characteristics of the armies, flags and leaders of the groups and the wars on the verge of appearance, they will be caught in deviation and will not able to help the truth. Therefore, the present article has been dealt with the aim of explaining the characteristics of Sufyani and the commonalities and differences of the narrations of the two sects regarding the name, lineage, attributes and time and place of Sufyani's arising with comparatively expressed by the documentative method. Sufyani’s names such as Harb, Uthman, Anbasa have been mentioned in Shiite narrations and Abdullah, Azhar Ibn Kalbiya and Mu'awiyah Ibn Anbasa have been mentioned in Sunni narrations. His lineage goes back to Abu Sufyan. His place of arising is the land of the Levant. Sufyani's arising time is in the month of Rajab and coincides with the arising of Yamani, Khorasani and Hazrat Mahdi (May Allah Hasten His Appearance).