Another noteworthy feature of these hadith about the Mahdi is that they have been reported by a large number of companions of the Prophet (saas). Indeed, this is why they are considered mutawatir, for so many people have reported them that they cannot possibly be false. The number of companions of the Prophet (saas) relating hadith regarding the Mahdi is more than fifty. These include:
Anas Ibn Malik, Qatada, 'A'isha, Abu Hurayra, 'Imran ibn Husayn, Nafi' ibn 'Utba, Abu Barza, Abu Dharr al-Ghifari, Qaysan, 'Uthman ibn al-'As, Jabir ibn 'Abdullah, Abu Umama, Ibn Mas'ud, 'Abdulla ibn Amr, Samura ibn Jundub, Nawwas ibn Sam'an, Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf, Hudhayfa ibn al-Yamani, Abu al-Asas as-Sanani, Abu Umama al Bahili, Abu al-Darda', Abu Rafi', Abu Sa'id al-Khudri, Al-Hakam ibn 'Amr al-Ghifari, Rabi' ibn Anas, and 'Ammar ibn Yasir …