Hazrat Imam Mahdi (as) bears the special characteristics and more from the previous prophets. He is the embodiment of their virtues and qualities. He carries their signs and is the inheritor of all that they stood for and what was revealed upon them. The following article mentions the similarity between Hazrat Adam (as) and Imam Mahdi (as)
Appointment as Caliph
The Almighty Allah appointed Adam as His caliph on the whole earth and made him its heir and He says in the Quran: “I am going to place a vicegerent on the earth.” (Surah Baqarah verse 30)
In the same way, Almighty Allah would also make Hazrat Hujjat as the inheritor of the earth and will appoint him as His caliph on His earth
With reference to the verse “Allah has promised to those of you who believe and do good that He will most certainly make them rulers in the earth.” (Surah Noor verse 55), Imam Sadiq (as) said, He is the Qaem and his companions; and at the time of his reappearance he would pass his hands over his face and say: Praise be to Allah, One Who fulfilled His promise and made us inherit the earth… (Tafseer al-Burhan, volume 3, page 146)
In the Hadith of Mufaddal it is mentioned that, He will come out with a cloud shading him from above and on which a caller would be announcing: This is Mahdi, the caliph of Allah, follow him.
Weeping of Adam (as)
It is narrated from the Holy Prophet (sawa) that he said, Adam wept so much at the separation of Paradise that his tears flowed on both his cheeks like floods. (Beharul Anwar volume 11, page 204)
A similar tradition is also narrated from Imam Sadiq (as) in Beharul Anwar volume 101, page 320.
Imam Mahdi (as) also weeps much like Hazrat Adam (as). He says in Ziyarat Nahiya addressing his grandfather, Imam Husain (as), I lament for you day and night and instead of tears I weep blood.
Knowledge of Hazrat Adam (as)
Regarding Adam (as) the verse was revealed, “And He taught Adam all the names…” (Surah Baqarah 2:31)
As for Imam Mahdi (as), whatever the Almighty Allah taught to Adam, He taught the same and much more to him. Adam was taught 25 letters from the Isme Aazam – as mentioned in traditions – and the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) was taught 72 letters. All the matters that the Almighty Allah gave to His Prophet, He gave them all to his successors including Imam Mahdi (as).
The book Beharul Anwar reports a tradition from Imam Jafar Sadiq (as) that he said, Knowledge consists of twenty-seven letters – all that the prophets brought is two letters and people have not received till date more than two letters. And when our Qaem arises, he would bring another twenty-five letters and spread them among the people and add them to the two letters and spread the knowledge of twenty-seven letters.” (Beharul Anwar volume 52, chapter 32, tradition 73, English)
In an authentic report Shaikh Kulaini has narrated from Imam Sadiq (as) that he said, Verily, the knowledge that was brought down with Adam (as) was not taken back, and no man of knowledge has ever died whose knowledge has become extinguished. Rather knowledge is inherited. The earth never remains devoid of a man of knowledge. (Al-Kafi, volume 1, chapter of Imams as inheritors of knowledge)
Enlivening the Earth
Adam enlivened the earth with worship of Allah, after the Jinns had killed it with their infidelity and rebellion.
Imam Mahdi (as) would also enliven the earth with the religion of Allah, justice and establishing His code of law after its death due to the disbelief and transgression of the people.
In Beharul Anwar it is narrated from Imam Baqir (as) regarding the verse, “…gives life to the earth after its death…” (Surah Rum verse 19), that he said, Allah, the Mighty and Sublime would enliven the earth after its death through Qaem (as). Its death denotes infidelity of its people as an infidel is in fact a dead man. (Beharul Anwar volume 5, chapter 5, tradition 37, English)
The book Wasailush Shiah narrates regarding the verse, “…gives life to the earth after its death…” that Imam Kazim (as) said, He would enliven it through rain, rather the Almighty Allah would send a man to revive justice, and the earth will be revived through the revival of justice, and indeed if a single divine ordinance is established on the earth it is better than forty days of rain. (Wasailush Shiah volume 18, page 308)
In the same book it is narrated from the Holy Prophet (sawa) that he said, One hour of a just Imam is better than seventy years of worship and carrying out of one divine ordinance on the earth is more beneficial than forty days of rain. (Wasailush Shiah volume 18 page 308)
With all this till when and how much can we compare Adam and Qaem (as) while the fact is that Adam was created for Qaem.
(The above article was taken and adapted from the book Mikyalul Makarim Fee Fawaedid Dua Lil Qaem)