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 Dawood (as) and Imam Mahdi (as).
Appointment as caliph of Allah
Allah, the Mighty and Sublime appointed Dawood as the Caliph on the earth and said: “O Dawood! surely We have made you a ruler in the land…” (Surah Saad verse 26)
The Almighty Allah also appointed Imam Mahdi (as) as the Caliph on the earth and said: “Or, Who answers the distressed one when he calls upon Him and removes the evil…” (Surah Naml verse 62)
In the supplication narrated from Imam Reza (as) it is mentioned: “Ward off from Your Wali and Your Caliph…” (Al-Balad al-Ameen, page 81)
Softening of Iron
The Almighty Allah softened iron for Dawood (as) as the Holy Quran says: “…and We made the iron pliant to him…” (Saba verse 10)
Almighty Allah has also made iron soft for Imam Mahdi (as) as mentioned in some books quoting from Mohammed bin Zaid Kufi from Imam Sadiq (as) that he said, “An Omani man would come to the Master of the Time and say, Iron became soft for Dawood (as), if you can also do that I would bring faith on you. Thus the Imam (a) would show him the miracle of Dawood (as). However that man would reject it. So Qaem (as) would throw a pillar of iron around the neck of that man who would die as a result of it. Then he (as) would say: This is the recompense of one who denies the signs of Allah.”
Speaking of inanimate objects
Dawood (as) was such that pebbles spoke to him and called out to him: “O Dawood, pick me up and kill Jaloot through me.”
Qaem (as) would also be such that his standard and the sword would call out to him: “O Wali of Allah, rise up and eliminate the enemies of God.” Shaykh Sadooq has quoted this full tradition in Kamaluddin and it is also mentioned in a traditional report that, “During the reappearance of Imam Mahdi (as), a stone, below which a disbeliever would hide, would call out to the believer: O believer, below me there is a disbeliever, eliminate him. Then the believer would come and eliminate that infidel.”
Killing enemies of Allah
Dawood (as) killed Jaloot. Qaem (as) would finish off Dajjal, who is worse than Jaloot.
Judge amongst people
Dawood (as) judged among the people through divine inspiration. Qaem (as) would also judge among the people according to the practice of Dawood (as) and he would not ask for proof and witnesses and he would not be in need of the same.
Revelation of heavenly scroll
A writing arrived from the heavens for Dawood (as) which had a golden seal on it. On this were inscribed thirteen religious problems and Allah revealed to Dawood (as), “Put these questions to your son, if he can furnish replies, he would be your vicegerent after you. Thus Dawood (as) summoned seventy priests and rabbis and showed it to them. He also showed it to Sulaiman in their presence and asked: O my son, tell me what is the nearest thing? And which is the furthest? What is the most companionable and what is the loneliest? What is the most beautiful and what is the ugliest? What is most abundant and what is most scarce? What two would remain forever? And which two are different? Which are the most inimical and hateful? And what is it on which when one sits his end becomes good. And what is it that whenever man sits on it his end becomes bad?
Sulaiman replied: The nearest is the Hereafter and the furthest is that which goes away from the hands from the worldly matters. The most companionable is the physical body as the talking soul is present in it. And the loneliest is the body without soul. The best thing is faith after disbelief. The worst is disbelief after faith. Certainty is most scarce and doubt is most abundant. The two that shall endure forever are the heavens and the earth. The two contradictory ones are the night and day. The two that hate each other are death and life. That which whenever man rides, his end becomes good, is forbearance in anger. And that which makes his end bad is harshness in anger. [The narrator says:] When the seal was broken all the replies were found to be correct.
Then the priests and rabbis asked: What is it that if it is righteous everything of man becomes righteous and if it transgresses everything of man transgresses? Sulaiman replied: The heart. Thus he got the permission for his caliphate.”
Imam Mahdi (as) is also having the heavenly scroll with a golden seal as mentioned in the tradition of Imam Sadiq (as) in Kamaluddin, “As if I can see Qaem (as) on the pulpit of Kufa surrounded by his 313 men equal to the people of Badr. They are the standard bearers and they are the divine rulers on His (Allah’s) earth over His creatures. Till he would bring out from his cloak a parchment sealed with a golden seal. A covenant from the Messenger of Allah (sawa). Then they would go away and disperse from him like tongueless sheep and none would remain with him except the deputy and eleven chiefs – as had remained with Musa bin Imran (as) – then they would wander in the earth but will not be able to find a way except him. Then they would come back to him.” (Kamaluddin, volume 2, page 672)
This tradition has been narrated earlier with slight difference on the authority of Beharul Anwar. (Beharul Anwar volume 52, page 326)
(The above article was taken and adapted from the book Mikyalul Makarim Fee Fawaedid Dua Lil Qaem)