He will rise in Syria before the appearance of Mahdi. When the latter appears, the Sufyani, along with his army, will either be swallowed up en route to Mecca by the earth with God's command or defeated by the Mahdi. Jesus and the Mahdi will then conquer the world and establish caliphate.

Shortly before the Day of Judgment, when commanded by God, al-Mahdi will return to lead the forces of righteousness against the forces of evil in an apocalyptic war that would ultimately establish peace and justice on earth, according to the Twelvers.

The belief in the end-times Mahdi is almost universally accepted across all Sunni and Shi'a Muslim denominations. There are, however, differences between Muslim traditions and scholars about who the specific person of the Mahdi is and whether he has already been born and thus alive yet “hidden” from public view.