▁the ▁greatest ▁Muslim ▁of ▁a ▁century . ▁ ▁The ▁concept ▁is ▁based ▁on ▁a ▁had ith ▁( a ▁saying ▁of ▁Islam ic ▁proph et ▁Muhammad ), ▁recorded ▁by ▁Ab u ▁Da wood , ▁narr ated ▁by ▁Ab u ▁Hur ai rah ▁who ▁mentioned ▁that ▁Pro ph et ▁Muhammad ▁said : ▁ ▁I k ht il af ▁( dis ag re ements ) ▁exist ▁among ▁different ▁had ith ▁view ers . ▁Sch ol ars ▁such ▁as ▁Al - D h ah abi ▁and ▁I bn ▁H aj ar ▁al - As q al ani ▁have ▁interpreted ▁that ▁the ▁term ▁mu j add id ▁can ▁also ▁be ▁understood ▁as ▁pl ural , ▁thus ▁referring ▁to ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁people . ▁▁ ▁M uj add ids ▁can ▁include ▁prominent ▁sch ol ars , ▁p ious ▁r ul ers ▁and ▁military ▁command ers . ▁ ▁List ▁of ▁claim ants ▁and ▁potential ▁mu j add ids ▁ ▁Ma ul ana ▁Im am ▁Ah med ▁R aza ▁Khan ▁B arel vi ▁( 1 8 5 6 - 1 9 2 1 ) ▁has ▁been ▁recogn ised ▁as ▁a ▁M uj add id ▁of ▁the ▁past ▁century ( 1 4 th ▁Islam ic ▁Hij ri ) ▁by ▁the ▁Sun ni ▁Muslim s . ▁ ▁While ▁there ▁is ▁no ▁formal ▁mechanism ▁for ▁design ating ▁a ▁mu j add id ▁in ▁Sun ni ▁Islam , ▁there ▁is ▁often ▁a ▁popular ▁cons ensus . ▁The ▁Sh ia ▁and ▁A hm adi y ya ▁have ▁their ▁own ▁list ▁of ▁mu j add ids .