A Test for the People at the End of Time

http://abdurrahman.org/finaljourney/signsibnkathir.html
THE Hadîth OF AL-MUGHIRAH IBN SHU’BAH
Al-Mughirah ibn Shubah said, “No-one asked the Prophet – sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam – more questions about the Dajjal than I did. He said, ‘You should not worry about him, because he will not be able to harm you.’ I said, ‘But they say that he will have much food and water! He said, ‘He is too insignificant in the sight of Allâh to have all that.’ (Muslim.)
Al-Mughirah ibn Shu’bah said, “No-one asked the Prophet – sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam – more questions about the Dajjal than I did.” One of the narrators said, “What did you ask him?” Al-Mughirah said, “I said, ‘They say that the Dajjal will have a mountain of bread and meat, and a river of water. The Prophet – sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam – said, ’He is too insignificant in the sight of Allâh to have all that.’ (Muslim.)
From these Ahadîth, we can see that Allâh will test His servants with the Dajjal and by the miracles which he will be permitted to perform: as we have already mentioned, the Dajjal will order the sky to rain for those who accept him, and will order the earth to bring forth its fruits so that they and their livestock will eat of it, and their flocks will return fat and with their udders full of milk. Those who reject the Dajjal and refuse to believe in him will suffer drought and famine; people and livestock will die, and wealth and supplies of food will be depleted. People will follow the Dajjal like swarms of bees, and he will kill a young man and bring him back to life. This is not a kind of magic; it will be something real with which Allâh will test His servants at the end of time. Many will be led astray, and many will be guided by it. Those who doubt will disbelieve, but those who believe will be strengthened in their faith.
Al-Qadi ‘Iyad and others interpreted the phrase “He is too insignificant in the sight of Allâh to have all that” as meaning that the Dajjal is too insignificant to have anything that could lead the true believers astray, because he is obviously evil and corrupt. Even if he brings great terror, the word Kafir will be clearly written between his eyes; one report explains that it will be written “Kaf, Fa, Ra,” from which we can understand that it will be written perceptibly, not abstractly, as some people say. One of his eyes will be blind, protruding and repulsive; this is the meaning of the Hadîth: “…as if it were a grape floating on the surface of the water.”Other reports say that it is “dull, with no light in it,” or “like white spittle on a wall,” i e, it will look ugly.
Some reports say that it is his right eye which will be blind; others say that it is his left eye. He could be partly blind in both eyes, or there could be a fault in both eyes. This interpretation could be supported by the Hadîth narrated by al-Tabarani, in which he reports that Ibn ‘Abbas said, “The Prophet – sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam – said, “The Dajjal is curly-haired and white-skinned. His head is like the branch of a tree; his left eye is blind, and the other eye looks like a floating grape. “ One may ask: if the Dajjal is going to cause such widespread evil and his claim to be a “lord” will be so widely believed – even though he is obviously a liar, and all the Prophets have warned against him – why does the Qur’ân not mention him by name and warn us against his lies and stubbornness? The answer is:-
1. The Dajjal was referred to in the Ayah: “… The day that certain of the signs of thy Lord do come, no good will it do to a soul to believe in them then, if it believed not before nor earned righteousness through its Faith…” (al-Anam 6:158)
Abû Hurayrah said, “The Prophet – sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam – said, ‘There are three things which, when they appear, no good will it do a soul to believe in them then, if it believed not before nor earned righteousness through its Faith. They are: The Dajjal, the Beast, and the rising of the sun from the west.’ ”
2. Jesus son of Mary will descend from Heaven and kill the Dajjal, as we have already mentioned. The descent of Jesus is mentioned in the Ayat: “That they said (in boast), ‘We killed Christ Jesus the son of Mary, the Apostle of Allâh; – but they killed him not nor crucified him, but so it was made to appear to them, and those who differ therein are full of doubts, with no (certain) knowledge, but only conjecture to follow, for of a surety they killed him not:- Nay, Allâh raised him up unto Himself; and Allâh is exalted in Power, Wise;- And there is none of the People of the Book but must believe in him before his death; and on the Day of Judgement, he will be a witness against them.” (al-Nisa 4:157-9)
We think that the Tafsir (interpretation) of this Ayah is that the pronoun in ”before his death” (qabla mawtihi) refers to Jesus; i e, he will descend and the People of the Book who differed concerning him will believe in him. The Christians claimed that he was divine, while the Jews made a slanderous accusation, i.e. that he was born from adultery. When Jesus descends before the Day of Judgement, he will correct all these differences and lies. On this basis, the reference to the descent of the Messiah Jesus son of Mary also includes a reference to the Dajjal (false Mesor Antichrist), who is the opposite of the true Messiah, because sometimes the Arabs refer to one of two opposites and not the other, but mean both.
3. The Dajjal is not mentioned by name in the Qur’ân because he is so insignificant: he claims to be divine, but he is merely a human being. His affairs are too contemptible to be mentioned in the Qur’ân. But the Prophets, out of loyalty to Allâh, warned their people about the Dajjal and the tribulations and misguiding miracles he would bring. It is enough for us to know the reports of the Prophets and the many reports from the Prophet Mohammad – sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam -.
One could argue that Allâh has mentioned Pharaoh and his false claims, such as “I am your Lord, Most High” (al-Naziat 79:24) and “O Chiefs! No god do I know for you but myself …” (al-Qasas 28:38), in the Qur’ân.
This can be explained by the fact that Pharaoh and his deeds are in the past, and his lies are clear to every believer. But the Dajjal is yet to come, in the future; it will be a Fitnah and a test for all people. So the Dajjal is not mentioned in the Qur’ân because he is contemptible; and the fact that he is not mentioned means that it will be a great test. The facts about the Dajjal and his lies are obvious and do not need further emphasis. This is often the case when something is very clear. For example, when the Prophet – sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam – was terminally ill, he wanted to write a document confirming that Abû Bakr would be the Khalifah after him. Then he abandoned this idea, and said, “Allâh and the believers will not accept anyone other than Abû Bakr.” He decided not to write the document because he knew of Abû Bakr’s high standing among the Sahabah (Companions) and was sure that they would not choose anyone else.
Similarly, the facts about the Dajjal are so clear that they did not need to be mentioned in the Qur’ân. Allâh did not mention the Dajjal in the Qur’ân because He – subhânahu wa Ta’âla – knew that the Dajjal would not be able to lead His true servants astray; he would only increase their faith, their submission to Allâh and His Messenger, their belief in the Truth, and their rejection of falsehood.
For this reason the believer whom the Dajjal overpowers will say, when he revives him, “By Allâh, it has only increased my understanding that you are the one-eyed liar about whom the Prophet – sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam – spoke.”
MORE Ahadîth ABOUT THE DAJJAL
The Prophet – sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam – said, “The Dajjal will emerge in a land in the east called Khurasan. His followers will be people with faces like hammered shields.” Asma’ bint Yazid al-Ansariyyah said, “The Prophet – sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam – said, ‘During the three years just before the Dajjal comes, there will be one year when the sky will withhold one third of its rain and the earth one-third of its fruits. In the second year the sky will withhold two-thirds of its rain, and the earth two-thirds of its fruits. In the third year the sky will withhold all of its rain, and the earth all of its fruits, and all the animals will die. It will be the greatest tribulation: the Dajjal will bring a Bedouin and say to him, “What if I bring your camels to life for you? Will you agree that I am your lord?” The Bedouin will say “Yes.” So devils will assume the forms of his camels, with the fullest udders and the highest humps. Then he will bring a man whose father and brother have died, and will ask him, “What do you think if I bring your father and brother back to life? Will you agree that I am your lord?” The man will say “Yes,” so the devils will assume the forms of his father and brother. Then the Prophet – sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam – went out for something, and then returned. The people were very concerned about what he had told them. He stood in the doorway and asked, ‘What is wrong, Asma’? I said, ‘O Messenger of Allâh, you have terrified us with what you said about the Dajjal. He said, ‘He will certainly appear. If I am still alive, I will contend with him on your behalf; otherwise Allâh will take care of every Muslim on my behalf.’ I said, ‘O Messenger of Allâh, we do not bake our dough until we are hungry, so how will it be for the believers at that time? The Prophet – sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam – said, ‘The glorification of Allâh which suffices the people of Heaven will be sufficient for them.’ ”
Abû Hurayrah (radiAllâhu anhu) said, “The Prophet – sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam – said, ‘The Hour will not come until the Muslims fight the Jews and kill them. When a Jew hides behind a rock or a tree, it will say, “O Muslim, O servant of Allâh! There is a Jew behind me, come and kill him!” All the trees will do this except the box-thorn (al-Gharqad), because it is the tree of the Jews.’ ” (Ahmad)
PROTECTION AGAINST THE DAJJAL
1. Seeking refuge with Allâh from his tribulation. It is proven in the Saheeh (authentic) Ahadîth that the Prophet – sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam – used to seek refuge with Allâh from the tribulation of the Dajjal in his prayers, and that he commanded his Ummah to do likewise: Allâhumma inna naudhu bika min ‘adhabi jahannam, wa min ‘adhabi ‘l-qabr, wa min fitnati ‘l-mahya’i wa’l-mamat, wa min fitnati’ l-masihi ‘d-dajjal.” “O Allâh! We seek refuge with You from the punishment of Hell, from the punishment of the grave, from the tribulations of life and death, and from the tribulation of the False Messiah (Dajjal).” This Hadîth was narrated by many Sahabah, including Anas. Abû Hurayrah, ‘A’ishah, Ibn ‘Abbas, and Sa’d.
2. Memorising certain Ayat from Surat al-Kahf. Al-Hafiz al-Dhahabi said, “Seeking refuge with Allâh from the Dajjal is mentioned in many Mutawatir Ahadîth (those with numerous lines of narrators). One way of doing this is to memorise ten Ayat from Surat al-Kahf.” Abûl-Dira reported that the Prophet – sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam – said, “Whoever memorises the first ten Ayat of Surat al-Kahf will be protected from the Dajjal.” (Abû Dâwûd)
3. Keeping away from the Dajjal One way to be protected from the tribulation of the Dajjal is to live in Madînah or Makkah. Abû Hurayrah reported that the Prophet – sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam – said, “There are angels standing at the gates of Madînah; neither plague nor the Dajjal can enter it.” (al-Bukhârî, Muslim.) Abû Bakr reported that the Prophet – sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam – said, “The terror caused by the Dajjal will not enter Madînah. At that time it will have seven gates; there will be two angels guarding every gate.” (al-Bukhârî) Anas said, “The Prophet – sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam – said, ‘The Dajjal will come to Madînah, and he will find angles guarding it. Neither plague nor the Dajjal will enter it, in sha Allâh.’ ” (at-Tirmidhî, al-Bukhârî)
It has been proven in the Saheeh Ahadîth that the Dajjal will not enter Makkah or Madînah, because the angels will prevent him from entering these two places which are sanctuaries and are safe from him. When he camps at the salt-marsh (Sabkhah) of Madînah, it will be shaken by three tremors – either physically or metaphorically – and every hypocrite will go out to join the Dajjal. On that day, Madînah will be cleansed of its dross and will be refined and purified; and Allâh knows best.
THE LIFE AND DEEDS OF THE DAJJAL
The Dajjal will be a man, created by Allâh to be a test for people at the end of time. Many will be led astray through him, and many will be guided through him; only the sinful will be led astray. Al-Hafiz Ibn ‘Alî al-Abar wrote in his book of history (al-Tarikh) that the Dajjal’s Kunyah (nickname or paternal title) would be Abû Yusuf.
Abû Bakrah said, “The Prophet – sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam – said, “The Dajjal’s parents will remain childless for thirty years, then a one-eyed child will be born to them. He will be very bad and will cause a great deal of trouble. When he sleeps, his eyes will be closed but his heart (or mind) will still be active.’ Then he described his parents: ‘His father will be a tall and bulky man, with a long nose like a beak; his mother will be a huge, heavy-breasted woman.’ Abû Bakrah said, ”We heard that a child had been born to some of the Jews in Madînah. Al-Zubayr ibn al-Awam and I went see his pa, and found that they matched the description given by the Prophet – sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam -. We saw the boy lying in the sun, covered with a blanket, murmuring to himself. We asked his parents about him, and they said, ‘We remained childless for thirty years, then this one-eyed boy was born to us. He is very bad and causes a great deal of trouble. When we went out, we passed the boy. He asked us, ‘What were you doing?’ We said, ‘Did you hear us?. He said, ‘Yes; when I sleep, my eyes are closed but my heart (mind) is still active. That boy was Ibn Sayyad.” (Ahmad, at-Tirmidhî; this Hadîth is not very strong.) As we have already seen in the Saheeh Ahadîth, Malik and others think that Ibn Sayyad was not the Dajjal; he was one of a number of “lesser dajjals.” Later he repented and embraced Islâm; Allâh knows best his heart and deeds.
The “greater” Dajjal is the one mentioned in the Hadîth of Fatimah bint Qays, which she narrated from the Prophet – sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam -, from Tamim al-Dari, and which includes the story of the Jassasah.
The Dajjal will be permitted to appear at the end of time, after the Muslims have conquered a Roman city called Constantinople. He will first appear in Isfahan, in an area known as the Jewish quarter (al-Yahudiyyah). He will be followed by seventy thousand Jews from that area, all of them armed. Seventy thousand Tatars and many people from Khurasan will also follow him. At first he will appear as a tyrannical king, then he will claim to be a prophet, then a lord. Only the most ignorant of men will follow him; the righteous and those guided by Allâh will reject him.
He will start to conquer the world country by country, fortress by fortress, region by region, town by town; no place will remain unscathed except Makkah and Madînah. The length of his stay on earth will be forty days: one day like a year, one day like a month, one day like a week, and the rest of the days like normal days, i e his stay will be approximately one year and two and a half months. Allâh will grant him many miracles, through which whoever He wills will be astray, and the faith of the believers will be strengthened. The descent of Jesus son of Mary, the true Messiah, will happen at the time of the Dajjal, the false messiah. He will descend to the minaret in the east of Damascus. The believers and true servants of Allâh will gather to support him, and the Messiah Jesus son of Mary will lead them against the Dajjal, who at that time will be heading for Bayt al-Maqdis (Jerusalem). He will catch up with him at ‘Aqabah ‘Afiq. The Dajjal will run away from him, but Jesus will catch up with him at the gate of Ludd, and will kill him with his spear just as he is entering it. He will say to him, “I have to deal you a blow; you cannot escape.” When the Dajjal faces him, he will begin to dissolve like salt in water. So Jesus will kill him with his spear at the gate of Ludd, and he will die there, as many Sahîh Ahadîth indicate. Majma ibn Jariyah is reported to have said, “I heard the Prophet – sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam – saying, ‘The son of Mary will kill the Dajjal at the gate of Ludd.’ ” (at-Tirmidhî.)
FOOTNOTE:
“When he (Dajjal) sleeps, his eyes will be closed but his heart (or mind) will still be active” – means that his evil ideas will still come to him even while he is asleep.
The Descent of Jesus at the End of Time
‘Abdullâh ibn ‘Amr said, “The Prophet – sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam – said, ‘The Dajjal will appear in my Ummah, and will remain for forty – “I cannot say whether he meant forty days, forty months or forty years.” – Then Allâh will send Jesus – ’alayhis salâm -, the son of Mary, who will resemble ‘Urwah ibn Mas’ud. He will chase the Dajjal and kill him. Then the people will live for seven years during which there will be no enmity between any two persons. Then Allâh will send a cold wind from the direction of Syria, which will take the soul of everyone who has the slightest speck of good or faith in his heart. Even if one of you were to enter the heart of a mountain, the wind would reach him there and take his soul. “Only the most wicked people will be left; they will be as careless as birds, with the characteristics of beasts, and will have no concern for right and wrong. Satan will come to them in the form of man and will say, “Don’t you respond?” They will say, “What do you order us to do?” He will order them to worship idols, and in spite of that they will have sustenance in Abûndance, and lead comfortable lives. “Then the Trumpet will be blown, and everyone will tilt their heads to hear it. The first one to hear it will be a man busy repairing a trough for his camels. He and everyone else will be struck down. Then Allâh will send (or send down) rain like dew, and the bodies of the people (ie the dead) will grow out of it. Then the trumpet will be sounded again, and the people will get up and look around. Then it will be said, “O people, go to your Lord and account for yourselves.” It will be said, “Bring out the people of Hell,” and it will be asked, “How many are there?” – the answer will come: “Nine hundred and ninety-nine out of every thousand.” “On that day a child will grow old and the shin will be laid bare.” (Al-Qalam 68:42) (Muslim)
Abû Hurayrah said, “The Prophet – sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam – said, ‘The son of Mary will come down as a just leader. He will break the cross, and kill the pigs. Peace will prevail and people will use their swords as sickles. Every harmful beast will be made harmless; the sky will send down rain in Abûndance, and the earth will bring forth its blessings. A child will play with a fox and not come to any harm; a wolf will graze with sheep and a lion with cattle, without harming them.’ (Ahmad)
Abû Hurayrah said, “The Prophet – sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam – said, ‘By Him in Whose hand is my soul, surely the son of Mary will come down among you as a just ruler. He will break the cross, kill the pigs and abolish the Jizyah. Wealth will be in such Abûndance that no-one will care about it, and a single prostration in prayer will be better than the world and all that is in it.’ ”
Abû Hurayrah said, ‘If you wish, recite the Ayah: “And there is none of the People of the Book but must believe in him before his death; and on the Day of Judgement he will be a witness against them …” (Al-Nisa 4:159) (al-Bukhârî, Muslim)
Abû Hurayrah reported that the Prophet – sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam – said, “The Prophets are like brothers; they have different mothers but their religion is one. I am the closest of all the people to Jesus son of Mary, because there is no other Prophet between him and myself. He will come again, and when you see him, you will recognise him. He is of medium height and his colouring is reddish-white. He will be wearing two garments, and his hair will look wet. He will break the cross, kill the pigs, abolish the Jizyah and call the people to Islâm. During his time, Allâh will end every religion and sect other than Islâm, and will destroy the Dajjal. Then peace and security will prevail on earth, so that lions will graze with camels, tigers with cattle, and wolves with sheep; children will be able to play with snakes without coming to any harm. Jesus will remain for forty years, then die, and the Muslims will pray for him.” (Ahmad)
Ibn Masud reported that the Prophet – sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam – said, “On the night of the Isra (night journey), I met my father Abraham, Moses and Jesus, and they discussed the Hour. The matter was referred first to Abraham, then to Moses, and both said, ‘I have no knowledge of it. Then it was referred to Jesus, who said, ‘No-one knows about its timing except Allâh; what my Lord told me was that the Dajjal will appear, and when he sees me he will begin to melt like lead. Allâh will destroy him when he sees me. The Muslims will fight against the Kafirs, and even the trees and rocks will say, “O Muslim, there is a Kafir hiding beneath me – come and kill him!” Allâh will destroy the Kafirs, and the people will return to their own lands. Then Gog and Magog will appear from all directions, eating and drinking everything they find. The people will complain to me, so I will pray to Allâh and He will destroy them, so that the earth will be filled with their stench. Allâh will send rain which will wash their bodies into the sea. My Lord has told me that when that happens, the Hour will be very close, like a pregnant woman whose time is due, but her family do not know exactly when she will deliver’” (Ahmad, Ibn Majah)
DESCRIPTION OF THE MESSIAH JESUS SON OF MARY, MESSENGER OF Allâh
Abû Hurayrah said, “The Prophet – sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam – said, ‘On the night of the Isra’ (miraculous journey to Jerusalem) I met Moses – he was a slim man with wavy hair, and looked like a man from the Shanu’ah tribe. I also met Jesus – he was of medium height and of a red complexion, as if he had just come out of the bath’” (al-Bukhârî, Muslim)
The Prophet – sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam – said, “Whilst I was asleep, I saw myself (in a dream) making Tawaf around the Ka’bah. I saw a brown-skinned man, with straight hair, being supported by two men, and with water dripping from his head.’ I said, ‘Who is this?’ They said, ‘The son of Mary’ I turned around and saw a fat, ruddy man, with curly hair, who was blind in his right eye; his eye looked like a floating grape. I asked, ‘Who is this?’ They said, ‘The Dajjal’ The one who most resembles him is Ibn Qatan.”
Al-Zuhri explained: Ibn Qatan was a man from Khuzaah who died during the Jahiliyyah (before the coming of Islâm). (al-Bukhârî)
THE APPEARANCE OF GOG AND MAGOG
They (two tribes or peoples) will appear at the time of Jesus son of Mary, after the Dajjal. Allâh will destroy them all in one night, in response to the supplication of Jesus. Abû Hurayrah reported that the Prophet – sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam – said, “Every day, Gog and Magog are trying to dig a way out through the barrier. When they begin to see sunlight through it, the one who is in charge of them says, ‘Go back; you can carry on digging tomorrow,’ and when they come back, the barrier is stronger than it was before. This will continue until their time comes and Allâh wishes to send them forth. They will dig until they begin to see sunlight, then the one who is in charge of them will say, ‘Go back; you can carry on digging tomorrow, insha’Allâh.’ In this case he will make an exception by saying insha’ Allâh, thus relating the matter to the Will of Allâh. They will return on the following day, and find the hole as they left it. They will carry on digging and come out against the people. They will drink all the water, and the people will entrench themselves in their fortresses. Gog and Magog will fire their arrows into the sky, and they will fall back to earth with something like blood on them. Gog and Magog will say, ‘We have defeated the people of earth, and overcome the people of heaven. Then Allâh will send a kind of worm in the napes of their necks, and they will be killed by it’ ‘By Him in Whose hand is the soul of Muhammad, the beasts of the earth will become fat.’” Gog and Magog are two groups of Turks, descended from Yafith (Japheth), the father of the Turks, one of the sons of Noah. At the time of Abraham – ’alayhis salâm -, there was a king called Dhu’l-Qarnayn. He performed Tawaf around the Ka’bah with Abraham – ’alayhis salâm – when he first built it; he believed and followed him. Dhu’l-Qarnayn was a good man and a great king; Allâh gave him great power and he ruled the east and west. He held sway over all kings and countries, and travelled far and wide in both east and west. He travelled eastwards until he reached a pass between two mountains, through which people were coming out. They did not understand anything, because they were so isolated; they were Gog and Magog. They were spreading corruption through the earth, and harming the people, so the people sought help from Dhu’l-Qarnayn. They asked him to build a barrier between them and Gog and Magog. He asked them to help him to build it, so together they built a barrier by mixing iron, copper and tar. Thus Dhu’ -Qarnayn restrained Gog and Magog behind the barrier. They tried to penetrate the barrier, or to climb over it, but to no avail. They could not succeed because the barrier is so huge and smooth. They began to dig, and they have been digging for centuries; they will continue to do so until the time when Allâh decrees that they come out. At that time the barrier will collapse, and Gog and Magog will rush out in all directions, spreading corruption, uprooting plants, killing people. When Jesus (AS) prays against them, Allâh will send a kind of worm in the napes of their necks, and they will be killed by it.”
THE DESTRUCTION OF THE KA’BAH
At the end of time, Dhu’l-Suwayqatayn, who will come from Abyssinia (al-Habash), will destroy the Ka’bah in order to steal its treasure and Kiswah (cloth covering). The Ka’bah is the ancient building which was built by Abraham, and whose foundations were laid by Adam. As Tafsir (interpretation) of the Ayah ”Until the Gog and Magog (people) are let through (their barrier)” (al-Anbiya 21:96), it was reported from Ka’b al-Ahbar that Dhu’l-Suwayqatayn will first emerge at the time of Jesus, son of Mary.
Allâh will send Jesus at the head of a vanguard of between seven and eight hundred. While they are marching towards Dhu’l-Suwayqatayn, Allâh will send a breeze from the direction of Yemen, which will take the soul of every believer. Only the worst of people will be left, and they will begin to copulate like animals. Ka’b said: “At that time, the Hour will be close at hand.” ‘Abdullâh ibn ‘Amr said, “I heard the Prophet – sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam – say, ‘Dhu’l-Suwayqatayn from Abyssinia will destroy the Ka’bah and steal its treasure and Kiswah. It is as if I could see him now: he is bald-headed and has a distortion in his wrists. He will strike the Ka’bah with his spade and pick-axe.’ ” (Ahmad)
It was reported from ‘Abdullâh ibn ‘Umar that the Prophet – sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam – said, ”Leave the Abyssinians alone so long as they do not disturb you, for no-one will recover the treasure of the Ka’bah except Dhu’l-Suwayqatayn from Abyssinia.”(Abû Dâwûd, in the chapter on the prohibition of provoking the Abyssinians)
Ibn ‘Abbas narrated that the Prophet – sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam – said, “It is as if I can see him now: he is black and his legs are widely spaced. He will destroy the Ka’bah stone by stone.” (Ahmad) The Prophet – sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam – said, “The Hour will not come until a man from Qahtan appears and rules the people.” (Muslim; similar Hadîth in al-Bukhârî) This man could be Dhu’l-Suwayq, someone else, because this man comes from Qahtan, while other reports say that Dhu’l-Suwayqatayn comes from Abyssinia; and Allâh knows best. Abû Hurayrah said, “The Prophet – sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam – said, ‘Day and night will not come to an end until a freed man called Jahjah holds sway’” (Ahmad)
This could be the name of Dhul-Suwayqatayn from Abyssinia; and Allâh knows best. ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab reported that he heard the Prophet – sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam – say: “The people of Makkah will leave, and only a few people will pass through it. Then it will be resettled and rebuilt; then the people will leave it again, and no-one will ever return.”
Madînah WILL REMAIN INHABITED AT THE TIME OF THE DAJJAL
It has been proven in the Saheeh Ahadîth, as already stated, that the Dajjal will not be able to enter Makkah and Madînah, and that there will be angels at the gates of Makkah to ward him off and prevent him from entering. It was reported from Abû Hurayrah that the Prophet – sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam – said, “Neither the Dajjal nor plague will be able to enter Madînah.” As mentioned above, the Dajjal will camp outside Madînah, and it will be shaken by three tremors. Every hypocrite and sinner will go out to join the Dajjal, and every believer and Muslim will stay. That day will be called the Day of Purification (Yawm al-Khalas). Most of those who go out to join the Dajjal will be women. As the Prophet – sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam – said, “Verily it (Madînah) is good; its evil will be eliminated and its goodness will be obvious.”
Allâh – subhânahu wa Ta’âla – said: “Women impure are for men impure, and men impure for women impure, and women of purity are for men of purity, and men of purity are for women of purity” (Al-Nur 24-26)
Madînah will remain inhabited during the days of the Dajjal, and during the time of Jesus son of Mary (AS), until he dies and is buried there. Then it will be destroyed. ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab said, “I heard the Prophet – sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam – say, ‘A rider will go around Madînah and say, There used to be many Muslims here’ ” (Ahmad)
FOOTNOTE: *Dhu’l-Suwayqatayn: al-Suwayqatayn is the diminutive of al-Saqayn (legs); his legs are described as being “small” because they are thin. Thin legs are, in general, a characteristic of the Sudanese and people of the Horn of Africa.
The Emergence of the Beast
AMONG the signs of the Hour will be the emergence of a beast from the earth.
It will be very strange in appearance, and extremely huge; one cannot even imagine what it will look like. It will emerge from the earth and shake the dust from its head. It will have with it the ring of Solomon and the rod of Moses. People will be terrified of it and will try to run away, but they will not be able to escape, because such will be the decree of Allâh. It will destroy the nose of every unbeliever with the rod, and write the word “Kafir” on his forehead; it will adorn the face of every believer and write the word “Mu’min” (true believer) on his forehead, and it will speak to people.
Allâh – subhânahu wa Ta’âla – said:
“And when the Word is fulfilled against them (the unjust), We shall produce from the earth a Beast to (face) them: it will speak to them…”(al-Naml 27:82)
Ibn ‘Abbas, al-Hasan and Qutadah said that “It will speak to them” (tukallimuhum) means that it will address them. Ibn Jarir suggested that it means that the Beast will address them with the words “…for that mankind did not believe with assurance in Our Signs…” (al-Naml 27:82 – latter part of the Ayah).
Ibn Jarir reported this from ‘Alî and ‘Ata’ It was reported from Ibn ‘Abbas that tukallimuhum means that the Beast will cut them, i e, it will write the word “Kafir” on the forehead of the unbeliever. It was also reported from Ibn ‘Abbas that he will both address them and cut them; this suggestion incorporates both of the previous suggestions; and Allâh knows best. We have already mentioned the Hadîth of Hudhayfah ibn Usayd, in which the Prophet – sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam – is reported to have said, “The Hour will not come until you see ten signs: the smoke; the Dajjal; the Beast; the sun rising from the West; the descent of Jesus son of Mary; Gog and Magog; and three landslides – one in the East, one in the West, and one in Arabia, at the end of which fire will burst forth from the direction of Aden (Yemen) and drive people to the place of their final assembly.”
Abû Hurayrah said: “The Prophet – sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam – said, ‘Hasten to do good deeds before six things happen: the rising of the sun from the West, the smoke, the Dajjal, the Beast, the (death) of one of you or general tribulation.’ ” (Muslim.) Baridah said: “The Prophet – sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam – took me to a place in the desert, near Makkah. It was a dry piece of land surrounded by sand. The Prophet – sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam – said, ‘The Beast will emerge from this place. It was a very small area.’ ” (Ibn Majah)
It was reported from Abû Hurayrah that the Prophet – sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam – said, “The Beast of the Earth will emerge, and will have with it the rod of Moses and the ring of Solomon.” It was also reported that he said, “(The Beast) will destroy the noses of the unbelievers with the ring, – so that people seated around one table will begin to address one another with the words “O Believer!” or “O Unbeliever!” (i e, everyone’s status will become clear). (Ibn Majah.)
‘Abdullâh ibn ‘Amr said, “I memorised a Hadîth from the Prophet – sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam – which I have not forgotten since. I heard the Prophet – sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam – say, ‘The first of the signs (of the Hour) to appear will be the rising of the sun from the West and the appearance of the Best before the people in the forenoon. Whichever of these two events happens first, the other will follow immediately.’ ” (Muslim).
That is to say, these will be the first extraordinary signs. The Dajjal, the descent of Jesus – ’alayhis salâm, the emergence of Gog and Magog, are less unusual in that they are all human beings. But the emergence of the Beast, whose form will be very strange, its addressing the people and classifying them according to their faith or unbelief, is something truly extraordinary. This is the first of the earthly signs, as the rising of the sun from the West is the first of the heavenly signs.
The Rising of the Sun from the West
Allâh – subhânahu wa Ta’âla – says: “Are they waiting to see if the angels come to them, or thy Lord (Himself), or certain of the Signs of thy Lord? The day that certain of the signs of thy Lord do come, no good will it do to a soul to believe in them then, if it believed not before nor earned righteousness through its faith. Say: ‘Wait ye: we too are waiting.’ “ (al-Anam 6:158)
It was reported from Abû Sa’id al-Khudri that the Prophet – sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam – explained, “The day that certain of the Signs of thy Lord do come, no good will it do to a soul to believe in them then…”, referring to the rising of the sun from the West. (Ahmad)
Abû Hurayrah said, “The Prophet – sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam – said, ‘The Hour will not come until the sun rises from the West. When the people see it, whoever is living on earth will believe, but that will be the time when – No good will it do to a soul to believe in them then, if it believed not before’ ” (al-Bukhârî)
It was also reported from Abû Hurayrah that the Prophet – sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam – said, “The Hour will not come until the sun rises from the West. When it rises and the people see it, they will all believe. But that will be the time when ‘No good will it do to a soul to believe in them then’” (al-Bukhârî)
It was reported from Abû Hurayrah that the Prophet – sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam – said, “There are three things which, if they appear, ‘No good will it do to a soul to believe in them then, if it believed not before nor earned righteousness through its faith’ They are: the rising of the sun from the West, the Dajjal, and the Beast of the Earth.” (Ahmad, Muslim, at-Tirmidhî.)
Abû Dharr said, “The Prophet – sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam – asked me, ‘Do you know where the sun goes when it sets?’ I said, ‘I do not know’ He said, ‘It travels until it prostrates itself beneath the Throne, and asks for permission to rise again. But a time will come when it will be told, ‘Go back whence you came.’ That will be the time when ‘No good will it do to a soul to believe in them then, if it believed not before nor earned righteousness through its faith’ ” (al-Bukhârî)
‘Amr ibn Jarir said, “Three Muslims were sitting with Marwan in Madînah, and heard him say, whilst talking about the Signs of the Hour, that the first of them would be the appearance of the Dajjal. The three went to ‘Abdullâh ibn ‘Amr, and told him what they had heard Marwan say concerning the Signs. ‘Abdullâh said, ‘Marwan has not said much.
I memorised a Hadîth like that from the Prophet – sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam – which I have not forgotten since. I heard the Prophet – sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam – say: “The first of the signs will be the rising of the sun from the West, and the emergence of the Beast in the forenoon. Whichever of the two comes first, the other will follow immediately”
Then ‘Abdullâh, who was widely-read, said, ‘I think that the first to happen will be the rising of the sun from the West. Every time it sets, it goes beneath the Throne, prostrates itself, and seeks permission to rise again. A time will come when three times it will seek permission and will receive no reply, until, when part of the night has passed and it realises that even if it were given permission, it would not be able to rise on time, it will say: “O my Lord, how far the rising-point is from me! What can I do for the people now?” Then it will seek permission to go back, and it will be told: ‘Rise from where you are now’ – and it will rise from the West’” Then ‘Abdullâh recited the Ayah: “No good will it do to a soul to believe in them then, if it believed not before nor earned righteousness through its faith.” (Ahmad)
Some scholars interpret “the rising of the sun from the West” as meaning that Islâm will appear in the West, as strong as it was in the beginning, and that the people of the West will carry the flag of Islâm.
The Smoke which will appear at the End of Time
MASRUQ said: “While a man was giving a speech among the people of Kindah, he said, ‘There will be smoke on the Day of Resurrection which will deprive the hypocrites of their hearing and sight, but the believers will only suffer something like a cold’ We were terrified, so we went to Ibn Masud, who was reclining. When he heard about this, he became angry and sat up, and said: ‘O people, whoever knows a thing, let him say it; but whoever does not know, let him say, “Allâh knows best.” It is a part of knowledge, when one does not know something, to say “Allâh knows best.”
Allâh – subhânahu wa Ta’âla – said to His Prophet Mohammad – sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam -:
“Say: ‘No reward do I ask of you for this (Qur’ân), nor am I a pretender’”(Sad 38:86.)
“Quraysh were being slow in embracing Islâm, so the Prophet – sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam – prayed against them, saying, ‘O Allâh, help me against them by sending seven years of famine like those of Joseph.’ They were afflicted by a year of famine in which they were destroyed, and ate dead animals and bones. They began to see something like smoke between the sky and the earth.
Abû Sufyan came and said, ‘O Mohammad! You came to command us to keep good relations with our relatives, and your people have perished, so pray that Allâh may relieve them’” The Ibn Mas’ud recited, “Then watch thou for the Day that the sky will bring forth a kind of smoke (or mist) plainly visible, Enveloping the people: this will be a Penalty Grievous. (They will say:) “Our Lord! Remove the Penalty from us, for we do truly believe! How shall the Message be (effectual) for them, seeing that an Apostle explaining things clearly has (already) come to them? Yet they return away from him and say: ‘Tutored (by others), a man possessed! We shall indeed remove the Penalty for a while, (but) truly ye will revert (to your ways).” (al-Dukhan 44:10-15)
Ibn Maud asked: “Will their punishment in the Hereafter be removed so they can go back to their Kufr?” Allâh – subhânahu wa Ta’âla – said:
“One day We shall seize you with a mighty onslaught: We will indeed (then) exact Retribution!”(al-Dukhan 44:16)
“…and soon will come the inevitable (punishment)!”(al-Furqan 25:77)
These Ayat refer to the Day (Battle) of Badr. Allâh – subhânahu wa Ta’âla – said:
“Alif-Lam-Mim. The Romans (Byzantines) have been defeated – in a land close by; but they, (even) after (this) defeat of theirs, will soon be victorious – within a few years.”(al-Rum 30: 1-3) (al-Bukhârî)
This speaker’s suggestion – that the idea that the smoke would be on the Day or Resurrection was not a good one – made Ibn Masud react angrily. But the smoke will appear before the Day of Resurrection; it will be one of the signs, which are: the Beast, the Dajjal, the Smoke, and Gog and Magog, as the Ahadîth narrated from Abû Sarihah, Abû Hurayrah and other Sahabah indicate. As mentioned in the Sahîh Ahadîth, the fire which will appear before the Day of Resurrection will burst forth from the direction of Aden, and drive the people to the place of their final assembly. It will move with them and halt with them, and will devour any who lag behind.
The Hour will not come until…
IT was reported from Abû Sa’id al-Khudri that the Prophet – sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam – said, “Thunderbolts will increase so much as the Hour approaches that when a man comes to a people, he will ask, ‘Who amongst you was struck by a thunderbolt this morning?’ and they will say, ‘So-and-so and so-and-so was struck.’ “ (Ahmad)
Heavy rain before the Day of Resurrection
It was reported from Abû Hurayrah that the Prophet – sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam – said, “The hour will not come until there has been rain which will destroy all dwellings except tents.”
We have already mentioned many Ahadîth about the signs of the Hour. Now we will turn our attention to some Ahadîth which could indicate that the Hour is close at hand.
It was reported from Abû Hurayrah that the Prophet – sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam – said: “The Hour will not come until the following events have come to pass: people will compete with one another in constructing high buildings; two big groups will fight one another, and there will be many casualties – they will both be following the same religious teaching; earthquakes will increase; time will pass quickly; afflictions and killing will increase; nearly thirty dajjals will appear, each of them claiming to be a messenger from Allâh; a man will pass by a grave and say, ‘Would that I were in your place’; the sun will rise from the West; when it rises and the people see it, they will all believe, but that will be the time when ‘No good will it do to a soul to believe in them then, if it believed not before…’ (al-An’am 6:158); and a wealthy man will worry lest no-one accept his Zakat.” (al-Bukhârî, Muslim)
It was reported from Anas that the Prophet – sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam – said: “Among the signs of the Hour are the following: knowledge will decrease and ignorance will prevail; fornication and the drinking of wine will be common; the number of men will decrease and the number of women will increase, until one man will look after fifty women.” (al-Bukhârî) ‘A’ishah said, “I heard the Prophet – sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam – say, ‘Day and night will not pass away until people begin to worship Lat and ‘Uzza’(two goddesses of pre-Islâmic Arabic). I said, ‘O Messenger of Allâh, I thought that when Allâh revealed the Ayah “It is He Who has sent His Apostle with Guidance and the Religion of Truth, to proclaim over all religion, even though the Pagans may detest (it)” (al-Tawbah 9:33), it implied that (this promise) would be fulfilled’. The Prophet – sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam – said,‘It will happen as Allâh wishes. Then Allâh will send a pleasant breeze, which will take everyone who has as much faith as a grain of mustard-seed in his heart. Only those with no goodness in them will be left, and they will revert to the religion of their forefathers’.” (Muslim)
It was from Abû Hurayrah that one day, while the Prophet – sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam – was sitting with the people, a Bedouin came to him and asked him about Iman and Islâm, then he asked, “O Messenger of Allâh, when will the Hour be?” He said, “The one who is asked about it does not know more than the one who asks, but I tell you about its signs. When a slave gives birth to her mistress, and when the bare-footed and naked become the chiefs of the people – these are among the signs of the Hour. There are five things which no-one knows except Allâh.” Then he recited: “Verily the knowledge of the Hour is with God (alone). It is He Who sends down rain, and He Who knows what is in the wombs. Nor does anyone know what it is that he will earn on the morrow: nor does anyone know in what land he is to die. Verily God is All-Knowing, All Aware.” (Luqman 31:34). Then the man went away, and the Prophet – sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam – said, “Call him back to me,” but when the people went to call him, they could not see anything. The Prophet – sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam – said, “That was Gabriel, who came to teach the people their religion.” (al-Bukhârî, Muslim).
“The bare-footed and naked paupers will compete with one another in constructing high buildings”means that they will become the chiefs of people. They will become rich, and their only concern will be to compete in constructing high buildings.
This is as in the Hadîth we shall see later: “The Hour will not come until the happiest people in the world will be the depraved sons of the depraved.” It was reported from Abû Sa’id that the Prophet – sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam – said: “The Hour will not come until the time when a man will leave his home, and his shoes or whip or stick will tell what is happening to his family.”(Ahmad)
It was reported from Abû Sa’id that the Prophet – sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam – said: “By Him in Whose hand is my soul, the Hour will not come until wild animals talk to men, and a man speaks to his whip or his shoe, and his thigh will tell him about what happened to his family after he left.” Anas said, “We were discussing the fact that the Hour would not come until there is no rain, the earth does not produce crops, and fifty women will be cared for by one man; and if a woman passes by a man, he will look at her and say, ‘This woman once had a husband’.” (Ahmad)
Abû Hurayrah said: “The Prophet – sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam – said: ‘The Hour will not come until time passes so quickly that a year will be like a month, a month like a week, a week like a day, a day like an hour, and an hour like the time it takes for a palm-leaf to burn’.” (Ahmad)
Abû Hurayrah said, “The Prophet – sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam – said: ‘The world will not pass away until the one who enjoys it the most is the depraved son of the depraved’.” (Ahmad)
Abû Hurayrah said, “The Prophet – sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam – said, ‘Before the Hour comes, there will be years of deceit, in which a truthful person will be disbelieved and a liar will be believed; and the insignificant will have a say’.” (Ahmad)
Abû Hurayrah said: “I heard the Prophet – sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam – say: ‘The Hour will not come until the sheep with horns no longer fights the sheep without horns’.” (Ahmad)
It was reported from Abû Hurayrah that the Prophet – sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam – said, “The Hour will not come until wealth increases so much that a wealthy man will be worried lest no-one accept his Sadaqah: tribulations will appear; and there will be much Harj.” The people asked, “What is Harj”, O Messenger of Allâh?” He said, “Killing, killing” (Ahmad)
It was reported from Abû Hurayrah that the Prophet – sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam – said, “By Him Who sent me with the Truth, this earth will not pass away until people are afflicted with landslides, are pelted with stones, and are transformed into animals.” The people asked, “When will that be, O Messenger of Allâh?” He said, “When you see women riding in the saddle, when singers are common, when bearing false witness becomes widespread, and when men lie with men and women with women”.
Tariq ibn Shihab said, “We were sitting with ‘Abdullâh ibn Mas’ud, when a man came and told us that the time for prayer had come. So we got up and went to the mosque. After the prayer, a man came to ‘Abdullâh ibn Mas’ud and said, ‘As-salam ‘alayka (Peace be upon you), O Abû ‘Abd al-Rahman’. ‘Abdullâh answered, ‘Allâh and His Messenger have spoken the truth’. When we went back, we asked one another, ‘Did you hear the answer he gave? Who is going to ask him about it? I said, ‘I will ask him’; so I asked him when he came out.
He narrated from the Prophet – sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam -: ‘Before the Hour comes, there will be a special greeting for the people of distinction; trade will become so widespread that a woman will help her husband in business; family ties will be cut; the giving of false witness will be common, while truthful witness will be rare; and writing will be widespread.’ (Ahmad)