The Signs before the Day of Judgement (Imam ibn Kathir [rh])

In Sahīh al-Bukhārī, there is a Hadīth which states that a Bedouin asked the Prophet about the Hour. He said, “It will surely come to pass. What have you prepared for it?” The man said, “O Messenger of Allāh, I have not prepared much in the way of prayer and good works, but I love Allāh and His Messenger.” The Prophet said, “You will be with those you love.” The Muslims had never rejoiced as much they did when they heard this Hadīth.

Some Ahadīth report that the Prophet was asked about the Hour. He looked towards a young boy and said, “If he lives, he will not grow very old before he sees your Last Hour coming to you.” By this he meant their death and entering the Hereafter, because everyone who dies enters the Hereafter; some people say that when a person has died, his Judgement has begun. This Hadīth with this meaning is "correct" (Sahīh). Some heretics comment on this Hadīth and give it an incorrect meaning. The exact timing of the Great Hour (as-Sā’at al-’Uzma) is something which Allāh alone knows and which He has not revealed to anyone, as is clear from the Hadīth in which the Prophet said: “There are five things which nobody knows except Allāh;” then he recited, “Verily the knowledge of the Hour is with Allāh (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 with Allāh is full knowledge and He is acquainted (with all things).” (Luqmān 31:34)

When Gabriel (Jibrīl) - ’alayhis salām - came to the Prophet in the guise of a Bedouin, he asked him about Islām, Īmān (faith) and Ihsān (excellence of faith); and the Prophet answered his questions. But when he asked him about the Hour, he said, “The one questioned about it knows no better than the questioner.” Jibrīl said, “Tell me about its signs.” Then the Prophet described them, as we shall see later when we quote this Hadīth and others in full.

Hudhayfah said: “The Prophet stood up one day to speak to us, and told us everything that was going to happen until the Hour, and left nothing unsaid. Some of the listeners learnt it by heart, and some forgot it; these friends of mine learnt it. I do not remember it completely, but sometimes it springs to mind, just as one might remember and recognise the face of a man whom one had forgotten, when one sees him.” (Abū Dāwūd, Muslim)

Imām Ahmad reported via Abū Nudrah that Abū Sa‘īd said: “One day the Prophet led us in praying the afternoon prayer (Salātul-’Asr). Then he stood and addressed us until sunset. He mentioned everything that was to happen until the Day of Resurrection, and left nothing unsaid. Some of us remembered it, and some of us forgot it. One of the things he said was: ‘O people, this world is full of attractive temptations. Allāh has appointed you as vicegerents (Khalīfah) in this world, and He will see how you will act. So guard yourselves against the temptations of this world and of women.’ Towards the end of this speech, he said, ‘The sun is about to set, and what remains of this world, compared to what has passed, is like what remains of this day compared to what has passed.’ ”

'Alī ibn Zayd ibn Jad’an al-Timi narrated some Gharīb and Munkar Ahadīth - which could bring into question the validity of this Hadīth. But there are some reports which are similar to this Hadīth, and which were transmitted with different isnāds. Part of this Hadīth is in Sahīh Muslim, through Abū Nudrah on the authority of Abū Sa’īd. This Hadīth refers to something which is beyond any doubt: what remains of this world, compared to what has passed, is very little. In spite of that, no-one can know exactly how much time is left except Allāh, and no-one can know exactly how much time has passed, except Allāh.

General Description of the Fitan (Tribulations) (Back to Contents)

Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman said, "People used to ask the Prophet (SAW) about good things, but I used to ask him about bad things because I was afraid that they might overtake me. I said, 'O Messenger of Allāh, we were lost in ignorance (Jahiliyyah) and evil, then Allāh brought this good (i.e. Islām). Will some evil come after this good thing?' He said, 'Yes' I asked, 'And will some good come after that evil?' He said, 'Yes, but it will be tainted with some evil' I asked, 'How will it be tainted?' He said, 'There will be some people who will lead others on a path different from mine. You will see good and bad in them." I asked, 'Will some evil come after that good?' He said, 'Some people will be standing and calling at the gates of Hell; whoever responds to their call, they will throw him into the Fire.' I said, 'O Messenger of Allāh, describe them for us.' He said, 'They will be from our own people, and will speak our language.' I asked, 'What do you advise me to do if I should live to see that?' He said, 'Stick to the main body (jama'ah) of the Muslims and their leader (Imām). I asked, What if there is no main body and no leader?' He said 'Isolate yourself from all of these sects, even if you have to eat the roots of trees until death overcomes you while you are in that state.'"

'Abdullāh ibn Mas'ud said: "The Prophet said, 'Islām began as something strange, and it will revert to being strange as it was in the beginning, so good tidings for the strangers.' Someone asked, 'Who are the strangers?' He said, 'The ones who break away from their people (literally, 'tribes') for the sake of Islām.' "

This Hadīth was narrated by Ibn Majah on the authority of Anas and Abū Hurayrah.

Divisions Within the Main Religious Groups

Abū Hurayrah reported that the Prophet (SAW) said: "The Jews have split into seventy-one sects, and my Ummah will divide into seventy-three."

'Awf ibn Malik reported that the Prophet said: "The Jews split into seventy-one sects: one will enter Paradise and seventy will enter Hell. The Christians split into seventy-two sects: seventy-one will enter Hell and one will enter Paradise. By Him in Whose hand is my soul, my Ummah will split into seventy-three sects: one will enter Paradise and seventy-two will enter Hell." Someone asked, "O Messenger of Allāh, who will they be?" He replied, "The main body of the Muslims (al-Jama'ah)." 'Awf ibn Malik is the only one who reported this Hadīth, and its isnad is acceptable.

Anas ibn Malik said, "I shall tell you a Hadīth which I heard from the Messenger of Allāh, and which no-one will tell you after me. I heard him say, 'Among the signs of the Hour will be the disappearance of knowledge and the appearance of ignorance. Adultery will be prevalent and the drinking of wine will be common. The number of men will decrease and the number of women will increase until there will be fifty women to be looked after by one man.' " This Hadīth was reported in the two Sahīhs from the Hadīth of 'Abd Rabbihi.

'Abdullāh said, "The Prophet said, 'Just before the Hour, there will be days in which knowledge will disappear and ignorance will appear, and there will be much killing.' " (Ibn Majah; also narrated by al-Bukhārī and Muslim, from the Hadīth of al-A'mash.)

Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman said, "The Prophet said, 'Islām will become worn out like clothes are, until there will be no-one who knows what fasting, prayer, charity and rituals are. The Qur'ān will disappear in one night, and no Ayah will be left on earth. Some groups of old people will be left who will say, 'We heard our fathers saying La ilaha illa Allāh, so we repeated it.' Silah asked Hudhayfah, "What will saying La ilaha illa Allāh do for them when they do not know what prayer, fasting, ritual and charity are?" Hudhayfah ignored him; then Silah repeated his question three times, and each time Hudayfah ignored him. Finally he answered, "O Silah, it will save them from Hell", and said it three times. (Ibn Majah)

This indicates that in the last days, knowledge will be taken from the people, and even the Qur'ān will disappear from the Mushafs and from people's hearts. People will be left without knowledge. Only the old people will tell them that they used to hear people saying La ilaha illa Allāh; and they will repeat it to feel close to Allāh, so it will give them some blessing, even if they do not have any good deeds or beneficial knowledge. Knowledge will be taken away from men and ignorance will increase during the last days, and their ignorance and misguidance will increase until the end, as in the Hadīth of the Prophet: "The Hour will not come upon anyone who says, 'Allāh, Allāh'; it will only come upon the most evil of men."

The Evils Which Will Befall the Muslim Ummah During The Last Days

'Abdullāh ibn 'Umar said, "The Prophet (SAW) came to us and said, 'O Muhajirun, (emigrants from Makkah to al-Madīnah) you may be afflicted by five things; God forbid that you should live to see them. If fornication should become widespread, you should realise that this has never happened without new diseases befalling the people which their forebears never suffered. If people should begin to cheat in weighing out goods, you should realise that this has never happened without drought and famine befalling the people, and their rulers oppressing them. If people should withhold Zakat, you should realise that this has never happened without the rain being stopped from falling; and were it not for the animals' sake, it would never rain again. If people should break their covenant with Allāh and His Messenger, you should realise that his has never happened without Allāh sending an enemy against them to take some of their possessions by force. If the leaders do not govern according to the Book of Allāh, you should realise that this has never happened without Allāh making them into groups and making them fight one another.' " (Ibn Majah).

'Alī ibn Abi Talib said, "The Prophet said: 'If my Ummah bears fifteen traits, tribulation will befall it.' Someone asked, 'What are they, O Messenger of Allāh?' He said, 'When any gain is shared out only among the rich, with no benefit to the poor; when a trust becomes a means of making a profit; when paying Zakat becomes a burden; when a man obeys his wife and disobeys his mother; and treats his friend kindly whilst shunning his father; when voices are raised in the mosques; when the leader of a people is the worst of them; when people treat a man with respect because they fear some evil he may do; when much wine is drunk; when men wear silk; when female singers and musical instruments become popular; when the last ones of this Ummah curse the first ones - then let them expect a red wind, or the earth to swallow them, or to be transformed into animals.'" (at-Tirmidhī)

'Alī ibn Abi Talib said, "The Prophet led us in praying Salat al-Fajr (the morning prayer). When he had finished, a man called to him: 'When will the Hour be? The Prophet reprimanded him and said 'Be quiet!' After a while he raised his eyes to the sky and said, 'Glorified be the One Who raised it and is taking care of it.' Then he lowered his gaze to the earth and said, 'Glory be to the One Who has outspread it and has created it.' Then the Prophet said, 'Where is the one who asked me about the Hour?' The man knelt down and said, 'I asked you.' The Prophet said, 'The Hour will come when leaders are oppressors, when people believe in the stars and reject al-Qadar (the Divine Decree of destiny) when a trust becomes a way of making a profit, when people give to charity (Sadaqah) reluctantly, when adultery becomes widespread - when this happens, then your people will perish.'"

'Imran ibn Husayn said, "The Prophet said, 'Some people of this Ummah will be swallowed up by the earth, some will be transformed into animals, and some will be bombarded with stones.' One of the Muslims asked, 'When will that be, O Messenger of Allāh?' He said, 'When singers and musical instruments will become popular, and much wine will be drunk.'" (Narrated by at-Tirmidhī)

[Note: "The main body of the Muslims (al-Jama'ah) means the people of the Qur'ān, Hadīth, Fiqh and other sciences, who have agreed to follow the Traditions of the Prophet in all circumstances without introducing any changes or imposing their own confused ideas.]

Greater Signs of the Hour

AFTER the lesser signs of the Hour appear and increase, mankind will have reached a stage of great suffering. Then the awaited Mahdi will appear; he is the first of the greater, and clear, signs of the Hour. There will be no doubt about his existence, but this will only be clear to the knowledgeable people. The Mahdi will rule until the False Messiah (al-Masih al-Dajjal) appears, who will spread oppression and corruption. The only ones who will know him well and avoid his evil will be those who have great knowledge and īmān (faith).

The false Messiah will remain for a while, destroying mankind completely, and the earth will witness the greatest Fitnah (tribulation) in its history. Then the Messiah Jesus (alayhe sallam) will descend, bringing justice from heaven. He will kill the Dajjal, and there will be years of safety and security.

Then the appearance of Yajuj and Majuj (Gog and Magog) will take mankind by surprise, and corruption will overtake them again. In answer to Jesus faithful prayer to Allāh (Subhanahu wa Taala), they will die, and safety, security, justice and stability will return.

This state of affairs will continue for some years, until the death of Jesus. The Ulama differ concerning the order in which the other greater signs of the Hour will come about. They are:

• The destruction of the Ka'bah and the recovery of its treasure.

• The rising of the sun from the west.

• The emergence of the Beast from the earth.

• The smoke.

• A wind will take the souls of the believers.

• The Qur'ān will be taken up into heaven.

• A fire will drive the people to their last gathering place.

• The Trumpet will be sounded: at the first sound everyone will feel terror; at the second sound all will be struck down; at the last sound all will be resurrected.

The Mahdi

THE Mahdi will come at the end of time; he is one of the Rightly-Guided Caliphs and Imāms. He is not the Mahdi who is expected by the Shiah, who they claim will appear from a tunnel in Samarra. This claim of theirs has no basis in reality nor in any reliable source. They allege that his name is Muhammad ibn al-Hasan ibn al-Askari, and that he went into the tunnel when he was five years old. The matter we intend to discuss has been proven by Ahadīth narrated from the Prophet (SAW): that the Mahdi will appear at the end of time. I believe that he will appear before Jesus the son of Mary comes down, as the Ahadīth indicate.

Hajjaj said that he heard 'Alī say, The Prophet said, "Even if there were only one day left for the world, Allāh would send a man from among us to fill the world with justice, just as it had been filled with oppression and justice." (Ahmad).

'Alī said, The Prophet said, "The Mahdi is one of us, from among the people of my household. In one night Allāh will inspire him and prepare him to carry out his task successfully." (Ahmad and Ibn Majah.)

'Alī said, whilst looking at his son al-Hasan, This son of mine is a Sayyid (master), as the Prophet named him. Among his descendants there will be man named after your Prophet. He will resemble him in behaviour but not in looks. Then he told them the report which mentions that the earth will be filled with justice. (Abū Dāwūd)

Abū Dāwūd devoted a chapter of his Sunan to the subject of the Mahdi. At the beginning of this chapter he quoted the Hadīth of Jabir ibn Samrah, in which the Prophet said, "This religion will remain steadfast until twelve caliphs have ruled over you." (According to another report he said, "This religion will remain strong until twelve caliphs have ruled over you.")

Jabir said, The people cheered and shouted Allāhu akbar! Then the Prophet whispered something. I asked my father What did he say? My father said, He said, All of them will be from Quraysh. Another report says that when the Prophet returned to his house, Quraysh came to him and asked, What will happen after that? He said, Then there will be tribulation and killing.

Abū Dāwūd reported a Hadīth from 'Abdullāh ibn Masud: The Prophet said, "If there were only one day left for the world, that day would be lengthened until a man from among my descendants or from among the people of my household, was sent; his name will be the same as my name, and his fathers name will be the same as my fathers name. He will fill the earth with justice and fairness, just as it will have been filled with injustice and oppression. The world will not end until a man of my household, whose name is the same as mine, holds away."

'Abdullāh said, The Prophet said, "A man from my household, whose name is like mine, will take power." (at-Tirmidhī.) In another report, from Abū Hurayrah, the Prophet said, "If there were only one day left for this world, Allāh would lengthen it until he took power." Abū Said said, The Prophet said, "The Mahdi will be one of my descendants; he will have a high forehead and a hooked nose. He will fill the earth with justice and fairness just as it was filled with injustice and oppression, and he will rule for seven years. (Abū Dāwūd)

Umm Salamah reported that the Prophet said, "People will begin to differ after the death of a Khalifah. A man from the people of Madīnah will flee to Makkah. Some of the people of Makkah will come to him and drag him out against his will; they will swear allegiance to him between al-Rukn and al-Maqam. An army will be sent against him from Syria; it will be swallowed up in the desert between Makkah and Madīnah. When the people see this, groups of people from Syria and Iraq will come and swear allegiance to him. Then a man from Quraysh whose mother is from Kalb will appear and send an army against them, and will defeat them; this will be known as the Battle of Kalb. Whoever does not witness the spoils of this battle will miss much! The Mahdi will distribute the wealth, and will rule the people according to the Sunnah of the Prophet. Then he will die, and the Muslims will pray for him." (Abū Dāwūd)

'Alī said, The Prophet said, "A man named al-Harith ibn Hirath will come from Transoxania. His army will be led by a man named Mansur. He will pave the way for and establish the government of the family of Muhammad, just as Quraysh established the government of the Messenger of Allāh. Every believer will be obliged to support him." (Abū Dāwūd)

'Abdullāh ibn al-Harith ibn Juz al-Zubaydi said, The Prophet said, A people will come out of the East who will pave the way for the Mahdi. (Ibn Majah.)

'Abdullāh said, Whilst we were with the Prophet, some young men from Banu Hashim approached us. When the Prophet saw them, his eyes filled with tears and the colour of his face changed. I said, We can see something has changed in your face, and it upsets us. The Prophet said, "We are the people of a Household for whom Allāh has chosen the Hereafter rather than this world. The people of my Household (Ahl al-Bayt) will suffer a great deal after my death, and will be persecuted until a people carrying black banners will come out of the east. They will instruct the people to do good, but the people will refuse; they will fight until they are victorious, and the people do as they asked, but they will not accept it from them until they hand over power to a man from my household. Then the earth will be filled with fairness, just as it had been filled with injustice. If any of you live to see this, you should go to him even if you have to crawl across ice."

This text refers to the rule of the Abbasids, as we have mentioned above in the text referring to the beginning of their rule in 132 AH. It also indicates that the Mahdi will appear after the Abbasids, and that he will be one of the Ahl al-Bayt, a descendant of Fatimah, the daughter of the Prophet, through Hasan, not Husayn, as mentioned in the Hadīth from 'Alī ibn Abi Talib; and Allāh knows best.

Thwaban said, The Prophet said, "Three men will be killed at the place where your treasure is. Each of them will be the son of a Khalifah, and none of them will get hold of the treasure. Then the black banners will come out of the East, and they will slaughter you in a way which has never been seen before. Then he said something which I do not remember; then, If you see him, go and give him your allegiance, even if you have to crawl over ice, because he is the Khalifah of Allāh, the Mahdi." (Ibn Majah.)

The treasure referred to in this text is the treasure of the Ka'bah. Towards the end of time, three of the sons of the Khalifahs will fight to get hold of it, until the Mahdi appears. He will appear from the East, not from the tunnel of Samarra, as the Shiah claim; they believe that he is in this tunnel now, and they are waiting for him to emerge at the end of time. There is no evidence for it in any book or Saheeh tradition, and there is no benefit in believing this.

The truth of the matter is that the Mahdi whose coming is promised at the end of time will appear from the East, and people will swear allegiance to him at the Ka'bah, as some Ahadīth indicate. At the time of the Mahdi, there will be peace and prosperity, with Abūndant crops and wealth, strong rulers, and Islām will be well-established.

Abū Said said, By Allāh every ruler we have had has been worse than the previous one, and every year has been worse than the year before, but I heard the Prophet say, Among your rulers will be one who will give out wealth freely, without counting it. A man will come and ask him for money, and he will say take; the man will spread his cloak out and the ruler will pour money into it. The Prophet spread out a thick cloak he had been wearing, to demonstrate the mans actions; then he gathered it up by its corners and said, Then the man will take it and leave. (Ahmad)

Trials and Tribulations

Zaynab bint Jahsh said, The Prophet (sallallāhu ’alayhi wa sallam) got up from his sleep; his face was flushed and he said, "There is no god but Allāh. Woe to the Arabs, for a great evil which is nearly approaching them. Today a gap has been made in the wall of Gog and Magog like this (Sufyan illustrated this by forming the number of 90 or 100 with his fingers)." Someone asked, "Shall we be destroyed even though there are righteous people among us?" The Prophet said, "Yes, if evil increases." (al-Bukhārī).

Umm Salamah, the wife of the Prophet said, One night the Prophet got up and said, "Subhan Allāh! How many tribulations have come down tonight, and how many treasures have been disclosed! Go and wake the dwellers of these apartments (i e his wives) for prayer. A well-dressed soul in this world may be naked in the Hereafter." (al-Bukhārī)

Usamah ibn Zayd said, Once the Prophet stood over one of the battlements of al-Madīnah and asked the people, "Do you see what I see?" They said, "No." He said, "I see afflictions falling upon your houses as raindrops fall." (al-Bukhārī, Muslim.)

Abū Hurayrah (radiAllāhu anhu) said, The Prophet said, "Time will pass rapidly, knowledge will decrease, miserliness will become widespread in peoples hearts, afflictions will appear, and there will be much Harj." The people asked, "O Messenger of Allāh, what is Harj?" He said, "Killing, killing!" (al-Bukhārī)

Al-Zubayr ibn Adi narrated, We went to Anas ibn Malik and complained about the wrong we were suffering at the hands of al-Hajjaj. Anas ibn Malik said, "Be patient, For no time will come but that the time following it will be worse, until you meet your Lord. I heard the Prophet say that." (al-Bukhārī)

Abū Hurayrah said, The Prophet said, "There will come a time of afflictions when one who sits will be better than one who stands; one who stands will be better than one who walks; and one who walks will be better than one who runs. Whoever exposes himself to these afflictions, they will destroy him. So whoever can find a place of protection or refuge from them, should take shelter in it." (al-Bukhārī and Muslim.)

Hudhayfah said, "The Prophet told us two Hadīth, one of which I have seen fulfilled, and I am waiting for the fulfilment of the other. The Prophet told us that honesty came down into mens hearts (from Allāh); then they learnt it from the Qur'ān, and then from the Sunnah. The Prophet told us that honesty would be taken away. He said, Man will be overtaken by sleep, during which honesty will be taken away from his heart, and only its trace will remain, like traces of a dark spot. Then man will be overtaken by slumber again, during which honesty will decrease still further, until its trace will resemble a blister such as is caused when an ember is dropped onto ones foot: it swells, but there is nothing inside. People will be carrying on with their trade, but there will hardly be any trustworthy persons. People will say, There is an honest man in such-and-such a tribe. Later they will say about some man, What a wise, polite and strong man he is! - although he will not have faith even the size of a mustard-seed in his heart. Indeed, there came a time when I did not mind dealing with any one of you, for if he were a Muslim his Islām would compel him to pay whatever he owed me, and if he were a Christian, the Muslim official would compel him to pay it. But now I do not deal with anyone except so-and-so and so-and-so." (al-Bukhārī)

Ibn Umar said, The Prophet stood beside the pulpit, facing the east, and said, "Afflictions will verily emerge from here, where the top of Satans head will appear." (al-Bukhārī)

Abū Hurayrah said that he had heard the Prophet say, "The Hour will not come until a man passes by someone's grave and says, Would that I were in his place!" (al-Bukhārī)

Abū Hurayrah said, I heard the Prophet say, "The Hour will not come until the buttocks of the women of Daws* move whist going around Dhu l-Khalasah." Dhu l-Khalasah was an idol worshipped by the tribe of Daws during the Jahiliyyah. (Hadīth from al-Bukhārī)

Abū Hurayrah also said, The Prophet said, "The Euphrates will disclose a golden treasure. Whoever is present at that time should not take anything of it." Abū Hurayrah said, The Prophet said, "The Hour will not come before the Euphrates uncovers a mountain of gold, for which people will fight. Ninety-nine out of every hundred will die, but every one among them will say that perhaps he will be the one who will survive (and thus possess the gold)." (Muslim.)

Abū Hurayrah said, The Prophet said, "The Hour will not come until the following events have come to pass: two large groups will fight the another, and there will be many casualties; they will both be following the same religious teaching. Nearly thirty Dajjals will appear, each of them falsely claiming to be a Messenger from Allāh. Knowledge will disappear, earthquakes will increase, time will pass quickly, afflictions will appear, and Harj (ie killing) will increase. Wealth will increase, so that a wealthy man will worry lest no-one accept his Zakat, and when he offers it to anyone, that person will say, I am not in need of it. People will compete in constructing high buildings. When a man passes by someones grave, he will say, Would that I were in his place! The sun will rise from the west; when it rises and the people see it, they will believe, but, "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) The Hour will come suddenly: when a man has milked his she-camel and taken away the milk, but he will not have time to drink it; before a man repairing a tank for his livestock will be able to put water in it for his animals; and before a man who has raised a morsel of food to his mouth will be able to eat it." (al-Bukhārī)

Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman said, "Of all the people, I know most about every tribulation which is going to happen between now and the Hour. This is not because the Prophet told me something in confidence which he did not tell anyone else; it is because I was present among a group of people to whom he spoke about the tribulations (al-Fitan). The Prophet mentioned three tribulations which would hardly spare anybody, and some which would be like storms in summer; some would be great and some would be small. Everyone who was present at that gathering has passed away, except me." (Muslim.)

Abū Hurayrah said, I heard the Prophet say, "If you live for a while, you will see people go out under the wrath of Allāh and come back under His curse, and they will have in their hands whips like the tail of an ox." (Ahmad, Muslim.)

Abū Hurayrah said, The Prophet said, "There are two types among the people of Hell whom I have not yet seen. The first are people who have whips like the tails of oxen, with which they beat people, and the second are women who are naked in spite of being dressed; they will be led astray and will lead others astray, and their heads will look like camels humps. These women will not enter Paradise; they will not even experience the faintest scent of it, even though the fragrance of Paradise can be perceived from such a great distance."

Anas ibn Malik said, The Prophet was asked, "O Messenger of Allāh, (what will happen) when we stop enjoining good and forbidding evil?" He said, "When what happened to the Israelites happens among you: when fornication becomes widespread among your leaders, knowledge is in the hands of the lowest of you, and power passes into the hands of the least of you." (Ibn Majah.)

Abū Hurayrah said, The Prophet said, "Woe to the Arabs from the great evil which is nearly approaching them: it will be like patches of dark night. A man will wake up as a believer, and be a kafir (unbeliever) by nightfall. People will sell their religion for a small amount of worldly goods. The one who clings to his religion on that day will be as one who is grasping an ember - or thorns." (Ahmad)

Abū Hurayrah said, I heard the Prophet saying to Thawban, "O Thawban, what will you do when the nations call one another to invade you as people call one another to come and eat from one bowl?" Thawban said, May my father and my mother be sacrificed for you. O Messenger of Allāh! Is it because we are so few The Prophet said, "No, on that day you (Muslims) will be many, but Allāh will put weakness (wahn) in your hearts." The people asked, What is that weakness, O Messenger of Allāh? He said, "It is love for this world and dislike of fighting." (Ahmad)

The Prophet said, "There will be a tribulation in which one who is sleeping will be better than one who is lying down, one who is lying will be better than one who is sitting, one who is sitting will be better than on who is standing, one who is standing will be better than one who is walking, one who is walking will be better than one who is riding, and one who is riding will be better than one who is running; all of their dead will be in Hell." The Companion of the Prophet who narrated this Hadīth said, O Messenger of Allāh, when will that be? He said, "That will be the days of Harj." He asked, When will the days of Harj be? The Prophet said, "When a man will not trust the person to whom he is speaking." The Companion asked, What do you advise me to do if I live to see that? He said, "Restrain yourself, and go back to your place of residence." The Companion then asked, O Messenger of Allāh, what should I do if someone enters my neighbourhood to attack me? He said, "Go into your house." The Companion asked, What if he enters my house? He said, "Go into the place where you pray and do this - and he folded his arms, - and say My Lord is Allāh, until you die."

Abū Bakrah said, The Prophet said, "There will be a tribulation during which one who is lying down will be better than one who is sitting, one who is sitting will be better than one who is standing, one who is standing will be better than one who is walking, and one who is walking will be better than one who is running." Someone asked, O Messenger of Allāh, what do you advise me to do? He said, "Whoever has camels, let him stay with them, and whoever has land, let him stay in his land." Someone asked, What about someone who does not have anything like that? He said, "Then let him take his sword and strike its edge against a stone, then go as far away as possible." (Abū Dāwūd; similar Hadīth in Muslim.)

At the time of the Fitnah of Uthman ibn Affans Khilafah (Caliphate), Sad ibn Abi Waqqas said, I bear witness that the Prophet said, "There will come a tribulation during which one who sits will be better than one who stands, one who stands will be better than one who walks, and one who walks will be better than one who runs." Someone asked, What do you advise if someone enters my house to kill me? He said, "Be like the son of Adam (ie resign yourself)." (Muslim, at-Tirmidhī.)

Abū Musa al-Ashari said, The Prophet said, "Before the Hour comes, there will be a tribulation like patches of dark night. A man will get up a believer and go to sleep a kafir, or will go to sleep a believer and get up a kafir. The one who sits will be better than one who stands, and one who walks will be better than one who runs. Break your bows, cut their strings, and strike your swords against stones. If someone comes to kill any of you, then be like the better of the two sons of Adam." (Abū Dāwūd)

Abū Dharr said, The Prophet was riding a donkey and sat me behind him. He said, "O Abū Dharr, if the people were suffering from such severe hunger that you could not even get up from your bed to go to the mosque, what would you do?" I said, Allāh and His Messenger know best. He said, "Be decent and restrain yourself." Then he said, "O Abū Dharr, if the people were suffering from severe death (i e if a man were worth no more than a grave), what would you do? If the people were killing one another, until Hajarat al-Zayt (an area of Madīnah) were submerged in blood, what would you do?" I said, Allāh and His Messenger know best. He said, "Stay in your house and lock the door." I asked, What if I am not left alone? He said, "Then be one of them." I said, Should I take up my sword? He said, "If you did that, you would be joining them in their activities. No - if you fear that the brightness of the shining sword will disturb you, then cover your face with part of your clothing, and let him carry his own sin and your sin." (Ahmad)

'Abdullāh ibn Amr said, We were on a journey with the Prophet...When the Prophet's caller called for prayer, I went there. The Prophet was addressing the people, saying: "O people, it has been the duty of every Prophet before me to guide his people to whatever he knew was good for them, and to warn them against whatever he knew was bad for them, but this Ummah has its time of peace and security at the beginning; at the end of its existence it will suffer trials and tribulations, one after the other. Tribulation will come, and the believer will say, This will finish me, but it will pass. Another tribulation will come, and he will say, This is it, but it will pass, and a third will come and go likewise. Whoever wishes to be rescued from Hell, and enter Paradise, let him die believing in Allāh and the Last Day, and treat the people as he himself wishes to be treated. If anyone gives allegiance to an Imām, then let him obey him if he can (or on one occasion he said: as much as you can)."

Abd al-Rahman (one of the narrators of this Hadīth) said, When I heard that, I put my head between my knees and said, But your cousin Muawiyah is ordering us to squander our wealth among ourselves in vanity, and to kill each other, although Allāh has said, "O ye who believe! Squander not your wealth among yourselves in vanity..." (Al-Nisa 4:29)

'Abdullāh (another narrator) put his head in his hands and paused awhile, then he raised his head and said, "Obey him in that which is obedience to Allāh and disobey that which is disobedience to Allāh." I asked him, Did you hear that from the Prophet? He said, "Yes, I heard it with my ears and understood it in my heart." (Ahmad, Abū Dāwūd, al-Nasai, Ibn Majah.)

'Abdullāh ibn Amr said, I heard the Prophet say, "If you see my Ummah fearing a tyrant so much that they dare not tell him that he is a tyrant, then there will be no hope for them." The Prophet said, "Among my Ummah, some will be swallowed up by the earth, some bombarded with stones, and some transformed into animals." (Ahmad).

FOOTNOTE:

• Daws: a tribe in Yemen; Dhul-Khalasah: a house full of idols - it is so called because they believed that whoever worshipped it or went around it would be purified (khallasa). This Hadīth means that the tribe of Daws will become apostates from Islām and will go back to idol worshipping; even their women will exert themselves in worshipping the idol and running around it, so that their flesh will quiver.

Signs and portents

Abd'Allāh ibn 'Amr said, "I went to the Prophet (peace be upon him) one day whilst he was performing Wudu' (ablution) slowly and carefully. He raised his head, looked at me and said, 'Six things will happen to this Ummah: the death of your Prophet - 'and when I heard that I was aghast,' - this is the first. The second is that your wealth will increase so much that if a man were given ten thousand, he would still not be content with it. The third is that tribulation will enter the house of every one of you. The fourth is that sudden death will be widespread. The fifth is a peace-treaty between you and the Romans: they will gather troops against you for nine months - like a woman's period of childbearing - then they will be the first to break the treaty. The sixth is the conquest of a city.' I asked, 'O Messenger of Allāh, which city?' He said, 'Constantinople.' " (Ahmad)

Abū Hurayrah said, "The Prophet 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.' " (Ahmad, Muslim.)

Hudhayfah ibn 'Ubayd said, "The Prophet came upon us whilst, we were busy in discussion He asked us, 'What are you talking about?' We said, 'We are discussing the Hour.' He said, 'It 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 land-slides - 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.' " (Ahmad)

THE BATTLE WITH THE ROMANS:

After the battle with the Romans, which ended with the conquest of Constantinople, the Dajjal will appear, and Jesus son of Mary will descend from Heaven to the earth, to the white minaret in the east of Damascus, at the time of Salat al-Fajr (the morning prayer), as we shall see in the Saheeh Traditions.

Dhu Mukhammar said, "The Prophet (pbuh) said, 'You will make a peace-treaty with the Romans, and together you will invade an enemy beyond Rome. You will be victorious and take much booty. Then you will camp in a hilly pasture; one of the Roman men will come and raise a cross and say "Victory to the Cross", so one of the Muslims will come and kill him. Then the Romans will break the treaty, and there will be a battle. They will gather an army against you and come against you with eighty banners, each banner followed by 10,000 men.' " (Ahmad, Abū Dāwūd, Ibn Majah.)

Yusayr ibn Jabir said, "Once there was a red storm in Kufah. A man came who had nothing to say except, 'O 'Abdullāh ibn Mas'ud, has the Hour come?" 'Abdullāh was sitting reclining against something, and said, 'The Hour will not come until people will not divide inheritance, nor rejoice over booty.' Pointing towards Syria, he said. 'An enemy will gather forces against the Muslims and the Muslims will gather forces against them.' I asked, 'Do you mean the Romans?' He said, 'Yes. At that time there will be very heavy fighting. The Muslims will prepare a detachment to fight to the death; they will not return unless they are victorious. They will fight until night intervenes. Both sides will return without being victorious; then many will be killed on both sides. On the fourth day, the Muslims who are left will return to the fight, and Allāh will cause the enemy to be routed. There will be a battle the like of which has never been seen, so that even if a bird were to pass their ranks, it would fall down dead before it reached the end of them. Out of a family of one hundred, only one man will survive, so how could he enjoy the booty or divide any inheritance? While they are in this state, they will hear of an even worse calamity. A cry will reach them: "The Dajjal has taken your place among your offspring." So they will throw away whatever is in their hands and go forward, sending 10 horsemen as a scouting party. The Prophet said, 'I know their names, and the names of their fathers, and the colours of their horses. They will be the best horsemen on the face of the earth on that day.' " (Ahmad, Muslim).

Abū Hurayrah said, "The Prophet said, 'The Hour will not come until the Romans camp at al-A'mash or Dabiq. An army, composed of the best people on earth at that time, will come out from Madīnah to meet them. When they have arranged themselves in ranks, the Romans will say, 'Do not stand between us and those who took prisoners from amongst us. Let us fight with them.' One-third will run away, and Allāh will never forgive them. One-third will be killed, and they will be the best of martyrs in Allāh's sight. One-third, who will never be subjected to trials or tribulations, will win, and will conquer Constantinople. Whilst they are sharing out the booty, after hanging their swords on the olive-trees, Satan will shout to them that the Dajjal has taken their place among their families. When they come to Syria, the Dajjal will appear, while they are preparing for battle and drawing up the ranks. When the time for prayer comes, Jesus the son of Mary will descend and lead them in prayer. When the enemy of Allāh (i.e. the Dajjal) sees him, he will start to dissolve like salt in water, but Allāh will kill him.' " (Muslim.)

The Prophet said, "The Hour will not come until the furthest border of the Muslims will be in Bula." Then he said, "O 'Alī!" 'Alī said, "May my father and mother be sacrificed for you!" The Prophet said, "You will fight the Romans, and those who come after you will fight them, until the best people among the Muslims, the people of al-Hijaz, will go out to fight them, fearing nothing but Allāh. They will conquer Constantinople with Tasbih and Takbir (saying "Subhan Allāh" and "Allāhu Akbar"), and they will obtain booty the like of which has never been seen - they will share it out by scooping it up with their sheilds. Someone will come and say, 'The Dajjal has appeared in your land', but he will be lying. Anyone who takes notice of him will regret it, and anyone who ignores him will regret it." (Ibn Majah.)

Nafi' ibn 'Utbah said, "The Prophet said, 'You will attack Arabia, and Allāh will enable you to conquer it. Then you will attack Persia, and Allāh will enable you to conquer it. Then you will attack Rome, and Allāh will enable you to conquer it. Then you will attack the Dajjal, and Allāh will enable you to conquer him.' " (Muslim)

When Mustawrid al-Qurashi was sitting with 'Amr ibn al-'As, he said, "I heard the Prophet say, 'The Hour will come when the Romans will be in the majority.' 'Amr asked him, "What are you saying?" He said, "I am repeating that which I heard from the Prophet." 'Amr said, "If you say this, it is true, because they have four good characteristics: they are the most able to cope with tribulation, the quickest to recover after disaster and to return to the fight after disaster, and are the best as far as treating the poor, weak and orphans is concerned. They have a fifth characteristic which is very good; they do not allow themselves to be oppressed by their kings." The Prophet said, "You will fight the Romans, and Believers from the Hijaz will fight them after you, until Allāh enables them to conquer Constantinople and Rome with Tasbih and Takbir ("Subhan Allāh" and "Allāhu Akbar"). Its fortifications will collapse, and they will obtain booty the like of which has never been seen, so that they will share it out by scooping it up with their shields. Then someone will cry, 'O Muslims! the Dajjal is in your country, with your families', and the people will leave the wealth. Anyone who takes notice will regret it and anyone who ignores it will regret it. They will ask, 'Who shouted?' but they will not know who he is. They will say, you will hear about his deeds.' So they will go and see, and if they see that everything is normal, they will say, 'No-one would give a shout like that for no reason, so let us go together to Ilya'.' If we find the Dajjal there we will fight him together, until Allāh decides between us and him. If we do not find the Dajjal, we will go back to our country and our families.' "

Mu'adh ibn Jabal said, "The Prophet said, 'The building of Bayt al-Maqdis (in Jerusalem) will be followed by the destruction of Yathrib (Madīnah), which will be followed by the conquest of Constantinople, which will be followed by the appearance of the Dajjal.' Then he put his hand on the thigh or the shoulder of the one with whom he was speaking (i.e. Mu'adh), and said, 'This is as true as the fact that you are here (or as true as you are sitting here).' "

This does not mean that Madīnah will be destroyed completely before the appearance of the Day, but that will happen at the end of time, as we shall see in some authentic Ahadīth. But the building of Bayt al-Maqdis will be the cause of the destruction of Madīnah, as it was proven in the Hadīth that the Dajjal will not be able to enter Madīnah. He will be prevented from doing so because it is surrounded by angles bearing unsheathed swords. Abū Hurayrah said, "The Prophet said about Madīnah: 'Neither plague nor the Dajjal can enter it.' " (al-Bukhārī) 

Appearance of Dajjal

First of all, we will quote the reports which mention the liars and "dajjals" who will precede the coming off the Dajjal, or Antichrist, who will be the last of them; may Allāh curse them and punish them with Hell-fire.

Jabir ibn Samurah said, "I heard the Prophet say, 'Just before the Hour there will be many liars.'" Jabir said, "Be on your guard against them." (Muslim).

Jabir said, "I heard the Prophet say, 'Just before the Hour there will be many liars; among them is the one in al-Yamamah, the 'Ansi in San'a', the one in Himyar, and the Dajjal. This will be the greatest fitnah.''' (Ahmad)

Abū Hurayrah said, "The Prophet said, "The Hour will not come ... until nearly 30 "dajjals" (liars) appear, each one claiming to be a messenger from Allāh.'" (al-Bukhārī Muslim.)

Abū Hurayrah said, "The Prophet said, 'The Hour will not come until 30 "dajjals" appear, each of them claiming to be a messenger from Allāh, wealth increases, tribulations appear and al-Harj increases.'" Someone asked, 'What is al-Harj?' He said, 'Killing, killing.' (Ahmad)

Abū Hurayrah said, "The Prophet said, 'The Hour will not come until 30 "dajjals" appear, all of them lying about Allāh and His Messenger." (Abū Dāwūd)

Abū Hurayrah said, "The Prophet said, 'Just before the Hour, there will be 30 "dajjals", each of whom will say, I am a Prophet.'" (Ahmad)

Abū Hurayrah said, "The Prophet said, 'There will be "dajjals" and liars among my Ummah. They will tell you something new, which neither you nor your forefathers have heard. Be on your guard against them, and do not let them lead you astray.'" (Ahmad)

Thawban said, "The Prophet said, 'There will be 30 liars among my Ummah. Each one will claim that he is a prophet; but I am the last of the Prophets (Seal of the Prophets), and there will be no Prophet after me.'" (Ahmad)

The Prophet said, "Verily before the Day of Resurrection there will appear the Dajjal, and 30 or more liars." (Ahmad)

Ibn 'Umar said, "I heard the Prophet say, 'Among my Ummah there will be more than 70 callers, each of whom will be calling people to Hell-fire. If I wished, I could tell you their names and tribes.'"

Abū Bakrah said, "The people spoke a great deal against Musaylimah before the Prophet said anything about him. Then the Prophet got up to give a speech and said: '...as for this man about whom you have spoken so much - he is one of the 30 liars who will appear before the Hour, and there is no town which will not feel the fear of the Antichrist.'" (Ahmad)

In another version of this report, the Prophet said, "He is one of the 30 liars who will appear before the Dajjal. There is no town which will escape the fear of the Dajjal, apart from Madīnah. At that time there will be two angels at every entrance of Madīnah, warding off the fear of the Antichrist." Anas ibn Malik said, "The Prophet said, 'The time of the Dajjal will be years of confusion. People will believe a liar, and disbelieve one who tells the truth. People will distrust one who is trustworthy, and trust one who is treacherous; and the Ruwaybidah will have a say.' Someone asked, 'Who are the Ruwaybidah?' He said, 'Those who rebel against Allāh and will have a say in general affairs.'" (Ahmad)

Ahadīth about the Dajjal

'Abdullāh ibn 'Umar said, "'Umar ibn al-Khattab went along with the Prophet and a group of people to Ibn Sayyad, and found him playing with some children near the battlement of Banu Maghalah. At that time Ibn Sayyad was on the threshold of adolescence; he did not realise that anybody was near until the Prophet struck him on the back. The Prophet (S) said to him: 'Do you bear witness than I am the Messenger of Allāh?' Ibn Sayyad looked at him and said, 'I bear witness that you are the Prophet of the unlettered.' Then Ibn Sayyad said to the Prophet, 'Do you bear witness that I am the Messenger of Allāh?' The Prophet dismissed this and said, 'I believe in Allāh and His Messengers.' Then the Prophet asked him, 'What do you see?' Ibn Sayyad said, 'Sometimes a truthful person comes to me, and sometimes a liar.' The Prophet said to him, 'You are confused', then he said, 'I am hiding something from you.' Ibn Sayyad said, 'It is Dukh.' The Prophet said, 'Silence! You will not be able to go beyond your rank.' 'Omar ibn al-Khattab said, 'O Messenger of Allāh, shall I cut off his head?' The Prophet said, 'If he is (the Dajjal) you will not be able to overpower him, and if he is not, then killing will not do you any good.'"

Salim ibn 'Abdullāh said, "I heard 'Abdullāh ibn 'Omar say, 'After that, the Prophet and Ubayy ibn Ka'b went along to the palm trees where Ibn Sayyad was. The Prophet started to hide behind a tree, with the intention of hearing something from Ibn Sayyad before Ibn Sayyad saw him. The Prophet saw him lying on a bed, murmuring beneath a blanket. Ibn Sayyad's mother saw the Prophet hiding behind a tree, and said to her son, "O Saf (Ibn Sayyad's first name), here is Mohammad!" Ibn Sayyad jumped up, and the Prophet said, "If you had left him alone, he would have explained himself.''

Salim said, "'Abdullāh ibn 'Omar said, The Prophet stood up to address the people. He praised Allāh as He deserved to be praised, then he spoke about the Dajjal: 'I warn you against him; there is no Prophet who has not warned his people against him, even Noah warned his people against him. But I will tell you something which no other Prophet has told his people. You must know that the Dajjal is one-eyed, and Allāh is not one-eyed.'"

Ibn Shihab said: "'Omar ibn Thabit al-Ansari told me that some of the Companions of the Prophet told him that on the day when he warned the people about the Dajjal, the Prophet said: "There will be written between his eyes the word Kafir (unbeliever). Everyone who resents his bad deeds - or every believer- will be able to read it." He also said, "You must know that no one of you will be able to see his Lord until he dies.'" (Muslim, al-Bukhārī). Ibn 'Omar said, "The Prophet mentioned the Dajjal to the people. He said, "Allāh is not one-eyed, but the Dajjal is blind in his right eye, and his eye is like a floating grape.'" (Muslim) Anas ibn Malik said, "The Prophet said, 'there has never been a Prophet who did not warn his people against that one-eyed liar. Verily he is one-eyed and your Lord is not one-eyed. On his forehead will be written the letter Kaf, Fa, Ra (Kafir).'" (Muslim, al-Bukhārī)

Hudhayfah said, "The Prophet said, 'I know more about the powers which the Dajjal will have than he will know himself. He will have two flowing rivers: one will appear to be pure water, and the other will appear to be flaming fire. Whosoever lives to see that, let him choose the river which seems to be fire, then let him close his eyes, lower his head and drink from it, for it will be cold water. The Dajjal will be one-eyed; the place where one eye should be will be covered by a piece of skin. On his forehead will be written the word Kafir, and every believer, whether literate or illiterate, will be able to read it.'" (Muslim)

Abū Hurayrah said, "The Prophet said, 'Shall I tell you something about the Dajjal which no Prophet has ever told his people before me? The Dajjal is one-eyed and will bring with him something which will resemble Paradise and Hell; but that which he calls Paradise will in fact be Hell. I warn you against him as Noah warned his people against him.'" (al-Bukhārī, Muslim)

Mohammad ibn Munkadir said: "I saw Jabir ibn 'Abdullāh swearing by Allāh that Ibn Sayyad was the Dajjal, so I asked him, 'Do you swear by Allāh?' He said, 'I heard 'Omar swear to that effect in the presence of the Prophet, and the Prophet did not disapprove of it.'" Some 'ulama' (scholars) say that some of the Sahabah (Companions of the Prophet) believed Ibn Sayyad to be the greater Dajjal, but that is not the case: Ibn Sayyad was a lesser dajjal. Ibn Sayyad travelled between Makkah and Madīnah with Abū Sa'id, and complained to him about the way that people were saying that he was the Dajjal. Then he said to Abū Sa'id, "Did not the Prophet say that the Dajjal would not enter Madīnah? I was born there. Did not he say that he would not have any children? - I have children. Did not he say that he would be a Kafir? - I have embraced Islām. Of all the people, I know the most about him: I know where he is now. If I were given the opportunity to be in his place, I would not resent it.'" (al-Bukhārī, Muslim)

There are many Ahadīth about Ibn Sayyad, some of which are not clear as to whether he was the Dajjal or not. We shall see Ahadīth which indicates that the Dajjal is not Ibn Sayyad, as in the Hadīth of Fatimah Bint Qays al-Fahriyyah, although this does not mean that he was not one of the lesser Dajjal; but Allāh knows best.

THE HADĪTH OF FATIMAH BINT QAYS:

'Amir ibn Sharahil Sha'bi Sha'b Hamdan reported that he asked Fatimah bint Qays, the sister of Dahhak ibn Qays, who was one of the first Muhajirat, "Tell me a Hadīth which you heard directly from the Prophet with no narrator in between." She said, "I can tell you if you like." He said, 'Yes, please tell me," she said, "I married Ibn al-Mughirah, who was one of the best of the youth of Quraysh in those days. But he fell in the first Jihad on the side of the Prophet. "When I became a widow, 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf, one of the companions of the Prophet sent me a proposal of marriage. The Prophet also sent me a proposal of marriage on behalf of his freedman Usamah ibn Zayd. I had been told that the Prophet had said, 'He who loves me should also love Usamah.' When the Prophet spoke to me, I said, 'It is up to you: marry me to whomever you wish.' "The Prophet said, 'Go and stay with Umm Sharik.' Umm Sharik was a rich Ansari (Muslim originally from Madīnah) woman, who spent much in the way of Allāh and entertained many guests. I said, 'I will do as you wish.' Then he said, 'Don't go. Umm Sharik has many guests, and I would not like it if your head or leg were to become uncovered accidentally and people saw something you would not wish them to see. It is better if you go and stay with your cousin 'Abdullāh ibn 'Amr ibn Umm Maktum' ('Abdullāh was of the Banu Fihr of Quraysh, the same tribe as that to which Fatima belonged).

"So I went to stay with him, and when I had completed my 'Iddah (period of waiting), I heard the Prophet's announcer calling for congregational prayer. I went out to the mosque, and prayed behind the Prophet. I was in the women's row, which was at the back of the congregation. When the Prophet had finished his prayer, he sat on the pulpit, smiling, and said, 'Everyone should stay in his place.' Then he said, 'Do you know why I had asked you to assemble?' The people said, 'Allāh and His Messenger know best.' "He said, 'By Allāh, I have not gathered you here to give you an exhortation or a warning. I have kept you here because Tamim al-Dari, a Christian man who has come and embraced Islām, told me something which agrees with that which I have told you about the Dajjal. He told me that he had sailed in a ship with 30 men from Banu Lakhm and Banu Judham. The waves had tossed them about for a month, then they were brought near to an island, at the time of sunset. They landed on the island, and were met by a beast who was so hairy that they could not tell its front from its back. They said, "Woe to you! What are you?" It said, "I am al-Jassasah." They said, "What is al-Jassasah?" It said, "O people, go to this man in the monastery, for he is very eager to know about you." Tamim said that when it named a person to us, we were afraid lest it be a devil." Tamim said, 'We quickly went to the monastery. There we found a huge man with his hands tied up to his neck and with iron shackles between his legs up to the ankles. We said, "Woe to you, who are you?" He said, "You will soon know about me. Tell me who you are." We said, "We are people from Arabia. We sailed in a ship, but the waves have been tossing us about for a month, and they brought us to your island, where we met a beast who was so hairy that we could not tell its front from its back. We said to it, "Woe to you! What are you? and it said , "I am al-Jassasah." We asked, "What is al-Jassasah?" and it told us, "Go to this man in the monastery, for he is very eager to know about you." So we came to you quickly, fearing that it might be a devil.' "The man said, "Tell me about the date-palms of Baysan.' We said, 'What do you want to know about them?" He said, 'I want to know whether these trees bear fruit or not.' We said, 'Yes.' He said, 'Soon they will not bear fruit.' Then he said, "Tell me about the lake of al-Tabariyyah [Tiberias, in Palestine].' We said, 'What do you want to know about it?" He asked, 'Is there water in it?' We said, 'There is plenty of water in it.' He said, 'Soon it will become dry.' Then he said, 'Tell me about the spring of Zughar.' We said, 'What do you want to know about it?' He said, 'Is there water in it, and does it irrigate the land?" We said, 'Yes, there is plenty of water in it, and the people use it to irrigate the land.' "Then he said, "Tell me about the unlettered Prophet ' what has he done?' We said, 'He has left Makkah and settled in Yathrib.' He asked, 'Do the Arabs fight against him?' We said, 'Yes.' He said, 'How does he deal with them?' So we told him that the Prophet had overcome the Arabs around him and that they had followed him. He asked, 'Has it really happened?' We said, 'Yes.' He said, 'It is better for them if they follow him. Now I will tell you about myself. I am the Dajjal. I will soon be permitted to leave this place: I will emerge and travel about the earth. In 40 nights I will pass through every town, except Makkah and Madīnah, for these have been forbidden to me. Every time I try to enter either of them, I will be met by an angel bearing an unsheathed sword, who will prevent me from entering. There will be angels guarding them at every passage leading to them.' Fatimah said, "The Prophet striking the pulpit with his staff, said: 'This is Tayyibah, this is Tayyibah, this is Tayyibah, [ie Madīnah]. Have I not told you something like this?' The people said, 'Yes.' He said, 'I liked the account given to me by Tamim because it agrees with that which I have told you about the Dajjal, and about Makkah and Madīnah. Indeed he is in the Syrian sea or the Yemen sea. No, on the contrary, he is in the East, he is in the East, he is in the East' and he pointed towards the East. Fatimah said: I memorised this from the Prophet." (Muslim).

'Abdullāh ibn 'Umar said, "The Prophet (S) said, 'While I was asleep, I saw myself a dream performing Tawaf (circumambulation) around the Ka'bah. I saw a ruddy man with lank hair and water dripping from his head. I said, 'Who is he?" and they said, "The son of Mary." Then I turned around and saw another man with a huge body, red complexion, curly hair and one eye. His other eye looked like a floating grape. They said, "This is the Dajjal." The one who most resembles him is Ibn Qatan, a man from the tribe of al-Khuza'ah'." (al-Bukhārī, Muslim).

Jabir ibn 'Abdullāh said, "The Prophet said, 'The Dajjal will appear at the end of time, when religion is taken lightly. He will have 40 days in which to travel throughout the earth. One of these days will be like a year, another will be like a month, a third will be like a week, and the rest will be like normal days. He will be riding a donkey; the width between its ears will be 40 cubits. He will say to the people: "I am your lord." He is one-eyed, but your Lord is not one-eyed. On his forehead will be written the word Kafir, and every believer, literate or illiterate, will be able to read it. He will go everywhere except Makkah and Madīnah, which Allāh has forbidden to him; angels stand at their gates. He will have a mountain of bread, and the people will face hardship, except for those who follow him. He will have two rivers, and I know what is in them. He will call one Paradise and one Hell. Whoever enters the one he calls Paradise will find that it is Hell, and whoever enters the one he calls Hell will find that it is Paradise. Allāh will send with him devils who will speak to the people. He will bring a great tribulation; he will issue a command to the sky and it will seem to the people as if it is raining. Then he will appear to kill someone and bring him back to life. After that he will no longer have this power. The people will say, "Can anybody do something like this except the Lord?" The Muslims will flee to Jabal al-Dukhan in Syria, and the Dajjal will come and besiege them. The siege will intensify and they will suffer great hardship. Then Jesus son of Mary will descend, and will call the people at dawn: "O people, what prevented you from coming out to fight this evil liar?" They will answer, "He is a Jinn." Then they will go out, and find Jesus son of Mary. The time for prayer will come, and the Muslims will call on Jesus to lead the prayer, but he will say, "Let your Imām lead the prayer." Their Imām will lead them in praying Salat al-Subh (Morning prayer), then they will go out to fight the Dajjal. When the