Book 27: Fitan

Abu Huraira reported God's messenger as saying, "The last hour will not come before two parties which make the same profession fight together and a great slaughter results, before about thirty lying dajjals are sent forth each of them asserting that he is God's messenger, before knowledge is withheld, earthquakes are abundant, the time becomes short, dissensions appear, and there is much harj, which means slaughter, before wealth is abundant and overflowing among you, before one who possesses property is anxious to find someone who will accept his sadaqa, before he offers it and the one to whom it is offered says he has no need of it, before people try to outstrip one another in building, before a man passes another's grave and expresses the desire that he were in his place, and before the sun rises in its place of setting. Then when it rises and people see it, they will all believe, but that is a time when a soul will not be benefited by faith it did not have before, or acquire any good from its faith. The last hour will certainly come when two men have spread out their garment between them, but they will not complete the transaction or fold up the garment; the last hour will certainly come when a man has gone off with the milk of his milch camel, but he will not taste it; the last hour will certainly come when a man is repairing his tank, but he will not water his camels from it; and the last hour will certainly come when one has raised his food to his mouth, but he will not taste it." (Bukhari and Muslim.)

He reported God's messenger as saying, "The last hour will not come before you fight with a people whose sandals are of hair, and before you fight with the Turks who have small eyes, red faces, short noses, whose faces look as if they were shields covered with skin." (Bukhari and Muslim.)

He reported God's messenger as saying, "The last hour will not come before you fight with Khuz and Kirman[*] who are foreigners with red faces, snub noses and small eyes, whose faces look as if they were shields covered with skin and whose sandals are of hair." *Yaqut, Mu'jam, ii, 494, says Khuz is used both of Khuzistan and of its people. The districts mentioned are in what is now Iran. Bukhari transmitted it. A version of his on the authority of `Amr b. Taghlib has ``broad faces."

He reported God's messenger as saying, "The last hour will not come before the Muslims fight the Jews and the Muslims kill them, so that Jews will hide behind stones and trees and the stone and the tree will say, `O Muslim, O servant of God, there is a Jew behind me; come and kill him.' The only exception will be the box-thorn, for it is one of the trees of the Jews." Muslim transmitted it.

He reported God's messenger as saying, "The last hour will not come before a man of Qahtan comes forth driving people with his stick." (Bukhari and Muslim.)

He reported God's messenger as saying, "Days and nights will not pass away before a man called al-Jahjah rules." A version has "Before one of the clients called al-Jahjah rules." Muslim transmitted it.

Jabir b. Samura told that he heard God's messenger say, "A band of the Muslims will certainly gain the treasure of the family of Kisra which is in al-Abyad." * *A fortress in the Persian capital al-Mada'in. Muslim transmitted it.

Abu Huraira reported God's messenger as saying, "Kisra will perish and there will be no Kisra after him, Qaisar will certainly perish and there will be no Qaisar after him, and their treasures will certainly be divided in God's path." He also called war a method of deceit. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Nafi' b. `Utba reported God's messenger as saying, "You will attack Arabia and God will conquer it; then Persia and God will conquer it; then you will attack the Byzantines and God will conquer them; then you will attack the dajjal and God will conquer him." Muslim transmitted it.

'Auf b. Malik said : I came to the Prophet (ﷺ) at the expedition to Tabuk when he was in a leather tent, and he said, "Count six signs before the last hour comes: my death, then the conquest of Jerusalem, then a mortal disease which will affect you like qu'as[*] in sheep, then a superabundance of wealth so that when a man is given a hundred dinars he will remain displeased, then a civil strife which will leave no house of the Arabs without entering it, then a truce between you and the Greeks who will act treacherously and come to you under eighty banners with twelve thousand under each." *A disease affecting sheep and goats which causes an exudation from the nose and results in speedy death. Bukhari transmitted it.

Abu Huraira reported God's messenger as saying, "The last hour will not come before the Byzantines alight in al-A`maq or in Dabiq[1], and an army consisting of the best people in the earth at that time will come forth from Medina against them. When the lines are drawn up the Byzantines will say, `Let us get at those who took captives from us and fight them,' but the Muslims will reply, `We swear by God that we will not let you get at our brethren.' They will then fight and a third whom God will never forgive will be routed, a third who will be the most excellent martyrs in God's sight will be killed, and a third who will never be subjected to trials will be victorious. They will then conquer Constantinople, but while they are dividing the spoils, having hung their swords on olive-trees, the devil will cry among them, `The dajjal has taken your place among your families;' so they will go out, but that will prove to be false. Then when they come to Syria he will come forth, and while they are preparing for battle and arranging the ranks the time for prayer will come and Jesus, son of Mary will descend and lead them in prayer. When God's enemy sees him, he will dissolve like salt in water, and if he[2] were to leave him he would dissolve completely; but God will kill him by his hand and he will show them his blood on his spear." Mirqat, 5:159. quotes the view that al-A'maq is on the outskirts of Medina and that L'abiq (or Dabaq) is a market-place in Medina. Yaqut, iii, 513. says Dabiq is a village near Aleppo, and (1:316) al-A'maq is a district near Dabiq between Aleppo and Antioch. i.e., Jesus. Muslim transmitted it.

Abdallah b. Mas'ud said: The last hour will not come before an inheritance cannot be divided and people do not rejoice over spoil. Then an enemy will equip itself against the people of Syria and the Islamic people will equip themselves against them, meaning the Byzantines. The Muslims will then prepare a suicide squad which will return only if victorious and they will fight till the night intervenes. Both sides will return not having gained the victory, but the squad will be wiped out. The Muslims will again prepare a suicide squad which will return only if victorious and they will fight till the night intervenes. Both sides will return not having gained the victory, but the squad will be wiped out. The Muslims will again prepare a suicide squad which will return only if victorious and they will fight till the evening. Both sides will return not having gained the victory, but the squad will be wiped out. On the fourth day the remainder of the people of Islam will arise against them and God will decree that the enemy should be routed. They will then fight such a battle as has never been seen before, so that if a bird were to pass their flanks it would fall down dead before reaching the end of them. When count is taken of a hundred men who were related it will be found that only one has survived; so over what spoil can there be rejoicing, and what inheritance can be divided? Then when things are so they will hear of a war greater than that and a cry will reach them, "The dajjal has taken your place among your offspring." They will therefore cast away what is in their hands and go forward sending ten horsemen as a scouting party. God's messenger said, "I know their names, their fathers' names, and the colour of their horses. They will be the best horsemen (or, among the best horsemen) on the face of the earth at that time." Muslim transmitted it.

Abu Huraira reported the Prophet (ﷺ) as saying, "Have you heard of a city part of which is on the land and part in the sea?" On receiving the reply, "Yes, messenger of God," he said, "The last hour will not come before seventy thousand of the descendants of Isaac attack it. When they come to it, they will dismount and will not fight with weapons or shoot arrows, but will say, `There is no god but God' and `God is most great,' whereupon one of its sides will fall down. (Thaur b. Yazid the transmitter remarked that he thought he said the part which was in the sea.) Then they will say a second time, `There is no god but God' and `God is most great,' whereupon the other side will fall down. A third time they will say, `There is no god but God' and `God is most great,' whereupon a breach will be made for them and they will enter it and take booty; but while they are dividing the spoils a cry will reach them to the effect that the dajjal has come forth, and they will abandon everything and go back." Muslim transmitted it.