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Clear View of End 1
Clear View of End 2
Clear View of End 3

 A Clear View:

of what has been narrated

regarding the Fitan and the Malahim at the End Of Time

By

Muhammad At-Tayyib ibn Gary [Abu 'Abdillah al-Maliki]

Note: The author of this book, Mr. Muhammad At-Tayyib ibn Gary, is NOT associated with Discovering Islam. The views expressed by the author in this book are his own views and do not reflect the views of Discovering Islam.

       Part 1 of the Book

In the Name of Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate. Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds, and may blessings and peace be upon the Master of the Messengers, our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his pure family and noble companions and all who follow them in the way of righteousness until the Day of Judgement.

Chapter 1: The Messenger of Allah [sallallahu 'alayhi wa-sallam] informed the Companions of everything that would occur until the Day of Resurrection

Al-Bukhari narrated from 'Umar ibn al-Khattab [radhiyallahu 'anhu] that he said:

"The Prophet [sallallahu 'alayhi wa-sallam] stood amongst us in his place, and informed us of everything that would take place from the beginning of the creation until the people of Paradise and the people of the Fire enter their respective abodes. Whoever remembered it, remembered it; and whoever forgot it, forgot it."

And Abu Dawud narrated from Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman [radhiyallahu 'anhu] that he said:

"The Messenger of Allah [sallallahu 'alayhi wa-sallam] stood amongst us, and he did not leave in that standing of him anything that would take place until the coming of the Hour except that he related it. Whoever remembered it, remembered it; and whoever forgot it, forgot it. These companions of his learnt it all. Some of it would come to pass, then I would remember it as a man remembers the face of another man who is absent from him, then when he sees him he recognizes him."

From these things are those that have already passed, those that have appeared and are continuing and increasing, and those that have not yet occurred. I have not brought all of the ahadith and athar mentioning them here, as this is not the main purpose of this book, and in any case to do so would make it unnecessarily lengthy. For more details, the reader may refer to Ibn Kathir's an-Nihayah fil-Fitan wal-Malahim.

Signs that have already passed:

The coming of the Seal of the Prophets [sallallahu 'alayhi wa-sallam], the splitting of the moon, the spreading of Islam, the death of the Prophet [sallallahu 'alayhi wa-sallam], the conquest of Bayt al-Maqdis, the plague of 'Amwas, the widespread abundance of wealth, the conquest of the Arabian Peninsula, Sham, Persia, Egypt, India and Sind, the martyrdom of 'Umar ibn al-Khattab and 'Uthman ibn 'Affan [radhiyallahu 'anhuma], the battle of Siffin, the killing of 'Ammar [radhiyallahu 'anhu] by the wrongful party [al-fi'ah al-baghiyah], the duration of the Rightly-Guided Khilafah for around thirty years and then its replacement by a harsh kingdom, the coming of false prophets, the coming of the sects such as the Khawarij and the Qadariyyah, the appearance of a fire out of the Hijaz that would shed light on the necks of the camels at Busrah, the battles against the Tatars and Mongols, and so on…

Signs that have appeared and are continuing and increasing:

Wine-drinking, playing musical instruments, adultery and so on becoming widespread and considered as lawful, women who are dressed yet naked, an increase in the number of women and a decrease in the number of men, usury becoming widespread, lying, deceit and false witness becoming common, the coming to authority of those unworthy of it, the death of the scholars, the disappearance of knowledge, and the spread of ignorance, lowly people being honoured and placed in high positions, groups of the Ummah going over to live with the mushrikun, abundant writing and printing, the pursuit of knowledge by those of little understanding, slave-women giving birth to their mistresses, barefoot and naked goat herders competing in the construction of tall buildings, the adornment and decoration of the masajid, the neglect of the sunan, the coming true of the dreams of believers, widespread killing and sudden death, large numbers of police and assistants to the oppressors, the speeding up of time, the markets becoming close, abundance of trade, increased earthquakes and other natural disasters, people wishing for death, and so on…

Signs that have not yet occurred:

The Euphrates' uncovering a mountain of gold, the Arabian Peninsula becoming meadows and rivers, the transformation of people in this Ummah into apes and pigs due to their considering major sins as lawful, the coming of the Mahdi, the rule of the Qahtani, the rule of a mawla [a non-Arab Muslim] called al-Jahjah, al-Malhamah al-Kubra [the greatest battle] between the Muslims and the Christians, the Muslims' conquest of Constantinople and Rome after the Malhamah, the coming of al-Masih ad-Dajjal [the false messiah], the descent of 'Isa ibn Maryam ['alayhis-salam] and his killing of the Dajjal, the coming of Ya'juj and Ma'juj [Gog and Magog], the rising of the sun from the west, the appearance of the Beast of the Earth, the wind that will take the souls of the believers, the ruin of al-Madinah, the destruction of the Ka'bah by the Abyssinians, and the fire that will come from the Yemen to gather the people in Sham before the coming of the Hour.

Chapter 2:

The Victorious Party [at-Ta'ifah al-Mansurah]

Whenever the Muslims turned away from the pure teachings of their religion and followed the ways of the kuffar, Allah [subhanahu wa-ta'ala] sent humiliation and defeat upon them. This is as true today as it was at many times throughout history.

Ahmad narrated from Abu Hurayrah [radhiyallahu 'anhu] that he said: "I heard the Messenger of Allah [sallallahu 'alayhi wa-sallam] saying to Thawban:

"O Thawban, how will you be when the nations call each other against you like people calling each other to a table for a meal?" He said: "May my father and my mother be sacrificed for you, O Messenger of Allah, will that be because of our small numbers?" He said: "No, rather on that day you will be many, but Allah will put al-wahn [weakness] in your hearts." They said: "What is al-wahn, O Messenger of Allah?" He said: "Love of the world and hatred of death."

And al-Bukhari and Muslim narrated from Abu Sa'id al-Khudri [radhiyallahu 'anhu] that the Messenger of Allah [sallallahu 'alayhi wa-sallam] said:

"You will follow the ways of those before you, step by step, until if they were to go down into a lizard's hole, you would go down into it as well."

They said: "O Messenger of Allah, the Jews and the Christians?" He said: "Who else?"

And Ahmad narrated from Hudhayfah [radhiyallahu 'anhu] that he said: "The Messenger of Allah [sallallahu 'alayhi wa-sallam] said:

"Prophethood will remain among you as long as Allah wills, then Allah will raise it when He wills. Then there will be a khilafah upon the way of Prophethood, and it will be as long as Allah wills, then Allah will raise it when He wills. Then there will be a harsh kingdom [mulkan 'adhdhan], and it will be for as long as Allah wills, then Allah will raise it when He wills. Then there will be a tyrannical kingdom [mulkan jabriyyan], and it will be for as long as Allah wills, then Allah will raise it when He wills. Then there will be a khilafah upon the way of Prophethood." Then he was silent."

The khilafah upon the way of Prophethood was that of Abu Bakr, 'Umar, 'Uthman and 'Ali [radhiyallahu 'anhum]. The khilafah of Mu'awiyah [radhiyallahu 'anhu], who is mentioned by al-Qadhi 'Iyadh as the fifth of al-Khulafa' ar-Rashidun, represented a transition period between the first phase and the second phase, that of the harsh kingdom [al-mulk al-'adhdh] which began during the rule of Yazid ibn Mu'awiyah and continued throughout much of the rule of Banu Umayyah and Banul-'Abbas after them, followed by the various kingdoms that followed, until the decline in the last few centuries of the last three major centers of Islamic rule: the 'Uthmani dawlah in Turkey, the kingdom of the Mughals in India, and the kingdom of the Ashraf in the Maghrib. Then the tyrannical kingdom [al-mulk al-jabri] began with the coming of secularism and the establishment of puppet regimes largely subservient in one way or another to the kafir nations. This situation has continued up to this day, and we ask Allah to relieve us of it soon, and to allow us to witness the revival of the khilafah upon the way of Prophethood. Amin!

Whatever hardships and tribulations occur to this Ummah, they are in fact a mercy from Allah in order to purify the Muslims of their sins, and to make them turn back in repentance to Allah. Allah ['azza wa-jall] has promised that He will make His religion predominant, and that He will give victory to His righteous slaves.

He said [ta'ala]: "It is He Who has sent His Messenger with Guidance and the Religion of Truth, in order that He may make it victorious over all other religions, even though the polytheists may detest it." [As-Saff: 9]

And He said [ta'ala]: "And We have written down in the Books, after adh-dhikr [i.e. the writing of the decree in the Preseved Tablet], that My righteous slaves will inherit the land." [Al-Anbiya': 105]

This is, however, conditional upon them doing their duty to Allah by obeying His orders, avoiding what He has prohibited, commanding the good and forbidding the evil, and making use of all prescribed means to elevate His religion. He said [ta'ala]: "O you who believe! If you support Allah [i.e. Allah's Cause], He will support you, and make your feet firm." [Muhammad: 7]

And He said [ta'ala]: "Allah has promised those of you who believe and do righteous deeds that He will surely grant them succession in the land, as He granted succession to those before them, and that He will surely establish for them their religion that He has chosen for them, and that He will surely exchange for them, after their fear, security. They worship Me and associate nothing with Me. But whoever is ungrateful after this, then it is they who are the evil-doers." [An-Nur: 55]

And He said [ta'ala]: "And prepare against them all that you are able to of power and warhorses, to strike fear into the enemy of Allah and your enemy." [Al-Anfal: 60]

And our Prophet [sallallahu 'alayhi wa-sallam] has given us the glad tidings that this religion will reach wherever the day and night reach, and that there will always remain a group of this Ummah who will be victorious on the way of Truth until the coming of the Hour.

Muslim narrated from Tamim ad-Dari [radhiyallahu 'anhu] that the Messenger of Allah [sallallahu 'alayhi wa-sallam] said:

"Allah unfolded the entire earth before me, so that I saw its eastern and western regions. And the rule of my Ummah will reach to all of those regions of it that were unfolded before me. And I have been given the two treasures: the red and the white [i.e. gold and silver, or the Roman and Persian empires]. And I asked my Lord that He would not destroy my Ummah with years of famine, and that He would not allow an enemy from other than their own selves to overcome them and conquer all of their lands. And my Lord said: "O Muhammad, when I have decided something, My decision will not be revoked. I have given it to your Ummah that I will not destroy them with years of famine, nor will I allow an enemy from other than their own selves to overcome them and conquer all of their lands, even if they were to assemble from every land and come against them, until it comes to pass that some of them will kill each other, and some of them will take each other captive."

And in another narration:

"I only fear for my Ummah the misguiding leaders. And when the sword falls between them, it will not be lifted until the Day of Resurrection. And the Hour will not come until groups of my Ummah join the mushrikun, and until tribes from my Ummah worship idols. And there will be in my Ummah thirty great liars, each of whom will claim that he is a prophet, but I am the Seal of the Prophets, and there is no prophet after me. And there will always remain a group from my Ummah upon the way of Truth, victorious and unharmed by those who let them down, until the Command of Allah [tabaraka wa-ta'ala] comes."

And al-Hakim narrated from Tamim ad-Dari [radhiyallahu 'anhu] that he said: "I heard the Messenger of Allah [sallallahu 'alayhi wa-sallam] saying:

"Surely, this religion will reach to everywhere that the day and night reach, and Allah will not leave a single house or tent without causing this religion enter it, either through the honour of the honourable, or the abasement of the abased. He will be honoured by Allah's honouring him with Islam, or humiliated by kufr."

And al-Bukhari and Muslim narrated in the Sahihayn from Mu'adh ibn Jabal [radhiyallahu 'anhu] that he said: "The Messenger of Allah [sallallahu 'alayhi wa-sallam] said:

"There will always remain a group from my Ummah fighting upon the way of Truth, victorious over all who oppose them, until the last of them fights al-Masih ad-Dajjal."

Mu'adh ibn Jabal said: "And they will be in Sham."

And in another narration:

"There will always remain a group from my Ummah, fighting upon the way of Truth, victorious until the Day of Resurrection. 'Isa ibn Maryam will descend and their amir will say: "Come and lead us in the prayer." So he will say: "No, for you have been made leaders of each other, Allah's honour to this Ummah."

And in another narration:

"There will always remain a group from my Ummah, fighting at the gates of Damascus and its surrounds, and at the gates of Bayt al-Maqdis and its surrounds, who will not be harmed by those who let them down. They will be victorious upon the Truth until the coming of the Hour."

This does not mean that they will only be present there and nowhere else, as other texts indicate that they will be found in different lands at different times.

Abu Dawud narrated from 'Abdullah ibn Hawalah [radhiyallahu 'anhu] that he said: "The Messenger of Allah [sallallahu 'alayhi wa-sallam] said:

"Matters will run their course until you become three armies: an army in Sham, an army in 'Iraq, and an army in the Yemen."

I said: "O Messenger of Allah, choose which one I should join." He said:

"You should go to Sham, for it is the best of Allah's lands, and the best of His slaves will be drawn there. And if you refuse, then you should go to the Yemen and drink from its wells. For Allah has guaranteed me that He will look after Sham and its people."

And Ibn Majah narrated from 'Abdullah ibn al-Harith ibn Juz' az-Zubaydi [radhiyallahu 'anhu] that he said: "The Messenger of Allah [sallallahu 'alayhi wa-sallam] said:

"A people will come from the East who will prepare the way for the Mahdi."

And Ahmad narrated from Ibn 'Abbas [radhiyallahu 'anhuma] that he said: "The Messenger of Allah [sallallahu 'alayhi wa-sallam] said:

"There will come out of 'Adn Abyan twelve thousand supporting Allah and His Messenger, who will be the best of people between my time and theirs."

But towards the end of time, in the days of the Malahim and the coming of the Dajjal, they will assemble in the land of Sham.

And al-Hakim narrated from Abud-Darda' [radhiyallahu 'anhu] that he heard the Messenger of Allah [sallallahu 'alayhi wa-sallam] saying:

"On the day of al-Malhamah al-Kubra, the stronghold of the Muslims will be in a land called al-Ghutah, in which there is a city called Damascus, the best of the homes of the Muslims on that day."

Chapter 3:

The guidance of the Prophet [sallallahu 'alayhi wa-sallam] in times of fitnah

The term "fitnah" in this context refers to fighting between different groups of Muslims, as opposed to the term "malhamah" which refers to fighting between the Muslims and the kuffar.

Muslim narrated from Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman [radhiyallahu 'anhu] that he said:

"I said: "O Messenger of Allah, we were in a state of evil, then Allah brought us this good that we are in now. Will there be evil after this good?" He said: "Yes."

I said: "Will there be good after this evil?" He said: "Yes."

I said: "Will there be evil after this good?" He said: "Yes."

I said: "How?" He said: "There will be after me leaders who do not adhere to my guidance, and who do not follow my Sunnah. Men will rule who have the hearts of devils in the bodies of men."

He said: "I said: "How should I act, O Messenger of Allah, if I live to see that?" He said: "Hear and obey the ruler, even if he beats your back and takes your wealth, and then still hear and obey."

And in the narration of Abu Dawud:

Hudhayfah said: "I said: "O Messenger of Allah, will there be evil after this good?"

He said: "A trial and evil." I said: "O Messenger of Allah, will there be good after this evil?" He said: "O Hudhayfah, learn the Book of Allah and follow what it contains," three times.

I said: "O Messenger of Allah! Will there be good after this evil?" He said: "A truce upon differing desires, and a tainted unity."

I said: "O Messenger of Allah! The peace-treaty upon differing desires, what is that?" He said: "People's hearts will not return to the condition they were upon before."

I said: "O Messenger of Allah, will there be evil after this good?" He said: "A trial, blind and deaf, with callers standing at the gates of the Fire. If you were to die, O Hudhayfah, biting on a tree-root, that would be better for you than to follow any of them."

And in the narration of al-Bukhari:

"I said: "O Messenger of Allah, will there be evil after this good?" He said: "Yes, callers to the gates of Hell. Whoever answers their call, they will throw him into it."

"I said: "O Messenger of Allah! Describe them to us." So he said: "They are from our people, and they will speak our language."

"I said: "So what do you order me to do if that reaches me?" He said: "Hold fast to the jama'ah of the Muslims and their imam."

"I said: "And if there is no jama'ah, and no imam?" He said: "Then avoid all of those groups, even if you have to bite on the root of a tree, and death reaches you in that state."

And al-Bukhari narrated from 'Ubadah ibn as-Samit [radhiyallahu 'anhu] that he said:

"The Prophet [sallallahu 'alayhi wa-sallam] called us and we gave him the bay'ah that we would listen and obey whether we were active or tired, in difficulty or in ease, and even if others were preferred over us. And that we were not to rebel against those in command, unless you see open kufr [kufran bawahan] for which you have a clear proof from Allah."

And he also narrated from Abu Hurayrah [radhiyallahu 'anhu] that the Messenger of Allah [sallallahu 'alayhi wa-sallam] said:

"Surely, Allah may support this religion by means of a sinful man."

And Muslim narrated from Ma'qil ibn Yasar [radhiyallahu 'anhu] that he said: "The Messenger of Allah [sallallahu 'alayhi wa-sallam] said:

"Worship during times of mass-killing [al-harj] is like migration [al-hijrah] to me."

Al-harj refers to mass-killing that will occur between Muslims during times of trial.

And Abu Dawud narrated from Abu Hurayrah [radhiyallahu 'anhu] that the Messenger of Allah [sallallahu 'alayhi wa-sallam] said:

"There will be a fitnah that is deaf, dumb, and blind. Whoever involves himself in it will be afflicted by it, and involvement in it with the tongue will be like smiting with a sword."

And he also narrated from 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr [radhiyallahu 'anhuma] that he said: "The Messenger of Allah [sallallahu 'alayhi wa-sallam] said:

"There will be a fitnah that will tastandhifu [meaning either to destroy or to purify] the Arabs, whose dead will be in the Fire. During it, the tongue will be more severe than smiting with a sword."

And he also narrated from Abu Musa al-Ash'ari [radhiyallahu 'anhu] that he said: "The Messenger of Allah [sallallahu 'alayhi wa-sallam] said:

"Before the Hour there will be fitan like patches of a dark night, during which a man will be a mu'min in the morning and become a kafir in the evening, or he will be a mu'min in the evening and become a kafir in the morning. One who sits down during them will be better than one who stands, and one who walks during them will be better than the one who runs. When that occurs, break your bows, cut your bowstrings and strike your swords with a rock, and if one of them enters in upon you, then be like the better of the two sons of Adam."

And al-Hakim narrated from Abu Hurayrah [radhiyallahu 'anhu] that he said: "The Messenger of Allah [sallallahu 'alayhi wa-sallam] said:

"A time will come upon the people in which a man will be made to choose between weakness [al-'ajz] or sin [al-fujur]. Whoever among you lives to see that time, then let him choose weakness over sin."

Chapter 4:

The fitan of al-Ahlas, as-Sarra' and ad-Duhayma'

Abu Dawud narrated from Ibn 'Umar [radhiyallahu 'anhuma] that he said: "We were sitting with the Messenger of Allah [sallallahu 'alayhi wa-sallam], and he mentioned the fitan, going into much detail in mentioning them, until he mentioned the fitnah of al-Ahlas. So a person said: "O Messenger of Allah, and what is the fitnah of al-Ahlas?" He said:

"It is fleeing and plunder. Then the fitnah of as-Sarra'; whose smoke will be under the feet of a man from my household who claims to be from me, but who is not from me; my allies are only the pious. Then the people will unite on a man like a hip-bone on a rib. Then the fitnah of ad-Duhayma'; it will not leave a single one of this Ummah without giving him a slap. When it is said that it has finished, it will be prolonged. During it, a man will be a mu'min in the morning and become a kafir in the evening, until the people have become two camps, a camp of iman [faith] without any nifaq [hypocrisy], and a camp of nifaq without any iman. When that has occurred, then await the Dajjal on that day or the next."

"Al-ahlas" is the plural of "al-hils", which is the blanket that is laid under the saddle. It is called the fitnah of al-Ahlas either because it will remain for a long time, or because of its darkness and blackness.

"It is fleeing and plunder." That is, people will flee from an enemy or a danger, and they will be stripped of all of their wealth and possessions until they have nothing left.

The fitnah of as-Sarra' implies one that will be related to ease and luxury. And there are other views regarding the meaning of the word.

"…whose smoke will be under the feet of a man from my household who claims to be from me, but who is not from me; my allies are only the pious." This is a reference to a person from the Ahl al-Bayt who will be responsible for the fitnah of as-Sarra', and whom the Prophet [sallallahu 'alayhi wa-sallam] himself has disowned and disassociated himself from, due to his deviance or tyranny.

"Then the people will unite on a man like a hip-bone on a rib." This is a metaphor for a weak rule without organization or firmness, as a hip-bone does not fit in place on a rib.

The fitnah of ad-Duhayma' implies one that is dark and ominous.

"…it will not leave a single one of this Ummah without giving him a slap. When it is said that it has finished, it will be prolonged." That is, it will affect the entire Ummah, and it will continue for such a long time that the people will eventually no longer realise it for what it is.

"During it, a man will be a mu'min in the morning and become a kafir in the evening, until the people have become two camps, a camp of iman [faith] without any nifaq [hypocrisy], and a camp of nifaq without any iman." That is, great numbers of people will fall into kufr due to the confusion and deviance that will abound during the fitnah of ad-Duhayma'. The trials and tribulations will be the means by which the true mu'minun will be sorted out from the munafiqun and kafirun.

"When that has occurred, then await the Dajjal on that day or the next." This is an indication of how close, relatively speaking, that time will be to the time of the Dajjal. It does not necessarily mean that the Dajjal will come out immediately at the end of the fitnah of ad-Duhayma', as the other ahadith clarify that the Mahdi will come before the Dajjal to fill the earth with justice and put an end to the trials.

Al-Hafidh Abu Muhammad al-Husayn narrated in Kitab al-Masabih from Abu Sa'id al-Khudri [radhiyallahu 'anhu] that he said: "The Messenger of Allah [sallallahu 'alayhi wa­sallam] said:

"There will be, after me, fitan. From them will be fitan of al-Ahlas, in which there will be fleeing and plunder. Then, after them, will be fitan worse than them. Whenever it will be said that they have finished, they will be prolonged, until no house of the Arabs will be left without them entering it, and no Muslim except that they have reached him, until a man comes from my descendents."

"…until a man comes from my descendents." This is a reference to the Mahdi, and if this hadith is authentic, then it indicates that he will appear at the end of the fitnah of ad-Duhayma', and Allah knows better.

The fitnah of al-Ahlas may be – and Allah knows better – the fitnah of Yazid ibn Mu'awiyah, and the "fleeing and plunder" may refer to his invasion of al-Madinah al-Munawwarah, in which the city was plundered for days. It was a terrible time during which many of the Companions and the righteous Tabi'un were either killed or had to flee with their religion from the oppression of Yazid and his governors.

If so, then the fitnah of as-Sarra' would then most likely refer to the fitnah of Banul-'Abbas, whose leaders were from the Ahl al-Bayt, from the descendents of al-'Abbas ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib [radhiyallahu 'anhu], yet whose actions were the actions of evildoers. They misled the people through their propaganda of calling to the Family of the Prophet [sallallahu 'alayhi wa-sallam], and many false ahadith were fabricated in order to deceive the people into supporting them. The description "as-Sarra'" is appropriate to the time of Banul-'Abbas, during which the Ummah reached a high level of material ease and luxury, and much evil came about as a result of that. Examples are the widespread civil wars that occurred, the halting of jihad as a means to expand the Muslim territories, the flourishing of the Mu'tazilah and other deviated sects, and the Mihnah [Inquistion] regarding the question of the creation of the Qur'an, during which many scholars of Ahl as-Sunnah underwent severe persecution, most notably the great Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal [rahimahullah].

"Then the people will unite on a man like a hip-bone on a rib." This is a metaphor for a weak rule without organization or firmness, which reflects the general situation of the Muslim world for much of the period that followed the beginning of the decline of the 'Abbasi rule.

As for the fitnah of ad-Duhayma', its description very closely resembles our situation for the last hundred years until the present, and Allah knows better. The entire Ummah has been affected to some degree by it, and jahiliyyah, deviation and kufr have become the order of the day.

Chapter 5:

The cutting off of trade to 'Iraq, Sham and Egypt,

and the return of Iman to al-Madinah

Muslim narrated from Abu Hurayrah [radhiyallahu 'anhu] that he said: "The Messenger of Allah [sallallahu 'alayhi wa-sallam] said:

"'Iraq will withhold its dirham and its qafiz, Sham will withhold its mudd and its dinar, Egypt will withhold its irdabb and its dinar, and you will return to how you began, and you will return to how you began, and you will return to how you began." And Abu Hurayrah's flesh and blood bears witness to that."

And he also narrated from Jabir ibn 'Abdillah [radhiyallahu 'anhuma] that he said:

"Soon, no dirham or qafiz will come to the people of 'Iraq."

They said: "Why will that be, O 'Abdullah?" He said: "Due to the 'Ajam [eastern non-Arabs], they will withhold it."

Then he was silent for a while, then he said: "Soon, no dinar or mudd will come to the people of Sham."

They said: "Why will that be?" He said: "Due to the Romans, they will withhold it."

Then he said: "The Messenger of Allah [sallallahu 'alayhi wa-sallam] said:

"There will be in my Ummah a khalifah who will give out wealth in heaps, without counting it."

And in the narration of al-Hakim there is the following addition:

"Then he said: "By He in Whose Hand is my soul, the matter will return as it began. All iman will return to al-Madinah, as it began from there, until all iman will be in al-Madinah."

There are varying interpretations of the meaning of the "withholding" that is referred to in these two hadiths. One group of scholars has said that it means that the People of the Dhimmah in the lands mentioned will refuse to pay the jizyah. Another group has said that they will all become Muslims and therefore they will no longer have to pay the jizyah. Another group has said that it refers to trade being cut off to the Muslim lands by the Romans and the 'Ajam, so that the people of Sham, 'Iraq and Egypt will fall into poverty.

The first two sayings are both fair, in that those things did in fact occur. The majority of the populations of those lands did indeed enter Islam, and today even those who have remained on their Christianity no longer pay the jizyah.

However, the saying that the "withholding" refers to the cutting off of trade appears to be more correct, because after describing these events, Jabir [radhiyallahu 'anhu] then brought the saying of the Messenger of Allah [sallallahu 'alayhi wa-sallam]: "There will be in my Ummah a khalifah who will give out wealth in heaps, without counting it." This indicates that prior to the coming of the Mahdi, the Ummah will have been in hardship and poverty due to both the oppression of their rulers and the cutting off of trade by the kuffar.

The Romans are the Christians of Europe. As for the 'Ajam, although the literal meaning of the term is "non-Arab", it is generally used to refer in particular to the Persians and the people of the eastern lands beyond them, such as central Asia, India and China.

As for his saying [sallallahu 'alayhi wa-sallam] in the hadith of Abu Hurayrah: "And you will return to how you began," the meaning of this may be explained by his saying in the hadith of Jabir: "By He in Whose Hand is my soul, the matter will return as it began. All Iman will return to al-Madinah, as it began from there, until all iman will be in al-Madinah."

The possible explanation may be that while Sham and 'Iraq are being thrashed by fitan and hardships, the people of knowledge and righteousness will flee with their religion to al-Madinah, and establish the religion there as it was established at the beginning, in the time of the Messenger of Allah [sallallahu 'alayhi wa-sallam] and his Companions [radhiyallahu 'anhum ajma'in].

Other ahadith inform us that the Mahdi will be from the people of al-Madinah, and he will flee from al-Madinah to Makkah due to his reluctance to take the people's bay'ah.

Chapter 6:

The Fall of the Zionist State

Shaykh Safar al-Hawali of Makkah al-Mukarramah wrote a book called Yawm al-Ghadhab, which was translated into English under the name The Day of Wrath. In this book, the shaykh discusses what has been narrated in the books of the Prophets of Banu Isra'il, and in particular the prophecies attributed to Daniel, regarding the establishment of the Abomination of Desolation in Jerusalem and Allah's gathering of the Jews in the Holy Land at the end of time for their punishment, and on the basis of many firm proofs, he argues that all of this refers to the establishment of the state of Israel and its subsequent destruction.

We will not bring all of those texts here, but we will provide a summary of the conclusions drawn by the shaykh from them. Those who wish for more detail may refer to the shaykh's book Yawm al-Ghadhab.

After commenting on the contemporary situation in Palestine, the shaykh discusses the various prophecies of the Bible mentioning the coming of the Seal of the Prophets [sallallahu 'alayhi wa-sallam], the changing of the Qiblah from Bayt al-Maqdis to the Ka'bah, and the spreading of Islam all over the world. These events are described in the Bible as the coming of the "Son of Man", the establishment of a "New Jerusalem", and the coming of the everlasting "Kingdom of God" that will overtake all of the lands that had been ruled by the previous kingdoms.

Then, he discusses those that mention the establishment of the Abomination of Desolation and its destruction, and he concluded that they refer to the establishment of the state of Israel. They mention that its destruction will come at the hands of great armies that will come mainly from the north and the east – the present-day lands of the Muslims – to kill the Jews and take them captive.

The prophecies also contain indications that the powerful nation that supports the Abomination of Desolation will fall before it is able to come to its rescue, that its fall will be by both human means and divinely-caused ones such as earthquakes and floods, that its economy and trade will collapse, and that all of the world's rulers and merchants will lament over it. We will discuss the possible reasons for this, if Allah wills, in the chapters regarding the downfall of technology.

They also mention of a remnant of Banu Isra'il who will continue to live in Palestine after the Day of Wrath and who will become purified and holy, that is, they will enter Islam and become Muslims. It is narrated in some weak athar that this last event will occur during the rule of the Mahdi, and Allah knows better.

Abu 'Amr ad-Dani narrated from Ibn Shawdhab that he said:

"He is called the Mahdi because he will be guided to one of the mountains of Sham, from which he will bring out some of the scrolls of the Tawrah, with which he will debate with the Jews. So a group of the Jews on that day will become Muslims at his hands."

And Nu'aym ibn Hammad narrated from Sulayman ibn 'Isa that he said:

"It has reached me that at the hands of the Mahdi, the Tabut as-Sakinah [the Ark of the Covenant] will appear from the lake of Tabariyyah, until it is carried and placed before him in Bayt al-Maqdis. When the Jews look at it, they will all become Muslims except for a small number of them. Then, the Mahdi will die."

And he also narrated from Ka'b that he said:

"He is called the Mahdi because he will be guided to something that is hidden, and bring out the Tawrah and the Injil from a land called Antioch."

Whether the liberation of Bayt al-Maqdis will be during the time of the Mahdi or before it is unclear, as there is no reference to this in any hadith or athar. All that is narrated linking the Mahdi to Bayt al-Maqdis is that he will settle there and make it the center of his khilafah.

Nu'aym ibn Hammad narrated from 'Ali [radhiyallahu 'anhu] that he said regarding the Mahdi:

"He will emigrate to Bayt al-Maqdis."

And according to another weak athar, his residence there will have already been prepared for him by his supporters beforehand.

Nu'aym ibn Hammad narrated from Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah that he said:

"A black banner will come, belonging to Banul-'Abbas. Then, from Khurasan will come another one, also black. Their turbans will be black and their garments white. At the head of their army will be a man called Shu'ayb ibn Salih ibn Shu'ayb, from Tamim. They will defeat the companions of the Sufyani until he [i.e. Shu'ayb ibn Salih] settles in Bayt al-Maqdis, preparing the way for the Mahdi's rule. Three hundred men from Sham will help him. Between his coming and the handing over of the rule to the Mahdi will be seventy two months."

Chapter 7:

The fitan before the coming of the Mahdi

Nu'aym ibn Hammad narrated from Abu Hurayrah [radhiyallahu 'anhu] that he said:

"The fourth fitnah is blind and dark, rolling like the ocean. It will not leave a single house of the Arabs or the 'Ajam without filling it with humiliation and fear. It will go around Sham, cover 'Iraq, and batter the Jazirah with its hand and foot. During it, the Ummah will be torn by wars, and the tribulations will become so severe that right will be considered as wrong, and wrong will be considered as right. No one will be able to voice the least objection. Every time they resolve it in one place, it will afflict them with division in another place. During it, a man will be a mu'min in the morning and become a kafir in the evening, and no one will be saved from it except one who supplicates like a person drowning in the ocean would supplicate. It will last for twelve years, then it will end when it ends, and the Euphrates will have uncovered a mountain of gold. They will fight over it until seven out of every nine are killed."

Sham refers to present-day Palestine, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, and Sinai. 'Iraq is the southern area of the present-day state of Iraq. As for the Jazirah, this does not refer to the Arabian Peninsula, but rather to the area between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in the northern area of present-day Iraq and Syria.

The description given of the fourth fitnah is very similar to the description of the fitnah of ad-Duhayma' mentioned previously in the hadith of Ibn 'Umar, giving the impression that the fourth fitnah will be the last phase of the fitnah of ad-Duhayma', immediately before the coming of the Mahdi. The civil war currently unfolding in Iraq may be related to the fourth fitnah, and Allah knows better.

As for the Euphrates uncovering a mountain of gold, this is mentioned in the authentic ahadith in the Sahihayn:

Al-Bukhari narrated from Abu Hurayrah [radhiyallahu 'anhu] that he said: "The Messenger of Allah [sallallahu 'alayhi wa-sallam] said:

"The Euphrates is about to uncover a treasure of gold, so whoever is present there, let him not take any of it."

And in the narration of Muslim:

"The Hour will not come until the Euphrates uncovers a mountain of gold over which the people will fight. Ninety-nine out of every hundred will be killed, but every one of them will say: "Perhaps I will be the one who survives."

These ahadith are apparently referring to real gold that will be uncovered by the Euphrates river, either due to it drying up or changing its course. As for what some contemporary people claim regarding the gold being a metaphor for oil, this seems highly unlikely, because oil has been discovered all over the region long ago, and not only near the Euphrates. If the gold were indeed only a metaphor for oil, the mention of the Euphrates would be futile and meaningless.

Ibn Majah narrated from Thawban [radhiyallahu 'anhu] that he said: "The Messenger of Allah [sallallahu 'alayhi wa-sallam] said:

"Three men will fight at the place where your treasure is, each one of them the son of a khalifah, but it will not go to any of them. Then, the black banners will come out of the east and kill you as no people have ever been killed." Then he said something that I do not remember, then he said: "So when you hear of him, then go to him and give the bay'ah to him, even if you must crawl over ice. For he is Allah's khalifah, the Mahdi."

Ibn Kathir said that the treasure referred to in this hadith is the treasure of the Ka'bah, over which three sons of the khulafa' will fight at the end of time. Allah knows better as to why he said this, as he did not bring any evidence for it, and there do not appear to be any well-known authentic texts indicating it.

However, there are other athar indicating that the treasure refers to the gold that will be uncovered from the Euphrates.

Nu'aym ibn Hammad narrated from Ka'b that he said:

"There will be on the banks of the Euphrates, in the direction of Sham of a little before it, a great assembly. They will fight each other over wealth, and seven out of every nine will be killed. And that will be after the blast [al-haddah] and the collapse [al-wahiyah] in the month of Ramadhan, and after the appearance of three banners, each one of whom will seek the kingdom for himself, among them a man whose name is 'Abdullah."

And al-Hakim narrated from Abu Hurayrah [radhiyallahu 'anhu], from the Prophet [sallallahu 'alayhi wa-sallam] that he said:

"There will be a blast [haddah] in Ramadhan that will awaken one who is asleep, and terrify one who is awake. Then there will appear a group ['isabah] in Shawwal, then bloodshed in Dhul-Hijjah, then the prohibitions will be violated in al-Muharram, then there will be death in Safar, then the tribes will conflict with each other in Rabi', then the most amazing thing will happen between Jumada and Rajab. Then, a well-fed she-camel will be better than a castle sheltering a thousand."

And Nu'aym ibn Hammad narrated from 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud [radhiyallahu 'anhu], from the Prophet [sallallahu 'alayhi wa-sallam] that he said:

"When there is a scream [sayhah] in Ramadhan, then there will be bloodshed in Shawwal, and the tribes will form groups in Dhul-Qi'dah, and blood will be spilled in Dhul-Hijjah, and al-Muharram! What will happen in al-Muharram?" saying it three times, "Indeed, indeed! The people will be killed in a great massacre."

He said: "We said: "What is the scream, O Messenger of Allah?" He said: "This will be in the middle of Ramadhan, on a Friday morning. That will be when the month of Ramadhan begins on a Friday night. There will be a blast [haddah] that will awaken one who is asleep, and bring the young women out of their rooms, on a Friday night during a year of many earthquakes and severe cold. So when Ramadhan begins on a Friday night in that year, then when you have prayed Fajr on Friday in the middle of Ramadhan, then enter your houses, close your doors, block your windows, cover yourselves, and block your ears. When you sense the scream, fall down in prostration to Allah [ta'ala] and say: "Subhanal-Quddus, subhanal-Quddus, rabbunal-Quddus [Glory be to the Most Holy, glory be to the Most Holy, our Lord is the Most Holy]." For whoever does that will survive, and whoever does not will be destroyed."

We may conclude from the above texts that the Euphrates' uncovering of gold will take place at the end of the fourth fitnah, perhaps after the blast [if the texts concerning that are authentic], and that this event will coincide with the rise of three rulers who will fight over the gold in a great battle in which many will be killed, but none of them will get it. Following that, the black banners will come forward from the East to give bay'ah to the Mahdi in Makkah.

Chapter 8:

The final phase of the age of the tyrants,

and what has been narrated regarding the Sufyani

The khilafah upon the way of Prophethood will be revived during the time of the Mahdi, who will come at the end of the period of the tyrannical kingdom [al-mulk al-jabri], during a time of great oppression and tribulation. This does not necessarily mean that no khilafah will emerge in the Muslim lands before the Mahdi, rather all that it means is that any khilafah that emerges before the Mahdi will not be on the level of a rightly-guided khilafah upon the way of Prophethood.

Al-Hakim narrated from Abu Sa'id al-Khudri [radhiyallahu 'anhu] that he said: "The Messenger of Allah [sallallahu 'alayhi wa-sallam] said:

"At the end of time, a severe tribulation will descend upon my Ummah from their ruler. A worse tribulation will not have been heard of before, until the earth's expanse is constricted upon them, and until the earth is filled with tyranny and oppression, so that the mu'min will find no refuge from the oppression. Then, Allah ['azza wa-jall] will send a man from my descendents who will fill the earth with equity and justice as it had been filled with oppression and tyranny. The inhabitants of the heavens and the earth will be pleased with him. The earth will not withhold any of its growth, but will bring it out, neither will the sky withhold a drop, but Allah will pour it out upon them in showers. He will live among them for seven years, or eight, or nine. The living will wish that the dead were brought to life again to witness the great good that Allah brought about for the people of the earth."

And he also narrated from 'Ali ibn Abi Talib [radhiyallahu 'anhu] that the Messenger of Allah [sallallahu 'alayhi wa-sallam] said:

"There will be at the end of time a trial that will sort out men as gold is sorted out from metal. So do not revile the people of Sham, but revile their evil ones, for among them are the Abdal [great righteous people]. A flood is about to be released upon the people of Sham that will split their unity, so that even if foxes attack them, they would defeat them.

At that time, a man from my household will come out with three banners. The one who estimates highly will say that they are fifteen thousand. And the one who estimates lower will say that they are twelve thousand. Their sign will be: "Amit, amit [kill, kill]." They will meet in battle seven banners, and under each of those banners will be a man seeking the kingdom. Allah will kill all of them, and restore to the Muslims their unity and bounty, and their far ones and near ones."

The authentic ahadith mention that one of the tyrants will sent an army against the Mahdi, who will have taken refuge in the Haram in Makkah, and that Allah ['azza wa-jall] will cause this army to be swallowed up in the desert between Makkah and al-Madinah.

Muslim narrated from 'A'ishah [radhiyallahu 'anha] that she said: "The Messenger of Allah [sallallahu 'alayhi wa-sallam] moved during his sleep. We said: "O Messenger of Allah, you did something during your sleep that you have not done before."

So he said: "It is an amazing thing that a group of people from my Ummah will head towards the House [i.e. the Ka'bah] in pursuit of a man from Quraysh who will have taken refuge in the House. Then, while they are at al-Bayda', they will be swallowed up by the earth."

We said: "O Messenger of Allah, there will be many people on the road." So he said: "Yes, among them will be the one who knows what he is doing, the one who is forced, and the wayfarer. All of them will be destroyed at once, even though they came for different reasons, and Allah [ta'ala] will resurrect them according to their intentions."

And Abu Dawud narrated from Umm Salamah [radhiyallahu 'anha] from the Prophet [sallallahu 'alayhi wa-sallam] that he said:

"There will be conflict with the death of a khalifah. Then a man from the people of al-Madinah will come out, fleeing to Makkah. A group of men from the people of Makkah will come to him and bring him out by force, and give the bay'ah to him between the Rukn and the Maqam. An army will be sent against him from Sham, but they will be swallowed up by the earth in al-Bayda' between Makkah and al-Madinah. So when the people see that, the Abdal of Sham and the best of the people of 'Iraq will come to him, and give him the bay'ah between the Rukn and the Maqam. Then, a man from Quraysh and his maternal relatives from Kalb will come and send an army against them, and they [i.e. the Mahdi and his companions] will be victorious over them. That will be the battle of Kalb, and what a loss for the one who did not witness the spoils of Kalb! So he [i.e. the Mahdi] will distribute the wealth, and he will rule the people according to the Sunnah of their Prophet, and Islam will be established in the land. He will remain for seven years, then he will die and the Muslims will pray over him."

Abu Dawud said: "Some of them narrated from Hisham "nine years", and some of them said "seven years"."

Many weaker texts identify this tyrant as a descendent of Abu Sufyan.

Al-Hakim narrated from Abu Hurayrah [radhiyallahu 'anhu] that he said: "The Messenger of Allah [sallallahu 'alayhi wa-sallam] said:

"A man called the Sufyani will come out of the depths of Damascus. Most of those who follow him will be from Kalb. He will kill until he rips open women's bellies and kills children. Qays will gather against him, but he will kill them until hardly any will remain. A man from my household will come out at al-Harrah, and the news of this will reach the Sufyani, who will send out to him one of his armies, and he will defeat them. Then the Sufyani will send an army to him, until when they get to a desert part of the land, they will be swallowed by the earth, and no one of them will escape except the one who will tell of their news."

And he narrated from Ibn Mas'ud [radhiyallahu 'anhu] that he said: "The Messenger of Allah [sallallahu 'alayhi wa-sallam] said to us:

"I warn you of seven fitan that will be after me: a fitnah that will come from al-Madinah, a fitnah in Makkah, a fitnah that will come from the Yemen, a fitnah that will come from Sham, a fitnah that will come from the East, a fitnah that will come from the West, and a fitnah from the depths of Damascus, which is the Sufyani."

Ibn Mas'ud said: "From you are those who will live to see the first of them, and from this Ummah will be those who will live to see the last of them."

Al-Walid ibn 'Ayyash said: "The fitnah of al-Madinah was from Talhah and az-Zubayr, the fitnah of Makkah was the fitnah of 'Abdullah ibn az-Zubayr, the fitnah of Sham was from Banu Umayyah, and the fitnah of the East is from these people [i.e. Banul-'Abbas]."

The "fitnah from the West" may be a reference to the establishment of the dawlah of Banu 'Ubayd in North Africa, the so-called "Fatimi" dawlah. As for the "fitnah from the Yemen", Allah knows better what it refers to, but some athar indicate that after the time of the Mahdi, the people of the Yemen will rise up against the Quraysh and kill the khalifah. We will deal with that in a later chapter, if Allah wills.

Chapter 9:

The coming of the black banners from the East

that will prepare the way for the Mahdi

Ahmad narrated from Abu Hurayrah [radhiyallahu 'anhu] that he said: "The Messenger of Allah [sallallahu 'alayhi wa-sallam] said:

"Black banners will come out of Khurasan, and nothing will stop them, until they are raised in Ayliya'."

Ayliya' [Aelia] is the ancient Roman name for Bayt al-Maqdis. Khurasan refers to the area of present-day Afghanistan and eastern Persia.

Ibn Kathir said: "These banners are not those of Abu Muslim al-Khurasani who came and overthrew the state of Banu Umayyah in the year 132. Rather, they are other banners that will come in the future, accompanied by the Mahdi."

And Abu Dawud narrated from 'Ali [radhiyallahu 'anhu] that he said: "The Prophet [sallallahu 'alayhi wa-sallam] said:

"A man will come out from Ma Wara' an-Nahr called al-Harith, a farmer. At the head of his army will be a man called Mansur. He will establish the rule of the family of Muhammad, as Quraysh did for the Messenger of Allah. It will be an obligation upon every believer to help him" or he said: "to respond to him."

"Al-Harith, a farmer": A description of him. This is the wording in the majority of the copies of Sunan Abi Dawud. Some copies have: "al-Harith ibn Harrath", with "Harrath" being a name and not a description, and Allah knows better. Ma Wara' an-Nahr is the old Arabic name for the area beyond the River Oxus, which covers present-day Uzbekistan and Tajikstan.

And Ibn Majah narrated from 'Abdullah ibn al-Harith ibn Juz' az-Zubaydi [radhiyallahu 'anhu] that he said: "The Messenger of Allah [sallallahu 'alayhi wa-sallam] said:

"A people will come from the east who will prepare the way for the Mahdi."

And he also narrated from Thawban [radhiyallahu 'anhu] that he said: "The Messenger of Allah [sallallahu 'alayhi wa-sallam] said:

"Three men will fight at the place where your treasure is, each one of them the son of a khalifah, but it will not go to any of them. Then, the black banners will come out of the east and kill you as no people have ever been killed." Then he said something that I do not remember, then he said: "So when you hear of him, then go to him and give the bay'ah to him, even if you must crawl over ice. For he is Allah's khalifah, the Mahdi."

And he also narrated from Ibn Mas'ud [radhiyallahu 'anhu] that he said:

"Once we were with the Messenger of Allah [sallallahu 'alayhi wa-sallam], when a group of youths from Banu Hashim approached. When the Prophet [sallallahu 'alayhi wa­sallam] saw them, his eyes filled with tears and his colour changed.

He [i.e. Ibn Mas'ud] said: "I said: "We see in your face something that worries us." So he said:

"We, the Ahl al-Bayt, are a people for whom Allah has chosen the hereafter over this world. And my household after me will face trials, banishment and pursuit, until a people from the East come with black banners, and they will ask for what is due, but not be given it. So they will fight and be victorious, and be given what they asked for. But they will not accept it from them until they hand it over to a man from my household, who will fill the earth with equity, as they had filled it with tyranny. So whoever among you reaches that time, then let him go to them, even if he must crawl over ice, for he is the Mahdi."

These are the more authentic ahadith that have come in this regard. Among the less authentic texts that have been narrated are the following:

Nu'aym ibn Hammad narrated from Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah that he said:

"A black banner will come, belonging to Banul-'Abbas. Then, from Khurasan will come another one, also black. Their turbans will be black and their garments white. At the head of their army will be a man called Shu'ayb ibn Salih ibn Shu'ayb, from Tamim. They will defeat the companions of the Sufyani until he [i.e. Shu'ayb ibn Salih] settles in Bayt al-Maqdis, preparing the way for the Mahdi's rule. Three hundred men from Sham will help him. Between his coming and the handing over of the rule to the Mahdi will be seventy months."

And he also narrated from Sa'id ibn al-Musayyib that he said: "The Messenger of Allah [sallallahu 'alayhi wa-sallam] said:

"Out of the east will come black banners belonging to Banul-'Abbas, then they will remain as long as Allah wills, then small black banners will come out against a man from the descendents of Abu Sufyan and his companions, from the east. They will give their obedience to the Mahdi."

And he also narrated from al-Hasan that he said:

"A man will come out of ar-Rayy, sturdy and light-brown in complexion, a mawla [non-Arab ally] of Banu Tamim, a man with a thin beard growing only on his chin, called Shu'ayb ibn Salih, among four thousand with white clothes and black banners. At the head of his army will be the Mahdi. All who meet him in battle will be struck down by him."

Ar-Rayy is a city in Persia located near present-day Tehran.

And he also narrated from Abu Ja'far that he said:

"A young man from Banu Hashim will come, with a mole on his right hand, from Khurasan with black banners. Before him will be Shu'ayb ibn Salih, who will fight the companions of the Sufyani and defeat them."

And he also narrated from 'Ali [radhiyallahu 'anhu] that he said:

"The Sufyani will appear in Sham, and then there will be a battle between them at Qirqisiya until the birds of the sky and the wild beasts of the land are satiated with their corpses. Then, there will be an attack against them from their rear, so a group of them will go forward until they enter the land of Khurasan. The cavalry of the Sufyani will pursue the people of Khurasan and kill the supporters of the family of Muhammad [sallallahu 'alayhi wa-sallam]. Then, the people of Khurasan will come out, looking for the Mahdi."

Qirqisiya is an ancient ruined city near Busra in Syria, on the banks of the Euphrates river.

 قرقيسيا أو كركيسيوم (قرية البصيرة حاليا) مدينة سورية صغيرة عند مصب نهر الخابور في نهر الفرات. وهي اليوم أطلال أثرية قرب مدينة دير الزور السورية

And he also narrated from 'Ali [radhiyallahu 'anhu] that he said:

"When the cavalry of the Sufyani comes to al-Kufah, he will send them in pursuit of the people of Khurasan. The people of Khurasan will come out, looking for the Mahdi. Then, he and the Hashimi will meet with a group of people with black banners, at their head Shu'ayb ibn Salih. Then he and the followers of the Sufyani will meet in battle at the gate of Istakhar, and a fierce battle will be fought between them. The black banners will be victorious, and the cavalry of the Sufyani will flee. When that happens, the people will wish for the Mahdi (to appear) and await him."

Istakhar is an ancient ruined city in Persia.

And he also narrated from 'Ali [radhiyallahu 'anhu] that he said:

"A man will come before the Mahdi, from his household, in the East. He will carry the sword on his shoulder for eight months, killing and maiming, and he will head towards Bayt al-Maqdis, but he will not reach it until he dies."

And he also narrated from 'Ali [radhiyallahu 'anhu] that he said:

"A group of people will flee from al-Madinah to Makkah when they hear of the coming of the Sufyani's army, among them will be three men from Quraysh who will be well-known."

And he also narrated from Abu Hurayrah [radhiyallahu 'anhu] that he said:

"There will be a battle at al-Madinah in which Ahjar az-Zayt will be covered with blood. The battle of al-Harrah, compared to it, will have been like a mere lash of a whip. They will disperse from al-Madinah the distance of two barids, then the bay'ah will be given to the Mahdi."

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