By
this we mean signs which came and gone, and will not be repeated. There
are many such signs, some of which we would like to mention here.
1 - The Sending of the Messenger (saws) and his Death
One of the Signs of the Hour is the sending of the Messenger (saws) and his death. According to the hadith narrated by Bukhari and Muslim, Sahl ibn Sa'd (ra) said: "I saw the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace be upon him) gesturing with his fingers like this, the middle finger and the finger which is next to the thumb (i.e., the index finger), and he said, 'I and the Hour have been sent like these two.’"
According to another report he said: "I and the Hour have been sent like these two," and he gestured with his two fingers, stretching them out. [Jaami' al-Usool, 10/384] In Bukhari, Muslim and Sunan at-Tirmidhi it is narrated that Anas ibn Maalik (ra) related: "The Messenger of Allah (saws) said: 'I and the Hour have been sent like these two, like the difference between the one and the other,' and he held his forefinger and middle finger up together." [Ibid]
In the books of Seerah it is narrated that the Jews used to say of the Messenger (saws) that he would be sent with the Hour.
In the previous chapter we quoted the hadith of 'Awf ibn Maalik (ra) narrated by Bukhari, in which the Messenger (saws) is reported to have said, "Count six things just before the Hour: my death ..."
3 - The Fire in Hijaaz Illuminated the Necks of the Camels in Busra
It is narrated from Abu Hurayrah (ra) that the Messenger of Allah (saws) said:
"The Hour will not come until fire comes out of the land of Hijaaz and will illuminate the necks of the camels in Busra." [Bukhari and Muslim]
The great sign which was foretold by the most truthful one did indeed come to pass in the manner in which the Messenger of Allah (saws) had described it. It emerged in 654 AH.
The great scholar and historian Ibn Katheer spoke of the events of 654 AH and wrote of this fire. He said:
In this year appeared the fire from the land of al-Hijaaz which illuminated the necks of the camels in Busra, as was spoken of in the hadith whose authenticity is agreed upon. The leading scholar Al-Haafiz Shihaab ad-Deen Abu Shaamah al-Maqdisi spoke about it at length in his book adh-Dhayl wa Sharhuhu. He quoted from many letters which were sent to Damascus from Al-Hijaaz describing this fire which was seen by many eye-witnesses, and how it emerged and what it looked like. Abu Shaamah's conclusion was: Letters came to Damascus from Madinah, may the best of blessings and peace be upon its inhabitants, saying that a fire had emerged there on the fifth day of Jumaada al-Aakhir of this year. The letters were written on the fifth of Rajab, and the fire was still raging, and these letters reached us on the tenth of Sha'baan. Then he said:
"In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. There arrived in Damascus on the first day of Sha'baan, 654 AH, letters from the city of the Messenger of Allah (saws) (Madinah), in which were descriptions of a mighty event which had happened there, in fulfilment of the hadith of Abu Hurayrah (ra) narrated in as-Saheehayn (Bukhari and Muslim). [Abu Hurayrah (ra)] related: 'The Messenger of Allah (saws) said:"The Hour will not come until fire comes out of the land of Hijaaz which will illuminate the necks of the camels in Busra."
I was informed by one of the trustworthy witnesses that he had written letters in Taymaa' by the light (of that fire). He said, 'We were in our houses on those nights, and it was as if there was a lamp in each one of our houses. It did not have much heat even though it was so great. Indeed it was one of the signs of Allah.'"
Abu Shaamah said: This is a quotation from a letter which we received: "On the night of Wednesday, the third of Jumaada al-Aakhirah, 654 AH, there was a huge explosion in the city of the Prophet (Madeenah), then there was a mighty earthquake which shook the ground, the walls, the roofs, the wood and the doors, hour after hour until Friday the fifth of the same month. Then there appeared an immense fire in the harrah close to Qurayzah, which we could see from our houses inside the city as if it were next to us. It was a huge fire, brighter than three beacons. Rivers of fire were flowing to the valley of Shazaa like streams. It blocked the stream of Shazaa which is no longer flowing. By Allah, a group of us went out to look at it, and the mountain was flowing with fire. The route of "Al-Haajj al- 'Iraaqi (the 'Iraqi pilgrims) was blocked, and the flow continued until it reached the harrah, then it stopped, after we had feared that it would come to us, and it flowed back towards the east.
From the midst of it there came mountains of fire which devoured stones, and it was similar to what Allah described in His Book,
“Verily! It (Hell) throws sparks (huge) as Al-Qasr (a fort or a Qasr (huge log of wood)), as if they were Jimaalatun Sufr (yellow camels or bundles of ropes).” [77:32-33]
The earth was devoured, and I wrote this letter on the fifth day of Rajah in the year 654 AH. The fire is increasing and not decreasing.
It went back to the harrahs in Qurayzah. The area from the route of Al-Haajj al- 'Iraaqi (the 'Iraqi pilgrims) to the harrah is all in flames which we can see at night from Madinah, as if they are the torches carried by pilgrims. As to the source of this great fire, it is a mountain of red fire. The source from which the fires are flowing at Qurayzah is growing stronger and people do not know what is going to happen after that. May Allah make our end good. I cannot describe this fire."
I
saw the people of Yanbu' who had sent their Qaadi, Ibn As'ad. He came
rushing to see it, and he could not describe it because it is so
terrifying. He wrote a letter on the fifth of Rajab, and the fire was
still · as it was. The people are scared of it, and the sun and moon do
not rise except they seem to be eclipsed. We ask Allah to keep us safe
and sound."
Abu Shaamah said: In Damascus we saw the effects of that eclipse in the weakness of its light shining on the walls. We were wondering what that was, until news reached us of this fire.
I (Ibn Katheer) say: Abu Shaamah had recorded that before the letters came with news of this fire. He said: On that night, Monday the sixteenth of Jumaada al-Aakhirah, the moon was eclipsed during the first part of the night. It was a deep red, then it cleared. The sun was also eclipsed, and in the morning it turned red at the time of rising and setting. It stayed like that for several days, changing its colour and lacking in light. And Allah is Able to do all things. Then he said: thus was made clear what ash-Shaafa'i had mentioned when he discussed an eclipse and 'Eid occurring at the same time, which the astronomers thought very unlikely.
Then Abu Shaamah said: "From another letter from one of Banu al-Faashaani in Madinah, who says: In Jumaada al-Aakhirah some people from 'Iraq came to us and told us that there had been a great flood in Baghdad. The water had reached the tops of the walls of Baghdad, and a large part of the city was flooded. The water entered the middle of the city, the Daar al-Khilaafah (the capital administration) and the palace of the wazeer (minister) and three hundred and eighty houses were flooded. The treasury of the khalifah was also flooded, and a large part of his armoury had been destroyed. The people were very close to being destroyed. Boats had started to enter the middle of the city, passing through the streets of Baghdad.
As for us, a major event has occurred among us. On the night of Wednesday, the third of Jumaada al-Akhirah, and for two days beforehand, the people started to hear a sound like the sound of thunder, which frightened all the people. They awoke from their sleep and started to pray to Allah for forgiveness. They hastened to the mosque and prayed there, and it kept shaking with them hour after hour, until the morning. That continued all day on Wednesday, and on Thursday night and Friday night. On Friday the earth started to shake so violently that the minarets of the mosque were shaking, and the roof of the mosque was heard creaking loudly. The people were scared because of their sins. The earthquake subsided on Friday morning, before noon.
Then there appeared in the harrah behind Qurayzah on the road of al-Sawariqiyah a huge fire which burst forth from the earth and flowed from morning until noon. The people were utterly terrified of it. Then there appeared smoke which billowed up into the sky until it looked like white clouds, and it remained there until just before sunset on Friday. Then there appeared fire with tongues reaching up the sky, red and huge like fortresses. The people fled to the mosque of the Prophet (saws) and to his tomb, where they gathered around the tomb, bared their heads and confessed their sins. They beseeched Allah and sought His help by virtue of His Prophet (saws). The people came to the mosque from every comer of the city, and the women and children came out of their houses. They all gathered and prayed sincerely to Allah. The redness of the fire covered the entire sky, as if the people were in the light of the moon, and the sky remained (the colour of) a blood clot. The people were certain that they would be destroyed and punished. They spent that whole night praying, reading Qur'an, bowing and prostrating, praying to Allah, repenting from their sins and seeking Allah's forgiveness. The fire stayed where it was then it started to decrease in intensity and size.
The Faqih and the Qaadi went to the governor to advise him, so he abolished the excise duties and freed all his slaves, and he restored to us and to others all the property that he had taken. That fire remained as it was, with its burning flames. It was as high as a mountain and as broad as a city, and it shot forth rocks into the sky which flew up then plummeted down. It threw forth huge mountains of fire (with a sound like) thunder. It remained like that for several days, then it started flowing towards the valley of Ajeleen, then along that valley to ash-Shaza, until it reached Bahrat al-Haajj. It carried rocks along with it, until it almost approached Harrat al-'Areed. Then it stopped for a few days, then it started to throw forth rocks behind it and in front of it. Then it formed two mountains, and a "tongue" came forth from between the two mountains for several days. Then it became large and is still burning brightly up till now, burning more brightly than ever. Every day it makes a loud noise from the end of the night until mid-morning. There are many strange and wondrous things about it that I cannot describe fully to you. It is sufficient to tell you that the sun and the moon look as if they are eclipsed until now. This letter was written a month ago, and it is still where it was, neither advancing nor retreating."
He
said, and it was mentioned in the letter, which was in the handwriting
of the Qaadi of Madeenah, that when the earthquake happened, they went
into the mosque, uncovered their heads and prayed for forgiveness. The
governor of Madeenah freed all his slaves and gave back all that had
been wrongfully seized. They kept on praying for forgiveness until the
earthquake subsided, but the fire which had appeared did not cease. This
traveller came when it had been burning for fifteen days and was still
burning.
Ibn as-Saa'i said: I read in the handwriting of the trustworthy man Mahmood ibn Yoosuf al-Am'aani, the Shaykh of the sanctuary of Madeenah, may the best of blessings and peace be upon its inhabitants, that he said: This fire which has appeared in the Hijaaz is a mighty sign, a sound indication that the Hour is at hand. The blessed one is the one who seizes the opportunity before death comes and hastens to reform himself and "make his peace" with Allah before death comes. This fire is in a land where there are no trees or vegetation, and parts of it consume other parts if it finds nothing else to consume. It bums stones and melts them so that they become like wet mud, then when the air comes into contact with them they become like the dross of iron which comes forth from the bellows. May Allah make it a lesson for the Muslims and a mercy to the world, by the virtue of Muhammad and his pure family.
This is the end of the quotation from Ibn Katheer. [Al-Bidaayah wan-Nihaayah, 13/187-192]
Among the great scholars who were alive at the time when this fire appeared was Imam an-Nawawi. He mentioned it in his commentary on Muslim, where he says: "In our time a fire appeared in Madinah, in 654 AH. It was an immense fire on the eastern side of Madinah, behind the harrah. Knowledge of its emergence is widely known (mutawaatir) throughout ash-Shaam (Greater Syria - present day Syria, Jordan, Palestine) and all the lands, and people of Madinah who witnessed it have told me about it." [Sharh an-Nawawi 'ala Muslim, 18/28]
It is clear from the descriptions given by witnesses who saw this fire that it was a huge volcano, accompanied by great earthquakes. The point here is that this fire appeared as described by the one who told us about it, the most truthful one (saws).
4 - The Jizyah and Kharaaj will no Longer be Collected
The jizyah which was paid by Ahl adh-Dhimmah (Jews and Christians living under Islamic rule) to the Muslim state, and the khiraaj which was paid by those who made use of the lands which had been conquered by the Muslim state, were among the most important sources of income for the Bayt al-Maal (treasury) of the Muslims. The Messenger of Allah (saws) told us that this would come to a halt, and that because of this the Muslims would lose one of their main sources of income. In Muslim it is narrated that Abu Hurayrah (ra) said: "The Messenger of Allah (saws) said:
1 - The Sending of the Messenger (saws) and his Death
One of the Signs of the Hour is the sending of the Messenger (saws) and his death. According to the hadith narrated by Bukhari and Muslim, Sahl ibn Sa'd (ra) said: "I saw the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace be upon him) gesturing with his fingers like this, the middle finger and the finger which is next to the thumb (i.e., the index finger), and he said, 'I and the Hour have been sent like these two.’"
According to another report he said: "I and the Hour have been sent like these two," and he gestured with his two fingers, stretching them out. [Jaami' al-Usool, 10/384] In Bukhari, Muslim and Sunan at-Tirmidhi it is narrated that Anas ibn Maalik (ra) related: "The Messenger of Allah (saws) said: 'I and the Hour have been sent like these two, like the difference between the one and the other,' and he held his forefinger and middle finger up together." [Ibid]
In the books of Seerah it is narrated that the Jews used to say of the Messenger (saws) that he would be sent with the Hour.
In the previous chapter we quoted the hadith of 'Awf ibn Maalik (ra) narrated by Bukhari, in which the Messenger (saws) is reported to have said, "Count six things just before the Hour: my death ..."
Imam Ahmad narrated in his Musnad with a saheeh isnad from Abu Jubayrah that the Messenger of Allah (saws) said: "I have been sent in the heralding breeze of the Hour." [Silsilat al-Ahaadeeth as·Saheehah]
As Ibn al-Atheer explained, the "heralding breeze" refers to the gentle breeze with which the wind starts, i.e., I have been sent at the beginning of the signs of the Hour.
2 - The Splitting of the Moon
The scholars are unanimous that the moon was split during the time of the Messenger (saws), and that its splitting was one of the dazzling miracles. [Tafseer Ibn Katheer] The Qur'an clearly states this, in the Ayah:
"The Hour has drawn near, and the moon has been cleft asunder (the people of Makkah requested Prophet Muhammad to show them a miracle, so he showed them the splitting of the moon). And if they see a sign, they tum away, and say: 'This is continuous magic." [54:1-2]
As Ibn al-Atheer explained, the "heralding breeze" refers to the gentle breeze with which the wind starts, i.e., I have been sent at the beginning of the signs of the Hour.
2 - The Splitting of the Moon
The scholars are unanimous that the moon was split during the time of the Messenger (saws), and that its splitting was one of the dazzling miracles. [Tafseer Ibn Katheer] The Qur'an clearly states this, in the Ayah:
"The Hour has drawn near, and the moon has been cleft asunder (the people of Makkah requested Prophet Muhammad to show them a miracle, so he showed them the splitting of the moon). And if they see a sign, they tum away, and say: 'This is continuous magic." [54:1-2]
An-Nawawi said: "Al-Qaadi said: The splitting of the moon was one of the major miracles of our Prophet (saws).
It has been narrated by a number of the Sahaabah (ra), as well as being
stated clearly in the Ayah. Al-Zajjaaj said: some of the deviating
innovators denied it and went against the consensus, and that is because
Allah blinded their hearts. It is not something irrational to be
denied, because the moon is a created thing and Allah can do whatever He
wills with it, just as He will extinguish it and roll it up at the end
of its time." [Sharh an-Nawawi 'ala Muslim]
Ibn Katheer quoted the ahadeeth about the splitting of the moon in his Tafseer of Soorat al-Qamar. There are a great many saheeh ahadeeth to this effect. [Tafseer Ibn Katheer] Muslim also quoted them in his saheeh, including the hadith of Anas (ra) which says that the people of Makkah asked the Messenger of Allah (saws) to show them a sign, so he showed them the splitting of the moon, twice. [Muslim, Baab Inshiqaaq al-Qamr] 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ood (ra) narrated: "The moon was split into two halves at the time of the Messenger of Allah (saws). The Messenger of Allah (saws) said, "Bear witness, bear witness!" According to another report from 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ood, (ra), he said, "Whilst we were with the Messenger of Allah (saws) in Mina, the moon was split into two halves, one half behind the mountain and the other in front of it. The Messenger of Allah (saws) said to us, "Bear witness!"" [Ibid]
Ibn Katheer quoted the ahadeeth about the splitting of the moon in his Tafseer of Soorat al-Qamar. There are a great many saheeh ahadeeth to this effect. [Tafseer Ibn Katheer] Muslim also quoted them in his saheeh, including the hadith of Anas (ra) which says that the people of Makkah asked the Messenger of Allah (saws) to show them a sign, so he showed them the splitting of the moon, twice. [Muslim, Baab Inshiqaaq al-Qamr] 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ood (ra) narrated: "The moon was split into two halves at the time of the Messenger of Allah (saws). The Messenger of Allah (saws) said, "Bear witness, bear witness!" According to another report from 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ood, (ra), he said, "Whilst we were with the Messenger of Allah (saws) in Mina, the moon was split into two halves, one half behind the mountain and the other in front of it. The Messenger of Allah (saws) said to us, "Bear witness!"" [Ibid]
3 - The Fire in Hijaaz Illuminated the Necks of the Camels in Busra
It is narrated from Abu Hurayrah (ra) that the Messenger of Allah (saws) said:
"The Hour will not come until fire comes out of the land of Hijaaz and will illuminate the necks of the camels in Busra." [Bukhari and Muslim]
The great sign which was foretold by the most truthful one did indeed come to pass in the manner in which the Messenger of Allah (saws) had described it. It emerged in 654 AH.
The great scholar and historian Ibn Katheer spoke of the events of 654 AH and wrote of this fire. He said:
In this year appeared the fire from the land of al-Hijaaz which illuminated the necks of the camels in Busra, as was spoken of in the hadith whose authenticity is agreed upon. The leading scholar Al-Haafiz Shihaab ad-Deen Abu Shaamah al-Maqdisi spoke about it at length in his book adh-Dhayl wa Sharhuhu. He quoted from many letters which were sent to Damascus from Al-Hijaaz describing this fire which was seen by many eye-witnesses, and how it emerged and what it looked like. Abu Shaamah's conclusion was: Letters came to Damascus from Madinah, may the best of blessings and peace be upon its inhabitants, saying that a fire had emerged there on the fifth day of Jumaada al-Aakhir of this year. The letters were written on the fifth of Rajab, and the fire was still raging, and these letters reached us on the tenth of Sha'baan. Then he said:
"In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. There arrived in Damascus on the first day of Sha'baan, 654 AH, letters from the city of the Messenger of Allah (saws) (Madinah), in which were descriptions of a mighty event which had happened there, in fulfilment of the hadith of Abu Hurayrah (ra) narrated in as-Saheehayn (Bukhari and Muslim). [Abu Hurayrah (ra)] related: 'The Messenger of Allah (saws) said:"The Hour will not come until fire comes out of the land of Hijaaz which will illuminate the necks of the camels in Busra."
I was informed by one of the trustworthy witnesses that he had written letters in Taymaa' by the light (of that fire). He said, 'We were in our houses on those nights, and it was as if there was a lamp in each one of our houses. It did not have much heat even though it was so great. Indeed it was one of the signs of Allah.'"
Abu Shaamah said: This is a quotation from a letter which we received: "On the night of Wednesday, the third of Jumaada al-Aakhirah, 654 AH, there was a huge explosion in the city of the Prophet (Madeenah), then there was a mighty earthquake which shook the ground, the walls, the roofs, the wood and the doors, hour after hour until Friday the fifth of the same month. Then there appeared an immense fire in the harrah close to Qurayzah, which we could see from our houses inside the city as if it were next to us. It was a huge fire, brighter than three beacons. Rivers of fire were flowing to the valley of Shazaa like streams. It blocked the stream of Shazaa which is no longer flowing. By Allah, a group of us went out to look at it, and the mountain was flowing with fire. The route of "Al-Haajj al- 'Iraaqi (the 'Iraqi pilgrims) was blocked, and the flow continued until it reached the harrah, then it stopped, after we had feared that it would come to us, and it flowed back towards the east.
From the midst of it there came mountains of fire which devoured stones, and it was similar to what Allah described in His Book,
“Verily! It (Hell) throws sparks (huge) as Al-Qasr (a fort or a Qasr (huge log of wood)), as if they were Jimaalatun Sufr (yellow camels or bundles of ropes).” [77:32-33]
The earth was devoured, and I wrote this letter on the fifth day of Rajah in the year 654 AH. The fire is increasing and not decreasing.
It went back to the harrahs in Qurayzah. The area from the route of Al-Haajj al- 'Iraaqi (the 'Iraqi pilgrims) to the harrah is all in flames which we can see at night from Madinah, as if they are the torches carried by pilgrims. As to the source of this great fire, it is a mountain of red fire. The source from which the fires are flowing at Qurayzah is growing stronger and people do not know what is going to happen after that. May Allah make our end good. I cannot describe this fire."
On Friday the fifth of the month, the harrah exploded with a great fire as big as the Mosque of the Prophet (saws).
We watched it and it was throwing forth sparks (huge) as Al-Qasr [a
fort or a Qasr (huge log of wood)], as Allah says. This was in a place
called Ajeeleen. There flowed forth from this fire a river which was
four parasangs (i.e., 12 miles) long and four miles wide, and as deep as
the height of a man and a half. It flows over the face of the earth and
there come forth from it hills and small mountains. It flows over the
face of the earth and it is molten rock, until it becomes like molten
copper. When it solidifies it becomes black, but before it solidifies
its colour is red. Because of this fire, many people have given up their
sins and have drawn closer to Allah by acts of worship, and the
governor of Madeenah has returned a lot of things which were seized
wrongfully from people."
Shaykh Shihaab ad-Deen Abu Shaamah said: "From the letter of Shams ad-Deen ibn Sinaan ibn 'Abdul-Wahhaab ibn Numaylah al-Husayni, the Qaadi of Madinah, to some of his companions: on the night of Wednesday the third of Jumaada al-Aakhirah, during the last third of the night there was a great earthquake in Madinah which scared us. During that night and the following day the earth shook ten times. By Allah, it shook on one occasion when we were around the tomb of the Messenger of Allah (saws), and it shook the min bar so hard that we were afraid (that it might fall), because we could hear the sound of the iron inside it. The lamps of the Noble Sanctuary (Al-Haram ash-Shareef) shook. The earthquake lasted until mid-morning on Friday, and it rumbled like the sound of mighty thunder. Then on Friday there emerged in Ra's Ajeeleen, on the way to the harrah, a great fire as big a large city, but we were not aware of it until Saturday night. We were frightened of it and we were utterly terrified. I went to the governor and spoke with him. I said, 'The torment has encompassed us, return to Allah!' So he freed all his slaves and restored some people's wealth to them. When he had done that, I said to him, 'Come with us now to the Prophet (saws).' So he came with us, and we spent Saturday night there. All the people were there, even the women and children. No one was left in An-Nakheel or in Madinah, but they were with the Prophet (saws) (i.e., at his grave). Then there flowed forth from it a river of fire, which flowed into the valley of Ajeeleen and blocked the road. Then it went towards Bahrat al-Haajj, and it became a sea of fire on top of which were coals, flowing until it blocked that valley and the valley of al-Shazaa. No water flowed in that valley again, because it was blocked to the height of two men and a third.
By Allah, my brother, our life is now very difficult, and all the people of Madinah have repented. You can no longer hear the sound of any rabaab (a stringed instrument) or daff (drum) in the city, or anyone drinking. The fire continued to flow until it blocked part of Tareeq al-Haajj and Bahrat al-Haajj, and some of it started to flow in the valley towards us, and we were scared that it would reach us. The people gathered and went to the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) (to his grave), and they all repented there on Friday night. The flame of the lava that was flowing near us was extinguished by the decree of Allah, but up until now it has not lessened but it is still throwing forth stones the size of camels. It is rumbling and does not let us sleep or eat or drink. I cannot describe to you how frightening it is or the terrors that it contains.
Shaykh Shihaab ad-Deen Abu Shaamah said: "From the letter of Shams ad-Deen ibn Sinaan ibn 'Abdul-Wahhaab ibn Numaylah al-Husayni, the Qaadi of Madinah, to some of his companions: on the night of Wednesday the third of Jumaada al-Aakhirah, during the last third of the night there was a great earthquake in Madinah which scared us. During that night and the following day the earth shook ten times. By Allah, it shook on one occasion when we were around the tomb of the Messenger of Allah (saws), and it shook the min bar so hard that we were afraid (that it might fall), because we could hear the sound of the iron inside it. The lamps of the Noble Sanctuary (Al-Haram ash-Shareef) shook. The earthquake lasted until mid-morning on Friday, and it rumbled like the sound of mighty thunder. Then on Friday there emerged in Ra's Ajeeleen, on the way to the harrah, a great fire as big a large city, but we were not aware of it until Saturday night. We were frightened of it and we were utterly terrified. I went to the governor and spoke with him. I said, 'The torment has encompassed us, return to Allah!' So he freed all his slaves and restored some people's wealth to them. When he had done that, I said to him, 'Come with us now to the Prophet (saws).' So he came with us, and we spent Saturday night there. All the people were there, even the women and children. No one was left in An-Nakheel or in Madinah, but they were with the Prophet (saws) (i.e., at his grave). Then there flowed forth from it a river of fire, which flowed into the valley of Ajeeleen and blocked the road. Then it went towards Bahrat al-Haajj, and it became a sea of fire on top of which were coals, flowing until it blocked that valley and the valley of al-Shazaa. No water flowed in that valley again, because it was blocked to the height of two men and a third.
By Allah, my brother, our life is now very difficult, and all the people of Madinah have repented. You can no longer hear the sound of any rabaab (a stringed instrument) or daff (drum) in the city, or anyone drinking. The fire continued to flow until it blocked part of Tareeq al-Haajj and Bahrat al-Haajj, and some of it started to flow in the valley towards us, and we were scared that it would reach us. The people gathered and went to the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) (to his grave), and they all repented there on Friday night. The flame of the lava that was flowing near us was extinguished by the decree of Allah, but up until now it has not lessened but it is still throwing forth stones the size of camels. It is rumbling and does not let us sleep or eat or drink. I cannot describe to you how frightening it is or the terrors that it contains.
Abu Shaamah said: In Damascus we saw the effects of that eclipse in the weakness of its light shining on the walls. We were wondering what that was, until news reached us of this fire.
I (Ibn Katheer) say: Abu Shaamah had recorded that before the letters came with news of this fire. He said: On that night, Monday the sixteenth of Jumaada al-Aakhirah, the moon was eclipsed during the first part of the night. It was a deep red, then it cleared. The sun was also eclipsed, and in the morning it turned red at the time of rising and setting. It stayed like that for several days, changing its colour and lacking in light. And Allah is Able to do all things. Then he said: thus was made clear what ash-Shaafa'i had mentioned when he discussed an eclipse and 'Eid occurring at the same time, which the astronomers thought very unlikely.
Then Abu Shaamah said: "From another letter from one of Banu al-Faashaani in Madinah, who says: In Jumaada al-Aakhirah some people from 'Iraq came to us and told us that there had been a great flood in Baghdad. The water had reached the tops of the walls of Baghdad, and a large part of the city was flooded. The water entered the middle of the city, the Daar al-Khilaafah (the capital administration) and the palace of the wazeer (minister) and three hundred and eighty houses were flooded. The treasury of the khalifah was also flooded, and a large part of his armoury had been destroyed. The people were very close to being destroyed. Boats had started to enter the middle of the city, passing through the streets of Baghdad.
As for us, a major event has occurred among us. On the night of Wednesday, the third of Jumaada al-Akhirah, and for two days beforehand, the people started to hear a sound like the sound of thunder, which frightened all the people. They awoke from their sleep and started to pray to Allah for forgiveness. They hastened to the mosque and prayed there, and it kept shaking with them hour after hour, until the morning. That continued all day on Wednesday, and on Thursday night and Friday night. On Friday the earth started to shake so violently that the minarets of the mosque were shaking, and the roof of the mosque was heard creaking loudly. The people were scared because of their sins. The earthquake subsided on Friday morning, before noon.
Then there appeared in the harrah behind Qurayzah on the road of al-Sawariqiyah a huge fire which burst forth from the earth and flowed from morning until noon. The people were utterly terrified of it. Then there appeared smoke which billowed up into the sky until it looked like white clouds, and it remained there until just before sunset on Friday. Then there appeared fire with tongues reaching up the sky, red and huge like fortresses. The people fled to the mosque of the Prophet (saws) and to his tomb, where they gathered around the tomb, bared their heads and confessed their sins. They beseeched Allah and sought His help by virtue of His Prophet (saws). The people came to the mosque from every comer of the city, and the women and children came out of their houses. They all gathered and prayed sincerely to Allah. The redness of the fire covered the entire sky, as if the people were in the light of the moon, and the sky remained (the colour of) a blood clot. The people were certain that they would be destroyed and punished. They spent that whole night praying, reading Qur'an, bowing and prostrating, praying to Allah, repenting from their sins and seeking Allah's forgiveness. The fire stayed where it was then it started to decrease in intensity and size.
The Faqih and the Qaadi went to the governor to advise him, so he abolished the excise duties and freed all his slaves, and he restored to us and to others all the property that he had taken. That fire remained as it was, with its burning flames. It was as high as a mountain and as broad as a city, and it shot forth rocks into the sky which flew up then plummeted down. It threw forth huge mountains of fire (with a sound like) thunder. It remained like that for several days, then it started flowing towards the valley of Ajeleen, then along that valley to ash-Shaza, until it reached Bahrat al-Haajj. It carried rocks along with it, until it almost approached Harrat al-'Areed. Then it stopped for a few days, then it started to throw forth rocks behind it and in front of it. Then it formed two mountains, and a "tongue" came forth from between the two mountains for several days. Then it became large and is still burning brightly up till now, burning more brightly than ever. Every day it makes a loud noise from the end of the night until mid-morning. There are many strange and wondrous things about it that I cannot describe fully to you. It is sufficient to tell you that the sun and the moon look as if they are eclipsed until now. This letter was written a month ago, and it is still where it was, neither advancing nor retreating."
The
hadith which speaks of this fire is narrated in as-Saheehayn (Bukhari
and Muslim) via az-Zuhri from Sa'eed ibn al-Musaayib from Abu Hurayrah,
who said that the Messenger of Allah (saws) said: "The Hour will not come until fire comes out of the land of Hijaaz which will illuminate the necks of the camels in Busra." [This version is narrated by Bukhari]
This happened in this year - 654 AH - as we have mentioned. The chief Qaadi, Sadr ad-Deen 'Ali ibn Abil-Qaasim at-Tameemi al-Hanafi, the judge of Damascus, told me, whilst we were discussing this hadith and this fire which happened in this year, "I heard a Bedouin telling my father in Busra about those nights, when they saw the necks of their camels in the light of that fire which had appeared in the land of al-Hijaaz."
He was born in 642 AH, and his father was a teacher of the Hanafi School of fiqh in Busra, as was his grandfather. He also taught there, then he moved to Damascus and taught in as-Saadiriyyah and al-Ma'damiyyah, then he was appointed as chief Qaadi of the Hanafi School, and he was known for issuing good judgements and rulings. When this fire happened in the Hijaaz, he was twelve years old, and a boy of that age could listen and understand and remember precisely what was said by the Bedouin when he told his father about those nights. May the blessings and peace of Allah be upon our Prophet Muhammad and all his family and Companions.
Some of the poets composed verses about the fire in the Hijaaz and the floods in Baghdad, for example:
"Glory be to the One Whose will has come to pass in His creation in the most complete and precise manner, Baghdad has been flooded with water whilst the land of the Hlijaaz has been burnt with fire."
Abu Shaamah said: the correct thing to say is:
"In one year He flooded Iraq and burnt the land of the Hijaaz with fire."
Ibn as-Saa'i said in his history of the year 654 AH: on Friday the eighteenth of Rajab - i.e. of this year - I was sitting with the wazeer (minister) when he received a letter from the city of the Messenger (saws) (Madeenah), which was brought by a traveller known by the name of Qeemaaz al-'Alawi al-Hasani al-Madani. He gave the letter to him and he read it. The letter said that the city of the Messenger (saws) had been shaken by an earthquake on Tuesday the second of Jumaada al-Akhirah; the grave of the Prophet (saws) had been shaken and the sound of the iron in it had been heard, and the chains had shaken. Fire had appeared at a distance of four parasangs (12 miles) from Madeenah, and it was throwing forth liquid like the tops of mountains. This had lasted for fifteen days.
This traveller said: I came and it had not stopped yet. It was still as it was. I asked him, in which direction is it throwing (that liquid)? He said, towards the east. So I walked past it with a group of people from Yemen. We threw a palm-leaf into it and it did not bum, but the fire was burning rocks and melting them. This Qeemaaz took out a piece of the burned rock and it was like coal in its colour and light weight.
This happened in this year - 654 AH - as we have mentioned. The chief Qaadi, Sadr ad-Deen 'Ali ibn Abil-Qaasim at-Tameemi al-Hanafi, the judge of Damascus, told me, whilst we were discussing this hadith and this fire which happened in this year, "I heard a Bedouin telling my father in Busra about those nights, when they saw the necks of their camels in the light of that fire which had appeared in the land of al-Hijaaz."
He was born in 642 AH, and his father was a teacher of the Hanafi School of fiqh in Busra, as was his grandfather. He also taught there, then he moved to Damascus and taught in as-Saadiriyyah and al-Ma'damiyyah, then he was appointed as chief Qaadi of the Hanafi School, and he was known for issuing good judgements and rulings. When this fire happened in the Hijaaz, he was twelve years old, and a boy of that age could listen and understand and remember precisely what was said by the Bedouin when he told his father about those nights. May the blessings and peace of Allah be upon our Prophet Muhammad and all his family and Companions.
Some of the poets composed verses about the fire in the Hijaaz and the floods in Baghdad, for example:
"Glory be to the One Whose will has come to pass in His creation in the most complete and precise manner, Baghdad has been flooded with water whilst the land of the Hlijaaz has been burnt with fire."
Abu Shaamah said: the correct thing to say is:
"In one year He flooded Iraq and burnt the land of the Hijaaz with fire."
Ibn as-Saa'i said in his history of the year 654 AH: on Friday the eighteenth of Rajab - i.e. of this year - I was sitting with the wazeer (minister) when he received a letter from the city of the Messenger (saws) (Madeenah), which was brought by a traveller known by the name of Qeemaaz al-'Alawi al-Hasani al-Madani. He gave the letter to him and he read it. The letter said that the city of the Messenger (saws) had been shaken by an earthquake on Tuesday the second of Jumaada al-Akhirah; the grave of the Prophet (saws) had been shaken and the sound of the iron in it had been heard, and the chains had shaken. Fire had appeared at a distance of four parasangs (12 miles) from Madeenah, and it was throwing forth liquid like the tops of mountains. This had lasted for fifteen days.
This traveller said: I came and it had not stopped yet. It was still as it was. I asked him, in which direction is it throwing (that liquid)? He said, towards the east. So I walked past it with a group of people from Yemen. We threw a palm-leaf into it and it did not bum, but the fire was burning rocks and melting them. This Qeemaaz took out a piece of the burned rock and it was like coal in its colour and light weight.
Ibn as-Saa'i said: I read in the handwriting of the trustworthy man Mahmood ibn Yoosuf al-Am'aani, the Shaykh of the sanctuary of Madeenah, may the best of blessings and peace be upon its inhabitants, that he said: This fire which has appeared in the Hijaaz is a mighty sign, a sound indication that the Hour is at hand. The blessed one is the one who seizes the opportunity before death comes and hastens to reform himself and "make his peace" with Allah before death comes. This fire is in a land where there are no trees or vegetation, and parts of it consume other parts if it finds nothing else to consume. It bums stones and melts them so that they become like wet mud, then when the air comes into contact with them they become like the dross of iron which comes forth from the bellows. May Allah make it a lesson for the Muslims and a mercy to the world, by the virtue of Muhammad and his pure family.
This is the end of the quotation from Ibn Katheer. [Al-Bidaayah wan-Nihaayah, 13/187-192]
Among the great scholars who were alive at the time when this fire appeared was Imam an-Nawawi. He mentioned it in his commentary on Muslim, where he says: "In our time a fire appeared in Madinah, in 654 AH. It was an immense fire on the eastern side of Madinah, behind the harrah. Knowledge of its emergence is widely known (mutawaatir) throughout ash-Shaam (Greater Syria - present day Syria, Jordan, Palestine) and all the lands, and people of Madinah who witnessed it have told me about it." [Sharh an-Nawawi 'ala Muslim, 18/28]
It is clear from the descriptions given by witnesses who saw this fire that it was a huge volcano, accompanied by great earthquakes. The point here is that this fire appeared as described by the one who told us about it, the most truthful one (saws).
4 - The Jizyah and Kharaaj will no Longer be Collected
The jizyah which was paid by Ahl adh-Dhimmah (Jews and Christians living under Islamic rule) to the Muslim state, and the khiraaj which was paid by those who made use of the lands which had been conquered by the Muslim state, were among the most important sources of income for the Bayt al-Maal (treasury) of the Muslims. The Messenger of Allah (saws) told us that this would come to a halt, and that because of this the Muslims would lose one of their main sources of income. In Muslim it is narrated that Abu Hurayrah (ra) said: "The Messenger of Allah (saws) said:
“Iraq
will withhold its dirhams and qafeez, Syria will withhold its madd and
dinars, and Egypt will withhold its irdab and dinars. You will go back
to where you started, you will go back to where you started. ”" The
flesh and blood of Abu Hurayrah testified to that. [Muslim, Kitaab al-Fitan, 412220, hadith no. 2896]
The qafeez, madd and irdab were weights and measures used by the people of that time in those lands. Some of them are known even nowadays. The dirham and dinar were the names of the currencies known at that time. These lands will withhold the things mentioned in the hadith because they were taken over by the kuffaar at various times. First the Romans, then the Tartars, took over a large portion of the Muslims' lands. In our own times the kuffaar have taken over the Muslims' lands, abolished the khilaafah and done away with the rule of Islamic Shari'ah.
An-Nawawi said in his commentary on this hadith: "The most correct meaning is that the Persians and Romans will take over the land at the end of time, and they will deprive the Muslims of this source of income. A few pages later, Muslim narrated this from Jaabir who said: 'Soon you will not receive any qafeez or dirham.' We said, 'Where from?' He said, 'From the Persians, who will withhold it.' And he also mentioned that the Romans would prevent that in Syria too. This is happening now in 'Iraq ... It is said that it is because they will turn apostate at the end of time, so they will withhold their zakaah etc. Or it was said that the kuffaar who are obliged to pay jizyah will become strong enough at the end of time, so they will withhold the jizyah and khiraaj etc. that they used to pay." [Sharh an-Nawawi 'ala Muslim, 18/20]
All of the reasons which an-Nawawi gave to explain why this income would be withheld from the Islamic state have happened, in addition to the collapse of the Islamic state whose economy was based on Shari'ah. And it is to Allah that we complain.
The qafeez, madd and irdab were weights and measures used by the people of that time in those lands. Some of them are known even nowadays. The dirham and dinar were the names of the currencies known at that time. These lands will withhold the things mentioned in the hadith because they were taken over by the kuffaar at various times. First the Romans, then the Tartars, took over a large portion of the Muslims' lands. In our own times the kuffaar have taken over the Muslims' lands, abolished the khilaafah and done away with the rule of Islamic Shari'ah.
An-Nawawi said in his commentary on this hadith: "The most correct meaning is that the Persians and Romans will take over the land at the end of time, and they will deprive the Muslims of this source of income. A few pages later, Muslim narrated this from Jaabir who said: 'Soon you will not receive any qafeez or dirham.' We said, 'Where from?' He said, 'From the Persians, who will withhold it.' And he also mentioned that the Romans would prevent that in Syria too. This is happening now in 'Iraq ... It is said that it is because they will turn apostate at the end of time, so they will withhold their zakaah etc. Or it was said that the kuffaar who are obliged to pay jizyah will become strong enough at the end of time, so they will withhold the jizyah and khiraaj etc. that they used to pay." [Sharh an-Nawawi 'ala Muslim, 18/20]
All of the reasons which an-Nawawi gave to explain why this income would be withheld from the Islamic state have happened, in addition to the collapse of the Islamic state whose economy was based on Shari'ah. And it is to Allah that we complain.
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