Abu Bakra reported God's messenger as saying, "Some of my people will alight in low-lying ground which they will call al-Basra beside a river called the Tigris over which there is a bridge. Its people will be numerous and it will be one of the capital cities of the Muslims. At the end of time the descendants of Qantura'[*] will come with broad faces and small eyes and alight on the bank of the river. The town's inhabitants will then separate into three sections, one of which will follow cattle into the desert and perish, another of which will seek security for themselves and perish, but a third will put their children behind their backs and fight with the invaders, and they will be the martyrs." Abu Dawud transmitted it. * The common explanation by Arabic writers is that Qantura' was a slave girl of Abraham from whom the Turks were descended. (Cf. Genesis, 25:1, which says that Abraham took a wife named Keturah -- in Hebrew Qeturah.) Ibn al-Athir, an-Nihaya fi gharib al-hadith, 3:314, says the Turks and Chinese were descended from the offspring of Qanturs'. Lisan al-'Arab, 6:432, says her offspring were the Turks, and some say the negroes. Mirqat, 5:166 f., finds a difficulty because Abraham was a descendant of Shem and the Turks were descended from Japheth. It suggests that Qantura' was a descendant of Abraham who married a descendant of Japheth. Dr. J.A. Boyle of Manchester University has drawn my attention to an article in the Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies, 12:287, which quotes an Armenian historian, Grigor of Akner (1250-1335 A.D.), as saying that Kendura, a handmaiden of Abraham, bore Imran who became the ancestor of the Parthians.

Anas reported God's messenger as saying, "The people will establish cities, Anas, and one of them will be called al-Basra. If you should pass by it or enter it, avoid its salt-marshes, its river front, its palm trees, its market, and the gate of its commanders, and keep to its environs, for the earth will swallow some people up, pelting rain will fall and earthquakes will take place in it, and there will be people who will spend the night in it and become apes and swine in the morning." . . . transmitted it. (The name of the source is omitted in the text. The tradition is in Abu Dawud, Malahim, 10).

We went on pilgrimage and met a man who asked whether there was a town near us called al-Ubulla. On our replying that there was he asked if any of us would undertake to pray two or four rak'as on his behalf in the mosque of al- `Ashshar, stating that they were on behalf of Abu Huraira, for he had heard his friend Abul Qasim say, "On the day of resurrection God who is great and glorious will raise martyrs from the mosque of al-'Ashshar who will be the only ones to rise along with the martyrs of Badr." Abu Dawud transmitted it, saying this mosque is near the river.

`Abdallah b. Mas'ud reported God's messenger as saying, "The world will not pass away before the Arabs are ruled by a man of my family whose name will be the same as mine.' Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud transmitted it. In a version by the latter he said, "If only one day of this world remained God would lengthen that day till He raised up in it a man who belongs to me (or, to my family) whose name is the same as mine and whose fathers name is the same as my father's, who will fill the earth with equity and justice as it has been filled with oppression and tyranny." Aba Dawud transmitted it.

When we were with `Umar he asked which of us remembered the tradition of God's messenger about the fitna, and I replied that I remembered it just as he had uttered it. Telling me to relate it, and remarking that I was daring, he asked how he had spoken and I replied that I had heard God's messenger say, "A man's fitna concerns his family, his property, his person, his children and his neighbour for any shortcoming in which atonement made by fasting, prayer, sadaqah recommending what is reputable and reproving what is disreputable.[1] `Umar said that this was not what he meant, for he was thinking of the fitna which swells like the waves of the sea.[2] I asked the commander of the faithful what he had to do with it, for between him and it there was a closed door. He asked whether the door would be broken down or opened, and when I replied that it would be broken down, he said it would never likely be closed. Hudhaifa was asked if `Umar knew who the door was and he replied that he knew it as well as he knew that a night comes before tomorrow, adding that he had told him a tradition which included no misleading language. They were afraid to ask Hudhaifa who the door was, so they asked Masruq to ask him, and when he did so he replied that it was `Umar.3 A man who has these responsibilities may fall short of what is due from him, but can make atonement for his shortcoming. Contention which leads to strife and warfare. The point of the tradition is that the fitna would not occur in `Umar's lifetime, but that as he was to be assassinated there was no hope of peaceful conditions ever returning. The opening of the door indicates a natural death and the breaking down of the door a violent death. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Anas said the conquest of Constantinople would be associated with the coming of the last hour. Tirmidhi transmitted it, saying this is a gharib tradition.

Anas told that he heard God's messenger say, "Among the signs of the last hour will be the removal of knowledge, the abundance of ignorance, the prevalence of fornication, the prevalence of wine-drinking, the small number of men and the large number of women, so that fifty women will have one man to look after them." A version has "the small amount of knowledge and the presence of ignorance." (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Jabir b. Samura told that he heard the Prophet say, "Before the last hour there will be great liars, so beware of them." Muslim transmitted it.

Abu Huraira told that while the Prophet was talking a nomadic Arab came and asked when the last hour would come, to which he replied, "When the practice of honouring a trust is lost expect the last hour." He asked how it could be lost and he replied, "When rule is given to people who are unworthy of it, expect the last hour." Bukhari transmitted it.

He reported God's messenger as saying, "The last hour will not come before wealth is abundant and overflowing, before a man brings the zakat on his property and cannot find anyone to accept it from him, and before the land of the Arabs becomes meadows and rivers." In a version by him he said, "the dwellings reach to Ihab or Yihab[*]." *Either two places in the neighbourhood of Medina, or alternative names for the same place. Cf, Yaqut, Mu'jam, 1:408. Muslim transmitted it.

Jabir reported God's messenger as saying, "In the last days there will be a Caliph who will distribute wealth without reckoning it." In a version he said, "Among the last of my people there will be a Caliph who will pour out wealth without counting it." Muslim transmitted it.

Abu Huraira reported God's messenger as saying, "The Euphrates is soon to uncover a treasure of gold, but those who are present must not take any of it." (Bukhari and Muslim.)

He reported God's messenger as saying, "The last hour will not come before the Euphrates uncovers a mountain of gold for which people will fight, ninety-nine out of each hundred of whom will be killed; but every man among them will say that perhaps he will be the one who will escape." Muslim transmitted it.

He reported God's messenger as saying, "The earth will vomit oblong `pieces of its liver like columns of gold and silver, and the murderer will come and say it was for this he committed murder, the breaker of family ties will come and say it was for this he broke them, and the thief will come and say it was for this his hand was cut off. They will then leave it and not take any of it." Muslim transmitted it.

He reported God's messenger as saying, "By Him in whose hand my soul is, the world will not pass away before a man comes by a grave and rolls on it saying he wishes he were, in the place of the occupant of that grave, not for religious reasons, but because of tribulation." Muslim transmitted it.

He reported God's messenger as saying, "The last hour will not come before there issues from the land of the Hijaz a fire which will illuminate the necks of the camels in Busra." (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Anas reported God's messenger as saying, "The least of the signs of the last hour will be a fire which will gather mankind from the East to the West." Bukhari transmitted it.

Anas reported God's messenger as saying, "The last hour will not come before time contracts, a year being like a month, a month like a week, a week like a day, a day like an hour, and an hour like the kindling of a fire." Tirmidhi transmitted it.

God's messenger sent us on foot to get spoil, but we returned without getting any. When he saw the signs of distress on our faces, he stood up among us and said, "0 God, do not put them under my care, for I would be too weak to care for them; do not put them in care of themselves, for they would be incapable of that; and do not put them in the care of men, for they would choose the best things for themselves." He then placed his hand on my head and said, "Ibn Hawala, when you see the Caliphate has settled in the holy land, earthquakes, sorrows and serious matters will have drawn near, and on that day the last hour will be nearer to mankind than this hand of mine is to your head." . . .transmitted it[*]. *The name of the source is omitted in the text. The tradition is in Ahmad b. Hanbal, Musnad (Cairo, 1313), vol. 5 p. 288, and Abu Dawud, Jihad, 35.

Abu Huraira reported God's messenger as saying, ``When the booty is taken in turn,[*] property given in trust is treated as spoil, zakat is looked on as a fine, learning is acquired for other than a religious purpose, a man obeys his wife and is unfilial towards his mother, brings his friend near and drives his father far off, voices are raised in the mosques, the most wicked member of a tribe becomes its ruler, the most worthless member of a people becomes its leader, a man is honoured through fear of the evil he may do, singing-girls and stringed instruments make their appearance, wines are drunk, and the last members of this people curse the first ones, look at that time for a violent wind, an earthquake, being swallowed Up by the earth, metamorphosis, pelting rain, and signs following one another like bits of a necklace falling one after the other when its string is cut." *Cf. Quran, 59:7 Tirmidhi transmitted it.

"Ali reported God's messenger as saying, "When my people do fifteen things trial will alight on them." He enumerated these things, but did not mention that learning would be acquired for other than a religious purpose. He said, "shows kindness to his friend and repulses his father." He also said, "wine is drunk and silk is worn." Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Umm Salama told that she heard God's messenger say, "The Mahdi will be of my family, of the descendants of Fatima." Aba Dawud transmitted it.

Abu Sa'id al-Khudri reported God's messenger as saying, "The Mahdi will be of my stock and will have a broad forehead and a prominent nose. He will fill the earth with equity and justice as it was filled with oppression and tyranny, and will rule for seven years." Abu Dawud transmitted it.

He reported the Prophet as saying in the course of the story about the Mahdi that a man will come to him and say, "Give me, give me, Mahdi," and he will pour into His garment as much as he is able to carry. Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Umm Salama reported the Prophet as saying, "Disagreement will occur at the death of a Caliph and a man of the people of Medina will come forth flying to Mecca. Some of the people of Mecca will come to him, bring him out against his will, and swear allegiance to him between the Corner[1] and the Maqam.[2] An expeditionary force will then be sent against him from Syria, but will be swallowed up in the desert between Mecca and Medina, and when the people see that, the high saints[3] of Syria and the best people of al-`Iraq will come to him and swear allegiance to him. Then will arise a man of Quraish whose maternal uncles belong to Kalb and send against them an expeditionary force which will be overcome by them, and that is the expeditionary force of Kalb. He will then govern the people by the sunnah of their Prophet and establish Islam in the earth. He[4] will remain seven years, then die, and the Muslims will pray over him." 1. The corner of the Ka'ba containing the black stone. 2. i.e., Maqam Ibrahim. 3. The word is abdāl. These are righteous people whose number never diminishes, as each one is replaced when he dies. Abdal is the plural of badal which ordinarily means a substitute. I have used a free translation because a literal translation of the word would not convey any conception of the meaning. 4. i.e., the Mahdi. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Abu Sa'id told that God's messenger mentioned a trial which would afflict this people so that a man would find no place of refuge to which he could go from oppression, saying, "God will then send a man of my stock and family by whom He will fill the earth with equity and justice as it had been filled with oppression and tyranny. Those who dwell in heaven and those who dwell on earth will be pleased with him. The sky will not cease to give any of its rain, but will pour it forth copiously and the earth will not cease to produce any of its plants, but will bring them forth so that the living will wish the dead were alive in that period of seven, eight, or nine years." Al-Hakim transmitted it.

`Ali reported God's messenger as saying, "A man called al-Harith, a farmer, will come forth from Ma Wara' an-Nahr whose army will be led by a man called Mansur who will establish (or, consolidate) things for Muhammad's family as Quraish consolidated them for God's messenger. Every believer must help him." Or he said, "respond to his summons." Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Abu Sa'id al-Khudri reported God's messenger as saying, "By Him in whose hand my soul is, the last hour will not come before wild beasts speak to men, the end of a man's whip and the thong of his sandal speak to him, and his thigh informs him what his family have done since he left them." Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Abu Qatada reported God's messenger as saying, "The signs will come after the end of the second century.'' Ibn Majah transmitted it.

Thauban reported God's messenger as saying, "When you see the black standards have come from the direction of Khurasan go to them, for God's khalifa the Mahdi will be among them." Ahmad and Baihaqi, in Dala'il an-nubuwa, transmitted it.

Abu Ishaq told that `Ali looked at his son al-Hasan and said, "This son of mine is a sayyid as God's messenger named him, and from his loins will come forth a man who will be called by your Prophet's name and resemble him in nature but not in appearance." He then mentioned the story about his filling the earth with justice. Abu Dawud transmitted it, but did not mention the story.

Jabir b. `Abdallah told that no locusts were seen in one of the years of `Umar's Caliphate, the year in which he died, and becoming very anxious on this account he sent a rider to the Yemen, another to `Iraq and another to Syria to enquire whether any locusts had been seen. The rider who came from the Yemen brought him a handful and scattered it in front of him, and when `Umar saw it, he said, "God is most great," and told that he had heard God's messenger say, "God who is great and glorious created a thousand species, six hundred in the sea and four hundred on the land. The first species to perish will be the locusts, and when they perish the species will follow one another like beads on a string." Baihaqi transmitted it in Shu'ab al-iman

Hudhaifa b. Asid al-Ghifari told that the Prophet once came on them when they were discussing and asked the subject of their discussion. On being told that they were discussing the last hour he said, "It will not come till you have seen ten signs before it." He then mentioned the smoke,[1] the dajjal, the beast,[2] the rising of the sun in its place of setting, the descent of Jesus, son of Mary, Gog and, Magog,[3] three subsidences, one in the East, one in the West, and one in Arabia, at the end of which a fire will issue from the Yemen and drive mankind to their place of assembly. A version says that a fire will issue from the lowest part of Aden and drive mankind to the place of assembly. A version has about the tenth [sign] "a wind will cast mankind into the sea." Cf. Quran, 44:10. Cf. Quran, 27:82. Cf. Quran, 18:94; 21:96. Muslim transmitted it.

the smoke, the dajjal, the beast of the earth, the rising of the sun in its place of setting, the trial which will affect all mankind[*], and the one which applies more particularly to one of you." *The Arabic is amr al-'amma which I prefer to explain as in the translation above. It could mean the rule in the hands of the common people. Muslim transmitted it.

`Abdallah b. `Amr told that he heard God's messenger say, "The first of the signs to appear will be the rising of the sun in its place of setting and the coming forth of the beast against mankind in the forenoon. Whichever of them comes first will soon be followed by the other." Muslim transmitted it.

the rising of the sun in its place of setting, the dajjal, and the beast of the earth." Muslim transmitted it.

Abu Dharr told that at sunset God's messenger asked him if he knew where the sun went and that when he replied that God and His messenger knew best he said, "It goes and prostrates itself under the Throne, then asks permission to depart and this is granted; but it will soon prostrate itself and that will not be accepted from it, and will ask permission to depart and that will not be granted. It will be told to go back the way it came, and it will rise in its place of setting." That is the meaning of the words of Him who is exalted, "The sun runs to a determined limit[*]." He said that its determined limit is under the Throne. *Quran, 36:38 (Bukhari and Muslim.)

`Imran b. Husain told that he heard God's messenger say, "Between the creation of Adam and the coming of the last hour there is no more serious matter than the dajjal." Muslim transmitted it.

`Abdallah[*] reported God's messenger as saying, "God is not hidden from you, God most high is not one-eyed, but the antichrist is blind in the right eye, his eye looking like a floating grape." *i.e., Ibn Mas'ud (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Anas reported God's messenger as saying, "There is no prophet who has not warned his people about the one-eyed liar. I tell you that he is one-eyed, but your Lord is not one-eyed. On his forehead are the letters k, f, r." * *Meaning kufr (infidelity) to which he summons people. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Huraira reported God's messenger as saying, "Let me tell you something about the dajjal which no prophet has told his people. He is one-eyed, and will bring with him something like paradise and hell, but what he calls paradise will be hell. I warn you as Noah warned his people about him." (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Hudhaifa reported the Prophet as saying, "The dajjal will come forth having with him water and fire, and what mankind see as water will be fire which burns and what they see as fire will be cold, sweet water. Any of you who live till that time must fall into what they see as fire, for it is sweet, fresh water." (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Muslim added, "The dajjal will have an eye obliterated over which there will be a coarse film, and `Infidel'[*] will be written on his forehead. Every Muslim who can write and those who cannot will read it." He reported God's messenger as saying, "The dajjal is blind in the left eye and has a great quantity, of hair. He will have his paradise and his hell, but his hell will be paradise and his paradise hell." *kafir The word is written in full in the text. In the tradition of Anas above the alif indicating the long vowel is not written. Muslim transmitted it.

An-Nawwas b. Sam`a.n told that God's messenger mentioned the dajjal saying, "If he comes forth while I am among you I shall be the one who will dispute with him on your behalf, but if he comes forth when I am not among you a man must dispute on his own behalf, and God will take my place in looking after every Muslim. He will be a youth with curly hair and a floating eye whom I might compare to `Abd al- `Uzza b. Qatan. Those of you who live till his time should recite over him the opening verses of sura al-Kahf[1] (a version having `should recite over him the opening verses of sura al-Kahf, for they are your protection from his trial'). He will come forth on a road between Syria and al- `Iraq and do mischief right and left. Stand firm, servants of God." God's messenger was asked how long he would remain in the earth and replied, "Forty days, one like a year, one like a month, one like a week, and the rest of his days like yours." God's messenger was then asked if one day's prayer would suffice them in that day which would be like a year and replied, "No, you must make an estimate of its extent." He was asked how quickly he would go in the earth and replied, "Like rain driven along by the wind. He will come to people and summon them and they will believe in him. He will then give command to the sky and it will give rain and to the earth and it will produce crops. Then in the evening their pasturing animals will come to them with their humps as high as possible; their udders full of milk, and their flanks distended. He will then come to people and summon them, but they will reject what he says, so he will leave them. In the morning they will be destitute, possessing none of their property. He will pass the waste land and tell it to bring forth its treasures, and its treasures will follow him like swarms of bees. He will then summon a man in the prime of youth, strike him with a sword and cut him in two like a shot at a target, after which he will call him and he will come forward laughing with his face shining. But at that very moment God will send the Messiah son of Mary who will descend at the white minaret in the east of Damascus wearing two garments dyed with saffron and placing his hands on the wings of two angels. When he lowers his head, it will drip and when he raises it beads like pearls will scatter from it. Every infidel who feels the odour of his breath will die, and his breath will reach as far as he can see. He will then seek him till ...

Abu Sa'id al-Khudri reported God's messenger as saying, "When the dajjal comes forth one of the believers will go towards him, and the armed men, those of the dajjal, will meet him and ask him where he is making for. He will reply that he is making for this man who has come forth, whereupon they will ask him whether he does not believe in their lord, and when he replies, `There is nothing hidden about our Lord,' they will say, `Kill him.' But they will ask one another whether their lord has not forbidden them to kill anyone without his knowledge, and so they will take him to the dajjal; and when the believer sees him, he will say, `0 people, this is the dajjal whom God's messenger mentioned.' The dajjal will then order that he be stretched out, saying, `Take him and stretch him out.' After he has been given many blows on his back and stomach, he will ask him if he does not believe in him, but he will reply that he is the false Messiah. He will then order him to be sawn with a saw from the parting of his hair to between his legs, after which the dajjal will walk between the two pieces and tell him to get up. When he stands up he will ask him if he believes in him, to which he will reply that he has simply received more insight into his true nature, adding, `0 people, no one will be treated thus after me.' The dajjal will then seize him to cut his throat, but the space between bis neck and his collar-bone will be turned into copper and he will find no way by which he can kill him, so he will take him by the hands and feet and throw him into the air, and the people will think he has thrown him into hell, but he will simply have been thrown into paradise." God's messenger said, "This will be the one who suffers the severest martyrdom in the sight of the Lord of the universe." Muslim transmitted it.

Umm Sharik reported God's messenger as saying, "People will fly from the dajjal till they get to the mountains." She asked where the Arabs would be in that day, and he replied that they would be few. Muslim transmitted it.

Anas reported God's messenger as saying, "The dajjal will be followed by seventy thousand Jews of Isfahan wearing Persian shawls." Muslim transmitted it.

Abu Sa'id al-Khudri reported God's messenger as saying, "The dajjal will come but will not be allowed to enter the mountain passes of Medina, so he will alight in one of the salt tracts which are near Medina. A man who is the best (or, one of the best) of the people will go out to him, and will say he testifies that he is the dajjal the report of whom was given them by God's messenger. The dajjal will then ask the people to tell him whether, supposing he kills this man and brings him back to life, they will have any doubts about the matter, and when they reply that they will not he will kill him and afterwards bring him back to life. The man will then say, `I swear by God that I have had no clearer insight into your true nature than I have to-day.' The dajjal will therefore want to kill him, but will not be given power over him." (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Huraira reported God's messenger as saying, "The Messiah[*] will come from the East making for Medina and will alight behind Uhud, but the angels will then turn his face towards Syria and he will perish there." *i.e., the dajjal (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Bakra reported the Prophet as saying, "The terror of the antichrist[*] will not enter Medina, which will on that day have seven gates with two angels at each gate." *i.e., the dajjal Bukhari transmitted it.