Fitan

God's messenger gave us an address on which occasion he left out nothing that would happen up to the last hour without telling of it. Some remembered and some forgot, and these companions of mine have known it. Some of it I have forgotten, but when I see it, I remember it, just as a man remembers another's face when he is away and recognizes him when he sees him. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

He told that he heard God's messenger say, "Temptations will be presented to men's hearts as a reed mat is woven stick by stick, and any heart which is impregnated by them will have a black mark put in it, but any heart which rejects, them will have a white mark put in it. The result is that hearts will be of two kinds, one white like a white stone which will not be harmed by temptation as long as the heavens and the earth endure, and the other black and dust-colored like a vessel which is upset, not recognizing what is reputable or rejecting what is disreputable, but being impregnated with its passion." Muslim transmitted it.

He said that God's messenger told them two traditions one of which he had seen happen and was looking forward to the other. He told them that faith had come down into the roots of men's hearts, then they gained knowledge from the Qur'an, then gained knowledge from the sunnah. He also told about its removal, saying, "A man will sleep[2] and faith will be taken from his heart, but its mark will remain like the mark of a spot. He will sleep again, and it will be taken away, its mark remaining like the mark of a blister, as when you drop live coals over your foot a water blister is produced and you see it swollen with nothing in it. People will make business agreements with one another and scarcely one will fulfil his trust. It will then be said that among the B. so and so there is a trustworthy man. People will remark how intelligent, excellent, and resolute a man is while he has not as much faith in his heart as a grain of mustard seed." 1. Fitan pl of fitnah. There are different meanings, e.g., temptation, seduction; discord, commotion, civil war; testing, trial; impiety, unbelief. 2. This may either be understood literally, or as a figure of speech for carelessness.(Bukhari and Muslim.)

People used to ask God's messenger about good, but I used to ask him about evil from fear that it might overtake me. I said, "Messenger of God, we were in a state of ignorance and evil, then God brought us this good. After this good will any evil come?" On his replying that there would, I asked whether after that evil any good would come, and he replied that there would but that it would contain some duskiness. I asked what that would consist of and he replied, "People will follow a sunnah other than mine and give guidance other than mine, so you will find in them both something to acknowledge and something to reject." I asked whether there would be any evil after that good and he replied, `Yes, there will be people who summon others at the gates of Jahannam into which they will cast those who respond to them." I asked God's messenger to describe them to us and he said, "They will be of our stock and speak like us." I asked, what command he had to give me if that happened in my time and he replied, "You must adhere to the community and the leader of the Muslims." I asked what I should do if they had neither community nor leader and he replied, "Withdraw from all those factions even though you should have to cleave to the root of a tree till death overtakes you in that state." (Bukhari and Muslim.)In a version by Muslim he said, "After my death there will be leaders who follow neither my guidance nor my sunnah, among whom will arise men whose hearts will be the hearts of devils in human bodies." Hudhaifa said he asked God's messenger how he should act if he reached that time and he replied, "You must hear and obey the ruler, and if he beats your back and takes your property you must still hear and obey."Muslim transmitted it.

Abu Huraira reported God's messenger as saying, "Do good deeds before trials come like portions of a dark night when a man will be a believer in the morning and an infidel in the evening, and a believer in the evening and an infidel in the morning, selling his religion for some worldly goods" Muslim transmitted it.

He reported God's messenger as saying, "There will be periods of commotion in which the one who sits will be better than the one who stands, the one who stands better than the one who walks and the one who walks better than the one who runs. He who contemplates them will be drawn by them, so he who finds a refuge or shelter should go to it." (Bukhari and Muslim.)In a version by Muslim he said, "There will be a commotion in which he who sleeps will be better than he who is awake, he who wakes will be better than he who stands up and he who stands up better than he who runs, so he who finds a refuge or shelter should go to it."Muslim transmitted it.

Abu Bakra reported God's messenger as saying, "Commotions will arise after which other commotions will arise, and then there will be a period of commotion in which the one who sits will be better than the one who walks and the one who walks better than the one who runs to it. When it happens, he who has camels should remain with his camels, he who has sheep should remain with his sheep, and he who has land should remain in his land." A man said, "Tell us, messenger of God, about the one who has no camels, sheep or land," and he replied, "He should go to his sword, strike its edge on a stone, and then escape if he can," adding three times, "0 God, have I conveyed[*] Thy message?" A man then said, "Tell me, messenger of God, suppose I am taken by force and made to join one of the ranks, and a man strikes me with his sword, or an arrow comes and kills me?" He replied, "He will bear the punishment of his sin and yours and go to hell." *This may be translated as "I have conveyed," some grammarians saying that the particle hal is originally equivalent in meaning to qad. Cf. W. Wright, A grammar of the Arabic language, 2:309 C.Muslim transmitted it.

Abu Sa'id reported God's messenger as saying, "A Muslim's best property will soon be sheep which he will take to the tops of the mountains and the places where the rain falls, fleeing with his religion from civil strife." Bukhari transmitted it.

Usama b. Zaid told that the Prophet looked down on one of the fortresses of Medina and asked, "Do you see what I see?" When his hearers replied that they did not, he said, "I see civil commotions occurring among your houses like rain falling." (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Huraira reported God's messenger as saying, "The destruction of my people will be at the hands of young men of Quraish." Bukhari transmitted it.

He reported God's messenger as saying, "When the time becomes short[1] knowledge will be withdrawn, civil strife will appear, niggardliness will be cast into people's hearts, and harj will be prevalent." He was asked the meaning of harj and said it meant slaughter.[2] 1. Literally, `when time is contracted'. The reference is to the approach of the last hour. 2. Harj, meaning 'turmoil' or 'Rioting, a state of affairs which leads ta people being killed.(Bukhari and Muslim.)

He reported God's messenger as saying, "By Him in whose hand my soul is, the world will not pass away till a day comes to mankind when the killer will not know why he killed, or the one who is killed why he was killed." He was asked how that could be and replied, "There will be turmoil, and the killer and the one who is killed will go to hell." Muslim transmitted it.

Ma'qil b. Yasar reported God's messenger as saying, "The reward for engaging in worship during the turmoil will be like that for coming to me as emigrants." Muslim transmitted it.

We went to Anas b. Malik and complained to him of what we were suffering from al-Hajjaj, and he replied, "Show endurance, for no time will come to you which will not be followed by one that is worse till you meet your Lord. I heard this from your Prophet."Bukhari transmitted it.

I swear by God that I do not know whether my companions have forgotten or have pretended to forget. I swear by God that God's messenger did not omit a leader of a wrong belief up to the end of the world whose followers reach the number of three hundred and upwards without mentioning to us his name, his father's name and the name of his tribe."Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Thauban reported God's messenger as saying, "I fear for my people only the leaders who lead men astray, for when the sword is used among my people it will not be withdrawn from them till the day of resurrection." Abu Dawud and Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Calculate Abu Bakr's Caliphate as two years, `Umar's as ten, `Uthman's as twelve, and `Ali's as six. Ahmad, Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Hudhaifa told that he asked God's messenger whether there would be evil after this good just as there was evil before it, and when he was told that there would he asked wherein protection lay and was told that it lay in the sword. He asked if any would be spared after the use of the sword and he replied, "Yes, there will be an amirate with specks in its eye and an illusory truce1." He asked what would come next and he replied, "Then people who summon men to error will arise; and if God has in the earth a Caliph who flays your back and takes your property, obey him; otherwise die holding on to the stump of a tree." He asked what would come next and he replied, "Then the dajjal will come forth accompanied by a river and a fire. He who falls into his fire will certainly get his reward and have his load taken off him, but he who falls into his river will have his load retained and his reward taken off him." He asked what would come next and he replied, "Then a foal will be born but not ridden before the last hour comes." In a version he said, "An illusory truce and a community with specks in its eye." He asked God's messenger what the illusory truce meant and he replied, "The hearts of people will not return to their former condition." He asked whether there would be evil after that good and he replied, "There will be wrong belief which will blind and deafen men to the truth2 in which there will be summoners at the gates of hell. If you, Hudhaifa, die adhering to a stump, it will be better for you than following any of them." Abu Dawud transmitted it.[1] This is a free translation of the words hudna 'ala dakhan which mean literally "a trace upon malice (or, evil disposition)," indicating a trace which is liable to ho broken at any time. [2] Literally, 'blind and deaf, wrong belief.

One day I was riding behind God's messenger on a donkey, and when we had got beyond the houses of Medina he asked, "How will you do, Abu Dharr, when there is famine in Medina and you get up from your bed but do not reach your mosque before being overcome by hunger?" When I replied that God and His messenger knew best, he said, "Restrain yourself, Abu Dharr." He then asked, "How will you do, Abu Dharr, when there will be death in Medina and a house[1] will reach the value of a slave so that a grave will be sold for a slave?" When I replied that God and His messenger knew best he said, "You must show endurance, Abu Dharr." He then asked, "How will you do, Abu Dharr, when there is slaughter in Medina and. Ahjar az Zait[2] will be covered with blood?" When I replied that God and His messenger knew best he said, "You must go to those who are like-minded with you." I asked whether I should arm myself and replied, "You would then associate yourself with the people." So I asked God's messenger how I should act and he replied, "If you are afraid the gleam of the sword may dazzle you put the end of your garment over your face in order that [the one who kills you may bear the punishment of your sin and his." Used figuratively for a grave, the meaning being made more explicit in the words which follow. Ahjar Az-Zait, an area outside of Al Madinah.Abu Dawud transmitted it.