Fitan

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, 59:7Tirmidhi 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.

`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.

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.