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الفتح الربانی
Fath al-Rabbani
بيان القيامة وأحوال الآخرة والفتن والعلامات التى تسبقهاExplanation of the Day of Resurrection, Conditions of the Hereafter, and the Trials and Signs that Precede It
الْجِهَةُ الَّتِي تَجِيءُ مِنْهَا الْفِتَنُ وَفِيهِ ذِكْرُ الْخَوَارِجِ وَالْحَرُورِيَّةِ وَالرَّافِضَةِThe direction from which tribulations will come, including mention of the Khawarij, Haruriyyah, and Rafidah
Hadith 12826
اُردوEn
وَعَنْهُ مِنْ طَرِيقٍ خَامِسٍ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ ”تَجِيءُ الْفِتْنَةُ مِنْ هَهُنَا مِنَ الْمَشْرِقِ“
(Fifth chain) The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: Trials will come from here, that is, from the direction of the East.
Brief Explanation
Benefits: … By “the East” is meant Iraq; in some narrations, Iraq is specified, as in the following ahadith: It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah radi Allahu anhu that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam made supplication and said: “O Allah, bless us in our Makkah, O Allah, bless us in our Madinah, O Allah, bless us in our Shaam, and bless us in our Sa‘ (a measure), and bless us in our Mudd (a measure).” A man said: O Messenger of Allah! And in our Iraq. He sallallahu alayhi wa sallam turned away from him. He repeated it three times, each time saying: And in our Iraq, and he sallallahu alayhi wa sallam turned away from him each time. Then he said: “There will be earthquakes and tribulations there, and from there the horn of Shaytan will emerge.” … O Allah! Bless us in our Makkah. O Allah! Bless us in our Madinah. O Allah! Bless us in our Shaam. O Allah! Bless us in our Sa‘. O Allah! Bless us in our Mudd. A man said: O Messenger of Allah! And in our Iraq. He sallallahu alayhi wa sallam turned away from him. He repeated it three times: And in our Iraq. Each time, he sallallahu alayhi wa sallam turned away. Then he said: There will be earthquakes and tribulations there, and from there the edge of Shaytan’s head will emerge. (Reported by al-Tabarani in al-Mu‘jam al-Awsat: 1/246/1/4256, and with the wording “our Najd” instead of “our Iraq” reported by al-Bukhari: 1037, 7094, al-Sahihah: 2246)
The wording of one narration in al-Mu‘jam al-Awsat is: When he sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was asked by name to supplicate for Iraq, he sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: “From there the horn of Shaytan will emerge and tribulations will boil over.” … From there the horn of Shaytan will appear and tribulations will erupt.
The wording of the narration in Sahih al-Bukhari is as follows:
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Umar radi Allahu anhuma that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: “O Allah, bless us in our Shaam, O Allah, bless us in our Yemen.” They said: O Messenger of Allah! And in our Najd. He said: “O Allah, bless us in our Shaam, O Allah, bless us in our Yemen.” They said: O Messenger of Allah! And in our Najd. I think he said the third time: “There will be earthquakes and tribulations there, and from there the horn of Shaytan will emerge.”
Shaykh al-Albani rahimahullah writes: This hadith is among the signs of Prophethood, because the first tribulation arose from the East and became the cause of division among the Muslims. Similarly, innovations such as Shi‘ism and Kharijism are also products of this direction. Imam al-Bukhari (7/77) and Imam Ahmad (2/85, 153) have narrated that Ibn Abi Nu‘aym said: I was present with Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Umar radi Allahu anhu when an Iraqi man asked him: If a muhrim (person in the state of ihram) kills a fly, what expiation should he offer? He replied: O people of Iraq! You ask about the expiation for a muhrim who kills a fly, yet you killed the grandson of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam (Sayyiduna Husayn radi Allahu anhu), even though he sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: “They (Hasan and Husayn) are my two sweet basils from this world.”
Another tribulation was that the Shi‘a reviled the great Companions, for example, Sayyidah A’ishah al-Siddiqah bint al-Siddiq radi Allahu anha, whose innocence was revealed from the heavens. A bigoted Shi‘a, Abdul Husayn, with full audacity, shamelessness, and cunning, established several chapters in his book (al-Muraja‘at: p. 237) to revile Sayyidah A’ishah radi Allahu anha and to prove her a liar regarding hadith, relying either on weak and fabricated narrations—some of which are mentioned in al-Da‘ifah (4963, 4970)—or by distorting authentic ahadith and presenting meanings for them that those narrations cannot bear. … … . (al-Sahihah: 2494)
Hafiz Ibn Hajar said: (When the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam narrated these ahadith) at that time the people of the East were upon disbelief. According to his sallallahu alayhi wa sallam’s prophecy, the first tribulation arose from there, which became the cause of division among the Muslims, and this is what pleases Shaytan. Similarly, many innovations also originated from there. (Fath al-Bari: 13/58)
History bears witness that many tribulations arose from Iraq shortly after the death of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam: the Battle of Nahrawan, the incident of Karbala, the conflicts between Banu Umayyah and Banu Abbas, then the bloody battles of the Tatars, and likewise the emergence of misguided sects such as the Khawarij, Shi‘a, Mu‘tazilah, Jahmiyyah, Murji’ah, etc., all of which appeared in Kufa, Basra, and Baghdad, which are famous cities of Iraq. For twelve hundred years, the unanimous position of all Muslims was that the Najd meant by “the horn of Shaytan” is the region of Iraq.
Important Note
After the twelfth century, the people of innovation distorted the meaning of these ahadith and began to apply them to Shaykh al-Islam Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab rahimahullah.
In response, consider the following points:
(1) There is no doubt that in the ahadith related to this subject, the word “Najd” is also mentioned, while the literal meaning of Najd is “elevation” and “height,” that is, any elevated and high land is called Najd, and there are many Najds in Arabia. Abu Abdullah Yaqut ibn Abdullah al-Hamawi has enumerated the following Najds in Mu‘jam al-Buldan:
Najd Aludh, Najd Aja, Najd Barq, Najd Khal, Najd al-Shari, Najd ‘Afr, Najd al-‘Uqab, Najd Kabkab, Najd Muray‘, Najd al-Yaman.
But when in some ahadith Iraq is specified instead of Najd, then there remains no room for disagreement, while historically Iraq has always been the center of tribulations, and even now, due to American dominance, it is in tribulation. May Allah have mercy on the Muslim Ummah. (Amin)
(2) In the ahadith related to this subject and others, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam supplicated for goodness and blessing for Hijaz, Shaam, and Yemen, and declared these regions to be the centers of Islam and faith. One such hadith has been mentioned above, and Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab was from Najd al-Yaman, not Najd al-Iraq. According to the blessed ahadith, Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab rahimahullah was deserving of the Prophet’s supplication for goodness, but the objectors, by applying the Najd ahadith to him, have demonstrated their ignorance of hadith, history, and geography.
(3) In practice, Iraq has always been the stronghold of tribulations and trials, as mentioned above.
(4) Also, Shaykh al-Albani rahimahullah said: Some people who oppose the Sunnah and deviate from Tawhid attack Imam Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab rahimahullah, the reviver of the call to Tawhid in the Arabian Peninsula. Out of ignorance or feigned ignorance, they interpret this blessed hadith as referring to the region of Najd and make this Imam its referent. However, from various chains it is known that what is meant is the region of Iraq, and early scholars such as Imam Khattabi and Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-‘Asqalani have also affirmed this.
These ignorant people should also know that if a person is righteous and pious in himself, but is from a blameworthy region, it does not mean that he himself is blameworthy. Just as the regions of Makkah, Madinah, and Shaam have been praised, yet many of their inhabitants are sinners and evildoers, likewise, the censure of Iraq does not mean that every resident there is blameworthy; rather, there are many scholars and righteous people to be found there. When Sayyiduna Abu Darda radi Allahu anhu invited Sayyiduna Salman radi Allahu anhu to migrate from Iraq to Shaam, he replied: “As for what follows: Verily, the sacred land does not sanctify anyone; rather, it is a person’s deeds that sanctify him.” (al-Sahihah: 2246)
Hafiz Ibn Hajar said: The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam did not supplicate for the people of the East, so that they might strive to avoid the evil that would emerge from their region. … (The most correct meaning of “the horn of Shaytan” is that it refers to) the strength of Shaytan and the means by which he spreads misguidance. (Fath al-Bari: 13/58)
Abd al-Rahman Mubarakpuri said: What is meant are either physical earthquakes or metaphorical ones that shake the hearts, and the tribulations are those calamities and trials that will cause weakness and scarcity in the religion. … By “the horn of Shaytan” is meant the helpers and supporters of this Shaytan, his group, or his strength and the means of misguidance. … The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam meant that tribulations and innovations would emerge from the direction of the East, and so it happened: the Battle of Jamal and the Battle of Siffin were fought in that direction, and from there the Khawarij emerged. (Tuhfat al-Ahwadhi: 4/381)
The wording of one narration in al-Mu‘jam al-Awsat is: When he sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was asked by name to supplicate for Iraq, he sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: “From there the horn of Shaytan will emerge and tribulations will boil over.” … From there the horn of Shaytan will appear and tribulations will erupt.
The wording of the narration in Sahih al-Bukhari is as follows:
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Umar radi Allahu anhuma that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: “O Allah, bless us in our Shaam, O Allah, bless us in our Yemen.” They said: O Messenger of Allah! And in our Najd. He said: “O Allah, bless us in our Shaam, O Allah, bless us in our Yemen.” They said: O Messenger of Allah! And in our Najd. I think he said the third time: “There will be earthquakes and tribulations there, and from there the horn of Shaytan will emerge.”
Shaykh al-Albani rahimahullah writes: This hadith is among the signs of Prophethood, because the first tribulation arose from the East and became the cause of division among the Muslims. Similarly, innovations such as Shi‘ism and Kharijism are also products of this direction. Imam al-Bukhari (7/77) and Imam Ahmad (2/85, 153) have narrated that Ibn Abi Nu‘aym said: I was present with Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Umar radi Allahu anhu when an Iraqi man asked him: If a muhrim (person in the state of ihram) kills a fly, what expiation should he offer? He replied: O people of Iraq! You ask about the expiation for a muhrim who kills a fly, yet you killed the grandson of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam (Sayyiduna Husayn radi Allahu anhu), even though he sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: “They (Hasan and Husayn) are my two sweet basils from this world.”
Another tribulation was that the Shi‘a reviled the great Companions, for example, Sayyidah A’ishah al-Siddiqah bint al-Siddiq radi Allahu anha, whose innocence was revealed from the heavens. A bigoted Shi‘a, Abdul Husayn, with full audacity, shamelessness, and cunning, established several chapters in his book (al-Muraja‘at: p. 237) to revile Sayyidah A’ishah radi Allahu anha and to prove her a liar regarding hadith, relying either on weak and fabricated narrations—some of which are mentioned in al-Da‘ifah (4963, 4970)—or by distorting authentic ahadith and presenting meanings for them that those narrations cannot bear. … … . (al-Sahihah: 2494)
Hafiz Ibn Hajar said: (When the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam narrated these ahadith) at that time the people of the East were upon disbelief. According to his sallallahu alayhi wa sallam’s prophecy, the first tribulation arose from there, which became the cause of division among the Muslims, and this is what pleases Shaytan. Similarly, many innovations also originated from there. (Fath al-Bari: 13/58)
History bears witness that many tribulations arose from Iraq shortly after the death of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam: the Battle of Nahrawan, the incident of Karbala, the conflicts between Banu Umayyah and Banu Abbas, then the bloody battles of the Tatars, and likewise the emergence of misguided sects such as the Khawarij, Shi‘a, Mu‘tazilah, Jahmiyyah, Murji’ah, etc., all of which appeared in Kufa, Basra, and Baghdad, which are famous cities of Iraq. For twelve hundred years, the unanimous position of all Muslims was that the Najd meant by “the horn of Shaytan” is the region of Iraq.
Important Note
After the twelfth century, the people of innovation distorted the meaning of these ahadith and began to apply them to Shaykh al-Islam Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab rahimahullah.
In response, consider the following points:
(1) There is no doubt that in the ahadith related to this subject, the word “Najd” is also mentioned, while the literal meaning of Najd is “elevation” and “height,” that is, any elevated and high land is called Najd, and there are many Najds in Arabia. Abu Abdullah Yaqut ibn Abdullah al-Hamawi has enumerated the following Najds in Mu‘jam al-Buldan:
Najd Aludh, Najd Aja, Najd Barq, Najd Khal, Najd al-Shari, Najd ‘Afr, Najd al-‘Uqab, Najd Kabkab, Najd Muray‘, Najd al-Yaman.
But when in some ahadith Iraq is specified instead of Najd, then there remains no room for disagreement, while historically Iraq has always been the center of tribulations, and even now, due to American dominance, it is in tribulation. May Allah have mercy on the Muslim Ummah. (Amin)
(2) In the ahadith related to this subject and others, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam supplicated for goodness and blessing for Hijaz, Shaam, and Yemen, and declared these regions to be the centers of Islam and faith. One such hadith has been mentioned above, and Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab was from Najd al-Yaman, not Najd al-Iraq. According to the blessed ahadith, Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab rahimahullah was deserving of the Prophet’s supplication for goodness, but the objectors, by applying the Najd ahadith to him, have demonstrated their ignorance of hadith, history, and geography.
(3) In practice, Iraq has always been the stronghold of tribulations and trials, as mentioned above.
(4) Also, Shaykh al-Albani rahimahullah said: Some people who oppose the Sunnah and deviate from Tawhid attack Imam Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab rahimahullah, the reviver of the call to Tawhid in the Arabian Peninsula. Out of ignorance or feigned ignorance, they interpret this blessed hadith as referring to the region of Najd and make this Imam its referent. However, from various chains it is known that what is meant is the region of Iraq, and early scholars such as Imam Khattabi and Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-‘Asqalani have also affirmed this.
These ignorant people should also know that if a person is righteous and pious in himself, but is from a blameworthy region, it does not mean that he himself is blameworthy. Just as the regions of Makkah, Madinah, and Shaam have been praised, yet many of their inhabitants are sinners and evildoers, likewise, the censure of Iraq does not mean that every resident there is blameworthy; rather, there are many scholars and righteous people to be found there. When Sayyiduna Abu Darda radi Allahu anhu invited Sayyiduna Salman radi Allahu anhu to migrate from Iraq to Shaam, he replied: “As for what follows: Verily, the sacred land does not sanctify anyone; rather, it is a person’s deeds that sanctify him.” (al-Sahihah: 2246)
Hafiz Ibn Hajar said: The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam did not supplicate for the people of the East, so that they might strive to avoid the evil that would emerge from their region. … (The most correct meaning of “the horn of Shaytan” is that it refers to) the strength of Shaytan and the means by which he spreads misguidance. (Fath al-Bari: 13/58)
Abd al-Rahman Mubarakpuri said: What is meant are either physical earthquakes or metaphorical ones that shake the hearts, and the tribulations are those calamities and trials that will cause weakness and scarcity in the religion. … By “the horn of Shaytan” is meant the helpers and supporters of this Shaytan, his group, or his strength and the means of misguidance. … The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam meant that tribulations and innovations would emerge from the direction of the East, and so it happened: the Battle of Jamal and the Battle of Siffin were fought in that direction, and from there the Khawarij emerged. (Tuhfat al-Ahwadhi: 4/381)
