Reports on the people of al-Sham

Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said that a man asked the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him): "Which of the people are best?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The generation that I am in, then the second, then the third."

Sayyiduna Qurrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When the people of Sham become corrupt, there will be no good for you."

Abu Zubayd (may Allah have mercy on him) said that Sayyiduna Abu Ayyub al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Thunder, lightning and blessings will surely migrate to Sham."

Al-Mas'udi (may Allah have mercy on him) said that al-Qasim bin Abd al-Rahman (may Allah have mercy on him) said that the River Euphrates rose very high in the time of Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him), and the people disliked this. At this he (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "O people! Do not dislike its rising. For the time is near when a basin of water will be sought in it and will not be found. That will be when all water returns to its origin. And on that day the water and the remaining believers will be only in Sham."

Yahya bin Sa'id (may Allah have mercy on him) said that Sa'id bin al-Musayyib (may Allah have mercy on him) gave the commentary of this verse as follows: The verse "And We gave them refuge on a high ground, a place of settled rest and flowing springs" [Al-Mu'minun: 50]: the city of Damascus is meant in it.

Abu Bakr al-Ghassani (may Allah have mercy on him) said that Habib (may Allah have mercy on him) reported that Ka'b (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "The most beloved of lands to Allah is Sham. The most beloved place in Sham is al-Quds, and the most beloved place in al-Quds to Allah is the mountain of Nablus. A time will surely come upon the people when they will touch it, or measure it out, with ropes among themselves."

Abu al-Zahiriyah said that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "During wars Damascus will be the refuge of the Muslims. In the event of war with the Dajjal, Bayt al-Maqdis will be the refuge of the Muslims, and at the time of war with Gog and Magog, Bayt al-Tur will be the refuge of the Muslims."

Sayyiduna Zayd bin Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him) said: While we were gathered around the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), compiling the Qur'an from pieces of leather, he (peace and blessings be upon him) suddenly said: "Glad tidings for al-Sham!" It was asked: "O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)! For what reason, and why?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Indeed, the angels of the Most Merciful have spread their wings over it."

Husayn said that Abu Malik (may Allah have mercy on him) said concerning this verse of the Qur'an, "the land which We have blessed" [Al-Anbiya: 71]: it refers to al-Sham.