Musnad Abi Ya'la 5381 — A black windstorm arose in Kufah, and a man

It is narrated from Usayr bin Jabir (may Allah have mercy on him): A black windstorm arose in Kufah, and a man came whose only habit was that he kept calling out: "O Abdullah bin Mas'ud, the Hour has come!" Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) was reclining at the time; he sat up straight and said: "The Hour will not be established until inheritance is no longer divided and no joy is taken in spoils of war." Then, pointing with his hand towards Syria (al-Sham), he said: "An enemy will gather against the Muslims, and the people of Islam will gather against them." I asked: "Do you mean the Romans?" He said: "Yes." He further said: "During that battle there will be a severe retreat. The Muslims will form a detachment pledged to death, which will not return unless victorious. They will fight the enemy until night comes between them; then these will return and those will return, neither being victorious, and that particular detachment will have perished. Then the Muslims will form another detachment pledged to death, which will not return unless victorious. They will fight until evening, until night comes between them; then these will return and those will return, neither being victorious, and that detachment too will have perished. Then the Muslims will form a detachment pledged to death, which will not return unless victorious. They will fight until evening; then these will return and those will return, neither being victorious, and that detachment too will have perished. Until, when it is the fourth day, the remaining Muslims will rise up to face the enemy, and Allah Almighty will decree defeat for the enemy, and they (the enemy) will be killed in a slaughter the like of which has never been seen before (or the narrator said: the like of it has not been seen), so much so that a bird will pass by their flanks and will fall dead before it can pass beyond them. When the children of one father count themselves, they will find only one man alive out of a hundred. So over what spoils of war will joy be taken, and what inheritance will be divided? While they are in this state, they will suddenly hear news even more dreadful than that: a crier will come to them shouting that the Dajjal has come behind them among their families. So they will abandon whatever is in their hands and set off, and they will send ten horsemen as a vanguard. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'I certainly know their names, the names of their fathers and even the colours of their horses; they will be the best horsemen on the face of the earth on that day (or he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: they will be among the best horsemen on the face of the earth on that day).'"