Silsilat al-Ahadith al-Sahihah

Sayyiduna Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) says: People used to ask the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) about good, and I used to ask him about evil, so that I might not fall into it. (One day) I said: O Messenger of Allah! We were living in the time of ignorance and evil, then Allah sent us Islam, which we accepted, and sent you to us. (Now the question is) Will there be evil after this good, as there was before? The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said three times: “Hudhayfah! Read the Book of Allah and act upon its commands.” I said: O Messenger of Allah! Will there be good after that evil? He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Yes.” I said: What will be the way to avoid it? He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “The sword.” I said: Will there be good after that evil? And in one narration: Will any part of good remain after the sword? (i.e., fighting) He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Yes.” And in one narration: Leadership (and community) will remain established, but there will be minor objections and hatred and malice in the hearts, outward reconciliation, and internal conflict. I said: What is meant by malice? He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “After me, there will be a people or various rulers who will not act upon my Sunnah and will adopt a way other than my way; you will consider some of their matters good and some bad, and among them will appear people who will be in human form, but their hearts will be satanic.” In another narration: I said: Outward reconciliation, inward conflict, and malice in the hearts—what does this mean? He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “People’s hearts will not return to those noble qualities with which they were previously characterized.” I said: Will there be evil even after that good? He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Yes, there will be blind tribulation, and (in it there will be such people that it will be as if) they are callers standing at the gates of Hell; whoever accepts their call, they will throw him into Hell.” I said: O Messenger of Allah! Describe their characteristics for us. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “They will be from our own people and will speak our language.” I said: O Messenger of Allah! If I live to see that time, what do you command me to do? He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Stick to the group of Muslims and their leader, listen to the leader and obey him, even if he beats you and takes your wealth, still listen and obey.” I said: What if there is neither a group of Muslims nor a leader (then what should I do)? He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Keep away from all the sects, even if you have to cling to the trunk of a tree, until death comes to you while you are in that state.” And in another narration: “Hudhayfah! To die clinging to the trunk of a tree is better than obeying those (rulers).” And in another narration: “If in those days you find a caliph of Allah on earth, then stick to him, even if he beats you and takes your wealth, and if you do not see any caliph, then flee to any (remote) part of the earth, until death comes to you while you are clinging to the trunk of a tree.” I said: Then what will happen? He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Then the Dajjal will appear.” I said: What sign will he bring? He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “He will come with a river or water and fire; whoever enters his river, his reward will be lost and it will be a sin, and whoever enters his fire, his reward will be established and his sin will be erased.” I said: O Messenger of Allah! What will happen after the Dajjal? He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Isa son of Maryam.” I said: Then what will happen? He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “If at that time your mare gives birth to a foal, it will not yet be fit for you to ride it, before the Hour will be established.”