Excerpt Source: From the book "Āʾīnah Tawḥīd wa Sunnat bi-Jawāb Shirk Kiyā Hai maʿa Bidʿat kī Ḥaqīqat", authored by Shaykh Abū Ḥudhayfah Muḥammad Jāwīd Salafī.
Hafīẓ al-Raḥmān Qādrī writes that a request was made in the presence of the Prophet ﷺ:
“O Messenger of Allah ﷺ, make duʿāʾ for Shām (Syria).” The Prophet ﷺ made duʿāʾ.
Then, a request was made for Yemen, and he ﷺ made duʿāʾ.
Then duʿāʾ was requested for Najd, to which the Prophet ﷺ said:
"There will be earthquakes and tribulations there, and from there the horn of Shayṭān will emerge."
(Saḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Volume 1, Page 448)
The scholars say: That (horn of Shayṭān) was Muḥammad bin ʿAbd al-Wahhāb, who declared taqlīd (blind following) to be shirk.
(Book reference, page 50)
In reality, Shaykh Muḥammad bin ʿAbd al-Wahhāb رحمه الله was a victim of false accusations, who worked tirelessly to eliminate shirk and bidʿah, and to raise the banner of Tawḥīd and Sunnah.
But the opponents of pure Tawḥīd and Sunnah have falsely slandered this valiant reformer of Islam.
Our intent is not to propagate the thoughts of Shaykh Muḥammad bin ʿAbd al-Wahhāb, but to speak the truth, which is the mark of a believer.
We are neither his followers nor do we attribute ourselves to him. The common belief that the Ahl al-Ḥadīth movement was founded by him is due to ignorance and lack of insight.
If our affiliation were with him, then his name was Muḥammad, and ʿAbd al-Wahhāb was his father’s name.
In our view, Shaykh Muḥammad bin ʿAbd al-Wahhāb رحمه الله was a scholar of Islam, but his sayings and actions are not ḥujjah (authoritative evidence) for us, just as the sayings of the four Imāms or other scholars are not absolute proof.
We only accept that which is in accordance with Qur’ān and Sunnah, whether it comes from him or others.
If any statement contradicts the Qur’ān and Sunnah, regardless of whether it comes from an Imām, a Shaykh, or Muḥammad bin ʿAbd al-Wahhāb, we reject it outright.
As for Qādrī Sahib’s claim that "the scholars say that the horn of Shayṭān refers to Muḥammad bin ʿAbd al-Wahhāb", he provided no references—which scholars?
Barelwī, Deobandī, or scholars of ḥadīth, fiqh, historians?
Only someone ignorant of Qur’ān and Sunnah could say such a thing.
The literal meaning of "Najd" is elevation or highland.
In the Arabic language, any elevated land compared to surrounding lowlands is called Najd.
Just as in Persian it's called "Sath Murtafiʿ", and in Urdu "Ootār".
Any highland extending from Tihāmah to Yemen, Syria, and Iraq is considered Najd.
This is affirmed by major Arabic lexicons such as Ṣiḥāḥ, Nihāyah, Lisān al-ʿArab, Qāmūs, Miṣbāḥ al-Munīr, Tāj al-ʿArūs, and al-Munjid:
"النَّجْدُ: ما أَشْرَفَ من الأرض"
"Najd is elevated land."
Similarly, in the authoritative geographical book "Muʿjam al-Buldān", Najd is defined as any elevated area.
Famous ḥadīth commentators such as Ḥāfiẓ Ibn Ḥajar, Qasṭalānī, Kirmānī, ʿAynī etc., have unanimously written that:
❝Najd is not a specific country, but refers to any highland area elevated compared to surrounding terrain.❞
According to reliable geographical sources:
① Najd al-Barq
② Najd Ajār
③ Najd ʿAqīr al-Yamāmah
These are sub-regions of Najd al-Yamāmah.
Other areas called Najd include:
④ Najd Khāl
⑤ Najd Kabkab
⑥ Najd Murabbaʿ
⑦ Najd Sharī
⑧ Najd al-Wadh
⑨ Najd Mujāz
⑩ Najd ʿUqāb (near Damascus)
⑪ Najd al-ʿIrāq / Bādiyah al-ʿIrāq – starting from Kisrā of Iran extending to Ḥarra of ʿIrāq (starts from Makkah and ends near Kūfah)
Ref: Muʿjam al-Buldān, Tāj al-ʿArūs, Akmal al-Bayān fī Sharḥ Ḥadīth Qarn al-Shayṭān, pg. 17
Najd al-ʿIrāq, lying east of Madīnah, is the real “Najd” mentioned in the ḥadīth.
All historical fitan (tribulations) and deviant sects originated from ʿIrāq, which lies due east of Madīnah.
This is confirmed by leading scholars like Imām Khaṭṭābī, Kirmānī Ḥanafī, and others.
❶ The fitnah of killing ʿUthmān رضي الله عنه spread from ʿIrāq to Egypt
❷ The Battle of Jamal happened in ʿIrāq
❸ The martyrdom of ʿAlī رضي الله عنه occurred in ʿIrāq
❹ The Battle of Ṣiffīn was in ʿIrāq
❺ The emergence of Khawārij, the first deviant sect, happened in Kūfah
❻ Birth of Jabariyyah and Qadariyyah sects
❼ All major deviant sects originated from ʿIrāq
❽ Ḥusayn رضي الله عنه was martyred at the banks of Euphrates
❾ The claim of prophethood by Mukhtār al-Thaqafī
❿ The emergence of Shīʿism, which split the Ummah
⓫ Ḥajjāj’s atrocities, he was governor of ʿIrāq
⓬ Destruction caused by Tatar and Turks
⓭ The betrayal during World War I (1913) which began from ʿIrāq
Ref: Sīrat al-Nabī, Vol. 3, pp. 208–607; Akmal al-Bayān, pg. 31
Sahīḥ al-Bukhārī states:
عَنْ ابْنِ عُمَرَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا قَالَ:
سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ وَهُوَ مُسْتَقْبِلٌ الْمَشْرِقَ:
"إِنَّ الْفِتْنَةَ هَاهُنَا، مِنْ حَيْثُ يَطْلُعُ قَرْنُ الشَّيْطَانِ"
“Indeed, the trial is from here, from where the horn of Shayṭān rises.”
(Saḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, pg. 1050)
The Prophet ﷺ said this while standing beside the minbar in Madīnah, pointing east—towards ʿIrāq, not Najd al-Yamāmah.
Another narration in Kanz al-ʿUmmāl (Vol. 14, Ḥadīth: 38273) mentions that:
The Prophet ﷺ made duʿāʾ for Madīnah, Shām, and Yemen,
but remained silent when asked to make duʿāʾ for ʿIrāq.
Then said:
"From there the horn of Shayṭān will rise, earthquakes and tribulations will come from there."
He was born in ʿUyaynah, which lies in Najd al-Yamāmah, not Najd al-ʿIrāq.
He was a Muslim and a monotheist, a caller to Tawḥīd and Sunnah, and a refuter of shirk and bidʿah.
The epithet of “horn of Shayṭān” was wrongfully applied to him due to ignorance.
He only revived the Sunnah, just as the Prophet ﷺ instructed ʿAlī رضي الله عنه to demolish elevated graves.
He also wrote to the people of Makkah urging them towards Tawḥīd and Sunnah, and calling them to abandon shirk and innovated practices—all of which were noble and aligned with the teachings of the Prophet ﷺ.
All textual and historical evidence, including geography, language, and authenticated ḥadīths, point clearly to the fact that:
"The Najd of the hadith referring to the horn of Shayṭān is Najd al-ʿIrāq, not Najd al-Yamāmah."
The claim that the hadith points to Shaykh Muḥammad bin ʿAbd al-Wahhāb رحمه الله is false and baseless.
❝Bias is such a dreadful affliction that may Allah not inflict it upon anyone.
Death is preferable to such misguidance.❞
Shaykh Muḥammad bin ʿAbd al-Wahhāb’s homeland was Wādī al-Yamāmah, and according to Muʿjam al-Buldān:
ويقال إن النجد كلها من عمل اليمامة
“It is said that all of Najd falls under the jurisdiction of Yamāmah.”
(Akmal al-Bayān, pg. 50)
The Allegation on Shaykh Muḥammad bin ʿAbd al-Wahhāb
Hafīẓ al-Raḥmān Qādrī writes that a request was made in the presence of the Prophet ﷺ:
“O Messenger of Allah ﷺ, make duʿāʾ for Shām (Syria).” The Prophet ﷺ made duʿāʾ.
Then, a request was made for Yemen, and he ﷺ made duʿāʾ.
Then duʿāʾ was requested for Najd, to which the Prophet ﷺ said:
"There will be earthquakes and tribulations there, and from there the horn of Shayṭān will emerge."
(Saḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Volume 1, Page 448)
The scholars say: That (horn of Shayṭān) was Muḥammad bin ʿAbd al-Wahhāb, who declared taqlīd (blind following) to be shirk.
(Book reference, page 50)
The Response:
In reality, Shaykh Muḥammad bin ʿAbd al-Wahhāb رحمه الله was a victim of false accusations, who worked tirelessly to eliminate shirk and bidʿah, and to raise the banner of Tawḥīd and Sunnah.
But the opponents of pure Tawḥīd and Sunnah have falsely slandered this valiant reformer of Islam.
Our intent is not to propagate the thoughts of Shaykh Muḥammad bin ʿAbd al-Wahhāb, but to speak the truth, which is the mark of a believer.
We are neither his followers nor do we attribute ourselves to him. The common belief that the Ahl al-Ḥadīth movement was founded by him is due to ignorance and lack of insight.
If our affiliation were with him, then his name was Muḥammad, and ʿAbd al-Wahhāb was his father’s name.
In our view, Shaykh Muḥammad bin ʿAbd al-Wahhāb رحمه الله was a scholar of Islam, but his sayings and actions are not ḥujjah (authoritative evidence) for us, just as the sayings of the four Imāms or other scholars are not absolute proof.
We only accept that which is in accordance with Qur’ān and Sunnah, whether it comes from him or others.
If any statement contradicts the Qur’ān and Sunnah, regardless of whether it comes from an Imām, a Shaykh, or Muḥammad bin ʿAbd al-Wahhāb, we reject it outright.
As for Qādrī Sahib’s claim that "the scholars say that the horn of Shayṭān refers to Muḥammad bin ʿAbd al-Wahhāb", he provided no references—which scholars?
Barelwī, Deobandī, or scholars of ḥadīth, fiqh, historians?
Only someone ignorant of Qur’ān and Sunnah could say such a thing.
What Does “Najd” Mean?
The literal meaning of "Najd" is elevation or highland.
In the Arabic language, any elevated land compared to surrounding lowlands is called Najd.
Just as in Persian it's called "Sath Murtafiʿ", and in Urdu "Ootār".
Any highland extending from Tihāmah to Yemen, Syria, and Iraq is considered Najd.
This is affirmed by major Arabic lexicons such as Ṣiḥāḥ, Nihāyah, Lisān al-ʿArab, Qāmūs, Miṣbāḥ al-Munīr, Tāj al-ʿArūs, and al-Munjid:
"النَّجْدُ: ما أَشْرَفَ من الأرض"
"Najd is elevated land."
Similarly, in the authoritative geographical book "Muʿjam al-Buldān", Najd is defined as any elevated area.
Famous ḥadīth commentators such as Ḥāfiẓ Ibn Ḥajar, Qasṭalānī, Kirmānī, ʿAynī etc., have unanimously written that:
❝Najd is not a specific country, but refers to any highland area elevated compared to surrounding terrain.❞
Types and Locations of Najd in the Arab World:
According to reliable geographical sources:
① Najd al-Barq
② Najd Ajār
③ Najd ʿAqīr al-Yamāmah
These are sub-regions of Najd al-Yamāmah.
Other areas called Najd include:
④ Najd Khāl
⑤ Najd Kabkab
⑥ Najd Murabbaʿ
⑦ Najd Sharī
⑧ Najd al-Wadh
⑨ Najd Mujāz
⑩ Najd ʿUqāb (near Damascus)
⑪ Najd al-ʿIrāq / Bādiyah al-ʿIrāq – starting from Kisrā of Iran extending to Ḥarra of ʿIrāq (starts from Makkah and ends near Kūfah)
Ref: Muʿjam al-Buldān, Tāj al-ʿArūs, Akmal al-Bayān fī Sharḥ Ḥadīth Qarn al-Shayṭān, pg. 17
Najd Qarn al-Shayṭān (Horn of Shayṭān)
Najd al-ʿIrāq, lying east of Madīnah, is the real “Najd” mentioned in the ḥadīth.
All historical fitan (tribulations) and deviant sects originated from ʿIrāq, which lies due east of Madīnah.
This is confirmed by leading scholars like Imām Khaṭṭābī, Kirmānī Ḥanafī, and others.
Historical Fitan (Trials) from ʿIrāq:
❶ The fitnah of killing ʿUthmān رضي الله عنه spread from ʿIrāq to Egypt
❷ The Battle of Jamal happened in ʿIrāq
❸ The martyrdom of ʿAlī رضي الله عنه occurred in ʿIrāq
❹ The Battle of Ṣiffīn was in ʿIrāq
❺ The emergence of Khawārij, the first deviant sect, happened in Kūfah
❻ Birth of Jabariyyah and Qadariyyah sects
❼ All major deviant sects originated from ʿIrāq
❽ Ḥusayn رضي الله عنه was martyred at the banks of Euphrates
❾ The claim of prophethood by Mukhtār al-Thaqafī
❿ The emergence of Shīʿism, which split the Ummah
⓫ Ḥajjāj’s atrocities, he was governor of ʿIrāq
⓬ Destruction caused by Tatar and Turks
⓭ The betrayal during World War I (1913) which began from ʿIrāq
Ref: Sīrat al-Nabī, Vol. 3, pp. 208–607; Akmal al-Bayān, pg. 31
More Support from Hadith
Sahīḥ al-Bukhārī states:
عَنْ ابْنِ عُمَرَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا قَالَ:
سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ وَهُوَ مُسْتَقْبِلٌ الْمَشْرِقَ:
"إِنَّ الْفِتْنَةَ هَاهُنَا، مِنْ حَيْثُ يَطْلُعُ قَرْنُ الشَّيْطَانِ"
“Indeed, the trial is from here, from where the horn of Shayṭān rises.”
(Saḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, pg. 1050)
The Prophet ﷺ said this while standing beside the minbar in Madīnah, pointing east—towards ʿIrāq, not Najd al-Yamāmah.
Another narration in Kanz al-ʿUmmāl (Vol. 14, Ḥadīth: 38273) mentions that:
The Prophet ﷺ made duʿāʾ for Madīnah, Shām, and Yemen,
but remained silent when asked to make duʿāʾ for ʿIrāq.
Then said:
"From there the horn of Shayṭān will rise, earthquakes and tribulations will come from there."
Clarification about Shaykh Muḥammad bin ʿAbd al-Wahhāb رحمه الله
He was born in ʿUyaynah, which lies in Najd al-Yamāmah, not Najd al-ʿIrāq.
He was a Muslim and a monotheist, a caller to Tawḥīd and Sunnah, and a refuter of shirk and bidʿah.
The epithet of “horn of Shayṭān” was wrongfully applied to him due to ignorance.
He only revived the Sunnah, just as the Prophet ﷺ instructed ʿAlī رضي الله عنه to demolish elevated graves.
He also wrote to the people of Makkah urging them towards Tawḥīd and Sunnah, and calling them to abandon shirk and innovated practices—all of which were noble and aligned with the teachings of the Prophet ﷺ.
Conclusion:
All textual and historical evidence, including geography, language, and authenticated ḥadīths, point clearly to the fact that:
"The Najd of the hadith referring to the horn of Shayṭān is Najd al-ʿIrāq, not Najd al-Yamāmah."
The claim that the hadith points to Shaykh Muḥammad bin ʿAbd al-Wahhāb رحمه الله is false and baseless.
❝Bias is such a dreadful affliction that may Allah not inflict it upon anyone.
Death is preferable to such misguidance.❞
Shaykh Muḥammad bin ʿAbd al-Wahhāb’s homeland was Wādī al-Yamāmah, and according to Muʿjam al-Buldān:
ويقال إن النجد كلها من عمل اليمامة
“It is said that all of Najd falls under the jurisdiction of Yamāmah.”
(Akmal al-Bayān, pg. 50)
