The Correct Understanding of "Najd"

Written by: Maulana Abul Hassan Mubashir Ahmad Rabbani (may Allah protect him)

Question:

What is the correct meaning of "Najd," and which place is referred to in the Hadith of Najd?

Answer:

Throughout history, the opponents of truth have resorted to propaganda against the people of truth. However, by the grace and blessings of Allah, the truth has always emerged clear and dominant, and the opponents have never succeeded in their attempts. When Sheikh al-Islam Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab (may Allah have mercy on him) raised the flag of Tawhid (monotheism) in the Arabian Peninsula and fought against shirk (polytheism) and innovations, those who engaged in such practices distorted the meanings of the Hadiths of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to apply them to Sheikh Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab. One such Hadith is the Hadith of Najd, whose true referent is the region of Iraq, where many misguided sects emerged.

Historically, many tribulations occurred in Iraq shortly after the Prophet's passing, such as the Battle of Nahrawan, the tragedy of Karbala, the internal conflicts between the Umayyads and Abbasids, and the devastating invasions by the Tatars. Additionally, misguided sects such as the Khawarij, Shia, Mu'tazila, Jahmiyya, and Murji'a all originated from the cities of Kufa, Basra, and Baghdad in Iraq.

For 1,200 years, the unanimous stance of the scholars was that the "Najd" referred to in the Hadith is the region of Iraq. However, after the 12th century, some people began to distort the meaning of these Hadiths to apply them to Sheikh Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab (may Allah have mercy on him).

Now, let’s examine the Hadiths themselves, which clearly show that the "Najd" referred to as the place from where the "horn of Satan" would emerge is actually Iraq:

  1. Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:"O Allah, bless us in our Sham (Syria) and our Yemen." The people said, "And in our Najd?" The Prophet repeated, "O Allah, bless us in our Sham and our Yemen." The people again said, "And in our Najd?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) then said, "There will be earthquakes and tribulations there, and from there will emerge the horn of Satan."
    [Sahih Bukhari 7093, Musnad Ahmad 2/118, Sunan Tirmidhi 3953]
  2. Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) also narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:"O Allah, bless us in our Medina, in our Sa' (measure of volume), in our Mudd (measure of volume), in our Sham and in our Yemen." A man said, "O Messenger of Allah, and in our Iraq?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) turned away from him and then said, "There will be earthquakes and tribulations there, and from there will emerge the horn of Satan."
    [Hilyat al-Awliya 6/133, Al-Tabarani 13422]
  3. Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:"O Allah, bless us in our Medina, in our Sa', in our Mudd, in our Yemen, and in our Sham." A man said, "O Messenger of Allah, and in our Iraq?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "There will be earthquakes and tribulations there, and from there will emerge the horn of Satan."
    [Kitab al-Ma'rifah wa al-Tarikh 1/876]
  4. Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:"O Allah, bless us in our Medina, in our Mudd, in our Sa', in our Yemen, and in our Sham." A man said, "O Messenger of Allah, and in our Iraq?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) repeated, "There will be earthquakes and tribulations there, and from there will emerge the horn of Satan."
    [Kitab al-Ma'rifah wa al-Tarikh 1/747]
  5. Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) pointed towards Iraq and said:"Beware! Indeed, the tribulations will be here. Beware! Indeed, the tribulations will be here, from where the horn of Satan will emerge."
    [Musnad Ahmad 2/143]
  6. Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:"The head of disbelief is towards the East (i.e., Iraq)."
    [Sahih Bukhari 330, Sahih Muslim 52, Musnad Ahmad 2/506]
From these authentic Hadiths, it is clear that the "Najd" referred to as the place of tribulations and the emergence of the "horn of Satan" is Iraq, not the region in Arabia where Sheikh Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab was from.

The term "Najd" in Arabic refers to any elevated land, and there are many regions in Arabia that are referred to as Najd. However, the specific "Najd" mentioned in these Hadiths refers to Iraq. Historically, Iraq has been the origin of many tribulations and misguided sects, as mentioned in the Hadiths.

Therefore, the application of the Hadith of Najd to Sheikh Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab is incorrect and stems from a lack of understanding of Hadith, history, and the geography of the Arab world. Sheikh Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab was from the Najd region in the Arabian Peninsula, specifically from an area that falls within the blessings of the Prophet’s supplications for Yemen. Hence, the opposition to him and the misapplication of the Hadith to him is baseless.
 
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