Question: What is the correct meaning of Najd and who is referred to by the Hadith of Najd?
Answer: False worshippers have always used various kinds of propaganda against the people of truth. But by the grace and favor of Allah, the truth became clear and evident, and the opponents could not harm it. When Sheikh al-Islam Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab رحمه الله raised the banner of Tawheed and suppressed shirk and innovations in the Arabian land, the polytheists who professed the Kalima began to distort the meanings of the Prophet Muhammad’s صلى الله عليه وسلم hadiths and attribute them to Sheikh al-Islam Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab رحمه الله. Among these hadiths is the Hadith of Najd, whose correct reference is the land of Iraq, where many misguided sects originated. History bears witness that shortly after the death of the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم, many trials occurred in Iraq. The Battle of Nahrawan, the incident of Karbala, the conflicts between Banu Umayyah and Banu Abbas, then the bloody battles of the Tatars, and the emergence of misguided sects such as the Kharijites, Shia, Mu’tazila, Jahmiyyah, Murji’ah, etc., all originated from Kufa, Basra, and Baghdad, which are famous cities of Iraq. For twelve hundred years, the unanimous position of all Muslims was that Najd, the horn of Satan, referred to the region of Iraq. However, after the twelfth century, the innovators distorted the meanings of these hadiths and began to attribute them to Sheikh al-Islam Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab رحمه الله. Now observe the hadiths of the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم which clearly show that Najd, the horn of Satan, refers to the region of Iraq.
➊ It is narrated from Abdullah ibn Umar رضي الله عنهما, who said:
ذكر النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم : اللهم بارك لنا في شامنا اللهم بارك لنا في يمننا قالوا : يا رسول الله وفي نجدنا ؟ قال : اللهم بارك لنا في شامنا اللهم بارك لنا في يمننا قالوا : يا رسول الله وفي نجدنا ؟ فاظنه قال في الثالثة : هناك الزلازل والفتن وبها يطلع قرن الشيطان .
“One day the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم prayed: ‘O Allah! Send blessings upon us in Sham, O Allah! Send blessings upon us in Yemen.’ The people said: ‘O Messenger of Allah! Pray also for our Najd (Iraq).’ He صلى الله عليه وسلم said: ‘O Allah! Send blessings upon us in Sham, O Allah! Send blessings upon us in Yemen.’ The people said: ‘O Messenger of Allah! Pray also for our Najd?’ I think he صلى الله عليه وسلم said the third time: ‘There will be earthquakes and trials there, and from there the horn of Satan will emerge.’”
➋ It is narrated from Abdullah bin Umar رضي الله عنهما that the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said:
اللهم ! بارك لنا فى مدينتنا، وبارك لنا فى مكتنا، وبارك لنا فى شامنا، وبارك لنا فى يمننا، وبارك لنا فى صاعنا ومدّنا، فقال رجل : يا رسول الله ! وفي عراقنا، فأعرض عنه، فقال : فيها الزلازل والفتن، وبها يطلع قرن الشيطان .
“O Allah! Send blessings for us in Medina, and send blessings for us in our Mecca, and send blessings for us in Sham, and send blessings for us in Yemen, and send blessings for us in our Sa’a and Mad.” A man asked: “O Messenger of Allah! And in our Iraq as well?” He صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم turned away from him and then said: “There will be earthquakes and trials there, and from there the horn of Satan will emerge.”
➌ Abdullah bin Umar رضي الله عنه narrates that the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said:
اللهم ! بارك لنا فى مدينتنا، و فى صاعنا و فى مدّنا و فى يمننا، وفي شامنا فقال الرجل : يا رسول الله ! وفي عراقنا، فقال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: بها الزلازل والفتن و منها يطلع قرن الشيطان .
“O Allah! Send blessings upon Medina, Sa’a, Mad, Yemen, and Sham.” A man said: “O Messenger of Allah! And also upon our Iraq?” He صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said: “There will be earthquakes and trials there, and from there the horn of Satan will emerge.”
4. It is narrated from Abdullah bin Umar رضي الله عنهما that the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said:
اللهم ! بارك لنا فى مدينتنا، و مدنا وصاعنا ويمننا و شامنا فقال رجل يا رسول الله ! وفي عراقنا؟ فقال النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم اللهم بارك لنا فى مدينتنا ومدنا وصاعنا و يمننا وشامنا فقال رجل يا رسول الله ! وفي عراقنا؟ فقال النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم منها الزلازل والفتن ومنها يطلع قرن الشيطان
“O Allah! Bless for us our Medina, Mad, Sa’ (a measure), Yemen, and Sham.” A man said: “O Messenger of Allah! And also our Iraq?” The Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said: “O Allah! Bless for us our Medina, Mad, Sa’, Yemen, and Sham.” A man said: “O Messenger of Allah! And also our Iraq?” He صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said: “From there will arise earthquakes and trials, and the horn of Satan will appear.”
This hadith is narrated in several chains in the same chapter of the book “Al-Ma’rifah wa al-Tarikh,” in which Najd and Iraq are specifically mentioned.
➎ It is narrated from Abdullah bin Umar رضي الله عنهما:
رايت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يشير بيده، يوم العراق، ها إنا الفتنة ها هنا، ها إن الفتنة ها هنا، ثلاث مرات، من حيث يطلع قرن الشيطان .
“I saw the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم pointing towards Iraq (and he said): ‘Beware! Surely, the trial will emerge from here, beware, indeed the trial will emerge from here.’ The Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said this three times, then he said: ‘From here the horn of Satan will emerge.'”
➏ It is narrated from Abdullah bin Umar رضي الله عنهما that one day the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم, after leading the Fajr prayer, turned towards the companions رضي الله عنهم and said:
اللهم ! بارك لنا فى مدينتنا، وبارك لنا فى مدّنا وصاعنا، اللهم ! بارك لنا فى شأمنا ويمينا، فقال رجل : والعراق يا رسول الله ! فسكت ثم قال : اللهم ! بارك لنا فى مدينتنا، وبارك لنا فى مدّنا وصاعنا، اللَّهُمُ ! بارك لنا فى حرمنا، وبارك لنا فى شأمنا ويمينا، فقال رجل : والعراق يا رسول الله ! قال : من ثم يطلع قرن الشيطان، وتهيج الفتن.
“O Allah! Send down blessings for us in our Madinah and send down blessings for us in our Mud and Sa’a. O Allah! Send down blessings for us in our Sham and Yemen.” A man said: “O Messenger of Allah! Pray also for Iraq?” The Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم remained silent, then said: “O Allah! Send down blessings for us in our Mud and our Sa’a. O Allah! Send down blessings for us in our Haram and send down blessings for us in our Sham and Yemen.” A man said: “O Messenger of Allah! And for Iraq as well?” The Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said: “From there the horn of Satan will emerge and trials will boil forth.”
Abdullah bin Abbas رضي الله عنهما said: The Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم prayed:
اللهم ! بارك لنا فى شأمنا ويمينا، فقال رجل من القوم يا نبي الله ! وعراقنا فقال ان بها قرن الشيطان وتهيج الفتن وان الجفاء بالمشرق
“O Allah! Bless our Sham and Yemen for us.” Then a man from the people said: “O Prophet of Allah! Also pray for our Iraq.” He صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said: “Indeed, in Iraq is the horn of Satan, and trials will ignite, and indeed oppression is in the East.”
Imam Haithami رحمه الله said: “This hadith has been narrated by Imam Tabrani in ‘Al-Mu’jam Al-Kabir’ and its narrators are trustworthy.”
➑ Salim bin Abdullah, may Allah be pleased with him, said:
يا أهل العراق ! ما أسألكم عن الصغيرة وأركبكم للكبيرة ! سمعت أبى عبد الله بن عمر يقول : سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول : إن الفتنة تجيء من ههنا، وأؤما بيده نحو المشرق، من حيث يطلع قرنا الشيطان .
“O people of Iraq! You investigate minor issues so much and commit major sins. I heard from my father Abdullah bin Umar, may Allah be pleased with them both, who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, say: ‘Indeed, tribulation will come from here.'” And he pointed with his hand towards the east, “from here the horns of Satan will emerge.”
➒ It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه that indeed the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said:
راس الکفر نحو المشرق “The source of disbelief is towards the east.”
In the same narration of Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه mentioned in Ibn Hibban and Muslim etc., it is stated that the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said:
الايمان يمان والحمة يمانية وراس الكفر قبل المشرق
“Indeed, the place of faith and wisdom is Yemen, and the source of disbelief (from Madinah Munawwarah) is towards the east.”
10. Jabir bin Abdullah رضي الله عنه said that the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said:
غلظ القلوب والجفاء في المشرق والايمان في اهل الحجاز
“The harshness and cruelty of people are in the East, and faith is with the people of Hijaz.”
From the above ten authentic hadiths, it is understood that Hijaz, Sham, and Yemen are the three centers of Islam and faith, and from here the knowledge of Islam and faith will continue to rise. The region of Iraq, located eastward from Medina, is the source of trials and the center of misguidance and deviation. Many trials have originated from here; there is less good and more evil here. The Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم made a special supplication for blessings for Yemen and Sham. This is because Makkah Mukarramah, which is the birthplace and ancestral land of the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم, was a city of Yemen, and Madinah Munawwarah, where the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم passed away and which was his residence and burial place, was a city of Sham.
◈ Allama Sharafuddin Al-Tibi states:
انما دعا لها بالبركة لان مولده مولده بمكة وهي من اليمن و مسكنه ومدفنه بالمدينة وهي من الشام
“The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) prayed for blessings for Sham (Syria) and Yemen because his birthplace is Makkah, which is in the region of Yemen, and his residence and burial place is in Madinah, which is part of the Sham regions.”
The commentator of Hadith, Allama Ashraf (may Allah have mercy on him), also mentioned the same. See:
It is understood that the Prophet (peace be upon him) prayed for blessings for the sacred land of Hijaz, and the Najd for which he did not pray is the region of Iraq, as clarified in the authentic hadiths mentioned above. Within Arabia, there are many regions called Najd, and the Prophet (peace be upon him) did not indicate that earthquakes and tribulations would arise from every Najd. Rather, he specifically mentioned Iraq as the place from which earthquakes and tribulations would emerge. Therefore, the actual reference of the hadith is Iraq, not the people of Hijaz. Let us first understand the meaning and concept of Najd in the Arabic language, then see how many Najds there are in Arabia. Najd is a verbal noun meaning height or elevation, so every high and elevated thing is called Najd.
◈ Allama Majduddin Ferozabadi (may Allah have mercy on him) states:
النجد ما اشرف من الارض الطريق الواضح المرتفع وما خالف العوراي تهامة اعلاه تهامة واليمن واسفله العراق والشام واوله من جهة الحجاز ذات عرق
“Najd means elevated land, that is, a high and clear path which is opposite to the lowlands of Tihamah. It is all the elevated land starting from Tihamah and Yemen and extending to Iraq and Sham. Its beginning from the side of Hijaz is Dhatu Arq, which is the miqat (place of intention for Ihram) for the people of Iraq from where they enter Ihram.”
◈ Allama Ibn Manzur Al-Afriki writes:
النجد من الارض فقافها وصلابتها وما غلط منها واشرف وارتفع واستوي
“Najd is that part of the land which is high, strong, dense, and situated at an elevation.”
◈ He further states:
وما ارتفع عن تهامة الي ارض العراق فهو نجد
“The elevated part of the land which starts from Tihamah and goes towards the land is Najd.”
It is understood that elevated and high land is called Najd. There are many Najds in Arabia. Sheikh Abu Abdullah Yaqoot bin Abdullah Al-Hamawi, author of Mu’jam Al-Buldan, enumerated the following Najds:
① Najd Al-Awaz ② Najd Aja ③ Najd Barq ④ Najd Khal ⑤ Najd Al-Thurai ⑥ Najd Afr ⑦ Najd Al-Uqab ⑧ Najd Kabkab ⑨ Najd Mari’ ⑩ Najd Al-Yaman
It is understood that there are many regions named Najd in the Arabian land, and essentially every elevated land is called Najd, and various elevated areas are called Najd. Now the question is: Are all these Najds the source of earthquakes and tribulations, or is there a particular Najd from which tribulations and the horn of Satan will emerge or will emerge later? The authentic hadiths mentioned above clarify that the source of tribulations and the dwelling place of corrupters is Najd of Iraq, and world history testifies that the greatest tribulations, sects, and corruptors especially emerged from Kufa and Basra, more than any other place. Sheikh Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab (may Allah have mercy on him) was not from Najd of Iraq but from Najd of Yemen, for which the Prophet (peace be upon him) prayed for blessings. Therefore, those who object and attribute the hadith of Najd to the Sheikh are unfamiliar with the knowledge of hadith, history, and geography of Arabia, and they do all this to cover up their innovations, customs, and abominable acts like shirk.
