This excerpt is taken from Sheikh Hafiz Mubashir Hussain Lahori's book Signs of the Day of Judgment in the Light of Authentic Ahadith.
Sign of the Day of Judgment: Egypt, Sham, and Iraq will withhold their measures and treasures
عن أبى هريرة رضى الله عنه قال قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم : منعت العراق درهمها وقفيرها ومنعت الشام مديها ودينارها ومنعت مصر اردبها ودينارها وعدتم من حيث بدأتم وعدتم من حيث بدأتم وعدتم من حيث بدأتم
Hazrat Abu Huraira (RA) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: The country of Iraq will withhold its dirham and qafiz, the country of Sham will withhold its madi (mad) and dinar, the country of Egypt will withhold its ardab and dinar, and you will return to the state from which you began, you will return to the state from which you started, and you will return to the state from which you began.
Reference: Muslim, Book of Tribulations: Chapter "The Hour will not be established until the Euphrates uncovers a mountain of gold" (2896)
Benefits:
➊ Egypt, Syria, and Iraq withholding their measures and treasures is a sign of the Day of Judgment.
➋ Dirhams were silver coins and dinars were gold coins that were used as currency.
➌ Qafiz, Madi, and Ardab were well-known measures in the mentioned regions that they used for weighing and measuring.
➍ Initially, these countries were tributaries of Rome and Persia, but after the dominance and conquests of Islam, they came under the domain of the Islamic Caliphate.
➎ There are several scholarly opinions regarding the meaning of Egypt, Syria, and Iraq withholding their measures and treasures. For example:
◈ Islam will spread in these countries and the jizya (tax on non-Muslims) will be suspended.
◈ The leaders and rulers of these countries will become rebellious and refuse to pay the jizya.
◈ Apostasy will spread in these countries and people will refuse to pay zakat.
◈ There will be great turmoil, sedition, and bloodshed in these regions such that the Muslim center will not be able to benefit from them.
◈ The disbelievers will dominate these regions and the Muslim governments will collapse.
