Written by: Hafiz Mutiullah
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“An army will attack the Ka'bah, and when they reach a barren land, the first and last of them will be swallowed by the earth.”
Aisha رضي الله عنها said:
I asked, “O Messenger of Allah! How will all of them be swallowed by the earth when among them are traders and those who are not part of the army?”
The Prophet ﷺ replied:
“The first and last of them will be swallowed by the earth, but they will be resurrected according to their intentions.”
(Mutaffaq ‘Alayh – These are the words recorded by Al-Bukhari)
✿ ② One should distance oneself from a community where sins and transgressions are rampant, as collective punishment may occur.
✿ ③ Actions are judged based on intentions, highlighting the importance of a sincere heart.
✿ ④ This Hadith is among the prophecies of the unseen matters, which the Prophet ﷺ conveyed by divine revelation, and belief in it is mandatory.
✿ ⑤ The Hadith addresses a significant objection – why innocent bystanders will be punished. The explanation is that when a general punishment descends, it affects all present, but they will be resurrected based on their intentions.
✿ ⑥ Allah will distinguish between those who were genuinely compelled and those who participated willingly in wrongdoing.
"Why were there not, among the generations before you, those with a remnant of good sense to forbid corruption on the earth – except a few whom We saved among them?"
[Hud: 116-117]
The verse highlights that when evil spreads unchecked, and no one rises to forbid it, general destruction befalls the people. Thus, it emphasizes the immense value of Da’wah (calling to good and forbidding evil).
Text of the Hadith
On the authority of the Mother of the Believers, Umm Abdillah Aisha رضي الله عنها who said:The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“An army will attack the Ka'bah, and when they reach a barren land, the first and last of them will be swallowed by the earth.”
Aisha رضي الله عنها said:
I asked, “O Messenger of Allah! How will all of them be swallowed by the earth when among them are traders and those who are not part of the army?”
The Prophet ﷺ replied:
“The first and last of them will be swallowed by the earth, but they will be resurrected according to their intentions.”
(Mutaffaq ‘Alayh – These are the words recorded by Al-Bukhari)
Authentication of the Hadith:
- [Narrated by Al-Bukhari 338/4 – Fath al-Bari, and Muslim 2884]
Explanation of Difficult Terms:
- Jaysh (جيش): “Army” – The exact identity and timing of this army are only known to Allah. However, hadiths indicate this army will be formed to kill Imam Mahdi while he seeks refuge in the Ka'bah. Although the attackers will be from this Ummah (Muslim nation), those who actually demolish the Ka'bah will be Abyssinians (as clarified in other narrations).
- Al-Bayda' (البيداء): A barren plain with no vegetation. Some narrations identify it as the desert between Makkah and Madinah.
- Al-Khasf (الخسف): Being swallowed by the earth.
Allah said:
“And among them, We caused the earth to swallow.”
[Al-‘Ankabut: 40]
“We caused the earth to swallow him and his house.”
[Al-Qasas: 81]
- Aswaaqihim (أسواقهم): Their marketplaces or ordinary civilians.
- Yub'athuna ‘ala niyyatihim (يبعثون على نياتهم): They will be resurrected according to their intentions.
Jurisprudence (Fiqh) of the Hadith:
✿ ① It is essential to avoid the company of wrongdoers and rebels because one might share their fate.✿ ② One should distance oneself from a community where sins and transgressions are rampant, as collective punishment may occur.
✿ ③ Actions are judged based on intentions, highlighting the importance of a sincere heart.
✿ ④ This Hadith is among the prophecies of the unseen matters, which the Prophet ﷺ conveyed by divine revelation, and belief in it is mandatory.
✿ ⑤ The Hadith addresses a significant objection – why innocent bystanders will be punished. The explanation is that when a general punishment descends, it affects all present, but they will be resurrected based on their intentions.
✿ ⑥ Allah will distinguish between those who were genuinely compelled and those who participated willingly in wrongdoing.
Supporting Qur’anic Evidence:
Allah says:"Why were there not, among the generations before you, those with a remnant of good sense to forbid corruption on the earth – except a few whom We saved among them?"
[Hud: 116-117]
The verse highlights that when evil spreads unchecked, and no one rises to forbid it, general destruction befalls the people. Thus, it emphasizes the immense value of Da’wah (calling to good and forbidding evil).
