Hadith 2199

Commentary

Islam has a clear-cut policy or principle, which is to exhort each section or group of the society to faithfully do its duty. It does not permit any individual or group to neglect his duty under the plea that others are not fulfilling their “He ﷺ said: ‘Eisā will beseech Allāh, as will his companions.’ He said: ‘So Allāh will send An-Nagha[1] down upon their necks. In the morning they will find that they have all died like the death of a single soul.’ He said: ‘Eisā and his companions will come down, and no spot nor hand-span can be found, except that it is filled with their stench, decay and blood. So Eisā will beseech Allāh, as will his companions.’ So Allāh will send upon them birds like the necks of Bukht (milch) camels.’ They will carry them off and cast them into an abyss. The Muslims will burn their bows, arrows and quivers for seventy years.’ “He ﷺ said: ‘Allāh will send upon them a rain which no house of hide nor mud will bear. The earth will be washed, leaving it like a mirror. Then it will be said to the earth: “Bring forth your fruits and return your blessings.” So on that day, a whole troop would eat a pomegranate and seek shade under its skin. Milk will be so blessed that a large group of people will be sufficed by one milking of a camel. And that a tribe will be sufficed by one milking of a cow, and that a group will be sufficed by the milking of sheep. While it is like that, Allāh will send a wind which grabs the soul of every believer, leaving the remainder of the people copulating publicly like the copulation of donkeys. Upon them the Hour shall begin.”’ (Sahīh) [Abū ‘Eisā said:] This Hadīth is Gharīb Hasan Sahīh. We do not know of it except as a narration of ‘Abdur-Raḥmān bin Yazīd bin Jābir.

a. Fa-khaffada fihi wa raffa’a has two possible interpretations: (i) The Prophet ﷺ lowered his voice and raised it in turns in order that everybody might hear him, and at the same time he would not get tired by speaking loudly all the time, or (ii) He belittled his feats but considered them a big trial for the Ummah. b. The Hadīth confirms that the Dajjāl will make his appearance a little before the Last Day, and Allāh will let him perform extraordinary feats, as an inducement or trial for him. The true believers will, however, not be duped by him, since the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ has already given detailed description of these things to the people, in order that they might take steps to safeguard themselves against these things.