Outline
- Introduction
- Aḥādīth that Predicted Fitnah in the Horizon
- Aḥadīth that Predicted the Martyrdom of Some of the Companions During the Fitnah
- Aḥādīth that Predicted the Martyrdom of Some Companions During the Fitnah
Introduction
Alhamdulillah… infinite thanks and praises are due to the Almighty Allah. Complete peace and blessings are upon Sayyidinā Muhammad, his household, his companions and all those who follow his guided path.
This is the third part of The Fitnah series of articles covering the greatest fitnah that Ummah had to embrace 14 centuries ago, the impact of which continues to tear the fabric of the Ummah after this long period.
The first two Parts that preceded this are:
This part is divided into two. The first highlights some aḥādīth of the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam that predicted the fitnah. And the second outline aḥādīth that predicted the martyrdom of some of the companions of the Prophet by their names.
Knowing about these aḥādīth and understanding them helps the Muslim to make sense of the events of the fitnah, and further prepare himself, as well as his loved ones, to face the various possible challenges that will face them in the near and far future, as Muslims.
There are numerous aḥādīth in which the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam predicted the fitnah that will overwhelm the Ummah in the future.
In addition to the fact that they serve as strong proof of the credibility of the Prophet, that he’s a true Messenger from God, these āhādīth also serve as good news for the companions who fell in the events of the fitnah. All the companions mentioned attained martyrdom. This martyrdom happened even when the two fighting parties were Muslims.
First, let’s take a look at the āḥadīth that explicitly mention the fitnah:
Aḥādīth that Predicted Fitnah in the Horizon
The Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam informed about many happenings that shall take place after his passing. Among others are some events that collectively form the Fitnah we are talking about.
Following is a highlight of 10 aḥādīth pertaining to the fitnah.
Ḥadīth #1
Imaām al-Bukhārī reports from the narration of Sayyidatunā Zaynab bint Jaḥsh raḍiya Allāhu ’anhā who said, that “the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam once got up from his sleep with a flushed red face and said,
لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ، وَيْلٌ لِلْعَرَبِ مِنْ شَرٍّ قَدِ اقْتَرَبَ، فُتِحَ الْيَوْمَ مِنْ رَدْمِ يَاجُوجَ وَمَاجُوجَ مِثْلُ هَذِهِ.
“None has the right to be worshipped but Allah. Woe to the Arabs, from the Great evil that is nearly approaching them. Today a gap has been made in the wall of Gog and Magog like this.”
He was then asked, if we shall be destroyed even though there are righteous people among us. He ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam said:
نَعَمْ، إِذَا كَثُرَ الْخَبَثُ
“Yes, if evil increased.”
Ḥadīth #2
Imām al-Bukhārī also reports from the narration of Sayyidunā Usāmah ibn Zayd raḍiya Allāhu ’anhumā, who said, that the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam once stood over on elf the high buildings of Madīnah and then, asked them if they could see what he could. They said: no. He then said:
فَإِنِّي لأَرَى الْفِتَنَ تَقَعُ خِلاَلَ بُيُوتِكُمْ كَوَقْعِ الْقَطْرِ
“I see afflictions falling among your houses as rain drops fall.”
Ḥadīth #3
Also, Imām al-Bukhārī reports from the narration of Sayyidunā Abū Hurayrah raḍiya Allāhu ’anhu, that the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam said:
يَتَقَارَبُ الزَّمَانُ، وَيَنْقُصُ الْعَمَلُ، وَيُلْقَى الشُّحُّ، وَتَظْهَرُ الْفِتَنُ، وَيَكْثُرُ الْهَرْجُ. قَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَيُّمَ هُوَ. قَالَ: الْقَتْلُ الْقَتْلُ.
“Time will pass rapidly, good deeds will decrease, miserliness will be thrown (in the hearts of the people) afflictions will appear and there will be much ‘Al-Harj.” They said, “O Messenger of Allah! What is “Al-Harj?” He said, “Killing! Killing!”
Ḥadīth #4
In a ḥadīth reported by Imām al-Bukhārī from the narration of Sayyidunā ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar raḍiya Allāhu ’anhumā, who said he heard the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam saying when he pointed to the East:
الْفِتْنَةُ مِنْ هَا هُنَا
“The Fitnah (afflictions) will emerge from here.”
Ḥadīth #5
In another ḥadith reported by Imām al-Bukhārī from the narration of Sayyidunā Abū Hurayrah raḍiya Allāhu ’anhu, that the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam said:
لاَ تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ حَتَّى تَقْتَتِلَ فِئَتَانِ دَعْوَاهُمَا وَاحِدَةٌ.
“The Hour will not be established till two (huge) groups fight against each other, their claim being one and the same.”
Ḥadīth #6
Imām Abū Dāwūd reports from the narration of Sayyidunā Abū Sa’īd, raḍiya Allāhu ‘anhu, that the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam said:
تَمْرُقُ مَارِقَةٌ عِنْدَ فُرْقَةٍ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ يَقْتُلُهَا أَوْلَى الطَّائِفَتَيْنِ بِالْحَقِّ
“In the event of the dissension among Muslims an emerging sect will emerge; one of the two parties that is nearer to the truth will kill it.”
Ḥadīth #7
Imām al-Bukhārī reports from the narration of Sayyidunā Abū Sa’īd al-Khudrī raḍiya Allāhu ’anhu, who said:
بَيْنَا النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقْسِمُ ذَاتَ يَوْمٍ قِسْمًا فَقَالَ ذُو الْخُوَيْصِرَةِ ـ رَجُلٌ مِنْ بَنِي تَمِيمٍ ـ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ اعْدِلْ. قَال: وَيْلَكَ مَنْ يَعْدِلُ إِذَا لَمْ أَعْدِلْ؟ فَقَالَ عُمَرُ ائْذَنْ لِي فَلأَضْرِبْ عُنُقَهُ. قَال: لاَ، إِنَّ لَهُ أَصْحَابًا يَحْقِرُ أَحَدُكُمْ صَلاَتَهُ مَعَ صَلاَتِهِمْ، وَصِيَامَهُ مَعَ صِيَامِهِمْ، يَمْرُقُونَ مِنَ الدِّينِ كَمُرُوقِ السَّهْمِ مِنَ الرَّمِيَّةِ، يُنْظَرُ إِلَى نَصْلِهِ فَلاَ يُوجَدُ فِيهِ شَىْءٌ، ثُمَّ يُنْظَرُ إِلَى رِصَافِهِ فَلاَ يُوجَدُ فِيهِ شَىْءٌ، ثُمَّ يُنْظَرُ إِلَى نَضِيِّهِ فَلاَ يُوجَدُ فِيهِ شَىْءٌ، ثُمَّ يُنْظَرُ إِلَى قُذَذِهِ فَلاَ يُوجَدُ فِيهِ شَىْءٌ، سَبَقَ الْفَرْثَ وَالدَّمَ، يَخْرُجُونَ عَلَى حِينِ فُرْقَةٍ مِنَ النَّاسِ، آيَتُهُمْ رَجُلٌ إِحْدَى يَدَيْهِ مِثْلُ ثَدْىِ الْمَرْأَةِ، أَوْ مِثْلُ الْبَضْعَةِ تَدَرْدَرُ. قَالَ أَبُو سَعِيدٍ أَشْهَدُ لَسَمِعْتُهُ مِنَ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَأَشْهَدُ أَنِّي كُنْتُ مَعَ عَلِيٍّ حِينَ قَاتَلَهُمْ، فَالْتُمِسَ فِي الْقَتْلَى، فَأُتِيَ بِهِ عَلَى النَّعْتِ الَّذِي نَعَتَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم.
“While the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam was distributing (war booty etc.) one day, Dhul Khawayṣira, a man from the tribe of Banī Tamīm, said, “O Messenger of Allah! Act justly.” The Prophet said, “Woe to you! Who else would act justly if I did not act justly?” ‘Umar said (to the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam ), “Allow me to chop his neck off.” The Prophet said, “No, for he has companions (who are apparently so pious that) if anyone of (you compares his prayer with) their prayer, he will consider his prayer inferior to theirs, and similarly his fasting inferior to theirs, but they will desert Islam (go out of religion) as an arrow goes through the victim's body (games etc.) in which case if its Nasl is examined nothing will be seen thereon, and if its Riṣāf is examined, nothing will be seen thereon, and if its Qudhadh is examined, nothing will be seen thereon, for the arrow has gone out too fast even for the excretions and blood to smear over it. Such people will come out at the time of difference among the (Muslim) people and the sign by which they will be recognized, will be a man whose one of the two hands will look like the breast of a woman or a lump of flesh moving loosely. Abu Sa’īd added, “I testify that I heard that from the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam and also testify that I was with ‘Ali when `Ali fought against those people. The man described by the Prophet was searched for among the killed, and was found, and he was exactly as the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam had described him.”
Ḥadīth #8
Ibn al-Haythamī reports from al-Bazzār who reported from the narration of Sayyidunā ibn ‘Abbās, that the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam said:
أَيَّتُكُنَّ صَاحِبَةُ الجَمَلِ الأَدْبَبِ، يُقْتَلُ حَوْلَهَا قَتْلَى كَثِيرَةٌ، تَنْجُو بَعْدَمَا كَادَتْ
“Whose is the hairy camel, a lot of people will be killed around her. She [the owner of the camel] would survive, after she almost get killed.”
Ḥadīth #9
Imām Aḥmad and al-Ḥākim report, that Sayyidah ‘Ā’isha travelled towards Basrah before the Incident of the Camel (more on it in later articles in this series). When she reached the waters of the tribe of Banī ‘Āmir, dogs barked. She then asked, “What water is this?” She was told, “it’s called: The water of Ḥaw’ab.” She then decided to return. But al-Zubayr said to her: “No, you should proceed for the Muslims to see you. So Allah may reconcile among them. She then said, that the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam once said:
كَيْفَ بِإِحْدَاكُنَّ تَنْبُحُ عَلَيْهَا كِلَابُ الحَوْأَبِ
“What if when dogs of al-Ḥaw’ab bark on one of you (referring to his wives)?”
Ḥadīth #10
Imām Abū Dāwūd reports from the narration of Ḥudhayah raḍiya Allāhu ’anhu who said:
مَا أَحَدٌ مِنَ النَّاسِ تُدْرِكُهُ الْفِتْنَةُ إِلاَّ أَنَا أَخَافُهَا عَلَيْهِ إِلاَّ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مَسْلَمَةَ فَإِنِّي سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ: لاَ تَضُرُّكَ الْفِتْنَةُ
“There is no one who will live to the time of the fitnah whom I do not fear for, except Muhammad ibn Maslamah. For I heard the Messenger of Allah ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam saying: Trial will not harm you.”
Aḥadīth that Predicted the Martyrdom of Some of the Companions During the Fitnah
Following are āḥādīth that predicted the martyrdom of some of the companions of the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam and mentioned them by their names.
The Martyrdom of ‘Umar, ‘Uthman, ‘Ali, Talhah and al-Zubayr
Imām Muslim reports from the narration of Sayyidunā Abū Hurayrah raḍiya Allāhu ’anhu, that the Prophet was once on the mount of Hirā’. In his company was Sayyidunā Abū Bakr, ‘Umar, ‘Uthmān, ‘Ali, Ṭalḥah and al-Zubayr. And the mountain shook a bit. Then the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam said to it:
اهْدَأْ فَمَا عَلَيْكَ إِلاَّ نَبِيٌّ أَوْ صِدِّيقٌ أَوْ شَهِيدٌ
“Be calm, there is none upon you but a Prophet, a Fiddle (the testifier of truth) and a Martyr.”
True enough, beside the Prophet, Abū Bakr was known as the Fiddle, and the rest, ‘Umar, ‘Uthmān, ‘Ali, Ṭalḥah and al-Zubayr were all martyred.
The Martyrdom of Uthmān
Sayyidunā ‘Uthmān was given the glad tiding of his martyrdom on a multiple occasions. Imām Muslim reports from the narration of Sayyidunā Abū Mūsā al-Ash’arī raḍiya Allāhu ‘anhu, who said:
بَيْنَمَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فِي حَائِطٍ مِنْ حَائِطِ الْمَدِينَةِ وَهُوَ مُتَّكِئٌ يَرْكُزُ بِعُودٍ مَعَهُ بَيْنَ الْمَاءِ وَالطِّينِ إِذَا اسْتَفْتَحَ رَجُلٌ فَقَالَ ” افْتَحْ وَبَشِّرْهُ بِالْجَنَّةِ ” . قَالَ فَإِذَا أَبُو بَكْرٍ فَفَتَحْتُ لَهُ وَبَشَّرْتُهُ بِالْجَنَّةِ – قَالَ – ثُمَّ اسْتَفْتَحَ رَجُلٌ آخَرُ فَقَالَ ” افْتَحْ وَبَشِّرْهُ بِالْجَنَّةِ ” . قَالَ فَذَهَبْتُ فَإِذَا هُوَ عُمَرُ فَفَتَحْتُ لَهُ وَبَشَّرْتُهُ بِالْجَنَّةِ ثُمَّ اسْتَفْتَحَ رَجُلٌ آخَرُ – قَالَ – فَجَلَسَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ ” افْتَحْ وَبَشِّرْهُ بِالْجَنَّةِ عَلَى بَلْوَى تَكُونُ ” . قَالَ فَذَهَبْتُ فَإِذَا هُوَ عُثْمَانُ بْنُ عَفَّانَ – قَالَ – فَفَتَحْتُ وَبَشَّرْتُهُ بِالْجَنَّةِ – قَالَ – وَقُلْتُ الَّذِي قَالَ فَقَالَ اللَّهُمَّ صَبْرًا أَوِ اللَّهُ الْمُسْتَعَانُ
“While the Prophet was in one of the gardens of Medina, reclining against a pillow and fixing a stick in a mud, that a person came asking for permission to enter. The Prophet said: “Open it for him and give him glad tidings of Paradise.” And it was Abu Bakr. I opened (the gate) for him and gave him the glad tidings of Paradise. Then another person came asking for permission to enter. The Prophet said: Open the gate and give him the glad tidings of Paradise. He said: I went away and, it was ‘Umar. I opened the gate for him and gave him the glad tidings of Paradise. Then another man came asking for permission to enter. The Prophet said: Open the gate and give him the glad tidings of Paradise after a trial would afflict him. When I opened, it was ‘Uthmān ibn ‘Affān. I opened the gate and gave him the glad tidings of Paradise and informed him (what the Prophet had said). Thereupon he said: O Allah, grant me steadfastness. Allah is the One Whose help is to be sought.”
In another ḥadīth reported by Imām al-Tirmidhī reports from the narration of Sayyidah ʿĀʾishah raḍiya Allāhu ’anhā, that the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam said to Sayyidunā ‘Uthmān raḍiya Allāhu ’anhu:
يَا عُثْمَانُ إِنَّهُ لَعَلَّ اللَّهَ يُقَمِّصُكَ قَمِيصًا فَإِنْ أَرَادُوكَ عَلَى خَلْعِهِ فَلاَ تَخْلَعْهُ لَهُمْ
“O ‘Uthman! Indeed Allah may give you a shirt, and if they wish that you take it off, do not take it off for them.”
And this is exactly what you’ll see happening when we reach to final days and moments of Sayyidunā ʿUthmān raḍiya Allāhu ’anhu. The shirt is interpreted as the caliphate. And those who would demand him to take it off would be the rebels.
The Martyrdom of ‘Ali
Shaikh Shu’ayb al-Arnā’ūṭ classified a ḥadīth from the narration of Abū Sinān al-Du’alī, who said that he once visited Sayyidunā ‘Ali in a sickness, and said to him, “We are worried about you in your sickness, O Abū al-Ḥasan. Then Sayyidunā ‘Ali replied, that “I never worried for myself. Because I heard the Trustworthy one, peace be upon him saying:
إنَّكَ ستُضرَبُ ضَربةً هاهُنا، وضَربةً هاهُنا، وأشار إلى صُدْغَيْهِ، فيَسيلُ دمُها حتى تُخضَبَ لِحيَتُكَ، ويكونُ صاحِبُها أَشْقاها، كما كان عاقرُ النَّاقةِ أَشْقى ثَمُودَ.ـ
“You shall be stricken here and here, and he (the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam) showed to his bone, and you’ll bleed until your beard be covered in blood. The culprit will be the most miserable, just like the one who killed the camel of Thamūd.
True enough, this exactly what happened to Sayyidunā ‘Ali 20 years later.
The Martyrdom of Al-Husayn
Ibn Ḥajar al-Ḥaythamī reports from the narration of Sayyidāh ‘Ā’ishah and Sayyidah Umm Salamah raḍiya Allāhu ’anhumā, that the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam once said:
لَقَدْ دَخَلَ عَلَى البيتِ مَلَكٌ فَلَمْ يَدْخُلْ عَلَيَّ قَبْلَها. قَالَ: إنَّ ابنَكِ هَذَا حُسَينٌ مَقْتُولٌ، وإنْ شئْتِ أَرَيْتُكِ مِن تُربةِ الأَرْضِ الَّتي يُقتَلُ بِهَا. قَالَ: فأخرَج تُربةً حمراءَ
“An Angel entered the house, and he has never came to me in the past. He said, “your son, al-Ḥusayn will be killed, and if you wish, I will show you the soil of the land he will be killed in. He then took out some red soil.”
A few decades later, al-Husayn was killed in Kūfa, and it’s reported that the soil of the place is red.
The Martyrdom of Al-Zubayr Fighting Ali
A few stances of Sayyidunā al-Zubayr ibn al-Awwām raḍiya Allāhu ’anhu contributed to the eruption of the fitnah. This is, is although, in the end, he didn’t fight. He didn’t fight because he was reminded by the ḥadīth in which the Prophet said to him (in the presence) of ‘Ali that the former will wrongly fight the latter. After remembering that, he withdrew from the fight.
But he was followed by one troublemakers, called ‘Amr ibn Jurmūz and killed him. This happened during the Incident of the Camel (which we will shed light on, in a future article in this series, inshā Allah).
The Martyrdom of Ammar ibn Yāsir
One of the companions who was informed, that he will attain martyrdom in the fitnah that will hit the Ummah was Sayyidunā ‘Ammār ibn Yāsir raḍiya Allāhu ’anhu. Imām Muslim reports from the narration of Sayyidatunā Ummi Salamah, raḍiya Allāhu ’anhā who said, that the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam said to ‘Ammār:
تَقْتُلُكَ الْفِئَةُ الْبَاغِيَةُ
‘A group of rebels would kill you.’
And this is what happened in the Battle of Ṣiffīn (which we will highlight in a future article in this series, inshā Allāh).
Al-Hasan Saving the Ummah
While most of the āhādīth on the fitnah mention who would be martyred, there was one ḥadīth which explicitly indicate that Sayyidunā al-Ḥasan ibn ‘Ali will bring the Ummah together after saving them from disastrous inner-fighting. Imām Abū Dāwūd reports from the narration of Abī Bakrah, who said that the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam said to al-Ḥasan ibn ‘Ali:
إِنَّ ابْنِي هَذَا سَيِّدٌ وَإِنِّي أَرْجُو أَنْ يُصْلِحَ اللَّهُ بِهِ بَيْنَ فِئَتَيْنِ مِنْ أُمَّتِي
“This son of mine is a Leader, and I hope Allah may reconcile two parties of my community by means of him.”
In another ḥadīth, the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam said:
وَلَعَلَّ اللَّهَ أَنْ يُصْلِحَ بِهِ بَيْنَ فِئَتَيْنِ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ عَظِيمَتَيْنِ
And perhaps Allah may reconcile two large parties of Muslims by means of him.”
Now that you have read from the words of the Prophet about what would happen after his passing, you are ready to read about the unfolding of the events of the fitnah with open-mindedness. You’re also likely ready to look at all the companions of the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam with due respect and love, even if you would disagree with some actions some of them might have taken.
The next article will discuss some events that happened before the fitnah and subsequently led to it happening.
Until then, I leave you in Allah’s protection.
Allah knows best.
Allāhu Ḥāfiẓ 🙂
Be the first to comment on "The Fitnah: Ahadith Predicting the Fitnah in the Horizon"