Fatwa ID: 06162
Answered by: Alimah Habiba Akhtar
Question:
Dear Brother in Islam
There is an important religious matter that I wish to seek your counsel on, as the matter that I wish to discuss below has the potential to give rise to faith crises among Muslims. Kindly guide me on this subject with your great knowledge.
Certain atheists at speakers corner in London try to disprove Islam, by claiming that in the hadith of the prophet(saw) there are somewhat they allege to be the presence of false prophecies. Following are the hadith they quote
The day of judgement will not come until the Slave girl will give birth to her master- they claim now in modern times slavery has been abolished hence this prediction has not come true
Women from Tribe of Daws will worship the idol of Dhul Khalasa- this tribe does not exist anymore another point they use to prove it wrong
Hadith 2539 Sahih Muslim after the battle of Tabuk prophet(saw) predicted that none of the living beings will survive after that century i.e Day of judgement will come after 100 years of victory at Tabuk-what is the actual meaning of this hadith please explain
Apparently, I do not know if there exists a hadith like this but it is reported Jabir bin Abdullah(RA) said that prophet(saw) apparently stated that Ibn Siyaad is the Dajjal- atheists say that appearance of Dajjal on earth will come close to the judgement day. Now we know 14 centuries have passed since the emergence of Islam, so how can we respond to an atheist who tries to disprove our religion using this hadith
Is there any hadith that states regarding the arrival of Dajjal will occur 7 months after the conquest of Constantinople- Constantinople modern-day Istanbul was won around 1500 AD, so how do we explain this prophecy about the arrival of AntiChrist after successfully taking Istanbul.
I will request your help and guidance in this matter.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
The following are explanations of the points raised and rejected by the atheist opinion.
- The matter of the sign of the hour regarding a slave birthing her master is used in the metaphorical term.
The concept of the statement is that a parent-child will mirror a slave-master relationship due to children defying and disobeying their parents. A parent holds authority and honour before their children and their disobedience reverses the roles to akin a slave and master relationship. (1)
- The prophecy of the Tribe of Daws was a correct prophecy and has been completed. The tribe of Daws before their demolition had already returned to their ignorant ways and thus, this happened after the Prophet SAW after which the hour has been considered close. This occurred during the 1800s. (2)
- The hadith referring to none after 100 years after Tabuk will be living pertains to the idea that none who were living at the time of Tabuk will be alive for the period of the day of judgement because they’d have passed away before the next era.
More importantly, no one knows when exactly the hour will begin as the prophet SAW has only explained what will happen before the hour.
Consider the following verse:
They ask you, [O Muhammad], about the Hour: when is its arrival? Say, “Its knowledge is only with my Lord. None will reveal its time except Him. It lays heavily upon the heavens and the earth. It will not come upon you except unexpectedly.” They ask you as if you are familiar with it. Say, “Its knowledge is only with Allah, but most of the people do not know.” (3)
- Ibn Saeed was called Dajjal by those around him and not by the prophet SAW as he did not make a judgement.
Therefore, it was not a definitive attribution by the prophet SAW and hence not definitive according to the shariah. So, we do not claim Ibn Sayed to be Dajjal as we do not know who is. Moreso, Ibn Sayed himself has denied he is dajjal and explained that the rumour does not make sense due to the attributions of shaytan narrated by the prophet SAW do not align with him. (4)
- The hadith of Constantinople is alongside the hadith which states:
Nafi’ b. Utba reported:
We were with Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) in an expedition that there came a people to Allah’s Apostle (ﷺ) from the direction of the west. They were dressed in woollen clothes and they stood near a hillock and they met him as Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) was sitting. I said to myself: Better go to them and stand between him and them so that they may not attack him. Then I thought that perhaps there had been going on secret negotiation amongst them. I, however, went to them and stood between them and him and I remember four of the words (on that occasion) which I repeat (on the fingers of my hand) that he (Allah’s Messenger) said: You will attack Arabia and Allah will enable you to conquer it, then you would attack Persia and He would make you to conquer it. Then you would attack Rome and Allah will enable you to conquer it, then you would attack the Dajjal and Allah will enable you to conquer him. Nafi’ said: Jabir, we thought that the Dajjal would appear after Rome (Syrian territory) would be conquered. (5)
Therefore, the coming of dajjal is associated with the conquering of Rome too. As Rome has not yet been conquered by the Islamic regime, the prophecy is yet unfulfilled.
Thus, in response to your query, many times the prophecies are not considered with the context it is referred to in nor the context it relates to. Therefore, insight is required into the prophecies and the explanation of the hadith to understand the events. The prophecies of the Prophet SAW are not false and the hadiths mentioned are sound.
Only Allah knows best
Written by Alimah Habiba Akhtar
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
(1)
جب لونڈی اپنی مالکہ کو جنم دے۔ یعنی اولاد اپنے والدین کی نافرمان ہو اور اولاد اپنی ماؤں سے اس طرح خدمت لے اور الیا ذلت آمیز سلوک کرنے لگے جیسے آقا اپنی لونڈیوں سے کرتا ہے۔
Sharh arbain Imam Nawawi, Page 34, Darus Salam
(2)
الرجوع الى ذي الخلصة – فانقلبت الى حياتها الجاهلية الاولى بالتمسك بالبدع والخرافات ، وعادت الى التمسح بالاحجار والاشجار وكانت دوس ومن يجاورها من القبايل في الطليعة فرجعت الى ذي الخاصة تتمسح
بها ، وتهدي لها وتنحر عندها
Akhbar Makkah, page 381, Dar Undulus
(3)
{ یَسۡـَٔلُونَكَ عَنِ ٱلسَّاعَةِ أَیَّانَ مُرۡسَىٰهَاۖ قُلۡ إِنَّمَا عِلۡمُهَا عِندَ رَبِّیۖ لَا یُجَلِّیهَا لِوَقۡتِهَاۤ إِلَّا هُوَۚ ثَقُلَتۡ فِی ٱلسَّمَـٰوَ ٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِۚ لَا تَأۡتِیكُمۡ إِلَّا بَغۡتَةࣰۗ یَسۡـَٔلُونَكَ كَأَنَّكَ حَفِیٌّ عَنۡهَاۖ قُلۡ إِنَّمَا عِلۡمُهَا عِندَ ٱللَّهِ وَلَـٰكِنَّ أَكۡثَرَ ٱلنَّاسِ لَا یَعۡلَمُونَ }
[Surah Al-A`râf: 187]
(4)
حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ بْنُ وَكِيعٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الأَعْلَى بْنُ عَبْدِ الأَعْلَى، عَنِ الْجُرَيْرِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِي نَضْرَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ، قَالَ صَحِبَنِي ابْنُ صَائِدٍ إِمَّا حُجَّاجًا وَإِمَّا مُعْتَمِرِينَ فَانْطَلَقَ النَّاسُ وَتُرِكْتُ أَنَا وَهُوَ فَلَمَّا خَلَصْتُ بِهِ اقْشَعْرَرْتُ مِنْهُ وَاسْتَوْحَشْتُ مِنْهُ مِمَّا يَقُولُ النَّاسُ فِيهِ فَلَمَّا نَزَلْتُ قُلْتُ لَهُ ضَعْ مَتَاعَكَ حَيْثُ تِلْكَ الشَّجَرَةِ . قَالَ فَأَبْصَرَ غَنَمًا فَأَخَذَ الْقَدَحَ فَانْطَلَقَ فَاسْتَحْلَبَ ثُمَّ أَتَانِي بِلَبَنٍ فَقَالَ لِي يَا أَبَا سَعِيدٍ اشْرَبْ . فَكَرِهْتُ أَنْ أَشْرَبَ مِنْ يَدِهِ شَيْئًا لِمَا يَقُولُ النَّاسُ فِيهِ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ هَذَا الْيَوْمُ يَوْمٌ صَائِفٌ وَإِنِّي أَكْرَهُ فِيهِ اللَّبَنَ . قَالَ لِي يَا أَبَا سَعِيدٍ هَمَمْتُ أَنْ آخُذَ حَبْلاً فَأُوثِقَهُ إِلَى شَجَرَةٍ ثُمَّ أَخْتَنِقُ لِمَا يَقُولُ النَّاسُ لِي وَفِيَّ أَرَأَيْتَ مَنْ خَفِيَ عَلَيْهِ حَدِيثِي فَلَنْ يَخْفَى عَلَيْكُمْ أَلَسْتُمْ أَعْلَمَ النَّاسِ بِحَدِيثِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَا مَعْشَرَ الأَنْصَارِ أَلَمْ يَقُلْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِنَّهُ كَافِرٌ وَأَنَا مُسْلِمٌ أَلَمْ يَقُلْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِنَّهُ عَقِيمٌ لاَ يُولَدُ لَهُ وَقَدْ خَلَّفْتُ وَلَدِي بِالْمَدِينَةِ أَلَمْ يَقُلْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم لاَ يَدْخُلُ أَوْ لاَ تَحِلُّ لَهُ مَكَّةُ وَالْمَدِينَةُ أَلَسْتُ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْمَدِينَةِ وَهُوَ ذَا أَنْطَلِقُ مَعَكَ إِلَى مَكَّةَ . فَوَاللَّهِ مَا زَالَ يَجِيءُ بِهَذَا حَتَّى قُلْتُ فَلَعَلَّهُ مَكْذُوبٌ عَلَيْهِ ثُمَّ قَالَ يَا أَبَا سَعِيدٍ وَاللَّهِ لأُخْبِرَنَّكَ خَبَرًا حَقًّا وَاللَّهِ إِنِّي لأَعْرِفُهُ وَأَعْرِفُ وَالِدَهُ وَأَعْرِفُ أَيْنَ هُوَ السَّاعَةَ مِنَ الأَرْضِ . فَقُلْتُ تَبًّا لَكَ سَائِرَ الْيَوْمِ . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ.
Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2246
(5)
حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا جَرِيرٌ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ بْنِ عُمَيْرٍ، عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ سَمُرَةَ، عَنْ نَافِعِ بْنِ عُتْبَةَ، قَالَ كُنَّا مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فِي غَزْوَةٍ – قَالَ – فَأَتَى النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَوْمٌ مِنْ قِبَلِ الْمَغْرِبِ عَلَيْهِمْ ثِيَابُ الصُّوفِ فَوَافَقُوهُ عِنْدَ أَكَمَةٍ فَإِنَّهُمْ لَقِيَامٌ وَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَاعِدٌ – قَالَ – فَقَالَتْ لِي نَفْسِي ائْتِهِمْ فَقُمْ بَيْنَهُمْ وَبَيْنَهُ لاَ يَغْتَالُونَهُ – قَالَ – ثُمَّ قُلْتُ لَعَلَّهُ نَجِيٌّ مَعَهُمْ . فَأَتَيْتُهُمْ فَقُمْتُ بَيْنَهُمْ وَبَيْنَهُ – قَالَ – فَحَفِظْتُ مِنْهُ أَرْبَعَ كَلِمَاتٍ أَعُدُّهُنَّ فِي يَدِي قَالَ “ تَغْزُونَ جَزِيرَةَ الْعَرَبِ فَيَفْتَحُهَا اللَّهُ ثُمَّ فَارِسَ فَيَفْتَحُهَا اللَّهُ ثُمَّ تَغْزُونَ الرُّومَ فَيَفْتَحُهَا اللَّهُ ثُمَّ تَغْزُونَ الدَّجَّالَ فَيَفْتَحُهُ اللَّهُ ” . قَالَ فَقَالَ نَافِعٌ يَا جَابِرُ لاَ نَرَى الدَّجَّالَ يَخْرُجُ حَتَّى تُفْتَحَ الرُّومُ .
Sahih Muslim 2900
