Will Istanbul Again Fall to the Christians & the Ahadith

Will Istanbul again fall to the Christians & The Ahadith concerning the conquest of Constantinople after which dajjal shall appear

Contents Page

WILL ISTANBUL AGAIN FALL TO THE CHRISTIANS & THE AHADITH CONCERNING THE CONQUEST OF CONSTANTINOPLE AFTER WHICH DAJJAL SHALL APPEAR 4

TWO POINTS WHICH SERVE AS BOTH AN INTRODUCTION AND CONCLUSION OF THE ISSUE 10

EXPLANATION OF A FEW AHADITH AND STATEMENTS OF SAHABA REGARDING CONSTANTINOPLE, DAJJAL AND QIYAMAH 18

SUMMARY 75

COMBATTING THE EVIL OF DAJJÂL 76

Title : Will Istanbul again fall to the Christians & The Ahadith concerning the conquest of Constantinople after which dajjal shall appear

Author: Abu Muhammad Ridhwaan ibn Dawood

Contact: [email protected]

Date of completion: 15 Jumadal Ukhra 1439 03 March 2018

ﺑﺴﻢ اﷲ اﻟﺮﺣﻤﻦ ا ﻟﺮﺣﻴﻢ ﻧﺤﻤﺪﻩ و ﻧﺼﻠﻲ و ﻧﺴﻠﻢ ﻋﻠﻰ رﺳﻮﻟﻪ اﻟﻜﺮﻳﻢ و ﻋﻠﻰ آﻟﻪ و اﺻﺤﺎﺑﻪ اﺟﻤﻌﻴﻦ اﻣﺎ ﺑﻌﺪ Will Istanbul again fall to the Christians & The Ahadith concerning the conquest of Constantinople after which dajjal shall appear

The issue of the conquest of Constantinople (present-day Istanbul) and its relationship with the emergence of dajjal has always been a matter which demands deep thought, and which is open to a difference of opinion. The reason being that in the authentic Ahadith mention is made of only one conquest of Constantinople, its conqueror is praised and the method of its conquest is detailed. Together with this, mention is made that shortly after the conquest of Constantinople shall occur the 'emergence of dajjal'.

The conquest of Constantinople occurred in the year 857 A.H (1453), at the hands of Sultan Muhammad Al-Faatih. He, as well as all the scholars of that era understood that the glad-tidings mentioned in the narrations for the conquering army of Constantinople referred to Sultan Muhammad and his noble army.

After the conquest however the 'emergence of dajjal', in accordance to what all were expecting (i.e. a physical appearance of which all would be aware) did not occur. Due to having not as yet witnessed the emergence of dajjal many took to the view that at some time in the future, the land of Istanbul (previously Constantinople) shall again return to Roman, christian power; its inhabitants shall revert to Christianity, and its broken walls shall be re-erected. The use of aeroplanes and cars shall come to an end and man shall return to the age of the ship and the horse. (The reason being that all of these events have been detailed in the narrations concerning the conquest of Constantinople, following which shall be the

4 emergence of dajjal. For example, mention has been made of the Muslim armies coming on ship; of their takbeers causing a wall/walls of the city to collapse, thus allowing them to enter. Had it been an era of aeroplanes the need to come by ship would hardly be felt and the need to collapse walls would not arise, due to attacks being easier from the air. Mention is also made of horsemen during that era being sent back to ascertain whether the news of dajjal's emergence is genuine. This would thus mean that during that era technology will have disappeared, otherwise such news could have easily been verified through phones, etc. It would also mean that since horsemen are being sent back to gather information, during that era it would be horses that would be the fastest mode of transport.)

One can thus understand that although a second conquest of Constantinople is indeed a possibility, after which the world shall witness the emergence of dajjal, however this possibility demands much to occur before it could be realized.

Those that inclined towards this view interpreted the Ahadith regarding the conquest of Constantinople, which shall be followed by the emergence of dajjal, to refer to 'a second conquest of Constantinople', and not to 'the conquest at the hands of Sultan Muhammad Al-Fatih'.

In support of this view of 'a second conquest', a narration, quoted by Imam Ibn Majah in his Sunan, and Hafiz Al-Bazzar 1, would generally be quoted.

The wording of the narration, as quoted from Ibn Majah is:

ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ  ِ   ِ َﻋ ْﻦ َﻗـﻴْ ٍﺲ، ﻋَ ْﻦ أَﺑﻲ َﺣ ﻦﺼ ﻴْ ، ﻋَ ْﻦ أَﺑﻲ َﺻﺎﻟ ٍﺢ َﻋ ْﻦ أَﺑﻲ ُﻫَﺮْﻳـَﺮةَ، ﻗَ َﺎل : ﻗَ َﺎل َر ُﺳ ُﻮل اﻟﻠﻪ - َﺻﻠﻰ اﻟﻠﻪُ َﻋﻠَﻴْﻪ َو َﺳﻠ َﻢ - - ِ  ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ : " ﻟَْﻮ ﻟَ ْﻢ َﻳـﺒْ َﻖ ﻣ ْﻦ اﻟﺪْﻧـﻴَﺎ إﻻ َﻳـْﻮٌم، ﻟَﻄَﻮﻟَﻪُ اﻟﻠﻪُ َﻋﺰ َوَﺟ ﻞ َﺣﺘﻰ ﻳَْﻤﻠ َﻚ َرُﺟ ٌﻞ ﻣ ْﻦ أَْﻫ ِﻞ َﺑـﻴْﺘﻲ، ﻳَْﻤﻠ ُﻚ َﺟﺒَ َﻞ اﻟﺪْﻳـﻠَِﻢ َواﻟُْﻘ ْﺴﻄَﻨْﻄﻴﻨﻴﺔ 'If only one day were to remain of this world, Almighty Allah would indeed lengthen it, until a man from my family becomes rules over the mountains of Dailam (Iran) and Constantinople. (Istanbul)'

 ِ ِ 1 َﺣﺪﺛﻨﺎ ﻋ ﻠﻲ ﺑﻦ اﳌﻨﺬر، ﻗَﺎل : َﺣﺪﺛﻨﺎ إﺳﺤﺎق ﺑﻦ ﻣﻨﺼﻮر، ﻗَﺎل : َﺣﺪﺛﻨﺎ ﻗﻴﺲ، َﻋﻦ أﰊ َﺣﺼﲔ، َﻋﻦ أﰊ ﺻﺎﱀ، َﻋﻦ أﰊ ُﻫَﺮﻳﺮة، ﻗَ َﺎل : ﻗَ َﺎل َرُﺳﻮل اﷲ َﺻﻠﻰ اﻟﻠﻪُ َﻋﻠَﻴﻪ َو َﺳﻠﻢ : ﻻ ﺗﺬﻫﺐ أﻳﺎم اﻟﺪﻧﻴﺎ ﺣﱴ ﳝﻠﻚ رﺟﻞ ﻣﲏ، وﻟﻮ ﱂ ﻳﺒﻖ ﻣﻦ اﻟﺪﻧﻴﺎ إﻻ ﻳﻮم واﺣﺪ ﻟﻄﻮل اﷲ ذﻟ ﻚ اﻟﻴﻮم ﺣﱴ ﻳﻔﺘﺢ ﻗﺴﻄﻨﻄﻴﻨﺔ واﻟﺪﻳﻠﻢ ( اﻟﺒﺤﺮ اﻟﺰﺧﺎر ) ) 5

The above narration however has been declared as 'weak' 2 due to it being narrated only from Qais ibn Rabee 3', who has been declared 'weak' espeacially in those narrations which he alone narrates from Abu Haseen, as is the case here.

In this narration Qais narrates from Abu Haseen, from Abu Salih from Abu Hureira, students of Abu ( ﺛﻘﺔ ) whereas this very wording can be found from many reliable Salih, quoting from Abu Hureira, in which there is no mention of 'Constantinople' at all. For example:

ِ ِ  ِ   ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ َﻋ ْﻦ َﻋﺎﺻٍﻢ، َﻋ ْﻦ ِزر، َﻋ ْﻦ ﻋَﺒْﺪ اﻟﻠﻪ، َﻋ ِﻦ اﻟﻨﺒ ﻲ َﺻﻠﻰ اﻟﻠﻪُ َﻋﻠَﻴْﻪ َو َﺳﻠ َﻢ ﻗَ َﺎل : " ﻳَﻠﻲ َرُﺟ ٌﻞ ﻣ ْﻦ ْأَﻫ ِﻞ َﺑـ ﻴْﺘﻲ ُﻳـَﻮاﻃ ُﺊ ْاﺳ ُﻤﻪُ ْاﺳﻤﻲ َ" ﻗ, َﺎل ﻗ, َ" ِ ِ ِ ِ  ِ ِ ِ ِ َﻋﺎﺻ ٌﻢ : َو ْأَﺧَﺒـَﺮﻧَﺎ أَﺑُﻮ َﺻﺎﻟ ٍﺢ، َﻋ ْﻦ أَﺑﻲ ُﻫَﺮْﻳـَﺮة َ ﻗَ َﺎل : " ﻟَْﻮ ﻟَ ْﻢ َﻳـﺒْ َﻖ ﻣ َﻦ اﻟﺪْﻧـﻴَﺎ إﻻ َﻳـْﻮٌم ﻟَﻄَﻮَل اﻟﻠﻪُ ذَﻟ َﻚ َاﻟﻴـْﻮَم َﺣﺘﻰ ﻳَﻠ َﻲ ": َﻫ َﺬا َﺣﺪ ٌﻳﺚ ِ َﺣ َﺴ ٌﻦ َﺻﺤﻴﺢ (, ﺗﺮﻣﺬي ) ) 'If only one day were to remain of this world, Almighty Allah would indeed lengthen it, until a man from my family becomes ruler.' Besides this narration of Sayyiduna Abu Hureira, there are a great number of sound narrations from other Sahabah as well, discussing this very issue. Here too mention

2 ِ إﺳﻨﺎدﻩ ﺿﻌﻴﻒ، ﻗﻴﺲ - وﻫﻮ اﺑﻦ اﻟﺮﺑﻴﻊ اﻷﺳﺪي - ﺿﻌﻴﻒ ﻻ ﺳﻴﻤﺎ ﻓﻴﻤﺎ اﻧﻔﺮد ﺑﻪ . أﺑﻮ َﺣﺼﲔ - ﺑﻔﺘﺢ اﳊﺎء ( ﺷﻌﻴﺐ اﻻرﻧﻮط ) ) 3 ﻗﺎل ﻋﻨﻪ اﳊﺎﻓﻆ اﺑﻦ ﺣﺒﺎن ﰲ " اﺮوﺣﲔ " 219 : " اﺧﺘﻠﻒ ﻓﻴﻪ أﺋﻤﺘﻨﺎ : ﻓﺄﻣﺎ ﺷﻌﺒﺔ ﻓﺤﺴﻦ اﻟﻘﻮل ﻓﻴﻪ وﺣﺚ ﻋ ﻠﻴﻪ، وﺿﻌﻔﻪ وﻛﻴﻊ، وأﻣﺎ اﺑﻦ اﳌﺒﺎرك ﻓﻔﺠﻊ اﻟﻘﻮل ﻓﻴﻪ، وﺗﺮﻛﻪ ﳛﲕ ﺑﻦ اﻟﻘﻄﺎن، وأﻣﺎ ﳛﲕ ﺑﻦ ﻣﻌﲔ ﻓﻜﺬﺑﻪ، وﺣﺪث ﻋﻨﻪ ﻋﺒﺪ اﻟﺮﲪﻦ ﺑﻦ ﻣﻬﺪي ﰒ ﺿﺮب ﻋﻠﻰ ﺣﺪﻳﺜﻪ . . وإﱐ ﺳﺄﲨﻊ ﺑﲔ ﻗﺪح ﻫﺆﻻء ﻓﻴﻪ، وﺿﺪ اﳉﺮح ﻣﻨﻬﻢ ﻓﻴﻪ إن ﺷﺎء اﷲ ". ﰒ أورد اﻟﻜﺜﲑ ﳑﺎ ﻗﺎﻟﻮﻩ ﻓﻴﻪ ﰒ ﻗﺎل : " ﻗﺪ ﺳﱪت أﺧﺒﺎ ر ﻗﻴﺲ ﺑﻦ اﻟﺮﺑﻴﻊ ﻣﻦ رواﻳﺔ اﻟﻘﺪﻣﺎء واﳌﺘﺄﺧﺮﻳﻦ وﺗﺘﺒﻌﺘﻬﺎ ﻓﺮأﻳﺘﻪ ﺻﺪوﻗﺎً ﻣﺄﻣﻮﻧﺎً ﺣﻴﺚ ﻛﺎن ﺷﺎﺑﺎً، ﻓﻠﻤﺎ ﻛﱪ، ﺳﺎء ﺣﻔﻈﻪ، واﻣﺘﺤﻦ ﺑﺎﺑﻦ ﺳﻮء ﻓﻜﺎن ﻳﺪﺧﻞ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ اﳊﺪﻳﺚ ﻓﻴ ﺠﻴﺐ ﻓﻴﻪ ﺛﻘﺔ ﻣﻨﻪ ﺑﺎﺑﻨﻪ، ﻓﻠﻤﺎ ﻏﻠﺐ اﳌﻨﺎﻛﲑ ﻋﻠﻰ ﺻﺤﻴﺢ ﺣﺪﻳﺜﻪ، وﱂ ﻳﺘﻤﻴﺰ، اﺳﺘﺤﻖ ﳎﺎﻧﺒﺘﻪ ﻋﻨﺪ اﻻﺣﺘﺠﺎج . . ﻓﻜﻞ ﻣﻦ ﻣﺪﺣ ﻪ ﻣﻦ أﺋﻤﺘﻨﺎ وﺣﺚ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ، ﻛﺎن ذﻟﻚ ﻣﻨﻬﻢ ﳌﺎ ﻧﻈﺮوا إﱃ اﻷﺷﻴﺎء اﳌﺴﺘﻘﻴﻤﺔ اﻟﱵ ﺣﺪث ﺎ ﻣﻦ ﲰﺎﻋﻪ . وﻛﻞ ﻣﻦ وﻫﺎﻩ ﻣﻨﻬﻢ، ﻓﻜﺎن ذﻟﻚ ﳌﺎ ﻋﻠﻤﻮا ﳑﺎ ﰲ ﺣﺪﻳﺜﻪ ﻣﻦ اﳌﻨﺎﻛﲑ اﻟﱵ أدﺧﻞ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ اﺑﻨﻪ وﻏﲑﻩ ... ". ". و ﰲ ﻧﺰﻫﺔ اﻷﻟﺒﺎب ﰲ ﻗﻮل اﻟﱰﻣﺬي - وﰲ اﻟﺒﺎب ﻣﻦ ﻃﺮﻳﻖ أﰊ ﺣﺼﲔ وﻋﺎﺻﻢ ﻛﻼ ﳘﺎ ﻋﻦ أﰊ ﺻﺎﱀ ﻋﻦ أﰊ ﻫﺮﻳﺮة ﻗﺎل : ﻗﺎل رﺳﻮل اﻟﻠﻪ - ﺻﻠﻰ اﻟﻠﻪ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ وﺳﻠﻢ "- : ﻟﻮ ﱂ ﻳﺒﻖ ﻣﻦ اﻟﺪﻧﻴﺎ إﻻ ﻳﻮم ﻟﻄﻮﻟﻪ اﻟﻠﻪ - َﻋﺰ َوَﺟ ﻞ - ﺣﱴ ﳝﻠﻚ رﺟﻞ ﻣﻦ أﻫﻞ ﺑﻴﱴ ﳝﻠﻚ ﺟﺒﻞ اﻟﺪﻳﻠﻢ واﻟﻘﺴﻄﻨﻄﻴﻨﻴﺔ " واﻟﺴﻴﺎق ﻻﺑﻦ ﻣﺎﺟﺔ وﻗﺪ ﺿﻌﻔﻪ اﻟﺒﻮﺻﲑى ﰲ اﻟﺰواﺋﺪ ﺑﻘﻮﻟﻪ : " ﻫﺬا إﺳﻨﺎد ﻓﻴ ﻪ ﻣﻘﺎل ﻗﻴﺲ ﻫﻮ اﺑﻦ اﻟﺮﺑﻴﻊ ﺿﻌﻔﻪ أﲪﺪ واﺑﻦ اﳌﺪﻳﲎ ووﻛﻴﻊ واﻟﻨﺴﺎﺋﻲ واﻟﺪارﻗﻄﲏ .إﱁ" .إﱁ" و ﻗﻴﺲ اﻧﻔﺮد ﺑﻘﻮﻟﻪ : " ﳝﻠﻚ ﺟﺒﻞ اﻟﺪﻳﻠﻢ واﻟﻘﺴﻄﻨﻄﻴﻨﻴﺔ " وأﻣﺎ ﺻﺪر اﳊﺪﻳﺚ ﻓﻬﻮ ﰲ اﺑﻦ ﺣﺒﺎن ﻣﻦ ﻃﺮﻳﻖ أﰊ ﺷﻬﺎب ﳏﻤﺪ ﺑﻦ إﺑﺮاﻫﻴﻢ ﻋﻦ ﻋﺎﺻﻢ ﺑﻦ ﺪﻟﺔ ﻋﻦ أﰊ ﺻﺎﱀ ﺑﻪ إﻻ أﻧﻪ اﺧﺘﻠﻒ ﻓﻴﻪ ﻋﻠﻰ ﻋﺎﺻﻢ ﻓﻘ ﺎل ﻋﻨﻪ ﻋﺎﻣﺔ أﺻﺤﺎﺑﻪ ﻛﺎﻟﺜﻮرى وﻏﲑﻩ ﻋﻦ زر ﻋﻦ ﻋﺒﺪ اﻟﻠﻪ وﻗﺎل أﺑﻮ ﺷﻬﺎب اﻟﻮﺟﻬﲔ واﻟﻈﺎﻫﺮ ﺛﺒﻮت اﻟﻮﺟﻬﲔ وﻫﻮ اﻟﺬى ﻣﺎل إﻟﻴﻪ ﺑﻌﺾ اﳊﻔﺎظ واﳋﻼﺻﺔ أن ﺣﺼﻮل اﻟﻨﻘﺪ ﰲ اﳊﺪﻳﺚ ﻋﻠﻰ ﻣﺎ ﺗﻔﺮد ﺑﻪ ﻗﻴﺲ ﻟﺬا ﻻم اﻟﺸﺎﻓﻌﻰ ﻣﻦ ﻳﺰﻳﺪ ﻻ ﻣﻦ ﻳﻨﻘﺺ .

6 is only made of a man from the family of Rasulullah Salallahu Alaihi wa Sallam one day becoming ruler, and that if only one day were left of this world, Almighty Allah would lenghten it until his rule would be established. In none of these sound narrations is there any mention of 'conquering Constantinople'

For example:

Aasim narrates from Abdullah (ibn Masood) from Rasulullah Sallalahu Alaihi wa Sallam (Abu Dawood), and Abu Tufeil narrates from Ali from Rasulullah Sallalahu Alaihi wa Sallam (Abu Dawood)

'If only a day is left of this world, Almighty Allah shall indeed lenghten that day until He brings a man from my family, whose name shall be as my name, and the name of his father shall be like the name of my father, a man who shall fill the earth with justice .' 4

In the light of the above, the narration showing Constantinople being conquered at the hands of a man from the Ahl-e-Bait is not sufficient to be used as a proof for any interpretation, since its sanad is quite weak and it has an addition not found in the sound narrations of Sayyiduna Abu Hureira, Abdullah Ibn Masood and Ali ibn abi Talib.

There is a great possibility that the mention of Constantinople and Dailam being conquered by a man from the Banu Hashim was fabricated by certain elements who bore great hatred for the Banu Ummayah, after the unsuccessful campaign

 ِِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ  ِ  ِ ِ ِ ٍ ِ 4 ِ َﻋ ْﻦ َﻋﺎﺻﻢ، َﻋ ْﻦ زر، َﻋ ْﻦ َﻋْﺒﺪ اﻟ ﻠﻪ، َﻋ ِﻦ ِاﻟﻨﱯ َﺻﻠﻰ اﷲُ َﻋﻠَْﻴﻪ َو َﺳﻠ َﻢ ﻗَ َﺎل : " ﻟَْﻮ َﱂْ ﻳـَْﺒ َﻖ ﻣ َﻦ ْاﻟﺪﻧـﻴَﺎ إﻻ ﻳـَْﻮ مٌ -" ﻗَ َﺎل َزاﺋَﺪةُ ﰲ َﺣﺪﻳﺜﻪ : " ﻟَﻄَﻮَل اﻟﻠﻪُ ذَﻟ َﻚ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ٍ "اﻟَْﻴـْﻮَم ، ُﰒ اﺗـَﻔُﻘﻮا - " َﺣﱴ ﻳـَْﺒـَﻌ َﺚ ﻓﻴﻪ َرُﺟًﻼ ﻣﲏ " - ْ "أَو ﻣ ْﻦ ْأَﻫ ِ ﻞ ﺑـَْﻴِﱵ -" ﻳـَُﻮاﻃ ُﺊ ْاﲰُﻪُ ْاﲰﻲ، َو ْاﺳ ُﻢ أَﺑﻴﻪ ْاﺳ ُﻢ ِأَﰊ " َزَاد ﰲ َﺣﺪﻳﺚ ﻓﻄْﺮ : "َﳝَْﻸُ ْاﻷَْر َض ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ﻗ ْﺴﻄًﺎ، َوَﻋْﺪًﻻ َﻛَﻤﺎ ُﻣﻠﺌَ ْﺖ ﻇُْﻠًﻤﺎ َوَﺟْﻮًرا " َ وﻗَ َ ﺎل : ﰲ َﺣﺪﻳﺚ ُﺳْﻔﻴَ َﺎن : "َ ﻻ ﺗَْﺬَﻫ ُﺐ، ْأَو َﻻ َﺗـْﻨـَﻘﻀﻲ، ْاﻟﺪﻧـﻴَﺎ َﺣﱴ َﳝ ْ ﻠ َﻚ اﻟَْﻌَﺮ َب َرُﺟﻞٌ ﻣ ْﻦ ْأَﻫِﻞ ﺑـَْﻴِﱵ، ﻳـَُﻮاﻃ ُﺊ ْاﲰُﻪُ ِْ (اﲰﻲ اﺑﻮ داؤد ﺑﺴﻨﺪ ﺻﺤﻴﺢ ) )

ِ  ِ ِ  ِ  ِ  ِ ِ  ِ ِ ِ  ِ ِ َﻋ ْﻦ أَﰊ اﻟﻄَﻔﻴْﻞ، َﻋ ْﻦ َﻋﻠ ٍﻲ، َرﺿ َﻲ اﻟﻠﻪُ َﻋﻨْﻪُ، َﻋﻦ اﻟﻨ ﱯ َﺻﻠﻰ اﷲُ َﻋﻠَﻴْﻪ َو َﺳﻠ َﻢ ﻗَ َﺎل : " ﻟَْﻮ َﱂْ ﻳـَﺒْ َﻖ ﻣ َﻦ اﻟﺪ ْﻫﺮ إﻻ َﻳـْﻮٌم، ﻟ ََﺒـَﻌ َﺚ اﻟﻠﻪُ َرُﺟًﻼ ﻣ ْﻦ ْأَﻫﻞ ِ ﺑـَﻴِْﱵ، َﳝْﻠَُﺆَﻫﺎ َﻋ ْﺪًﻻ َﻛَﻤﺎ ُﻣﻠﺌَ ْﺖ َﺟْﻮًرا (" اﺑﻮ داؤد ﺑﺴﻨﺪ ﺻﺤﻴﺢ) 7 launched against Constantinople during the reign of Sayyiduna Muawiya. The defeat suffered by the Muslims during this campaign pleased these hypocrites, and their tongues began wagging with the lie that the conquest of this land has been written for the Banu Hashim, and not the Banu Ummayah.

This possibilty gains strenght when one studies the statements falsely attributed to Sayyiduna Huzeifa ibn Yamaan, regarding who shall conquer Constantinople and Dailam. The words attributed to Sayyiduna Huzeifa, in which the signs of clear fabrication shine bright, are:

'You shall not conquer it in your next attempt (speaking to a soldier who had participated in some unsuccesful campaign at sea, during the rule of Sayyiduna Uthman and was preparing for another attack on the same area), nor shall you ever conquer it during the rule of the Banu Ummayah. Dailam and Constantinole shall not be conquered except during our rule , during the rule of the Banu Hashim. This matter had began with us and it shall end with us!'5

Besides the sad state of the chain of its narrators, and of the wording of the narration, which drips with shia hatred for the Banu Ummayah, the fact that such statements were mere fabrications became as clear as dawn when Sultan Muhammad Fatih (who was not a Haashimi, nor even an Arab) conquered Constantinople in the year 857 A.H (1453)

As for Dailam (North Iran), its inhabitants first step out of Zoroastrianism occurred only around the 9th and 10th century, but it was not into Islam, rather into Zaidi

5 ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ َﺣﺪﺛـَﻨَﺎ ُﳏَﻤ ُﺪ ﺑْ ُﻦ َﻋﻠ ﻲ، َﺣﺪﺛـَﻨَﺎ ﻟَُﻮﻳْ ٌﻦ، َﺣﺪﺛـَﻨَﺎ ُﳏَﻤ ُﺪ ﺑْ ُﻦ ُﺳﻠَﻴَْﻤ َﺎن ْاﻷَ ْﺻَﺒـَﻬﺎﱐ، َﻋ ْﻦ َﻋﻤﻪ اﺑْ ِﻦ ْاﻷَ ْﺻَﺒـَﻬﺎﱐ  ، َﻋ ِﻦ ْاﻟﺸﻌِﱯ، َﻋ ْﻦ َﻣﺎﻟﻚ ﺑْ ِﻦ ُﺻ َﺤﺎر ِ ِ ِ ِ  ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ َ ِ ﻗَ َﺎل : َﻏَﺰْوﻧَﺎ ﰲ ﺧَﻼﻓَﺔ ﻋُﺜَْﻤ َﺎن َرﺿ َﻲ اﻟﻠﻪُ َﻋﻨْﻪُ َﻓـَﺮﻛْﺒـﻨَﺎ، َو ُﺟ َﺮِح أَﺧﻲ ﻓَ َﺤَﻤﻠْﺘُﻪُ ﺑـََْﲔ ﻳََﺪ ي َﺟﺮﳛًﺎ ﻋَﻠ َ ﻰ اﻟَْﺒـْﻘﻞ ْأَو ﻗَ َﺎل : َﻋﻠَﻰ اﻟﺜـ َﻘﻞ، ﻓَﺄْدَرَﻛﻨَﺎ َرُﺟ ٌﻞ ﻣ ْﻦ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ  ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ َﺧﻠْﻔ ﻲ ﻓَ َﻀَﺮ َب َﻋﻠَﻰ ﻇَْﻬﺮي َﺿْﺮﺑَﺔً ﺑ ﺎﻟﺴْﻮط، ﻓَﺎﻟَْﺘـَﻔ ﺖ ﻓَﺈذَا ُﻫَﻮ ُﺣَﺬْﻳـَﻔﺔُ، ﻓَ َﺴﻠ ْﻤ ُﺖ َﻋﻠَﻴْﻪ َﻓـُﻘﻠْ ُﺖ : ﻳَﺎ أَﺑَﺎ َﻋﺒْﺪ اﻟﻠﻪ َﻣﺎ َرأَﻳْ ُﺖ ﻣﺜْ َﻞ َﻣﺎ ﻟَﻘﻴﻨَﺎ ﻣ ْﻦ َﻏَﺰاﺗﻨَﺎ ِِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ  ِ َﻫﺬﻩ ﻣ َﻦ اﻟﺸﺪة ﻗَْﺪ ُﺟﺮْﺣ ُﺖ َوَﻫَﺬا أَﺧﻲ َوﻟَﻜ ْﻦ ﻧـَْﺮُﺟ ﻮ ْأَن ﻧَﺄْﺗَﻴـَﻬﺎ ﻗَﺎﺑًﻼ َﻓـَﻨـْﻔﺘَ َﺤَﻬﺎ إ ْن َﺷﺎءَ اﻟﻠﻪُ، َﻓـَﻘ َﺎل ﻟَﻪُ ُﺣَﺬْﻳـَﻔﺔ ُ «: َ ﻻ َﺗـْﻔﺘَ ُﺤ َﻮﻫﺎ ﻗَﺎﺑًﻼ َوَﻻ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ٍ ِ ِِ ِِ َﺗـْﻔﺘَ ُﺤ َﻮﻫﺎ ﰲ ُﺳﻠْﻄَﺎن ﺑَِﲏ َأُﻣﻴﺔَ َﻻ ﺗـُْﻔﺘَ ُﺢ اﻟﺪْﻳـﻠَ ُﻢ، َوﻗُ ْﺴﻄَﻨْﻄﻴﻨﻴﺔُ إﻻ ﻟَﻨَﺎ، ﰲ ُﺳﻠْﻄَﺎن ﺑَِﲏ َﻫ ﺎﺷﻢ ﻓُﺘ َﺢ َﻫَﺬا ْاﻷَْﻣُﺮ  ْﻢ، َو ْﻢ ُﳜْﺘَ ُﻢ » ( اﳌﻌﺠﻢ ﻻﺑﻦ اﳌﻘﺮئ ِ ِِ «: ِ ِ ِ ِ  ِ َﺣﺪﺛـَﻨَﺎ أَﺑُﻮ ُﻣَﻌﺎوﻳَﺔَ، َﻋ ِﻦ ْاﻷَ ْﻋَﻤ ِﺶ، َﻋ ْﻦ ﺑـَْﻌ ِﺾ ْأَﺻ َﺤﺎﺑﻪ، َﻋ ْﻦ ُﺣَﺬْﻳـَﻔﺔَ، ﻗَ َﺎل َ ﻻ ﻳـَْﻔﺘَ ُﺢ اﻟُْﻘ ْﺴﻄَﻨْﻄﻴﻨﻴﺔ َ َوَﻻ اﻟﺪْﻳـﻠََﻢ َوَﻻ اﻟﻄَﱪ ْﺳﺘَ َﺎن إﻻ َرُﺟ ﻞٌ ﻣ ْ ﻦ ﺑَِﲏ ِ (» ) َﻫﺎﺷٍﻢ اﺑﻦ اﰊ ﺷﻴﺒﺔ 8 shiasm. The Turkish invasions that occurred thereafter, during the 10th and 11th century brought an end to the Daylamite states. From that day Daylam as a state disappeared, replaced by 'Gilan'. For brief periods, the state of Gilan recognized the supremacy of the Ottoman Caliphate, although without pledging allegiance. The Savawid emperor, Shah Abbaas 1, upon rising to rule, annexed the province directly to his empire. From this point onward, rulers of Gilan were appointed by the Persian Shah. In 1722 Russia took control of these lands. The city today is under the shia rule of Tehran. From this brief history one can see many conquests that occurred over this land, but none at the hands of a noble, praised leader of the Banu Hashim.

Thus the wording 'Daylam shall not be conquered except ' has historically been proven to be a fabrication.

Similarly, the statement that appeared in the weak narration of Sayyiduan Abu Hureira (which has been discussed above), in which mention was made that Constantinople and Dailam shall one day be conquered by a man from the Banu Hashim, (referring to Al Mahdi), that too loses strenght when one considers that there is no longer a 'Constantinople' to be conquered, nor any 'Dailam'. These states have centuries ago been conquered and have now disappeared.

Summary:

The assumption that one day Turkey shall fall back into the hands of the Romans, and shall convert back to christianity, and that it shall again be conquered by Muslims on ship during the era of Sayyiduna Al-Mahdi, and that for this conquest its walls shall again have to be broken (which demands that first the broken areas of these huge walls be re-erected, something which has not been done from the time Muhammad Al-Fatih conquered the land) - this assumption has been based primarily upon a statement Abu Haseen claimed to have heard from Abu Salih, qouting from Sayyidunah Abu Hureira, qouting from Rasulullah Sallalahu Alaihi wa Sallam.

The weakness of this statement, and how it contradicts the wording of the reliable narrators from Abu Salih, has been made clear in the pages that have passed. Holding onto such an assumption on the basis of such a weak statement, thus seems to be a weak approach in viewing the Ahadith discussing the conquest of Constantinople, and whether it shall again fall into the hands of a Roman, Christian Empire.

Question:

If there will be no second conquest of Constantinople, what then is the meaning of those narrations that speak of the 'emergence of dajjal' shortly after this conquest. This land was conquered in the year 857 A.H (1453), about 565 years ago, and to date there has been no sign of 'the emergence of dajjal'.

Answer:

The details to this answer have been discussed in lenght in the book 'Looking into the eye of dajjal', which can be downloaded from the site (spirituallight.co.za). In the following pages a gist of this shall be provided.

Two points which serve as both an introduction and conclusion of the issue

Point No.1) Upon his emergence, dajjal, could either make an open appearance in front of one and all, and thereafter begin his era of confusion, corruption, war and deception. Another alternative would be to remain hidden from the eyes of the general public; to employ the services of selected individuals; to set up secret lodges and societies; to create a pyramid of evil, in which those on the lower level understand very little regarding what occurs on the level above; and through this pyramid to spread upon both the Muslim and non-Muslim world his web of evil, drawing all into un-ending war and suffering, into lives void of morality, into lives controlled by computers and technological chips, into hatred for family and fellow humans, and into countless other vices and wrongs, the worst being atheism, followed shortly thereafter by satanism.

It is the understanding of this servant that dajjal chose the second option, due to it being the easier of options in spreading corruption and confusion. Just as a hunter continues catching his prey as long as he keeps his presence hidden, so too is it with dajjal. However, due to his nature being that of a 'boaster' in practically every step of his dajjal has and continues placing some sort of sign which loudly indicates towards his mischievious, deceptive hand operating from behind the scenes.

Point No.2) Dajjal's presence shall one day indeed be made manifest in front of all. This shall most probably occur after the defeat of the Christian, European empires at the hands of Sayyidunah Al-Mahdi. The need for dajjal to at that time come out from hiding shall be due to the fact that his pyramid structure shall have collapsed, and there shall no longer be any army or government ready to ignorantly serve his devilish interests, except for the Jew. In order to bring the cowardly Jews into battle against the Muslims dajjal shall be forced to lead the battle from the front.

It shall be at this junction that the 'hidden hand of evil'; 'the masked sorceror'; 'the unknown elder of Zion'; 'the one-eyed Horus'; 'the grand master of all lodges of freemansonary'; and 'the falcon head of the Illuminati' shall appear in front of all in the garb of a simple sorceror, with a flap over his face to mask the defect of his eye, surrounded by Jewish soldiers, Jewish bankers, totally immodest Jewish women, and all those who shall still still not be prepared to detach themselves from away from his net.

The reasons behind inclining to the above mentioned view

1) When one ponders over the many Ahadith which discusses the conquest of Constantinople, followed shortly thereafter by the 'emergence of dajjal', one shall notice that in not a single narration is there any mention of 'two conquests', or of Constantinople falling again into the hands of the disbelievers. Had there been any such mention in the narrations, the army of Sultan Muhammad would never have been so confident after the conquests that the congradulations of Rasulullah

Sallalahu Alaihi Wa Sallam was directed towards them, due to the possibility that the conquerors of the 'second conquest' were being referred to.

2) If there was ever any mention in the narrations that the 'conquest of Constantinople' would occur upon the hands of Sayyiduna Al-Mahdi, muslim armies throughout the ages would never have gone out of their way in trying to be part of this army, and attaining its glad-tidings, but would rather have waited for Sayyiduna Al-Mahdi to appear.

3) In a hadith of Sahih Muslim the beginning point of the emegence of dajjal has been described as occurring after the Muslim Ummah's victory over the Roman Empire . Rasulullah Salallahu Alaihi wa Sallam said:

" ﺗﻐﺰون ﺟﺰﻳﺮة اﻟﻌﺮب، ﻓﻴﻔﺘﺤﻬﺎ اﷲ ﺛﻢ ﻓﺎرس، ﻓﻴﻔﺘﺤﻬﺎ اﷲ . ﺛﻢ ﺗﻐﺰون اﻟﺮوم، ﻓﻴﻔﺘﺤﻬﺎ اﷲ . ﺛﻢ ﺗﻐﺰون اﻟﺪﺟﺎل، ﻓﻴﻔﺘﺤﻪ اﷲ" ﻗﺎل ﻓﻘﺎل ﻊﻧﺎﻓ : ﻳﺎ ﺟﺎﺑﺮ ﻻ ﺗﺮى اﻟﺪﺟﺎل ﻳﺨﺮج ﺣﺘﻰ ﺗﻔﺘﺢ اﻟﺮوم ( )ﻣﺴﻠﻢ 'You shall wage war in the Arabian Peninsula and Almighty Allah shall grant you victory. Then He shall grant you victory over Persia. 'Then you shall wage war against the Romans and Almighty Allah shall grant you victory. Then you shall fight against dajjal and Almighty Allah shall grant you victory'. Nafi (a narrator said) said (to his students) O Jabir, you shall not see the emergence of dajjal as long as Rome is not conquered!

Muslim conquest over the Pagan Arabian Peninsula and the Sassanid Persian Empire occurred reached completion shortly after the demise of Rasulullah Sallalahu Alaihi wa Sallam, during the rule of Sayyiduna Umar. After this never would paganism return to Hijaaz, nor would the Persians set up an empire again. (As had been foretold by Rasulullah Sallalahu Alaihi wa Sallam years previously.)

As for the Roman Empire, despite losing large areas of rule during the era of the Sahaba, it would continue operating, under the authority of the Ceasor, ruling from its capital, Constantinople. The fall of this empire would finally occur in the year 1453 (A.C), 857 years after the Hijra, with the Muslim 12

conquest of Constantinople, upon the hands of Sultan Muhammad Al- Fatih.

From that day on, the title 'Ceasor' (grand emperor of Rome) was abolished, since there no longer was any Roman Empire. Historians thus write, ' In AD 476, Odoacer, leader of the barbarian mercenaries in the Roman army, overthrew Emperor Romulus Augustulus, and installed himself as King of Italy. The Roman Empire in the west had come to an end. However, the eastern empire , ruled from Constantinople, continued for another thousand years . With the fall of Constantinople in 1453, the Eastern Empire crumbled bringing an end to an empire that had lasted close to 1500 years.

Present-day historians record the timeline of The Roman Empire as follows: (Date Founded : 27 BC Date dissolved : 29 May 1453 First emperor :Augustus Last emperor : Constantine XI Palaiologos )

In accordance to the above narration, the emergence of dajjal would occur after the fall of 'The Roman Empire', which occurred in 1453, the very year that Constantinople was conquered. This narration thus makes clear indication that 'the emergence of dajjal' is linked to the conquest of Constantinople, that occurred in 1453, and not to any other future 'conquest' .

4) In a narration of Sayyidunah Muaz ibn Jabal, a sequence of events leading up to Qiyamah has been outlined, in which the Conquest of Constantinople and the emergence of dajjal have been placed to occur after the rise of Shaam as a commercial and political hub, at the expense of Madinah Munawwarah. The wording of the narration is:

ﻋﻤﺮان ﺑﻴﺖ اﻟﻤﻘﺪس ﺧﺮاب ﻳﺜﺮب، وﺧﺮاب ﻳﺜﺮب ﺧﺮوج اﻟﻤﻠﺤﻤﺔ، وﺧﺮوج اﻟﻤﻠﺤﻤﺔ ﻓﺘﺢ اﻟﻘﺴﻄﻨﻄﻴﻨﻴﺔ، وﻓﺘﺢ اﻟﻘﺴﻄﻨﻄﻴﻨﻴﺔ ﺧﺮوج اﻟﺪﺟﺎل ( اﺑﻮ داؤد)6 'The populousness and prosperity of Bait-ul-Maqdis shall result in Yathrib (Madina Munawwara) becoming empty This shall then be followed by the breakout of great wars, which shall culminate in the 'conquest of Constantinople'. After the conquest dajjal shall emerge!'

In the above narration a sequence of events leading to the emergence of dajjal have been outlined, events that the world has already seen. The details of this is as follows:

(The populousness and prosperity of Bait-ul-Maqdis) ﻋﻤﺮان ﺑﻴﺖ اﻟﻤﻘﺪس (a Soon after the conquest of Al-Aqsa at the hands of Sayyiduna Umar, the lands of Shaam took centre stage as the political hub of theMuslim affairs. Senior Sahaba, with the intention of teaching, governing and Jihaad, were asked to adopt either this land or the land of Iraq as their new home. As the cities surrounding Aqsa grew, more and more Muslims began settling in his blessed lands.

(The populousness and prosperity of Bait-ul-Maqdis) ﻋﻤﺮان ﺑﻴﺖ اﻟﻤﻘﺪس ' The wording also occurs in a narration qouted from Sayyiduna Auf ibn Malik, wherein Rasulullah Sallalahu Alaihi wa Sallam mentioned to him six major signs that shall be observed before Qiyamah. The details of this narration has been provided in the footnotes 7.

6 أﺧﺮﺟﻪ أﺑﻮ داود وﻗﺪ ﻋﺪﻩ اﻟﺬﻫﱯ ﻣﻦ ﲨﻠﺔ ﻣﻨﺎﻛﲑ ﻋﺒﺪ اﻟﺮﲪﺎن ﺑﻦ ﺛﺎﺑﺖ ﺑﻦ ﺛﻮﺑﺎن " اﳌﻴﺰان ". وﻟﻜﻦ أﺧﺮﺟﻪ اﻟﻄﺤﺎوي ﰲ ﺷﺮح ﻣﺸﻜﻞ اﻵﺋﺎر ﺑﺈﺳﻨﺎد آﺧﺮ ﺻﺤﻴﺢ . وأﲪﺪ ، و اﳊﺎﻛﻢ ﺑﺈﺳﻨﺎد ﺛﺎﻟﺚ ﻣﻮﻗﻮﻓًﺎ وﻗﺎل : ﺻﺤﻴﺢ وواﻓﻘﻪ اﻟﺬﻫﱯ و ﻫﻮ ﰲ ﺣﻜﻢ اﳌﺮﻓﻮع . . اﻧﻈﺮ ﻋﻠﻞ اﻟﺪارﻗﻄﲏ 6( 53/ ). وﻫﺪاﻳﺔ اﻟﺮواة 5( / 107 ). وﻋﺒﺪ اﻟﺮﲪﻦ ﺑﻦ ﺛﺎﺑﺖ اﻟﻌﻨﺴﻲ : ﺻﺪوق ﳜﻄﻲء، ورﻣﻲ ﺑﺎﻟﻘﺪر، وﺗﻐﲑ ﺑﺂﺧﺮﻩ، اﻧﻈﺮ : اﻟﺘﻘﺮﻳﺐ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ( 3844 ). ( :ﲢﻘﻴﻖ د . ُ ﳏﻤﺪ إِﺳﺤﺎق ُﳏَﻤﺪ إﺑـﺮاﻫﻴﻢ ْﻟﻜﺸﻒ اﳌﻨَﺎﻫ ِﺞ و اﻟﺘـﻨَﺎﻗ ِﻴﺢ ﰲ َﲣْﺮﻳِِﺞ أﺣﺎدﻳﺚ اﳌﺼﺎﺑِ ِﻴﺢ ﻟﻠﻤﻨﺎوي) ْ َ َْ َ َ َ َ 7 ِ ٍ ِ ٍ ٍ ِ ِ ﻋﻦ ﻋﻮف ِﺑﻦ ﻣﺎﻟﻚ َﻗﺎل : أﺗـَْﻴ ُﺖ اﻟﻨﱯ - ﺻﻠﻰ اﷲ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ وﺳﻠﻢ - ﰲ ﻏﺰوة ﺗَ َﺒﻮك وﻫﻮ ﰲ ُﻗـﺒﺔ ﻣﻦ َأَدم، َﻓﻘﺎل :" ْاﻋُﺪْد ﺳﺘّﺎً َﺑﲔ ﻳََﺪ ِي اﻟﺴﺎﻋﺔ : َﻣْﻮﰐ، ﰒ ُﻓﺘﺢ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ﺑﻴﺖ اﳌْﻘﺪ ِس، ﰒ ﻣ ٌﻮﺗﺎن ُﻳﺄﺧﺬ ُﻓﻴﻜﻢ ﻛﻌ ِﻘﺎص اﻟﻐَﻨَِﻢ ، ﰒ اﺳﺘ َﻔﺎﺿﺔُ ِاﳌﺎل؛ ﺣﱴ ﻳﻌﻄَﻰ اﻟﺮﺟﻞ ﻣﺎﺋﺔَ ٍدﻳﻨﺎر َﻓـﻴﻈَ ﻞ ﺳﺎﺧﻄﺎً، ﰒ ﻓﺘﻨﺔٌ ﻻ ﻳﺒﻘﻰ ٌﺑﻴﺖ ﻣﻦ اﻟﻌﺮ ِب إﻻ َ ُ ُ ُ ُ ُ َ ََ ِ ِ ٍ َد َﺧﻠَْﺘﻪُ، ﰒ ُﻫﺪﻧَﺔٌ ُﺗﻜﻮن ﺑﻴﻨَ ُﻜﻢ َوﺑﲔ ﺑﲏ اﻷ ﺻﻔﺮ؛ َﻓﻴـْﻐﺪ َرون، ﻓﻴﺄﺗﻮﻧَ ُﻜﻢ ﲢﺖ َﲦﺎﻧﲔ ﻏﺎﻳﺔً ، ﲢﺖ ﻛﻞ ﻏﺎﻳﺔ اﺛﻨﺎ َﻋ َﺸَﺮ أﻟﻔﺎ ً " ( اﻟﺒﺨﺎري ) ) 'Count six events before Qiyamah. My death. Then the conquest of Bait-ul-Maqdis. Then death in huge numbers, which shall grab you as death grabs livestock . This shall be followed by abundance of wealth, to such an extent that if one were to be given a hundred dinaars, he would still not be satisifed. Then shall come that trial that shall enter every Arab home. Finally, a truce between you and the Roman, which they shall break and come upon you under eighty flags.' 14

A possible explanation of the details of this narration: ‘My death. The second shall be the conquest of Baitul-Maqdis.’ (1 st and 2 nd predicted occurrence) -The death of Rasulullâh ' (11 A.H -/632) was followed immediately by the wars against those who had turned renegade. Thereafter the Muslim armies spread into the lands of Iraq and Shâm, and soon succeeded in taking over the Holy Lands of Jerusalem and Masjid-ul-Aqsa (16 A.H /637).

Death in huge numbers which shall grab you as death grabs livestock (3 rd predicted occurrence) - During the era of Sayyiduna Umar a plague broke out in land of Amwaas (Shaam) which claimed the lives of close to 25 000, amongst whom were Sayyiduna Abu Ubeidah ibnul Jarrah, Sayyidunah Muaaz ibn Jabal, and many other senior Sahaba.

ﻫﻮ داء ﻳﺄﺧﺬ اﻟﺪواب ﻓﻴﺴﻴﻞ ﻣﻦ أﻧﻮﻓﻬﺎ ﺷﻲء ﻓﺘﻤﻮت ﻓﺠﺄة ﻗﺎل أﺑﻮ ﻋﺒﻴﺪ وﻣﻨﻪ أﺧﺬ اﻹﻗﻌﺎص وﻫﻮ اﻟﻘﺘﻞ ﻣﻜﺎﻧﻪ وﻗﺎل ﺑﻦ ﻓﺎرس اﻟﻌﻘﺎص داء ﻳﺄﺧﺬ ﰲ اﻟﺼﺪر ﻛﺄﻧﻪ ﻳﻜﺴﺮ اﻟﻌﻨﻖ و وﻗﻊ ﰲ رواﻳﺔ ﻟﻠﺤﺎﻛﻢ ﻣﻦ ﻃﺮﻳﻖ اﻟﺸﻌﱯ ﻋﻦ ﻋﻮف ﺑﻦ ﻣﺎ ﻟﻚ ﰲ ﻫﺬا اﳊﺪﻳﺚ أن ﻋﻮف ﺑﻦ ﻣﺎﻟﻚ ﻗﺎل ﳌﻌﺎذ ﰲ ﻃﺎﻋﻮن ﻋﻤﻮاس أن رﺳﻮل اﷲ ﺻﻠﻰ اﷲ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ وﺳﻠﻢ ﻗﺎل ﱄ اﻋﺪد ﺳﺘﺎ ﺑﲔ ﻳﺪي اﻟﺴﺎﻋﺔ ﻓﻘﺪ وﻗﻊ ﻣﻨﻬﻦ ﺛﻼث ﻳﻌﲏ ﻣﻮﺗﻪ ﺻﻠﻰ اﷲ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ وﺳﻠﻢ وﻓﺘﺢ ﺑﻴﺖ اﳌﻘﺪس واﻟﻄﺎﻋﻮن ﻗﺎل وﺑﻘﻲ ﺛﻼ ث ﻓﻘﺎل ﻟﻪ ﻣﻌﺎذ إن ﳍﺬا أﻫﻼ ( ﻓﺘﺢ اﻟﺒﺎري ) )

This shall be followed by abundance of wealth, to such an extent that if one were to be given a hundred dinaars, he would still not be satisifed. (4 th predicted occurrence) - Indication to the abundance of wealth that entered the Muslim Empire, during the era of Sayyiduna Umar and Sayyiduna Uthmaan, as Muslim armies conquered Persia, Shaam, Egypt, large parts of Africa and Asia..

Then shall come that trial that shall enter every Arab home (5 th predicted occurrence) - Indication of the confusion hypocrite forces would cause amongst the Muslim Ummah, pitting one up against the other. This began with a campaign of lies against Sayyiduna Uthmaan, followed by his merciless assasination. It then resulted in the battles of Jamal and Siffin, during which Muslims for the first time fought against each other. Through the efforts of Sayyiduna Hasan unity was restored for a period of close to twenty years, during the caliphate of Sayyiduna Muawiyah. Upon his death the wheels of the hypocrite caravan again set in motion, resulting in the sorrowful incident of Karbala, which saw the unnecessary assasination of Sayyiduna Husein. (Details of this incidents can be read in my book, 'The bloody lies of Karbala', available in pdf format on 'spirituallight.co.za'.) Karbala would then be used as a match to ignite the Arabs and non- Arabs against the Banu Ummayah, finally resulting in the collapse of the empire seventy years later at the hands of a Persian-backed Abbasid movement.

What is of importance here is that when Sayyiduna Abu Hureira would narrate this ' the conquest of Aqsa) in the place of) ت ادس hadith he would mention The populousness and prosperity of Bait-ul-Maqdis), which shows) ﻋﻤﺮان ﺑﻴﺖ اﻟﻤﻘﺪس -refers to the period that followed the conquest of Al ﻋﻤﺮان ﺑﻴﺖ اﻟﻤﻘﺪس clearly that Aqsa, and not to a period that is still to come.

Yathrib (Madina Munawwara) becoming empty) ﺧﺮاب ﻳﺜﺮب (b When Sayyidunah Ali became caliph, due to various reasons, he shifted the capital of the caliphate to Iraq. From that day on the city of Madinah Munawwarah ceased acting as the political capital of Islam, and the centre of its administration. It would still retain its importance as the second most important religious site for believers, but would have hardly anything to do with Muslim politics. Compared to the structural developments of Shaam and the continuous rise in its population, the blessed city of Madina Munawwarah saw hardly any real development, and rapid population growth.

(the breakout of great wars) ﺧﺮوج اﻟﻤﻠﺤﻤﺔ (c From the beginning days of Madinah Munawwarah, the Muslim Ummah had found itself time and again on the battle field. The phrase 'the breakout of major battles' would thus refer not to just any battle, but rather to such 'major' battles which would threaten the very existense of Islam. The first of such battles occurred with the surge of the Crusades into the lands of Islam, in 1095, during which Muslim Shaam was turned upside down, with Jerusalam becoming the capital of 'The Christian Kingdom'. The Crusades would last in total close to 400 years, but it was the first fifty years that Muslims, for the first time in Islamic History, found themselves clueless in their search for a leader under who they could fight.

Hardly 68 years would pass from the return of Al-Aqsa to Muslim hands in 1187, and the Muslim Ummah would find themselves again on the brink of collapse at the hands of Halagu Khan and his brutal Mongolian forces. Between 1255 to 1260 these forces rained havoc upon the Muslim World, and appeared at one stage as an invinsible force of terror, against who none could ever succeed.

It is these two battles, viz. 'The Crusades' and 'The Mongolian Invasion' that seem to fit best the discription of 'The Major/Most Tense Wars'.

(the conquest of Constantinople) ﻓﺘﺢ اﻟﻘﺴﻄﻨﻄﻴﻨﻴﺔ (d The mighty Ottoman Empire would be established 49 years later (1299) and 154 years later (1453) would complete a conquest which the Muslim Ummah had been dreaming about for over 800 years, viz. 'The Conquest of Constantinople'.

The emergence of dajjal) - When the above four major events) ﺧﺮوج اﻟﺪﺟﺎل (e occurred in accordance to the sequence detailed by Sayyiduna Muaaz, it seems only fair to consider that the fifth (i.e. 'the emergence of dajjal') would also have occurred thereafter.

To assume that a second 'conquest of Constantinople' is being referred to does not fit well with the sequence of events, since if each was meant as a sign for the next it would desire that the sign be quite vivid and clear. If the 1st conquest of Constantinople (which was indeed a most glorious and world record-breaking event) was not meant to be the sign for 'the emergence of dajjal', at least some sort of indication should have been given that 'the 1st conquest' is not intended, but rather 'a conquest' that shall hundreds of years later follow that one.

This can easily be understood when considering how one would direct a friend. If a turn is to be made at a landmark, but there are two similar landmarks, and the second is intended, the one directing shall ensure that he clearly states that one should not take the first, but rather skip it and wait for the second.

Explanation of a few Ahadith and statements of Sahaba regarding Constantinople, dajjal and Qiyamah

Narration No.1: 'The conquest of Constantinople' shall occur as a pre-cursor to Qiyamah.'

Sayyiduna Anas ibn Malik made mention that:

ﻓﺘﺢ اﻟﻘﺴﻄﻨﻄﻴﻨﻴﺔ ﻣﻊ ﻗﻴﺎم اﻟﺴﺎﻋﺔ ( ﺗﺮﻣﺬي ) ) 'The conquest of Constantinople shall signal the approach of Qiyamah'

Generally when one hears such statements the first meaning that springs to mind is that Qiyamah shall occur within a few days or weeks after the conquest of Constantinople, whereas this is not the case. Even if 'a second conquest of Constantinople, during the era of Sayyiduna Al-Mahdi,' was intended, then too between the era of Al-Mahdi and the first blow of the trumpet there shall be many many years.

Rather, the closeness of Qiyamah, that has been discussed in various verses of the Noble Quraan, and in many Ahadith, is in relation to how much of time is left for Qiyamah, in comparison to how much time there once was, i.e at the time when the world was first created. According to historians, a period of close to six thousand years exists between Nabi Adam Alaihi-Salaam and Rasulullah Sallalahu Alaihi wa Sallam. Before the coming of Nabi Adam Alaihi-Salaam thousands of years most probably had passed, during which the jinn inhabitted the earth.

The warning of Qiyamah would most definitely have been given to the jinn during the era in which 'man' had still not been created. Thereafter from Nabi Adam Alaihi- Salaam, every Nabi that came, brought the warning of the approach of Qiyamah to his followers. In fact, it would be this warning that would feature at the height of his Nubuwah. During this entire period, the sign of the approach of Qiyamah would be Rasulullah Sallalahu Alaihi wa Sallam's emergence as the final messenger of Almighty Allah. Sayyiduna Abu Hureira narrates that Rasulullah Sallalahu Alaihi wa Sallam wouldannounce:

ِ ِ ِ ِ ﺑُﻌﺜْ ُﺖ أَﻧَﺎ َو اﻟﺴ َﺎﻋﺔُ َﻛَﻬ َﺎﺗـﻴْ ِﻦ " ، َوَﻳـْﻘُﺮُن َﺑـﻴْ َﻦ إ ْﺻَﺒـَﻌﻴْﻪ اﻟﺴﺒﺎﺑَﺔ، َو ُاﻟْﻮ ْﺳﻄَﻰ ( ﻣﺴﻠﻢ) '(The gap between) me and Qiyamah is like these two.' Rasulullah Sallalahu Alaihi wa Sallam would then join his ring finger to his middle- finger.

What was meant is that with the appearance of the seal of the Ambiya Alaihi- Salaam, i.e. Rasulullah Sallalahu Alaihi wa Sallam, the world had now entered its final stage, a stage which itself would comprise of over a thousand years, but in comparison to what had already passed this amount was trivial. Regarding this Almighty Allah states:

ِ ِ إﻧـُﻬ ْﻢ َﻳـَﺮْوﻧَﻪُ ﺑَﻌ ًﻴﺪا - َوَﻧـَﺮاﻩُ ﻗَِﺮﻳﺒًﺎ ( اﻟﻤﻌﺎرج) 'They view it (Qiyamah) as still being far, but We see it being very close.'

'Being close' in relation to what has already passed, does not necessitate that the event must happen within the next year. When one reads the Ahadith pertaining to the 'major signs of Qiyamah' this principle should be kept in mind.

In the list of the major signs of the approach of Qiyamah, 'two Muslims conquests were highlighted, since these would be witnessed on an international scale. These two are a) The conquest of Al-Aqsa 8 (636 AC, upon the hands of Sayyiduna Umar ) b) The conquest of Constantinople

This 'Conquest' was unique due to the following reasons: • From the time Constantinople was built (330 AC), it had never been conquered by any outside force, nor did conquering it ever seem possible, due to the manner in which it was fortified. • Its conquest 9 at the hands of Sultan Muhammad Al-Fatih, in the year 1453 (1153 years after its erection), signalled the end of the 'Mighty Roman

8 ِ ِ ِ ِ ْاﻋُﺪْد ﺳﺘّﺎً َﺑﲔ ﻳََﺪ ِي اﻟﺴﺎﻋﺔ : َﻣْﻮﰐ، ﰒ ُﻓﺘﺢ ﺑﻴﺖ اﳌْﻘﺪ ِس ( )ﲞﺎري )ﲞﺎري Details of this conquest have been recorded in َ my book, 'From Istanbul to) 9 Islambul', available in pdf format on the site spirituallight.co.za) 19

Empire', and empire that had existed from the year 27 BC, enjoying a reign of 1180 years. • This conquest has been identified by historians as the 'event' that triggered 'The Renaissance'. It was this movement that pulled Europe out of the rule of the Church, and opened up for it 'the era of enlightment', which in fact was 'Europe's exit from religion into the clutches of atheism, followed by satanism. Years later this movement of 'The Renaissance' would creep into the lands of Islam, The Baath Party) and it would bring about) ' اﻟﺒﻌﺚ ' under the Arabic name of the collapse of the caliphate, and the spread of modernism/atheism and satanizm amongst the Muslim Ummah.

In the light of the above when one reads the narration of Tirmidhi ( The conquest of Constantinople shall signal the approach of Qiyamah) the meaning that comes to mind is that after the conquest of Constantinople, the world shall enter into into the final stage of its test before Qiyamah, an exam which in other narrations 10 would clearly be declared as 'the fitnah (test) of dajjal'.

Explanation of a few Ahadith and statements of Sahaba regarding Constantinople, dajjal and Qiyamah

Narration No.2 : The Hadith of Sahih Muslim detailing the Conquest of Constantinople

ﻋﻦ أﺑﻲ ﻫﺮﻳﺮة رﺿﻲ اﷲ ﻋﻨﻪ أن اﻟﻨﺒﻲ ﺻﻠﻰ اﷲ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ وﺳﻠﻢ ﻗﺎل : " ﻫﻞ ﺳﻤﻌﺘﻢ ﺑﻤﺪﻳﻨﺔ ﺟﺎﻧﺐ ﻣﻨﻬﺎ ﻓﻲ اﻟﺒﺮ، وﺟﺎﻧﺐ ﻣﻨﻬﺎ ﻓﻲ اﻟﺒﺤﺮ "؟ ﻗﺎﻟﻮا : ﻧﻌﻢ، ﻳﺎ رﺳﻮل اﷲ . ﻗﺎل : " ﻻ ﺗﻘﻮم اﻟﺴﺎﻋﺔ ﺣﺘﻰ ﻳﻐﺰوﻫﺎ ﺳﺒﻌﻮن أﻟﻔﺎ ً ﻣﻦ ﺑﻨﻲ إﺳﺤﺎق ﻓﺈذا ﺟﺎؤوﻫﺎ ﻧﺰﻟﻮا ﻋﻠﻴﻬﺎ ﻓﻠﻢ ﻳﻘﺎﺗﻠﻮا ﺑﺴﻼح، وﻟﻢ ﻳﺮﻣﻮا ﺑﺴﻬﻢ، ﻗﺎﻟﻮا : ﻻ إﻟﻪ إﻻ اﷲ، واﷲ أﻛﺒﺮ، ﻓﻴﺴﻘﻂ ﺟﺎﻧﺒﻬﺎ اﻟﺬي ﻓﻲ اﻟﺒﺤﺮ، ﺛﻢ ﻳﻘﻮﻟﻮن اﻟﺜﺎﻧﻴﺔ : ﻻ إﻟﻪ إﻻ اﷲ، واﷲ أﻛﺒﺮ . ﻓﻴﺴﻘﻂ ﺟﺎﻧﺒﻬﺎ اﻵﺧﺮ، ﺛﻢ ﻳﻘﻮﻟﻮن اﻟﺜﺎﻟﺜﺔ : ﻻ إﻟﻪ إﻻ اﷲ، واﷲ أﻛﺒﺮ، ﻓﻴﻔﺮج ﻟﻬﻢ ﻓﻴﺪﺧﻠﻮﻫﺎ، ﻓﻴﻐﻨﻤﻮن، ﻓﺒﻴﻨﻤﺎ ﻫﻢ ﻳﻘﺘﺴﻤﻮن اﻟﻤﻐﺎﻧﻢ إذ ﺟﺎءﻫﻢ اﻟﺼﺮﻳﺦ، ﻓﻘﺎل : إن اﻟﺪﺟﺎل ﻗﺪ ﺧﺮج، ﻓﻴﺘﺮﻛﻮن ﻛﻞ ﺷﻲء وﻳﺮﺟﻌﻮن . أﺧﺮﺟﻪ اﻹﻣﺎم ﻣﺴﻠﻢ، ﻓﻲ ﺻﺤﻴﺤﻪ Sayyiduna Abu Hureira narrates that Rasulullah Sallalahu Alaihi wa Sallam once asked, 'Have you heard regarding a city, one part of it is on land and one part on the ocean?' We replied in the affirmative. Rasulullah Sallalahu Alaihi wa Sallam then said, 'The Hour shall not be established as long as seventy thousand from the tribe

10 وﻓﺘﺢ اﻟﻘﺴﻄﻨﻄﻴﻨﻴﺔ ﺧﺮوج اﻟﺪﺟﺎل ( اﺑﻮ داؤد - و ﻗﺪ ﺳﺒﻖ ﲣﺮﳚﻪ ) ) 20 of Banu Ishaq do no wage war against it. When they shall reach, they shall descend upon the people of the city. They shall not fight with weapons, nor shall they fire arrows. They shall cry out the takbeer, Allahu Akbar . That portion which is by the water shall fall .

They shall repeat the takbeer and another portion shall fall. On the third takbeer a gap shall be made for them through which they shall enter. Whilst they are distributing their spoils of war, a scream shall be heard that dajjal has emerged. They shall leave everything and return.

In the above narration mention has been made of certain issues which are indeed worthy of consideration. These issues shall now be discussed.

Issue No.1 - Meaning of 'The Hour shall not be established as long as seventy thousand from the tribe of Banu Ishaq do no wage war against it. '

From the advent of Islamic conquests, the Muslim army would consist of fighters from all clans. Thousands of those who reverted to Islam were from the Banu Israil (and thus obviously from the Banu Ishaq). During the many battles that the Muslims thereafter fought, members from the tribe of Banu Ishaq (Banu Israil) would always participate. What then was the reason to specifically make mention of the participation of the Banu Ishaq in this particular battle? It is this point that requires due consideration.

When one ponders over the history of the Mighty Ottomen Empire, and its glorious conquests, one point that will always stand out is the role played, during these conquests, by the Sultan's most trusted and brave cavalry known as ' Janissaries '. (Original name was 'Yani Cheri', which meant 'The New Army'.

A brief history regarding this elite military unit is as follows:

In a windswept valley in western Turkey about 1326 a small body of infantrymen, mostly archers, stood around an elderly Sufi Sheikh. Nearby a young man sat on his horse. His name was Orkhan, son of Sultan Usman who ruled a tiny Turkish principality in the mountains south east of what is now called Istanbul, in Asia Minor.

The soldiers were new recruits, prisoners of war who had taken service with their captors, and the old sheikh’s name was Haji Baqtash. Laying his hand on the head of one of the soldiers, Haji Baqtash said to young prince Orkhan; “The army you have just created shall be called Yani Cheri – the New Army. It will be fair and shining, its arm strong, its swords sharp-cutting, its arrows iron tipped. It shall be victorious in all battles and never return unless triumphant.” As he spoke, the old sheikh’s wide white sleeve hung down the soldier’s back – and for ever after the warriors of the Yani Cheri wore a tall white felt cap that hung down their backs to commemorate the old Sheikh’s words. This New Army was soon feared throughout Europe. Its foes corrupted the name Yani Cheri to Janissary – the most famous warriors of the Ottoman Turkish Empire. Prince Orkhan captured the nearby Byzantine city of Brusa at the head of Janissaries in 1326 and made it the first real capital of the Ottoman state. From then on the Janissaries marched from one conquest to another. In 1357 they landed in Europe where the Christian states had nothing to compare with the Janissaries. Technically speaking the men of this, the first full-time, properly paid and organized professional army in Europe , were slaves owned by the sultan. But to think of them as ordinary slaves would be very wrong. The Janissaries regarded themselves as part of the sultan’s family and were bound to him by total loyalty. After the fall of Adrianople in 1366, the Janissary corps were reorganized, reequipped and rearmed. They proved their worth by annihilating a Serbian army at Kossovo in 1389. This battle sealed the fate of the Balkan peninsular, which remained part of the Ottoman Empire right up to the 20th century. What really shocked Europe, however, was the capture of Constantinople, present day Istanbul, in 1453. Inevitably it was the sultan’s best troops, his Janissaries, who finally scaled this city’s ancient walls, making Constantinople the third and last capital of the Ottoman Empire. Nothing seemed capable of stopping the Janissaries’ career of conquest. Now they were even being issued with modern firearms – and Europe trembled! Oddly enough these Janissaries were not strictly Turkish. They were mostly conscripted from the Slav people of the Balkans, (who were christian). Every few years a senior Janissary officer, with his clerk, some letters of authority and a 22 supply of uniforms, arrived in a selected area and summoned all the local villagers. From among the local children he chose the fittest and most intelligent as a sort of human tax. These youngsters had to be unmarried, have a good reputation, be unemployed and not be orphans. Families with only one son were not allowed to offer him, for he would be needed to support them in their old age. Poor peasants were often glad to give their children. A Janissary could, after all, grow powerful and rich – if he survived! Janissary casualties were always high, for these dedicated soldiers were happy to die for their sultan. An Italian traveller named Paolo Giovio once described these ferocious warriors. “Their discipline under arms is due to their justice and severity, which surpasses that of the ancient Romans. They surpass our soldiers for three reasons; they obey their commanders without question; they seem to care nothing at all for their lives in battle; they go for a long time being content with ,mere barley and water.” They were also very devout Muslims. Many Janissaries were members of the Baqtashi dervish sect, a religious order founded by the old man who had first given the Janissaries their name. The leader of these dervishes was even given a senior Janissary rank as Soup Man in the 99th Division. Eight other full-time dervishes lived in the main Janissary barracks, and during military parades they marched in front of the Agha, or Commander, of the Janissaries, dressed all in green, chanting “Allah Karim! – God is Generous!” Unlike European armies in those early days, the Janissaries had a regimental band or mehter which helped the warriors keep time in their own awe-inspiring march – Left Right Left – Pause – Right Left Right – Pause – and so on.

Summary of the 'Yani Cheri' (Janissary) - 'The New Army'

This was an elite force created from the children of christian families from the Balkans who were willing to hand their young children totally into the service of the Sultan. They would be placed in Turkish families, wherein they would revert to Islam, learn the language and be taught discipline and noble character. For Europe, they were a menace that they could never have expected, since it was their very

23 own christian families that were happily handing over their children to become part of this unique military unit, and to be the selected of the Sultan.

The exact number of Janissaries in the army of Sultan Muhammad that launched the attack upon Constantinople was never recorded. Historians have opined that it could have been anything between five to twenty thousand. Similarly, there is a difference of opinion regarding the total number of Muslim fighters during this siege, with amounts ranging from between 100 000 to 300 000. Recent Ottoman archival date show that also present in the Muslim army were thousands of Christian troops, amongst whom were 1500 Serbians, and many Hungarians who acted as the designers, manufacturers and superviors over the Sultan's cannons and newly developed weapons. These christians, on account of various reasons, were happy to fight alongside the Muslims and participate in the attack that was to bring an end to the Byzantine Christian Empire.

It is highly possible that the phrase 'seventy thousand from the children of Ishaq' was indicating towards this unique feature of the Ottoman Army, that a huge portion of its elite soldiers, some reverts and some still upon their false faith, will come from families enjoying the same religious link like that of the inhabitants of Constantinople, i.e. they shall all have Christian roots, attributing themselves to the lineage of Nabi Ishaq and Yaqood Alaihi Salaam, yet they will fight for the faith of the progeny of Nabi Ismail Alaihi Salaam, i.e. Islam.

Note: The presence of the Janissary amongst the Muslim camp and the harm they inflicted upon the European world would forever be for the Europeans a wound they would continue licking, since it was like a stab in their back from their very own christian households. Unable to provide an answer as to why would christian families be enthusiastic to hand over their young children to serve in the court of the Sultaan, they made various attempts in portraying the issue of the 'Janissaries' as one of 'young children being kidnapped during their infancy, robbed of their youth, and forced in slavery'. What they could however never answer was what then made these 'Janissaries' so loyal to the Sultaan, and so desirous to lay down their lives for Islam. One oppressively forced into slavery shall never be found ever- ready to die for the pleasure of their oppresive master.

Issue No.2 Meaning of : 'When they shall reach, they shall descend upon the people of the city.'

If one studies the conquest of Constantinople at the hands of Sultan Muhammad Al- Fatih he shall learn that the most amazing feat accomplished by the Ottoman army during this battle was the ploy of pushing 70 of the ships up a nearby mountain, and thereafter descending into the calm waters of the Golden Horn, thereby by-passing the chains that had for hundreds of years blocked invaders from entering the port. '

It was this marvellous feat that allowed the Muslim army to pound at the weaker walls of Constantinople, which were situated on the side of the city that touched the waters. Attention had never really been paid to strenghtening these walls due to none ever imagining the possibility of an enemy launching an attack from this front.

A gist of how this marvellous feat came into being is as follows:

After about 14 days of battle between the Ottoman forces and the defending christian forces, a naval skirmish took Süleyman Pasha to sink those ships by any means possible, but the Ottoman fleet were unable to stop the enemy's ships. With this failure, the Ottoman army lost its morale and showed the signs of defeat. Ottoman soldiers started defecting from the army. Soon, the Byzantine Emperor wanted to take advantage of this situation and offered peace.place close to Yenikapi neighborhood between the Ottoman fleet and four Byzantine warships with three supply ships full of food and weapons sent by the Papacy. The Sultan came to the shore himself and ordered Baltaoglu

The offer was supported by the Vizier Çandarli Halil Pasha, but was rejected by the Sultan. The siege and bombardment of the fortresses with cannons continued.

During this chaos and widespread feeling of defeat, a harsh but encouraging letter from the Sultan's spiritual teacher, Shamsuddîn, promised good news about the conquest. Encouraged by this spiritual support, the Sultan escalated the attack and decided to add an element of surprise.

His master plan was to attack the Eastern wall on the Golden Horn in the hope of drawing the defence away from the heavily guarded Western wall. In order to get around the chains and enemy ships blocking the Golden Horn, he devised the most amazing scheme in the history of military strategy :

Without having his enemies know, he ordered the cutting down of trees through a mountain side surrounding the city. He then ordered for several barrels of oil and grease to be brought. Without the knowledge of his enemies, he ordered for the timber to be laid on the landward side around the Chain boom from the Bosporus region all the way up to the Golden Horn. The logs were then greased to facilitate the transportation of 70 of the Muslim ships 3 miles over rough, mountainous land, around the massive chain boom, into the Golden Horn inlet from where he had planned to launch his surprise attack. Amazingly enough, he had miraculously accomplished this task in the cover of a single night!

In the early hours of the morning, Byzantines were shocked and horrified when they saw Ottoman galleys moving down on the hills of the harbor. Seventy ships carried by cows and balanced by hundreds of soldiers via ropes were slid over slipways. By the afternoon, the ships were inside the well protected bay.

The surprise appearance of the Ottoman fleet in the bay created panic among Byzantine residents of Constantinople. The wall on the shore of the Golden Horn became a vulnerable spot and some of the Byzantine forces were moved there.

This weakened the defence of the land walls.The Sultan ordered that both the Eastern and Western walls be attacked simultaneously using the Great Ottoman Bombard as a primary means of deterrence and attack. This action would severely demoralize the Byzantines, which would lead to the fall of Constantinople soon afterward.

No army on Earth had ever accomplished what the army of Muhammad Al-Fatih had in every respect. It is said in history, that this strategic scheme of Muhammad Al-Fatih, to the Greeks, earned him the recognition of a commander who surpassed even Alexander the Great. This was undoubtedly one of the Ottoman Empire's most amazing highlights in history.

Ships descending from the mountains into the Golden Horn

When one ponders over the words of the narration ' when they shall reach, they shall descend upon the people of the city. ', and then pictures the scene of 70 huge ships sliding down mountains, to the utter surprise of the Byzantinians, one shall agree that there could not have been a better wording than 'they shall descend upon the people of the city ' to describe the manner in which the Muslim army would reach the foor of the city.

Issue No.3 : ' They shall not fight with weapons, nor shall they fire arrows. They shall cry out the takbeer, 'Allahu Akbar'. That portion which is by the water shall fall. They shall repeat the takbeer and another portion shall fall. On the third takbeer a gap shall be made for them through which they shall enter. '

It is this issue that has led many to opine that perhaps there shall be a 'second conquest' of Constantinople, in which the Muslim army shall not fight with weapons, but rather merely with 3 Takbeers they shall bring down the walls of the city. This notion however does cause one to wander as to why the soldiers shall be fully armed during this battle, since clear mention is made in the narrations that after the battle, in celebrating the victory, they shall use their shields to lift up the jewels of the city. If the battle was to have no fighting whatsoever, nor any arrow shot, the need for carrying shields espeacially after conquering shall indeed be questionable. Also, miracles in which walls fall and the enemy tastes defeat, without the Muslim army having to fight at all, such miracles from day 1 of Islam 27 have never been praised, nor recorded. Rather, Muslim soldiers, in every era, irrespective of the high level of their piety, always fought. It was never their victory that was praised, but rather the effort they put in their fight for victory. Thus, even defeat ending in martydom was regarded as the 'ultimate victory'.

The is another angle from which the phrase ' They shall not fight with weapons, nor shall they fire arrows ' can be looked, but to understand it one shall first need to understand what made Sultan Muhammad Al-Fatih's attack upon Constantinople different from all previous attacks upon the city, and why the impregnable Theodosian walls of the city, which had repelled attacks for over a thousand years, failed against his attack.

To aid this understanding, an article, titled 'The Guns of Constantinople' written by Roger Crowley, which was published in the September 2007 issue of 'Military History' Magazine, and later posted on the site 'Historynet.com', shall be reproduced below, with slight editting: Special attention should be made to the writing in bold.

Note: The name 'Mehmet' refers to Sultan Muhammad Al-Fatih.

The Guns of Constantinople

Early in 1452, a Hungarian cannon founder by the name of Orban arrived in Constantinople, seeking his fortune at the imperial court. One of a growing band of technical mercenaries who plied their trade across the Balkans, he offered Emperor Constantine XI one of the most highly prized skills of the age: the ability to cast large bronze guns.

For Constantine and the Christian empire of Byzantium that he ruled, these were dark days. For 150 years the Byzantine frontier had been crumbling before the advance of the Ottoman Turks. By the time Constantine assumed the throne in 1449, his impoverished kingdom had shrunk to little more than the footprint of the city, surrounded on all sides by Ottoman land. The new sultan, Mehmed II—young, ambitious and hungry for conquest—was making ominous military preparations in his European capital, Edirne, 140 miles to the west. It was clear he was intent on capturing the prize that had eluded previous Ottoman rulers: Constantinople.

Constantine was extremely interested in Orban’s offer and authorized a small stipend to detain him in the city. But Constantine had few funds available for the construction of new weapons. Bronze cannons were ruinously expensive, well beyond the means of the cash-strapped emperor. Orban’s tiny allowance was not even paid regularly, and as the year wore on, the master craftsman became destitute. So later that same year he decided to try his luck elsewhere. He made his way to Edirne to seek an audience with the young sultan.

At the time, Mehmed was racked by indecision over Constantinople. The city was the ultimate prize; it would provide a fitting capital for the Ottoman Empire, and its capture was the subject of ancient Muslim prophecies, attributed to Muhammad himself, that predicted great honor for its eventual conqueror. However, Constantinople had repulsed repeated Muslim assaults from the 7th century onward. Its triangular site made it all but impregnable: Two sides were surrounded by sea, and the third landward side was commanded by the great Walls of Theodosius, a defensive line four miles long, the greatest bastion in the medieval world. In a thousand years the city had been besieged some 23 times, but no army had found a way to crack open those land walls.

Accordingly, Orban’s arrival at Edirne must have seemed providential. The sultan welcomed the master founder and questioned him closely. Mehmed asked if he could cast a cannon to project a stone ball large enough to smash the walls at Constantinople. Orban’s reply was emphatic: “I can cast a cannon of bronze with the capacity of the stone you want. I have examined the walls of the city in great detail. I can shatter to dust not only these walls with the stones from my gun, but the very walls of Babylon itself.” Mehmed ordered him to make the gun.

During the autumn of 1452, Orban set to work at Edirne, casting one of the largest cannons ever built , while Mehmed stockpiled substantial quantities of materials for guns and gunpowder: copper and tin, saltpeter, sulfur and charcoal. Workers excavated an enormous casting pit and melted scrap bronze in the brick-lined furnaces, superheating it with bellows and pouring it into the mold.

What finally emerged from Orban’s foundry once the molds had been knocked off was “ a horrifying and extraordinary monster.” It was 27 feet long . The barrel, walled with 8 inches of solid bronze to absorb the force of the blast, had a diameter of 30 inches, enough for a man to enter on his hands and knees and designed to

29 accommodate a stone shot weighing something over half a ton. In January 1453, Mehmed ordered a test firing of the gun outside his royal palace. The mighty bombard was hauled into position near the gate and primed with powder. Laborers lugged a giant stone ball to the mouth of the barrel and rolled it back to sit snugly against the gunpowder chamber. A lighted taper was put to the touchhole. With a shattering roar and a cloud of smoke, the mighty projectile hurled across the countryside for a mile before burying itself six feet into the soft earth.

Mehmed now addressed the challenge of transporting the gun the 140 miles to Constantinople. Two hundred men and 60 oxen were detailed for the task. The immense barrel was loaded onto several wagons chained together and yoked to the ox teams. The great gun rumbled toward the city at a speed of two and a half miles a day, while another team of engineers worked ahead, leveling roads and building wooden bridges over rivers and gullies. Orban’s foundry continued to turn out barrels of different sizes; none was as large as the first supergun, though some measured more than 14 feet.

It took six weeks for the guns to lurch and jolt their way to Constantinople. By the time they arrived, in early April, Mehmed’s army—a huge force of 80,000 men—was dug in along the length of the land walls. Sappers had cut down orchards and vineyards outside the Walls of Theodosius to provide a clear field of fire. Others dug a ditch the length of the walls and 250 yards from them, with an earth rampart to shield the guns. Within the city walls, a mere 8,000 men awaited the inevitable assault.

Mehmed grouped the cannons into 14 or 15 batteries along the walls at key vulnerable points. Orban’s supergun, which the Greeks called the Basilica cannon—“the royal gun” —was positioned in front of the sultan’s tent so he could critically appraise its performance. Each large cannon was supported by a cluster of smaller ones in a battery the Ottoman gunners named “the bear with its cubs.” They could fire stone balls ranging from 200 pounds up to a colossal 1,500 pounds, in the case of Orban’s monster gun.

Though eyewitnesses spoke of “innumerable machines,” Mehmed probably had about 69 cannons, a huge artillery force by the standards of the day . They were augmented by more traditional technologies for hurling stones, such as the

30 trebuchet. The latter had been effective in the Muslim capture of crusader castles 300 years earlier, but now it looked like a device from another age.

Installing and readying the cannons was a laborious process. Workers had to erect a massive block-and-tackle system to lower the barrels into position on a sloping wooden platform. Shielding the cannons from enemy fire were a wooden palisade and a hinged door that could be opened at the moment of firing.

The logistical support for this operation was immense. Ships transported loads of black stone balls mined and shaped on the north coast of the Black Sea. The cannons also required substantial quantities of saltpeter. Founders who worked with Orban at Edirne doubled as gun crews, positioning, loading and firing the cannons—even repairing them on site.

Preparing the big cannon to fire required time and attention to detail. Crews would load gunpowder, backed by a wooden or sheepskin wad pounded tight into the barrel. Next they manhandled a stone ball to the muzzle and eased it down the barrel. Each ball was designed to be a good fit, though an exact caliber match was often elusive. Crews set their aim by “certain techniques and calculations” about the target—i.e., trial and error—and adjusted the angle of fire by chocking the platform with wooden wedges. Great timber beams weighted down with stones acted as shock absorbers. Crews then poured priming powder into the touchhole.

On April 12, 1453, lighted tapers were put to the touchholes of the sultan’s guns along a four-mile sector of the front line, and the world’s first concerted artillery barrage exploded to life.

If there is any single moment in the history of warfare at which an authentic sense of awe at the exponential power of gunpowder could be palpably felt, it is here in the accounts of those firing these great guns in 1453. The taper ignited the powder:

And when it had caught fire, faster than you can say it, there was first a terrifying roar and a violent shaking of the ground beneath and for a great distance around, and a din such as has never been heard. Then, with a monstrous thundering and an awful explosion and a flame that illuminated everything round about and scorched it, the wooden wad was forced out by the hot blast of dry air and propelled the stone ball powerfully out. Projected with incredible force and power, the stone

31 struck the wall, which it immediately shook and demolished, and it was itself shattered into many fragments, and the pieces were hurled everywhere, dealing death to those standing nearby.

When the huge stone balls struck the walls at an advantageous spot, the effects were devastating. “Sometimes it destroyed a complete portion of wall,” an eyewitness reported, “sometimes half a portion, sometimes a greater or smaller part of a tower, or a turret, or a parapet, and nowhere was the wall strong enough or sturdy enough or thick enough to withstand it, or to hold out totally against such a force or the velocity of the stone ball.” It must have seemed to the defenders that the whole history of siege warfare was unraveling in front of their eyes. The Walls of Theodosius, the product of two millennia of defensive evolution, crumbled wherever it was hit. The defenders were amazed and horrified by what they saw.

Balls from the superguns that cleared the walls traveled up to a mile into the heart of the city, shattering with devastating force against houses or churches, mowing down civilians or burying themselves in orchards and fields within the walls. According to eyewitnesses, the ground was shaken for two miles around, and even the galleys tied up in the harbors felt the explosions through their wooden hulls.

The psychological effects of the artillery bombardment on the defenders were even more severe than its material consequences. The noise and vibration of the massed guns, the clouds of smoke, the shattering impact of stone on stone dismayed seasoned defenders. To the civilian population, it seemed a glimpse of the coming apocalypse. It sounded, according to one Ottoman chronicler, “like the awful resurrection blast.” People ran out of their houses, beating their chests and crossing themselves. Women fainted in the streets. Churches were thronged with people voicing petitions and prayers.

The defenders tried different methods to mitigate the shock of the stone balls. Some poured a mortar of chalk and brick dust down the walls’ outer face as a hardened coating; others padded the walls with suspended bales of wool, leather sheets and even precious tapestries. These measures made little difference. The defenders also tried to knock out the big guns with their own few cannons, but they were short of saltpeter, and the palisades effectively screened the Ottoman cannons. Worse, the walls and towers proved unsuitable as gun platforms—neither wide enough to accommodate the recoil nor strong enough to withstand the vibrations, which

“shook the walls, and did more damage to them than to the enemy.” Their largest cannon soon exploded, enraging the harassed defenders so much that they threatened to put the gun master to death for being in the pay of the sultan. Regardless, it was clear that in this new age of warfare, the Walls of Theodosius were inadequa te.

Mehmed’s strategy was attritional—and impatient. He decided to breach the walls with artillery fire and launch unpredictable skirmishes to wear down the defenders prior to a final attack. “The assault continued night and day, with no relief from the clashes and explosions, crashing of stones and cannonballs on the walls,” reported a defender, “for the sultan hoped in this way to take the city easily, since we were few against many, by pounding us to death and exhaustion, and so he allowed us no rest from attack.”

Managing the great cannon remained difficult work. Loading and aiming were such laborious operations that the Basilica could only be fired seven times a day. The guns could be unpredictable and deadly to their teams. In the spring rain, they proved hard to keep in position, recoiling with the slam of a charging rhino and frequently slipping from their cradles into the mud. The possibility of being crushed to death was only exceeded by the risk of being blown to pieces by the shrapnel of disintegrating gun barrels. The Basilica quickly became a cause for concern to Orban; casting on this scale was extremely demanding, and the intense heat of the explosions started to exploit hairline fractures in the impure metal. After each shot, crews soaked the barrel in warm oil to prevent cold air from penetrating and enlarging the fissures.

Their stopgap measure failed. The Basilica soon “cracked as it was being fired and split into many pieces, killing and wounding many nearby.” Strengthened with iron hoops and pressed back into service, it soon cracked again, to Mehmed’s intense anger. The supergun simply exceeded the tolerances of contemporary metallurgy.

In the end, it didn’t matter. Though the supergun inflicted great psychological trauma, the slightly smaller yet still formidable bombards would do the real damage.

In the early days of the bombardment, a deputation of Hungarians visited the sultan’s camp. One observed the firing of the great cannons with interest. Watching

33 a shot strike the walls at a certain point, he laughed to himself as the gunners aimed a second shot at the same point. He advised them to aim their second shot “about 30 to 36 feet from the first shot, but at the same height” and to position a third shot between the two “so that the shots form a triangular shape. Then you will see that portion of wall collapse.” Soon the “bear and cubs” were working as coordinated teams. Smaller guns would make the two outer hits, then one of Orban’s great guns would complete the triangle in the now weakened central section, “the shot being carried by such devilish force and irresistible impetus that it caused irreparable damage.”

The bombardment continued unabated for six days. Despite aiming difficulties and a slow rate of fire, gunners managed to launch about 120 shots a day at the city, concentrating their heaviest fire on the central section of wall. Inexorably, the walls began to crumble . Within the week a section of the outer wall had fallen, as had two towers and a turret on the inner wall.

However, after their initial terror at the bombardment, the defenders had regained heart and now worked unceasingly to repair the damage. They devised an effective ad hoc solution to shore up the outer wall, constructing a makeshift replacement of stakes reinforced with any material that came to hand, including stones, timber, brushwood, bushes and large quantities of earth. The defenders placed barrels full of soil at regular intervals to create firing positions that would absorb Ottoman arrows and bullets. At dusk men and women came up from the city to work all night, carrying timber, stones and earth to rebuild smashed defenses. The resulting earthworks provided a surprisingly effective counter to the devastating impact of the stone balls. Like stones thrown into mud, the cannonballs were smothered, their force neutralized.

As their own artillery was poorly situated for firing heavy balls, the defenders reinvented the pieces as huge shotguns, packing each cannon with five or 10 lead balls the size of walnuts. Fired at close range, the effect was appalling:

[They had] immense power in penetrating and perforating, so that if one hit a soldier in armor, it went straight through both his shield and body, then through another behind who was in the line of fire, and then another, until the force of the powder was dissipated. With one shot, two or three men could be killed at the same time. Hit by this withering fire, the Ottomans suffered terrible casualties.

On April 18, the sultan judged that his gunners had punched enough holes in the walls to launch a major assault. It failed, with a huge loss of life, but there was no respite; his big guns went on firing. Cannons had been used in siege warfare before, but what was unprecedented about Mehmed’s bombardment was its intensity and duration. No other army in the world possessed the materials required to mount a continuous artillery bombardment on this scale . The guns blasted away day and night, and chunks of wall continued to collapse.

For the defenders, the unceasing cycles of bombardment, attack and repair began to blur. Like later diaries of trench warfare, the chroniclers’ accounts become repetitive and monotonous. “On the 11th of May,” recorded a defender, “nothing happened either by land or at sea except a considerable bombardment of the walls from the landward side….On the 13th of May, there came some Turks to the walls skirmishing, but nothing significant happened during the whole day and night, except for continuous bombardment of the unfortunate walls.” This pattern gradually drained the defenders of energy and morale. By May 28, the guns had been firing continuously for 47 days, expending 55,000 pounds of gunpowder and delivering an estimated 5,000 shots. Gunners had blasted nine substantial holes in the outer wall, only to be replaced piecemeal by the earth stockade. Both sides were exhausted.

Mehmed knew the time had come: On May 29, 1453, he ordered a climactic full- scale assault. At 1:30 in the morning, to the beating of drums and clashing of cymbals, the Ottoman army rolled forward along the whole four-mile sector. Behind them the cannons put up a withering fire. Volleys of stone shot sprayed the walls, peppering the defenders and felling Ottoman troops from behind. The extraordinary noise of the battle was so deafening that, according to one defender, “the very air seemed to split apart….It seemed like something from another world.”

After several hours of confused fighting, one of the big cannons landed a direct hit on the stockade and opened a hole. Dust and cannon smoke obscured the front line, but Ottoman troops moved quickly into the breach and soon overwhelmed the defenses .

Mehmed had succeeded where all previous Ottoman attempts had failed, and it was the big guns that made the difference . The fall of Constantinople symbolized the end of outmoded medieval techniques of castle construction and siege warfare

35 and opened a new chapter in military history. The use of massed artillery bombardment would prevail all the way to the battlefield of the Somme and beyond. (End of article)

Keeping the above in mind, when one looks at the wording of the hadith: 'They shall not fight with weapons, nor shall they fire arrows. They shall cry out the takbeer,Allahu Akbar. That portion which is by the water shall fall. They shall repeat the takbeer and another portion shall fall. On the third takbeer a gap shall be made for them through which they shall enter ', a possible meaning that comes to mind is that during this conquest 'the soldiers shall not be fighting with 'weapons that were common until this time, nor will they be shooting mere arrows', but rather they shall have with them an entire new range of artillery, spearheaded with cannon-power. Instead of the common picture of battle, this invasion shall see the 'world’s first concerted artillery barrage' and a new age of warfare! '

As for the phrase, ' They shall cry out the takbeer,Allahu Akbar. That portion which is by the water shall fall. They shall repeat the takbeer and another portion shall fall. On the third takbeer a gap shall be made for them through which they shall enter ', it is highly probable that it referred to the manner in which the Muslim army shall fire their cannons, in order to cause maximum damage to the strong walls of the city. Following the advice of a Hungarian envoy, Turkish gunners concentrated their fire against points on the wall in a triangular pattern-two shots, one each to the base of a 30-foot section, then a toppling shot to the top center . With each shot, they would call out the takbeer, thus resulting in three calls of takbeer, before an opening could be created. In this way, the Turks gradually breached sections of the Outer Walls, exposing the Inner Wall, which too began to crumble.

In fact, if one examines closely the wording of the hadith, he shall find indication even towards the fact that between each shot there shall be a lenghty interval, since the narration describes the gap between the first and the second takbeer, and which generally ,' م ' then between the second and the third using the word translates as 'a while after', indicating towards a slightly lenghty gap.

ﻗﺎﻟﻮا : ﻻ إﻟﻪ إﻻ اﷲ، واﷲ أﻛﺒﺮ، ﻓﻴﺴﻘﻂ ﺟﺎﻧﺒﻬﺎ اﻟﺬي ﻓﻲ اﻟﺒﺤﺮ، ﺛﻢ ﻳﻘﻮﻟﻮن اﻟﺜﺎﻧﻴﺔ : ﻻ إﻟﻪ إﻻ اﷲ، واﷲ أﻛﺒﺮ . ﻓﻴﺴﻘﻂ ﺟﺎﻧﺒﻬﺎ اﻵﺧﺮ، ﺛﻢ ﻳﻘﻮﻟﻮن اﻟﺜﺎﻟﺜﺔ : ﻻ إﻟﻪ إﻻ اﷲ، واﷲ أﻛﺒﺮ، ﻓﻴﻔﺮج ﻟﻬﻢ ﻓﻴﺪﺧﻠﻮﻫﺎ

'They shall cry out the takbeer,Allahu Akbar. That portion which is by the water shall fall. They shall repeat the takbeer and another portion shall fall. On the third takbeer a gap shall be made for them through which they shall enter.'

This 'gap' between every two shots was indeed a cause of concern to the Sultan, but they were unable to overcome it. Mention of this 'gap/interval' and the reasons behind it passed in the article after, a part of which was:

It took close to a month of effort until finally the Muslim armies found the chance to break into the city. A large breach was opened in the walls in the Lycus Valley and the Turks pressed the attack. Barbaro described the final moments: ‘ One hour before daybreak the Sultan had his great cannon fired, and the shot landed in the repairs which we had made and knocked them down to the ground. Nothing could be seen for the smoke made by the cannon, and the Turks, under the cover of the smoke, and about 300 of them got inside the barbicans.’ While the defenders beat back that attack, the next succeeded in penetrating the Inner Wall. As Turkish soldiers appeared in the garrison’s rear, the defense swiftly collapsed .'

This was solely on account of the continuous pounding the city was receiving from the cannons of the Muslims, accompanied by the echoing slogans of takbîr.

A phrase of an article which presently hangs on one of the walls of the famous Turkish museum 'Panorama 1453', has done wonders in describing the difficulties borne and the selfless sacrifices made by the army of Sultân Muhammed in breaking down the mighty walls of the city and penetrating its defences. The phrase reads as follows:

‘Indeed it was nought but the cries of Takbeer and the spirit of Imân that brought down the mighty walls of that great city!’

Issue No.3 Meaning of: 'Whilst they are distributing their spoils of war, a scream shall be heard that dajjal has emerged. They shall leave everything and return.'

To further one's understanding of the above, it is necessary that one ponders over the other narrations in which mention has been made regarding this announcement of dajjal's emergence. For this, a narration of Sayyiduna Abu Hureira, as quoted by Imam Muslim in his Sahih, shall be explained in slight detail.

Rasulullah Sallalahu Alaihi wa Sallam said,

ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ٍِ ِ " َ ﻻ َﺗـُﻘ ُﻮم اﻟﺴ َﺎﻋﺔُ َﺣﺘﻰ َﻳـﻨِْﺰَل اﻟﺮ ُوم ﺑ ْﺎﻷَ ْﻋَﻤﺎق ْأَو ﺑ َﺪاﺑٍﻖ، َﻓـﻴَ ْﺨُﺮ ُج إﻟَﻴِْﻬ ْﻢ َﺟﻴْ ٌﺶ ﻣ َﻦ اﻟَْﻤﺪﻳﻨَﺔ ، ﻣ ْﻦ ﺧﻴَ ِﺎر ْأَﻫ ِﻞ ْاﻷَْر ِض َﻳـْﻮَﻣﺌﺬ، ﻓَﺈذَا ِ  ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ﺗَ َﺼﺎﻓﻮا، ﻗَﺎﻟَﺖ اﻟﺮ ُوم : َﺧﻠﻮا َﺑـْﻴـَﻨـﻨَﺎ َوَﺑـﻴْ َﻦ اﻟﺬ َﻳﻦ َﺳَﺒـْﻮا ﻣ ﻨﺎ ُﻧـَﻘﺎﺗﻠُْﻬ ْﻢ، َﻓـَﻴـُﻘ ُﻮل اﻟُْﻤ ْﺴﻠ ُﻤ َﻮن : َ ﻻ، َواﷲ َﻻ ﻧُ َﺨﻠﻲ َﺑـْﻴـﻨَ ُﻜ ْﻢ َوَﺑـﻴْ َﻦ إ ْﺧَﻮاﻧﻨَﺎ، ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ َﻓـُﻴـَﻘﺎﺗﻠُ َﻮﻧـُﻬ ْﻢ، َﻓـَﻴـْﻨـَﻬِﺰُم ُﺛـﻠُ ٌﺚ َﻻ َﻳـﺘُ ُﻮب اﷲُ َﻋﻠَﻴْﻬ ْﻢ أَﺑًَﺪا، َوُﻳـْﻘﺘَ ُﻞ ُﺛـﻠُُﺜـُﻬ ْﻢ، أَﻓْ َﻀ ُﻞ اﻟﺸَﻬ َﺪاء ﻋ ﻨْ َﺪ اﷲ، َوَﻳـْﻔﺘَﺘ ُﺢ اﻟﺜـﻠُ ُﺚ، َﻻ ُﻳـْﻔَﺘـﻨُ َﻮن أَﺑًَﺪا ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ  ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ َﻓـَﻴـْﻔﺘَﺘ ُﺤ َﻮن ﻗُ ْﺴﻄَﻨْﻄﻴﻨﻴﺔَ، َﻓـَﺒـْﻴـﻨََﻤﺎ ُﻫ ْﻢ َﻳـْﻘﺘَﺴ ُﻤ َﻮن اﻟْﻐَﻨَﺎﺋ َﻢ، ﻗَْﺪ َﻋﻠُﻘﻮا ُﺳﻴُ َﻮﻓـُﻬ ْﻢ ﺑ ﺎﻟﺰْﻳـﺘُﻮن، إ ْذ َﺻ َﺎح ﻓ ِﻴﻬِﻢ اﻟﺸﻴْﻄَ ُﺎن : إ ن اﻟَْﻤﺴ َﻴﺢ ﻗَْﺪ َﺧﻠََﻔ ُﻜ ْﻢ

ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ﻓﻲ ْأَﻫﻠ ُﻴﻜ ْﻢ، َﻓـﻴَ ْﺨُﺮُﺟ َﻮن، َوذَﻟ َﻚ ﺑَﺎﻃ ٌﻞ، ﻓَﺈذَا َﺟﺎءُوا اﻟﺸﺄَْم َﺧَﺮ َج، َﻓـَﺒـْﻴـﻨََﻤﺎ ُﻫ ْﻢ ﻳُﻌﺪ َون ﻟﻠْﻘﺘَﺎل، ﻳُ َﺴﻮ َون اﻟﺼُﻔ َﻮف، إ ْذ أُﻗ َﻴﻤﺖ اﻟﺼَﻼةُ، ِ  ِ  ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ َﻓـَﻴـﻨِْﺰُل ﻋ َﻴﺴﻰ اﺑْ ُﻦ َﻣْﺮﻳََﻢ َﺻﻠﻰ اﷲُ َﻋﻠَﻴْﻪ َو َﺳﻠ َﻢ، ﻓَﺄَﻣُﻬ ْﻢ، ﻓَﺈذَا َرآﻩُ َﻋ ُﺪو اﷲ، ذَ َاب َﻛَﻤﺎ ﻳَُﺬ ُوب اﻟْﻤﻠْ ُﺢ ﻓﻲ اﻟَْﻤﺎء، َﻓـﻠَْﻮ َﺗـَﺮَﻛﻪُ َﻻﻧَْﺬ َاب َﺣﺘﻰ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِِ َﻳـْﻬﻠ َﻚ، َوﻟَﻜ ْﻦ َﻳـْﻘُﺘـﻠُﻪُ اﷲُ ﺑﻴَﺪﻩ، َﻓـﻴُِﺮ ِﻳﻬ ْﻢ َدَﻣﻪُ ﻓﻲ َﺣْﺮﺑَﺘﻪ " (, ﻣﺴﻠﻢ ) )

'The Hour shall not be established until the Romans do not reach A'maaq or Daabiq . An army from the city shall come out to face them, who shall be from the best of the people during that time. When they will stand in battle, the Romans shall say, 'We only wish to fight against those who captured our men !' The Muslims shall reply, 'No, by Allah! We shall not allow you excess to them!' The two groups shall then engage in battle.

One third shall surrender . Almighty Allah shall never give them the inspiration to repent. One third shall be martyred. They shall be of the best of martyrs. One third shall attain victory. They shall thereafter not face any such severe trial.

Later, they shall conquer Constantinople. Whilst distributing the booty, and having hung their swords upon olive bushes, they shall hear a scream of shaitaan, 'Al-Masih (i.e. dajjal) has settled amongst your family!' This call shall bring them out of the city, whereas it shall be 'false'.

Later, when they shall reach Shaam, he (dajjal) shall emerge . As they prepare for battle, and whilst forming their lines, the Iqamah shall be given for salaah. At that moment Nabi Isa Alaihi Salaam shall descend. He shall then lead them . When the enemy of Allah (dajjal) shall see him, he shall dissolve as salt dissolves in water.

Even if Nabi Isa (Alaihi Salaam) were to leave him, he would soon totally dissolve into oblivion. Nabi Isa (Alahi Salaam) shall however kill him with his own hands and shall show the people the blood of dajjal upon his sharp weapon

Explanation of the above narration Point No.1 - Meaning of: 'The Hour shall not be established as long as the Romans do not reach A'maaq or Daabiq.

"Daabiq'' is a village in Northern Syria, about 40 km from Alleppo, and around 10 km south of Syria's boder with Turkey. It was this auspicious city that became the target of Roman forces during the Crusades, as they ravaged the lands of Shaam and

39 established within it a new Christian Kingdom, with its central states being Edessa, in the headwaters of the Euphrates; Antioch, in Northern Syria; Tripoli, on the Syrian Coast; and Jerusalem, in the heart of Palestine.

From the beginning days of the Crusader invasion of Mesopotamia and Syria, Allepo was subjected to numerous attacks, the most serious undoubtedly being the siege of 518 A.H. The city of Alleppo was one of vital strategic importance in human, military, political and economic terms. The details of this siege was as follows:

The siege of Alleppo in 518 A.H and events that led up to it

From amongst the heroes of the Muslim Jihaad against the Crusaders was Balak ibn Bahram ibn Artuq, who took up the banner of Jihaad upon the death of his paternal uncle, Ilghazi. Balak's military action began during his uncle's illness in Rajab 516 A.H, with the siege of Edessa. Shortly after this siege, Balak, managed to capture senior generals of the the Crusader army, amongst whom were Joscelin, his maternal cousin, Galeran (ruler of Bira) and Baldwin, the king of Jerusalem.

Due to the efforts and success of Balak, Muslim enthusiasm and hopes of pounding upon the Crusaders from all sides increased tremendously, while the christian kingdoms of Edessa, Antioch and Jerusalem lost its leaders and defenders, which led to a destabilazation of the Crusader position in Mesopotamia and Syria.

In 518 A.H. Balak made Alleppo his capital in Syria, and used it as a base from which to launch strikes against the Crusaders. During this time, his prisoners from Harran were transferred to the Citadel in Aleppo. Unfortunately, Balak did not live long after that. While besieging the Franks in the citabel of Manbij, he was killed by a stray arrow. His troops fell into confusion and dispersed. With his death, the Muslims lost a great man, one who had done wonders in uniting the Muslims of Syria and Mesopotamia against the Crusaders. With his death, the Artuqi stage of the Islamic Jihad against the Crusaders came to an end.

The leader that followed, Timurtash ibn Ilghazi, due to his young age and love of play, failed to continue with the progress of that Balak had made in weakening the Crusaders. In fact, he made matters even worse, by agreeing to release Baldwin, the King of Jerusalem, who had been a prized prisoner of Balak ibn Bahram, in return for a paltry sum of money. Joscelin, Barak's other prized prisoner, had escaped shortly before this. 40

The Crusaders suddenly found themselves with a golden opportunity to tighten their stranghold on Aleppo and achieve a goal which they had evaded them for years, i.e. taking control of Alleppo, espeacially when Timustash withdrew from Alleppo to his province in Diyabbakir, and did not so much as shoot an arrow against the invaders.

Hence in 518 A.H Aleppo was subjected to one of the most intense sieges that it had faced during the entire lenghty Crusader period.

The attempt to capture Aleppo began with an act of betrayal by one of the Arab emirs, Dabees ibn Sadaqah, a shia emir of Hillah, which lay to the south of Baghdad. Dabees lied to Baldwin and Joscelin that there were many shias in Aleppo, who were ready to surrender the city, on condition that he be made their ruler.

By the end of Sha'baan 518 A.H. the city of Aleppo, found itself surrounded on all sides by Baldwin and his troops, Joscelin and his troops, Dabees in Sadaqah and his men, and a host of other 'muslim' traitors, whose aim was to serve their own interests and get their hands on some of the booty if Aleppo fell, amongst whom were Sultan Shah ibn Radwan as-Saljuki, Easa ibn Salim al-Aqeeli, and Yaghi Sayan al-Artuqi. The enemy laid seige to Aleppo from all directions and prepared themselves for a lenghty stay, aiming not to leave until they had taken possesion of the city. To withstand cold and heat they even had houses built, in addition to three hundred tents. In Aleppo at that time, there were no more than five hundred horsemen to defend the city.

The invaders began to launch regular attacks against Aleppo, they cut down its trees and destroyed its gardens and crops in an attempt to destroy its economy, which relied primarily on agriculture. They also destroyed the shrines of the Muslims and dug up the graves of the dead. If they found any body that had not as yet disintegrated, they would tied its legs together with a rope and drag it in front of the Muslims who were besieged in Aleppo, shouting, 'This is your prophet, Muhammad!' (Na-uuzu billah). During the siege, the Crusaders mercilessly mutilated every Muslim that fell into their hands.

Due to the intense pressure of the siege, the Muslims of Aleppo were compelled to come out to repel the invaders. The Islamic resistance was led by Qadi Abdul-Fadl ibn al-Khash-shab, who had become experienced in defense activity over the last decade, and was very popular in Aleppo. He issued orders to direct blows at the 41 heart of the invaders' camps. Groups of fighters would go out secretly to raid these camps, killing some , taking some prisoners, and then returning to the city.

A delegation was also sent to Diyarbakir to seek help from Timurtash, who had just recently vacated the city, leaving it to the mercy of the invaders. The delagation hoped that on hearing of the suffering of the people of the city, Timurtash would turn his attantion back to Aleppo and the plight of the Muslims there. Contratry to expectation, Timurtash not only failed in his duty to Islam, but in fact issued orders that the delegation be kept in the city, and not be allowed to return, lest they seek help elsewhere.

With great difficulty, the delegation managed to free themselves from the watch Timurtash had imposed upon them, and finally were able to make contact with the Seljuk governor of Mosul, Aq Sunqur al-Bursuqi, who was for the people of Aleppo their last hope. At the time the delegation reached they found Bursuqi extremely sick, with many convinced that he would soon pass away.

In fact news of his death even spread out, and Dabees ibn Sadaqah (the shia) used this as a means to further dishearten the Muslims of Aleppo. He and his men began raising cries of takbeer and calling out, 'The one whom you hope will help has died!' This further weakened the Muslims resolve, but their brave warriors refused to surrender.

As for Bursuqi, upon hearing of the plight of Aleppo, he vowed that if Almighty Allah would bless him with cure, he would set out immediately to save the city and fight the enemy. Accepting his vow, Almighty Allah blessed him with cure within three days. He soon set up tents outside Mosul and called his troops to prepare to fight the Crusaders and save Aleppo. He also summoned the emir of Damascus and the emir of Homs to meet him at the plains of Aleppo.

Barsuqi's vanguard reached Aleppo on Thursday 22nd Dhul-Hijjah 518 A.H, and upon hearing of his arrival the Crusaders lifted the siege and retreated to safer ground. Bursuqi felt it best not to advance towards the Crusaders, but rather to sort out the affairs of the Muslims in Aleppo, by strnghtening its economic and social situation, which he remarkably accomplished in quite a short period of time. Bursuqi finally united Aleppo with Mosul, for the first time since the Crusades had begun, which gave him, and the leaders that followed thereafter the opportunity to benefit from this unity in order to achieve several victories against the invaders. 42

This union became a starting point for the united Islamic state that was subsequently established in Syria at the time of the Zangids, Ayubids and Mamluks, a state that would later totally destroy the Crusader forces in Syria.

In 520 A.H. on the 8th of Dhul Qa'dah, Bursuqi was martyred, by a group of ten Batini shia, while performing his Jumuah salaah. He was one of the best rulers Islam had seen during the Crusade era, one who played a tremendous role in halting the Crusaders advance and in setting up for future leaders the platform for total victory. Thus, upon his death, Sultan Imad ad-Deen Zangi was appointed as emir of Mosul, and it was this appointment that marked the beginning of a new chapter for the Muslims in the battle against the Crusades, a chapter which would see victory after victory for the Muslim forces, and would peak with Sultan Salahuddin al-Ayubi's conquest over Jerusalem sixty-two years later. (Extracted from Salah ad-Deen al- Ayubi of Dr Ali M Sallabi)

Explanation of the hadith of Muslim

It is quite probable that it was this very siege that has been described in the hadith of Muslim mentioned above, wherein Rasulullah Sallalahu Alaihi wa Sallam has been reported to have said:

ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ٍِ ِ  َ ﻻ َﺗـُﻘ ُﻮم اﻟﺴ َﺎﻋﺔُ َﺣﺘﻰ َﻳـﻨِْﺰَل اﻟﺮ ُوم ﺑ ْﺎﻷَ ْﻋَﻤﺎق ْأَو ﺑ َﺪاﺑٍﻖ، َﻓـﻴَ ْﺨُﺮ ُج إﻟَﻴِْﻬ ْﻢ َﺟﻴْ ٌﺶ ﻣ َﻦ اﻟَْﻤﺪﻳﻨَﺔ ، ﻣ ْﻦ ﺧﻴَ ِﺎر ْأَﻫ ِﻞ ْاﻷَْر ِض َﻳـْﻮَﻣﺌﺬ، ﻓَﺈذَا ﺗَ َﺼﺎﻓﻮا، ِ  ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ﻗَﺎﻟَﺖ اﻟﺮ ُوم : َﺧﻠﻮا َﺑـْﻴـَﻨـﻨَﺎ َوَﺑـﻴْ َﻦ اﻟﺬ َﻳﻦ َﺳَﺒـْﻮا ﻣﻨ  ﺎ ُﻧـَﻘﺎﺗﻠُْﻬ ْﻢ، َﻓـَﻴـُﻘ ُﻮل اﻟُْﻤ ْﺴﻠ ُﻤ َﻮن : َ ﻻ، َواﷲ َﻻ ﻧُ َﺨﻠﻲ َﺑـْﻴـﻨَ ُﻜ ْﻢ َوَﺑـﻴْ َﻦ إ ْﺧَﻮاﻧﻨَﺎ، َﻓـُﻴـَﻘﺎﺗﻠُ َﻮﻧـُﻬ ْﻢ، ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ َﻓـَﻴـْﻨـَﻬِﺰُم ُﺛـﻠُ ٌﺚ َﻻ َﻳـﺘُ ُﻮب اﷲُ َﻋﻠَﻴْﻬ ْﻢ أَﺑًَﺪا، َوُﻳـْﻘﺘَ ُﻞ ُﺛـﻠُُﺜـُﻬ ْﻢ، أَﻓْ َﻀ ُﻞ اﻟﺸَﻬ َﺪاء ﻋﻨْ َﺪ اﷲ، َوَﻳـْﻔﺘ َ ﺘ ُﺢ اﻟﺜـﻠُ ُﺚ، َﻻ ُﻳـْﻔَﺘـﻨُ َﻮن أَﺑًَﺪا

''The Hour shall not be established as long as the Romans do not reach A'maaq or Daabiq. An army from the city shall come out to face them, who shall be from the best of the people during that time. When they will stand in battle, the Romans shall say, 'We only wish to fight against those who captured our men!' The Muslims shall reply, 'No, by Allah! We shall not allow you excess to them!' The two groups shall then engage in battle. One third shall surrender. Almighty Allah shall never give them the inspiration to repent. One third shall be martyred. They shall be of the best of martyrs. One third shall attain victory. They shall thereafter not face any such severe trial.

Explanation:

(The Hour shall not be established as long as the Romans do not reach A'maaq or Daabiq. ) This will refer to when the Roman Crusaders brought their troops in preparation for their lenghty siege of Aleppo in 518 A.H. Daabiq is a village 35 to 40 km from Aleppo.

(An army from the city shall come out to face them, who shall be from the best of the people during that time. ) Referring to the small group of four hundred horsemen, who launched regular, succesfull attacks at the heart of the surrounding army, under the leadership of Qadhi Abdul-Fadl ibn al-Khash-shab, despite the enormous odds against them.

(When they will stand in battle, the Romans shall say, 'We only wish to fight against those who captured our men!' The Muslims shall reply, 'No, by Allah! We shall not allow you excess to them!' The two groups shall then engage in battle. ) One prime purpose of the siege was to take revenge against those that had fought alongside Barak ibn Bahram, during which senior Christian leaders such as Baldwin, King of Jerusalem, and Joscelin were defeated and taken captive. In fact, what gave the Christian added courage to lay this siege was a lie that the shia, Dabees ibn Sadaqah, had told regarding there being many shia in Aleppo who would surrender the city upon seeing him at the front of the invading army. In expectation of that surrender, the Romans announced that they only came to fight against those who had attacked them previously, but contrary to expectation they found the Muslims of Aleppo united and totally unwilling to lay down their arms.

(One third shall surrender. Almighty Allah shall never give them the inspiration to repent. ) Referring to Timurtash ibn Ilghazi and his forces, who took control of Aleppo after the death of Barak ibn Bahram, and thereafter betrayed the Muslim Ummah by setting Baldwin free, for a paltry sum of money, before withdrawing his troops from the city, leaving it an open target for the invading Crusaders. Not only did Timurtash stop there, but he in fact went out of his way to ensure that news of the plight of the Muslims of Aleppo does not reach any other Muslim leader.

It is also possible that together with Timurtash and his forces, it also refers to all those hypocrites who aided in the siege of Aleppo, standing at the side of the 44

Crusaders. Despite their names being Muslim, they showed no affinity whatsoever with Islam, and in fact even raised the called of takbeer when the news spread that the amir of Mosul, Bursuqi, had passed away.

(One third shall be martyred. They shall be of the best of martyrs. ) Referring to those brave warriors who left the safety of the fort in order to repel the invaders, despite knowing that if captured or killed, their bodies would be subjected to the worst forms of torture and mutilation.

(One third shall attain victory. They shall thereafter not face any such severe trial. ) Referring to the warriors who continued their attacks upon the centre of the Crusader camps, until help finally arrived in the form of Bursuqi, emir of Mosul. Upon his arrival the Crusaders retreated, and from then on the scales tipped in favour of the Muslims. Aleppo was united with Mosul and it soon became the base around which the Muslims of Shaam united.

If the first part of the narration refers to the siege of Aleppo in 518 A.H. as explained above, the next part of the narration, i.e. ( ِ ِ ِ Later, they - ﻓَﻴـْﻔﺘَﺘ ُﺤ َﻮن ﻗُ ْﺴﻄَﻨْﻄﻴﻨﻴﺔ َ shall conquer Constantinople. Whilst distributing the booty, and having hung their swords upon olive bushes, they shall hear a scream of shaitaan, 'Al-Masih (i.e. dajjal) has settled amongst your family!' This call shall bring them out of the city, whereas it shall be ' false '11 .) shall then fit in with what occurred in the years that followed.

A brief glimpse at history following the conquest of Constantinople, searching for a ' baatil -false emergence' of dajjal'

Approximately three hundred and thirty nine years later Sultan Muhammad al-Fatih was blessed with orchestrating one of the greatest conquests that history had ever seen, i.e. the conquest of Constantinople, in the year 857 A.H. (1453) 12

After the conquest of Constantinople, the Ottoman Empire spiralled in glory and wealth, reaching its peak in the year 970 A.H, during the era of Sultan Suleiman The

11 ِ ِ  ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ َﻓـَﺒـْﻴـﻨََﻤﺎ ُﻫ ْﻢ ﻳـَْﻘﺘَﺴ ُﻤ َﻮن اﻟْﻐَﻨَﺎﺋ َﻢ، ﻗَْﺪ َﻋﻠُﻘﻮا ُﺳﻴُ َﻮﻓـُﻬ ْﻢ ﺑ ﺎﻟﺰْﻳـﺘُﻮن، إْذ َﺻ َﺎح ﻓﻴﻬﻢ اﻟﺸْﻴﻄَ ُﺎن : إ ن اﻟَْﻤﺴ َﻴﺢ ﻗَْﺪ َﺧﻠََﻔ ُﻜ ْﻢ ﰲ ْأَﻫﻠ ُﻴﻜ ْﻢ، َﻓـﻴَ ْﺨُﺮُﺟ َﻮن، َوذَﻟ َﻚ ﺑَﺎﻃ ﻞٌ

12 Details of this conquest can be found in my book, 'From Istanbul to Islambul', available online on the site spirituallight.co.za 45

Magnificent (Qanuni Suleiman). Following the conquest, the Ottomans became the strongest power in the Black Sea Basin. In the succeeding years they took over the Latin trading colonies situated at strategic points around its coast to give them control of the commerce passing through.

The conquest of Constantinople signalled the end of the Byzantine Empire, but not the end of the battle against Christian forces. Rather, a new force was soon to be established, first in Spain and Portugal, and then in Britain, which would increase in power by the day, until finally toppling the mighty Ottoman caliphate 465 years later.

When one studies the rise of shaitaani influence in the lands of Europe that began shortly after the fall of Constantinople, which took the name of 'The Renaissance (The Re-birth)', one shall find a unique connection between the first scream regarding 'dajjal's emergence', which the narration described as ' baatil (false)' and dajjal's emergence later on when the armies come to Shaam. The details of this is as follows:

The beginning of The Renaissance or the quiet/un-noticed re-birth of dajjali power in Europe

Many historians have marked the start of the Renaissance exactly after the conquest of Constantinople, whilst others single out the conquest as the most important event that triggered the Renaissance. S.K Heninger wrote:

“We use it (the term ‘Renaissance’) to denote the transition from the Middle Ages to the Modern World; and though it is possible to assign certain limits to the period during which this transition took place…Yet, pressed to be precise, some proposed the fall of Constantinople in 1453 as its (Renaissance’s) starting date…” (S.K Heninger, The Subtext of Form in the English Renaissance)

In the years following the conquest of Constantinople, a large number of Greek scholars migrated from Constantinople to the Italian cultural centers, chief among them being Florence. They brought along with them ancient manuscripts, which

46 had been dissociated from history for centuries. These manuscripts 13 included ancient Egyptian and Greek philosophies of Hermeticism, Gnosticism, Alchemy, Neo-Platonism, and Kabala among many others. These ancient philosophies suddenly received patronage from the financiers of the Renaissance, the most notable among them being the Medici family who could be considered as the patrons and the custodians of the Renaissance. The Medicis were the founders of the modern banking system and would play a most important role in the 're-birth of dajjali power', which Europe would term as 'the rise of Horus '.

These ancient philosophies of Hermeticism, Alchemy, Gnosticism, Neo-Platonism and Kabala, which can be considered as the stepping stones for the Renaissance, all had three things in common: 1. All asserted that man is divine and would ultimately reclaim his divine status (nauzubillah). 2. All were of pagan origin except for Kabala which was of Jewish origin but had massive elements of paganism in it. 3. All asserted that the one who would ultimately reclaim the divine status for humanity would be Horus. (nauzubillah)

One of the most important Hermetic texts, which would also have a profound influence on the Renaissance and subsequent development of the modern civilization, was the ‘Corpus Hermeticum’. The Corpus Hermeticum is an Egyptian- Greek text that was brought to Italy after the conquest of Constantinople and translated by Marsilio Ficino at the behest of Cosimo de’Medici in 1471 (Constantinople was conquered in 1453). What stands out about this text is its cover which includes the Eye of Horus being used for the first time in the modern era. The Figure below illustrates the cover of Corpus Hermeticum with the Eye of Horus featuring at the bottom prominently.

13 In the book, 'Looking into the Eye of dajjal', much has been written on how the Crusades served as the stepping stone for the re-emergence of these ancient scriptures and scrolls, and why it took so long thereafter to come forth into the public arena. One may refer to the book for its details. 47

The 'Eye of Horus' as depicted on the bottom of th e 'Corpus Hermeticum' would thereafter at times be displayed with the tear moving towards the right, similar to the 'eye' on the cover, and at times with it moving towards the left.

Approximately 883 years before this 'eye' made its appearance on the international stage, the world was warned to look out for an 'eye' that shall be :

14 .( ﻛﺄﻧﻬﺎ زﺟﺎﺟﺔ ﺧﻀﺮاء ) as though it is a green glass † ( ﻛﺄﻧﻬﺎ ﻛﻮﻛﺐ دري which shall resemble a shiny pearl . (15 † 16 17 وﻋﻠﻰ ﻋﻴﻨﻪ ﻇﻔﺮة ) .There shall be a piece of skin , or hanging flesh over the eye † This flesh .( ﻏﻠﻴﻈﺔ † The most prominent display of the 'Eye of Horus' as 'a green glass' and ' a shiny pearl' occurred when the USA was established, and its first note of currency was printed, showing the 'eye of Horus' overlooking an incomplete pyramid, with the words 'Annuit' and 'Coeptis' on its sides, which mean 'He sees and approves our undertaking/enterprise'.

Take special note of the greenish shine around the eye, and the portion that hangs over the eye, touching the top of the pupil.

14 إﺣﺪى ﻋﻴﻨﻴﻪ ﻛﺄﺎ زﺟﺎﺟﺔ ﺧﻀﺮاء ( ﻣﺴﻨﺪ أﲪﺪ ﺑﺴﻨﺪ )ﺻﺤﻴﺢ )ﺻﺤﻴﺢ 15 أﻻ و أن ﻋﻴﻨﻪ اﻟﻴﺴﺮى ﻛﺄﺎ ﻛﻮﻛﺐ دري ( اﳌﺴﺘﺪرك ﺑﺴﻨﺪ )ﺿﻌﻴﻒ 16 ﰲ ﺻﻔﺔ اﻟﺪﺟﺎل وﻋﻠﻰ: ﻋﻴﻨﻪ ﻇﻔﺮة ﻏﻠﻴﻈﺔ ﺮﻇﻔ ﻫﻰ ُ ﺟﻠﻴَﺪة ﺗـُﻐَ ﺸﻰ اﻟﺒﺼﺮ ُ ﺗﻨﺒﺖ ﻣﻦ ْ ﺗﻠﻘﺎء اﳌﺂﻗﻰ ( اﻟﻔﺎﺋﻖ ﻟﻠﺰﳐﺸﺮي) 17 ﻗﻴﻞ ﰲ اﻟﻈﻔﺮة إﺎ: ﳊﻤﺔ ﺗﻨﺒﺖ ﻋﻨﺪ اﳌﺂﻗﻲ ﻛﺎﻟﻌﻠﻘﺔ ( اﻟﺘﺬﻛﺮة ﻟﻠﻘﺮﻃﱯ) 48

Other descriptions of the eye, as given by Rasulullah Sallalahu Alaihi wa Sallam were as follows:

( ﻛﺄﻧﻬﺎ ﻋﻨﺒﺔ ﻃﺎﻓﻴﺔ ) .Protruding, as though it is a protruding grape † 18 ( ﻟﻴﺴﺖ ﺑﻨﺎﺗِﺌﺔ ) .but not protruding excessively † † nor shall it be sunken in. (19 ) وﻻ َﺟ ْﺤﺮاء ( ﻛﺄﻧﻬﺎ ﻧﺨﺎﻣﺔ ﻓﻲ ﺣﺎﺋﻂ ﻣﺠﺼﺺ which shall resemble phlegm on a plastered wall. (20 † 21 ( ﻣﻤﺰوﺟﺔ ﺑﺎﻟﺪم ﻛﺄﻧﻬﺎ اﻟﺰﻫﺮة ) .It shall be bloody, resembling a flower †

If one examines carefully the various displays of the 'Eye of Horus' that spread from 1471 onwards, one shall find the above charasteristics being a perfect discription for the 'eye of Horus'. In subsequent years this 'eye' would feature on many of the important drawings and documents that would greatly impact the move of man into the 'modern age'. Some examples are:

1) Supper at Emmaus

In 1525 Jacopo Pontormo executed this canvas for the Carthusian monastery at Galluzzo where he worked between 1523 and 1527. The painting depicts the episode in which the ' now risen Christ', repeating the same act of breaking the bread that he had made during the Last Supper, is about to be recognized by two of his disciples. (Na uuzu billah).Overlooking the episode is, as stated by the painter ' The eye of Go d'.

2) Christian Allegory

18 أﻋﻮر ﻣﻄﻤﻮس اﻟﻌﲔ ﻟﻴﺲ ﺑﻨﺎﺗﺌﺔ وﻻ ﺟﺤﺮاء اﺑﻮ( داؤد ﺑﺴﻨﺪ )ﺻﺤﻴﺢ 19 أﻋﻮر ﻣﻄﻤﻮس اﻟﻌﲔ ﻟﻴﺲ ﺑﻨﺎﺗﺌﺔ وﻻ ﺟﺤﺮاء اﺑﻮ( داؤد ﺑﺴﻨﺪ ﺻ )ﺤﻴﺢ )ﺤﻴﺢ 20 وﻋﻴﻨﻪ اﻟﻴﻤﲎ ﻋﻮراء ﺟﺎﺣﻈﺔ وﻻ ﲣﻔﻰ ﻛﺄﺎ ﳔﺎﻣﺔ ﰲ ﺣﺎﺋﻂ ﳎﺼﺺ ( ﻣﺴﻨﺪ أﲪﺪ ﺑﺴﻨﺪ )ﺿﻌﻴﻒ )ﺿﻌﻴﻒ أﻻ أن ﻋﻴﻨﻪ اﻟﻴﻤﲎ ﳑﺴﻮﺣﺔ اﳊﺪﻗﺔ ﺟﺎﺣﻈﺔ ﻓﻼ ﲣﻔﻰ ﻛﺄﺎ ﳔﺎﻋﺔ ﰲ ﺟﻨﺐ ﺣﺎﺋﻂ ( اﳊﺎﻛﻢ ﰲ اﳌﺴﺘﺪرك ﺑﺴﻨﺪ )ﺿﻌﻴﻒ 21 وﻋﻦ اﺑﻦ ﻋﻤﺮ إﺣﺪى ﻋﻴﻨﻴﻪ ﻣﻄﻤﻮﺳﺔ واﻷﺧﺮى ﳑﺰوﺟﺔ ﺑﺎﻟﺪم ﻛﺄﺎ ﺮةاﻟﺰﻫ ( ﻋﻤﺪة اﻟﻘﺎري) 49

Jan Provost painted this allegory in 1510, which allegedly represents the Cosmos in the hand of God in the presence of Christ and the Virgin Mary. (Na uuzu billah!) Take note of the 'eye' overlooking the scene.

3) Declaration of the Rights of Man The Declaration of the Rights of Man set by France's National Constituent Assembly in 1789, is a document of the French Revolution Influenced by the doctrine of "natural right", the rights of males are held to be universal: valid at all times and in every place, pertaining to human nature itself. It became the basis for a nation of free individuals protected equally by the law. Inspired by the Enlightenment philosophers, the Declaration was a core statement of the values of the French Revolution and had a major impact on the development of freedom and and democracy in Europe and worldwide. The Declaration, together with Magna Carta, the English Bill of Rights, and the United States Bill of Rights, inspired in large part the 1948 United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Take note of who is depicted as the source of 'inspiration' for this 'Bill of Rights'.

4) The Great Seal of the United States of America

One of the most illustrious Freemasons in history, Manly P. Hall explained the unfinished pyramid on the one dollar bill, with the 'the Eye of Horus' (dajjal) above, following manner: Not only were many of the founders of the United States Government Masons, but they received aid from a secret and august body existing in Europe, which helped them to establish this country for a peculiar and particular purpose known only to the initiated few…. The unfinished pyramid upon its reverse side is a trestleboard setting forth symbolically the task to the accomplishment of which the United States Government was dedicated from the day of its inception." (Manly P. Hall, Secret Teachings of All Ages)

In his own words, this highest level Freemasons admit that not only were Freemasons deeply involved in the founding of the United States, they left a symbol, i.e. 'the Eye of Horus' above an unfinished pyramid, signifying the task for which the United States was created for and shall always be dedicated to.

Inscribed in Latin at the base of the pyramid is: ‘Novus Ordo Seclorum’ which in plain English means: ‘New World Order’.

Why the pyramid?

Despite pyramids having being found in various parts of the world, it has always been Egypt that stood ahead in this aspect. For a 'pyramid' to have been chosen as a hallmark of 'Horus's ambition' it would only make sense to research whether this shaitaani figure 'Horus' ever had any relation to the lands of Egypt.

Just as how the book 'A Corpus Hermeticum' introduced Europe, and the world thereafter, to the concept of the 'eye of Horus', which they today refer to as the 'eye of illumination', or the 'all-seeing eye', it at the same time introduced all to Horus himself, depicted with falcon-head, standing above the 'eye'. If one now searches for the existence of such a figure in the annuls of history, one shall find that the land this figure features most prominently in is in fact 'ancient Egypt'. Even today, one who visits the pyramids of Egypt shall find indication of 'Horus' having been in Egypt in perhaps of legs of his journey.

When he visits the pyramids he shall find drawing showing three mighty pharoahs of Egypt, all offering their loyalty to 'Horus'. And finally when he prepares to leave the land, he will find the falcon-head of Horus on every aircraft of Egypt Air, as well as on the airlines magazine, which is even named 'Horus'.

Ponder over the diagrams below:

The Pharaoh whose body was discovered in 1898 was most probably Merneptah, who reigned in Egypt from 1213 BC to 1203 BC and the apparent cause of his death was drowning. The Figure on the right below, which shows Merneptah paying tribute to Horus, makes it obvious that Merneptah considered Horus as his patron deity and the claim to Pharaoh’s godhood sprang from Horus himself. The Figure in the middle and on its left are two more instances of Pharaohs Ramses II and Hatshepsut offering blessings to their patron Horus. (The figure of the far left is the cover of "A Corpus Hermeticum' showing Horus, and the 'eye of Horus'.)

The ancient Egyptians assigned Horus the name: ‘Hoor Par Kraat’ which translates into the ‘hidden god’. Another name assigned to Horus was ‘Amon-Horus’ which also means the ‘hidden god’. Who is this ‘hidden god’ which prominent occult societies such as Freemasonry, Rosicrucianism and the Theosophical Society pledge allegiance to? Had there been no clue given to us, we could perhaps have been excused for failing to understand the meaning of the 'Eye' above all important documents, at the most prominenet of institutes, and upon the most influential currency that the world would deal with for a lengthy period of time. Rather, not only were we given a clue, but in fact in simple, clear words the saying of Rasulullah Sallalahu Alaihi wa Sallam reached us, through authentic chains of narrators, with warnings such as: ِ ِِ ﻟَ ْﻢ ﻳَ ُﻜ ْﻦ ﻧَﺒ ﻲ إِﻻ  َ وﻗَْﺪ َ و َﺻ َﻒ اﻟ ﺪ ﺟ َﺎل ﻷُﻣﺘﻪ ، ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ  ِ 22 َوﻷَﺻَﻔﻨﻪ ُ ﺻَﻔﺔ ً ﻟَ ْﻢ ﻳَﺼْﻔَﻬﺎ َ أَﺣٌﺪ َ ﻛ َﺎن َ ﻗـْﺒﻠﻲ ، إﻧﻪ ُ ْ أَﻋَﻮُر ، َ وإن َ رﺑ ُﻜ ْﻢ ﻟَْﻴ َ ﺲ ﺑﺄَ ْﻋَﻮر ‘There has not been a Nabi except that he described dajjâl to his nation.I shall however describe one feature that none have described thus far. He shall shall ‘ an eye with a defect’ , whereas your Creator is free of such an eye!’

What comes to light from the above discussion is that shortly after the 'conquest of Constantinople' there was an 'emergence' of a shaaitani figure known as 'Horus', whose 'eye' clearly disclosed his identity, which is none other than al-Masih al- Dajjal. Yes, instead of an emergence wherein all become aware of his precense, he chose to keep his 'emergence' a veiled secret, known only to a hidden lobby of selected agents, who identified themselves as 'Freemasons', and later 'Illuminati'.

However, due to his craving to be noticed, which is a trait amongst all shayateen, he (dajjal) could not contain himself in placing his stamp/logo/amblem, etc upon paintings, documents, currency, etc.

Thus, the wording of the narration which reads as, '' shall mean that when the first news breaks out regarding the 'emergence of dajjal' the group that shall set out to verify its truthfullness shall, in accordance to what they were expecting, not find

22 ِ ِ ِِ ِ ٍ ِ ٍ ِ ٍ ِ ِ َ رَواﻩ ُ أَﺑُﻮ ﺑَ ْﻜِﺮ ﺑْ ُﻦ أَﺑﻲ َ ﺷﻴْﺒَﺔ َ ، َو ْأَﺣَﻤ ُﺪ ﺑْ ُﻦ َ ﺣﻨْﺒٍَﻞ ، َواﻟْ َﺤ ِﺎر ُث ﺑْ ُﻦ أَﺑﻲ َأُﺳ َﺎﻣﺔ َ ، َ وأَﺑُﻮ َ ﻳـْﻌﻠَﻰ اﻟَْﻤْﻮﺻﻠ ﻲ ﺑ َﺴﻨَﺪ َ واﺣﺪ َﺿﻌﻴﻒ ، ﻟﺘَ ْﺪﻟ ِﻴﺲ ِ ُﻣ َﺤﻤﺪ ﺑْ ِﻦ إِ ْﺳ َﺤ َﺎق 53 any trace of dajjal. The news shall thus be termed as 'baatil - contrary to what one understood he would find'.

The Muslim world would thereafter continue in its stride, but would find Europe, to its surprise, slowly but surely, catching up from behind, and soon taking over as the dominant military and economic leader of the time. A time would in fact then come wherein the Muslim Ummah shall have no caliph, during which Muslim lands shall be at the mercy of shaitaani lobbies, and Muslim ideals shall be looked upon by Muslims themselves as 'strange' and 'incompatible'.

This sad plight of Muslims shall continue for decades until finally Sayyiduna al- Mahdi appears on the scene, and re-establishes the caliphate. Under his flag Muslims shall shatter the christian kingdoms of America and Europe, after which the christian world shall never again enjoy 'imperial rule'.

After Sayyiduna al-Mahdi sets up his capital in Damascus, dajjal shall find no alternative but to step out from behind the curtains and engage in direct battle with the Muslim Ummah, due to there no longer being any christian force that he may use to fight his wars. Cowardice shall prevent the jews from launching any attack upon the army of al-Mahdi unless accompanied by their leader, who we know as al- Masih al-dajjal.

Dajjal's open battle against the army of al-Mahdi shall begin, and Muslims shall find themselves suffering many defeats, until the elite army of Sayyiduna al-Mahdi shall find themselves, with their noble leader, surrounded and on the verge of defeat. At that most trying stage, where Muslim soldiers shall not even have strenght to raise their voices, Sayyiduna Isa Alaihi Salaam shall descend and the tables shall turn almost immediately against dajjal and his forces.

Keeping the above in mind, the explanation of the final phrases of the narration of Muslim shall be as follows:

ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ  ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ َﻓـَﻴـْﻔﺘَﺘ ُﺤ َﻮن ﻗُ ْﺴﻄَﻨْﻄﻴﻨﻴﺔَ، َﻓـَﺒـْﻴـﻨََﻤﺎ ُﻫ ْﻢ َﻳـْﻘﺘَﺴ ُﻤ َﻮن اﻟْﻐَﻨَﺎﺋ َﻢ، ﻗَْﺪ َﻋﻠُﻘﻮا ُﺳﻴُ َﻮﻓـُﻬ ْﻢ ﺑ ﺎﻟﺰْﻳـﺘُﻮن، إ ْذ َﺻ َﺎح ﻓ ِﻴﻬِﻢ اﻟﺸﻴْﻄَ ُﺎن : إ ن اﻟَْﻤﺴ َﻴﺢ ﻗَْﺪ َﺧﻠََﻔ ُﻜ ْﻢ ِ ِ ِ ِ ﻓﻲ ْأَﻫﻠ ُﻴﻜ ْﻢ، َﻓـﻴَ ْﺨُﺮُﺟ َﻮن، َوذَﻟ َﻚ ﺑَﺎﻃ ٌﻞ،

(Later, they shall conquer Constantinople. Whilst distributing the booty, and having hung their swords upon olive bushes, they shall hear a scream of shaitaan, 'Al-Masih (i.e. dajjal) has settled amongst your family!' This call shall bring them out of the city, whereas it shall be 'false'. )

Referring to the magnificent conquest of Constantinople, upon the hands of Sultan Muhammad al-Fatih, in the year 857 A.H (1453), and to the huge amount of booty, wealth and dominance that the Ottoman empire shall acquire after this conquest. During this period of dominating rule, news shall spread of the 'emergence of dajjal amongst the families of the Muslims' but after setting out in search of a 'being' identifying himself as 'dajjal' and finding no such thing, the news of the presence of dajjal amongst the families of the Muslims shall be discarded as 'false'. 23

ِ ﻓَﺈذَا َﺟﺎءُوا اﻟﺸﺄَْم َﺧَﺮ َج Later, when they shall reach Shaam, he (dajjal) shall emerge.

23 This interpratation, that there shall be an 'emergence of dajjali influence', but it shall not be in accordance to what is being expected, shall also help in explaining a statement of Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Masood, which has been narrated in Ithaaf. The wording is as follows: After the conquest of Constantinople, as the Muslims shall be dividing the booty, they shall receive information of the ‘emergence of dajjâl’ (amongst their families and children left behind). They shall return until when they approach close to their destination they shall send ahead twelve horsemen.

These men shall then stumble upon dajjâl , upon which they shall exclaim, ‘By Allâh, we do not know where to return to, or what to inform those behind!’ They shall then leap forward in battle and attain martyrdom.

ِ ِ ِ : ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ﺣﺘﻲ اإذ َ ﻧَﻈَُﺮوا إﻟَﻰ اﻟﺪ ﺟﺎل ، ﻗَﺎﻟُﻮا َواﷲ َﻣﺎ ﻧَْﺪِري إﻟَﻰ َﻣﺎ َﻧـْﺮﺟ ُﻊ ، ْأَو َﻣﺎذَا ﻧُ ْﺨﺒُﺮ ، َﻓـﻴَ ْﺤﻤﻠُ َﻮن َﺟﻤ ًﻴﻌﺎ َﻓـُﻴـْﻘَﺘـﻠُﻮا ،

Praising this lot Rasulullâh Sallalahu Alaihi wa Sallam remarked, ‘They shall be the best of martyrs whose blood touched the earth! If I wished I could mention their names, the names (اﻻﺗﺤﺎف ﺑﺴﻨﺪ ﺿﻌﻴﻒ) ’!of their parents, the colour of their horses and the names of their tribes

A time shall finally come when Muslim rule shall return back to the lands of Shaam, with its leader being Sayyidunah al-Mahdi, and his capital being Damascus. It shall be here that dajjal shall come out from his 'curtain', behind which he had operated for hundreds of years, causing untold chaos, corruption, suffering and oppression.

ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ  ِ  ِ َﻓـَﺒـْﻴـﻨََﻤﺎ ُﻫ ْﻢ ﻳُﻌﺪ َون ﻟْﻠﻘﺘَﺎل، ﻳُ َﺴﻮ َون اﻟﺼُﻔ َﻮف، إ ْذ أُﻗ َﻴﻤﺖ اﻟﺼَﻼةُ، َﻓـَﻴـﻨِْﺰُل ﻋ َﻴﺴﻰ اﺑْ ُﻦ َﻣْﺮﻳََﻢ َﺻﻠﻰ اﷲُ َﻋﻠَﻴْﻪ َو َﺳﻠ َﻢ ، ﻓَﺄَﻣُﻬ ْﻢ، ﻓَﺈذَا َرآﻩُ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِِ َﻋ ُﺪو اﷲ، ذَ َاب َﻛَﻤﺎ ﻳَُﺬ ُوب اﻟْﻤﻠْ ُﺢ ﻓﻲ اﻟَْﻤﺎء، َﻓـﻠَْﻮ َﺗـَﺮَﻛﻪُ َﻻﻧَْﺬ َاب َﺣﺘﻰ َﻳـْﻬﻠ َﻚ، َوﻟَﻜ ْﻦ َﻳـْﻘُﺘـﻠُﻪُ اﷲ ُ ﺑﻴَﺪﻩ، َﻓـﻴُِﺮﻳﻬ ْﻢ َدَﻣﻪُ ﻓﻲ َﺣْﺮﺑَﺘﻪ " " (As they prepare for battle, and whilst forming their lines, the Iqamah shall be given for salaah. At that moment Nabi Isa Alaihi Salaam shall descend. He shall then lead them. When the enemy of Allah (dajjal) shall see him, he shall dissolve as salt dissolves in water. Even if Nabi Isa (Alaihi Salaam) were to leave him, he would soon totally dissolve into oblivion. Nabi Isa (Alahi Salaam) shall however kill him with his own hands and shall show the people the blood of dajjal upon his sharp weapon )

Dajjal's emergence into the open shall booster the morale of his misguided jewish followers, but their days of glory shall now be short-lived. With the desecent of Nabi Isa Alaihi Salaam their entire shell of conspiracy and espionage shall crack, their 'masih' shall be killed and they shall find themselves being persued by Muslims from all corners, with even stones and rocks disclosing their places of hiding, in order for the Muslims to find and execute them. Describing this scene Rasulullah Salallahu Alaihi wa Sallam said:

ِ  ِ ِ ِ ُﺗـَﻘﺎﺗﻠُ ُﻜ ُﻢ َاﻟﻴـُﻬ ُﻮد َﻓـﺘُ َﺴﻠﻄُ َﻮن َﻋﻠَﻴِْﻬ ْﻢ، ﺛُﻢ َﻳـُﻘ ُﻮل َاﻟﺤ َﺠُﺮ ﻳَﺎ ُﻣ ْﺴﻠ ُﻢ َﻫ َﺬا َﻳـُﻬﻮد ي َوَراﺋﻲ، ﻓَ ْﺎﻗـُﺘـﻠْﻪ ُ ( ﺑﺨﺎري) The Yahood shall most definitely fight against you. Then you shall be granted victory over them, to such an extent that the rock shall say, O muslim, here is a jew behind me. Come and kill him!'

It shall only be the tree of Gharqad 24 that shall not speak against them 25 , thus one finds the Israili government, from 1948 onwards showing great interest in planting a great many of these trees in the area surrounding Israel. 26

24 Arabs use the word Gharqad to describe the large Lycium trees. 25 ﻋﻦ أﰊ ﻫﺮﻳﺮة، أن رﺳﻮل اﷲ ﺻﻠﻰ اﷲ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ وﺳﻠﻢ، ﻗﺎل : " ﻻ ﺗﻘﻮم اﻟﺴﺎﻋﺔ ﺣﱴ ﻳﻘﺎﺗﻞ اﳌﺴﻠﻤﻮن اﻟﻴﻬﻮد، ﻓﻴﻘﺘﻠﻬﻢ اﳌﺴﻠﻤﻮن ﺣﱴ ﳜﺘﺒﺊ اﻟﻴﻬﻮدي ﻣﻦ وراء اﳊﺠﺮ واﻟﺸﺠﺮ، ﻓﻴﻘﻮل اﳊﺠﺮ أو اﻟﺸﺠﺮ : ﻳﺎ ﻣﺴﻠﻢ ﻳﺎ ﻋﺒﺪ اﷲ ﻫﺬا ﻳﻬﻮدي ﺧﻠﻔﻲ، ﻓﺘﻌﺎل ﻓﺎﻗﺘﻠﻪ، إﻻ اﻟﻐﺮﻗﺪ، ﻓﺈﻧﻪ ﻣﻦ ﺷﺠﺮ اﻟﻴﻬﻮد ( )ﻣﺴﻠﻢ 56

The Gharqad tree. Due to continuous 'plant a tree' initiatives by the Jewish National Fund, the gharqad tree can be found in abundance in Israel.

Summary: If the above explanation of the hadith of Sahih Muslim proves correct, it shall negate the need to entertain thoughts of a possible second 'conquest of Constantinople' following which shall occur the 'emergence of dajjal'. It shall also

26 JNF Shifts T o Planting Only Gharqad Trees (http://www.preoccupiedterritory.com/jnf -shifts-to- planting-only-gharqad-trees/)

“We intend to have over five million in place by 2030.” Jerusalem Forest, August 8 – In what organization executives are calling a strategic mo ve aimed at enhancing both the ecology and defense of the country, the Jewish National Fund will phase out the planting of trees that are not of the gharqad variety, and focus exclusively on the gharqad. Chairman of the JNF Directorate Danny Atar announced today that the board had voted by a clear majority to move away from its reliance on pine trees and toward a local variety of boxwood called gharqad in Arabic, which reportedly has properties that will help Jews conceal themselves from Muslims in the final apocalyptic battle. The plan calls for a phasing out of non -gharqad varieties by 2020. “The mission of the Jewish National Fund has always been the reclamation of the land of Israel for the Jewish people,” declared Atar at a press conference. “Of course the land is only important insofar as it participates in the maintenance of Jewish survival and sovereignty. Therefore the Directorate has voted overwhelmingly to invest in the gharqad, which will not betray us to the Muslims.” The JNF, established in 1901 , has planted more than 250 million trees in the land of Israel, and manages the country’s forests on behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture. It also owns or administers much of the country’s land, and exercises control over the sale, lease, allocation, and purpose of those lands. Most of the JNF’s funds come from affiliated organizations abroad, with the largest contributor JNF-USA. Atar said he had discussed the issue last month with JNF-USA Chairman Ronald Lauder and other heads of international affiliates, and all agreed on the plan. “We would be derelict in our duties not to plant the gharqad,” explained Atar. “Cypress and cedar pines are important, but it’s time to move on to more strategically helpful species. My colleagues and I concurred that the gha rqad is the wisest species to plant, and we intend to have hundreds of thousands of gharqads growing throughout the country by the start of the next decade, with over five million in place by 2030.” Each gharqad, it is estimated, can magically conceal doze ns of Jews.

57 offer a unique summary of the entire affair of dajjal, beginning with his 'emergence', 'renaissance (re-birth), and 'slow but sure rise to power and global control', all of this whilst ensuring that his presence amongst the masses remains hidden from the public eye, which occurred shortly after the 'conquest of Constantinople' and shall continue until his being slain at the hands of Sayyiduna Isa Alaihi Salaam, after the Muslims again return to Shaam, making it the capital of the Muslim Ummah. This entire affair shall find itself summarised in the narration between the phrase 'Whilst distributing the booty, and having hung their swords upon olive bushes, they shall hear a scream of shaitaan, 'Al-Masih (i.e. dajjal) has settled amongst your family!' This call shall bring them out of the city, whereas it shall be 'false'. ' and the phrase ' Later, when they shall reach Shaam, he (dajjal) shall emerge. '

The beginning part of the narration, which focuses on the Crusades, shall also provide indication to the point of history which is to be regarded as the'initial ignition' of 'dajjal's search for his lost powers', since as mentioned in detail in the book 'Looking into the eye of dajjal' the entire purpose behind the Crusades was to gain access to the chambers beneath al-Masjid al-Aqsa, wherein the scrolls of 'ancient magic' was buried. The acquiring of these scrolls would pave the way for 'dajjal's renaissance/re-birth/beginning rise to power' which would begin in Spain about 360 years later, with the publication of 'A Corpus Hermeticum' in 1471 (18 years of the conquest of Constantinople), and through the means of this ancient magic he shall through the centuries set up a 'New World Order' net that shall encompass all of man under his 'sinister eye'.

The narration of Muslim shall thus beautifully encompass dajjal's entire episode, covering a period of what has already passed 920 years, (starting at 1099 with the Crusader's capture of al-Aqsa until the present-day.).

During the first news of dajjal's 'emergence', (which is described as 'baatil - contrary to what was found on the ground') and dajjal's open emergence in front of all that shall occur in the era of Sayyiduna al-Mahdi, the world witnessed many eye-opening events, some of which could perhaps never have even been thought possible a few years earlier. Having an over-view of these events shall indeed aid 58 greatly in understanding the depth and gravity of the 'fitnah' of dajjal', which Rasulullah Sallalahu Alaihi wa Sallam described as 'the most severest of trials from the time of Nabi Adam Alahi Salaam'. The following paragraphs shall In sha Allah help in gaining some sort of idea of what occurred after 1453 till the present day, and how fast it occurred.

The rapid changes in world history following the 'Conquest of Constantinople' in 1453 and the effects the 'Renaissance' had upon the non-Muslim as well as Muslim world

The Renaissance (re-birth) began in Europe shortly after the Muslim conquest of Constantinople. The Renaissance would trigger off an era of amazing Eureopean advancement in the fields of philosophy, science and art. It would give rise to The Age of Exploration, Discovery and Exploitation of the resources of weaker nations. The discovery, and entry into the Americas by Christopher Columbus (1492), was perhaps the greatest of dajjâli aspirations realized during the Renaissance.

Through the Renaissance, public banks were established and spread through the - اث ) length and breath of Europe, and from there, through its hypocrite branch Arabic for 'Renaissance' - commonly pronounced as 'The Baath Party), into the lands of Islam.

The Renaissance would establish and advance the era of the printing press, which would serve as its best tool in the field of propoganda. With the Renaissance pagan ideals embodied in ancient Egyptian and Greek pantheistic religions were revived in Christian Europe. That is why it is also called the ‘Pagan Renaissance’.

The Renaissance spread the concept of Humanism (where 'man' and 'the rights of man' is the be all and end all of man's existence on earth) from its origin in Italy to across Europe, eventually encompassing the whole globe in the modern era (except for the land of Mecca and Madina).

Timeline of the 'emergence and rise of dajjali influence' from the 16th century till today

The 16 th century (1501-1600) The Rise of the West This century is regarded by historians as the century in which the rise of the West occurred. During the 16th century, Spain and Portugal explored the world's seas and opened world-wide oceanic trade routes.

17 th century (1601-1700 ) – The Scientific Revolution During this century, major changes in philosophy and science occurred, due to which this era became known as the era of ‘The Scientific Revolution’ 18 th century (1701-1800) The Era of Enlightment (which meant exiting the darkness of religion (Nauu’zubillah) and entering into the light of modern, secular thought and freedom)

During the 18th century, the Enlightenment culminated in the French and American revolutions. Philosophy and science increased in prominence. Philosophers dreamed of a brighter age. The Ottoman Empire underwent a protracted decline, as it failed to keep up with the technological advances in Europe, while Great Britain emerged as a rising world super-power.

The 19 th century (1801-1900) The rise of the four beastly nations, viz. Great Britain (which adopted the emblem of a lion), The Russian Empire (which was identified as 'a big, brutal bear'), Germany (whose military division was named 'The Panther') and the USA (the beast in front of whom the others dropped their heads in submission)27

By the end of this century, the British Empire controlled a fifth of the world's land and ruled over one quarter of the world's population.

The introduction of railroads provided the first major advancement in land transportation for centuries, changing the way people lived and obtained goods, and fuelling major urbanization movements in countries across the globe. Numerous cities worldwide surpassed populations of a million or more during this century. London became the world's largest city and capital of the British Empire.

27 It is indeed a point of note that in the Bible a dream of Nabi Danyaal Alahi Salaam has been quoted in which he had seen these very four beasts. A detailed explanation of this dream has been given in 'Looking in the Eye of dajjal'. 60

The 19th century also saw the rapid creation, development and codification of many sports , particularly in Britain and the United States. Association football, rugby union, baseball and many other sports were developed during the 19th century, while the British Empire facilitated the rapid spread of sports such as cricket to many different parts of the world.

The 19th century saw the birth of science as a profession ; the term scientist was coined in 1833 by William Whewell . Among the most influential ideas of the 19th century were those of Charles Darwin , who in 1859 published the book The Origin of Species , which introduced the idea of evolution by natural selection .

The 20 th century (1901-2000)

This century in human history was dominated by World War I and World War II , cultural homogenization through developments in transportation and communications technology , world population growth, awareness of environmental degradation , and the birth of the Digital Revolution .

At the beginning of this century, Britain was the world's most powerful nation, having acted as the world's policeman for the past century. World War II left about 60 million people dead. When the conflict ended in 1945, the United States and the Soviet Union emerged as the major world powers

The collapse of the Ottoman Empire occurred in the year 1922 (1341 A.H), at the hands of The Allied Forces, assisted greatly by hypocrites as well as simpletons snared into aiding the enemies of Islâm against their own brethren.

It was in this century that Muslims would begin witnessing the clear the signs of dajjal, since only now would dajjali influence enter upon the Muslim world. Amongst those signs were:

1) The Breakout of World War 1 and 2 (the first two screams of dajjal)

Rasulullâh Sallalahu Alaihi wa Sallam said:

ِ ٍ ِ ِ 28 وأَﻧﻪ ُ ﻳَﺼ ُﻴﺢ ﺛَﻼَ َث َﺻﻴْ َﺤﺎت ﻳَ ْﺴَﻤﻌُُﻬ ﻦ ْ أَﻫ ُﻞ اﻟَْﻤ ْﺸِﺮق َواﻟَْﻤﻐِْﺮب ‘He, dajjâl, shall scream thrice, which shall be heard by the inhabitants of the East and the West!’

World War 1 (1914-1918) The devastating effects WW1 had upon the world at large can easily be gauged by glancing at the huge number of civilian deaths suffered in each country. The point of surprise is that the Empire that suffered the most casualties was The Ottoman Empire, despite it not even being recognized as a ‘primary member’ of the war. Its casualties reached close to 5,000,000 – of which 4,200,000 were civilians. This itself was proof that the entire war had been orchestrated primarily in order to collapse the Ottoman Caliphate.

World War 2 (1939-1945) The recorded number of casualties of World War 1 had reached a staggering 20 million, the highest mankind had ever experienced. This huge figure would however soon be seen as insignificant, as World War 2 was to claim a number of deaths ranging from 50 to 80 million! (about 3% of the world population at that time).

Muslim states that suffered tremendously due to World War 2 include: Albania Algeria; Xinhijng (China); Indonesia ,Egypt; Germany; India; Iraq; Iran; Libya; Morocco; Palestine; Soviet Union; Syria; Tunisia; Yugoslavia--Bosnia; Yugoslavia-- Kosovo

World War 1 began in 1914 and World War 2 ended in 1945. From that time onwards, dajjâli lobbies have been operating at full-speed in their attempt to establish the land of Israel as the prime centre of dajjâli rule. In their efforts towards this goal, the stumbling block that they confront time and again is from the Muslim Ummah, aided by Divine Power.

In order to remove this block, dajjâli forces developed a new ‘lie’, through which they could make an open all-out attack upon the Muslim World; a ‘lie’ which would incite all parties to mercilessly fall upon the Muslim World; a ‘lie’ which would introduce the world to a new level of security, where privacy would no longer

28 ِ ِ ِ ِِ َ رَواﻩ ُ ُ ﻣ َﺤﻤ ُﺪ ﺑْ ُﻦ ﻳَ ْﺤﻴَﻰ ﺑْ ِﻦ أَﺑﻲ ﻋَُﻤَﺮ ، َو َاﻟْﺤﺎﻛ ُﻢ ، َو َﺻ ﺤ َﺤﻪ ُ . َ وَرَواﻩ ُ أَﺑُﻮ َ د ُاوَد ﻓﻲ ُﺳﻨَﻨﻪ 62 remain an individual’s right, where dajjâli police would be given a free hand in carrying out atrocities; where Muslims would be branded as ‘international terrorists’ and where ‘freedom of expression’ would no longer remain ‘free’. This 'lie' (i.e. September 11 bombing of The World Trade Centre) set into motion a 'War on terror', which is most possibly a build-up to the third and final scream of dajjal, signalling World War 3, the final battle between Islam and dajjali kufr.

2) Gardens of pleasure and weapons of mass destruction

Sayyiduna Abu Saeed al-Khudri has narrated from Rasulullâh Sallalahu Alaihi wa Sallam:

Dajjâl’s paradise shall be in the form of green pastures in which water shall flow. As for his fire, it shall be black smoke! 29

Sayyiduna Huzeifa ibn Yamân has narrated from Rasulullâh Sallalahu Alaihi wa Sallam 30 : He (dajjâl) shall have with him a ‘river’ and a ‘fire’. Whosoever falls into his ‘fire’ shall receive a full reward and his sins shall be pardoned. As for the one who falls into his river, he shall be written as a ‘sinner’ and shall receive no reward!

3) Transportation and communications technology

29 ﻣﻌﻪ ﺻﻮرة اﻟﺠﻨﺔ ﺧﻀﺮاء ﻳﺠﺮي ﻓﻴﻬﺎ اﻟﻤﺎء وﺻﻮرة اﻟﻨﺎر ﺳﻮداء ﺧﻦاﺗﺪ ( ﻣﺴﻨﺪ اﺣﻤﺪ - ﺑﺴﻨﺪ ﺿﻌﻴﻒ ) 30 ﻗﺎل ﰒ ﳜﺮج اﻟﺪﺟﺎل ﺑﻌﺪ ذﻟﻚ ﻣﻌﻪ ﺮ وﻧﺎر ﻓﻤﻦ وﻗﻊ ﰲ ﻧﺎرﻩ ﺟﺐو أﺟﺮﻩ وﺣﻂ وزرﻩ وﻣﻦ وﻗﻊ ﰲ ﺮﻩ وﺟﺐ وزرﻩ ﻂوﺣ أﺟﺮﻩ ﻗﺎل. ﻗﻠﺖ ﰒ ﻣﺎذا ؟ ؟ ﻣﺎذا ﰒ ﻗﻠﺖ ﻗﺎل. أﺟﺮﻩ ﻂوﺣ وزرﻩ وﺟﺐ ﻗﺎل ﻳﻨﺘﺞ اﳌﻬﺮ ﻓﻼ ﻳﺮﻛﺐ ﺣﱴ ﺗﻘﻮم اﻟﺴﺎﻋﺔ ( اﳌﺼﻨﻒ ﻟﻌﺒﺪ اﻟﺮزاق اﻟﺼﻨﻌﺎﱐ) 63

It was a century that started with horses, simple automobiles, and freighters but ended with high-speed rail , cruise ships , global commercial air travel and the space shuttle . Horses, western society's basic form of personal transportation for thousands of years, were replaced by automobiles and buses within a few decades. These developments were made possible by the exploitation of fossil fuel resources, which offered energy in an easily portable form, but also caused concern about pollution and long-term impact on the environment . Humans explored space for the first time, ‘with their claim of having taken’ their first footsteps on the Moon .

Mass media, telecommunications, and information technology (especially computers, paperback books , public education , and the Internet ) made the world's knowledge more widely available. The voice of dajjal, in the form of 'music', 'news', 'Holywood entertainment', etc, was now able to reach every nook of the known world.

Much of the reality of this ‘far-reaching’ voice can be understood by slight pondering over the tool of NEWS (controlling the feeding of information to the inhabitants of the North, East, West and South). It is no hidden matter that the news and media agencies of the world is run by an elite (Ashkenazi) lobby, similar to those that run the banks of the world. Through these agencies the spells of dajjâli propaganda and dajjâli advertising filters throughout the world.

In a lenghty description of dajjâl attributed to Sayyiduna Ali, through a weak chain, the following appears:

ﻳﻨﺎدي ﺑﺼﻮت ﻟﻪ ﻳﺴﻤﻊ ﺑﻪ ﻣﺎ ﺑﻴﻦ اﻟﺨﺎﻓﻘﻴﻦ : ( إﻟﻲ أوﻟﻴﺎﺋﻲ ! إﻟﻲ أوﻟﻴﺎﺋﻲ ! إﻟﻲ أﺣﺒﺎﺋﻲ ! إﻟﻲ أﺣﺒﺎﺋﻲ ! ﻓﺄﻧﺎ اﻟﺬي ﺧﻠﻖ ﻓﺴﻮى، واﻟﺬي ﻗﺪر ﻓﻬﺪى، وأﻧﺎ رﺑﻜﻢ اﻷﻋﻠﻰ )! ( ﺟﺎﻣﻊ اﻻﺣﺎدﻳﺚ) 31 ‘He, dajjâl, shall call out in a voice that shall be heard between the East and the West, saying: ‘Come over to me, o my companions! Come over to me, o my companions! Come over to me, o my beloveds! Come over to me, o my beloveds! I am the one that

31 وﻓﻴﻪ ﲪﺎد ﺑﻦ ﻋﻤﺮو ﻣﱰوك ﻋﻦ اﻟﺴﺮى ﺑﻦ ﺧﺎﻟﺪ ﻗﺎل ﰱ اﳌﻴﺰان ﻻ: ﻳﻌﺮف ، وﻗﺎل اﻷزدى ﻻ: ﳛﺘﺞ ﺑﻪ ﺑﻪ ﳛﺘﺞ ﻻ: 64

creates and shapes! The one that sorts out affairs and guides. I am your great lord!’

4) Control over the world: the people, the food, mines, and the minds of mankind

Ibn Ajîbah, in his Tafseer titled ‘Al-Bahr-al-Madîd’ has quoted that the jews came into the presence of Rasulullâh Sallalahu Alaihi wa Sallam and blatantly announced: 32

You (addressing Rasulullâh Sallalahu Alaihi wa Sallam) are not the one promised for us in the Taurah! Rather our ‘promised savior’ is ‘Al-Masîh (The Traveller), the son of Dawood'. (i.e. dajjâl). He shall emerge in the final era. His empire shall cover the lands and the oceans. Rivers shall flow with him. He shall be a sign of The Almighty, and it shall be through him that we shall return to our ‘lost glory and rule’.

The new version of their ‘promised savior’ now became, as narrated by Ibn Jureij 33 :

‘In the final era shall our king rise. The ocean shall reach his knees whilst the clouds shall be below his head. He shall easily capture birds flying between the skies and the earth. He shall have with him mountains of bread and rivers flowing at his command!’

Explaining these verses, Abu-al-Aaliyah mentioned:

‘The jews approached Rasulullâh Sallalahu Alaihi wa Sallam and boldly remarked:

إن اﻟﺪﺟﺎل ﻳﻜﻮن ﻣﻨﺎ ﻓﻰ آﺧﺮ اﻟﺰﻣﺎن وﻳﻜﻮن ﻓﻰ أﻣﺮﻩ ﻓﻌﻈﻤﻮا أﻣﺮﻩ وﻗﺎﻟﻮا ﻧﺼﻨﻊ ﻛﺬا وﻧﺼﻨﻊ ﻛﺬا

32 ﻟﺴﺖ ﺻﺎﺣﺒﻨﺎ اﳌﺬﻛﻮ ر ﰲ اﻟﺘﻮراة، ﺑﻞ ﻫﻮ اﳌﺴﻴﺢ اﺑﻦ داود، ﻳﻌﻨﻮن اﻟﺪﺟﺎل، ﳜﺮج ﰲ آﺧﺮ اﻟﺰﻣﺎن، ﻓﻴﺒﻠﻎ ﺳﻠﻄﺎﻧﻪ اﻟﱪ واﻟﺒﺤﺮ، وﺗﺴﲑ ﻣﻌﻪ اﻷﺎر، وﻫﻮ آﻳﺔ ﻣﻦ آﻳﺎت اﷲ، ﻓﲑﺟﻊ إﻟﻴﻨﺎ اﳌﻠﻚ ( اﻟﺒﺤﺮ اﳌﺪﻳﺪ ) ُ ِ ِ ِ ِ و ﰲ ﻫﺬل اﳌﻌﲎ : ﻗﺎل ﻣﻘﺎﺗﻞ : ﻋﻈﻤﺖ اﻟﻴﻬﻮد اﻟﺪﺟﺎل وﻗﺎﻟﻮا : إن ﺻﺎﺣﺒﻨﺎ ﻳﺒﻌﺚ ﰲ آﺧﺮ اﻟﺰ ﻣﺎن و ﻟﻪ ﺳﻠﻄﺎن ﻓﻘﺎل ﺗﻌﺎﱃ {: إ ن اﻟﺬ َﻳﻦ ُﳚَـﺎدﻟُ َﻮن ﰱ ِ  ِ ِ ٍ ِ ِ ِِ ءَاﻳَـﺎت اﻟﻠﻪ } ، ﻷن اﻟﺪﺟﺎل ﻣﻦ آﻳﺎﺗﻪ ، { ﺑﻐَْﲑ ُﺳْﻠﻄَـﺎن } : أي ﺣﺠﺔ ، { ﻓَ ْﺎﺳﺘَﻌْﺬ ﺑﺎﻟﻠﻪ } ﻣﻦ ﻓﺘﻨﺔ اﻟﺪﺟﺎل ( ﺗﻔﺴﲑ اﻟﺒﺤﺮ اﶈﻴﻂ) وأﺧﺮج اﺑﻦ أﰊ ﺣﺎﰎ ﻋﻦ ﻛﻌﺐ اﻷﺣﺒﺎر رﺿﻲ اﷲ ﻋﻨﻪ ﰲ ﻗﻮﻟﻪ إن اﻟﺬﻳﻦ ﳚﺎدﻟﻮن ﰲ آﻳﺎت اﷲ ﺑﻐﲑ ﺳﻠﻄﺎن ﻗﺎل : ﻫﻢ اﻟﻴﻬﻮد ﻧﺰﻟﺖ ﻓﻴﻬﻢ ﻓﻴﻤﺎ ﻳﻨﺘﻈﺮوﻧﻪ ﻣﻦ أﻣﺮ اﻟﺪﺟﺎل ( اﻟﺪر ( )اﳌﻨﺜﻮر )اﳌﻨﺜﻮر 33 وأﺧﺮج اﺑﻦ اﳌﻨﺬر ﻋﻦ اﺑﻦ ﺟﺮﻳﺞ رﺿﻲ اﷲ ﻋﻨﻪ ﰲ ﻗﻮﻟﻪ ﳋﻠﻖ اﻟﺴﻤﻮات واﻷرض أﻛﱪ ﻣﻦ ﺧﻠﻖ اﻟﻨﺎس ﻗﺎل : زﻋﻤﻮا أن اﻟﻴﻬﻮد ﻗﺎﻟﻮا : ﻳﻜﻮن ﻣﻨﺎ ﻣﻠﻚ ﰲ آﺧﺮ اﻟﺰﻣﺎن ا ﻟﺒﺤﺮ إﱃ رﻛﺒﺘﻴﻪ واﻟﺴﺤﺎب دون رأﺳﻪ ﻳﺄﺧﺬ اﻟﻄﲑ ﺑﲔ اﻟﺴﻤﺎء واﻷرض ﻣﻌﻪ ﺟﺒﻞ ﺧﺒﺰ وﺮ 65

Dajjâl 34 shall rise amongst us during the final era!’ The jews extolled his praises and the remarkable achievements he shall accomplish and then said, ‘We shall invent/carve out/ manufacture/do such and such things!’

In response, Almighty Allâh revealed:

إن اﻟﺬﻳﻦ ﻳﺠﺎدﻟﻮن ﻓﻲ آﻳﺎت اﷲ ﺑﻐﻴﺮ ﺳﻠﻄﺎن أﺗﺎﻫﻢ إن ﻓﻲ ﺻﺪورﻫﻢ إﻻ ﻛﺒﺮ ﻣﺎ ﻫﻢ ﺑﺒﺎﻟﻐﻴﻪ ﻓﺎﺳﺘﻌﺬ ﺑﺎﷲ Those that argue utilizing the signs of Allâh (by declaring dajjâl as their savior, who is but a sign of the Power of Almighty Allâh), without having received any permission to do so, their chests are bursting with a high hope, which they shall never achieve! (As for you, o Muhammad') Seek Almighty Allâh’s protection (from dajjâl) 35

In the incident mentioned above dajjâl’s control over the air has been described as ‘the clouds shall be below his head’, whilst his control over the waters has been described as ‘the ocean shall reach up to his chin’.

5) Control over food and farming

Lending indication towards the ‘food industry’ which dajjâl would one day establish, through which he could exercise control over what man eats, and adulterate it as he so wished, Rasulullâh Sallalahu Alaihi wa Sallam in a short but most comprehensive manner stated:

34 The jews would obviously not have explicitly stated that ‘dajjâl’ shall be their final savoir. Rather, as mentioned in other narrations, they would refer to ‘their final savoir’ as ‘our master’. 35 وﻗﺪ أﺧﺮج ﻋﺒﺪ ﺑﻦ ﲪﻴﺪ واﺑﻦ أﰉ ﺣﺎﰎ ﻗﺎل اﻟﺴﻴﻮﻃﻰ ﺑﺴﻨﺪ ﺻﺤﻴﺢ ﻋﻦ أﰉ اﻟﻌﺎﻟﻴﺔ ﻗﺎل إن اﻟﻴﻬﻮد أﺗﻮا اﻟﻨﱮ ( ﺻﻠﻰ اﷲ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ وﺳﻠﻢ ) ﻓﻘﺎﻟﻮا إن اﻟﺪﺟﺎل ﻳﻜﻮن ﻣﻨﺎ ﰱ آﺧﺮ اﻟﺰﻣﺎن وﻳﻜﻮن ﰱ أﻣﺮﻩ ﻓﻌﻈﻤﻮا أﻣﺮﻩ وﻗﺎﻟﻮا ﻧﺼﻨﻊ ﻛﺬا وﻧﺼﻨﻊ ﻛﺬا ﻓﺄﻧﺰل اﷲ ) إن اﻟﺬﻳﻦ ﳚﺎدﻟﻮن ﰲ آﻳﺎت اﷲ ﺑﻐﲑ ﺳﻠﻄﺎن أﺗﺎﻫﻢ إن ﰲ ﺻﺪورﻫﻢ إﻻ ﻛﱪ ﻣﺎ ﻫﻢ ﺑﺒﺎﻟﻐﻴﻪ ( ﻗﺎل ﻻ ﻳﺒﻠﻎ اﻟﺬى ﻳﻘﻮل ) ﻓﺎﺳﺘﻌﺬ ﺑﺎﷲ ( ﻓﺄﻣﺮ ﻧﺒﻴﻪ أن ﻳﺘﻌﻮذ ﻣﻦ ﻓﺘﻨﺔ اﻟﺪﺟﺎل ( ﻓﺘﺢ اﻟﻘﺪﻳﺮ ) ) وروى أﺑﻮ ﺟﻌﻔﺮ اﻟﺮازي ، ﻋﻦ اﻟﺮﺑﻴﻊ ، ﻋﻦ أﰊ اﻟﻌﺎﻟﻴﺔ ﻗﺎل : إن اﻟﻴﻬﻮد ذﻛﺮوا اﻟﺪﺟﺎل ، وﻋﻈﻤﻮا أﻣﺮﻩ ، ﻓﻨﺰل : { إِ ن اﻟﺬﻳﻦ ﳚﺎدﻟﻮن ِﰱ ءاﻳﺎت اﷲ } ﻳﻌﲏ } : إن اﻟﺪﺟﺎل ﻣﻦ آﻳﺎت اﷲ { ﻓﺎﺳﺘﻌﺬ ﺑﺎﷲ } ﻣﻦ ﻓﺘﻨﺔ اﻟﺪﺟﺎل ، ﻓﺈﻧﻪ ﻟﻴﺲ ﰒ ﻓﺘﻨﺔ أﻋﻈﻢ ﻣﻦ ﻓﺘﻨﺔ اﻟﺪﺟﺎل . . ِ { إﻧﻪُ ُﻫَﻮ اﻟﺴﻤﻴﻊ } ﻟﻘﻮل اﻟﻴﻬﻮد ، { اﻟﺒﺼﲑ ﻳﻌﲏ} : اﻟﻌﻠﻴﻢ ﺑﺄﻣﺮ اﻟﺪﺟﺎل . وﻳﻘﺎل : { اﻟﺴﻤﻴﻊ } ﻟﺪﻋﺎﺋﻚ ، { اﻟﺒﺼﲑ } ﺑﺮد ﻓﺘﻨﺔ اﻟﺪﺟﺎل ﻋﻨﻚ .( ﲝﺮ اﻟﻌﻠﻮم ﻟﻠﺴﻤﺮﻗﻨﺪي) 66

‘He (dajjâl) shall have with him mountains of bread, whilst man shall be in difficulty except those who follow him! 36 ’

Rasulullâh Sallalahu Alaihi wa Sallam also stated:

‘The fruits of the lands and its foods shall be handed over to him, i.e. to dajjâl!’ 37

Rasulullâh Sallalahu Alaihi wa Sallam warned that those who would refuse to submit to the whims and fancies of dajjâl would have to bear the brunt of his anger in the form of famine and loss of livestock. He, Sallalahu Alaihi wa Sallam, said:

From the trials of dajjâl: those who refuse to accept him shall suffer great loss of livestock! 38

He, dajjâl, shall invite certain tribes/nations (towards his obedience) but they shall refuse. He shall then apparently leave them. (but very soon they shall find themselves afflicted with such) that shall leave them bereft of even basic necessities! 39

As for those countries/communities that shall accept dajjâli authority and interference, it shall seem as though nature has become subservient to their wishes and needs. Describing this lot Rasulullâh Sallalahu Alaihi wa Sallam mentioned:

Upon submitting to his wishes, dajjâl shall reward them by bringing upon them the rains and having their lands give off its vegetation. They shall find the flanks of their

36 وﻣﻌﻪ ﺟﺒﺎل ﻣﻦ ﺧﺒﺰ واﻟﻨﺎس ﰲ ﺟﻬﺪ اﻻ ﻣﻦ ﺗﺒﻌﻪ ( ﻣﺴﻨﺪ اﲪﺪ – إﺳﻨﺎدﻩ ﻋﻠﻰ ﺷﺮط ﻣﺴﻠﻢ – ﺷﻌﻴﺐ اﻻرﻧﻮط 37 ﺣﺪﺛﻨﺎ ﺣﺠﺎج ﺑﻦ اﳌﻨﻬﺎل ، ﺣﺪﺛﻨﺎ ﻋﺒﺪ اﳊﻤﻴﺪ ﺑﻦ ﺮام اﻟﻔﺰاري ، ﺣﺪﺛﻨﺎ ﺷﻬﺮ ﺑﻦ ﺣﻮﺷﺐ ، ﺣﺪﺛﺘﲏ أﲰﺎء ﺑﻨﺖ ﻳﺰﻳﺪ ، أ ن رﺳﻮل اﷲ ﺻﻠﻰ اﷲ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ وﺳﻠﻢ ﻗﺎل : ﻟﻴﺲ ﻋﻠﻴﻜﻢ ﺑﺄس ، إن ﻳﺄت وأﻧﺎ ﻓﻴﻜﻢ ﻓﺄﻧﺎ ﺣﺠﻴﺠﻪ ، وإن ﻳﺄت ﺑﻌﺪ ﻓﺎﷲ ﺧﻠﻴﻔﱵ ﻋﻠﻰ ﻛﻞ ﻣﺴﻠﻢ » . ﻗﺎﻟﺖ : ﻗﻠﺖ : أﻣﻌﻨﺎ ﻳﻮﻣﺌﺬ ﻗﻠﻮﺑﻨﺎ ﻫﺬﻩ ﻳﺎ رﺳﻮل اﷲ ؟ ﻗﺎل : « ﻧﻌﻢ أو ﺧﲑ ، إﻧﻪ ﺗﻮﰱ إﻟﻴﻪ ﲦﺮات اﻷرﺿﲔ وأﻃﻌﻤﺘﻬﺎ (» اﻟﻔﱳ ﳊﻨﺒﻞ ﺑﻦ إﺳﺤﺎق ) )  ِ ِِ ِ ِ ِ 38 ِ ِ ِ َوإ ن ﻣ ْﻦ ﻓْﺘـﻨَﺘﻪ أَﻧﻪُ َﳝُﺮ ﺑ ْﺎﳊَ ﻲ َﻓـﻴُ َﻜﺬﺑُﻮﻧَﻪُ ، ﻓَﻼَ ﺗـَْﺒـَﻘﻰ َﳍُْﻢ َﺳﺎﺋَﻤﺔٌ إﻻ َﻫﻠَ َﻚ (َرَواﻩُ ْاﳊَﺎﻛ ُﻢ ، َو َﺻ ﺤ َﺤﻪ ُ) 39 ِْ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِِ ُ ﰒ ﻳَﺄﺗﻰ اﻟَْﻘْﻮَم َﻓـﻴَْﺪﻋُ ُﻮﻫ ْﻢ َﻓـَﻴـُﺮد َون َﻋﻠَْﻴﻪ َﻗـْﻮﻟَﻪُ َﻓـَﻴـْﻨ َﺼﺮ ُف َﻋْﻨـُﻬ ْﻢ َﻓـﻴُ ْﺼ ﺒ ُﺤ َﻮن ُﳑْﺤﻠ َﲔ ﻟَْﻴ َﺲ ﺑﺄَﻳْﺪﻳﻬ ْﻢ َﺷ ْﻰءٌ ﻣ ْﻦ ْأَﻣَﻮاﳍ ْﻢ ( )ﻣﺴﻠﻢ )ﻣﺴﻠﻢ 67

livestock much fatter than before, i.e. they shall enjoy larger quantities of meat and milk from their animals. 40

Rasulullâh Sallalahu Alaihi wa Sallam said:

‘What shall your condition be when you shall be tested with that being for whom the rivers and fruits of the earth shall be made subservient ?! He shall feed those who follow him, but at the same time rob them of their faith. As for those who refuse to accept and obey him, he shall hold back from them food and drink!’ 41

The extent of dajjâl’s influence our present-day food industry is indeed frightening. Unfortunately, many Muslim governments who know very well that the modern food system they have accepted is a satanic, oppressive one, yet due to the fringe benefits they reap and due to fear of losing their positions, they choose to remain quiet and follow submissively. Regarding such unfortunate souls, Rasulullâh Sallalahu Alaihi wa Sallam said:

‘Certain men shall follow dajjâl, knowing full well that he is a ‘kafir (disbeliever/concealer of the truth). They shall even say: ‘We only follow him so that we may enjoy of his food and graze our animals on his pastures.’ When the punishment of Almighty Allâh shall fall it shall encompass them all 42

When Sayyiduna Mughira ibn Shu’bah made mention that the Jews had warned the Sahaba regarding their awaited ‘king’ who shall have at his disposal mountains of

40 ِ ِ ِ ِِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ َﻓـﻴَْﺄﺗﻰ َﻋﻠَﻰ اﻟَْﻘْﻮم َﻓـﻴَْﺪﻋُ ُﻮﻫ ْﻢ َﻓـُﻴـْﺆﻣﻨُ َﻮن ﺑﻪ َوﻳَ ْﺴﺘَﺠﻴﺒُ َﻮن ﻟَﻪُ َﻓـﻴَﺄُْﻣُﺮ اﻟﺴَﻤﺎءَ َﻓـﺘُْﻤﻄُﺮ َواﻷَْر َض َﻓـُﺘـْﻨﺒ ُﺖ َﻓـَﺘـُﺮ ُوح َﻋﻠَْﻴﻬ ْﻢ َﺳﺎرَﺣُﺘـُﻬ ْﻢ أَﻃَْﻮَل َﻣﺎ َﻛﺎﻧَ ْﺖ ذًُرا َو ْأَﺳَﺒـﻐَﻪُ ِ ُﺿُﺮ ًوﻋﺎ َو َأَﻣﺪﻩُ َﺧَﻮاﺻَﺮ ( )ﻣﺴﻠﻢ )ﻣﺴﻠﻢ

41 ﻛﻴﻒ ﺑﻜﻢ إذا اﺑﺘﻠﻴﺘﻢ ﺑﻌﺒﺪ ﻗﺪ ﺳﺨﺮت ﻟﻪ أﺎر اﻷرض وﲦﺎرﻫﺎ ﻓﻤﻦ اﺗﺒﻌﻪ أﻃﻌﻤﻪ وأﻛﻔﺮﻩ وﻣﻦ ﻋﺼﺎﻩ ﺣﺮﻣﻪ وﻣﻨﻌﻪ ؟ ( أﺧﺮﺟﻪ اﻟﻄﱪاﱏ ﰲ اﻟﻜﺒﲑ - . - ﻗﺎل اﳍﻴﺜﻤﻰ : ﻓﻴﻪ راو ﱂ ﻳﺴﻢ وﺑﻘﻴﺔ رﺟﺎﻟﻪ رﺟﺎل اﻟﺼﺤﻴﺢ) 42 ﳜﺮج اﻟﺪﺟﺎل ﻓﻴﺘﺒﻌﻪ ﻗﻮم ﻓﻴﻘﻮﻟﻮن : ﳓﻦ ﻧﺸﻬﺪ أﻧﻪ ﻛﺎﻓﺮ وإﳕﺎ ﻧﺘﺒﻌﻪ ﻟﻨﺄﻛﻞ ﻣﻦ ﻃﻌﺎﻣﻪ وﻧﺮﻋﻰ ﻣﻦ ﺷﺠﺮﻩ ﻓﺈذا ﻧﺰل ﻏﻀﺐ اﷲ ﻧﺰل ﻋﻠﻴﻬﻢ ﲨﻴﻌﺎ ( اﻟﻔﱳ )ﻟﻠﺪاﱐ 68 bread and meat and rivers of water/beverages 43 , Rasulullâh Sallalahu Alaihi wa Sallam calmed his fear with the words:

ِ ِ ِ ُﻫَﻮ ْأَﻫَﻮُن َﻋﻠَﻰ اﻟﻠﻪ ﻣ ْﻦ ذَﻟ َﻚ ‘Despite all of this, Almighty Allâh shall still have him disgraced; i.e. he shall miserably fail!

When asked as to how would the believers cope with the sanctions levelled against them by dajjâl, Rasulullâh Sallalahu Alaihi wa Sallam explained that the believers shall receive ‘Divine Strength’ through Almighty Allâh’s obedience and remembrance, just as the angels, whilst praising Almighty Allâh, receive ‘Divine Aid’ to carry out their duties. Rasulullâh Sallalahu Alaihi wa Sallam said: ‘Almighty Allâh shall suffice the righteous, as He suffices the angels, who remain engaged in praising and glorifying Almighty Allâh. And that shall be their food and drink as well on that day!’ 44

6) Locating, establishing control and extracting the valuable minerals and metals of the earth

Rasulullâh Sallalahu Alaihi wa Sallam explained:

‘He, dajjâl, shall pass by a desolate land. He shall command the land to give out its

 ِ   τ 43 ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ﻋﻦ اﳌﻐﲑة ﺑﻦ ﺷﻌﺒﺔ ﻗﺎل ﻣﺎ َ ﺳﺄََل َ أَﺣٌﺪ ِ اﻟﻨﱯ َ ﺻﻠﻰ اﻟﻠﻪ ُ َ ﻋﻠَْﻴﻪ َ و َﺳﻠ َﻢ َ ﻋ ْﻦ اﻟﺪﺟﺎل ْ أَﻛﺜـََﺮ َ ﻣﺎ َ ﺳﺄَﻟْﺘُﻪ ُ َ وإﻧﻪ ُ ﻗَ َﺎل ِ ﱄ َ ﻣﺎ ﻳَ ُﻀﺮَك ﻣْﻨﻪ ُ ﻗـُْﻠ ُﺖ ﻷَﻧـُﻬ ْﻢ ﻳـَُﻘﻮﻟُ َﻮن إ ن َ ﻣَﻌﻪ ُ ﻣ ٍ ٍ ِ ِ ِ َ ﺟﺒَ َﻞ ُ ﺧْﺒﺰ َ وﻧـََﻬَﺮ َ ﻣﺎء ﻗَ َﺎل ُ ﻫَﻮ ْ أَﻫَﻮُن َ ﻋﻠَﻰ اﻟﻠﻪ ﻣ ْﻦ ذَﻟ َﻚ ( اﻟﺒﺨﺎري ) ) ِ ِ ِ ِ ٍ إﻧـُﻬ ْﻢ ﻳـَُﻘﻮﻟُ َﻮن َ ﻣَﻌﻪ ُ ﺟﺒَ ٌﺎل ﻣ ْﻦ ُ ﺧْﺒٍﺰ َ و َﳊٍْﻢ َ وﻧـََﻬٌﺮ ﻣ ْﻦ َ ﻣﺎء ( )ﻣﺴﻠﻢ )ﻣﺴﻠﻢ ﻗﺎل ﻋﻴﺎض ﻣﻌﻨﺎﻩ ﻫﻮ أﻫﻮن ﻣﻦ أن ﳚﻌﻞ ﻣﺎ ﳜﻠﻘﻪ ﻋﻠﻰ ﻳﺪﻳﻪ ﻣﻀﻼ ﻟﻠﻤﺆﻣﻨﲔ وﻣﺸﻜﻜﺎ ﻟﻘﻠﻮب اﳌﻮﻗﻨﲔ ﺑﻞ ﻟﻴﺰداد اﻟﺬﻳﻦ آﻣﻨﻮا اﳝﺎﻧﺎ وﻳﺮﺗﺎب اﻟﺬﻳﻦ ﰲ ﰲ اﻟﺬﻳﻦ ﻗﻠﻮﻢ ﻣﺮض ﻓﻬﻮ ﻣﺜﻞ ﻗﻮل اﻟﺬي ﻳﻘﺘﻠﻪ ﻣﺎ ﻛﻨﺖ أﺷﺪ ﺑﺼﲑة ﻣﲏ ﻓﻴﻚ ﻻ ان ﻗﻮﻟﻪ ﻫﻮ أﻫﻮن ﻋﻠﻰ اﷲ ﻣﻦ ذﻟﻚ اﻧﻪ ﻟﻴﺲ ﺷﺊ ﻣﻦ ذﻟﻚ ﻣﻌﻪ ﺑﻞ اﳌﺮاد اﻫﻮن اﻫﻮن اﳌﺮاد ﺑﻞ ﻣﻌﻪ ذﻟﻚ ﻣﻦ ﺷﺊ ﻣﻦ ان ﳚﻌﻞ ﺷﻴﺌﺎ ﻣﻦ ذﻟﻚ آﻳﺔ ﻋﻠﻰ ﺻﺪﻗﻪ وﻻ ﺳﻴﻤﺎ وﻗﺪ ﺟﻌﻞ ﻓﻴﻪ آﻳﺔ ﻇﺎﻫﺮة ﻓﻴﻜﺬﺑﻪ وﻛﻔﺮﻩ ﻳﻘﺮأﻫﺎ ﻣﻦ ﻗﺮأ وﻣﻦ ﻻ ﻳﻘﺮأ زاﺋﺪة ﻋﻠﻰ ﺷﻮاﻫﺪ ﻛﺬﺑﻪ ﻣﻦ ﻣﻦ ﻛﺬﺑﻪ ﺷﻮاﻫﺪ ﺣﺪﺛﻪ وﻧﻘﺼﻪ ﻗﻠﺖ اﳊﺎﻣﻞ ﻋﻠﻰ ﻫﺬا اﻟﺘﺄوﻳﻞ اﻧﻪ ورد ﰲ ﺣﺪﻳﺚ آﺧﺮ ﻣﺮﻓﻮع وﻣﻌﻪ ﺟﺒﻞ ﻣﻦ ﺧﺒﺰ وﺮ ﻣﻦ ﻣﺎء أﺧﺮﺟﻪ أﲪﺪ واﻟﺒﻴﻬﻘﻲ ﰲ اﻟﺒﻌﺚ ( ﻓﺘﺢ ( )اﻟﺒﺎري )اﻟﺒﺎري 44 ﳚﺰﻳﻬﻢ ﻣﺎ ﳚﺰي أﻫﻞ اﻟﺴﻤﺎء ﻳﺴﺒﺤﻮن وﻳﻘﺪﺳﻮن وﻫﻮ ﻃﻌﺎم اﳌﺆﻣﻨﲔ ﻳﻮﻣﺌﺬ وﺷﺮاﻢ 69

treasures. The treasures of the lands shall follow behind him as though they are queen bees. 45

7) Usury and Immorality shall be the Order of the Day

Sayyiduna Ali ibn abi Talib, in a short but concise manner, laid out the details of the elite of dajjâl’s forces when he said:

‘The majority of his followers and agents on that day shall be ‘the people of interest’, ten in twelve, (i.e. over 80% 46 ) and the children of adultery. 47

As for the term ‘children of adultery’ it could have two possible meanings:

1) Children born out of adultery, whose numbers shall be huge, since adultery shall be rife

2) Such people whose passion is adultery, who commit it so openly and shamelessly that it is as though they were born to commit this filth 48 . If this was the intended meaning of Sayyiduna Ali ibn abi Talib, it would be an indication to the adulterous actors, actresses and ‘pop stars’ of Hollywood who shamelessly display their adultery in front of the entire world, an act which none would have ever thought possible prior to the creation of Hollywood.

45 وﳝﺮ ﺑﺎﳋﺮﺑﺔ ﻓﻴﻘﻮل ﳍﺎ أﺧﺮﺟﻲ ﻛﻨﻮزك ﻓﺘﺘﺒﻌﻪ ﻛﻨﻮزﻫﺎ ﻛﻴﻌﺎﺳﻴﺐ اﻟﻨﺤﻞ ( )ﻣﺴﻠﻢ 46 ‘Ten for twelve’ could also perhaps refer to people who give loans on interest, i.e. for every ten that they give they take back twelve. 47 أﻛﺜﺮ أﺗﺒﺎﻋﻪ وأﺷﻴﺎﻋﻪ ﻳﻮﻣﺌﺬ أﺻﺤﺎب اﻟﺮﺑﺎ ، اﻟﻌﺸﺮة ﺑﺎﺛﲏ ﻋﺸﺮ ، وأوﻻد اﻟﺰﻧﺎ ( اﻟﻔﱳ ﻟﻠﺪاﱐ) 48 In the Arabic language the term ‘child of something’ is many a time used to refer to one who has sacrificed himself for something until people identify him with that item. For example, in the Ahâdith but rather become of ‘the ,’( اﺑﻨﺎء اﻟﺪﻧﻴﺎ) we find the command, ‘Do not be from the ‘children of this world children of the Hereafter!’

8) Women's Liberation

Among the numerous ‘isms’ and ideologies through which the dajjal operates is an ‘ism’ which seeks to co-opt the women of the world. Rasulullâh Sallalahu Alaihi wa Sallam said:

“The last (people) to come out to Dajjal will be women, so much so that a man would have to return to his mother, daughter, sister and aunt and tie them fast lest they should go out to him (Dajjal)." ( Kanz al Ummal)

The above hadith makes it clear that the dajjal will have an immense impact in the sphere of women. This does not imply all women, but certainly describes a vast segment of women who would come out to dajjal. The hadith goes on to describe the condition of such women who would come out to the dajjal: 'they would have to be tied fast in order to be restrained '. This hadith specifically addresses the condition of women in present times, when women would be lured by unrestricted freedoms offered by the modern era. The need to tie is representative of restraining someone who aspires for freedom which in this case is only a facade. Thus the strategy followed by the dajjal to co-opt women would be to offer them freedoms which the women of the past could only dream of. However, this condition of women could only arise due to the feminist movement of 1970s which spread across borders, cultures and religions. The feminist movement is by far the biggest movement in history to have attracted women in such large numbers across the world (including the Islamic world) and from all folds of life.

The universally accepted emblem of the feminist movement is the ancient Egyptian 'ankh' symbol which is an oval over a cross.

The figure on the left displays the well recognized emblem of the feminist movement and the one on the right illustrates the ancient Egyptian 'ankh' symbol.

As can be clearly seen, the symbol of the feminist movement is in resemblance of the ankh of Horus. A eell renowned feminist writer Annette Lyn Williams sheds further light on the symbol employed by the feminist movement in the following passage: "In the 1970s in one of those periodical upsurges of deep belief that characterizes human history, the symbol of the African Tanit, the ankh- a cross with an oval head became the symbol of international feminism." ( Annette Lyn, She is Everywhere!)

Explanation of a few Ahadith and statements of Sahaba regarding Constantinople, dajjal and Qiyamah

Narration No.3 - Written on the forehead of dajjal will be Kaaf, Faa, Raa

Rasulullâh Sallalahu Alaihi wa Sallam said: 'Written between the eyes of dajjal shall be the letters Kaaf Faa Raa (Kaafir - disbeliever). Whoever dislikes his deeds (or whoever has Imaan) shall read it, even if he cannot read''49 Scholars differ as to whether the words 'Kaaf, Faa, Raa' being written between the eyes of dajjal is intended in the literal sense or in the figurative.

49 إﻧﻪ ﻣﻜﺘﻮب ﺑﲔ ﻋ ﻴﻨﻴﻪ ﻛﺎﻓﺮ، ﻳﻘﺮؤﻩ ﻣﻦ ﻛﺮﻩ ﻋﻤﻠﻪ، أو ﻳﻘﺮؤﻩ ﻛﻞ ﻣﺆﻣﻦ ( ﻣﺴﻠﻢ ) اﻟﺪﺟﺎل ﻣﻜﺘﻮب ﺑﲔ ﻋﻴﻨﻴﻪ ك ف ر أي ﻛﺎﻓﺮ ( ﻣﺴﻠﻢ ) ﻣﻜﺘﻮب ﺑﲔ ﻋﻴﻨﻴﻪ ﻛﺎﻓﺮ، ﻳﻘﺮؤﻩ ﻛﻞ ﻣﺆﻣﻦ، ﻛﺎﺗﺐ وﻏﲑ ﻛﺎﺗﺐ ( )ﻣﺴﻠﻢ )ﻣﺴﻠﻢ

There are a couple of factors that indicate towards the figurative meaning being intended, such as:

a) The narrations make it clear that the yardstick between those who shall see 'Kafir' written between the eyes of dajjal and those who shall fail to see it shall be piety, and not literacy. Piety does not enable the illiterate to read, but it does create a light in the heart which enables man to discern what is right and what is evil. Through piety, even if one is not able to read and investigate, his heart shall allow him to see through the traps of dajjal, due to which he shall save himself. As for the one not blessed with this, even though he may be well-versed and educated, he shall remain blind to the vivid signs of dajjali influence in the environment around him, and shall soon fall flat into the net of dajjal.

b) Mention is made in the narrations of an extremely pious man (most probably Khidr Alaihi Salaam) who shall physical confront dajjal and refute his claim to 'divinity'. Dajjal shall then have him cut in half, and then brought back alive in one piece. He shall then say to dajjal that through this act his conviction of the one in front of him being dajjal has only increased, since Rasulullah Sallalahu Alaihi wa Sallam had clearly mentioned such an act to be from the fitan (nets/trials) of dajjal, through which he shall draw man into his worship and obedience.

Had the words 'Kaaf, Faa, Raa' been written between the eyes of dajjal, this pious man would surely have made mention of that first, as a sign which has increased his conviction that the one in front is none other but 'dajjal'.

These is however a possibility that both the literal and figurative meanings have been intended, in this way that the signs of dajjali influence shall be so vivid that the eyes of Imaan shall detect it from far, and shall announce that 'this' is naught but from the 'fitnah (trials/traps) of dajjal'. For majority of the believers, the 'kufr' within dajjali temptations and attractions shall be as bright as daylight, as though the words 'kufr' are clearly visible in front of his every act.

Together with this, there shall be those that shall actually even discern the words 'Kaaf, Faa, Raa' when looking at his 'eye'. This they shall accomplish by simply viewing the area around the eye with a bit of concentration. 73

The details of this is as follows:

As already discussed, the 'eye' that became the focus of ever y satanic instituition and lobby after the conquest of Constantinople was 'the eye of Horus', as depicted in the diagram below.

As is evident, the Eye of Horus is composed of three distinct parts: The uppermost part is the ‘brow of the Eye of Horus’. The middle part is the ‘center of the Eye of Horus’. The lowermost part is the ‘tear of the Eye of Horus’.

In the frames below, each part has been placed seperately . Next to it are three blocks, with the exact three parts except that the top block has been turned once clock-wise, giving it the shape of 'Raa', whilst the bottom block has been turned anti-clock-wise, giving it the shape of 'Kaaf'. The middle block has been left as is. ك ف ر .The result is clear, i.e

when turned 90 deg ree clock - wise, creating shape of 'Raa'

left as is , in the shape of 'Faa'

when turned 90 deg ree anti - clock - wise, creating the shape of 'Kaaf' 74

When the three blocks are connected, from bottom up, it gives a clear outline of three Arabic words, viz. Kaaf, Faa, Raa, in a manner so precise that it cannot be just passed of as a mere co-incidence.

Thus the eye of dajjal (or the 'eye of Horus'), does have in front of it 50 three letters “Kaaf Faa Raa” precisely as described in the ahadith.

Summary

The purpose of this booklet was to highlight the fact that there is no definite proof that Istanbul shall one day again become a Roman, Christian capital, and that it shall thereafter be conquered at the hands of Sayyiduna al-Mahdi. Rather, it seems more probable that the magnificent conquest of Sultan Muhammad al-Fatih is the one referred to in all the Ahadith regarding 'the conquest of Constantinople'.

As for dajjal's emergence after the conquest, a possible explanation of that issue has been given. If it is correct, it is from the Kindness and Favour of Almighty Allah, and if it incorrect, then I seek forgiveness from Almighty Allah for my error, and I wish that it be viewed as an error of a servant in understanding the intended meaning of his master, for which reward has also been promised.

The translation of 'in front of' for ( ِ ), as opposed to 'between the two eyes' is in 50 ﺑـََْﲔ َﻋْﻴـَﻨـْﻴﻪ accordance to the general understood meaning of this phrase amongst the Arabs. 75

Whatever the case may be, there is no doubt amongst all that our era is one in which dajjali influence can be percieved from all corners. Thus, even if one feels that dajjal is still to be released, and that whatever is happening around, is being done in preparation of his coming, then too it shall be deemed appropriate to study and hold firm to the advices given to us by Rasulullah Sallalahu Alaihi wa Sallam to ensure our salvation from the 'fitnah (trials/nets/traps) of dajjal. The booklet shall thus conclude with a gist of some of those advices.

Combatting the evil of dajjâl

Whenever Rasulullâh Sallalahu Alaihi wa Sallam discussed the fitnah (trials/nets/traps) that shall be spread by dajjâl, he Sallalahu Alaihi wa Sallam would always end the discussion explaining that despite the immense strength and magic of dajjâl, he shall never fulfil his ambitions.

Rasulullâh Sallalahu Alaihi wa Sallam informed the Ummah that a believer shall derive strength to resist and fight against the evil of dajjâl through:

1) Divine Aid of Almighty Allâh

Rasulullâh Sallalahu Alaihi wa Sallam stated 51 :

‘If he, dajjâl, emerges whilst I am alive I shall stand in your defence! And if he emerges after my death, Almighty Allâh shall always be there for every believer!

2) Holding firm unto the Noble Quraan and the Sunnah

This implies excessive recitation of the Noble Quraan, pondering over its meaning and implementing its teaching in one’s life in accordance to the method shown by Rasulullâh Sallalahu Alaihi wa Sallam, and imparted by his close companions.

Rasulullâh Sallalahu Alaihi wa Sallam stated 52 :

51 إن ﻳﺨﺮج وأﻧﺎ ﻓﻴﻜﻢ ﻓﺄﻧﺎ ﺣﺠﻴﺠﻪ وإن ﻣﺖ ﻓﺎﷲ ﺧﻠﻴﻔﺘﻲ ﻋﻠﻰ ﻛﻞ ﻣﺆﻣﻦ ( اﺑﻮ داؤد ﺑﺴﻨﺪ ﺻﺤﻴﺢ) 76

'I leave behind two matters, which if you hold on to firmly you shall never go astray. The Book of Almighty Allâh and the Sunnah of His messenger.'

‘I leave behind two matters, which if you hold on to firmly you shall never go astray. One of which is mightier than the other. The (1 st is The) Book of Almighty Allâh, which is a rope hanging from the sky to the earth.(The second is) My family, my household.

These two shall never separate until they find me at the pond of Khautar (i.e. The only correct understanding of the Qurân, till the end of times, shall be that which has been imparted from the close family of Rasulullâh',viz. his' wives τ, his' daughters', his father in laws (Hadrat Abu Bakr τ and Hadrat Umar τ), his' son in laws (Hadrat Uthmân τ and Hadrat Ali τ), etc.

Thus, after my demise, take caution in how you conduct yourself with regards to The Qurân and my household!

3) The company of the pious

Rasulullâh Sallalahu Alaihi wa Sallam stated 53 :

‘If dajjâl emerges during my lifetime, Almighty Allâh shall suffice you through me! And if dajjâl emerges after my death, Almighty Allâh shall suffice you through the pious!

4) Staying far from dajjâli temptations

Rasulullâh Sallalahu Alaihi wa Sallam stated 54 :

 ِ ِِ ِ ِ 52ِ ِ ِ َ ﺗـَﺮْﻛ ُﺖ ﻓ ُﻴﻜ ْﻢ ْأَﻣَﺮﻳْ ِﻦ، ﻟَ ْﻦ ﺗَﻀﻠﻮا َ ﻣﺎ ﺗََﻤ َﺴ ْﻜﺘُ ْﻢ ﺑﻬَﻤﺎ : ﻛﺘَ َﺎب ،اﻟﻠ ﻪ َ و ُﺳﻨﺔ َ ﻧَﺒﻴﻪ ( اﻟﻤﺆﻃﺎﻟﻤﺎﻟﻚ ﺑﻦ اﻧﺲ) إﻧﻰ ﺗﺎرك ﻓﻴﻜﻢ ﻣﺎ إن ﺗﻤﺴﻜﺘﻢ ﺑﻪ ﻟﻦ ﻟﻦ ﺑﻪ ﺗﻀﻠﻮا ﺑﻌﺪى ; أﺣﺪﻫﻤﺎ أﻋﻈﻢ ﻣﻦ اﻵﺧﺮ ; ﻛﺘﺎب اﷲ ﺣﺒﻞ ﻣﻤﺪود ﻣﻦ اﻟﺴﻤﺎء إﻟﻰ اﻻرض وﻋﺘﺮﺗﻲ أﻫﻞ ﺑﻴﺘﻰ وﻟﻦ ﻳﺘﻔﺮﻗﺎ ﺣﺘﻰ ﻳﺮدا ﻋﻠﻰ اﻟﺤﻮض ﻓﺎﻧﻈﺮوا ﻛﻴﻒ ﺗﺨﻠﻔﻮﻧﻲ ﻓﻴﻬﻤﺎ ( رواﻩ اﻟﺘﺮﻣﺬي و ﻗﺎل ﻫﺬا" ﺚﺣﺪﻳ ﺣﺴﻦ )ﻏﺮﻳﺐ 53 ﻓﺈﻧﻪ إن ﻳﺨﺮج وأﻧﺎ ﺣﻲ ﻳﻜﻔﻴﻜﻤﻮﻩ اﷲ ﺑﻲ وإن ﻳﺨﺮج ﺑﻌﺪ أن أﻣﻮت ﻳﻜﻔﻴﻜﻤﻮﻩ اﷲ ﺑﺎﻟﺼﺎﻟﺤﻴﻦ ( اﻟﺘﻮﺣﻴﺪ ﻻﺑﻦ ﺧﺰﻳﻤﺔ ) ) 54 ﻣﻦ ﲰﻊ ﺑﺎﻟﺪﺟﺎل ﻓﻠﻴﻨﺄ ﻣﻨﻪ ﻓﻮ اﷲ إن اﻟﺮﺟﻞ ﻟﻴﺄﺗﻴﻪ وﻫﻮ ﳛﺴﺐ أﻧﻪ ﻣﺆﻣﻦ ﻓﻴﺘﺒﻌﻪ ﳑﺎ ﻳﺒﻌﺚ ﺑﻪ ﻣﻦ اﻟﺸﺒﻬﺎت رواﻩ( أﺑﻮ )داود 77

Whosoever hears regarding dajjâl (i.e. some temptation of dajjâl), let him stay far away from there. By Allâh, a man shall approach dajjâl (the temptation), regarding himself as a believer, but shall then become a follower of dajjâl due to the ambiguous (doubtful) matters that dajjâl shall appear with.

5) Adopting residence in areas where dajjâli influence is less, i.e. villages, farms, mountainous areas, etc

Rasulullâh Sallalahu Alaihi wa Sallam stated 55 : ‘People shall flee to the mountains in order to save themselves from dajjâl!’

6) Seeking Almighty Allâhs protection from dajjâl daily in one’s dua after the final Tashahhud and Salawaat, or after the completion of one’s salaah.

Rasulullâh Sallalahu Alaihi wa Sallam stated 56 :

When one completes his final Tashahhud (and according to another narration – When one completes his salaah) let him first seek Almighty Allâh’s protection from four matters. He may then ask for whatever else he wishes. Let him say, ‘O Allâh, I seek Your protection from the punishment of Jahannum; and from the punishment of the grave; and from the trials of life and death; and from the evil of the trials of dajjâl!

7) Regular recitation of Surah Kahf, or at least its first ten verses

Rasulullāh Sallalahu Alaihi wa Sallam explained:

55 ﻟﻴﻔﺮن اﻟﻨﺎس ﻣﻦ اﻟ ﺪﺟﺎل ﰲ اﳉﺒﺎل ( )ﻣﺴﻠﻢ 56 إذا ﻓﺮغ أﺣﺪﻛﻢ ﻣﻦ اﻟﺘﺸﻬﺪ اﻷﺧﲑ ﻓﻠﻴﺘﻌﻮذ ﺑﺎﷲ ﻣﻦ أرﺑﻊ ﻳﻘﻮل: اﻟﻠﻬﻢ إﱐ أﻋﻮذ ﺑﻚ ﻣﻦ ﻋﺬاب ﺟﻬﻨﻢ و ﻣﻦ ﻋﺬاب اﻟﻘﱪ و ﻣﻦ ﻓﺘﻨﺔ اﶈﻴﺎ و اﳌﻤﺎت و ﻣﻦ ﺷﺮ ﻓﺘﻨﺔ اﳌﺴﻴﺢ اﻟﺪﺟﺎل ( ﻣﺴﻠﻢ ) و ﰲ رواﻳﺔ : إذا ﻓﺮغ أﺣﺪﻛﻢ ﻣﻦ ﺻﻼﺗﻪ ﻓﻠﻴﺪع ﺑﺄرﺑﻊ ﰒ ﻟﻴﺪع ﺑﻌﺪ ﲟﺎ ﺷﺎ (ء اﻟﺴﻨﻦ اﻟﻜﱪى ﻟﻠﺒﻴﻬﻘﻲ ) ) 78

Whosoever memorizes the first ten verses of Surah Kahf, he shall be protected from 57 dajjāal.

58 Whoever finds dajjāl, he should recite the beginning verses of Surah Kahf.

59 Whoever recites the last ten verses of Surah Kahf, he shall be protected from dajjāl.

60 ‘Whosoever is afflicted with the fire of dajjâl, (i.e. who faces his wrath), let him seek aid from Almighty Allâh and let him recite the beginning verses of Surah Kahf. This shall cool down for him the fire of dajjâl (i.e. make the test bearable) as the fire had cooled for Nabi Ibrahim.

61 Abu Qilāba has mentioned, “Whoever memorizes ten verses of Surah Kahf, he shall be protected from dajjāl. Whoever shall recite Surah Kahf on the Day of Jumuah, he shall be protected until the following Jumuah. If he finds the era of dajjāl, he shall not be harmed, and on the Day of Qiyâmah, his face shall shine like a full moon.”

May Almighty Allah save us all from His Anger, from the fire of Jahannum, from the trials of life and death, and from the trials of al-Masih al-dajjal. Aameen. 62

57 ﻣﻦ ﺣﻔﻆ ﻋﺸﺮ آﻳﺎت ﻣﻦ أول ﺳﻮرة اﻟﻜﻬﻒ ﻋﺼﻢ ﻣﻦ اﻟﺪﺟﺎل ( -ﻣﺴﻠﻢ ﺑﺎب ﻓﻀﻞ ﺳﻮرة اﻟﻜﻬﻒ) 58 ﻣﻦ أدرﻛﻪ ﻣﻨﻜﻢ ﻓﻠﻴﻘﺮأ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻓﻮاﺗﺢ ﺳﻮرة اﻟﻜﻬﻒ ( ﻣﺴﻠﻢ - ﺑﺎب ذﻛﺮ اﻟﺪﺟﺎل) 59 ﻣﻦ ﻗﺮأ ﻋﺸﺮ آﻳﺎت ﻣﻦ آﺧﺮ اﻟﻜﻬﻒ ﻋﺼﻢ ﻣﻦ اﻟﺪﺟﺎل ( ﺻﺤﻴﺢ اﺑﻦ ﺣﺒﺎن - ﺑﺎب ﻗﺮاءة اﻟﻘﺮآن) 60 ﻦﻓﻤ اﺑﺘﻠﻲ ﺑﻨﺎرﻩ ﻓﻠﻴﺴﺘﻐﺚ ﺑﺎﷲ وﻟﻴﻘﺮأ ﻓﻮاﺗﺢ ( اﻟﻜﻬﻒ ) ﻓﺘﻜﻮن ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﺑﺮدا وﺳﻼﻣﺎ ﻛﻤﺎ ﻛﺎﻧﺖ اﻟﻨﺎر ﻋﻠﻰ إﺑﺮاﻫﻴﻢ ( اﺑﻦ ﻣﺎﺟﻪ ﺑﺴﻨﺪ ﺻﺤﻴﺢ ) )

61 ِ ِ ٍ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ َﻋ ْﻦ ِأَﰊ ﻗَﻼﺑَﺔَ، ﻗَ َﺎل : " َﻣ ْﻦ َﺣﻔ َﻆ َﻋ ْﺸَﺮ آﻳَﺎت ﻣ َﻦ اﻟْ َﻜْﻬﻒ ﻋُﺼ َﻢ ﻣ ْﻦ ﻓْﺘـﻨَﺔ اﻟﺪﺟﺎل، َوَﻣ ْﻦ َﻗـَﺮأَ اﻟْ َﻜْﻬ َﻒ ﰲ ﻳـَْﻮم ْاﳉُُﻤَﻌﺔ ُﺣﻔ َﻆ ﻣ َﻦ ْاﳉُُﻤَﻌﺔ إَﱃ ْاﳉُُﻤَﻌﺔ، ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ َوإذا ْأَدَرَك اﻟﺪﺟ َﺎل َﱂْ ﻳَ ُﻀﺮﻩُ َوَﺟﺎءَ ﻳـَْﻮَم اﻟْﻘﻴَ َﺎﻣﺔ َوَوْﺟُﻬﻪُ َﻛﺎﻟَْﻘَﻤﺮ ﻟَْﻴـﻠَﺔَ اﻟْﺒَْﺪر ﺷﻌﺐ اﻻﳝﺎن ْﻟﻠَﺒـْﻴـَﻬﻘ ﻲ 62 Completed, by the Grace of Almighty Allah, on Friday, the 14th of Jumadal Ukhra 1439 79