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 2 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 3 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، ﻟَﻄَﻮﻟَﻪُ اﻟﻠﻪُ َﻋﺰ َوَﺟ ﻞ َﺣﺘﻰ ﻳَْﻤﻠ َﻚ َرُﺟ ٌﻞ ﻣ ْﻦ أَْﻫ ِﻞ َﺑـﻴْﺘﻲ، ﻳَْﻤﻠ ُﻚ َﺟﺒَ َﻞ اﻟﺪْﻳـﻠَِﻢ َواﻟُْﻘ ْﺴﻄَﻨْﻄﻴﻨﻴﺔ '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 َﺣﺪﺛﻨﺎ ﻋ ﻠﻲ ﺑﻦ اﳌﻨﺬر، ﻗَﺎل : َﺣﺪﺛﻨﺎ إﺳﺤﺎق ﺑﻦ ﻣﻨﺼﻮر، ﻗَﺎل : َﺣﺪﺛﻨﺎ ﻗﻴﺲ، َﻋﻦ أﰊ َﺣﺼﲔ، َﻋﻦ أﰊ ﺻﺎﱀ، َﻋﻦ أﰊ ُﻫَﺮﻳﺮة، ﻗَ َﺎل : ﻗَ َﺎل َرُﺳﻮل اﷲ َﺻﻠﻰ اﻟﻠﻪُ َﻋﻠَﻴﻪ َو َﺳﻠﻢ : 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 ِزر، َﻋ ْﻦ ﻋَﺒْﺪ اﻟﻠﻪ، َﻋ ِﻦ اﻟﻨﺒ 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 ﻟَﻄَﻮَل اﻟﻠﻪُ ذَﻟ َﻚ َاﻟﻴـْﻮَم َﺣﺘﻰ 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 " اﺮوﺣﲔ " 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 اﻟﻠﻪ - ﺻﻠﻰ اﻟﻠﻪ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ وﺳﻠﻢ "- : ﻟﻮ ﱂ ﻳﺒﻖ ﻣﻦ اﻟﺪﻧﻴﺎ إﻻ ﻳﻮم ﻟﻄﻮﻟﻪ اﻟﻠﻪ - َﻋﺰ َ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 اﻟﻠﻪ 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.