Saturday, December 24, 2011

Removing The Doubts: Hadeeth on "Completion of 100 Years"

بـسـم الله والحـمـد لله والـصلاة والـسـلام عــلى رسـول الله، وبـعـد

The Hadeeth:

Narrated `Abdullaah bin `Umar: Once the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم led us in the `Ishaa’ prayer during the last days of his life and after finishing it (the prayer) (with Taslim) he صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “Do you realize (the importance of) this night? Nobody present on the surface of the earth tonight will be living after the completion of one hundred years from this night.” [Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (116, 564, 601) & Saheeh Muslim (4611)]

In Saheeh Muslim it is with the following wordings: `Abdullaah bin `Umar reported that Allaah's Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم led us `Ishaa’ prayer at the latter part of the night and when he had concluded it by salutations he stood up and said: “Have you seen this night of yours? At the end of one hundred years after this none would survive on the surface of the earth.” Ibn `Umar said: People (misunderstood) these words of the Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم which had been uttered pertaining to one hundred years. Allaah's Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم in fact meant (by these words) that on that day none from amongst those who had been living upon the earth would survive (after one hundred years) and that would be the end of this generation. [Saheeh Muslim (4611)]

Jaabir bin `Abdullaah reported: I heard Allaah's Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم as saying this, one month before his death: “You asked me about the Last Hour, whereas its knowledge is with Allaah. I, however, take an oath by Allaah and say that none upon the earth, the created beings, would survive at the end of one hundred years.” [Saheeh Muslim (4612)]

It was also reported on the authority of Abu Sa`eed that when Allaah's Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم came back from Tabook they (his Companions) asked him about the Last Hour. Thereupon Allaah's Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “There would be none amongst the created beings living on the earth (who would survive this century).” [Saheeh Muslim (4614)]


A misconception about this Hadeeth:

This is another Hadeeth which has been a cause of confusion for the people in the past and the present. Ibn Hajr mentioned in “Fath al-Baaree” that the people in the past understood it to mean that the Day of Judgment will be established in the next hundred years from the time when the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said this Hadeeth.

In the present age, those who still have that misconception, reject this Hadeeth because it does not fit their logic or reasoning, saying: “More than 1400 years have passed and we are still alive, so this Hadeeth is wrong”.


The correct explanation:

Firstly, as Ibn `Umar had explained, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم spoke of only that single night, and about the people who were already alive during that night. With the end of that century, all those living will pass away. He did not speak about the people who were born after that night. Those who were born after that night were not included in this Hadeeth.

Secondly, this was said in the year 10 AH, a month before the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم passed away. The last Sahaabee to pass away was Abu Tufail, he died in the year 110 AH. Thus, the prophecy of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم came true by Allaah's will. Alhamdulillaah!!!


This Hadeeth does not oppose the reality in anything as some wrongly believe. They have erred in understanding the meaning of this Hadeeth. This Hadeeth does not mean the world is going to end after 100 years. Rather it means that after a hundred years, from the time of this saying of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم; no one who was alive during that time of the saying of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم will live. And this is what actually happened. It is the consensus among the scholars of Hadeeth (Muhadditheen) and biographers (the historians) that the last person to die, who was alive during that night, was Abu Tufail `Aamir bin Waathilah. He died in the hundredth year from the saying of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم. And this is one of the many miracles which were given to our Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم.

So where is the opposition of this Hadeeth with the Reality as they claim?

6 comments:

  1. Assalamualaikum,

    How do we reconcile the Hadith above and the Hadith on Dajjaal by Imam Muslim in his Saheeh (7028) about the story by Tamim al-Daree. This is in your article "Removing The Doubts: The Existence Of al-Dajjaal".

    Also on the matter with Ya'jooj and Ma'jooj?

    JazakaAllahu khairan.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wa `alaikum assalaam wa rahmatullaahi wa barakaatuh.

    In reference to Dajjaal, then it is an exception. There are two Ahaadeeth that have to be taken into notice; the first one of Tameem al-Daree (which you referred above) in which the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم affirmed Dajjaal’s existence; the second one that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم conveyed to us that the Dajjaal will be killed by Prophet `Isaa ibn Maryam عليه السلام.

    As in the Hadeeth of Saheeh Muslim (6924) it continues… “Certainly, the time of prayer shall come and then `Isaa عليه السلام Ibn Maryam would descend and would lead them in prayer. When the enemy of Allaah (the Dajjaal) would see him, it would (disappear) just as the salt dissolves itself in water and if he (Jesus) were not to confront them at all, even then it would dissolve completely, but Allaah would kill them by his hand and he would show them their blood on his lance (the lance of Jesus Christ).” - and there are many Hadeeth.

    So, we have the Prophet’s صلى الله عليه وسلم Ahaadeeth about the Dajjaal’s existence and his end.

    Another exception in this Hadeeth is Prophet `Isaa عليه السلام himself. We know that Allaah raised him up alive and that He is not on this earth.

    As for Ya’jooj and Ma’jooj, then if you would re-read the Ahaadeeth about them, you’ll see that they are the name of two nations (and not two people). They are from the children of Aadam عليه السلام (See tafseer Ibn Katheer), and they procreate and have offspring like every other human being. So those among the Ya’jooj and Ma’jooj who were alive at the time when the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم spoke about the importance of that night, they would have died also. It will be from their descendents that will come out before the coming of the hour.

    ReplyDelete
  3. JazakaAllahu khairan wa barakaAllahu feek.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Assalamualaikum
    Can't we mail these?

    ReplyDelete
  5. wa `alaikum assalaam. Yes you can email this or any other notes on this blog by simply clicking on the "Email This" icon which is at the end of the notes (before the comments). barak Allaahu feekum.

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