Episode Details

This podcast is important, and it will address three things related to the signs of the hour. The first deals with the authenticity of a text, while the second deals with the principles needed to understand what scholars called transmission related to the signs of the Hour or the transmission of trials. That will formulate what we will talk in this podcast. Our second podcast will address the order of the signs in brevity, inshallah.
General Principle for engaging hadith related to this subject.
الاقتصار في التنزيل على نصوص الوحيين, والتأكد من صحتها لفظاً ومعنى
“The signs of the hour are restricted to revelation while ensuring their soundness and correct understanding.”
a) Their Soundness – Meaning the Hadith is authentic

فُسْطَاطُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ يَوْمَ الْمَلْحَمَةِ الْغُوطَةُ، إِلَى جَانِبِ مَدِينَةٍ يُقَالُ لَهَا: دِمَشْقُ
There are four narrations of this hadith

1. Abu Darda – it is not strong because between the companion who narrated is not mentioned. There is a connected narration of it, but it is weak because of a weak narrator, Ibn Abi Maryam
2. The Hadith of Muadh – It has narrators well known for lying, and some of them were even considered abandoned.
3. The hadith of Abu Huraira – It is extremely weak for some reason
4. There is some confusion about this narration, some claiming it is sahih. However, this is a mistake in combining two narrations, one narrative that does not state anything about Ghuta is sahih, while the other narration that does, as noted above is weak.

An extension of an authentic hadith is the opinions of the companions on issues that are related to the unseen. This includes the companion’s explanations and thoughts on issues where personal opinion is impossible. Meaning, their opinion rested on revelation. Ibn Hajar wrote,
والحق أن ضابط ما يفسره الصحابي إن كان مما لا مجال للاجتهاد فيه, فحكمه الرفع وإلا فلا، كالإخبار عن الأمور الماضية من بدء الخلق وقصص الأنبياء, وعن الأمور الآتية كالملاحم والفتن والبعث وصفة الجنة والنار, والإخبار عن عمل يحصل به ثواب مخصوص أو عقاب مخصوص، فهذه الأشياء لا مجال للاجتهاد فيها فيحكم لها بالرفع
“The correct principle in this regard is that explanation of the companions, specifically regarding issues where personal opinion is impossible ….such as events from the past, like the beginning of creation, stories of previous prophets, prophecy related to fitna, resurrection, the description of paradise and hell, and actions that bring about specific rewards or punishments. Those type of things to not permit opinions, so they are considered something taught to them by the Prophets (sa).”
If a Hadith is acceptable, then it must be interpreted correctly, not in a sloppy way or in a way that makes its application impossible.
The First Principle
أن الأصل في تنزيل أحاديث الفتن على الأزمان والأشخاص الرد
“Its is not allowed to apply prophetic hadith about the end of times to specific times, places and people.”
That does not mean we reject the application of those hadith, nor should we be taxed in their application. What it means is that their application is guided by the scholars. During the Prophet’s time, there were a group of companions who thought it was a man named Ibn al-Sayyad, some even swearing so. During the time of Hajjaj, Asma said,
حَدَّثَنَا أَنَّ فِى ثَقِيفٍ كَذَّابًا وَمُبِيرًا, فَأَمَّا الْكَذَّابُ فَرَأَيْنَاهُ وَأَمَّا الْمُبِيرُ فَلاَ إِخَالُكَ إِلاَّ إِيَّاهُ أَمَا إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ
“The Prophet (sa) told us that from the tribe of Thaqif there would appear a liar and a ruined person. We have seen the liar. As for the ruined person, you are in no confusion regarding him.”
Imam al-Nawwawi noted that scholars agree the liar was al-Mukhtar al-Thaqafi, who claimed Gabriel came to him, while the ruined person was al-Hajjaj bin Yusuf for obvious reasons.
A recent example is scholars interpreting the hadith,
وَيَتَقَ