The Future Belongs to Islam: First 5 Ahadith of Silsala Sahiha

Posted by: Waqar Akbar Cheema on October 11, 2014 in Agenda for Change, Blogs Le
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Shaykh Nasir ud-Din al-Albani
Translation and Notes by Waqar Akbar Cheema
Allah Almighty says:

It is He who has sent His Messenger with guidance and the religion of truth to ma
nifest it over all religion, although they who associate others with Allah disli
ke it. (Qur'an 9:33)
This noble verse gives us the glad-tidings that the future belongs to Islam in i
ts expansion, domination, and rule above all the other religions and systems of
life (adyan). Some people think that this came to pass during the time of the Me
ssenger of Allah (), the righteous caliphs and the pious monarchs. This, however,
is not the case. What came to pass then was actually only a part of this truthf
ul promise; as indicated by the Prophet () in his saying;
Hadith 1
: :
`A'isha reported: I heard Allah's Messenger () as saying: The (system) of night and day
would not end until the people have taken to the worship of Lat and `Uzza. I said
: Allah's Messenger, I think when Allah has revealed this verse: He it is Who has s
ent His Messenger with right guidance, and true religion, so that He may cause i
t to prevail upon all religions, though the polytheists are averse (to it) (9: 33
), it implies that (this promise) is going to be fulfilled. Thereupon he (Allah's
Messenger) said: It would happen as Allah would like [Then Allah would send the
sweet fragrant air by which everyone who has even a mustard grain of faith in Hi
m would die and those only would survive who would have no goodness in them. And
they would revert to the religion of their forefathers.][1] (Reported by Muslim
and others)
And there are other hadith reports expounding the extent of Islam's expansion and
manifestation whereby there remains no room for any doubt that the future, with
Allah leaves and help, belongs to Islam.
Here I relate some such hadith reports that they might be a source of strengthen
ing the resolve of those who strive for Islam and be an evidence upon the despai
ringly reliant:
Hadith 2
:
Thauban reported that Allah's Messenger () said: Allah drew the ends of the world t
ogether for me. And I saw its eastern and western extents. And the dominion of m
y Ummah would reach those ends which have been drawn together for me (Reported b
y Muslim, Abu Dawud, at-Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah and Ahmad)
Hadith 3
: :
Tamim ad-Dari related: I heard the Prophet () say, `[This religion] will reach the
expanses of the day and night, and Allah will not leave of any house of mud or w
ool [i.e. in the city or countryside] till He has introduced this religion into
it, either through the glory of the honourable or ignobility of the dishonourabl
e. Such is the honour that Allah will bestow on Islam, and the debasement that H
e will cast on disbelief.' (Reported by Ahmad, al-Hakim and others)
It is certain that coming about of this domination entails the return to the Mus
lims of the strength in their spirits and riches and armaments to the point that
they can dominate over the forces of disbelief and transgression. This is what
has been promised to us in the hadith;
Hadith 4
:
Abi Qabil narrated: We were with `Abdullah bin Amr bin al-`As and he was asked; whi
ch one of the two cities will be conquered first; Constantinople or Rome? `Abdulla
h asked for a box with a lock to be brought and he took out from it a book. `Abdul
lah (then) said: We were in the company of the Messenger of Allah () and we were
writing down his sayings when the Messenger of Allah () was asked; which one of t
he two cities will be conquered first, Constantinople or Rome? The Messenger of
Allah () said: The city of Heraclius, i.e. Constantinople, will be conquered first
. (Reported by Ahmad, ad-Darimi, al-Hakim and others)
Rome is the capital of present day Italy. The first conquest, as is well known,
happened at the hands of Ottoman Sultan Muhammad al-Fatih. It happened more than
eight hundred years after the Prophet () informed about it. Most certainly the s
econd conquest will also soon come to pass by the leave of Almighty Allah and yo
u shall surely get the news of it after some time.
In the same manner there is no doubt that the occurrence of the second conquest
means the return of the righteous caliphate to the Muslim people. And this is wh
at we have been given the glad-tidings of by the Prophet () in his saying;
Hadith 5
:
:
The Messenger of Allah () said: `There will be Prophethood among you for as long as
Allah wills it to be, then He will remove it when He wills, then there will be
khilafah (caliphate) on the way of Prophethood and it will be for as long as All
ah wills, then He will remove it when He wills, then there will be despotic mona
rchy[2] for as long as Allah Wills, then He will remove it when He wills, then t
here will be oppressive rule for as long as Allah wills, then he will remove it
when He wills, and then there will be khilafah on the way of Prophethood,' and the
n he became silent.
Habib said: When `Umar bin `Abdul Aziz became the ruler, Yazid bin Nu'man was his aide
. I, therefore, sent a letter to Yazid bin Nu'man reminding him of this hadith. I
mentioned to him that I hoped that `Umar was the one mentioned after despotic and
oppressive rules. He presented my letter to `Umar bin `Abdul `Aziz who became pleased
and marveled at it. (Reported by Ahmad and at-Tayalsi)
In my opinion it is farfetched to relate this hadith to `Umar bin `Abdul `Aziz for his
period was close to that of the righteous caliphs and it did not follow two kin
ds of governance; despotic monarchy and oppressive rule.[3] And Allah knows best
! It is supported by the hadith of Ibn `Abbas [placed at No. 3270 in Silsala Sahih
a according to which the Messenger of Allah () said:

The beginning of affair of this religion is with Prophethood of mercy, then there
will be khilafah (caliphate) having mercy, then there will be monarchy having m
ercy[4], then there will biting of one another like the biting of the donkeys so
you will be required to do jihad. And the best of your jihad will be taking up
battle positions (against the enemy) and the best of your positions will be at `As
qalan (Ashkelon). (Reported by at-Tabarani)]
al-Albani, Nasir ud-Din, Silsala al-Ahadith as-Sahiha, (Riyadh: Maktaba al-Ma'arif
, 1995) Vol.1, 31-35
.
Notes:
[1] That people will finally return to the idolatry does not contradict prophesy
about Islam's total dominion. Putting together all hadith reports it becomes evid
ent that firstly Muslims will have total domination whereby the whole world of d
isbelief will be subdued. However, before the blowing of the final trumpet a coo
l pleasing breeze will result in the demise of all the believers. It is after th
eir demise that disbelievers will manifest their disbelief including paganism. S
uch will then witness the horrible events of the Doomsday. In other words Islam
will have the final dominance yet the believers will be given a pleasant death a
nd the disbelievers will be left to witness the awful destruction. This as repor
ted in a narration in Sahih Muslim;
`Abd al-Rahman b. Shamasa al- Mahri who said: I was in the company of Maslama b. M
ukhallad, and `Abdullah b. `Amr b. `As was with him. `Abdullah said: The Hour shall some
only when the worst type of people are left on the earth. They will be worse th
an the people of pre-Islamic days. They will get whatever they ask of Allah. Whi
le we were yet sitting when `Uqba b. `Amir came, and Maslama said to him: `Uqba, liste
n to what `Abdullah says. `Uqba said: He knows better; so far as I am concerned, I h
eard the Messenger of Allah () say: A group of people from my Ummah will continue
to fight in obedience to the Command of Allah, remaining dominant over their en
emies. Those who will oppose them shall not do them any harm. They will remain i
ll this condition until the Hour overtakes them. (At this) `Abdullah said: Yes. Th
en Allah will raise a wild which will be fragrant like musk and whose touch will
be like the touch of silk; (but) it will cause the death of all (faithful) pers
ons, not leaving behind a single person with an iota of faith in his heart. Then
only the worst of men will remain to be overwhelmed by the Hour. (Reported by M
uslim) See, Muhammad Taqi Usmani, Takmila Fath al-Mulhim, Vol.6, 252
[2] Apparently despotic monarchy refers to various Muslim dynasties of the past
like the Umayyads, Abbasids, Ottomans, Slave-Kings of India, Mughals, al-Muwaidun
etc. However, it is by the way of general description and exceptions like `Umar bi
n `Abdul `Aziz only prove the rule. (`Ali al-Qari, Mirqat al-Mafatih, Vol.8, 3373) On
the other hand, the oppressive rule refers to the Muslim rulers of the subsequent
times who shall, with Allah's leave, be replaced by the khilafah on the way of Prop
hethood. Also see note 4 below.
[3] Moreover, the final silence of the Prophet () so well noticeable to the narra
tor suggests the return of khilafah on the way of Prophethood will be near the End
of the Times. As for people of `Umar bin `Aziz's time relating it to him, it is essen
tially linked to the general Muslim attitude towards the eschatological informat
ion in the revealed sources. Muslims in every era have seen some relation of the
ir times with that mentioned in the hadith reports about the Last Days and they
hoped to see the beginning of the end. Abu Huraira, who narrated many hadith rep
orts about the return of `Eisa (AS) thought he might actually live to see him (Nu'ay
m bin Hammad, Kitab al-Fitan, Hadith 1236) and after the Prophet () told him it w
as very difficult he asked his students to convey his greetings to `Eisa (AS), (al
-Hakim, Mustadrak, Hadith 4162) Similarly, there have been many in different reg
ions and times who claimed to be al-Mahdi. It is, therefore, wrong to use such b
eliefs of ordinary mortals regarding their own times when there is good indicati
on in the hadith to the contrary. It is actually worst to use such suggestions b
y people of the yore to question the established idea of yet to happen Islamic p
olitical revival and practically scoff at the aspirations and sacrifices of thos
e who strive to restore the rights and honor of the ummah.
[4] This suggests the element of goodness in monarchy is also possible. In conne
ction with our interpretation of despotic monarchy (see note 2 above) as a referen
ce to well-known Islamic dynasties it is pertinent to recall Ibn Khaldun's words t
hat he wrote in 1377 CE when the Abbasids had already waned and the Ottomans wer
e yet to glow in their full light; When royal authority is obtained and we assume
that one person has it all for himself, no objection can be raised if he uses i
t for the various ways and aspects of the truth; and It has thus been shown how
the form of government came to be royal authority. However, there remained the t
raits that are characteristic of the caliphate, namely, preference for Islam and
its ways, and adherence to the path of truth. A change became apparent only in
the restraining influence that had been Islam and now came to be group feeling a
nd the sword. That was the situation in the time of Mu'awiyah, Marwan, his son `Abd-
al-Malik, and the first `Abbasid caliphs down to ar-Rashid and some of his sons. T
hen, the characteristic traits of the caliphate disappeared, and only its name r
emained. (Ibn Khaldun, Muqaddima, Chapter 3, Section 26)