and no one will remain on the face of the earth with even an atom’s weight of goodness or faith in his heart without it taking his soul. Even if one of you were to go deep inside a mountain, it would reach him there and take his soul” (1).
The hadiths thus indicate that this wind will come after the descent of Jesus (peace be upon him), his killing of al-Dajjāl, and the destruction of Gog and Magog.
It will also come after the sun rises from the west, after the emergence of the Beast, and after the other major signs (2).
Accordingly, its coming will be very shortly before the Hour.
The hadiths concerning the coming of this wind do not conflict with the hadith, “A group from my Ummah will continue to fight for the truth, remaining victorious until the Day of Resurrection” (3), or with another wording: “They will remain victorious upon the truth. Those who forsake them will not harm them, until Allah’s command comes while they are in that state” (4). The meaning is that they will remain upon the truth until this gentle wind takes their souls shortly before the Hour; thus, “Allah’s command” refers to the blowing of that wind (5).