nor our own clan, to which we belong.”

He said, “You will remain for as long as you remain, then your Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—will die. Then you will remain for as long as you remain, and then the mighty cry will be sent forth. By the life of your God, it will leave nothing upon the earth without causing its death—even the angels who are with your Lord. The earth will be empty, and He will send rain pouring down from beneath the Throne. By the life of your God, it will leave no place where someone was slain, nor any burial place of the dead, without splitting open the grave around its occupant, until he emerges headfirst, leaving it behind, and sits upright. Your Lord will say, ‘What news?’ He will reply, ‘My Lord, yesterday—today!’ For his life will seem so recent to him that he will think he has only just been with his family.”

I said, “O Messenger of Allah, how will He gather us after we have been torn apart by winds and decay