and from it there rise level stretches of ground and small hills that move across the earth; the rock melts until it becomes like molten lead. When it dies down it turns black, whereas before subsiding its color is red (1). Along the route of this fire (2) people have renounced sin, sought closeness to Allah through acts of obedience, and the Emir of Madinah relinquished many of the injustices he had imposed on its inhabitants.

Shaykh Shihab al-Din Abū Shāmah (3) said, quoting from the work of Shams (4) al-Din Sinān (5) ʿAbd al-Wahhāb ibn Numaylah al-Ḥusaynī, the judge of Madinah, addressed to one of his companions:

“On the night of Wednesday, the third of Jumādā al-Ākhirah, during the last third of the night (6), a mighty earthquake struck Madinah that filled us with dread. For the rest of that night it continued to shake, about ten tremors every day and night. By Allah, on one occasion it trembled while we were beside the Chamber (7) of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ; the pulpit shook so violently that we heard the iron within it clatter (8), and the lamps of the noble sanctuary swayed (9). The quake subsided until mid-morning on Friday, yet it still rumbled like crashing thunder. Then, later on Friday, along the ḥarra road (10) at the summit of Uḥaylayn, a colossal fire appeared, the size of a great city. It was not fully discernible until Saturday night, and we were gripped by terrible fear. I went up to the Emir, spoke to him (11) and said, ‘Chastisement has surrounded us; turn back to Allah, Exalted is He.’ He thereupon freed all his slaves and restored the wealth of many people. When he had done this (12) I said, ‘Come down with us at once to the Prophet ﷺ.’ So he came, and we spent Saturday night there—everyone, the women (13) and their children—and no one remained (14), whether among the palm-groves or in the city, except by the Prophet ﷺ. [We were in great apprehension, and its light shone until it was seen from Makkah and from the open desert, its flame towering] (15).

“Then a river of fire poured forth, entered the valley of Uḥaylayn, blocked the Tuwayq, and advanced to Baḥrat al-Ḥajj (16)—a fiery sea—flowing on, and above it …”