“my death; then the conquest of Jerusalem; then a widespread death that will overtake you like the quʿāṣ that befalls sheep; then the outpouring of wealth until a man is given one hundred dinars yet remains dissatisfied; then a tribulation that will enter every Arab household without exception; then a truce between you and Banū al-Aṣfar, after which they will betray you and come against you under eighty banners, each banner accompanied by twelve thousand men.”

This report was also transmitted by Abū Dāwūd, Ibn Mājah, and al-Ṭabarānī through the narration of al-Walīd ibn Muslim. In al-Ṭabarānī’s version the chain is: from al-Walīd, from Ibn Zabr, from Zayd ibn Wāqid, from Busr ibn ʿUbayd Allāh; and al-Bukhārī explicitly stated in his narration that Ibn Zabr heard directly from Busr ibn ʿUbayd Allāh. Allah knows best. (1)

In the wording recorded by Abū Dāwūd I said, “Shall I come in, O Messenger of Allah?” He replied, “Yes.” I asked, “All of me?” He said, “Yes.” I only asked that because of the small size of the tent. (2)

Imām Aḥmad said: Abū al-Mughīrah narrated to us; Ṣafwān narrated to us; ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Jubayr ibn Nufayr narrated to us, from his father, from ʿAwf ibn Mālik al-Ashjaʿī, who said: I came to the Prophet ﷺ and greeted him. He said, “ʿAwf?” I replied, “Yes.” He said, “Enter.” I asked, “All of me or only part of me?” He said, “All of you.” Then he said, “Count, O ʿAwf, six things that will occur before the Hour. The first of them is my death.” At this I wept until the Messenger of Allah ﷺ calmed me. He said, “Say: one.” I said, “One.” He said, “The second is the conquest of Jerusalem. Say: two.” I said, “Two.” He said, “The third is a plague (mawtān) that will strike my community like the quʿāṣ that afflicts sheep. Say: three.” I said, “Three.” He said, “The fourth is a tribulation that will befall my community”—and he regarded it as grave—“Say: four.” Then he said, “The fifth is that wealth will become so abundant among you that a man will be given one hundred dinars yet remain displeased. Say: five.” Then he said, “The sixth is a truce that will be concluded between you and Banū al-Aṣfar; they will march against you under eighty ghāyah.” I asked, “What is a ghāyah?” He said, “A banner; under each banner there will be twelve thousand men. The camp of the Muslims on that day will be in a land called al-Ghūṭah, in a city called Damascus.” Aḥmad alone narrated this chain. (3)

Abū Dāwūd said: Hishām ibn ʿAmmār narrated to us; Yaḥyā ibn Ḥamzah narrated to us; Ibn Jābir narrated to us; Zayd ibn Arṭāʾ told me that he heard Jubayr ibn Nufayr relate from Abū al-Dardāʾ that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “The camp of the Muslims on the day of the great battle will be in the Ghūṭah, beside a city called Damascus, one of the finest cities of al-Shām.” (5)

Imām Aḥmad also said: Wakiʿ narrated to us; al-Nuhhās ibn Qahm narrated to us; Shaddād Abū ʿAmmār narrated to me, from Muʿādh ibn Jabal, who said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ remarked, “Six of the portents of the Hour are: my death, the conquest of Jerusalem, and a death …”