“An army of people will attack this House. While they are on an open plain, the earth will swallow them up.” He was asked, “O Messenger of Allah, among them will be people who were compelled to join them.” He replied, “They will be resurrected according to their intentions.”

This hadith has been widely transmitted from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, through several chains. The compilers of the Sahīh collections recorded it on the authority of ‘Ā’ishah, Hafsah, and Umm Salamah.

In Sahīh Muslim, Umm Salamah reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“Someone will seek refuge in the House, and a military force will be sent against him. When they reach an open plain, the earth will swallow them up.”

I asked, “O Messenger of Allah, what about someone who was unwilling to accompany them?” He replied, “He will be swallowed up along with them, but on the Day of Resurrection he will be resurrected according to his intention.”

In the two Sahīh collections, ‘Ā’ishah reported:

“The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, moved restlessly in his sleep. We said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, you did something in your sleep that you had not done before.’ He replied, ‘What is astonishing is that some people from my community will head towards this House because of a man of Quraysh who has sought refuge in it. When they reach the open plain, the earth will swallow them up.’

“We said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, the road may bring all kinds of people together.’ He replied, ‘Yes. Among them will be those seeking support, the insane, and wayfarers. They will all perish together, but their ultimate fates will differ: Allah, Mighty and Majestic, will resurrect them according to their intentions.’”

In a version recorded by al-Bukhārī, ‘Ā’ishah reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“An army will attack the Kaaba. When they reach an open plain, the earth will swallow them up, from the first of them to the last.”

She said: “I asked, ‘O Messenger, how will they be swallowed up, from the first of them to the last, when among them are people in their markets and others who do not belong to them?’ He replied, ‘They will be swallowed up, from the first of them to the last, and then resurrected according to their intentions.’”