and fall back into the language of the Age of Ignorance and its poetry; that will be the moment when the decree overtakes them.”

He then cited additional views on the phrase “when the decree is fulfilled against them” before concluding, “I say: upon reflection all of these opinions come down to a single meaning, and the proof is in the end of the verse: ‘that mankind had no certainty in Our signs.’ It was also recited with an open hamzah: ‘anna al-nās.’

In Sahih Muslim, on the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “There are three events which, once they occur, a soul’s faith will be of no benefit to it if it had not believed before or earned some good through its faith: the rising of the sun from the west, the Antichrist, and the Beast of the earth.” Scholars have differed greatly over the identity of this Beast, its characteristics, and the place from which it will emerge; we have discussed these matters at length in our book al-Tadhkirah… End quote.

Hudhayfah ibn Asīd al-Ghifārī (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: “The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) came out to us while we were discussing something. He asked, ‘What are you talking about?’ They replied, ‘We are speaking about the Hour.’ He said, ‘The Hour will not come until you have seen ten signs beforehand,’ and he mentioned among them the Beast.” This was narrated by Imam Ahmad, Abū Dāwūd al-Ṭayālisī, Muslim, and the compilers of the Sunan, and al-Tirmidhī said, “This ḥadīth is ḥasan ṣaḥīḥ.”

Muslim also records, through al-ʿAlāʾ from his father from Abu Hurayrah, that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Hasten to do good deeds before six things: the rising of the sun from the west, the Antichrist, the Beast…” and so on.

Muslim likewise transmits, through Qatādah, from al-Ḥasan, from Ziyād ibn Rabāḥ, from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Hasten to perform deeds before six things: the Antichrist, the smoke, and the Beast of the earth…” and so on.

Muslim further said: Abū Bakr ibn Abī Shaybah narrated to us; Muḥammad ibn Bishr narrated to us, from Abū Ḥayyān, from Abū Zurʿah, from ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAmr, who said: “I preserved a ḥadīth from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) which I have never forgotten. I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: ‘The first of the signs to appear will be…’”}