He said, “Tell me about its portents.” Because the portents were already known, the Messenger ﷺ replied: “That a slave-girl will give birth to her mistress.” This is one of the signs of the Hour: the slave-girl (ama) is a female bond-servant, and her mistress is her lady-owner. (54) The commentators state—God knows best—that toward the end of time concubinage (tasarri) will become common: many female slaves will be taken as concubines, they will bear daughters who are born free, and the daughter will then be the mistress and legal owner of her own mother. Others say the meaning is that filial impiety will abound, so that a daughter will behave as though she were her mother’s mistress. The phrase “that you see the barefoot…” denotes a second sign. • The barefoot (hufat) are those without sandals because of poverty. • The naked (urat) are those without clothing. • The destitute (ala) are the poor. • “Shepherds of sheep” (ruaa al-sha) is the plural of ra‘i, those who herd sheep. Such people originally lived in the wilderness, moving their tents from place to place, but at the end of time they will settle in cities and build palaces and soaring buildings. This too is among the portents of the Hour: when desert-dwellers turn into urbanites and compete with one another in the height of their constructions.