بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
Assalamu Alaikum.
The proofs for the truthfulness of the Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) and the final religion that Allah revealed to him, are abundant. From them are many prophecies he made which have come to pass.
Some of them can be seen clearly i.e. pictorially. Which ones, you ask? Well, quite a few. Let’s look at some of them.
1. Competing to Construct Tall Buildings
عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ يَعْمَرَ، قَالَ كَانَ أَوَّلَ مَنْ قَالَ فِي الْقَدَرِ بِالْبَصْرَةِ مَعْبَدٌ الْجُهَنِيُّ فَانْطَلَقْتُ أَنَا وَحُمَيْدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ الْحِمْيَرِيُّ حَاجَّيْنِ أَوْ مُعْتَمِرَيْنِ فَقُلْنَا لَوْ لَقِينَا أَحَدًا مِنْ أَصْحَابِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَسَأَلْنَاهُ عَمَّا يَقُولُ هَؤُلاَءِ فِي الْقَدَرِ فَوُفِّقَ لَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ دَاخِلاً الْمَسْجِدَ فَاكْتَنَفْتُهُ أَنَا وَصَاحِبِي أَحَدُنَا عَنْ يَمِينِهِ وَالآخَرُ عَنْ شِمَالِهِ فَظَنَنْتُ أَنَّ صَاحِبِي سَيَكِلُ الْكَلاَمَ إِلَىَّ فَقُلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ إِنَّهُ قَدْ ظَهَرَ قِبَلَنَا نَاسٌ يَقْرَءُونَ الْقُرْآنَ وَيَتَقَفَّرُونَ الْعِلْمَ – وَذَكَرَ مِنْ شَأْنِهِمْ – وَأَنَّهُمْ يَزْعُمُونَ أَنْ لاَ قَدَرَ وَأَنَّ الأَمْرَ أُنُفٌ . قَالَ فَإِذَا لَقِيتَ أُولَئِكَ فَأَخْبِرْهُمْ أَنِّي بَرِيءٌ مِنْهُمْ وَأَنَّهُمْ بُرَآءُ مِنِّي وَالَّذِي يَحْلِفُ بِهِ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عُمَرَ لَوْ أَنَّ لأَحَدِهِمْ مِثْلَ أُحُدٍ ذَهَبًا فَأَنْفَقَهُ مَا قَبِلَ اللَّهُ مِنْهُ حَتَّى يُؤْمِنَ بِالْقَدَرِ ثُمَّ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي عُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ قَالَ بَيْنَمَا نَحْنُ عِنْدَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ذَاتَ يَوْمٍ إِذْ طَلَعَ عَلَيْنَا رَجُلٌ شَدِيدُ بَيَاضِ الثِّيَابِ شَدِيدُ سَوَادِ الشَّعَرِ لاَ يُرَى عَلَيْهِ أَثَرُ السَّفَرِ وَلاَ يَعْرِفُهُ مِنَّا أَحَدٌ حَتَّى جَلَسَ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَأَسْنَدَ رُكْبَتَيْهِ إِلَى رُكْبَتَيْهِ وَوَضَعَ كَفَّيْهِ عَلَى فَخِذَيْهِ وَقَالَ يَا مُحَمَّدُ أَخْبِرْنِي عَنِ الإِسْلاَمِ . فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم : الإِسْلاَمُ أَنْ تَشْهَدَ أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ وَتُقِيمَ الصَّلاَةَ وَتُؤْتِيَ الزَّكَاةَ وَتَصُومَ رَمَضَانَ وَتَحُجَّ الْبَيْتَ إِنِ اسْتَطَعْتَ إِلَيْهِ سَبِيلاً . قَالَ صَدَقْتَ . قَالَ فَعَجِبْنَا لَهُ يَسْأَلُهُ وَيُصَدِّقُهُ . قَالَ فَأَخْبِرْنِي عَنِ الإِيمَانِ . قَالَ : أَنْ تُؤْمِنَ بِاللَّهِ وَمَلاَئِكَتِهِ وَكُتُبِهِ وَرُسُلِهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ وَتُؤْمِنَ بِالْقَدَرِ خَيْرِهِ وَشَرِّهِ . قَالَ صَدَقْتَ . قَالَ فَأَخْبِرْنِي عَنِ الإِحْسَانِ . قَالَ : أَنْ تَعْبُدَ اللَّهَ كَأَنَّكَ تَرَاهُ فَإِنْ لَمْ تَكُنْ تَرَاهُ فَإِنَّهُ يَرَاكَ . قَالَ فَأَخْبِرْنِي عَنِ السَّاعَةِ . قَالَ : مَا الْمَسْئُولُ عَنْهَا بِأَعْلَمَ مِنَ السَّائِلِ . قَالَ فَأَخْبِرْنِي عَنْ أَمَارَتِهَا . قَالَ : أَنْ تَلِدَ الأَمَةُ رَبَّتَهَا وَأَنْ تَرَى الْحُفَاةَ الْعُرَاةَ الْعَالَةَ رِعَاءَ الشَّاءِ يَتَطَاوَلُونَ فِي الْبُنْيَانِ . قَالَ ثُمَّ انْطَلَقَ فَلَبِثْتُ مَلِيًّا ثُمَّ قَالَ لِي : يَا عُمَرُ أَتَدْرِي مَنِ السَّائِلُ . قُلْتُ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ . قَالَ : فَإِنَّهُ جِبْرِيلُ أَتَاكُمْ يُعَلِّمُكُمْ دِينَكُمْ
We came across Abdullah ibn Umar ibn al-Khattab, while he was entering the mosque. My companion and I surrounded him. One of us (stood) on his right and the other stood on his left. I expected that my companion would authorize me to speak. I therefore said: Abu Abdur Rahman! There have appeared some people in our land who recite the Qur’an and pursue knowledge. And then after talking about their affairs, added: They (such people) claim that there is no such thing as Divine Decree and events are not predestined. He (Abdullah ibn Umar) said: When you happen to meet such people tell them that I have nothing to do with them and they have nothing to do with me. And verily they are in no way responsible for my (belief). Abdullah ibn Umar swore by Him (the Lord) (and said): If any one of them (who does not believe in the Divine Decree) had with him gold equal to the bulk of (the mountain) Uhud and spent it (in the way of Allah), Allah would not accept it unless he affirmed his faith in Divine Decree. He further said: My father, Umar ibn al-Khattab, told me:
It is narrated on the authority of Yahya bin Yamur that the first man who discussed Qadr (Divine Decree) in Basra was Mabad al-Juhani. I along with Humaid bin Abdur-Rahman Himyari set out for pilgrimage or for Umrah and said: Should it so happen that we come into contact with one of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) we shall ask him about what is talked about taqdir (Divine Decree).
One day we were sitting in the company of Allah’s Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) when there appeared before us a man dressed in pure white clothes, his hair extraordinarily black. There were no signs of travel on him. None amongst us recognized him. At last he sat with the Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam). He knelt before him placed his palms on his thighs and said: O Muhammad, inform me about Islam. The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said: Islam implies that you testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, and you establish prayer, pay Zakah, observe the fast of Ramadan, and perform pilgrimage to the (House) if you are solvent enough (to bear the expense of) the journey. He (the inquirer) said: You have told the truth. He (Umar ibn al-Khattab) said: It amazed us that he would put the question and then he would himself verify the truth.
He (the inquirer) said: Inform me about Iman (faith). He (the Prophet) replied: That you affirm your faith in Allah, in His angels, in His Books, in His Messengers, in the Day of Judgment, and you affirm your faith in the Divine Decree about good and evil. He (the inquirer) said: You have told the truth. He (the inquirer) again said: Inform me about Ihsan.. He (the Prophet) said: That you worship Allah as if you are seeing Him, for though you don’t see Him, He, verily, sees you. He (the enquirer) again said: Inform me about the Hour. He (the Prophet) remarked: One who is asked knows no more than the one who is inquiring (about it). He (the inquirer) said: Tell me some of its indications. He (the Prophet) said: That the slave-girl will give birth to her mistress and master, that you will find barefooted, destitute goat-herds vying with one another in the construction of lofty buildings. He (the narrator, Umar ibn al-Khattab) said: Then he (the inquirer) went on his way but I stayed with him (the Prophet) for a long while. He then, said to me: Umar, do you know who this inquirer was? I replied: Allah and His Messenger knows best. He (the Prophet) remarked: He was Jibreel (the angel). He came to you in order to instruct you in matters of religion. [Sahih Muslim, Hadeeth No. 1]
This hadeeth is known as the Hadeeth of Jibreel (alaihissalaam), and the two signs mentioned are from amongst the minor signs of the Hour.
Now, one may ask, what is the Hour? Well, that’s the Last Day when everyone is gathered together and judgment occurs. After this, the people of Paradise enter Paradise and the people of Hell enter Hell.
The Hour is preceded by signs, some of which are major (i.e. they appear close to the Hour) and some of which are minor (i.e. they appear a long time before the Hour).
So minor and major here refer not to the magnitude of the sign but with regards to how close it is to the Last Day.
So, competing to construct tall buildings is one of the signs of the Hour. The other narrations of the Hadeeth of Jibreel make it clear that this sign will take place amongst the Arabs i.e. the Arabian Peninsula (referred to as the Gulf in today’s time along with Yemen).
This is a sign that I saw with my own eyes. See, I was born in a sleepy town called Dubai in a country called the United Arab Emirates, in the Arabian Peninsula. In those days, it looked like this:
(I was actually born down the street from that clock tower.)
These days, Dubai is a cosmopolitan city and it looks like this:
When I was younger, there was only one tall building – the World Trade Centre.
All the others start to sprout up in the late 90s.
Here’s further proof of that:
It’s not just Dubai, of course. The other emirates in the UAE also have tall buildings.
Here’s Sharjah (which is north of Dubai):
And here’s Abu Dhabi (which is south of Dubai):
Tall buildings have sprouted up across all the Gulf countries as well because you know…competition.
Here’s Qatar:
Here’s Kuwait:
Here’s Saudi Arabia:
Even Makkah has tall buildings now:
Here’s Bahrain:
One may notice that these buildings are not just lofty, they are also incredibly beautiful because…..competition (and also infatuation with the worldly life).
Interestingly enough, I discovered whilst writing this post that Oman doesn’t really have tall buildings like the others. Also, Yemen does not seem to either. Unfortunately, it has collapsed due to a war, may Allah grant them ease.
2. Arabia turning green once more
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ :اَ تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ حَتَّى يَكْثُرَ الْمَالُ وَيَفِيضَ حَتَّى يَخْرُجَ الرَّجُلُ بِزَكَاةِ مَالِهِ فَلاَ يَجِدُ أَحَدًا يَقْبَلُهَا مِنْهُ وَحَتَّى تَعُودَ أَرْضُ الْعَرَبِ مُرُوجًا وَأَنْهَارًا
Abu Hurairah (radiallahu anhu) reported Allah’s Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) as saying: The Last Hour will not come before wealth becomes abundant and overflowing, so much so that a man takes zakaah out of his property and cannot find anyone to accept it from him and till the land of Arabia reverts to meadows and rivers. [Sahih Muslim, Hadeeth No. 2208]
This hadeeth makes it clear that Arabia will return to being green once more. But wait, wasn’t it always sand?
No, it was not. In the time of Hud (alaihissalaam) and Saleh (alaihissalaam), both Arab prophets well before the Prophet’s (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) time, it contained meadows and rivers as is clearly mentioned in the Quran.
Hud (alaihissalaam) reminded his people that Allah had aided them with garden and springs:
كَذَّبَتْ عَادٌ الْمُرْسَلِينَ
إِذْ قَالَ لَهُمْ أَخُوهُمْ هُودٌ أَلَا تَتَّقُونَ
إِنِّي لَكُمْ رَسُولٌ أَمِينٌ
فَاتَّقُوا اللَّـهَ وَأَطِيعُونِ
وَمَا أَسْأَلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ أَجْرٍ ۖ إِنْ أَجْرِيَ إِلَّا عَلَىٰ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ
أَتَبْنُونَ بِكُلِّ رِيعٍ آيَةً تَعْبَثُونَ
وَتَتَّخِذُونَ مَصَانِعَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَخْلُدُونَ
وَإِذَا بَطَشْتُم بَطَشْتُمْ جَبَّارِينَ
فَاتَّقُوا اللَّـهَ وَأَطِيعُونِ
وَاتَّقُوا الَّذِي أَمَدَّكُم بِمَا تَعْلَمُونَ
أَمَدَّكُم بِأَنْعَامٍ وَبَنِينَ
وَجَنَّاتٍ وَعُيُونٍ
Ad (people) belied the Messengers.
When their brother Hud said to them: “Will you not fear Allah and obey Him?
Verily! I am a trustworthy Messenger to you.
So fear Allah, keep your duty to Him, and obey me.
No reward do I ask of you for it (my Message of Islamic Monotheism), my reward is only from the Lord of the Alamin (mankind, jinns, and all that exists).
Do you build high palaces on every high place, while you do not live in them?
And do you get for yourselves palaces (fine buildings) as if you will live therein for ever.
And when you seize, seize you as tyrants?
So fear Allah, keep your duty to Him, and obey me.
And keep your duty to Him, fear Him Who has aided you with all (good things) that you know.
He has aided you with cattle and children.
And gardens and springs.”
[Surah Ash-Shuara (26) : 123 – 134]
The prophet after him, Saleh (alaihissalaam), also mentioned their gardens and springs:
كَذَّبَتْ ثَمُودُ الْمُرْسَلِينَ
إِذْ قَالَ لَهُمْ أَخُوهُمْ صَالِحٌ أَلَا تَتَّقُونَ
إِنِّي لَكُمْ رَسُولٌ أَمِينٌ
فَاتَّقُوا اللَّـهَ وَأَطِيعُونِ
وَمَا أَسْأَلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ أَجْرٍ ۖ إِنْ أَجْرِيَ إِلَّا عَلَىٰ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ
أَتُتْرَكُونَ فِي مَا هَاهُنَا آمِنِينَ
فِي جَنَّاتٍ وَعُيُونٍ
وَزُرُوعٍ وَنَخْلٍ طَلْعُهَا هَضِيمٌ
Thamud (people) belied the Messengers.
When their brother Salih said to them: “Will you not fear Allah and obey Him?
I am a trustworthy Messenger to you.
So fear Allah, keep your duty to Him, and obey me.
No reward do I ask of you for it (my Message of Islamic Monotheism), my reward is only from the Lord of the Alamin (mankind, jinns and all that exists).
Will you be left secure in that which you have here?
In gardens and springs.
And green crops (fields etc.) and date-palms with soft spadix.”
[Surah Ash-Shuara (26) : 141 – 148]
So, Arabia in their time has meadows and gardens and then it turned into a desert.
When I was a child, Dubai and all the other Emirates were basically sand and some buildings. Most of my childhood memories involve sand. I recall having to traverse a whole lot of sand just to get to the school canteen.
This is how the UAE looked like just a few decades ago:
All the other Gulf countries have similar stories. If this was what they looked liked a few decades ago, imagine what they must have looked like in the Prophet’s (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) time.
Now, I should point out that Arabia is still a desert and it hasn’t yet gone back to the way it was in the time of Hud (alaihissalaam) and Saleh (alaihissalaam). However, what seems obvious to me is that the process has already started and Allah knows Best.
Here are some pictures from around Dubai:
There’s a structure in Dubai called Dubai Frame which enables one to see old Dubai and new Dubai at the same time. Old Dubai has short buildings and no greenery. New Dubai has tall buildings and greenery. Here’s my post on it along with the pictorial proof.
The world’s largest flower garden, Miracle Gardens, is also in Dubai. This is what it has looked like throughout the years (it gets an upgrade yearly):
Amazing, right? Yet, it is in the middle of a desert. Look carefully at the following pictures and you’ll notice that it surrounded by sand.
A large part of Dubai is still sand.
Dubai is not the only emirate that is getting green, the other six are also getting there.
And yes, the UAE still has its “desert side”:
So, as you can see, the UAE is definitely on the road to turning green.
What about the other countries in the Arabian Peninsula, you ask? Are they turning green?
Well, here’s Qatar:
Here’s Bahrain:
Here’s Kuwait:
Here’s Saudi Arabia:
Here’s Oman:
And here’s Yemen:
What is the reason for the greenery one may ask? Two reasons were mentioned by the scholars (perhaps there are more but I only came across these two): one being irrigation and the other being a change in climate. From what I have personally witnessed, it seems that they are both reasons for the desert turning green, and Allah knows Best.
This sign is something that we are seeing take place in front of us. The next generations might not see the desert whilst the previous generations never saw the greenery, so we should feel blessed that we are the generation that saw both, and it should increase our iman (faith) in Allah, the Most High.
[Here’s Part 2.]