The Muslim's Stance on Tribulations in Light of the Quran and Sunnah

Author: Hussein bin Mohsen Abi Dhara Al-Hazmi

1 - That 'fitnah' (tribulation) means: testing, trial, and examination. It summarizes and results in the fact that its wording in the Quran appears in many forms, and that it has various meanings, among the most important of which are: polytheism, disbelief, trial, misguidance, madness, treachery, and punishment...

2 - That the source, core, and origin of tribulations is the East - especially Iraq - and its history is the greatest witness to that.

It also - resulted and summarized - that Iraq is what is meant by (Najd) mentioned in the authentic hadiths.

The commentators of hadith, the imams of language, and the experts in Arab geography have all agreed that Najd is not a name for a specific country, nor for a particular town, but rather it is said of every piece of land that is elevated above its surroundings. For someone in Medina, their Najd would be the desert of Iraq and its surrounding areas, which is the east for its people, as the commentators of hadith have concurred.

That the eastern direction - Iraq - is detested and not praiseworthy. Therefore, the Prophet (peace be upon him) used it as an example for the two horns of Satan, and informed that it is the source of earthquakes and tribulations, and the head and foundation of disbelief. Furthermore, its past and present indicate this - especially Iraq - and Allah knows best.

3 - The following can also be concluded from the tribulation of division and disagreement:

That division is the most severe type of disagreement.

And that not every disagreement is a division; rather, the opposite is true.

And that division only occurs regarding the major fundamentals of religion.

So the division of this Ummah mentioned in the hadith (that it will split into seventy-three sects) occurs only in the major fundamentals of religion and belief, not in matters of branches (furu') and jurisprudential interpretations.

4 - As for the results of the tribulation of fighting, they are as follows:

First: The fighting of Muslims with the Romans - at the end of time - and its explanation is as follows:

• This great battle has not yet occurred, and the Romans have not invaded on land with such an enormous number - estimated at one million - so it is among the matters that have not yet taken place.

• Also, the Romans will embrace Islam at the end of time, and the conquest of the city of Constantinople - the greatest and final conquest - will be at the hands of a group of them with the Muslim army.

• The victory of the Muslims over them will be a preparation for the conquest of the city of Constantinople - known today as Turkey - the greatest and final conquest, which will occur before the emergence of the Dajjal at the end of time, and their conquest of it will be without fighting, and their weapon in it will be Takbir and Tahlil.

• As for the Turkish conquest of it, which occurred before our era, it was a prelude to the greater conquest.

Second: The tribulations of fighting that precede the fighting of Muslims with the Romans. Hadiths have mentioned the fighting of Muslims with the Turks and Persians before their fighting with the Romans, and they also mentioned the common physical characteristics of the Turks and Persians. It can be answered that the hadith regarding the characteristics of the Persians is different from the hadith regarding the fighting of the Turks. There is no objection to the two groups sharing the mentioned characteristics despite their different origins. It can be concluded from both that they are two groups whose emergence has been warned against.

5 - As for the Muslim's stance on tribulations, and what is required of him regarding them, it is as follows:

• The first of these stances regarding what is required of him concerning tribulations is adherence to the Quran and Sunnah.

• Second: Fear of Allah Almighty and persistence in His worship.

• It is also necessary and emphasized at that time to adhere to the Muslim community of the Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama'ah.