The Emergence of The Beast
The Emergence of The Beast
All perfect praise is due to Allaah; I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah and that Muhammad is His Slave and Messenger; may Allaah exalt his mention, as well as that of his family and all his companions.
The emergence of The Beast is one of the signs of the greatness of Allaah, and it is a proof against His slaves; it is substantiated in the Book of Allaah.
Allaah says:
"And when the word [i.e. decree] befalls them, We will bring forth for them a creature from the earth speaking to th em, [saying] that the people were, of Our verses, not certain [in faith]." [An-Naml: 82] Imaam Ibn Jurayj, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said: "The 'word' in the verse refers to punishment." [End of quote] Imaam At-Tabari, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said: "The emergence of The Beast will be when people cease enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil." [End of quote] Other scholars have stated that the "word" is the wrath of Allaah, which is close to the above meaning.
There are many Prophetic narrations that also substantiate the emergence of The Beast. Some of these narrations are as follows:
Huthayfah Ibn Usayd, may Allaah be pleased with him, reported: "Allaah's Apostle sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam came out to us one day while we were discussing something and asked: "What are you discussing?" We replied: 'We are discussing the Last Hour.' Thereupon, he sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam said: "The Last Hour will not arrive until ten (preceding) signs appear: The smoke, the Dajjaal (i.e. antichrist), The Beast of the earth …"" [Muslim]
The scholars of Islaam consider believing in the emergence of The Beast as a sign of having the correct creed and belief. Its emergence is attached to the emergence of another great sign that precedes the Hour, which is the sun rising from the west. 'Abdullaah Ibn 'Amr, may Allaah be pleased with him, reported: "There is one narration that I heard and will never forget. Allaah's Apostle sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam said: "The first sign for the Last Hour will be the rising of the sun from the west, (or) the (emergence of the) Beast of the earth at midday; whichever of the two appears initially, the second will follow shortly after."" [Muslim] Imaam Ibn Hajar, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said: "The rising of the sun from the west will be first of the major signs preceding the Hour, which will mark the first of the major changes in the circumstances and conditions of this world, which will end with the occurrence of the Hour. The emergence of The Beast will be on the same day as this, or very soon after. Allaah knows best, but perhaps the wisdom behind this sequence is that with the rising of the sun from the west, the gate for repentance will be sealed, and The Beast will then emerge to distinguish the believers from the disbelievers (by marking their foreheads with a sign)." [End of quote]
Abu Hurayrah, may Allaah be pleased with him, reported that Allaah's Apostle sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam said: "When any of the following three things happen, no soul will benefit from its faith if it had not believed up until then or (unless) it had earned through its faith some good: The rising of the sun from the west, the Dajjaal (antichrist) and the (emergence of) The Beast of the earth." [Muslim]
The description of The Beast:
There are many statements regarding the description of The Beast. Abu Hurayrah, may Allaah be pleased with him, said: "It is a colourful Beast and the distance between its two horns is three miles." 'Ali, may Allaah be pleased with him, said: "It is a Beast that has feathers, short hair and is bearded." There are various sayings about this, which do not all agree, and thus the only thing that is confirmed is that it is a beast which Allaah will cause to emerge from under the earth and will talk to people and distinguish between the believers and the disbelievers, by marking their foreheads with a sign.
What type of beast is it?
There are different opinions regarding exactly what type of beast it is, and the following are some of the opinions of the scholars in this regard:
First: Imaam Al-Qurtubi, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said: "It is from the same breed of she-camel that Prophet Saalih, may Allaah exalt his mention, owned. This opinion is supported by the narration which was reported by Huthayfah Ibn Usayd¸ may Allaah be pleased with him, in which the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam said: "They will suddenly hear it growling between the Yemeni corner and the station of Ibraaheem (i.e. in the Ka'bah)" and growling is only done by camels." [End of quote] This opinion is questionable as the narration on which he based his opinion is a weak one with this wording.
Second: 'Abdullaah Ibn 'Amr, may Allaah be pleased with him, said: "It is the Jassaasah (i.e., an extremely hairy beast) which was mentioned in the story of Tameem Ad-Daari (when he saw it on an island)."
Third: 'Abdullaah Ibn 'Abbaas, may Allaah be pleased with him, said: "It is the snake that appeared on the wall of the Ka'bah and was snatched by an eagle while the tribe of Quraysh was rebuilding the Ka'bah."
Fourth: Some scholars have said: "It is a man who will debate with the innovators and disbelievers in order to clarify matters, and thus people will die after having had proof established against them (by this man)."
What one must believe is that Allaah will bring this Beast out to people at the end of the time from the earth, and that it will talk to them, and when it does so, it will establish a sound proof against those who do not believe in the signs of Allaah and are thus deserving of His punishment. The verses of Chapter An-Naml prove that this Beast will talk in words that humans understand. There is no mention in the Qur'aan about anything else other than it coming from under the ground and that it will talk to people.
Some Raafidhi innovators claim that this Beast represents 'Ali Ibn Abu Taalib, may Allaah be pleased with him. This is a false and rejected view as it is incorrect and even unfeasible in the Arabic language for a human being to be described as a beast. Besides, there would be nothing strange or astonishing with a man being a great sign preceding the Hour.
After Imaam Al-Qurtubi, may Allaah have mercy upon him, mentioned the different statements of the Companions, may Allaah be pleased with them, regarding The Beast and its description and reality, he stated: "This refutes the claims that The Beast is a man that will debate with the innovators and disbelievers." [End of quote]
Some contemporary members of deviant sects claim that The Beast in the narration refers to certain insects that already exist but which will increase in number and harm man to the point where he will become defenceless, despite the tiny size of these insects and regardless of the technology that man will have, which will be a sign of the power and ability of Allaah, as claimed by Muhammad Fareed Wajdi. Yet another false opinion in this regard is that The Beast refers to lethal germs that will kill man, as claimed by Muhammad Faheem Abu 'Ubayyah. This opinion is rejected for many reasons, such as:
· Germs already exist and have done so for a very long time, as have diseases that kill people, plants and animals, while The Beast that is from the major signs of the Hour is something that has not yet materialised or emerged.
· Germs cannot normally be seen by the human eye without a viewing device, while The Beast will be seen by people.
· The Beast will distinguish the believer from the disbeliever by making a mark on the foreheads of people, while germs cannot do this.
One should never interpret a narration to mean other than its apparent meaning, unless the apparent meaning is an impossibility - especially when it entails having an opinion that opposes that of our righteous Salaf, may Allaah have mercy upon them.
Shaykh Ahmad Shaakir¸ may Allaah have mercy upon him, commented on these contemporary deviant opinions saying: "The verse states, in clear Arabic, that it is a Beast and does not require any interpretation (other than the apparent one). Furthermore, there are many authentic narrations that state that what will emerge will be a Beast, and that it will do so at the end of time. Thus, one should not shun these narrations for the interpretations of these contemporary people who claim to be Muslims, amongst whom are some who are overwhelmed by evil and who refuse to believe in the Unseen, rather, their role models are the atheists and the west. Such people shun and reject all moral and religious principles. They cannot be so open in rejecting the religion, so they attempt to do it in a hidden manner, by conveying the (religious) texts out of their true context." [End of quote]
The place in which The Beast will emerge:
There is a narration which reports that its emergence will be in an area near Makkah, but it is a weak one. Imaam Ibn Katheer, may Allaah have mercy upon him, reported that 'Abdullaah Ibn 'Amr, may Allaah be pleased with him, stated that it will emerge from under a rock in a place called Ajyaad (in Makkah). On the other hand, Imaam Ibn Jareer, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said that it will emerge in Makkah and attributed this opinion to Ibn 'Umar, may Allaah be pleased with him.
However, Imaam Ibn Katheer, may Allaah have mercy upon him, concluded this issue by saying: "There is no sound evidence indicating the exact location from where it will emerge, and one should thus refrain from attempting to interpret where it will be." [End of quote]
What will The Beast do when it emerges?
Allaah says:
"And when the word [i.e. decree] befalls them, We will bring forth for them a creature from the earth speaking to them, [ saying] that the people were, of Our verses, not certain [in faith]." [An-Naml: 82]
Qataadah, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said that it will say the exact words mentioned in the above verse. Ibn 'Abbaas, may Allaah be pleased with him, said that it will mark people's foreheads to distinguish between the believers and the disbelievers, then he said: "It will do both (i.e. talk to and mark people) and there is no contradiction between the two."
Finally, since we have authentic narrations informing us that whenever this Beast emerges, no repentance shall be accepted and nobody will be able to perform any more good deeds, then is it not time for us now to rush and put forth what would benefit us in preparation for that day?
Any sound-minded person would hurry to utilise what is left from his life before the time of regret comes, and then… alas!
Abu Hurayrah, may Allaah be pleased with him, reported that Allaah's Apostle sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam said: "Hasten to do good deeds before any of these six things reach you: The rising of the sun from the west, the Dajjaal (i.e. antichrist), The Smoke, The Beast of the earth, your death or the Hour." [Muslim]
All perfect praise is due to Allaah; I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah and that Muhammad is His Slave and Messenger; may Allaah exalt his mention, as well as that of his family and all his companions.
The emergence of The Beast is one of the signs of the greatness of Allaah, and it is a proof against His slaves; it is substantiated in the Book of Allaah.
Allaah says:
"And when the word [i.e. decree] befalls them, We will bring forth for them a creature from the earth speaking to th em, [saying] that the people were, of Our verses, not certain [in faith]." [An-Naml: 82] Imaam Ibn Jurayj, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said: "The 'word' in the verse refers to punishment." [End of quote] Imaam At-Tabari, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said: "The emergence of The Beast will be when people cease enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil." [End of quote] Other scholars have stated that the "word" is the wrath of Allaah, which is close to the above meaning.
There are many Prophetic narrations that also substantiate the emergence of The Beast. Some of these narrations are as follows:
Huthayfah Ibn Usayd, may Allaah be pleased with him, reported: "Allaah's Apostle sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam came out to us one day while we were discussing something and asked: "What are you discussing?" We replied: 'We are discussing the Last Hour.' Thereupon, he sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam said: "The Last Hour will not arrive until ten (preceding) signs appear: The smoke, the Dajjaal (i.e. antichrist), The Beast of the earth …"" [Muslim]
The scholars of Islaam consider believing in the emergence of The Beast as a sign of having the correct creed and belief. Its emergence is attached to the emergence of another great sign that precedes the Hour, which is the sun rising from the west. 'Abdullaah Ibn 'Amr, may Allaah be pleased with him, reported: "There is one narration that I heard and will never forget. Allaah's Apostle sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam said: "The first sign for the Last Hour will be the rising of the sun from the west, (or) the (emergence of the) Beast of the earth at midday; whichever of the two appears initially, the second will follow shortly after."" [Muslim] Imaam Ibn Hajar, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said: "The rising of the sun from the west will be first of the major signs preceding the Hour, which will mark the first of the major changes in the circumstances and conditions of this world, which will end with the occurrence of the Hour. The emergence of The Beast will be on the same day as this, or very soon after. Allaah knows best, but perhaps the wisdom behind this sequence is that with the rising of the sun from the west, the gate for repentance will be sealed, and The Beast will then emerge to distinguish the believers from the disbelievers (by marking their foreheads with a sign)." [End of quote]
Abu Hurayrah, may Allaah be pleased with him, reported that Allaah's Apostle sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam said: "When any of the following three things happen, no soul will benefit from its faith if it had not believed up until then or (unless) it had earned through its faith some good: The rising of the sun from the west, the Dajjaal (antichrist) and the (emergence of) The Beast of the earth." [Muslim]
The description of The Beast:
There are many statements regarding the description of The Beast. Abu Hurayrah, may Allaah be pleased with him, said: "It is a colourful Beast and the distance between its two horns is three miles." 'Ali, may Allaah be pleased with him, said: "It is a Beast that has feathers, short hair and is bearded." There are various sayings about this, which do not all agree, and thus the only thing that is confirmed is that it is a beast which Allaah will cause to emerge from under the earth and will talk to people and distinguish between the believers and the disbelievers, by marking their foreheads with a sign.
What type of beast is it?
There are different opinions regarding exactly what type of beast it is, and the following are some of the opinions of the scholars in this regard:
First: Imaam Al-Qurtubi, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said: "It is from the same breed of she-camel that Prophet Saalih, may Allaah exalt his mention, owned. This opinion is supported by the narration which was reported by Huthayfah Ibn Usayd¸ may Allaah be pleased with him, in which the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam said: "They will suddenly hear it growling between the Yemeni corner and the station of Ibraaheem (i.e. in the Ka'bah)" and growling is only done by camels." [End of quote] This opinion is questionable as the narration on which he based his opinion is a weak one with this wording.
Second: 'Abdullaah Ibn 'Amr, may Allaah be pleased with him, said: "It is the Jassaasah (i.e., an extremely hairy beast) which was mentioned in the story of Tameem Ad-Daari (when he saw it on an island)."
Third: 'Abdullaah Ibn 'Abbaas, may Allaah be pleased with him, said: "It is the snake that appeared on the wall of the Ka'bah and was snatched by an eagle while the tribe of Quraysh was rebuilding the Ka'bah."
Fourth: Some scholars have said: "It is a man who will debate with the innovators and disbelievers in order to clarify matters, and thus people will die after having had proof established against them (by this man)."
What one must believe is that Allaah will bring this Beast out to people at the end of the time from the earth, and that it will talk to them, and when it does so, it will establish a sound proof against those who do not believe in the signs of Allaah and are thus deserving of His punishment. The verses of Chapter An-Naml prove that this Beast will talk in words that humans understand. There is no mention in the Qur'aan about anything else other than it coming from under the ground and that it will talk to people.
Some Raafidhi innovators claim that this Beast represents 'Ali Ibn Abu Taalib, may Allaah be pleased with him. This is a false and rejected view as it is incorrect and even unfeasible in the Arabic language for a human being to be described as a beast. Besides, there would be nothing strange or astonishing with a man being a great sign preceding the Hour.
After Imaam Al-Qurtubi, may Allaah have mercy upon him, mentioned the different statements of the Companions, may Allaah be pleased with them, regarding The Beast and its description and reality, he stated: "This refutes the claims that The Beast is a man that will debate with the innovators and disbelievers." [End of quote]
Some contemporary members of deviant sects claim that The Beast in the narration refers to certain insects that already exist but which will increase in number and harm man to the point where he will become defenceless, despite the tiny size of these insects and regardless of the technology that man will have, which will be a sign of the power and ability of Allaah, as claimed by Muhammad Fareed Wajdi. Yet another false opinion in this regard is that The Beast refers to lethal germs that will kill man, as claimed by Muhammad Faheem Abu 'Ubayyah. This opinion is rejected for many reasons, such as:
· Germs already exist and have done so for a very long time, as have diseases that kill people, plants and animals, while The Beast that is from the major signs of the Hour is something that has not yet materialised or emerged.
· Germs cannot normally be seen by the human eye without a viewing device, while The Beast will be seen by people.
· The Beast will distinguish the believer from the disbeliever by making a mark on the foreheads of people, while germs cannot do this.
One should never interpret a narration to mean other than its apparent meaning, unless the apparent meaning is an impossibility - especially when it entails having an opinion that opposes that of our righteous Salaf, may Allaah have mercy upon them.
Shaykh Ahmad Shaakir¸ may Allaah have mercy upon him, commented on these contemporary deviant opinions saying: "The verse states, in clear Arabic, that it is a Beast and does not require any interpretation (other than the apparent one). Furthermore, there are many authentic narrations that state that what will emerge will be a Beast, and that it will do so at the end of time. Thus, one should not shun these narrations for the interpretations of these contemporary people who claim to be Muslims, amongst whom are some who are overwhelmed by evil and who refuse to believe in the Unseen, rather, their role models are the atheists and the west. Such people shun and reject all moral and religious principles. They cannot be so open in rejecting the religion, so they attempt to do it in a hidden manner, by conveying the (religious) texts out of their true context." [End of quote]
The place in which The Beast will emerge:
There is a narration which reports that its emergence will be in an area near Makkah, but it is a weak one. Imaam Ibn Katheer, may Allaah have mercy upon him, reported that 'Abdullaah Ibn 'Amr, may Allaah be pleased with him, stated that it will emerge from under a rock in a place called Ajyaad (in Makkah). On the other hand, Imaam Ibn Jareer, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said that it will emerge in Makkah and attributed this opinion to Ibn 'Umar, may Allaah be pleased with him.
However, Imaam Ibn Katheer, may Allaah have mercy upon him, concluded this issue by saying: "There is no sound evidence indicating the exact location from where it will emerge, and one should thus refrain from attempting to interpret where it will be." [End of quote]
What will The Beast do when it emerges?
Allaah says:
"And when the word [i.e. decree] befalls them, We will bring forth for them a creature from the earth speaking to them, [ saying] that the people were, of Our verses, not certain [in faith]." [An-Naml: 82]
Qataadah, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said that it will say the exact words mentioned in the above verse. Ibn 'Abbaas, may Allaah be pleased with him, said that it will mark people's foreheads to distinguish between the believers and the disbelievers, then he said: "It will do both (i.e. talk to and mark people) and there is no contradiction between the two."
Finally, since we have authentic narrations informing us that whenever this Beast emerges, no repentance shall be accepted and nobody will be able to perform any more good deeds, then is it not time for us now to rush and put forth what would benefit us in preparation for that day?
Any sound-minded person would hurry to utilise what is left from his life before the time of regret comes, and then… alas!
Abu Hurayrah, may Allaah be pleased with him, reported that Allaah's Apostle sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam said: "Hasten to do good deeds before any of these six things reach you: The rising of the sun from the west, the Dajjaal (i.e. antichrist), The Smoke, The Beast of the earth, your death or the Hour." [Muslim]
posted by Muhammed Mustharshid at 11:39 AM
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