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Bismillah Ir-Rahman, Ir-Raheem. I begin with ALLAH's auspiciousness,whose Name is the Best among all the names. All Revences, All Sanctities and All Worships are due to ALLAH alone. Ashahadu An Laa illaaha illal llahu
Wa Ash Hadu Anna Muhammadan Abdu Hu Wa Rasooluhu
''I bear witness that there is no deity but Allah
who is without partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad (Peace be upon Him) is the Rasool.''
"O Allah, Shower Your Peace come upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, as you have brought peace to Ibrahim and his family.
Truly, You are Praiseworthy and Glorious. O Allah, Shower your blessing upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, as you have blessed Ibrahim and his family. Truly, You are Praiseworthy and Glorious". Iam Satisfied with Allâh as My Rabb and Cherisher,Iam Satisfied With Islam as My Din(religion) and I am satisfied with Muhammad as a Rasulallah (Messenge r)sallallahu alaihi was salam) I seek Protection with ALLAH! With the Glorious and Noble Face of ALLAH! With the Complete and Perfect words of ALLAH! With the Exalted Attributes of ALLAH! From the Punishment of Hell; From chastisement in the Grave; From the Trial of Life and Death; From the Mischief of the dajjal. There is no power nor strength with (anyone) save Allah. ALLAH is Good and Only accept that which is Good. ALLAH is the Truth and only accept that which True. ALLAH is Pure and only accept that which is Pure. Ya ALLAH! ALL the praises are for You,You are the Holder of the Heavens and the Earth, And whatever is in them. Ya ALLAH! All praises are for You; You are are the Substaner of the Heavens and the Earth And whatever is in them. Ya ALLAH! All the praises are for you;You have the Possession of the Heavens and the Earth and whatever is in them. Ya ALLAH! All the praises are for You; You are Light(Nur) of the Heavens and Earth And whatever is in them. Ya ALLAH! All praises are for You; You are the King of the Heavens and the Earth And whatever is in them. Ya ALLAH! All praises are for You; You are the Truth and Your Promise is the Truth, And Your word is the Truth and the Meeting with You is true, And Parardise is True And Hell is true and All the Prophets(peace be upon them) are true; And Muhammad Rasulallah(sallallahu alayhi wa salam) is true,And the Day of Resurrection is True. Ya ALLAH! You have promise and Your promise is the truth,Ya ALLAH! You have promise and Your words is the truth, Ya ALLAH! You have promise and You are the Truth!. Ya ALLAH! You have created Rasulallah(sallallahu alayhi wa salam) to be the most truthful of men and what He(sallallahu alayhi wa salam) has said is the absolute truth! Ya ALLAH! You have promise that You would send one who would revive,restore,rejuvevate Your Din(religion).Ya ALLAH it is geting late and time is not with us,Ya ALLAH You have Promise! Ya ALLAH You have Promise! and Your Promise is the Truth! O Most Merciful of those who show mercy!,O Most Merciful of those who show mercy!, O Most Merciful of those who show mercy!--------------------By Shaykh Muhammad Isma'il al-Muqaddam.
Translated by Farhia Yahya.
"I fear for you a Fitnah that is like thick
smoke r wherein a man's heart will die
just as his body dies. ”
- Ibn Mas'ud (radhiallahu 'anhu)
Translator's Foreword
No doubt, Fitnah will take place
The Nature of Fitan This world is enveloped with oppression except for the gatherings of
knowledge Patience during times of Fitan
Adhering to Forbearance and Kindness & Abandoning Haste and Recklessness

Verification during Times of Fitan
Hastiness is the Mother of all Regrets Verifying News Guarding the Tongue
In Silence is Salvation Balancing between Speech and Silence Guarding the Tongue during Times of Fitan How the Salaf Guarded Against the Slips of the Tongue in Times of Fitan.
How often has Blood Resulted from a Single Word Uttered Keeping away from Fitan and Fleeing from it The Benefits of ' Azla (secluding oneself) during Times of Tribulations Adhering to the Jama’ah: A cause for Salvation Countering Tribulations with Righteous Deeds The one who performs righteous deeds will never be humiliated by Allah Du'a and Tadharru' (beseeching with humbleness) in Times of Fitan Seeking Refuge in Allah from Fitan
Translator's Foreword Indeed, all Praise is due to Allah, we praise Him, seek His Help and Forgiveness and we seek refuge in Allah from the evil of our own souls and the evil consequences of our own actions. Whomsoever Allah guides, no-one can lead him astray and whomsoever He leaves astray, no-one can guide him. I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, the Most High and I bear witness that
Muhammad is His slave and final Messenger - sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam.
"And fear the Fitnah (affliction and trial) which affects not in particular those of you who do wrong, and know that Allah is Severe in punishment."
[Al-Anfal: 25]
This Ummah is certainly one bestowed with mercy, but it is also one that will be
tested again and again with trials and tribulations. The hidden nature of Fitan and
the way it develops is indeed intriguing and captivating to the ignorant mind, but its
evils and the confusion it causes is clear to every wise one. Tribulations when they
come seize the minds of the masses such that there hardly remains an intelligent,
clear-minded person amidst the chaos, and hardly is it the case that a person plunges
into a Fitnah and is saved - hardly ever is such a person saved. 'Basa'irfil Fitan' is a recent publication by Shaykh Muhammad Isma'il al-Muqaddam
dealing with this topic, and despite its size, I found it to be a profound book filled
with numerous points of benefit, wisdom and advice, historical incidents and
statements from the Salaf regarding this phenomenon of Fitnah in the Ummah of
Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam). The best a person can do for him/herself
in our current times is become well-acquainted with this subject in order to
safeguard themselves and protect their souls from becoming involved with such a
delicate yet disastrous matter which has been known to spark from a single word
uttered and yet at the same time, bring about the shedding of innocent blood. But what is a Fitnah (tribulation) and what is not? Trials and tribulations can affect a
person, his soul, his family, community or the Ummah at large. How do we recognise it and how should we act or react when faced with the troubles of Fitan? In his introduction to this book, Shaykh al-Muqaddam states: ". . . Indeed tribulations are like accumulated clouds, coming one after another engulfing people in total blindness and deafness, just like the dark pieces of the night or the clashes of the
deep waves. In it, the minds of the people are seized and their hearts die, except the one whom Allah protects. It is from the guidance of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu 'alayhi urn sallam), which is the
best of guidance that there shoidd be preparation for tribulations before they fall by arming ourselves with knowledge and insight (basirah), with good deeds, Ijtihad (struggling to distinguish the truth) and preparation for the Day of Reckoning - so that we can be aware of sins, soften our hearts, wake up from our heedlessness and take advantage of the occasion
before the sudden arrival of Fitan and its terrors. " It is therefore upon us to know what tribulations are, how they appear, their nature and consequences. This Ummah has been subject to its horrors in the past, where
even the best of generations were affected by it, and surely, present and future
generations shall also be subjected to it.
Basa’irfil Fitan in its entirety has not been translated here but rather only selected
chapters, which I deemed crucial and beneficial. May All ALLAH grant us salvation from the Fitan of this world and endow us with knowledge, wisdom and correct action which aids us and keeps us steadfast when trials, tribulations and calamities befall. Amin
No doubt, Fitnah will take place Usamah ibn Zayd: 'The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said, 'Do you see what I can see? I see the places of tribulation amidst your homes just like the places of raindrops as they fall (on the Earth ).'
Imam al-Nawawi said, "The analogy to raindrops is due to it (the fitan) being in large amounts and widespread, i.e. it's numerous and it'll engulf the masses; it is not particular to a group of people. And this is an indication of long-standing wars
between them such as the incident of the Camel, Sniff in, and al-Harrah, the killing of
'Uthman and the killing of al-Husayn (radhiallahu anhuma) as well as other
incidents. In it also is a clear miracle for him (the Messenger) - sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam." Tribulations will surely take place in the Ummah of Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) and whatever he said will take place, must surely take place. Therefore, it is incumbent to observe patience in it, prepare for it and be cautious of it. In fact, we must take extra caution in our current times today because we have drawn closer to the Coming of the Hour compared to those of the Muslims who came before us fourteen centuries ago.
Miqdad ibn al-Aswad: 'The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said,
'The joyful one is he who is protected from tribulations and he who when afflicted,
bears patience .' Mu'awiyah ibn Abi Sufyan: 'I heard the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) say, 'Nothing remains of this world except trials and tribulations .'
'Abdur-Rahman ibn 'Abd Rabb al-Ka'bah narrates: I went to 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr ibn
al-'Aas while he was sitting under the shade of the Ka’bah with the people Surrounding him. I heard him say ’... The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) rose to give us a sermon. He said, 'There has not been a Prophet before me except that it was mandatory upon him to guide his nation to that which was good for them and warn them from that which was bad for them. Indeed this nation of yours, its good times have been made to come at its beginning and indeed the last of them will be afflicted with a trial and matters which they dislike. Then there will come a Fitnah, parts of it refining the other and a believer will say, 'In this is my destruction.' Then it will depart and another Fitnah will come where the believer
will say, 'In this is my destruction.' Then it will depart. So whoever wishes that he
be saved from the Fire and entered into Paradise, let him die as a believer in Allah
and the Last Day, and let him go to a people who love to come to him...' Reported by al-Bukhari and Muslim
Sharh al-Nawawi (18/7, 8)
Reported by Abu Dawud, declared Sahih by al-Albani . Sahih Ibn Majah.
'Abdur-Rahman said: 'I then thrust my head through the people and said, 'I swear to
you, did you really hear this from the Messenger of Allah?' He (Ibn al-'Aas) pointed to his ears and said, My ears heard it and my heart understood it.'
Abu Musa al-Ash’ari: The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said,
'My Ummah is one bestowed with Mercy; there is no punishment for it in the
Hereafter. Its punishment is in this world: Tribulations, earthquakes and killings .
Abu Burdah said, 'As I was standing in the Emirate of Ziyad, I clapped my hands
together out of astonishment. A man from the Ansar whose father was a Sahabi
(companion) said to me, ' What has surprised you, O Abu Burdah?' I said, 7 am surprised at a nation whose religion is one, whose Prophet is one, whose Da’ivah (call) is one, whose proof (Qur’an) is one, and whose battles are one, but yet they permit the killing of each other!’He said, ’Do not be surprised for my father told me that he heard the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) say, 'My Ummah is one bestowed with Mercy...' and he
mentioned the above Hadith.
Sahih Ibn Majah, al-Silsilah al-Sahihah by al-Albani. Reported by Abu Dawud, al-Hakim, Imam Ahmad. Declared Sahih by al-Albani Reported by al-Hakim, Sahih.
The Nature of Fitan-
Tribulations have a certain nature and characteristics which aid in gaining insight to it, allowing a person to protect and save themselves from it - and how many fitan
have occurred due to not knowing these characteristics! From the characteristics of Fitan is that: • It is attractive to people during its onset such that it deceives them with its illusions
Khalaf ibn Hushib said, 'The people used to be fond of reciting these lines of poetry
whenever tribulations approached. Imru' al-Qays (pre-Islamic poet) said: War when it first appears, is like a young woman
Who hastens with her beauty to every ignorant one!
Until when it (war) becomes fierce and is prolonged It turns into an old woman without a husband Grey-haired, so altered and different An unpleasant one to smell and kiss! Khalaf used to say, 'The people should learn these lines during times of Fitnah .'
• Tribulations usurp the minds of men
Ibn Mas'ud: 'I fear for you a Fitnah that is like thick smoke, wherein a man's heart will die just like his body dies. Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman: The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam)
said, 'There will be a tribulation wherein the minds of men will be seized such that a
sound-minded man will hardly be seen .
He (radhiallahu anhu) also said, 'Alcohol doesn't take away the minds of men as
much as Fitnah does.'
Al-Sunan al-Ma'thurah by Imam al-Shafi'i, Al-Bukhari
Reported by Nu'aym ibn Hammad in 'Al-Fitnah' See above source, declared Sahih by al-Hindi in 'Kanz al-'llmmal'
Reported by Abu Nu'aym in 'al-Hilyah'
Abu Musa: The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said, 'Before the Coming of the Hour, there will be al-Harj. ’ They said, ’And what is al-Harj?’ He said, 'Killings. It won't be your killing of the polytheists but rather it's when you kill each
other such that a man will kill his neighbour, his brother, his uncle and his cousin.'
They said, ’Whilst we are sound-minded then?’ He said, 'The minds of the people in that era will be seized and there will remain from the people those who are lowly and
unintelligent, most of them will think they have a basis but they have no basis.'
Abu Musa: ’ By him in Whose Hand is my soul, if it takes hold of me, I don’t see a
way out of it neither for me nor for you except that we should exit from it just like we entered into it, without spilling any blood or seizing any wealth.’
Hudhyafah (radhiallahu anhu) put forth a test which allows a person to see how
much he has been affected by a Fitnah. He said, 'Verily, the hearts are exposed to Titan
so any heart that takes it, is marked with a black spot and if it turns away from it, it’s marked with a white spot. Whoever amongst you wishes to know if a tribulation has afflicted him or not should take a look: If he sees something to be Haram (impermissible) which he previously saw as Halal (permissible) or he sees something to be Halal which he previously saw as Haram,, then indeed the Fitnah has afflicted him.'
• And from the nature of a Fitnah is that when it takes place, it spins out of
control very quickly to the extent that even those who set it off first cannot
calm it down Some scholars from al-Sham (Greater Syria) used to say: ’Whoever exposes his soul to the causes of Fitnah at first, will not be saved in the end even if he struggled.’ Nu’man ibn Bashir used to say, ’O people! Take the foolish amongst you by their hands. Take the foolish by their hands before they destroy you.’
Ibn al-Taymiyyah said, ’When a Fitnah takes place, the wise ones cannot push back
the foolish (who set off the tribulation) and this is the nature of afflictions as Allah
Ta’ala said: "And fear the Fitnah (affliction and trial) which affects not in particular those of you who do wrong, and know that Allah is Severe in punishment."
[Al-Anfal: 25] . . . And if a Fitnah occurs, no-one can get away from its fumes except the one protected by Allah.
Reported by Imam Ahmad, al-Sahihah
Hilyat al-Awliya’

Minhaj al-Sunnah al-Nabawiyyah. Above statement of Nu’man recorded in Ibn al-Mubarak's 'al- Zuhd'.
Hudhayfah: 'Tribulations will not harm you so long as you are knowledgeable of
your religion, indeed a tribulation will only harm you if Truth and Falsehood become obscure to you.'Allah Ta'ala named His Noble Book 'al-Nur' (Light), and said:
"O Mankind! Verily, there has come to you a convincing proof from your Lord, and We sent down to you a manifest Nur (Light - i.e. this Qur’an). "[al-Nisa: 174] And He 'azza wa jail called it ’Basa’ir' (insight or a way out): Verily, Basa'ir (proofs and insight) have come to you from your Lord, so whosoever sees, will do so for (the good of) his own soul, and whosoever blinds himself, will do so to his own harm, and I (Muhammad SAW) am not a watcher over you. [al-An'am: 104] It is authentically narrated from 'Abdur-Rahman ibn Abzi that he said, 'I said to Ubay ibn Ka'ab when the people fell into the Fitnah of 'Uthman's killing, 'O Abul Mundhir, what is the way out (of the tribulation)?' He said, 'The Book of Allah. Whatever is clear to you, act upon it and whatever is obscure to you, leave it to its scholar.' Abu Mas'ud said to Hudhayfah, 'Verily, tribulation has befallen, so narrate to me what you have heard.' He said, 'Has not clear certainty already come to you? The
Book of Allah azza wa jail .
Al-Tarikh al-Awsat, by al-Bukhari.
Hilyat al-Awliya'
This world is enveloped with oppression except for the gatherings of knowledge*
Imam Abu Bakr al-Aajuri (rahimahullah) said -"What do you think of a road that has been covered with many vices and evil, which the people need to traverse on a dark night? If there is light, they walk aright but if not, they become confused and perplexed. But then Allah placed lamps for them
which lit their way and so they walked upon it in safety and security. After them
came large groups of people who also needed to take that path and so they took it.
But whilst on their way, these lamps were blown out and they were plunged into
darkness - what then are your thoughts of them? Such is the analogy of the scholars amongst Mankind. Many people do not know how to offer the obligatory deeds, how to keep away from the impermissible or how
to worship Allah except with the presence of scholars. If they pass away, the masses
fall into confusion, knowledge becomes worn out and ignorance becomes
widespread."The importance of having knowledgeable people (in society) is due to their insight and understanding, especially in times of tribulation when the scholars endowed with knowledge become the supervisors and leaders looking out for the
consequences of Fitan as it approaches.
The poet said in his praise of the one endowed with beneficial insight ( basirah ):
He is insightful of the consequence, by his knowledge As if today, he is looking over the events of tomorrow For this reason, al-Hasan al-Basri said, 'When a Fitnah first approaches, every scholar recognises it, and only when it dies away does every ignorant one come to know of it.' Allah azza wa jail said. "Say: "This is my way; I invite unto Allah with basirah (insight and sure knowledge), I and whosoever follows me. And Glorified and Exalted be Allah, and I am not of the polytheists. "[Yusuf: 108]
Akhlaq al-’Ulama, Imam al-Aajurri
* Taken from the statement of al-Hasan al-Basri,( rahimahullah) Adhering to the scholars and going by their guidance is one of the most important ways of protecting against Fitan and guarding against misguidance and error. Truly,Allah aided his Religion by the great al-Siddiq (Abu Bakr) radhiallahu 'anhu during the days of the Apostasy and by Ahmad ibn Hanbal during the days of the Trial. And also by Ibn Taymiyyah during the battles with the animalistic Tartars when he encouraged the leaders and the masses to oppose them. But then the people fell into confusion over whether to kill them or not until Shaykh al-Islam (Ibn Taymiyyah)said, 'If you see me in the ranks of the Tartars fighting alongside them with a Mushaf (Qur'an) over my head, kill me.’ And thus he encouraged the people to fight the Tartars and he strengthened their hearts. Patience during times of Fitan
Allah azza wa jail will reward a believer for his patience as He says. "Verily! There was a party of My slaves, who used to say: "Our Lord! We believe, so forgive us, and have mercy on us, for You are the Best of all who show mercy!" But you took them for a laughingstock, so much so that they made you forget My Remembrance while you used to laugh at them! Verily! I have rewarded them this Day for their patience; they are indeed the ones that are successful.
[al-Mu'minun: 109-111] He also said.
"And We have made some of you as a trial for others: will you have patience?
And your Lord is Ever All-Seer. "
[al-Furqan: 20]
Usayd ibn Hudhayr: 'A man came to the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) and
said, 'O Messenger of Allah! You have placed so-and-so in charge and you did not
put me in charge.' So the Prophet (sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said, 'You will surely
come to see much seventy after I am gone, so he patient until you meet me at the Hawdh (in the Hereafter ).' In the hadith of Abu Sa'eed al-Khudri, the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam)
said: 'No-one has been given a gift as ample as patience. and that is because nothing follows patience except ease and vastness.
Reported by al-Bukhari
Reported by al-Bukhari and Muslim
Allah Ta'ala said " So verily, with the hardship, there is relief Verily, with the hardship, there is relief"[al-Sharh: 5-6]
For this reason, 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (radhiallahu anhu) used to say, 'We attained
the best of our lives through having patience.' Miqdad ibn al-Aswad: 'By Allah, I heard the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) say, 'The joyful one is he who is safeguarded from tribulations, the joyful one is he who is safeguarded from tribulations, the joy fid one is he who is Safeguarded from tribulations and he who when afflicted, bears patience - and what
patience that is! Abu Dharr: The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said to me, O Abu Dharr!' I said, 'Here I am O Messenger of Allah,' He said, 'What will you do when death afflicts the people such that their homes become graves?' I said, 'Allah and His Messenger know best (or I said, 'Whatever Allah and His Messenger choose for me').’ He said, 'It is upon you to observe patience. In another narration, Abu Dharr said, ’The Messenger of Allah rode a donkey and sat
me behind him. He said, 'O Abu Dharr! If severe hunger afflicts the people such that
you cannot even get up from your bed to go to the mosque, what will you do?' I said,
’Allah and His Messenger know best.' He said, 'Abstain and be modest.' Then he
said, 'O Abu Dharr! If severe killings take place such that a slave's home becomes his
grave, what will you do?' I said, 'Allah and His Messenger know best.' He said, 'Be
patient. ’ Anas ibn Malik: 'The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said, 'There will come a time when the one who holds onto his religion will be like one holding onto hot coal .'
Al-Tayyibi said, 'This (above narration) means that just like a person cannot bear to
hold onto coals which burn his hands, he won’t be able to bear holding onto his
religion due to the overwhelming presence of sin and disobedience and the widespread tion of corruption and weakness of faith.'
Reported by Abu Dawud
Reported by Abu Dawud, al-Sahihah by al-Albani Reported by Ahmad, Sahih al-Jami'
Reported by al-Tirmidhi, al-Sahihah by al-Albani Tuhfat al-Ahwadhi

'Kindness is not found in anything except that it beautifies it and it is not taken
away from anything except that it defaces it.
Jarir: 'I heard the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) say to Ashajj 'Abd al-Qays 'Verily, you possess two qualities that are beloved to Allah: forbearance and perseverance .
Anas ibn Malik: 'The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said,
'Patience is from Allah and hastiness is from the Satan. There is no-one who excuses
as much as Allah does and there is nothing more beloved to Allah than forbearance. 'Hastiness: It means to do something before its occasion and the Arabs used to call hastiness ’the mother of all regrets. ’Ata ibn Abi Rabah used to say, ’Nothing beautifies another as much as hilru (forbearance) beautifies ’ilm (knowledge).
The leader of the faithful ’Ali ibn Abi Talib said, ’The first thing that a forbearing
person is given due to his forbearance is that the people become his supporters
against the ignorant and foolish ones.’
Mu’awiyah ibn Abi Sufyan: ’A slave doesn’t attain his portion of correct judgement until his forbearance overcomes his ignorance and until his patience overcomes his Desires. And he can’t achieve all that except with ground knowledge.’
He (rahimahullah) once asked Amr ibn al-Ahtam, ’Who is the most courageous
man?’ He said, ’The one who deflects his ignorance with forbearance.’ He said, ’And
who is the most generous?’ He said, ’The one who sacrifices his Dunya (worldly life)
to rectify his Deen (religion).’ Sahih Muslim. The Arabic word ’Hilm' refers to keeping away from hastiness and abstaining from recklessness. Al- Raghib in his book 'al-Mufradat' said that: 'It means to take control of the soul and keep it in check when anger sets in. Sahih Muslim.
Al-Haythami attributed it to Abu Ya'la and said, 'The narrators are all sahih.' Majma’ al-Zawa'id Rawdhat al-'Uqala by Ibn Hibban Al-Darimi Al-Isabah, see also Al-A'lam by al-Zarkali.


Al-Awza’i: 'If 'Umar ibn 'Abd al-’Aziz wanted to punish a person, he would (first)
imprison him for three days then he'd punish him, out of fear of hastening at the first
sign of his anger . Mutarrif: 'There came upon the people a time when the best of them in their religion was the one who hastened (to do deeds), but there shall come upon the people a time when the best of them in their religion will be those who take their time. ' Ali ibn 'Atham said in his tafsir, 'They were with the Messenger (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) and his companions - if they were ordered to do something, they
hastened to do it. As for today, the believer has to clarify matters and he should not go forth except in matters that he is knowledgeable of.’Muhammad ibn Bashir said: Appoint a spot for your feet before taking a step For whoever slips due to ignorance will surely take a fall - In other words, do not approach a matter until you have thought of its Consequences and end-results. If it's in your best interests, go for it, otherwise abstain from it. Hafs ibn Ghayyath: 'I said to Sufyan al-Thawri, 'O Abu 'Abdillah! The people are repeatedly speaking of the Mahdi, so what do you have to say about him?' He said, 'If he were to walk past your door, do not get involved with him until the masses fall in agreement with regards to him . Hudhayfah said when mentioning Fitan: 'It is obscure when it first appears but it becomes clear after it leaves.Shamr said (regarding Hudhayfah's statement): 'When a tribulation first appears, it is confusing to the people and it makes them feel like they are in the right, until they
enter into it and carry out deeds which are not permissible. Then, when it (the
tribulation) comes to an end and leaves, its true reality becomes clear and all those
who entered into it realise that they were wrong . So do not befooled by the first thing that you see Indeed the first dawn to arise is the False Dawn. Rawdhat al-'Uqala .
Hilyat al-Awliya
Hilyat al-Awliya
Al-Musannaf by Ibn Abi Shaybah
Lisan al-’Arab Issues will put you in doubt when they first appear But you shall know their reality when they pass by and disappear And another poet said in his criticism of a people: And they do not protect against evil until it afflicts them
And they do not know about matters until it pass them by Abu Hatim, Muhammad ibn Hibban al-Busti said, 'The hasty one does not reach his goal just as the kind and gentle one is never superseded. The silent one is hardly ever blameworthy and the one who speaks frequently is hardly ever safe. The hasty one speaks before he knows anything and he answers before understanding anything. He praises another before gaining familiarity and he criticizes after he has praised! He takes to resolve before giving thought and he moves onward without any resolve. Hastiness is always followed by regret and safety is not something that comes with it, and the Arabs used to call hastiness 'the mother of all regrets. ’ 39
Do not be hasty for perhaps it may be
That a youth hastens in a matter which will harm him And perhaps a youth has dislike for something But its end-result will make him happy And al-Qutami recited:
The patient one will achieve some of his needs Whilst the hasty one will fall and slip
And perhaps some people lose out due to their slowness When it would have been correct had they hastened.
Al-Hasan al-Basri said, 'It is only a hopeful believer or a studious ignorant that is
worthy of being spoken to. As for the one who strikes with his sword or whip and
says 'Fear me! Fear me!' what do you have to do with him? Rawdhat al-'Uqala
Basa'ir Dhawi al-Tamyiz
Al-'Aqd al-Farid Hilyat al-Awliya, al-Tamhid by Ibn 'Abd al-Barr, Jami' 'Ulum wal-Hikam by Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali Al-Sha’bi: 'A man was once stem towards Mu'awiyah saying, 'I caution you against
the Ruler for his anger is like that of a child and his grasp is like that of a lion !
Al-Mustawrid al-Qurashi said whilst in the presence of 'Amr ibn al-'Aas, 'I heard the
Messenger of Allah (sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) say, 'The Hour will come when the
Romans are the largest in number.' ’Amr said to him, ’Look to what you are saying!’
He said, ’I only say what I heard from the Messenger (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam).’
So he said, ’If that’s the case, then they (the Romans) have four characteristics: They
are the most patient of people during times of tribulation, they are the quickest to
recover after a calamity, they are the most likely to return after fleeing and they are
the best towards the poor, orphans and the weak. The fifth is a beautiful deed: They
prevent the oppression of Rulers the most .
What is important here is his statement: ’They are the most patient of people during
times of tribulation...’ - i.e. If a change of condition appears and Fitan (tribulations)
appear, they forbear and they are not hasty nor do they become angry, so that they
may ward off killings and save their Christian brethren and save them from
tribulations because they know that when a Fitnah appears, it shall descend upon
them. So because of this one characteristic in them, they remain as the largest
number of people until the Coming of the Hour. How surprising that we do not take
up this commendable characteristic which ’Amr ibn al-’Aas praised the Romans for
when we have the most right to every good than everyone else .’ Siyar A’lam al-Nubala
i.e. these characteristics are what will aid them in being so large in number
Sahih Muslim.
Al-Dhawabit al-Shar'iyyah li-Mawqif al-Muslim min al-Fitan, by Shaykh Salih ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz Aal-Shaykh
Verification during Times of Fitan


Sa'ad ibn Abi Waqqas said to his son 'Umar when he came to him, 'O my son! Is it in
times of tribulation that you command me to become a leader?! No, by Allah I will
never do so until I'm given a sword which if I strike a Muslim with it, it misses target
and if I strike a disbeliever with it, it kills him.’ I heard the Messenger of Allah
(sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) say, 'Verily, Allah loves the rich one who is subtle and
pious .' Muhammad: ’I was told that Sa'ad (radhiallahu anhu) said, 'I don’t claim that I have any right to the Khilafah (Caliphate) any more than this garment of mine has. I
strove in Jihad and I know best what Jihad is. I will not die in rage if there is another
man who is better than me, and I will never fight until they give me a sword with
two eyes and a tongue proclaiming: 'This is a believer and this is a disbeliever.'
'Amir al-Sha'bi said: ’When Marwan fought with al-Dhahhak ibn Qays, he sent for
Ayman ibn Khurayyim al-Asadi saying, ’We would like you to fight along with us.'
He said, 'Indeed my father and uncle witnessed Badr and they vowed that I should
never fight anyone who bears witness to 'la ilaha illa'Allah (testimony of faith). So if
you can grant me security and salvation from the Hellfire, I will fight alongside you!
So (Marwan) said to him, 'Go away' and he began to ridicule and abuse him, so
Ayman recited; I am not one to fight a man who offers prayers To fight him with another leader from Quraysh

He has his authority and I bear my own sins
May Allah save us from ignorance and recklessness! Shall I fight a Muslim over nothing at all? Then as long as I live, my life will not benefit me Humayd ibn Hilal said, 'The Hururiyyah (group from the Khawarij) came to Mutarrif ibn 'Abdillah, calling him to their way and opinion. He said, 'O you people! If I had two souls, I would make one pledge to you and keep away the other, so that if what you call to is correct guidance, I would send the other and if it is misguidance, then only soul would perish and the other would remain. But indeed, it is only one soul that I have and so I will not allow it to be misguided.'