“How will you be at a time that will soon come, when the good people will pass away and only the worst ones will be left, who will break their promises and betray their trusts, and they will differ while they were previously together like this,” – and he interlaced his fingers. They said: “What should we do, O Messenger of Allah, when that comes to pass?” He said: “Follow that which you know is true, and leave that which you dislike. Take care of your own affairs and turn away from the common folk.”  

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ كَيْفَ بِكُمْ وَبِزَمَانٍ يُوشِكُ أَنْ يَأْتِيَ يُغَرْبَلُ النَّاسُ فِيهِ غَرْبَلَةً وَتَبْقَى حُثَالَةٌ مِنَ النَّاسِ قَدْ مَرِجَتْ عُهُودُهُمْ وَأَمَانَاتُهُمْ فَاخْتَلَفُوا وَكَانُوا هَكَذَا وَشَبَّكَ بَيْنَ أَصَابِعِهِ قَالُوا كَيْفَ بِنَا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِذَا كَانَ ذَلِكَ قَالَ تَأْخُذُونَ بِمَا تَعْرِفُونَ وَتَدَعُونَ مَا تُنْكِرُونَ وَتُقْبِلُونَ عَلَى خَاصَّتِكُمْ وَتَذَرُونَ أَمْرَ عَوَامِّكُمْ  

“What will you do, O Abu Dharr, when death overwhelms the people to such an extent that a grave will be equal in value to a slave?” I said: “Whatever Allah and His Messenger choose for me, or Allah and His Messenger know best.” He said “Be patient.” He said: ‘What will you do when famine strikes the people so that you will go to the place where you pray and will not be able to return to your bed, or you will not be able to get up from your bed to go to the place where you pray?” He said: “I said: ‘Allah and His Messenger know best, or whatever Allah and His Messenger choose for me.” He said: “You must refrain from forbidden things.” He said: “What will you do when killing befalls the people so that Hijaratuz-Zait*is covered with blood?” I said: “Whatever Allah and His Messenger choose for me.” He said: “Stay with those whom you belong to.” He said: “I said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, should I not take my sword and strike those who do that?’” He said: “Then you will be just like the people. Rather enter your house.” I said: “O Messenger of Allah, what if they enter my house?” He said: “If you are afraid that the flashing of the sword will dazzle you, then put the edge of your garment over your face, and let him carry his own sin and your sin, and he will be one of the people of the Hellfire.”  

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ كَيْفَ أَنْتَ يَا أَبَا ذَرٍّ وَمَوْتًا يُصِيبُ النَّاسَ حَتَّى يُقَوَّمَ الْبَيْتُ بِالْوَصِيفِ يَعْنِي الْقَبْرَ قُلْتُ مَا خَارَ اللَّهُ لِي وَرَسُولُهُ أَوْ قَالَ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ قَالَ تَصَبَّرْ قَالَ كَيْفَ أَنْتَ وَجُوعًا يُصِيبُ النَّاسَ حَتَّى تَأْتِيَ مَسْجِدَكَ فَلاَ تَسْتَطِيعَ أَنْ تَرْجِعَ إِلَى فِرَاشِكَ وَلاَ تَسْتَطِيعَ أَنْ تَقُومَ مِنْ فِرَاشِكَ إِلَى مَسْجِدِكَ قَالَ قُلْتُ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ أَوْ مَا خَارَ اللَّهُ لِي وَرَسُولُهُ قَالَ عَلَيْكَ بِالْعِفَّةِ ثُمَّ قَالَ كَيْفَ أَنْتَ وَقَتْلاً يُصِيبُ النَّاسَ حَتَّى تُغْرَقَ حِجَارَةُ الزَّيْتِ بِالدَّمِ قُلْتُ مَا خَارَ اللَّهُ لِي وَرَسُولُهُ قَالَ الْحَقْ بِمَنْ أَنْتَ مِنْهُ قَالَ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَفَلاَ آخُذُ بِسَيْفِي فَأَضْرِبَ بِهِ مَنْ فَعَلَ ذَلِكَ قَالَ شَارَكْتَ الْقَوْمَ إِذًا وَلَكِنِ ادْخُلْ بَيْتَكَ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ فَإِنْ دُخِلَ بَيْتِي قَالَ إِنْ خَشِيتَ أَنْ يَبْهَرَكَ شُعَاعُ السَّيْفِ فَأَلْقِ طَرَفَ رِدَائِكَ عَلَى وَجْهِكَ فَيَبُوءَ بِإِثْمِهِ وَإِثْمِكَ فَيَكُونَ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ النَّارِ  

“Before the Hour comes there will be Harj.” I said: “O Messenger of Allah, what is Harj?” He said: “Killing.” Some of the Muslims said: “O Messenger of Allah, now we kill such and such a number of idolaters in one year.” The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “That will not be like killing the idolaters, rather you will kill one another, until a man will kill his neighbor and son of the cousin and a relative.” Some of the people said: “O Messenger of Allah, will we be in our right minds that day?” The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “No, reason will be taken away from most of the people at that time, and there will be left the insignificant people who have no reason.”  

حَدَّثَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِنَّ بَيْنَ يَدَىِ السَّاعَةِ لَهَرْجًا قَالَ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ مَا الْهَرْجُ قَالَ الْقَتْلُ فَقَالَ بَعْضُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّا نَقْتُلُ الآنَ فِي الْعَامِ الْوَاحِدِ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ كَذَا وَكَذَا فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ لَيْسَ بِقَتْلِ الْمُشْرِكِينَ وَلَكِنْ يَقْتُلُ بَعْضُكُمْ بَعْضًا حَتَّى يَقْتُلَ الرَّجُلُ جَارَهُ وَابْنَ عَمِّهِ وَذَا قَرَابَتِهِ فَقَالَ بَعْضُ الْقَوْمِ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَمَعَنَا عُقُولُنَا ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمَ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ لاَ تُنْزَعُ عُقُولُ أَكْثَرِ ذَلِكَ الزَّمَانِ وَيَخْلُفُ لَهُ هَبَاءٌ مِنَ النَّاسِ لاَ عُقُولَ لَهُمْ ثُمَّ قَالَ الأَشْعَرِيُّ وَايْمُ اللَّهِ إِنِّي لأَظُنُّهَا مُدْرِكَتِي وَإِيَّاكُمْ وَايْمُ اللَّهِ مَا لِي وَلَكُمْ مِنْهَا مَخْرَجٌ إِنْ أَدْرَكَتْنَا فِيمَا عَهِدَ إِلَيْنَا نَبِيُّنَا ﷺ إِلاَّ أَنْ نَخْرُجَ كَمَا دَخَلْنَا فِيهَا  

“When ‘Ali bin Abu Talib came to Basrah, he entered upon my father and said: ‘O Abu Muslim, will you not help me against these people?’ He said: ‘Of course.’ So he called a slave woman of his and said: ‘O slave woman, bring me my sword.’ So she brought it, and he unsheathed it a span, and (I saw that) it was made of wood. He said: ‘My close friend and your cousin ﷺ advised me, if tribulation (Fitnah) arose among the Muslims, that I should take a sword of wood. If you wish I will go out with you.’ He said: ‘I have no need of you or of your sword.’”  

يَا أَبَا مُسْلِمٍ أَلاَ تُعِينُنِي عَلَى هَؤُلاَءِ الْقَوْمِ قَالَ بَلَى قَالَ فَدَعَا جَارِيَةً لَهُ فَقَالَ يَا جَارِيَةُ أَخْرِجِي سَيْفِي قَالَ فَأَخْرَجَتْهُ فَسَلَّ مِنْهُ قَدْرَ شِبْرٍ فَإِذَا هُوَ خَشَبٌ فَقَالَ إِنَّ خَلِيلِي وَابْنَ عَمِّكَ ﷺ عَهِدَ إِلَىَّ إِذَا كَانَتِ الْفِتْنَةُ بَيْنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ فَأَتَّخِذُ سَيْفًا مِنْ خَشَبٍ فَإِنْ شِئْتَ خَرَجْتُ مَعَكَ قَالَ لاَ حَاجَةَ لِي فِيكَ وَلاَ فِي سَيْفِكَ  

“Before the Hour comes, there will be tribulation like pieces of black night, when a man will wake up as a believer but be a disbeliever by evening, or he will be a believer in the evening but will be a disbeliever by morning. And the one who is sitting will be better than the one who is standing, and the one who is standing will be better than the one who is walking, and the one who is walking will be better than the one who is running. So break your bows, cut their strings and strike your swords against rocks, and if anyone enters upon anyone of you, let him be like the better of the two sons of Adam. (i.e. the one killed, not the killer).”  

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِنَّ بَيْنَ يَدَىِ السَّاعَةِ فِتَنًا كَقِطَعِ اللَّيْلِ الْمُظْلِمِ يُصْبِحُ الرَّجُلُ فِيهَا مُؤْمِنًا وَيُمْسِي كَافِرًا وَيُمْسِي مُؤْمِنًا وَيُصْبِحُ كَافِرًا الْقَاعِدُ فِيهَا خَيْرٌ مِنَ الْقَائِمِ وَالْقَائِمُ فِيهَا خَيْرٌ مِنَ الْمَاشِي وَالْمَاشِي فِيهَا خَيْرٌ مِنَ السَّاعِي فَكَسِّرُوا قِسِيَّكُمْ وَقَطِّعُوا أَوْتَارَكُمْ وَاضْرِبُوا بِسُيُوفِكُمُ الْحِجَارَةَ فَإِنْ دُخِلَ عَلَى أَحَدٍ مِنْكُمْ فَلْيَكُنْ كَخَيْرِ ابْنَىْ آدَمَ  

“I entered upon Muhammad bin Maslamah and he said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: ‘There will be tribulation, division and dissension. When that comes, take your sword to Uhud and strike it until it breaks, then sit in your house until there comes to you the hand of the evildoer (to kill you) or a predestined (natural) death.’” "And that came to pass, and I did as the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said."  

إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ إِنَّهَا سَتَكُونُ فِتْنَةٌ وَفُرْقَةٌ وَاخْتِلاَفٌ فَإِذَا كَانَ كَذَلِكَ فَأْتِ بِسَيْفِكَ أُحُدًا فَاضْرِبْهُ حَتَّى يَنْقَطِعَ ثُمَّ اجْلِسْ فِي بَيْتِكَ حَتَّى تَأْتِيَكَ يَدٌ خَاطِئَةٌ أَوْ مَنِيَّةٌ قَاضِيَةٌ فَقَدْ وَقَعَتْ وَفَعَلْتُ مَا قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ