[Machine] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "How are you, O Awf, when this nation separates into seventy-three sects, of which only one will be in Paradise, and the rest will be in Hell?" I said, "When will this be, O Messenger of Allah?" He said, "When conditions become corrupt, slave girls become leaders, young boys assume positions of authority, the Qur'an is used as musical instruments, mosques are adorned and beautified, pulpits are raised high, spoils of war are treated as property for personal gain, Zakat is neglected, trust is treacherously betrayed, people acquire knowledge of the religion for other than Allah, a man obeys his wife and disrespects his mother, and the last of this nation curses the first of it. The worst and most disgraced among them will become their leaders. The most honorable among them will be the one who fears his own evil. On that day, this will happen, and the people will be alarmed. On that day, they will rush to Ash-Sham (Greater Syria) seeking refuge from their enemy." I said, "And will Ash-Sham be opened?" He said, "Yes, very soon. Then, turmoil will occur after its opening. Then, there will come a dark, dusty calamity. Then, turmoil will follow each other until a man from my household will emerge. He will be called Al-Mahdi (the guided one). If you live to see him, then follow him and be among the guided."

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ «كَيْفَ أَنْتَ يَا عَوْفٌ إِذَا افْتَرَقَتْ هَذِهِ الْأُمَّةُ عَلَى ثَلَاثٍ وَسَبْعِينَ فِرْقَةً وَاحِدَةٌ فِي الْجَنَّةِ وَسَائِرُهُنَّ فِي النَّارِ؟» قُلْتُ وَمَتَى ذَاكَ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ؟ قَالَ «إِذَا كَثُرَتِ الشُّرَطُ وَمَلَكَتِ الْإِمَاءُ وَقَعَدَتِ الْحُمْلَانُ عَلَى الْمَنَابِرِ وَاتَّخَذُوا الْقُرْآنَ مَزَامِيرَ وَزُخْرِفَتِ الْمَسَاجِدُ وَرُفِعَتِ الْمَنَابِرُ وَاتُّخِذَ الْفَيْءُ دُوَلًا وَالزَّكَاةُ مَغْرَمًا وَالْأَمَانَةُ مَغْنَمًا وَتُفُقِّهَ فِي الدِّينِ لِغَيْرِ اللهِ وَأَطَاعَ الرَّجُلُ امْرَأَتَهُ وَعَقَّ أُمَّهُ وَأَقْصَى أَبَاهُ وَلَعَنَ آخِرُ هَذِهِ الْأُمَّةِ أَوَّلَهَا وَسَادَ الْقَبِيلَةَ فَاسِقُهُمْ وَكَانَ زَعِيمُ الْقَوْمِ أَرْذَلَهُمْ وَأُكْرِمَ الرَّجُلُ اتِّقَاءَ شَرِّهِ فَيَوْمَئِذٍ يَكُونُ ذَلِكَ وَيَفْزَعُ النَّاسُ يَوْمَئِذٍ إِلَى الشَّامِ تَعْصِمُهُمْ مِنْ عَدُوِّهِمْ» قُلْتُ وَهَلْ يُفْتَحُ الشَّامُ؟ قَالَ «نَعَمْ وَشِيكًا ثُمَّ تَقَعُ الْفِتَنُ بَعْدَ فَتْحِهَا ثُمَّ تَجِيءُ فِتْنَةٌ غَبْرَاءُ مُظْلِمَةٌ ثُمَّ يَتْبَعُ الْفِتَنُ بَعْضُهَا بَعْضًا حَتَّى يَخْرُجَ رَجُلٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ بَيْتِي يُقَالُ لَهُ الْمَهْدِيُّ فَإِنْ أَدْرَكْتَهُ فَاتْبَعْهُ وَكُنْ مِنَ الْمُهْتَدِينَ»