Question:
Are the three earthquakes included among the signs of the Day of Judgement?
Answer:
The order which was mentioned in the lesson of the Forty Hadeeth was translated from the book Sharh Usoolu Sunnah by Shaykh Abdul-Azeez ar-Raajihi, page 138-139 of print Daarul Al-Athariyyah. But yes there is a difference of opinion pertaining to their order and [regarding] which [of them] are considered to be from the Minor or Major Signs of the Hour, such as the emergence of al-Mahdi. Some refer to it as being a Minor Sign as well as the destruction of the Ka’bah. Some label it as being a Minor Sign, although according to other opinions they are regarded as Major Signs as we mentioned in the lesson. As for the occurrence of earthquakes, then yes they are from the Signs of the Hour and are initially referred to as being Minor Signs of the Hour. However, due to them gradually increasing on the earth and becoming more severe – to the point that the earth will have three major landslides in three different places – in this case, they will be regarded as being from the Major Signs. And that which proves this meaning is the following narration:
عَنْ حُذَيْفَةَ بْنِ أَسِيدٍ الْغِفَارِيِّ، قَالَ اطَّلَعَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَلَيْنَا وَنَحْنُ نَتَذَاكَرُ فَقَالَ ” مَا تَذَاكَرُونَ ” . قَالُوا نَذْكُرُ السَّاعَةَ . قَالَ ” إِنَّهَا لَنْ تَقُومَ حَتَّى تَرَوْنَ قَبْلَهَا عَشْرَ آيَاتٍ ” . فَذَكَرَ الدُّخَانَ وَالدَّجَّالَ وَالدَّابَّةَ وَطُلُوعَ الشَّمْسِ مِنْ مَغْرِبِهَا وَنُزُولَ عِيسَى ابْنِ مَرْيَمَ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَيَأْجُوجَ وَمَأْجُوجَ وَثَلاَثَةَ خُسُوفٍ خَسْفٌ بِالْمَشْرِقِ وَخَسْفٌ بِالْمَغْرِبِ وَخَسْفٌ بِجَزِيرَةِ الْعَرَبِ وَآخِرُ ذَلِكَ نَارٌ تَخْرُجُ مِنَ الْيَمَنِ تَطْرُدُ النَّاسَ إِلَى مَحْشَرِهِمْ .
On the authority of Hudhaifa b. Usaid al-Ghazali who said:
Allah’s Messenger [ﷺ] came to us all of a sudden as we were [busy in a discussion]. He said: What do you discuss about? They [the Companions] said. We are discussing about the Last Hour. Thereupon he said: It will not come until you see ten signs before and [in this connection] he made a mention of the smoke, Dajjal, the beast, the rising of the sun from the west, the descent of Jesus son of Mary [Allah be pleased with him], the Gog and Magog, and landslides in three places, one in the east, one in the west and one in Arabia at the end of which fire would burn forth from the Yemen, and would drive people to the place of their assembly.
[Saheeh Muslim]
Ibn Hajar, rahimahullah said:
وقد وجد الخسف في مواضع، ولكن يحتمل أن يكون المراد بالخسوف الثلاثة قدراً زائداً على ما وجد كأن يكون أعظم منه مكاناً أو قدراً
“… Verily the occurrence of landslides has been witnessed in a number of places. However, what is possibly intended with the three landslides is a larger version of what has already occurred in its place and size… ”
[Fathul Baari (13/84)]
Ash-Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan, may Allah preserve him, said:
هذا من علامات الساعة كثرة الزلازل وارتجاف الأرض بمن عليها وانهدام المباني وأجيلا الناس من بيوتهم كل ذلك جرى ويجري ويكثر في آخر الزمان
“… This is from the Signs of the Hour: an increase of earthquakes and landsliding on those upon it and the collapse of buildings and people being forced to evacuate from their homes, all of that has occurred and shall occur in abundance in the end of time… ”
A Side Note: Inshaa Allah we hope to expand on the matter in our upcoming Forty Hadeeth classes which can be found here.
And Allah knows best.
Translated and Answered by
AbdulFattaah Bin Uthman
Abu Fajr
