Hadith of Najd

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The Hadith of Najd is a famous hadith about three geographical locations.

1 Naration
2 Views
- 2.1 Najd is in Hijaz view
- 2.2 Najd is in Iraq view
3 See also
4 References
5 External links

[edit] Naration

According to Sahih Bukhari: Ibn Umar reported the Prophet as saying: "Oh Allah, bless us in our Sham; O Allah, bless us in our Yemen."

Those present said: "And in our Najd, O Messenger of Allah!"

But he (Muhammad) said, "O Allah, bless us in our Sham; O Allah, bless us in our Yemen."

Those present said, "And in our Najd, O Messenger of Allah!"

Ibn Umar said that he thought that he said on the third occasion: "Earthquakes and fitnah are there, and there shall arise the horn of Satan." ^[1]

Another narration says:

"O Allah bestow your blessings on our Madeenah, and bestow your blessings on our Mecca, and bestow your blessings on our Shaam, and bestow your blessings on our Yemen, and bestow your blessings in our measuring (fee saa'inaa wa muddinaa)." A person said, " O Messenger of Allah and in our Najd" and so he turned away from him and said, "there will occur earthquakes, trials and tribulations and there will appear the horn of Satan." -Abu Nu'aym in al-Hilya (6/133)

(Shu'ayb al-Arna'ut said that the isnad of the second report is rated Sahih)

[edit] Views

Riyad, the "capital" of Najd is due east from Medina.

Shi'a and some Sunnis have cited this hadith as prophetically foretelling modern Saudi Arabia (which is centered on Najd), and the House of Saud's promotion of the Wahhabi movement within Islam (religious division is one possible meaning of "fitnah").

The Salafis have argued that this idea of Najd is incorrect and that Najd was known by Al Yamamah and the word "Najd" was just another name of the Southern region of Iraq.

(See bottom of this page for original Arabic version)

[edit] Najd is in Hijaz view

Some Sunnis view that the "Najd is in Hijaz view" is the more correct ^[2]. Some refute the "Najd is in Iraq view" ^[3]

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[edit] Najd is in Iraq view

Many others yet have said that the hadith isn't meant as prophetic to this time:

Ibn Hajar Asqalani said after quoting the words of al-Khattaabee explaining the meaning of Qarn (horn):

"and others have said that the People of the East were disbelievers at that time and the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, informed us that the trials and tribulations would arise from that direction and it was as he said. And the first of the trials that arose, arose from the direction of the east and they were the reason for the splitting of the Muslim ranks, and this is what Satan loves and delights in. Likewise the innovations appeared from that direction." ^[4]

Imam Nawawi makes a claim against the idea that the hadith is relating to Wahabis or the House of Saud. In his Sharh Saheeh Muslim 2/29 he said that it had to with Dajjal coming from the East. Furthermore, it is shown in Najd Qarnu ash-Shaytaan that there is 13 places that have been labeled as Najd depending a lot on one's own location, and from Madina, Najd would be Iraq.

Ibn Hajr said: "al-Khattaabee said:

"the najd in the direction of the east, and for the one who is in Madeenah then his Najd would be the desert of Iraaq and it's regions [baadiya al-Iraaq wa Nawaaheehaa] for this is to the east of the People of Madeenah. The basic meaning of Najd is that which is raised/elevated from the earth in contravention to al-Gawr for that is what is lower than it. Tihaamah [the coastal plain along the south-western and southern shores of the Arabian Peninsula] is entirely al-Gawr and Mecca is in Tihaamah.'[...] by this [saying of al-Khattaabee] the weakness of the saying of ad-Daawodee is understood that 'Najd is in the direction of Iraaq' [min Naahiya al-Iraaq] for he suggests that Najd is a specific place. This is not the case, rather everything that is elevated with respect to what adjoins it is called Najd and the lower area called Gawr." ^[5]

Other people have appealed to the definition of Najd, which is "elevated place", argueing that the the others are merely interpreting it out of hatred to the Salafi movement.

Furthermore, the interpretation of Najd favored by many anti-Wahabi, anti-Saudis is in rejection to a number of ahadeeth which praise the inhabitants of Saudi as a beneficial people, is found in Sahih Bukhari:

"I have loved the people of the tribe of Banu Tamim, ever since I heard three things the Messenger of Allaah , sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, said about them. I heard him saying, 'these people (of the tribe of Banu Tamim) would stand firm against the Dajjaal.' When the Saddaqat from that tribe came, the Messenger of Allaah , sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, said, "these are the Saddaqat (charitable gifts) of our folk." Aa'ishah had a slave girl from that tribe, and the Prophet , sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, said to Aa'ishah, 'manumit her as she is a descendant of Ismaa'eel, alayhis salaam.'" ^[6]

Also from Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal:

"do not say of Bani Tameem anything but good, for indeed they are the severest of people in attacking the Dajjaal."

Banu Tamim are the majority of people of the so-called Najd (Saudi Arabia). To label Najd as that area of Saudi Arabia would be in contradiction of the many hadeeth relating to Bani Tameem especially those in which they fight the Dajjal, who comes from the Najd that is to the East.