It is narrated that Qatadah said regarding the verse “And We saved him and Lut to the land which We have blessed for all people” (Quran 21:71): They were in the land of Iraq, then they were saved to the land of Sham. It was said about Sham: ‘Imad Dar Al-Hijra (the supporting pillar of the abode of migration). There is no decrease from the earth in Sham, and there is no decrease from Sham in Filastin (Palestine). It was also said that it is the land of Mahshar (gathering) and Manshar (spreading), where people gather, and where Isa ibn Maryam (Jesus son of Mary) will descend.
Allah will destroy Al-Masih Ad-Dajjal (the false messiah) there. It is narrated that Abu Qilabah said: The Messenger of Allah said, “I saw in a dream that the angels carried the pillar of the Book and placed it in Sham. I interpreted it to mean that when tribulations occur, faith will be in Sham.” The Prophet also mentioned one day during his sermon, “There is an army in Sham, an army in Iraq, and an army in Yemen.” A man asked, “O Messenger of Allah, where should I go?” He replied, “Go to Sham, for Allah has taken it upon Himself to protect Sham and its people. Whoever refuses (to go) should join me with his right hand and seek refuge.”
[This Tafsir below suggests the man is Zul-Kifl, or Dha al-Kifl, as I assume are the same person. What is interesting is that Kifl appears to be talking TO a Prophet in this statement. So if he did succeed this Prophet, did he himself become a Prophet? Allah knows best. Regardless, then the narrative transitions to a story of Jesus doing something similar.]
. . . A young man stood up and said, “I will.” The Prophet (peace be upon him) asked him to sit down. Then he repeated the question, “Who among you can guarantee that he will spend his nights in prayer, his days in fasting, and not get angry?” The same young man stood up again and said, “I will.” The Prophet (peace be upon him) asked him to sit down once more. The Prophet (peace be upon him) repeated the question for a third time, “Who among you can guarantee that he will spend his nights in prayer, his days in fasting, and not get angry?” The young man stood up again and said, “I will.” This time, the Prophet (peace be upon him) asked him, “Do you really think you can spend your nights in prayer, your days in fasting, and not get angry?” The Prophet (peace be upon him) passed away, and the young man took his place as a judge among the people. He was known for his calm demeanor and never got angry. One day, while he was fasting, Satan came to him in the form of a man, trying to provoke him. The young man sent someone to deal with the stranger, but the stranger refused to leave. The young man then went out to meet the stranger himself. As they walked through the market, the stranger suddenly disappeared. This incident earned the young man the nickname “Dha al-Kifl” (the one who was tested).
Ibn Muthanna narrated that Affan ibn Muslim said: Wuhayb told us that Dawud reported from Mujahid, who said: When Isa (Jesus) grew old, he gathered his people and asked, “Who among you can guarantee that he will spend his nights in prayer, his days in fasting, and not get angry?” A man stood up and said, “I will.” Isa asked him to sit down. Isa repeated the question the next day, but no one responded. The same man stood up again and said, “I will.” Isa appointed him as his successor. Iblis (Satan) then told his followers, “You must test this man.”
[Above says that Jesus grew old, which is interesting, because first, if you lived during Jesus time the average life expectancy was about 35. They may have considered 30s as being old at that time, or, it is contemplating after his return and he grows old. Allah knows best.]
[Aden Abyan, from below, might be modern Yemen; I also found a snippet of an old 1909 map of that.]
The End of Times
[Due to multiple translations including those with different details, I had the AI merge it into one narrative, if you want to read individual original narratives, then go to the keyword viewer.]
Hudhayfah bin al-Yaman said: “The Messenger of Allah mentioned that the first signs will be the Dajjal, the descent of Jesus, and a fire emerging from the depths of Aden Abyan, driving people to the gathering place.”
When they asked about the Dukhan (smoke) and the Dabbat (beast), then Gog and Magog, Hudhayfah asked, “O Messenger of Allah, what is Gog and Magog?” He replied, “They are two nations, each having four hundred thousand people. No man among them dies until he sees a thousand eyes staring at him from his own loins. They are the children of Adam, and they will march towards the ruins of the world. Their vanguard will be in Syria, and their rear guard will be in Iraq. They will pass by the rivers of the world, drinking from the Euphrates, the Tigris, and the Tabariyyah lake, until they reach the Holy House in Jerusalem. Then they will say, ‘We have killed the people of the earth; now let us fight those in the sky.’ They will shoot arrows at the sky, which will return stained with blood, and they will think they have killed those in the sky. Jesus and the Muslims will be on Mount Tur Sina’.
Allah will reveal to Jesus, ‘Protect My servants on Mount Tur and what is around Aylah.’ Then Jesus will raise his hands, and the Muslims will pray. Allah will send a beast called An-Nagaf, which will enter through their nostrils, causing their death from the stench of Iraq to the stench of Syria. The earth will become foul-smelling, so Allah will order the sky to send heavy rain that washes away their bodies and bones. At that time, the sun will rise from the west.”
Another narration states that the people of the house will be afflicted with a calamity from the sky. Jesus, son of Mary, will pray, “O Lord, we have no power or strength; take care of them as You wish.” Allah will send upon them a worm called al-Naghaf, cutting off their necks, and He will also send birds that carry them off with their beaks and throw them into the sea. Afterward, Allah will send a rain called al-Hayat (Life), which will purify the earth and make it fertile again, so that even a pomegranate tree will produce fruit in great abundance. Someone asked Ka’b, “What do you mean by ‘the people of the house’?” He replied, “I mean the family.”
While people are in this state, a man named al-Sarihu will come intending to attack the House of God, and Jesus will dispatch an advance party of seven hundred or between six and eight hundred men. When they reach a certain point, Allah will send a pleasant breeze from Yemen that takes the soul of every believer, leaving only the wicked who behave like beasts. The Hour is as near as a man waiting for his horse to give birth, eagerly expecting it at any moment.
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) mentioned the Dajjal and how Jesus son of Mary would kill him. Then he said, “While Jesus is like this, Allah will reveal to him: ‘O Jesus, I have brought forth servants no one can fight against, so take My servants to Mount Tur.’” Gog and Magog will come from every direction, one of them passing by the Lake of Tiberias and drinking its water until the last of them says, “There was once water here.”
Jesus and his companions will be besieged until a head of cattle becomes more valuable to them than a hundred dinars are to you. They will pray to Allah, and He will send upon Gog and Magog a disease that kills them instantly. Jesus and his companions will come down to find the earth defiled by their stench and blood; they will pray again, and Allah will send birds with long necks to carry the bodies away. Then Allah will send a rain that spares no house of mud or hair, cleansing the earth until it becomes like a mirror.
Kahil reported that Abu Az-Zar’aa narrated from Abdullah: “Gog and Magog will emerge, roaming the earth and causing corruption.” Abdullah then recited, “And they will come forth from every elevated place” (Quran 21:96), and said, “Allah will send a beast like a nagaf, entering their ears and nostrils, killing them. The earth will become foul-smelling from their bodies, but Allah will send water to cleanse it.” Some interpret this verse as referring to Gog and Magog, and that “they will come forth” is a reference to them by name. Ibn Hamid reported that Salamah narrated from Muhammad ibn Ishaq, from Asim ibn Umar ibn Qatadah, from Mahmud ibn Labid, from Abu Sa’id al-Khudri, who said, “I heard the Messenger of Allah say, ‘Gog and Magog will be released; they will come forth upon people as Allah says: they will come from every elevated place (Quran 21:96), spreading across the earth.’”
Ahmad ibn Ibrahim reported that Hisham ibn Bashir narrated from Al-Awwam ibn Hawshab, from Jabalah ibn Suhaym, from Mu’thir (who is Ibn Afaza al-Abdi), from Abdullah ibn Mas’ud, who said, “The Messenger of Allah mentioned in a hadith about Jesus son of Mary that he said: ‘I have been informed by my Lord that the Dajjal will emerge. He has two rods; when he sees me, Allah will destroy him.’ The trees and the rocks will say: ‘O Muslim, this is an infidel, kill him!’ Allah will then destroy them, and people will return to their homelands. Gog and Magog will come from every elevated place, but they will not reach the people.”
. . . Among them, some will be thrown into the Fire, and they will be made to face each other, and their faces will be covered. . .Azhar bin Abi Azhar [said]: “This is what Allah said: ‘This is a day when they will not speak, nor will they be allowed to make excuses’ [77:35-36].”
. . . Abu Bakr bin Abdullah: “I swear by the One who revealed the Quran to Muhammad, and the Torah to Moses, and the Gospel to Jesus, that after this, the people of Hell will not speak a word except for gasping and sighing in eternity, with no end.”
. . . from Abu Ma’shar: “We were at a funeral with Abu Ja’far Al-Qari. We sat down, and Abu Ja’far moved away and wept. He was asked: ‘What makes you cry, O Abu Ja’far?’ He replied: ‘Zayd bin Aslam told me that the people of Hell do not breathe.'”
Abu Ja’far (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Allah, the Exalted, says to His Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him): “And give them an example, O Muhammad, of the people of the town” – which is said to be Antioch.
The scholars differed about these messengers and who sent them to the people of the town. Some of them said: They were messengers from Jesus son of Mary, and Jesus was the one who sent them. Those who said this include Qatada, who narrated that Allah says: “And give them an example of the people of the town when the messengers came to them” (Quran 36:13). He said: We were told that Jesus son of Mary sent two men from his disciples to Antioch, a city in Rome.
They denied them, so he supported them with a third, and they said: “We are indeed sent to you.” Others said: No, they were messengers from Allah who were sent by Him. Those who said this include Ibn Ishaq, who narrated that Allah says: “And give them an example of the people of the town” (Quran 36:13). He said: Antioch is a city in Syria.
[Assuming this to be accurate as to where ancient Antioch is; roughly about the border of Modern Turkey and Syria?
]
[Below is an AI merge of several different translated reports into one narrative.]
Al-Harith said: “We were told by Al-Hasan, who said that he was told by Warqa’, both from Ibn Abi Najih, from Mujahid, regarding Allah’s statement: ‘When your people see him (Jesus), they turn away in aversion.’ Mujahid said: ‘They become enraged. The Quraysh said, “Muhammad only wants us to worship Jesus as the Christians worship Jesus.”’”
Ibn Abd Al-A’la told us that Ibn Thawr told him from Ma’mar, from Qatadah, who said: “When Jesus son of Mary was mentioned, the Quraysh were shocked and said, ‘O Muhammad, why did you mention Jesus son of Mary?’ They also said, ‘Muhammad only wants us to treat Jesus as the Christians treated Jesus.’”
Bishr told us that Yazid told him from Sa’id, from Qatadah, who said [repeating the same remark through a different chain]: “When Jesus was mentioned in the Quran, the polytheists of Quraysh said, ‘O Muhammad, why did you mention Jesus?’ They also said, ‘He only wants us to love Jesus as the Christians loved Jesus.’”
Others said that Allah’s statement refers to His saying: “You and what you worship besides Allah are but fuel for Hell; you will be brought before it” (Al-Anbiya’ 98). The polytheists said when this verse was revealed, “We agree that our gods should be with Jesus, Uzayr, and the angels, because all of these are worshipped besides Allah.” Then Allah revealed: “And when the son of Maryam is mentioned as an example, your people turn away in aversion and say, ‘Are our gods better or is he?’”
Muhammad ibn Sa’d narrated, saying: “My father told me, saying: My uncle told me, saying: My father told me, from his father, from Ibn Abbas: ‘And when the son of Maryam was presented as an example, behold! Your people disputed over it’ (Az-Zukhruf 57). He said: ‘This refers to the Quraysh when they were told: “Indeed, you and what you worship besides Allah are but fuel for Hellfire; you will be brought into it” (Al-Anbiya’ 98). The Quraysh said to him: What about the son of Maryam? He replied: That is a servant of Allah and His Messenger. They said: By Allah, he only wants us to take him as a lord, just as the Christians took Jesus, the son of Maryam, as their lord.’ Allah, the Exalted, said: ‘They did not kill him, but it was made to appear so to them; indeed, they are a disputing people’ (An-Nisa’ 157).”
There is a difference of opinion among the reciters regarding the reading of the word “yasicdunah.” The majority of the reciters in Madinah and some reciters in Kufa read it as “yasuddun” with a damma on the sad. Some reciters in Kufa and Basra read it as “yasicdun” with a kasra on the sad. The scholars have differed regarding the meaning of this word when read with a damma or a kasra. Some grammarians from Basra, along with some from Kufa, said that both readings are acceptable and mean the same thing, like “yasidd” and “yasudd,” or “yanm” and “yanum.” Another group said that those who read it with a kasra meant “yadji’un,” while those who read it with a damma meant “ya’dilun.” Yet another group said that those who read it with a kasra intended to mean “yadji’un,” while those who read it with a damma intended to mean “al-saddud ‘an al-haqq.”
Surah Az-Zukhruf, Verse 57: Ibn Abbas said: “When your people see him (Jesus), they will be in a state of intense excitement and commotion.” He also recited the verse as follows: “When your people see him, they will be in a state of intense excitement and commotion.” This was narrated by Ibn Hamid, who heard it from Yahya bin Wadhih, who heard it from Abu Hamza, who heard it from Al-Mughira Ad-Dabbi, who heard it from As-Sa’ib bin Uthman. Ibn Bashshar also narrated this verse with the same meaning, saying: “When your people see him, they will be in a state of intense excitement and commotion.” This was likewise narrated by Ibn Al-Muthanna, Muhammad bin Amr, Abu Asim, Isa, Al-Harith, Al-Hasan, Warqa, and Ibn Abi Najih, all of whom heard it from Mujahid. Qatadah also interpreted this verse, saying: “When your people see him, they will be in a state of intense excitement and commotion, and they will be amazed.”
[Below is an AI merge, with cleanup edits from myself, of several different translated reports into one narrative.]
The scholars differed in their interpretation of the pronoun “hu” (هُ) in the verse: “And indeed, it is knowledge of the Hour…” (Quran 43:61). Some said that it refers back to Jesus, and its meaning is that Jesus’ appearance is a sign of the approaching Hour.
[Ibn Abbas was cited to the following quotes:]
1. “And indeed, it is a sign of the Hour.” He said: “The emergence of Jesus, son of Mary.”
2. “And indeed he (Jesus) will be a sign for the Hour” means the descent of Jesus son of Mary.
3. “And indeed he is a sign for the Hour.” He said, “The descent of Jesus son of Mary.”
4. “I do not know whether people are aware of the interpretation of this verse or not.” (And indeed he is a sign for the Hour). He said, “The descent of Jesus son of Mary.”
5. He meant Jesus son of Mary.
–
. . .from Abi Malik and Awf from Al-Hasan, who both said regarding the phrase “And indeed it is knowledge of the Hour”: The descent of Jesus son of Mary. One of them recited: (And indeed he is a sign for the Hour). His statement, “And indeed, he will be a sign for the Hour” (Quran 43:61). He said, “A sign of the Hour; the descent of Jesus son of Mary before the Day of Resurrection.”
[Qatadah was cited as saying]
1. “The descent of Jesus son of Mary is a sign of the Hour; the Resurrection.”
2. “The descent of Jesus son of Mary is a sign of the Hour.”
–
. . . al-Suddi . . . said, “The emergence of Jesus son of Mary before the Day of Resurrection.”
. . . al-Dahhak . . . said, “It means the emergence of Jesus son of Mary and his descent from heaven before the Day of Resurrection.”
. . . Ibn Zayd said . . . “The descent of Jesus son of Mary is a sign of the Hour when he descends.”
Others have said, “The ‘he’ in His statement refers to the Quran.” They said, “The meaning of this statement is that this Quran is a sign of the Hour, informing you of its occurrence and telling you about it and its horrors.”
[Thus, some interpret the pronoun as referring to Jesus, while others interpret it as referring to the Quran. Although more fingers and logic seems to be that it is meaning Jesus; and Allah knows best.]
Abi Mulaika said, “One day I visited Ibn Abbas and he said to me, ‘I did not sleep last night until dawn.’ I asked him why. He replied, ‘They told me that the star with a tail (comet) had appeared, so I feared that the smoke (mentioned in the Quran) might have occurred, and I didn’t sleep until morning.'” Muhammad bin Bazi’ narrated to us, saying: “Bishr bin Al-Mufaddal narrated to us from Awf, who said: ‘Al-Hasan said, “The smoke is one of the signs (of the Day of Judgment). When it comes, it will suffocate the disbeliever until he dies, and it will take hold of the believer like a cold.”‘”
Ibn Bashshar narrated to us, saying: “Uthman bin Al-Haytham narrated to us from Awf, who said: ‘Al-Hasan said something similar.'” Bishr narrated to us, saying: “Yazid narrated to us, saying: ‘Sa’id narrated to us from Qatadah, who said: ‘The smoke will afflict people. As for the believer, it will take hold of him like a cold, and as for the disbeliever, it will suffocate him until he dies.’
He also said that some scholars used to say, ‘On that day, the earth will be like a house in which a fire is lit, with no openings or gaps.'” Isam bin Rawwad bin Al-Jurrah narrated to me, saying: “My father told me, saying: ‘Sufyan bin Sa’id Ath-Thawri narrated to us from Mansur bin Al-Mu’tamir, who said: ‘I heard Hudhayfah bin Al-Yaman say that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, “The first signs (of the Day of Judgment) will be the Dajjal and the descent of Jesus son of Mary…”‘
[It’s interesting that Quran.com says differently, so for further reading check out Commentaries for 44.10 from quranx.com; God knows best as always.]
It was narrated that Muhammad ibn Abd al-Ala said, “Thur ibn Yazid told us, from Ma’mar, from Ayyub, from Sa’id ibn Jubayr, who said: When the Prophet (peace be upon him) was sent, the sky was not guarded. Satan said, ‘The sky is only being guarded because of an event that has occurred on earth.’ He then dispatched his troops to search for this event. They found a man standing in prayer with his companions at Nakhla, reciting the Quran during Fajr prayer. They listened until he finished and then returned to their people as warners.”
. . . from Ibn Abbas, regarding . . . The Jinn who listened to the Quran, Ibn Abbas said, “During the period between Jesus and Muhammad (peace be upon them), the sky was not guarded. The jinn would sit in places where they could listen. When Allah sent Muhammad (peace be upon him), the sky became heavily guarded, and the devils were stoned.
. . . Iblis said, ‘Something has happened on earth.’ The jinn gathered around him, and he told them to disperse across the land and inform him about this event. The first group sent was from Nasibin, who were the nobles of the jinn.
Allah sent them to Tihama, where they rushed until they reached Wadi Nakhla. There, they found the Prophet (peace be upon him) praying Fajr with his companions in the valley of Nakhla. They listened as he recited the Quran, and when they heard it, they said, ‘Be quiet!’ The Prophet did not know that they were listening to him while he was reciting the Quran. When he finished, they returned to their people as warners.” The scholars differed regarding the number of jinn who listened to the Quran. Some said there were seven.
And when Jesus, son of Maryam, said to the Children of Israel: “I am a messenger of Allah to you, confirming what came before me in the Torah and giving good news of a messenger who will come after me, whose name is Ahmad.” But when he brought them clear proofs, they said: “This is obvious magic.”
Allah says: And remember, O Muhammad, when Jesus, son of Maryam, said to his people from the Children of Israel: “O Children of Israel, I am a messenger of Allah to you, confirming what came before me in the Torah and giving good news of a messenger who will come after me, whose name is Ahmad.”
. . .’Arabah bin Sariyah, who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah say: “I am written with Allah as the seal of the prophets, and Adam was still in his clay. And I will tell you about this; the prayer of my father Ibrahim, the good news of Jesus about me, and the vision that my mother saw – just like the mothers of the prophets see – when she gave birth to me, a light came out from her that illuminated the palaces of Syria.”
As Allah informs us about Jesus, son of Mary, saying to his disciples, “Who will be my helpers in the cause of Allah?” [Quran 61:14]. He means, “With Allah”. Similarly, the preposition “on” can replace “from”, “in”, and “about”, as well as “with”, just like the poet says: “If Banu Qushayr are pleased with me, I am amazed at their pleasure.” Meaning, “about me”. Some of our companions from Kufa interpret this verse to mean: “When they meet those who believe, they say, ‘We believe,’ but when they go back to their own kind, they say, ‘We were only mocking them.'” They claim that the phrase “when they are alone” implies that the hypocrites turn away from the believers and towards their evil ones. However, this interpretation does not fit with the rest of the verse. In my opinion, this saying is more correct because each letter has its own specific meaning, and it should not be changed to something else without a compelling reason.
. . .
The verse “O you who believe, be supporters of Allah” (Quran 61:14) has two well-known and correct readings. The meaning of this verse is that Allah commands believers to support Him just as Jesus son of Mary asked his disciples for support.
According to Qatada, Jesus said to his disciples, “Who will be my supporters unto Allah?” The disciples replied, “We are the supporters of Allah.” Qatada explained that there were indeed supporters of Allah from this ummah who fought in His cause and upheld His right. He mentioned that 72 men from the Ansar pledged allegiance to the Prophet on the night of Aqaba.
One of them asked, “Do you know what you are pledging allegiance to? You are pledging to fight against all Arabs or they will surrender.” Another man said, “O Messenger of Allah, stipulate for your Lord and yourself whatever you wish.” The Prophet replied, “I stipulate that you worship Allah alone and do not associate anything with Him. I also stipulate that you protect me from what you protect yourselves and your children.”
The Ansar asked, “What will we get in return if we do this?” The Prophet said, “You will have victory in this world and Paradise in the Hereafter.” They agreed to these terms, and Allah fulfilled His promise.
. . .
. . . seventy men came to him, pledged allegiance to him at Al-Aqabah, supported him and protected him until Allah revealed his religion. They said: And he was not named from the sky with a name that they did not have before.
. . . from Qatadah: The Hawariyyun (disciples) were all from Quraysh; Abu Bakr, Umar, Ali, Hamza, Ja’far, Abu Ubaidah, Uthman ibn Maz’un, Abdur-Rahman ibn Awf, Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas, Uthman, Talha ibn Ubaidillah, and Zubair ibn Al-Awwam.
. . . from Mujahid regarding Allah’s statement: “Who will be my helpers for the sake of Allah?” He said: Who will follow me to Allah?
. . . Ibn Abbas was asked about the Hawariyyun and he said: They were named for the whiteness of their clothes; they were fishermen.
. . . Adh-Dhahak say regarding Allah’s statement: “Al-Hawarithun” (the disciples): They are the washers in Nabataean, it is said to a washer: Hawari.
Then he returns, raising our Prophet and his companions, having returned to us in the form we first saw him. He says: “I am your Lord.” They reply: “Yes, you are our Lord,” three times.
. . . from Abu Sa’id Al-Khudri, that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “A caller will call out, saying: ‘Let every people follow what they used to worship.’ The companions of the cross will go with their cross, the companions of idols will go with their idols, and the companions of every deity will go with their deity. Only those who worshipped Allah, both righteous and wicked, and the People of the Book, will remain.
Then Hellfire will be brought forth, appearing like a mirage.” He then mentioned something similar, but said: “We await our Lord.” If he said it, he added: “The Almighty will come to them.”
. . . from a man of the Ansar, from Abu Hurairah, that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “Allah will take revenge for the oppressed against the oppressor until no one owes anything to anyone. Then Allah will create an angel in the form of Uzayr, and the Jews will follow him. He will create an angel in the form of Jesus, and the Christians will follow him. A caller with a voice that all creatures can hear will call out: ‘Let every people follow their deity and what they used to worship besides Allah.’ No one will remain.”
Beast Emerges from Safa 27:82
Ibn al-Yaman reports that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, mentioning the Beast: Hudhayfah asked, “O Messenger of Allah, where will it emerge from?” He replied: “It will emerge from the greatest mosque in terms of sanctity to Allah, while Jesus is circumambulating the House with Muslims. The earth beneath them will tremble, shaking the candelabra, and the Safa mountain will split open towards the Mas’a, and the Beast will emerge from the Safa.
At first, its head will appear, shining brightly with a mane and feathers. No seeker will be able to catch up to it, nor will any fugitive escape it. “It will mark people; believers and disbelievers alike. As for the believer, it will leave his face radiant like a shining star and write between his eyes: ‘Believer.’ And as for the disbeliever, it will prick him between the eyes with a black spot: ‘Disbeliever.'” The Prophet (peace be upon him) also said: “The Beast will emerge with Solomon’s ring and Moses’ staff. It will illuminate the face of the believer with the staff and seal the nose of the disbeliever with the ring, to the point where people in the household will gather and say, ‘This is a believer,’ and ‘This is a disbeliever.'”
[Is this authentic or not? Good question. Remember, al-Tabari collected lots of reports and knowledge, for further reading you could try: Hadith on the appearance of a beast before Qiyamah – IslamQA]