Surah An Naml Tafseer

The Emergence of the Beast of the Earth

Allah tells:

وَإِذَا وَقَعَ الْقَوْلُ عَلَيْهِمْ أَخْرَجْنَا لَهُمْ دَابَّةً مِّنَ الاْإَرْضِ تُكَلِّمُهُمْ أَنَّ النَّاسَ كَانُوا بِأيَاتِنَا لَاإ يُوقِنُونَ

And when the Word is fulfilled against them, We shall bring out from the earth a beast for them, to speak to them because mankind believed not with certainty in Our Ayat.

This is the beast which will emerge at the end of time, when mankind has become corrupt and neglected the commands of Allah and changed the true religion. Then Allah will cause a beast to emerge from the earth.

It was said that it will be brought from Makkah, or from somewhere else, as we shall discuss in detail below, if Allah wills.

The beast will speak to people about matters. Ibn Abbas, Al-Hasan and Qatadah said, and it was also narrated from Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, that it will speak words, meaning, it will address them.

Many Hadiths and reports have been narrated about the beast, and we will narrate as many of them as Allah enables us to, for He is the One Whose help we seek.

Imam Ahmad recorded that Hudhayfah bin Asid Al-Ghifari said,

"The Messenger of Allah came out from his room while we were discussing the matter of the Hour.

He said:

لَاا تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ حَتَّى تَرَوْا عَشْرَ ايَاتٍ

طُلُوعُ الشَّمْسِ مِنْ مَغْرِبِهَا

وَالدُّخَانُ

وَالدَّابَّةُ

وَخُرُوجُ يَأْجُوجَ وَمَأْجُوجَ

وَخُرُوجُ عِيسَى ابْنِ مَرْيَمَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَمُ

وَالدَّجَّالُ

وَثَلَثَةُ خُسُوفٍ خَسْفٌ بِالْمَغْرِبِ وَخَسْفٌ بِالْمَشْرِقِ وَخَسْفٌ بِجَزِيرَةِ الْعَرَبِ

وَنَارٌ تَخْرُجُ مِنْ قَعْرِ عَدَنٍ تَسُوقُ أَوْ تَحْشُرُ النَّاسَ تَبِيتُ مَعَهُمْ حَيْثُ بَاتُوا وَتَقِيلُ مَعَهُمْ حَيْثُ قَالُوا

The Hour will not come until you see ten signs:

the rising of the sun from the west;

the smoke (Ad-Dukhan);

emergence of the beast;

the emergence of Ya'juj and Ma'juj;

the appearance of `Isa bin Maryam, upon him be peace;

the Dajjal;

and three land cave-ins, one in the west, one in the east and one in the Arabian Peninsula;

and a Fire which will emerge from the midst of Yemen, and will drive or gather the people, stopping with them whenever they stop for the night or to rest during the day."

This was also recorded by Muslim and the Sunan compilers from Hudhayfah, in a Mawquf report.

At-Tirmidhi said, "It is Hasan Sahih."

It was also recorded by Muslim from Hudhayfah in a Marfu` report. And Allah knows best.

Another Hadith

Muslim bin Al-Hajjaj recorded that Abdullah bin Amr said,

"I memorized a Hadith from the Messenger of Allah which I never forgot afterwards. I heard the Messenger of Allah say:

إِنَّ أَوَّلَ الاْيَاتِ خُرُوجًا طُلُوعُ الشَّمْسِ مِنْ مَغْرِبِهَا وَخُرُوجُ الدَّابَّةِ عَلَى النَّاسِ ضُحًى وَأَيَّتُهُمَا مَا كَانَتْ قَبْلَ صَاحِبَتِهَا فَالاُْخْرَى عَلَى إِثْرِهَا قَرِيبًا

The first of the signs to appear will be the rising of the sun from the west, and the emergence of the beast to mankind in the forenoon. Whichever of them appears first, the other will follow close behind it.

Another Hadith

In his Sahih, Muslim recorded that Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, said that the Messenger of Allah said:

بَادِرُوا بِالاْاَعْمَالِ سِتًّا طُلُوعَ الشَّمْسِ مِنْ مَغْرِبِهَا وَالدُّخَانَ وَالدَّجَّالَ وَالدَّابَّةَ وَخَاصَّةَ أَحَدِكُمْ وَأَمْرَ الْعَامَّة

Hasten to do good deeds before six things appear:

the rising of the sun from the west;

the smoke; the Dajjal;

the beast;

the (death) of one of your favorite, or general affliction.

This was recorded by Muslim alone.

Muslim also recorded that Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, said that the the Prophet said:

بَادِرُوا بِالاْاَعْمَالِ سِتًّا الدَّجَّالَ وَالدُّخَانَ وَدَابَّةَ الاْاَرْضِ وَطُلُوعَ الشَّمْسِ مِنْ مَغْرِبِهَا وَأَمْرَ الْعَامَّةِ وَخُوَيْصَّةَ أَحَدِكُم

Hasten to do good deeds before six things appear:

the Dajjal;

the smoke;

the beast of the earth;

the rising of the sun from the west;

and the (death of one of your favorite) or

general affliction.

Another Hadith

Ibn Majah recorded from Anas bin Malik that the Messenger of Allah said:

بَادِرُوا بِالاْاَعْمَالِ سِتًّا طُلُوعَ الشَّمْسِ مِنْ مَغْرِبِهَا وَالدُّخَانَ وَالدَّابَّةَ الدَّجَّالَ وَخُوَيْصَّةَ أَحَدِكُمْ وَأَمْرَ الْعَامَّة

Hasten to do good deeds before six things appear:

the rising of the sun from the west;

the smoke;

the beast;

the Dajjal; and

the (death of one of your favorite) or

general affliction.

He was the only one who recorded this version.

Another Hadith

Abu Dawud At-Tayalisi recorded from Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah said:

تَخْرُجُ دَابَّةُ الاَْرْضِ وَمَعَهَا عَصَا مُوسَى وَخَاتَمُ سُلَيْمَانَ عَلَيْهِمَا السَّلَمُ فَتَخْطِمُ أَنْفَ الْكَافِرِ بِالْعَصَا وَتُجَلِّي وَجْهَ الْمُوْمِنِ بِالْخَاتَمِ حَتَّى يَجْتَمِعَ النَّاسُ عَلَى الْخِوَانِ يُعْرَفُ الْمُوْمِنُ مِنَ الْكَافِر

A beast will emerge from the earth, and with it will be the staff of Musa and the ring of Suleiman, peace be upon them both. It will strike the nose of the disbelievers with the staff, and it will make the face of the believer bright with the ring, until when people gather to eat, they will be able to recognize the believers from the disbelievers.

It also was recorded by Imam Ahmad, with the wording:

فَتَخْطِمُ أَنْفَ الْكَافِر بِالْخَاتَمِ وَتَجْلُو وَجْهَ الْمُوْمِن بِالْعَصَا حَتَّى إِنَّ أَهْلَ الْخِوَانَ الْوَاحِدِ لَيَجْتَمِعُونَ فَيَقُولُ هَذَا يَا مُوْمِنُ وَيَقُولُ هَذَا يَا كَافِر

It will strike the nose of the disbelievers with the ring, and will make the face of the believer bright with the staff, until when people gather for a meal, they will say to one another, O believer, or O disbeliever.

It was also recorded by Ibn Majah.

Ibn Jurayj reported that Ibn Az-Zubayr described the beast and said,

"Its head is like the head of a bull, its eyes are like the eyes of a pig, its ears are like the ears of an elephant, its horns are like the horns of a stag, its neck is like the neck of an ostrich, its chest is like the chest of a lion, its color is like the color of a tiger, its haunches are like the haunches of a cat, its tail is like the tail of a ram, and its legs are like the legs of a camel. Between each pair of its joints is a distance of twelve cubits. It will bring out with it the staff of Musa and the ring of Suleiman.

There will be no believer left without it making a white spot on his face, which will spread until all his face is shining white as a result; and there will be no disbeliever left without it making a black spot on his face, which will spread until all his face is black as a result, then when the people trade with one another in the marketplace, they will say, `How much is this, O believer?' `How much is this, O disbeliever?' And when the members of one household sit down together to eat, they will know who is a believer and who is a disbeliever.

Then the beast will say:`O so-and-so, enjoy yourself, for you are among the people of Paradise.'

And it will say:`O so-and-so, you are among the people of Hell,'

This is what Allah says:

وَإِذَا وَقَعَ الْقَوْلُ عَلَيْهِمْ أَخْرَجْنَا لَهُمْ دَابَّةً مِّنَ الاْإَرْضِ تُكَلِّمُهُمْ أَنَّ النَّاسَ كَانُوا بِأيَاتِنَا لَاإ يُوقِنُونَ

And when the Word is fulfilled against them, We shall bring out from the earth a beast for them, to speak to them because mankind believed not with certainty in Our Ayat