পৃষ্ঠা 172: দ্বিতীয় অধ্যায়: মধ্যবর্তী আলামতসমূহ যা দৃশ্যমান হয়েছে এবং ক্রমবর্ধমানভাবে সংঘটিত হচ্ছে

Then, when they overcame them, they reclaimed their families, and the Romans demanded that they divide them among themselves, since they had fallen into the hands of the disbelievers.

It is deduced from this narration that the Romans will arrive by sea. Therefore, their arrival at Dabiq or al-A'maq (both of which are near Aleppo) does not necessarily imply their conquest over all Muslim lands, such that one might think Constantinople, which is currently the abode of Islam (may it remain flourishing with it until the Hour of Resurrection), will revert to being an abode of disbelief, and refuge is sought with Allah; for what is meant is Greater Constantinople, as will be discussed later.

Indeed, a difficulty is posed by the forthcoming statement: "When the ruler of Constantinople sees that, he will dispatch three hundred thousand by land to Qinnasrin." However, it may be answered that the ruler of Constantinople sends them as reinforcements for the Muslims. This is not contradicted by the subsequent phrase, ("So when they saw the fewness of the Muslims"), because three hundred thousand is small in comparison to eighty banners, under each banner twelve thousand men, especially since this is said after those who were killed had fallen, and after those who defected to the Romans had deserted. Alternatively, it may be said that when the people of Constantinople came out to join al-Mahdi, the disbelievers succeeded them in their land and captured it, just as they captured the land of the Levant (al-Sham), and this latter view is more evident.

The author of al-Qamus stated: "Qustantina (or with an additional doubled ya, and the first ta may take a dammah) is the capital of the Roman kingdom. Its conquest is among the signs of the Hour, and it is called Byzantium in the Roman tongue. The height of its wall is twenty-one cubits. Its church is rectangular, and beside it stands a high column measuring approximately four spans in circumference. At its summit is a brass horse bearing a rider; in one of his hands is a golden orb, and he has spread the fingers of his other hand, gesturing with them, which is the statue of Constantine, its founder."

And his statement, "except Damascus", is corroborated by what is reported in another narration, that the stronghold of the Muslims during the Epic Battle (al-Malhama al-Kubra) will be Damascus, and upon the emergence of the Dajjal, it will be Bayt al-Maqdis (Jerusalem). The details of this will follow, if Allah the Exalted wills.

As for al-Urayt, the author of al-Qamus stated: "Vocalized like Zubayr, it is a place." It is mentioned in the hadith that it is near Hims (Homs); thus, it is possible that it is the river itself, or a location to which the river is attributed.

And his statement: "The martyr among them is equivalent to ten martyrs..." up to his words: "to seventy martyrs", its meaning is: