পৃষ্ঠা 281: তৃতীয় অধ্যায়: কিয়ামতের মহা আলামতসমূহ (মাহদী, দাজ্জাল, ঈসা (আ.), ইয়াজুজ-মাজুজ, পশ্চিমাকাশে সূর্যোদয়)

The Author's Commentary on the Statement of the Two Hadith Masters, Ibn Hajar and al-Sakhawi, Regarding This Matter

"As stated in the earlier narrations, it is one hundred and twenty years, but they will pass swiftly, equivalent to the span of one hundred and twenty months, as recorded in Sahih Muslim on the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), tracing it back to the Prophet (ﷺ): 'The Hour will not be established until a year becomes like a month...' the hadith, which includes: 'and a day like an hour, and an hour like the burning of a palm-leaf.' End quote."

Based on this, the convergence of time and the shortening of days would occur twice: once during the time of the Dajjal (False Messiah), after which the blessing of the earth and the length of days will return to their original state; then they will diminish again after the death of 'Isa (peace be upon him) until, at the end of the world, they become as mentioned.

This is a fine observation, and I have not seen anyone else point it out, and with Allah lies success.

I say: What the two of them stated implies that the period would be the equivalent of twelve years of our years, so the problem remains as it was. For a foal may indeed be mounted within two years. Even if we grant this and make the strained assumption that what is meant is riding for attack and retreat in warfare, which in noble thoroughbred horses only occurs at the age of ten or later, it is still impossible to reconcile this with the narration of eight and six months.

Furthermore, it is contradicted by the previously mentioned hadith of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) in 'Abd ibn Humayd, reported marfu': "The Hour will not be established until two elderly men meet..." the hadith, unless it is argued that the aging of the people of that time corresponds to their accelerated years. According to this, the birth of a foal and its being mounted would be estimated according to normal years. However, the preferable harmonization is that the short duration is in reference to the remaining of the believers, whereas the one hundred and twenty years are for the disbelievers and the wicked, as explicitly stated in the earlier narrations: "the wicked after the righteous."

Along with this, one must maintain the shortening of time, so that the forty years mentioned in the previous hadith of Ibn Mas'ud regarding the remaining of the believers would amount to forty months; thus, the estimation concerning the foaling of the mare and its riding becomes clear.

The meaning of "the Hour will be established" based on this is that it is established upon the believers through their deaths. A parallel to this is found in al-Bukhari: a man asked the Prophet (ﷺ) about the Hour, so he looked at the youngest person present and said: "If this one lives a full life, he will not die until your Hour is established."

The scholars said: He meant the specific hour (death) of those present, not the universal Hour of all creation.

However, regarding the narration of eight months and six months, if both are authentic, they must definitely be interpreted allegorically.