Page 112: Part 1: Distant Signs that Have Appeared and Passed

Note: The author mentions the possible meanings of the saying of the Prophet (ﷺ): "The signs are after two hundred."

And the statement of Allah the Exalted: {And spend out of what We have provided for them} is an allusion to 'Uthman and 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf (may Allah the Exalted be pleased with them both), and their likes.

And the statement of Allah the Exalted: {And those who, when tyranny strikes them, defend themselves} is an allusion to 'Ali (may Allah ennoble his face), and that his defending himself against the transgressors was an action for which he is rewarded and praised.

Likewise, the statement of Allah the Exalted: {The recompense for an evil is an evil like it} is an allusion to his pardon and magnanimity. For this reason, it was proclaimed on the Day of the Camel that their fleeing fighters should not be pursued, their wounded should not be finished off, and their wealth should not be seized.

And the statement of Allah the Exalted: {So whoever pardons and makes reconciliation, his reward is with Allah} is an allusion to al-Hasan ibn 'Ali (may Allah be pleased with them both) relinquishing the Caliphate, his pardoning of the offenses of Mu'awiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) and the people of the Levant, making peace among the Muslims, and preventing their bloodshed.

And the statement of Allah the Exalted: {Indeed, He does not love the wrongdoers} is an allusion to those who wronged the aforementioned individuals, killed them, or transgressed against them; such as the killer of 'Umar, the killers of 'Uthman, the killer of 'Ali (may Allah be pleased with them), and those who rebelled against him, such as the Haruriyyah (Kharijites).

And the statement of Allah the Exalted: {And whoever defends himself after having been wronged, for those there is no cause of blame against them} is an allusion to al-Husayn ibn 'Ali (may Allah be pleased with them both), his rising against Yazid, and fighting for his right until he and the members of his household were slain.

And the statement of Allah the Exalted: {The cause is only against those who oppress people and tyrannize upon the earth without right; those will have a painful punishment} is an allusion to Yazid and those who came after him among the Umayyads and others. And Allah knows best the symbols of His Book and the secrets of His address.

Note

It has been narrated from the Prophet (ﷺ) that he said: "The signs are after two hundred." This could mean after two hundred years from the Hijrah, or it could mean two hundred years after the thousandth year (i.e., 1200 AH).

The first interpretation is supported by the fact that all or most of the mentioned signs, such as earthquakes, violent winds, tremors, rains of blood, stones, the tribulations of Mu'tazilism, the Qarmatians, the Zanj rebellion, the shrieking of birds, the cry from the sky, drownings, fire, and other events that have been detailed previously, indeed occurred [around that era].