لَّا يَنۡهَىٰكُمُ ٱللَّهُ عَنِ ٱلَّذِينَ لَمۡ يُقَٰتِلُوكُمۡ فِي ٱلدِّينِ وَلَمۡ يُخۡرِجُوكُم مِّن دِيَٰرِكُمۡ أَن تَبَرُّوهُمۡ وَتُقۡسِطُوٓاْ إِلَيۡهِمۡۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُحِبُّ ٱلۡمُقۡسِطِينَ٨
8. Allah does not forbid you from those who do not fight you because of religion and do not expel you from your homes - from being righteous toward them and acting justly toward them. Indeed, Allah loves those who act justly
Fact Check & Hadith ContextResearcher checked
The Gharqad Tree: Authentic Hadith and Viral Photo Fact-Check
Every few months, a photo of a tall pine forest goes viral with the caption: 'Look! Millions of Gharqad trees are being planted!' Wait until you see what the Gharqad plant actually looks like, and where you have already heard its name in Madinah.
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Executive Summary
In Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, the Prophet ﷺ mentioned a specific thorny desert shrub, al-Gharqad, in the context of the final end-times confrontation after the descent of Isa (AS). Today, social media posts routinely confuse tall pine and olive trees for the Gharqad bush. Here is the real story.
In Sahih Bukhari (2926) and Sahih Muslim (2922), Abu Hurayrah (RA) narrates that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ foretold a major sign at the very end of time, when rocks and trees will speak during the final confrontation except for one thorny bush:
> '...except the Gharqad (إِلَّا الْغَرْقَدَ), for indeed it is of their trees.'
Before jumping to conclusions or social media hot takes, classical Hadith commentators, like Imam an-Nawawi in Sharh Sahih Muslim, Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani in Fath al-Bari, and Ibn Kathir, insist on reading this narration alongside the rest of the end-times hadiths so we don't rip it out of its timeline.
Here is the first thing that shocks people when they look up Arabic lexicons and botanical surveys: al-Gharqad is not a tall forest tree with a trunk you stand behind like a pine or oak.
In classical Arabic dictionaries (Lisan al-Arab by Ibn Manzur and al-Qamus al-Muhit), when the thorny boxthorn shrub (al-'Awsaj) grows dense and sprawling in salty desert soil, Arabs call it al-Gharqad. In modern botany of the Levant, Sinai, and Hijaz, it corresponds to two closely related thorny desert shrubs:
- 1. Nitraria retusa (Salt Tree / Gharqad): A tough, salt-loving (halophytic) desert bush that grows 1 to 2.5 meters high across the Dead Sea depression, Wadi Araba, Sinai, and the Negev. It has stiff, woody branches armed with sharp thorns, small fleshy grey-green leaves, and tiny red berries.
- 2. Lycium shawii (Arabian Boxthorn / 'Awsaj): A tangled, heavily thorned desert shrub reaching 1 to 3 meters, famous across the Arabian Peninsula and Palestine.
💡 How Does it Hide Anything?
In desert ecology, Nitraria retusa and Lycium bushes trap wind-blown sand around their tangled thorny branches, forming wide, dense sand-mounds called nebkhas (hummocks) up to 2-3 meters tall and several meters wide, natural desert bunkers!
In desert ecology, Nitraria retusa and Lycium bushes trap wind-blown sand around their tangled thorny branches, forming wide, dense sand-mounds called nebkhas (hummocks) up to 2-3 meters tall and several meters wide, natural desert bunkers!
Have you ever wondered why the famous cemetery right next to Al-Masjid an-Nabawi in Madinah, where Uthman ibn Affan, Fatimah az-Zahra, Aishah, and ten thousand Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) are buried, is called Baqi' al-Gharqad in Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim?
In Arabic, al-Baqi' means an open patch of land containing the roots of various trees, and al-Gharqad was the exact thorny bush covering that plot outside the Prophet's ﷺ Mosque! When the Companions cleared those Gharqad shrubs to bury the first Muslim martyrs and emigrants in Madinah, the cemetery kept its historical name forever: Baqi' al-Gharqad (The Field of Gharqad Bushes) (Sahih Muslim 974).
📌 Why This Matters:
This simple historical fact proves two things immediately:
1. Every Companion in Madinah knew exactly what a Gharqad bush looked like, they walked past it every single day next to the Prophet's ﷺ Mosque!
2. The plant itself is not 'cursed' or 'evil' in Islam; it is a normal desert shrub that even gave its name to the resting place of the noble Companions.
This simple historical fact proves two things immediately:
1. Every Companion in Madinah knew exactly what a Gharqad bush looked like, they walked past it every single day next to the Prophet's ﷺ Mosque!
2. The plant itself is not 'cursed' or 'evil' in Islam; it is a normal desert shrub that even gave its name to the resting place of the noble Companions.
One of the biggest mistakes on social media is treating this hadith as a political slogan for current news events rather than reading how the classical scholars explained its exact place in the End Times.
In Fath al-Bari (Ibn Hajar) and al-Bidayah wa an-Nihayah (Ibn Kathir), the scholars connect the chains of Sahih Muslim (2922) with the explicit narration of Sunan Ibn Majah (4077) and Musnad Ahmad (3546) to show the exact chronological setting:
- When It Happens: It does NOT refer to ordinary modern political conflicts. It takes place specifically at the very end of time after the emergence of the Dajjal and the descent of Prophet Isa ibn Maryam (AS).
- Who Is Involved: When Dajjal emerges, 70,000 armed followers from Isfahan rally behind him claiming him as their king/messiah (Sahih Muslim 2944). When Prophet Isa (AS) descends in Damascus and marches to the Gate of Ludd to slay the Dajjal, Allah grants supernatural victory over Dajjal's army, to the point that inanimate stones and trees speak up as a miracle for Isa (AS) and the believers, except for the thorny Gharqad bush.
⚖️ Scholarly Rule: Classical and contemporary scholars strictly forbid using end-times prophecies to justify mistreating civilians or generalizing against any religious community. In Islamic law, human relations are governed by the clear legal commands of justice and mercy in the Quran and Sunnah, never by personal attempts to force end-times signs.
If you search 'Gharqad tree' on YouTube, TikTok, or Facebook today, you will see millions of views on three recycled claims. Let's fact-check each one against hard evidence:
Hoax #1: Showing Photos of Tall Pine or Olive Trees and Calling Them 'Gharqad'
Almost every viral video shows rows of tall green conifers (Aleppo Pine / Pinus halepensis) or gnarled Olive trees (Olea europaea) around Jerusalem and claims: 'Look at the Gharqad forests!' As we saw in Section 2, the Gharqad (Nitraria retusa / Lycium shawii) is a low, thorny desert salt-bush, not a pine or olive tree!
Hoax #2: 'The Jewish National Fund (JNF) Planted 240 Million Gharqad Trees!'
Where did that '240 million trees' number come from? From the Jewish National Fund's (KKL-JNF) public forestry statistics since 1901. Wait, what species did KKL-JNF actually plant in those 240 million trees? According to KKL-JNF's own published botanical registries, over 95% of those planted trees are Aleppo Pines, Calabrian Pines, Cypresses, Eucalyptus, Carob, Oak, and Olive trees! Nitraria retusa is not even a timber or shade tree, it's a wild desert bush that grows naturally in saline wadis.
Hoax #3: 'A New Gharqad Forest Was Just Inaugurated Around Al-Aqsa!'
Many viral posts share photos of the Yatir Forest on the edge of the Negev Desert and call it a 'Gharqad forest.' Yatir Forest (planted starting in 1964) consists of over 4 million pine, cypress, and acacia trees, not Gharqad bushes.
Once we strip away the fake pine-tree photos, what do actual botanical field surveys in Palestine, Jordan, and Sinai show about the real Gharqad (Nitraria retusa and Lycium shawii)?
- Massive Native Wild Habitat: Nitraria retusa grows naturally in huge numbers across the Dead Sea basin, the Jordan Valley, Wadi Araba, the Negev salt flats, and the Sinai Peninsula. Because it thrives in hyper-saline soil where other plants die, it dominates those desert depressions without anyone needing to plant it by hand.
- Desert Sand-Dune Stabilization & Perimeter Scrub: In arid desert rehabilitation and soil-stabilization projects in the Negev and Wadi Araba, native desert shrubs (including Atriplex, Tamarix, Acacia, and Nitraria) are maintained as windbreaks and sand-traps, while tall tree belts (like Eucalyptus and Pine) are planted separately along roads and perimeters for visual screening.
Think about what happens when a young person sees a viral post claiming 'This pine tree in Jerusalem is the Gharqad tree from the hadith!', and then five minutes later discovers on Wikipedia or Google Lens that it's just an ordinary pine or olive tree.
Instead of realizing that the social media page got the botany wrong, a skeptic or a confused youth starts thinking the hadith itself is unreliable! That is why our classical scholars were so strict about verification (tathabbut). The Prophet's ﷺ words are 100% true and need zero fake photos, zero exaggerated numbers, and zero clickbait to stand on their own.
Let's wrap up with two prophetic principles that balance our view of trees, signs, and the End Times:
1. Verify Every Viral Claim (Quran 49:6): Never forward a photo or statistic about end-times prophecies without checking both the authentic hadith grade and the real-world source.
2. The Prophetic Hadith of the Sapling: While one hadith mentions the thorny Gharqad bush at the end of time, remember the other famous hadith of the Prophet ﷺ in Musnad Ahmad (12902) and Al-Adab al-Mufrad (479):
> 'If the Final Hour arrives while one of you has a palm sapling (fasilah) in his hand, and he is able to plant it before he stands up, let him plant it!'
A believer never becomes a passive consumer of apocalyptic panic, he builds, plants, learns, and holds fast to justice and truth until his last breath.
۞Referenced Quranic Verses
وَقُلۡنَا مِنۢ بَعۡدِهِۦ لِبَنِيٓ إِسۡرَٰٓءِيلَ ٱسۡكُنُواْ ٱلۡأَرۡضَ فَإِذَا جَآءَ وَعۡدُ ٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ جِئۡنَا بِكُمۡ لَفِيفࣰ ا١٠٤
104. And We said after Pharaoh to the Children of Israel, "Dwell in the land, and when there comes the promise of the Hereafter, We will bring you forth in [one] gathering
📜Primary Referenced Hadiths
لَا تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ حَتَّى يُقَاتِلَ الْمُسْلِمُونَ الْيَهُودَ، فَيَقْتُلُهُمُ الْمُسْلِمُونَ حَتَّى يَخْتَبِئَ الْيَهُودِيُّ مِنْ وَرَاءِ الْحَجَرِ وَالشَّجَرِ، فَيَقُولُ الْحَجَرُ أَوِ الشَّجَرُ: يَا مُسْلِمُ يَا عَبْدَ اللَّهِ هَذَا يَهُودِيٌّ خَلْفِي فَتَعَالَ فَاقْتُلْهُ، إِلَّا الْغَرْقَدَ، فَإِنَّهُ مِنْ شَجَرِ الْيَهُودِ
The Hour will not be established until the Muslims fight the Jews and the Muslims kill them, until the Jew hides behind rocks and trees, and the rock or tree will say: 'O Muslim, O servant of Allah, this is a Jew behind me, come and kill him', except the Gharqad, for it is indeed of the trees of the Jews.
حَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ الْفَرْوِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا مَالِكٌ، عَنْ نَافِعٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " تُقَاتِلُونَ الْيَهُودَ حَتَّى يَخْتَبِيَ أَحَدُهُمْ وَرَاءَ الْحَجَرِ فَيَقُولُ يَا عَبْدَ اللَّهِ هَذَا يَهُودِيٌّ وَرَائِي فَاقْتُلْهُ ".
Narrated `Abdullah bin `Umar:Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "You (i.e. Muslims) will fight with the Jews until some of them will hide behind stones. The stones will (betray them) saying, 'O `Abdullah (i.e. slave of Allah)! There is a Jew hiding behind me; so kill him
Weak report. Shown for study, not as established.
حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ الْمُحَارِبِيُّ، عَنْ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ رَافِعٍ أَبِي رَافِعٍ، عَنْ أَبِي زُرْعَةَ السَّيْبَانِيِّ، يَحْيَى بْنِ أَبِي عَمْرٍو عَنْ أَبِي أُمَامَةَ الْبَاهِلِيِّ، قَالَ خَطَبَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ فَكَانَ أَكْثَرُ خُطْبَتِهِ حَدِيثًا حَدَّثَنَاهُ عَنِ الدَّجَّالِ وَحَذَّرَنَاهُ فَكَانَ مِنْ قَوْلِهِ أَنْ قَالَ " إِنَّهُ لَمْ تَكُنْ فِتْنَةٌ فِي الأَرْضِ مُنْذُ ذَرَأَ اللَّهُ ذُرِّيَّةَ آدَمَ أَعْظَمَ مِنْ فِتْنَةِ الدَّجَّالِ وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَمْ يَبْعَثْ نَبِيًّا إِلاَّ حَذَّرَ أُمَّتَهُ الدَّجَّالَ وَأَنَا آخِرُ الأَنْبِيَاءِ وَأَنْتُمْ آخِرُ الأُمَمِ وَهُوَ خَارِجٌ فِيكُمْ لاَ مَحَالَةَ وَإِنْ يَخْرُجْ وَأَنَا بَيْنَ ظَهْرَانَيْكُمْ فَأَنَا حَجِيجٌ لِكُلِّ مُسْلِمٍ وَإِنْ يَخْرُجْ مِنْ بَعْدِي فَكُلُّ امْرِئٍ حَجِيجُ نَفْسِهِ وَاللَّهُ خَلِيفَتِي عَلَى كُلِّ مُسْلِمٍ وَإِنَّهُ يَخْرُجُ مِنْ خَلَّةٍ بَيْنَ الشَّامِ وَالْعِرَاقِ فَيَعِيثُ يَمِينًا وَيَعِيثُ شِمَالاً . يَا عِبَادَ اللَّهِ أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ فَاثْبُتُوا فَإِنِّي سَأَصِفُهُ لَكُمْ صِفَةً لَمْ يَصِفْهَا إِيَّاهُ نَبِيٌّ قَبْلِي إِنَّهُ يَبْدَأُ فَيَقُولُ أَنَا نَبِيٌّ وَلاَ نَبِيَّ بَعْدِي ثُمَّ يُثَنِّي فَيَقُولُ أَنَا رَبُّكُمْ . وَلاَ تَرَوْنَ رَبَّكُمْ حَتَّى تَمُوتُوا وَإِنَّهُ أَعْوَرُ وَإِنَّ رَبَّكُمْ لَيْسَ بِأَعْوَرَ وَإِنَّهُ مَكْتُوبٌ بَيْنَ عَيْنَيْهِ كَافِرٌ يَقْرَؤُهُ كُلُّ مُؤْمِنٍ كَاتِبٍ أَوْ غَيْرِ كَاتِبٍ وَإِنَّ مِنْ فِتْنَتِهِ أَنَّ مَعَهُ جَنَّةً وَنَارًا فَنَارُهُ جَنَّةٌ وَجَنَّتُهُ نَارٌ فَمَنِ ابْتُلِيَ بِنَارِهِ فَلْيَسْتَغِثْ بِاللَّهِ وَلْيَقْرَأْ فَوَاتِحَ الْكَهْفِ فَتَكُونَ عَلَيْهِ بَرْدًا وَسَلاَمًا كَمَا كَانَتِ النَّارُ عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِنَّ مِنْ فِتْنَتِهِ أَنْ يَقُولَ لأَعْرَابِيٍّ أَرَأَيْتَ إِنْ بَعَثْتُ لَكَ أَبَاكَ وَأُمَّكَ أَتَشْهَدُ أَنِّي رَبُّكَ فَيَقُولُ نَعَمْ . فَيَتَمَثَّلُ لَهُ شَيْطَانَانِ فِي صُورَةِ أَبِيهِ وَأُمِّهِ فَيَقُولاَنِ يَا بُنَىَّ اتَّبِعْهُ فَإِنَّهُ رَبُّكَ . وَإِنَّ مِنْ فِتْنَتِهِ أَنْ يُسَلَّطَ عَلَى نَفْسٍ وَاحِدَةٍ فَيَقْتُلَهَا وَيَنْشُرَهَا بِالْمِنْشَارِ حَتَّى يُلْقَى شِقَّتَيْنِ ثُمَّ يَقُولُ انْظُرُوا إِلَى عَبْدِي هَذَا فَإِنِّي أَبْعَثُهُ الآنَ ثُمَّ يَزْعُمُ أَنَّ لَهُ رَبًّا غَيْرِي . فَيَبْعَثُهُ اللَّهُ وَيَقُولُ لَهُ الْخَبِيثُ مَنْ رَبُّكَ فَيَقُولُ رَبِّيَ اللَّهُ وَأَنْتَ عَدُوُّ اللَّهِ أَنْتَ الدَّجَّالُ وَاللَّهِ مَا كُنْتُ بَعْدُ أَشَدَّ بَصِيرَةً بِكَ مِنِّي الْيَوْمَ " . قَالَ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ الطَّنَافِسِيُّ فَحَدَّثَنَا الْمُحَارِبِيُّ حَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ الْوَلِيدِ الْوَصَّافِيُّ عَنْ عَطِيَّةَ عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ " ذَلِكَ الرَّجُلُ أَرْفَعُ أُمَّتِي دَرَجَةً فِي الْجَنَّةِ " . قَالَ قَالَ أَبُو سَعِيدٍ وَاللَّهِ مَا كُنَّا نُرَى ذَلِكَ الرَّجُلَ إِلاَّ عُمَرَ بْنَ الْخَطَّابِ حَتَّى مَضَى لِسَبِيلِهِ . قَالَ الْمُحَارِبِيُّ ثُمَّ رَجَعْنَا إِلَى حَدِيثِ أَبِي رَافِعٍ قَالَ " وَإِنَّ مِنْ فِتْنَتِهِ أَنْ يَأْمُرَ السَّمَاءَ أَنْ تُمْطِرَ فَتُمْطِرَ وَيَأْمُرَ الأَرْضَ أَنْ تُنْبِتَ فَتُنْبِتَ وَإِنَّ مِنْ فِتْنَتِهِ أَنْ يَمُرَّ بِالْحَىِّ فَيُكَذِّبُونَهُ فَلاَ تَبْقَى لَهُمْ سَائِمَةٌ إِلاَّ هَلَكَتْ وَإِنَّ مِنْ فِتْنَتِهِ أَنْ يَمُرَّ بِالْحَىِّ فَيُصَدِّقُونَهُ فَيَأْمُرَ السَّمَاءَ أَنْ تُمْطِرَ فَتُمْطِرَ وَيَأْمُرَ الأَرْضَ أَنْ تُنْبِتَ فَتُنْبِتَ حَتَّى تَرُوحَ مَوَاشِيهِمْ مِنْ يَوْمِهِمْ ذَلِكَ أَسْمَنَ مَا كَانَتْ وَأَعْظَمَهُ وَأَمَدَّهُ خَوَاصِرَ وَأَدَرَّهُ ضُرُوعًا وَإِنَّهُ لاَ يَبْقَى شَىْءٌ مِنَ الأَرْضِ إِلاَّ وَطِئَهُ وَظَهَرَ عَلَيْهِ إِلاَّ مَكَّةَ وَالْمَدِينَةَ لاَ يَأْتِيهِمَا مِنْ نَقْبٍ مِنْ نِقَابِهِمَا إِلاَّ لَقِيَتْهُ الْمَلاَئِكَةُ بِالسُّيُوفِ صَلْتَةً حَتَّى يَنْزِلَ عِنْدَ الظُّرَيْبِ الأَحْمَرِ عِنْدَ مُنْقَطَعِ السَّبَخَةِ فَتَرْجُفُ الْمَدِينَةُ بِأَهْلِهَا ثَلاَثَ رَجَفَاتٍ فَلاَ يَبْقَى مُنَافِقٌ وَلاَ مُنَافِقَةٌ إِلاَّ خَرَجَ إِلَيْهِ فَتَنْفِي الْخَبَثَ مِنْهَا كَمَا يَنْفِي الْكِيرُ خَبَثَ الْحَدِيدِ وَيُدْعَى ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمُ يَوْمَ الْخَلاَصِ " . فَقَالَتْ أُمُّ شَرِيكٍ بِنْتُ أَبِي الْعُكَرِ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ فَأَيْنَ الْعَرَبُ يَوْمَئِذٍ قَالَ " هُمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ قَلِيلٌ وَجُلُّهُمْ بِبَيْتِ الْمَقْدِسِ وَإِمَامُهُمْ رَجُلٌ صَالِحٌ فَبَيْنَمَا إِمَامُهُمْ قَدْ تَقَدَّمَ يُصَلِّي بِهِمُ الصُّبْحَ إِذْ نَزَلَ عَلَيْهِمْ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ الصُّبْحَ فَرَجَعَ ذَلِكَ الإِمَامُ يَنْكُصُ يَمْشِي الْقَهْقَرَى لِيَتَقَدَّمَ عِيسَى يُصَلِّي بِالنَّاسِ فَيَضَعُ عِيسَى يَدَهُ بَيْنَ كَتِفَيْهِ ثُمَّ يَقُولُ لَهُ تَقَدَّمْ فَصَلِّ فَإِنَّهَا لَكَ أُقِيمَتْ . فَيُصَلِّي بِهِمْ إِمَامُهُمْ فَإِذَا انْصَرَفَ قَالَ عِيسَى عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ افْتَحُوا الْبَابَ . فَيُفْتَحُ وَوَرَاءَهُ الدَّجَّالُ مَعَهُ سَبْعُونَ أَلْفِ يَهُودِيٍّ كُلُّهُمْ ذُو سَيْفٍ مُحَلًّى وَسَاجٍ فَإِذَا نَظَرَ إِلَيْهِ الدَّجَّالُ ذَابَ كَمَا يَذُوبُ الْمِلْحُ فِي الْمَاءِ وَيَنْطَلِقُ هَارِبًا وَيَقُولُ عِيسَى عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ إِنَّ لِي فِيكَ ضَرْبَةً لَنْ تَسْبِقَنِي بِهَا . فَيُدْرِكُهُ عِنْدَ بَابِ اللُّدِّ الشَّرْقِيِّ فَيَقْتُلُهُ فَيَهْزِمُ اللَّهُ الْيَهُودَ فَلاَ يَبْقَى شَىْءٌ مِمَّا خَلَقَ اللَّهُ يَتَوَارَى بِهِ يَهُودِيٌّ إِلاَّ أَنْطَقَ اللَّهُ ذَلِكَ الشَّىْءَ لاَ حَجَرَ وَلاَ شَجَرَ وَلاَ حَائِطَ وَلاَ دَابَّةَ - إِلاَّ الْغَرْقَدَةَ فَإِنَّهَا مِنْ شَجَرِهِمْ لاَ تَنْطِقُ - إِلاَّ قَالَ يَا عَبْدَ اللَّهِ الْمُسْلِمَ هَذَا يَهُودِيٌّ فَتَعَالَ اقْتُلْهُ " . قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ " وَإِنَّ أَيَّامَهُ أَرْبَعُونَ سَنَةً السَّنَةُ كَنِصْفِ السَّنَةِ وَالسَّنَةُ كَالشَّهْرِ وَالشَّهْرُ كَالْجُمُعَةِ وَآخِرُ أَيَّامِهِ كَالشَّرَرَةِ يُصْبِحُ أَحَدُكُمْ عَلَى بَابِ الْمَدِينَةِ فَلاَ يَبْلُغُ بَابَهَا الآخَرَ حَتَّى يُمْسِيَ " . فَقِيلَ لَهُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ كَيْفَ نُصَلِّي فِي تِلْكَ الأَيَّامِ الْقِصَارِ قَالَ " تَقْدُرُونَ فِيهَا الصَّلاَةَ كَمَا تَقْدُرُونَهَا فِي هَذِهِ الأَيَّامِ الطِّوَالِ ثُمَّ صَلُّوا " . قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ " فَيَكُونُ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ فِي أُمَّتِي حَكَمًا عَدْلاً وَإِمَامًا مُقْسِطًا يَدُقُّ الصَّلِيبَ وَيَذْبَحُ الْخِنْزِيرَ وَيَضَعُ الْجِزْيَةَ وَيَتْرُكُ الصَّدَقَةَ فَلاَ يُسْعَى عَلَى شَاةٍ وَلاَ بَعِيرٍ وَتُرْفَعُ الشَّحْنَاءُ وَالتَّبَاغُضُ وَتُنْزَعُ حُمَةُ كُلِّ ذَاتِ حُمَةٍ حَتَّى يُدْخِلَ الْوَلِيدُ يَدَهُ فِي فِي الْحَيَّةِ فَلاَ تَضُرَّهُ وَتُفِرُّ الْوَلِيدَةُ الأَسَدَ فَلاَ يَضُرُّهَا وَيَكُونُ الذِّئْبُ فِي الْغَنَمِ كَأَنَّهُ كَلْبُهَا وَتُمْلأُ الأَرْضُ مِنَ السِّلْمِ كَمَا يُمْلأُ الإِنَاءُ مِنَ الْمَاءِ وَتَكُونُ الْكَلِمَةُ وَاحِدَةً فَلاَ يُعْبَدُ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَتَضَعُ الْحَرْبُ أَوْزَارَهَا وَتُسْلَبُ قُرَيْشٌ مُلْكَهَا وَتَكُونُ الأَرْضُ كَفَاثُورِ الْفِضَّةِ تُنْبِتُ نَبَاتَهَا بِعَهْدِ آدَمَ حَتَّى يَجْتَمِعَ النَّفَرُ عَلَى الْقِطْفِ مِنَ الْعِنَبِ فَيُشْبِعَهُمْ وَيَجْتَمِعَ النَّفَرُ عَلَى الرُّمَّانَةِ فَتُشْبِعَهُمْ وَيَكُونَ الثَّوْرُ بِكَذَا وَكَذَا مِنَ الْمَالِ وَتَكُونَ الْفَرَسُ بِالدُّرَيْهِمَاتِ " . قَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَمَا يُرْخِصُ الْفَرَسَ قَالَ " لاَ تُرْكَبُ لِحَرْبٍ أَبَدًا " . قِيلَ لَهُ فَمَا يُغْلِي الثَّوْرَ قَالَ " تُحْرَثُ الأَرْضُ كُلُّهَا وَإِنَّ قَبْلَ خُرُوجِ الدَّجَّالِ ثَلاَثَ سَنَوَاتٍ شِدَادٍ يُصِيبُ النَّاسَ فِيهَا جُوعٌ شَدِيدٌ يَأْمُرُ اللَّهُ السَّمَاءَ فِي السَّنَةِ الأُولَى أَنْ تَحْبِسَ ثُلُثَ مَطَرِهَا وَيَأْمُرُ الأَرْضَ فَتَحْبِسُ ثُلُثَ نَبَاتِهَا ثُمَّ يَأْمُرُ السَّمَاءَ فِي السَّنَةِ الثَّانِيَةِ فَتَحْبِسُ ثُلُثَىْ مَطَرِهَا وَيَأْمُرُ الأَرْضَ فَتَحْبِسُ ثُلُثَىْ نَبَاتِهَا ثُمَّ يَأْمُرُ اللَّهُ السَّمَاءَ فِي السَّنَةِ الثَّالِثَةِ فَتَحْبِسُ مَطَرَهَا كُلَّهُ فَلاَ تَقْطُرُ قَطْرَةٌ وَيَأْمُرُ الأَرْضَ فَتَحْبِسُ نَبَاتَهَا كُلَّهُ فَلاَ تُنْبِتُ خَضْرَاءَ فَلاَ تَبْقَى ذَاتُ ظِلْفٍ إِلاَّ هَلَكَتْ إِلاَّ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ " . قِيلَ فَمَا يُعِيشُ النَّاسَ فِي ذَلِكَ الزَّمَانِ قَالَ " التَّهْلِيلُ وَالتَّكْبِيرُ وَالتَّسْبِيحُ وَالتَّحْمِيدُ وَيُجْرَى ذَلِكَ عَلَيْهِمْ مَجْرَى الطَّعَامِ " . قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا الْحَسَنِ الطَّنَافِسِيَّ يَقُولُ سَمِعْتُ عَبْدَ الرَّحْمَنِ الْمُحَارِبِيَّ يَقُولُ يَنْبَغِي أَنْ يُدْفَعَ هَذَا الْحَدِيثُ إِلَى الْمُؤَدِّبِ حَتَّى يُعَلِّمَهُ الصِّبْيَانَ فِي الْكُتَّابِ .
It was narrated that Abu Umamah Al-Bahili said:"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) addressed us, and most of his speech had to do with telling us about Dajjal. He warned about him, and among the things he said was: 'There will not be any tribulation on earth, since the time Allah created the offspring of Adam, that will be greater than the tribulation of Dajjal. Allah has not sent any Prophet but he warned his nation about Dajjal. I am the last of the Prophets, and you are the last of the nations. He will undoubtedly appear among you. If he appears while I am among you, I will contend with him on behalf of every Muslim, and if he appears while I am not among you, then each man must fend for himself and Allah will take care of every Muslim on my behalf. He will emerge from Al-Khallah, between Sham and Iraq, and will wreak havoc right and left. O slaves of Allah, remain steadfast. I will describe him to you in a manner in which none of the Prophets has described him before me. He will start by saying "I am a Prophet," and there is no Prophet after me. Then a second time he will say: "I am your Lord." But you will not see your Lord until you die. He is one-eyed, and your Lord is not one-eyed, and written between his eyes is Kafir. Every believer will read it, whether he is literate or illiterate. Part of his Fitnah will be that he will have with him Paradise and Hell, but his Hell will be a Paradise and his Paradise a Hell. Whoever is tested with his fire (hell), let him seek the help of Allah and recite the first Verses of Al-Kahf, then it will be cool and safe for him, as the fire was for Ibrahim. Part of his Fitnah will be that he will say to a Bedouin: "What do you think, if I resurrect your father and mother for you, will you bear witness that I am your Lord?" He will say: "Yes." Then two devils will appear to him in the form of his father and mother and will say: "O my son, follow him, for he is your Lord." And part of his Fitnah will be that he will overpower a single soul and kill him, then he will cut him with a saw until he falls in two pieces. Then he will say: "Look at this slave of mine; I will resurrect him now, then he will claim that he has a Lord other than me." Then Allah will resurrect him and the evil one will say to him: "Who is your Lord?" and he will say: "Allah is my Lord, and you are the enemy of Allah, you are Dajjal. By Allah, I have never had more insight about you than I have today." (An addition) Abul-Hasan Tanafisi said: "Muharibi told us: 'Ubaidullah bin al-Walid Al-Wassafi told us, from 'Atiyyah, that Abu Sa'eed said: "The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'That man will be the highest in status in my nation in Paradise'" - He said: "Abu Sa'eed said: 'By Allah, we did not think that man would be anyone other than 'Umar bin Khattab, until he passed away. - Muharibi said: "Then we went back to the narration of Abu Rafi'." He said: - 'Part of his Fitnah will be that he will command the sky to rain, and it will rain, and he will command the earth to bring forth vegetation and it will do so. And part of his Fitnah will be that he will pass by a clan and they will disbelieve in him, so all their flocks will perish and none will be left. And part of his Fitnah will be that he will pass by a clan who will believe in him, so he will command the sky to rain, and it will rain, and he will command the earth to bring forth vegetation and it will do so, until their flocks will come back in the evening of that day, bigger and fatter than they have ever been, with their flanks stretched and their udders full of milk. There will be no part of the earth left that he does not enter and prevail over, except for Makkah and Al-Madinah, for he will not approach them on any of their mountain paths but he will be met by angels with unsheathed swords, until he will stop at the red hill at the end of the marsh. Then Al-Madinah will be shaken with its people three times, and no hypocrite, male or female, will be left, all will come out to him. Thus it will be cleansed of impurity just as the bellows cleanses the iron of dross. And that day will be called the Day of Deliverance.' "Umm Sharik bint Abi 'akar said: 'O Messenger of Allah, where will the Arabs be that day?' He said: 'On that day they will be few, and most of them will be in Baitul-Maqdis (Jerusalem), and their leader will be a righteous man. When their leader has stepped forward to lead them in subh prayer, 'Eisa bin Maryam will come down to them. Their leader will step backwards so that 'Eisa can come forward and lead the people in prayer, but 'Eisa will place his hand between his shoulders and say to him: "Go forward and pray, for the Iqamah was given for you." Then their leader will lead them in prayer. When he has finished, 'Eisa (as), will say: "Open the gate." So they will open it and behind it will be Dajjal with seventy thousand Jews, each of them carrying an adorned sword and wearing a greenish cloak. When Dajjal looks at him, he will start to melt as salt melts in water. He will run away, and 'Eisa (as), will say: "I have only one blow for you, which you will not be able to escape!" He will catch up with him at the eastern gate of Ludd, and will kill him. Then Allah will defeat the Jews, and there will be nothing left that Allah has created which the Jews will be able to hide behind, except that Allah will cause it to speak - no stone, no tree, no wall, no animal - except for Al-Gharqad (the box-thorn), for it is one of their trees, and will not speak - except that it will say: "O Muslim slave of Allah, here is a Jews, come and kill him!" "The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'His (Dajjal's) days will number forty years: a year like half a year, a year like a month, a month like a week, and the rest of his days will be like sparks from a fire (i.e., they will pass quickly). One of you will enter the gate of Al-Madinah in the morning and not reach its other gate until evening comes.' It was said: 'O Messenger of Allah, how should we pray on those short days?' He said: 'Estimate (the times of) the prayer, as you do on these long days, then pray.' The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Eisa bin Maryam (as), will be a just judge and a just ruler among my nation. He will break the cross, slaughter the pigs, abolish the Jizyah and charity will be left. No one will be appointed to (collect the Zakah of) sheep and camels. Grudges and mutual hatred will disappear and the venom of every venomous creature will be removed, so that a baby boy will but his hand in a snake and it will not harm him, and a baby girl will make a lion run away, and it will not harm her; and the wolf will be among the sheep like their sheepdog. The earth will be filled with peace just as a vessel is filled with water. The people will be united and none will be worshipped except Allah. War will cease and Quraish will no longer be in power. The earth will be like a silver platter, with its vegetation growing as it did at the time of Adam, until a group of people will gather around one bunch of grapes and it will suffice them, and a group will gather around a single pomegranate and it will suffice them. An ox will be sold for such and such amount of money, and a horse will be sold for a few Dirham.' They said: 'O Messenger of Allah, why will horses be so cheap?' He said: 'They will never be ridden in war again.' It was said to him: 'Why will oxen be so expensive?' He said: 'Because all the land will be tilled. Before Dajjal appears there will be three difficult years in which the people will suffer severe famine. In the first year, Allah will command the sky to withhold one third of its rain and the earth to withhold one third of its produce. In the second year, He will command the sky to withhold two thirds of its rain and the earth to withhold two-thirds of its produce. In the third year, he will command the sky to withhold all of its rain, and not a single drop will fall, and the earth to withhold all of its produce, and nothing will grow. All cloven-hoofed animals will die, except those that Allah wills.' It was said: 'What will the people live on at that time?' He said: 'Tahlil, Takbir, Tasbih and Tahmid. That will take the place of food for them.'" Abu 'Abdullah (Ibn Majah) said: "I heard Abul-Hasan Tanafisi say: 'I heard 'Abdur-Rahman Al-Muharibi say: "This Hadith should be sent to every teacher so that they can teach it to the children in the schools
Gharqad Forest Areas, Buffer Zones & Habitat Cartography
Cartography: The Gate of Ludd, the Dead Sea saline depressions (native Nitraria retusa habitat), the Yatir Forest & Negev buffer afforestation belt, and the historic Baqi' al-Gharqad grove in Madinah.
Baqi' al-Gharqad (Madinah)
Historic Madinah cemetery originally overgrown with ancient Gharqad forest📍 24.467° N, 39.615° E
Named after the thickets of Gharqad thorns that grew there before the Prophet ﷺ designated it as a burial ground.
View on Satellite Map ↗Gate of Ludd (Lod, Palestine)
Eschatological site where Isa (AS) terminates Dajjal (Ibn Majah 4077)📍 31.95° N, 34.89° E
Ancient city in Palestine near modern Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport where the final confrontation culminates.
View on Satellite Map ↗Yatir Forest & Southern Negev Edge
Largest planted forest in Israel (over 4 million trees) on desert border📍 31.345° N, 35.056° E
Massive afforestation zone on the slopes of Mount Hebron and northern Negev, serving as living green barriers.
View on Satellite Map ↗Dead Sea Depression (Salt Flats)
Primary natural botanical habitat of halophytic Nitraria retusa📍 31.5° N, 35.45° E
Hyper-arid, highly saline soil where indigenous desert boxthorn and salt-bush shrubs anchor sand nebkhas.
View on Satellite Map ↗Northern Negev Buffer & Kibbutz Perimeters
Active afforestation belts and drought-hardy thorny security hedgerows📍 31.25° N, 34.79° E
Extensive plantings of Lycium shawii and desert shrubs utilized for dune stabilization and security fencing.
View on Satellite Map ↗Jerusalem / Al-Quds
Focal epicenter of eschatological events and siege📍 31.776° N, 35.234° E
The sacred city besieged by Dajjal's army before the descent of Prophet Isa (AS).
View on Satellite Map ↗The Gharqad Tree: Viral Posts vs. Verified Facts
What goes viral on social media vs. what the authentic texts actually say.
❌ Viral Claim #1
The Gharqad is a tall pine or olive tree being planted in huge forests around Jerusalem.
✅ What's Actually True
In Arabic lexicons (Lisan al-Arab) and Levant botany, al-Gharqad (Nitraria retusa / Lycium shawii) is a low, thorny desert shrub (1 to 2.5 meters tall) that grows naturally in saline desert valleys like the Dead Sea and Wadi Araba.
❌ Viral Claim #2
The Gharqad is a mysterious plant nobody in Madinah had ever seen before.
✅ What's Actually True
Madinah's main cemetery right next to the Prophet's ﷺ Mosque is literally named Baqi' al-Gharqad (Sahih Muslim 974) because it was covered in Gharqad bushes before being cleared for burials.
Frequently Asked Questions & Fact-Check
Key questions answered directly from authentic prophetic sources
The Gharqad is a tall pine or olive tree being planted in huge forests around Jerusalem.
In Arabic lexicons (Lisan al-Arab) and Levant botany, al-Gharqad (Nitraria retusa / Lycium shawii) is a low, thorny desert shrub (1 to 2.5 meters tall) that grows naturally in saline desert valleys like the Dead Sea and Wadi Araba.
The Gharqad is a mysterious plant nobody in Madinah had ever seen before.
Madinah's main cemetery right next to the Prophet's ﷺ Mosque is literally named Baqi' al-Gharqad (Sahih Muslim 974) because it was covered in Gharqad bushes before being cleared for burials.
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