Tribulation from the East, Where the Horn of Satan Rises
In brief
The Prophet ﷺ pointed to the east and foretold that tribulation would rise from there, 'from where the horn of Satan appears'.
Ibn Umar narrated that the Prophet ﷺ stood by the pulpit, pointed toward the east, and said: 'Tribulation is here! Tribulation is here, from where the horn of Satan rises' (Sahih al-Bukhari 7092). In another, when the people asked blessing for Najd, he said: 'There will be earthquakes and tribulations, and from there the horn of Satan will rise' (al-Bukhari 7094).
Tribulations that unfold through history; it names a direction, not a date.
Scholars read 'the east' and the 'horn of Satan' differently: some of the great early civil wars that arose in the eastern lands, some of the rise of deviant sects and disorder from that quarter. All caution that the hadith names a direction and a type of trial, not a particular modern country or people, and it must never be used to condemn a living population.
Seek refuge in Allah from trials seen and unseen, and judge no region or people by a hadith that names a direction, not a nation.
Draft brief, not yet checked by the scholar board. The full texts are in the Sources tab and the scholars' views in their own tab.
Where it sits in the sequence
The narrations do not put these in order, and many of them overlap. Sahih al-Bukhari 7121 lists several together.
Strongest narrations
Read all in the archive →Tags are automatic and unreviewed.
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا حُسَيْنُ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ عَوْنٍ، عَنْ نَافِعٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ، قَالَ اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ لَنَا فِي شَامِنَا وَفِي يَمَنِنَا. قَالَ قَالُوا وَفِي نَجْدِنَا قَالَ قَالَ اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ لَنَا فِي شَامِنَا وَفِي يَمَنِنَا. قَالَ قَالُوا وَفِي نَجْدِنَا قَالَ قَالَ هُنَاكَ الزَّلاَزِلُ وَالْفِتَنُ، وَبِهَا يَطْلُعُ قَرْنُ الشَّيْطَانِ.
Narrated Ibn `Umar:(The Prophet) said, "O Allah! Bless our Sham and our Yemen." People said, "Our Najd as well." The Prophet again said, "O Allah! Bless our Sham and Yemen." They said again, "Our Najd as well." On that the Prophet (ﷺ) said, "There will appear earthquakes and afflictions, and from there will come out the side of the head of Satan
حَدَّثَنِي عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا هِشَامُ بْنُ يُوسُفَ، عَنْ مَعْمَرٍ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، عَنْ سَالِمٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنَّهُ قَامَ إِلَى جَنْبِ الْمِنْبَرِ فَقَالَ " الْفِتْنَةُ هَا هُنَا الْفِتْنَةُ هَا هُنَا مِنْ حَيْثُ يَطْلُعُ قَرْنُ الشَّيْطَانِ ". أَوْ قَالَ " قَرْنُ الشَّمْسِ ".
Narrated Salim's father:The Prophet (ﷺ) stood up beside the pulpit (and pointed with his finger towards the East) and said, "Afflictions are there! Afflictions are there, from where the side of the head of Satan comes out," or said, "..the side of the sun
حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا لَيْثٌ، عَنْ نَافِعٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَهْوَ مُسْتَقْبِلٌ الْمَشْرِقَ يَقُولُ " أَلاَ إِنَّ الْفِتْنَةَ هَا هُنَا مِنْ حَيْثُ يَطْلُعُ قَرْنُ الشَّيْطَانِ ".
Narrated Ibn `Umar:I heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) while he was facing the East, saying, "Verily! Afflictions are there, from where the side of the head of Satan comes out
حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، حَدَّثَنَا أَزْهَرُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَوْنٍ، عَنْ نَافِعٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ، قَالَ ذَكَرَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم " اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ لَنَا فِي شَأْمِنَا، اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ لَنَا فِي يَمَنِنَا ". قَالُوا وَفِي نَجْدِنَا. قَالَ " اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ لَنَا فِي شَأْمِنَا، اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ لَنَا فِي يَمَنِنَا ". قَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَفِي نَجْدِنَا فَأَظُنُّهُ قَالَ فِي الثَّالِثَةَ " هُنَاكَ الزَّلاَزِلُ وَالْفِتَنُ، وَبِهَا يَطْلُعُ قَرْنُ الشَّيْطَانِ ".
Narrated Ibn `Umar:The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "O Allah! Bestow Your blessings on our Sham! O Allah! Bestow Your blessings on our Yemen." The People said, "And also on our Najd." He said, "O Allah! Bestow Your blessings on our Sham (north)! O Allah! Bestow Your blessings on our Yemen." The people said, "O Allah's Apostle! And also on our Najd." I think the third time the Prophet (ﷺ) said, "There (in Najd) is the place of earthquakes and afflictions and from there comes out the side of the head of Satan
حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا لَيْثٌ، ح وَحَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ رُمْحٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا اللَّيْثُ، عَنْ نَافِعٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ، أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَهُوَ مُسْتَقْبِلُ الْمَشْرِقِ يَقُولُ " أَلاَ إِنَّ الْفِتْنَةَ هَا هُنَا أَلاَ إِنَّ الْفِتْنَةَ هَا هُنَا مِنْ حَيْثُ يَطْلُعُ قَرْنُ الشَّيْطَانِ " .
Ibn 'Umar reported that he heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying (in a state) that he had turned his face towards the east:Behold, turmoil would appear from this side, from where the horns of Satan would appear
حَدَّثَنِي عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عُمَرَ الْقَوَارِيرِيُّ، وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى، وَحَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ، سَعِيدٍ كُلُّهُمْ عَنْ يَحْيَى الْقَطَّانِ، قَالَ الْقَوَارِيرِيُّ حَدَّثَنِي يَحْيَى بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ، عُمَرَ حَدَّثَنِي نَافِعٌ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَامَ عِنْدَ بَابِ حَفْصَةَ فَقَالَ بِيَدِهِ نَحْوَ الْمَشْرِقِ " الْفِتْنَةُ هَا هُنَا مِنْ حَيْثُ يَطْلُعُ قَرْنُ الشَّيْطَانِ " . قَالَهَا مَرَّتَيْنِ أَوْ ثَلاَثًا . وَقَالَ عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ فِي رِوَايَتِهِ قَامَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم عِنْدَ بَابِ عَائِشَةَ .
Ibn `Umar reported that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) stood by the door (of the apartment of) Hafsa and, pointing towards the east, he said:The turmoil would appear from this side, viz. where the horns of Satan would appear, and he uttered these words twice or thrice and `Ubaidullah b. Sa`id in his narration said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) had been standing by the door of `A'isha
Weak and ungraded reports on this sign
2
Shown for study, not as established. Includes Kitab al-Fitan of Nu'aym ibn Hammad, which is ungraded and weak overall.
Not graded under this archive's policy. The verdicts recorded are listed.
حدثنا أزهر بن سعد أبو بكر السمان، أخبرنا ابن عون، عن نافع، عن ابن عمر، أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: " اللهم بارك لنا في شامنا، اللهم بارك لنا في يمننا "، قالوا: وفي نجدنا ! قال: " اللهم بارك لنا في شامنا، اللهم بارك لنا في يمننا "، قالوا: وفي نجدنا قال: " هنالك الزلازل، والفتن منها أو قال: بها يطلع قرن الشيطان "
No translation yet. Arabic only.
AI draft, not reviewed by an editor. Read the Arabic for the meaning.
Not graded under this archive's policy. The verdicts recorded are listed.
حدثنا يونس، حدثنا حماد بن سلمة، عن بشر بن حرب، سمعت ابن عمر يقول: سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول: " اللهم بارك لنا في مدينتنا، وفي صاعنا ، ومدنا، ويمننا، وشامنا، ثم استقبل مطلع الشمس " فقال: " من هاهنا يطلع قرن الشيطان، من هاهنا الزلازل والفتن "
No translation yet. Arabic only.
AI draft, not reviewed by an editor. Read the Arabic for the meaning.
What scholars have said
Scholars cite it in part, or differ
Draft attributions: each must be checked against the named book before publication.
al-Nawawi and Ibn Hajar (d. 852 AH)d. 676 AH
Note that the Prophet ﷺ pointed east and said tribulation would rise 'from where the horn of Satan appears'. The scholars differ on what the east names - some read it of the great early fitnas that broke out in the eastern lands, others of the direction from which disorder and false creeds recur - and they caution against fixing it on any one country or people.
Sharh Sahih Muslim; Fath al-Bari, on al-Bukhari 7092-7094
Meaning and context
The Prophet ﷺ pointed to the east and said tribulation would rise there, 'from where the horn of Satan appears'. Scholars read the direction in more than one way and warn against fixing it on any country; there is nothing to count.
Narrations behind this panel: Sahih al-Bukhari 7092 · Sahih al-Bukhari 7094
What the commentators said it means
- Some read 'the east' of the great early civil wars that broke out in the eastern lands: al-Nawawi, Ibn Hajar.
- Others read it of the direction from which deviant sects and disorder recur; the hadith names a quarter and a kind of trial, not a modern nation.
Read with care
- The hadith names a direction, not a people; it is no basis to condemn any living region or population.
Draft: figures and wording await a researcher's check and the scholar board.