As our noble Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, informed us; he likened it to us in this hadith. Ibn al-Athir said in his book Al-Nihayah, dated 630 AH: "They agree on... ...a lack of order and uprightness, the hip bone not being straight on the thigh bone, and the two not being close to each other. The third great tribulation: This is the tribulation of Al-Dahma' which will move, God Almighty willing, from the stage of tyrannical rule to the stage of the Caliphate on the path of prophethood. Our Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, informed us that it will consist of successive intense periods, as if one ends and another, stronger than the previous one, emerges in its place. This is the meaning of its continuity. The last of its periods will be the tribulation of the Antichrist. Therefore, the appearance of the Mahdi will be, God Almighty willing, during one of the periods of the tribulation of Al-Dahma', as his appearance precedes the emergence of the Antichrist by seven years, according to his saying, peace and blessings be upon him: "There will be no day on which the Antichrist will not be present, and if he is absent, the earth will be relieved of him." This was narrated by Abu Dawud in his Sunan. The intention here is not just the great battle alone, as it will not last for more than two years, according to his saying, peace and blessings be upon him: "There will be no day on which the Antichrist will not be present, and if he is absent, the earth will be relieved of him." This was narrated by Abu Dawud and Al-Tirmidhi in their Sunan. Rather, the intention, and God Almighty knows best, is that the battle in this hadith encompasses all the wars that the Mahdi will fight against his enemies. This meaning is supported by what was narrated by Adam bin Abi Iyas in his part, and Abu Nu'aym in his book Al-Fitan, from Hudhayfah bin Al-Yaman, may God Almighty be pleased with him, who said: "The Messenger of God, may God's prayers and peace be upon him, stood among us and said: 'O people, ask me.' So we asked him. He said: 'Know that the people of my Ummah will be tested in their wealth and their souls, and they will be wronged by some of them and by some of the enemies from outside. They will be killed and they will be persecuted. And there will be a tribulation that will not leave any house of the Arabs except that it will enter it, and it will be like a cloud covering the sky, and then a period of hardship will come, and then a period of ease. And then a period of hardship will come, and then a period of ease.' He said: 'O Messenger of God, where is that which we will be in?' He said: 'You will be in the best of conditions at that time, and then a tribulation will come, and then a tribulation will come, and then a tribulation will come, and then the Antichrist will emerge.' He said: 'O Messenger of God, who will fight the Antichrist?' He said: 'The believers will fight him.'" Click here to return to the index Page 25 Al-Tibyan Li-Mawaqit Hawadith Akhir Al-Zaman