The Arabic word
Najd generally means a
highland. It can also refer, as a proper noun, to the region of
Najd in
Saudi Arabia. Some medieval Islamic scholars, who lived before the
Wahhabi movement originating in the 18th century CE, wrote different interpretations of what this hadith could be referring to. Contemporarily, this hadith is widely understood to refer to the Wahhabi movement. Some scholars dispute this claim. Possible locations listed are the areas around Yemen, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia.
Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani said after quoting the words of al-Khattabi explaining the meaning of Qarn (horn): • "and others have said that the People of the East were disbelievers at that time and the Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, informed us that the trials and tribulations would arise from that direction and it was as he said. And the first of the trials that arose, arose from the direction of the east and they were the reason for the splitting of the Muslim ranks, and this is what Satan loves and delights in. Likewise, the innovations appeared from that direction." Ibn Hajr quoted al-Khattabi as saying: • "The najd is in the direction of the east, and for the one who is in Madinah then his Najd would be the desert of Iraq and its regions for this is to the east of the People of Madinah. The basic meaning of Najd is that which is raised/elevated from the earth in contravention to al-Gawr for that is what is lower than it. Tihamah [the coastal plain along the south-western and southern shores of the Arabian Peninsula] is entirely al-Gawr and Mecca is in Tihamah.'[...] by this [saying of al-Khattabi] the weakness of the saying of ad-Dawudi is understood that 'Najd is in the direction of Iraq' [min Nahiya al-Iraq] for he suggests that Najd is a specific place. This is not the case, rather everything that is elevated with respect to what adjoins it is called Najd and the lower area called Gawr." The celebrated 12th-century historian
Ali ibn al-Athir, who had frequently traveled to
Iraq during the era of
Saladin and had written his monumental work al-Kamil fi at-Tarikh (
The Complete History), writes in his work 'al-Nihâyah': • "Najd is the highland region. This name is given to area beyond the Hijâz towards Iraq". It is also related that Imam Nawawi in his Sharh Saheeh Muslim 2/29 stated that this hadith had to do with the Dajjal or
Antichrist coming from the East. This would show that these hadith were not understood as referring to Najd only, as Dajjal is said to come from Iran and Khorasan in hadiths.
Contemporary theories Traditional Sunni Scholars view A number of authors have said that the hadith refers to
Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab, the patronym of the
Wahhabi movement. It is accounted that the origin of
Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab is from the modern day Najd region of
Saudi Arabia which happens to be the only surviving region that carried on the title of 'Najd' after the geographical codification regardless that there were several distinct locations known previously as '
Najd'. This theory is generally accepted by scholars from the Sunni movement and reputed
Al-Azhar University scholars, they identified
Wahhabism as the predicted "Horn of the Devil", or the Islamic
Dajjal. Other evidence can be cited from a number of hadiths that identify the limits
miqat for Hajj and Umrah pilgrims. In a hadith narrated in
Al-Nasa'i (
Manasik al-Hajj, 22), Aisyah narrates that the Messenger of Allah established miqat for pilgrims from Medina at
Dzulhulaifah, for pilgrims from Syria and Egypt at
Juhfah, for pilgrims from Iraq at
Dzat Irq, pilgrims from Najd at
Qarnul-Manazil, as well as pilgrims from Yemen in
Yalamlam. Imam Muslim also narrated a similar history: "For the congregation from Medina in Dzulhulaifah – while from a different route it was in Juhfah – for the Iraqi congregation Dzat Irq, for the Najd congregation in Qarnul-Manazil, and the Yemeni congregation in Yalamlam." This text is proof that the Prophet differentiated between Najd and Iraq, so that he chose two different miqat locations for each population. Thus it can be explained that
Najd is not included in Iraq. It was narrated that 'Aishah said: "The Messenger of Allah designated Dhul-Hulaifah as the Miqat for the people of Al-Madinah, Al-Juhfah for the people Ash-sham and Egypt, Dhat 'Irq for the people Al-'Iraq, Qarn for the people of Najd and Yalamlam for the people of Yemen."
Ibn 'Abd al-Barr (368h-463h) was quoted as saying: "Allah knows best that the reason behind pointing of Prophet peace be upon him towards east regarding fitna is that the biggest fitna which was the key of troubles was the martyrdom of
Uthman ibn Affan may Allah be pleased with him, and that was the reason behind the war of Jamal and Siffeen, these troubles started from the east. Then
Khawarij emerged from the land of Najd, Iraq and its regions."
Musaylima was a self-proclaimed prophet from
Najd and an opponent of Islam in 7th century Arabia who participated in the
Ridda Wars against the caliph
Abu Bakr. Most of the battles of the ridda wars occurred in Najd. Meanwhile, The Khawarij initially appeared from Southern Iraq and their movement was based there.
Wahhabi view Contrary, advocates of
Wahhabism consider the
Banu Tamim tribe of
Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab, in the present-day
Saudi Arabia, as the only one, who will resist the Dajjal, citing certain scholarly works, such as the
Musnad of
Ahmad ibn Hanbal: "Do not say of Banu Tamim anything but good, for indeed they are the severest of people in attacking the Dajjaal." Further,
Ibn Hajar praises the Banu Tamim in his
Tafsir of this hadith. The Wahhabis also argue that quotes from the likes of
Ibn 'Abd al-Barr and
Imam Nawawi use the hadith to condemn other eastern regions like Iraq and mention the Khawarij emerging from there. The Dajjal is also said to emerge from the east. So it is clear that this hadith was not specifically used for the Najd region in modern day Saudi Arabia according to scholars. == See also ==