Abu Hurairah (radi allahu 'anhu) related that the Prophet (salalahu ‘alayhi wa salam) said, "The Hour will not arrive until you will fight a people whose shoes are made of (braided) hair and until you fight the Turks, who have small eyes, red faces, small and turned up noses, and who have faces that are like the shield (of a combatant)... People are minerals (this means that their roots, backgrounds, and lineages differ). The best of them in (the days of) ignorance is the best of them in Islam. And there will come upon you a time wherein for one of you to see me is more beloved to him than to be given more family and wealth - (than to be given) double what he already has." (Bukhaaree)

Abu Hurairah (radi allahu 'anhu) also related that the Prophet (salalahu ‘alayhi wa salam) said, "The Hour will not arrive until you fight Khoor and Kirmaan, (two) foreign peoples, whose faces are red, whose noses are wide and flat, whose faces are like shields, and whose shoes are (braided) hair." (Bukhaaree)
'Amr ibn Tha'lab (radi allahu 'anhu) related that he heard the Messenger of Allah (salalahu ‘alayhi wa salam) say, "From the signs of the Hour is for you to fight a people whose faces are wide, as if their faces are shields (of combatants)." (Ahmad)

Bukhaaree related it as well from Jareer Ibn Haazim. The Companions fought and defeated the Turks; they gained spoils of war and they took women and children as captives.Here, it is literally indicated that this Hadeeth is a sign of the coming of the Hour (i.e. The Day of Judgment). If the "Signs of the Hour" refers to events that take place shortly before the Hour, then the event referred to in the Hadeeth - i.e. a major battle between the Muslims and the Turks - can take place again. But if "Signs of the Hour" refers to a more general meaning, then an event at any time, and not just events that take place shortly before the Hour, can be from the Signs of the Hour, even if a given event occurs much before the Hour. But still, the event must take place after the time of the Prophet for it to be considered one of the Signs of the Hour. After having reflected on all of the Ahaadeeth that are related about this topic, we feel that the latter of the two possibilities appears to be correct - and you will see this presently In-sha-Allah.

Labels: Hadtihs: Book of the End: Trials and Afflictions