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Fabricated Hadith Prophecy: The Fire From Hijaz & The Eruption of 641 AD

  • Post last modified:29 January 2025

The narrations read:

bukhari:7118 – Abū al-Yamān > Shuʿayb > al-Zuhrī > Saʿīd b. al-Musayyab > Abū Hurayrah

Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “The Hour will not be established till a fire will come out of the land of Hijaz, and it will throw light on the necks of the camels at Busra.”

Bukhari 7118

hakim:8369 – Aḥmad b. Muḥammad b. al-Ḥajjāj b. Rishdīn from my father from his father from his grandfather > ʿAqīl > Ibn Shihāb > Saʿīd b. al-Musayyib > Abū Hurayrah

“He informed him that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, ‘The Hour will not be established until a fire comes out of the land of Hijaz, which will illuminate the necks of camels in Busra.’ Adh-Dhahabi remained silent about it in his summary.”  

Hakim 8369

ibnhibban:6839 – Muḥammad b. al-Ḥasan b. Qutaybah > Ḥarmalah b. Yaḥyá > Ibn Wahb > Yūnus > Ibn Shihāb > Saʿīd b. al-Musayyib > Abū Hurayrah

[Machine] He informed him that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “The Hour will not be established until a fire comes out that will illuminate the necks of the camels in Busra.”  

Ibn Hibban 6839

muslim:2902 – Ḥarmalah b. Yaḥyá > Ibn Wahb > Yūnus > Ibn Shihāb > Ibn al-Musayyab > Abū Hurayrah

The Last Hour would not come until fire emits from the earth of Hijaz which would illuminate the necks of the camels of the Busra.  

Muslim 2902

Apologetic Argument for The Fire of Hejaz Hadith

The argument presented in support of the prophecy of the fire of Hejaz revolves around a hadith attributed to the Prophet Muhammad which states that the Last Hour will not come until a fire emanates from the Hejaz region, illuminating the necks of the camels in Busra (a city in Syria). Here’s a summary of the key points of the argument:

Key Aspects of the Prophecy:

  1. Location of the Fire: The prophecy mentions a fire emerging from the Hejaz region, specifically from the earth.
  2. Intensity and Reach: The fire would be so intense that it would illuminate the city of Busra, located hundreds of kilometers away from Medina.
  3. Significance: The event would be extraordinary, not just in its occurrence but in the illumination it would produce, visible at great distances.

The Fulfillment of the Alleged Prophecy:

  • The Event: In 1256 CE, a massive volcanic eruption occurred in the Hejaz region near Medina, lasting for over a month. The eruption produced intense heat, molten lava, and large amounts of smoke, which turned the sky red. This was described as a towering fire that flattened anything in its path and sent molten stones into the air.
  • Illumination in Busra: The eruption was so powerful that its light illuminated regions far from the Hejaz, including the city of Busra in Syria. Residents of Busra, which is about 350 km away, reported that the fire’s light was so bright that it illuminated their camels’ necks at night. This was not an ordinary occurrence, as people were able to see clearly without any additional light sources, such as lamps or candles.
  • Witness Accounts: Numerous contemporary historians and scholars, such as Shihab ad-Din Abu Shamah, Imam Al-Qurtubi, and Imam Nawawi, recorded accounts of the fire and its illumination, confirming its widespread impact across the Islamic world. Abu Shamah, for instance, mentioned that letters describing the fire were sent from Medina to Damascus, detailing how the event resembled the prophecy of attributed to the Prophet Muhammad. Imam Al-Qurtubi, who lived during the event, linked it to the hadith and saw it as a sign of the approaching Hour.
  • Empirical Evidence: The eruption is also supported by scientific studies, including geological surveys that confirm the volcanic event. The eruption site near Medina produced visible lava flows and scoria cones, offering empirical proof of the occurrence of the event described in historical accounts.
  • The Rarity of Such an Event: Volcanic eruptions in the Hejaz are rare, making the intensity of this eruption and its far-reaching effects even more remarkable. It was not a typical eruption, and the specific illumination described in the prophecy—reaching as far as Syria—was a highly unusual phenomenon that could not have been easily predicted or fabricated.

The argument emphasizes that the volcanic eruption of 1256 in the Hejaz region fulfilled the prophecy described in the hadith, including the fire emanating from the earth and illuminating distant regions like Busra. The event was recorded by contemporaneous historians and scholars, and its extraordinary nature is supported by empirical evidence from both historical accounts and modern volcanic studies. The widespread and consistent reports across different regions of the Islamic world.

The Quranic Dilemma

Apologists have used this narration to claim that the prophet predicted this event that took place 646 years later. There are many issues with this claim and God willing we’ll go over them. First, the Quran clearly refutes any notion that the Prophet Muhammad had knowledge of the future akin to a fortune teller. In this verse, the Prophet explicitly states, “I have no power to benefit myself, or harm myself. Only what GOD wills happens to me.”

[7:188] Say, “I have no power to benefit myself, or harm myself. Only what GOD wills happens to me. If I knew the future, I would have increased my wealth, and no harm would have afflicted me. I am no more than a warner, and a bearer of good news for those who believe.”

قُل لَّآ أَمْلِكُ لِنَفْسِى نَفْعًا وَلَا ضَرًّا إِلَّا مَا شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ وَلَوْ كُنتُ أَعْلَمُ ٱلْغَيْبَ لَٱسْتَكْثَرْتُ مِنَ ٱلْخَيْرِ وَمَا مَسَّنِىَ ٱلسُّوٓءُ إِنْ أَنَا۠ إِلَّا نَذِيرٌ وَبَشِيرٌ لِّقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ

This highlights that the Prophet’s abilities were entirely limited to God’s will and that he had no control over future events. Furthermore, the Prophet says, “If I knew the future, I would have increased my wealth, and no harm would have afflicted me.” This statement emphasizes that if he had foreknowledge of future events, he would have used that knowledge to avoid harm and prosper, as any ordinary human would. However, his purpose was not to accumulate wealth or power, but to be a warner and a bearer of good news for those who believe. This foundational truth shows that while the Prophet conveyed divine messages from God, his knowledge was not that of a soothsayer or fortune teller. Instead, it was given by God, and his role was to guide people towards righteousness through the Quran. But when has the Quran ever stopped traditional apologists from promoting anti-Quranic stances? Despite this very clear verse rejecting any claim of future knowledge, some continue to twist narratives to fit their agenda, conveniently ignoring the explicit denial in 7:188. It’s almost like they think the Quran’s words are optional when it doesn’t align with their interpretations.

Earthquakes & Syria

Earthquakes and fires occurring in Syria & the Hejaz isn’t news. The hadith states that a fire will come out of the land of Hejaz, which will illuminate the necks of camels in Busra, Syria. In 641 AD, a significant volcanic eruption in the Harrat Rahat volcanic field presented a dramatic geological phenomenon that captured the imagination of early Muslim scholars, particularly Ka’b al-Ahbar, a prominent Jewish convert known for introducing apocalyptic narratives into Islamic discourse. Ka’b likely first formulated a speculative narrative about this volcanic event, drawing from his rich background in Judeo-Christian prophetic traditions, which interpreted natural disasters as potential divine signs or eschatological markers. We have a narration that actually goes back to Ka’b al-Ahbar, and the prophet is not cited in this hadith.

Book of Tribulations (Kitab al-Fitan)
(1756) – [1754] Ibn Wahb narrated to us, from Abdullah ibn Umar, from Nafi’, from Ibn Umar, from Ka’b, who said:

“A fire will soon emerge from Yemen that will drive people towards al-Sham (Greater Syria). It will travel with them when they travel in the morning, rest when they rest at midday, and move when they move in the evening. Its light will illuminate the necks of the camels in Busra. When you hear of it, then go to al-Sham.”

Here’s a table highlighting the matn (textual) differences between the various narrations of the hadith:

SourceMatn (Text)Key Differences
Ka’b’s Original(١٧٥٦) – [١٧٥٤] حدَّثنا ابنُ وَهْبٍ، عن عبدِ اللهِ بنِ عُمَرَ، عن نَافِعٍ، عن ابنِ عُمَرَ، عن كَعْبٍ، قالَ: “يُوشِكُ نارٌ تَخْرُجُ باليَمَنِ تَسُوقُ النَّاسَ إِلَى الشَّامِ، تَغْدُو إِذَا غَدَوا، وَتَقِيلُ إِذَا قالوا، وَتَرُوحُ إِذَا راحوا، تُضِيءُ مِنْهَا أَعْنَاقُ الإِبِلِ بِبُصْرَى، فَإِذَا سَمِعْتَ ذَلِكَ فَاخْرُجُوا إِلَى الشَّامِ.”
A fire will soon emerge from Yemen that will drive people towards al-Sham (Greater Syria). It will travel with them when they travel in the morning, rest when they rest at midday, and move when they move in the evening. Its light will illuminate the necks of the camels in Busra. When you hear of it, then go to al-Sham.
Fire originates from Yemen, driving people to Sham.
Sahih Muslimمسلم:٢٩٠٢ – حَدَّثَنِي حَرْمَلَةُ بْنُ يَحْيَى أَخْبَرَنَا ابْنُ وَهْبٍ أَخْبَرَنِي يُونُسُ عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ أَخْبَرَنِي ابْنُ الْمُسَيَّبِ أَنَّ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ
أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ ح وَحَدَّثَنِي عَبْدُ الْمَلِكِ بْنُ شُعَيْبِ بْنِ اللَّيْثِ حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي عَنْ جَدِّي حَدَّثَنِي عُقَيْلُ بْنُ خَالِدٍ عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ أَنَّهُ قَالَ قَالَ ابْنُ الْمُسَيَّبِ أَخْبَرَنِي أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ لاَ تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ حَتَّى تَخْرُجَ نَارٌ مِنْ أَرْضِ الْحِجَازِ تُضِيءُ أَعْنَاقَ الإِبِلِ بِبُصْرَى
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “The Hour will not be established until a fire emerges from the land of Hijaz, which will illuminate the necks of camels in Busra.”
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “The Hour will not be established until a fire emerges from the land of Hijaz, which will illuminate the necks of camels in Busra.”
Fire originates from Hijaz, not Yemen.
Ibn Hibbanابن حبّان:٦٨٣٩ – أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ قُتَيْبَةَ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا حَرْمَلَةُ بْنُ يَحْيَى قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ وَهْبٍ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا يُونُسُ عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي سَعِيدُ بْنُ الْمُسَيِّبِ أَنَّ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ
أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ «لَا تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ حَتَّى تَخْرُجَ نَارٌ تُضِيءُ لَهَا أَعْنَاقُ الْإِبِلِ بِبُصْرَى»
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “The Hour will not be established until a fire emerges, from which the necks of camels in Busra will be illuminated.”
No specific mention of origin from Hijaz, only illumination effect.
Al-Hakimالحاكم:٨٣٦٩ – فَأَخْبَرْنَاهُ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ الْبَغْدَادِيُّ ثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْحَجَّاجِ بْنِ رِشْدِينَ حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ جَدِّهِ عَنْ عَقِيلٍ عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ أَنَّ سَعِيدَ بْنَ الْمُسَيِّبِ أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ
أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ «لَا تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ حَتَّى تَخْرُجَ نَارٌ بِأَرْضِ الْحِجَازِ تُضِيءُ مِنْهَا أَعْنَاقُ الْإِبِلِ بِبُصْرَى» سكت عنه الذهبي في التلخيص
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “The Hour will not be established until a fire emerges from the land of Hijaz, from which the necks of camels in Busra will be illuminated.
Specifies Hijaz as the origin, aligning with Muslim.
Sahih Bukhariالبخاري:٧١١٨ – حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الْيَمَانِ أَخْبَرَنَا شُعَيْبٌ عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ قَالَ سَعِيدُ بْنُ الْمُسَيَّبِ أَخْبَرَنِي أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ
أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ لاَ تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ حَتَّى تَخْرُجَ نَارٌ مِنْ أَرْضِ الْحِجَازِ تُضِيءُ أَعْنَاقَ الإِبِلِ بِبُصْرَى  
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “The Hour will not be established until a fire emerges from the land of Hijaz, which will illuminate the necks of camels in Busra.”
Consistent with Muslim and Al-Hakim, specifying Hijaz.

Ka’b Al-Ahbar: The Originator & The Eruption of 641 AD

“When Ka’b embraced Islam during government of Umar, he started to relate hadith to Umar, who used to pay attention to him, the fact that paved the way before people to listen to his narrations and convey his fabricated weak traditions. But so soon Umar took notice of his stratagem and discovered his evil intention, when he forbade him from narrating the hadith, threatening him with exile to the land of apes shouldn’t he leave reporting hadith from the first.”

Al-Bidayah wa al-nihayah, vol.VIII, p.206. In another narration reported by al-Dhahabi in hi Siyar a’lam al-nubala’: “You should give up relating the hadith or otherwise I will exile you to the land of apes” (vol.II, p.433).

This volcanic eruption of 641 AD served as a basis for the creation of the narration. Numerous sources date Ka’b’s death to around 652, which makes it plausible that he originated the narration of the ‘fire’ from Yemen to Greater Syria. This isn’t a prophetic hadith considering Ka’b is the originator and lived to see this event. He could have simply created a narration upon the event of the 641 AD eruption, which would make this a vaticinium ex eventu prophecy (a prophecy written after the author already had information about the events being “foretold”). We have evidence that Ka’b was an originator of Isra’iliyat hadith, and was even threatened for doing so (see citation above).

Al-Zuhri: The Co-Opter

Al-Zuhri, a prominent scholar working within the Umayyad administrative apparatus, recognized the narrative’s theological potential and undertook a sophisticated process of transformation. He systematically reconstructed the account, carefully crafting a false chain of transmission. The original narration from Ka’b mentions the fire originating from Yemen.

Ka’b: A fire will soon emerge from Yemen that will drive people towards al-Sham (Greater Syria). It will travel with them when they travel in the morning, rest when they rest at midday, and move when they move in the evening. Its light will illuminate the necks of the camels in Busra. When you hear of it, then go to al-Sham.

Al-Zuhri: “The Hour will not be established until a fire emerges from the land of Hijaz, which will illuminate the necks of camels in Busra.”

It’s clear Al-Zuhri stole the general crux of the hadith: A fire emerging from a place, that would eventually illuminate an area with so much light. For Ka’b, the fire emerged from Yemen. For Al-Zuhri, the fire emerged from Hijaz. For both, it will illuminate the necks of camels in Busra, Syria. Al-Zuhri repurposed this hadith to serve as a prophecy for 641 eruption. The original narration from Al-Zuhri can be found transmitted by Ma’mar:

Transcription:
(١٧٦٧) – [١٧٦٤] قالَ عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ، قالَ مَعْمَرٌ، قالَ الزُّهْرِيُّ: “تَخْرُجُ نارٌ مِنَ الحِجَازِ تُضِيءُ أَعْنَاقَ الإِبِلِ بِبُصْرَى.”

Translation:
(1767) – [1764] ‘Abd al-Razzaq said, Ma‘mar said, al-Zuhri said:

“A fire will emerge from Hijaz that will illuminate the necks of the camels in Busra.”

The first Islamic century was a period of heightened eschatological expectations, with many Muslims interpreting natural disasters—such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions—as divine signs foretelling the end of times. This period saw numerous apocalyptic traditions emerge, often shaped by contemporary seismic events and political upheavals.

Under the entry for Anno Mundi 6210 (717–18 ce), the Byzantine chronicler Theophanes the Confessor (d. 818 ce) writes: “In the same year, a violent earthquake having hit Syria, ʿUmar banned wine (οἶνον) in the cities…”

Theophanes the Confessor, Chronographia, ed. Carl de Boor, 2 vols. (Leipzig: Teubner, 1883), 1:399, l. 20.

Ibn Burqān transmits another relevant tradition, in which ʿUmar ii piously reacts to an earthquake. Following an earthquake in the Levant, ʿUmar ii wrote to the Muslims, saying, This earthquake is something by which God… punishes the worshipers.” He ordered them to go out on a designated day [to pray] and to recite certain Qurʾānic verses. He added that those who are financially capable should give alms. ʿUmar ii thus held that earthquakes are divinely ordained collective punishments and that they may be prevented by the good deeds performed by the entire Muslim community.

Harvey, Elon: ʿUmar ii and the prohibition of Ṭilāʾ and nabīdh, page 341

A significant number of hadiths concerning earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are believed to have been formulated during the Umayyad period (661–750 CE). These narrations were likely influenced by actual natural disasters, such as the frequent tremors in the Hijaz and the broader Levantine region, but they were also fueled by speculative eschatology and political motivations. The Umayyads, seeking to consolidate their rule, may have encouraged the circulation of apocalyptic prophecies to frame their leadership within a divinely ordained narrative or to justify hardships as signs of the impending end of times.

The hadith of the fire emerging from Hijaz, illuminating the necks of camels in Busra (modern-day Syria), may have originated during this time, inspired by real volcanic activity, such as eruptions in the Arabian Peninsula and surrounding regions. It originally started with Ka’b, then was re-worked and promulgated by Al-Zuhri, later made into a prophetic hadith to ‘predict’ an event that already occurred: The Harrat Rahat Volcanic Eruption of 640-641 AD:

 An eruption was suggested for either the year 640 or 641 A.D. for bdu based on a historical account that could describe an eruption in western Saudi Arabia around that time. A brief description in Wafa Al-Wafa Bi’Akhbar Dar Al-Mustafa by Al-Samhoody (1486, reprinted and translated to English in 1955) states that during the reign of the second Rashidi Caliphate of Omar Bin al-Khattab, a small fire rose from Harrat Al-Madinah and soon died out. This prompted Camp and Roobol (1989) to propose that scoria cones and short lava flows now designated as unit bdu were products of the eruption that inspired this historical account. However, these same historical accounts seem to present conflicting locations. Accounts indicate that an earthquake destroyed homes in Al-Madinah in 641 A.D. (Ambraseys et al., 2005), and as a result, an eruption was linked to this event. Yet, Ambraseys et al. (2005) also suggested that this same earthquake may have been related to either one or two eruptions that occurred in 640 A.D. within Harrat Uwayrid, which is at least 300 km north of Al-Madinah (Fig. 1B). Adding to the confusion is that these accounts were written centuries after the possible eruption.

https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/gsa/geosphere/article/14/3/1253/529993/Volcanic-history-of-the-northernmost-part-of-the
TanDEM-X digital elevation model (12 m resolution) of the Harrat Rahat volcanic field (outlined in black), along with major cities along its margins (white stars) and major roads (gray lines). Harrat Rahat is a composite volcanic field of four smaller volcanic fields, each with its own main vent axis (denoted by solid black lines and arrows). The area of interest for this study is the northernmost part of Harrat Rahat labeled Figure 4.

The False Attribution of 1256 AD

In summary, it appears that Ka‘b al-Ahbar originally fabricated this narration, which was later adopted and modified by Al-Zuhri to serve as a retrospective prophecy attributed to the Prophet, likely in response to the volcanic eruption of 640/641 CE at Harrat Rahat. Over time, apologists have reinterpreted this hadith as evidence of the prophetic legitimacy of the hadith corpus, claiming it foretells the 1256 eruption of Harrat Rahat. This reinterpretation serves a strategic purpose—by attributing the prophecy to an event that occurred long after the hadith collections were compiled, they aim to eliminate the possibility that the narration was influenced by prior volcanic events, thereby presenting it as irrefutable proof of divine foreknowledge rather than a product of historical retrojection.

Another historic eruption (not including the previously discussed 640 or 641 A.D. eruption) has been proposed at 1293 A.D. and continues to be propagated throughout the literature (e.g., Ambraseys et al., 2005Moufti et al., 2013Murcia et al., 20152017), although no products have been identified. Both direct physical evidence in the form of a young-looking scoria cone and lava flow and robust historical accounts are lacking for an eruption at 1293 A.D. within Harrat Rahat. In comparison, the eruption of bla in 1256 A.D. is present as a distinctively young, vitric, black scoria cone complex, air-fall tephra apron, and lava flow with well-preserved textures—features corroborated by well-documented historical records. An eruptive event only 37 years after the 1256 A.D. eruption would be just as obvious in the field and in aerial and satellite imagery and documented by our geochronology of all young-appearing lava flows., particularly since young volcanism was concentrated near the northernmost end of Harrat Rahat, proximal to Al-Madinah, which was already a major population center at the time. 

https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/gsa/geosphere/article/14/3/1253/529993/Volcanic-history-of-the-northernmost-part-of-the

A point raised by u/Significant_Youth_73 , an eruption to be seen the distance from Busra to Medina is not possible:

More on False Hadith Prophecies, Ka’b, and others:

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