Table Of Contents
Will the Quran Be Taken Away at the End of Time?
There are a number of Hadiths which indicate that the Quran will be taken away at the end of time. Among these Hadiths are the following:
- From `Abdullah ibn Mas`ud (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: “Something will come and take the Quran one night and not one verse will be left, either in the Mus-haf or in the heart of any person, but it will be taken away.” (Narrated by Ad-Darimi with an authentic chain of narration , 3209)
- Ad-Darimi narrated with a different authentic chain of narration (no. 3207) that `Abdullah ibn Mas`ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “Recite the Quran much before it is taken away.” They said, “These Mus-hafs will be taken away! What about that which is (memorized) in men’s hearts?” He said: “Something will come and take it one night, and in the morning they will wake up without it. They will forget the phrase ‘la ilaha illallah’ and they will start to recite the sayings and poetry of the Jahiliyyah. That is when the Word will be fulfilled against them.”
The phrase ‘That is when the Word will be fulfilled against them’ is a reference to the verse (interpretation of the meaning):
{And when the Word (of torment) is fulfilled against them, We shall bring out from the earth a beast for them, to speak to them because mankind believed not with certainty in Our Ayat (Verses of the Quran and Prophet Muhammad).} [An-Naml 27:82]
The Role of the Beast in Confirming the End of Belief
Ibn Kathir said in his Tafsir of this verse:
This beast will emerge at the end of time when mankind becomes so corrupt that they neglect the commandments of Allah and change the true religion. Allah will bring forth for them a beast from the earth – it was said from Makkah, or from elsewhere – and it will speak to the people concerning that. Ibn `Abbas, Al-Hasan and Al-Qutadah said – and it was also narrated from `Ali ibn Abi Talib – (may Allah be pleased with them all): it will speak to them, i.e., it will address them. `Ata’ Al-Khurasani said – and it was narrated from `Ali and this was the view favored by Ibn Jareer: it will speak to them and it will say to them, `mankind believed not with certainty in Our Ayat’. There are some reservations about this interpretation, and Allah knows best.
According to one report, Ibn `Abbas said: the words Tukallimuhum (to speak to them) means, it will wound them; according to another report he said: it will do both (i.e., speak to them and wound them). [The word Tukallim may mean either speak or wound. – Translator]. This is a good point with no contradictions, and Allah knows best. (Tafsir Al-Quran Al-`Adhim, 3/375-378)
Hadiths about the Beast
Many Hadiths and reports have been narrated about the beast, such as the following:
- It was reported that Hudhayfah ibn Usayd Al-Ghiffari (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) saw us from a room whilst we were talking about the Hour. He said: “The Hour will not come until you see ten signs: the rising of the sun from the west; the smoke; the beast; the emergence of Ya’juj and Ma’juj (Gog and Magog); the appearance of `Isa ibn Maryam (peace be upon him); the Dajjal (“antichrist”); three landslides – one in the west, one in the east and one in the Arabian Peninsula; and fire which will emerge from the direction of `Aden and will drive – or gather – the people, stopping with them whenever they rest overnight or during the siesta hour.” (Narrated by Imam Ahmad , 46 – his version is his; also by Muslim, 2901; Abu Dawud , 4311; At-Tirmidhi , 2183 - he said it is authentic; An-Nasa’i , 1138; Ibn Majah , 4055).
- It was reported from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “There are three things which, when they appear, it will not benefit anyone to believe if he did not believe before: the Dajjal, the beast and the rising of the sun from the west – or from the place where it sets.” (Narrated by At-Tirmidhi , 3072; he said it is an authentic Hadith).
- It was reported from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Hasten to do good deeds before six things come to pass: the rising of the sun from the place where it sets; the smoke; the Dajjal; the beast; or personal calamities or general tribulations .” (Narrated by Muslim , 2947; Ibn Majah , 4056, and others).
There are many Hadiths which speak of the beast which will emerge at the end of time, but it would take too long to quote them all here. And Allah is the Source of strength.
Further Reports on the Quran's Disappearance
Further evidence that the Quran will be taken away at the end of time is to be found in the report narrated by Al-Tabarani in Al-Mujam Al-Kabir , 8698, according to which Ibn Mas`ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
“This Quran will most certainly be taken away from amongst you.” He was asked: “O Abu `Abd Ar-Rahman, how will it be taken away when it is so deeply rooted in our hearts and is written in our mus-hafs?” He said: “Something will come to it at night, then there will be nothing left of it in people’s hearts or in the Mus-haf, and the next morning the people will be like animals.” Then he recited the verse (interpretation of the meaning): {And if We willed, We could surely, take away that which We have revealed to you (i.e. this Quran). Then you would find no protector for you against Us in that respect.} [Al-Isra’ 17:86]
Ibn Hajar said in Fat-h Al-Bari (13/16): its chain of narration is authentic but it is Mawquf. Al-Haythami said in Majma’ Az-Zawa’id, 7/329): its men are the men of Sahih, apart from Shaddad ibn Ma`qil, who is trustworthy. And it was classed as authentic by Al-Albani.
This Hadith is to be regarded as Marfu`’, because it deals with something which is not subject to opinion or Ijtihad.
Imam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said in Majmu` Al-Fatawa (3/198): “At the end of time, something will come to it at night in the Mus-hafs and in people’s hearts, then there will not be left one word of it in people’s hearts or one letter of it in the Mus-haf.”
Why Will the Quran Be Removed?
Allah revealed the Quran as a guidance to mankind and He guaranteed to protect it. It is the eternal miracle of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and it will remain, and people of earlier and later generations will learn from it and be guided by it, but at the end of time, just before the Hour comes, Allah will take the souls of the believers, and there will be no one left on earth except the most evil of people .
There will be no prayer, no fasting, no Hajj and no charity (Zakah). Then there will be no point in the Ka`bah being there or in the Quran remaining among mankind, so Allah will decree that the Ka`bah be destroyed at the hands of a disbeliever from Ethiopia.
Al-Bukhari narrated in his Sahih , 1519 that Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said:the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “The Ka`bah will be destroyed by Dhul-Suwayqatayn from Ethiopia.” And Allah will take the Quran away from the earth, and not one verse of it will be left in the Mus-hafs or in people’s hearts. Allah will not permit His Book to remain on earth if it is not benefitting anyone and no one is acting in accordance with it. So this thing will come to pass.
A Final Warning: Learn and Live by the Quran Before It's Taken Away
This frightening event makes the sincere Muslim hasten to pay attention to the Book of Allah, to learn it, memorize it, recite it and ponder its meanings, before the Book is taken away.
This is one of the tribulations that will happen at the end of time, concerning which our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
“Hasten to do good deeds before tribulations come like patches of dark night, when a man will wake up as a believer and by evening he will be a disbeliever, or in the evening he will be a believer and by morning he will be a disbeliever, selling his religion for some worldly gains.” (Narrated by Muslim , 169)
We ask Allah to make us adhere firmly to His religion and to protect us from tribulations, both seen and unseen.
And Allah knows best.
