Then
In the narrationsPointing toward Iraq, the Prophet ﷺ said a people would appear there who recite the Qur'an but it does not pass their throats, and who leave Islam as an arrow leaves its target (Bukhari).
Now
TodayAs of 2026-10-26 · draft, reviewed monthlyA republic between the Tigris and the Euphrates, with more than 46 million people; Baghdad is its capital.
Next
As narratedAs narrated, Iraq will withhold its dirham and its measure (qafiz), as will Sham and Egypt theirs (Muslim 2896). Jabir ibn ‘Abdullah said the non-Arabs would be the ones to stop it (Muslim 2913).
Narrations naming this place
Read all in the archive →حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ يُوسُفَ، أَخْبَرَنَا مَالِكٌ، عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ عُرْوَةَ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ الزُّبَيْرِ، عَنْ سُفْيَانَ بْنِ أَبِي زُهَيْرٍ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ أَنَّهُ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ " تُفْتَحُ الْيَمَنُ فَيَأْتِي قَوْمٌ يُبِسُّونَ، فَيَتَحَمَّلُونَ بِأَهْلِيهِمْ وَمَنْ أَطَاعَهُمْ، وَالْمَدِينَةُ خَيْرٌ لَهُمْ لَوْ كَانُوا يَعْلَمُونَ، وَتُفْتَحُ الشَّأْمُ، فَيَأْتِي قَوْمٌ يُبِسُّونَ فَيَتَحَمَّلُونَ بِأَهْلِيهِمْ وَمَنْ أَطَاعَهُمْ، وَالْمَدِينَةُ خَيْرٌ لَهُمْ لَوْ كَانُوا يَعْلَمُونَ، وَتُفْتَحُ الْعِرَاقُ، فَيَأْتِي قَوْمٌ يُبِسُّونَ فَيَتَحَمَّلُونَ بِأَهْلِيهِمْ وَمَنْ أَطَاعَهُمْ. وَالْمَدِينَةُ خَيْرٌ لَهُمْ لَوْ كَانُوا يَعْلَمُونَ ".
Narrated Sufyan b. Abu Zuhair:I heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) saying, "Yemen will be conquered and some people will migrate (from Medina) and will urge their families, and those who will obey them to migrate (to Yemen) although Medina will be better for them; if they but knew. Sham will also be conquered and some people will migrate (from Medina) and will urge their families and those who will obey them, to migrate (to Sham) although Medina will be better for them; if they but knew. 'Iraq will be conquered and some people will migrate (from Medina) and will urge their families and those who will obey them to migrate (to 'Iraq) although Medina will be better for them; if they but knew
حَدَّثَنَا مُوسَى بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَاحِدِ، حَدَّثَنَا الشَّيْبَانِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا يُسَيْرُ بْنُ عَمْرٍو، قَالَ قُلْتُ لِسَهْلِ بْنِ حُنَيْفٍ هَلْ سَمِعْتَ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ فِي الْخَوَارِجِ شَيْئًا قَالَ سَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ ـ وَأَهْوَى بِيَدِهِ قِبَلَ الْعِرَاقِ ـ " يَخْرُجُ مِنْهُ قَوْمٌ يَقْرَءُونَ الْقُرْآنَ لاَ يُجَاوِزُ تَرَاقِيَهُمْ، يَمْرُقُونَ مِنَ الإِسْلاَمِ مُرُوقَ السَّهْمِ مِنَ الرَّمِيَّةِ ".
Narrated Yusair bin `Amr:I asked Sahl bin Hunaif, "Did you hear the Prophet (ﷺ) saying anything about Al-Khawarij?" He said, "I heard him saying while pointing his hand towards Iraq. "There will appear in it (i.e, Iraq) some people who will recite the Qur'an but it will not go beyond their throats, and they will go out from (leave) Islam as an arrow darts through the game's body
حَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ بْنُ يَعِيشَ، وَإِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، - وَاللَّفْظُ لِعُبَيْدٍ - قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى، بْنُ آدَمَ بْنِ سُلَيْمَانَ مَوْلَى خَالِدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ حَدَّثَنَا زُهَيْرٌ، عَنْ سُهَيْلِ بْنِ أَبِي صَالِحٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " مَنَعَتِ الْعِرَاقُ دِرْهَمَهَا وَقَفِيزَهَا وَمَنَعَتِ الشَّأْمُ مُدْيَهَا وَدِينَارَهَا وَمَنَعَتْ مِصْرُ إِرْدَبَّهَا وَدِينَارَهَا وَعُدْتُمْ مِنْ حَيْثُ بَدَأْتُمْ وَعُدْتُمْ مِنْ حَيْثُ بَدَأْتُمْ وَعُدْتُمْ مِنْ حَيْثُ بَدَأْتُمْ " . شَهِدَ عَلَى ذَلِكَ لَحْمُ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ وَدَمُهُ .
Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:Iraq would withhold its dirhams and qafiz; Syria would withhold its mudd and dinar and Egypt would withhold its irdab and dinar and you would recoil to that position from where you started and you would recoil to that position from where you started and you would recoil to that position from where you started, the flesh and blood of Abu Huraira would bear testimony to it
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عُمَرَ بْنِ أَبَانَ، وَوَاصِلُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الأَعْلَى، وَأَحْمَدُ بْنُ عُمَرَ الْوَكِيعِيُّ، - وَاللَّفْظُ لاِبْنِ أَبَانَ - قَالُوا حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ فُضَيْلٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ سَالِمَ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، بْنِ عُمَرَ يَقُولُ يَا أَهْلَ الْعِرَاقِ مَا أَسْأَلَكُمْ عَنِ الصَّغِيرَةِ وَأَرْكَبَكُمْ لِلْكَبِيرَةِ سَمِعْتُ أَبِي عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ عُمَرَ يَقُولُ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ " إِنَّ الْفِتْنَةَ تَجِيءُ مِنْ هَا هُنَا " . وَأَوْمَأَ بِيَدِهِ نَحْوَ الْمَشْرِقِ " مِنْ حَيْثُ يَطْلُعُ قَرْنَا الشَّيْطَانِ " . وَأَنْتُمْ يَضْرِبُ بَعْضُكُمْ رِقَابَ بَعْضٍ وَإِنَّمَا قَتَلَ مُوسَى الَّذِي قَتَلَ مِنْ آلِ فِرْعَوْنَ خَطَأً فَقَالَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ لَهُ { وَقَتَلْتَ نَفْسًا فَنَجَّيْنَاكَ مِنَ الْغَمِّ وَفَتَنَّاكَ فُتُونًا} قَالَ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عُمَرَ فِي رِوَايَتِهِ عَنْ سَالِمٍ لَمْ يَقُلْ سَمِعْتُ .
Ibn Fudail reported on the authority of his father that he heard Salim b. `Abdullah b. `Umar as saying:O people of Iraq, how strange it is that you ask about the minor sins but commit major sins? I heard from my father `Abdullah b. `Umar, narrating that he heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying while pointing his hand towards the east: Verily, the turmoil would come from this side, from where appear the horns of Satan and you would strike the necks of one another; and Moses killed a person from among the people of Pharaoh unintentionally and Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, said: "You killed a person but We relieved you from the grief and tried you with (many a) trial" (xx. 40). Ahmad b. `Umar reported this hadith from Salim, but he did not make a mention of the words: "I heard