Fire in the land of Hijaz
Appeared
In brief
The Prophet ﷺ said the Hour will not come until a fire comes out of the land of the Hijaz and lights up the necks of the camels at Busra, in Syria. It describes a fire so large and bright that its light could be seen hundreds of kilometres away.
Scholars such as al-Nawawi, Ibn Kathir and al-Qurtubi held that this happened in 654 AH (1256 CE). That year a volcanic eruption east of Madinah, at Harrat Rahat, poured out lava for weeks. Al-Nawawi, who lived at the time, wrote that it was seen from far away and reported from Busra, and geologists date a lava flow in that field to 1256 CE.
Fulfilled signs strengthen certainty in the ones still to come.
Where it sits in the sequence
Events the narrations foretold that scholars connect with the first centuries of Islam. No single narration puts them in order.
Strongest narrations
Read all in the archive →Tags are automatic and unreviewed.
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الْيَمَانِ، أَخْبَرَنَا شُعَيْبٌ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، قَالَ سَعِيدُ بْنُ الْمُسَيَّبِ أَخْبَرَنِي أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " لاَ تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ حَتَّى تَخْرُجَ نَارٌ مِنْ أَرْضِ الْحِجَازِ، تُضِيءُ أَعْنَاقَ الإِبِلِ بِبُصْرَى ".
Narrated Abu Huraira:Allah's Messenger (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
حَدَّثَنِي حَرْمَلَةُ بْنُ يَحْيَى، أَخْبَرَنَا ابْنُ وَهْبٍ، أَخْبَرَنِي يُونُسُ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، أَخْبَرَنِي ابْنُ الْمُسَيَّبِ، أَنَّ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ، أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم 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 صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " لاَ تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ حَتَّى تَخْرُجَ نَارٌ مِنْ أَرْضِ الْحِجَازِ تُضِيءُ أَعْنَاقَ الإِبِلِ بِبُصْرَى " .
Abu Huraira reported that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: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
Weak and ungraded reports on this sign
4
Shown for study, not as established. Includes Kitab al-Fitan of Nu'aym ibn Hammad, which is ungraded and weak overall.
Not graded under this archive's policy. The verdicts recorded are listed.
فحدثنا الشيخ أبو بكر بن إسحاق، أنبأ العباس بن الفضل الأسفاطي، ثنا إسماعيل بن أبي أويس، حدثنا عباية بن بكر بن أبي ليلى المزني، عن إبراهيم بن إسماعيل بن مجمع، عن عبد الله بن أبي بكر بن محمد بن عمرو بن حزم، عن أبيه، قال: حدثني أبو البداح بن عاصم الأنصاري، عن أبيه، أنه قال: سألنا رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم حدثان ما قدم، فقال: «أين حبس سيل؟» قلنا: لا ندري، فمر بي رجل من بني سليم، فقلت: من أين جئت؟ فقال: من حبس سيل، فدعوت بنعلي، فانحدرت إلى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، فقلت: يا رسول الله سألتنا عن حبس سيل، وإنه لم يكن لنا به علم، وإنه مر بي هذا الرجل فسألته، فزعم أن به أهله، فسأله رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، فقال: «أين أهلك؟» قال: بحبس سيل، فقال: «أخر أهلك فإنه يوشك أن تخرج منه نار تضيء أعناق الإبل ببصرى» هذا حديث صحيح الإسناد، ولم يخرجاه "
No translation yet. Arabic only.
AI draft, not reviewed by an editor. Read the Arabic for the meaning.
Not graded under this archive's policy. The verdicts recorded are listed.
فأخبرناه أبو جعفر محمد بن محمد البغدادي، ثنا أحمد بن محمد بن الحجاج بن رشدين، حدثني أبي، عن أبيه، عن جده، عن عقيل، عن ابن شهاب، أن سعيد بن المسيب، أخبره أن أبا هريرة رضي الله عنه، أخبره أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، قال: «لا تقوم الساعة حتى تخرج نار بأرض الحجاز تضيء منها أعناق الإبل ببصرى»
No translation yet. Arabic only.
AI draft, not reviewed by an editor. Read the Arabic for the meaning.
Kitab al-Fitan of Nu'aym ibn Hammad: ungraded, and weak overall. Never established on its own.
Traced to Ka'b al-Ahbar (automatic guess): a report of earlier scriptures, not a hadith of the Prophet ﷺ.
يوشك نار تخرج باليمن تسوق الناس إلى الشام، تغدو إذا غدوا، وتقيل إذا قالوا، وتروح إذا راحوا، تضيء منها أعناق الإبل ببصرى، فإذا سمعت ذلك فاخرجوا إلى الشام
A fire is about to break out in Yemen, taking people to the Sham (Greater Syria). It will come in the morning when they start, and go to bed when they say, and leave when they leave. It will light up the necks of camels in Busra, so if you hear that, go out to the Sham (Greater Syria).
Kitab al-Fitan of Nu'aym ibn Hammad: ungraded, and weak overall. Never established on its own.
تخرج نار من الحجاز تضيء أعناق الإبل ببصرى
Narrated Abu Huraira:Allah's Messenger (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
What scholars have said
Scholars cite it as having appeared
Imam Yahya An-Nawawid. 676 AH (631-676 AH)
Reports that a great fire appeared east of Madinah in 654 AH, in his own lifetime.
Sharh Sahih Muslim, on 2902
Imam Ibn Kathird. 774 AH (701-774 AH)
Records the same fire and links it to this narration.
al-Bidayah wa'l-Nihayah, events of 654 AH
Present-day data
These numbers show the world today beside the narration. They do not decide whether the sign has appeared; that is shown only through named scholars, in the Scholars' views tab.
'The Hour will not come until a fire comes out of the land of Hijaz that lights up the necks of the camels at Busra' (Sahih al-Bukhari 7118). Al-Nawawi and Ibn Kathir identify it with the fire of 654 AH near Madinah. Geologists know it as the 1256 CE eruption of Harrat Rahat.
Narrations behind this panel: Sahih al-Bukhari 7118 · Sahih Muslim 2902
Background
The 1256 eruption (654 AH)
From June to July 1256 six vents south-east of Madinah poured out about 0.5 km³ of lava. The flow ran about 23 km and stopped within about 4 km of the city. It is the youngest lava flow in Saudi Arabia.
NASA Earth Observatory, Living on Lava · Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program, Harrat Rahat
as of 2026-10-27
Draft: figures and wording await a researcher's check and the scholar board.