Al-Jahjah
In brief
The Prophet ﷺ said: 'The days and nights will not end until a man called al-Jahjah, a freed slave, comes to rule.' The hadith gives only his name and that he will rule. It says nothing about his character or when he comes.
Some scholars place him near the Qahtani, because the two are narrated close together. Beyond that very little is known, and scholars warn against filling the gap with guesses.
Where the texts are silent, be silent.
Where it sits in the sequence
The narrations do not put these in order, and many of them overlap. Sahih al-Bukhari 7121 lists several together.
Strongest narrations
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حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ الْعَبْدِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْكَبِيرِ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْمَجِيدِ أَبُو بَكْرٍ الْحَنَفِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْحَمِيدِ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ عُمَرَ بْنَ الْحَكَمِ، يُحَدِّثُ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " لاَ تَذْهَبُ الأَيَّامُ وَاللَّيَالِي حَتَّى يَمْلِكَ رَجُلٌ يُقَالُ لَهُ الْجَهْجَاهُ " . قَالَ مُسْلِمٌ هُمْ أَرْبَعَةُ إِخْوَةٍ شَرِيكٌ وَعُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ وَعُمَيْرٌ وَعَبْدُ الْكَبِيرِ بَنُو عَبْدِ الْمَجِيدِ .
Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:The day and the night would not come to an end before a man called al-Jahjah would occupy the throne
What scholars have said
No scholar here cites it as having appeared
Imam Yahya An-Nawawid. 676 AH (631-676 AH)
Reads the Prophet's ﷺ words that the days and nights will not pass until a man called al-Jahjah holds power; al-Nawawi notes he is named only, with nothing certain known of his lineage or time, and the report is cited as a foretelling, with no date and no identification of any present figure.
Sharh Sahih Muslim, on Hadith 2911
Meaning and context
'Days and nights will not end until a man called al-Jahjah rules' (Sahih Muslim 2911). Only his name is given, so there is nothing to measure or match; this panel gives the scholars' readings.
Narrations behind this panel: Sahih Muslim 2911
What the commentators said it means
- Another version adds that he is 'a man from the mawali' (non-Arab clients); he is a ruler near the end of time: al-Nawawi, Sharh Sahih Muslim.
- Some placed him after the Qahtani, among the rulers who follow the great signs: al-Qurtubi, al-Tadhkirah.
Read with care
- Matching the name to a living person is guesswork this site does not do (rule 4).
Draft: figures and wording await a researcher's check and the scholar board.