Summary:
There are two sets of prophecies related to tall buildings in Islamic traditions:
- The first set includes a prophecy about tall buildings among a total of 11 prophecies. However, the other 10 prophecies in this set either never happened or have been proven false.
- The second set is a misinterpretation by Islamists, who have dishonestly altered the original text. The original prophecy actually refers to "normal houses on top of the mountains," but they have manipulated it to say "tall buildings surpassing the tops of the mountains."
The first set of Ahadith about Tall Buildings, along with accompanying prophecies
These are the two Ahadith that Islamists cite as evidence for the prophecy about tall buildings.
Sahih al-Bukhari 7121:
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "The Hour will not be established (1) till two big groups fight each other whereupon there will be a great number of casualties on both sides and they will be following one and the same religious doctrine, (2) till about thirty Dajjals (liars) appear, and each one of them will claim that he is Allah's Messenger (ﷺ), (3) till the religious knowledge is taken away (by the death of Religious scholars) (4) earthquakes will increase in number (5) time will pass quickly, (6) afflictions will appear, (7) Al-Harj, (i.e., killing) will increase, (8) till wealth will be in abundance ---- so abundant that a wealthy person will worry lest nobody should accept his Zakat, and whenever he will present it to someone, that person (to whom it will be offered) will say, 'I am not in need of it, (9) till the people compete with one another in constructing high buildings, (10) till a man when passing by a grave of someone will say, 'Would that I were in his place (11) and till the sun rises from the West.
Sunan Ibn Majah 63:
... he (the Prophet) said (about the signs of the last hour): 'When the slave woman gives birth to her mistress' (Waki' said: This means when non-Arabs (slave women) will give birth to Arabs") 'and when you see barefoot, naked, destitute shepherds competing in constructing tall buildings.'
Our Response:
Tall buildings existed long before Muhammad's time, and they captured people's fascination. Structures like the Egyptian pyramids were constructed at great heights, and it took more than 3,000 years for any man-made building, such as the Eiffel Tower, to surpass them. Thus, if Muhammad made such claims about FUTURE, then how does it become a miracle?
The respected ex-Muslims Hassan Radwan wrote about this prophecy (link):
However as I often say, there are 3 minimum requirements that must be met before a claim to miraculous knowledge can be entertained.
A) The knowledge didn’t exist. B) There’s no possible alternative meaning. C) The statements are precise & accurate.
This claim meets none of these conditions. Here are the reasons why:
Firstly the claim that this prophecy is precise & specific, is false.
How one defines “tall buildings” is subjective and differs depending on time period and location ...
But more importantly the prophecy is not precise because today’s tall buildings are not being built by barefoot, naked, destitute shepherds, but by well heeled, wealthy royalty & businessmen. For example the person behind the construction of Burj Khalifa — Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum — was was never a “barefoot, naked, destitute shepherd” but a member of Dubai’s royal family and the son of Sheikh Rashid the second prime minister of the UAE. Likewise, none of those behind the building of Arabia’s tall buildings were ever; “barefoot, naked, destitute shepherds.”
1st Objection: The prophecy is not PRECISE and clear about who is going to compete to make tall building
- Untill the people compete with one another in constructing high buildings." [Reference: Sahih Bukhari 7121]
- Sheperds compete in constructing buildings … [Reference: Sunan Ibn Majah 4044]
- Shepherds of black camels compete in high buildings. [Reference: Sahih Bukhari 50]
- Barefooted, naked, destitute shepherds competing in the construction of higher buildings. [Reference: Riyad ad-Salihin 60]
Thus, the descriptions of "people who will compete" are inconsistent and unclear.
If they are only "people", then people, all over the world, all the time compete with each other in making tall building.
If they are "Shepherds of Black Camels", then we are intertested to know who they are. But unfortunately, Islamists never answer us and never tell us who these shepherds of black camel are. They simply escape from this hadith of their prophet.
If Islamists say that these are Arab Sheiks of Dubai and other Gulf countries who are competing with each other in making tall buildings, then the question is if these Sheiks of Gulf countries are 'naked shepherds'? And do they have black camels? Certainly, Muhammad would have not described these rich Arab Sheikhs as "naked shepherds" or barefooted and destitute.
2nd Objection: What is meant by TALL buildings?
During Muhammad's era:
- A two or there story housed was considered a tall building.
- A large mosque is a tall building.
- A palace is a tall building.
Thus, the first issue with this so-called “prophecy” is that Muslims had already constructed impressive buildings during the Umayyad period (known for its distinctive architecture), long before the Hadith collections were compiled. This raises the question: can it truly be considered a prophecy?
That is why Ibn Hajar relates in Fath al-Bari that this sign had already happened around the time of Muhammad’s prophethood. He wrote:
تقدم في كتاب الإيمان من وجه آخر عن أبي هريرة في سؤال جبريل عن الإيمان قوله في أشراط الساعة ويتطاول الناس في البنيان ، وهي من العلامات التي وقعت عن قرب في زمن النبوة
“It has been related previously in the “Book of Faith” through another chain, from Abu Hurairah regarding Gabriel’s question about faith, his saying (Abu Hurairah’s) regarding the signs of the Hour and the competing in constructing tall buildings: “And this is amongst the signs that HAPPENED Close to the time of (Muhammad’s) prophethood.””
3rd Objection: All Other Accompanying Prophecies in This Hadith Have Not Been Fulfilled
Another problem is that this prophecy appears within a series of other predictions, many of which are demonstrably false. For the prophecy about tall buildings to hold, the other prophecies in the same series would also need to be true. Here's what the Hadith claims should occur but never did:
(1) Two large groups will fight each other, leading to a significant number of casualties on both sides, despite sharing the same religious doctrine.
Comment: This is vague and likely refers to events that had already occurred before Ahadith were compiled (i.e. wars between the companions of the Muhammad).
(2) Around thirty false prophets (Dajjals) will emerge, each claiming to be Allah's Messenger (ﷺ).
Comment: This scenario had already happened before Ahadith were compiled, indicating it's not a prophecy.
(3) Religious knowledge will diminish as religious scholars pass away.
Comment: This is identified as a false prophecy, as there is no indication of a significant reduction in religious scholars leading to a loss of knowledge.
(4) The frequency of earthquakes will increase.
Comment: Scientists assert that the observed increase in earthquakes is due to improved detection technology rather than an actual increase in frequency, suggesting this prophecy is incorrect.
(5) Time will seem to pass quickly.
Comment: This observation is vague and subjective, with no clear metric to measure “quickly."
(6) Afflictions will become more frequent.
Comment: This had already been observed during the initial wars among companion of Muhammad [i.e. wars between 'Ali and 'Aisha, 'Ali and Muawiyyah and 'Ali and Khawarij] before Ahadith were compiled, proving it is not a new prophecy.
(7) Incidents of violence and killing (Al-Harj) will become more common.
Comment: This observation is vague and challenging to evaluate, given many folds increase in population and societal dynamics.
(8) Wealth will become so abundant that wealthy people will struggle to find recipients for their Zakat, with potential beneficiaries refusing it because they don't need it.
Comment: This seems to be a false prophecy, as there is no widespread evidence of excessive wealth leading to difficulty in distributing Zakat. In fact, people (especially Muslim countries) have become extremely poor and millions of Muslims are in need of Zakat today.
(9) People will compete with each other to construct tall buildings.
Comment: This trend had already begun during Umayyad Caliphate, before this Hadith was written. Please read about Umayyad Architecture here. Moreover, none of the previous stated prophecies in this Hadith have been fulfilled.
Beyond that, the standard for being a “high building” was not high in the minds of Arabs of that era. For example, the houses of the wives of Muhammad were only 5x4 meters (source). Thus, they considered many houses in Medina to be high buildings during the era of Muhammad too. [Sahih al-Bukhari, 1878: Once the Prophet (ﷺ) stood at the top of a (looked out from upon one) castle amongst the castles (or the high buildings) of Medina and said, "Do you see what I see? ...]
(10) A man passing by a grave will wish he were in the deceased's place.
Comment: This is speculative; it's not clear if or when this will happen on a large scale.
(11) The sun will rise from the West.
Comment: This has not occurred, so it's not clear if or when it will happen, or if it absolutely doesn't happen.
(12) "When a slave woman gives birth to her mistress." (Waki' explained this as non-Arabs giving birth to Arab offspring.)
Comment: It already happened long before the compilation of Ahadith when during the era of Umar Ibn Khattab, Arabs dominated non-Arabs and took their women as slaves, and it resulted in their Arabic speaking off-spring from those non-Arab slaves women. Secondly, the slavery has already been abolished in the whole world by the Western world. So, this Hadith is proven FALSE, as no more slave women are giving birth to their mistresses.
(13) When barefoot, naked, and destitute shepherds compete to construct tall buildings.
Comment: Arabs were barefoot, naked, destitute shepherds before the capture of Persia and Africa. As soon as Islamic Caliphate and Arabs became richer and richer, they started making castles and high buildings. Please read about the Umayyad Architecture here. This happened before the compilation of Ahadith.
Note 1:
Also, consider that the Nabateans, known for Petra and other stunning structures, constructed buildings in the region centuries before Muhammad, some reaching heights comparable to the Colosseum in Rome. They also developed canals, tunnels, and intricate underground water systems well before that time. In the south, the Sabaeans constructed the city of Shibam with its iconic skyscrapers, the Maarib Dam, and the Ghundam Palace tower. Even the Quran mentions the people of 'Ad and Thamud, who built towering castles and structures, yet were punished for their arrogance, despite their impressive architecture (Quran 89: 6-9).
Note 2:
The timeline of the compilation of Hadith is crucial, as later Muslim generations fabricated hundreds of thousands of Hadith (false statements) to defend and validate their religion.
When any historical incident happened during the life of Muhammad, then many people became DIRECT eye-witnesses to that historical event, and they also narrated that incident further. However, the problem for Muslims was that many of those incidents were exposing Muhammad and Islam and proving them to be false.
Subsequent generations of Islamic apologists took two approaches to control the damage:
- Firstly, they fabricated hundreds of thousands of false Ahadith to counter genuine incidents.
- Secondly, they created Ilm-ul-Hadith (Science of Hadith), which should serve as a TOOL to declare any incident as WEAK and UNRELIABLE which exposed Muhammad/Islam.
It is impossible to prove these Ahadith as a fabrication as all hadith transmitters were Muslims. However, we are fortunate that CONTRADICTIONS in these fabrications expose them as lies. For example, look at the following article:
It is logical to come to conclusion that both sets of these contradictory Ahadith cannot be correct at the same time, and thus at least one set among them is totally fabricated by later coming Muslim Hadith compilers.
Similarly, look at this article where again numerous alleged "Sahih (authentic) Ahadith" were fabricated, but luckily all of them got exposed due to their contradiction with the Quran.
The 2nd Set of Ahadith: Tall buildings surpassing the tops of the mountains... OR ... Houses on mountain tops?
Islamists present the following tradition (source):
Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr (radiyallahu ‘anhuma) is reported to have said: “……When you see tunnels/canals being dug in Makkah Mukarramah and the buildings (of Makkah Mukarramah) higher than the peak of the mountains then know that Qiyamah is close.”
(Musannaf ibn Abi Shaybah, Hadith: 14306)
Response:
This Hadith has been misrepresented. A closer examination of similar traditions reveals that they actually refer to "buildings on top of mountains", not "tall buildings higher than the peak of mountains". This clarification becomes evident when we consider all the relevant Ahadith on this topic, which collectively provide ample clarity that the correct interpretation is indeed "buildings or houses on top of mountains".
Muṣṣanaf Ibn Abi Shayba [Vol. 5, no. 14289]
حدثنا غندر عن شعبة عن يعلى بن عطاء عن أبيه قال كنت آخذا بلجام دابة عبد الله بن عمرو فقال كيف أنتم إذا هدمتم هذا البيت فلم تدعوا حجرا على حجر؟ قالوا ونحن على الإسلام؟ قال ونحن على الإسلام، قلت ثم ماذا؟ قال ثم يبنى أحسن ما كان فإذا رأيت مكة قد بعجت كظائم، ورأيت البناء يعلو رؤوس الجبال فاعلم أن الأمر قد أظلك
Ghunder narrated to us from Shu'ba from Ya'la ibn 'Ata' from his father, who said: "I was holding the reins of 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr's mount, and he said, 'What will you do when you tear down this House (the Kaaba), leaving not one stone upon another?' They asked, 'While we are still Muslims?' He replied, 'Yes, while you are still Muslims.' I asked, 'Then what happens?' He replied, 'Then it will be rebuilt better than it ever was. When you see Mecca with its valleys dug through (canals or tunnels), and construction (buildings/houses) rising above the tops of the mountains, know that the matter (a significant event or the Day of Judgment) is looming over you.'"
And other traditions are as under:
Kitāb al-Fitan [p. 22] Nu’aym ibn Ḥammād
حدثنا جرير بن عبد الحميد عن يزيد بن أبى زياد عن مجاهد عن ابن عمر رضى الله عنهما أنه رأى بنيانا على أبى قبيس فقال يا مجاهد إذا رأيت بيوت مكة قد ظهرت على أخاشبها وجرى الماء في طرقها فخذ حذرك
Jarir ibn Abdul Hamid narrated to us from Yazid ibn Abi Ziyad, from Mujahid, from Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with both of them), that he saw a building on Mount Abu Qubays and said, "O Mujahid, when you see the houses of Mecca appear on its mountains and water flows in its streets, then take caution."
TafsirAbdar-Razzāq [Vol. 3, no. 2810]
نا عبد الرزاق عن معمر عن يزيد بن أبي زياد عن مجاهد عن عبد الله بن عمرو قال إذا رأيت البناء ارتفع إلى أبي قبيس وجرى الماء في الوادي فخذ حذرك
Abdul Razzak narrated to us, from Ma'mar, from Yazid ibn Abi Ziyad, from Mujahid, from 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr, who said: "When you see construction reaching Mount Abu Qubays and water flowing in the valley, then take caution."
Akhbār Makkah, by al-Fākihi [Vol. 1, no. 699, Vol. 3, no. 1725 and 1728]
حدثنا سلمة بن شبيب قال ثنا عبد الرزاق قال أنا معمر عن يزيد بن أبي زياد عن مجاهد عن عبد الله بن عمرو قال إذا رأيت البناء قد ارتفع على جبال مكة وسال الماء فخذ حذرك
Salama ibn Shabib narrated to us, saying: 'Abdul Razzak narrated to us, saying: Ma'mar narrated from Yazid ibn Abi Ziyad, from Mujahid, from 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr, who said, "When you see construction rising on the mountains of Mecca and the water flowing, then take caution."
حدثنا أبو بشر بكر بن خلف قال ثنا المؤمل قال ثنا شعبة قال ثنا يعلى بن عطاء عن أبيه قال قال عبد الله بن عمرو بن العاص رضي الله عنهما إذا رأيت مكة قد بعجت كظاما ورأيت البناء قد علا على رءوس الجبال فاعلم أن الأمر قد أظلك
Abu Bishr Bakr ibn Khalaf narrated to us, saying: Al-Mu'ammal narrated to us, saying: Shu'ba narrated to us, saying: Ya'la ibn 'Ata', from his father, who said that 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr ibn al-'As (may Allah be pleased with both of them) said, "When you see Mecca with its valleys dug through and construction rising above the tops of the mountains, know that the matter (a significant event or the Day of Judgment) is looming over you."
حدثنا بكر بن خلف قال ثنا المؤمل قال ثنا شعبة قال يزيد بن أبي زياد عن مجاهد قال قال عبد الله بن عمرو رضي الله عنهما يا مجاهد إذا رأيت الماء بطريق مكة ورأيت البناء يعلو أخشبيها، فخذ حذرك
Bakr ibn Khalaf narrated to us, saying: Al-Mu'ammal narrated to us, saying: Shu'ba narrated to us, saying: Yazid ibn Abi Ziyad, from Mujahid, who said that 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr (may Allah be pleased with both of them) said, "O Mujahid, when you see water in the road to Mecca and construction rising on its two mountains, then take caution."
Akhbār Makkah by al-Azraqi [no. 342]
وحدثني جدي عن مسلم بن خالد عن ابن خثيم عن يوسف بن ماهك قال كنت جالسا مع عبد الله بن عمرو بن العاص في ناحية المسجد الحرام إذ نظر إلى بيت مشرف على أبي قبيس فقال أبيت ذلك؟ فقلت نعم فقال إذا رأيت بيوتها يعني بذلك مكة قد علت أخشبيها وفجرت بطونها أنهارا فقد أزف الأمر
And my grandfather narrated to me from Muslim ibn Khalid from Ibn Khuthaym from Yusuf ibn Mahak, who said, "I was sitting with 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr ibn al-'As in a corner of the Grand Mosque when he looked at a house overlooking Mount Abu Qubays and asked, 'Do you live in that house?' I replied, 'Yes.' He said, 'When you see its houses'—meaning Mecca—'rising above its mountains, and its valleys gushing with streams, then know that the matter (a significant event or the Day of Judgment) is approaching.'"
Ghareeb al-Ḥadith by al-Ḥarbi [Vol. 2, p. 544]
حدثنا عثمان حدثنا أبو معاوية عن الأعمش عن مجاهد عن عبد الله بن عمرو إذا ظهرت بيوت مكة على أخاشبها فخذ حذرك
'Uthman narrated to us, saying: Abu Mu'awiya narrated to us, from Al-A'mash, from Mujahid, who said that 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr said, "When the houses of Mecca appear on its mountains, then take caution."
Jāmi al-Aḥādith, al-Suyuṭi [Vol. 37, no. 40002]
عن يعلى بن عطاء عن أبيه قال قال عبد الله بن عمرو وكيف أنتم إذا أهدمتم هذا البيت فلم تدعوا حجرا على حجر قالوا ونحن على الإسلام قال ونحن على الإسلام قالوا ثم ماذا قال ثم يبنى أحسن ما كان وإذا رأيت مكة قد بعجت كظائم ورأيت البناء يعلو رؤوس الجبال فاعلم أن الأمر قد أظلك
From Ya'la ibn 'Ata', from his father, who said: 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr said, "What will you do when you tear down this House (the Kaaba), leaving not one stone upon another?" They asked, "While we are still Muslims?" He replied, "Yes, while you are still Muslims." They asked, "Then what happens?" He replied, "Then it will be rebuilt better than it ever was. And when you see Mecca with its valleys dug through and construction rising above the tops of the mountains, know that the matter (a significant event or the Day of Judgment) is looming over you."
Note 1:
The Umayyad governor Hajjaj bin Yusuf fired a catapult from the top of Mount Abu Qubais onto the Ka’bah during the siege of Makkah in 691 CE. Thus, Ka'bah had already been destroyed before the compilation of this Hadith.
Note 2:
Dykes and canals had also already been made in Mecca by earlier caliphs of Islam, before the compilation of Ahadith.
https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Mecca:
"Mecca was never the capital of any of the Islamic states. Muslim rulers did contribute to its upkeep, such as during the reigns of 'Umar (r. 634–644 CE) and 'Uthman ibn Affan (r. 644–656 CE) when concerns of flooding caused the caliphs to bring in Christian engineers to build barrages in the low-lying quarters and construct dykes and embankments to protect the area around the Kaaba." - "Makka – The pre-Islamic and early Islamic periods", Encyclopaedia of Islam
Mecca already had dykes, canals and tunnels ordered by Umar himself.
Later, the canal of Zubaydah was also built to save Mecca from flooding:
https://www.islamiclandmarks.com/makkah-hajj-places/the-canal-of-zubaidah
In the year 809 CE (193 AH), Zubaidah (the wealthy wife of the 5th Abbasid Caliph) went on her fifth Hajj. That year there had been a drought in Makkah and she witnessed the devastating effect on the local population and the pilgrims.
Saddened by the situation she immediately called for a solution. Engineers and experts from different regions were employed to resolve the crisis. They proposed the building of a canal from the spring of Hunain which was 95km to the east. However, it wasn’t possible to build a canal on the surface because of the rocky and barren land. Instead, engineers chose to build an aqueduct which channeled water through a tunnel and provided it at different intervals where required.
Really UNFORTUNATE that Islamists have DECEIVED millions of innocent people using this prophecy:
Islamists often resort to dishonesty, and they have a vast propaganda machine to spread their lies and deceptions.
The combination of these two evils has allowed Islamists to mislead and convert innocent people to Islam through this prophecy.
Millions of Muslims harbour doubts about Islam, but Islamists have effectively used this prophecy to reinforce their faith.
The only fortunate aspect is that lies and propaganda can't last forever. Eventually, a time comes when the truth exposes falsehoods.
You can also watch this excellent video by Apostate Prophet on this issue:
Hassan Radwan