17th-century Mughal depiction of the Beast of Nations
17th-century Mughal depiction of the Beast of Nations
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16th century Persian illustration of the Beast
16th century Persian illustration of the Beast

The Beast of the Earth (Arabic: دَابَّة الأَرْض, romanized: Dābbat al-Arḍ), in Islamic eschatology, will be one of the signs of the coming of the Last Day. It will appear before or after the sun rises in the west, where the Beast will be sighted for the very first time. The Beast is mentioned in the Quran (in Sura An-Naml) and is also mentioned in the ahadith, which expand upon the characteristics of the beast. Islamic tradition holds that the Beast will precipitate the death of all true believers and the removal of the Quran from the world.[1] .... The Qur'an mentions that the Beast will address the unbelievers and admonish them for their lack of attention towards God:

And when the Word is fulfilled against them (the unjust), we shall produce from the earth a beast to (face) them: He will speak to them, for that mankind did not believe with assurance in Our Signs.

— Quran 27:82[2]

In the hadith

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A tradition attributed to Ibn al-Zubayr also describes the Beast carrying the Seal of Solomon and Moses' staff.[3]

Some ahadith say that the Beast will be one of the first major signs of the Last Day, along with the sun rising in the west. The appearance of the Dajjal, rising smoke, and great turmoil are said to be other signs of the end times in a similar hadith.[4]

Interpretations

Traditional

According to the medieval Sunni theologian Fakhr al-Din al-Razi, there is nothing mentioned in hadith reports attributed to the Islamic prophet Muhammad about the nature of this creature, but it is mentioned in narrations circulating around the time of his successors. Wahb ibn Munabbih stated that such a "beast" spoke to the people of Sodom from under the earth.[5]

Contemporary

While the majority of contemporary Islamic scholars accept the traditional exegesis of the Beast of the Earth, the Dābbat al-Arḍ as a literal creature who will appear in the end times, some interpret the Beast as possibly being made of various parts, including diseases like HIV. Another interpretation holds that this Beast is related to materialistic tendencies, and thus the Dābbat does not appear at the end of the world, but rather will doom a given nation or society.[6]

See also

References

  1. ^ Lorenzo DiTommaso Studia in Veteris Testamenti pseudepigrapha, Band 20 BRILL 2005 ISBN 978-9-004-14412-5 page 172
  2. ^ Quran 27:82
  3. ^ "Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Surah 27". Retrieved 20 August 2018.
  4. ^ "Sahih Muslim » The Book of Tribulations and Portents of the Last Hour » (25) Chapter: The Rest Of The Ahadith About Ad-Dajjal". Sunnah.com. Retrieved 20 August 2018.
  5. ^ Hasbi. "Dabbetülarz (1)". www.suleyman-ates.com. Retrieved 2018-06-30.
  6. ^ Maulana Muhammad Ali English Translation of the Holy Quran: With Explanatory Notes : from the English Translation and Commentary of Maulana Muhammad Ali A.a.i.i.l. (u.k.) 2010 ISBN 978-1-906-10907-3 page 477
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