Prophecy

Lachi wrote: So it's not the prophecy that has come true, but the interpretation of it by Imam Nawawi?

Oh brother...

No Lachi.  You missed the point as well.  The point was that Muslims have believed from the start that the prophecy foretold the coming of a time when the poor Arabs would become so wealthy that they would compete with each other in the building of tall structures.  Unless you have been living in a cave for the past few years, you would see this happening as we speak.

Ron (and it seems you as well) was unable to realize that the reference to the "herdsmen" was a prophecy in itself in that it foretold their change in fortune from poor "herdsmen" into "rich capitalists" as Ron put it.  This is how Muslims have interpreted the hadith, long before these events came to pass.  In fact, another hadith of the Prophet mentioned by the scholar Tabarani stated:

"[o]ne of the signs of the change of the Religion is the affectation of eloquence by the rabble and their betaking to palaces in big cities."     

If the "rabble" take to "palaces in big cities", what is this a reference to other than their reversal of fortune?  Surely, poor people would not "betake to palaces".  Only rich people do that.  Think about it... 

Ron Webb wrote: I don't see herdsmen building tall buildings.  I don't see the barefoot and naked ruling the earth, either.  I see rich capitalists doing these things, and I don't expect that to change. I'd say Muhammad got it wrong.

As usual, Ron missed the point!  The prophecy foretold that people would build tall buildings.  This has come to pass! 

Ron's best argument is that "well, it didn't exactly happen as Muhammad foretold it."  Of course, he has no explanation for how Muhammad (peace be upon him) knew that 1400 years after him, people would build tall buildings!

Now, with regard to the alleged absence of the "herdsmen" that Ron is so uptight about, the plain fact is that he again missed the point.  Classical Islamic scholars, who lived centuries before the tall buildings were built, interpreted the reference to "herdsmen" to mean that the once poor Arabs would become rich and powerful.  For example, Imam Nawawi stated:

"The people of badi'a (the desert bedouins) and their like are indigent.  There will come a time in which they become rich and build such structures to demonstrate their wealth." (As quoted by Shaykh Muhammad Hisham Kabbani in "The Approach of Armageddon?  An Islamic Perspective", p. 92)

Similar statements were made by such scholars as Tabarani and Qurtubi (ibid.).

So, what the prophecy stated was that a time would come when the once poor Arabs would become so wealthy that they would use their wealth to build tall structures.  This is happening as we speak.  Alhamdulillah!

There are many other prophecies that we can consider.  If Ron is up to it, I can mention some more. 

For those of you who just do not understand or have been living in a closet for years, Dubai currently has the tallest building in the world. However, Saudi Arabia is now considering/planning/building another tall building to beat Dubai.

One could say both people are descendants of herdsmen or Bedouins. That's what the Hadith is about.

I don't see herdsmen building tall buildings.  I don't see the barefoot and naked ruling the earth, either.  I see rich capitalists doing these things, and I don't expect that to change. I'd say Muhammad got it wrong.