It is authentically reported from Abū Hurayrah ؓ (d. 57 AH/676 CE) that the Prophet said:
إِنَّ يَأْجُوجَ وَمَأْجُوجَ يَحْفِرُونَ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ حَتَّى إِذَا كَادُوا يَرَوْنَ شُعَاعَ الشَّمْسِ قَالَ الَّذِي عَلَيْهِمُ ارْجِعُوا فَسَنَحْفِرُهُ غَدًا. فَيُعِيدُهُ اللَّهُ أَشَدَّ مَا كَانَ حَتَّى إِذَا بَلَغَتْ مُدَّتُهُمْ وَأَرَادَ اللَّهُ أَنْ يَبْعَثَهُمْ عَلَى النَّاسِ حَفَرُوا حَتَّى إِذَا كَادُوا يَرَوْنَ شُعَاعَ الشَّمْسِ قَالَ الَّذِي عَلَيْهِمُ ارْجِعُوا فَسَتَحْفِرُونَهُ غَدًا إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى وَاسْتَثْنَوْا فَيَعُودُونَ إِلَيْهِ وَهُوَ كَهَيْئَتِهِ حِينَ تَرَكُوهُ فَيَحْفِرُونَهُ وَيَخْرُجُونَ عَلَى النَّاسِ فَيَنْشِفُونَ الْمَاءَ وَيَتَحَصَّنُ النَّاسُ مِنْهُمْ فِي حُصُونِهِمْ فَيَرْمُونَ بِسِهَامِهِمْ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ فَتَرْجِعُ عَلَيْهَا الدَّمُ الَّذِي اجْفَظَّ فَيَقُولُونَ قَهَرْنَا أَهْلَ الأَرْضِ وَعَلَوْنَا أَهْلَ السَّمَاءِ فَيَبْعَثُ اللَّهُ نَغَفًا فِي أَقْفَائِهِمْ فَيَقْتُلُهُمْ بِهَا
“Yaʾjūj and Maʾjūj dig through the barrier every day until, when they are about to see the rays of the sun, the one in charge of them says: ‘Withdraw; we will continue digging tomorrow.’ Then Allah restores it to its original state, stronger than it was before.
This will continue until, when their appointed time arrives and Allah wills to release them upon the world, they will dig until they are about to see the rays of the sun. The one in charge of them will then say: ‘Withdraw; we will continue digging tomorrow, if Allah wills,’ thereby attaching it to Allah’s will. They will return to it and find it as they had left it. They will then break through and surge forth upon the people.
They will drink up the waters, and people will retreat into their fortresses. They will shoot arrows into the sky, and the arrows will return to them stained with blood. They will say: ‘We have subdued the people of the earth and overcome those in the heaven.’
Then Allah will send worms into the napes of their necks, and they will perish.” (Sunan Ibn Mājah, no. 4080; Sunan at-Tirmidhī, no. 3153).
The Messenger of Allah then said:
وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ إِنَّ دَوَابَّ الأَرْضِ لَتَسْمَنُ وَتَشْكَرُ شَكَرًا مِنْ لُحُومِهِمْ
“By the One in Whose Hand is my soul, the beasts of the earth will grow fat and their udders will be filled due to their flesh.” (Sunan Ibn Mājah, no. 4080; Sunan at-Tirmidhī, no. 3153).
Scholarly Discussion on the Ḥadīth and Qurʾānic Verses
Shaykh Muḥammad Nāṣir ad-Dīn al-Albānī (1333–1420 AH/1914–1999 CE) said regarding this ḥadīth:
Al-Ḥāfiẓ Ibn Kathīr cited Imām Aḥmad’s version of this ḥadīth in his exegesis of the verses relating to Dhū al-Qarnayn and his construction of the barrier, and Allah’s statement regarding Yaʾjūj and Maʾjūj:
فَمَا ٱسۡطَٰعُوٓاْ أَن يَظۡهَرُوهُ وَمَا ٱسۡتَطَٰعُواْ لَهُۥ نَقۡبٗا
“So they were not able to scale it, nor were they able to pierce it.” [Q 18:97]
Ibn Kathīr then said:
وإسناده جيد قوي ولكن متنه في رفعه نكارة لأن ظاهر الآية يقتضي أنهم لم يتمكنوا من ارتقائه ولا من نقبه، لإحكام بنائه وصلابته وشدته
“Its chain of transmission is good and strong. However, its wording is anomalous when attributed directly to the Prophet , because the verse indicates that they were unable to climb or bore through it due to its precise construction, strength and durability.” [Al-Albānī, Silsilat al-Aḥādīth aṣ-Ṣaḥīḥah, vol. 4, pp. 313–315.]
Shaykh al-Albānī then stated:
Yes, however, the verse does not indicate in any way that they will never be able to do so. The verse refers to the past, whereas the ḥadīth refers to a future event. Therefore, there is neither contradiction nor anomaly here. Rather, the ḥadīth is in complete harmony with the Qurʾān, especially Allah’s statement:
حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا فُتِحَتْ يَأْجُوجُ وَمَأْجُوجُ وَهُم مِّن كُلِّ حَدَبٍ يَنسِلُونَ
“Until, when Yaʾjūj and Maʾjūj are released and they descend from every elevation.” [Q 21:96]
He further added:
After writing this, I consulted Ibn Kathīr’s work Al-Bidāyah wa-n-Nihāyah and found that he offered an explanation similar to mine, although I have certain criticisms which would lengthen this discussion were we to mention them here. Whoever wishes may refer to it.
Authentication of the Ḥadīth
This ḥadīth was reported by at-Tirmidhī, Ibn Mājah, Aḥmad, Ibn Ḥibbān, and al-Ḥākim, who said:
صحيح على شرط الشيخين
“It is authentic according to the conditions of al-Bukhārī and Muslim.” [Al-Ḥākim, Al-Mustadrak ʿalā aṣ-Ṣaḥīḥayn, vol. 4, p. 488, as cited by Al-Albānī.]
Adh-Dhahabī agreed with him, and Shaykh al-Albānī likewise affirmed its authenticity.
References
Al-Qurʾān, [Q 18:97] and [Q 21:96].
Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, Al-Musnad, vol. 2, pp. 510–511.
Al-Albānī, Muḥammad Nāṣir ad-Dīn (d. 1420 AH/1999 CE), Silsilat al-Aḥādīth aṣ-Ṣaḥīḥah. Riyadh: Dār al-Maʿārif, vol. 4, pp. 313–315, no. 1735.
Al-Ḥākim, Al-Mustadrak ʿalā aṣ-Ṣaḥīḥayn, vol. 4, p. 488.
Ibn Ḥibbān, Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Ḥibbān, narration cited by al-Albānī under no. 1735.
Ibn Kathīr, Tafsīr al-Qurʾān al-ʿAẓīm, commentary on [Q 18:97]; Al-Bidāyah wa-n-Nihāyah, vol. 2, p. 112, as cited by al-Albānī.
Ibn Mājah, As-Sunan, no. 4080.
At-Tirmidhī, As-Sunan, no. 3153.
