The Prophet Sulayman (as), Dhu’l-Qarnayn and the Mahdi … similarities between three holy individuals, enlightening the end times

The Prophet Sulayman (as) and Dhu'l-Qarnayn were two holy individuals
who scrupulously maintained Allah's bounds, showed great efforts to
have Islamic moral values prevail on Earth, and who received an
enormous dominion over this world in return.
The world dominion is not the only feature in common seen in the days
of The Prophet Sulayman (as) and Dhu'l-Qarnayn. In the hadiths of our
Prophet (pbuh), Muslims are given the great glad tidings that the
dominion that will be experienced in the time of the Mahdi will be
similar to that of those other two periods.
The Prophet Sulayman (as) was a holy prophet descended from the line
of the Prophet Nuh and to whom the true path and great knowledge were
imparted from the Presence of Allah. Like his father, the Prophet
Dawud (as), he was sent to the Israelites as a Messenger of Allah.
Allah supported him with great authority and unique wealth, jinns and
birds, and blessed him with powerful armies and superior knowledge.
Throughout his life, he ruled with a great justice over the lands he
lived and brought different societies together for his service, with
his qualifications as a great ruler and judge.
As with The Prophet Sulayman (as), Allah also gave Dhu'l-Qarnayn
"power and authority on the earth."(Surat Al-Kahf, 84) Dhu'l-Qarnayn
also ruled a very powerful and world renowned state. It appears from
verses that there were no problems such as economic difficulties,
rebellions or revolts in the lands of Prophet Dhu'l-Qarnayn, and that
his rule was very sound, rational and strong.
When the times of The Prophet Sulayman (as) and Dhu'l-Qarnayn are
examined, the first thing that draws the attention is how, by the will
of Allah, religious moral values prevailed. However, apart from this
global dominion, the two periods share another feature in common. Many
of the hadiths of our Prophet (pbuh) stress that the worldly dominion
that will be obtained in the time of the Mahdi will be very similar to
that in the days of The Prophet Sulayman (as) and Dhu'l-Qarnayn:
"The Mahdi will rule over the world just like Dhu'l-Qarnayn and
Sulayman." (Book of Portents of the Awaited Mahdi, p. 29)
When the verses of the Qur'an that illuminate the days of The Prophet
Sulayman (as) and Dhu'l-Qarnayn are considered within the framework
of this point of view, it is seen that each reveals important signs
regarding the End Times and the Golden Age. Indeed, the developments
in the field of science and technology and the progress in economic
and social life in the End Times bear a very close similarity to many
descriptions in the story of The Prophet Sulayman (as). These
descriptions and the hadiths of our Prophet (pbuh) are very wise
accounts that are means whereby believers can examine world events
from a wider perspective and broaden their horizons.
The End Times and the Golden Age
The hadiths reported from our Prophet (pbuh) provide detailed
information about the portents of the End Times and the Golden Age.
When events taking place in the present day are compared to these
portents, it can be seen that there are many indications that the
period we are living in is the End Times and that also impart the glad
tidings of the coming of the Golden Age.
The beginning of the End Times has been described in hadiths as an
environment in which strife multiplies, wars and conflicts increase,
there is terrible moral degeneration in the world and in which people
turn away from religious moral values. In the period reported, there
will be natural disasters all over the world, poverty will increase as
never before, the crime rate will rise to a great extent, and murders
and killings will follow one after another. However, this is only the
first stage of the End Times; in the second stage, Allah will free
mankind from this climate of chaos by means of the Mahdi.
These things have of course been experienced many times over the
course of history. There have been many wars, natural disasters or
earthquakes in the history of mankind. Moral degeneration has been
seen in different communities in all ages, and poverty and hunger have
plagued the world for hundreds of years. What makes the portents of
the End Times different from all these is the fact that these portents
are all coming about in a particular time and in the same period, one
after the other, and in various special forms indicated in the
hadiths. The good news also needs to be imparted that this great chaos
described in the hadiths of our Prophet (pbuh) is only temporary and
will come to an end with the beginning of the Golden Age.
The Golden Age will be a period when wars and conflicts come to an
end, atheistic ideologies that have brought great disasters onto the
mankind are consigned to the oubliette of history, when there will be
abundance and fertility all over the world, and when there is true
justice. Islamic moral values will spread across the world and people
will flow into the stream of those values. As we have already
emphasized, this great dominion of Islamic Morality is described in
some of the hadiths of our Prophet (pbuh) as being similar to the
world dominion of The Prophet Sulayman (as) and Dhu'l-Qarnayn. In his
famous work "Letters," the great Islamic scholar Imam Rabbani also
included the hadiths informing how the Mahdi will help Islamic
morality prevail on Earth just like in the times of The Prophet
Sulayman (as) and Dhu'l-Qarnayn. One of these hadiths reads:
A little more than 1,000 years pass over the passing of Allah's
Messenger (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) from this life, a
time comes and the true Islam rises from its own ranks and unites with
the truth of the Ka`bah. (Imam Rabbani, Letters of Rabbani, vol. 1, p.
470)
As revealed in the hadith of our Prophet (pbuh), the two individuals
known as the ones who helped Islamic morality prevail all over the
Earth were The Prophet Sulayman (as) and Dhu'l-Qarnayn. By Allah's
will, the third Muslim will be the Mahdi announced in the hadith.
These features seen in The Prophet Sulayman (as) and Dhu'l-Qarnayn
will also be observed in the Mahdi.
Wise Similarities between the Times of The Prophet Sulayman (as),
Dhu'l-Qarnayn and the Mahdi
The Prophet Sulayman and the Prophet Dhu'l-Qarneyn ruled the whole
world with Islamic moral values and possessed very powerful armies.
This aspect of their age bears great similarities to the Golden Age.
The Golden Age will be a time when people will convert to Islam in
great numbers, while ideologies that deny Allah will wither away and
Islam will be practiced as it was in the time of our Prophet Muhammad
(pbuh). Some of the hadiths describe the Golden Age as follows:
The Mahdi will own the entire world. (Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan
fi `Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir al-Zaman, p. 10)
The Mahdi will invade all the places between East and West. (Ibn Hajar
al-Haythami, Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar fi `Alamat al-Mahdi al-Muntazar, p.
56)
The Rare and Nobel Knowledge Possessed by the Mahdi and the Knowledge
Bestowed on The Prophet Sulayman (as) and Dhu'l-Qarnayn
Almighty Allah bestowed various forms of knowledge on The Prophet
Sulayman (as). By the will of Allah, he ruled over djinns and devils,
spoke with birds, and was able to hear ants talking among themselves.
The wind and copper were also given under his command. Each of these
is a miraculous feature that distinguishes The Prophet Sulayman (as)
from other human beings.
The Qur'an reveals the fact about Dhu'l-Qarnayn, as well: "Our
knowledge encompasses all that happened to him" (Surat Al-Kahf) It is
clear from this verse that Dhu'l-Qarnayn was one of His servants whom
Allah bestowed knowledge. Like these two holy individuals, the Mahdi
will also possess very special knowledge.
In his work Mevzuatu'l ulum (11/246) Taskopruluzade Ahmet Efendi has
recorded how the Mahdi will have ilm-e-jafr (the art of divination
through numbers). Another hadith provides the following information
about the Mahdi:
He is called the Mahdi because he is given guidance for a situation
unknown to anyone. (Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi `Alamat al-Mahdi
Akhir al-Zaman, p. 77)
Muhyiddin Arabi describes how, just like The Prophet Sulayman (as),
the Mahdi will understand the language of animals and have dominion
over the djinn:
The Mahdi is a person who speaks the language of birds and other
animals. Therefore, his justice will manifest itself over all people
and jinns. (Allamah Muhaqqiq Ash-Sharif Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Rasul,
Al-Isaatu li Asrat'is-saat, p. 188)
Developments in the Fields of Science and Technology during the Golden Age
As revealed in verses of the Qur'an, in the times of The Prophet
Sulayman (as) and Dhu'l-Qarnayn there were great advances in science
and technology, advances that were quite unfamiliar for the time. For
example, The Prophet Sulayman (as)'s use of molten copper (Surah Saba
12), the floor of the palace being made out of transparent glass
(Surat Al-Naml 44), or Dhu'l-Qarnayn making use of a different
technology to construct a wall between two mountains in order to
prevent the strife of Yajuj and Majuj (Surat Al-Kahf, 96) are just a
few instances of the advanced technology employed in these two
periods.
When we examine those hadiths that describe the Golden Age we
encounter a very similar situation.
There will be major advances in the fields of science, technology,
communications and medicine in the Golden Age. Each new development
will be placed at the service of all mankind and the lives of people
all over the world will thus be improved. One of the signs in the
hadiths on this subject is:
The end of a man's whip will speak to him.(Tirmidhi)
It is very likely that this hadith is referring to the mobile
telephone, the most widespread means of communication in the present
day. (Allah knows the truth.)
Another important sign in the hadiths regarding technological progress is:
People will reap 700 measures of wheat for every one they sow ...
People will throw down a few handfuls of seeds and reap 700 handfuls
... Although much rain will fall, none will be wasted. (Ibn Hajar
al-Haythami, Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar fi `Alamat al-Mahdi al-Muntazar, p.
24)
This hadith may be referring to modern agriculture, carried out by
machines that are the products of technology. As we know, it used to
be a very difficult process to sow the fields and gather in the
harvest. However, advances in technology have also led to enormous
progress in agriculture, and the production of new machinery has made
life easier in terms of both sowing and harvesting. In addition, seed
improvement has led to great advances in production. As technology
advances, brand new techniques are being developed and productivity is
increasing.
By Allah's will, there will also be considerable advances in the time
of the Mahdi, and the lives of people engaged in agriculture will thus
be very much easier.
The Importance Given to Love of Animals
The Qur'an reveals that The Prophet Sulayman (as) set aside time in
order to pat his horse (Surah Sad 31-32) and that his moral values
were so superior that he would not even tread on an ant, thus drawing
attention to his loving and affectionate attitude towards animals.
Love of animals will also be encouraged in the Golden Age. We are told
in the hadiths of our Prophet (pbuh) that at this time all animals
will easily be able to be approached, patted and ruled. Some of the
hadiths on this subject read:
Snakes will get on with children, and cows with lions … (Book of
Portents of the Awaited Mahdi, p. 64)
Another noteworthy similarity between the Golden Age and the time of
The Prophet Sulayman (as) is, as seen from the hadiths, the
sovereignty over animals. In the same way that The Prophet Sulayman
(as) ruled over various living things, birds in particular, there will
be a similar sovereignty over them in the Golden Age, and even
dangerous animals will do people no harm.
Their Support for Peace and Preference for Diplomacy
The Prophet Sulayman (as) displayed a tolerant, forgiving and peaceful
attitude towards neighboring countries. He preferred to resolve
problems by diplomatic and fair ways. A very advanced culture arose in
the time of The Prophet Sulayman (as) and he confirmed his rule by way
of diplomacy, art and culture.
Dhu'l-Qarnayn was known as a "person who prevents strife and disorder
on Earth" by the peoples around him, and was a leader who brought
peace and calm to people. This aspect of the ages of The Prophet
Sulayman (as) and Dhu'l-Qarnayn look strikingly similar to the Golden
Age.
In the Golden Age people will become Muslims of their own will, and
Islamic morality will rule the world without the need for any war.
This age is described as follows in those hadiths:
No one will be woken up from their sleep or have a bleeding nose. (Ibn
Hajar al-Haythami, Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar fi `Alamat al-Mahdi
al-Muntazar, p. 42)
The Mahdi will follow the way of the Prophet. He will not wake up a
sleeping person or shed blood. (Allamah Muhaqqiq Ash-Sharif Muhammad
ibn 'Abd al-Rasul, Al-Isaatu li Asrat'is-saat, p. 163)
As stated in the hadiths, the Mahdi will use peaceful means to make
Islamic moral values prevail on Earth and will avoid war and violence.
The path taken by the Mahdi and a global cultural advance will be a
means whereby people turn to Islamic moral values. By the will of
Allah, the following verses depict this time: (Nasr Suresi 1-3)
" When Allah's help and victory have arrived and you have seen people
entering Allah's deen in droves, then glorify your Lord's praise and
ask His forgiveness. He is the Ever-Returning." ( Surat An-Nasr, 1-3)
Their determination and Swift Action on urging people to Religious Morality
The rational and quick decisions taken by The Prophet Sulayman (as)
stand for a role model for all true believers. The letter he wrote
(Surat An-Naml 29) to call the people of Sheba to the faith is an
important piece of evidence that demonstrates the power of his
message. The Qur'an gives us the following information about the
content of that letter:
"It is from Sulayman and says: "In the name of Allah, All-Merciful,
Most Merciful. Do not rise up against me, but come to me in
submission." ( Surat An-Naml, 30-31)
The style employed by The Prophet Sulayman (as) is very clear and
effective. Its sincere, determined and unequivocal style make it clear
that it comes from someone with great power and sovereignty. The queen
of Sheba and the notables around her were highly influenced by the
letter.
In addition, the way that The Prophet Sulayman (as) brought the queen
of Sheba to the throne by means of someone possessed of knowledge
(Surat An-Naml 38) reveals the importance he attached to the taking of
swift decisions.
Prophet Dhu'l-Qarnayn's decision to build a strong wall-so strong that
it would last until Doomsday-against the attacks of the Yajuj and
Majuj tribes show his power and intelligence.Like The Prophet Sulayman
(as) and Dhu'l-Qarnayn, the Mahdi will also be known for his
intelligence and foresight.
During the Golden Age, by the will of Allah, people will turn to Islam
in floods, there will be wide-ranging, sweeping activities towards
this way. All nations, one after another, will adopt Islamic morality,
and opposing ideologies will be wiped away through quick and lasting
actions and all cruel systems will be consigned to the darkness of
history. The great Islamic scholar Muhyiddin Arabi says this on the
subject:
Allah will give so much power to the Mahdi. He will remove cruelty
from the world overnight, religion will be established, and Islam will
be revived. The Mahdi will restore its lost value to it, and it will
come to life after its apparent demise ... Ignorant people, misers and
cowards alike, will be very knowledgeable, generous, and brave. ...
They will practice religion as in the time of Prophet Muhammad
(saas).... (Muhyiddin Ibn Arabi, Al-Futuhat al-Makkia, p. 66; Allamah
Muhaqqiq Ash-Sharif Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Rasul, Al-Isaatu li
Asrat'is-saat, p. 186)
Great Importance Placed on Construction
The importance attached to building by The Prophet Sulayman (as) is
emphasized in a number of verses. He caused castles, statues, towers
and furnaces to be made, using djinns and devils who were expert in
the field. (Surah Sad, 37; Surah Saba, 13) People who saw his
magnificent palace, the queen of Sheba in particular, was highly
impressed by it. (Surat Al-Naml, 44) The technique employed in the
construction of the wall erected by Dhu'l-Qarnayn was so powerful that
it could only be brought down by the will of Allah. (Surat Al-Kahf,
98)
The hadiths of our Prophet (pbuh) also reveal that great importance
will be attached to construction during the Golden Age. In addition to
peace and tranquility, a developed civilization will be brought in
this period. One of these hadiths reads:
The Mahdi will rule the world just like The Prophet Sulayman (as) and
Dhu'l-Qarnayn.(Book of Portents of the Awaited Mahdi p. 29)
There are four kings on Earth in total. Two are from the believers and
two from the unbelievers. The believers are Sulayman and
Dhu'l-Qarnayn. The unbelievers are Nemrud and Buhtannasir. ONE FROM MY
PEOPLE WILL RULE THE WORLD AS THE FIFTH. In other words, the Mahdi.
(Letters of Rabbani, 2/251)
He (the Mahdi)
Will be the king of all the world. (Book of Portents of the Mahdi of
the End Times, p. 10)
The Mahdi will conquer all places between east and west. (Book of
Portents of the Awaited Mahdi, p. 56)
He (the Mahdi) is one who is confirmed as knowing the languages of
birds and all animals. Thus his justice will be agreed by all human
beings and djinns
(Portents of Doomsday, Berzenci, p. 188)
He will be known as the Mahdi since he serves as a guide to a hidden
state of affairs known to nobody. (Book of Portents of the Mahdi of
the End Times, p. 77)
... A person will speak to the whip in his hand... (Portents of
Doomsday, Barzanji, p. 152)
When people sow one measure of wheat they will reap seven hundred
measures, a man will throw down a few seeds and receive back seven
hundred handfuls of harvest … Although there will be much rain, not a
drop will be wasted.(Portents of Doomsday, Barzanji, p. 164)
...A person will tell his sheep and animals, "Let us go and graze,"
and they will go, and although they pass through the middle of the
crops they will consume not one ear, and snakes and scorpions shall
harm no-one, and savage animals will wait before people's doors and
harm no-one... (Portents of Doomsday, Barzanji, p. 245)
In his time nobody shall be woken out of sleep and nobody's nose will
bleed. (Book of Portents of the Awaited Mahdi, p. 42)
The Mahdi will follow the path of the Prophet, will not waken anyone
who sleeps and will cause no blood to flow. (Portents of Doomsday,
Barzanji, p. 163)
Allah will give him (the Mahdi) such power that he will eliminate
oppression and evil in one night, re-establish the religion, reanimate
Islam, make it valuable once again after it had been accorded no
importance, resurrect it after its death … In his century a man who is
ignorant, parsimonious and afraid will immediately become learned,
generous and brave … The religion will be practiced just as it was in
the time of our Prophet (saas) … (Muhyiddin ibn Arabi, Conquests of
Mecca, Bab 66, Portents of Doomsday, p. 186)
The Mahdi will work for the building of Constantinople and other
countries. (Book of Portents of the Awaited Mahdi, p. 40)
The Mahdi will emerge from among my community, and Allah will send him
to make people wealthy. The community will be blessed, animals will
eat and drink in plenty, the earth will give up its fruits … (Book of
Portents of the Mahdi of the End Times, p. 15)
USING WEALTH AND SPLENDOR FOR ISLAM'S BENEFIT AND ALLAH'S GOOD PLEASURE
The Prophet Sulayman (as) used the wealth he possessed in the best way
possible in order to spread the Islamic morality revealed by Allah. He
called on the people in the countries he conquered to believe in and
submit to Allah. The letter of invitation to Islam he sent to the
country of Sheba is important evidence on this subject. As can be seen
from the verse: "'The power my Lord has granted me is better than
that. Just give me a strong helping hand and I will build a solid
barrier between you and them." (Surat Al-Kahf, 95), Dhu'l-Qarnayn
also, as a blessing from Allah, possessed stable power. He also used
his power in order to prevent disorder on Earth.
During the Golden Age people will attain great wealth, well-being and
peace. The Mahdi will employ all his wealth in order to make religious
moral values prevail on Earth, and will take proper moral values and
peace as his foundation in the countries he conquers. His unparalleled
practices will soften people's hearts and lead them to Islamic
morality. Thus, within a very short time this morality will rule the
world. One of the hadiths on this subject reads:
Before pledging their allegiance to him, people will flock to where he
resides, and everyone who goes there will enjoy the divine plenty.
(Book of Portents of the Awaited Mahdi, p. 25)
Fertility and Abundance During the Golden Age
It can be seen from verses that there was great wealth in the time of
The Prophet Sulayman (as) and that people lived lives of well-being.
The Prophet Sulayman (as)'s palace was truly magnificent, he had great
armies and ruled over all the world.
With its plenty and abundance the Golden Age will be quite similar to
the period of The Prophet Sulayman (as). People will be given
everything their heart desires, in large quantities and without even
measuring. Even the birds in the air will be delighted with the
Mahdi's caliphate. Our Prophet (pbuh) has given very detailed
descriptions of the plenty, abundance and well-being of the Golden
Age. One of these reads: In that time, the people of the Earth and
sky, all wild animals, birds and even the fish in the sea will rejoice
at his caliphate. In his time, even flowing rivers will increase their
waters. (Book of Portents of the Awaited Mahdi, p. 31)
Justice and Tolerance in the Golden Age
It is revealed in verses of the Qur'an that The Prophet Sulayman (as)
and Dhu'l-Qarnayn favored tolerance, forgiveness and peace.
Dhu'l-Qarnayn adopted fairness as his principle in dealing with the
societies he encountered and invited those societies to what was easy
for them. (Surat Al Kahf, 88) He treated them with justice and offered
them the solutions to the problems. He helped the communities that
sought his aid with no expectation of reward. There is no doubt that
this is all a consequence of living by the moral values enjoined by
our Almighty Lord.
The Prophet Sulayman (as) also ruled with justice throughout his
reign. When the Mahdi appears he, just like The Prophet Sulayman (as)
and Dhu'l-Qarnayn, will ensure the dominion of Islamic morality
through cultural activities, will employ diplomacy, attach importance
to art and esthetics, will win the love of all with his justice and
honesty, and will build a peaceful world. He will make the richness of
the world equally be shared by all, and poverty and misery will vanish
from the Earth. Some hadiths on this subject run as follows:
After his coming, the world filled with oppression and vice will
overflow with justice. (Book of Portents of the Awaited Mahdi, p. 20)
He (the Mahdi) will own the world and fill it, which was filled with
oppression and cruelty before him, with justice. Whoever of you lives
to see him, go to him, even by crawling over snow, and join him.
Because he is the Mahdi. (Book of Portents of the Mahdi of the End
Times, p. 14)
Ebu Said Hudri reports from the Prophet (pbuh):
"The followers of the Mahdi will shelter behind him like honey bees
shelter behind the queen (where they find safety and security), and he
will fill the Earth with justice and honesty." (Book of Portents of
the Awaited Mahdi, p. 30)
Glad Tidings for Muslims Concerning the End Times
The world dominion established during the days of The Prophet Sulayman
(as) and Dhu'l-Qarnayn are great glad tidings for all Muslims.
Because, as it is emphasized throughout this article, these stories
contain important signs referring to the End Times.
Muslims who scrupulously adhere to the bounds set by Allah, who
sincerely strive to bring Islamic morality to prevail across the world
and who are indefatigable in the face of all difficulties will
certainly be victorious at all times in history. Allah will be
alongside them with His help and support.
The Prophet Sulayman (as) and Dhu'l-Qarnayn were rewarded for the
above attributes with powerful dominion in this world (and, of course,
with many other spiritual blessings from Allah). That same dominion
will also arise in the End Times, through the Mahdi. As our Prophet
(pbuh) has told us, he will perform all services and, by the will of
Allah, help Islamic morality prevail on Earth. This is Allah's promise
to the faithful:
"It is He Who sent His Messenger with guidance and the Deen of Truth
to exalt it over every other deen, though the idolators hate it."
(Surat As-Saff, 9)
...He will bring down rain, bring forth the Earth's abundance, and my
community will enjoy a never before seen well-being in his time. (Book
of Portents of the Mahdi of the End Times p. 9)