Fire of Hijaz Reaches Busra

Abū Hurayrah Aliĝis narrated that the Prophet said, “The Hour will not be established till a fire will come out of the land of Hijaz, and it will throw light on the necks of the camels at Busiri'.”

Explanation of the Hadith

This hadith refers to a very critical scientific fact related to the land of Hijaz (in the Arabian Peninsula), which was only discovered in the middle of the 20" century, when geologists started to draw the geological map of the Arabian Peninsula. This map showed volcanic ejecta (rock fragments, and other material thrown out of a volcano) and lava, alongside all the west coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It extends from Aden in the south, to the Syrian Heights in the north, crosses the land of Hijaz, Jordan and Palestine, covering all of this area, which is estimated to be about 180,000 square km, and forming one of the most important areas of current volcanic activity in the world.

Busri is a place in ash-Sham. Half of this area containing volcanic ejecta, lies in the land of Hijdz (about 90,000 square km), distributed over 13 lava fields. Most of these lava fields extend along the east coast of the Red Sea, with a depth varying between 150 to 200 km inside the land of Hijaz.

It is believed that those volcanic ejecta have actually flown through a number of faults, which are parallel to the direction of the Red Sea, and from the craters (openings) of hundreds of volcanoes, which are spread in the west of Hijaz.

It is also believed that these faults and volcanoes are still active since they are formed up until now. Moreover, during their periods of activity these volcanoes have caused many earthquakes. Columns of gases and hot vapor have been seen coming out of some of these volcanic craters, around which many hot springs are present.

The thirteen lava fields are arranged from the south to the north as follows: As-Sirah, Al-Birk, Al-Baqum, An-Nawass, Hadan, Al-Kashb, Raht, Abů Nar, Khaybar, Ishara, AlOayrad, Ash-Shama, Al-Hammad, as well as a number of other small Hirrats. Al-Madinah falls between the Raht lava field in the south and the Khaybar lava field in the north. The Raht lava field extends between Madinah in the north and the valley of Fátimah in the south, close to Makkah al-Mukarramah, over an area of about 310 km in length and an average of 60 km in width, thus covering an area of about 19,830 square km, having an average depth of 100 m, even though it may reach almost 400 m in some areas.

In the Raht lava field alone, there are more than 700 volcanic craters. The northern part of the lava field, which falls directly to the south of Madinah is the most active part of this lava field as it has witnessed more than thirteen volcanic eruptions and lava flows throughout the last 15,000 years (with an average of one volcanic eruption almost every 400 years). One of these eruptions took place in the year 21 A.H. (644 A.C.) during the reign of the Caliph Umar ibn alKhattaib age, and another one in the year 654 A.H. (1256 A.C.). Each of these eruptions was preceded by a number of violent earthquakes accompanied by Sounds of strong explosions.

The last volcanic eruption led to the formation of six new Volcanic maps. Its lava shot upward to a distance, which exceeded 23 km from the north to the south, and extended until it reached the area, which falls to the south of the present airport of Madinah. Then it turned to the north as a sign of mercy to the inhabitants of Madinah and as an honor to the Prophet (who is buried in Madinah), after people had undergone a state of great fear and panic.

In the Khaybar lava field, there are more than 400 volcanic craters, most of which are recent and active. More than 300 barely noticeable earthquakes (microseisms) were recorded round one of these craters a few years ago. This indicates that the molten rocks are moving under this cone and threatens a violent volcanic eruption.

Scientific studies, which were carried out in the area of Hijaz indicate that volcanic eruptions, which formed the Raht lava field had started at least ten million years ago. The area is characterized with a sequence of volcanic eruptions interrupted with relatively dormant periods like the one in which we live.

This means that this area is definitely moving towards a period of volcanic eruptions during which lava would erupt out of the craters and fissures, as they have erupted before, with millions of tons of lava. Then, the area would be filled with light and blazing fire proving what was mentioned in the present hadith.

The Khaybar lava field is also considered the largest volcanic hill in the land of Hijaz, as it covers almost 20,000 square km, to a depth varying between 500 and 1000 meters. This is the result of several consecutive volcanic eruptions, the most recent of which was in the center of the lava field where most of the recent volcanic craters are present in a belt, which extends along 80 km directly parallel to the Red Sea, with a depth coming to an average of 15 km. Two major earthquakes were recorded in the Khaybar lava field, one in 460 A.H. and the other in 654 A.H. The last earthquake was preceded by sounds of great explosions, followed by a major volcanic eruption and was accompanied by seismic waves, which lasted an average often times per day for 5 to 6 days. The magnitude of the strongest seism was 5.5 degrees on the Seismograph (by the Richter scale). Those volcanic eruptions formed a great number of volcanic maps and shot millions of tons of lava upward towards the south.

These maps are still subject to a great number of mild microseisms, which indicate that the molten rocks under the volcanic cone are still active. This confirms the fact that it is inevitable that violent volcanic eruptions will take place in the land of Hijaz in the future known only by Allah. This is a witness to the Prophet's truthfulness and the Divine nature of what was revealed to him