It is narrated from the Mother of the Believers, Sayyidah Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her), that al-Harith bin Abi Rabi'ah and Abdullah bin Safwan came to her - and I was with them too - and the two of them asked her about the army that will be swallowed up by the earth. This was in the days (of the caliphate) of Sayyiduna Abdullah bin al-Zubayr (may Allah be pleased with them both). Sayyidah Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) saying: "One seeking refuge will take refuge in the Sanctuary (the Ka'bah), and an army will be sent against him; when they reach a barren plain of the earth (al-Bayda'), they will be swallowed up by the earth." I said: O Messenger of Allah! What about the one who joined (the army) unwillingly? He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "He too will be swallowed up with them, but on the Day of Resurrection he will be raised according to his intention." Then she (Umm Salamah, may Allah be pleased with her) said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "One seeking refuge will take refuge in the House of Allah." This hadith has a sahih (authentic) chain on the condition of the two Shaykhs, but they did not record it in their books.

It is narrated from the Mother of the Believers, Sayyidah Hafsah (may Allah be pleased with her), that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "An army will certainly head for this House (the Ka'bah) to attack it, until, when they are in a barren plain of the earth (al-Bayda'), the middle part of them will be swallowed up by the earth. Then the first and the last of them will call out to one another, then all of them will be swallowed up in such a way that none will survive except the fugitive (the one who escapes), who will give news of them." A man said (to the narrator): I bear witness that you did not lie against your grandfather, and I bear witness that your grandfather did not lie against Sayyidah Hafsah (may Allah be pleased with her), and I bear witness that Sayyidah Hafsah (may Allah be pleased with her) did not lie against the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). This hadith has a sahih (authentic) chain, but the two Shaykhs did not record it.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The armies will not desist from invading the House of Allah Almighty until one army of them is swallowed up by the earth." This hadith is gharib (singular) and sahih (authentic), but the two Shaykhs did not record it. I do not know of anyone other than Umar bin Hafs bin Ghiyath who narrated it, and Imam Abu Hatim is alone in narrating it (from him).

It is narrated from Sayyiduna al-Miqdad bin al-Aswad al-Kindi (may Allah be pleased with him); he said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) saying: "There will not remain on the face of the earth any house of clay (of town-dwellers) or tent of wool (of Bedouins) except that Allah Almighty will bring the word of Islam into it, with the honour of one who is honoured or the humiliation of one who is humiliated. Allah Almighty will honour them and make them among the people of Islam, or He will humiliate them and they will submit to it (this religion)." This hadith is sahih (authentic) on the condition of the two Shaykhs, but they did not record it.