Amr bin Wabisah Asadi narrates from his father, who says: I was in my house in Kufa when suddenly I heard a voice at the door: "As-salamu alaikum, may I come in?" I said: "Wa alaikum as-salam, come in." When he entered, I saw that it was Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him). I said: "Abu Abdur-Rahman! Is this the time for a visit? It is the intense heat of midday." He said: "The day was not passing, so I thought to come and have a conversation." Then they began narrating to each other the ahadith of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and he narrated this hadith: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "A time of tribulations will come when the one who is sleeping will be better than the one lying down, the one lying down will be better than the one sitting, the one sitting will be better than the one standing, the one standing will be better than the one walking, the one walking will be better than the one riding, and the one riding will be better than the one running. All of their slain will be in Hell." I said: "O Messenger of Allah! When will that be?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "It will be during the days of killing and chaos." I said: "When will the days of killing be?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When a man will fear his companion." I said: "If I reach that time, what do you command me to do?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Restrain yourself and your hand, and stay inside your house." I said: "O Messenger of Allah! What if someone (the mischief-maker) enters my house?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Then enter your room." I said: "O Messenger of Allah! What if he enters my room?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Then enter your place of prostration and do this," then he took his right hand and held his wrist, "and say: 'My Lord is Allah,' (and remain in that state) until you die."

Sabi’ says: The people sent me from the water place towards Kufa to buy some animals. We passed by a dung heap and saw a man around whom people were gathered. My friend went towards the animals and I came to that man. I saw that he was Sayyiduna Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him). He was saying: The Companions used to ask the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) about good, and I used to ask about evil. I said: O Messenger of Allah! Will there be evil after this good (i.e., Islam) like there was before it? He (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:“Yes.”I said: What will be the way to avoid it? He (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:“The sword.”I said: Then what will happen? He (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:“But there will be internal fighting and outward reconciliation. After that, callers to misguidance and deviation will appear. If you see a caliph in those days, then stick to him, even if he harms your body and takes your wealth. And if you do not see any caliph, then flee to a corner of the earth, even if you die in that state clinging to the trunk of a tree.”I said: Then what will happen? He (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:“Then the Dajjal will appear . . . . .”

Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: "When tribulations will break out upon you like pieces of a dark night, then those who will attain the most salvation from them (will be two types of people:) (1) A man who goes to the high peaks (of the mountains) and makes the milk of goats his food, and (2) a man who, turning away from the main road of life, holds the reins of his horse (settling at some frontier) and earns his livelihood through the spoils of his sword."

Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Trials will cover you like the dark patches of a night. The one who attains salvation will be he who lives on the high peaks (of mountains, etc.), sustaining himself on the milk of goats, or the one who holds the reins of his horse, staying away from the highway of life (engaged in jihad), and eats from his sword (from the spoils of war)."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "A time will come upon the people when the one who is patient upon his religion will be like one who is holding a burning ember in his hand."

Sayyidah Maymunah (may Allah be pleased with her) says: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said one day: "When corruption enters the religion, bloodshed will occur, adornment will become widespread, tall buildings will be constructed, desires will increase, discord will arise among brothers, and the Ancient House (the Ka'bah) will be burned down, then what will become of you?"

‘Adisah bint Ahban says that when Sayyiduna ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) came from Basrah, he came to my father and said:“Abu Muslim! Will you help me against these people?”He said:“Why not,”then he called his slave-girl and said:“Slave-girl! Bring my sword.”She brought the sword. He drew the sword out (of the sheath) about a span, and it was a wooden sword. Then he said:“My friend and your cousin (Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him) advised me: ‘When turmoil appears among the Muslims, make a wooden sword.’ Now if you wish, I will come with you (with this wooden sword).”Sayyiduna ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said:“I have no need of you or your sword.”

Aleeem says: I was sitting with Abis Ghifari on the roof, he saw some people afflicted with plague and said: Why are these people afflicted with plague? O plague! Come upon me. (He said this twice.) His cousin, who was a companion, said to him: Why do you wish for death, when you have heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: "No one should wish for death, for death cuts off the sequence of deeds, and no one will be given another chance (after death) to please Allah." He also said: "Perform deeds before these six things: the rule of fools, the abundance of police, severing of family ties, the buying and selling of positions and judgments, the cheapness of human blood, and people of pleasure who will recite the Qur'an in a melodious voice, they will give precedence to a man who is neither a jurist nor a scholar, only because he will sing the Qur'an to them."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Perform deeds before six things: the rising of the sun from the west, the Dajjal, the smoke, the beast of the earth, death, and the affair of the common people (i.e., a tribulation that will encompass the people, or an affair in which the common people will become dominant)."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Hasten to perform good deeds before trials come like patches of a dark night. A man will be a believer in the morning and a disbeliever in the evening, or he will be a believer in the evening and a disbeliever in the morning. He will sell his religion for some worldly goods."