The statement of Shaykh Abd al-Rahman ibn Sa'di regarding the issue of the emergence of Gog and Magog
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His Eminence the Shaykh: It is well established that Shaykh Abd al-Rahman ibn Sa'di (may Allah have mercy on him) stated that Ya'juj and Ma'juj have appeared and that they are the people of China.
And after returning to his tafsir, it became clear that Gog and Magog will emerge in the end times and that they will cause corruption on earth, and that their emergence is one of the major signs of the Hour. Did the Shaykh retract his first statement, or does he have two statements on this issue? And what do you consider the stronger position in this matter? May Allah reward you with good.
Shaykh Abd al-Rahman ibn Sa'di (may Allah have mercy on him) is our Shaykh, and a commotion was stirred up over what was attributed to him, namely that Gog and Magog are the people of China and those beyond the Caucasus Mountains. The truth is that he (may Allah have mercy on him) did not say anything except with evidence based on the Book and the Sunnah, and with a statement made by those before him. But the people of desires cling to a spider's thread in defaming the reputation of those to whom Allah has granted from His bounty, so they wanted to envy him.
So our Shaykh (may Allah have mercy on him) did not say: That Gog and Magog who will emerge in the end times are the ones who exist now, and no sane person can say this, let alone a scholar who is considered a sign of his time (may Allah have mercy on him),And he said: That Gog and Magog exist, and the Qur'an indicates this,Allah the Exalted said regarding Dhu al-Qarnayn:[Al-Kahf 18:90-92] meaning: he traveled [al-Kahf: 90-94] So they exist,and His saying, the Exalted:[Al-Kahf 18:94] meaning: wealth [Al-Kahf 18:94] So he responded to that and said: [al-Kahf: 96] So they brought him pieces of iron and he piled them one upon another: meaning: between the two mountains: [Al-Kahf 18:96] meaning: bring me molten iron, i.e., bring me molten iron to pour over it, so they brought him that, and this barrier became like a mountain, and it is a barrier of iron [al-Kahf: 97] meaning: they could not climb over it [Al-Kahf 18:97] [al-Kahf: 98] meaning in the end times: [al-Kahf: 98-99] .
So the result is that our Shaykh (may Allah have mercy on him) did not hold two opinions on this issue, but it is one opinion indicated by the Book of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) and also the statements of the scholars, indeed, it is established from the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said: (Allah the Exalted says: O Adam -Meaning: on the Day of Resurrection-So he says: At your service and at your command.
So he says: Bring out from your descendants a group for the Fire.
He said: O my Lord, and who is the group for the Fire?He said: Nine hundred and ninety-nine out of every thousand) meaning: nine hundred and ninety-nine of all the children of Adam are in the Fire and one is in Paradise, (So this was great for the Companions and it weighed heavily on them, and they said: O Messenger of Allah! Where is that one?He said: Rejoice, for you are among two groups that were not numerous in anything except Gog and Magog) And this is explicit that Gog and Magog are from the children of Adam, and that they enter the Fire.
So in any case, we see what the Book and the Sunnah indicate, namely that Gog and Magog exist, but these existing ones are not the ones who will emerge in the end times, but other people from their lineage will come, and they will emerge in the end times, and they will cause corruption on earth just as their fathers caused corruption.
And after returning to his tafsir, it became clear that Gog and Magog will emerge in the end times and that they will cause corruption on earth, and that their emergence is one of the major signs of the Hour. Did the Shaykh retract his first statement, or does he have two statements on this issue? And what do you consider the stronger position in this matter? May Allah reward you with good.
Shaykh Abd al-Rahman ibn Sa'di (may Allah have mercy on him) is our Shaykh, and a commotion was stirred up over what was attributed to him, namely that Gog and Magog are the people of China and those beyond the Caucasus Mountains. The truth is that he (may Allah have mercy on him) did not say anything except with evidence based on the Book and the Sunnah, and with a statement made by those before him. But the people of desires cling to a spider's thread in defaming the reputation of those to whom Allah has granted from His bounty, so they wanted to envy him.
So our Shaykh (may Allah have mercy on him) did not say: That Gog and Magog who will emerge in the end times are the ones who exist now, and no sane person can say this, let alone a scholar who is considered a sign of his time (may Allah have mercy on him),And he said: That Gog and Magog exist, and the Qur'an indicates this,Allah the Exalted said regarding Dhu al-Qarnayn:
(90) Until, when he came to the rising of the sun, he found it rising on a people for whom We had not made against it any shield. (91) Thus. And We had encompassed [all] that he had in knowledge. (92) Then he followed a way
حَتَّى إِذَا بَلَغَ مَطْلِعَ الشَّمْسِ وَجَدَهَا تَطْلُعُ عَلَى قَوْمٍ لَمْ نَجْعَلْ لَهُمْ مِنْ دُونِهَا سِتْراً * كَذَلِكَ وَقَدْ أَحَطْنَا بِمَا لَدَيْهِ خُبْراً * ثُمَّ أَتْبَعَ سَبَباً(93) Until, when he reached [a pass] between two mountains, he found beside them a people who could hardly understand [his] speech. (94) They said, "O Dhul-Qarnayn, indeed Gog and Magog are [great] corrupters in the land. So may we assign for you an expenditure that you might make between us and them a barrier?"
حَتَّى إِذَا بَلَغَ بَيْنَ السَّدَّيْنِ وَجَدَ مِنْ دُونِهِمَا قَوْماً لا يَكَادُونَ يَفْقَهُونَ قَوْلاً * قَالُوا يَا ذَا الْقَرْنَيْنِ إِنَّ يَأْجُوجَ وَمَأْجُوجَ مُفْسِدُونَ فِي الْأَرْضِ فَهَلْ نَجْعَلُ لَكَ خَرْجاً عَلَى أَنْ تَجْعَلَ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَهُمْ سَدّاًcorrupters in the land. So may we assign for you an expenditure
مُفْسِدُونَ فِي الْأَرْضِ فَهَلْ نَجْعَلُ لَكَ خَرْجاًthat you might make between us and them a barrier?"
عَلَى أَنْ تَجْعَلَ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَهُمْ سَدّاًBring me sheets of iron
آتُونِي زُبَرَ الْحَدِيدِUntil when he leveled it between the two mountains
حَتَّى إِذَا سَاوَى بَيْنَ الصَّدَفَيْنِhe said, "Bring me, that I may pour over it molten copper."
قَالَ آتُونِي أُفْرِغْ عَلَيْهِ قِطْراًSo Gog and Magog were unable to pass over it
فَمَا اسْطَاعُوا أَنْ يَظْهَرُوهُnor were they able [to effect] in it any penetration.
وَمَا اسْتَطَاعُوا لَهُ نَقْباً[Dhul-Qarnayn] said, "This is a mercy from my Lord; but when the promise of my Lord
قَالَ هَذَا رَحْمَةٌ مِنْ رَبِّي فَإِذَا جَاءَ وَعْدُ رَبِّيHe will make it level, and ever is the promise of my Lord true." (99) And We will leave them that day surging over each other
جَعَلَهُ دَكَّاءَ وَكَانَ وَعْدُ رَبِّي حَقّاً * وَتَرَكْنَا بَعْضَهُمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ يَمُوجُ فِي بَعْضٍSo the result is that our Shaykh (may Allah have mercy on him) did not hold two opinions on this issue, but it is one opinion indicated by the Book of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) and also the statements of the scholars, indeed, it is established from the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said: (Allah the Exalted says: O Adam -Meaning: on the Day of Resurrection-So he says: At your service and at your command.
So he says: Bring out from your descendants a group for the Fire.
He said: O my Lord, and who is the group for the Fire?He said: Nine hundred and ninety-nine out of every thousand) meaning: nine hundred and ninety-nine of all the children of Adam are in the Fire and one is in Paradise, (So this was great for the Companions and it weighed heavily on them, and they said: O Messenger of Allah! Where is that one?He said: Rejoice, for you are among two groups that were not numerous in anything except Gog and Magog) And this is explicit that Gog and Magog are from the children of Adam, and that they enter the Fire.
So in any case, we see what the Book and the Sunnah indicate, namely that Gog and Magog exist, but these existing ones are not the ones who will emerge in the end times, but other people from their lineage will come, and they will emerge in the end times, and they will cause corruption on earth just as their fathers caused corruption.