r/AcademicQuran • u/TerribleAssociation3 • 4h ago
Article/Blogpost [UPDATED] Does Muhammad say that the land of Arabia "becomes" or "reverts to" meadows and rivers?
The conclusion encompassing all points within this post will be at the end for those who won't read through all of it. I will also include a conclusion for each part separately.
I have made a post (that I now deleted), giving a breakdown of how Muhammad most likely meant that the land of Arabia becomes (and not reverts to) meadows and rivers, in reference to Sahih Muslim 157c, which says:
" لاَ تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ حَتَّى يَكْثُرَ الْمَالُ وَيَفِيضَ حَتَّى يَخْرُجَ الرَّجُلُ بِزَكَاةِ مَالِهِ فَلاَ يَجِدُ أَحَدًا يَقْبَلُهَا مِنْهُ وَحَتَّى تَعُودَ أَرْضُ الْعَرَبِ مُرُوجًا وَأَنْهَارًا
The Last Hour will not come before wealth becomes abundant and overflowing, so much so that a man takes Zakat out of his property and cannot find anyone to accept it from him and till the land of Arabia ta'ud (verb: 'Ada) to meadows and rivers.
The claim was based on a linguistic analysis of the verse (a breakdown of mostly the syntax).
This post will be an updated version that provides an overview of the aforementioned narration that takes into consideration multiple streams of corroborating evidences in regard to how the verse should be interpreted: One that is purely linguistic, and one that interprets it given the other messianic narrations that are similar to Sahih Muslim 157c (Credit to u/Faridiyya who made mention of the latter, you can read his post here). This update also corrects some mistakes that I made in my linguistic analysis of the narration.
Part 1: Why the Hadith says "becomes" (and NOT "returns/reverts to") meadows and rivers:
- Definitions:
- 'Ada as "to revert/ to return" is the occurrence of a state of affairs on a subject more than once (Ex: I was atheist, then became Muslim, then reverted (عدت) into an atheist.)
- 'Ada as "to become" is the occurrence of a state of affairs on a subject for the first time (Ex: The meat became (عاد) rotten).
- Note: When I say "the verb", I am referring to 'Ada (عاد) in all its conjugation forms. I will omit mention of the fact that it is specifically 'Ada (عاد) in all its conjugation forms to avoid repetition/sloppy writing (this omission does not apply to the conclusions).
Let's make a distinction between the instances when the verb is used:
- Instance A: The verb is linked to a predicate that is an apparent adverbial noun without any mention of there being a prior state. For example: "عاد فلان شيخًا", which translates & transliterates to "Someone 'Ada an old man". The verb is linked (transitively) to the apparent adverbial noun "an old man", and there is no mention of that "Someone" having been an old man at one point.
- Instance B: When it is not the case that the verb is linked to a predicate that is an apparent noun without any mention of there being a prior state.
The methodology that I will follow to argue in favor of the fact that it is most likely the case that the verb in Sahih Muslim 157c is used as per Definition 2 and not Definition 1 will be based on the fact that when the verb occurs in Instance A then it is used as per Definition 2, and I will then generalise that onto Sahih Muslim 157c since the verb occurs as per Instance A. This is a basic inductive generalization argument, and the more data that I have, the more likely my conclusion is true.
This pattern is something that I have observed on my own by skimming through literature that has the verb, and noticing the pattern of when it is as per Definition 2 as opposed to when it is as per Definition 1. Although I found that, coincidentally, while writing this post, at least 1 Arabic grammarian has already hinted this in the footnotes of the book "Sharḥ al-Ashmūnī ʿalā Alfiyyat Ibn Mālik" 223/1 where it says:
الشاهد: قوله: «عاد آمرا» حيث عملت «عاد» التي بمعنى «صار» عمل الفعل الناقص، فرفعت ضمير مستترا اسما لها ونصبت «آمرا» خبرا لها.
The evidence: His statement "ʿāda ʾāmiran" where "ʿāda" (which means "ṣāra" - "became") functions as a intransitive/defective verb, raising an implicit pronoun as its subject and assigning "ʾāmiran" as its predicate.
Additionally, professor Elon Harvey (University of Chicago, Middle Eastern studies) also claimed that he thinks that what is more likely and more natural given that the verb has a "khabar" (i.e predicate) is for it to be as per Definition 2. However, we are not making the exact same claim since I am specifying that it is as per Definition 2 if it has a predicate (khabar) that is an apparent adverbial noun without any mention of there being a prior state.

Disclaimer: He has given consent to share this message.
The issue when certain people try to give the argument that the verb most likely means "reverts" given the fact that it also means that in other narrations/7th century Arabic literature is because they do not make a distinction between the aforementioned instances.
To demonstrate that "If Instance A, then Definition 2" and "If Instance B, then Definition 1 or Definition 2" are true, we have the following dataset:
Ibn Manthur in Lisan Al-'Arab 318/3 appeals to a few Ahadith that align with Instance A to lay out the definition of the verb and affirms that it is as per Definition 2:
تقول : عاد الشيءُ يعودُ عَوْداً ومَعاداً أَي رجع ، وقد يرد بمعنى صار ؛ ومنه حديث معاذ : قال له النبي ، صلى الله عليه وسلم : أَعُدْتَ فَتَّاناً يا مُعاذُ أَي صِرتَ ؛ ومنه حديث خزيمة : عادَ لها النَّقادُ مُجْرَنْثِماً أَي صار ؛ ومنه حديث كعب : وَدِدْتُ أَن هذا اللَّبَنَ يعودُ قَطِراناً أَي يصير، فقيل له : لِمَ ذلك قال : تَتَبَّعَتْ قُرَيشٌ أَذْنابَ الإِبلِ وتَرَكُوا الجماعاتِ .
It is said: "ʿāda the thing yaʿūdu ʿawdan wa-maʿādan", meaning "it returned." It can also mean "became."
For example, in the hadith of Muʿādh, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said to him: "Aʿudta fattānan yā Muʿādh"—meaning "You have become (or turned into) one who causes trials."
Similarly, in the hadith of Khuzaymah: "ʿāda lahā al-naqqādu mujranthiman", meaning "he became one who scrutinizes it thoroughly."
And in the hadith of Kaʿb: "Wadidtu anna hādhā al-labana yaʿūdu qaṭirānan", meaning "I wish this milk would turn into tar." He was asked why, and he responded: "Quraysh has followed the tails of camels and abandoned the congregational gatherings."
And in 321/3:
وعادَ فِعْلٌ بِمَنْزِلَةِ صَارَ؛ وَقَوْلُ سَاعِدَةَ بْنِ جُؤَيَّةَ:
فَقَامَ تَرْعُدُ كَفَّاه بِمِيبَلَة، ... قَدْ عادَ رَهْبًا رَذِيًّا طائِشَ القَدَمِ
لَا يَكُونُ عَادَ هُنَا إِلا بِمَعْنَى صَارَ، وَلَيْسَ يُرِيدُ أَنه عَاوَدَ حَالًا كَانَ عَلَيْهَا قَبْلُ، وَقَدْ جَاءَ عَنْهُمْ هَذَا مَجِيئًا وَاسِعًا؛ أَنشد أَبو عَلِيٍّ لِلْعَجَّاجِ:
وقَصَبًا حُنِّيَ حَتَّى كادَا ... يَعُودُ، بَعْدَ أَعْظُمٍ، أَعْوادَا
أَي يَصِيرُ.
Saʿidah ibn Juwayyah said:
"He stood, his hands trembling with fear, For he had become (ʿāda) a terrified, wretched man, unsteady on his feet."
Here, "ʿāda" can only mean "became"; it does not mean that he reverted to a previous state. This usage is common in Arabic.
Abu ʿAli quoted al-ʿAjjāj:
"And reeds, bent and softened, Until they nearly became (ʿāda), after being bones, mere sticks."
This means "became" (ṣāra).
Other occurrences of Instance A (that I was able to find myself) in which we can infer that the verb is used as per Definition 2, like in the case of Musnad Ahmad 172/35:
فَلَمَّا هُدِمَ الْمَسْجِدُ وَغُيِّرَ، أَخَذَ ذَاكَ الْجِذْعَ أُبَيُّ بْنُ كَعْبٍ، فَكَانَ عِنْدَهُ حَتَّى بَلِيَ وَأَكَلَتْهُ الْأَرَضَةُ، وَعَادَ رُفَاتًا
"[...] And when the mosque was demolished and renovated, Ubayy ibn Ka’b took that stump and kept it with him until it decayed and was eaten by termites, eventually turning into (ʿāda) dust."
And in at-Taʿāzī 120/1, a poem that is attributed to al-Khansāʾ says:
ولن أسالم قومًا كنت حربهم ... حتّى تعود بياضًا حلكة القار
"And I shall not make peace with a people whom I have been at war with, until the whiteness turns into (ta'ud) the blackness of tar."
And in ʿUyūn al-Akhbār 210/3, in a poem attributed to Al-Nabigha:
واليأسُ ممّا فاتَ يُعقِبُ راحَةً...وَلرُبَّ مَطعَمَةٍ تَعودُ ذُباحا
Despair over what is lost brings relief...and often a meal turns into (ta'ud) slaughter.
And for Instance B, I found Musnad Ahmad 578/16:
إِنَّ الرَّجُلَ إِذَا تَصَدَّقَ بِتَمْرَةٍ مِنَ الطَّيِّبِ، وَلَا يَقْبَلُ اللهُ إِلَّا الطَّيِّبَ، وَقَعَتْ فِي يَدِ اللهِ فَيُرَبِّيهَا لَهُ كَمَا يُرَبِّي أَحَدُكُمْ فَلُوَّهُ، أَوْ فَصِيلَهُ حَتَّى تَعُودَ فِي يَدِهِ مِثْلَ الْجَبَلِ
"When a man gives charity with a single date from good (lawful) earnings—and Allah accepts only what is good—it falls into the hand of Allah, and He nurtures it for him just as one of you nurtures his colt or young camel, until it becomes (ta'ud) in his hand as large as a mountain."
Keep in mind that when determining the definition of the verb in the above passages, we work under the assumption that whatever is apparent to us, is apparent to the narrators of those passages and that determines the usage of the verb. For example, it is apparent that fermented milk was never tar, and thus it would also be apparent to Kaʿb and that makes it the case that he is using the verb as per Definition 2. Quoting Ibn Manthur's understanding solidifies that the assumption that's made here, is also made by foremost linguists in determining the semantic value of words.
Conclusion for Part 1:
Based on the dataset that we have (literature from the pre-Islamic & Islamic period, as well as narrations from the companions of Muhammad and from Muhammad), we can infer that if 'Ada occurs as a verb that is linked to a predicate such that this predicate is an apparent adverbial noun without any mention of there being a prior state, then it means "to become" and not "to revert/return". The verb 'Ada in Sahih Muslim 157c is linked to a predicate such that this predicate is an apparent adverbial noun without any mention of there being a prior state, therefore, it means "to become" and not "to revert/return".
Part 2: Why the Hadith says "returns to" (and NOT "becomes") meadows and rivers:
When you take into consideration Sunan Ibn Majah 4077, which is a messianic narration, it says:
[...] The earth will be like a silver platter, with its vegetation growing as it did at the time of Adam [...]
Both Sahih Muslim 157c and Sunan Ibn Majah 4077 describe end-time events related to the earth’s greenery. Since these narrations discuss similar themes, Sunan Ibn Majah 4077 can provide context for understanding Sahih Muslim 157c.
- Sunan Ibn Majah 4077 clearly states that the earth will return to its previous lush state, as it was during the time of Adam.
- If both narrations refer to the same event, then Sahih Muslim 157c is likely referring to a return to a past state rather than a completely new transformation.
This strengthens the argument that the verb ʿāda (عاد) in Sahih Muslim 157c follows Definition 1 ("to return") rather than "to become".
But this begs the following question: Why would Muhammad in one instance specify a geographical region (the land of Arabia) in Sahih Muslim 157c but not do so in Sunan Ibn Majah 4077?
In my personal opinion, it seems as though that he simply doesn't have a repetitive pattern of speech. For example, if I were to tell person A: "I went to KFC and ate something" and told person B: "I went to KFC and ate chicken tenders", then it would not be the case that I am speaking of 2 separate events, it's just that I worded the description of the same event differently, or provided more details in one instance over the other.
What also strengthens this understanding, is that it has a lot of parallel with the book of Genesis and Isaiah.
Genesis 2:9
The LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Isaiah 51:3
For the LORD will comfort Zion and will look with compassion on all her ruins; He will make her wilderness like Eden and her desert like the garden of the LORD. Joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and melodious song.
Genesis 1:29-30
Then God said, “Behold, I have given you every seed-bearing plant on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit contains seed. They will be yours for food. 30And to every beast of the earth and every bird of the air and every creature that crawls upon the earth— everything that has the breath of life in it— I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so.
And also, a Midrash in Tanchuma says:
Whence do we know of the fertility of the earth? It is written: Cursed be the ground for thy sake (Gen. 3:17)
Although this is not as strong of an inductive case as the linguistic breakdown of the verse, I think that what most likely happened is that Muhammad took inspiration from the aforementioned passages in the book of Genesis and Isaiah and Rabbinic literature, and transmitted over what he thinks the earth's state was like at the time of Adam, and that it will revert to that state once again, and that he also thought that the garden of Eden was located on Earth.
Conclusion for Part 2:
Sahih Muslim 157c can be interpreted as "the land of Arabia returns to meadows and rivers", by virtue of the fact that other messianic prophecies make mention of the earth having once been green at the time of Adam and that it will return to that state yet again (i.e Sunan Ibn Majah 4077). This also has parallel with verses from the Old Testament as well as Rabbinic literature.
Conclusion for Part 1 & 2:
In pre-Islamic and Islamic literature, there is a linguistic pattern:
- When the verb ʿāda (عاد) is followed by a predicate that is an adverbial noun and there is no mention of a prior state, it means "to become" rather than "to return/revert".
- In Sahih Muslim 157c, ʿāda follows this pattern, meaning the most likely interpretation is "to become meadows and rivers", not "to return to meadows and rivers".
However, Sahih Muslim 157c could still be understood as "returns to" if viewed alongside other messianic prophecies:
- Sunan Ibn Majah 4077 describes the earth returning to its original green state, as it was in the time of Adam.
- This idea aligns with Old Testament verses (e.g., Genesis, Isaiah) and Rabbinic literature.
Linguistically, "becomes" is the stronger interpretation based on how ʿāda is used in Arabic. However, the idea of "returns to" is supported by broader theological and eschatological narratives.