from the Dajjal (Antichrist) is Bayt al-Maqdis (Jerusalem), and their stronghold from Gog and Magog is Mount Sinai." It was recorded by Abu Nu'aym in "al-Hilyah" (27). In another report, from Abu al-Darda', that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "The pavilion (fustat) of the Muslims on the day of the Great Battle (al-Malhama) will be in al-Ghutah, next to a city called Damascus, among the best of the cities of al-Sham." Recorded by Abu Dawud (28). Sa'id ibn Mansur recorded in his "Sunan" (29) with his chain of narration from Abu al-Nadr, that 'Awf ibn Malik came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and said: "O Messenger of Allah, advise me." He said: "You must go to Jabal al-Khamar (30)." He asked: "And what is Jabal al-Khamar?" He replied: "The land of the Gathering (al-Mahshar)." With his chain of narration (31), from 'Ata' al-Khurasani: "It reached me that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: 'May Allah have mercy on the people of the graveyard,' three times. He was asked about that, and he said: 'That is a graveyard that will be in Ascalon' (32)." 'Ata' used to station himself (yurabit) there every year for forty days until he died. Al-Daraqutni recorded in his "Kitab al-Mukharraj 'ala al-Sahihayn," with his chain of narration from Ibn Umar, that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) prayed over a graveyard. It was said to him: "O Messenger of Allah, which graveyard is this?" He said: "A graveyard in the land of the enemy, called Ascalon. People from my Ummah will conquer it; Allah will send forth from it seventy thousand martyrs, and a man will intercede [for as many] as [the tribes of] Rabi'ah and Mudar, and for everyone is a bride (urus), and the bride of Paradise is Ascalon" (33). With his chain of narration, from Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him), that a man came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and said: "I want to go on a military expedition (ghazw)." He said: "You must go to al-Sham and its people, then remain in al-Sham..."
(27) Al-Hilyah 6/146. (28) In: The Chapter on the Stronghold of the Battles (al-Malahim), from the Book of Battles. Sunan Abi Dawud 2/426. It was also recorded by Imam Ahmad in: Al-Musnad 5/197. (29) This was omitted from [Original] and [A]. Recorded by Sa'id in: The Chapter of what has come regarding what the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) gave as extra (tanaffala), from the Book of Jihad. Al-Sunan 2/255. (30) Al-Khamar: with the vocalization (tahrik), it means intertwined trees or whatever trees hide you. The intended meaning here is the mountain of Jerusalem (Bayt al-Maqdis). (31) In: The Chapter of what has come regarding the virtue of Ribat (stationing on the frontier), from the Book of Jihad. Al-Sunan 2/160. (32) Ascalon: A city in al-Sham, from the provinces of Palestine, on the seashore, between Gaza and Bayt Jibrin. Mu'jam al-Buldan 3/673, 674. (33) Recorded by Ibn Hajar in: The Chapter of the Virtues of Lands, the Chapter of the Virtues of Ascalon. Al-Matalib al-'Aliyah 4/161, 162.
