[ by Charles Cameron — shifting the eschatological focus from Syria to Ukraine, with thanks to Stephanie ]
.

Stephanie Chenault pointed those of us who follow her FB page to an amazing video by Sheikh Imran Hosein, of whom I have written more than once [eg: 1, 2]:

**

Here’s a taste…

We are now moving towards the Malhama (Great War) prophesied by Nabi Muhammad (Sallallaahu ‘Alaihi Wasallam). If you do not have Islamic Eschatology (knowledge of the end times) you will go to work in the morning, face the morning traffic, come home in the evening, face the evening traffic, have your Biriyani for dinner, watch TV until you go to sleep. And you will have absolutely no knowledge whatsoever that you are standing on the door of the Malhama (Great war/World War 3); that’s where we are today with our scholars of Islam (no knowledge about the reality of the world today). It is sad for me to speak these words. Once the Malhama (World War 3) takes place, we don’t have as Muslims any significant role to play in the Malhama. No, we don’t have Nuclear weapons. When these Nuclear weapons explode, that’s going to give us the Dukhan (Smoke, one of the major signs of the last day). Most of mankind will die. But they (angels) must be saying up there; most of mankind deserve to die. Israel is calculating; the rump that will be left behind would be easier for Israel to rule (the world). And it will be very convenient for Israel if the two powers (NATO alliance and Russian alliance) destroy each other…”

If you’ve read my article on Dabiq 3, you’ll know that it too talks about the Great Final War — but with a perspective that focuses on Syria and Iraq rather than Russia and the Ukraine. In this respect, the Islamic State hews far more closely to the traditions and strategic playing out of the end proposed by Abu Musab al-Suri in his Global Islamic Resistance Call [excerpt linked is from Brynja Lia’s book] and described in concentrated detail in pages 186-193 of J-P Filiu‘s Apocalypse in Islam.

**

The video purports to be about Islamic Eschatology, certainly, while in fact it “connects the dots” between Sheikh Hosein’s own version of that eschatology and current events as he sees them. It is a fascinating piece, with Sh. Hosein towards the end admitting that he is the only Muslim scholar holding his particular view.

This view makes the Ukraine and Russia / Rom central to the events now unfolding, rather than al-Sham / Syria and Iraq, and puts great emphasis on an alliance between Islam and Orthodox Christianity, with Russia as the bastion of Orthodoxy. “Thank god for Vladimir Putin,” Hosein says at around the 1 hour mark.

You really have to hear the whole thing to appreciate it — and must then understand that a second 80 minute tape could describe an entirely different Sunni Islamic end times scenario, Abu Musab’s for instance, while an umpteenth ones might offer a Shiite version, etc etc.

**

Some high points, with approximate times in the video for reference:

38 Islam the religion did not come to conquer the world. It never came to establish its rule over the world. But it most certainly came to liberate the world from oppression.

45-48 Constantinople and the Orthodox & Islamic alliance, alliance with western Christian prohibited.

51 Dajjal’s Ottoman empire teaching perpetual, unjust, bogus jihad against Rum to rule the whole world

56 Cathedral of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople turned into a masjid in conflict with Allah’s command

58 For centuries Dajjal was at war attempting to prevent Islamic-Orthodox alliance — also Russia is Rum

1 hr 03 Why the importance of Crimea becoming part of Ukraine

1 hr 11 The Black Sea as eschatological focus.

BTW, that comment about perpetual jihad to conquer and rule the entire world being a bogus doctrine receives some pretty strong repetition!

Sh Hosein also offers us a number of interesting asides along the way:

36 where he explains what “incline to peace” means not just ceasing from battle but also giving back all “fruits” of aggression and oppression

42 where he suggests that those “closest to you in love and affection” (Q 5.82) is a predictive, futuristic verse.

I can’t do more than note these particular points in passing, but any one or two of them might make a ine and detailed post.

**

For the basic “signs of the times” which are what we normally think of as basic Muslim eschatology, see Sh. Hosein’s own page.

For further research, the basic readings on Islamic eschatology are:

J-P Filiu, Apocalypse in Islam

David Cook, Studies in Muslim Apocalyptic

David Cook, Contemporary Muslim Apocalyptic Literature

The best account of Mahdis and Mahdist movements:

Timothy Furnish, Holiest Wars

You may also find some of my own early posts helpful for background:

Apocalyptic Vision: Guest Post by Charles Cameron

Guest Post: Iran or Afghanistan? The Black Flags of Khorasan

Guest Post: Connecting the Dots: Light on Light

— or perhaps Filiu’s recent posts in French, which Google can translate somewhat less than clearly:

L’État Islamique agit comme un rouleau compresseur

L’Etat islamique ou les chevaliers de l’apocalypse djihadiste