The Prophecy of Arabia Returning to Meadows and Rivers: Between Prophetic Text and Geological Discovery

Among the proofs of his Prophethood ﷺ is his foretelling of metaphysical matters concerning the Earth's past and future, including what was narrated regarding the Arabian Peninsula and the changes in its climate and topography before the onset of the Hour.

The Hour will not begin until wealth increases and overflows, and until the land of the Arabs returns to being meadows and rivers.

Narrated by Imam Muslim in his Sahih (No. 157).

One who contemplates the reality of the Arabian Peninsula in recent years observes a striking increase in torrents and mountains being clad in greenery, a matter that evokes wonder and insight. However, the deeper miraculous nuance lies in his ﷺ saying: "until it returns"; for this prophetic expression establishes a historical and geological fact that this land was, in ancient times, meadows and rivers, and that it shall revert to what it once was.

Modern Scientific Testimony

In 2012, Oxford University published an extensive study on the topography of the Arabian Peninsula, where the research team, through remote sensing techniques, discovered an ancient and complex network of river valleys and lake basins buried beneath the sands of the arid desert.

These discoveries confirm that what we see today as vast deserts was once an ecosystem rich in water and greenery, which perfectly aligns with the noble prophetic wording. Who then informed Muhammad ﷺ of these geological facts steeped in antiquity, which humanity only discovered with the latest technologies of the twenty-first century? It is naught but revelation revealed.