Dhul-Khalasa Prophecy
In pre-Islamic Arabia, idolatry was not just widespread, but the norm. Dhul-Khalasa was one of the main idols worshiped by the Arabs at the time, and was even dubbed “the Kaaba of Yemen”. This situation changed significantly with the rise of Islam.
As the Muslims went from being tortured in the streets of Mecca to becoming the rulers of Arabia, they were driven by a vision of monotheism and sought to destroy the chains of idolatry ruling the Arabs. Moving outwards after taking Mecca, they had a target—Dhul-Khalasa. It’s cult of prostitution was destroyed and the rest of Arabia was cleansed from the idolatrous Arab practices of worshiping rocks and trees, burying their daughters alive, and sharing their wives. However, there was a catch. Even though these cults disappeared and the Muslims were told to never let them return, the Prophet ﷺ prophesied they would be back. Specifically, the revival of Dhul Khalasa with its prostitution cult.
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "The Hour will not be established till the buttocks of the women of the tribe of Daus move while going round Dhi-al-Khalasa." [1]
The Fulfillment of the Prophecy
Centuries later, in the 1800s, the ugly head of idolatry reared itself in Arabia once more. Slowly, some Arabs started to worship idols, trees, and even rocks once again.
In October of 1925, authorities dispatched a military campaign to the mountains of Daus. There, a massive building dedicated to the false idol Dhul-Khalasa stood. Nearby was also a tree that the idolaters worshiped. The prostitution cult of Dhul-Khalasa was back, and it was being run by the tribe of Daus, like the Prophet ﷺ foretold.
The discarded stones that made up the building of Dhul-Khalasa. Notice how small the man is in comparison to the rocks.
One of the members of the campaign commented that the building dedicated to the idol was massive. So massive, in fact, that it would take 40 men to move a single rock that made up this building. However, the building and its idol were destroyed, the tree was burnt to the ground, and the cult disappeared once again. [2][3]
Credit goes to @_Halaby on Twitter for some of the info used in this article.
References:
خرجت الى جبال دوس و ذلك في شهر ربيع الثاني من عام 1344 ه، و كان في دسكرة (ثروق) جدرات بنيان ذي الخلصة لا تزال قائمة، و بجانبها شجرة العبلاء فأحرقت الحملة الشجرة، و هدمت البيت، و رمت بأنقاضه الى الوادي فعفى بعد ذلك رسمها و انقطع اثرها. و يقول احد الذين رافقوا الحملة: ان بنيان ذي الخلصة كان ضخما بخيث لا يقوى على زحزحة الحجر الواحد منه اقل من اربعين شخصا و ان متانته تدل على مهارة و حذق في البناء.
"I went to the Daws Mountains in the month of Rabi’ al-Thani of the year 1344 AH [Around October 1925]. In a village ([named] Thuruq), the walls of the building of Dhu al-Khalasa were still standing, and next to it was the Al-Abala tree. The campaign[ers] burned the tree, demolished the building, and threw its remains into the valley… One of those who accompanied the expedition says: Dhu al-Khalisa’s building was so huge that no less than forty people could move a single stone from it, and its sturdiness indicated proficiency and skill in construction…"
Tarikh Najd, p. 372-373.
