101 Reasons Why We Left Islam – Chapter 5: Failed Prophecies– Reason 57
This prophecy appears in the Hadith as follows:
Riyad as-Salihin 1822:
- The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said, _”The Hour will not come to pass before the River Euphrates dries up to unveil the mountain of gold, for which people will fight. Ninety-nine out of one hundred will die (in the fighting) and every man amongst them will say: ‘Perhaps I may be the only one to remain alive.'”
Sahih Muslim 2894 a:
- Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: The Last Hour would not come before the Euphrates uncovers a mountain of gold, for which people would fight. Ninety-nine out of each one hundred would die but every man amongst them would say that perhaps he would be the one who would be saved (and thus possess this gold).
Sahih al-Bukhari 7119
- Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “Soon the river “Euphrates” will disclose the treasure (the mountain) of gold, so whoever will be present at that time should not take anything of it.” Al-A’raj narrated from Abii Huraira that the Prophet (ﷺ) said the same but he said, “It (Euphrates) will uncover a mountain of gold.
This prophecy is confusing. Since the rise of Islam in the 7th century, the Euphrates River has experienced significant drying events. While exact counts are challenging due to limited historical records, at least five major post-Islamic incidents stand out:
1. 7th Century CE – During the Rashidun and Umayyad Caliphates, parts of the Euphrates region faced droughts that disrupted agriculture and water access. These are mentioned in early Islamic chronicles. Back then people cited this Hadith that the end is near- but nothing happened.
2. 1258 CE – The Mongol destruction of Baghdad included damage to irrigation canals and infrastructure fed by the Euphrates and Tigris. Water levels in channels dropped due to abandonment and lack of maintenance. Back then people cited this Hadith and fall of the Khalifah as sign of the end is near- but nothing happened.
3. The 1800s The Ottoman Empire altered the Euphrates’ course to weaken the Khaza’il Emirate. By the 1880s, the Hillah Channel had dried up, leading to the abandonment of cities and agricultural lands reliant on this water source. Back then people cited this Hadith that the end is near- but nothing happened.
4. 2009 Drought crisis affected nearly two million people. The Euphrates’ levels dropped drastically due to reduced rainfall and upstream dam constructions. People cited this Hadith, saying that the end is near, but nothing happened.
5. 2021-2022 The Euphrates reached historically low levels, exacerbated by climate change, upstream damming, and prolonged droughts. Now with social media, people flooded it Hadiths that the end is near- but what do you know, nothing happened!
But what is amusing in all these incidents is that the Islamic scaremongering PR about the End of time did not mention the second part of the prophecy – the mountain of gold! I am sure you all heard about the Euphrates drying as a sign of the end of time, but what about the mountain of gold?
Here we challenge this prophecy as false, but the following facts.
- 1. The river drying is not a one-off incident; it has happened several times. The end of time did not happen.
- 2. Where is the mountain of gold that would be uncovered? The river has dried to the point that people can see what is in it. The river dried to the point that people could cross it on foot – no evidence of a mountain of gold was ever discovered!
- 3. Iraq was never and has not been identified as a geopolitical location for gold or gold exploration.
- 4. Had there been a mountain or source of gold in that river, gold flakes would wash out on the banks of the river due to water erosion and friction. That has never happened.
While the river is likely to dry out on occasions because of climate change and this drying out process may increase in occurrence, the river will still flow during raining season. This phenomenon is occurring across the world and is not specific to Euphrates or Iraq. But what puts the final nail in this prophecy is the suggestion that a “mountain of gold” is hidden under its waters. This prophecy fails.