“Did Jesus Circulate the Kaʿbah?” — A Scholarly Critique of the Hadith and Its Claims

By Dr. Maxwell Shimba — Shimba Theological Institute

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1. The Hadith Text in Full (Arabic and English with References)

Sahih al-Bukhari

• Reference: Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 87 (Interpretation of Dreams), Hadith 242 (Darussalam English: Vol. 9, Book 87, Hadith 242; Sunnah.com reference: Book 87, Hadith 128).

Arabic:

رَأَيْتُ فِي الْمَنَامِ رَجُلاً آدَمَ كَأَحْسَنِ مَا أَنْتَ رَاءٍ مِنْ آدَمَ الرِّجَالِ، ضَخْمًا جَعْدًا، قَدْ وَقَعَتْ جُمَّتُهُ عَلَى مَنْكِبَيْهِ، رَجِلَ الشَّعْرِ، يَقْطُرُ رَأْسُهُ مَاءً، وَاضِعًا يَدَيْهِ عَلَى مَنْكِبَيْ رَجُلَيْنِ، وَهُوَ يَطُوفُ بِالْبَيْتِ. فَقُلْتُ مَنْ هَذَا‏؟‏ فَقِيلَ الْمَسِيحُ ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ. ثُمَّ رَأَيْتُ رَجُلاً وَرَاءَهُ جَعْدًا قَطَطًا أَعْوَرَ الْعَيْنِ الْيُمْنَى، كَأَشْبَهِ مَا رَأَيْتُ بِابْنِ قَطَنٍ، وَاضِعًا يَدَيْهِ عَلَى مَنْكِبَيْ رَجُلٍ، يَطُوفُ بِالْبَيْتِ. فَقِيلَ هَذَا الْمَسِيحُ الدَّجَّالُ.

English:
Narrated Abdullah bin Umar:

“I saw in a dream a man of brown color, the best of whom I had ever seen, having the most handsome of faces, and his hair was long, falling between his shoulders. His hair was lank, water dribbling from his head, and he was placing his hands on the shoulders of two men while circumambulating the Kaʿbah. I asked, ‘Who is this?’ They replied, ‘This is Jesus, the son of Mary.’ Then I saw another man, behind him, with very curly hair, blind in the right eye, and his eye looked like a floating grape. I asked, ‘Who is this?’ They replied, ‘This is the Antichrist (al-Dajjāl).’”

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Sahih Muslim

• Reference: Sahih Muslim, Book 1 (Book of Faith), Hadith 169 (Darussalam English: Vol. 1, Book 1, Hadith 324; Sunnah.com reference: Book 1, Hadith 325).

Arabic:

رَأَيْتُ اللَّيْلَةَ عِنْدَ الْكَعْبَةِ، رَجُلًا آدَمَ كَأَحْسَنِ مَا يُرَى مِنْ آدَمَ الرِّجَالِ، تَضْرِبُ لِمَّتُهُ بَيْنَ مَنْكِبَيْهِ، رَجِلَ الشَّعْرِ، يَقْطُرُ رَأْسُهُ مَاءً، وَهُوَ يَضَعُ يَدَيْهِ عَلَى مَنْكِبَيْ رَجُلَيْنِ، يَطُوفُ بِالْبَيْتِ. قُلْتُ مَنْ هَذَا؟ قَالُوا الْمَسِيحُ ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ. ثُمَّ رَأَيْتُ رَجُلًا وَرَاءَهُ جَعْدًا قَطَطًا، أَعْوَرَ الْعَيْنِ الْيُمْنَى، كَأَنَّ عَيْنَهُ عِنَبَةٌ طَافِيَةٌ، قُلْتُ مَنْ هَذَا؟ قَالُوا الْمَسِيحُ الدَّجَّالُ.

English:
The Messenger of Allah said:

“I saw in my sleep tonight near the Kaʿbah a man of wheat-colored complexion, the best one you could ever see among men, having long hair that reached his shoulders, and water was dripping from his head. He was leaning on the shoulders of two men while circumambulating the Kaʿbah. I asked, ‘Who is this?’ They said, ‘This is al-Masīḥ son of Mary.’ Then I saw behind him a man with curly hair, blind in one eye… They said, ‘This is al-Masīḥ al-Dajjāl.’”

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2. References and Bibliography

Primary Islamic Sources

• Sahih al-Bukhari

  • Vol. 9, Book 87, Hadith 242 (Darussalam).

  • Sunnah.com reference: Book 87, Hadith 128.

• Sahih Muslim

  • Vol. 1, Book 1, Hadith 324 (Darussalam).

  • Sunnah.com reference: Book 1, Hadith 325.

Biblical Sources

• The Holy Bible, esp. John 4:21–24; Matthew 4:10; Deuteronomy 27:15.

Secondary Academic Sources

• Ö. F. Gürlesin, The Eschatological Role of Jesus (ʿĪsā) in Islamic Theology.

• David Cook, Studies in Muslim Apocalyptic. Princeton University Press.

• Geza Vermes, The Authentic Gospel of Jesus.

• Richard Bauckham, Jesus and the Eyewitnesses.

• Ahmad Al-Jallad, Christianity in Arabia: Epigraphic and Archaeological Perspectives.

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