Aboo Daawood said in his Sunan, Awwul-Ma’bood (11/385):
Start of the Book of Battles
Chapter: What is Mentioned about Each Century
Sulaymaan ibn Daawood – Mahryy, related to us: Ibn Wahb
related to us: Sa’eed ibn Abee Ayyoob related to me: from Shuraheel ibn
Yazweed al-Ma’aafiriyy: from Aboo ’Alqamah: from Aboo Hurairah
– as best I know from Allaah’s Messenger,
sallallaahu alaihi wa
sallam, who said, "Allaah will raise for this Ummah at the head of
every hundred years, he/those who will revive its religion for it."
’Awnul-Ma’bood (11/385-396) of al-Azeemabaadee.
"’At the head of every hundred years
…’" i.e., its end or its beginning – when knowledge
and the sunnah becomes scarce and ignorance and innovation become
widespread – said by al-Qaaree." "He/those who will revive
its religion for it …" "i.e., make the sunnah clear
from innovation and increase knowledge and aid its people and curb and subdue
the innovators." "Al-Alqmaee said in his explanation that the meaning
of tajdeed (revival) is revival of action upon the Book and the
Sunnah and command in accordance with them – that had been
effaced."
"Note: Know that what is meant by the head of the hundred
in this hadeeth is its completion. The author of Majma’ul-Bihaar
said, "What is meant is one who is alive and a well-known scholar, and
at-Teebee said, ‘What is meant by his being raised/sent is one who is
alive and a scholar of note when the hundred is completed – this is what
occurs in the introduction of Fathul-Qadeer of al-Manaawee and
Khulaasatul-Athaar of Muhyee. And as-Suyooytee said in his poem about the
revivers , ‘And the condition for that is that the hundred should pass and
he is alive amongst the people – known as being a person having standing
in knowledge, and propogating the Sunnah with his speech.’
And the author of Mirqaatus-Su’ood quotes Ibn
al-Atheer as saying, "And what is meant by the one mentioned is one who is
alive, known, famous and pointed out when the hundred finishes. And the clear
proof that what is meant by the head of the hundred is their end, not their
beginning is that az-Zuhree, and Ahmad ibn Hanbal and others from the earlier
and later Imaams are agreed that from the revivers at the head of the first
hundred was ’Umar ibn ’Abdul-’Azeez, rahimahullaah, and
at the end of the second hundred was Imaam ash-Shaafi’ee,
rahimahullaah, and ’Umar ibn ’Abdul-’Azeez died in the
year 101 at the age of forty – and his khilaafah lasted for two and
a half years, and ash-Shaafi’ee died in the year 204 at the age of
fifty-four.
Al-Haafidh Ibn Hajr said in Tawaaliyyut-Ta‘sees,
Aboo Bakr al-Bazzaar said, "I heard ’Abdul-Malik ibn
’Abdul-Hameed al-Maymoonee say, ‘I was with Ahmad ibn Hanbal, and
ash-Shaafi’ee was mentioned. So I saw Ahmad extolling him, and he said,
‘It is related that the Prophet, sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam,
said, "Allaah will provide one at the head of every hundred years
one who will teach the people their Religion."’ Ahmad said,
‘So for the first century there was ’Umar ibn
’Abdul-’Azeez and for the second century was
ash-Shaafi’ee.’’"
And by way of Sa’eed al-Firyaabee who said, "Ahmad
ibn Hanbal said, ‘Allaah will provide for the people in every hundred
years one who will teach the people the matters of the Sunnah, and rebut
lies from the Prophet,
sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam. So we looked and saw
that ’Umar ibn ’Abdul-’Azeez was at the head of the first
hundred, and at the end of the second was ash-Shaafi’ee …
So if you say: what is apparent from the language with regard
to the meaning of, ‘… the head of the century …’
(ra‘sul-mi‘ah) is its beginningn not its end – then how
can its end be what is meant?
I say: Rather it occurs in the language also that it can mean
the end. The author of Taajul-’Aroos, said, "The head of a
thing is its extremity, and it is said, ‘Its end.’" I say: And
upon this is the hadeeth of Ibn ’Umar, "Do you see this
night of yours? Then at the head of a hundred years from it, no-one is alive
upon the face of the earth will remain." Reported by the two
Shaikhs."
Every Century Will Have its Reviver(s)