The Birth Of A Comet

	A star with a luminous tail will rise from the east before the Mahdi emerges. (Muhammad ibn `Abd al-Rasul Barzanji, Al-Isha`ah li Ashrat as-Sa`ah, p. 200)

	Before he arrives, a comet will appear in the east, giving out an illumination. (Ibn Hajar al-Haythami, Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar fi `Alamat al-Mahdi al-Muntazar, p. 53)

	The rise of that star will occur after the eclipse of the Sun and the Moon. (Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi `Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir az-Zaman, p. 32)

	... A comet appears when kings go on the pilgrimage to Mecca for travel, the wealthy for commerce, the poor for rest, and the hafiz [reciters] to show off. (Muhammad ibn `Abd al-Rasul Barzanji, Al-Isha`ah li Ashrat as-Sa`ah, p.123)

As referred to by the hadiths;

- In 1986 (Hijri 1406), Halley's Comet passed by Earth.

- The comet is a bright, shining star that travels from east to west.

- This happened after the lunar and solar eclipses of 1981 and 1982 (Hijri 1401-02).

The concurrence of this star's rise with other signs of the Mahdi's emergence indicates that Halley's Comet is the star pointed to in the hadith.

Imam Rabbani provides the following information about this comet:

	A tailed star will be born in the east and spread its light. Its daily direction will be from east to west. (Imam Rabbani, Letters of Rabbani, vol. 2, p. 1170)

Throughout history, comets have heralded times of very important developments for Muslims, some of which became milestones in Islamic history. The Companions of the Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) also narrated some of these occurrences, as follows:

	When this comet first appeared, the people of Prophet Noah (pbuh) perished, Prophet Abraham (pbuh) was cast into fire, Pharaoh and his people who fought against Prophet Moses (pbuh) perished, and John [Yahya] (pbuh) passed away. When you see that comet, take refuge in God from the evil of fitna. (Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi `Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir az-Zaman, p. 32)

Other important occurrences said to have happened with the appearance of this comet are as follows: Prophet Jesus (pbuh) was born, Our Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) started to receive the first revelation, the Ottoman Empire emerged, and Sultan Mehmed II conquered Constantinople (Istanbul).

Some interesting figures about Halley's Comet:

In 1986, newspapers revealed the first photographs of Halley's Comet and its icy nucleus taken by the Soviet Vega 1 spaceship from a distance of 5,500 miles away. (Chronicle, March 20, 1986, p.1278)

It is interesting that some figures pertaining to the comet are multiples of 19.

For example, Halley's Comet appears every 76 years 76 = 19 x 4

This comet was last seen in 1406 (according to the Islamic calendar) 1406 = 19 x 74

The number 74 is also the surah number of the Surat al-Muddaththir, which refers to the miracle of 19 in the Qur'an. Surat al-Muddaththir 74:30 reveals that 19 is a means of mercy for believers and of fitna for unbelievers.

A last great miracle and sign of Halley's Comet is the appearance of this comet in 1986 (Hijri 1406) is its nineteenth appearance since 607, when Prophet Mohammed (may God bless him and grant him peace) was honored with prophecy.

This striking relation of Halley's Comet with the number 19 may indicate a fitna upon unbelievers and a mercy on believers.

In Surat al-Muddaththir 74:1-2, God commands our Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace): "You who are enveloped in your cloak! Arise and warn." The meaning is clear. Yet, they may also have a second hidden meaning that refers to the End Times. The word, "(the one) enveloped in cloak" may well refer to the Mahdi, who is from our Prophet's (may God bless him and grant him peace) lineage and whose appearance will be signaled by the rise of Halley's Comet in 1406 of the Islamic era.

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