Three Kinds of Sign

Now, to go into some of the signs. The scholars have identified basically three types of sign: signs that have already occurred; signs that have occurred and continue to intensify; and signs that have not occurred.

Some of the signs that have already occurred, according to the Muslims, are signs like the birth of the Prophet (peace be upon him). That was a sign, according to the Prophet (peace be upon him). He also said that the death of ʿUmar was a sign, and the death of ʿUthmān. He said that the fall of Constantinople — which occurred eight hundred years after the hadith was recorded — was a sign. He said the fall of Rome also, to the Muslims: that the city of Rome would become Muslim. Which has not happened yet — the Pope — and so that would be a later sign, among those that have not occurred. But in terms of what has already occurred, there would be signs that have happened. There was a fire that the Prophet (peace be upon him) predicted in Medina, which was the result of a volcano that erupted: he said that Medina would be confronted with a massive fire, and that occurred. And there are several other events that are mentioned in the tradition.