Among the signs of the Last Hour mentioned by the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) are three immense events of khasf - the swallowing or sinking of land: one in the east, one in the west, and one in the Arabian Peninsula.
This article must begin with an important clarification: these three events should not be presented as already fulfilled. They are authentic prophecies, but according to the mainstream Sunni understanding they belong to the major signs of the Hour and remain future events. An honest case is stronger than a forced one.
The authentic report
The key narration comes from Hudhayfah ibn Asid al-Ghifari, may Allah be pleased with him. He said that the Prophet (PBUH) came upon the Companions while they were discussing the Hour. The Prophet (PBUH) then mentioned ten major signs.
"The Hour will not come until you see ten signs before it: the smoke, the Dajjal, the beast, the rising of the sun from its place of setting, the descent of Isa ibn Maryam, Ya'juj and Ma'juj, and three landslides: one in the east, one in the west, and one in the Arabian Peninsula; and the last of that will be a fire which will emerge from Yemen and drive the people to their place of gathering."
Reported in Sahih Muslim, 2901. The hadith is sahih.
This is the central evidence. The prophecy is not based on a late legend, a weak report, or a vague popular saying. It is in Sahih Muslim, one of the most rigorously preserved collections of hadith in Sunni Islam.
What does khasf mean?
The Arabic word khasf means sinking, caving in, or being swallowed by the earth. In ordinary English, people may say "landslide", but the prophetic wording is broader and more dramatic than a hillside slipping after rain. It points to land being made to sink or collapse in a way that is recognizable as a great sign.
The Qur'an uses the same root for the idea of the earth swallowing people or property by Allah's command. For example, regarding Qarun:
"So We caused the earth to swallow him and his home. And there was for him no company to aid him other than Allah, nor was he of those who could defend themselves."
Qur'an 28:81
And in a general warning:
"Do you feel secure that He who is above the heaven would not cause the earth to swallow you, and suddenly it would sway?"
Qur'an 67:16
Classical Muslim scholars did not read these verses as geology textbooks. They understood them primarily as reminders of Allah's power and human vulnerability. That is important. Islam does not need exaggerated "scientific miracle" claims here. The point is moral, theological, and prophetic: the earth beneath our feet feels stable, yet it remains fully under the command of its Creator.
Are the three landslides already fulfilled?
No reliable Sunni scholarly position treats the three landslides mentioned in this hadith as clearly fulfilled in the past. They are usually counted among the major signs of the Hour, alongside events such as the Dajjal, the descent of Isa, peace be upon him, and the rising of the sun from the west.
This matters because earthquakes, sinkholes, volcanic collapses, and landslides have happened throughout history. It would be irresponsible to point to any major earthquake in Asia, Europe, Africa, or the Americas and say, "This is definitely the landslide in the east or west." The hadith does not give us dates, coordinates, casualty numbers, or permission to label every geological disaster as the promised sign.
Sunni scholars also discuss whether "east" and "west" mean the east and west of the whole inhabited world, or east and west relative to the Arabian heartland where the Prophet (PBUH) spoke. The hadith itself does not specify further. That means we should preserve the wording and avoid pretending to know more than the revelation tells us.
The landslide in Arabia and the army swallowed
There is another authentic prophecy about an army that will be swallowed by the earth near Makkah or between Makkah and Madinah. It is reported in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, and is sahih.
"An army will set out to attack the Ka'bah, and when they reach a desert land, the first and last of them will be swallowed by the earth." It was said: "O Messenger of Allah, how will the first and last of them be swallowed when among them are their marketplaces and those who are not of them?" He said: "The first and last of them will be swallowed, then they will be resurrected according to their intentions."
Reported by al-Bukhari and Muslim. The hadith is sahih.
Some scholars connect this event with the khasf in the Arabian Peninsula mentioned among the ten major signs. Others mention it separately or avoid being definitive. The safest wording is: there is an authentic prophecy of a great swallowing of an army in Arabia, and there is also an authentic prophecy of one of the three major khasf events occurring in the Arabian Peninsula. Whether these refer to the exact same event is not something we should state with certainty unless supported by clear evidence.
The strongest objection
A thoughtful sceptic may say: "Landslides and earthquakes are common. If a religion predicts 'three landslides' somewhere in the east, west, and Arabia, that is too broad to be impressive. Eventually something can be made to fit."
This is a fair objection - especially against overexcited da'wah claims that try to attach the hadith to random modern disasters. If someone claims this prophecy has already been fulfilled because of a recent earthquake, the sceptic is right to ask for evidence. The hadith does not work that way.
The better answer is more modest. The evidential weight here is not that we can already match the prophecy to three newspaper headlines. Rather, the hadith preserves a specific future claim within a larger eschatological framework. The Prophet (PBUH) did not merely say, "Natural disasters will happen." He placed three great sinkings of land among the major signs that mark the closing chapter of human history. They are presented as extraordinary events, not ordinary geological incidents.
So this prophecy is not a "fulfilled prophecy" in the normal historical sense. It is an authentic future prophecy. Its value today is that it shows the seriousness and specificity of the Islamic account of the end times, while also testing our intellectual honesty: we believe what is authentically reported, but we do not force premature fulfilments.
What Muslims should and should not claim
- We can say: The prophecy of three great khasf events is authentically reported in Sahih Muslim.
- We can say: One will occur in the east, one in the west, and one in the Arabian Peninsula.
- We can say: Sunni scholars generally count them among the major signs of the Hour.
- We should not say: A specific modern earthquake, sinkhole, or landslide is definitely one of these signs without clear evidence.
- We should not say: The prophecy has already been fulfilled.
- We should not say: The hadith is a scientific prediction of plate tectonics or modern geology. That would be an overclaim.
Why this prophecy matters
The signs of the Hour are not given for entertainment, speculation, or fearmongering. They are reminders that history is moving toward accountability. Islam teaches that the universe is not random and morally empty. Human power, wealth, armies, cities, and civilizations all stand on ground that Allah can uphold or remove.
The three great landslides also humble human certainty. The earth is one of the strongest symbols of stability. We build on it, trade on it, march armies across it, and assume it will carry us. The Qur'an and Sunnah remind us that even the ground is a servant of Allah.
For a believer, the lesson is not to obsess over maps and predictions, but to prepare for meeting Allah through repentance, prayer, justice, and sincerity. For a sceptical reader, the fair conclusion is this: Islam contains authentic, preserved prophecies about future world-shaking events, and Muslims are required to handle them with precision rather than sensationalism.
Conclusion
The prophecy of the three great landslides is authentic: one in the east, one in the west, and one in the Arabian Peninsula. But it has not been clearly fulfilled, and it should not be attached carelessly to ordinary disasters. Its force lies in the seriousness of the Prophet's (PBUH) preserved warning and in the Islamic vision of a world moving toward a real, divinely appointed end.