The Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم foretold a multitude of Muslim conquests, including those of Rome, Persia, Egypt, Yemen, India, and Constantinople. None of these prophecies were described vaguely or with equivocation, but rather with an air of absolute certainty.

Al-Barā’ ibn ‘Āzib  reports that while digging the trench outside Madinah to repel an approaching army, a massive boulder obstructed them that no ax would break. With time running out, and with people’s fears and hunger growing, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم walked over and picked up the ax. He said, “Bismillāh (In God’s name),” and hammered the boulder, reducing a chunk of it to rubble. He said, “Allāhu Akbar (God is Great)! I have been given the keys to Shām; I can see its red palaces at this very moment.” Then he shattered another chunk and said, “Allāhu Akbar! I have been given the keys to Persia; I can see Madain’s white palace.” Then he shattered the last chunk and said, “Allāhu Akbar! I have been given the keys to Yemen. By Allah, I can see the Gates of Sanaa at this very moment from here.”281

Regarding Egypt, he صلى الله عليه وسلم took its conquest for granted, knowing his Lord’s promise was true. Abū Dharr  narrated: The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “You will certainly conquer Egypt, a land in which [a currency called] al-qīrāṭ is customary. When you conquer it, be gracious to its people, for they are entitled to a covenant and [the right of] family bonds. And when you see two men disputing over the place of a brick, then leave [Egypt].”282 The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم accurately spoke in the second person here, foretelling that none other than his personal Companions would conquer Egypt. Then he صلى الله عليه وسلم instructed them to honor their peace treaty with the Egyptians and reminded them that their grandmother (Hagar; the mother of Ishmael)

was from this land. In this same narration, Abū Dharr  adds, “I witnessed ‘Abdul-Raḥmān ibn Shuraḥbīl ibn Ḥasanah and his brother, Rabī‘ah, disputing over the place of a brick, so I departed [from Egypt].” Regarding Constantinople, presently called Istanbul, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said that it would become a Muslim land nearly a millennium prior to that happening. ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Amr  reports that, as they were once sitting with the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم and writing, he صلى الله عليه وسلم was asked, “Which city will be liberated first; Constantinople or Rome?” He said, “The city of Heraclius will be liberated first,”283 meaning Constantinople.

An entire 800 years later, this great feat was accomplished by the Ottoman sultan, Muhammad al-Fātiḥ. In another hadith, “Constantinople will certainly be liberated, and how excellent a leader will its leader be, and how excellent an army that army will be.”284 Some scholars hold that this second hadith may refer to a second liberation of Constantinople which was also prophesied but has not yet taken place.