As-salamu alaykum - The Bedouin Prophecy Seems More Remarkable Than It First Appears

As-salamu alaykum. I wanted to share some thoughts about a hadith of the Prophet ﷺ that I find striking. When the Prophet ﷺ was asked about the Last Hour, he mentioned a sign: people who were once barefoot and unclothed - herdsmen - would compete in building tall structures. When asked who those herdsmen were, he ﷺ indicated they were the Arabs. That description points clearly to the Bedouin Arabs: a small, historically nomadic group distinct from city-dwelling Arabs of Damascus, Cairo, Baghdad and the like. Early scholars such as Ibn Hajar, Imam al-Nawawi and al-Qurtubi understood the wording in that way. For centuries the Bedouin lived in harsh desert conditions, poor and largely cut off from formal education and urban comforts. Travelers like Sir Wilfred Thesiger recorded how their lives depended on rain, chance and survival, living simply and trusting in Allah’s decree. Yet in the 20th century, following the discovery of oil - which some scriptures and sayings metaphorically describe as the earth bringing forth great wealth - these same regions experienced a dramatic transformation. Villages and nomadic groups that were once impoverished became central to nations with immense wealth. In many parts of the Arabian Peninsula you now see families and cities competing to raise taller towers and grander developments, including huge skyscrapers near historically Bedouin areas. The hadith’s picture of formerly barefoot herdsmen competing to erect tall buildings feels uncannily specific in that light. The hadith also speaks of the earth disgorging its treasures and people behaving in ways they otherwise would not for wealth’s sake. Observing modern extraction of oil - gushing from deep underground and then collected in tall rigs and columns - it’s not hard to see why some read the wording as referring to liquid riches rather than literal gold and silver. It’s important to remember the Prophet ﷺ did not encourage needless love of wealth. He lived simply and warned against letting riches corrupt the heart. The Qur’an and Sunnah caution against negligence of the akhira for the sake of dunya. The signs he ﷺ mentioned are descriptive, not prescriptive - they show what will happen, not what we should aspire to. Another related sign mentioned is the moving or removal of mountains. The large-scale reshaping of landscapes to build cities, roads and mega-structures has only been possible with modern technology and explosives. That ability makes the hadith’s mention of mountains being moved feel relevant to recent centuries. I’m not trying to claim any conspiracy or make grand claims beyond the obvious: that some of the Prophet’s ﷺ descriptions of the Last Hour contain details that match developments we see in the modern Arabian world. It’s a reminder of the scope of Allah’s knowledge and of the need for humility: wealth and grandeur are fleeting, and we must hold fast to faith and good conduct. What do you think? Have you noticed other signs that make you reflect on how the past and present connect?