Quote: "The post took a nostalgic look at the battle of Tours in 732, in which Muslim forces, commanded by Rahman al-Ghafiqi, who invaded a portion of France, were repelled by the Frankish general Charles Martel ("the hammer"), and forced to retreat. The battle stemmed the medieval Islamic conquest of Europe. "The Islamic army was left with a large number of martyrs, especially the great shahid (martyr) Abdul Rahman a-Ghafiqi… this battle is mentioned in history, and is known at the battle of Tours," the post explained. "We ask that Allah sends us a genuine Rahman al-Ghafiqi, to finish what he started in Europe, and conquer the Vatican as promised in our beautiful Islamic verses," the post concluded. 

I have heard of this "prophecy" before, but it brought to mind that Scripture in Revelation about the fall of Babylon. There has been much dispute over the identity of Babylon in the book of Revelation. Some believe it refers to the actual city that has been rebuilt by Saddam Hussein in Iraq. Others believe it may be a commercial city such as New York or something on a similar scale, due to the description given in the book of its destruction. I don't know whether physical Babylon will have any part in end time prophecy, it's entirely possible it could have. And the UN is active in pouring millions of dollars into the rebuilding of that city. There does seem to be two Babylon's mentioned in the book of Revelation. Chapter 17 describes Babylon as a Harlot that has committed fornication with the kings of the earth, and is become drunk on the blood of the saints. She is later destroyed by the ten kings that pledge allegiance to the Beast. Revelation 18 seems to describe the destruction of a physical city. Spiritual apostasy in the Scriptures is always presented as adulterous women. We have Jezebel in Revelation 2, and Israel and Judah portrayed as adulterous women in Ezekiel 23. Some speculate that the terminology mentioned in Revelation 17 closely identifies the Harlot Babylon with the Vatican and the city of Rome. That is my own view also. It is interesting, therefore, that the Qur'an should mention a "prophecy" of the destruction of that city in the last days...

Quote: "Sheikh Yousef Al-Qaradhawi, spiritual leader of the Muslim Brotherhood and head of The European Council for Fatwa and Research and the founder of European based International Council of Muslim Scholars (Imams) posted a fatwa on the website www.islamonline.net, in 2002 about the "signs of the victory of Islam" in Europe. Also citing a well-known Hadith, Al-Qaradhawi wrote: "... The Prophet Muhammad was asked: 'What city will be conquered first, Constantinople or Romiyya?' He answered: 'The city of Hirqil [i.e. the Byzantine emperor Heraclius] will be conquered first' - that is, Constantinople... Romiyya is the city called today 'Rome,' the capital of Italy... and we hope and believe [that it too will be conquered]." Al-Qaradhawi elaborated on what this Islamic ruling means in the current period of history, "This means that Islam will return to Europe as a conqueror and victor, after being expelled from it twice... I maintain that the conquest this time will not be by the sword but by preaching and ideology..."

Constantinople is of course modern day Istanbul, Turkey. When it comes to Islamic "prophecies", we of course have to be very careful. The Qur'an is not the inspired Word of God, and if we are to interpret Biblical prophecy correctly, I believe we must look solely to the Scriptures. Studying the Qur'an may give insight into how end time events may play out from an Islamic perspective, but that is the best we can do. It is God who knows the end from the beginning.

Source YNet News, Front Page Mag