What is the meaning of the word "Najd" in the noble Hadith that mentions the emergence of fitnah (strife) or the Dajjal from it, and was Najd (the Arabian Peninsula) mentioned in other hadiths?

Al-Bukhari narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) pointed towards the East and said: "Fitna is here, from where the horn of Satan appears." He also rejected the companions' request to pray for Najd, saying: "There are earthquakes, and tribulations (fitan), and from there the horn of Satan appears."

Al-Khattabi explained that "Najd" means an elevated part of the land, and that the Najd referred to in the Hadith is the desert of Iraq and its surrounding areas. Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar and others clarified that tribulations (fitan) and innovations (bid'ah) originated from the East, such as the fitna of the Khawarij, Qadianism, Baha'ism, Babism, Nusairism, Druze, Rafidah, and the fitna of the Mongols and the Qaramita, citing the Prophet's (peace be upon him) saying: "The head of disbelief is towards the East."

Scholars have interpreted the hadiths about tribulations (fitan) as referring to the East. Those who interpreted it as Najd of Iraq did so because most of the tribulations originated from that direction. This is further supported by the hadith of Ibn Abbas, where the Prophet (peace be upon him) said about Iraq: "Indeed, the horn of Satan is there, and tribulations will surge, and harshness is in the East." Muslim also indicated in his Sahih that tribulations (fitna) come from the East.

However, this does not mean condemning everyone who resided in these lands, as many great scholars and imams emerged from there. No one is praised or condemned because of their place of residence, but rather based on what is evident from their words and actions.