قَالَ: فَأَخْبِرْنِي عَنْ أَمَارَاتِهَا، قَالَ: أَنْ تَلِدَ الْأَمَةُ رَبَّتَهَا، وَأَنْ تَرَى الْحُفَاةَ الْعُرَاةَ الْعَالَةَ رِعَاءَ الشَّاءِ يَتَطَاوَلُونَ فِي الْبُنْيَانِ
Translation: He then asked about its signs. The Prophet ﷺ said: That a slave woman gives birth to her mistress, and that you see barefoot, poorly clothed, impoverished shepherds competing in the height of buildings.
الْأَمَة means a female slave or bondwoman, and رَبَّتَهَا means “her mistress.” The wording presupposes an older social institution of slavery.
This sign has been interpreted in more than one way. One reading points to a reversal of respect in which children treat parents as subordinates. Another concerns specific historical social circumstances.
These explanations should not be collapsed into a single certain historical identification. A practical lesson is to respect parents, reject cruelty, and protect human dignity.