Allah, the Most High, said:
\n\u201cThey ask thee about the Hour, \u2018When will be its appointed time?\u2019 Wherein art thou (concerned) with the declaration thereof? With thy Lord is the Limit fixed thereof. Thou art but a Warner for such as fear it. The Day they will see it, (it will be) as if they had tarried but a single evening, or (at most till) the following morn!\u201d [Al-Qur\u2019an 79:42-46]
\n\u201cThey ask thee about the (final) Hour \u2013 when will be its appointed time? Say: \u2018The knowledge thereof is with my Lord (alone): none but He can reveal as to when it will occur. Heavy were its burden through the heavens and the earth. Only, all of a sudden will it come to you.\u2019 They ask thee as if thou were eager in search thereof: say: \u2018The knowledge thereof is with Allah (alone), but most men know not.\u2019 \u201d [Al-Qur\u2019an 7:187]
\nThere are many ayat and ahadith concerning this subject: Allah said:
\n\u201cThe Hour (of Judgment) is nigh, and the moon is cleft asunder.\u201d [Al-Qur\u2019an 54:1]
\nThe Prophet, upon whom be peace, said, whilst pointing with his index and middle fingers, \u201cThe time of my advent and the Hour are like these two fingers.\u201d In another report he said, \u201cThe Hour almost came before me.\u201d This indicates how close we are, relatively speaking, to the Hour.
\nAllah said:
\n\u201cCloser and closer to mankind comes their Reckoning: yet they heed not and they turn away.\u201d [Al-Qur\u2019an 21:1]
\n\u201c(Inevitable) cometh (to pass) the Command of Allah: seek, ye not then to hasten it.\u201d [Al-Qur\u2019an 16:1]
\n\u201cOnly those wish to hasten it who believe not in it: those who believe hold it in awe, and know that it is the Truth.\u201d [Al-Qur\u2019an 42:18]
\nIn Sahih al-Bukhari, there is a hadith which states that a Bedouin asked the Prophet about the Hour. He said, \u201cIt will surely come to pass. What have you prepared for it?\u201d The man said, \u201cO Messenger of Allah, I have not prepared much in the way of prayer and good works, but I love Allah and His Messenger.\u201d The Prophet said, \u201cYou will be with those you love.\u201d The Muslims had never rejoiced as much they did when they heard this hadith.
\nSome ahadith report that the Prophet was asked about the Hour. He looked towards a young boy and said, \u201cIf he lives, he will not grow very old before he sees your Last Hour coming to you.\u201d By this he meant their death and entering the Hereafter, because everyone who dies enters the Hereafter; some people say that when a person has died, his Judgment has begun. This hadith with this meaning is \u2018correct\u2019 (sahih). Some heretics comment on this hadith and give it an incorrect meaning. The exact timing of the Great Hour (as-sa\u2019at al-\u2018uzma) is something which Allah alone knows and which He has not revealed to anyone, as is clear from the hadith in which the Prophet said: \u201cThere are five things which nobody knows except Allah;\u201d then he recited:
\n\u201cVerily the knowledge of the Hour is with Allah (alone). It is He Who sends down rain, and He Who knows what is in the wombs. Nor does anyone know what it is that he will earn on the morrow: Nor does anyone know in what land he is to die. Verily with Allah is full knowledge and He is acquainted (with all things).\u201d [Al-Qur\u2019an 31:34]
\nWhen Gabriel (Jibril), peace be upon him, came to the Prophet in the guise of a Bedouin, he asked him about Islam, iman (faith) and ihsan (excellence of faith); and the Prophet answered his questions. But when he asked him about the Hour, he said, \u201cThe one questioned about it knows no better than the questioner.\u201d Jibril said, \u201cTell me about its signs.\u201d Then the Prophet described them, as we shall see later when we quote this hadith and others in full.
\nHudhayfah said: \u201cThe Prophet stood up one day to speak to us, and told us everything that was going to happen until the Hour, and left nothing unsaid. Some of the listeners learnt it by heart, and some forgot it; these friends of mine learnt it. I do not remember it completely, but sometimes it springs to mind, just as one might remember and recognize the face of a man whom one had forgotten, when one sees him.\u201d [Abu Dawud, Muslim]
\nImam Ahmad reported via Abu Nudrah that Abu Sa\u2019id said: \u201cOne day the Prophet led us in praying the afternoon prayer (salatul-\u2018asr). Then he stood and addressed us until sunset. He mentioned everything that was to happen until the Day of Resurrection, and left nothing unsaid. Some of us remembered it, and some of us forgot it. One of the things he said was: \u2018O people, this world is full of attractive temptations. Allah has appointed you as vicegerents (khalifah) in this world, and He will see how you will act. So guard yourselves against the temptations of this world and of women.\u2019 Towards the end of this speech, he said, \u2018The sun is about to set, and what remains of this world, compared to what has passed, is like what remains of this day compared to what has passed.\u2019 \u201d
\n\u2018Ali ibn Zayd ibn Jad\u2019an at-Timi narrated some gharib and munkar ahadith \u2013 which could bring into question the validity of this hadith. But there are some reports which are similar to this hadith, and which were transmitted with different isnad. Part of this hadith is in Sahih Muslim, through Abu Nudrah on the authority of Abu Sa\u2019id. This hadith refers to something which is beyond any doubt: what remains of this world, compared to what has passed, is very little. In spite of that, no-one can know exactly how much time is left except Allah, and no-one can know exactly how much time has passed, except Allah.<\/p>\n
General Description of the Fitan (Tribulations)<\/strong> Divisions Within the Main Religious Groups<\/strong> The Evils Which Will Befall the Muslim Ummah During The Last Days<\/strong> Greater Signs of the Hour<\/strong> Allah, the Most High, said: \u201cThey ask thee about the Hour, \u2018When will be its appointed time?\u2019 Wherein art thou (concerned) with the declaration thereof? With thy Lord is the Limit fixed thereof. Thou art but a Warner for such as fear it. The Day they will see it, (it will be) as if they […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":8512,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8509","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-c71-introduction-to-islam-muslims"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
\nHudhayfah ibn al-Yaman said, \u201cPeople used to ask the Prophet, peace be upon him, about good things, but I used to ask him about bad things because I was afraid that they might overtake me. I said, \u2018O Messenger of Allah, we were lost in ignorance (jahiliyyah) and evil, then Allah brought this good (i.e. Islam). Will some evil come after this good thing?\u2019 He said, \u2018Yes\u2019 I asked, \u2018And will some good come after that evil?\u2019 He said, \u2018Yes, but it will be tainted with some evil\u2019 I asked, \u2018How will it be tainted?\u2019 He said, \u2018There will be some people who will lead others on a path different from mine. You will see good and bad in them.\u2019 I asked, \u2018Will some evil come after that good?\u2019 He said, \u2018Some people will be standing and calling at the gates of Hell; whoever responds to their call, they will throw him into the Fire.\u2019 I said, \u2018O Messenger of Allah, describe them for us.\u2019 He said, \u2018They will be from our own people, and will speak our language.\u2019 I asked, \u2018What do you advise me to do if I should live to see that?\u2019 He said, \u2018Stick to the main body (jama\u2019ah) of the Muslims and their leader (imam).\u2019 I asked, What if there is no main body and no leader?\u2019 He said, \u2018Isolate yourself from all of these sects, even if you have to eat the roots of trees until death overcomes you while you are in that state.\u2019 \u201d
\n\u2018Abdullah ibn Mas\u2019ud said: \u201cThe Prophet said, \u2018Islam began as something strange, and it will revert to being strange as it was in the beginning, so good tidings for the strangers.\u2019 Someone asked, \u2018Who are the strangers?\u2019 He said, \u2018The ones who break away from their people (literally, \u2018tribes\u2019) for the sake of Islam.\u2019 \u201d
\nThis hadith was narrated by Ibn Majah on the authority of \u2018Anas and Abu Hurayrah.<\/p>\n
\nAbu Hurayrah reported that the Prophet, upon whom be peace, said: \u201cThe Jews have split into seventy-one sects, and my Ummah will divide into seventy-three.\u201d
\n\u2018Awf ibn Malik reported that the Prophet said: \u201cThe Jews split into seventy-one sects: one will enter Paradise and seventy will enter Hell. The Christians split into seventy-two sects: seventy-one will enter Hell and one will enter Paradise. By Him in Whose hand is my soul, my Ummah will split into seventy-three sects: one will enter Paradise and seventy-two will enter Hell.\u201d Someone asked, \u201cO Messenger of Allah, who will they be?\u201d He replied, \u201cThe main body of the Muslims (al-jama\u2019ah).\u201d \u2018Awf ibn Malik is the only one who reported this hadith, and its isnad is acceptable.
\n\u2018Anas ibn Malik said, \u201cI shall tell you a hadith which I heard from the Messenger of Allah, and which no-one will tell you after me. I heard him say, \u2018Among the signs of the Hour will be the disappearance of knowledge and the appearance of ignorance. Adultery will be prevalent and the drinking of wine will be common. The number of men will decrease and the number of women will increase until there will be fifty women to be looked after by one man.\u2019 \u201d This hadith was reported in the two Sahih collections from the hadith of \u2018Abd-Rabbihi.
\n\u2018Abdullah said, \u201cThe Prophet said, \u2018Just before the Hour, there will be days in which knowledge will disappear and ignorance will appear, and there will be much killing.\u2019 \u201d [Ibn Majah; also narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim, from the hadith of al-A\u2019mash]
\nHudhayfah ibn al-Yaman said, \u201cThe Prophet said, \u2018Islam will become worn out like clothes are, until there will be no-one who knows what fasting, prayer, charity and rituals are. The Qur\u2019an will disappear in one night, and no ayah will be left on earth. Some groups of old people will be left who will say, \u2018We heard our fathers saying la ilaha illa Allah, so we repeated it.\u2019 \u2018 Silah asked Hudhayfah, \u201cWhat will saying la ilaha illa Allah do for them when they do not know what prayer, fasting, ritual and charity are?\u201d Hudhayfah ignored him; then Silah repeated his question three times, and each time Hudayfah ignored him. Finally he answered, \u201cO Silah, it will save them from Hell\u201d, and said it three times. [Ibn Majah]
\nThis indicates that in the last days, knowledge will be taken from the people, and even the Qur\u2019an will disappear from the scripts and from people\u2019s hearts. People will be left without knowledge. Only the old people will tell them that they used to hear people saying la ilaha illa Allah; and they will repeat it to feel close to Allah, so it will give them some blessing, even if they do not have any good deeds or beneficial knowledge. Knowledge will be taken away from men and ignorance will increase during the last days, and their ignorance and misguidance will increase until the end, as in the hadith of the Prophet: \u201cThe Hour will not come upon anyone who says, \u2018Allah, Allah\u2019; it will only come upon the most evil of men.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\u2018Abdullah ibn \u2018Umar said, \u201cThe Prophet, peace be upon him, came to us and said, \u2018O Muhajirun, (emigrants from Makkah to al-Madinah) you may be afflicted by five things; God forbid that you should live to see them. If fornication should become widespread, you should realise that this has never happened without new diseases befalling the people which their forebears never suffered. If people should begin to cheat in weighing out goods, you should realise that this has never happened without drought and famine befalling the people, and their rulers oppressing them. If people should withhold zakat, you should realise that this has never happened without the rain being stopped from falling; and were it not for the animals\u2019 sake, it would never rain again. If people should break their covenant with Allah and His Messenger, you should realise that his has never happened without Allah sending an enemy against them to take some of their possessions by force. If the leaders do not govern according to the Book of Allah, you should realise that this has never happened without Allah making them into groups and making them fight one another.\u2019 \u201d [Ibn Majah]
\n\u2018Ali ibn Abi Talib said, \u201cThe Prophet said: \u2018If my Ummah bears fifteen traits, tribulation will befall it.\u2019 Someone asked, \u2018What are they, O Messenger of Allah?\u2019 He said, \u2018When any gain is shared out only among the rich, with no benefit to the poor; when a trust becomes a means of making a profit; when paying Zakat becomes a burden; when a man obeys his wife and disobeys his mother; and treats his friend kindly whilst shunning his father; when voices are raised in the mosques; when the leader of a people is the worst of them; when people treat a man with respect because they fear some evil he may do; when much wine is drunk; when men wear silk; when female singers and musical instruments become popular; when the last ones of this Ummah curse the first ones \u2013 then let them expect a red wind, or the earth to swallow them, or to be transformed into animals.\u2019 \u201d [At-Tirmidhi]
\n\u2018Ali ibn Abi Talib said, \u201cThe Prophet led us in praying Salat al-Fajr (the morning prayer). When he had finished, a man called to him: \u2018When will the Hour be? The Prophet reprimanded him and said \u2018Be quiet!\u2019 After a while he raised his eyes to the sky and said, \u2018Glorified be the One Who raised it and is taking care of it.\u2019 Then he lowered his gaze to the earth and said, \u2018Glory be to the One Who has outspread it and has created it.\u2019 Then the Prophet said, \u2018Where is the one who asked me about the Hour?\u2019 The man knelt down and said, \u2018I asked you.\u2019 The Prophet said, \u2018The Hour will come when leaders are oppressors, when people believe in the stars and reject al-qadar (the Divine Decree of destiny) when a trust becomes a way of making a profit, when people give to charity (sadaqah) reluctantly, when adultery becomes widespread \u2013 when this happens, then your people will perish.\u2019 \u201d
\n\u2018Imran ibn Husayn said, \u201cThe Prophet said, \u2018Some people of this Ummah will be swallowed up by the earth, some will be transformed into animals, and some will be bombarded with stones.\u2019 One of the Muslims asked, \u2018When will that be, O Messenger of Allah?\u2019 He said, \u2018When singers and musical instruments will become popular, and much wine will be drunk.\u2019 \u201d [Narrated by at-Tirmidhi]
\n[Note: \u201cThe main body of the Muslims (al-jama\u2019ah) means the people of the Qur\u2019an, hadith, fiqh and other sciences, who have agreed to follow the traditions of the Prophet in all circumstances without introducing any changes or imposing their own confused ideas]<\/p>\n
\nAFTER the lesser signs of the Hour appear and increase, mankind will have reached a stage of great suffering. Then the awaited Mahdi will appear; he is the first of the greater, and clear, signs of the Hour. There will be no doubt about his existence, but this will only be clear to the knowledgeable people. The Mahdi will rule until the False Messiah (al-masih al-dajjal) appears, who will spread oppression and corruption. The only ones who will know him well and avoid his evil will be those who have great knowledge and iman (faith).
\nThe false Messiah will remain for a while, destroying mankind completely, and the earth will witness the greatest fitnah (tribulation) in its history. Then the Messiah Jesus, upon whom be peace, will descend, bringing justice from heaven. He will kill the Dajjal, and there will be years of safety and security.
\nThen the appearance of Yajuj and Majuj (Gog and Magog) will take mankind by surprise, and corruption will overtake them again. In answer to Jesus faithful prayer to Allah, the Most High, they will die, and safety, security, justice and stability will return.
\nThis state of affairs will continue for some years, until the death of Jesus. The scholars differ concerning the order in which the other greater signs of the Hour will come about. They are:
\n\u2022 The rising of the sun from the west;
\n\u2022 The emergence of the Beast from the earth;
\n\u2022 The smoke;
\n\u2022 A wind will take the souls of the believers;
\n\u2022 The Qur\u2019an will be taken up into heaven;
\n\u2022 A fire will drive the people to their last gathering place; and
\n\u2022 The Trumpet will be sounded: at the first sound everyone will feel terror; at the second sound all will be struck down; at the last sound all will be resurrected.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"