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31. Days of anarchy and disorder: ... [At that time,] fitnah (tribulation), disorder and rebellion will be many, and people will kill one another... (Death, The Last Day, The Hereafter and Signs of the End Times, p. 482, no. 901; Kitab an-Nihaya, Ibn Kathir, 1/131.)
This much is certain, there will be some people in the near future who cause constant dispute and division. (Death, The Last Day, The Hereafter and Signs of the End Times, p. 376, no. 685.)
Anarchy and conflict were among the most obvious features of the twentieth century. In countless wars, rebellions, and conflicts, great numbers of people died, and security and peace became one of the survivors' greatest longings. The seemingly unending civil wars in some African countries, rebellions in many countries (especially in Central and South America), wars and clashes throughout Asia, and conflict in the Middle East are only the most obvious examples of this disorder.
32. The killing of women, children and the innocent:
Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) will not appear until seven out of nine [people] are killed. The killing of the innocent will be among them. (Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi 'Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir az-Zaman, p. 35.)Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) will not emerge until innocent people are massacred, and he will appear when those on earth and up in the sky can no longer put up with such massacres... (Ibn Hajar al-Haythami, Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar fi 'Alamat al-Mahdi al-Muntazar, p. 37.)
Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) will not emerge until innocent people are killed. When those who are without sin are killed, the people of earth and sky [will] detest the killers. (Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi 'Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir az-Zaman, p. 35.) While the hadiths about Hazrat Mahdi's (pbuh) emergence mention such massacres as becoming common, they also emphasize that such massacres will target innocent people. In addition, acts of terror, particularly in recent years, have resulted in the mass annihilation of people. Since terror seeks to spread fear and horror, the very group that such attacks often target are innocent civilians.
Many continue to lose their lives in different countries as a result of terrorists targeting shopping malls, restaurants, and schools frequented by defenseless women, youths, and children.
33. The enslavement of the Egyptians:
The people of Sham will take prisoner the communities of Egypt... (Ibn Hajar al-Haythami, Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar fi 'Alamat al-Mahdi al-Muntazar, p. 49.)As stated earlier, Sham (Damascus) is the region located on the western part of Hijaz, where Mecca and Medina are located. Today, Israel is one of the countries located in this region. Consequently, this hadith may well hint at Israel's war with Egypt and her occupation of Egyptian lands. On October 26, 1956, Israel, with British and French support, attacked Egypt and began to occupy the Sinai Peninsula. The fighting ended shortly afterwards, following intervention by the United States and the United Nations, and a UN peacekeeping force was stationed on the Israeli border.
Another conflict between Israel and Egypt was the Six-Day War in 1967, during Israeli troops took prisoner a large number of Egyptians, and a large number of Egyptians were killed.
34. The destruction of great cities:
Great cities will be ruined, and it will be as if they had not existed the day before. (Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi 'Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir az-Zaman, p. 38.)When developed places are ruined, then the Judgment Day is no further away than the distance between your two fingers. (Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Rasul Barzanji, Al-Isha'ah li Ashrat as-Sa'ah, p. 143.)
There will be ruins all around the world. Ultimately, Egypt will also be ruined. But until Basra is destroyed, Egypt will remain secure. The ruin of Basra will be because of Iraq's destruction. Meanwhile, the downfall of Egypt will come with the drying up of the Nile... (Mukhtasar Tazkirah al-Qurtubi, p. 530.)
The ruin of great cities spoken of in these hadiths brings to mind the destruction that now arises from war and natural disasters. In addition, recently developed nuclear weapons, aircraft, bombs, missiles, and other weapons have caused untold destruction, bringing about a level of devastation heretofore unknown. Indeed, the great cities targeted are most affected by this destruction.
35. Rebuilding of ruined places:
The rebuilding of the ruined places in the world, and the ruination of constructed places, are signs and portents of the Judgment Day. (Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Rasul Barzanji, Al-Isha'ah li Ashrat as-Sa'ah, p. 138.)The reconstruction of these ruins is a further sign of the End Times. As stated in the previous section, many cities were reduced to rubble during the twentieth century and thus had to be rebuilt, among them Berlin, Leningrad (now St. Petersburg), and Dresden.
A similar example is Kobe, a Japanese city devastated by a powerful earthquake in January 1995. The region around Kobe and Osaka is one of Japan's most prominent industrial and commercial centers. Thus, the Kobe earthquake's total economic impact was immense, amounting to billions of dollars. Yet, despite this loss, Japan reconstructed Kobe.
36. One type of fitnah will spread everywhere:
One kind of fitnah (tribulation) will surface, from which no party will be able to protect itself, and spread immediately in all directions. This situation will persist until someone comes and says: "O people, from now on your leader is Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)." (Ibn Hajar Haythami, Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar fi 'Alamat al-Mahdi al-Muntazar, p. 23.)The hadiths speak of a tribulation that will touch everybody and spread quickly. This tribulation will be known to everybody, oppose religion and Allah, and target the people's faith. Today, materialist philosophy is the largest and most comprehensive trend produced to deny Allah's existence and Creation. Its underlying philosophy, the theory of evolution, provides it with a self-proclaimed "scientific" basis. Even though it is not based on any scientific and logical evidence, certain materialist circles continue to work for its acceptance via constant propaganda, deceit, and even fraud.
As our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) noted in one of his hadiths, global pervasiveness and rapid spread of this tribulation can materialize only when current technological means (that is, the press, publications, broadcasting, the Internet, and satellite communication) are available. As the relevant technology did not exist in the past, tribulation could not spread throughout the world so quickly. As a result, no other worldwide trend was seen that declared war on Allah's existence, Creation, and the morality of religion (Allah is beyond this). All of these are among the important signs that the second coming of the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) and Hazrat Mahdi's (pbuh) advent coincide with the present time.
37. Religious prohibitions gain acceptance: Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) will emerge following the occurrence of such vile fitnah, whereby all of the prohibitions are regarded as lawful. (Ibn Hajar al-Haythami, Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar fi 'Alamat al-Mahdi al-Muntazar, p. 23.)
Such unlawful acts as prostitution, alcohol, and bribery are widespread in the world today. The Western media praises and encourages those who commit these unlawful acts, while criticizing those who do not. Statistics reveal that the number of people engaged in such activities is steadily increasing.
38. Openly denying Allah (Allah is beyond this):
Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) will not come until Allah is not said on the earth. (Al-Burhan fi Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir al-Zaman p. 27.)Atheism has been around for a long time, but started to spread on a heretofore unknown scale by the end of the nineteenth century. The number of people deluded by the spread of materialism and Darwinism, atheism's philosophical and so-called "scientific" bases, increased markedly in the twentieth century, atheism will be defeated by Allah's will, thanks to the ideological struggle of sincere believers.
39. The spread of materialist philosophy: "The letters of the Bismillah" may mean the people's stance toward Islamic morality and the condition of their faith. Indeed, in a period when the people's faith weakens, Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) will appear and eliminate those ideological movements. Considered from this viewpoint, this hadith may indicate materialism's and Darwinism's amazing influence on people.
Another hadith describes how atheism and lack of belief will rise during the End Times:
Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) will not appear until denial is manifest everywhere in the community. What will be seen then... is the invasion of denial, and its power. (Letters of Imam Rabbani, 2-259.)
40. Fitnah alienates people from the Qur'an:
Before the Last Hour, there will be fitnah (commotions) like pieces of a dark night in which a man will be a believer in the morning and an infidel in the evening, or a believer in the evening and infidel in the morning. (Sunan Abu Dawud)Surat al-An'am, 26 speaks of those who keep others away from the Qur'an.
They keep others from it and avoid it themselves. They are only destroying themselves but they are not aware of it. (Surat al-An'am, 26)
The hadiths also indicate that corrupt patterns of thought will be prevalent before the Judgment Day comes, and that systems far removed from truth and justice will come into being. These developments will cause great discord and draw people away from the ways of Allah.Other hadiths reveal that this fitnah (commotions) will be disseminated by various propaganda and indoctrination techniques:
"At that time, inviters will call the people to the gates of Hell. Whoever heeds that call, they will cast him into Hell. "O Messenger of Allah, tell us of the nature of those inviters!" they said. "Very well," he replied, "they will be from our nation and speak in our tongue." (Death, The Last Day, The Hereafter and The Signs of the End Times, p. 382, no. 698.)
In the near future, there will be some terrible fitnah that makes people blind, deaf and mute and conceals the truth, that makes people deaf to the truth, and mute, unable to speak the truth... In a state of tumult because of fitnah, the engagement of the tongue in fitnah and propaganda will enable it to spread like a stroke from a sword. (Death, The Last Day, The Hereafter and The Signs of the End Times, p. 390, no. 720.)
The deafening silence imposed by this fitnah reminds one of the authoritarian regimes in power in many countries. These regimes suppress intellectual freedom of thought and prevent people from expressing themselves and their beliefs as they wish. Muslims cannot freely express their thoughts and are persecuted because of their beliefs, particularly in some Arab and African countries—one instance of this state of affairs.
41. The destruction of masjids and mosques:42. The appearance of false Prophets:
The Hour will not be established until about thirty dajjals [liars] appear, and each one of them will claim that he is Allah's messenger... (Sahih Bukhari)The appearance of 60 liars, each of whom claims that Allah, the One God, has sent them as a Prophet. (Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi 'Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir az-Zaman, p. 36.)
43. People who exploit religion for their personal interests:
When scholars learn knowledge solely in order to make money... when they sell religion for worldly things... when they sell the judgment... the Last Day will be close at hand. (Death, The Last Day and Resurrection, p. 480.)There will be people in the End Times who will sell their religion in return for worldly gain. (Tirmidhi, Zuhd, 60.)
Whoever reads the Qur'an, let him seek [his reward] from Allah. In fact, in the End Times, there will be some who read the Qur'an but seek [gain] from others. (Hadith Concerning the End Times, p. 9.)
44. The number of true believers being very few: A time will come when people will... adopt the views of people who make innovations [bid'at–those who seek to impose things that do not belong to the religion as if they actually do] and unknowingly fall into idolatry, when they study knowledge for profit, and when they use their religion as a tool to obtain worldly goods. (Daylami; Hadiths Concerning the End Times, p. 68.)
45. The oppression on true believers:
I swear that this community will suffer such [fierce] tribulations that people will be unable to find anywhere to escape cruelty and oppression. At such a troubled time, Almighty Allah will send one [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] from my own line. (Death, The Last Day, The Hereafter and the Signs of the End Times, p. 437.)He will punish all those who prostrate themselves to pray... He will be the enemy of Al-i Muhammad... (Ali ibn Husamaddin al-Muttaki, Hadiths from Jalaluddin al-Suyuti's Classification: Signs of the Mahdi of the End Times, Kahraman Publications, p. 37.)
Here, one third of Muslims will be killed... (Al-Burhan fi Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir al-Zaman, p. 73.)
Another of the portents of the coming of Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) revealed in the hadiths is that at that time, Muslims will be subjected to great oppression and difficulty. The situation in the Islamic world today is proof that this portent is coming about. From Indonesia to Palestine and from Chad to East Turkestan, Muslims are being persecuted. Some of the details regarding these difficulties are set out in the hadiths:
- Despotic rulers:
Woe to this community, because of the cruel, murdering rulers. These oppressors will terrify even those who remain silent, excepting only those who obey them... (from Abu Nuaym; al-Suyuti, vol. II, p. 64.)
Leaders oppressing the people is one of the signs of the Last Day. (Alamat al-Qiyama, p. 143.)
These hadiths indicate the rise of irreligious, despotic and ruthless rulers in certain Muslim countries prior to the coming of Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh).
- The spread of atheist ideologies:
[One sign of the Last Day is] the raising of the voices of the wicked inside mosques and the victory and rule of sinners over true believers who abide by the commands of the religion. (Death, The Last Day, The Hereafter and the Signs of the End Times, p. 450.)
- Believers forced to hide their faith:
In another hadith, our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) states that in the End Times, all this persecution will constrain true believers to conceal their faith and to worship in secret:
A time will come when believers will seek to maintain their faith in secret among other people, much as the hypocrites live in concealment among you today. (Ibn al-Sunni, Hadiths Concerning the End Times, p. 12.)
46. The degeneration of politicians:
One important feature of this time is the emergence of ruthless, cruel leaders who lead their peoples to disaster. The twentieth century was full of such people—individuals who adopted ideologies far removed from the moral values of religion. They became notorious for the cruelties they inflicted and for the sufferings they caused due to war and other conflicts. Mao had thousands of citizens killed solely for opposing him, and was responsible for the deaths of millions during his regime. Under the influence of fascist ideology, Mussolini led his people to disaster by dragging his country into World War II. Mobutu has gone down in history as one of Africa's most ruthless dictators.In the End Times, there will be cruel rulers, wicked ministers, treacherous judges, and lying hodjas. If anyone goes to them, let him not be allied to them, help them, or show them the way. (Risalat al-Khuruj al-Mahdi, p. 182.)
Soon there will appear some chiefs who will confiscate your food and soothe you with lies. They will work, yet what they do will be evil. Their worst attribute is that they will not be pleased with you until you consider their evil as good and confirm their lies. (al-Tabarani)
One by one, the principles of Islam will be violated and some statesmen will misguide people... (al-Hakim, Mustadrak)
47. The concepts of virtue and vice change places:
The proliferation of the wicked and liars being believed is one of the signs of the Last Day. (Bayhaqi, Ibn Najjar; Hadiths Concerning the End Times, p. 107.)The confirmation of falsehood and the rejection of the truth is one of the signs of the Last Day. (Alamat al-Qiyama, p.137.)
The liar will be believed, and he who tells the truth denied. The traitor will be trusted, and the trustworthy treated like a traitor... Falsehood will spread in those times. (Fera Idu Fevaidi'l Fiqr Fi'l Imam al-Mahdi al-Muntadhar; The Awaited Mahdi, 3rd edition, pp. 146-147.)
48. Fighting among Muslims:
The Judgment Day will not come until the two great Islamic armies war with one another... (Mukhtasar Tazkirah al-Qurtubi, p. 454, no. 831.)Muslims who fail to get along well with one another in those days cannot avoid being the target of the dajjal (antichrist). (al-Hakim, Mustadrak, vol. 4, pp. 529-30.)
Abu Huraira reported that Allah's Messenger (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) narrated: "The Last Hour will not come until the two [Muslim] parties confront each other, and there is a large-scale massacre amongst them and the chain of both of them is the same." (Sahih Muslim)
In these hadiths, our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) called attention to some events that would take in our day. Indeed, as these hadiths reveal, at the beginning of the year 1400 of the Islamic era, Iraq and Iran were fighting each other, and Iraq would later invade Kuwait in 1999.
49. The cutting of trade and roads:
When trade and roads are cut and fitnah (tribulation) multiplies... (Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi 'Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir az-Zaman, p. 52.)Before Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) appears, trade and roads between nations will be cut and fitnah among people will grow. (Ibn Hajar al-Haythami, Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar fi 'Alamat al-Mahdi al-Muntazar, p. 39.)
Despite the commercial and economic cooperation between countries in our day, security concerns sometimes hinder many commercial activities. You can see this in the difficulties faced by those who want to transport the Caspian region's underground riches to other regions. Disputes and tensions elsewhere hinder similar economic cooperation and thereby limit commercial opportunities.
50. An increase in the number of earthquakes:
The Hour [Last Day] will not be established until... earthquakes become very frequent. (Sahih Bukhari)There are two great events before the Day of Judgment... and then years of earthquakes. (Ramuz al-Ahadith, p. 187, no. 2.)
The days when you can find no homes to shelter you, or animals to carry you, have come close. Earthquakes will demolish your houses, lightnings will burn your herds, turning them into coals. (Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Rasul Barzanji, Al-Isha'ah li Ashrat as-Sa'ah, p. 146.)
There will be disagreements and frequent earthquakes. (Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Rasul Barzanji, Al-Isha'ah li-Ashrat al-Sa'ah, p. 166.)
According to U.S. Geological Survey reports, the number of earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.0 or greater on the Richter scale that took place during the 400 years between 1556-1975 was only 110; between 1980-2009, the number of earthquakes with a magnitude of 6.0 or greater on the Richter scale was 4,176.8 These figures reveal that the number of earthquakes had increased by the beginning of the year Hijri 1400.
51. Drought:
During the three years just before the dajjal (antichrist) comes, there will be one year when the sky will withhold one third of its rain and the earth one-third of its fruits. In the second year, the sky will withhold two-thirds of its rain, and the earth two-thirds of its fruits. In the third year, all of its fruits and all the animals will die. (Ibn Ahmad Hanbal)Drought that is to occur in the End Times for a certain period of time is also a very important sign that will happen right before the descent of the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) and the appearance of Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh).
52. Winds and tornadoes:
The Judgment Day will not happen until ten portents are seen. The tenth is a tornado that will hurl people into the sea... (Muhammad ibn 'Abd ar-Rasul Barzanji, Al-Isha'ah li Ashrat as-Sa'ah, p. 288.)These are the most important disasters arising from climatic changes that have occurred in recent years:
On October 1987, the largest storm since 1703 hit southeast England. Around 15 million trees were felled, a great part of the forests disappeared, 16 people died, buildings were damaged, and ships were driven onto the shore.
On March 20, 1998, 12 people died during the tornado in Georgia.
On 27 March 1997, 27 people died in a tornado that hit Texas.
Storms in Bangladesh on 13 May 1996, were estimated to have killed between 500 and 1,000 people. The same storms also led to 30,000 people being injured and 100,000 left homeless.
The damage caused in the Gulf of Mexico alone by Hurricane Andrew in 1992 was around $500 million, and approximately $250 million in the Bahamas. And 2 million people in the eastern USA were forced to leave their homes.
Floods in central and eastern parts of Europe in August 2002 caused 114 deaths. The most violent storms in South Korea for 40 years, on 21 September, 2003, led to around 200 fatalities over the course of two days.
In August 2005, Hurricane Katrina devastated eight towns and cities in Mississippi, destroying 80% of New Orleans and causing the deaths of 2,000 people. It is regarded as the second-worst storm in American history, with damage costs totalling around $81.2 billion. With the collapse of the barriers constructed to protect the city against flooding almost all the city was inundated. This may correspond to the description of "a storm that will cast people into the sea" given in the hadith.
Hurricane Sidr, which struck Bangladesh with wind speeds of up to 250 km/hour (155 miles/hour) in 2007, ended in the loss of 3,200 lives and wreaked terrible destruction. Waves up to 6 meters (19,6 feet) high destroyed thousands of homes and led to the deaths of some 1,000 people. The hurricane affected around 5 million people and is regarded as one of the worst disasters of the century.
53. Violent rain:
The Hour will not come until there has been rain which destroy all dwellings. (Ibn Ahmad Hanbal)An increase in rain and a reduction in grass... occur because the Judgment Day is near. (Muhammad ibn 'Abd ar-Rasul Barzanji, Al-Isha'ah li Ashrat as-Sa'ah, p. 137.)
The Hour does not come until all mud-brick buildings, except for the stone ones, collapse. (Ibn Ahmad Hanbal, Musnad, vol. 13, p. 291, no. 7554.)
Heavy rains and the subsequent floods are among the great natural disasters that cause many casualties. In recent years especially, such events have caused serious material damage and killed many people throughout the world. The floods that affected Europe in recent years are an example. Heavy downpours hit almost all of Europe, causing floods and submerging portions of many large cities.
The seasonal monsoon rains that struck India, Nepal, and Bangladesh in 2002 left behind 900 dead. In China, mudslides caused by heavy summer rains killed 1,000 people in August 2002. Following the flooding in Europe in 2002, further floods in 2006 affected many European countries, especially Hungary, but also Romania, Serbia, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. In 2007, thousands were left homeless in flooding in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, while strong rain in July that year led to flooding that affected some 1 million people in Great Britain.
54. An increased amount of lightning:
Thunderbolts will increase so much as the Hour approaches that when a man comes to a group of people, he will ask, "Who amongst you was struck by a thunderbolt this morning?" and they will say, "So and so and so and so was struck." (Ibn Ahmad Hanbal)Earthquakes will destroy your homes, lightning will burn your herds, turning them into coals. (Nu'aym ibn Hammad)
The hadiths relate that the increased amount of lightning is a sign of the Judgment Day. As weather statistics indicate, the loss of possessions and the increased number of deaths due to lightning have become far more frequent in recent years. In 1998, for example, 11 soccer players were killed in Congo when lightning struck their field. Similarly in 2001, lightning hit a football field in Mexico and killed six people. Aside from these incidents, lightning kills many people and animals each year.
Data from China show that each year, lightning strikes are increasing in frequency at a specific rate. The numbers rose from 7,625 in 2003 to 8,892 in 2004, 11,026 in 2005 and 19,982 in 2006. In 2006, lightning strikes killed 717 people in China alone.
55. Earth's collapse: When the latter generations of these people insult the former ones, expect red winds, earth's collapse, or the raining of stones from the heavens. (Tirmidhi)
At the End Times, when entertainment and dancers pervade and drinking is considered permissible, earth will collapse, stones will pour [from the sky], and people will strip off their humane qualities. (Ahmad Diya'al-Din al-Kamushkhanawi, Ramuz al-Ahadith, vol. 2, p. 302, No. 8.)
56. Conversion of homes into graves: 57. Epidemics:
Epidemics such as plague, that is, the disease that hits sheep; it will seize you... (Mukhtasar Tazkirah al-Qurtubi, p. 417, no. 761.)Two fatal diseases will spread among you, such as the Ikasu'l-Ganem [a fatal and epidemic animal disease]. (Jami' al-Ushul, vol. 10, p. 412.)
This aside, in our day, new and unknown epidemics appear. Within the last 20 to 30 years, we have had to deal with AIDS, SARS, Ebola, Mad Cow disease, bird and swine flus all of which have become grave threats.
58. People fleeing one another:
O Messenger of Allah, what is the fitnah of Akhlas?" He said: "Fleeing—that is, the fleeing of people from one another due to mistrust and the looting of people's possessions." (Mukhtasar Tazkirah al-Qurtubi, p. 386, no. 714.)The hadith states that people will flee from one another due to mistrust and fear. This might refer to those who are forced to flee their homelands. Indeed, the number of refugees and exiles had increased greatly by the beginning of the twentieth century.
Especially during the last 20 to 30 years, this increase has reached significant totals. By 2001, the number of refugees reached 23 million while the number of people who had abandoned their homes was about 30 million.
59. Abandoning "enjoining the right and forbidding the wrong" as an act of worship:
The Hour will approach... when good is abandoned and nobody enjoins it, and evil is committed and no one forbids it. (Mukhtasar Tazkirah al-Qurtubi, p. 480.)The Hour draws near, and the good deeds diminish. (Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Rasul Barzanji, Al-Isha'ah li Ashrat as-Sa'ah, p. 264.)
60. Poverty and hunger:
The poor will grow in number. (Amal al-Din al-Qazwini, Mufid al-'Uulum wa Mubid al-Humum)Gains will be shared out only among the rich, with no benefit to the poor. (Tirmidhi)
Three years before the appearance of the dajjal (antichrist), there will be exceedingly stressful days and hunger will rule. (Muhammad ibn 'Abd ar-Rasul Barzanji, Al-Isha'ah li Ashrat as-Sa'ah, p. 220.)
Today, many people all over the world live without sufficient food and water, as well as in unhealthy conditions. While most of them are located in Africa, Asia, and South America, they are also quite numerous in rich countries such as in America and western Europe. As only a small portion of people live in great prosperity, nearly 2 billion live below the poverty line. United Nations reports show that, in 1960, the 20% of the people in the richest countries had 30 times the income of the poorest 20; by 1995 it was 82 times.9 As an example of the collapse of social justice, the wealth of the world's 225 richest individuals is equal to the annual income of the poorest 47%!10
61. Abandoning almsgiving:
When they regard giving alms as a punishment [i.e., as a burden instead of a religious observance]... (Tirmidhi) When that time comes, alms will be taken by force as a punishment and extortion as loot. (Fera Idu Fevaidi'l Fiqr Fi'l Imam al-Mahdi al-Muntadhar, pp. 146-47.)
62. An increase in murders:
The Hour [Last Day] will not be established until murders increase. (Sahih Bukhari)The Judgment Day will not come until your leaders kill and the wicked inherit your world. (Muhammad ibn 'Abd ar-Rasul Barzanji, Al-Isha'ah li Ashrat as-Sa'ah, p. 141.)
... The appearance of fitnahs (tribulation), terrifying situations, and murders. (Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi 'Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir az-Zaman, p. 39.)
The Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: "When the time would draw close to the Last Hour, the Harj will increase." They said: "What is al-Harj?" Thereupon he said: "It is bloodshed and slaughter." (Sahih Bukhari, Sahih Muslim and Sunan Abu Dawud)
"... The shedding of blood... is one of the portents of the Judgment Day." (Muhammad ibn 'Abd ar-Rasul Barzanji, Al-Isha'ah li Ashrat as-Sa'ah, p. 142.)
He [our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace)] said: "Before the Hour comes, there will be a lot of harj." I asked: "O Allah's Messenger, what is harj?" He replied: "It is murder, that is, murders... killing one another, to such an extent that it is killing one's neighbor, nephew, or close relative." (Mukhtasar Tazkirah al-Qurtubi, p. 385, no. 711)
63. Increase in suicides:
People kill themselves, and mischief prevails all over the world. (Ibn Kathir, An-Nihaya, vol. 1, p. 131.)64. Moral degeneration:
The Hour will not come... until there will be prevalence of open illegal sexual intercourse. (Sahih Bukhari)... [One day] the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) asked: "What will become of you when your young people fall into wrongdoing?" (Al-Kutub as-Sitta, hadith no. 4752; recorded by al-Haithami in Majma' az-Zawaid [7, 281].)
The time will come when people's faces will be human faces. But their hearts will be the hearts of satan. They will be bloodthirsty and will not avoid evil deeds. If you obey them, they will look after you. If you trust them, they will betray you. Their children will be immoral, and their young people unrestrained. Their elderly will command no goodness, and forbid no evil. (al-Hatib, The History of the Future 1, p. 23.)
65. Spread of adultery:
The Hour will come when adultery becomes widespread. (Sahih Bukhari)The Last Hour will not be established until they [wicked people] commit adultery on the roads [public ways]. (Ibn Hibban and al-Bazzar)
Children of adultery will grow in number. Many people will commit adultery with women in the middle of the street. (Muhammad ibn 'Abd ar-Rasul Barzanji, Al-Isha'ah li Ashrat as-Sa'ah, p. 140.)
A time will come when adultery with women will be committed in the middle of the road. Nobody will object to this. (Muhammad ibn 'Abd ar-Rasul Barzanji, Al-Isha'ah li -Ashrat as-Sa'ah, p. 142.)
66. Economic problems and social inequalities:
People will prosper until the ninety-fifth year, that is, their business will prosper. In the ninety-seventh and the ninety-ninth year, their possessions will go to waste... (Ibn Hajar al-Haythami, Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar fi 'Alamat al-Mahdi al-Muntazar, p. 54.)It is highly probable that "ninety-fifth year" refers to the year 1995, when people had a relatively better life and its conditions had not become so difficult. Indeed, as described in the hadith, during that year people had enough income to earn a living and had some possessions. However, during 1997 to 99, the economy deteriorated, poverty spread, and possessions lost their value. Such an event can happen very quickly, as exemplified by Argentina's recent economic crisis.
One economic issue reported in the End Times is a decrease in earnings:
Everyone complains of low earnings... The rich are respected because of their wealth... (Alamat al-Qiyama, p. 146.)
Stagnation in the markets and falls in profits... (Alamat al-Qiyama, p. 148.)
According to these hadiths, the End Times will see social injustices as well as economic crises, and national wealth will not be distributed equally:
Allah's Messenger (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, "When my people do fifteen things trial will alight on them." He enumerated these things as follows: "When the booty is taken as personal commodity [circulating only through the hands of the rich and powerful, never being touched by the poor]..." (Tirmidhi, Fitan: 39, [2211])
This state of affairs, described by our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) as one of the signs of the Judgment Day, is currently taking place at an intense rate in the world as a whole. The richest in the world control a very large part of its wealth, while billions live in poverty and starvation. The poverty and hunger suffered by millions of people on the African continent alone are apparent for all the world to see.
67. Social deterioration: One striking mark of social decline is the huge increase in crime, which has now reached substantial proportions. The report Universal Crime and Justice prepared by the United Nations' International Crime Prevention Center, contains a general appraisal of crime throughout the world:
Basically, as in the 1980s, the crime rate continued to rise in the 1990s.
Everywhere in the world, in a five-year period, two-thirds of the people living in large cities have been the target at least once of a criminal action.
All over the world, the odds of being the target of a serious crime (robbery, sexual crimes, assault) are one in five.
Regardless of the area, crimes against property, and crimes of violence committed by youth, have both had economic ramifications.
The number of types of illicit drugs has increased, and their nature has diversified in recent years.11
68. Increased life expectancy:
At that time... life spans will grow longer. (Ibn Hajar Haythami, Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar fi 'Alamat al-Mahdi al-Muntazar, p. 43.)Records clearly show that the average life expectancy is now the highest in history. There was already a great difference between the beginning and the end of the twentieth century. For example, a person born in 1995 can expect to live more than 35 years longer than a person born in 1900.12
69. The greening of the deserts:
The Day of Judgment will not come until there are rivers and gardens in Arabia. (Ibn Ahmad Hanbal, Musnad, vol. 17, p. 22, no. 8819.)The Day of Judgment will not come until there are rivers and streams in Arabia. (Mukhtasar Tazkirah al-Qurtubi, p. 471.)
To green the deserts, sufficient amounts of water and land must be obtained. One relevant technology now being developed is computer-controlled irrigation. This enables water to be sent directly to the plant's roots so that not a single drop is wasted. Given that purified water is a crucial element of desert agriculture, flood and sea water provide the basis of agricultural technology. In this way, vast water resources will be obtained, a development that also will be a major support of countries' economies.
Our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) also indicated the very productive use of water:
Both the ummah's good and wicked members will be blessed with a blessing, the like of which they have never seen before. Despite the abundance of rain, not a drop will go to waste. The land will grow fruitful and fertile, without demanding a single seed... (Ibn Hajar al-Haythami, Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar fi 'Alamat al-Mahdi al-Muntazar, p. 23.)
70. The speaking of voices by means of a "whip":
The Last Hour will not come before the end of a man's whip speaks to him. (Tirmidhi)In ancient times, the whip was widely used while riding saddle beasts, especially camels and horses. In this hadith, the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) is making a comparison. Thus, "What speaking object can we compare to the handle of a whip?" The most likely answer would be a cell phone or similar communication devices. Such wireless communication devices are very recent developments, and are more indications that the Judgment Day is drawing near.
There will be no Judgment... until a person's own voice speaks to him. (Mukhtasar Tazkirah al-Qurtubi, p. 471.)
The message here is quite clear: A person's hearing his own voice is a characteristic of the End Times. For this to become a reality, one's voice must first be recorded. Such recording and reproduction technology was developed during the twentieth century. This turning point in the advancement of science enabled the birth of the communications and media industries. Voice recording has now reached its apogee via the latest developments in computer and laser technology.
In short, such electronic devices as microphones and speakers have made it possible for people to record and listen to their own voices, and thus fulfill the above hadith.
71. Bird and swine flus:
Fourteen hundred years ago, our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) revealed that two epidemics would spread during the End Times. In addition, the detailed information provided by our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) about these diseases makes it possible to identify them very easily. The diseases in question are bird and swine flu, both fatal epidemics, that emerged one after the other during the years in which the signs of the End Times are taking place on an intensive basis. (Allah knows the truth.) Some hadith on the subject read:"Six things will happen before the Judgment Day... Then many people will die. Two deadly sickness will spread among you, that kill in a moment and drip from the noses of sheep." (Sahih Bukhari, vol. 2/278 Fath al-Bari)
"Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) will not appear until people are terrified. Earthquakes and fitnahs (tribulation) will afflict people first, and plagues will be seen... Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) will appear at that time. Glad tidings for those who will live to see him and be his helpers. Woe to those who oppose him (Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)) and reject his commands." (Fara Idu Fawaidi al-Fiqr, Imam al-Mahdi al-Muntadhar)
The A/H1N1 swine flu and A/H5N1 bird flu viruses settle in the cell receptors in animals' respiratory passages. The fact that birds and pigs are the cause of these epidemics, as revealed by our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) and despite their having been in existence for millions of years, is further evidence that we are living in the End Times. This state of affairs has spread just as Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) has appeared by Allah's command.
72. The economic crisis that began in 2007:
One of the portents of the coming of Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) revealed by our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) is a rise in economic problems and economic stagnation. The Prophet Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) has revealed that in the End Times, trade will stagnate, everyone will complain of reduced earnings, prices will rise and, in short, there will be major economic troubles. The great economic crisis that began in 2007 and made itself evident in all spheres in 2008 was revealed as one of the signs of the coming of Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) by our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) 1,400 years ago.Stagnation in the markets is one of the signs of the Judgment Day. I asked, "What does stagnation in the markets mean?" This: "Everyone complaining of reduced earnings..." (From Ibn Marduwayh Abu Huraira (ra), Portents of the Judgment Day, Pamuk Press, p. 146.)
Stagnation in the markets and reduced earnings [will be one of the signs before the appearance of Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)]. (Portents of the Judgment Day, p. 148.)
Everyone complaining of low earnings... the rich respected for their money... (Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Rasul Barzanji, Al-Isha'ah li-ashrat al-sa'ah, p. 146.)
Business being slack. Everyone will complain, "I cannot sell, buy or earn money." (Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Rasul Barzanji, Al-Isha'ah li-ashrat al-sa'ah, p. 152.)
Before the appearance of Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh), the trade and the roads are cut and fitnah (tribulation) increases. (Al-Burhan fi 'Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir al-Zaman, p. 52.)
73. The appearance of the double-tailed comet Lulin:
Based on the hadith of our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), Imam Rabbani cites the passage near the Earth of a "bright, double-tailed comet":You repeatedly ask about a bright pillar born from the east.
Know that,
According to his Companions, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said:
"When Abbasi Malik arrives at Khorasan, one of the signs of the coming of the promised Mahdi (pbuh), a double-toothed (1) light shedding (2) horn (3) will appear in the east."
According to the account, that pillar had two heads.
The first birth of this pillar was at the time of the destruction of the people of Noah (pbuh). The same thing was born when they cast Abraham (pbuh) into the fire. It was born again in the time of Pharaoh and his people.
It was born again at the time of the martyring of the Prophet John (pbuh).
Let whoever sees it seek shelter in Allah from the evil of fitnah (tribulation).
That whiteness emerging from the east was formerly in the shape of a radiant pillar. A curvature then came to it, and it took the form of a horn.
It is probable, therefore:
- It is described as double-headed probably because both sides will be thin and resemble a tooth, and it will have a head at both ends. Indeed, if a blade has a cutting edge on two sides,
- They use the term double-headed.
My brother Sheikh Muhammad Takhir Badahshi came from Confor. He says:
- There are two heads on the upper part of that pillar. They resemble two teeth. There is a short space between them.
This was recognized at the desert.
The same report was also given by another community.
But this birth is not that which will appear at the coming of Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh). That is because his appearance will be at the beginning of the century. Eighteen years have currently gone by since the beginning of the century.
The hadith says this about the portents of Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh):
"A tailed star (comet) will be born in the east and shed its light."
That comet has been born. But is it that one, or another similar one?
That this star is called a comet, is probably based on the following:
-The course of the constant is from west to east (4)...
The situation of this star follows this course. In other words, its head faces east and its tail faces west. The long white part is in its rear. Therefore:
-It is appropriate for it to be described as having a tail.
Its daily passage, on the other hand, is from east to west. (5) [Allah knows the truth.] (Imam Rabbani, Maktubat, Letter 381, p. 1184)
The expression "a double-toothed, light-shedding horn will appear," described by our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) in the hadith as a portent of the coming of the awaited Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) in the End Times and described in detail by Imam Rabbani refers to the comet Lulin, which came closest to the Earth on 24 February, 2009. The way that the terms in the hadith completely fit the characteristics of the comet Lulin is a great miracle and glad tidings for believers awaiting the coming of Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh).
(1) ... double-toothed... : The fact that the tail of the comet Lulin is forked completely matches the term double-toothed in the hadith.
(2) ... light-shedding... :
The term light-shedding in the hadith refers to the brightness of the comet Lulin, which exceeded that of six stars as it approached the Earth.
(3) ... a horn... :
The main distinguishing feature between Lulin and other comets is that as well as the comet having a tail in the rear of its body, it also has a tail in the front. Examination of photographs of Lulin and its two tails immediately put one in mind of a horn.
(4) The course of the constant is from west to east... :
The hadith goes on to say that "The course of the constant is from west to east..." This refers to the movement of heavenly bodies, which information is in full agreement with the astronomical findings of the 20th century. Indeed, all heavenly bodies travel from west to east.
(5) Its daily passage, on the other hand, is from east to west... :
Here the expression "its daily passage, on the other hand..." indicates that the comet Lulin, as opposed to all other heavenly bodies, travel from east to west.
The fact that this characteristic, seen in no other heavenly body, applies to the comet Lulin and that this was described 1,400 years ago by our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) as a portent of the coming of Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) is a great miracle.
74. An image shaped like a hand will appear in space:
... Asma bint Umays says: "The portent of that day [the coming of Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) is a hand extending from the sky and people turning to look at it." (Hadith Collected by Jalaluddin As-Suyuti, Portents of the Mahdi of the End Times, Ali Ibn Hasamaddin Al Muttaki, p. 69.)Conflict and disputes will persist until a hand appears from the sky and a voice cries; "Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) is your amir." The sign of that day: A hand will extend from the sky and people will look at and see it. (Ahmad Ibn Hajar al-Makki (Haytami), Portents of the Anticipated Mahdi, Al-Qawl Al-Mukhtasar Fi alamat Al-Mahdi Al-Muntazar, p. 53.)
... At that time [of the appearance of Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] a hand will be seen revealing itself from the sky... (Hadith Collected by Jalaluddin As-Suyuti, Portents of the Mahdi of the End Times, Ali Ibn Hasamaddin Al Muttaki, p. 51.)
These hadith transmitted from our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) speak of a "hand" being seen in the sky, and say that this is a portent of the coming of Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh). It appears that disputes will continue until that time and that Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) will constantly be a matter of discussion, i.e. through means of communication such as radio, television and the Internet.
A picture of space taken by NASA's Chandra X-Ray Observatory shows a mass of neutron stars shaped like a hand appearing to close round another star mass. The reference to a hand in the hadith may be suggestive of this image in the indicated meaning, described by NASA as the "hand of God," giving rise to a celestial phenomenon. (Allah knows the truth.)
The shape of a hand formed by the stellar mass is in complete agreement with the description of its extension as given in the hadith. The photograph taken by NASA shows a hand stretching out somewhere. In addition, the way that people were able to see and observe this celestial phenomenon by means of telescopes thanks to the advanced space and astronomical technology in the time of Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) is also in complete agreement with the expressions employed in the hadith.
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