Signs of the Last Hour
By Syed Sharfuddin
It is one of the fundamental beliefs of Islam that this world is but a temporary abode for the children of Adam who are born here and spend their time on earth, partaking of their appointed provisions, exercising their choice between good and evil and going through the sorrows, joys, tests and tribulations of their life before tasting death. Some live long and some have their lives cut short but they all go through the same cycle of struggle. Some are destined to live in penury and some in plenty. Some are healthy and some are sick. Some are born male and some are born female and some deficit in either. But this is only a part of the great journey Allah has destined for mankind. Each according to his lot and the choices he makes. The children of Adam, with no exception, shall be raised from their deep sleep in graves at the appointed Hour and gathered in groups to account for their deeds. They shall be blessed or cursed according to their accountability and shall be accordingly despatched to Heaven or Hell or asked to wait on top of a hill in Barzakh until their final destination is decided by Allah.
The final Hour of this earth shall come after the universe, consisting of the earth, the sun and the moon (which we know) and other solar systems and galaxies in space (which we know and also don’t know) shall be wound up like a scroll. The Final Hour will bring an end to life on earth and portend the start of a new beginning on another earth.
When will this Hour come, no human being knows. Prophet Mohammad, peace and greetings of Allah be on him, was not given full knowledge of the Final Hour by Allah Subhanuhu wa Taala. Even if the Prophet was given this knowledge, he did not tell us about it. But he said that there will be clear signs of its coming which the people living at the time shall see with their own eyes. These signs, told by him 1400 years ago include the following!
Camels will no longer be used as a means of transport;
People will ride on saddles that aren’t saddles (could this be a reference to cars, trains and planes);
The distance on earth will become short (could this be a reference to the travel time from one corner of the world place to another which is amazingly becoming shorter and shorter);
Horses will not be used in wars;
Muslims will defeat the Byzantines, which will end with the conquest of Constantinople (could this be a reference to the rise of the ottoman Empire);
The Jews will gather again to live in the land of Canaan (could this be a reference to the founding of the State of Israel);
Very tall buildings will be built (could this be a reference to modern living in multi-story apartments and very tall buildings and towers);
Knowledge will disappear and would be replaced by ignorance (could this be a reference to lack of reading habits and ignorance and fake news spread by social media, including all kinds of propaganda and advertised media);
Adultery will become widespread, and the drinking of wine will become common;
The number of heterosexual men will decrease and the number of women will increase until there are 50 women to each man.
Islam will become worn out like clothes, and gradually people will stop knowing and practicing Islam, i.e. fasting, prayer, zakat and other religious rituals;
Allah will send a disease to punish fornicators that will have no cure (could this be Aids?);
People will begin to believe in the stars (horoscope, luck and superstition) and reject the concept of fate as divine destiny (Qadr);
Men will pass by people’s graves and wish they were lying in peace as the dead (could this be a reference to increased rates of suicide)
The Euphrates will uncover a mountain of gold and people will fight over its possession (could this be a reference to the wealth of oil, gold, sweet water and other natural resources in Syria, Turkey, Iraq and Saudi Arabia and the wars in the Middle east which affect the power status in these countries);
Two large groups of people will fight one another, and there will be many casualties; they will both be following the same religion (could this be a reference to the World War II or the wars which place Sunni Muslim against Shia Muslim);
Approximately 30 Dajjals (Anti-Christ) will appear, each claiming to be the messenger of Allah;
Earthquakes will increase in frequency;
Time will pass quickly;
Afflictions will become common;
Murders and human killing will increase;
Wealth will increase;
Women will be wearing clothes but not wearing clothes;
When any gain is shared out it will be only among the rich with no benefit to the poor;
When a trust will become a means of making profit;
When paying Zakat will become a burden;
When voices are raised in the mosque (could this be a reference to increasing religious intolerance which has led to each religious sect and faction constructing its own separate place of worship);
When the leader of a people is the worst of them (could this be a reference to a system of government in which incompetent leaders are rewarded instead of being rejected);
When people treat a man with respect because he may cause them harm if they opposed him or showed him no respect;
When drinking wine becomes very common among Muslims;
When the red wind blows or when the earth swallows people through earthquakes and sinkholes;
When singers and musical instruments will become popular;
THE Greater Signs
When the Quran will disappear in one night, even from the people’s hearts, and no Ayah will be left on earth except some groups of old people who will say: ‘We heard our fathers’ saying: “La Ilah Illa Allah; therefore we are repeating it”:
The Dajjal (Anti Christ) will appear and have a large following;
The Mahdi will appear and challenge Dajjal;
The Ya’juj and Ma’juj (Gog and Magog) will break their wall and over-run the world;
Prophet (Jesus) will decent on earth and die here after defeating Dajjal;
The Sun shall rise from the west;
The Holy Kaaba will be destroyed again;
The Final Hour shall arrive with the sound of a very loud Siren which mankind has never heard and the smoke and an enormous earthquake which mankind has never experienced;
The Final Hour shall arrive when the mountains on earth will start floating in the air like balls of spun cotton; when the sky will break into smithereens and when the earth shall lose it gravity and throw up all that is buried inside it;
The Final Hour shall come when graves shall toss up their corpses and men and women buried there shall come out of their sarcophagi as moths come out of their nests, complaining who has woken them up from their deep sleep.
The Day of Judgement shall see all children of Adam gathered on a new earth for their accountability and entry into a permanent life where they shall never die nor perish.
These signs are there to remind us that the last hour of our life, as well as that of this earth is approaching fast and the more we use the time at our disposal meaning while we are young, strong, healthy, sane and resourceful) doing good deeds and preparing for the afterlife, the better it is for our salvation and rewards to come when we say goodbye to this world and walk into another world on the blessed journey to Paradise. May Allah make us among those who will enter Paradise without any accountability or questioning.
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