29 Aralık 2013 Pazar

A Call For Unity - leaflet

History is full of examples of friendship between Muslims and the People of the Book

fermanCaliph Umar's declaration to the Orthodox patriarch Sophronios in 638. This declaration guaranteed all of the Christians' rights in the Holy Land.
Anyone looking at the position of Christians and Jews under Islamic rule in history with an unbiased eye will encounter one manifest reality: The People of the Book have always lived in peace and security under Islamic administration. Some even sought shelter in Islamic lands when they were oppressed by other rulers, and found the security they sought in Muslim countries.
It is noted in the Qur’an that compared to members of other communities of believers, Christians will enjoy a particular friendship with Muslims. In this verse God describes how and why Christians are the people closest to Muslims:
... You will find the people most affectionate to those who believe are those who say, “We are Christians.” That is because some of them are priests and monks and because they are not arrogant. (Surat al-Ma’ida, 82)
The first instances of the closeness and warm relations described in the verse came in the time of the Prophet of Islam, the Prophet Muhammad (may God bless him and grant him peace). Some oppressed Muslims were advised by the Prophet Muhammad (may God bless him and grant him peace) to migrate to Abyssinia, which was under the rule of the Christian King Negus, where they lived in peace and security. Excellent relations were established between Muslims and Christians in the early days of Islam, based on the principles of compassion, peace, respect, cooperation, mutual aid and freedom of religion, belief and worship. Aspects of social life such as marriage, trade and neighborliness were also implemented in such a way as to be role models for all Muslims and Christians.

25 Aralık 2013 Çarşamba

A Call For Unity - leaflet

Muslims are devoted to the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) with a very great love

In the Qur’an a great deal of information is provided about the Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him). It is described how the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) came to the world without a father, when Gabriel told Hazrat Mary the glad tidings, how he spoke with people immediately after his birth and how he worked miracles even as a baby through inspiration from God. Again as revealed in the Qur’an, the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) was an exemplary servant and Messenger of God throughout the course of his life. He preached the Gospel, a guide and counsel, confirming the Torah, and called on people to sincerely serve God.
One of the main factors that weld Christianity and Islam together is the love for the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) shared by the members of both faiths. It is described in the Qur’an how all the prophets communicated the same Divine message, told people glad tidings and also warned them, and also served as the finest role models for their communities. For that reason, Muslims believe in all the prophets and make no distinctions between them.
Like the Prophet Muhammad (may God bless him and grant him peace), Muslims also believe in the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) and feel a great love and respect for him. The Prophet Jesus (pbuh) is described in the Qur’an as "the Messenger of God and His Word" (Surat an-Nisa’, 171); it is revealed that he is “a Sign” for mankind (Surat al-Anbiya’, 91); and very important information about his struggle, miracles and life is provided. Jesus the Messiah (pbuh) is praised as follows in this verse from the Qur’an:
When the angels said, “Mary, your Lord gives you good news of a Word from Him. His name is the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, of high esteem in this world and the Hereafter, and one of those brought near.” (Surah Al ‘Imran, 45)
Muslims believe that the Gospel is a Divine scripture sent down from the Sight of God (but that it was subsequently corrupted by people, even though some of the true pronouncements in it have survived unchanged). They regard the Gospel as a guide for Christians, sent down by God with qualities that distinguish between truth and error, lawful and unlawful. In one verse of the Qur’an the qualities of the Gospel given to the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) is described thus:
And We sent Jesus son of Mary following in their footsteps, confirming the Torah that came before him. We gave him the Gospel containing guidance and light, confirming the Torah that came before it, and as guidance and admonition for those who have piety. (Surat al-Ma’ida, 46)
There can be no clash between Islamic civilization and Western civilization, because the Judeo-Christian belief that constitutes the basis of Western civilization is in harmony and agreement with Islam, rather than in conflict with it.

23 Aralık 2013 Pazartesi

A Call For Unity - leaflet

A call to bring out our common beliefs!

The true faiths have provided the same basic belief and ethical model. They all possess the same essential beliefs regarding the existence and oneness of God, the purpose behind the creation of mankind and all beings, the ideal behavior and life style that is pleasing to God, the nature of the concepts of good and evil, right and wrong, and what one must do for the eternal life.
When we look at the Gospel, the basis of Christianity, the Torah, the basis of Judaism, and the Qur’an, the basis of Islam, we see that the finest speech and behavior is recommended in interpersonal relations. The form of behavior that believers should adopt towards other people is described as follows in the Gospel:
… always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else. (1 Thessalonians 5:15)
In many verses of the Qur’an, our Lord describes moral virtue, goodness and the importance of responding to evil with good, and He commands Muslims to treat Jews and Christians, the People of the Book, with affection.
Musevi, Hıristiyan, Müslümanlar bir arada
We are explicitly told in the Qur’an that the People of the Book are closer to Muslims than are idolaters (meaning pagans or the irreligious). The People of the Book possess moral criteria, based on revelation from God, and the concepts of lawful and unlawful. For that reason, it is lawful for Muslims to eat food prepared by the People of the Book. In the same way, Muslim men are permitted to marry women from the People of the Book. These are things that will make warm human relations and the building of a peacefully shared life possible. Since such a moderate and affectionate perspective is advised in the Qur’an it is inconceivable for a Muslim to hold any other view.
God has told Muslims in the Qur’an to speak pleasantly to the People of the Book. There is no doubt that the most important feature common to Muslims and the People of the Book is faith in the One God:
… Only argue with the People of the Book in the kindest way saying, “We believe in what has been sent down to us and what was sent down to you. Our God and your God are One and we submit to Him.” (Surat al-‘Ankabut, 46)
Say, “People of the Book! Come to a proposition which is the same for us and you – that we should worship none but God and not associate any partners with Him and not take one another as lords besides God.” … (Surah Al ‘Imran, 64)

20 Aralık 2013 Cuma

A Call For Unity - leaflet

Let us spread the fact of creation together

The proofs of Creation consist of all knowledge and facts that reveal the existence and oneness of God and His sublime power, omniscience and artistry. These are means whereby people become aware of and turn to God.
Revealing to the eyes of the heedless the details of many proofs of Creation and perfections that they are unaware of taking place all around them every day will be highly effective in doing away with that heedlessness. There are many signs leading to faith that everyone has grown used to seeing over the years and very few people even think about. A person’s own body is by itself a great proof of Creation. Our eyes are more complex and superior to even the most advanced cameras. All the systems in our bodies work together in great harmony and equilibrium, and chemical processes that can only take place in giant laboratories are carried out far more perfectly by our own internal organs. Jews, Christians and Muslims must work together in order to eradicate this culture of heedlessness and replace it with a culture based on thanks and obedience to God.
In many verses of the Qur’an people are called on to reflect on the facts cited above and to see and grasp these proofs of the existence and greatness of God. A few of the hundreds of verses on that subject are as follows:
Do you not see how He created seven heavens in layers, and placed the Moon as a light in them and made the Sun a blazing lamp? God caused you to grow from the earth then will return you to it and bring you out again. God has spread the earth out as a carpet for you so that you could use its wide valleys as roadways. (Surah Nuh, 15-20)
There must be an end to the historic problems, prejudices, misunderstandings and arguments and disputes based on bigotry between Christians, Jews and Muslims. It must not be forgotten that there is no time to lose. It is obvious that both sides must approach one another with understanding and compassion. The important thing is to mention common points, rather than differences, to be constructive rather than destructive, to help rather than to obstruct, to make things easy rather than difficult, to complete rather than separate and to unite rather than divide.
Hayvanlar
An intense propaganda, both overt and covert, has pervaded everywhere in the name of so-called evolution or so-called science. A newspaper you glance at, an advertising poster, a book you read, a film you see or a documentary you watch on television or on the Internet, they are all full of messages denying Creation and our Creator. Yet the proofs of Creation are everywhere. God created everything in the universe, what we see around us, from the cells in the depths of our bodies to the boundless galaxies. The perfection in these, the magnificent artistry and the grand order are proofs of that Creation.
The universe is full of countless such details. Yet most people never stop to think of them in their daily lives. For that reason, preaching and describing the proofs of Creation that people never think about will encourage the other party to reflect, and play an important role in their appreciation of the might and power of God.
Every truly believing Christian, Jew and Muslim has a duty to do all he can in that regard. The correct course of action for Jews, Christians and Muslims who believe in the One God, seek to earn His good pleasure, fully submit themselves to Him, who are genuinely devoted to Him, who praise Him and basically share the same values, is to act together.

17 Aralık 2013 Salı

A Call For Unity - leaflet

Why should members of different faiths join together in unity?

There is no doubt that we are living in one of the times when the world stands most in need of peace, friendship and brotherhood. The wars and conflicts that left their mark on the 20th century are continuing full speed ahead in the new century, and innocent people across the world are suffering material and spiritual losses because of these wars.
However, certain circles are insisting on inciting conflict between two of the world’s great civilizations. Yet it is clear that the clash of civilizations these people are imposing is leading to a terrible tragedy for all mankind. One of the main ways of pretending such a disaster is the strengthening of cooperation and friendship between civilizations.

The threat of radicalism: The good must Unite against evil

It is ignorance that lies under radicalism’s ability to find supporters, even though it is a harmful and destructive movement. People who are not properly informed, or who are misinformed or only informed one-sidedly, may fall under the influence of extremist tendencies and may adopt the ideas put forward by them without judging them properly.
Intellectual activities carried out jointly by members of the three revealed faiths will be a means whereby the conditions that prepare the ground for radicalism are eliminated.
Muslims must treat the People of the Book, Christians and Jews, with respect, love and understanding and tell them of the Qur’an’s call for “unity in a common word” in the best manner possible. This call is the secret to an alliance between Islam, Christianity and Judaism:
Say, “People of the Book! Come to a proposition which is the same for us and you – that we should worship none but God and not associate any partners with Him and not take one another as lords besides God.” … (Surah Al ‘Imran, 64)
The aim of this call is to invite all believers to unite around common objectives, to strive together against atheism, hatred of religion and social and moral degeneration, and to spread moral virtues by working together. This call is issued to all honest, conciliatory and virtuous Jews, Christians and Muslims, who are supporters of moral virtue, peace and justice, and are of good conscience and common sense.

14 Aralık 2013 Cumartesi

A Call For Unity - leaflet

Believers in the one God must form an alliance at once

There are two poles in the world today. But the supporters of these two poles are not Muslims and Jews/Christians. On the one hand there are those who believe in the existence and oneness of God, and on the other there are the unbelievers; in other words, the supporters of religious moral values on the one hand and the adherents of ideologies opposed to religious moral values on the other.
The holy books of all three revealed religions describe how Muslims, Jews and Christians have common beliefs, common observances, common moral values and common opponents. The responsibility of devout and sincere Christians, Jews and Muslims of good conscience and common sense is to wage a joint intellectual struggle against evil and the wicked and work together in solidarity, union and unity. That union must be built on the basis of love, respect, understanding, compatibility and cooperation. The urgency of the situation must be borne in mind and everything that might lead to disputes and division must be scrupulously avoided.
Various disputes may have arisen between members of these three faiths in the past; that is a historic reality. But these stemmed not from the essential nature of Christianity, Judaism and Islam, but from mistaken decisions and ideas by states, communities and individuals, and generally from political or economic interests and expectations. Otherwise, one of the common aims of all three revealed faiths is for all mankind to live in peace, security and happiness, and any conflict violating that is wrong according to all three.
September 11th of England, bus bombing in England
Let us unite, as people who believe in God and who obey His revelation, in a common word – “faith.” When Muslims, Christians and Jews unite in this way in a common word, when they realize they are friends and not enemies, when they regard atheism, materialism and irreligion as the real foe, and when they engage in an intellectual struggle against these ideas, then the conflicts, enmities, fears and acts of terror that have persisted for centuries will come to an end.
An intellectual struggle in which believers are united against all irreligious ideologies will ensure the longed-for peace and harmony. God says in His verses: Those who disbelieve are the friends and protectors of one another. If you do not act in this way there will be turmoil in the land and great corruption. (Surat al-Anfal, 73)
Forces targeting religious and moral values have formed a great alliance by putting all their means together. But it is in our power, in the power of the devout, to intellectually annihilate that alliance. United, we can eliminate the negative and destructive consequences of irreligious and materialist indoctrination. We can establish a society in which moral virtue, peace, security and well-being prevail. But the only way to do that is for the members of the three revealed faiths (Islam, Judaism and Christianity) to join together in the light of this common purpose.11 Eylül, ikiz kuleler
11 Mart 2004, Madrid

11th March 2004 train bombing in Madrid
The duty of sincere and devout Christians, Jews and Muslims possessed of good conscience and common sense is to wage a common intellectual struggle against evils and the wicked and to work together in solidarity, unity and unison. That union must be built on the principles of love, respect, understanding, harmony and cooperation. The urgency of the situation must be borne in mind and everything that might lead to disputes and division must be scrupulously avoided.

12 Aralık 2013 Perşembe

A Call For Unity - leaflet

Darwinism is a grave threat to communities

For a community to lose faith in God, or for that faith to be weakened, for the individuals in that society to regard themselves as entities that came into being by chance, brings with it terrible spiritual destruction. There are no bounds for someone who has no fear of God. In addition, people who deny resurrection after death and that they will be rewarded for their actions in this world with Paradise or Hell can be very dangerous, untrustworthy, aggressive, prone to crime, lacking in compassion and self-interested. Under the Darwinist system that gives rise to generations of people far removed from human love, who are cruel, aggressive and selfish and attach no importance to moral values, most countries have great problems with their own citizens. Hooligans, neo-Nazis, fascists, communists, anarchists and terrorists make these countries impossible to live in.
Darwinizm hakkında yeterli bilgiye sahip olmayan bir insan, Darwinizm'in nasıl bir tehlike olduğunun farkına varamayabilir. Bu düşüncenin sosyal ve ahlaki olarak ne büyük felaketlere yol açtığını bilmediği için de, Darwinizm'le yapılan fikri mücadelenin ne kadar önemli olduğunu anlayamıyor olabilir. Oysa Allah'ın varlığını ve birliğini, insanların Allah’a karşı sorumlu olduğu gerçeğini reddeden Darwinist ideoloji, insanlara kör tesadüflerin eseri ve sözde bir tür hayvan oldukları telkinlerini yaparak büyük yıkımlara zemin hazırlar. Hayatı bir mücadele alanı olarak kabul eder, zayıfları ezilmeye ve yenilmeye mahkum bireyler olarak gösterirken, sadece güçlülerin ayakta It is a well-known fact that it is the indoctrination of Darwinism that underlies the increasing degeneration and rising crime levels, especially among the young, across the world. It is dishonest to constantly indoctrinate young people with the idea that they are supposedly a species of animal, that they are valueless and purposeless and that conflict is a rule of life and then wonder why they are degenerate. Moral degeneration can be prevented by putting an end to Darwinist indoctrination and by telling people of religious moral values. That is because many instances have shown that judicial and military measures are insufficient by themselves. It must not be forgotten that one cannot get rid of nettles by just cutting them down. They just go back thicker and stronger. The solution is to pull the nettles up by the roots. No lasting solutions to problems can be achieved until the error of Darwinist indoctrination is set out.
iddiasında bulunur. İşte bu nedenle Darwinizm'le ilmi mücadele çok önemli ve çok aciliyetlidir.
Someone lacking sufficient information about Darwinism may be unaware what kind of danger it poses. Since he does not know what great social and moral disasters its thinking may lead to he may fail to grasp the importance of the intellectual struggle against it. But the fact is that Darwinist ideology, which denies the existence and oneness of God and the fact that human beings are responsible to Him, prepares the way for grave damage by giving people the idea that they are the product of blind chance and a species of animal. Regarding life as a sphere of conflict and regarding the weak as doomed to be crushed and eliminated it maintains that only the strong survive. That is why the intellectual struggle against Darwinism is so important and so urgent.

10 Aralık 2013 Salı

A Call For Unity - leaflet

The proofs of God's existence pervade the entire Universe

There is an extraordinary equilibrium and harmony in the boundless universe we inhabit. Everywhere we look is filled with matchless manifestations of God’s creative artistry. All the delicate balances and structures on Earth are manifest signs of our Lord’s infinite might and power. There is no doubt that one’s responsibility at this point is to be aware that God created all this flawless order in the ideal manner to support human life, to reflect on that fact and to turn to Him with a sincere heart and serve Him alone.
Every one of the vast number of planets, large and small, in the universe represents a critically important component of a huge order. Neither their location in space nor their courses are haphazard; on the contrary, they have been specially determined with countless details, whether known to us or not, and created for a specific purpose. In fact, a change in the position of the planets alone, just one of the countless factors in the order in the universe, would be sufficient to demolish all the interconnected balances and lead to total disorder. However, these balances never go wrong and the perfect order in the universe continues uninterrupted. This is the flawless creation of Omnipotent God.
Our hearts make it possible for all the blood in our bodies to flow around it 1000 times in a day. This pump continues working non-stop 24 hours a day. In order for this pump to meet the body’s needs it has to start working using its own electrical system and to produce enough energy to raise an average-size car 1 meter off the ground in a 1-hour period. It is Almighty God Who makes this extraordinary system His instrument in allowing us to live over the whole course of our lives.
Every detail in the human body is planned, with a system constructed on the most delicate balances. We can consider the delicate system in the ear, our hearing organ, as an example of this. An ear that could hear more sound would not constitute an advantage for us; on the contrary, it would be most uncomfortable. Let us think. There is no unbearable sound among all the sounds we hear. The reason for this is the perfectly functioning creation in the ear. Like all the other organs in the human being, the ear possesses just those properties that are needed. For example, the limit of perception known as the “threshold of sound” in the human ear has been arranged for a specific purpose. Imagine what would happen if our ears were more sensitive... Were it not for this system we would have to hear all kinds of uncomfortable sounds.

1 Aralık 2013 Pazar

A Call For Unity - leaflet

Life did not come into being by chance

There can be no doubt that nothing in the world is more important than a human being’s knowing our Creator. Knowing God, Who created us, is far more important and urgent than anything else in our lives.
Let us consider the first of those things He has given us that come to mind... We live in a world specially created for life, planned down to the finest detail. But we did nothing to establish that order. We contributed nothing to the subject; we neither determined the distance of the Earth from the Sun nor the way the Earth keeps on revolving … We did not think of the need for the Sun to send rays to the Earth in order to heat it, and neither did we plan the food, water and nitrogen cycles these rays would be instrumental in … We did not arrange for ourselves to be able to breathe continually in order to survive, for our hearts to keep beating or for the way we inhale oxygen at every breath. In the same way that we calculated none of these, so we ourselves set up none of the billions of details essential for us to live. We merely opened our eyes one day and found ourselves in the midst of countless blessings. The Almighty Entity Who creates these blessings and places them at our disposal is God.
That being the case, every human being has a responsibility to know and give thanks to God, Who created him and all things.
The existence of God is manifest, with plentiful evidence. Indeed, it is an obvious truth that the awe-inspiring creation observed in the universe and living things could only emerge as the result of a superior intelligence.
çiçek bahçesi
Anyone of good conscience encountering this reality will immediately realize that it is Almighty God Who created himself and the entire universe, see that he enjoys countless blessings, not by chance, but through His beneficence and turn to Him with all his heart.
Someone holding a book knows that it was written by an author and within the framework of a specific purpose. It will never cross his mind that the book appeared by chance. Alternatively, someone looking at a statue will have no doubt that it was made by a sculptor. Moreover, in addition to nobody’s ever thinking that countless works of art came into being spontaneously, they will never deny that even two or three bricks on top of one another must have been arranged in that way by someone in a deliberate course of action. Therefore, everyone realizes that if there is order somewhere, be it great or small, that order must have an instigator and a maintainer.
Reflection on the basis of this clearly shows that everything that exists, from our own bodies to the furthest points of the inconceivably vast universe, must have a Creator, and this is an undeniable fact. That Creator is Almighty God, Who arranges everything and brings it into being down to the very finest detail, from Whom all things draw their own existence, while His own being is infinite and eternal.

Scientific nonsense: The theory of Evolution

Up until the 19th century the great majority of people believed in the existence of God and the fact that all living things are created by Him. In the middle of the 19th century, however, an amateur naturalist by the name of Charles Darwin claimed that life had begun with the chance formation of a single cell and that this cell had gradually developed as the result of coincidences and given rise to the living world we know today. As soon as this theory was launched it attracted enormous interest from the adherents of various irreligious ideologies, because this heretical idea represented a supposed scientific foundation for atheism.
Not a single fossil exists to show that living things developed gradually, in other words, that they evolved. The fossil record obtained from excavations all over the world over the last 150 years or so has proved that fish have always been fish, insects have always been insects, birds have always been birds and reptiles have always been reptiles. Not a single fossil showing a transition between living species, from fish to amphibians for example, or from reptiles to birds, has ever been seen. In short, the fossil record has definitively refuted the fundamental claim of the theory of evolution, the idea that species changed into one another over the course of long periods of time.
Yet Darwin was unaware even of the existence of DNA. Branches of science such as genetics, biomathematics, microbiology, paleontology, biochemistry and biophysics were as yet unknown. The theory of evolution thus developed in an atmosphere of total ignorance. As technology advanced and as modern medicine and biology unraveled the secrets of the human body people realized that the theory of evolution was a complete deception. The excavation of millions of fossil specimens belonging to tens of thousands of different species dealt this false theory the heaviest blow. Hundreds of millions of fossils obtained from all over the world showed that life came into being instantaneously, fully formed and with all its complex structures, and remained unchanged over the course of millions of years.
Life is built on countless sensitive balances, from protein, the building block of life, to the human body. The theory of evolution, which denies the existence of a conscious Creator, has no other explanation than to say “by chance” when asked how all these balances are established and maintained in the absence of a consciousness. The fact is that the balances in question are so delicate and so numerous that it is incompatible with reason and good sense to suggest that they all came about “by chance.” The probability of just one of the millions of factors that go to make up life, that of the protein that constitutes the fundamental material of the living cell coming into being by “chance” is zero. The main reason for this is the need for other proteins to be present if one protein is to form, and this completely eradicates the possibility of chance formation. This fact by itself is sufficient to eliminate the evolutionist claim of chance right from the outset.

23 Kasım 2013 Cumartesi

Portents And Features Of The Mahdi's Coming

Portents of the Mahdi's Coming

Many of the prophetic hadiths that have been handed down to us in the works of great Islamic scholars are devoted to portents of the Mahdi’s coming. This section examines the links between these hadiths and the present day. We shall see that they describe the contemporary climate and conditions and certain critical events that took place in the recent past accurately and miraculously.
As stated earlier, both the Mahdi’s coming and the fulfillment of the hadiths regarding the portents of Doomsday started coming to pass, one after the other, at the beginning of the 1400s ah (1979-80), clearly reveals that these are the years of the Mahdi’s presence on Earth. (Allah knows the truth, of course.) Let’s now examine these portents.
  1. PORTENTS OF MAHDI’S COMING TAKING PLACE ONE AFTER THE OTHER,
  2. THE PROLIFERATION OF SEDITION (FITNAS),
  3. WIDESPREAD SLAUGHTER BEFORE THE MAHDI COMES,
  4. THE GLOBAL PERVASIVENESS OF CHAOS AND CONFLICT,
  5. STRIFES IN WHICH EVEN WOMEN AND CHILDREN ARE SLAUGHTERED,
  6. HE WILL APPEAR WHEN THE WAYLAYING INCREASES,
  7. INCREASED OPPRESSION OF MUSLIMS,
  8. THE DESTRUCTION OF MASJIDS AND MOSQUES,
  9. RELIGIOUS PROHIBITIONS GAIN ACCEPTANCE,
  10. THE OPEN DENIAL OF ALLAH (Surely Allah is beyond that!),
  11. THE IRAN-IRAQ WAR,
  12. THE OCCUPATION OF AFGHANISTAN,
  13. THE ARMY THAT SANK IN THE DESERT,
  14. HALTING OF THE FLOW OF THE EUPHRATES,
  15. LUNAR AND SOLAR ECLIPSES DURING RAMADAN,
  16. THE RISE OF A COMET
  17. STORMING THE KA`BAH AND THE SUBSEQUENT BLOODSHED,
  18. SIGHTING A FLARE IN THE EAST,
  19. AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF FALSE PROPHETS,
  20. USING RELIGION FOR PERSONAL ENDS,
  21. GREAT AND AMAZING THINGS TAKING PLACE,
  22. A SIGN OUT OF THE SUN,
  23. THE DESTRUCTION OF GREAT CITIES, and
  24. AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF EARTHQUAKES.

1)Portents of Mahdis Coming Taking Place One After the Other

Those hadiths that reveal the portents of the Mahdi’s coming describe them as occurring one after the other “like the dots on a prayer-beads.” We can see that this is the case, for as stated in the hadiths, chaos and anarchy are on the rise all over the world, sedition is growing, slaughter and terrible catastrophes are taking place in many lands, poverty and hunger are increasing, and people are suffering terribly. The fact that these portents are coming to pass at one particular time shows that the Mahdi, the blessed person for whom Muslims have awaited for centuries, will come soon. (Allah knows the best!)
Some of the reports related to this subject are as follows:
I asked Abu Abdullah Husain ibn Ali: “Are there portents of this?” – in reference to the Mahdi’s appearance. He said: “Yes.” I asked: “What are they?” He said: “The destruction of the [tribe of the] Bani Abbas, the emergence of the Sufyani (Abu Sufyan), and sinking in Bayda.” I said: “I am afraid this will all take a long time,” to which he replied: “These things will happen one after the other, like the dots on a tasbih (prayer beads).” (Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti, Portents of the Mahdi of the End Times, Kahraman Publishings, p. 3)

Signs of the Doomsday follow one another, like the pieces of a prayer beads falling one after the other when its string is cut. (Tirmidhi Hadiths)

Painful situations and grievous sights will be seen. Strife will go on and on…(al-Suyuti, Portents of the Mahdi, p. 36)

Fitnas (seditions) will follow one another in the near future. Then, there will be other fitnas and even more following them. (Mukhtasar Tazkirah al-Qurtubi, p. 374, no. 684)

2) The Proliferation of Sedition (Fitnas)

The wordfitna (sedition) describes events, environments, and conditions in which all people, especially believers, face intensified tests of their faith. Such tests, in which living conditions are difficult and efforts are made to weaken or destroy people’s faith, are all described as fitna in Islamic sources.
The following hadith describes how believers’ faith will weaken prior to the Mahdi’s coming and the causes thereof:
The Mahdi, one of my children, comes into being, by the blessing of Allah, when the Day of Judgment approaches and the believers’ hearts weaken because of death, hunger, the disappearance of the Sunnah, the emergence of innovations, and the loss of the means by which to enjoin the right and forbid the wrong. His justice and prosperity will ease the believers’ hearts, and friendship and love will settle between the non-Arab and the Arab nations. (Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi `Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir al-Zaman, p. 66)
To summarize, the following events will take place before the Mahdi appears:
  1. Death: Public security will disappear in the face of anarchy, widespread slaughter, and the ensuing tension.
  2. Hunger: The high cost of living, as well as catastrophes and natural disasters, will cause a rise in hunger and famine.
  3. Fitnas (Sedition): Sin will be encouraged and spread, and all kinds of immoral actions will take place before people’s eyes.
  4. Un-Islamic innovations (bid`at): Customs that have no place in true Islam and that were added on and gradually came to be accepted as a true part of it, will emerge.
  5. Being Unable to Preach the Religion: An emptiness caused by being unable to teach how good is commanded and evil forbidden; in other words, the preaching of religion.
Sedition enables strong believers to enhance their faith and fortitude, as well as their degree in the Hereafter, whereas they lead those with weak faith to become further removed from faith, and those whose faith is artificial to lose it altogether. The Mahdi will appear at a time when such a climate of corruption is being experienced in its fullest and most violent form.
Another hadith imparts the tidings that there will be confusion, sedition, and fear in the “west”: Disorder, sedition, and fear will emerge in the west... Sedition will proliferate. (Mukhtasar Tazkirah Qurtubi)
Another hadith reveals that the Mahdi will come when sedition is everywhere:
A kind of sedition will surface from which no party will be able to protect itself, and spread immediately in every direction. This situation will persist until one comes and says: “O people, from now on your leader is the Mahdi.”   (Ibn Hajar al-Haytahami, Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar fi `Alamat al-Mahdi al-Muntazar, p. 23)
In other words, a sedition that opposes religion and Allah will target people’s faith. Today, this sedition is materialist philosophy, the supposed scientific basis of which is Darwin’s theory of evolution. Although it is completely irrational, unscientific, and devoid of any scientific or logical proof, materialist circles are seeking to impose this theory on every society through intensive propaganda, deception, and misrepresentation.
This theory enters our homes through the press and television, whether we live in the West or in the Muslim world. Forming a part of most science and other textbooks, it is imposed upon children from the early grades through constant repetition, such as its most famous claim: that people are descended from a common ancestor with apes. Young people are fed these evolutionist lies from primary school to the university.
In addition, the sedition referred to in the prophetic hadiths can only become so widespread through modern-day technological means (e.g., the press, publishing, the Internet, and satellite communications). Indeed, such widespread sedition has never been seen before today. All of these are important signs that the Mahdi’s coming coincides with our own time. The hadiths also state that this sedition will end when the Mahdi comes.

3) Widespread Slaughter Before the Mahdi Comes

The hadiths reveal that violence and chaos will affect the great majority of people before the Mahdi comes and that much blood will be shed:
Doomsday will not take place until these things come to pass…Death and slaughter will be widespread…  (al-Suyuti, Jamius Sagir, 3:211; Musnad, 2:492, 4:391, 392)

There will be cries of war in Shawwal and war and carnage in Dhu al-Hijjah. Again in Dhu al-Hijjah, pilgrims will be plundered and the roads will be filled with blood…The bloodshed will continue and increase.(al-Suyuti, Portents of the Mahdi of the End Times p. 37) 

…The Hajjis will be looted, and there will be a battle at Mina in which many will be slain. Blood will flow until it runs over the Jamra al-'Aqaba.[Jamra: a stone pillar representing Satan that is stoned during the pilgrimage.] (Narrated by `Amr ibn Shu`ayb, al-Hakim, and Nu`aym ibn Hammad)

There will emerge widespread strife that seems impossible to ever end...(Al-Haythami, Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar, p. 55)

People make pilgrimage without an imam leading them. Big wars break out when they come down to Mina, and they are entwined just the way dogs entwine, and tribes attack each other. This strife is so widespread that legs are buried in lakes of blood.(al-Suyuti, Portents of the Mahdi of the End Times, p. 35)

Such a strife will appear that nowhere will be spared. When it ends in one place, it will immediately spread to another...(al-Haythami, Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar,pp. 21-22)
Modern communications technology will make everyone aware of this corruption and disasters. Even though there may only be few people present at the scene, the whole world will learn what is happening instantaneously. Radio, television, newspapers, and the Internet will broadcast bloodshed, injustice, and oppression to the whole world.

4) The Global Pervasiveniss of Chaos and Conflict

At a time when the world will be in utter confusion and disorder (harj), fitna will appear, people will be attacked, the old will not have mercy on the young, and the young will not show respect to the old, Allah will send someone (the Mahdi) to eradicate hostility, conquer the castles of perversion, uphold faith in the End Times just as I upheld it formerly; someone who will fill this Earth with justice where violence prevailed before.   (Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi `Alamat al-Mahdi, p. 12)
Rather than describing one particular place, the hadith refers to chaos (e.g., conflict, war, slaughter, and terror) spreading all over the world. Indeed, this is the case today, a time when every day hundreds of people are killed or exiled for no fair reason.

5) Strife in Which Even Women and Children Are Slaughtered

Even women, children, the elderly, and the innocent will be massacred before the Mahdi comes:
In this case, killing a woman will be as easy as wielding a whip. This event will spread twenty-four miles from Madinah. Then the oath of allegiance will be taken to the Mahdi. (al-Suyuti, Portents of the Mahdi, p. 34)

The Mahdi will not appear until innocent people are killed… (Ibid., p. 35)

The last of this strife will be the killing of innocent people, and then the Mahdi will appear, to the approval of all. (Ibid., p. 38)

The Mahdi will not appear until innocent people are slaughtered. He will appear when those on Earth and in the skies can no longer bear the killing... (al-Haythami, Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar, p. 37)

They will kill mothers, fathers, daughters, men, everyone, and inflict great suffering on the [Muslim] community by conquering Persia and Iraq. Among these there will be strife, violence, destruction, and flight. (al-Suyuti, Portents of the Mahdi, p. 36)

6) The Mahdi Will Appear When the Roads Are Cut

The hadiths reveal that the Mahdi will come when the means of transport are severed due to conflict, anarchy, and terror, and when people are unable to travel in safety and security:
When trade and roads are cut and strife multiplies ... (al-Haythami, Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar, pp. 39-40)

Before the Mahdi appears, trade and roads between nations will be cut and strife among people will grow. (Mukhtasar Tazkirah al-Qurtubi, p. 454)

7) The Increased Oppression of Muslims

During the end times, the hadiths state that Muslim societies will suffer from the conflict, war, and injustice aimed at them. The conflicts and climate of chaos experienced in parts of the Islamic world, both now and in the recent past, as well as the oppression that has led to dictatorial regimes in certain Muslim countries, are some of the proofs that this time has begun.
Everyone bowing (ruqu`) and prostrating (sajda) themselves in prayer will be punished . Cruelty, malice, and vice will be produced; scholars and ascetics murdered; and many cities conquered. There will be hostility to Prophet Muhammad (saas), bloodshed and destruction will be legitimate.

There will be caliphs after me, amirs after the caliphs, and cruel tyrants after the amirs. Finally, one from my line will appear. (Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi `Alamat al-Mahdi, p. 84)

Woe to this community because of those tyrannical rulers. These cruel ones frighten even the silent and submissive, apart from those who obey them. (Ibid., p. 13)

Every one out of three Muslim will be killed... (Ibid., p. 73)

8) The Destruction of Mosoues

The Sufyani will emerge from a dry valley and form an army from the Kalb tribe consisting of grim-faced and hard-hearted men who will oppress all people. He will destroy mosques and madrassas, and punish everyone bowing (ruqu`) and prostrating (sajda) themselves in prayer.  (al-Suyuti, Portents of the Mahdi, p. 35)

9)Religious Prohibitions Gain Acceptance

Today, although such harmful activities as prostitution, alcohol consumption, usury, and bribery are unlawful or religiously forbidden in many lands, more and more people are indulging in them. Even more, some those who engage in them are praised and encouraged, whereas those who do not are disparaged and belittled. Lifestyles that know no bounds, that care nothing for what the scriptures allow and forbid, and that regard all forms of excess as permissible have spread far and wide during the last few decades. The hadiths describe this dark age, a herald of the Mahdi’s coming, as follows:
Strife will be seen, and more will follow. Such a level of strife will come that the first will spur the last to clashes of swords, and after this there will be such strife that what is forbidden is regarded as lawful. Then the caliphate will come to the Mahdi, the most auspicious individual on Earth, while he is sitting at home. (Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi `Alamat al-Mahdi, p. 26) 

The Mahdi will not emerge until unbelief invades everywhere and is openly committed in public. What rules in such times is… the invasion by unbelief. That is its power. (Imam Rabbani, Letters of Rabbani, 2:259)

The Mahdi will emerge after the appearance of such vile corruption, whereby all prohibitions are regarded as lawful.  (al-Haythami, Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar, p. 23)

10) The Open Denial of Allah (Surely Allah is beyond that!)

The Mahdi will not come until Allah is openly and flagrantly denied. 
This hadith indicates that many people will either be atheists or agnostics, and that they will relay their denial to everyone through the press and declare it openly. This state of affairs clearly exists today, since those who deny Allah are highly esteemed for their supposed “modern and contemporary” attitude. Moreover, the public is encouraged to emulate them.

11) The Iran-Iraq War

The hadith reports that a major war will take place in the End Times:
There will be tumult in Shawwal, talk of war in Dhu al-Qa`dah, and the outbreak of war in Dhu al-Hijjah.   (Muhammad ibn `Abd al-Rasul Barzanji, Al-Isha'ah li Ashrat as-Sa`ah, p. 166)
These three months match the dates of the developmental stages of the Iran-Iraq war:
Tumult in Shawwal …
The first uprising against the shah took place on 5 Shawwal 1398 (8 September 1976), as indicated by the hadith.
Talk of war in Dhu al-Qa`dah, and the outbreak of war in Dhu al-Hijjah …
A full-blown war broke out between Iran and Iraq in Dhu al-Hijjah 1400 (October 1980).
Another hadith describes the details of this war as follows:
A tribe will come from the Farsi direction, saying: "You Arabs! You have been too zealous! If you don't give them their due rights, nobody will have an alliance with you... It must be given to them one day and to you the following day, and mutual promises must be kept..." They will be going up Mutekh; Muslims will be coming down to the plain ... Mushrikun [idolaters] will be standing over there on the bank of a black river [Rakabeh] on the other side. There will be a war between them. Allah will deprive both armies of a victory ...   (Ibid., p. 179)
- Those coming from the Farsi direction: Those coming from the Iranian side,
Farsi: Iran, Iranian,
Coming down to the plain: Coming down to the Iraqi plain,
Mutekh: Name of a mountain in the region, and
- Rakabeh: A region where the oil wells are concentrated.
"You Arabs! You have been too zealous! If you don't give them their due rights, nobody will have an alliance with you…"
This hadith may draw attention to the outbreak of a racial dispute that will cause both sides to come down to the (Iraqi) plain and wage war.
Allah will deprive both armies of a victory...
The Iran-Iraq war lasted for 8 syear and, despite the enormous number of casualties, neither side could claim victory.

12) The Occupation of Afghanistan

Pity poor Taliqan [a region in Afghanistan]. At that place are treasures of Allah. These are not of gold and silver, but consist of people who have recognized Allah as they should have. They are the Mahdi’s servants.   (Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi `Alamat al-Mahdi, p. 59)
Pity poor Taliqan…
The hadith may refer to the invasion of Afghanistan during the Mahdi’s time. Indeed, the Soviets invaded Afghanistan in 1979 (1400 ah – according to the Islamic calendar), the beginning of a new Islamic century. The hadiths state that the Mahdi will appear at the beginning of a new Islamic century. The fact that many portents coincided with this particular date shows that these dates are an important sign of the Mahdi’s coming.
… at that place are treasures of Allah. But these are not of gold and silver …
This hadith also draws attention to Afghanistan's material riches. Today, large oil deposits, iron basins, and coal mines that have not yet been commercially exploited have been detected there.

13) The Army That Sank in the Desert

But when this army enters the desert, it will so be buried in the ground at the place called Dhu al-Hulaifah that those on top will not see those underneath, nor will those underneath see those on top, until Doomsday. (al-Haythami, Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar, p. 21)

One of the portents of his appearance is, as stated before, the burial of an army in the desert.(al-Haythami, Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar, p. 37) 

< When a shepherd seeing an army moving across the desert on a bright night says: “It will be a sadness for Makkah. Woe will befall them,” he will see the army suddenly disappear. He will say: “Subhan Allah. How did they disappear so quickly?” When he goes down and looks, he will see a blanket half under the ground and half out. He will try to extract it. But when he cannot, he will realize that the army he saw has been buried…(Ibid., p. 39)