Signs Of The Last Day 2
Some technical devices which allow various tasks to be completed in a much shorter time.
We could easily provide numerous such examples. However, what we must stop to consider here is that the signs revealed by the Prophet (saas) in the seventh century are now coming true.
Another sign of the End Times revealed in the hadiths is the spreading of commerce (Reported by Ibn Masud (r.a.)) which has paralleled the advancements in transportation technology. Modern transportation has enabled every country in the world to establish close trade relations with others.
Communications Technology:
Some of the most interesting information the Prophet (saas) revealed is found in his hadiths that describe modern communications technology. One of the things he said is quite striking:
The Last Hour will not come before the end of a man's whip speak to him. (Tirmidhi)
Technology, which can transport sound and images thousands of kilometers at the touch of a key, exhibits a striking parallel to the point mentioned in the Hadiths.
1400 years ago, sound recording was described in the Hadiths as “a person’s own voice speaks to him”, while the technology that makes it possible to listen to sound recordings was predicted. Above, we see a music system which is the product of modern technology.
When we look at this hadith closely, we can see the truth it contains. As we know, in ancient times, the whip was widely used to ride saddle beasts, especially camels and horses. When we examine the hadith we see that the Prophet (saas) is making a comparison.
Let us ask the people today this question: "What speaking object can we compare to the shape of a whip?"
The most likely answer to this question would be a cell phone or some other such communication devices.
All the communication devices discovered in the last few years allow us to confirm that we are likely living in the End Times.
If we recall that wireless communication devices, such as cell phones or satellite telephones, are very recent developments, we will understand how prescient the Prophet (saas)'s description was 1400 years ago.
So, this is one more revelation of the time before Judgment Day in which we are living.
In another of the Prophet's accounts, he highlights the development of communications technology:
There will be no Judgment ... until a person's own voice speaks to him. (Mukhtasar Tazkirah Qurtubi)
By means of satellites, every kind of broadcast can be sent to its destination in an instant. The fact that the Prophet (saas) predicted this extraordinary capability 1400 years ago is another sign.
The message in this hadith is quite clear: it states that a person's hearing his own voice is a characteristic of the End Times. Surely, for a person to hear his own voice, first it has to be recorded and then listened to. Voice recording and reproduction technology are products of the twentieth century. This development was a turning point in the advancement of science, one that has allowed the birth of the communications and media industries. Voice recording has now reached its apogee, with the latest developments in computer and laser technology.
In short, today's electronic devices, like microphones and speakers, have made it possible to record and listen to a person's voice, showing that what the above hadith has told us has come true.
What is said in the hadiths that describe the End Times about communication technology is not limited to the above quoted hadith alone. There are other very interesting signs related in other hadiths:
The sign of that day: A hand will be extended from the sky, and people will look and see it. (Ibn Hajar Haythami, Al Qawl a-Mukhtasar fi 'alamat al-Mahdi al-Muntazar)
The sign of that day is a hand extended in the sky and people stopping to look at it. (Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir al-Zaman)
It is clear that the word "hand" in the above hadith is intended figuratively. In earlier times, "a hand's being extended from the sky and people's looking and seeing it" as stated in the hadith might not have meant much for them. But when today's technology is considered, this statement may be interpreted in a number of ways. For instance, television, which has become an indispensable part of the world today, and it, together with cameras and computers, may explain very well what the hadith described. The "hand" mentioned in the hadith might have been used in the sense of power. It may be referring to the images coming from the sky in the form of waves, that is, television.
Some other relevant instances are very interesting:
A voice will call him by name … and even people in the east and west will hear it. (Ibn Hajar Haythami, Al Qawl al-Mukhtasar fi 'alamat al-Mahdi al-Muntazar)
This voice will spread over the entire world, and every tribe will hear it in their own language. (Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir al-Zaman)
A voice from the sky that everyone will hear in his own language. (Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir al-Zaman)
This hadith mentions a voice that will be heard throughout the whole world and in everyone's own language. Evidently, this refers to radio, television and other such methods of communication. It is a miracle that, 1400 years ago, the Prophet (saas) referred to a development that was unimaginable even just a hundred years ago.
When Bediuzzaman Said Nursi interpreted these hadiths, he explained that they miraculously foretold the advent of radio, television and other such communication devices.23
Another hadith about advances in telephone, television, satellite and Internet technology reads:
In the time of Hazrat Mahdi (as), a Muslim in the East will be able to see his Muslim brother in the West, and he in the West will see him in the East. (Bihar al-Anwar, Vol. 52, p. 391)
When matters are entrusted to competent Hazrat Mahdi (as) ALMIGHTY ALLAH WILL RAISE THE LOWEST PART OF THE WORLD FOR HIM AND LOWER THE HIGHEST PLACES. SO MUCH THAT HE WILL SEE THE WHOLE WORLD AS IF IN THE PALM OF HIS HAND. WHICH OF YOU CANNOT SEE A SINGLE HAIR IN THE PALM OF HIS HAND? (Bihar al-Anwar, Vol. 5, p. 328)
This hadith refers to the technological advances and visual communications systems that will arise in the End Times. People are easily able to see and speak to friends anywhere in the world by means of video phones, televisions, satellite and other forms of communication. Our Prophet (saas) spoke of this technological development 1400 years ago and said that Hazrat Mahdi (as) will come in this time. In that time, people in management positions will communicate and learn things using hand-held computers and computerized phones:
According to Muhammad, son of Imam Jaffari Sadiq, the imam said: " WHEN THE QAIM [HAZRAT MAHDI (AS)] APPEARS, he will send a messenger to every country, and will say to them: 'YOUR AGREEMENT IS IN YOUR HAND. If you encounter a situation you do not understand and find it difficult to rule on, LOOK AT YOUR HAND AND DO WHAT IS WRITTEN THERE...'" (Sheikh Muhammad bin Ibrahim Nomani, al-Ghaybah al-Nomani, p. 381)
The hadith notes that in the time of Hazrat Mahdi (as), people in management positions will make use of palm computers and computerized telephones to communicate, obtain information or research things they do not know. It seems that in this holy time technology will reach the most advanced level and people will press the keys on palm computers or computerized telephones to access news reaching them or learn things they do not know, and they will see and understand these things by looking at the screens of such devices.
Cloud Seeding
As an-Nawwas ibn Sam'an reported, the Prophet (saas) said: He would then give command to the sky and there would be rainfall upon the earth ... (Sahih Muslim, Book 41, Number 7015)
It is reported in the above hadith that in the End Times there will be means of causing rainfall when so desired. These methods are actually employed today. The technique known as cloud seeding is applied as follows:
Seeding of clouds requires that they contain supercooled liquid water—that is, liquid water colder than zero degrees Celsius. Introduction of a substance such as silver iodide, which has a crystalline structure similar to that of ice, will induce freezing (heterogeneous nucleation). Dry ice [frozen carbon dioxide] or propane expansion cools the air to such an extent that ice crystals can nucleate spontaneously from the vapor phase. ... In mid-latitude clouds, the usual seeding strategy has been predicated upon the fact that the equilibrium vapor pressure is lower over water than over ice. When ice particles form in supercooled clouds, this fact allows the ice particles to grow at the expense of liquid droplets. If there is sufficient growth, the particles become heavy enough to fall as snow (or, if melting occurs, rain) from clouds that otherwise would produce no precipitation. This process is known as "static" seeding. Seeding of warm-season or tropical cumuliform (convective) clouds seeks to exploit the latent heat released by freezing. This strategy of "dynamic" seeding assumes that the additional latent heat adds buoyancy, strengthens updrafts, ensures more low-level convergence, and ultimately causes rapid growth of properly selected clouds. Cloud seeding chemicals may be dispersed by aircraft or by dispersion devices located on the ground (generators)." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloud_seeding)
Cloud seeding by spraying silver iodine vapour from a plane in the state of Kansas. (Source: National Geographic web site)
Cloud seeding rockets attached to a plane wing
One place in which this technique is often employed is Kansas. The National Geographic website provides the following information on the subject:
In Kansas, clouds sometimes promise rain and fail to deliver—or produce crop-damaging hail. To coax moisture from the clouds, the Western Kansas Weather Modification Program sends out its planes. Wing-borne burners produce a silver iodide smoke, which rides updrafts into the sub-zero heart of certain storm clouds. At that altitude, the silver iodide particles provide nuclei around which cloud water can freeze. When they're heavy enough, the grains of ice fall—melting into rain on the way down. In theory, the strategy not only increases rainfall but also keeps moisture from being swept high into clouds and forming hail... (http://www7.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0506/feature5/gallery5.html)
Cloud seeding is a technology developed over the last 60 years. Today some 24 countries, including the USA, Israel, Canada, Russia, Thailand, Morocco and Australia make use of this technique to produce greater rainfall.
Increased Milk Production
One of the signs of the coming of the dajjal in the hadiths of our Prophet (saas) concerning the End Times is an increase in milk production. The progress that has been in livestock rearing in our time has given rise to this increase in yield reported in the hadith. And Allah knows the truth.
An-Nawwas ibn Sam'an reported that the Prophet (saas) said: He [dajjal] would come to the people and invite them (to a wrong religion) and they would affirm their faith in him and respond to him. He would then give command to the sky and there would be rainfall upon the earth and it would grow crops. Then in the evening, their posturing animals would come to them with their humps very high and their udders full of milk and their flanks stretched. (Sahih Muslim, Book 41, Number 7015)
The artificial insemination of the animal population, embryo transfer and the raising of animal quality by means of high productivity stock, which began being implemented only recently in our own time, have led to a huge rise in milk production in all countries, particularly Holland and Belgium. In Holland, for example, the daily average milk yield from a single cow has risen to 35 liters. Some cows are even known to produce as much as 53 liters.
The Treasure Detector
One hadith that describes the End Times, the coming of the dajjal and his characteristics states that the dajjal will tell of the treasures buried beneath a building when he walks by it:
He would then walk through the waste land and say to it: Bring forth your treasures, and the treasures would come out…(Sahih Muslim, Book 41, Number 7015; reported by an-Nawwas ibn Sam'an)
As we know, detectors that can find metals under the ground and that are capable of distinguishing between metallic and non-metallic compounds are in wide use today. By means of these, it can immediately be established whether or not there is any metal buried beneath a building or under the ground. These detectors, which make it easy to find buried metals such as gold, silver, copper and bronze, are frequently employed in engineering, construction and by the military, and by others for treasure hunting.
The above hadith may well be referring to the use of such a device. That would explain the detection of treasure beneath the building and its subsequent extraction. And Allah knows the truth.
Trawl Fishing
One of his [dajjal's] astonishing deeds is this: He will enter the sea three times a day; one of his arms is long. With his long arm he will lean on the bottom of the sea, and with his other hand he will sweep up and catch what he wishes from among the fishes in the deeps... (Reported by Abu Nuaym [ra]). (Al-Barzanji, Al-Isha'ah li-ashrat al-sa'ah, p. 216)
It is indicated in the hadiths of the Prophet (saas) that in the End Times dajjal will "reach down the bottom of the sea and catch the fishes of the deeps." The "trawl nets" used today in catching fish fully match this description given in the hadith. And Allah knows the truth. Fishing with trawl nets is also known as "multi-species fishery" because a large number of species are caught at the same time. Trawl nets, a kind of drag net, are used in seabed and mid-water fishing. These nets, which scour the seabed with steel cables, trap all the fish they encounter.
Trawl nets resemble large, cone-shaped, wide-mouthed (30 meters or so wide) bags. Wooden struts are used to keep the mouth open when the net is first cast into the sea. These are connected to the trawler boat by steel cables. Bottom trawling is generally used in places where the seabed is largely flat. Dropped from the trawler boat, the trawl net is dragged along behind it for some 1.5 to 3 hours and scours the seabed, catching all the fish it encounters. It is then raised using a winch and the fish inside unloaded on deck. Once the fish have been cleaned and washed, they are packed in ice in the ship's hold. On some very large and highly advanced trawlers, the fish are loaded into freezing apparatus once they have been cleaned. These boats are able to remain at sea and therefore fish for more prolonged periods.
The Discovery of Solar Cookers
He will catch a bird flying in the air and roast it under the Sun. (Al-Barzanji, Al-Isha'ah li-ashrat al-sa'ah, p. 216.)
In the above hadith reported from the Prophet (saas), our attention is drawn to "hunted prey being immediately able to be cooked and eaten" in the time of the dajjal. Another aspect of these descriptions is that this will take place "in a sunny environment." These statements in the hadith may be referring to the "solar cookers" that are used with modern-day technology. And Allah knows the truth.
By means of the solar cookers that are manufactured as an alternative to LPG, natural gas, electricity, wood and coal, even foods such as meat can be immediately cooked and eaten under the Sun.
As shown in the picture, solar rays are focused on the cooker by the bright interior surfaces. Food placed inside the oven cooks in the high temperatures released by the reflected solar rays. (Emily Krone (Daily Herald Business writer), "Elburn-made solar ovens give hope to many in Third World,"September 26, 2004, p. 1, 3)
The descriptions referring to the End Times are highly applicable to our own time.
Clouds Of Smoke
The dajjal will say, "I am the Lord of the worlds... It is by my leave that this Sun follows its course, if you wish, I can halt its progress!" They will respond by asking him to halt it. At this he will imprison the Sun, and will make a day resemble a month and a week a year. (Reported from Nu'aym ibn Hammad and Hakim ibn Mas'ud (ra)) (Al-Barzanji, Al-Isha'ah li-ashrat al-sa'ah, p. 219, 220)
One of the hadiths of our Prophet (saas) refers to the dajjal imprisoning the Sun. Today, smoke clouds can be formed using a variety of different techniques, by means of which the sunlight can be blocked out. The smoke bombs used to create such clouds were used in the First and Second World Wars. These shrouded the sky, blocked off all sound and prevented the detection of planes and parachutists. This artificial measure, the blocking out of the Sun's rays, appears to be in close agreement with the imprisoning of the Sun referred to in the hadith. And Allah knows the truth.
Peygamberimiz (sav)’ın hadislerinden birinde, deccalin Güneş'i hapsedeceğine işaret edilmiştir. Günümüzde çeşitli teknik yöntemlerle duman bulutları oluşturulabilmekte ve bu bulutlar vesilesiyle güneş ışığı engellenebilmektedir. Duman bulutlarının oluşmasını sağlayan sis bombaları, 1. ve 2. Dünya savaşlarında kullanılmış, tüm gökyüzünü kaplamış, görüşü tamamen kapatmış ve gökyüzündeki uçakların ve paraşütlü askerlerin tespit edilmesini engellemiştir. Bu suni oluşum, hadiste işaret edilen güneşin hapsedilmesi, yani güneşin ışığının engellenmesi için kullanılacak bir yöntemdir ve hadisle mutabık görülmektedir. (Doğrusunu Allah bilir)
Rivers Flowing In Arab Lands
The Last Day will not come until rivers and streams flow through Arab lands. (Ash-Sharani, Mukhtasar Tazkirah al-Qurtubi, p. 471)
This hadith refers to desert agriculture using large quantities of water on the present-day Arabian peninsula, and particularly in countries such as Israel and Saudi Arabia.
These pictures show the greening of the deserts in the United Arab Emirates and the resulting crops.
The Return of the Prophet Jesus (as) After The Emergence of False Prophets
It is known that, throughout history, there have been many false prophets. For the purpose of their own gain, these kinds of impostors have resorted to deceit, exploiting people's naiveté. Also in the hadiths, it is revealed that false prophets will appear before Judgment Day.
The Last Hour will not come before there come forth thirty dajjals (imposters), each presenting himself as an apostle of Allah. (Abu Dawood)
The above hadith reminds us of developments in our own day. By taking advantage of the hopes of Muslims and Christians about the second coming of the Prophet Jesus (as), a number of deceivers have claimed prophethood and at times caused great suffering.
Experts have noted that there has been a proliferation of so-called messiahs that began to appear in the 1970's and which has since increased substantially. The following excerpts have been selected as examples to help us better understand this phenomenon:
The fiery demise of the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas, that claimed the lives of David Koresh and at least 74 of his followers...24Last week at two sites in Switzerland and one in Canada where 53 of Jouret's followers and their children died. Police in two countries are trying to find out whether the deaths were mass suicide, mass murder or some bizarre combination of the two.25Sun Myung Moon, founder of the Unification Church, says he is the Messiah of the Second Coming and that his family is the first true family in all history! … [The Unification Church] was officially founded in 1954 by Moon, who claims that in 1936, when he was 16, Jesus Christ appeared to him on a mountainside in Northwestern Korea and told him that God had chosen him for the mission of establishing the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth.26Grim evidence of the worst cult slaughter…Up to 1000 followers feared dead as more graves found in Uganda…27It was an event that sent shock waves worldwide—the worst mass suicide in modern history. More than 900 people, members of a cult, were found clustered together in a South American forest. The dead were followers of Rev. Jim Jones, the leader of the Peoples' Temple in San Francisco.28
In the Qur'an Allah also points to the advent of false prophets. One verse pertaining to this topic is the following:
Who could do greater wrong than someone who invents lies against Allah or denies His signs, or who says, "It has been revealed to me," when nothing has been revealed to him, or someone who says, "I will send down the same as Allah has sent down"? If you could only see the wrongdoers in the throes of death when the angels are stretching out their hands, saying, "Disgorge your own selves! Today you will be repaid with the punishment of humiliation for saying something other than the truth about Allah, and being arrogant about His Signs." (Surat al-Anam: 93)
1. David Koresh, a false messiah, and his compound on fire. (right)
2. Sun Myung, the founder of the worldwide Moonie organization, in a ceremony. (above)
3. Thousands of people go to their deaths in obedience to self-proclaimed messiahs. Above, we see a mass grave in Uganda, and on the right, the followers of Jim Jones who had committed mass suicide.
In our day, a number of false prophets have appeared, one after another, each proclaiming himself to be the Messiah. The fact that the signs of the End Times are happening in succession is an extraordinary occurrence that certainly should make everyone think.
As it is stated in that which follows this verse, these people will surely receive their recompense for the lies they have fabricated.
There is no doubt that the time when all the lies of all these false prophets will be eradicated is soon. It is announced both by the Prophet (saas) and in the Qur'an that, after the liars have gone, the Prophet Jesus (as) would return.
We have mentioned earlier that in the Qur'an Allah tells of the Prophet Jesus' (as) return to earth, and that Muslims and Christians alike eagerly await this event. There are a few hadiths from the Prophet (saas) that refer to the second coming of the Prophet Jesus (as). The Islamic scholar Shawkani stated that there are 29 hadiths about the Prophet Jesus' (as) return, and that the information contained in these hadiths could not have been falsified. (Ibn Majah) (For further details, see, Harun Yahya, The Prophet Jesus (pbuh) Did Not Die)
There is another important item of information that comes to us through these hadiths. The return of the Prophet Jesus (as) will occur during the second phase of the End Times, and will be an important sign of the Judgment. In this regard, the following hadiths are pertinent:
The Last Hour will not come until you see the descent of the Prophet Jesus (as), son of Mary. (Muslim)
By Him in Whose Hands my soul is, son of Mary, the Prophet Jesus (as), will shortly descend amongst you people (Muslims) as a just ruler. (Bukhari)
The Hour will not be established until the son of Mary (i.e. the Prophet Jesus (as)) descends amongst you as a just ruler.(Bukhari)
Our Prophet (saas) tells what the Prophet Jesus (as) will do when he returns:
At the time of his death, the Prophet Jesus (as) will have reappeared on this earth for forty years. (Abu Dawood)
The Prophet Jesus (as), son of Mary, will descend, rule for 40 years with the book of Allah and my Sunnah, and die. (Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir al-Zaman)
The Prophet Jesus (as), son of Mary, will be a just judge and just ruler (in my community), break and crush the cross [annul the worship of the cross] and kill the pig [inform that eating pork is forbidden]... The earth will be so filled of peace as a vessel is filled with water. The entire world shall recite and follow one and the same Word and none shall be worshipped except Allah. (Ibn Majah)
The Hour will not be established until the son of Mary (i.e. the Prophet Jesus) (as) descends amongst you as a just ruler, he will break the cross [annul the worship of the cross], kill the pigs [inform that eating pork is forbidden]… (Bukhari)
Therefore, when the Prophet Jesus (as) returns, errant doctrines such as those of the Trinity, the cross and the priesthood, and illicit acts such as eating pork, will be swept away, , and Christianity will be saved from superstition and restored to its original state.
At this point, there is an important issue we must stop and consider. In the Qur'an and in the hadiths, there is no doubt that the Prophet Jesus (as) will return to earth during the End Times. Today, on the other hand, some Muslims disregard the evident proofs regarding this return, and suggest that it is possible that the Prophet Jesus (as) will return after the Prophet Muhammad (saas) comes. However, Muslims who think such a thing should attempt to interpret the relevant verses and hadiths objectively and without prejudice. And, secondly, there is no contradiction between the fact that the Prophet Muhammad (saas) is the last Prophet and that the Prophet Jesus (as) will return to earth. When the Prophet Jesus (as) comes for the second time, he will not bring a new religion but will be subject to the true religion communicated by the Qur'an and the Prophet Muhammad (saas).
The great Islamic scholar Imam Rabbani said: "The Prophet Jesus (as) will descend from heaven, yet he will follow the Prophet Muhammad's (saas) Way" (Imam Rabbani, Letters of Rabbani, Volume II, Letter 67); Imam Nawawi said: "… He (the Prophet Jesus (as)) will come and apply the Prophet Muhammad's (saas) way." (Al Qawl al-Mukhtasar fi 'alamat al-Mahdi al-Muntazar) On this topic; Qadi Iyad said: "The Prophet Jesus (as) will rule with the rules of Islam and will revive the practices that his people have abandoned." (Ibn Majah) This is stated in Barzanji's book as follows: "He will judge by the law of the Prophet Muhammad (saas), will adhere to a Prophet even though he is one himself, and will belong to the people of the Prophet Muhammad (saas)…" (Al-Barzanji, Al-Isha'ah li-ashrat al-sa'ah, p. 243)
The greatest Islamic scholar of the past century, Bediuzzaman Said Nursi, has provided some interesting expositions of this matter in his Risale-i Nur Collection. According to Bediuzzaman's analyses, the Prophet Jesus (as) will return to earth in bodily form in the End Times and will contend and intellectually repudiate anti-religious ideologies that represent materialist and naturalist philosophy. Under his leadership, Christians and Muslims will unite and the powerful anti-religious forces will be eradicated. Christianity will be cleansed of its vain beliefs, heresy and its myths and become subject to the Qur'an. Bediuzzaman said that, in making this announcement, the Prophet (saas) relied on the words of Almighty Allah and that, therefore, it would certainly come to pass.29
Regarding this subject an important question comes to our attention. How will the Prophet Jesus (as) be recognized? Surely, the clearest indication that it is him who will be in possession of all the features common to a prophet as mentioned in the Qur'an. In addition, he will bring an important sign to indicate that he is the Prophet Jesus (as). When he comes, there will be no one that would have seen the Prophet Jesus (as) before in person and therefore there will be no one to recognize him. None will be able to recognize him by his physical appearance or by the sound of his voice. No one will be able to say that he knew the Prophet Jesus (as) personally, or saw him at such and such a time; no one will have known his family or his relatives. All those who would have known him would have died 2000 years ago. Mary (as), Zechariah (as), his disciples, who spent years with him, as well as all those to whom the Prophet Jesus (as) communicated the message of Allah, will have already died. Therefore, there will be none who would have experienced his birth, childhood, youth or adulthood when he comes for the second time. No one will know anything about him.
As we explained in the earlier section of this book, by the command of Allah, "Be," the Prophet Jesus (as) came into the world without a father. Clearly, after so many centuries, he would have not any surviving relatives. In this regard, Allah informed us in the Qur'an that the situation of the Prophet Jesus (as) is like the creation of the Prophet Adam (as):
The likeness of Jesus in Allah's Sight is the same as Adam. He created him from earth and then He said to him, "Be!" and he was. (Surah Al 'Imran: 59)
In this verse Allah reveals that He said "Be!" and the Prophet Adam (as) was created. The Prophet Jesus (as) too was created by this same command. The Prophet Adam (as) did not have a mother or a father while the Prophet Jesus (as) had only a mother when he came into the world. But, when he comes to the world again for the second time, his mother will not be alive.
Therefore, the confusion caused by the false messiahs who will appear from time to time is rendered ineffective. When the Prophet Jesus (as) comes back to the world again, there will be no opportunity to cast any doubt on the fact that it is him. No one will be able to find any viable reason to say that he cannot be the Prophet Jesus (as). The Prophet Jesus (as) will be recognized by that one characteristic that will separate him from every other person: not a single person in the world will know him.
In conclusion, the information presented here should lead us to recognize that the time of the promises with regard to the coming of the Prophet Jesus (as), and the things he will do, is near. Surely, it is our duty to be best prepared as possible to meet that blessed person who we have been so long waiting for.
The Golden Age
The characteristics of The Golden Age, described in detail by Allah's Messenger (saas), are important signs of the Judgment Day. This period is called the "Golden Age," because of the Paradise-like description of it by Islamic scholars. It can be understood from the hadiths that the Golden Age will come in the second period of the End Times.
One major feature of this happy period will be its great wealth. The hadiths stress that this wealth will be a unique phenomenon in history:
My community will find such well-being at that time that the like will never have been seen before. (Ibn Majah)
My community, both the good and the bad, will be blessed with blessings they have never seen before. (Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir al-Zaman)
Another hadith describes the richness of this period:
During the period, the earth will throw out its treasure… (Ibn Hajar Haythami, Al Qawl al-Mukhtasar fi 'alamat al-Mahdi al-Muntazar)
Other hadiths relate that the years of anxiety and distress will end; no one will be in want. No one will even be found to give alms to:
Give in charity because there will come a time on the people when a person will go out with his alms from place to place but will not find anybody to accept it. (Bukhari)
Goods will certainly multiply and flow like water at that time, but nobody will stoop to pick them up. (Al-Halimi)
In his hadiths, the Prophet (saas) stated that the End Times will be divided into two period, and that the second will be one of unprecedented prosperity. Islamic scholars have called this period the Golden Age, because of its Paradise-like characteristics.
A notable characteristic of the Golden Age will be the establishment of justice and truth. It will be a time when law and justice reign in the place of anxiety, conflict and injustice. As we read in the hadiths, "The earth will be filled with justice, instead of cruelty and torture." (Ahmad Diya'al-Din al-Kamushkhanawi, Ramuz al-Ahadith) Among the most important features of this period will be the silence of weapons, the end of enmity, conflicts and social disintegration, and the establishment of friendship and love among people. The extraordinary amount of money spent in the war industry will be invested instead in food, health, development, culture, and on the things that bring about the happiness of human beings.
Another feature of this blessed period will be the return to the fundamentals of religion as it was lived in the time of the Prophet (saas). Those laws, myths and traditions that were invented after Islam and not basic to it will be removed. The differences among Muslims in the practice of their religion will cease.
In short, The Golden Age will be a time of plenty, well being, peace, happiness, wealth and ease. It will be an age when developments in art, medicine, communications, production, transportation and other such areas of life will occur as never before in the history of the world. And, people will live according to the moral values of the Qur'an.
The Golden Age will be a time when the moral teachings of the Qur'an will be adopted and when plenty, bliss, wealth and glory, similar to the descriptions of Paradise in the Qur'an, will be prevalent. It is described in the hadiths as a period in which a poor person will not be found to whom to give alms.
After the Golden Age
When we read the accounts of the prophets in the Qur'an, we see that an important Divine law governs all ages. Those societies that reject the messenger Allah sent to them and fight against him are destroyed, while those who subject themselves to the messenger experience the material plenty and spiritual well being that true religion brings. In the period following these messengers, some societies then reject the true religion that was clearly communicated to them, and begin to associate partners with Allah. Discord and conflict ensue. In fact, they have contributed to their own disastrous end with their hands.
This law will surely be operative in the End Times. The Prophet (saas) reveals that the Hour will come after the death of the Prophet Jesus (as) and at the end of the Golden Age:
After him (the Prophet Jesus (as)) the Day of Judgment will be but a matter of moments away. (Ahmad Diya'al-Din al-Kamushkhanawi, Ramuz al-Ahadith)
The Day of Judgment will come after him (the Prophet Jesus(as)). (Ahmad Diya'al-Din al-Kamushkhanawi, Ramuz al-Ahadith)
Surely, the End Times and the Golden Age will be the periods in which a last warning will be given to humanity. A number of hadiths highlight that there will be no good left in the world after this period. So, we see that, shortly after the Prophet Jesus' (as) death, all the peoples of the world, spoiled by the material abundance of the Golden Age, will become wicked and reject true religion. We may state that it may be under such conditions that the Hour will come, but, of course, only Allah knows.
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Conclusion
Surely, Allah is beyond time and space, whereas human beings are bound by them both. This evident reality means that the past, present and future are only one moment in Allah's Sight. In His Sight, everything begins and ends in a moment. From the creation of the world to the Judgment, everything has been ordained by Allah, down to the smallest details. Every event, from the smallest to the greatest, has been recorded in the book called "Lawh Mahfuz" (Mother of the Book).
Every occurrence, in its every detail, along with its time and place, is contained within the destiny ordained by Allah. In the Qur'an, this fact is stated in these words: "Every communication has its time, and you will certainly come to know." ( Surat al-An'am: 67) This time is precisely predetermined such that "it cannot be delayed or advanced a single hour."
Of course, the time when the signs of the Last Day and the End Times will come to pass is determined in Allah's Sight down to the last second. For centuries, believers who sincerely believe in Allah have observed the occurrence of the signs of the Last Day with great interest and anticipation, knowing that what they are observing is the operation of fate. They have carefully considered the signs in the Qur'an and in the hadiths, and have endeavored to prepare themselves for the disorder and anguish of the first period of the End Times. As well, they have earnestly desired to live in the blessed Golden Age.
The verses of the Qur'an and the hadiths examined throughout this book have clearly presented a number of facts regarding the promises of Allah. The period in which we live is one in which a large part of these signs of the Hour have come to pass. Today's world is witnessing, for the first time in history, the evident fulfillment of these Divine promises, one after the other. Surely, these are the most important developments since the time of the Prophet (saas). To view these Divine signs dismissively, to neglect them or reject them is a great loss.
So, it is clearly seen that the twenty-first century marks the beginning of a totally new era in world history.
Allah's promises are certainly true. No one can change His promises or prevent their fulfillment. As in every matter, the best and most beautiful words in this matter are stated in the Qur'an. Allah reveals as follows:
Say: "Praise be to Allah. He will show you His signs and you will recognize them..." (Surat an-Naml: 93)
They said: "Glory be to You!
We have no knowledge except what You have taught us.
You are the All-Knowing, All-Wise."
(Surat al-Baqara, 2:32)
We have no knowledge except what You have taught us.
You are the All-Knowing, All-Wise."
(Surat al-Baqara, 2:32)
