The Signs of Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) Second Coming

God’s Promise: Prophet Jesus (pbuh) Will Return

The lives of God's chosen Messengers contain many messages and lessons for all people, especially when we study their encounters, their troubles, and their great struggles. The Qur'an cites Jesus as an example for people to follow, because of how he conducted his life and his struggle, and because of his great virtue.

Jesus' birth, life, and ascension to God's presence are all miracles that the Qur'an reveals in some detail. Although God reveals the narratives of many Prophets, Jesus, whom God supported with superior wisdom, is set apart from the others in several aspects, among them that he spoke even in the cradle, and that he was the vehicle for countless miracles while he was in this world. That his status is different also can be deduced from the fact that he was raised to God's presence and that the Qur'an indicates strongly his second coming.

The Qur'an reveals that the unbelievers devised a plot to take Jesus' life. According to some sources, a group of bigoted Jewish scribes and priests bribed Judas Iscariot, one of the disciples, to betray him, after which they would arrest Jesus and hand him over to the Romans. According to the same sources, the priests did not have the power to sentence someone to death and so had to make another plan to agitate the Roman regime. Thus, they portrayed Jesus as being hostile to the Roman leadership, for the Romans were highly sensitive and ruthless when confronted with dissidents. But these priests failed, for the Qur'an relates:

They [unbelievers] planned and God planned. But God is the best of planners. (Surah Al ‘Imran, 3:54)

As the verses reveal, they plotted and moved to kill Jesus. However, their plot failed and they ended up killing a look-alike. During this event, God raised Jesus up to His presence:

And [on account of] their saying: "We killed the Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, Messenger of God." They did not kill him and they did not crucify him, but it was made to seem so to them. Those who argue about him are in doubt about it. They have no real knowledge of it, just conjecture. But they certainly did not kill him. God raised him to Himself. God is Almighty, All-Wise. (Surat An-Nisa’, 4:157-158)

Many people believe in the widespread assumption that the Romans crucified Jesus. The Roman soldiers and Jewish priests who arrested Jesus are said to have killed him on the cross. Although some historical Christian sects such as Docetism have denied this, today, the world of Christianity completely believes it, as well as that he was resurrected three days later and, after several brief meetings with his disciples and others, ascended into the heavens.

The Qur'an, however, says otherwise. The reality revealed in the verses is clear. The Romans, abetted by some Jews' agitation, attempted to kill Jesus but did not succeed. The expression "but it was made to seem so to them" reveals this fact. God showed them a look-alike and raised Jesus up to His presence. Our Lord also reveals that those who made that claim had no knowledge of the truth.

In the early years of Christianity, several views on Jesus' fate emerged. In the subsequent centuries and until the articles of faith were fully formulated at the Council of Nicea (325), these ideological differences continued to persist, and movements that claimed that Jesus had not been crucified were accused of heresy and its members were persecuted.

 The Qur'anic Account of Jesus' Ascent to God's Presence

Examining the words used in the narratives relating how the Prophets died and the verses dealing with Jesus' ascent to God's presence reveals an important fact: Jesus did not die like the other prophets did, nor was he murdered by the unbelievers. Rather, our Lord took him up to His presence. In this chapter, we will examine the Arabic words used to express how the Prophets died and how Jesus was raised up to God's presence, and investigate how the Qur'an uses them.

As we will see in greater detail later on, the Qur'an uses qataloohu (to kill), maata (to die), halaka (to perish), salaboohu (they crucified him), or some other special expressions to describe the death or murder of the Prophets. In the case of Jesus, the Qur'an clearly states that he was not killed in any of those ways, for: "They did not kill him [wa ma qataloohu] and did not crucify him [wa ma salaboohu]." God reveals that people were shown a look-alike and that Jesus was raised up to His presence, as follows:

When God said: "Jesus, I will take you back [mutawaffeeka] and raise you up [wa raafi`uka] to Me and purify you of those who are unbelievers. And I will place the people who follow you above those who are unbelievers until the Day of Rising..." (Surah Al ‘Imran, 3: 55)

The following are the ways in which the words referring to death in the Qur'an and the word tawaffa in Surah Al `Imran are used:

1) Tawaffa: To Cause To Die, To Take in One's Sleep, or To Take Back

The word tawaffa used in Surah Al `Imran 3 and translated as "taking back" here and "causing to die" in some Qur'an translations, has various connotations. Examining the Arabic verses clearly reveals that these connotations of the word should be considered while applying it to Jesus' situation. The Qur'an describes his being taken back to God in the words that Jesus will say on the Day of Judgment:

[Jesus said], "I said to them nothing but what You ordered me to say: 'Worship God, my Lord and your Lord.' I was a witness against them as long as I remained among them, but when You took me back to You [tawaffa], You were the One watching over them. You are the Witness of all things." (Surat al-Ma’ida, 5:117)

In Arabic the word that is translated in some translations of this verse as "You have caused me to die" is tawaffa and comes from the root wafa – to fulfil. Tawaffa does not actually mean "death" but the act of "taking the self back" either in sleep, in death or as in the case of Jesus being taken back into the presence of God. From the Qur'an again, we understand that "taking the self back" does not necessarily mean death. For instance, it can mean "taking back the self while one is asleep," as indicated in the following verse:

It is He Who takes you back to Himself [yatawaffaakum] at night, while knowing the things you perpetrate by day, and then wakes you up again, so that a specified term may be fulfilled. (Surat al-An‘am, 6:60)

The word used for "take back" in this verse is the same as the one used in Surah Al ‘Imran 55. In other words, in the verse above, the word tawaffa is used and it is obvious that one does not die in one's sleep. Therefore, what is meant here is, again, "taking the self back." In the following verse, the same word is used like this:

God takes back people's selves [yatawaffaa] when their death [mawtihaa] arrives and those who have not yet died, while they are asleep [lam tamut]. He keeps hold of those whose death [mawt] has been decreed and sends the others back for a specified term. (Surat Az-Zumar, 39:42)

As this verse clarifies, God takes back the self of the one who is asleep, yet He sends back the selves of those whose deaths have yet not been decreed. In this context, in one's sleep one does not die, in the sense in which we perceive death. Only for a temporary period, the self leaves the body and remains in another dimension. When we wake up, the self returns to the body.4 

Imam al-Qurtubi makes clear that there are three meanings to the term wafat which is from the same root as tawaffa:the wafat of death, the wafat of sleep, and last, the wafat of being raised up to God, as in the case of Jesus.

2) Qatala: To Kill

The Qur'an uses qatala to mean "to kill," as in the following verse:

Pharaoh said: "Let me kill [aqtulu] Moses and let him call upon his Lord! I am afraid that he may change your religion and bring about corruption in the land." (Surah Ghafir, 40:26)

In Arabic, "let me kill Moses" is aqtulu Musa, a phrase that is derived from the verb qatala. In another verse, the same word is used in the following way:

... [That was because they] killed [yaqtuloona] the Prophets without any right to do so. (Surat al-Baqara, 2:61)

The expression yaqtuloona (they killed) is also derived from qatala. The translation is clearly "to kill."

The verses below speak of the deaths of the Prophets, and the usage of the verb qatala is marked. All words in brackets are derivatives of this verb. We will write down what they said and their killing [wa qatlahum] of the Prophets without any right to do so. (Surah Al ‘Imran, 3:181)

Say: "Why, then, if you are believers, did you previously kill [taqtuloona] the Prophets of God?" (Surat al-Baqara, 2:91)

As for those who reject God's Signs, and kill [yaqtuloona] the Prophets without any right to do so, and kill [yaqtuloona] those who command justice... (Surah Al ‘Imran, 3:21)

"Kill [uqtuloo] Joseph or expel him to some land." (Surah Yusuf, 12:9)

..."Moses, the Council is conspiring to kill you [li yaqtulooka]." (Surat al-Qasas, 28:20)

The only answer of his [Abraham's] people was to say: "Kill [uqtuloohu] him or burn him!" (Surat al-‘Ankabut, 29:24)

3) Halaka: To Perish

Another word used to denote the act of killing is halaka. It also is used to mean "to perish, to be destroyed, or to die," as in the verse given below:

... when he [Joseph] died [halaka], you said: "God will never send another Messenger after him."(Surah Ghafir, 40:34)

The phrase idha halaka is translated as "when he died." meaning "to die."

4) Mawt: Death

Another word used to relate a Prophet's death is mawt, a noun derived from the verb maata (to die), as follows:

Then when We decreed that he [Prophet Solomon] should die [mawt], nothing divulged his death [mawtihi] to them except the worm that ate his staff. (Surah Saba’, 34:14)

In the following verse, another form of the verb is used:

Peace be upon him [Prophet John] the day he was born, the day he dies [yamootu], and the day he is raised up again alive. (Surah Maryam, 19:15)

The word yamootu is translated here as "they day he dies," and the same word is used (in the form of a noun) to relate Jacob's death:

Or were you present when death [mawt] came to Jacob? (Surat al-Baqara, 2:133)

In another verse, the verbs qatala (in the passive form qutila) and maata are used together:

Mohammed is only a Messenger, and he has been preceded by other Messengers. If he were to die [maata] or be killed [qutila], would you turn on your heels? (Surah Al ‘Imran, 3:144)

Other forms of the verb are used in other verses to denote the death of Prophets:

She exclaimed: "Oh if only I had died [mittu] before this time and was something discarded and forgotten!" (Surah Maryam, 19:23)

We did not give any human being before you immortality [khuld]. And if you die [mitta], will they then be immortal? (Surat al-Anbiya’, 21: 34)

"He Who will cause my death [yumeetunee], then give me life." (Surat ash-Shu‘ara’, 26: 81)

5) Khalid: Immortal

The word khalid means immortality, permanence, and continued existence, as in the following verse:

We did not give them bodies that did not eat food, nor were they immortal [khalideena]. (Surat al-Anbiya’, 21:8)

6) Salaba: To Crucify

Another word used in the Qur'an to relate death is salaba (to crucify). This verb has various meanings (e.g., to hang, to crucify, to execute) and is used in the following ways:

They did not kill him and they did not crucify him [wa maa salaboohu]. (Surat An-Nisa’, 4:157)

[Joseph said:] "One of you will serve his lord with wine, the other of you will be crucified [yuslabu]." (Surah Yusuf, 12:41)

They should be killed or crucified [yusallaboo]. (Surat al-Ma’ida, 5:33)

[Pharaoh said:] "I will cut off your alternate hands and feet, and then I will crucify [la usallibannakum] every one of you." (Surat al-A‘raf, 7:124)

As the verses show, the words used to express Jesus' situation are altogether different to those used to describe the deaths of the other Prophets. God states that Jesus was neither killed nor crucified, that a look-alike was killed in his place, and that he was taken back (in other words that his soul was taken) and raised up to His presence. When talking of Jesus', the Qur'an uses tawaffa (to take the soul) whereas when talking of the other Prophets, it uses qataloohu or maata (and its derivatives) to mean "death" in the conventional sense. This information shows us yet again that Jesus' situation was extraordinary.

Jesus' Second Coming to Earth

The subject of Prophet Jesus’ (pbuh) second coming is clearly proclaimed in the Qur’an and our Prophet’s (may God bless him and grant him peace) sayings. There are certain statements pertaining to this issue in many verses and hadiths.

Evidence from the Qur'an

"... I will place the people who follow you above those who are unbelievers until the Day of Resurrection..."

The first verse indicating Jesus' return is given below:

When God said: "Jesus, I will take you back and raise you up to Me, and purify you of those who are unbelievers. And I will place the people who follow you above those who are unbelievers until the Day of Resurrection. Then you will all return to Me, and I will judge between you regarding the things about which you differed. (Surah Al ‘Imran, 3:55)

God mentions that a group of Jesus' true followers will dominate the unbelievers until the Day of Resurrection. Jesus did not have many followers during his tenure on Earth and, with his ascension, the religion that he had brought degenerated rapidly. Over the next two centuries, those who believed in Jesus were oppressed because they had no political power. Therefore, we cannot say that the early Christians dominated the unbelievers in the sense indicated by the verse given above.

At present, Christianity is so far removed from its original state that it no longer resembles the religion taught by Jesus. Christians have adopted the mistaken belief that Jesus is God's son (surely God is beyond all that which they falsely ascribe to Him) and incorporated the Trinity (viz., the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) into their religion centuries ago. Given this, we cannot acknowledge today's Christians as being true followers of Jesus. In the Qur'an, God states more than once that those who believe in the Trinity are, in fact, unbelievers:

Those who say that the Messiah, son of Mary, is the third of three are unbelievers. There is no god but the One God. (Surat al-Ma’ida, 5:73)

In this case, "And I will place the people who follow you above those who are unbelievers until the Day of Resurrection" carries a clear message: There has to be a group of Jesus' followers who will exist until the Last Day. Such a group will emerge after his second coming, and those who follow him at that time will dominate the unbelievers until the Last Day.

This aside, the expression, "Then you will all return to Me" at the verse's end is striking. After relating that those who follow Prophet Jesus (pbuh) will be superior to the unbelievers, God states that everyone, including Prophet Jesus (pbuh), will return to Him. Here, the expression is understood to mean their death. This may also be a sign that Prophet Jesus (pbuh) will die at a time close to Doomsday, after his second coming.

"There is not one of the People of the Book who will not believe in him before he dies..."

In the Qur'an, we read that:

There is not one of the People of the Book who will not believe in him before he dies; and on the Day of Resurrection he [Jesus] will be a witness against them. (Surat An-Nisa’, 4:159)

The phrase "there is not one of the People of the Book who will not believe in him before he dies" is very interesting. In Arabic, the sentence reads as follows: Wa-in min ahli al-kitaabi illaa la yu'minanna bihi qabla mawtihi.

Some scholars believe that the "him/it" in this verse refers to the Qur'an instead of Jesus, and so understand it to mean that the People of the Book will believe in the Qur'an before they die. However, it is beyond dispute that the same word in the preceding two verses refers to Jesus:

And [on account of] their saying: "We killed the Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, Messenger of God." They did not kill him and they did not crucify him, but it was made to seem so to them. Those who argue about him are in doubt about it. They have no real knowledge of it, just conjecture. But they certainly did not kill him. (Surat An-Nisa’, 4:157)

God raised him [Jesus] up to Himself. God is Almighty, All-Wise. (Surat An-Nisa’, 4:158)

The word "him," which is used in the verse straight after the above two, refers to Jesus, and there is no evidence to suggest otherwise.

There is not one of the People of the Book who will not believe in him before he dies; and on the Day of Resurrection he [Jesus] will be a witness against them. (Surat An-Nisa’, 4:159)

The expression "and on the Day of Resurrection he will be a witness against them" is important. The Qur'an reveals that on that Day, people's tongues, hands, and feet (Surat An-Nur, 24:24, Surah Ya Sin, 36:65), as well as their eyes, ears, and skin (Surah Fussilat, 41:20-23), will testify against them. No verse indicates that the Qur'an will be the witness during this event. If the first part of the verse is taken to mean "the Qur'an" – even though there is no evidence in the syntax or the succession of verses for this – "him" or "it" in the second part also would refer to the Qur'an. To accept this, however, there should be an explicit verse confirming this view. However, the commentator Ibn Juzayy does not mention the possibility of the Qur'an being the "him" referred to, and Ibn Juzayy transmitted the views of all the major commentators in his work.

When we examine the Qur'an's verses, we see that when the same personal pronoun refers to the Qur'an, there is generally mention of the Qur'an before or after that specific verse as in the cases of 27:77 and 26:192-96. If the Qur'an is not mentioned before, after, or in the verse, saying that the pronoun refers to the Qur'an could be mistaken. The verse clearly speaks of the belief in Jesus and that he will be a witness for those who believe.

Another point we need to make here has to do with the interpretation of "before he dies." Some believe that this stands for the People of the Book "having faith in Jesus before their own death." According to this view, everyone from the People of the Book will definitely believe in Jesus before he or she dies. But at the time of Jesus, most of the Jews (who are members of the People of the Book) not only refused to believe in him, but also plotted his death. Then, believing him to be dead, they continued to deny him. In general, the same circumstances are true for the Jews of our own time, as they do not recognize Jesus as a Prophet. As a result, millions of the People of the Book have lived and died without ever believing in Jesus. Therefore, the verse does not speak of the death of this group, but rather of the death of Jesus. In the end, the reality revealed by the Qur'an is this: "Before Jesus dies, all People of the Book will believe in him."

When the verse is regarded in the light of its true meaning, several clear facts emerge. First, it becomes apparent that the verse refers to the future, because it speaks of Jesus' death. As explained earlier, he never died but was raised to God's presence. Jesus will return to Earth, where he will live and die like all other people. Second, it says that all People of the Book will believe in him. Obviously, this has not yet happened. And so, given the context, "before he dies" refers to Jesus. The People of the Book will see and recognize him, and then become Muslim followers of Jesus, as will be explained shortly. In turn, he will be their witness on the Last Day. (God knows best.)

"He is a Sign of the Hour..."

In Surat az-Zukhruf, we are informed of Jesus' return and some other facts, as follows:

When an example is made of the son of Mary [Jesus], your people laugh uproariously. They retort: "Who is better then, our gods or him?" They only say this to you for argument's sake. They are indeed a disputatious people. He is only a servant on whom We bestowed Our blessing and whom We made an example for the tribe of Israel. If We willed, We could appoint angels in exchange for you to succeed you on Earth. (Surat Az-Zukhruf, 43:57-60)

The next verse states that Jesus is a sign of the Day of Judgment:

He [Jesus] is a Sign of the Hour. Have no doubt about it. But follow me. This is a straight path. (Surat Az-Zukhruf, 43:61)

Ibn Juzayy says that the first meaning of this verse is that Jesus is a sign or precondition of the Last Hour. We can confidently say that this verse indicates his return at the End Times, because he lived six centuries before the Qur'an's revelation. Therefore we cannot consider his first life as a sign of the Day of Judgment. The verse says that Jesus will return toward the end of time or, in other words, during the last period of time before the Day of Judgment. In that context, his return is a sign of the Hour's imminent arrival. (God knows best.)

In Arabic, the expression "He is a Sign of the Hour" is Innahu la `ilmun li as-saa`ati.

Some say that the pronoun hu (he/it) in this expression refers to the Qur'an. However if this pronoun is used to denote the Qur'an, we would expect other words to be present, whether before, after, or in the verse, that speak of the Qur'an. The word hu cannot denote the Qur'an when the subject is altogether different. Furthermore, the preceding verse clearly refers to Jesus with the word hu:

He [Jesus] is only a servant on whom We bestowed Our blessing and whom We made an example for the tribe of Israel. (Surat Az-Zukhruf, 43:59)

Those who say that hu refers to the Qur'an rely on the expression "Have no doubt about it. But follow me," which continues the verse. However, since the preceding verses speak only of Jesus, it is far more realistic to accept that hu refers to him, as in the preceding verses. The great scholars of Islam interpret this pronoun as referring to Jesus, an opinion that they base on other Qur'anic verses and hadiths. In his commentary, Elmalili Muhammad Hamdi Yazir writes that:

No doubt he [Jesus] is a sign of the Hour, one that declares that the Hour will come, that the dead will be resurrected and stand up, because the miracle of Jesus' second coming and his miracle of resurrecting the dead, together with his revelation that the dead will rise, prove that the Day of Judgment is real. According to the hadiths, his arrival is a sign of the Last Day."5 

"He will teach him the Book and Wisdom, and the Torah and the Gospel. "

Other verses indicating Jesus' second coming is the following:

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 [to God]. He will speak to people in the cradle, and also when fully grown, and will be one of the righteous." She asked: "My Lord! How can I have a son when no man has ever touched me?" He said: "It will be so. God creates whatever He wills. When He decides on something, He just says to it: 'Be!' and it is. He will teach him the Book and Wisdom, and the Torah and the Gospel." (Surah Al ‘Imran, 3:45-48)

The last verse reveals that God will teach Jesus the "Book," the Torah, and the Gospel. Obviously, this book in question is very important. The same expression is also used in the verse given below:

Remember when God said: "Jesus, son of Mary, remember My blessing to you and to your mother when I reinforced you with the Purest Spirit so that you could speak to people in the cradle and when you were fully grown; and when I taught you the Book and Wisdom, and the Torah and the Gospel." (Surat al-Ma’ida, 5:110)

When we examine how "Book" is used here, we see that it refers to the Qur'an in both cases. The verses reveal that after the Torah, the Psalms and the Gospel, the Qur'an is the final divine book. Some other verses use "Book" to denote the Qur'an, after mentioning the Torah and the Gospel, such as the following:

God, there is no god but Him, the Living, the Self-Sustaining. He has sent down the Book to you with truth, confirming what was there before it. And He sent down the Torah and the Gospel previously. (Surah Al ‘Imran, 3:2-4)

Other verses also call the Qur'an the "Book":

When a Book comes to them from God, confirming what is with them – even though before that they were praying for victory over the unbelievers – yet when what they recognize comes to them, they reject it. God's curse is on the unbelievers. (Surat al-Baqara, 2:89)

For this We sent a Messenger to you from among you to recite Our Signs to you, to purify you, to teach you the Book and Wisdom, and to teach you things you did not know before. (Surat al-Baqara, 2:151)

In this case, the Qur'an is the third book that Jesus will be taught. But this will be possible only when he returns to Earth, for he lived 600 years before the Qur'an's revelation. As we will see in great detail in the following chapters, the hadiths reveal that Jesus will rule with the Qur'an, not the Gospel, on his second coming. This corresponds with the verse's meaning.

"The likeness of Jesus in God's sight is the same as Adam."

The verse above (Surah Al ‘Imran, 3:59) could also indicate Jesus' return. Muslim scholars who have written Qur'anic commentaries point out that this verse indicates the fact that both Prophets did not have a father, for God created both of them with the command "Be!" However, the verse could also have another meaning: Just as Adam was sent down to Earth from God's presence, Jesus will be sent down to Earth from God's presence during the End Times.

As we have seen, the verses regarding Jesus' return are very clear. As the Qur'an does not use such expressions for any other Prophet, its meaning is fairly obvious.

"... The day I was born, the day I die, and the day I am raised up again alive..."

Surah Maryam also mentions Jesus' death in the following verse:

[Jesus said,] "Peace be upon me the day I was born, the day I die, and the day I am raised up again alive." (Surah Maryam, 19:33)

When this verse is considered in conjunction with Surah Al `Imran 55, an important reality emerges: While Surah Al `Imran states that Jesus was raised up to God's presence and does not mention that he died or was killed, Surah Maryam speaks of the day on which he will die. This second death can only be possible after he returns and lives on Earth for a period of time. (Only God knows for certain.)

"... You could speak to people in the cradle and when you were fully grown…"

Another piece of evidence for Jesus' return is the word kahlaan, used Surat al-Ma'ida 110 and Surah Al `Imran 46. These verses say:

Remember when God said: "Jesus, son of Mary, remember My blessing to you and to your mother when I reinforced you with the Purest Spirit so that you could speak to people in the cradle and when you were fully grown [kahlaan]…" (Surat al-Ma’ida, 5:110)

He will speak to people in the cradle, and also when fully grown [kahlaan], and will be one of the righteous. (Surah Al ‘Imran, 3:46)

Kahlaan, which is used only in these two verses, only in reference to Jesus, and to express Jesus' adulthood means "someone between the age of 30 and 50, someone who is no longer young, someone who has reached the perfect age." Islamic scholars agree that it denotes the age of 35 or above. They base their views on a hadith reported by Ibn ‘Abbas that Jesus was raised up to God's presence in his early 30s, and that he will live for 40 years when he comes again. Therefore, they suggest that this verse is evidence for Jesus' return, since his old age will occur following his second coming.6 (Only God knows for certain.)

Close study of the relevant verses easily shows how right Islamic scholars are on this question. For example, this expression is used only with regard to Jesus. Although all of the Prophets spoke with their people, invited them to religion, and communicated their message at a mature age, the Qur'an does not use such expressions when talking about them. Rather, they are used only to voice a miraculous situation, because the expressions "in the cradle" and "when fully grown," when used one after the other, refer to two miraculous events.

In The Commentary of at-Tabari, Imam at-Tabari gives the following explanation of these verses:

These statements [Surat al-Ma'ida 110] indicate that in order to complete his lifespan and speak to people when fully grown, Jesus will come down from heaven. That is because he was raised to heaven when still young. In this verse [Surah Al ‘Imran 46], there is evidence that Jesus is living, and the Ahl al-Sunnah share that view. That is because in this verse it is stated that he will speak to people when fully grown. He will be able to grow fully only when he returns to Earth from heaven.7

The meanings of kahlaan, as well as the other information provided by the Qur'an, indicate Jesus' second coming in the End Times and that he will guide people to the true religion of Islam (only God knows for certain). No doubt, this is good news and a grace and gift of God for those who believe. The believers are responsible for supporting and defending him in the most appropriate way, and for living wholeheartedly the Qur'anic morality to which he calls them.

Evidence from the Hadith

The Prophet Mohammed (may God bless him and grant him peace) has revealed many important matters about Jesus' return, as well as some of the things that will happen before and after this event, in his hadiths. All of this information is from the "Unseen," and was given to him by God, as related in the following verse:

He [God] is the Knower of the Unseen, and does not divulge His Unseen to anyone – except a Messenger with whom He is well pleased, and then He posts sentinels before him and behind him. (Surat al-Jinn , 72:26-27)

Our Lord also reveals that He sent knowledge to Prophet Mohammed (may God bless him and grant him peace) in his dreams:

God has confirmed His Messenger's vision with truth: "You will enter the Sacred Mosque [Masjid al-Haram] in safety, God willing, shaving your heads and cutting your hair without any fear." He knew what you did not know and ordained, in place of this, an imminent victory. (Surat al-Fath , 48:27)

God gives such knowledge to our Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) in order to help and support both him as well as all of the faithful believers who were with him.

Some of this revealed information deals with the signs of the End Times. The most significant of these revelations concerns Jesus' second coming. The hadiths about the End Times can be found in sahih (accredited) hadith collections such as Imam Nawawi's Riyadh as-Salihin, Imam Malik's Al-Muwatta', Ibn Khuzayma's Sahih, Ibn Hibban's Sahih, Ibn Ahmad Hanbal's Musnad, and Abu Dawud al-Tayalisi's Musnad. From these sources, we learn that the Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) made many important revelations about Jesus, all of which are considered tawatur (reliable).

The Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) reveals in his hadiths that religious morality will dominate the world; that peace, justice, and prosperity will prevail; and that this will be achieved by Jesus, who will unite the Christian and Islamic worlds. At present, many societies are under the influence of anti-religious philosophies, and the resulting models are obvious. Such problems as immorality, drugs, terrorism, and famine demand that Christians and Muslims join together to fight these problems on an intellectual level. The world's current social structure makes an alliance between Islam and Christianity inevitable. Considering Christianity's influence over the West and its leaders, the influence that an alliance between Islam and Christianity would have is clear enough for all to see.

 The Hadiths on Jesus Are "Tawatur"

The hadiths relating Jesus' second coming are reliable [tawatur]. Research shows that scholars share this view. Tawatur is defined as "a tradition which has been handed down by a number of different channels of transmitters or authorities, hence supposedly ruling out the possibility of its having been forged."8

Sayyid Sharif al-Jurjani, an Islamic scholar, explains the concept of tawatur hadith as follows:

News of mutawatir, are the news upon which so many transmitters agree; to such an extent that, according to the tradition, it is unlikely for so many transmitters to reach to a consensus on a lie. This being the situation, if statements and meanings agree with one another, then this is called mutawatir lafzi [verbal mutawatir]. If there is common meaning yet contradiction between statements [words], then it is called mutewatir-i manawi [mutawatir by meaning].9 

In his Al-Tasrih fi ma Tawatara fi Nuzul al-Masih, the great hadith scholar Muhammad Anwar Shah Kashmiri writes that the hadiths about Jesus' second coming are all reliable, and quotes 75 hadiths and 25 works by companions of the Prophet and their disciples (tabi'un).

In the Sunni school of Islam, Imam Abu Hanifa is the greatest collector of hadiths on Jesus' second coming. In the final part of his Al-Fiqh al-Akbar, he states that:

The emergence of the Dajjal and of Gog and Magog is a reality; the rising of the sun in the West is a reality; the descent of Jesus, upon whom be peace, from the heavens is a reality; and all the other signs of the Day of Resurrection, as contained in authentic traditions, are also established realities.10 

Jesus' second coming is one of the ten great signs of the Last Day, and many Islamic scholars have dealt with the subject in great detail. When all of these views are considered together, it becomes apparent that there is a consensus on this event.

For instance, in his work Lawaqi Al-Anwar Al-Bahiyah, Imam al-Safariniexpresses that Islamic scholars agree upon this issue:

The entire ummah (Muslim community) has agreed on the issue that Prophet Jesus (pbuh), the son of Maryam, will return. There is no one from the people who follow Muslim laws who oppose this issue.11

In his commentary Ruh al-Ma`ani, the great Islamic scholar Sayyid Mahmud Alusi gives examples from the views of other Islamic scholars and explains that the Islamic community has reached to a consensus regarding Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) second coming12, that information regarding this issue is well-known to the extent of being mutawatirby meaning, and that it is essential to believe in Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) return to Earth.

Imam Kawthari also stated his views regarding Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) coming as follows:

The tawatur in the hadiths regarding Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) second coming is mutawatir-i manawi. Aside from the fact that each one of the sahih and hasan hadiths may indicate different meanings, they all agree upon Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) second coming. This is actually a fact which is impossible to deny for a person who is well acquainted with the knowledge of hadith... The hadiths related to the appearance of Mahdi and Dajjal and Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) second coming are tawatur; it is certainly not an issue that is considered doubtful by experts on the hadith literature. The reason why some who deal with Ilm al-Kalam (science of theology) agree that it is essential to have faith in the hadiths related to the signs of Doomsday yet have doubts about whether some of these hadiths are mutawatir or not, is their inadequate knowledge about hadiths.13

The great Islamic scholar Ibn Kathir states his views after commenting on the related verses and explaining the related hadiths:

These are narrated from the Messenger of God (saas) as mutawatir and in these hadiths, there are explanations regarding how and where Prophet Jesus (pbuh) will appear...The authentic and mutawatir hadiths about Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) return to Earth in his noble body is immune to any opposing interpretations. Consequently, everyone with the smallest speck of faith and fairness has to believe in Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) second coming; only those who oppose to God's Book, His Messenger and Ahl al-Sunnah may deny Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) second coming to Earth.14

Another explanation about the hadiths' reaching the level of tawatur is as folows:

Muhammad al-Shawkani said that he had collected 29 hadiths and, when he had recorded them all, he said: "Our hadiths have reached the level of tawatur (reliable), as you can see. With this, we reach the conclusion that the hadiths on the anticipated Mahdi, the Dajjal, and Jesus' second coming are mutawatir (genuine)."15

At-Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, al-Bazzaz, Ibn Majah, al-Hakim, al-Tabarani, and al-Musuli recorded many hadiths narrated by the Companions, such as `Ali, Ibn `Abbas, Ibn `Umar, Talha, Abu Hurayra, Anas, Abu Sa`id al-Khudri, Umm Habiba, Umm Salama, `Ali al-Hilali, and `Abd Allah ibn al-Harith ibn Jaz, upon whose narrations they based their collection on.16 For instance, Ibn Hajr Al-Haythami in the book Al-Sawa'iq Al-Muhriqa, al-Shablanji in his book Nur al-Absar, Ibn Sabbagh in his book Al-Fusul Al-Muhimma, Muhammad ibn ‘Ali al-Sabban in his book Is`af ar-Raghibin fi Sirat al-Mustafa wa Fada'il Ahl Baytihi at-Tahirin, and Muhammad Amin Suwaidi in his book Saba'ik az-Zahab, wrote that the hadiths about Jesus' second coming are reliable.17

These hadiths are recorded by the Ahl as-Sunnah scholars and hadith experts in their own works. For instance, Abu Dawud, Ibn Ahmad Hanbal, at-Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah, al-Hakim, an-Nasa'i, al-Tabarani, al-Rawajini, Abu Nu`aym al-Isfahani, ad-Daylami, al-Baihaqi, as-Salabi, Hamawaini, Manawi, Ibn al-Jawzi, Muhammad ibn `Ali al-Sabban, al-Mawardi, al-Khanji al-Shafi, as-Samani, al-Khwarizmi, ash-Sharani, ad-Daraqutni, Ibn Sabbagh al-Maliki, Muhibbuddin at-Tabari, Ibn Hajr al-Haythami, Shaikh Mansur `Ali Nasif, Muhammad ibn Talha, Jalaluddin as-Suyuti, al-Qurtubi, al-Baghawi and many more deal with the subject in their books.

`Abd al-Fattah Abu Ghudda reveals that the hadiths about Jesus returning to Earth and killing the Dajjal have reached the degree of being mutawatir.18 In his Nazm al-Mutanathir min al-Hadith al-Mutawatir19, al-Kattani stated that "the descent of Jesus is established by the Sunnah, and Ijma al-Ummah (concensus of the Islamic community), and the hadiths on this issue and Dajjal and the Mahdi are mutawatir. In his commentary Al Bahru Al-Muhit, Ibn Atiyya al Garnati states that the Islamic community has the common belief that Prophet Jesus (pbuh) is alive, that he will come back at the End Times and that the hadiths about this issue are mutawatir.

Such books show the great number of hadiths that exist on this subject. Furthermore, the hadiths that reveal Jesus' second coming in the End Times as a sign of the Last Day are found in the main hadith source books, such as those by al-Bukhari and Muslim. Some of these are as follows:

By Him Whose Hand is my life, the son of Mary (Jesus) will certainly invoke the name of God for Hajj or for Umrah, or for both, in the valley of Rawha. (Sahih Muslim)

"It [the Day of Judgment] will not come until you see ten signs," and [in this connection] he mentioned the smoke, the Dajjal, the Beast, the rising of the Sun from the west, the descent of Jesus son of Mary… (Sahih Muslim)           

By Him in Whose Hands my soul is, son of Mary [Jesus] will shortly descend amongst you people as a just ruler. (Sahih al-Bukhari)

Jesus son of Mary would then descend and their [Muslims'] commander will invite him to come and lead them in prayer, but he would say: No, some amongst you are commanders over some [amongst you]. This is the honor from God for this Ummah [nation]. (Sahih Muslim)

How will you be when the some of Mary (i.e. Jesus) descends amongst you and he will judge people by the Law of the Qur'an? (Sahih al-Bukhari)

Islamic Scholars Consider Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) Coming as a Matter of Aqidah (Faith)

In almost all works that dwell on the essence of faith of the followers of Sunnah, there is reference to Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) coming to Earth before the Last Day, his struggle against Dajjal and his killing him, and the pervasion of the morality of true religion over the Earth. Assessing the evidence from the Qur'an and the news provided by hadiths altogether, Islamic scholars have adopted faith in Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) return as an important tenet of faith. The related explanations are as follows:

1. In verse 157 of the Surat an-Nisa', God commands, "...They did not kill him and they did not crucify him but it was made to seem so to them...."This verse, together with many others, reveal that Prophet Jesus (pbuh) is alive in God's sight and indicates that he will come to Earth for a second time. Reaching to consensus on this issue, Islamic scholars state that advocating a contrary suggestion is by no means possible. For instance in his commentary of this verse, Ibn Hazm stresses that someone who says Prophet Jesus (pbuh) is murdered would revert back from Islam or become a disbeliever.

2. The fact that the hadiths pertaining to Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) second coming are mutawatir, that is, so clear as to be immune to any doubts, is a great evidence for Muslims. Furthermore, there exists not a single different hadith that maintains otherwise – that is, any hadith that suggests that Prophet Jesus (pbuh) will not return.

3. Another evidence used by Islamic scholars is the hadith narrated by Jabir Ibn Abdullah which says, "Anyone who denies Mahdi's coming has denied what was revealed to Prophet Mohammed (may God bless him and grant him peace). Anyone who rejects Prophet Jesus' (pbuh), son of Maryam, coming has become a disbeliever. Anyone who does not accept Dajjal's appearance has also become a disbeliever."

There is reference to this hadith in very important Islamic resources such as, Fasl al-Khitab by Khwaja Parsa Bukhari, Maani al-Akhbar by Muhammed ibn Ibrahim Kalabadhi, Al-Rawd Al-Unuf by Suhayl, Arf-ul-wardi-fi Akhbar Mahdi by Jalaluddin Suyuti. This aside, Sheikh Abu Bakr has explained the chain of people who narrated this hadith. It is as follows (from the last person to the first): Muhammad Ibn Hasan, Abu Abdullah al-Hussein Ibn Muhammad, Isma'il Ibn Abi Uways, Malik Ibn Abas, Muhammad Ibn Munkadir, Jabir Ibn Abdullah.20

4. The abundance of narrators who reported the hadiths related to Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) coming and their trustworthiness is another issue to which Islamic scholars draw attention. Some of the narrators who reported these hadiths are: Abu'l Asas as-Sanani, Abu Rafi, Abul Aliyya, Abu Umama al-Bahili, Abu'd Darda', Abu Hurayra, Abu Malik al-Hudri, Jabir Ibn Abdullah, Hudhayfa Ibn Adis, Safina, Abu Qatada, Uthman Ibnul ‘Aas, Nafi' Ibn Kaysani, Al Walid Ibn Muslim, Ammar Ibn Yathir, Abdullah Ibni Abbas...

As a result of all this information, Islamic scholars have considered faith in Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) return to Earth and the pervasion of the morality of the true religion as an important essence of faith.

Portents of Jesus’ (pbuh) Second Coming

Many portents revealed in the Qur'an and the Prophetic hadiths, as well as various statements made by Islamic scholars, indicate that Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) return is drawing nigh. In addition, the Bible contains information about the period before Doomsday and Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) second coming. All of the events related in these sources indicate this blessed event's nearness.

Signs of the Last Day

What are they awaiting but for the Hour to come upon them suddenly? Its Signs have already come. What good will their Reminder be to them when it does arrive? (Surah Muhammad, 47:18)

As the above verse indicates, God has revealed some of Doomsday's signs in the Qur'an. In Surat az-Zukhruf 43:61, God informs us that "He [Jesus] is a Sign of the Hour. Have no doubt about it…" In a hadith, our Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) said:

Doomsday will not take place until Jesus son of Mary (pbuh) comes as a fair ruler and a just imam. (Sunan Ibn Majah)

As both the Qur'an and the hadiths relate that Jesus' (pbuh) second coming is a sign of Doomsday's approach, other portents need to be regarded as signs indicating that his second coming is drawing nigh.

Therefore, the following pages will analyze these portents, as mentioned in the Qur'an and the prophetic hadiths, as signs of his second coming. As we examine these portents, we will see that many of them have taken place consecutively.

Mutually Supported Messengers

When we look at what the Qur'an says about previous prophets, we see that God supported many of them with other prophets, or at least with His servants possessed of knowledge.

Prophet Moses (pbuh) sought help from God, Who replied to him:

He [God] said: "We will reinforce you with your brother [Harun] and by Our Signs. We will give you both authority, so that they will not be able to lay a hand on you. You and those who follow you will be the victors." (Surat al-Qasas, 28:35)

When we look at his life, we see that God also supported Prophet Moses (pbuh) with other servants. For example:

Remember when Moses said to his young servant: "I will not give up until I reach the meeting-place of the two seas, even if I must press on for many years." (Surat al-Kahf, 18:60)

They found a servant of Ours to whom We had granted mercy from Us, and to whom We had also given knowledge direct from Us. Moses said to him: "May I follow you on the condition that you teach me some of the right guidance you have been taught?" (Surat al-Kahf, 18:65-66)

God also supported Prophet Abraham (pbuh) with Prophet Lot (pbuh), who came to believe in Prophet Abraham's (pbuh) message:

He [Abraham] said: "You have adopted idols apart from God as tokens of mutual affection in this world. But on the Day of Rising, you will reject one another and curse one another. The Fire will be your shelter. You will have no helpers." And Lot believed in him. He said: "I am leaving this place to follow the pleasure of my Lord. He is the Almighty, the All Wise." (Surat al-`Ankabut, 29:25-26)

We can see another example in Prophet Mohammed's (may God bless him and grant him peace) life:

If you do not help him [it does not matter, for] God helped him when the unbelievers drove him out and there were two of them in the cave. He said to his companion: "Do not be despondent. God is with us." Then God sent down His serenity upon him and reinforced him with troops whom you could not see. He made the word of unbelief the lowest … (Surat at-Tawba, 9:40)

God also supported Prophet David (pbuh) with a servant. The Qur'an tells us about Prophet David (pbuh) and Saul, who was sent as a king, in the following verses:

Their Prophet said to them [the Children of Israel]: "God has appointed Saul to be your king." They said: "How can he have kingship over us when we have much more right to kingship than he does? He does not even have much wealth!" He said: "God has chosen him over you and favored him greatly in knowledge and physical strength. God gives kingship to anyone He wills. God is All-Encompassing, All-Knowing." (Surat al-Baqara, 2:247)

When Saul marched out with the army, he said: "God will test you with a river. Anyone who drinks from it is not with me. But anyone who does not taste it is with me – except for him who merely scoops up a little in his hand." But they drank from it – except for a few of them. Then when he and those who believed with him had crossed it, they said: "We do not have the strength to face Goliath and his troops today." But those who were sure that they were going to meet God said: "How many a small force has triumphed over a much greater one by God's permission! God is with the steadfast." When they came out against Goliath and his troops, they said:

"Our Lord, pour down steadfastness upon us, make our feet firm, and help us against this unbelieving people." And with God's permission, they routed them. David killed Goliath, and God gave him kingship and wisdom and taught him whatever He willed… (Surat al-Baqara, 2:249-51)

In other verses, our Lord relates that He gave knowledge to Prophet David (pbuh) and Prophet Solomon (pbuh), and that Prophet Solomon (pbuh) became Prophet David's (pbuh) heir:

We gave knowledge to David and Solomon, who said: "Praise be to God, Who has favored us over many of His servants who are believers." Solomon was David's heir. He said: "O humanity, we have been taught the speech of birds and we have been given everything. This is indeed clear favor." (Surat an-Naml, 27:15-16)

As we have seen thus far, God has, from time to time, supported His Messengers with others. Our Lord will also support Prophet Jesus (pbuh) with a holy individual. According to the prophetic hadiths, this person will be the Mahdi.

The word "Mahdi" means "he who leads to the truth." Our Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) states that God will send a servant to do away with the chaos that will emerge during the End Times and to lead people to salvation. The prophetic hadiths tell us when and where he will appear, what he will do, and that he will act together with Prophet Jesus (pbuh).

There are a number of prophetic hadiths about this, some of which read as follows:

"What will you do when the son of Mary (pbuh) descends among you and leads as one amongst you?" (Sahih Muslim)

 A section of my people will not cease fighting for the truth and will prevail until the Day of Resurrection. He said: "Jesus son of Mary will then descend and their [the Muslims'] commander will invite him to come and lead them in prayer. But he will say: 'No, some among you are commanders over some [among you.]'" (Sahih Muslim)

Some Muslim scholars have written detailed expositions saying, in effect, that the Mahdi and Prophet Jesus (pbuh) will act together. Some of these read as follows:

Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Rasul Barzanji:

The existence of the Mahdi and his appearance during the End Times, and his being of the family of our Prophet and of the sons of Fatima, has been stated in hadiths that have the status of mutawatir, and it is meaningless to reject these hadiths… (Al-Isha‘ah li Ashrat al-Sa‘ah, p. 192)

This is the truth: Jesus will not take dominion from the Mahdi, because the leaders are from the Quraysh. Since these two will be among men, Jesus will be his governor [vizier], not his leader [amir]. This is why he will pray behind the Mahdi and join with him. (Al-Isha‘ah li Ashrat al-Sa‘ah, p. 185)

Imam Rabbani:

In another hadith, our Prophet spoke thus: "The Companions of the Cave will be the helpmates of Jesus." Jesus will descend to Earth at the time of the Mahdi. The Mahdi will join with Jesus to destroy the Antichrist (Dajjal). During the time of his rule, the Sun will be eclipsed on the fourteenth day of Ramadan, and during the first part of that day, the Moon will grow dark. These occurrences will be contrary to custom and the astrologers' calculations." (Maktubat [Letters of Rabbani], vol. 2, p. 380;Maktubat [Letters of Rabbani], pp. 1162-63)

"A thousand years later, the coming of the Mahdi is for this. Our Prophet gave the glad tidings of his holy coming. Jesus will appear after a thousand years have passed." (Maktubat [Letters of Rabbani], vol. 1, p. 209; Maktubat [Letters of Rabbani], p. 440)

The Mahdi will appear shortly before Prophet Jesus (pbuh) and wage an intellectual struggle within the Islamic world. He will bring those Muslims who have strayed from Islam's essence back to true faith and moral values. According to the Hadith literature, Prophet Jesus (pbuh) will primarily address the Christians and the Jews, free them from their superstitions, and call them to live by the Qur'an. As Christians abide by Prophet Jesus (pbuh), the Muslim and Christian worlds will come together in a single faith. As a result, the world will enjoy a period of peace, security, happiness, and well-being known as the "Golden Age."

Ibn Hajar al-Haythami also states that the Mahdi will appear shortly before Prophet Jesus (pbuh):

The Mahdi will be the middle of this community, and Prophet Jesus (pbuh) the end. The reference to the middle means that the Mahdi will come shortly before Prophet Jesus (pbuh). Prophet Jesus (pbuh) is described as the end because he will come immediately after. (Ibn Hajar Haythami, Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar fi `Alamat al-Mahdi al-Muntazar, p. 24)

Therefore, all of these demonstrate that the portents regarding the Mahdi's coming also indicate the second coming of Prophet Jesus' (pbuh). In the following sections, we will examine how the Mahdi's appearance portends the good news of Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) second coming.

Those Who Oppose The Messengers

In the Qur'an, God revealed the following: "In this way, We have assigned to every Prophet an enemy from among the evildoers …" (Surat al-Furqan, 25:31).

Thus, given that God's Messengers have always been opposed, Prophet Jesus (pbuh) also will face enemies when he comes again. At the head of those enemies, of course, will be the one who leads the deniers and "plots evil actions" (Surat an-Nah, 16:45).

The prophetic hadiths describe that individual as the Dajjal (Antichrist), a word that in Arabic means "liar; fraud; one who confuses hearts and minds, good with evil, divine religion with superstition; who conceals the true face of things; and a trouble-maker and accursed person who wanders everywhere." The Dajjal, the name given to a great negative power, will appear in the End Times. The hadiths usually portray the Dajjal as a person; however, it may also refer to an ideology that tends toward violence and oppression and that has devilish characteristics.

In the end times, when extraordinary events will take place, the Dajjal – one of the fiercest deniers of all time – will be the enemy of God's Messenger and will seek to install a satanic system. In fact, our Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) has described the enormity of the tribulation caused by the Dajjal in these terms:

"Since the birth of Adam (pbuh) until the advent of the Last Hour, there is no fitna [tribulation] much greater than that of the Dajjal." (Sahih Muslim)

Other prophetic hadiths refer to the Dajjal as one of the major portents of Doomsday:

"It [Doomsday] will not come until you see ten signs before," and [in this connection] he mentioned the smoke, the Dajjal, the Beast [Dabbat al-Ard], the Sun's rising in the west, the descent of Jesus son of Mary… (Sahih Muslim)

Great Muslim scholars have reported as a certain fact that the Dajjal will come to Earth before Doomsday. Abu Hanifa, for instance, states:

The appearance of the Dajjal, Gog and Magog, the Sun rising in the west, the descent of Prophet Jesus (pbuh) from the sky, and other portents of Doomsday are true and inevitable as sahih [authentic] news. (Abu Hanifa, Al-Fiqh Al-Akbar)

God will use Prophet Jesus (pbuh) to defeat the Dajjal, who will appear at the same time as the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) and the Mahdi. As our Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) has informed us, Prophet Jesus (pbuh) will kill the Dajjal and thereby usher in a holy period during which Islam's moral values will hold sway over the Earth. One hadith regarding the slaying of the Dajjal says:

When the Dajjal faces him [Jesus], he [the Dajjal] will begin to dissolve like salt in water. He [Jesus] will say to him:"I have to deal you a blow;you cannot escape." So Jesus will kill him with his spear at the gate of Ludd, and he will die there. (Sunan Ibn Majah)

In his works, the great Muslim scholar Bediuzzaman Said Nursi devotes considerable space to the End Times and Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) return. He stresses the fact that when Prophet Jesus (pbuh) returns, he will wage a great struggle with the Dajjal, the representative of atheism, and defeat him. Some of Bediuzzaman's statements on this subject read:

Moreover, in the world of humanity, with the intention of denying the Godhead, the secret society of the Antichrist (Dajjal) will overturn civilization and subvert all of mankind's sacred matters. A zealous and self-sacrificing community, known as a Christian community but worthy of being called "Muslim Christians," will work to unite the true religion of Jesus (pbuh) with the reality of Islam, and will kill and rout that society of the Antichrist, thus saving humanity from atheism. (Bediuzzaman, Risale-i Nur Collection, The Letters, 29th Letter)

… "He will be so powerful and long-lived that only Jesus (pbuh) will be able to kill him (the Antichrist); nothing else will be able to." That is, it will only be a revealed, elevated, pure religion that will be able to overturn his way and rapacious regime, and eliminate them. Such a religion will emerge among the true followers of Jesus (pbuh), and it will follow the Qur'an and become united with it. On the coming of Jesus (pbuh) and the emergence of the true Christian religion, the Antichrist's irreligious way will be wiped out and will cease. The Antichrist's person could otherwise be killed by a mere germ or by influenza. (Bediuzzaman, Risale-i Nur Collection, The Rays, Fifth ray, Fifth point)

What Bediuzzaman calls the "true Christian religion" is none other than Islam. This becomes more apparent when his other explanations are considered. Indeed, the hadiths also inform us that Prophet Jesus (pbuh) will rule with the Qur'an, eliminate the superstitious beliefs of Christianity, and gather humanity under a single religion: the morality of Islam.

As can be seen from all of these statements, Prophet Jesus (pbuh) and the Dajjal will be on the Earth at the same time. For that reason, just as with the portents of Doomsday and the Mahdi's coming, the portents regarding the Dajjal also foretell Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) second coming. In the following sections, we shall study the portents of the Dajjal in some detail, as they also indicate that Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) return is close at hand.

Statements in the Torah and the Bible

So far, we have only looked at the Islamic sources, which contain a great deal of information about the End Times. No matter how corrupted their texts may be, however, the Torah and the Bible still contain some good news about Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) return. Even if we cannot be completely sure of their accuracy, it is useful to bear in mind those that are compatible with the Qur'an and the prophetic hadiths, for there is a strong likelihood that all such statements that are compatible with those in the Islamic sources have kept their original form.

The name of Prophet Jesus (pbuh) does not appear in the Old Testament, although we are told that a savior, a Messiah, will come from the line of Prophet David (pbuh). The Jews refused to accept that Prophet Jesus (pbuh) was sent to the Children of Israel, and so rejected him. Thus, they are still waiting for their "Messiah-savior" to come. Moreover, the Old Testament also contains some references to the End Times.

The New Testament, on the other hand, contains a great many statements on these subjects, especially of the second coming of Prophet Jesus (pbuh) and its signs. These statements describe the natural events that will mark the times before and after his second coming. Most of the portents are set out in some detail in the prophetic hadiths as coming about in our day in a more striking manner than in any earlier time. It is important to realize that not just one or two of the signs are appearing in our day, but that just about all of them, one after the other, are doing so. Thus we can say, based particularly on

Islamic sources but also on the Old Testament and the New Testament, that we are living in the End Times.

The following sections contain extracts from the Old and New Testaments, both of which refer to the End Times and point to Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) second coming.

Signs of Jesus’ (pbuh) Second Coming

No doubt, Prophet Jesus (pbuh) will come to Earth. Close to his advent, some signs and fitna will appear." (Al-Uqayli, An-Najmu's-saqib fi Bayan Anna'l Mahdi min Awladi Ali b. Abu Talib Ale't-Tamam ve'l Qamal, p. 151)

As the hadith above reveals, our Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) tells us that some signs will appear before Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) second coming. In the light of this information, we will dwell on the signs of this event. As we stated earlier, signs of the Last Day, which herald the Mahdi's appearance and reveal the approach of the Dajjal's fitna, also herald the return of Jesus (pbuh). The Qur'an, the Hadith literature, and the Qur'anic commentaries of Islamic scholars are the main resources on these subjects. These aside, those Biblical explanations that agree with the Islamic sources about Jesus' (pbuh) second coming also provide us with important information.

Despite all of this information, however, some people may raise doubts about whether these signs refer to our day. To deal with this concern, the signs that we will refer in the following pages are so obvious and clear that they leave no room for any doubt. More importantly, in our day all of these signs have appeared – and continue to appear – one after the other. Throughout the history of Islam, some of these signs might have happened to some extent in one particular part of the world or another. Such a situation, however, does not indicate the nearness of the appearance of Jesus (pbuh) and Mahdi. For a certain period to be called the End Times, all of the signs that we will examine in detail must occur in the same period. Some hadiths on the subject are as follows:

Signs following one another like bits of a necklace, falling one after the other when its string is cut. (Tirmidhi)

When the community engages in these, signs follow one another. These signs chase one another, just as fish break out of their net and escape, chasing one another. (Mukhtasar Tazkirah al-Qurtubi, p. 478)

These hadiths clearly state that the signs of the Last Days will appear consecutively within the same period of time. Some of the events discussed in the following pages may well be regarded as ordinary events, and some people may claim that the conditions prevailing in our day naturally entail the occurrence of these signs. Indeed, some of these signs may happen naturally. However, the fact that all these events are described 1400 years ago thoroughly in a way depicting exactly today's social order, and that they take place in the same period, one following the other, is an extremely important matter. This is clear evidence that our Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) drew attention to this period while describing the End Time events.

Examining the Biblical statements and Islamic literature in the light of the information provided above reveals an astounding fact: The signs referring to the End Times have begun to appear, one after another, in the present time, exactly as they are described in these resources. News about the Last Day portrays an exact picture of our day. No doubt, this is a miraculous occurrence upon which we must reflect.

The Signs from the Islamic Resources

1. The Splitting of the Moon

Let's look at "Surat al-Qamar." In English, qamar means moon. In several instances, this surah relates that the people of Noah, `Ad, Thamud, Lut, and Pharaoh were destroyed because they ignored the Prophets sent to them. At the same time, its first verse contains a very important message about the Last Day.

The Hour has drawn near, and the moon has split. (Surat al-Qamar, 54:1)

The original Arabic word translated into English as "split" is shaqqa, which has various meanings. In some Qur'anic commentaries, the meaning "split" is preferred. However, shaqqa also can mean "plowing" or "digging" the ground.

The first meaning is used in the following verse:

We pour down plentiful water, then split the ground into furrows. Then We make grain grow in it, and grapes and herbs and olives and dates. (Surah `Abasa, 80:25-29)

Clearly, the meaning of shaqqa here is not to "split," but to "plow" the ground in order to grow various plants.

Here we see one of the great wonders of the Qur'an. The experiments carried out on the Moon's surface on July 20, 1969, may be hinting at the fulfillment of this verse. On that date, American astronauts set foot on the Moon and, digging up some lunar soil, they carried out scientific experiments and collected stone and soil samples. It is surely very interesting that these developments are in complete agreement with this verse.

Exploring the Moon is identified with the slogan: "One small step for man; one giant leap for mankind." This historic moment in space research was documented by cameras, and everyone from that time to this has witnessed it. As Surat al-Qamar 54:1 states, this great event may be a sign of the Last Day, which would mean that we are living during the End Times. (God surely knows best.)

Another very important sign is that the numeration (abjad) of a certain part of Surat al-Qamar 54:1 by alphabetical Arabic letters is 1969, the year when American astronauts set foot on the moon. (For detailed information on this numeration technique, refer to the section "The Time of Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) Second Coming.")

... The Hour has drawn near, and the moon has split. (Surat ar-Rahman, 54:1)

Hijri (Islamic): 1390, Gregorian (Christian): 1969

We also need to mention that "the splitting of the moon" is one of the miracles that God granted to our Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace). One hadith relates this miracle, as follows:

... This hadith has been transmitted on the authority of Abdullah b. Mas`ud [who said]: We were along with God's Messenger (may peace be upon him) at Mina, when the moon was split in two. One of its parts was behind the mountain, and the other one was on this side of the mountain. (Sahih Muslim)

This is the miracle heralded in the verse. However, as the Qur'an is applicable to all times, we can assume that this verse also draws our attention to the exploration of the Moon. (God knows best.)

2. The Iran-Iraq War

The following hadith reveals an important war that will take place in the End Times:

There will be tumult in Shawwal [the tenth Islamic month], talks of war in Dhu al-Qa'dah [the eleventh Islamic month], and the outbreak of war in Dhu al-Hijja [the twelfh month]. (Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Rasul Barzanji, Al-Isha'ah li-Ashrat as-Sa'ah, p. 166)

These three months coincide with the months during which the Iran-Iraq war developed.

Tumult in Shawwal …

The first uprising against the Shah took place on 5 Shawwal 1398 (8 September 1976), as indicated by the hadith.

Talks 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 nation/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. God will deprive both armies of a victory ... (Muhammad ibn `Abd al-Rasul Barzanji, Al-Isha`ah li Ashrat as-Sa`ah, p. 179)

Above you see some of the news about Iran-Iraq war.

- Those coming from the Farsi direction: those coming from the Iranian side

- Farsi: Iran, Iranian

- Coming down to the plain: Coming down to the Iranian plain

- Mutekh: Name of a mountain in the region

- 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 (Iranian) plain and wage war.

God will deprive both armies of a victory...

Further, as noted by the hadith, the Iran-Iraq war lasted for 8 years and, despite the many thousands of casualties, neither side could claim victory or a decisive superiority.

3. A Great Battle between the Tigris and the Euphrates

There will be a city called Zawra [Baghdad] between the Tigris and the Euphrates. There will be a great battle there. Women will be taken prisoner, and men will have their throats cut like sheep. (Muntakhab Kanz al-`Ummal, vol. 5, p. 38)

Quite likely, this hadith calls attention to the Iran-Iraq war. As mentioned above, there were many great clashes between these two Muslim countries. Heavy bombardments reduced villages, towns, and cities to rubble. Women, elderly people, and children lost their lives. The mass graves uncovered after the war revealed that the casualties were far higher than anticipated.

4.The Occupation of Afghanistan

Pity poor Taliqan [a region in Afghanistan]. At that place are treasures of God, but these are not of gold and silver. (Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi `Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir az-l-Zaman, p.59)

There is an indication that Afghanistan will be occupied during the Last Days. The Russian invasion of Afghanistan took place in 1979 (1400, according to the Islamic calendar).

… at that place are treasures of God, but these are not of gold and silver …

In addition, this hadith draws attention to Afghanistan's material riches. Today, large oil deposits, iron basins, and coal mines that have not been commercially exploited yet have been detected there.

5. Stopping the Flow of the Euphrates

Stopping and interrupting the flow of the Euphrates is one of the signs of the Mahdi's emergence, and therefore Jesus' second coming.

Soon the river Euphrates will disclose the treasure [the mountain] of gold. So, whoever will be present at that time should not take anything of it. (Sahih Bukhari)

Other hadiths reveal important information on this subject:

God's Messenger (may God bless him and grant him peace) said: "The Hour will not come to pass before the river Euphrates dries up to unveil the mountain of gold, for which people will fight. Ninety-nine out of one hundred will die [in the fighting], and every man among them will say: 'Perhaps I may be the only one to remain alive.' " (Sahih Bukhari, Sahih Muslim)

The Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) said: "Tthe Euphrates reveals the treasures within itself. Whoever sees it should not take anything from it." (Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi `Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir az-Zaman, p. 28)

It [the Euphrates] will uncover a mountain of gold [under it]. (Sunan Abu Dawud)

Interrupting this river's flow and disclosing its treasure of gold, both of which are important portents of Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) second coming, are mentioned in many respected books of hadith.

Let's examine some important statements revealed in the hadiths one by one:

God's Messenger said: "The Hour will not come to pass before the river Euphrates dries up and unveils the mountain of gold." (Sahih Muslim)

… the river Euphrates dries up …

As-Suyuti mentions this hadith as "the stopping of water." The Keban dam, built in 1975, has accomplished this.

… unveils the mountain of gold…

The surrounding land has become as valuable as gold for various reasons, for the Keban dam has enabled electricity production and higher soil fertility through irrigation and transport facilities.

The Keban and other dams lining the Euphrates resemble a concrete mountain, and wealth as valuable as gold comes out of it. Therefore, these dams take on the properties of "the golden mountain." (God knows best.)

6. Lunar and Solar Eclipses in Ramadan

There are two signs for the Mahdi... The first one is the lunar eclipse in the first night of Ramadan, and the second is the solar eclipse in the middle of this month. (Ibn Hajar al-Haythami, Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar fi `Alamat al-Mahdi al-Muntazar, p. 47)

A lunar eclipse will occur in the first night of the Ramadan. In the middle of the Ramadan, a solar eclipse will occur. (Muhammad ibn `Abd al-Rasul Barzanji, Al-Isha`ah li-Ashrat as-Sa`ah, p. 199)

During his [Mahdi's] reign, on the fourteenth of the Ramadan, a solar eclipse will occur. On the first of that month, the Moon will darken... (Imam Rabbani, Letters of Rabbani, p. 380; Letters of Rabbani, vol. 2, p. 1163)

There will be two solar eclipses in Ramadan before the Mahdi's advent. (Mukhtasar Tazkirah al-Qurtubi, p. 440)

... The solar eclipse in the middle of the Ramadan, and the lunar eclipse at the end ... (Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi `Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir az-Zaman, p. 37)

There will be two lunar eclipses in Ramadan... (Ibn Hajar Haythami, Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar fi `Alamat al-Mahdi al-Muntazar, p. 53)

There will be two lunar eclipses in Ramadan before the Mahdi emerges. (Muhammad ibn `Abd al-Rasul Barzanji, Al-Isha`ah li-Ashrat as-Sa`ah, p. 200)

The most striking points here are that the solar eclipse will take place in the middle of the month and two solar and two lunar eclipses will take place within one month (Ramadan).

According to the first three hadiths above, the lunar eclipse will occur on the first night of the Ramadan. The fourth hadith says that it will occur on the last day of this month. Accordingly, the common results of all these hadiths are the following:

1- There will be solar and lunar eclipses during Ramadan.

2- These will be spaced about 14-15 days apart.

3- The eclipses will be repeated twice.

In line with these calculations, there was a lunar eclipse in 1981 (Hijri 1401) on Ramadan 15 and a solar eclipse on Ramadan 29. There was a "second" lunar eclipse in 1982 (Hijri 1402) on Ramadan 14 and a solar eclipse on Ramadan 28.

It is also particularly significant that in that particular instance, there was a full lunar eclipse in the middle of Ramadan, a most striking prophecy.

The occurrence of these incidents during the same period coinciding with the signs of the Mahdi's emergence, and their miraculous recurrence at the onset of the fifteenth Islamic century for two consecutive years (1401-02), indicates that they might be the signs foretold by the hadiths.

Moreover, an astoundingly similar series of eclipses occurred in the years 2002 and 2003.

ACTUAL ECLIPSE	DATE
Lunar Eclipse Hijri 1423 (in the middle of Ramadan)	November 20, 2002
15 days later Solar Eclipse Hijri 1423 (at the end of Ramadan)	December 4, 2002
Lunar Eclipse Hijri 1424 (in the middle of Ramadan)	November 9, 2003
15 days later Solar Eclipse Hijri 1424 (at the end of Ramadan)	November 23, 2003

7. The Rise of a Comet

A star with a luminous tail will rise from the east before the Mahdi emerges. (Muhammad ibn `Abd al-Rasul Barzanji, Al-Isha`ah li Ashrat as-Sa`ah, p. 200)

Before he arrives, a comet will appear in the east, giving out an illumination. (Ibn Hajar al-Haythami, Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar fi `Alamat al-Mahdi al-Muntazar, p. 53)

The rise of that star will occur after the eclipse of the Sun and the Moon. (Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi `Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir az-Zaman, p. 32)

... A comet appears when kings go on the pilgrimage to Mecca for travel, the wealthy for commerce, the poor for rest, and the hafiz [reciters] to show off. (Muhammad ibn `Abd al-Rasul Barzanji, Al-Isha`ah li Ashrat as-Sa`ah, p.123)

As referred to by the hadiths;

- In 1986 (Hijri 1406), Halley's Comet passed by Earth.

- The comet is a bright, shining star that travels from east to west.

- This happened after the lunar and solar eclipses of 1981 and 1982 (Hijri 1401-02).

The concurrence of this star's rise with other signs of the Mahdi's emergence indicates that Halley's Comet is the star pointed to in the hadith.

Imam Rabbani provides the following information about this comet:

A tailed star will be born in the east and spread its light. Its daily direction will be from east to west. (Imam Rabbani, Letters of Rabbani, vol. 2, p. 1170)

Throughout history, comets have heralded times of very important developments for Muslims, some of which became milestones in Islamic history. The Companions of the Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) also narrated some of these occurrences, as follows:

When this comet first appeared, the people of Prophet Noah (pbuh) perished, Prophet Abraham (pbuh) was cast into fire, Pharaoh and his people who fought against Prophet Moses (pbuh) perished, and John [Yahya] (pbuh) passed away. When you see that comet, take refuge in God from the evil of fitna. (Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi `Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir az-Zaman, p. 32)

Other important occurrences said to have happened with the appearance of this comet are as follows: Prophet Jesus (pbuh) was born, Our Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) started to receive the first revelation, the Ottoman Empire emerged, and Sultan Mehmed II conquered Constantinople (Istanbul).

Some interesting figures about Halley's Comet

It is interesting that some figures pertaining to the comet are multiples of 19.

For example, Halley's Comet appears every 76 years
76 = 19 x 4

This comet was last seen in 1406
(according to the Islamic calendar) 1406 = 19 x 74

The number 74 is also the surah number of the Surat al-Muddaththir, which refers to the miracle of 19 in the Qur'an. Surat al-Muddaththir 74:30 reveals that 19 is a means of mercy for believers and of fitna for unbelievers.

A last great miracle and sign of Halley's Comet is the appearance of this comet in 1986 (Hijri 1406) is its nineteenth appearance since 607, when Prophet Mohammed (may God bless him and grant him peace) was honored with prophecy.

This striking relation of Halley's Comet with the number 19 may indicate a fitna upon unbelievers and a mercy on believers.

In Surat al-Muddaththir 74:1-2, God commands our Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace): "You who are enveloped in your cloak! Arise and warn." The meaning is clear. Yet, they may also have a second hidden meaning that refers to the End Times. The word, "(the one) enveloped in cloak" may well refer to the Mahdi, who is from our Prophet's (may God bless him and grant him peace) lineage and whose appearance will be signaled by the rise of Halley's Comet in 1406 of the Islamic era.

8. Storming the Ka`bah and the Subsequent Bloodshed

The year in which he will emerge, people will perform hajj together and gather without an imam. The Hajjis will be looted, and there will be a battle at Mina in which many will be slain and 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)

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-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi `Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir az-Zaman, p. 35)

The phrase "the year in which he will emerge" draws attention to a massacre that will occur on the date of the Mahdi's emergence. In 1979, a massacre very like this one occurred during the Ka`bah raid, which took place during the pilgrimage month at the very beginning of the period during which the signs of Mahdi's advent appeared – the first day of the Islamic year 1400 (21 November 1979).

The hadiths also mention bloodshed. The killing of 30 people during the clashes between Saudi soldiers and militants during the raid confirms the rest of this hadith.

Seven years later, an even bloodier incident happened during the pilgrimage. In this incident, 402 demonstrating pilgrims were killed. Both the Saudi soldiers and the Iranian pilgrims committed great sins, for they killed one another. These bloody incidents have great parallels to the environment described in the hadiths.

The Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) said:

"There will be a voice in Ramadan, a noise in Shawwal, and war between the tribes in the month of Dhu al-Qa`dah. Pilgrims will be despoiled. There will be a war in Mina in which many will die, to such an extent that so much blood will flow as to leave the stones there in a lake of blood." (Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi `Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir az-Zaman, p. 31)

There will be a voice in Ramadan, and a voice in Shawwal. In Dhu al-Qa`dah, the tribes will fight one another. In Dhu al-Hijja, pilgrims will be despoiled. In Muharram, there will be a shout from the sky: "Take heed. Such a person is of the auspicious ones of the people of God. Listen to and obey him." (Ramuz al-Ahadith, vol. 2, p. 518, no.5)

There will be rebellion in Shawwal, talk of war in Dhu al-Qa`dah, and an act of war in Dhu al-Hijja. Pilgrims will be despoiled, and their blood will flow [over the Ka`bah]. (Muhammad ibn `Abd al-Rasul Barzanji, Al-Isha`ah li Ashrat as-Sa`ah, p. 166)

In the month of Dhu al-Qa`dah, the tribes will wage war, pilgrims will be kidnapped, and there will be bloody wars. (Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi `Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir az-Zaman, p. 34)

There come the cries of war in [the month of] Shawwal with the outbreak of war, massacre, and carnage in [the month of] Dhu al-Hijja. The pilgrims are plundered in this month, the streets cannot be crossed because of the blood shed, and religious prohibitions are violated. Big sins are committed near the Magnificent House [the Ka`bah]. (Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi `Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir az-Zaman, p. 37)

Examining the expressions in the hadiths indicates important events regarding the same period:

Big sins are committed near the Magnificent House [the Ka`bah].

This hadith draws attention to the incidents that will occur near the Ka`bah. The incidents during 1407 actually took place near the Ka`bah, and not inside it, unlike the event of 1400. Both incidents happened just as the hadiths indicated that they would.

It is not a mere coincidence that two such major events as bloodshed in the Ka`bah and the killing of pilgrims, as reported in the hadiths, should take place one after the other in the period when all portents regarding the Mahdi are coming true.

... [There will be] outbreak of war, massacre and carnage in [the month of] Dhu al-Hijja.

The fact that this war and conflict is discussed together with the killing of pilgrims shows that these events will take place in the same period of time. During that same period, the Iran-Iraq war broke out and the world saw the worst fighting and chaos in the Middle East.

A big flame will occur in the east for 3 or 7 days in a row, followed by darkness in the sky and a brand new redness unlike the usual color of red spreading over the sky. A proclamation will be heard in a language Earth can understand. (Muhammad ibn `Abd al-Rasul Barzanji, Al-Isha`ah li-Ashrat as-Sa`ah, p. 166)

9. Sighting a Flare in the East

In its section on the signs of the Mahdi's emergence, the book Iqd al-Durar states:

"The emergence of a big flare, which is seen in the east, in the sky for three nights. Sighting of an extraordinary redness, not as red as the usual color of the dawn, and its spread over the horizon." (Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi `Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir az-Zaman, p. 32)

"This is a hadith narrated by Abu Ja`far b. Muhammad b. Ali (ra). When you see a flame rise in the east for three or seven days, then wait for the emergence of Al-i Muhammad; God will proclaim from the sky uttering the name of the Mahdi and everybody, whether in the east or the west, will hear that voice." (Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi `Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir az-Zaman, p. 32)

"I swear that a flame will engulf you. That flame is presently in an extinguished state at the valley called Berehut. That flame swallows up people with terrible pain inside it, burns down and destroys people and property, and spreads all over the world by flying like a cloud with the assistance of winds. Its heat at night is much higher than its daytime temperature. By going as deep as the center of Earth from above the heads of people, that flame becomes a terrible noise, just like the lightning between the ground and the sky," he narrated. (Mukhtasar Tazkirah al-Qurtubi, p. 461)

Here we give a brief explanation of this flame, as follows:

Some people wait for this flame as a sign that comes suddenly and for no particular reason, that never goes out, and that everyone in the world can see. Since the trial continues during the occurrence of these signs, just because people will see them does not mean that they will understand them. Thus, people will make their decisions by using their intellect, mind, conscience, and will. If the End Time signs had been narrated in full detail (e.g., how, when, and where they will occur), everybody would have to accept them. Thus, no differences of degree would be left among the people. For this reason, these hadiths have been communicated in a semi-implicit manner.

The sign concerning the flame must be evaluated in this manner. A flame is the result of an accident and neglect, or of a deliberate action. The hadith does not say that it must occur as a very strange and extraordinary sign. What really counts is its occurence in compliance with the properties of the flame described in the hadiths and the time of its occurrence. To do this, first we must consider its properties.

In July 1991, after Iraq invaded Kuwait, a huge fire spread throughout Kuwait and the Persian Gulf as the Iraqis fired Kuwait's oil wells. This is how this fire was covered in the media:

- The burning oil in Kuwait led to the deaths of people and animals. According to experts, half a million tons of oil went up into the atmosphere as smoke. Every day, more than 10,000 tons of soot, sulfur, carbon-dioxide and large quantities of hydrocarbons with their carcinogenic properties hang suspended over the Gulf. It is not just the Gulf but, on its behalf, the world is burning.21

- Two wells that were set alight produced as much oil as Turkey does in one day, and the smoke from them were even seen from Saudi Arabia, 55 kilometers away.22

- Hundreds of oil wells set alight in Kuwait are still burning fiercely. Experts say it will be "exceedingly difficult to put those fires out," and it is said that the fires may affect a wide area from Turkey to India for the next 10 years.

The fire and smoke coming from the wells constantly polluted the atmosphere. Daytime resembled night in Kuwait. The brown smoke that rose together with the flames reminded one of the sky as the autumn turns into winter… It has been stated that it would take at least a century for Kuwait to be completely habitable again. The smoke that rises with the flames is visible from miles away, totally blocking out the sky and making the country unfit to live in. The wealthy are abandoning Kuwait.

According to a statement by Abdullah Dabbagh, director of the research institute in Dhahran, in the New York Times, 106 species of fish, 180 species of mollusk, and 450 animal species living in the region struggled to survive because of the pollution in the Persian Gulf. It has been stated that smoke rising from 600 oil wells has spread to neighboring countries, and that smoke containing such carcinogenic substances as sulfur has turned into acid rain and reduced agricultural productivity.23

I swear that a fire will enfold you. That fire is currently lying extinguished in the valley known as Berehut [which is the name of a valley or a well].. (Mukhtasar Tazkirah al-Qurtubi, p. 461).24

The first part of the hadith says that the flame "is presently in an extinguished state." Given that the flame is the result of burning an inflammable substance, what waits in an extinguished state is not the flame itself but rather the material to be burned by the flame. In this context, this may mean underground oil. Berehut is the name of a well. This can be considered as an oil well. When the time comes, oil extracted from these wells will become a fire ready to be burned.

"That flame swallows up people with terrible pain inside it." That flame is not merely a burning flare, but also one that deprives people of their lives and possessions, making them miserable and sorrowful, and contaminating the surrounding environment.

"That flame… burns down and destroys people and property." That flame causes the death of certain people. In addition, it burns down property, causing material damage and, by polluting the surrounding environment, destroys what people need in order to live.

"… spreads all over the world by flying like a cloud with the assistance of winds." This particular element of the flame is the smoke that it produces. Thus, this metaphor indicates that the smoke will reach as high as the clouds and spread in all directions due to the wind.

"Its heat at night is much higher than its daytime temperature." In other words, the flame will burn around the clock.

"By going as deep as the center of Earth from above the heads of people, that flame makes a terrible noise, just like the thunder between the ground and the sky." Attention is drawn to the facts that the flame will climb very high into the air and cause a very strong noise and explosions resembling a thunder.

"… a brand new redness unlike the usual color of red spreading over the sky…" This part of the hadith points out that the incident will occur at night, for the flames of a large explosion occurring at night leads to a very strong illumination. The red illumination caused by such red flames is very different from the red "dawn" redness with which people are familiar. Such an illumination at night, which is very similar to daylight, is an extraordinary phenomenon.

10. A Sign out of the Sun

He [the Mahdi] will not come unless a sign emerges out of the Sun. (Ibn Hajar al-Haythami, Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar fi `Alamat al-Mahdi al-Muntazar, p. 47)

The Mahdi will not emerge unless the Sun rises as a sign. (Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi `Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir az-Zaman, p. 33)

Another sign of Doomsday is extraordinary solar explosions. During the twentieth century, a great solar explosion took place and had a great impact upon the world. The sign referred to in the hadith may well be this great explosion.

11. A Solar Eclipse

The Mahdi will not emerge unless the Sun rises as a sign. (Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi `Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir az-Zaman, p. 33)

As well as the solar explosion mentioned above, the sign that will appear on the Sun may well be the great solar eclipse that happened on August 11, 1999, the last total solar eclipse of the twentieth century. It was the first time that so many people had been able to watch and study an eclipse for so long.

It is of course no coincidence that so many signs have occurred one after the other in such a short space of time. These signs are each glad tidings from God to His faithful servants.

12. A Change of Systems

A man called the Mahdi will come at a time when time is interrupted… (Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi `Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir az-Zaman, p. 14)

In this hadith, our Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) foretold that the Mahdi would come when "time is interrupted." Many scholars interpret this expression as a "differentiation of time" when a "change of systems" takes place. What is meant by this "change of systems" may be the collapse of communism, the governing ideology of many nations, toward the end of the twentieth century.

One of the major reasons for the bloody wars and massacres that characterized the twentieth century was the rule of communist ideology, which was a product of materialist philosophy. This ideology was influential on a global scale, and many countries were either ruled by the communist regimes for decades or were the target of communist rings. Communism was the reason for the cold war, which continued until the 1990s, as well as the most ruthless assassinations.

Apart from attempting to spread their ideology by fighting other countries, communist regimes oppressed their subjects and killed large numbers of people through executions, mass massacres, harsh conditions in prison camps, and food and other scarcities.

According to historians' estimates, communist regimes caused the deaths of 120 million people during the twentieth century. Most of them were civilians, not soldiers. Tens of millions of people died because of the rigid and savage characteristics of communist regimes. Apart from this, millions of people who were subjected to atrocities fled their native lands. As a result, they lost all of their possessions and lands, and lived in constant fear of being arrested for various political or ideological "crimes" or of being subject to further atrocities.

However, these supposedly powerful and invincible regimes began collapsing one after the other in the late 1980s. The pulling down of the Berlin Wall in 1989 was the most distinctive symbol of this collapse. Two years later, the Soviet Union, the largest and most powerful communist state, collapsed, and the Eastern Bloc soon followed suit. Other communist regimes collapsed one after the other. This sudden end of the bi-polar world order that had existed since the end of the Second World War was totally unexpected. Now, a new world order is in the process of coming into being. The "change of system" mentioned in the hadith thus is materializing in our own time.

Today, the last ideological and political remnants of communism are disappearing and the world is being cleansed of this bloody ideology. With the spread of Islamic ethics, the atrocities, pain, ignorance, and poverty finally will be eradicated, and humanity will attain beauty, wealth, prosperity, and peace. As a manifestation of His forgiveness and grace, God will offer humanity an end to darkness, war, massacre, and sorrow.

13. A Tribulation of Dust and Smoke

Before the Hour comes, there will be a dusty and smoky tribulation like patches of dark night... (Sunan Abu Dawud)

This hadith foretells a dusty, smoky, and dark wave of tribulation just before the Mahdi's advent. The word "tribulation" (fitna) implies anything that turns peoples' reason and hearts away from the true path, or war, incitement, chaos, disorder, and conflict.25 The tribulation mentioned in this hadith will leave behind smoke and dust.

Furthermore, as this tribulation is described as resembling "patches of dark night," its origins are unclear and it is unexpected. Thus, this hadith could refer to one of the world's worst terrorist attacks: 9/11, when New York City and Washington, DC, were attacked. As the whole world saw, a big, thick cloud of dust and smoke swallowed up the immediate surroundings.

A large cloud of smoke formed after the airplanes exploded after smashing into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. The resulting smoke reached so high and spread so far that it could be seen throughout the city and even from neighboring cities. The ensuing collapse of the Twin Towers caused yet another huge cloud of smoke and dust, which completely enveloped people in the area.

This incident is very important for several reasons: It is one of the most serious acts of terror in world history, and it occurred along with other signs and bears characteristics similar to ones described in the hadith. Therefore, this act may well be the "tribulation like patches of dark night" foretold by the hadith as the sign of the Mahdi's emergence.

Signs of Jesus’ (pbuh) Second Coming

The Signs from the Islamic Resources 2

14. The Emergence of Widespread Slaughter

The Mahdi will only appear at a time when people are experiencing great fear and are afflicted by disturbances, civil war, and other disasters.(Narrated by Abu Ja`'far Muhammad ibn `Ali)

Most painful situations and grievous sights will be seen. Strife will go on and on… It will kill mothers, fathers, daughters, men, and everyone… Among these will be strife, violence, destruction, and looting. People will ask when it will end, but it will still go on. (Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi `Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir az-Zaman, p. 36)

Most hadiths about the Mahdi's advent focus on the prophecy that turmoil, insecurity, and disorder will rule the world before his coming. Massacre, war, and conflict are some of the major features of such a period. In addition, the hadith draws attention to the fact that massacres will occur all over the world.

During the two world wars of the twentieth century, an estimated 65 million people were killed. The number of civilians slaughtered for political reasons during the same century is estimated to be well over 180 million. This is an extraordinarily high figure when compared with those of previous centuries.

In fact, wars used to be fought at various fronts by soldiers until the twentieth century. However, the advancement of weapons technology and "improved" military strategies in the twentieth century introduced the concept of all-out war, one in which no distinctions were made between soldiers and civilians. Such concepts as bombing cities; chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons; genocide; and concentration camps emerged in the twentieth century.

Such atrocities still continue, for bloody wars and battles are in full swing all over the world. Their common feature, as indicated in the hadith above, is massacre. The use of weapons of mass destruction on the one hand, and the ideological domination of views that encourage conflict and bloodshed on the other hand, have caused modern massacres to be very comprehensive in scope.

A look at recent history reveals many large-scale massacres. For instance, the Bosnian war went down in history as one that targeted the civilian population and thus resulted in the murder of thousands of civilians regardless of gender and age. The mass graves uncovered laterofferred striking evidence about just how large such massacres were.

Another "ethnic cleansing" campaign has been carried out against the Palestinian people since the 1940s. This is no more than a long-term policy of massacre. The exemplary massacres of Sabra and Shatilla, overseen by Ariel Sharon in 1982, as part of this policy fully expose the exact dimensions of the drama.

There are also frequent violent conflicts between Africans, in which thousands of people die. For example, in the spring of 1997, a large-scale ethnic war broke out between the Hutu and Tutsi tribes, which finally involved five countries: Zaire, Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi, and Tanzania. Nearly one million people lost their lives in this war, and tens of thousands of people had to fight poverty, misery, and contagious diseases in the jungles. Many of them died. Even children and babies were savagely murdered just because they were from the "wrong" tribe.

15. The Killing of the Rulers of Damascus and Egypt

Before he comes, the inhabitants of Egypt and Sham will kill their rulers and their commanders... (Ibn Hajar al-Haythami, Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar fi `Alamat al-Mahdi al-Muntazar, p. 49)

This hadith draws attention to the fact that the rulers of Damascus and Egypt will be killed before the Mahdi comes.

In 1981, Egyptian president Anwar al-Sadat (1970-81) was assassinated during a military review. Other Egyptian leaders who have been killed include the prime ministers Boutros Ghali (1910) and Mahmoud Nukrashy Pasha (1948).

The word "Sham" is not only used for Damascus, for it also means "left" and has long been used to refer to those countries to the left of the Hijaz (where the cities of Makka and Madina stand).26 Many leaders have been killed in the region, among them former Syrian prime ministers Salah al-Din Bitar (1920), Droubi Pasha (1921), and Muhsin al-Barazi (1949); King Abdullah of Jordan (1951); and the Lebanese Phalange leader Bashir Gemayel (1982).27

16. The Killing of Abdullah, the Former King of Jordan

Another portent of the Mahdi's coming is the killing of a senior member of the Hashemites. (Risalat al-Khuruj al-Mahdi, p. 12)

Jordan, known as the Hashemite kingdom, was detached from the Ottoman Empire and came under British control for a period of time. Great Britain recognized Jordanian independence in 1946, as part of the Treaty of London. The monarchy was given to Abdullah, head of the principality of Jordan. King Abdullah was later killed by the British in 1951. Thus the incident indicated in the hadith came to pass.

17. The Enslavement of the Egyptians

The people of Sham will take prisoner the tribes of Egypt ... (Ibn Hajar al-Haythami, Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar f' `Alamat al-Mahdi al-Muntazar, p. 49)

As stated earlier, Sham is the region located on the left part of Hijaz (where Mecca and Medina are located). Today, Israel is one of the countries located in this region. Consequently, this hadith may well hint at Israel's war with Egypt and its occupation of Egyptian lands.

On October 26, 1956, Israel, with British and French support, attacked Egypt and began to occupy the Sinai Peninsula. The fighting ended shortly afterwards, following intervention by the United States and the United Nations, and a UN peacekeeping force was stationed on the Israeli border.

During the 1967 Six-Day War, the Israel air force attacked some Egyptian air bases and inflicted severe damage upon the Egyptian air force. Due to this defeat, the Egyptian air force performed poorly during the battles that took place after June 5. The Egyptian forces in Sinai withdrew. On June 5, Israel attacked and occupied the Golan Heights and, by the end of the war, Israel had captured the Gaza Strip, the Sinai Peninsula, the West Bank, Jerusalem, and the Golan Heights. Following a later agreement, Israel withdrew from the Sinai Peninsula. However, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, the Golan Heights, and Jerusalem remain under Israel occupation.

During these wars, many Egyptians were taken as prisoners of war and many others were killed.

18. The Destruction of Great Cities

Great cities will be ruined, and it will be as if they had not existed the day before. (Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi `Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir az-Zaman, p. 38)

When developed places are ruined, then Doomsday is no further away than the distance between your two fingers.(Muhammad ibn `Abd al-Rasul Barzanji, Al-Isha`ah li Ashrat as-Sa`ah, p. 143)

There will be ruins all around the world. Ultimately, Egypt will also be ruined. But until Basra is destroyed, Egypt will remain secure. The ruin of Basra will be because of Iraq's destruction. Meanwhile, the downfall of Egypt will come with the drying up of the Nile ... (Mukhtasar Tazkirah al-Qurtubi, p. 530)

The ruin of great cities spoken of in this hadith brings to mind the destruction that now arises from war and natural disasters. In addition to these, recently developed nuclear weapons, aircraft, bombs, missiles, and other weapons have caused untold destruction. These weapons have brought about a level of destruction heretofore unknown. Indeed, the great cities targeted are most affected by this destruction.

The incomparable destruction of the Second World War is an example of this. The atom bomb completely destroyed the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and

Nagasaki. As a result of heavy bombing, European capitals and other important cities were devastated. The Encyclopedia Britannica states that:

The resulting devastation had turned much of Europe into a Moonscape: cities laid waste or consumed by firestorms, the countryside charred and blackened, roads pitted with shell holes or bomb craters, railways out of action, bridges destroyed or truncated, harbors filled with sunken, listing ships. "Berlin," said General Lucius D. Clay, the deputy military governor in the U.S. zone of postwar Germany, "was like a city of the dead."28

In short, this unprecedented level of destruction conforms entirely to that described in the hadith of the Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace).

19. The Rebuilding of Ruined Places

The rebuilding of the ruined places in the world, and the ruination of constructed places, are signs and portents of Doomsday. (Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Rasul Barzanji, Al-Isha‘ah li Ashrat as-Sa‘ah, p. 138)

The reconstruction of these ruins is a further sign of the End Times. As we stated in the previous section, during the twentieth century, many cities were reduced to rubble and thus had to be rebuilt, among them Berlin, Leningrad (now St. Petersburg), and Dresden.

A similar example is the Kobe, a Japanese city devastated by a powerful earthquake in January 1995. For 30 years, the Japanese government and universities have invested 1 billion dollars in developing early warning systems for earthquakes. However, no model can distinguish all types of tremors. The region of Kobe and Osaka is one of Japan's most prominent industrial and commercial centers. Thus, the total economic impact of the Kobe earthquake was immense, amounting to billions of dollars.29 Yet, despite this loss, Japan reconstructed Kobe.

20. The Fourth Peace and Arab-Israel Peace Agreement

Abu Na`im narrated from Abu Umama': "Our Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) said: There will be four [periods of] peace with you and people [in one copy, this is said to be the Greeks]. The fourth peace, which lasts for seven years, will be through a person from the people of Heraclius. They said: "O Prophet, who will be the imam [leader] of the people on that day?" He (may God bless him and grant him peace) said: "The Mahdi, a man aged forty from my lineage." (Osman Catakli, Kiyamet Alametleri [Signs of the Doomsday], 299/8)

This hadith mentions one of the signs of the Mahdi who will ally with Prophet Jesus (pbuh) during his tenure on Earth. According to this sign, a fourth peace agreement will be signed between the Muslims and the non-Muslims, and this agreement will last for seven years. At the end of this period, the Mahdi will appear. According to the general conviction, this "fourth peace-agreement" is the Camp David agreement signed by the U.S., Israel, and Egypt in 1979. (God knows best.)

21. The Loss of an Army

There are five portents of the Mahdi: a cry from Sufyani, Yemani, and Sama, the sinking of an army in Bayda, and the killing of the innocent. (Narrated by Nu`aym ibn Hammad)

... An army will be sent to him. This army will be leveled while it is somewhere in the desert. (Sahih Muslim)

An army comes to fight. Once they enter the desert, the one in the front and the back disappear, and the ones in the middle cannot save themselves. (Tirmidhi, Sunan Ibn Majah, Sunan Abu Dawud)

The almost sudden disappearance of a large part of the Iraqi army was one of the most striking features of the 2003 American-led war against Iraq. Many newspapers and television channels reported that a 60,000-man army from the Republican Guard, along with some 15,000 Iraqi militiamen from the Fedayeen, got lost. This account indicates that "the loss of an army," a portent of the Mahdi's coming, and hence of Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) second coming, may already have taken place. (God knows best.)

In fact, the discovery of some war planes buried under the desert sands reinforces the possibility that the "leveling of an army" refers to the Iraqi army.

22. No Money Will Be Left to the Iraqis

The Iraqis will be left with no weighing equipment, and no money will be left to them with which to buy and sell. (Muntakhab Kanz al-`Ummaal, vol. 5, p. 45)

Another portent of the End Times, and thus of the second coming of Prophet Jesus (pbuh), is that the Iraqi currency will have no value.

This hadith may indicate two situations. One of them is Iraq's economic collapse after the Iran-Iraq and the Gulf wars. The Iraqi economy, faced with such crises, could not recover in the post-war period due to the embargos imposed by America and the UN. The Iraqi people grew even poorer, and poverty became a major problem.

Or, it might refer to abolishing the Iraqi currency (dinar) in the post-war era. With the last war, the rapid loss of the Iraqi currency's value and the possibility of its being withdrawn from circulation appeared in the newspapers during 2003.

23. Flames Destroy Homes in Baghdad

Baghdad is destroyed by fire in the End Times ... (Risalat al-Khuruj al-Mahdi, vol. 3, p. 177)

During the Second Gulf War in 2003, from the very first day Baghdad was the target of a very intensive bombing campaign. Under heavy bombardment, Baghdad burned in flames, just as the hadith said it would. Images of Baghdad, which appeared on TV and in newspapers, conveyed this reality to the world. Thus, this is a clear indication that we are living in the End Times.

Signs of Jesus’ (pbuh) Second Coming

The Signs from the Islamic Resources 3

24. The Israeli-Palestinian Peace Talks

There will be a peace agreement in Bayt al-Maqdis. (Risalat al-Khuruj al-Mahdi, vol. 3, p. 184)

Bayt al-Maqdis is the name of Masjid al-Aqsa. This hadith may well indicate that an agreement will be reached in Jerusalem. For the last 50 years, Palestine has been consumed by fighting and tension. An important step toward bringing peace and security to this region was taken during the 1993 peace negotiations in Oslo. No matter how unjust some of the decisions were, and although some could not be fully implemented, the fact that the two sides did reach agreement on specific issues was an important development. In 2003, peace negotiations between the two sides continue, particularly with the American "Road Map" initiative.

25. An Embargo against Iraq and Damascus

“It may happen that the people of Iraq may not send their qafiz and dirhams [their measures of food-stuff and their money].” We said:” Who would be responsible for it?” He said: “The non-Arabs would prevent them.” He again: “There is the possibility that the people of Syria may not send their dinar and mudd.” We said: “Who would be responsible for it?” He said: “This prevention would be made by the Romans.” (Sahih Muslim)

Abu Hurayra relates: "The Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) said: ‘The time will come neither a dirhams nor a qafiz will be given to Iraq. Its mudd and dinar will also not be given to Sham. Its irdab and dinar will also not be given to Egypt. You will return to the point from which you started.’" (Sahih Muslim, Sunan Abu Dawud)

The embargos imposed upon Iraq and Damascus are signs of the End Times. For more than a decade, Iraq has endured embargos. Meanwhile, there exists the possibility of placing an embargo upon Syria.

26. The Restructuring of Iraq

Doomsday will not come until Iraq is attacked. Innocent people in Iraq will seek shelter in Sham. Sham will be rebuilt, and Iraq will be rebuilt. (Muntakhab Kanz al`Ummal, vol. 5, p. 254)

The hadith draws attention to the reconstruction of Iraq. Many Iraqi cities were reduced to rubble during the Iran-Iraq war, and then again during the two Gulf wars of 1991 and 2003. After this latest war, Iraq’s rebuilding became compulsory because so much of it had been ruined. Looting also contributed to this situation. This appeared in newspapers, as follows:

27. Iraqis Flee to Damascus and the North

The innocent and clean people of Iraq will flee to Sham. (Risalat al-Khuruj al-Mahdi, p. 210)

Immediately before the outbreak of the latest Gulf war, tens of thousands of Iraqis sought to migrate to other countries, especially Syria. This bears a great similarity to the event described in the hadith. News and pictures about this attempted migration appeared in the media.

28. Fitna in Damascus

The tribulation in Sham will calm down on the one hand and flare up again on another. This corruption will not end until an angel from the sky calls: “The Mahdi is your leader. The Mahdi is your caliph.” (Risalat al-Khuruj al-Mahdi, p. 63)

The hadith indicates that there will be terrible chaos in Sham before the Mahdi appears. This refers to the chaos developing in Syria.

As we mentioned earlier, however, “Sham” means “the left” and refers to those countries to the left of the Hijaz.

During the early years of the twentieth century, civil wars, rebellions, conflict and great wars were already raging in this region. These conflicts triggered one another and had a great impact upon all of the people living there. The statement “This tribulation … will calm down on the one hand and flare up again on another” is noteworthy in this regard: Over the last fifty years, several major events occurred in this region, among them the Suez War, the Six Day War, the Yom Kippur War, the Lebanese civil war, and the ongoing tension in Palestine.

29. Chaos in Damascus, Iraq, and Arabia

Our Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) said: “There will be such troubles and calamities that nobody will be able to find a place of shelter. These woes will move around Sham, fall upon Iraq, and tie the hands and feet of the Arabian Peninsula. The community of Islam will fight against troubles in the steppes. Nobody will feel any sympathy for them or even say: “Alas!” As they try to remedy their woes on the one hand, they will emerge again on the other.” (Muntakhab Kanz al-`Ummal, vol. 5, pp. 38-39)

The expression, “The woes will move around Sham, fall upon Iraq” may well indicate the Second Gulf war in 2003. Before and during this war, there was always the possibility of extending the war to Syria, although the war remained limited to Iraq.

30. The Division of Iraq into Three Parts

According to our Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace), the people of Iraq will be divided into three groups. One part will join the looters. One group will flee, leaving their families behind. And one group will fight and kill. Prepare yourselves for Doomsday when you see this. (Fera Idu Fevaidi'l Fiqr Fi'l Imam al-Mahdi al-Muntadhar)

Another sign of the End Times is the division of the Iraqi people into three. As the hadith relates, some Iraqis will join the “looters.” Indeed, at the end of the war, some Iraqis took advantage of the loss of authority and engaged in looting. In fact, some of these people stole and looted, acts that can be defined as “pillaging.” The hadith informs us that some people would try so hard to escape that they would not even think about the families they would leave behind.

The hadith also tells that some people would fight and be killed. During this latest Gulf war, some Iraqis fought and died.

"The division of Iraq into three," as is related in the hadith’s first part, also came true after the first Gulf War in 1991, when the country was divided into the following regions: between the 32th and 36th parallels, south of the 32th parallel, and north of the 36th parallel.

31. War in the Streets

“Between the Tigris and the Euphrates, a city will be built where the children of Abbas will reign. It is called Zawra [Baghdad]…” “O Rasul al-Akram, the leader of believers, why is it called Zawra?” “It is called Zawra because the war surrounds it, expanding to the borders.” (Mukhtasar Tazkirah al-Qurtubi, p. 426, no. 776)

You do not see for I am seeing the places of turmoil between your houses as the places of rainfall. (Sahih Muslim; Doomsday: Portents&Prophecis; p. 84)

Guerilla warfare became widespread in the twentieth century. The ensuing conflicts often take place in streets and between houses. The most recent example occurred in Baghdad in 2003. Indeed, the first hadith above relates that a war will expand to all the corners of Baghdad. The events of the latest Gulf war and the related news reported by the media confirm the news foretold in the hadiths. (God knows best.)

32. A War between Muslims and Jews

The Last Hour would not come unless the Muslims fight against the Jews… (Sahih Muslim)

By the beginning of the twentieth century, conflicts between Arab Muslims and Jews were characterized by terrorism and violence. Toward the end of the First World War, the Ottoman Empire disintegrated and Palestine, until then an Ottoman Arab territory, was placed under the administration of Great Britain. Failing to bring peace to a land ravaged by violence, Great Britain finally turned the problem over to the UN in 1947. The UN proposed that Palestine be partitioned into two independent states so that the Jews could have a homeland. This was the first Jewish state in 19 centuries.

Arabs in Palestine and the surrounding countries sought to change this situation, and in 1948 a bloody war broke out between them and Israel. Israel, which proclaimed its independence that same year, then violated the UN plan by occupying a large portion of Palestine. All that was left for the Palestinians was the west part of the Jordan River (the West Bank) and some land surrounding Gaza city (the Gaza Strip).

During June 1967, Israel carried out a massive invasion. Egypt, Syria, and Jordan had been making preparations to attack Israel for months when, in a sudden counter-attack, Israel launched the war on the morning of June 5. Israel jets flew over the Mediterranean Sea for a while and then suddenly turned toward Egypt. Egypt, which had prepared for an Israeli air attack from the east instead of from the north, was caught off guard and saw the majority of its air force destroyed before the pilots could get their planes in the air. Within 5 days, the Israeli army defeated the Arab armies one after another. Within 6 days, Israel roughly tripled its size. The invaded, and now occupied lands included the West Bank and Gaza Strip, the Golan Heights (part of Syria), and Egypt’s giant Sinai Peninsula.

Israel also occupied East Jerusalem. After the 1948 war, Jerusalem had been divided into East and West Jerusalem. West Jerusalem, the modern part of the city, and it was held by Israel; East Jerusalem, the Old City and location of many religious shrines, was held by Jordan. After the 1967 War, Israel controlled both parts of Jerusalem, and the Wailing Wall, which has become Israel’s national symbol, came under Jewish control for the first time in 19 centuries.

Nasser, who strengthened his army with Soviet weapons, denied the ceasefire that ended the Six Days War in in March 1969, in order to regain the land to Egypt, which were lost in April 1968. He also initiated a months-long mild “war of attrition.” Attacks on Israeli targets were finally ended by heavy Israeli artillery bombardment of and air attacks on the cities along the Suez Canal. This development caused Egypt to sign another ceasefire agreement with Israel.

During the Yom Kippur feast of 6 October 1973, Egyptian and Syrian armies launched a sudden attack against Israel. Crossing the Suez Canal, the Egyptian army entered the Israeli-occupied Sinai Peninsula and started to cross the Bar-Lev Line, a supposed “impassable” border established after the 1967 War. Meanwhile, Syria moved forward on the Golan Heights. The Israeli army was taken completely by surprise. Soldiers attending Yom Kippur services in synagogues were sent headlong to the various fronts. Israeli radio, meanwhile, broke its traditional Yom Kippur silence and sounded the alarm.

At the expense of considerable loss of life, the Israel Defense Forces (Zahal) stopped the Arab forces on 9 October with their conventional forces. Soon, the Syrian army’s progress on Golan Heights was also ended. Meanwhile Egypt, by now having a stronger army and reinforced by its strategic position, engaged in a long and bloody tank battle. According to the general opinon, Washington’s rapid arms support to Israel that began on the second day of the war enabled Israel to win.

On 26 October, Israel began to drive the Arabs out of the territories that they had recently recaptured. Meanwhile, the threat of Israel being driven into sea was over. Yet this was not a victory for Israel, for in just a few days the two Arab armies had inflicted a severe toll on the nation: 2,700 dead in a small country with a population of little more than 3 million.

Following this psychological shock, the Israeli government took a step back. Israel agreed to return the Sinai Peninsula to Egypt, and in 1979 Egypt and Israel signed the Camp David Peace Agreement. Yet, this agreement and all subsequent ones have failed to bring peace to the region. The conflict between the Arabs and the Israelis continues, albeit with short intervals of peace.

33. The Killing of Innocent Children

When an innocent child of the community of Muhammad is killed, an angel from the sky will cry: “God is with him [the Mahdi] and with those who are with him.” (Muhammad bin Ali Sabban, Ishaf ar-Raghibin, p. 154)

One sign of the End Times is the murder of innocent children. We have seen this on a massive scale in recent years. Young African children are being forced to participate in the civil wars wracking that continent, and their merciless murders can be considered as one of these examples. Another region where children are being targeted is Palestine. Between 2002-03, more than 500 children were shot and killed by Israeli soldiers. During the latest Gulf War, Iraqi maternity hospitals were bombed and damaged, causing the deaths of many children.

Signs of Jesus’ (pbuh) Second Coming

The Signs from the Islamic Resources 4

34. Pewasive Corruption

The Mahdi, one of my children, comes into being, by the blessing of God, upon the approach of the Day of Judgment; the weakening of the believers’ hearts because of death, hunger, fitna and the disappearance of the Sunnah; and the emergence of innovations and the loss of 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 az-Zaman, p. 66)

Islamic literature defines fitna as “hard times,” such as civil strife, war, or riots, during which evil forces attempt to weaken and even eradicate people's faith.

One hadith, which reveals that the believers' faith will weaken in the End Times, also provides information about the developments that will lead to this:

Briefly, the following events will take place before the End Times and the Mahdi’s appearance:

1- Death: As a consequence of anarchy and mass murder, people will not be safe and will be greatly concerned about dying.

2- Hunger: The struggle to make a living will increase, because the cost of living will rise. Natural disasters and catastrophes will lead to starvation and hunger.

3- Fitna: Such troubles will spread and encourage unlawful and immoral acts among all people, both in public and in private.

4- Innovation (bid`at): Adoption of some rituals or innovations on the grounds that they are essential components of Islam, although they violate the teachings of the Qur'an and the Sunnah.

5- Disappearance of an environment that allows the communication of God's message: Believers will be hindered from enjoining the good and forbidding the evil, and a spiritual decline will occur as a result.

Such fitna will lead to a stronger faith, an increase in patience and rewards in the Hereafter for the believers' having a solid faith, while weakening further the faith of those with weak faith. The latter group might even lose their faith completely.

The Mahdi will appear when such fitna is prevalent.

Other hadiths and Islamic scholars state that the Mahdi will appear when a particular type of fitna has become worldwide.

The Mahdi will come when fitnas appear. (Imam Rabbani, Letters of Rabbani, vol. 2, p. 258)

Disorder, corruption [fitna], and fear will emerge in the West... Corruption will proliferate. (Mukhtasar Tazkirah al-Qurtubi, p. 440)

35. One Type of Fitna Will Spread Everywhere

One kind of corruption [fitna] will surface, from which no party will be able to protect itself, and spread immediately in all directions. This situation will persist until someone comes and says: “O people, from now on your leader is the Mahdi.” (Ibn Hajar Haythami, Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar fi `Alamat al-Mahdi al-Muntazar, p. 23)

The hadiths speak of a corruption that will touch everybody and spread quickly. In other words, this corruption will be known to everybody, oppose religion and God, and target the people's faith. Today, materialist philosophy is the largest and most comprehensive trend designed to deny God's Existence and creation. Its underlying philosophy, the “theory of evolution,” provides it with a self-proclaimed “scientific” basis. Even though it is not based on any scientific and logical evidence, certain materialist circles continue to work for its acceptance via constant propaganda, deceit, and even fraud.

Today, as this theory has penetrated almost every household, it is safe to say that almost all people have heard of it. This theory is first presented as fact during childhod by means of countless lies and deceit promulgated by society and school textbooks. As they grow older, young people continue to be misled by such funny fallacies that they, and humanity as a whole, came into being merely as a result of coincidence and that they descended from apes. Youths of all ages are brainwashed at all stages of their education by evolutionist lies. (For further information on this important topic and our scientific answers to such propaganda, please refer to Harun Yahya, A Definitive Reply to Evolutionist Propaganda, [Global Publishing: 2003].)

There is a noteworthy point here. As our Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) noted in one of his hadiths, corruption's global pervasiveness and rapid spread can materialize only when current technological means (e.g., the press, publications, broadcasting, the Internet, and satellite communication) are available. As the relevant technology did not exist in the past, corruption could not spread throughout the world so quickly. As a result, no other worldwide trend that had declared war on God's Existence, creation, and the morality of religion was seen. All of these are among the important signs that the Mahdi's advent and the second coming of Prophet Jesus (pbuh) coincide with the present time.

At this point, we need to remember that the hadiths heralding this fitna say that it will end when the Mahdi appears.

36. Religious Prohibitions Gain Acceptance

A fitna appears, and other fitnas follow … then comes a fitna that considers all of the unlawful acts to be lawful. (Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi `Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir az-Zaman, p. 26)

Transmitted by Hudhayfa: “Our Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) said: ‘O Hudhayfa, on that day they [the Muslims] will be on the verge of reverting back to their former religion; they will assume that wine is lawful and will fail to perform their regular prayers.’” (al-Uqayli)

Such unlawful acts as prostitution, alcohol, and bribery are widespread in the world today. The western media praises and encourages those who commit these unlawful acts, while criticizing those who do not. Statistics reveal that the number of people engaged in such activities is steadily increasing. This lifestyle that sees no boundaries, disregards what is lawful and unlawful, and considers every form of immorality as normal is quite compatible with the setting depicted in the hadith. This gloomy setting, which indicates the Mahdi’s advent, also indicates that the coming of Prophet Jesus (pbuh) is drawing nigh. Other related hadiths and the explanations of Muslim scholars are as follows:

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, vol. 2, 259)

The Mahdi will emerge following the occurrence of such vile fitna, whereby all of the prohibitions are regarded as lawful. (Ibn Hajar al-Haythami, Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar fi `Alamat al-Mahdi al-Muntazar, p. 23)

37. Openly Denying God

The Hour will not be established until it is not said on the Earth: God. (Sahih Muslim; Tirmidhi)

Atheism, although around for a long time, started to spread on a heretofore unknown scale by the end of the nineteenth century. The number of people deluded by the spread of materialism and Darwinism, atheism’s philosophical and so-called “scientific” bases, increased markedly in the twentieth century, when they were able to propogate their perverse views without any significant difficulty. However, atheism will be defeated by God’s Will, thanks to the ideological struggle of sincere believers. (For further information about the collapse of atheism, please see Harun Yahya, The Rise of Islam [Kuala Lumpur: A.S. Noordeen Publishing, 2003].)

38. Replacing God with Other “Deities”

The system of night and day will not end until the people have taken to worship of Lat and ‘Uzza… (Sahih Muslim)

Many tribes of my people will adhere to associators and revert back to disbelief before the Hour … (Muhammad ibn `Abd al-Rasul Barzanji, Al-Isha`ah li Ashrat as-Sa`ah, p. 287)

The Last Hour will not come before the tribes of my people attach themselves to the polytheists, and tribes of my people worship idols. (Sunan Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah)

Ascribing associates to God, or deeming someone or something (idols) worthy of worship besides God, is a great sin. Some people think that idolatry involves worshipping statues carved out of stone and wood, as people did in the past. But this is a great mistake, for idolatry also means those who ascribe associates to God. Having faith in God alone, as described in the Qur’an, means dedicating oneself to God alone. In other words, one believes in attaining God’s good pleasure and mercy alone. In the End Times, the number of true believers who do not ascribe associates to God will diminish, and the number of people who embrace superstitious beliefs will increase.

39. A Sign of Materialism’s Spread

The Mahdi will appear when the letters of the Basmillah lose their importance. (Risalat al-Khuruj al-Mahdi, p. 29)

What is meant by “the letters of the Basmillah” may be the people’s stance toward Islamic morality and the condition of their faith. Indeed, in a period when the people’s faith weakens, the Mahdi will appear and ideologically eliminate those movements. Considered from this viewpoint, this hadith may indicate materialism’s and Darwinism’s amazing strength on the people.

One, and perhaps the most important, duty of the Mahdi, is to prepare the ground for Prophet Jesus (pbuh) by eliminating these philosophical and intellectual movements.

40. Days of Anarchy and Chaos

The Hour will come when violence, bloodshed, and anarchy become common. (Muntakhab Kanz al-`Ummal)

Anarchy and conflict were among the most obvious features of the twentieth century. In countless wars, rebellions, and conflicts, a great number of people died, and security and peace became one of the survivors’ greatest longings. The seemingly unending civil wars in some African countries, rebellions in many countries (especially in Central and South America), wars and clashes throughout Asia, and conflict in the Middle East are only the most obvious examples of this chaos.

This aside, during the last decade, anarchy and terror seem to have gone global. Many countries suffered – and continue to suffer – from terrorist attacks that targeted civilians and innocent people. This development, along with the ensuing anarchy and chaos, has caused many people to drift into depression.

41. The Absence of Peace

All hearts being in mischief, some people hold talks with others and make peace and agreement demonstrations. But until a period appears in which people’s hearts oppose peace and agreement, Doomsday will not come. (Mukhtasar Tazkirah al-Qurtubi, p. 382, no. 701)

The news given in this hadith still holds true for today, especially the failure to resolve the Arab-Israeli conflict over Palestine. (God knows best.) Besides, people working for peace all over the world are doing their best to ensure long-lasting peace and to end war, conflict, and murder. Yet, all of these efforts so far have not succeeded.

42. Revolutions

… Fitna, conflict, and revolution become legion, and people kill one another. People commit suicide, and evil is pervasive all over the world. (Mukhtasar Tazkirah al-Qurtubi, p. 482, no. 901)

The growing number of civil wars and revolutions are among the important signs of the Hereafter given by our Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace). In the second half of the twentieth century, such Central and South American countries as El Salvador and Nicaragua, being the foremost, were ravaged by revolutions, coups, and counter-coups. At the beginning of the 1980s, with the strenghtening of guerilla movements organized in the countryside, conflicts of interest between executive cadres and military leaders turned into a massive conflict and chaos impacted some 22 million people. In Nicaragua, Somoza was overthrown, and massive uprisings took place in Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala that led to many thousands of people being killed.

43. People Flee from One Another in Confusion

"O, Messenger of God, what is the fitna of Akhlas?" He said: "Fleeing – that is, the fleeing of people from one another due to mistrust and the looting of people’s possessions.” (Mukhtasar Tazkirah al-Qurtubi, p. 386, no. 714)

The hadith states that people will flee from one another due to mistrust and fear. This might be a reference to those who are forced to flee their homelands. Indeed, the number of refugees and exiles had increased greatly by the beginning of the twentieth century.

Especially during the last 20-30 years, this increase has reached significant figures. By 2001, the number of refugees reached 23 million while the number of people who had abandoned their homes was about 30 million.