The Signs of Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) Second Coming 2
Signs of Jesus’ (pbuh) Second Coming
The Signs from the Islamic Resources 5
44. The Global Pervasiveness of Chaos and Conflict
At a time when the world will be in harj [utter confusion and disorder], fitna will appear, people will be attacked, the old will not have mercy on the young, and the young will not show respect to the old, God will send someone to eradicate hostility and conquer the castles of perversion, uphold faith in the End Times just as I upheld it formerly, someone who will fill this Earth with justice where violence prevailed before. (Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi `Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir az-Zaman, p. 12)
The Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) said: “Fitna will spread after me. Terror and war will rage. Then, there will be greater fitnas. When people will say that the fitna has ended, new rebellions will appear. Until someone from my lineage [the Mahdi] emerges, there will be no home in Arabia into which fitna will not enter and a Muslim to whom fitna will not reach. (Fera Idu Fevaidi'l Fiqr Fi'l Imam al-Mahdi al-Muntadhar, p. 147)
As these hadiths reveal, such chaos will spread around the world. Indeed, many countries have been ruined, either wholly or in part, by chaos, war, murder, and terrorism. Every day, hundreds of people are exiled or murdered for no reason. (For further information, see Harun Yahya, Signs of the Last Day [Global Publishing: 2003].)
45. The Occurrence of Great and Astonishing Events
So many appalling incidents will occur in his time. (Imam Rabbani, Letters of Rabbani, vol. 2, p. 258)
Great phenomena will happen in his time. (Ibn Hajar Haythami, Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar fi `Alamat al-Mahdi al-Muntazar, p. 27)
“… earthquakes, sorrows, and great events are near. That day, Doomsday, is closer than this hand is to your head,” he [The Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace] said. (Sunan Abu Dawud)
The signs of his emergence resemble those preparatory signs that earlier gave an indication of our Rasulullah. (Imam Rabbani, Letters of Rabbani, vol, 2, p. 258)
Great and extraordinary events preceded Prophet Mohammed’s (may God bless him and grant him peace) birth. For example, a new star rose on that night, 14 towers of the Iranian Emperor’s Palace collapsed, the Magians' (fire worshippers') fire that had burned for 1,000 years in Iran went out, the Semavi Valley was flooded, and the Save Lake dried up.
As indicated in the hadiths above, the Mahdi’s emergence will resemble that of our Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace). Great and miraculous phenomena will also take place when he emerges.
Some of the remarkable phenomena that took place during the last century are as follows:
- The Ka`bah was raided, and many Muslims were killed
- The 2,500-year Iranian monarchy collapsed and Mohammad Reza Pahlavi died
- A gas leak in a Bombay factory killed 20,000 people
- War broke out between two Muslim nations: Iran and Iraq
- The Soviet Union occupied Afghanistan
- On September 19, 1985, Mexico City was devastated by an earthquake
- The Nevado del Ruiz volcano erupted, wiping the town of Armero off the map and killing 25,000 people
- Floods in Bangladesh killed 25,000 people
- Rome, the heart of the Catholic Church, was flooded
- The worst forest fire in history broke out in China
- Indian Prime Minister Gandhi, President Anwar al-Sadat of Egypt, and Swedish Prime Minister Olaf Palme were assassinated
- Pope John Paul II was shot
- The AIDS virus, identified in 1980, has so far killed tens of thousands of people and is known as the "Plague of the Age"
- The Challenger space shuttle exploded after take-off in 1986
- The worst nuclear accident in history occurred when the Chernobyl Nuclear Reactor, located in the Soviet Union, exploded on April 26 1986 and affected many European countries by the released radiation
- A hole was discovered in the ozone layer
- The Soviet Union collapsed, thanks to Gorbachev, and the newly independent states of Central Asia emerged
- The Gulf War broke out, Iraq annexed and then fled Kuwait, and was finally occupied by America and Britain in 2003.
- An earthquake in Armenia reduced cities to rubble, causing 500,000 people to leave their homes and more than 40,000 people to lose their lives.
- The Chinese government sent its tanks into Tienanmen Square during 1989 to crush a student movement demanding greater freedom; 2,000 students died
- The Berlin Wall, which for 28 years had symbolized the cold war, was torn down
- More than 1,400 pilgrims were killed in a stampede at a tunnel in the Ka`bah in 1990
- Approximately 139,000 people died from flooding in Bangladesh in 1991, and ten million were left homeless
- Hundreds of thousands of Muslims were killed in the atrocities in Bosnia and Kosovo, and hundreds of thousands more were exiled
- The Ebola virus led to the deaths of tens of thousands
- The hurricanes, tornadoes, whirlwinds, and floods caused by El Niño led to the deaths of thousands of people, to millions fleeing their homes, and to billions of dollars worth of damage
- The London Stock Exchange collapsed on October 19, 1987, and the ensuing panic resulted in a value loss of 50 billion Pounds.
- 168 people were killed in a bomb attack on a federal building in Oklahoma City April 19, 1995.
-In 1997, the Hale-Bopp Comet passed so close to Earth that it could be seen with the naked eye
- 1,500 people died in an earthquake measuring 7.1 on the Richter scale in Iran on May 10, 1997
-5,000 people died in an earthquake measuring 6.1 on the Richter scale in Afghanistan on February 1998
- 1,171 people were killed in an earthquake measuring 6.0 on the Richter scale in Columbia on January 25, 1999
- More than 2,100 people died in an earthquake measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale in Taiwan on September 21, 1999
- The biggest-ever terrorist attack on America took place on September 11, 2001. Two passenger airplanes crushed into the World Trade Center in New York within 18 minutes of each other. Another plane crushed into the Pentagon. Over 5,000 people died.
- An earthquake measuring 7.9 on the Richter scale struck India, killing thousands of people
- Many European countries have experienced heat waves that have killed many people
- Mars was closer to Earth in August 2003 than at any other time in the past 60,000 years
In November 2003, 12 people lost their lives in a flood in Makkah, which is one of the driest regions in the world.
46. The Situation of Some Muslims
He said: “I swear by God, Who holds my soul in His hands, that when that time of fitna comes, you will turn into snakes rising to twist each others’ necks.” (Mukhtasar Tazkirah al-Qurtubi, p. 386, no. 672)
In this hadith, our Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) calls attention to the disagreement among some Muslims. It indicates that in the End Times, some Muslims having status, rank, and power will show hostility to each other instead of joining forces. In other hadiths, our Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) also draws attention to such threats as jealousy, envy, and hostility – all of which will be prevalent among Muslims.
.... Fitna will appear from right there, from the place where Satan’s two horns will rise. Yet you still strike one another’s neck. (Mukhtasar Tazkirah al-Qurtubi, p. 369, no. 675)
... if you start competing with one another, feeling jealous of one another, turning your backs or separating and becoming enemies of one another. (Sahih Muslim)
A time will come when my people will envy one another, just as goats do. (al-Hatim)
47. The Current Situation of the Islamic World
I swear to God, Who endowed me with justice, that after me there will be a period of gap among my people. At that time, everyone will ask for possessions without considering whether they are halal [lawful], blood will shed, and poems will be held as dear as the Qur’an. (ad-Daylami)
In the past, the Islamic world built one of the greatest and most glorious civilizations in history. The collapse of the Ottoman Empire after the First World War had great impact on the Islamic world, for it damaged Muslim unity. Right now, unresolved problems and disagreements are pervasive in many parts of the Islamic world. This aside, nearly all Muslim countries are far behind when it comes to any type of progress associated with science, technology, and economic development. The “period of gap” may refer to this deplorable situation.
We need to remember that, as in the past, it is very easy for the Islamic world to establish a glorious civilization that once again will set an example for the entire world with its moral excellence, peace, security, and abundance. But this will not happen until Muslims once again strive to live according to the morality of the Qur’an and the Sunnah of our Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) and to establish the Union of Islam that this morality envisages.
48. Wars between Muslims
Doomsday will not come until the two great Islamic armies get into war with one another… (Mukhtasar Tazkirah al-Qurtubi, p. 454, no. 831)
Muslims who fail to get along well with one another in those days cannot avoid being the target of the Dajjal. (al-Hakim, Mustadrak, vol. 4, pp. 529-30)
Abu Hurayra reported that God’s Messenger narrated: "The Last Hour will not come until the two parties [of Muslim] confront each other and there is a large-scale massacre amongst them and the chain of both of them is the same." (Sahih Muslim)
In these hadiths, our Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) called attention to some events that would take in our day. Indeed, as these hadiths reveal, at the beginning of the year 1400 of the Islamic era, Iraq and Iran were fighting each other, and Iraq would later invade Kuwait.
49. Muslims Are Subjected to Severe Troubles
At the end of time, their rulers will cause My people severe trouble in such a way that there will be no comfort for Muslims anywhere. (Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi `Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir az-Zaman, p. 12)
Woe to this community because of those tyrannical rulers. These cruel ones frighten even the silent and submissive, apart from those who obey them. (Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi `Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir az-Zaman, p. 13)
The cruelty of leaders … is one of the portents of Doomsday. (Muhammad ibn `Abd al-Rasul Barzanji, Al-Isha`ah li Ashrat as-Sa`ah, p. 143)
... There will be no home into which strife does not enter, and no Muslim who is untouched by it. This will continue until a rajul [a man of gnosis and illumination] from my lineage appears. (Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi `Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir az-Zaman, p. 25)
[One portent of Doomsday is] sinners raising their voices in the mosques and having victory and dominion over devout believers in place of the religion’s commandments. (Mukhtasar Tazkirah al-Qurtubi, p. 450)
I swear that [great] misfortunes will befall the people, and one will not find any refuge from cruelty and tyranny. At such a troublesome time, God will send someone from my lineage. (Mukhtasar Tazkirah al-Qurtubi, p. 437)
This hadith points out that before the Mahdi comes, those who lack religious morals and have a cruel and merciless character will come to power in some Muslim countries. This is one of the signs indicating that the coming of the Mahdi and Prophet Jesus (pbuh) is drawing nigh.
In another hadith, our Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) tells us that due to all of this oppression at the End Times, sincere Muslims may be forced to hide their belief and worship in secret:
Just as the hypocrites lead their lives in secret among you today, a time will come when believers will try hard to lead their religious lives among others. (Ibn Sunni)
As we all know, some contemporary Muslim rulers oppress Muslims and crush their people and prevent Muslims from living by their religion and performing their acts of worship. Meanwhile, economic conditions have made life harder. In other countries, people are subjected to trouble because their rulers are unqualified to rule.
Some examples of these incidents are as follows:
In Iraq, which lost about one million people during its war against Iran, the Ba`thist dictator Saddam Hussein subjected all Iraqis to unbearable tortures and atrocities.
Instability and turmoil have ruled in Afghanistan ever since the Soviet occupation in 1979. Some Afghanistan authorities (viz., the Taliban), which never represented real Islam, established a very oppressive, ruthless, and intolerant system.
Syrian Muslims suffered a myriad of atrocities during Hafez Assad's 30-year rule. Some cities were entirely destroyed during the massacres, which also led to raping women and a wide-ranging torturing of men.
Djibouti, a tiny African country, has been ruled by a harsh regime that, during 1977-91, killed about 2,000 Muslims, arrested 7,000 people, and tortured many more without any justification.
In Somalia, an oppressive regime led by Major General Mohammed Siad Barre, which targeted Muslims directly, was in power from 1969-91.
Tunisia, ruled by the dictator Habib Bourgiba for 31 years, suffered great oppression during the rule of this self-proclaimed “President for Life.”
It is also worthwhile to say that this situation is prevalent in some Muslim countries due to a lack of knowledge about Islamic morality. One of the common features of such regimes is their repressive and cruel power-based ideologies. This is surely incompatible with religion’s morality. Therefore, believers need to carry out intellectual struggles against these ideologies, for an ideology that is defeated on intellectual grounds can hardly survive. Muslims must expose these ideologies’ errors and deviances and call their adherents to the right path by telling them about religion’s true morality. Through this method, which complies with the Qur’anic morality and the Prophet’s (may God bless him and grant him peace) Sunnah, all of these cruelties will end, by God’s permission, and the Muslim world will attain a celebratory future.
50. The Killing of the Innocent
The Mahdi will not emerge until innocent people are massacred, and he will appear when those on Earth and up in the sky can no longer put up with such massacres ... (Ibn Hajar al-Haythami, Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar fi `Alamat al-Mahdi al-Muntazar, p. 37)
The Mahdi will not appear until seven out of nine [people] are killed. The killing of the innocent will be among them. (Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi `Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir az-Zaman, p. 35)
The Mahdi will not emerge until innocent people are killed. When those who are without sin are killed, the people of Earth and sky [will] detest the killers. (Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi `Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir az-Zaman, p. 35)
While the hadiths about the Mahdi’s emergence mention such massacres as commonplace, they also emphasize that such massacres will target innocent people. As we discussed earlier, almost all of the wars today target civilians. So, civilians and such innocent people as children, the elderly, and women are slaughtered. Targeting these defenseless people in particular has resulted in more comprehensive massacres, while the number of people dying as a result continues to climb.
In addition to such massacres, acts of terror, particularly in recent years, have resulted in the mass annihilation of people. Since terror seeks to spread fear and horror, the very group that such attacks often target are innocent civilians.
Many people continue to lose their lives in different countries as a result of terrorists targeting shopping malls, restaurants, and schools frequented by defenseless women, youths, and children.
51. People Killed for No Reason
Abu Hurayra relates: “Our Prophet said that: 'People will see such days that the killer will not know why he kills, nor the innocent why they are slain.' He was asked: 'How will this be?' He replied: 'It is haraj [killing]. Both killer and killed are in the flames.'” (Sahih Muslim)
The increase in murders is one of the signs of the End Times. In newspapers, the stories of those who commit murder because of a minor dispute often appear. Similarly, an unwanted reaction of the other party, the displeasure incurred by the music one plays, or even a small amount of money may well be the reason for such murders.
52. Corruption that Causes Conflict Everywhere
Fitnas will follow one another in the near future. Then, there will be other fitnas and the ones following them. (Mukhtasar Tazkirah al-Qurtubi, p. 374, no. 684)
... Then there will be misfortunes, fitna, and many evil things that you will not like. Such misfortunes will occur that the latter, often much greater, will make the preceding one appear insignificant. (Mukhtasar Tazkirah al-Qurtubi, pp. 394-95, no. 733)
The hadiths above mention a steadily expanding fitna that continues for extended periods of time. The term fitna also means "war, disorder, quarrel, dispute," as mentioned earlier. As we know, these events often spread far beyond the points where they begin, as expressed by the narrated hadith. This was especially true of the twentieth century, which is remembered as "the century of wars." As for the twenty-first century, it again started off with war and terror, both of which remain common features all over the world.
About 180 million people lost their lives during the wars of the twentieth century. This is certainly a record in the annals of human history. According to historians, 165 wars and confrontations took place, each causing the death of a minimum 6,000 people.30
When we analyze the places where wars of all kinds have taken place in just the last 25 years, we can see that such instances of corruption end in one place but then reemerge in another. For example, consider the following partial list of areas so affected: Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, Albania, Bulgaria, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Chechnya, Palestine, Israel, North Korea, Cambodia, Eastern Turkestan, Ethiopia, Somalia, Yemen, Uganda, Algeria, Rwanda, Mozambique, Angola, Congo, Liberia, Burundi, Sudan, Lebanon, Argentina, Northern Ireland, El Salvador, and Nicaragua.
World history is full of war, but the wars, terrorist acts, and massacres that took place in the twentieth century and in the beginning of twenty-first century differ from all previous ones in many respects. As mentioned earlier, their death tolls were much higher than the total of all previous wars. In addition, wars used to remain regional and contained, as opposed to spreading from one place to another, and sometimes even becoming global in nature. However, by the beginning of the twentieth century, we saw the first truly global war. Virtually no country or region escaped war, confrontation, or an act of terror during the twentieth century.
Another distinguishing feature is the power of the weaponry used: tanks, heavy cannons, and aircraft are all death machines that appeared in the twentieth century. On the other hand, far more terrible massacres were carried out through the use of nuclear and chemical weapons, especially with the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Immense damage was inflicted not only upon those generations caught up in these wars, but also the one or more new generations that followed.
Presently, biological warfare is seen as one of the most serious dangers. The anthrax bacteria mailed during October 2001, immediately after 9/11 in America, is one example of this. This mailing infected ten people with anthrax; two of them died.31
As a result, it is highly probable that the specific incidence of corruption (fitna) referred to in the hadith as spreading to many places relates to the war, confrontation, disorder, and acts of terror, all of which multiplied in the twentieth century and continue even in this new century. All of this may just be yet another sign of the approaching Golden Age that will be established by the Mahdi and Prophet Jesus (pbuh), and that we are living at the end of time.
53. Loss of Hope in the Mahdi
God Almighty will send the Mahdi after despair has reached the point that people will say: "There is no Mahdi." (Narrated by Nu`aym ibn Hammad)
This hadith informs us that one sign of the End Times is the people's despair of the Mahdi's coming. The prevalence of this despair is also a sign of Prophet Jesus’ (pbuh) second coming.
People who struggle with war, starvation, injustice, epidemics, and all forms of depravity lose their hope that such disasters will ever end. Many Muslims, on the other hand, start to despair that Islamic morality will never prevail and believe that evil will spread even further.
Indeed in our day, we frequently see examples of this spirit. Despite the existence of countless hadiths about the Mahdi's coming, Prophet Jesus’ (pbuh) return, and the Golden Age characterized by great blessings, many people believe that such a period will never come. This assumption is also a sign of the End Times. In a time of despair, people will enjoy the benefits of the prevailing Qur’anic morality, thanks to God's mercy. By God’s Will, Prophet Jesus (pbuh) will return and religion’s genuine morality will prevail all over the world. Just as the world was filled with violence and injustice, after Prophet Jesus’ (pbuh) return, by our Lord’s Will, it will abound with justice, peace, security, and blessings.
Signs of Jesus’ (pbuh) Second Coming
The Signs from the Islamic Resources 5
54. Poverty and Hunger
The poor will grow in number. (Amal al-Din al-Qazwini, Mufid al-`Uulum wa Mubid al-Humum)
Gains will be shared out only among the rich, with no benefit to the poor. (Tirmidhi)
Three years before the appearance of the Dajjal, there will be exceedingly stressful days and hunger will rule … (Muhammad ibn `Abd ar-Rasul Barzanji, Al-Isha`ah li Ashrat as-Sa`ah, p. 220)
Many hadiths of our Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) mention the poverty and hunger that people will suffer before the Mahdi comes. Of course, poverty and hunger have existed throughout history, but the poverty of the End Times will increase enormously all over the world. This situation will herald Prophet Jesus’ (pbuh) second coming.
Today, many people live without sufficient amounts food and water, as well as in unhealthy conditions all over the world. While most of these people are located in Africa, Asia, and South America, they are also quite numerous in such rich counties as America and those of western Europe. As only a small portion of people live in great prosperity, nearly 2 billion live below the poverty line. This article, written at the start of the year 2000, explains the global situation, as follows:
As we enter the new millennium, we bring with us a world in which 35,000 children die each day from causes related to poverty. That is one child dying every 2.5 seconds. We face a world in which the total number of people below the poverty line is growing each year, and now stands at around 1.5 billion. This is greater than the population of China, four times the entire population of the European Union.The combined wealth of the world's richest three families… is more than the annual income of 600 million people in the least developed countries. Moreover, in more than 80 of the world's poorest countries per capita income is lower today than it was 10 years ago.32
In the world today, poverty has reached alarming proportions. A recent report by UNICEF stated that one in four people live in "unimaginable suffering and want."33 Moreover 3 billion people struggle to survive on less than $2 a day.34 Approximately 1.3 billion people lack safe water, and 2.6 billion people are without access to adequate sanitation.35
According to a report by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), for the year 2000, 826 million people did not have enough to eat. In other words, one in six people are hungry.36
Over the last 10 years, the injustice of income distribution has increased more than one can imagine. Reports by the United Nations show that in 1960, the income of the 20% of the world's population living in the richest countries was 30 times greater than that of the 20% in the poorest countries. In 1995, it was 82 times greater.37 As an example of the collapse of social justice, the combined wealth of the world's 225 richest individuals is equal to the annual income of the poorest 47%.38
Such current statistical data point to what the Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) said about the increase of poverty. The hadiths reveal that poverty and hunger will be among the signs of the End Times’ first period. Obviously, this period describes conditions in our day. If we look at past centuries, we see that the difficulties and anxiety brought about by drought, war, and other calamities were temporary and limited to a particular region. However, today, poverty and the difficulty of earning a living are permanent and endemic.
Certainly our Lord, Who has endless compassion and mercy, does not wrong people. Indeed, this unjust state of affairs shows clearly that the world is stratified on the basis of selfishness and greed rather than on religion, moral values, and conscience.
Indeed, with the verse, “Corruption has appeared in both land and sea because of what people’s own hands have brought about, so that they may taste something of what they have done, so that hopefully they will turn back” (Surat ar-Rum, 30:41), God informs us that the reason for this corruption is humanity’s turning away from His religion.
With the dawning of the Golden Age, all of these problems will disappear. Hunger and poverty will give way to wealth and plenty. In that age, nobody will be poor or needy, for religion will be lived in the manner God describes in the Qur'an and people will share their goods with those in need, as revealed in the verse, "And beggars and the destitute received a due share of their wealth" (Surat adh-Dhariyat, 51:19). In any case, it is impossible for some people to be wealthy and others to be poor in a society that lives by Islamic values. If a person believes, then that person will be afraid of falling into the position of "nor did he urge the feeding of the poor. Therefore, here today he has no friend" (Surat al-Haqqa, 69:34-35). This is a means by which great social justice, well-being, and plenty can come about in society.
55. Drought
During the three years just before the Dajjal comes, there will be one year when the sky will withhold one third of its rain and the Earth one-third of its fruits. In the second year the sky will withhold two-thirds of its rain, and the Earth two-thirds of its fruits. In the third year all of its fruits, and all the animals will die. (Ibn Ahmad Hanbal)
As the hadith reveals, a global drought will occur before the Dajjal’s appearance. Indeed, the threat of drought, a consequence of global warming today, influences many parts of our world. A UN report issued in 2001 states the seriousness of the situation:
“The Century of Hunger Knocks at the Door”
In the 21st century, climate changes resulting from global warming will bring hunger.
The detrimental dimensions of global warming, which may be the greatest yet unrecognized threat to humanity, will escalate in the 21st century. According to the recent UN report, scientists predict global warming will make the 21st century also an “age of hunger” and warn that these changes will make the diminishment of crops in Asia unavoidable …
Again according to the report, global warming will result in diminished amounts of rain and crops, [and the growth of] desertification and flash floods. The scientists also warned that small islands and countries will suffer seriously from the consequences of global warming.39
Some of the newspaper headlines about drought in recent years are as follows:
Every year, 100 million hectares of fertile areas become extinct.
More than 1 billion people in 110 countries are vulnerable to desertification. Before it is too late, an efficient program has to be launched to cope with the problem. (02.09.2003 www.ntvmsnbc.com)
The Theme of the World Environment Day of this Year Is “Water”
The UN has called attention to the problem of water on the Day of Environment, stressing the importance of the issue with the headline: “Water: Two billion people are dying for it.” (05.06.2003 www.ntvmsnbc.com)
The American West Is Vulnerable to Drought
Due to global warming, some sectors of the population in the American West are becoming increasingly vulnerable to drought.
(22.11.2002 www.ntvmsnbc.com)
(22.11.2002 www.ntvmsnbc.com)
Safe Water Problem May Last until 2025
Authorities warned that humanity may suffer from a safe water problem until the year 2025. (17.10.2002 www.ntvmsnbc.com)
Drought Alarm around the World
Until the year 2025, a lack of safe water will threaten one-third of the world’s population. (15.08.2001 www.ntvmsnbc.com)
56. A Weakening Economy in Specific Years
People will prosper until the ninety-fifth year, that is, their business will prosper. In the ninety-seventh and the ninety-ninth year, their possessions will go to waste ... (Ibn Hajar al-Haythami, Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar fi `Alamat al-Mahdi al-Muntazar, p. 54)
This hadith contains detailed information about the economic situation during the Golden Age.
It is highly probable that “ninety-fifth year” refers to the year 1995, a period when people had a relatively better life and its conditions had not become so difficult. Indeed, as described in the hadith, during that year people had enough income to earn a living and had some possessions. However, during 1997-99 the economy deteriorated, poverty spread, and possessions lost their value. Such an event can happen very quickly, as exemplified by Argentina's recent economic crisis.
57. The Cutting of Trade and Roads
When trade and roads are cut and strife multiplies ... (Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi `Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir az-Zaman, p.52)
Before the Mahdi appears, trade and roads between nations will be cut and strife among people will grow. (Ibn Hajar al-Haythami, Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar fi `Alamat al-Mahdi al-Muntazar, p. 39)
Despite the commercial and economic cooperation between countries in our day, security concerns hinder many commercial activities. We can see this in the difficulties faced by those who want to transport the Caspian region’s underground riches to other regions. Disputes and tensions elsewhere hinder similar economic cooperation opportunities and thereby limit commercial activities.
58. Decreased Earnings
Everyone complaining about decreased earnings... the rich respected for their money... (Muhammad ibn `Abd al-Rasul Barzanji, Al-Isha`ah li Ashrat as-Sa`ah, p. 146)
Stagnation in the markets, a reduction in earnings… (Muhammad ibn `Abd al-Rasul Barzanji, Al-Isha`ah li Ashrat as-Sa`ah, p. 148)
A man will proceed with his money to the various parts of the Earth [for a business trip] and will comment after his return: “I didn’t earn any profit.” (Hakim)
Economic distress is one of the most important problems of many countries today. People fail to earn their living and, in some cases, cannot find any buyer for their goods. In some countries where governments have to fight against poverty and unequal distributions of income, this situation shakes the social order and becomes a major source of chaos. Argentina is one of the most recent examples of such economic collapse.
59. The Division of National Wealth among the Rich
The Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) said: “If my ummah bears fifteen traits, tribulation will befall it.” Someone asked, “What are they, O Messenger of God?” He said: "... when the booty [i.e., national wealth] is taken in ruin and property given in trust as spoil...” (Tirmidhi)
This portent of Doomsday is seen all over the world today. As the world’s wealthiest people control a large part of the world's wealth, billions of people are condemned to live in poverty and hunger. This is most clear in Africa, where millions of people live in poverty and hunger.
In its 2003 reports, the International Work Organization declared that 2 billion people survive on $1 a day and that approximately 1 billion people struggle to survive on $2 a day. In a press release, the organization declared that the gap between the poorest 20% of the world’s population and the richest 20% of the world’s population doubled during the last 40 years.40
Basing itself on Forbes magazine, the Turkish daily Radikal reported that “the top 400 richest Americans” had a combined wealth of $1.2 trillion, which is six times the total of Turkey’s national revenue. The wealth of Bill Gates, who for a long time was the wealthiest man in America, is estimated to surpass the total national revenue of Peru, a country with 25 million people. Meanwhile, it is one-third of Turkey’s national revenue, which is around $200 billion. The same report mentioned that the personal income of Warren Buffet, more than $28 billion, is more than the national revenue of Kuwait, an oil-rich country with a population of more than 2 million. Ted Turner, who ranks twenty-first on the list, is worth $9.1 billion, an amount that equals the national revenue of Panama, which has a population of 2.7 million people. This picture reveals that on the national and international levels, the poor become even poorer and more numerous, whereas the wealthy have become even richer. The total amount of wealth held by the 400 people on the list increased by 20% in one year.41
On 2 February 2003, the Turkish daily newspaper Aksam illustrated the inequality of income around the world in the following terms:
The most important problem of the world: According to the World Development Report of 2003, the inequality of income among countries is growing even deeper. The report indicates that the most important problem of development on the world agenda is to find jobs for the three million people whose daily income is less than 2 dollars a day, in order to make them individuals who can contribute to production and to provide them better a quality of life. One of the foremost factors threatening world peace today is global poverty.
The Situation of the World: The average income of the 20 wealthiest countries is 37 times greater than the average income of the 20 poorest countries of the world. The developed countries, where 20 percent of the wealthiest people live, hold 86 percent of the world’s national revenue, 82 percent of the world’s export markets, 68 percent of all foreign investments, and 74 percent of all telephone lines. Meanwhile, the share of the 20 percent of the poorest in these areas does not exceed 1.5 percent.Figures related to the gap between the 20% of the wealthiest and the 30% of the poorest are striking:
Year Ratio of Gap
1960 1:20
1990 1:60
1997 1:74
2000 1:79The number of people living in extreme poverty, who survive on less than $1 a day, is over 200 million.Today, the total wealth of the 3 richest people of the world is more than the total gross national product of the poorest countries, where 600 million people live...Eighty percent of the total natural resources of the world is consumed by 16 percent of the world population. Meanwhile, 5 percent of the entire world population is deprived of safe water resources. The number of people dying of diarrhea alone is over 50 million. As the great part of the population in underdeveloped countries lives in rural areas, these people become even poorer as the natural resources on these lands diminish. Indeed, the women and children living in poor countries spend 4-5 hours looking for wood to burn. These same people spend 4-6 hours looking for safe water and then carrying it home.42
This situation is a sign of the End Times, as related in our Prophet’s (may God bless him and grant him peace) hadiths. By our Lord’s Will, this situation heralds the closeness of the coming of the Mahdi, Prophet Jesus (pbuh), and the Golden Age, a time when people will not suffer from such misery. In the Golden Age, the world’s situation will be just the reverse, for people will fully abide by the Qur’an’s morality.
As God orders in the Qur’an:
… so that it [booty] does not become something that merely revolves between the rich among you. Whatever the Messenger gives you you should accept, and whatever he forbids you you should forgo. Have fear of God – God is severe in retribution. (Surat al-Hashr, 59:7)
60. An Increase in the Number of Earthquakes
No other natural event affects people as strongly as earthquakes, for they can happen anywhere and at any moment. Throughout history, they have caused many deaths and great material loss. For this reason, they are greatly feared. Even modern technology has been able to prevent earthquake-related damage only to a certain extent.
The 1995 earthquake in Kobe serves as an example to those who mistakenly think that technology will one day harness nature. This earthquake caused massive and unexpected damage to Japan's largest industrial and transportation center. Although it only lasted 20 seconds, as Time reported, it caused about $100 billion worth of damage.43
The Hour [Last Day] will not be established until ... earthquakes will be very frequent. (Sahih Bukhari)
There are two great events before the Day of Judgment ... and then years of earthquakes. (Ramuz al-Ahadith, p.187, no.2)
The days when you can find no homes to shelter you, or animals to carry you, have come close. Earthquakes will demolish your houses. (Muhammad ibn `Abd al-Rasul Barzanji, Al-Isha`ah li Ashrat as-Sa`ah, p. 146)
There will be disagreements and frequent earthquakes. (Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Rasul Barzanji, Al-Isha'ah li-Ashrat al-Sa'ah, p. 166)
In the last few years, major earthquakes have occurred repeatedly and are among the foremost fears of people. According to the data collected by the American National Earthquake Information Center for 1999, we find that 20,832 earthquakes took place and killed an estimated 22,711 people.44
When past figures are examined, we see that the number of earthquakes was quite low. According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) reports, the number of earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.0 or greater on the Richter scale that took place during the 400 years between 1556-1975 was only 110; between 1980-2003, the number of earthquakes with a magnitude of 6.5 or greater on the Richter scale was 1,685.45 These figures reveal that the number of earthquakes had increased by the beginning of the year Hijri 1400.
The Qur'an contains certain verses that point out the relation between earthquakes and the End Times. Surat al-Zilzal, the Chapter of the Great Shaking (earthquake), is composed of eight verses that describe the ground’s violent shaking. It further states that this seismic activity will be followed by the Day of Judgment, the Resurrection, and everyone being called to account for their deeds by God, Who then will reward or punish them according to His absolute justice:
61. Earth’s Collapse
The first sign of the Hour is Earth’s collapse. (Mukhtasar Tazkirah al-Qurtubi, p. 518)
When the latter generations of these people insult the former ones, expect red winds, Earth’s collapse, or the raining of stones from the heavens. (Tirmidhi)
At the End Times, when entertainment and dancers pervade and drinking is considered permissible, Earth will collapse, stones will pour [from the sky], and people will strip off their humane qualities. (Ahmad Diya'al-Din al-Kamushkhanawi, Ramuz al-Ahadith, vol. 2, p. 302, no. 8)
62. Conversion of Homes into Graves
He asked: “What becomes of you when death meets people and homes become graves?” (Mukhtasar Tazkirah al-Qurtubi, p. 392, no. 726)
63. Winds and Tornadoes
Doomsday will not happen until 10 portents are seen. The tenth is a tornado that will hurl people into the sea ... (Muhammad ibn `Abd ar-Rasul Barzanji, Al-Isha`ah li Ashrat as-Sa`ah, p. 288)
The tenth is a wind that will hurl people into the sea ... (Muhammad ibn `Abd ar-Rasul Barzanji, Al-Isha`ah li Ashrat as-Sa`ah, p. 288)
Natural disasters also destroy major cities. Statistics reveal that our time has seen an increase in both the number and the seriousness of natural disasters. In the last 10 years, disasters caused by climactic changes have become a novel phenomenon. A dangerous and unwanted byproduct of the Industrial Age is global warming. Industry is gradually disturbing the balance in the world's atmosphere, giving rise to climactic changes. According to the American National Climatic Data Center, many disasters occurred in 1998.46 For example, several observers called Hurricane Mitch one of Central America’s worst natural disasters.47 This hurricane hit Honduras and Nicaragua on 26th October 1998, and killed more than 10,000 people.48
The following are the most important disasters arising from climactic changes that have occurred in recent years:
On October 1987, the largest storm since 1703 hit southeast England. Around 15 million trees were felled, a great part of the forests disappeared, 16 people died, buildings were damaged, and ships were driven on to shore.49
In 1992, Hurricane Andrew caused around $0.5 billion worth of damage in the Gulf of Mexico alone. Damage in the Bahamas was estimated at $0.25 billion, and around 2 million people living along the eastern coast of America evacuated their homes.50
Approximately 500 to 1,000 people were killed by the storms that hit western Bangladesh on 13 May 1996. A further 30,000 people were injured and 100,000 people lost their homes.
On 27 March 1997, 27 people died in a tornado that hit Texas.
On 20 May 1998, 12 people died in a tornado that hit Georgia, USA.
The floods that affected middle and eastern Europe on August 2002 caused 114 casualties. During the severest hurricane of the last 40 years in South Korea on September 21, 2003, around 200 people died only in 2 days.51
In the last few years, hurricanes, storms, typhoons, and other such disasters have devastated quite a few areas. In addition, floods have caused mudslides that then engulfed entire villages or parts of cities. Earthquakes, volcanoes, and tidal waves also have caused great devastation. All of this destruction is an important sign.
Signs of Jesus’ (pbuh) Second Coming
The Signs from the Islamic Resources 6
64. Violent Rain
The Hour will not come until there has been rain which destroy all dwellings. (Ibn Ahmad Hanbal) An increase in rain and a reduction in grass ... occur because Doomsday is near. (Muhammad ibn `Abd ar-Rasul Barzanji, Al-Isha`ah li Ashrat as-Sa`ah, p. 137)
The Hour does not come until all mud-brick buildings, except for the stone ones, collapse. (Ibn Ahmad Hanbal, Musnad vol. 13, p. 291, no. 7554)
Heavy rains and the subsequent floods are among the great natural disasters that cause many casualties. Especially in recent years, such events have caused serious material damage and killed many people throughout the world. The floods that affected Europe in recent years are an example. Heavy downpours hit almost all of Europe, causing floods and submerging portions of many large cities.
The seasonal monsoon rains that strike India, Nepal, and Bangladesh in 2002 left behind 900 dead. In China, on the other hand, mudslides caused by heavy summer rains killed 1,000 people in August 2002.52
65. An Increased Amount of Lightning
Thunderbolts will increase so much as the Hour approaches that when a man comes to a people, he will ask, “Who amongst you was struck by a thunderbolt this morning?” and they will say, “So and so and so and so was struck.” (Ibn Ahmad Hanbal)
Earthquakes will destroy your homes, lightning will burn your herds, turning them into coals. (Nu`aym ibn Hammad)
The hadiths relate that the increased amount of lightning is a sign of Doomsday. As weather statistics indicate, the loss of possessions and the increased number of deaths due to lightning have become far more frequent in recent years. For example, in 1998 11 soccer players were killed in Congo when lightning struck their field. Similarly in 2001, lightning hit a football field in Mexico and killed 6 people. Aside from these incidents, lightning kills many people and animals each year.
66. Abandoning the True Religion and the Qur’an’s Moral Values
A time will come when the Qur’an will remain only with its picture, and Islam will remain only in name. Despite being the people who are most distant to Islam, they will be given Islamic names, and though prosperous in appearance, their mosques will be in ruins in the sense of guidance. (al-Hakim, ad-Daylami)
A time will come when the Qur’an will remain in one valley and the people in another. (al-Hakim, Tirmidhi)
A time will come when people’s faces are the faces of human beings, but their hearts are the hearts of evil. They are shedders of blood and do not avoid offensive acts. If you adhere to them, they protect you. If you trust them, they act treacherously. Their children are immoral, and their teenagers are unabashed. Their elderly, on the other hand, do not enjoin the good or forbid the evil. (al-Hatib)
A time comes when people will adopt the views of those who try to impose things unrelated to the religion as if they were of the religion, and thus unconsciously associate partners with God, when people will study to earn a living and make their religion a tool for mundane interests. (Son Zamanla İlgili Hadisler [Hadiths Related to The End Times], p. 68)
The hadiths dealing with the signs of the Last Day provide us with a detailed description of the period in which these signs will appear. For example, according to the above hadiths, the first stage of the End Times is a period during which religious morality seems to be applied, but in reality is one that almost completely rejects the Qur’an’s moral values; a period during which the Qur’an’s clear statements are overlooked, non-Islamic judgments are given in God’s name, religion falls into discord, worship is performed for show, religion is used for personal profit and gain, faith depends on imitation, and so-called Muslims are in the majority while real scholars and sincere Muslims are in the minority.
God states that on the Last Day, the Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) will say: "My Lord, my people treat this Qur'an as something to be ignored …" (Surat al-Furqan, 25:30). The hadiths also reveal that, during the End Times, the Qur'an's guidance will be disregarded and people will stray from it.
67. Not Pondering over the Qur'an in a Sincere Manner
The Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) said that although the Qur'an will be read, its knowledge and wisdom will be ignored. This is another sign of the End Times.
It would happen near the time when the knowledge is taken away. I asked: “God’s Messenger, how would the knowledge become extinct while we recite the Qur’an and we would teach it to our sons and then our descendants would teach it to their sons till the Day of Resurrection?” He replied: "… Do these Jews and the Christians not recite the Torah and the Bible without acting upon [the dictates] that are mentioned in them?” (Sunan Ibn Majah)
There Ummah will experience a time when people will recite the Qur'an, but it will not go further than their throats [into their hearts]. (Sahih Bukhari)
68. Muslims' Yearning for non-Muslims
The Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) said: "Surely you will follow the ways of those nations that were before you, span by span and cubit by cubit [i.e., inch by inch], so much so that even if they entered a lizard’s hole, you would follow them." (Sahih Bukhari)
The Hour will not come until my people adopt every inch of the centuries-old traditions one by one. They asked: “O Messenger, as is in the case of Persians and Greeks?” The Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) replied: “Including those people who are like them.” (Sahih Bukhari)
"I swear … that you also will follow in the footsteps of the nations that preceded you [e.g., Jews and Christians]. (Tirmidhi)
The hadiths of our Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) state that Muslim communities will yearn for and imitate non-Muslim ones. This hadith might be pointing out the prevalence of those ideologies and movements that are incompatible with Islamic morality and yet are widespread within the Muslim community. Following the disintegration of the Ottoman Empire, the spread of radical nationalist movements, especially in the Arab countries, is an example of this situation. Radical nationalism is a movement against Islamic morality, for it considers other nations as foes and demands a form of loyalty and love – which are actually legitimate feelings – to one’s nation, even to the extent of harming other nations. It is an aggressive ideology. According to the Qur’an’s morality, one’s love and respect for another is not based on race, lineage, or material wealth, but rather on his or her faith in and reverence for God. Believers are brothers and sisters, no matter from which race or nation they may be, and so have to remain in solidarity with each other.
Western ideologies that sneaked into the Islamic world are not limited to radical nationalism. At the beginning of the twentieth century, other Western movements that were incompatible with Islamic morality were introduced into the Islamic world by some Muslims who blindly embraced them and were thus deluded. This is one of the major reasons for the Islamic world’s instability and chaos, which has been going for more than 50 years. By God’s Will, when Prophet Jesus (pbuh) returns, this situation will change and all Muslims will adhere only to the Qur’an and the Sunnah, and thus enjoy the true peace, stability, and security brought about by religion’s true morality.
69. Fitna Alienates People from the Qur'an
Surat al-An`am, 6:26 speaks of those who keep others away from the Qur'an. The hadiths also indicate that corrupt manners of thought will be prevalent before Doomsday comes, and that systems that are far removed from truth and justice will come into being. These developments will cause great discord and draw people away from the ways of God.
Be prompt in doing good deeds [before you are overtaken] by turmoil [fitna] which would be like a part of dark night. (Sahih Muslim)
Before the Last Hour, there will be commotions [fitna] like pieces of a dark night in which a man will be a believer in the morning and an infidel in the evening, or a believer in the evening and infidel in the morning. (Sunan Abu Dawud)
70. Propagandists Distancing People from Islam’s Morality
… At that period, there will be some summoners [propagandists] who will call people to the gates of Hell. Whoever answers the call of these summoners, they will cast him into Hell. “O Messenger, can you tell us the characteristics of this group of summoners?” The Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) answered: “I will answer, they are a group of people from our nation who speak our language.” (Mukhtasar Tazkirah al-Qurtubi, p. 382, no. 698)
There exists a great blind and deaf fitna [that is, the kind of fitna that makes one blind from seeing the truth and deaf from hearing the just], grand evil. Within this fitna, there exist some summoners [propagandists] who call people toward the gates of Hell. (Mukhtasar Tazkirah al-Qurtubi, p. 380, no. 696)
In the near future, there will be horrible fitnas that will render one blind, deaf, and mute from seeing the truth; rendering them deaf from hearing the just words … In the turmoil of fitnas, the interference of language into the fitna and its propaganda will, like a sword blow, ensure its spread. (Mukhtasar Tazkirah al-Qurtubi, p. 390, no. 720)
As the hadiths reveal, our Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) informed us that some people will make propaganda in favor of immorality and irreligion. The present-day moral and social structures of some countries reveal the truth of this news. In fact, such propaganda spread by advanced communication tools can distance people from religion’s morality.
In addition, the deafening and muting effects brings to mind the oppression exerted upon contemporary Muslims in many countries, whose regimes put pressure on the freedom of thought and hinder people from expressing their thoughts and beliefs. As we know, Muslims in some Arab and African countries cannot express their thoughts freely and are oppressed because of their faith.
71. Hypocritical and Fraudulent Clergy
God's Messenger (may God bless him and grant him peace), revealed that in the End Times, some people acknowledged as scholars will actually be two-faced impostors:
Wolves will give readings in the End Times. Let those who live to see those times seek shelter from their evil in God. They will be very corrupt people. Hypocrisy will prevail, and nobody will be ashamed of it and its manifestations. (Tirmidhi)
God's Messenger (may God bless him and grant him peace) said: “A man will wake up as a believer, and be an unbeliever by nightfall. People will sell their religion for a small amount of wordly goods." (Ibn Ahmad Hanbal)
He said: “In mosques, the voices of those who rebel aganist God rise, and those who commit those deeds prohibited by religion hold control over sincere believers.” (Mukhtasar Tazkirah al-Qurtubi, p. 450, no. 828)
Ultimately some ignorant people remain. When they are asked about religious issues, they give a fatwa ]juridical decision], although they are illiterate. This way, they pervert and also make others stray from the right path. (Mukhtasar Tazkirah al-Qurtubi, p. 463, no. 850)
What a pity for my community, because of the scholars who have gone astray! These are the people who make religion a matter of commerce. They approach the chiefs of their time to earn their living. (al-Hatim)
A time will come when everyone will read the Qur’an, perform their acts of worship, and, meanwhile, engage in bid`a [innovation in worship that must be avoided]. Yet little do they know that they become idolaters in a way of which they are unaware. They earn money in return for their reading and knowledge, and consume the time of this life in return for the religion. These will become the followers of the blind Dajjal. (ad-Daylami)
Those people who show no respect for the laws of Islam and who do not hesitate to use religion as a means for their own profit are described in the following terms:
In the End Times of the community of the faithful, people, those who adorn the mosques but leave their own hearts in ruins, who fail to look after their religion as much as they do their clothes, who forsake their religious obligations for the sake of their activities in this world, will increase in number. (al-Hakim)
72. Degeneration among Politicians
In the End Times there will be cruel rulers, wicked ministers, treacherous judges, and lying hodjas. If anyone goes to them, let him not be allied to them, help them, or show them the way. (Risalat al-Khuruj al-Mahdi, p. 182)
Some chiefs and rulers of states will … take [unjustly] what is not given to you [as the poor ones entitled to take] from the state treasure. (Mukhtasar Tazkirah al-Qurtubi, p. 380, no. 697)
Soon there will appear some chiefs who will confiscate your food and soothe you with lies. They will work, yet what they do will be evil. Their worst attribute is that they will not be pleased with you until you consider their evil as good and confirm their lies. (al-Tabarani)
One by one, the principles of Islam will be violated and some statesmen will misguide people ... (al-Hakim, Mustadrak)
One important feature of this time is the emergence of ruthless, cruel leaders who lead their peoples to disaster. The twentieth century was full of such people. These individuals, who adopted ideologies far removed from the moral values of religion, became notorious for the cruelties they inflicted and for the sufferings they caused due to war and other conflicts.
Chairman Mao had thousands of citizens killed solely for opposing him, and was responsible for the deaths of millions during his regime. Under the influence of fascist ideology, Mussolini led his people to a terrible disaster by dragging his country into World War II. Mobutu has gone down in history as one of Africa’s most ruthless dictators.
73. Abandoning "Enjoining the Right and Forbidding the Wrong" as an Act of Worship
The Hour will approach … when good is abandoned and nobody enjoins it, and evil is committed and no one forbids it. (Mukhtasar Tazkirah al-Qurtubi, p. 480)
The Hour draws near, and the good deeds diminish. (Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Rasul Barzanji, Al-Isha`ah li Ashrat as-Sa`ah, p. 264)
With the verse “Let there be a community among you who call to the good, and enjoin the right, and forbid the wrong. They are the ones who have success” (Surah Al `Imran, 3:104), God makes it compulsory (fardh) for people to enjoin good and forbid evil. People’s failure to do so is a sign of the Hour as well as of Prophet Jesus’ (pbuh) second coming, an event that heralds the great events due to occur before the Hour.
Signs of Jesus’ (pbuh) Second Coming
The Signs from the Islamic Resources 7
74. Good Is Confused with Evil
“What will become of you when you do not enjoin the right and forbid the wrong?” he asked. [Those around him asked in amazement:] “Will that truly happen?” “Yes, and even worse!” he replied, and went on to ask: “What will become of you when you enjoin the wrong and forbid the good?” Those around him were astonished: “O Prophet! Will that also happen?” “Yes, and even worse!” he replied, and continued: “What will become of you when you regard good as evil and evil as good?” The people around him asked: “O Prophet! Will that also come to pass?” “Yes, it will,” he replied. (Ibn Abi Ya'la, Musnad; al-Tabarani, al-Awsat)
The hadith states that good is totally confused with evil in societies that are far removed from religious values. People are regarded as naïve for doing what is right and exhibiting proper moral values, and those who trample on others' rights in their own interests are regarded as clever and competent. This situation, which is completely opposed to the Qur’an’s moral values, has become a fixed concept in many present-day societies.
75. Close People Will Encourage One Another to Evil
The destruction of a person will be in the hands of his parent; if not, of his wife; and again if not, in his relative. They will blame him for his failure to earn his living, cause him to drift into deeds of which he is incapable, and ultimately make him get involved in dark and dangerous deeds, at the cost of his destruction. (Abu Naim)
76. The Number of True Believers Being Very Few
The Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) says that in the End Times, very few people will be true believers:
There will come a time for my people when … the mosques will be full of people, but they will be empty of right guidance. (al-Hakim)
77. Use of Mosques for Different Purposes
The hadith quoted below reveals that one sign of the End Times is that mosques will be used only as social gathering places:
The Hour will not come until mosques cease to be places where people pray, but become places where people stop by. (Son Zamanla İlgili Hadisler [Hadiths Related to the End Times], p. 87)
The Last Hour will not come until people vie with one another about mosques. (Sunan Abu Dawud, Ibn Hibban, and Ibn Majah)
78. Appearance of People Who Recite the Qur'an for Personal Benefit
In the End Times, some people will recite the Qur'an for profit rather than for gaining God's approval:
Let him who reads the Qur'an ask [his reward] from God, because in the End Times many people will read it and seek their reward from other people. (Tirmidhi)
When our scholars study in order to take your gold and silver, and when you take the Qur'an for trade, then Doomsday is at hand.(Muhammad ibn 'Abd ar-Rasul Barzanji, Al-Isha`ah li Ashrat as-Sa`ah, p. 141)
Another sign is that the Qur'an will be recited in ways far removed from its real purpose:
When the Qur'an is recited as if singing a song, and when a person is esteemed for reading in that way, even though he is not knowledgeable … (Al-Tabarani)
79. Faith in Horoscopes and Refutation of Fate
Some Muslims will have a wrong understanding of fate, while some will believe that the stars can grant knowledge of the future. This is another indication of the End Times:
The Hour will come when people will believe in the stars and reject Qadar [the Divine Decree of destiny]. (Al-Haythami, Kitab al-Fitan)
80. Making Hajj (the Pilgrimage to Makkah) for Purposes Other Than God's Good Pleasure
Making Hajj for commerce, travel, ostentation, or for a change is another portent of the End Times:
A time will come when the wealthy perform Hajj for travel, the average man for commerce, their scholars for ostentation and hypocrisy, and the poor for begging for alms. (Ahmad Diya'al-Din al-Kamushkhanawi, Ramuz al-Ahadith, p. 503, no. 8)
81. People Inclining to the Desires of their Lower Selves
A time will come when people's concerns will be making a living, their honor will be their possessions, and their qiblah [the direction Muslims face during formal worship] will be their women. Their religion will be gold and silver. These are the people's evils, and they will have nothing in God's sight. (al-Sulami)
82. Social Deterioration
... When people suffer strife and social upheaval... (Ahmad Diya'al-Din al-Kamushkhanawi, Ramuz al-Ahadith, vol.7, p. 7)
A serious problem today is the disintegration of many societies' social fabric. This collapse is discernable in such phenomena as broken families, increased divorce and illegitimate birth rates, which naturally injure and even destroy the institution of the family. Stress, anxiety, unhappiness, worry, and chaos turn the lives of many people into nightmares. People living in a spiritual void, looking for a way out of their depression, fall into a bleak mire of alcohol or drugs. Some who think that there is no solution even consider suicide as a way out.
One striking mark of social decline is the huge increase in crime, which has now reached substantial proportions. The report "Universal Crime and Justice" prepared by the United Nations' International Crime Prevention Center, contains a general appraisal of crime throughout the world:
Basically, as in the 1980s, the crime rate continued to rise in the 1990s. Everywhere in the world, in a five-year period, two-thirds of the people living in large cities have been the target at least once of a criminal action. All over the world, the odds of being the target of a serious crime (robbery, sexual crimes, assault) are one in five. Regardless of the area, crimes against property, and crimes of violence committed by youth, have both had economic ramifications. The number of types of illicit drugs has increased and their nature has diversified in recent years.53
Actually, this is not surprising, for the causes of such a societal phenomenon are clearly related in the Qur'an’s accounts of past societies. Social deterioration and its related problems are the inevitable results of human beings' forgetting God, why they were created, and their abandoning of religion and its spiritual values.
Such social deterioration was predicted by the Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace), who described the End Times as "When people suffer strife and social upheaval." (Ahmad Diya'al-Din al-Kamushkhanawi, Ramuz al-Ahadith, vol. 7, p. 7)
83. Adherence to Traitors, and Considering the Righteous as Treacherous
Soon years containing treacheries and tricks will come. A liar will be declared true in them and a true man will be declared a liar; a treacherous will be designated as trustworthy and a trustworthy as a treacherous. (Ibn Majah)
The time will be years of confusion. People will believe a liar and not believe one who tells the truth. (Ibn Ahmad Hanbal)
The Day of Judgment will not come until the very lowest people are the happiest. (Tirmidhi)
The acceptance of lies and rejection of the truth are among the portents of Doomsday. (al-Tabarani)
The liar will be received well, and the one who tells the truth will be rejected. People will trust traitors, and the ones who are trustworthy will be treated as traitors... Then lies will spread... (Fera Idu Fevaidi'l Fiqr Fi'l Imam al-Mahdi al-Muntadhar, pp. 146-47)
Tricky years lie before the Hour. At those times, trustworthy people are accused and traitors are believed. The trustworthy one is silenced, and the liar is seen as reliable. (Ibn Asakir)
It is a sign of the Hour when one who is not fit possesses a lot and is brought to a good status, while one who is capable is ousted. (Nu`aym ibn Hammad, Kitab al-Fitan)
Therefore, the increase in the amount of evil people, as well as the facts that trustworthy people are considered liars and that some presumed liars are actually trustworthy are all characteristics of the End Times.
Signs of Jesus’ (pbuh) Second Coming
The Signs from the Islamic Resources 8
84. The Decreasing Number of Reliable People
One hadith reveals that before the advent of Prophet Jesus (pbuh), there will be few trustworthy people and only little money earned according to the rules and laws of our religion:
In the End Times, people will be carrying out their trade, but there will hardly be a trustworthy person. (Sahih Bukhari, Sahih Muslim)
Good people will all go, leaving behind them bad people, like useless barley and grapes. (Ibn Ahmad Hanbal, Sahih Bukhari)
85. The Decreasing Number of Trustworthy People
The hadiths report that close to Doomsday, the number of trustworthy people will diminish and that people will seize and use that which has been entrusted to them. Moreover, we are told that people will fall behind in their obligation to give alms:
When the spoils are restricted to a few people, when goods entrusted to one are regarded as booty, when giving alms is regarded as a heavy burden... (Muhammad ibn `Abd ar-Rasul Barzanji, Al-Isha`ah li Ashrat as-Sa`ah, p. 114)
Goods entrusted to one being regarded as booty, and the giving of alms being regarded as a loan [which is hard to repay]... (Muhammad ibn `Abd al-Rasul Barzanji, Al-Isha`ah li Ashrat as-Sa`ah, p.139)
When you see people breaking their words and promises, disregarding their trusts... (Mukhtasar Tazkirah al-Qurtubi, p. 378, no. 690)
86. Abandoning Almsgiving
When they regard giving alms as a punishment [a burden instead of a religious observance]. (Tirmidhi)
When that time comes, alms will be taken by force as a punishment and extortion as loot. (Fera Idu Fevaidi'l Fiqr Fi'l Imam al-Mahdi al-Muntadhar, pp. 146-47)
Protecting and watching over the poor and needy is a requirement of the religion's moral values. God has commanded believers to give alms to those in need, to meet their needs, and to protect and watch over them. As a result of this moral necessity, poverty disappears in societies that live by religion's moral values, due to the existence of social solidarity. In the End Times, on the other hand, people will turn away from the religion's moral values, causing the almost total disappearance of almsgiving.
87. Abandoning Salah (Prayers)
Hudaifa bin Yaman narrated that God's Messenger (may God bless him and grant him peace) said: Islam would extinquish just as the embroidery of a fabric become worn-out so much so that none would know… what prayer is. (Sunan Ibn Majah)
The Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) said: "One sign of Doomsday is the abandonment of salah... At that time, O Salman! The most wicked of all sins and irreligiousness will occur. People will abandon salah and adhere to their lust. If you are alive during that period, perform your prayers at their respective times." (Fera Idu Fevaidi'l Fiqr Fi'l Imam al-Mahdi al-Muntadhar, pp. 146-47)
People will encounter such a time that salah [prayers] will be abandoned, buildings will be higher, oaths and curses will be everywhere, bribery and adultery will spread, and the Hereafter will be exchanged for this life. (Muhammad ibn `Abd al-Rasul Barzanji, Al-Isha`ah li Ashrat as-Sa`ah, p. 157)
88. The Spread of False Testimony and Slander
Verily, in the presence of the Last Hour there will be … false testimony and concealing evidence. (Ibn Ahmad Hanbal and al-Hakim)
There will be false accusations of unchastity and slander. (Tirmidhi)
The spread of false testimony and slander are further important portents of Doomsday. Such activities occur because people distance themselves from religion's morality, which entails being honest under all conditions and being just even at the expense of one's self-interest. People who are distant from religion's morality and unaware that they will give an account of their deeds on the Day of Judgment can readily tell lies or give false testimony if doing so will benefit them. The growing number of such people is a sign of Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) second coming:
89. Giving Positions of Responsibility to Incompetent People
The hadith quoted below stresses another sign:
God's Apostle said, "When honesty is lost, then wait for the Hour." It was asked. "How will honesty be lost, O God's Apostle?" He said, "When authority is given to those who do not deserve it, then wait for the Hour." (Sahih Bukhari)
90. Considering One's Superiority To Be in Wealth Rather than in Awareness of God
It becomes obvious that the Hour is drawing near … When people esteem the well-off, and people who are superior to him stand up and salute him. (Mukhtasar Tazkirah al-Qurtubi, pp. 480-81)
People will be judged by their wealth, and respect will be shown to people according to their wealth. These qualities are signs of Doomsday, for:
Before the Hour comes, there will be special greeting for the people of distinction. (Ibn Ahmad Hanbal)
91. The Decay of Human Relations
The hadiths also mention the destruction of social relations between people:
Verily among the signs of the Last Hour is the greeting [Salaam] is limited to those known only… (Ibn Ahmad Hanbal)
The Hour will not come until hearts become strangers, words become apart, and brothers adhere to other religions.(ad-Daylami)
The Hour will not come until special people, rather than ordinary people, are saluted. (Mukhtasar Tazkirah al-Qurtubi, p. 470)
Breaking ties with kin is among the signs of the Last Hour. (Ibn Ahmad Hanbal)
92. People Value Their Pets More Than Other People
When Doomsday approaches, people will have puppies. They will hold these puppies much dearer than their own children. (al-Tabarani, al-Hakim)
Having love and compassion for animals, as well as admiring the beauties God has granted them, are surely favorable characteristics. However, the event related here is the replacement of love for people with love for animals. This is surely a warped viewpoint.
93. The Decay of Family Relations
Another characteristic will be the disintegration of relationships among families, between friends and neighbors, and the loss of community and spiritual values:
Before the Hour comes; … family ties will be cut… (Ibn Ahmad Hanbal, Musnad)
There would [first] be turmoil for a person in regard to his family, his property, his own self, his children, his neighbors. (Sahih Bukhari, Sahih Muslim)
The portents of Doomsday [consist of] saying ugly things to one another, mockery, hostility, the severing of relations with relatives, regarding a trustworthy person as a traitor, and trusting a traitor. (Muhammad ibn `Abd ar-Rasul Barzanji, Al-Isha`ah li Ashrat as-Sa`ah, pp. 136-37)
Signs of Jesus’ (pbuh) Second Coming
The Signs from the Islamic Resources 9
94. Diminished Love and Respect among People
Young people will be rebellious, and love and respect between young people and adults will deteriorate:
When the old have no compassion for the young, when the young show no respect to the old … when children grow angry … judgment is at hand. (Narrated by Umar [r.a.], Mukhtasar Tazkirah al-Qurtubi, p. 480)
Respect for the old and compassion for the young will disappear. (Muhammad ibn `Abd ar-Rasul Barzanji, Al-Isha`ah li Ashrat as-Sa`ah, p. 140)
95. Weakening of the Family Structure
The hadiths also state that divorce and the number of illegitimate children will increase:
Divorce will be a daily occurrence. (Allamah Safarini, Ahwal Yawm al-Qiyamah)
There will be an abundance of illegitimate children. (Muntakhab Kanz al-`Ummaal)
96. Increase in Worldly Ambition
Influenced by materialism and their worldview, people will be excessively attached to this world and forget about the Afterlife:
Stinginess will dominate…(Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim)
… Niggardliness will be cast into people's hearts… (Sahih Bukhari and Abu Dawud)
97. Prevalence of Hypocrisy and Ostentation
... on that day, people will not abstain from hypocrisy, and it will not embarrass people (Mukhtasar Tazkirah al-Qurtubi, p. 458, no. 835)
Hypocrisy will prevail; hypocrisy and ostentation will not be a matter of shame. (Mukhtasar Tazkirah al-Qurtubi, p. 470)
98. Spread of Cursing and Abuse
The End Times is a period of widespread cursing and abuse among people. This situation is expressed as follows:
In the Last Days, there will be such people, who, when they meet, curse and abuse each other instead of greeting [with salaam]. (Jalal ad-Din as-Suyuti, Durre-Mansoor)
The community of the faithful will be on a favorable path until they encounter three things: Until goodness disappears, until immoral children grow in number, and until essekkarun appears amongst them… They asked what is essekkarun? They answered, a generation that will emerge in the End Times, among whom greetings will be regarded as vile oaths. (Muhammad ibn `Abd ar-Rasul Barzanji, Al-Isha`ah li Ashrat as-Sa`ah, pp. 141-42)
99. Spread of Forgery and Bribery
In the End Times, forgery and bribery in business life will become common and will continue to spread, for:
Verily a time will reach the people, when the believer would not be concerned over what he earned from money, whether it is from halal [lawful] or haram [unlawful]. (Ibn Ahmad Hanbal)
When Doomsday approaches... people will cheat in measures and weights. (Ramuz al Hadith, vol. 33, p.7)
When people cheat in measures and weights. (Muhammad ibn `Abd ar-Rasul Barzanji, Al-Isha`ah li Ashrat as-Sa`ah, p. 139)
Taking bribery... is among the signs of Doomsday. (Mukhtasar Tazkirah al-Qurtubi, p. 454)
100. Increase of Gossip and Derision
Another characteristic will be the increased level of gossip and mockery of other people:
As Judgment draws near... the most respected people of the age will be flatterers and sycophants. (at-Tabarani )
There will be an abundance of critics, tale-carriers, backbiters, and taunters in society.(Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Muntakhab Kanz al-`Ummaal)
The Last Hour will not arrive until people come forth who make a living with their tongues, just as cows eat with their tongues. (Tirmidhi)
A time will come when a man will remain among his people but live in fear of being derided. (ad-Daylami)
However, God informs us that gossip and derision are evil, and commands believers to avoid them. One verse reads:
O you who believe! People should not ridicule others who may be better than themselves, nor should any women ridicule other women who may be better than themselves. And do not find fault with one another or insult each other with derogatory nicknames. How evil it is to have a name for evil conduct after coming to faith! Those people who do not turn from it are wrongdoers. O you who believe! Avoid most suspicion. Indeed some suspicion is a crime. And do not spy and do not backbite one another. Would any of you like to eat his brother's dead flesh? No, you would hate it. And be aware of God. (Surat al-Hujurat, 49:11-12)
101. Some Young People Turn Away from Religion's Morality
Ali [r.a.] relates: "The Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) once asked: 'What will become of you when your young people turn to wrongdoing, and your women turn to excess?'" (Agreed upon)
Young people's proneness to distance themselves from religion's morality is also a sign of the End Times. Young people who are vulnerable to diversion and misguidance can readily come under the influence of movements that are incompatible with the Qur'an's morality or incline toward irreligious lifestyles. A lack of proper education concerning religion's true morality accounts for this. This situation is especially apparent in some Western countries and those ruled by communist regimes for an extended period of time.
102. The Collapse of Moral Values
In our day, a great danger threatens the world's social fabric. Just as a virus kills the human body, this danger – the degradation of those moral values that help maintain a healthy society – brings about a subtle social collapse.
From the hadiths of our Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace), we understand that social degeneration will prevail in the End Times. One hadith tells us that people will engage openly in prostitution:
The Hour will not come until hearts become strangers, words become apart, and brothers adhere to other religions.(ad-Daylami)
Homosexuality, prostitution, premarital and extramarital sex, sexual misdemeanors, pornography, sexual harassment, and the increase of sex-related illnesses are important indications of the collapse of moral values.
These remain continual matters of public concern. Some people are not aware of this growing danger and so mistakenly consider it as normal. But, statistics show that with every passing day, this danger is spreading unperceived.
The proportion of sex-related illnesses is an important indication of the problems facing humanity. According to World Health Organization (WHO), sex-related diseases form one of the largest segments of illnesses. These reports show that of an estimated 333 million new cases of sexually transmitted diseases occur in the world every year.54 In addition, AIDS continues to be the most serious problem. WHO statistics indicate that AIDS has killed 18.8 million people since the beginning of the epidemic in the early 1980s.55 The WHO report for 2000 sums up the situation succinctly: "AIDS is unique in its devastating impact on the social, economic and demographic underpinnings of development."56
Among the most frightening developments is the spread of homosexuality. In some countries, homosexuals can legally marry, enjoy its social benefits, and form associations and organizations. Around the world, their activities show their opposition to religious faith and their antagonism to religious values.
This is a characteristic of our age, for such things have never happened before since the time of the Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace).
The audacity of today's homosexuals makes one think of what happened to Lot's people, who were noted for their homosexuality. As the Qur'an says, when they flamboyantly rejected Lot's (pbuh) invitation to the right path, God destroyed the city and its people by a great disaster. As a reminder, the remains of this perverse society still lie beneath the water of Lut's Lake (the Dead Sea).
It is clear that the hadiths describing the moral degeneration of the End Times are coming true today. This once again reminds us that, by God's Will, Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) return to this world is very close.
103. Spread of Adultery
The Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace)says that the spread of extramarital sexual relationships is a sign of Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) second coming:
The Hour will come when adultery becomes widespread. (Sahih Bukhari)
The weakening of moral values and a sense of shame is described in these words:
The Last Hour will not be established until they [wicked people] commit adultery on the roads [public ways]. (Ibn Hibban and al-Bazzar)
Children of adultery will grow in number. Many people will commit adultery with women in the middle of the street. (Muhammad ibn `Abd ar-Rasul Barzanji, Al-Isha`ah li Ashrat as-Sa`ah, p. 140)
A time will come when adultery with women will be committed in the middle of the road. Nobody will object to this. (Muhammad ibn '`Abd ar-Rasul Barzanji, Al-Isha`ah li -Ashrat as-Sa`ah, p. 142)
It is interesting to note that, recently, scenes of prostitution captured by hidden cameras have been broadcast on television. Prostitutes have sexual intercourse with their customers in the middle of the street. This is another sign of the Last Day as revealed in a hadith, one which millions of people have witnessed.
Signs of Jesus’ (pbuh) Second Coming
The Signs from the Islamic Resources 9
104. Acceptance of Homosexuality
These hadiths show that tolerating homosexuality as a normal way of life is an important sign of the period before the Last Day.
Men will imitate women; and women will imitate men. (Jalal ad-Din as-Suyuti, Durre-Mansoor)
The Hour will draw nigh when men are content with men and women are content with women. (Mukhtasar Tazkirah al-Qurtubi)
105. Epidemics
Epidemics such as plague, that is, the disease that hits sheep; it will seize you... (Mukhtasar Tazkirah al-Qurtubi, p. 417, no. 761)
"O Awf ibn Malik! Shall I recite you six signs preceding Doomsday?" I [Awf ibn Malik] said: "What are they, o Resullulah?" He [The Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace)] said: "Two fatal diseases, such as cholera and anthrax, will spread among you." (Sahih Bukhari)
Two fatal diseases will spread among you, such as the Ikasu'l-Ganem [a fatal and epidemic animal disease]. (Jami` al-Ushul, vol. 10, p. 412)
Throughout history, epidemics have always raged among people. However, compared to the ones in the past, today's epidemics spread much faster. Moreover, those that used to affect only a certain part of the world now can spread to many countries simultaneously.
This aside, in our day, new and unknown epidemics appear. Within the last 20-30 years, we have had to deal with AIDS, SARS, Ebola, and Mad Cow, which have become great threats.
In 2002-03, the following news items appeared regarding dangerous diseases:
The Death Toll of Malaria in Ethiopia: 4,200
Local authorities stated that the epidemic became the leading cause of death between May and August, killing 4,200.(27.06.2003 www.ntvmsnbc.com)
AIDS Death Toll May Reach 70 Million
Researches warned that AIDS will kill 70 million people in the year 2020. (27.06.2003 www.ntvmsnbc.com)
The Chronological Progress of SARS
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) persists in being fearsome, despite the news that it is under control in some countries and has slowed down in others. (29.04.2003 www.ntvmsnbc.com)
Increase in the Number of Sudden Deaths Epidemics in Iran
Thirty percent of the cattle are infected by a fatal virus in Iran. The public has been warned about an epidemic known as "Crimean and Congolese Fever." According to IRNA, Muhammed Mehdi Guya, chairman of the Disease Management Center of the Ministry of Health, said that in one year, 20 out of 140 people who are infected by the disease have died. (25.05.2002, www.hurriyetim.com.tr)
106. Reports of Sudden Death Will Multiply
Count six things before the Last Hour comes: My death, then the conquest of Jerusalem, then a mortal disease which will affect you like qu'as [deadly pain in the chest] in sheep. (Sunan Ibn Majah, as-Sa`ah, p. 123)
Six things will happen to this ummah: … the fourth is that sudden death will be widespread. (Ibn Ahmad Hanbal, Musnad)
In our day, there is an increase in the number of diseases that cause sudden death, such as heart attacks brought on by various forms of malnutrition and improper lifestyles.
107. An Increase in Murders
The Hour [Last Day] will not be established until murders increase. (Sahih Bukhari)
Doomsday will not come until your leaders kill and the wicked inherit your world. (Muhammad ibn `Abd ar-Rasul Barzanji, Al-Isha`ah li Ashrat as-Sa`ah, p. 141)
... The appearance of strife, terrifying situations, and murders. (Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi `Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir az-Zaman, p. 39)
The Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) said: "When the time would draw close to the Last Hour, the Harj will increase." They said: "What is al-Harj?" Thereupon he said: "It is bloodshed and slaughter."(Sahih Bukhari, Sahih Muslim and Sunan Abu Dawud)
"… the shedding of blood … is one of the portents of Doomsday." (Muhammad ibn `Abd ar-Rasul Barzanji, Al-Isha`ah li Ashrat as-Sa`ah, p. 142)
He [the Prophet (pbuh)] said: "Before the Hour comes, there will be a lot of harj." I asked: "O God's Messenger, what is harj?" He replied: "It is murder, that is, murders..." What we mean by murder is not killing idolaters, but killing one another, to such an extent that it is killing one's neighbor, nephew, or close relative." (Mukhtasar Tazkirah al-Qurtubi, p. 385, no. 711)
An increase in murders is an obvious sign of the End Times. We can readily say that the events related in these hadiths have occurred, for in our day people hire murderers and others join organized crime rings.
108. Increase in Suicides
People kill themselves, and mischief prevails all over the world. (Ibn Kathir, An-Nihaya, vol.1, p. 131)
109. Civil Wars and Conflicts
In the near future, there will be people who will cause fitna and conflict. (Mukhtasar Tazkirah al-Qurtubi, p. 376, no. 685)
Doomsday will not come until a person kills his brother. (Muhammad ibn `Abd ar-Rasul Barzanji, Al-Isha`ah li Ashrat as-Sa'ah, p. 141)
Doomsday will not come until hearts hate one another, ideas are divided, and brothers fall into conflict over religion. (Muhammad ibn `Abd ar-Rasul Barzanji, Al-Isha`ah li Ashrat as-Sa`ah,pp. 142-43)
In Zaire, the civil war between the Hutus and the Tutsis is an example of the conflicts that raged in the twentieth century. Colonel Joseph Mobutu, who came to power in 1964, opened all of the country's natural resources and diamond mines to West. Making no effort to encourage social development, he amassed a huge fortune for himself and indulged in extravagance. The conflicts that befell the Zairian people turned out to be a great genocide, during which almost half a million people died.
Wars that raged among different tribes, that is, "fanatical rage," caused brutal events in many other countries as well. In the Qur'an, God calls attention to "fanatical rage," a feeling of rage and hatred unique to those people who are ignorant of the religion's morality, as follows:
Those who disbelieve filled their hearts with fanatical rage – the fanatical rage of the Time of Ignorance – and God sent down serenity to His Messenger and to the believers, and bound them to the expression of heedfulness, which they had most right to and were most entitled to. God has knowledge of all things. (Surat al-Fath, 48:26)
This enmity and hatred, which God has forbidden, will be seen in the End Times. The return of Prophet Jesus (pbuh), however, will be a blessed period during which all of this hostility, war, and conflict will end and be replaced by peace and security.
110. An Increase in Literacy
It is of the conditions of the Hour that the learning will be raised up and illiteracy will be prevalent… (Mishkat-ul-Masabih, vol.4, no 58)
A significant difference that distinguishes the twentieth and the twenty-first centuries from previous ages is the advance in literacy. In earlier times, this ability was restrictedto a particular group of privileged people, whereas, toward the end of the twentieth century, UNESCO and other government and private organizations organized worldwide campaigns to promote literacy. This mobilization of educational resources, with its attendant technological innovations and humanitarian services, has born great fruit, for according to one UNESCO report, the average literacy rate in 2003 was 84%.57
This figure is certainly the highest in human history.
111. Time Grows Short
The Hour will not arrive until… time gets shorter and vehicles make distances short. (Sahih Bukhari)
The Hour will not come until a person who travels on his mount feels no fear other than losing his way between Iraq and Makkah. (Muntakhab Kanz al-`Ummal, vol. 2, pp. 370-71)
The Last Day will not be established until… time will pass quickly. (Sahih Bukhari)
Great distances will be traversed in short spans of time. (Ibn Ahmad Hanbal, Musnad)
In our time, supersonic aircraft, trains, and other advanced vehicles can carry us to a certain place in hours instead of months. Moreover, they can do so more easily, comfortably, and safely. In this sense, this sign has come true.
The Qur'an mentions vehicles that are the product of modern advanced technology:
And horses, mules, and donkeys both to ride and for adornment. And He creates other things you do not know. (Surat an-Nahl, 16:8)
Other hadiths mention the contraction of time, as follows:
Time gets closer, and the day and the night approach one another. (Mukhtasar Tazkirah al-Qurtubi, p. 374, no. 681)
The Hour will not take place before time shrinks. One year will be like a month, one month will be like a week, a week will be like a day, and a day will be like an hour; and an hour will be like a burning flame.(Ibn Ahmad Hanbal, Musnad)
Abu Hurayra quoted that the Prophet of God (may God bless him and grant him peace) as saying: The Last Hour will not happen until time draws close, a year will be like a month, a month will be like a week, a week will be like a day, a day will be like an hour, and an hour will be like burning and combustion of palm leaves. (Ibn Ahmad Hanbal and Ibn Hibban)
These hadiths also indicate that people will save lots of time. International communication that used to take weeks now takes a couple of seconds, thanks to the Internet and other modern communications technology. Goods that took months to reach their destinations can now be transported far more quickly. Today, millions of books can be published in the time it took to write just one book a few centuries ago. Daily things we now take for granted, such as hygiene, methods of food preparation, and child-care, no longer require as much time, thanks to modern technological inventions.
We could easily provide many more examples. However, what is important here is that we realize that the signs revealed by the Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) are now coming true.
112. An Increase in Urbanization
"O Anas! People will build cities. Some of those cities will be called 'Basra and Kusaire'." (Mukhtasar Tazkirah al-Qurtubi)
Especially with the Industrial Revolution, the influences of which began to be felt after the 1850s, rural people started settling in cities. Since then, the world's urban population has increased steadily. Research reveals that by 2020, Turkey will be 80 percent urbanized.58
This previously unseen development is an obvious sign of the End Times.
113. The Construction of Tall Buildings
There will be no [Day of] Judgment until very tall buildings are constructed. (Narrated by Abu Hurayra)
When the shepherds would vie with one another in constructing buildings, it is one the signs of the Last Hour. (Sahih Muslim)
Multistoried buildings began to be constructed only toward the end of the nineteenth century. Technological developments, the growing use of steel and elevators accelerated the construction of skyscrapers, which became an important part of architecture during the last 100 years. Today, they are symbols of prestige for some people. Some of the tallest buildings are as follows:
CNN Tower (Canada)- 555 m.
Oriental Pearl TV Tower (China) – 467 m.
Petronas Tower 1 & 2 (Malaysia) – 449 m.
Sears Tower (Chicago) – 443 m.59
This hadith has been fulfilled, for people now compete in building tall buildings, and nations compete in building the tallest skyscrapers. It is surely a miracle that our Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) informed us that this would be an important sign that we are living in the End Times, the period before Doomsday.
