What is the expected time in islam? When will the time come?
There Will Come a Time When…
By informing his Community of some of the trials and upheavals that will take place at the approach of the Last Day, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace said) demands that they remain on guard and careful in this regard. Some of these prophetic narrations are the following:
“There will come a time when there will be no one left who does not consume riba (usury) and whoever does not consume it directly, some of its dust[1] will reach them nonetheless.” (Abu Dawud, Buyu’, 3/3331)[2]
“A time will come when a person will not care from what source they get their livelihood nor whether it is lawful or unlawful.” (Bukhari, Buyu’, 7, 23)
“The time will come when the liar is believed and the truthful is rejected, the deceitful is trusted and the trustworthy is considered treacherous. A person will give testimony when they are not asked for it and will make vows and not fulfil them.
The luckiest of people in their worldly affairs will be the least in terms of faith, they will not believe Allah and his Messenger, worst of the worst. “(Tabarani, al-Mu’jam al-Kabir, XXIII, 314; Haythami, VII, 283)
“There will come a time when the people will refrain from enjoining what is good and trying to prevent what is evil.” (Haythami, Majma’ al-Zawa’id, 280)
Thawban (may Allah be well pleased with him) narrates:
“The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace said) said, ‘The time is near when nations will summon one another to attack you as diners invite others to a meal.
Someone asked, ‘Will it be because of our small numbers on that day?’
He replied, ‘No, rather you will be many on that day, but you will be like the scum and dirt carried by flood waters. Allah will remove your fear from the hearts of your enemies and fill your hearts with wahn.’
Someone asked, “Messenger of Allah, what is wahn?’
He said, ‘love of this world and a dislike of death.'” (Abu Dawud, Malahim, 5/4297; Ahmad, V, 278)
As can be understood from this prophetic narration, that the enemies of Islam will invite each other to collaborate to break up the Muslims, to divide them and eventually to destroy them. And they will do this with the ease of one who invites others to their table for a meal. That is to say, just as it is easy for them to dine at their own table, the unbelievers will call for an alliance against Islam, take the lives of Muslims, invade their lands and plunder their wealth and resources with the same ease and leisure.
The emboldening of the unbelievers will be due to small numbers of Muslims, but rather their weakness in respect to belief and God-Consciousness, and their excessive attachment to the world. This is due to the fact that a person who fears death and who is attached to the world cannot make sacrifices, cannot endure difficulties. Naturally such people give up the struggle that must be fought with their wealth and their selves. It is from the love of this world that the Muslims lose the awe-inspiring dignity that causes fear in the hearts of their enemies. As a result, the enemies of Islam will have no qualms about causing harm to Muslims and their lands.
‘Abdullah ibn Umar (may Allah be well pleased with him) said:
“The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace said) turned to us and said, ‘O Muhajirun, there are five things with which you will be tested, and I seek refuge with Allah lest you live to see them:
Immorality never appears among a people to such an extent that they commit it openly, but that plagues and diseases that were never known to their predecessors will spread among them;
They do not cheat in weights and measures, but that they will be stricken with famine, severe calamity and the oppression of their rulers;
They do not withhold Zakat, but that rain will be withheld from the sky, and were it not for the animals, no rain would fall on them;
They do not break their covenant with Allah and His Messenger, but that Allah will enable their enemies to overpower them and take some of what is in their hands;
Unless their leaders rule according to the Book of Allah and seek all good from that which Allah has revealed (not just what suits them), Allah will cause them to fight one another.'” (Ibn Maja, Fitan, 22; Hakim, IV, 583/8623; Bayhaqi, Shu’ab al-Iman, III, 197)
The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) also said:
“A nation who makes a woman their ruler will never have success.” (Bukhari, Maghazi, 82)
“When your leaders are the best of you, the richest are the most generous among you, and your affairs are consulted among you, then the surface of the earth is better for you than beneath it.
And when your leaders are the worst of you, the richest are the stingiest among you, and your affairs are referred to your women, then beneath of the earth is better for you than above it.” (Tirmidhi, Fitan, 78/2266)
This is because in such a society there is no longer the possibility of establishing the injunctions of the religion.
‘Ali (may Allah be well pleased with him) explains:
“The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said:
‘When my Community does fifteen things, tribulation will befall it.’
Someone asked, ‘What are they, O Messenger of Allah?’
He said,
1-When war spoils are distributed without regard for the poor and needy;
2-when a trust is usurped and becomes a means of making a profit;
3-when paying the prescribed the Zakat becomes a burden and is viewed as a loss;
4-when a man obeys his wife and disobeys his mother;
5-when a man is kind to his friend whilst shunning his father;
6-when voices are raised in the mosques;
7-when the leader of the people is the worst of them [as is the case in many parts of the world in today];
8-when people treat a man with respect because they fear some evil he may do;
9-when intoxicants are drunk freely;
10-when silk is worn by men;
11-when female singers and musical instruments become popular.
12-and when the later generations of my Community curse the earlier ones [like some ignorant people of our day who bear resentment against their ancestors and against bygone Muslim scholars].
When this occurs, let them expect a red wind (seizing the souls of the believers), or the earth to swallow them, or for them to be transformed into animals.’”[3]
“…and the signs follow in succession like the pearls of a necklace whose string is cut and so they fall in succession.”[4]
No one knows the Unseen except Allah. These are the signs that will appear, probably as a result of the increase of vice and wickedness towards the end of time.
The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) has stated:
“The Mahdi will be from my family, of the descendants of Fatima.” (Abu Dawud, Mahdi, 1/4284; Ibn Maja, Fitan, 34)
“The Mahdi will be of my stock. He will have a broad forehead and a prominent nose. He will fill the earth will equity and justice as it was filled with oppression and tyranny, and he will rule for seven years.” (Abu Dawud, Mahdi, 1/4286)[5]
All of the things reported in these Narrations, or similar cases, have already transpired. But because the time of the Hour cannot be known for certain, it is also possible that more intense occurrences of these signs will take place in the course of time. For this reason, as believers, it is essential that we are always wary and vigilant and that we prepare ourselves for the Next World.
[1] The wording in one narration recorded by Abu Dawud is, “…its vapour will reach them”.
[2] Also see Nasa’i, Buyu’, 2/4452; Ibn Maja, Tijara, 58; Ahmad, IV, 494; Bayhaqi, Sunan, IV, 275.
[3] See Tirmidhi, Fitan, 38/2210.
[4] Tirmidhi, Fitan, 38/2211.
[5] Also see M. Yaşar Kandemir, Şifâ-i Şerîf Şerhi, II, 159.
Source: Osman Nuri Topbaş , Journey To Eternity, Erkam Publications
