In continuation of our series, we take a look at another five cogent signs among the Minor Signs of the Last Hour.
11: Earthquakes
There have been no other natural events in history that have affected people to the extent that earthquakes have. They can happen anywhere and at any moment.
Throughout the centuries, they have caused many deaths and great material loss. For this reason, they have been greatly feared. Even the technology of the twentieth and twentyfirst centuries has been able to prevent earthquake damage only to a certain extent.
The 1995 earthquake in Kobe serves as an example to those who like to think that technology will make it possible to harness nature. It will be remembered that this earthquake came unexpectedly upon Japan’s largest industrial and transportation center. In spite of the fact that it only lasted 20 seconds, as Time magazine reported, it caused about 100 billion dollars in damage.
Major earthquakes have occurred repeatedly and are among the foremost fears of people around the world. If we look at the data collected by the American National Earthquake Information Center for 1999, we find that 20,832 earthquakes happened somewhere in the world. As a result, an estimated 22,711 persons lost their lives.
In Indonesia, the tsunami that struck with a similar impact to that of an earthquake with a magnitude of 9.0 cost the lives of 300,000 people. And many more.
All such cases bring to mind what our Prophet solla Allahu alayhi wa sallam said 1400 years ago: “The Hour will not be established until earthquakes will be very frequent”. Recorded by Imam Bukhari.
Ummu Salama also narrated: “There are two great incidents before the Day of Judgment and then years of earthquakes”.
Meanwhile, the greatest earthquake which will later clear off everything on earth will be among the major signs. And that is the zalzalah(earthquake) Allah is reffering to in Suratu Zalzalah.
12: The loss of trustworthiness, loyalty, integrity.
It was recorded by Imam Ahmad that the Prophet said: “There will be years of deceit, in which a truthful person will be disbelieved and a liar will be believed”.
We are already in the time. The time which will be years of confusion. People will believe a liar, and disbelieve one who tells the truth. People will distrust one who is trustworthy, and trust one who is treacherous.
13: The suspension of knowledge and emergence of ignorance
The Prophet said: “From among the signs of the Hour is the abundance of wealth, increasing of ignorance, numerous tribulations and widespread trading and business”. (Al-Haakim).
This, we are experiencing today. And it will get worse tomorrow. You see many people glorifying ignorance and some who attribute knowledge to themselves being fond of spewing ignorance.
All these are manifestation of intellectual intolerance. The Islam brought by Prophet Muhammad is that of tolerance and appreciation of genuine intellectual diversity.
14: The Ruwaibidhoh
The Prophet said: “There will come to the people years of endemic deception, when the liar will be regarded as honest, and the honest man will be regarded as a liar; the deceiver will be regarded as truthful, and the truthful man will be regarded as a deceiver; and the Ruwaibidhoh will talk freely” Who are the Ruwaibidhoh?’ His companions enquired. He replied ‘vile persons (i.e. persons of little worth) talking on public affairs.” solla Allahu alayhi wa sallam.
Looking at the trend of public discussions on various aspects of public affairs, I doubt if anyone doubts that the world is already living through these years.
The negative influence of the Ruwaibidhoh in modern-day societies has resulted from the persistently falling standards of measuring the worth of individuals.
Obviously, the standards have been hugely compromised at the expense of moral values enabling the Ruwaibidhoh to not only attain relevance, but also influence public attitude and, in fact, call the shots on sensitive public matters for that matter.
While in the past, the Ruwaibidhoh were easily identified, thanks to their crude stupidity, contemptibility and lack of audacity to talk on important public matters openly, the modern-day Ruwaibidhoh could be educated, albeit not necessarily proportionately knowledgeable in reality.
They could also seem sophisticated, albeit in appearance rather than substance, as they may sound up to date on topical issues, albeit not necessarily discerning.
Also, while in the past, the Ruwaibidhoh would talk rather nervously in public, the modern-day Ruwaibidhoh poke their noses into every issue no matter how grossly ill-informed or misinformed they are on it.
Besides, with the emergence of the Internet technology, the modern-day Ruwaibidhoh find it particularly easy to churn out their stupidity especially on social media platforms where they insist on sharing an opinion on everything under the sun.
15: Social Deterioration
Prevalence of illicit sexual relations is one of the signs that the Hour is near. A serious problem we face today is the disintegration of the social fabric of societies. This collapse is discernable in various ways. Broken families, the increase in divorce and illegitimate births naturally lead to the destruction of the institution of the family.
Stress, anxiety, unhappiness, worry and disorder turn the lives of many people into a real nightmare. 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 to be found, consider suicide as a way out. One of the striking marks of social decline is the huge increase in illicit activities. The level of crime has reached proportions that astound even experts.
Basically, as in the 1980’s, the crime rate continued to rise in the 1990’s; and it will keep rising years to come.
All over the world, the odds of being the target of a serious crime (robbery, sexual crimes, divorces, assault) are one in five. Regardless of the area, crimes against property, and crimes of violence committed by youth, have both had economic ramifications.
Today, the number of types of illicit drugs has increased and their nature diversified in recent years.
The causes of such a societal phenomenon are clearly related in the Qur’an, in the accounts of past societies. Social deterioration, and all the various problems associated with it, are the inevitable result of human beings’ forgetting Allah and the purposes of their creation, and their abandoning religion and its spiritual values.
The aspects of this social deterioration we see happening so prevalently today were predicted by the Prophet solla Allahu alayhi wa sallam fourteen centuries ago. Allah’s Messenger described the End Time as “When people suffer strife and social upheaval”. (Ahmad)
In another hadeeth, the Prophet said: “From among the signs of the Hour is the common appearance of lewd acts, working to bring about lewd acts, the cutting off of the ties of relationship and the trusting of deceivers.” (Tabaraani).
In another narration, the Prophet said: “Divorces will be a dialu occurrence. There will be an abundance of illegitimate children”.
And no one will belie all these signs that have been and still happening in our midst today. The world is coming to an end; when are you returning to your Lord?!
To be contunued….
One Response
We seek Allah’s mercy. Jazakumullah khayran sir. We need these reminders. No matter the Vision 2030 or 2050… we may not see these days if Allah wills that the Hour will come. We plan on this earth as if are so sure of tomorrow. But, COVID 19 made it clear that we are helpless despite our claimed advancement in technology.
How can we think this earth will be forever when we die everyday… the One who creates us give us a limited time, hence the world too no matter how long it’s existence will cease to exist.