“Surely, the Hour is coming, I almost keep it from the knowledge of others so that every self can be repaid for its efforts” [Suratu Taha verse 15].
Throughout history, human beings have understood the majesty of the mountains and the vastness of the heavens, even through the use of their primitive methods of observation. Though, they mistakenly thought these things would exist forever.
This superstitious belief formed the backbone of polytheist and materialist, and of the deviant religions. The Qur’an tells us that those who believe this are in grave error.
One of the things that Allah reveals in the Qur’an is that the universe has been created and that it will come to an end. The universe will, as will human beings and all other living things, come to an end. This ordered world, which has functioned perfectly for billions of years, is the work of our Lord, Who created everything, though it will come to a grand end at His command, and at a time that He has determined.
The appointed time when the universe and every creature in it, from microorganisms to human beings, including stars and galaxies, will come to an end, is called the “Hour” in the Qur’an.
This “Hour” refers to not just any hour; but is a word used specifically in the Qur’an and sunnah to refer to that time when the world will come to an end.
The horror and panic that people will experience at this dreadful calamity is related in detail in the Qur’an; the verses emphasize that there will be no escape and no place to hide. What we can conclude from this that the end of the world will be a catastrophe such as the world has never experienced before.
In this series, we will treat the events that will happen as the Last Day approaches.
However, it must be stated that it is clear from a number of verses of the Qur’an, that the subject of the inevitable end of the world has excited interest in every period of history. In certain verses, it is related that people had asked the Prophet solla Allahu alayhi wa sallam about when the end of the world would come: “They will ask you about the Hour: when is it due?”
In another verse, Allah narrates: “They ask you about the Hour: “When will it come?” (Surat an-Nazi’at: 42)
Allah commanded the Prophet to answer this question in the following way: “… Knowledge of it rests with my Lord alone…” (Surat al-A‘raf: 187).
Meaning that only He knows the date of the Hour.
Furthermore, in Suratu Jin verse 26-27, Allah has revealed in the Qur’an that He will grant this hidden knowledge to those Messengers whom He wills: He is the Knower of the Unseen, and does not divulge His Unseen to anyone – except a Messenger with whom He is well pleased, and then He posts sentinels before him and behind him.
Allah has revealed us that He had not kept that knowledge completely out of the reach of humans with the words “I almost keep it from the knowledge of others.”
No one can know when the Day of Judgment will occur. However, Allah has mercifully taught His messengers some of the signs that alert one to the fact that the Hour is approaching.
However, some scholars made an estimate as to its century based on the ahadeeth of the Prophet and signs in the Qur’an, and say, “the Last Hour will come when there are no believers left and disbelief reigns.”
As a matter of fact, scholars like Imam As-Suyuuti state, based on the hadith of the Prophet, that the life span of the Ummah will not exceed the Islamic year 1500, in other words it will end before Islamic 1600s.
Some said, according to the information given in the hadith, that Muslims will remain on Allah’s true path and will be victorious until around Islamic year 1506 with the Last Hour probably taking place in 1545 (2120 according to the Gregorian calendar).
There are many verses that tell of the Hour, and when we examine them we encounter a great truth. The time of the Hour is not indicated in the Qur’an, but those events that will happen prior to it are described.
In a verse, Allah relates that there are several signs of the Hour. In Suratu Muhammad verse 18, Allah says:
“What are they awaiting but for the Hour to come upon them suddenly? Its Signs have already come. What good will their Reminder be to them when it does arrive?”
From this verse we learn that in the Qur’an Allah describes signs that announce the coming of the Last Day. In order to understand the signs of this “great announcement” we must reflect upon these verses.
Otherwise, as indicated in the verse, one’s thinking will be of no use when the Last Day is suddenly upon one.
These signs play a very important role, especially for those of us who live at a time distant from the Prophet and who did not experience first hand his teaching and example.
Further points should be noted:
1: These signs reinforce one’s belief in the Prophet.
2: These signs, if one takes the time to reflect upon them, are a reminder of the Day of Judgment.
3: These signs should revive the heart of a Muslim and make him recall what he is doing on this earth and to where all this is heading.
The signs of the Hour can be divided into two types.
First are those that occur as part of the changes in everyday life. These are known as the “minor signs.”
The second are the extraordinary or supernatural events that will occur just before the actual Hour. These are known as the “major signs.”
All Muslims must attach absolute credence to the trustworthy ahadeeth concerning the End Times handed down from our Prophet and to the accounts of greatest Islamic scholars.
Otherwise, to ignore these signs we will be citing in further episodes and that have all come about one after the other is equivalent to maintaining that one should expect them to happen again, one after the other.
The fact is that some of these signs have already happened once, and in a given order. And this is sufficient for Muslims to realize that they are living in the End Times foretold by our Prophet.
To be continued