Evils that will prevail before The Last Day

Many faiths call it by different names… Apocalypse, End of Days, Last Day or The Final Hour as Muslims would call it. It all comes to the same thing, the end of this world and passing into the next eternal abode.

Allah says in Surah Naazi’aat: “They ask thee about the Hour, ‘When will be its appointed time? Wherein art thou (concerned) with the declaration thereof? With thy Lord is the Limit fixed therefor. Thou art but a Warner for such as fear it. The Day they will see it, (it will be) as if they had tarried but a single evening, or (at most till) the following morn!” (An Naazi’aat 79: 42-46)

“They ask thee about the (final) Hour – when will be its appointed time? Say: ‘The knowledge thereof is with my Lord (alone): none but He can reveal as to when it will occur. Heavy were its burden through the heavens and the earth. Only, all of a sudden will it come to you.’ They ask thee as if thou wert eager in search thereof: say: ‘The knowledge thereof is with Allah (alone), but most men know not.'” (Al A’raaf 7:187)

Rasoolullah (Sallallahu alayhi wa Sallam) said, whilst pointing with his index and middle fingers, “The time of my advent and the Hour are like these two fingers.” In another report he said, “The Hour almost came before me.”
This indicates how close we are to the Last Day.

Qur’aan, the Word of Allah Almighty mentions: “Closer and closer to mankind comes their Reckoning: yet they heed not and they turn away.” (Al Anbiyaa’ 21:1)

“Only those wish to hasten it who believe not in it: those who believe hold it in awe, and know that it is the Truth.'” (Al-Shura 42:18)

In Sahih al-Bukhari, there is a Hadith which states that a Bedouin asked Nabi (Sallallahu alayhi wa Sallam) about the Hour. He said, “It will surely come to pass. What have you prepared for it?” The man said, “O Messenger of Allah, I have not prepared much in the way of prayer and good works, but I love Allah and His Messenger.” Rasoolullah (Sallallahu alayhi wa Sallam) said, “You will be with those you love.” The Muslims had never rejoiced as much they did when they heard this Hadith.

‘Ali ibn Abi Talib (radhiyallahu anhu) said, “The Prophet led us in praying Salaat al Fajr (the morning prayer). When he had finished, a man called to him: ‘When will the Hour be? Rasoolullah (Sallallahu alayhi wa Sallam) reprimanded him and said ‘Be quiet!’ After a while he raised his eyes to the sky and said, ‘Glorified be the One Who raised it and is taking care of it.’ Then he lowered his gaze to the earth and said, ‘Glory be to the One Who has outspread it and has created it.’ Then Rasoolullah (Sallallahu alayhi wa Sallam) said, ‘Where is the one who asked me about the Hour?’ The man knelt down and said, ‘I asked you.’ Rasoolullah (Sallallahu alayhi wa Sallam) said, ‘The Hour will come when leaders are oppressors, when people believe in the stars and reject al Qadar (the Divine Decree of destiny) when a trust becomes a way of making a profit, when people give to charity (Sadaqah) reluctantly, when adultery becomes widespread – when this happens, then your people will perish.'”

Abd Allah ibn ‘Umar (radhiyallahu anhu) said, “Rasoolullah (Sallallahu alayhi wa Sallam) came to us and said, ‘O Muhajiroon, (emigrants from Makkah to Madinah) you may be afflicted by five things; God forbid that you should live to see them. If fornication should become widespread, you should realise that this has never happened without new diseases befalling the people which their forebears never suffered. If people should begin to cheat in weighing out goods, you should realise that this has never happened without drought and famine befalling the people, and their rulers oppressing them. If people should withhold Zakaah, you should realise that this has never happened without the rain being stopped from falling; and were it not for the animals’ sake, it would never rain again. If people should break their covenant with Allah and His Messenger, you should realise that his has never happened without Allah sending an enemy against them to take some of their possessions by force. If the leaders do not govern according to the Book of Allah, you should realise that this has never happened without Allah making them into groups and making them fight one another.” (Ibn Majah).

‘Ali ibn Abi Talib (radhiyallahu anhu) said, “Rasoolullah (Sallallahu alayhi wa Sallam) said: ‘If my Ummah bears fifteen traits, tribulation will befall it.’ Someone asked, ‘What are they, O Messenger of Allah?’ He said, ‘When any gain is shared out only among the rich, with no benefit to the poor; when a trust becomes a means of making a profit; when paying Zakaah becomes a burden; when a man obeys his wife and disobeys his mother; and treats his friend kindly whilst shunning his father; when voices are raised in the mosques; when the leader of a people is the worst of them; when people treat a man with respect because they fear some evil he may do; when much wine is drunk; when men wear silk; when female singers and musical instruments become popular; when the last ones of this Ummah curse the first ones – then let them expect a red wind, or the earth to swallow them, or to be transformed into animals.'” (Tirmidhi)

‘Awf ibn Malik (radhiyallahu anhu) reported that Rasoolullah (Sallallahu alayhi wa Sallam) said: “The Jews split into seventy-one sects: one will enter Paradise and seventy will enter Hell. The Christians split into seventy-two sects: seventy-one will enter Hell and one will enter Paradise. By Him in Whose hand is my soul, my Ummah will split into seventy-three sects: one will enter Paradise and seventy-two will enter Hell.” Someone asked, “O Messenger of Allah, who will they be?” He replied, “The main body of the Muslims (al Jama’ah).” ‘Awf ibn Malik (radhiyallahu anhu) is the only one who reported this Hadith, and its isnad is acceptable.

The main body of the Muslims (al Jama’ah or Ahlus Sunnah wa al Jama’ah) means the people of the Qur’aan, Hadith, Fiqh and other sciences, who have agreed to follow the Traditions of the Prophet (Hadith) in all circumstances without introducing any changes or (Bid’ah) imposing their own confused ideas.

May Allah safeguard us from all these evils and keep us on the straight path. May we stand as a united Ummah and may Allah have mercy on us all.