Umm Ibraheem

Signs of the Day of Judgment August 28, 2011

Bismillah. Now that we have discussed death and the journey through it, we will be moving towards the actual day of judgment. And before we discuss that, we will begin our discussion on the signs of the day of judgment.

As we have mentioned many times before, belief in the day of resurrection is one of the basic principles of faith, without which there is no true faith. Allah says: Righteousness is not that you turn your faces toward the east or the west, but [true] righteousness is [in] one who believes in Allah , the Last Day, the angels, the Book, and the prophets… (2:177)

How Close is Close?

We know that the Hour is very close. One may say, however, that how can it be considered close if we were given news of it over 1,000 years ago? The answer to that question is that it is close in the knowledge and estimation of Allah, even if it may seem far off by human standards. “Verily, they see it [the torment] afar off. but We see it [quite] near.” (70:6-7)

Also to be noted is that what is left of the world is very little to what has already passed. For example, if someone owed another man money and they set a time limit of 50 years, after 45 years pass, the due date will seem quite soon. It’s all about perspective and relativity, I suppose

In Bukhaari and Muslim, it is narrated from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said:

“The lifespan of this ummah, in comparison with the past nations, is like the time from ‘asr prayer until the sun sets.”

In another hadith, ‘Utbah ibn Ghazwaan said that the Messenger of Allah (S) said:

This world is nearly finished… and there is nothing left of it but a little, like the little bit of water at the bottom of a vessel which will soon be drunk. You are moving from this world to a world that has no end, so go it with the best that you can.” (Muslim)

Nobody Knows

As we mentioned in the hadith of Jibreel, when Jibreel asked the Prophet (S) about the time of hour, he replied that he did not know any more than the questioner. Allah subhaana wa ta’aala says in the Qur’an: “They  ask  you,  [O  Muhammad],  about  the  Hour:  when  is  its  arrival?  Say,  “Its knowledge  is  only  with  my  Lord.  None  will  reveal  its  time  except  Him.  It  lays  heavily upon  the  heavens  and  the  earth.  It  will  not  come  upon  you  except  unexpectedly.”  They ask  you  as  if  you  are  familiar  with  it.  Say,  “Its  knowledge  is only  with Allah ,  but  most of  the  people  do  not  know.” (7:187)

And what is the wisdom behind keeping the time of the Hour concealed? (more…)