APPROACHING SIGNS
OF DOOMSDAY
One of the predictions in the Quran is the coming of Doomsday or the end of human history. The study of the Quran and Hadith tells us that before the end of human history on earth, some clear signs will appear, serving as the final warning for man. After the emergence of these signs, God will command the angel Israfil to blow the trumpet. Then, suddenly, human history, having passed through its temporary phase, will enter its permanent phase. That is to say, the blowing of the trumpet will mark the end of the phase of action and the beginning of the phase of reward.
The Predictions in the Hadith About
the Final Phase of Human History
A number of the traditions predicting that Doomsday is fast approaching are given here. What is strange about this is that what had been predicted in the Quran and Hadith has only now come to man’s knowledge as facts through scientific observations.
- According to a tradition, the Prophet of Islam said that Doomsday would not take place until haraj had exceeded its limit. People then asked what haraj was. The Prophet replied, “Killing, killing and more killing.” (Sahih Muslim, Hadith No. 157)
When the Prophet of Islam came to the world during the first quarter of the 7th century, modern weapons were not invented. It was unthinkable at that time that killing and bloodshed could ever become rampant. It has become possible only in the present days when weapons of mass destruction have been manufactured, and it has become possible to kill on a mass scale. As such, we find that innumerable incidents of killing and bloodshed are taking place daily in present times. This state of affairs is an indication that Doomsday has come very close. It is proof enough of the veracity of this prediction that it was made a long time ago when the present kind of bloodshed and violence was unthinkable.
- According to one tradition, the Prophet of Islam said that the time was soon to come when the river Euphrates would produce a treasure of gold. (Sahih Muslim, Hadith No. 2894) This prediction in the Hadith refers to petrol, which is called liquid gold in present times. This has been discovered in considerable quantities in the Middle East. It was unthinkable during the times of the Prophet of Islam. Today this prediction has undoubtedly been fulfilled. This event is another sign that qiyamat is no longer far off. Doomsday, heralded by the signs mentioned above, will bring the first phase of human history to an end according to God’s creation plan. The post-Doomsday phase will then commence.
- According to a tradition, the Prophet of Islam said, “There will be a very great occurrence in future, that is, a huge house will be burnt. This will surely happen.” (Sahih Muslim, Hadith No. 2940) Let us look at the wording of this Hadith. It is not about burning an ordinary house; it is instead about burning a colossal structure, the like of which did not exist in ancient times. This prediction is perhaps about the event on September 11th 2001, in New York, USA, where the famous World Trade Centre, built-in 1970-72, once stood. With its 110 stories, it was Himalayan in stature. It was impossible to demolish or burn it by ordinary methods. On September 11th 2001, two aeroplanes were hijacked and then crashed into the World Trade Centre at great speed. As a result, there was a big explosion, and the entire building was reduced to ashes. Many factors were required for such a happening to take place. For the first time in human history, these factors had become available to man. In such a situation, fulfilling this unique prediction in the 21st century is a particular sign that the hour of Doomsday has come very close.
- According to another tradition, the Prophet of Islam said, ‘Qiyamat will take place only when there is no one left to remember God.’ (Sahih Muslim, Hadith No. 148) This hadith does not mean that the people will stop taking God’s name. Rather what is meant here is the remembrance of God, at the level of realisation, as we find from the Quran. (5:83) According to the Quran, “those who believe love God most” (2:165), and “stand in awe of none but God.” (9:18), “True believers are those whose hearts tremble with awe at the mention of God.” (8:2) But when such people are not to be found on earth as acknowledge God’s greatness in the real sense of the word, then we may take it that Doomsday has come very close.
Man’s existence and everything is given to him are all gifts from God. Hence, not acknowledging God for all His blessings is no simple matter. Such a state of affairs means that people are partaking of God’s blessings to the fullest possible extent, but they do not acknowledge their Benefactor. When such a state of affairs prevails on earth, it means that man has lost any justification for his being given any further opportunity to inhabit this world. In present times, this prediction has been fulfilled. Today there is no dearth of people who recite the name of God by way of lip service. However, such people have no value in the eyes of God. So far as remembering God in the real spirit is concerned, very few people on the earth will come up to the desired criterion.
One clear proof of this is that Muslims have been engaged in activities with the advent of the age of the printing press and the increased frequency of public speaking. However, we do not find people who are immersed in the remembrance of God. People are instead basking in community pride than living in the Glory of God. We do not find any mention of the Glory of God in the real sense in the speeches and writings and the activities of present-day institutions. The reason is that people have discovered the greatness of the community, but they have failed to discover the greatness of God. It is but natural that their lives should be devoid of the remembrance of God’s Glory in such a situation.
Fitnah Duhaima: An Age of Utter Confusion
A tradition of the Prophet of Islam talks of fitnah duhaima or the age of utter confusion in these words, “There will be the trial of utter darkness which will leave none of this community without giving him a slap.” (Sunan Abu Dawood, Hadith No. 4242)
Fitnah Duhaima means ‘pitch darkness’. The tradition tells us that grave fitnah, fitnah duhaima, will appear at the end of human history. Here the question arises as to what reason there could be for this enveloping darkness. Why would people find themselves in a jungle of intellectual darkness and confusion? When we think deeply about it, we find that this will happen with many writers and speakers.
History tells us that this is the first time there has been any such situation. For the first time in human history, with the advent of the printing press, innumerable books have been printed and published. Then after electronic media came into vogue, a whole new world came into existence—radio, TV, the internet, and social media. Such significant quantities of information of all kinds are being fed into the internet that more than 5000 pages of information are added to it every 5 minutes. There has been a similar exponential increase in printed books. Through print and electronic media, vast quantities of information have been circulated to all and sundry. Now everyone is living in a jungle of information. In such a situation, differentiating between truth and falsehood has become so difficult that it is almost impossible without the exceptional support of God.
A tradition has been recorded in different collections of Hadith about a prediction made by the Prophet to the effect that a time would come when the deception (fitnah) of words, whether written or spoken, would be more dangerous than the sword. (Sunan Abu Dawood, Hadith No. 4265) This age of the deception of words has already set in our times. Today, the abundance of beautiful words is the greatest source of misguidance.
How will it be possible to save oneself from this dark deception of words? The answer is to be found in a hadith. The Prophet of Islam observed, “Realisation of God is the shield against this fitnah.” It means that there is only one way to shake off the spell of beautifully deceptive words, and that is for man to be possessed with the realisation of God. Nothing else can save man from this fitnah.
The Final Reckoning
The Quran and Hadith have predicted this great event, Qiyamah or Doomsday before the Day of Judgement or the Final Reckoning. It will be the day when the whole creation will be gathered before the Lord. All voices will be silenced except for the voice of God. Only the truth will have any weight on that day. Nothing else will be of any consequence. On that day, man will be judged.
From the Islamic viewpoint, God had made this world for a limited period. Those signs have appeared, which tell us that this limited period is reaching its end. Then there will be Doomsday. The Prophet Muhammad made it clear that human beings had not been settled on earth for all eternity; that a time would come when the present inhabited world would end and be replaced by another world. Then all the evil people would be sent to the universal dustbin, and all the good people, who obeyed God, would inhabit the eternal world of Paradise. In the 7th century, the Prophet of Islam said that the distance between him and Doomsday was only between his two fingers. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith No. 5301).
The phenomenon of global warming shows that this distance has now been covered and that the climatic change, as scientists have predicted, has now reached the point of being irreversible.
Global Warming has shown us that what was to happen has already happened. On the final day, Qiyamah has come very close. Now the time has ultimately come when a man has to change himself: he has to abandon the way of disobedience to God and opt for the path of obedience to Him. Nature is silently calling upon man to mend his ways before he finds that he has no further opportunity to do so.
The Final Hour Is Very Close
From a tradition of Prophet Muhammad, we learn that three blasts (nafakhat) will be sounded before the Qiyamah. The first will sound an alarm, the second will be the death blow, and the third will be the resurrection announcement. (Musnad Ishaq Ibn Rahwayh, Hadith No. 10)
In my view, the sounding of the alarm is nothing but the warning signs like the first blast, revealed by the scientific surveys and expressed in scientific language. The second blast will be the death blow when all people die, and the third blast will herald the resurrection when all human beings are raised and brought before their Creator.
The Quran has this to say:
“The Final Hour is sure to come, without doubt, but most people do not believe.” (40:59).
There is no doubt about the coming of the Qiyamah. The signs tell us that now the time has come very close. Now it is the last hour when a man may seek forgiveness from God and rush to seek refuge in God’s mercy.
Only One Chance
Now the time has finally come for man to awaken, take lessons from the signs in nature and history, and plan his life in a way that avails him in his post-death period. One who loses this opportunity should know that another such opportunity will not come again.
Man has been given only one chance to build his future. It is now up to him to utilise it or lose it forever. Those who make use of this chance have eternal paradise in store for them, while those who fail to make use of this chance will have a fate such as is described in the Bible:
“And they will be cast into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth for all eternity.” (Matthew, 13:42)
Only death divides us from Doomsday. We are all proceeding towards a fate that will bring us eternal bliss or eternal torment. Every moment that passes brings us closer to the fate that is in store for us. Every day the sun sets, we lose one day more in our lives, and we will never have another chance like the present to prepare for this awesome day. We have only a comparatively short time in this world but will have to endure the consequences of our life on earth forever: either bliss or severe punishment.
We will soon leave this world where we are free to act and enter another world where we will reap the consequences of our actions; we must examine our lives before this happens. We will all have to stand before God one day. On that day, how fortunate will be those who are included among God’s faithful servants, for they will be honoured in heaven? How unfortunate will be those whom God rejects, for they will have nothing to look forward to except eternal torment and disgrace.
