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The Signs of the Age
of Fitnah (Trials):
All
praise is for Allah. We praise Him and seek His help and seek
His forgiveness and believe in Him and rely on Him. We seek
refuge with Him from the evils of our souls and from the vices
of our deeds. There is none to misguide him whom He guides and
there is none to guide him whom He lets go astray. We bear
witness that there is no god but Allah the One Who has no
partner. We also bear witness that our sire, and our authority
and our Prophet and our Master, Muhammad (Sallaho
Alaihe Wassallam) is His servant and His
Messenger. May Almighty Allah have mercy on him, his household
and bless and salute them all in great abundance.
The Holy
Prophet (Sallaho Alaihe Wassallam) was
commissioned as a Prophet for all peoples of the world till the
Day of Judgment. To day I want to say something briefly about
such a theme of the teachings of the Holy Prophet
(Sallaho Alaihe Wassallam) as is very
necessary today but is generally overlooked. Almighty Allah
sent the Holy Prophet (Sallaho Alaihe
Wassallam) to this world as the last of the
Prophets (Alaihe Salatu Wassallam), thus
finalizing with him (Sallaho Alaihe Wassallam)
the chain of Prophet hood. Another distinction which Allah
bestowed upon him (Sallaho Alaihe Wassallam)
over other Prophets, is that the latter Prophets (Alaihe
Salatu Wassallam) were sent to some particular
people residing in a particular land in a particular age. Their
teachings and preaching were-confined to territory. For example,
Sayyidn'a Moosa (Moses) (Alaihe Salatu Wassallam)
sent to the Children of Israel, living in Egypt, his prophet
hood was limited only to this community and this
territory As against this, the Holy Prophet (Sallaho
Alaihe Wassallam) was sent to the entire world
and entire humanity and for all times till the
Day of Judgment. The Holy Qu’ran bears witness to
this fact:
And
We have not sent you (O Muhammad) but as a bringer of good
tidings and as a Warner to all mankind..(34:28 )
The words
of all mankind' imply all human wherever and in whatever age
they are living. This clearly that his prophet
hood was not confined only to Arabian Peninsulas nor to any
particular age. His prophethood encompassed all periods and
ages till Day of Judgment.
His teachings and injunctions shall remain valid, effective and
in force till Judgment. As already pointed out his (Sallaho
Alaihe Wassallam) teaching are not confined to
any particular age and apply to every walk of
life. These teachings consist of two aspects:
-
prescribes
the rules of the Shari 'ah concerning lawful, unlawful,
desirable, permissible, and other aspect.
-
predicts
the events which will confront the Ummah in the times to come,
and how the Ummah should tackle these events.
Prediction about future
events:
This second
aspect is also a very important part of the teachings of the
Holy Prophet (Sallaho Alaihe Wassallam) in
which, peeping into the future through the light of his
Prophethood, he (Sallaho Alaihe Wassallam)
has informed his Ummah (all human being including his followers)
of many future events and the ways how the members of his Ummah
should tackle these events, so as to remain on the right path of
Deen. Today I want to say something on this second aspect of
the Prophet's teachings.
Anxiety for the salvation of
the Ummah:
The Holy
Prophet (Sallaho Alaihe Wassallam) always
remained concerned about the good of his Ummah. It occurs in a
narrative:
The
Holy Prophet (Sallaho Alaihe Wassallam)
always remained drowned deep in some worry, grief.
What was the
cause of this anxiety and grief? it was indeed not about
collecting worldly resources, nor about improving his own honor
and status among his community. The grief under which he was
pining was about how to save from Hell-Fire the people to whom
he had been sent; how to divert them from the path of error and
to guide them to the straight path of right guidance. Finding
His Prophet (Sallaho Alaihe Wassallam)
drowned in such grief Allah has frequently revealed verses to
advise the Prophet (Sallaho Alaihe
Wassallam) to give up such pining and fretting.
Thus, Allah has said:
It
may be that you will torment your soul that they do not become
believers. (18:6)
This verse
indicates how concerned the Holy Prophet (Sallaho Alaihe
Wassallam) was about the right guidance of his
Ummah on to the path of Eeman (Faith). He (Sallaho Alaihe
Wassallam) is reported to have said in a Hadith
(his saying or action) :
My
example is like that man who kindles fires and seeing the
fire, the moths begin to fall on the flames. The man tries to
keep the moths away from the flames to save them from being
burnt in the flames. In the same way I am (Sallaho
Alaihe Wassallam) trying to save you from
Hell-Fire by holding you back by your waists, but you are
rushing into the Fire.
So concerned
did the Holy Prophet (Sallaho Alaihe Wassallam)
feel about the right guidance of his Ummah, including also those
who were yet to come to the world!
What Trials and Tribulations are
expected to break out in the future?:
The Holy
Prophet (Sallaho Alaihe Wassallam) has,
therefore, informed the future generations of the events that
shall occur in their times. Accordingly all books of Ahadith
contain permanent chapters on Trials. In the
Chapters all such Ahadith have been collated in which the Holy
Prophet (Sallaho Alaihe Wassallam) has
informed of, and warned the people against, the tribulations
expected to occur in the future. The Holy Prophet
(Sallaho Alaihe Wassallam) has said in a
Hadith:
In
the future trials will fall down into your houses like the
falling down of the drops of rain water.
These trials
have been compared to the drops of rain water because the trials
will fall down on your houses in an unbroken succession one
after another.
The Holy
Prophet (Sallaho Alaihe Wassallam) has
said in another Hadith:
Very
soon trials and tribulations will appear which will be like
dark nights.
In other
words, just as a man is not able to find his way in dark nights
in the same way during these blinding trials people will not
know what to do and where to go Those trials will encompass the
entire society, leaving no place of shelter for the people. The
Holy Prophet (Sallaho Alaihe Wassallam)
also taught the people a supplication to find refuge with
Allah from these trials:
O
Allah, we seek refuge with You from these apparent or hidden
trials. This supplication was included in the Prophet's daily
routine.
What is a Trial?:
We should
now try to understand the meaning of (Trial). we should also
try to find out the teachings of the Holy Prophet
(Sallaho Alaihe Wassallam) for all of us
to obey in order to remain safe from the harms of these trials.
We are not aware of the real implications of this term, although
we use it from morning till evening. This word has
also been used in the Holy Qur'an many times. It has been
mentioned in the Holy Qur'an at one place meaning that:
"... The creation of a trial is more grievous sin than
murder...."
The meaning of Trial:
The word (fitna
or fitnah ) is an Arabic word the dictionary meaning of which is
to find out the purity or impurity of precious metals like gold
or silver by melting it on fire. Melting the metal on fire
discloses the reality. For the same reason, it is
also used to mean testing and examining something. Thus, a
second meaning of this word is "trial". When hardships and
misfortunes descend on a man his real worth and character are
tested by his conduct and behavior under these trying
situations. It is observed whether he bears these trying hours,
days with patience makes a fuss and raises hues and cries. this
testing is also called (Trial).
The word (Trial) as used in
the Ahadith:
The word
(Trial) has been used in the Ahadith to express a situation at
any time. When the truth is obscure and it becomes very
difficult to distinguish between good and bad, right and wrong
and truth and falsehood. When such a situation arises, it is
said that it is a time of trial. It is also a time of trial
when sins, crimes and disobedience become rampant. In the same
way to regard falsehood as truth and truth as falsehood and to
put forward something as a proof which is not proof; these are
forms of (Trial). For example, if you tell a
person that such an act is unlawful and strictly prohibited, the
person shall reply that the entire society, the whole world
including Saudi Arabia is doing this act. In our
times it has become a common practice that when an objection is
raised to any act, the doer at once replies that he has seen the
same act being done in the Saudi Arabia. This is also a
(trial) to put forward some act or practice as a proof which is
not at all a proof. In the same way we find that
many groups and parties have sprung up in the city, each with
its slogan and tenet and it is difficult to decide which is on
the right path and which is on the wrong path. Truth and
falsehood have thus become mixed up. All these fall within the
definition of (Trial).
A quarrel between two parties
is a (Trial):
It is also a
case of trial when two Muslims or two Muslim groups fall out
with each other so violently that they are ready to shed blood
and commit murder and it is not known which of the two is right
and which is wrong.
The Holy
Prophet (Sallaho Alaihe Wassallam) is
reported to have said in a Hadith
When
two Muslims begin to fight With each other with their swords,
the murderer as well as the murdered will both enter
Hell-Fire.
One of the
Companions (RA) said to the Holy Prophet O Messenger of Allah
(Sallaho Alaihe Wassallam) It is
understandable that the murderer shall go to Hell for murdering
a Muslim, but why shall the murdered shall enter Hell?
The Holy Prophet (Sallaho Alaihe Wassallam)
replied, saying: The murdered will enter Hell because he too had
come out to fight with the intention of murdering his opponent
but he did not succeed in his intention but his opponent
succeeded in his intention. None of the two was
fighting in the cause of Allah, but worldly benefit in the form
of money or some political benefit. Both will, therefore, enter
Hell.
Killing and robbing are Trial:
The Holy
Prophet (Sallaho Alaihe Wassallam) said
in another Hadith:
A time
will come upon the people when there will be a great deal of a
(confusion/disturbance). on being asked about he
(Sallaho Alaihe Wassallam) answered:
It is killing and robbing, i.e., in those days these
crimes will increase by leaps and bounds and human life will
become meaner than that of mosquitoes and flies.
The Holy
Prophet (Sallaho Alaihe Wassallam) has
said in another Hadith:
A time
will come upon the people in which the killer will not know why
he killed the victim nor will the victim killed know why he was
killed.
Look at the
conditions obtaining today in the society which fully confirms
the truth of the Holy Prophet's (Sallaho Alaihe Wassallam)
prediction. This is as if the Holy Prophet (Sallaho
Alaihe Wassallam) was seeing these conditions
with his own eyes.
In the olden
days it was not known who was the killer, but it could be known
why the victim was killed, i.e., he was killed by robbers for
robbing the victim of his money? or by enemies. Anyway, the
cause of the murder became known. What is happening now-a-days?
A man is sitting or standing in front of his door, he has no
enemies, he is not involved in politics yet some
hooligan shoots at him and kills him without any apparent cause.
The Holy Prophet (Sallaho Alaihe Wassallam)
has predicted all these events in clear words:
A Hadith about the Holy City
of Makkah:
It is
narrated by Sayyidn'a Abdullah bin Umar (RA) that the Holy
Propeht (Sallaho Alaihe Wassallam) said:
Until
recently the people were not able to understand the real meaning
of this Hadith, but now the meaning has become quite clear to
them. The hadith may be translated as under:
When
the belly of Makkah will be cleft open and through it will be
dug out river-like passage (i.e. tunnels) and the buildings of
the Holy City of Makkah will rise higher than its mountains
when you observe these signs, then understand that the time of
? (Trial) is near at hand.
The cleaving asunder of the belly of
the Holy City of Makkah:
This Hadith
has continued on records of the last fourteen centuries. The
commentators of the Hadith felt baffled, while explaining this
Hadith as they could not understand how belly of' the Holy City
of Makkah could be cleft asunder nor could they understand the
meaning of digging out river like passages. It was really very
difficult to imagine the sense of all these predictions. But by
seeing today's Makkah one feels that the Holy Prophet (Sallaho
Alaihe Wassallam) made these predictions, as if
he e was actually seeing with his own eyes today's
Makkahtul-Mukarramah. Previously the commentators
(Muhaddithin) interpreted this Hadith by saying that in their
times Makkah was a dry and mountainous city, but in some future
age Allah may cause rivers and canals to flow in that city.
However today one feels by seeing these (underground)
tunnels how the belly of Makkah has been cleft asunder:
Rising of building higher than
mountains:
The other
sentence which the Holy Prophet spoke out in this Hadith is that
the buildings of the Holy City of Makkah will rise higher than
its mountains. A few years ago none could imagine that buildings
would be built in Makkah which would rise higher than its
mountains, as the city was surrounded by mountains on all sides.
But go to Makkah and see for yourself how (high-rise) buildings
higher than mountains have been built there.
It appears
from this Hadith, as if fourteen centuries ago the Holy Prophet
(Sallaho Alaihe Wassallam) had seen these
changes and conditions with his own eyes. All these things had
been shown to him clearly through revelations and light of
Prophetic knowledge which Allah had granted him The Holy Prophet
(Sallaho Alaihe Wassallam) has clearly
mentioned one by one what trials and tribulations the Muslims
will have to face in the times to come. He has
also mentioned simultaneously what the Muslims should do at such
a time.
The present era in the light of the
Ahadith:
Every Muslim
should keep in view those Ahadith in which the Holy Prophet
(Sallaho Alaihe Wassallam) a has predicted
the future events. Maulana Muhammad Yusuf Ludhyanawi Sahib (RA)
has compiled a book titled "The Present Era in the Light of the
Ahadith" He has tried to gather together in this book all the
ahadith about the Trials. He has included in this
book a Hadith in which the Holy Prophet (Sallaho Alaihe
Wassallam) has mentioned seventy-two events
which will occur during the Era of the Trials. I advise you to
read them one by one and see how these events exactly agree to
those taking place in our times and in our environments.
Seventy-two (72) signs of
Trials and Tribulations:
Sayyidn'a
Huzaifah (RA) has narrated that the holy Prophet
(Sallaho Alaihe Wassallam) predicted that
seventy-two events shall occur in the period close to the Day of
Judgment. These are:
(1)
People will begin to miss their prayers and pay no attention to
them.
If this is said in our
times, there will be nothing surprising in it because the
majority of the Muslim does not offer their prayers. The Holy
Prophet (Sallaho Alaihe Wassallam) made
this prediction at a time when Prayers were considered as a
line of demarcation between unbelief and
belief. Even the most sinful and vicious person living in
that age did not miss his prayers. In his (RA)
time i.e. fourteen centuries ago, the Holy Prophet (Sallaho
Alaihe Wassallam) predicted about the present
times that the people will miss their prayers.
(2) They shall begin to betray
their trusts.
That is,
they will misappropriate the trusts entrusted to them for safe
custody.
(3) They will begin to eat
usurious income.
(4) They will begin to consider
lying to be lawful. Telling lies will become an art.
(5) They will begin to commit
murders on ordinary grounds.
(6) They shall construct
high-rise buildings.
(7) They shall sell their Deen
(Faith)
(8) They shall violate the bonds
of relationships
(9) Justice will become a virtue
almost hard to find anywhere.
( 10) Falsehood will become
truth (and vice versa).
( 11 ) Silk garments will be
worn by men.
( 12) Oppression and wrongdoing
will become rampant.
( 13) Divorces will become a
common practice.
( 14) Sudden deaths will become
a common occurrence.
(15) One who betrays his trust
will be regarded as trustworthy.
( 16) The trustworthy will be
regarded as untrustworthy.
( 17) The liar will be regarded
as truthful.
(18) The truthful will be
regarded as liar.
(19) Calumny (slandering) will
become a common feature, i.e., people will put false blames on
one another.
(20) The weather shall be hot
despite rains. ( possible indication of global warming)
(21 ) Instead of desiring
children people will hate them. They will pray to Allah not to
favor them with children.
This is
actually happening as a result of the Family Planning
Department of Governments are raising the slogan, "Only Two
Issues" guarantee Prosperity.
(22)
The meaner classes will be happy and prosperous.
(23) The respectable classes
will be in trouble and cast out of the society.
(24) The Rulers and the
Ministers will become used to lying-engrossed in lies from
morning till evening.
(25) The trustworthy will begin
to betray their trusts.
(26) The leaders of the people
will become wrongdoers.
(27) The scholars of Deen and
the reciters of the Qur'an will become lewd and sinners.
(28) The people shall put on
skin-garments.
(29) The hearts of the wearers
of skin-garments will be more foul-smelling than dead animals;
and
(30) They will be more bitter
than the aloe plant (with bitter leaves).
(31) Gold will become widely
used.
(32) Silver will be in great
demand.
(33) Sins will be on the
increase.
(34) Peace and security will
deteriorate (as we see this at the moment).
(35) The pages and covers of the
Holy Qur'an will be lavishly decorated.
(36) The Mosques will be
decorated with beautiful writings and designs.
(37) Lofty minarets will rise
from the mosques.
(38) Even so, the hearts will
remain desolate and empty.
(39) Wine will be drunk freely.
(40) Punishments of the Shari
'ah will be suspended.
(41) The slave girl shall bear
her master.
In other
words, the daughter shall rule over her mother and behave with
her as a master behaves with his slave girls.
(42) The bare-footed, the naked
and the uncultured shall become Kings and Rulers.
The mean,
the untouchable classes and the depressed ones will become
Heads of State - (this is what has happened in India).
(43) Woman and man shall be
partners in trade, as women are trying to take part in every
walk of life side by side with men.
(44) Men will imitate women; and
(45) Women will imitate men.
In other
words, men and women shall adopt each other's guise and
appearance. See what has actually happened today under the
frenzy of fashion, so it is difficult to distinguish between
men and women from a distance.
(46) The people will swear by names
other than Allah's name.
It is
lawful to swear only by Allah or some attribute of Allah or by
the Holy Qur'an. In the later ages people will swear by
objects as 'by your head', etc. This is unlawful and strictly
forbidden.
(47) In the times to come even
the Muslims will bear false witnesses.
The use of
the word 'even' indicates that the non-Muslims do bear false
witnesses freely but a Muslim who is not expected to do so,
will also commit this sin.
(48)
Salam (salute) will be bidden only to those who are known and
not to strangers.
This is against the injunction of the Holy Prophet (Sallaho
Alaihe Wassallam) who has said in a Hadith:
Salam
should be bidden to everyone whether you know or do not knock
the the person.
If you are
on a way you must bid Salam to every passer-by, except that if
the number of the passers-by is very large, you may ignore this
formality. However, a time will come when people will avoid
bidding Salam even when there are only a few men passing on the
road, and the custom of Salam will come to an end.
(49) Religious knowledge will be
acquired not for the sake of religion but for the sake of
earning worldly resources and worldly honor and status.
(50) Work relating to the
Hereafter will be done to earls worldly gains.
(51 (War-spoils) will be taken
as personal estate has been used here to imply public property
which will be enjoyed as personal property.
(52) A trust shall be taken and
misappropriated as plundered property.
(53) Zakat (the obligatory
Islamic tax) will be paid reluctantly, as if it were a penalty.
(54) The meanest man shall
become the leader of the community by their consent or votes.
(55) Men will disobey their
parents.
(56) Men will misbehave with
their mothers.
(57) A man will not hesitate in
causing harm to his friends.
(58) A man will obey his wife.
(59) The voices of the
wrongdoers will rise in the mosques.
(60) Women engaged in the
singing profession (Film Actresses) will be held in great esteem
and accorded high status.
(61 ) Musical instruments will
be kept and preserved with care.
(62) Wine will be drunk by
road-sides.
(63) Wrongdoing and tyranny will
be looked upon as acts of pride.
(64) Justice will be sold (with
bribery) in the Courts of Justice.
(65) The number of the Police
will increase
(66) The Holy Qur'an will be
recited in a musical style, so as to enjoy the singing tone and
its musical cadence. The Qur'an will not be recited for the sake
of its Da'wah (preaching) for understanding it and for reaping
the reward for its recitation
(67) Beast skins will be used.
(68) The later people of the Ummah will taunt
and curse the former people, i.e. the latter will pass
derogatory remarks at the former. As a result of this trend a
large section of the people is deriding insolently the Noble
Companions and are behaving in the same way with the leaders of
Deen who conveyed to us the message of Deen. These elder Doctors
of Deen are being blamed as being ignorant of the Ahadith and
the Holy Qur'an whereas the later generations claim to have
understood those sources of Islam better than the former The
Holy Prophet (Sallaho Alaihe Wassallam) .
also said that when these signs appear then:
(69) Red wind-storm may come
from Allah, or
(70) Earthquakes may upheave the
earth; or
(71 ) The people's faces may be
distorted; or
(72) Stones may rain down from
the sky or some other torment may descend from Allah - God
forbid. All these signs are proving true of our society one by
one. The punishment that has come over us is really due to these
misdeeds. (Durre-Mansoor vol 4, P-52)
A mountain of misfortune shall fall
down:
It has been
narrated by Sayyidn'a Ali (RA) that the Holy
Prophet (Sallaho Alaihe Wassallam) said:
When fifteen misdeeds become common among my Ummah a mountain of
misfortunes will fall down on them.
When the
Noble Companions (RA) asked: O Messenger of Allah if what these
fifteen misdeeds are, he replied saying:
Who are the thieves of the
Public Funds?:
(1)
When public money is regarded as looted property. See how
the public funds are being misappropriated today. This loot is
not confined only to the rulers, but influential men from among
the public also plunder these funds as and when they are able to
do so. We do many things without thinking that these are also
acts of stealing public funds. For example, illegal electric
connection, long foreign or local calls without paying the due
charges with the unauthorized assistance of some Telephone
Exchange employees, ticket less journeys or traveling in a
higher class than that for which the tickets were purchased for
the purpose.
Serious Theft
The theft of public money is more serious than ordinary cases of
theft. If a man commits theft in the house of anyone, it is
possible to return the amount stolen, the thief ever feels
inclined to repent of his act of theft, or to get the amount
stolen waved by its owner. The thief's crime will thus be washed
off, but this is not possible in the case of theft of public
money, because it belongs not to one man but to innumerable men
of the public in such a case repentance becomes impossible. May
Allah protect us from this theft.
(2)
When people begin to misappropriate trusts, treating these as
plundered booty.
(3) When the people regard
payment of Zakat (obligatory tax) as the payment of a penalty.
(4) When a man obeys his wife
and disobeys his mother. For example, his wife wants him to do
something which is unlawful and his mother tries to stop him
from this unlawful act but the man obeys his wife and disobeys
his mother.
(5) When a man behaves well with
his friends and misbehaves with his parents.
(6) Raising voices in the
mosques voices will be raised in the mosques.
The mosques have been built for remembering Allah and offering
Salat and no disturbance should be caused in such devotional
acts. However, people disturb these acts of worship and devotion
by raising their voices in the mosques. The Nikah (matrimonial
tie) is performed in the mosques and this is a desirable
practice but on such occasion the parties do not maintain the
sanctity of the mosques and raise hues and cries which is a sin
with no compensatory benefit. whatsoever. This is condemnable.
(7) The leader of the community
is the meanest person of it.
(8) A man is held in esteem for
fear of his mischief as when he is not esteemed he may involve
his opponents in some trouble.
(9) Wine will be drunk openly.
( 10) Silk garments will be worn
by men.
(11 ) Singing women in Houses Singing girls and
maids will be lodged in the houses and musical instruments will
be kept with great care. The Holy Prophet (Sallaho
Alaihe Wassallam) has predicted these things at
a time when none could imagine them. In his prediction the Holy
Prophet (Sallaho Alaihe Wassallam)
has said: They shall lodge in their houses singing girls. It is,
however, a fact that every man has not the capacity to lodge and
maintain in his house singing girls. What does then the Hadith
mean? The invention of the Radios, tape-recorders video
cassettes and TVs has corroborated the truth of the words spoken
by the Holy Prophet (Sallaho Alaihe Wassallam).
In the presence of these appliances anyone can enjoy music
dancing and see singing girls at his choice and pleasure. For
the same reason it is not necessary for anyone now-a-days to
purchase musical instruments and keep them in one's house. The
appliances enumerated above provide all sorts of audios- videos
enjoyments.
(12) The later generations of
this Ummah will curse the people of the former generations
The Holy
Prophet(Sallaho Alaihe Wassallam) said
that when these vices spread in his Ummah, torments and
misfortunes shall fall on them God forbid. All the vices which
the Holy Prophet (Sallaho Alaihe Wassallam)
has enumerated in this Hadith are clearly visible in our society
today.
Wine will be drunk under the
name of a harmless drink:
The Holy
Prophet (Sallaho Alaihe Wassallam) has
said in another Hadith that: The people of his Ummah will make
wine lawful by giving it the name of a (soft drink) beverage.
We see that
today books have been written on this topic claiming that the
wine presently in use is not prohibited and no where in the Holy
Qur'an has the word unlawful been used for wine. As regards to
beer - this is nothing more than barley-water. This is also a
beverage like all other beverages. In this way proofs are being
invented and offered to declare wine lawful.
This is exactly what the Holy Prophet (Sallaho
Alaihe Wassallam) declared fourteen centuries
ago.
Usurious transactions will be given the
name of business:
A time will
come when the people of my Ummah will make usury lawful by
declaring it to be a business transaction, as is being done
now-a-days. They say that bank interest is the form of a
business transaction. If this is declared unlawful, the
business activities will be greatly handicapped.
Bribery will be given the name
of a Gift:
There will
come a time when the people of "my Ummah will make bribery
lawful by giving it the name of a gift" The giver of bribery
will give and the taker of bribe will take bribe under the name
of a gift, even though the offer is nothing other than bribery.
All these sins, crimes and vices are present today in the
society.
These four
predictions of the Holy Prophet (Sallaho Alaihe Wassallam)
fully apply today to our Society. (Kanzul-Amal. Hadith No:
38497):
To come to mosques, sitting on
cushions:
The Holy
Prophet (Sallaho Alaihe Wassallam) a has
said in a hadith that:
During
the later ages (of trials and tribulations) the people will
arrive (to the gates of) at the mosques on Mayasir (an Arabic
word, meaning very costly and fine silk cloth which the rich men
used in those days to cover the saddles of their horses). In
the olden days it was difficult to imagine what going to the
mosques on Mayasir meant. Now it has become very clear that
the indication in the Hadith point to the comfortable
spring-based car seats on which the richer class of the society
go to the mosques for Salat.
Women will be naked
notwithstanding that they will be clad in garments:
The Holy
Prophet (Sallaho Alaihe Wassallam) next
said:
Their
women will be naked notwithstanding that they will be clad in
garments.
It was
difficult to understand the meaning of the pardah, (Veil) but
today we are seeing own our own eyes the truth of this Hadith.
Either the women wear finely thin garments reflecting the hidden
contours of their bodies or the garments will be of
close-fitting and short that parts of their bodies will remain
naked. It is seen that the heads of the womenfolk remain naked
in 80% cases and according to the injunctions of the Shari 'ah
bare-headed women come under the definition of naked ones. (Sahih
Muslim)
Women's Hair:
Thereafter,
the Holy Prophet (Sallaho Alaihe Wassallam)
said:
The
hair on these women will be bulging upwards like camel-humps.
This is also
one of those Ahadith whose meaning was not clear to the Ulama of
olden days. But today the meaning has become quite clear to us,
because the women make their hair bulging upwards by adding
artificial wigs to their natural hair.
The Holy
Prophet (Sallaho Alaihe Wassallam) next
said: “These women are cursed ones.”
Allah has
created womenfolk to remain confined within their prescribed
injunction. When these women go out of their houses unveiled,
then according to Hadith Satan begins to gaze and peep at them.
When a woman goes out to the market having applied perfume to
her body and Clothes, Allah and His Angels both curse her.
The real purpose of garments:
The real
purpose of wearing garments is to cover i.e. o those parts of
the body that are 'shame' which must be covered. Almighty Allah
has said about it in the Holy Qur'an:
O
children of Adam v we have sent down to you raiment to conceal
your shame and for adornment. (7:26)
So the
garment which does not conceal the part of the body that form
"shame" defeats the purpose for which it is worn. If the real
purpose of the garment is thus defeated, it means that the
person wearing that garment is naked. Therefore, for God's sake,
we should wear proper dresses - Even God-fearing people who are
righteous and regular Namazis (observed salat) do not pay
attention to this aspect as they do not mind at all whether the
dress they are putting on fulfils the purpose of covering their
bodies properly. The woeful conditions we are facing these days
are the results of these lapses on our part. It is our duty to
make sure that at least the members of our own households and
relatives, etc. put on dresses which conform to the injunctions
of the Shari 'ah in this behalf.
Other nations will eat up the
Muslims:
Sayyidn'a
Sauban (Sallaho Alaihe Wassallam) has
narrated that the Holy Prophet (Sallaho
Alaihe Wassallam) said in a Hadith:
There will come upon you a time when the other nations of the
world will invite one another to eat you up as people sitting
round a dining cloth invite others to partake of the food
served on that cloth. In the same way a time will come when
the stronger nations of the world will invite other nations to
eat up the Muslims. (Abu Dawood)
Those who
are acquainted with the last century's history, i.e. from the
first world war till now know quite well how tyrannically the
non-Muslim communities have behaved with the Muslims and how
they have been dividing the Muslim countries among themselves,
saying: Egypt is yours and Syria is mine, Algeria is yours and
Morocco is mine, India is mine and Burma is yours, and so on so
forth.
The Muslims will become like
Straws:
When the
Holy Prophet (Sallaho Alaihe Wassallam)
thus predicted the condition of the Muslims to the Noble
Companions (RA) some Companions, asked: O
Messenger of Allah!
Will the number of the Muslims become so small at that time that
that non-Muslims will begin to eat up, and will invite others
also to feast upon, the Muslims? The Holy Prophet (Sallaho
Alaihe Wassallam) replied, saying: No, "at that
time your number will be very large (i.e one billion, . about
one-third of the total world population), but your example will
be like countless straws floating on the surface of flood
water." In other words, the Muslims will have no say in
any matter; they will go on drifting in the direction in which
the world powers want to take them.
The Muslims will become
cowards:
The Holy Prophet (Sallaho Alaihe Wassallam)
next said:
Almighty Allah shall take away your awe from the hearts of your
enemies and weakness and cowardice will find access to your
hearts. A Companion (RA) asked: O Messenger of Allah! (Sallaho
Alaihe Wassallam) What are weakness and
cowardice? The Holy Prophet (Sallaho Alaihe
Wassallam) replied saying: "it is
weakness that love of the world shall creep into the hearts and
the people will begin to hate death" and this
means that they will dislike meeting Almighty Allah. All their
thoughts will be concentrated on earning the worldly resources
together with fame and respect whether by lawful or unlawful
means.
The courage of the Noble Companions
(RA):
It is
narrated that a Companion (RA) remained all alone in a battle
and three or four infidel, stout fighters came in front of that
lonely Companion , When the Companion as a, advanced to fight
the infidel fighters some other Companions, tried
to dissuade the former Companion from confronting those strong
and experienced infidel fighters and advised him to wait for the
Muslim forces to arrive there. The Companion (RA) did not
agree to their advice and asked them on oath and without any
hesitation not to try to intervene between him and Paradise, as
those wrestler fighters were like a path leading to Paradise.
This being the condition of the Noble Companions they were not
able to understand the meaning of cowardice and weakness. The
fact remains that by virtue of the company of the Holy Prophet
(Sallaho Alaihe Wassallam) Allah had
removed from their hearts the love for the world. They had
always in view the Hereafter as well as scenes from Paradise and
Hell. That is why they were not afraid of deathand rather
desired to find access to the Divine Court of Almighty Allah.
The burning desire of a
Companion for Martyrdom:
A Companion
(RA) entered a battlefield and found that in front of him a well
equipped and armed force of the infidels was ready to encounter
him. Seeing this enemy force, the Companions
spontaneously recited this Arabic poetical couplet:
Tomorrow we shall meet friends, i.e. Muhammad (Sallaho
Alaihe Wassallam) and his Noble
Companions
Once a
Companion (RA) was hit by an arrow and blood began to gush forth
from his wound. At this critical moment he spontaneously
uttered these words:
By
the Lord of the Ka'bah I have been successful.
They were
people who possessed belief and firm conviction. They had full
trust in Allah and there was no trace in their hearts of the
love of the world.
The first command concerning the
period of Trials:
What should a Muslim do during such a period? The first
injunction which the Holy Prophet (Sallaho Alaihe
Wassallam) has issued about this is as under:
(At
such a time) the major party of the Muslims and their Imam
(leader) should be followed.
A Companion
, put this question: O Messenger of Allah! (Sallaho
Alaihe Wassallam) What should the Muslims do when
they have neither an organized association of the Muslims nor
have they a popular and acceptable Imam ? The Holy Prophet(Sallaho
Alaihe Wassallam) replied to this question,
saying:
In such a situation lead a secluded life away from
every group and party and stick to your houses like the mats and
rugs spread on the floor of your houses and remain confined to
the boundary of your houses as far as possible and do not join
the disorganized groups.
Now what
injunction can be more evident and clear than this?
The second command concerning the
period of Trials:
The Holy
Prophet (Sallaho Alaihe Wassallam) has
said in another Hadith:
While you are leading a secluded life away from the people and
if the Muslims begin to fight among themselves killing one
another, do not look at them, because the onlooker of such
scenes may be caught in the trial and disturbance (the scene
may catch him too who looks at the scene of quarrel). In such
a critical time keep to the bounds of the house.
The third command concerning the period
of Trials:
The Holy
Prophet (Sallaho Alaihe Wassallam) has
said in another Hadith:
The
trial will be such that one who remains standing during that
period will be better than the one who is walking and one who
is sitting will be better than the one who is standing.
In other
words, during that time of trials, you should take no part in
its activities and movements. You should instead, try to
ameliorate your own personal life, sitting quietly at home. Do
not involve yourself in the collective trials and tribulations.
The best property of a man during the
period of Trials:
The Holy
Prophet (Sallaho Alaihe Wassallam) has
said in another Hadith:
A
time will come when the best property of a man will be his
goats with which he can go up to the mountain peaks, leaving
the hustle and bustle of town life. For his sustenance he
should depend on his goats. He will be much safer in the
mountains than in the towns where visible and invisible trials
are ready to pick him up.
An important injunction to follow
during the period of Trials:
The Holy
Prophet (Sallaho Alaihe Wassallam) wants
to advise by means of these Ahadith that time will not be
suitable for collective and social activities, because all the
parties and associations will be unreliable and untrustworthy.
It will not be possible to distinguish between right and wrong.
So, during such an uncertain period one should engage himself in
obeying Allah and safeguarding his Eeman (Faith), so as to die
as a believer. This is the only way of safety from these
trials. The verse I have recited in the beginning lays emphasis
on the same point, viz.,
“O
those who believe, take care of yourselves. The one who has
gone astray cannot harm you, if you are on the right
path........ (5-105)
When this
verse was revealed, the Noble Companions , put this question to
the Holy Prophet (Sallaho Alaihe Wassallam)
They said:
This
verse seems to tell that man should mind his own business
without worrying about others. if someone is going astray let
him go and do not advise him to do good and refrain from doing
wrong. This is one side of the problem. On the other side there
are clear injunctions to enjoin what is right and forbid what is
wrong. How to reconcile these two conflicting injunctions:
Four signs of the period of Trials:
While
replying to this question the Holy Prophet (Sallaho
Alaihe Wassallam) said:
The
verses which enjoin doing good and forbidding doing wrong are
also quite right in their places as they advise the preaching of
Deen. A time will, however, come when man will be responsible
to take care of, and reform his own self. this will be the time
in which the following four signs will appear:
(1)
Firstly, it will be the time when a man will be
hankering after wealth and will become miserly.
From morning till evening he will be engrossed in his lust to
increase his balance by hook or by crook All that he will do
will be in the interest and love of worldly gains.
(2)
Secondly, people will be drowned at all times in
satisfying their desires and lusts. A man will
follow the direction towards which his desires push him,
without caring what is lawful and what is unlawful and whether
the path he is following leads to Paradise, to the pleasure of
Allah or to His displeasure. Forgetting all these
considerations, he will be running after his desires..
(3)
Thirdly, preference will be accorded to the worldly
gains over the gains of the Hereafter. The
people will be warned against the approach of the Hereafter;
arrival of death about which there is no doubt; burial in the
grave; attendance before Almighty Allah. The only reply to all
these warnings will be: I cannot help, this is the trend of
the times. After all one should follow the
affairs of the world also in which one has to pass his life
with others. Thus ignoring all these admonitions man will
become totally absorbed in earning the worldly resources.
(4)
Fourthly, every man will be self-willed, not prepared
to heed better advice. He will think that he
alone is right and the others are wrong. This is a common
observation. Everyone has formed his own opinion about what is
lawful and what is unlawful even though he has not spent a
single day in trying to study and understand the Holy Qur'an
and the sacred Ahadith. When some problem of the Shari 'ah is
mentioned before him, he raises objections and begins to
project his own misleading notions. Everyone will feel proud
of his own opinion.
Anyway, try
to seek your own safety when these four signs become apparent,
viz:
I) Love of
worldly resources;
2)
Hankering after one's own desires;
3)
Preferring the world to the Hereafter.
4) Taking
pride in being self-willed.
As already
stated, at such a critical time people should mind their own
salvation and safety forgetting what the others are doing. They
should keep themselves aloof from the common men and try to
reform their own selves. Keeping within the bounds of their
houses at all costs. This is the injunction of the Holy Prophet
(Sallaho Alaihe Wassallam) to his
Ummah to follow during the period of trials and tribulations.
The conduct of the Noble Companions on
difference of opinions:
After the
sad demise of the Holy Prophet (Sallaho Alaihe Wassallam)
the responsibility of guiding the Ummah passed to the Noble
Companions (RA) During this period serious
differences cropped up between Sayyidn'a Ali (RA) and Sayyidn'a
Mu'awiyah (RA_ which ultimately ended in armed
confrontation between their armies. differences also arose
between Sayyidn'a Ali (RA) and Sayyidah Ayeshah (RA)
This also resulted in an armed conflict between the supporters
of the two sides through these differences during the time of
the Noble Companions and their conduct during the difference
Almighty Allah has taught how the future generations should
tackle situations arising out of such differences and conflicts.
As a result, those Companions and their immediate followers
(Ta-bi-'een), who believed in Sayyidn'a Ali's(RA) right conduct
acted on that Hadith in which the Holy Prophet (Sallaho
Alaihe Wassallam) said:
(At
such a time) the major party of the Muslims and their Imam
(leader) should be followed.
Acting upon
this Hadith, they sided with Sayyidn'a Ali (RA) whom they
regarded as the Imam of the major group. Some Noble Companions,
and the Ta-bi- een believed that Sayyidn'a Amir Muiawiyah (RA)
was on the right path and was their Imam. So, they sided with
him. There was a third group who was not able to find out who
was on the right and who was on the wrong path. In pursuance of
a Hadith of the Holy Prophet (Sallaho Alaihe Wassallam)
they decided to dissociate themselves from either party They,
therefore, remained neutral in the conflict between the two
parties and remained with the bounds of their houses.
The conduct of Sayyidn'a
Abdullah bin Umar (RA):
Sayyidn'a
Abdullah bin Umar (RA) the son of Sayyidn'a Umar (RA) was a
Companion and jurist of a very high order. He confined himself
to his house when a man called upon him and asked him: Why was
he sitting quietly when a battle between right and wrong was
raging outside his house between Sayyidn'a Ali (RA) and
Sayyidn'a Amir Mu'awiyah (RA) ? He should side with Sayyidn'a
Ali (RA) whom the man considered to be on the right path.
Sayyidn'a Abdullah bin Umar (RA) , replied, saying: that he had
heard this ahadith from the Holy Prophet (Sallaho Alaihe
Wassallam) that when the Muslims fall out with
one another and it becomes obscure what was right and what was
wrong, then one should confine himself to the four walls of his
house and put aside his weapons. As Sayyidn'a Abdullah bin Umar
(RA) could not distinguish between the right and the wrong in
that conflict he remained neutral and did not become a party to
any of the opponents.
The man
took objections to Sayyidn'a Abdullah bin Umar's (RA) stand and
invited his attention to the following verse of the Holy Qur'an:
And
fight them until persecution is no more. (2:l93)
Sayyidn'a
Abdullah bin Umar (RA) gave a very apt reply to
this; saying:
When
we fought against the enemy along with the Holy Prophet
(Sallaho Alaihe Wassallam) Almighty Allah put
an end to the persecution. On the other hand, when you took part
in the fight ( i.e taken a side) the persecution did not stop
but it increased and became more violent. That is why, acting
upon the advice of the Holy Prophet (Sallaho Alaihe
Wassallam) I confined myself to the bounds of my
house.
How to conduct ourselves
during conditions of peace and disturbance:
I was
extremely overjoyed when I came across a statement of a Muhadith
which runs thus:
Follow
Sayyidn'a Umar (RA) as a, during conditions of peace and
tranquility and follow his son (RA) during conditions of trials
and disturbances. The meaning of this statement is
self-explanatory
Amicable mutual relations in spite of
differences:
Almighty Allah showed us all these scenes and situations during
the era of Noble Companions ,. Those Companions who believed
that Sayyidn'a Ali (RA) was right sided with him,
and those who believed that Sayyidn'a Amir Muiawiyah (RA) was
right supported him. The world witnessed a unique scene, never
seen before, that despite hostilities when someone, in the army
of Sayyidn'a Ali, died the army men of Sayyidn'a Amir Muiawiyah
(RA) joined the funeral prayer of the deceased belonging to the
opposite camp and vice versa The reason for this was that this
battle was not fought for the sake of some selfish worldly gain,
honour and position. The cause of the armed conflict was
obedience to a Command of Allah as interpreted by each party.
In other words, each side was busy acting upon Allah's Command
sincerely as it had interpreted the command.
The conduct of Sayyidn'a Abu
Hurairah (RA):
My late,
respected father used to tell us that Sayyidn'a Abu Hurairah
(RA) was a literate Companion and a religious scholar, busy at
all times in studies. During the battle between the two warring
Companions he used to visit both without taking
anyone's side. When there was prayer time he would go to
Sayyidn'a Ali's (RA) army to pray behind him. When it was meal
time he would go to Sayyidn'a Amir Muiawiyah's (RA) army and
take meal with the latter. Someone asked Sayyidn'a Abu Hurairah
(RA) about this strange conduct of him, he replied:
The
prayer behind Sayyidn'a Ali (RA) was better so he prayed
there, but he took meal in Sayyidn'a Mu'awiyah's (RA) camp
because the food was of a better quality there. Thus the Noble
Companions have taught us how to behave during times of mutual
differences and conflicts.
The reply of Sayyidn'a
Musawiyah (RA) to Caesar of Rome:
Just when
these two armies stood face to face ready to grapple with each
other, a message from the Caesar of Rome came to Sayyidn'a Amir
Mu'awiyah (RA) to the effect:
I have
heard that your brother Sayyidn'a Ali (RA) has done a great
wrong to you. He is not taking revenge from the killers of
Sayyidn'a Usman (RA) If you desire, I can send you
a huge army to help you, so that you may confront him.Sayyidn'a
Amir Muiawiyah (RA) In at, at once replied to Caesar in the
following words:
"O
Christian Ruler! you plan to attack Sayyidn'a Ali (RA)
on account of our mutual differences. Beware! If you have the
audacity to cast an evil eye at Sayyidn'a Ali
(RA) the first man emerging from Sayyidn'a Ali's (RA) army to
behead you shall be Mu'awiyah (RA)
All the Noble Companions are honourable
and dignified in our eyes:
It is very
sad that now-a-days people utter unworthy words for the Noble
Companions although they are too respectable and dignified. It
is impossible for us to understand their status and religious
fervour. We begin today to compare their mutual quarrels and
differences to our own, but this is not right. We must
understand that Almighty Allah, in His mercy, provided through
the quarrels among the Noble Companions , a model and code of
conduct for the Ummah to follow during mutual differences and
disputes arising among them in the times to come. Each of them,
whether he is Sayyidn'a Ali,(RA) Sayyidn'a Amir Mu'awiyah (RA)
or Sayyidn'a Abdullah bin Umar (RA) has left
behind for us a beautiful model to emulate when caught in
similar situations. We must therefore beware of those who speak
ill of one or another Companion because of their mutual disputes
and differences. None can even dream of approaching such high
status and station they occupy in the sight of Allah.
The sincerity and Godliness of
Sayyidn'a Amir Mu'awiyah (RA):
The people
say many undesirable things about Sayyidn'a Amir Mu'awiyah (RA)
because he nominated his son Yazeed his heir-apparent. In one
Friday during the Friday sermon he made foe following
supplication from the pulpit:
O
Allah! I assert on oath that in nominating my son my
heir-apparent I had nothing in my mind except the good and
interest of the Ummah of Muhammad (Sallaho Alaihe
Wassallam) If I had in my mind anything other
than this, then I pray to You to let him die before the
implementation of this decision of mine.
Just
consider coolly that no father can pray in this way against his
son as Sayyidn'a Amir Mu'awiyah (RA) did This shows beyond any
shadow of doubt that his action in nominating his son
heir-apparent was based on sincerity. All men, except Prophets
are liable to err. The decision taken by Sayyidn'a Amir
Mu'awiyah (RA) at a, might have been erroneous but
it was based on sincerity and it was for the sake of Allah
alone.
Retire into seclusion:
By acting
upon all the Ahadith about trials and tribulations the Noble
Companions have left behind for us examples to follow during
such disturbed conditions. When such time comes that the
distinction between right and wrong becomes difficult and
obscure, there is no alternative but to take to seclusion and
retirement as did Sayyidn'a Abdullah bin Umar (RA)
It is a
fact that Allah had decided upon a unique plan from the point of
His creative scheme. Allah accomplished great jobs and
performances through such Companions Is as had gone into
seclusion. If they had taken part in the battle many of them
would have to fallen martyrs, depriving the future generations
of their valuable services in the path of Deen (Faith).
Those who
dissociated themselves from the world and went into seclusion
began to collect and compile the Ahadith. Thus, they left behind
a great treasure for the future generations in the form of books
of Ahadith and other literature on Islam.
Take Care of your own reform and
well-being:
Thus the
command about the period of Trials and tribulation is that one
should confine himself to the four walls of his house, devote
his time to the rehearsal of Allah's name and keep himself aloof
from all sins and wrongs and try to reform the members of his
household also. If everyone follows this path and reforms
himself this will lead to the reform of the entire society
slowly and gradually. This is how one lamp is lighted from
another lamp and the darkness of disturbance and chaos is
dispelled
Look into your own weaknesses:
The time we
are passing through today is a period of severe trials and
tribulations. To steer clear of this hectic situation the Holy
Prophet (Sallaho Alaihe Wassallam) has
advised us not to join any party, but confine ourselves to our
houses, try to reform ourselves and search for our own
weaknesses and short-comings. Consider seriously if the
prevailing trials and disturbances may be due to the ill-omen of
our own sins. Everyone of the society should adopt this trend of
thinking. Take an example. During a severe famine in Egypt the
people called upon Sayyidn'a Zun-noon of Egypt to complain of
this calamity. He told the people that this might be due to his
own sins. Ho should, therefore leave the place, so that his
absence might perhaps dispel the calamity and attract Allah's
mercy. As for ourselves! we are used to find fault with and
attribute all misfortunes to others. In these days we hardly
find persons who try to look into their own faults and defects.
It is, therefore, imperative that everyone should try to reform
himself instead of finding fault with others.
Refrain from sins:
While
thinking to reform yourself, the least you should do is to give
up one by one the sins that you commit from morning till
evening. You should also turn to Allah every day in repentance
and seek His forgiveness. You should also pray to Allah to keep
you and your household away from the ill-omen and woes of the
period of trials. The words of prayer may be:
O
Allah! I seek refuge with You from all apparent and hidden
trials.
You should
in addition save yourself as far as possible from the following
sins:
1 -
Backbiting
2- Sins due
to casting evil eyes
3- Lewdness
and nakedness
4- Hurting
others
5- Sins of
accepting bribe
6- Dealings
in Usurious transactions, etc.
If you spent
your life in negligence, thoughtlessness and recklessness, then
this may - God forbid - result in a bad end and loss of Eeman
(Faith). May Allah help us to act upon these injunctions. Aameen
!
Article taken (with Thanks) from As-sidq |
