Question
What are the Signs of the Hour?
Fatwa
All perfect praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His Slave and Messenger.
Allah The Almighty Says (what means) :
• {The Hour has come near, and the moon has split [in two].} [Quran 54:1]
• {Then do they await except that the Hour should come upon them unexpectedly? But already there have come [some of] its indications.} [Quran 47:18]
'Indications of the Hour’ mean the signs of Qiyaamah (The Last Day). Imaam Al-Baghawi stated that the Bi‘thah (coming) of the Prophet is one of the signs of the Hour. Since the Hour is of such great importance and is a grave matter, it has been given more attention than other things and that is why the Prophet used to mention it so much, give details of its signs, mention the trials that will immediately precede it and warn his Ummah (nation) so that they might take care and be prepared.
Only Allah The Almighty knows when it will occur, and He concealed it from His slaves for their own sake so that they would always be prepared for it. Scholars say that the signs of the Hour are classified into three categories:
1. Those that have appeared and ended: This refers to the past signs.
2. Those that have already appeared but have not yet finished, but are still increasing.
3. The major signs that will be directly followed by the Hour.
One of the signs that have already ended is the Bi‘thah (coming) of the Prophet . He said that the Day of Resurrection is near and only a short time remains between his coming as a prophet and the coming of the Hour. [Al-Bukhari]
The Prophet stated many instances of the second category in many Hadeeths (narrations). He indicated that the Hour will not occur until knowledge becomes scarce and worthless, foolish and mischievous people will become the happiest in the worldly life. He also mentioned the death of scholars, the increase in bloodshed, the spread of ignorance, the abundance of temptations, frequent earthquakes, the imitation of disbelievers, an abundance of money, increase in wrongdoings, the spread of Riba (usury) and fornication, wanton display of women and penniless shepherds being occupied with constructing high buildings.
The third section consists of the great signs and major indications that are followed directly by the Hour. They are: The appearance of the Antichrist, the descent of ‘Eesaa ibn Maryam (Jesus, son of Mary), may Allah exalt their mention, the appearance of Al-Mahdi, the appearance of a strange beast that talks to people and judges them as believers or disbelievers, the coming of Gog and Magog and the rising of the sun from the West.
And Allah knows best.