Belief In The Minor & Major Signs Of Qiyaamah

[ummtaalib]

MINOR AND MAJOR SIGNS OF QIYAMAT IN DETAIL

 

 

The Prophet s prophesised many events that are to occur prior to Qiyamah. These signs of Qiyamat are of two types: the minor signs and the major signs.

 

 

THE MINOR SIGNS OF QIYAMAH

 

 

The minor signs are those which began with the death of the Prophet s and will end with the birth of Imaam Mahdi. The major signs are those that will begin with the emergence of Imaam Mahdi and end with the blowing of the trumpet.

 

 

The first minor sign of Qiyamat was the death of the Prophet s. The next sign was that many people would turn back to disbelief and this prophesy was realised immediately after the death of the Prophet s, when many turned back to idol worship and some started to follow false prophets. Another sign was the conquest of Baytul Muqaddas which happened during the reign of Umar t. Next was the discord and disunity amongst the Ummah which occurred during the time of Uthmaan t and 'Ali t. Many other signs of Qiyamat have also been mentioned in the Ahaadeeth, amongst which are:

 

 

1. Knowledge will be raised and ignorance will become widespread.

 

2. Adultery and alcohol abuse will become widespread.

 

3. The population of women will increase and that of men will decrease, so much so that a time will come when one

 

man will be the guardian of 50 women.

 

4. Music, musical instruments and singing women will be common.

 

5. Falsehood will be common.

 

6. People will begin disobeying their mothers and obeying their wives.

 

7. People will begin to show affection towards their friends and have hatred for their fathers.

 

8. People in power will regard the property of people as their own.

 

9. Abuse of trust will be widespread.

 

10. Ignorant and unworthy people will become leaders.

 

11. People of low status and fussaaq (evil doers) will become the leaders of tribes.

 

12. Modesty and shame will become non-existent.

 

13. Oppression and tyranny will become widespread.

 

 

There are many other signs of Qiyamah. They are all true and will occur before the last day. Most of the minor signs have already become apparent and will continue to do so as time goes on.

 

THE MAJOR SIGNS OF QIYAMAH

 

 

The Major signs will appear very close to Qiyamah. The first among them will be the advent of Imam Mahdi.

 

 

 

SIGNS PRECEDING THE ADVENT OF IMAM MAHDI

 

 

There are many signs that will precede his appearance; generally there will be great confusion, disputes and violent deaths. Calamities will befall people so much so that there will be no shelter for them. There will be many battles and fitnah, earthquakes, widespread adultery, erection of tall buildings, imitation of non Believers etc. Some specific signs before his advent are that (according to some Ulama) the River Euphrates will disclose a mountain of gold over which people will fight and die. There will be two eclipses, a lunar eclipse on the first night of Ramadhaan and a solar eclipse in the middle of Ramadhaan. In the same year a battle will take place in Mina where many people will die and Hajjis will be looted. There are many other signs, i.e. the earth will swallow a village near Damascus; an army with black banners will come from the East etc.

 

 

The Muslim Ummah will be encircled by the domination of non Muslim forces from all sides and the Muslims will be at their weakest. Yearning for Imam Mahdi will be strong.

 

 

IMAM MAHDI

 

 

Imam Mahdi will be from the progeny of Fatimah, the beloved daughter of the Prophet s. His name will be Muhammad. His father's name will be 'Abdullah. He will resemble the Prophet s in character. He will be a slender man of medium built with a broad forehead and a high bridged nose. He will speak with a slight stutter.

 

 

He will be a resident of Madinah from where he will flee in fear of being caught up in a dispute and made the new Khalifah. He will flee to Makkah where some Makkans will bring him out of his house against his will, take him to the Haram and pledge allegiance to him between the corner of the Ka’bah with the Hajare Aswad and the Maqaame Ibraaheem. As news will spread an army will be sent from Syria to fight him, however the earth will swallow up this army in a flat piece of land between Makkah and Madinah. On seeing this the pious saints of Syria and Iraq will pledge allegiance to him. He will have to fight many battles (details in “Major signs before the Day of Judgement” – Mawlana Ahmed Ali). He will first rule over the Arabs and then the entire world will be under his leadership. He will restore peace and justice throughout the world. He will rule in complete accordance with the Shari'at of the Prophet s. Islam will flourish during his reign and people will be happy and at peace.

 

 

During his lifetime Dajjal will appear and ‘Isa u will descend from Heaven.

 

 

The majority group among the Shi'a believe that the Mahdi was born in the year 256 AH. He then went into hiding in the year 260 AH/872CE. They believe he is alive and will make his appearance when Allah S wills. This belief is baseless.

 

 

THE APPEARANCE OF DAJJAAL

 

 

The word Dajjaal is derived from the Arabic word 'dajl' which means to deceive, dupe, cheat etc. hence Dajjaal means imposter, swindler, cheat. (Story of Tamim Daari – in “Major signs before the Day of Judgement” page 21, by Mawlana Ahmed Ali)

 

 

He will appear during the time of Imam Mahdi and ‘Isa u will descend from heaven and slay him. The Dajjaal mentioned in the Hadeeth will be from a Jewish tribe. He will be known as maseeh. He will be one eyed. His hair will be curly. On his forehead will be the letters (kaaf, faa, raa) which true believers will be able to read. He will appear between Syria and Iraq and claim to be a prophet. He will thereafter go to Isfahaan where 70 000 Jews will become his followers. Here he will make a claim of being God and begin to spread mischief throughout the world.

 

 

Two years before his appearance there will be a severe drought. To test the believers, Allah S will allow Dajjaal to demonstrate many supernatural feats. He will cause rain to fall, plants to grow and raise the dead. He will burn a large fire and call it Jahannam and he will also have a garden and call it Jannah.

 

 

With a great following he will move around the world spreading mischief and causing destruction. He will try to enter the blessed lands of Makkah and Madeenah but he will be stopped by the Angels who will be standing guard at every entrance of the city. He will then travel towards Damascus where Imam Mahdi will be living. Upon this Imam Mahdi will make preparations for an army to fight him. After arranging his army he will go to the Masjid to perform Asr salaat when suddenly, ‘Isa u, resting his hands on the shoulders of two Angels will descend from the sky on the eastern minaret of the Jam'e Masjid of Damascus. From there he will come down by a ladder and Imam Mahdi will request him to lead the salaat which he will refuse to do. After salaat, Imam Mahdi will offer to hand over total responsibility to ‘Isa u but he will refuse saying his special mission is to kill Dajjaal.

 

‘ISA u (JESUS)

 

 

The descent of ‘Isa u and consequent slaying of Dajjaal is the third major sign of Qiyamah.

 

 

‘Isa u is a Messenger from among the Messengers of Allah S. He had a miraculous birth i.e. without the agency of a father, and his mother Maryam was a virgin and she was a chaste woman. Allah had chosen Maryam for a great miracle. He wanted to show men that He could create a child without a father just as He created Adam u without a father or a mother. Maryam’s mother had dedicated her to the worship of Allah S and Zakariyyah u was her guardian. She resided in a chamber where no one was allowed to enter and so Zakariyyah u was surprised to see food whenever he entered. On being questioned she replied that Allah S provided her with the food.

 

 

When an Angel appeared and gave her glad tidings of a child she was shocked and exclaimed that no man had touched her. She was given the good news of an immaculate birth. This should not come as a surprise for those who believe, as Allah S has power to do whatever He wills. After the birth people accused her of being unchaste. Maryam remained quiet and merely pointed at the baby and ‘Isa u spoke to the people telling them he was the slave of Allah S and he had been sent as a Messenger to the Children of Israel. He also stated that he had been sent to confirm the Law of the Torah which was given to Musa u (Moses) and that he was given a scripture, the Injeel.

 

 

By the time he grew up the Israelites had forgotten the message brought to them by Musa u. They practiced every evil to the extent that they even killed the Prophets sent to them by Allah S. In these circumstances he was ordered to announce his Prophethood . The people mocked and jeered at him, made fun of his teachings and spread rumours about

 

his mother. He continued his preaching and when they demanded that he perform miracles to prove himself, he did so by the will of Allah S. He made a clay bird and breathed life into it, he cured the blind and the lepers and brought the dead back to life. The Qur’an also describes the incident where his disciples requested a meal and miraculously Allah S provided them with a meal which descended from heaven.

 

 

As his popularity grew amongst the people the Jews conspired to kill him. They told the Roman governor that ‘Isa u was a threat to the government and upon this falsehood his arrest was ordered. Roman soldiers surrounded the house he was living in and Allah S sent an Angel to raise ‘Isa u physically up to the heavens i.e. bodily, while he was alive. The soldiers sent in one of their men to find ‘Isa u and Allah S transformed his appearance to that of Isa u. When he did not come out of the house the soldiers entered and arrested him thinking he was ‘Isa u. He screamed and shouted that he was not who they thought but they ignored him and he was eventually crucified on the cross. Thus, ‘Isa u did not die, but was raised physically to the heavens while he was alive and where he remains to this day. Our Prophet s met ‘Isa u during his journey through the Heavens on the night of Me’raaj.

 

 

As mentioned before he will descend during the time of Imam Mahdi. Imam Mahdi will propose to hand over complete control to ‘Isa u but he will decline saying that he has come with a special duty which is to kill Dajjaal. ‘Isa u will pursue Dajjaal and kill him and thus the evil and corruption of Dajjaal will come to an end. Isa u will abolish the tax and order the destruction of the cross and the killing of pigs.

 

 

The world will once again be filled with peace and justice and there will not be any disbelievers left as all the Christians, Jews and idolators will embrace Islam After some time Imam Mahdi will die and ‘Isa u will become the ruler. He will not reign as a Prophet but as a follower of the way shown by our Prophet Muhammad s. He will marry and have children and will die a natural death.

 

 

YA’JOOJ AND MA'JOOJ

 

 

Ya’jooj and Ma'jooj are two tribes who have been imprisoned behind a mountain range by Zul Qarnayn. They are a powerful and wild people. When they emerge during the reign of ‘Isa u (after the death of Imam Mahdi) they will wreak havoc on earth. ‘Isa u will ask Allah S to destroy them. A plague will be sent which will kill all of them. Allah S will then send some birds, the likes of which have never been seen before who will eat some of them and throw the remains in the ocean. Then there will be torrential rain that will cleanse the earth from the smell and diseases caused by their dead bodies.

 

 

DEATH OF ‘ISA u

 

After this there will be great bounties and blessings in the world. Honesty, trust, goodness etc will spread on earth. Lions will graze with camels and wolves with goats; children will play with snakes without being harmed and hatred and jealousy will disappear. ‘Isa u will live for a period of time after which he will die and be buried next to the Prophet s. After his death a person named Jahjaj of Yemen from the tribe of Quhtaan will be Ameerul Mu’mineen and he will rule with justice and piety. After him will follow several rulers, however slowly evil will once again start to set in.

 

THE 40 DAY FOG

 

 

During this time a dense fog will cover the earth for 40 days. The result will be that people will begin to suffocate. The Muslims will develop symptoms of a cold and the non believers will lapse into a state of unconsciousness. Some will recover within a day, others after two or three days.

 

 

THE NIGHT OF THREE NIGHTS

 

 

After the Fog clears suddenly after the 10^th of Zul Hijjah, a night will become extended, which will instil restlessness and fear in people and animals. This night will be as long as three nights.

 

 

THE RISING OF THE SUN FROM THE WEST

 

 

One of the greatest signs of Qiyamat will be the rising of the sun from the west. This will occur after the ending of the long night mentioned previously. The sun will rise from the west but it will have no brilliance. It will be very dim and dull and will only rise to a hand span, thereafter, it will begin to set. Then it will resume its normal habit of rising from the east and setting in the west. Every person alive at the time will witness these phenomena. After this no Imaan will be accepted from any Disbeliever or repentance from any Muslim.

 

 

The books of Hadeeth confirm that this sign is the rising of the sun from the west. When the sun rises from the west one’s Imaan or repentance will not be accepted as this will herald the end of creation. The Hereafter which until now was hidden from sight will now be clear and apparent. Imaan in only accepted when brought in the state when one believes in the unseen.

 

 

THE EMERGENCE OF THE ANIMAL FROM THE GROUND

 

 

This will follow the rising of the sun from the west. Allah S mentions in the Qur’an:

 

 

"And when the promise of Qiyamat unfolds on them; We will take out an animal from the ground that will talk to them. Indeed the people do not believe in our signs."

 

 

An earthquake will grip Mount Safa which will split open and this strange and wonderful animal will emerge from it. It will talk to the people and travel around the world at great speed. With the Asaa (staff) of Musa u it will place a luminous sign on the faces of the Believers which will make their faces glitter. With the ring of Sulaymaan u it will put a stamp on the noses or necks of the Disbelievers which will cause their faces to become dark. After this it will disappear (Kitaabul Imaan – S Africa, page 58)

 

 

THE BREEZE

 

 

After a short while a cool breeze will blow from the south. It will result in the death of all the Believers. Even if a Believer was hiding in a cave or on top of a mountain the breeze will reach him and he will die. There will now be nobody on earth who would differentiate between good and evil.

 

 

THE RULE OF THE ABYSSINIANS

 

 

The world will now be filled with Disbelievers and they will come under the rule of a group of Abyssinians. Oppression and tyranny will become very common. The world will be plunged into immodesty, evil and indecency. Along with moral degeneration technology will reach its zenith. The Ka’bah will be destroyed brick by brick and Hajj will no longer take place. The words of the Holy Qur’an will disappear from its pages and not a single person will be left to take the name of Allah S. Many years will pass in this state until the sounding of the Soor.

 

 

 

THE FIRE

 

 

The final sign of Qiyamat is a fire, starting from the centre of Yemen from which people will flee but the fire will follow them driving them towards the plains of resurrection.

 

 

Imam Muslim reports a Hadeeth in which he mentions 10 of the major signs of Qiyamah. The last of which is:

 

"A fire will emerge from Yemen and take the people to their place of resurrection."

 

 

BLOWING OF THE SOOR (TRUMPET)

 

 

Now Allah S will command Israafeel u to blow the soor. The soor is a gigantic horn shaped trumpet, a real material object created by Allah S and rejection of its reality is kufr. The effect of its sound will bring about the destruction of the entire universe – mountains will fly like flakes of cotton, stars will breakdown, the heavens will be split asunder – and all creatures will be annihilated. A long period of time will pass in this condition of total silence and inactivity. Thereafter, Israafeel u will again be commanded to blow the soor which will result in all the dead being resurrected (the souls will return to their bodies). The first to rise will be our beloved Prophet s, followed by ‘Isa u, the Ambiyaa, the Siddiqeen, the pious, the sinners and lastly the Disbelievers. They will proceed toward the Plain of Qiyamah.

 

 

THE PLAINS OF QIYAMAH

 

 

This day of Qiyamat will be the length of fifty thousand years. On this day the sun will be brought very close. Each person will be drowning in his own sweat in accordance with how sinful he had been in the world. Fear will be overwhelming and the people in desperation will seek out different Prophets asking them to intercede. Each will excuse himself from this duty. In the end the Prophet s will intercede on behalf of the entire creation, this first intercession being for the actual commencement of judgement. This will be accepted and the reckoning will begin. The Mizaan (scales) will be set up and good and bad will be weighed. After the reckoning the record of deeds of the righteous (the successful ones) will be given in their right hands while the records of the evil will be given in their left hands signifying their failure. The Siraat, (the bridge which is finer than a hair and sharper than a sword) will then have to be crossed. The people of Jannat will safely cross it with varying degrees of speed and comfort depending on their righteousness in the world, while those doomed to Jahannam will slip and fall into the fire.

 

 

This day will be very severe on those who were disobedient. Only those who led lives of piety will be saved.

 

 

Jannat and Jahannam are real with Jannat being an abode of luxury, comfort and everlasting pleasure while Jahannam is an abode of hardship, misery and punishment. They are not figurative expressions as interpreted by those who have strayed from the correct Path.