Praise be to Allaah.

There are saheeh ahaadeeth that indicate that the Mahdi (peace be upon him) will appear at the end of time. He is one of the signs of the Hour. Among these ahaadeeth are the following:

1. Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri reported that the Messenger of Allaah (Peace & Blessings of Allaah be upon Him) said: "At the end of the time of my ummah, the Mahdi will appear. Allaah will grant him rain, the earth will bring forth its fruits, he will give a lot of money, cattle will increase and the ummah will become great. He will rule for seven or eight years.

(Mustadrak al-Haakim, 4/557-558; he said: this is a hadeeth whose isnaad is saheeh, although it was not reported by al-Bukhaari and Muslim. Al-Dhahabi agreed with him, and al-Albaani said: this is a saheeh sanad, and its men are thiqaat (trustworthy), Silsilat al-ahaadeeth al-saheehah, vol. 2, p. 336, hadeeth 771)

2. ‘Ali (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: "The Messenger of Allaah (Peace & Blessings of Allaah be upon Him) said: ‘The Mahdi is one of us, a member of my family. Allaah will guide him in a single night.’" (Musnad Ahmad, 2/58, hadeeth 645, edited by Ahmad al-Shaakir, who said: its isnaad is saheeh; Sunan Ibn Maajah, 2/1367.This hadeeth was also classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami’ al-Sagheer, 6735).

Ibn Katheer said: "This means that Allaah will forgive him, grant him help, inspire him and guide him, when he was not like this before." (Al-Nihaayah, al-Fitan wa’l-Malaahim, 1/29; edited by Taha Zayni).

3. Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri said: "The Messenger of Allaah (Peace & Blessings of Allaah be upon Him) said: ‘The Mahdi is of my lineage, with a high forehead and a long, thin, curved nose. He will fill the earth with fairness and justice as it was filled with oppression and injustice, and he will rule for seven years.’" (Sunan Abi Dawud, Kitaab al-Mahdi, 11/375, hadeeth 4265; Mustadrak al-Haakim, 4/557; he said: this is a saheeh hadeeth according to the conditions of Muslim, although it was not reported by al-Bukhaari and Muslim. See also Saheeh al-Jaami, 6736).

4. Umm Salamah said: "I heard the Messenger of Allaah (Peace & Blessings of Allaah be upon Him) say: ‘The Mahdi is of my lineage and family, from the descendants of Faatimah.’" (Sunan Abu Dawud, 11/373; Sunan Ibn Maajah. 2/1368. Al-Albaani said that it is saheeh in Saheeh al-Jaami, 6734)

5. Jaabir (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: "The Messenger of Allaah (Peace & Blessings of Allaah be upon Him) said: ‘‘Eesaa ibn Maryam will descend, and their leader the Mahdi will say, "Come and lead us in prayer," but he will say, "No, one of them should lead them as an honour to this ummah from Allaah."’" The version narrated by Muslim says: "… Then ‘Eesaa ibn Maryam (Peace be upon him) will descend and their leader will say, ‘Come and lead us in prayer,’ but he will say, ‘No, some of you are leaders over others as an honour from Allaah to this ummah.’" (Reported by Muslim, 225)

6. Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: "The Messenger of Allaah (Peace & Blessings of Allaah be upon Him) said: "He is one of us, behind whom ‘Eesaa ibn Maryam will pray." (Reported by Abi Na’eem in Akhbaar al-Mahdi. Al-Albaani said it is saheeh; see al-Jaami’ al-Sagheer, 5/219, hadeeth 5796).

7. ‘Abdullaah ibn Mas’ood reported that the Prophet (Peace & Blessings of Allaah be upon Him) said: "The world will not come to an end until the Arabs are ruled by a man from my family whose name will be the same as mine." (Musnad Ahmad, 5/199, hadeeth 3573. Another version says: "… whose name is the same as mine and whose father’s name is the same as my father’s." Sunan Abi Dawud, 11/370).

The ahaadeeth concerning the appearance of the Mahdi reach the level of Tawaatur in meaning (tawaatur refers to a hadeeth which was narrated by so many people through so many isnaads that it is inconceivable that they could all have agreed on a lie). The imaams and scholars of this ummah have stated this, and a few of their comments are quoted below:

1. Al-Haafiz Abu’l-Hasan al-Aabiri said: "The mutawaatir reports from the Prophet (Peace & Blessings of Allaah be upon Him) describing the Mahdi are very many. They state that the Mahdi will be of his family, that he will rule for seven years, that he will fill the earth with justice, that ‘Eesaa ibn Maryam will emerge and help him to kill the Dajjaal, and that he will lead this ummah in prayer and ‘Eesaa will pray behind him."

2. Muhammad al-Barzanji said, in his book al-Ishaa’ah li Ashraat al-Saa’ah: "The major signs and the signs that will be immediately followed by the Hour: these signs are many, of which the Mahdi will be the first. Know that the ahaadeeth that have been narrated about him in various reports are numerous." He also said: "You know that the ahaadeeth which speak of the Mahdi, his appearance at the end of time, and his lineage and descent from the Prophet (Peace & Blessings of Allaah be upon Him) via Faatimah reach the level of tawaatur in meaning, so there is no point in denying them."

3. Al-‘Allaamah Muhammad al-Safaareeni said: "There are so many reports which speak of the appearance of the Mahdi that they reach the level of tawaatur in meaning; they are very popular among the scholars of Sunnah and have become part of their faith." Then he quotes a number of ahaadeeth and reports about the appearance of the Mahdi and the names of the Sahaabah from whom they were narrated: "Many reports were narrated from the Sahaabah whose names were mentioned and others whose names were not mentioned, may Allaah be pleased with them all, and from the Taabi’een after them, all of which proves that this is definitive knowledge. Belief in the appearance of the Mahdi is obligatory, as it has been confirmed by the scholars and is listed among the beliefs of Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah."

4. Al-‘Allaamah al-Mujtahid al-Shawkaani said: "The ahaadeeth that we have come across that speak of the awaited Mahdi reach the level of tawaatur, including fifty saheeh, hasan and da’eef munjabar ahaadeeth. There are mutawaatir without a doubt; indeed they are more mutawaatir than others, according to all the standards of usool. There are also many reports from the Sahaabah that speak about the Mahdi and that reach the level of marfoo’, so there is no room for individual opinions in such an issue."

5. Al-‘Allaamah al-Shaykh Siddeeq Hasan Khaan said: "Even though there are different versions of reports concerning the Mahdi, they are so many that they reach the level of tawaatur in meaning. They are to be found in al-Sunan and other books of Islam."

6. Al-Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ja’far al-Kattaani said: "The conclusion is that the ahaadeeth narrated concerning the Mahdi are mutawaatir, as are the ahaadeeth concerning the Dajjaal and the descent of ‘Eesaa ibn Maryam, upon whom be peace." (See Ashraat al-Saa’ah by Yoosuf ibn ‘Abdullaah al-Waabil, pp. 195-203).

You should be aware that some liars have fabricated ahaadeeth about the Mahdi, and others have even claimed to be he, or that he belongs to a group other than Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah. Some of these "false mahdis" have tried to deceive the slaves of Allaah for some worldly gain and to distort the picture of Islaam. Some have started movements and revolutions and gathered those people and supporters whom they were able to deceive. Then they were destroyed, and their lies and falsehood were exposed. None of this affects the belief of Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah in the Mahdi, upon whom be peace, and that he will undoubtedly appear and rule the earth in accordance with Islamic Sharee’ah. And Allaah knows best.

The Muslims do not pin their hopes on someone who will save or deliver them, as is the case with the Jews, the Christians and the Raafidis (Shi’ah). Islam is complete and its rulings are complete. Perhaps what is meant in the question is the Mahdi. He will be one of the reformers of this ummah through whom Allaah will fill the earth with justice and fairness after it was filled with injustice and unfairness. Like other reformers, he will follow the Qur’aan and Sunnah and will rule according to them.

Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: The issue of the Mahdi is well known and the ahaadeeth which speak of him are numerous and are mutawaatir and support one another. More than one of the scholars has narrated that they are mutawaatir in meaning because of their many isnaads, many narrators and many versions. They indicate that this person whose coming is promised is something real and true. His name will be Muhammad ibn ‘Abd-Allaah al-‘Alawi al-Hasani, and he will be a descendent of al-Hasan ibn ‘Ali ibn ‘Abi Taalib (may Allaah be pleased with him). By the mercy of Allaah towards this ummah, this imam will appear at the end of time and will establish justice and truth and do away with injustice and oppression. Through him Allaah will spread justice among the ummah and guide the people.

I have studied many of the ahaadeeth about him and I saw, as al-Shawkaani and others said, and as Ibn al-Qayyim and others said, that some are saheeh, some are hasan, and some are da’eef (weak) and manjabir (may be proven if there is corroborating evidence), containing fabricated reports. Those which have sound isnaads are sufficient for us, whether they are saheeh in and of themselves (saheeh li dhaatihi) or saheeh because of the existence of corroborating reports (saheeh li ghayri), or hasan in and of themselves (hasan li dhaatihi) or hasan because of the existence of corroborating reports (hasan li ghayrihi). By the same token, if the da’eef (weak reports) corroborate and support one another, then that constitutes evidence according to the scholars. So there are four categories of acceptable hadeeth according to the scholars: saheeh li dhaatihi (saheeh in and of itself), saheeh li ghayrihi (saheeh because of the existence of corroborating reports), hasan li dhaatihi (hasan in and of itself) and hasan li ghayrihi (hasan because of the existence of corroborating reports).

This has to do with reports other than those which are mutawaatir. All the mutawaatir reports are acceptable, whether they are mutawaatir in wording or in meaning. The ahaadeeth which speak of the Mahdi are mutawaatir in meaning. And the trustworthy scholars have stated that they are sound and mutawaatir.

We have seen the scholars state many things to be sound on the basis of less evidence than that. The truth of the matter is that the majority of scholars – if not all of them – are agreed that the Mahdi is something proven: he is real and will appear at the end of time. With regard to those scholars who hold odd views concerning this matter, no attention is to be paid to what they say on this matter.

Al-Radd ‘ala man kadhaba bi’l-Ahaadeeth al-Saheehah al-Waaridah fi’l-Mahdi by Shaykh ‘Abd al-Muhsin al-‘Abbaad, p. 157. Shaykh Ibn Baaz was commenting on a lecture given by Shaykh al-‘Abbaad.

There follows some information about the Mahdi: His name will be Muhammad ibn ‘Abd-Allaah. His description: He will have a high forehead and a hooked nose. Al-Qaari: Sharh Mishkaat al-Masaabeeh, 10/175. When he will appear: At the end of time, shortly before the Hour begins. After him the Messiah ‘Eesa ibn Maryam (Jesus the son of Mary) will descend.

There follow some of the ahaadeeth that have been narrated concerning him: It was narrated that Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The Mahdi is from me, with a high forehead and a hooked nose. He will fill the earth with fairness and justice as it was filled with unfairness and injustice, and he will reign for seven years.” Narrated by Abu Dawood, 4275; classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood.

It was narrated that ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Mas’ood said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “This world will not pass away until the earth is ruled by a man from among my family who whose name will be the same as mine.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2235. Shaykh al-Albaani said: (it is) hasan saheeh.

It was narrated that Jaabir (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: “A group from among my ummah will continue to fight for the truth and prevail until the Day of Resurrection. Then ‘Eesa ibn Maryam (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) will come down and their leader will say, ‘Come and lead us in prayer,’ but he will say, ‘No, you are leaders for one another, as an honour from Allaah to this ummah.’”

Narrated by Muslim, 156. The leader mentioned in this hadeeth is the Mahdi. For more reports about the Mahdi, please see question no. 1252.

Note: Some people misunderstand the ahaadeeth about the Mahdi and the descent of ‘Eesa ibn Maryam, so they do not work for Islam or to call people to Allaah because they are waiting for the Messiah to come down or for the Mahdi to appear. This is undoubtedly a mistake. The Muslims have to strive to make the word of Allaah supreme, to make His religion prevail and to convey the message of truth to all people. We can imagine how much the Muslims would have declined and how weak they would have become if the earlier Muslims had understood this matter in this mistaken manner and acted accordingly. Would they have been able to defeat the Tatars and Crusaders, and conquer other lands?

Question:

Some people understand from the ahaadeeth about the Mahdi and the descent of the Messiah ‘Eesa ibn Maryam (Jesus the son of Mary, peace be upon him) that these are an excuse not to strive for Islam, so they should sit and wait until the Mahdi appears or the Messiah descends for the glory of Islam and the Muslims to be restored. What is your opinion on this understanding?.

Answer :

Praise be to Allaah. This miserable state that the Muslim ummah is in nowadays is very shameful. All the Muslims are responsible for setting things straight, but some Muslims fail to strive, relying on their hopes and avoiding correcting the sorry state of the ummah on the grounds that this was caused by those who came before us and will be set right by those who come after us. So they do not strive to support the religion of Allaah, on the grounds that the Mahdi is the one who will do that.

This is escaping into hopes whilst failing to put into effect the means prescribed in sharee’ah. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “It will not be in accordance with your desires (Muslims), nor those of the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians), whosoever works evil, will have the recompense thereof, and he will not find any protector or helper besides Allaah” [al-Nisa’ 4:123]

This negativity which some of the Muslims are suffering from nowadays can have no basis in the texts of sharee’ah; rather it is due to misunderstanding, helplessness and laziness, and evasion of responsibility.

Allaah has commanded the Muslims to strive and work for this religion, to call people to Allaah, to debate with the kuffaar and call them with wisdom and beautiful preaching, and to fight them until there will no longer be any shirk on earth. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And fight them until there is no more Fitnah (disbelief and polytheism, i.e. worshipping others besides Allaah), and the religion (worship) will all be for Allaah Alone [in the whole of the world]. But if they cease (worshipping others besides Allaah), then certainly, Allaah is All-Seer of what they do” [al-Anfaal 8:39]

Ibn Katheer (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: Here Allaah commands us to fight the kuffaar until there is no more fitnah i.e. shirk, and the religion (worship) is all for Allaah, i.e., until the religion of Allaah prevails over all other religions.

This command does not apply only to some times and not others, rather the Muslims of all times and places are commanded to do this.

Undoubtedly working for Islam and to establish it on earth requires the Muslims to strive hard and pursue the means that lead to that.

Some people misunderstand the ahaadeeth that have been narrated about the emergence of the Mahdi and the descent of the Messiah ‘Eesa ibn Maryam (peace be upon him), so they are passive and do not strive, and they sit and wait for the Mahdi to appear or the Messiah to come down, and they do not call people to Allaah or strive to make the word of Allaah supreme. But Allaah and His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) have commanded us to take the appropriate means and strive hard on earth. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“O you who believe! Take your precautions, and either go forth (on an expedition) in parties, or go forth all together” [al-Nisa’ 4:71]

“And make ready against them all you can of power, including steeds of war (tanks, planes, missiles, artillery) to threaten the enemy of Allaah and your enemy” [al-Anfaal 8:60]

“He it is Who has made the earth subservient to you (i.e. easy for you to walk, to live and to do agriculture on it); so walk in the path thereof and eat of His provision. And to Him will be the Resurrection” [al-Mulk 67:15]

“and for this let (all) those strive who want to strive” [al-Mutaffifeen 83:26]

“For the like of this let the workers work” [al-Saaffaat 37:61]

“And whoever desires the Hereafter and strives for it, with the necessary effort due for it (i.e. does righteous deeds of Allaah’s obedience) while he is a believer (in the Oneness of Allaah Islamic Monotheism) — then such are the ones whose striving shall be appreciated, (thanked and rewarded by Allaah)” [al-Isra’ 17:19]

“And take a provision (with you) for the journey, but the best provision is At-Taqwa (piety, righteousness)” [al-Baqarah 2:197]

Allaah commanded Maryam to take the appropriate means when she was at her weakest, as He said (interpretation of the meaning):

“And shake the trunk of date palm towards you, it will let fall fresh ripe dates upon you” [Maryam 19:25]

The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to prepare for everything and draw up plans, as happened during the Hijrah (migration to Madeenah). He prepared the mounts and a guide, and he chose a travelling companion, and chose a place to hide until the search for him had died down, and he protected all of that with secrecy. This is how he conducted himself in all his battles and military campaigns, and this is how he trained his companions. They used to meet their enemies equipped with all kinds of weapons. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) entered Makkah (at the conquest) with a helmet on his head, even though Allaah said (interpretation of the meaning):

“Allaah will protect you from mankind” [al-Maa’idah 5:67]

When he traveled for jihad or Hajj or ‘Umrah, he took his provisions and more with him.

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Strive for that which will benefit you and seek the help of Allaah, and do not feel helpless.” Narrated by Muslim, 2664.

We can imagine the state in which the call and the ummah would have ended up if the previous generations had responded to the calls to give up until the Mahdi comes. Would they have been able to defeat the Tatars and Crusaders, and conquer Constantinople?

This mistaken understanding of the shar’i texts that have been narrated concerning the Mahdi and the Messiah (peace be upon him) has been criticized by many scholars, daa’iyahs and writers. Shaykh al-Albaani (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

It is not permissible for the Muslims to give up working for Islam and for the establishment of the Islamic state on earth because they are waiting for the Mahdi and the descent of ‘Eesa (peace be upon them both), because they feel despair or they think that it is not possible to achieve any such thing before they come. This is a false and desperate notion. Neither Allaah nor His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told us that Islam will not regain power on earth before their time. It is possible that that may be achieved before then if the Muslims avail themselves of the means that lead to that, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“If you help (in the cause of) Allaah, He will help you, and make your foothold firm” [Muhammad 47:7]

“Verily, Allaah will help those who help His (Cause)” [al-Hajj 22:40]

We have to believe in the ahaadeeth which speak of the descent of Eesa (peace be upon him) etc, and reject the false notions of those who say that we should not work and strive and prepare to do that which must be done at all times and in all places. End quote.

Professor ‘Abd al-‘Azeez Mustafa said: Jihaad against the kuffaar, no matter who they are, where they are or in what time they exist is obligatory according to sharee’ah; this ruling has not been abrogated. This is an established truth of Islam. This jihad is obligatory when its conditions are met and the relevant rulings apply. It is not one of these conditions or rulings that jihad should be delayed until what is promised comes to pass. This is not the way in which the first Muslims understood it and how they acted. Indeed, when they were told that Allaah would destroy the power of Chosroes with their swords they did not stay in their houses waiting for the news to come true and for that event to happen without any effort on their part. No, rather they prepared themselves for that and made themselves ready until victory came and thus the promise coincided with the decree of Allaah. But some of the Muslims nowadays say no: jihad against the Jews must wait until the Dajjaal appears. Perhaps this is part of the trial (fitnah) of the Dajjaal in this world.

This negative talk has affected some of the Muslim youth, so they do not feel any kind of responsibility towards al-Masjid al-Aqsa, the environs of which Allaah has blessed. It has even led many of them to believe more foolish ideas, namely that the Islamic state and the caliphate will not be established until the Mahdi comes.

I wonder about those who propagate such ideas. It is as if they are saying to the Jews: Be harsh towards your enemies… and to the Christians: Carry on with your aggression… and to the Muslims: carry on being fragmented and disputing and being useless until the Mahdi comes to you. I do not know on what their argument is based, or how they imagine that the Mahdi will come to people who are doing nothing or will support people who are apathetic. End quote.

See: Al-Mahdi wa Fiqh Ashraat al-Saa’ah by Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ismaa’eel, p. 710-722. We ask Allaah to bring the Muslims back to their religion.

Question:

In the present distressed situation many people including scholars are found to talk about the Renaissance of Islam and the emergence of Imam Mehdi. I want to ask about two things: first, who is or may be Imam Mehdi and is there any evidence about his possible emergence, in the light of Quran and Hadith. Secondly what will be the order of occurence of events before the Qiyamat, including emergence of Imam Mehdi, Fitna-e-Dajjal, Yajooj Majooj and Hazrat Issa (Jesus). Kindly reply in detail.

Answer :

Praise be to Allaah.

Imam al-Mahdi will be a righteous man from among the descendants of Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), who will appear at the end of time, through whom Allaah will set mankind’s affairs straight, and will fill the earth with fairness and justice just as it was filled with wrongdoing and oppression. His name will be the same as the name of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and his father’s name will be the same as that of the father of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). So his name will be Muhammad ibn ‘Abd-Allaah al-Mahdi, or Ahmad ibn ‘Abd-Allaah al-Mahdi. He will be descended from Faatimah the daughter of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), through al-Hasan ibn ‘Ali (may Allaah be pleased with him). The sign of his appearance will be widespread corruption and the earth being filled with wrongdoing and aggression.

There are a number of ahaadeeth which point to his appearance and attributes being as described above. When taken together these reports reach the level of tawaatur (i.e., narrated from so many people by so many people that it is inconceivable that they could all have agreed upon a lie). This is explained in more detail in question no. 1252.

With regard to the order in which the portents of the Hour will appear, there is some difference of opinion among the scholars, the reason being that no such order or events is narrated in the Sunnah. However the scholars have determined the order of some of the events, as follows:

1 – The appearance of the minor portents of the Hour, of which there are many which will not appear in any specific order. These include: the sending of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and his death; the plague of ‘Amwaas; the appearance of tribulations; the loss of honesty; the disappearance of knowledge; the spread of riba, musical instruments and alcohol; regarding these things as permissible; competition in erecting tall buildings; a great deal of killing; time passing more quickly; adornment of the mosques; prevalence of shirk; the spread of immorality; a great deal of stinginess; many earthquakes; landslides, transformations and pelting with stones from the heavens; disappearance of righteous people; believers’ dreams coming true; neglect of the Sunnah; a great deal of lying; a great deal of false testimony; a great deal of sudden death; a great deal of rain but little growth of vegetation; wishing for death; increase in numbers of the “Romans” and fighting them; and other signs which are narrated in saheeh ahaadeeth from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).

2 – The appearance of the Mahdi, who will appear before the Dajjaal and before the descent of ‘Eesa ibn Maryam (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). This is indicated by the hadeeth of Jaabir (may Allaah be pleased with him) who said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “ ‘Eesa ibn Maryam will come down and their leader the Mahdi will say to him: ‘Come and lead us in prayer.’ But he will say: ‘No, one of them should lead the others in prayer, as a sign of honour from Allaah to this ummah.’: Narrated by al-Haarith ibn Abi Usaamah in his Musnad. And Ibn al-Qayyim said in al-Manaar al-Muneef (1/147): its isnaad is jayyid. The hadeeth is narrated with a mawsool isnaad in Saheeh Muslim, without naming their leader. Muslim’s report says: “… ‘And ‘Eesa ibn Maryam (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) will come down and their leader will say to him: ‘Come and lead us in prayer.’ But he will say: ‘No, one of them should lead the others in prayer, as a sign of honour from Allaah to this ummah.’” Narrated by Muslim, 225. So ‘Eesa (peace be upon him) will follow the Mahdi in prayer, which indicates that the Mahdi will appear before ‘Eesa, and ‘Eesa will kill the Dajjaal, which indicates that the Dajjaal will appear during the time of the Mahdi. See also question no. 10301.

3 – The appearance of the Dajjaal – for more detail about his emergence see Questions no. 8806, 171, 8301.

4 – The descent of ‘Eesa ibn Maryam and his killing the Dajjaal (see question no. 10302).

5 – The appearance of Ya’jooj and Ma’jooj (Gog and Magog). One indication that Ya’jooj and Ma’jooj will emerge at the time of ‘Eesa (peace be upon him) is the hadeeth of al-Nawaas ibn Sam’aan, which says that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told them about the Dajjaal, and said: “Whilst he is like that, Allaah will reveal to ‘Eesa: ‘I have released slaves of Mine whom no one will be able to fight. Take My slaves to safety in al-Toor (Sinai),’ and Allaah will send Ya’jooj and Ma’jooj, who will come swarming down from every mound. The first of them will pass by Lake Tiberias and will drink the water in it, and the last of them will pass by it and will say, ‘There was water here once.’” Narrated by Muslim, no. 2937. See also questions no. 171 and 3437.

Then the signs will come quickly, one after another. According to a hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him), the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The signs will come one after another, like beads falling from a string”. Narrated by al-Tabaraani in al-Mu’jam al-Awsat; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami’. Then the sun will rise from the west, the Beast will emerge, and there will be landslides and other major signs. We ask Allaah to make us steadfast unto death. And Allaah knows best. For more information see: al-Mahdi al-Muntazar by Dr. ‘Abd al-‘Aleem al-bastawi, 1/256; Ashraat al-Saa’ah by Yoosuf al-Waabil, p. 249.

Question:

Is it one of the signs of the hour that days will pass quickly and will become short?.

Answer :

Praise be to Allaah.

Perhaps the questioner is referring to the hadeeth narrated by al-Bukhaari (1036) from Abu Hurayrah who said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The Hour will not begin until knowledge is taken away, earthquakes increase, time passes quickly, tribulations appear, and there is a lot of haraj, which is killing, killing, and until there will be a lot of wealth among you and it will become abundant.”

And Ahmad narrated (10560) that Abu Hurayrah said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The Hour will not begin until time passes quickly, so a year will be like a month, and a month will be like a week, and a week will be like a day, and a day will be like an hour, and an hour will be like the burning of a braid of palm leaves.” Ibn Katheer said: Its isnaad is (saheeh) according to the conditions of Muslim. And it was classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami’, 7422.

These two ahaadeeth indicate that one of the signs of the Hour is that time will pass more quickly.

The scholars differed concerning the meaning of the phrase taqaarub al-zamaan (time passing more quickly). There are many views, the strongest of which is:

That the phrase taqaarub al-zamaan (time passing quickly) may be interpreted literally or metaphorically.

The metaphorical meaning is that barakah (blessing) will disappear from time, which is something that started a long time ago. This was the view favoured by al-Qaadi ‘Iyaad, al-Nawawi and al-Haafiz ibn Hajar (may Allaah have mercy on them).

Al-Nawawi said: what is meant by its becoming short is that there will be no barakah in it, and that the benefit that a person gets from one day, for example, will be the equivalent of the benefit that he used to get in a single hour.

Al-Haafiz said: The fact of the matter is that what it means is that barakah will disappear from everything, even from time. That is one of the signs that the Hour is at hand.

The metaphorical meaning also includes ease and speed of travel between distant places, so that it may be regarded as time passing more quickly. Distances that took months to cross in the past do not take more than a number of hours nowadays.

Shaykh Ibn Baaz said, in his commentary on Fath al-Baari, 2/522: the time passing quickly mentioned in the hadeeth may be interpreted in the sense of what has happened nowadays, where the distances between cities and regions have grown shorter and it takes less time to travel between them, because of the invention of planes, cars, broadcasting, etc. And Allaah knows best.

With regard to the literal meaning, that days will become shorter in a real sense, so that the hours of night and day pass quickly, this has not happened yet, but it is not something impossible. This is supported by the fact that the days of the Dajjaal will become longer so that a day will be like a year or a month or a week in length. Just as days may become longer, they may also become shorter. That will be because of the world system going out of control and the approach of the end of the world. In al-Fath, al-Haafiz quoted Ibn Abi Jamrah as saying: It may be that what is meant by time passing quickly is that time will literally become shorter, based on what is said in the hadeeth: “The Hour will not begin until a year is like a month.” Based on this, then the shortening of time may be understood in a literal sense, or it may be metaphorical. In the real sense it has not started yet, but it may be one of the things that will happen when the Hour is at hand. With regard to the metaphorical sense, it appeared some time ago. This is known to the religious scholars and also to those who are smart and involved in worldly affairs, for they find that none of them can do as much work as they used to do before, and they complain about that and do not know the reason for it.

Perhaps that is because of the weakness of faith and the emergence of things that go against Islam in many ways. The worst of that lack of barakah is mostly manifested in provision, because the sources of provision are either completely haraam or are dubious, as is obvious to everyone, to such an extent that many people do not care where their provision comes from; wherever they can get they take it and they do not care. In fact the barakah in time, provision and agriculture can only be obtained by means of strength of faith, following Allaah’s commands and heeding His prohibitions.

The proof of that is the words of Allaah (interpretation of the meaning):

“And if the people of the towns had believed and had the Taqwa (piety), certainly, We should have opened for them blessings from the heaven and the earth” [al-A’raaf 7:96]

Al-Suyooti said something similar in al-Haawi li’l-Fataawi (1/44), where he said concerning the meaning of this hadeeth:

It was said that this is in fact literal, and that the hours of day and night will grow shorter when the onset of the Hour is at hand. And it was said that it is metaphorical, and that what is meant is that days will pass quickly and the barakah will be removed from all things, even from time…. And there are other opinions as well. And Allaah knows best.

There is no contradiction between these three views, that it means the removal of blessing, ease of transportation and time passing more quickly in a literal sense. There is no reason why the hadeeth should not be interpreted as meaning all of them. And Allaah knows best.

There are other opinions concerning the meaning of “time passing quickly,” but they are not as strong as the opinions quoted above. For example there is the view of al-Khattaabi, which is that life will become enjoyable. Al-Haafiz said: It means – and Allaah knows best – that this will happen at the time of the Mahdi, when security and justice prevail throughout the earth, and life will become enjoyable at that time, and people will feel that time is shorter; because people feel that times of ease are short even when they are long, and they feel that times of hardship last long, even if they are short. Then al-Haafiz said: Rather al-Khattaabi interpreted it in this manner because that this shortness of time had not yet happened in his era. But what the hadeeth refers to is happening in our time, for we see that days are passing quickly in a way that did not happen during previous times, even though there is no easy life. In fact the meaning is metaphorical and refers to the removal of barakah.

Another opinion was that of Ibn Battaal, which is that what is meant is that people will become similar to one another in their lack of religious commitment, so that there will not be anyone among them who enjoins what is good and forbids what is evil, because of the prevalence of evil and its people.

This interpretation goes against the apparent meaning of the hadeeth and is refuted by what the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said in another hadeeth: “The Hour will not begin until time passes more quickly so that a year will be like a month…” It is obvious that what is meant is that time itself will pass more quickly, not that people will start to resemble one another in their lack of religious commitment. And Allaah knows best.

See Fath al-Baari, 13/21, commentary on hadeeth no. 7061. Ittihaaf al-Jamaa’ah by al-Tuwayjri, 1/497 Al-Sunan al-Waaridah fi’l-Fitan wa Ghawaa’iliha wa’l-Saa’ah wa Ashraatiha by Abu ‘Amr ‘Uthmaan al-Daani, ed. By Dr. Rida’-Allaah al-Mubaarakfoori Ashraat al-Saa’ah by al-Waabil, p. 120.

Question:

What are the tests or trials that may occur before the last day of Judgement which will help distinguish between the Muslims and Kaafirs?.

Answer :

Praise be to Allaah. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told us of signs that will take place before the Hour begins, which the scholars have categorized as “lesser signs” and “greater signs”. Some of them designated a third category, “intermediate signs”, namely the emergence of the Mahdi. This is one of the minor signs, but during his time some of the major signs will appear.

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) has told us of some of the things that will distinguish the believers from the kaafirs before the Day of Resurrection. These include:

(a) The emergence of the Beast.

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And when the Word (of torment) is fulfilled against them, We shall bring out from the earth a beast for them, to speak to them because mankind believed not with certainty in Our Ayaat (Verses of the Qur’aan and Prophet Muhammad)” [al-Naml 27:82]

Ibn Katheer said: This Beast will emerge at the end of time, when people have become corrupt and forsaken the commands of Allaah, and altered the true religion. Then Allaah will bring forth to them a Beast from the earth.” Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 3/375.

It was narrated from Abu Umaamah that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The Beast will emerge and strike the people on their noses, then their numbers [i.e., those who have been marked on the nose] will increase among you until a man will buy a camel, and they will say, ‘Who did you buy it from?’ and he will say, ‘I bought it from one of those with a mark on their noses.’”

Narrated by Ahmad, 21805. Classed as saheeh by Shaykh al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, 322.

What is meant by striking the people on their noses is that it will make marks on their noses, and there will be one mark for believers and another for kaafirs.

It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There are three things which, when they emerge, no good will it do to a person to believe then, if he believed not before, nor earned good (by performing deeds of righteousness) through his Faith [cf. al-An’aam 6:158]: the sun rising from the west, the Dajjaal and the Beast of the earth.” Narrated by Muslim, 158.

(b) The followers of the Dajjaal when he emerges.

It was narrated from Anas ibn Maalik that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Seventy thousand of the Jews of Isbahaan wearing large cloaks will follow the Dajjaal.”

(c) Madeenah will be cleansed of kaafirs and hypocrites at the time of the Dajjaal.

It was narrated from Anas ibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There is no city that the Dajjaal will not enter, except Makkah and Madeenah. He will not approach any of their alleyways but there will be angels standing guarding it. Then Madeenah will be shaken with its people three times, and Allaah will bring forth every kaafir and hypocrite.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1782; Muslim, 2943.

(d) A wind blowing from the direction of Yemen

It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah will send a wind from Yemen, softer than silk, and it will not leave anyone in whose heart is faith the weight of a grain but it will take him (his soul).” Narrated by Muslim, 117.

Al-Nawawi said: With regard to the meaning of this hadeeth, there are many similar ahaadeeth, for example: “the Hour will not begin until it is not said on earth, ‘Allaah, Allaah’”; and “It will not come upon anyone who says, ‘Allaah, Allaah’”; and “It will only come upon the most evil of people.” All of these and similar reports mean what they appear to mean. With regard to the other hadeeth, “A group of my ummah will continue to follow the truth [?] until the Day of Resurrection,” this does not contradict the other ahaadeeth, because what this means is that they will continue to adhere to the truth until their are taken by that gentle wind, close to the time of the Hour or when its portents appear. So the mention in this hadeeth of them remaining until the Hour begins is to be understood as referring to when its portents appear and it is about to begin. And Allaah knows best. Sharh Muslim, 2/132

Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 4409; Muslim, 2583. At the time of the Mahdi and when ‘Eesa (peace be upon him) comes down, the Muslims’ victory over the Jews will be complete. It is proven (in the hadeeth) then when the leader of the Muslims, the Mahdi will come to lead them in praying Fajr, ‘Eesa ibn Maryam will come down to them, and the imam will step back so that ‘Eesa can come forward and lead the prayer, but ‘Eesa will put his hand on his back and say, “Go forward and lead the prayer, for the iqaamah was given for you.” So their imam will lead them in prayer, and when he has finished, then ‘Eesa will head towards the Dajjaal, with whom will be seventy thousand Jews. When the Dajjaal looks at him, he will melt like salt in water, and the Messiah ‘Eesa (peace be upon him) will catch up with him at the gate of Lod (which is a town near Jerusalem) and kill him. Then Allaah will cause the defeat the Jews, and there will be nothing that Allaah has created that a Jew hides behind, but Allaah will cause that thing to speak. Rocks, trees, walls and animals will all say, ‘O Muslim, O slave of Allaah, here is a Jew, come and kill him!’ – except for the box-thorn tree (al-gharqad), for it is one of their trees and will not speak.”

If the Muslims want to defeat the Jews and all kaafirs, they have to turn back to Allaah and support His religion until Allaah grants them victory, for the Jews are too insignificant for words, but they took advantage of the fact that the Muslims have turned away from their religion.

We ask Allaah to being the Muslims back to their religion and help them follow it properly.

May Allah Protect us from our enemies and grant us victory over the disbelieving folk!!!