The Signs Before The Day Of Judgement

Author: Al-Haafidh Ibn Katheer

Published: Wednesday 13th January, 2016



Divisions Within the Main Religious Groups

Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet (صلى الله علیه وسلم) said:

"The Jews have split into seventy-one sects, and my Ummah will divide into seventy-three." [1]


'Awf ibn Malik reported that the Prophet (صلى الله علیه وسلم) said:

"The Jews split into seventy-one sects: one will enter Paradise and seventy will enter Hell. The Christians split into seventy-two sects: seventy-one will enter Hell and one will enter Paradise. By Him in Whose hand is my soul, my Ummah will split into seventy-three sects: one will enter Paradise and seventy-two will enter Hell." Someone asked, "O Messenger of Allaah, who will they be?" He replied, "The main body of the Muslims (al-Jamaa'ah)."


'Awf ibn Malik is the only one who reported this Hadeeth, and its isnaad is acceptable. [2]

Anas ibn Malik said,

"I shall tell you a Hadeeth which I heard from the Messenger of Allaah, and which no-one will tell you after me. I heard him say, 'Among the signs of the Hour will be the disappearance of knowledge and the appearance of ignorance. Adultery will be prevalent and the drinking of wine will be common. The number of men will decrease and the number of women will increase until there will be fifty women to be looked after by one man.'" This Hadeeth was reported in the two Saheehs from the Hadeeth of 'Abd Rabbihi. [3]


'Abd Allaah said,

"The Prophet (صلى الله علیه وسلم) said, 'Just before the Hour, there will be days in which knowledge will disappear and ignorance will appear, and there will be much killing.'" [Ibn Maajah; also narrated by Bukhaaree and Muslim, from the Hadeeth of al-A'mash] [4]


Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman said,

"The Prophet (صلى الله علیه وسلم) said, 'Islaam will become worn out like clothes are, until there will be no-one who knows what fasting, prayer, charity and rituals are. The Qur'aan will disappear in one night, and no Ayah will be left on earth. Some groups of old people will be left who will say, 'We heard our fathers saying La ilaha illa Allaah, so we repeated it.'

Silah asked Hudhayfah, "What will saying La ilaha illa Allaah do for them when they do not know what prayer, fasting, ritual and charity are?"

Hudhayfah ignored him; then Silah repeated his question three times, and each time Hudayfah ignored him. Finally he answered, "O Silah, it will save them from Hell", and said it three times. [Ibn Maajah] [5]


This indicates that in the last days, knowledge will be taken from the people, and even the Qur'aan will disappear from the Mushafs and from people's hearts. People will be left without knowledge. Only the old people will tell them that they used to hear people saying La ilaha illa Allaah; and they will repeat it to feel close to Allaah, so it will give them some blessing, even if they do not have any good deeds or beneficial knowledge. Knowledge will be taken away from men and ignorance will increase during the last days, and their ignorance and misguidance will increase until the end, as in the Hadeeth of the Prophet (صلى الله علیه وسلم):

"The Hour will not come upon anyone who says, 'Allaah, Allaah'; it will only come upon the most evil of men." [6]


Footnotes

[1] Ibn Maajah, Kitaab al-Fitan (Hadeeth 3991), 2/1321.

Checker's Note: Saheeh, Saheeh Ibn Maajah: 3225

[2] Abu Daawood, Kitaab as-Sunnah, (Hadeeth 4572, 4573), 12/1340-2.

"The main body of the Muslims (al-Jamaa'ah)" means the people of the Qur'aan, Hadeeth, Fiqh and other sciences, who have agreed to follow the Traditions of the Prophet (صلى الله علیه وسلم) in all circumstances without introducing any changes or imposing their own confused ideas.

Checker's Note: Saheeh, Saheeh al-Jami as-Sagheer: 1082, the narration of `Awf ibn Malik is also reported by Ibn Maajah (no. 4992), Ibn Abee `Asim in as-Sunnah (no. 63) and al-Lalikai in Sharh us-Sunnah (no. 1492).

[3] A similar Hadeeth was narated by al-Bukhaaree in Kitaab al-'Ilm, 1/30,31; and by Muslim.

Checker's Note: Saheeh, al-Bukhari and Muslim.

[4] Bukhaaree, Kitaab al-Fitan, 9/61; Msulim, Kitaab al-'Ilm, 8/58.

[5] Checker's Note:[/b] Saheeh, Silsilatul Ahadeeth as-Saheehah: 87.

[6]The first part of it was related by Muslim in Kitab al-Eemaan, 1/91, and the second part in Kitab al-Fitan wa Ashraat al-Sa'ah, 8/208.


 

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