Our message to the Hujjaaj

As we bid you and your family salaam on your travel to the holy city of Makkah for haj, we make dua that the Almighty bestows His richest blessings on you, that He grants you good health & strong eemaan inshaAllah, that you may fulfil all your obligations and ibaabaat according to His wishes, that He grants you and all Hujjaaj a haj mabroor and a haj maqbool inshaAllah.

As you prepare to leave we are reminded of the benefits of Haj and we are reminded of the beauty of our Deen. We are reminded of the Mercy of our Creator, The Almighty and Most High, Allah. We are reminded of the Unity (oneness) of Allah and the Unity of brotherhood.

You are answering the call of our father, Ebrahim – peace be upon him – on the instruction of Allah, the Most High, to call people to the pilgrimage. There were no media, no newpapers, no tv, no satellite, no facebook, no email – standing on a hill he called out to the people – people who were nowhere in sight –yet people came and thousands of years later, you are of those people, who were not inspired through the media, but the power of that call is in the hands of Allah, who has placed that desire there. You, the hujjaaj are indeed blessed.

As you shed tears as you leave your home, may the Almighty fill these tears with mahabbah, with rahmah and with much barakah. As you get into your car, may the Almighty grant you a safe and peaceful journey inshaAllah. As you leave, place you faith in the Almighty that He takes care of your belongings, your family and friends that you leave behind, you are at peace as you focus on the magnificent and momentous journey.

And as you enter Madinah, and you are reminded of the city from which the Muslim Empire was built by our illustrious leader Muhammad SAW – notice your physical proximity to Muhammadur rasoolullah – peace be upon him - when you visit his grave and how then can you not make dua to be with him –peace be upon him - in the hereafter . And do not forget us in the Raudatul Jannah - as verily the Prophet –peace be upon him - has said that a dua, a prayer made there is mustajab/accepted. Make dua for our well-being and especially that the Almighty grants us strong eeman/faith and protect our children.

And as you don your ihram for your ‘umrah, know that you are taking a small step for what lies ahead. But know that no amount of materiality or wealth can replace that feeling when you are in ihraam. And as you labbayk, as you utter the talbiyah, know that you have placed yourself in the 'presence' of Allah. Make dua that the Almighty sustains that feeling for you and make dua that all Muslims experience that feeling some time in their lifetime.

And as you leave the tranquillity of the Enlightened City, and you make your way to the Baytullahi Haram, seeing the Ka'bah - built by our father Ebrahim –peace be upon him - for the first time, you realise that this haj that your are performing is nothing else but emulating the builder of the Ka'bah. Pause! Ttake a moment or two to look at the simplicity, yet magnanimity of the Ka'bah. Then as you circumambulate the Ka'bah, remember that the Prophet – peace be upon him - has said that as great as this Ka'bah is, that the life of a Muslim is more sacred.

Then as you drink the Zamzam after the tawaf  you are reminded that this zamzam is nothing else but the miracle/blessing Allah has bestowed upon us through the builder's assistant, Ismaeel –peace be upon him. Drink your fill for this is a sign of the blessing of Allaah, that in the middle of the desert, Allaah, has made a provision for you – a reminder that Allah’s power encompasses everything, that depend on Him and you will realise His blessing, the ultimate blessings.
Then your ‘umrah reaches culmination as you perform the sa'i - remembering Sittina Hajir (reminding you of your mother, alas of all mothers) who has so wonderfully cared for us in childhood and beyond. This sa'i reminds us also of our search for so much in this dunya, but alas nothing happens except with the mercy of Allah, i.e. we have to forsake our whims and fancies and place our trust in Allah, the Provider, the Nourisher, the Sustainer.

And how beautiful it is that the haj is the fifth pillar of Islam after the Shahadah - for we cannot do the haj without having declared our faith (and its merely with our tongues). The haj is after salah - which is the connection with Allah after we have made shahadah. Then also after zakah which is our acceptance that to complete our connection with Allah, we have to share our zakah with the lesser fortunate, that we realise that provision and sustenance comes from Allah. Then Allah commands us that if we our intent on being truly Allah-conscious, i.e. that we want to have taqwa, that we fast…. And then when we are at a "high" having attained this increased level of taqwa, then we are ready - spiritually to perform the haj. We then again declare our shahadah, we perform even more salah (nafl) while we are in these sacred places, we have to spend of our wealth to get to these places and we are conscious to give charity before and while we on journey and we fast (as an option) when we do tamattu'. And fasting is linked to Hajj  when those not on Arafah are required to fast on the day of wuqoof.

Then you prepare yourself for Mina, again donning your ihram, reciting the talbiyah on youm-at-tarwiyyah. You spend the day in dhikr and supplication - make dua for us for you are indeed the guest of Allah, you are the favoured. Then after fajr the next day, you proceed to ‘Arafah- and you are reminded that as a earthling, this is sort of a dress rehearsal for qiyamah, dressed in your ihram (shroud), on a day when its only you and your Creator. You feel the peace of this sacred place. You are reminded of Nabi Adam and Jabal Rahmah which is nowhere else but on ‘Arafah – that Allah showed His mercy after our father, Adam – peace be upon him, transgressed (O Allaah,O Our Lord, we have harmed ourselves and if You do not forgive us we wil be on the lost ones).
 Shed tears for Allah's sake and may one of those tears carry my name that Allah may forgive me (and all Muslims), that Allah grant us strong eeman, grant us His satisfaction, protect us against the Fire and grant us jannah inshaAllah.

Remember us as we will remember you as our wuqoof is indeed in our fasting on that day, the day of Arafah. Unity indeed.

Remember us as you descend on Mash'aril haram -Muzdalifah, chanting "Rabbana aatinaa …." and we know that we too are included in that dua.

And what mercy is it when you pelt the jamaraat at Mina, relieving yourself of your whims and fancies, committing yourself to Allah and then as the blood flows from your qurbani, know that the Almighty has forgiven you (inshaAllah), that you after your stay for the days of tashreeq will return home free of sin like the day your mother gave birth to you (according to the hadith of the Prophet SAW).

May Allah bring you safely back to us, that you may inspire us, that we may learn from you and that you may be the shining example that the Almighty wants you to be.

We offer our salaams to you, make dua for you that our Creator grants you a safe journey and a haj mabroor inshaAllah.

She will forever be in my heart

A child looks bemused at all that is before her

Why is it that at my home all these people gather

Some faces are strange, yet others I know

The movement of people is a constant flow

Many teary-eyed murmur a prayer

This really looks like people who care

I need to make sense of all that is going on

And where, o where, has my mommy gone

There she is, so quietly she is lying

While some around her I can hear crying

It is so not normal a place for a bed

And see how some people kiss her on her head

They are calling for me to do the same

I know for sure this is not a game.

More prayers and then she is carried out

I have some idea now what this is about

Today my mommy has moved house

For now my daddy will be without a spouse

As she is hoisted and placed on the cart

I know she will forever be in my heart

O Allah I know you have taken my mommy away

Grant Paradise for her as a place to stay

A Blessed Friend

A dear friend has come to visit me

Since departed he has despite my plea

Perhaps I will get to see him in another year

Ah with him present there is such an atmosphere

Oh!  I hope that I have treated him well

That the fragrance from the promised Garden I can smell

How noble is my friend that with him blessings abound

From His Master who is not by any limit bound

I tried to grab much of it and bank it for my salvation

The profits from it is all free of taxation

My friend showed me a book I’ve heard before

Only this time it was just so much sweeter that afore

Even sometimes teary-eyed,  I read it cover to cover

In the masjid, in the home, in the car I heard it all over

There was a reminder here and a reminder there

And a new lesson here and everywhere

My friend told me than indeed he was blessed

For no other reason but because of this Book

In it is so much to learn about the author

From His Mercy is that He gave us a Law

He teaches us what we knew not

And that were created from a mere clot

Reminders and lessons of people past

And this life will not forever last

A guide for those who have understanding

Whose journey through life with have a happy landing

It is for us to hold onto it tight

For this book is most definitely full of might

From this book lessons and guidance we do take

We have fasted only for God’s sake

So farewell, O month of fasting

May your rewards you brought be for us everlasting

We are forever grateful to our Lord to whom is All Glory

Read Al-Quran and you will not be sorry

For He teaches also about some amazing men

Abraham, Moses, David, Jesus – peace be upon them

To their own people was their preaching

Worship the ONE true God was their teaching

They were submitters, They were Muslim

The One true religion is Islam

#Islam #Abraham #Moses #Jesus #David #Allah #Quran #Qur'an #Koran

Death of someone dear

A fond goodbye to someone very dear

Although in distance he was never near

Yet he seems to have gone to a faraway place

No longer this world will he grace

Youth was on his side

But by the Creator’s decision we abide

How can he not be always in our prayer

For that is one way to show we care

For a loved one we hold dear

Fond memories of him will keep him near

But alas this world is for him no more

A reminder that we too will that fate endure.

May the Almighty grant him and all our deceased His mercy

The Comforter

As reader of my blog questioned my assertion that the Bible prophecises the coming of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)

Below (in red) are his comments and I respond lower down.

Muslims have been told that Jesus predicted the coming of Mohammad. If one looks at the context of what Jesus said, one can see that he meant someone else.

Muslims are told that the Comforter to come that Jesus promised was Mohammad. Let us see what Jesus really said.

Who is the Comforter that Jesus promised?

Jhn 14:16: And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever;

Jhn 14:26: But the Comforter, [which is] the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

Jhn 15:26: But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, [even] the Spirit of truth, which proceeds from the Father, he shall testify of me:

Jhn 16:7: Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.

Comments
1. The Comforter will abide with them “forever.” Mohammad did not live then, and could not do this – be with them. Now that he has come and gone, he is not with anyone forever.

2. The Comforter is the Holy Ghost, not a man, who will “teach all things.” No man knows “all things,” only God.

3. The Comforter is a Spirit of Truth. Mohammad was a man, not a spirit.

4. Jesus had to leave so that the Comforter could come. That implied he was coming soon after Jesus left. Also, Jesus said that HE was sending the Comforter. Mohammad never claimed that Jesus sent him.
-
The disciples are to wait for the “promise” in Jerusalem.

Luk 24:49: And, behold, I [Jesus] send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.

Luk 24:51: And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he [Jesus] was parted from them, and carried up into heaven.

Comment
1. The “coming” of the Comforter occurred in Jerusalem. That is not where Mohammad was when he felt “called.”

2. The disciples were waiting and expecting the Comforter in about 33 AD. They could not wait until the 500s AD for Mohammad, because they could not live that long.

3. The promise would give them power.

When did the Comforter come?
Act 2:1: And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

Act 2:2: And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.

Act 2:3: And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.

Act 2:4: And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Comment

1. Jesus died at Passover. He appeared after his resurrection 3 days later, and was with them about 30 days. He then ascended into heaven. Pentecost occurs about 45 days after Passover.

2. The disciples were given the power of the Holy Ghost.
Mohammad, again, could not have come at this time, and he gave no supernatural power to anyone.

Reply to this Comment 

Dear Jim

It is indeed true that Allaah Almighty knows best and thus I am very grateful Him who has guided me and made me a Muslim – one who submits to His Oneness.

As Muslims were are fortunate to have with us His final revelation. This revelation confirms what came before it and the message of all the Prophets that there is but One God worthy of worship.  So while we are well exposed to Christians and their doctrine, these are mentioned in Quran. However, you may have limited exposure to Muslims and perhaps have not had the opportunity to properly research the Quran.  Certainly, when you understand that it is the word of our Creator, mine and yours, the Lord of Moses, David, Jesus and Muhammad (peace be upon them), then the denial of Muhammad (peace be upon him) as a Prophet of Allaah, God Almighty, will not be at issue. When you understand that Quran is the word of Allaah, you will understand that Muhammad  (peace be upon him) is the messenger of Allaah. The relevance of the prophecies in the Bible, both Old and New Testatment,  will not strengthen the belief of a Muslim – for he believes already.  As mentioned that we have Quran and the life history of Muhammad (peace be upon him) which makes the quotations releatively easy to understand.

Before we get to these verses, may I remind you that both Jews and Christains, many of them, acknowledged that Muhammad (peace be upon him) was the Prophet mentioned in the scriptures of the Jews and Christians – many accepted and many rejected. Quran even makes mention of this.

As to your points on the “Comforter”:  let’s start with three points:

1.       “Soon” – how long is “soon”.  It may indeed be a figure of speech.  For instance, God created all things in  6 days.  6 human days? – if you went to Planet mercury, a year will be something like 29 earth days. And on more distant planets the days will be extremely long in earth time. So “soon” did not mean soon, as in watch your clock. There was no indication that it was going to happen in their lifetime. Soon was just for them to convey the message that a Prophet was to come.
Time is a creation of God Almighty – read Quran to understand this better.

2.       Did not Paul write a few chapters/books in the New Testament? Was he present during the Pentacost? If not how was he inspired by the Holy Ghost “soon”. Did Peter have a licence from the Holy Ghost to inspire Paul to be an important author/scribe of the New Testament.
You said: When did the Comforter come?Act 2:1: And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
So was Paul there?

3.       Does the New Testament hold anything new to what Jesus (peace be upon him) taught? For does your Bible not say quoting Jesus (peace be upon him): “I have yet many things to say, but ye cannot bear it all now.....”
If so, what was new?
Muhammad (peace be upon him)  brought us Quran, as revealed to him from God Almighty though Angel Gabriel (peace be upon him). Quran teaches us what we ought to know and what was intended by Almighty God for us to know. Everything has its relevance.

4.       Jhn 14:16: And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever;So the “comforter” – the one you claim to be the comforter – is with us now?
Muhammad (peace be upon him) brought a message that is abiding with us and will abide with us until the end of time.  When his wife was asked about him, his life, she replied his life was the Quran. In us following him (peace be upon him) he teachings abide with us and will so until the end of time.

Yes, I have already said much and to not prolong this much further, suffice to say that I do not know if anything was lost in the translation of what is in the Bible you quoted.  I suggest that if you possibly read Quran it will add to what i have stated above.  The Quran is preserved by millions in their hearts, having memorised this Glorious Book  - a miracle indeed.

Btw – to which denomination do you belong.

PS! Quran states about Jesus PBUH:

1.       Miraculaous birth from virgin mother

2.       Spoke in cradle

3.       Performed miracles such as forming bird with clay and blowing into in and bird becomes alive – by the Permission of God Almighty

4.       He is a Prophet and not one of three (btw Bible does not speak of Trinity?)

5.       He was not crucified

6.       He was raised up by God Almighty.

 I pray that Almighty accepts your sincerity and rewards you for it.

Ettiquette

Really why don’t I blog more often … one gets busy and does one blog for the sake of blogging.

Something happened and I was not sure of the ideal forum to respond – so I blog again :)

So yesterday I watch a video on youtube – it was of a religious nature – and is my nature that I often can’t resist commenting. But I try to add meaningful comments. Yet what is disturbing is that the response to my comment is vulgar, from a person supposedly defending his religiously viewpoint. Now I take no personal affront to this as insults since I am merely a creation of Almighty Allaah. However, it is not uncommon to find this type of responses on religious (and political) forums. Perhaps it is such that some people go onto these forums not to engage in discussion/debate but only to hurl insults and abuse. This has sadly lead to the closure of some forums where good discussion did take place, but sadly hijacked by those who have no meaningful way to express themselves except being crude and vulgar.

As stated earlier, that personal insults one can take, but then these people go beyond that and start abusing aspects of the religion itself. We may have opinions and we may thus differ on important aspects of religion, but certainly that can be done in civil manner. Yes, I do admit that sometimes one can type something and the reader may infer something from the tone – but that may be a perception and it may be the reader itself having a particular frame of mind at that time.

So as a Muslim I would find it difficult if a fellow Muslim becomes abusive regarding another religion or even adherents to that religion. We may though find that certain questions or comments may have connotations of ridicule but may such comments or questions may be better understood through further engagement. This is rather different from someone making blatant comments in a threatening way.

Islam, through the Quran and the practices and teaches of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), teaches us that clearly. As Muslims we accept all the Prophets before him, Muhammad (peace be upon him), and we send our greeting upon them all. It is blasphemous to speak ill of any of them and among them are Abraham, Moses, David, John the Baptist and Jesus – peace be upon them all. Some of these Prophets (peace be upon them) were given scriptures which we as Muslim acknowledge. We further acknowledge that they – peace be upon them – all taught the same message of the worship of One God.

There are meaningful ways of finding out about Islam and engaging Muslims. The snippets in news broadcasts and the print media and the portrayal of Muslims in movies do not do justice to the religion in any way.

 Let's talk and respect each other - lets have some ettiquette

The End of the World ...?

So much talk about doomsday ... what is the Muslim take on it .. below is a condensed response - by a Muslim religious scholar - to a related question....

Signs of the Hour

Question: There are various sites regarding prophesies on the last days . The sites give very precise locations and happenings before the last day. Are they true ? . However in Quran there are prophesies but it does not mention the places. If there are any clear indications in Quran or in Hadith about Last Days, can you kindly tell.

Praise be to Allaah.

The Signs of the Hour are the signs that will precede Yawm al-Qiyaamah (the Day of Judgement) and indicate that it is nigh.

The Hour (al-Saa'ah) means the time of reckoning, and is either:

1. Saa'ah sughra (the lesser hour), which is a person's death, whereupon his reckoning starts when he leaves this world and passes into the Hereafter;

2. Or Saa'ah kubraa (the greater Hour), which is when mankind will be resurrected from their graves to be judged and rewarded or punished accordingly.

When the word al-saa'ah is used on its own in the Qur'aan, it refers to the greater reckoning (the Day of Judgement), as in the aayah (interpretation of the meaning): "People ask you concerning the Hour…" [al-Ahzaab 33:63]

The Signs of the Hour (i.e., the Day of Judgement) are of two types:

1.    Ashraat al-Saa'ah al-Sughra (Minor signs of the Hour)

These are signs that will appear a long time before the Hour approaches, such as the decline of knowledge, the spread of ignorance, drinking of wine or alcohol, competition in the construction of tall buildings, and many others. The scholars have listed almost sixty signs, some of which will accompany the major signs, or will appear afterwards.

2.    Ashraat al-Saa'ah al-Kubraa (Major Signs of the Hour)

These are major signs that will appear shortly before the Day of Judgement comes. These extraordinary events will be:

*******************************************************************************************************************

(1)    The appearance of the Mahdi.

At the end of time, a man from the descendents of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) will appear, and Allaah will help him to make His religion prevail. He will take control of the land (or the earth) and fill it with justice just as it had previously been filled with wrongdoing and oppression. Under his rule, the ummah will be blessed as it has never been blessed before.

This man's name will be like the name of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and his father's namewill be like the Messenger's father's name. He will be a descendant of Faatimah, the daughter of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), through the line of al-Hasan ibn 'Ali (may Allaah be pleased with him). He will appear from the East

(2)    Al-Maseeh al-Dajjaal (The "Antichrist")

Al-Maseeh al-Dajjaal is a man from the sons of Aadam. He has a number of features which were mentioned in the saheeh ahaadeeth, including the following: he will be a young man with a ruddy complexion and curly hair, and will be one-eyed, with his right eye looking like a floating grape. Between his eyes will be written "ka' fa' ra'" (in unjoined letters) or "kaafir" (disbeliever), which every Muslim, literate or illiterate, will be able to read. Another of his attributes will be that he is sterile, and will have no children. Among the ahaadeeth that describe him are the following:

The fitnah (trial, tribulation) of the Dajjaal will be the greatest fitnah ever, seen from the time that Allaah created Aadam until the onset of the Day of Judgement, and this will be because of the power that Allaah will permit him to have, of working great miracles that will amaze and confuse the people. There are ahaadeeth that describe how he will have a "paradise" and a "hell", but his paradise will in fact be a hell, and vice versa. He will have rivers of water and mountains of bread. He will command the sky to rain, and it will rain, and he will command the earth to bring forth its produce, and it will bring forth its produce. The treasures of the earth will follow him, and he will travel though the earth at great speed, like rain driven by the wind.

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) taught his ummah how they can protect themselves from the evil of the fitnah of the Dajjaal, as is reported in the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah, may Allaah be pleased with him, who said that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "When any one of you pronounces the Shahaadah, let him seek refuge with Allaah from four things, and let him say: “O Allaah, I seek refuge with You from the punishment of Hell, from the punishment of the grave, from the trials of life and death, and from the evil of the tribulation of the Dajjaal)." (Reported by Muslim, 5/87).

Another way of protecting oneself is by memorizing the first aayaat of Soorat al-Kahf.

(3)    The descent of 'Eesaa ibn Maryam, upon whom be peace

After the Dajjaal has appeared and spread corruption throughout the earth, Allaah will send 'Eesaa ibn Maryam, upon whom be peace, who will descend to the earth, coming down to the white minaret in the East of Damascus, Syria, resting his hands on the wings of two angels. When he lowers his head, drops will fall, and when he raises it, drops like large pearls will fall (these are like grains of silver in the shape of big pearls, and it means that drops of water as pure as pearls will fall. The water is described as pearls because of its purity). No kaafir will smell his breath except he will die, and his breath will reach as far as his eyes can see. He will come down to the victorious group that is fighting for the truth and has come together to fight the Dajjaal. He will descend at the time when the iqaamah for prayer is being given, and he will pray behind the leader of that group.

(4)    Ya'jooj and Ma'jooj (Gog and Magog)

Ya'jooj and Ma'jooj are human beings, descended from Aadam and Hawwa, upon whom be peace. According to the descriptions of them given in the ahaadeeth, they belong to the Turkic Mongol race, having small eyes, small, flat noses and wide faces. Their faces look like hammered-out shields (their faces are likened to shields because they are wide and round).

Their appearance at the end of time is one of the signs of the Hour, as indicated in the Qur'aan (interpretation of the meaning): "Until, when Ya'jooj and Ma'jooj are let loose (from their barrier), and they swiftly swarm from every mound. And the true promise (Day of Resurrection) shall draw near (to fulfilment). Then (when mankind is resurrected from their graves, you shall see the eyes of the disbelievers fixedly stare in horror. (They will say): 'Woe to us! We were indeed heedless of this; nay, but we were zaalimoon (polytheists and wrong-doers, etc.)." [al-Anbiyaa' 21:96-97]

In the story of Dhoo'l-Qarnayn, Allaah tells us (interpretation of the meaning): "Then he followed (another) way, until, when he reached between two mountains, he found, before (near) them (those two mountains), a people who scarcely understood a word. They said: 'O Dhoo'l-Qarnayn! Verily! Ya'jooj and Ma'jooj are doing great mischief in the land. Shall we then pay you a tribute in order that you might erect a barrier between us and them?' He said: 'That (wealth, authority and power) in which my Lord has established me is better (than your tribute). So help me with strength (of men), I will erect between you and them a barrier. Give me pieces (blocks) or iron,' then, when he had filled up the gap between the two mountain-cliffs, he said, 'Blow,' till when he had made it (red as) fire, he said, 'Bring me molten copper to pour over it.' So they [Ya'jooj and Ma'jooj] were made powerless to scale it or dig through it. (Dhoo'l-Qarnayn) said: 'This is a mercy from my Lord, but when the Promise of my Lord comes, He shall level it down to the ground. And the Promise of my Lord is ever true.' And on that Day [i.e., the day Ya'jooj and Ma'jooj will come out], We shall leave them to surge like waves on one another, and the Trumpet will be blown, and We shall collect them all together." [al-Kahf 18:92-99]

Al-Nawaas ibn Sam'aan (may Allaah be pleased with him) reported a long hadeeth describing several signs of the Hour. In this hadeeth, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "… and Allaah will send Ya'jooj and Ma'jooj, swiftly swarming from every mound. They will pass the lake of Tiberias [in Palestine] and will drink everything that is in it. Then the last of them will pass by and will say, 'There used to be water here once.' The Prophet of Allaah, 'Eesaa, and his companions, will be besieged until a bull's head will be more precious to one of them than a hundred dinars are to any of you today. 'Eesaa and his companions will pray to Allaah, and Allaah will send a kind of worm (like that found in the noses of camels and sheep) on their (Ya'jooj and Ma'jooj) necks, and they will fall down dead, all at once. Then 'Eesaa and his companions will come down out of the place where they were besieged, and they will find hardly a handspan of land that is not filled with the stench (of Ya'jooj and Ma'jooj), so 'Eesaa and his companions will pray to Allaah, and He will send birds like the necks of camels to carry them away and throw them wherever Allaah wills." (Reported by Muslim, 18/68).

(5)    The swallowing up of the earth

This means that a place is swallowed up in the earth and disappears into it, as is described in the Qur'aan (interpretation of the meaning): "So We caused the earth to swallow him and his dwelling place…" [al-Qasas 28:81]. Among the major signs of the Hour will be three such events, as described in the hadeeth of Hudhayfah ibn Usayd (may Allaah be pleased with him), according to which the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "The Hour will not begin until you see ten signs… (including) three events where the earth swallows up, one in the East, one in the West, and one in the Arabian Peninsula." (Reported by Muslim, 18/27).

These events, like other major signs of the Hour, have not happened yet. Although other instances of places being swallowed up by the earth have occurred at various times and in various places, they did not cover so wide an area as to include both East and West. Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: "There have been instances of places being swallowed up by the ear, but it could be that what is meant by the three events referred to is events that are worse than anything yet seen, which could be more intense and cover a larger area." (Fath al-Baari, 13/84).

(6)    The smoke

Another of the major signs of the Hour will be the appearance of the smoke. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): "Then wait you for the Day when the sky will bring forth a visible smoke, covering the people, this is a painful torment." [al-Dhukhaan 44:10-11].

A definition of the smoke was narrated from Ibn 'Abbaas, who explained that it is one of the Signs of the Day of Judgement, as was narrated by Ibn Jareer and Ibn Abi Haatim from 'Abd-Allaah ibn Abi Maleekah, who said: "I went to Ibn 'Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) one day, and he said: 'I did not sleep at all last night.' I asked him, 'Why not?' He said, 'They said that a star with a tail (a comet) had appeared, and I was afraid that the smoke had started, so I could not sleep at all.'"

Among the ahaadeeth that describe the appearance of the smoke as one of the signs of the Hour is the following:

1.      Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Hasten to do good deeds before six things appear: the Dajjaal, the smoke…" (Reported by Muslim, 18/87)

(7)    The rising of the sun from the West

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): "… The day that some of the Signs of your Lord do come, 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…" [al-An'aam 6:158]. Most of the mufassireen (commentators) state that one of these signs is the rising of the sun from the West. Among the reports that indicate this are:

1. The hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) according to which the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "The Hour will not begin until the sun rises from the West, and when it rises and the people see it, they will all believe, but that will be when it will do a person no good to believe, if he believed not before, nor earned good (by performing deeds of righteousness) through his faith." (Reported by al-Bukhaari, 11/352, and Muslim, 2/194).

2. The hadeeth of 'Abd-Allaah ibn 'Amr ibn al-'Aas (may Allaah be pleased with them both), who said: "I learned from the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) a hadeeth that I have never forgotten since. I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: 'The first of the signs of the Hour to appear will be the rising of the sun from the West.'" (Reported by Muslim, 18/78).

(8)    The appearance 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 to them, which will speak to them because mankind believed not with certainty in our aayaat." [al-Naml 27:82]

 (9)    The fire which will gather the people together

Another of the signs of the Hour is the great fire which will appear from the direction of Yemen, from the bottom of 'Aden, from the Sea of Hadramawt. Among the ahaadeeth that describe this are the following:

1. The hadeeth of Hudhayfah ibn Usayd which mentions the major signs of the Hour, in which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "… The last of them will be a fire which will emerge from Yemen, and will drive the people to their gathering place." According to another report: "… and a fire which will emerge from the bottom of 'Aden and drive the people (ahead of it)." (Reported by Muslim, 18/27).

Finally, it should be noted that belief in the signs of the Hour is part of our belief in the Unseen (al-ghayb), without which the belief of the Muslim is incomplete. And Allaah is the Source of Strength..

Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid