As I was watching the news coverage of the volcanic ash cloud blanketing parts of Europe, I couldn't help but think of the Dukhan (the Smoke), one of the ten major signs of the Last Day, as taught by the Prophet (saw):
“Allah’s Messenger came to us all of a sudden as we were (busy in a discussion). He asked: What are you discussing? (The Companions) replied: We are discussing (the subject of) the Last Hour. Thereupon he said: It will not come until you see ten signs. And (in this connection) he made a mention of the Dukhan (smoke), Dajjal, the Beast, the Rising of the sun from the west, the Descent of Jesus son of Mary, Gog and Magog, Sinkings of the earth in three places, one in the east, one in the west and one in Arabia, after which a Fire would burn forth from Yemen, and would drive people to the place of their assembly’ (i.e., the place where mankind will be assembled for judgment).” (Sahih Muslim)
Now I'm not claiming this ash cloud is *that* Dukhan. Only Allah (swt) knows. But I'm guessing that a majority of Muslims around the world are completely heedless of the possibility.
My concern is the nonchalant attitude with which we Muslim observers of global affairs treat potential apocalyptic signs.
We have becomes so desensitized to the bizarre occurrences of our world, that nothing seems peculiar anymore. So much so, that I would not be the least surprised if an extraordinary event, like say the coming of Prophet Isa (as), were simply reported by the media, and duly consumed by us viewers, as some delusional individual performing tricks of magic while claiming to be the Messiah.
Or if the appearance of Imam Mahdi was casually written off as some fanatical terrorist claiming to revive the Islamic Khilafa.
I think that most of us are expecting these individuals (Prophet Isa and Imam Mahdi) to be accompanied by some cinematic soundtrack or maybe a ray of light beaming from the heavens.
Or that Yajuj and Majuj (Gog and Magog) will storm down across the lands like the savage beasts in Sauron’s army.
Or that Dajjal will be this immediately recognizable one-eyed monster who will lay waste to the entire world.
The fact is nothing so flashy and jazzy will be taking place. These signs will come and go as ‘normal’ events to which the majority of people will pay no mind.
With regards to the coming of Yajuj and Majuj (Gog/Magog), the Prophet (saw) said “People would continue to perform the Hajj and ‘Umrah even after the release of Gog and Magog, but the Last Hour would not come before the (valid) Hajj no longer existed.”
This hadith demonstrates that the release of Yajuj/Majuj will not be some sensational Hollywood-style climactic event with monstrous zombies running amok, devouring innocent children and dining on human blood. On the contrary, there will remain enough peace and security around the world to allow pilgrims to travel all the way to Mecca and back.
Similarly, with the release of the Dajjal, it will be a normal everyday occurrence, as witnessed by the Prophet seeking to confirm the identity of Ibn Sayyad as the Dajjal:
It is related that 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar reported that 'Umar went with the Messenger of Allah (saw), with a group to visit Ibn Sayyad. They found him playing with some children in the hills of Banu Maghala. Ibn Sayyad, who was approaching puberty, did not notice them until the Prophet (saw)patted him with his hand and then said to him, 'Do you testify that I am the Messenger of Allah?' Ibn Sayyad looked at him and said, 'I testify that you are the Messenger of the unlettered.' Ibn Sayyad said to the Prophet, 'Do you testify that I am the Messenger of Allah?' He refuted it and said, 'I have believed in Allah and His Messengers.' Then he said to him, 'What dreams do you have?' Ibn Sayyad replied, 'Both truthful people and liars come to me.' The Prophet (saw) said, 'You are in a state of confusion.' Then the Prophet (saw) said to him, 'I am concealing something from you.' Ibn Sayyad said, 'It is just smoke.' He said, 'Shame on you! You will not go too far.' 'Umar said, 'Messenger of Allah, let me cut his head off?' The Prophet (saw) said, 'If it is him (i.e. the Dajjal), you will not be able to get the better of him. If it is not him, there is no point in killing him.'"
Salim reported that he heard 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar say, "After that, the Prophet (saw) went with Ubayy ibn Ka'b al-Ansari to the palm-grove where Ibn Sayyad was staying. He wanted to hear something from Ibn Sayyad without Ibn Sayyad seeing him. The Prophet, Messenger of Allah entered and hid behind the palm trunks, trying to hear something from Ibn Sayyad before he saw him. Ibn Sayyad was lying on his bed, covered by a wrapper and there was a murmuring sound coming from him. The mother of Ibn Sayyad saw the Prophet (saw) hiding behind the palm trunk and she said to Ibn Sayyad, 'Saf! (which was a name of Ibn Sayyad) Muhammad is here.' So Ibn Sayyad got up. The Prophet (saw) said, 'If she had left him, the business would have been clear.'"
From these two narrations, it’s evident that the Prophet (saw) saw the release of Dajjal as uneventful, as opposed to the Armageddon-style view that so many of us harbor where we expect the entire earth to shake and the skies to fall upon the Dajjal's arrival.
So back to the ash cloud.
I'm not making any rash predictions about it being one of the major signs of the Day. I'm simply saying that we need to first, become intimately aware of what our Prophet (saw) taught us about the signs (both major and minor) of the Last Day, and second, be on alert for these signs, because when they do occur, there ain't gonna be any thundering announcement coming from the heavens.
Musk, Goodwin, racism and rape
5 days ago
36 comments:
BismillahirRahmanirRahim
Salamu'alaykum,
Similarly, the confidence Muslims display that they will be on the side of Haqq is quite overwhelming. In others words, they assume that by virtue of being called Muslims they deserve to be on the right side. When all the hadith indicate this is far from the case.
-Yursil
this is what I read today about gog and magog:
"In my opinion Gog relates to Russia/Slavic people and Magog relates to America-Britain-Australia-Canada. I base this conclusion on the fact that Magog appears to represent a group of European nations that are unified. Since the English speaking nations are founded from the British isles, they represent Magog. The Koran makes it clear these people will appear in the future during a time of wars, earthquakes, pestilence and terrible catastrophes.
It is important to remember that in the Quran Ya'juj (Gog) and Ma'juj (Magog) are mentioned in relation to Dhu'l Qarnain (Cyrus). This helps us identify the present day representatives of Gog and Magog.
Much of Cyrus' activities was containing the Scythian or Slavic speaking people from attacking Persia, via his central location in Afghanistan.Cyrus' empire extended into Europe and Egypt.
Gog probably represents the people living along the Black Sea. Magog represents a great barbarian nation from the far north. I believe this refers to the Germanic speaking people (which includes English) that have dominated other nations at various times in history.
Today we find that most of the United Nations forces in Afghanistan are of English(Germanic) speaking backgrounds and Slavic speakers (from former Russian satellite nations). Thusly, we presently have military forces from Gog and Magog again situated in Afghanistan.
If these interpretations are correct the stage is set for the great battle.
"
gess
As-Salaamu 'alaikum,
The smoke before the Day of Judgement will come from Yemen. The smoke of today has come from Iceland and has affected only northern Europe, not the Hijaz. Also, it has not resulted in anyone, outside the immediate area around its origin, having to leave their homes; the Smoke in the hadeeth will result in those living in the Hijaz having to move to Syria.
As for Gog and Magog, there is no evidence of what Anonymous has said being true. For one thing, there is no evidence that Gog and Magog will conquer the Muslim lands and be then be repelled or withdraw before their final rampage which is foretold in the Qur'an and the Hadeeth. The Americans, British and Russians are not held back from attacking the Muslims today by a wall; most of the Muslim world's governments are, in fact, their clients or in any case very weak and could be overrun at any time, as was demonstrated twice recently.
As-Salaamu 'alaikum,
The smoke before the Day of Judgement will come from Yemen. The smoke of today has come from Iceland and has affected only northern Europe, not the Hijaz. Also, it has not resulted in anyone, outside the immediate area around its origin, having to leave their homes; the Smoke in the hadeeth will result in those living in the Hijaz having to move to Syria.
As for Gog and Magog, there is no evidence of what Anonymous has said being true. For one thing, there is no evidence that Gog and Magog will conquer the Muslim lands and be then be repelled or withdraw before their final rampage which is foretold in the Qur'an and the Hadeeth. The Americans, British and Russians are not held back from attacking the Muslims today by a wall; most of the Muslim world's governments are, in fact, their clients or in any case very weak and could be overrun at any time, as was demonstrated twice recently.
Interesting idea but not true as Mr Yusuf demonstrated in the previous comment.
From my readings it seems Muslims of every time period thought they were living in the end times.
In the 10th century there was some drought and huge fire in a huge Muslim city and people thought it was a sign of the end of times.
@ mezba, I think that was a sign of the end of times, a huge fire in madinah.
There are many signs of the end of time, and one of the signs was the death of Rasullulah (SAW). The signs can be very spread out.
However, I did find something interesting on youtube. A lecture on the Caliphate. You dont have to agree with everything that the speaker is saying, but the majority of the speech is beautifully clear on some major issues.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2v3xNM-54U
AA-
@Yursil, excellent point! I should add a third step (to the two I listed in my post) and that is to vigilantly pray (as the Prophet taught) that Allah (swt) protect us from the ferocious trials and tribulations of the last days.
Indeed, simply claiming to be a Muslim will not save us in those times.
@Gess, interesting blurb on Gog/Magog. What is the source?
You might also be interested in the writings of Sh. Imran Hosein:
http://www.imranhosein.org/
He has done extensive research on the topics of Gog/Magog and Dajjal.
In fact, what you pasted in your comment seems to be directly from his teachings.
AA-
@Yusuf, I think you are referring to the Fire, not the Smoke. Those are two distinct signs as mentioned by our Prophet (saw). Please re-read the first hadith I quoted in my post.
As for your understanding of Gog/Magog, I can only say that due to the speculative nature of this topic, it's really quite difficult to say any one interpretation is right or wrong.
I've read so many differing opinions that it really becomes fruitless to argue about the details.
That being said, the gist of my post was not the discuss these opinions, but to focus on the overall nature of these signs and HOW they may occur. I feel we need to become more aware of these signs and how they may actually sneak up on us, without us even realizing.
@Mezba, "From my readings it seems Muslims of every time period thought they were living in the end times."
So true my friend! Even the Sahaba were convinced of that and were constantly on the lookout for the signs. Their running concern with Dajjal is but one example.
But what does that teach us? To simply write off this issue and concern ourselves with 'real world' issues?
Quite the opposite, I say. The attention and vigilance which past generations gave to this topic should inform us of its importance. And we should follow their example.
In fact, I recall a hadith of the Prophet (saw) where he stated that Dajjal will come when the imams stop warning about him from the mibnar (pulpit).
I fear this is currently happening. I can't recall ever hearing one single khutbah on the topic of Dajjal.
@Anon, good point. There have been MANY signs of the last day, some that have purportedly occurred in the time of the Prophet (saw) and his companions.
But that shouldn't absolve us from being on the lookout for signs (major or minor) in our lifetime.
It was interesting to read this post as I mostly hear the Christian viewpoint of the last days before Christ's appearance.
I've also heard theories as to who/what is represented by Gog and Magog. For a lot of us the focus is not necessarily on "Muslim lands," but on Israel. Any wonder why Israel of today is strongly supported by conservative Christians in America? Much of it has to do with Genesis 12 and the promise of God to Abraham, but the focus of today is often upon the country where Jesus lived over 2000 years ago and its relation to end time events.
Interesting topic. Jesus told us to look for the signs, watch and pray and lift up our heads for redemption draws near.
Wouldn't the End Times be a bit more significant than an ash cloud from Iceland? A supernatural event instead of, well -- my god, there is NOTHING out of the ordinary about an erupting volcano on freaking Iceland. They don't call it the land of ice and fire because Icelanders like to build bonfires on glaciers. And if you want to put an ash cloud as a symbol of the End Times, wouldn't Krakatau make more sense? The Icelandic volcano has had only a regional effect. Krakatau affected the entire planet. Of course, the Icelandic volcano is now and Krakatau was in 1883, and I know that when you're looking for signs that the End is Upon Us, the immediate is a lot more seductive than something that happened over a century ago. Which only points to how inane it is to spend your time looking for Signs of The End, unless you are actually watching an old timey movie or reading a kid's book, and The End or Finis is there as a helpful visual reminder. This may be why most people are not consumed with End Time Theology because devoting an actual functioning brain cell or two to the subject reveals that there is nothing new in Chicken Little theology.
Salaam folks!
@Susanne, "For a lot of us the focus is not necessarily on "Muslim lands," but on Israel."
Actually, the Holy Land is of significance to Muslims as well. The location of Prophet Isa's return, the location where he defeats Dajjal (anti-Christ), and the mount Tur where he will seek refuge from Gog/Magog are all in the surrounding areas.
@Anon, "This may be why most people are not consumed with End Time Theology because devoting an actual functioning brain cell or two to the subject reveals that there is nothing new in Chicken Little theology."
If you had any knowledge of Islam and its teachings, you would know that End Time theology plays a very prominent role in reminding man of his final destination.
Regardless, your comments have inspired me to put together a post on the importance of reviving this oft-overlooked subject.
Thanks buddy!
I was thinking the exact same thing. Surely we cannot ignore the fact that the disasters plaguing the world (earthquakes etc) over the last 6 months are somewhat severe. Sure there are earthquakes everyday... but not of this magnitude. I think (and feel) that there is more goin on than most care to realise. Everyone is brainwashed by science and this need for scientific explanation that these occurrances are just brushed aside. And I agree 100% with:
"We have becomes so desensitized to the bizarre occurrences of our world, that nothing seems peculiar anymore. So much so, that I would not be the least surprised if an extraordinary event, like say the coming of Prophet Isa (as), were simply reported by the media, and duly consumed by us viewers, as some delusional individual performing tricks of magic while claiming to be the Messiah."
Oh and I've written about Gog and Magog... http://azras-adventures.blogspot.com/2009/08/gog-magog-and-dhul-qarnayn.html
Excuse the shameless plug but the post is too long to put in this comments section.
Bottom line, I wouldn't deny the fact that any occurrence could relate to the coming of the end of days...purely because we don't know... There are so many things happening that all coincide with the coming of The Last Day, it's scary. The Almighty works in mysterious amazing ways. And His word or power should never be under-estimated.
- I thought the ten major signs would happen in quick succession after the first one appeared. I don't quite recall exactly what the first one was supposed to be, I think it was either the appearance of the Dajjal or the Mahdi. But there's dispute on the rest of the order of the signs as far as I know.
You're point about awareness remains however. We need to be taking reminders from these events.
- Secondly, I'd never thought about the end of times events possibly being non-disruptive events and just like other news events. It's an interesting possibility, but I'm not sure I agree with it. The Dajjal, Isa (as), the Mahdi, and everything they do and call to seem to be highly unique and massive events that will change life the way we know it. It's supposed to be the biggest fitnah ever right.
But it's an interesting possibility and one that we can't write off.
Thanks for the post. Very thought-provoking. Jazakallahu khair.
A great point. People really have come to pay little attention to the importance of the events occuring in our time and linking them back to the Prophecies that have been given to us.
Yursil: Perfect observation.
Although people have always thought the time was close, I think it's a little different today, for whenever I remember the great hadith, which is often referred to as Hadith Jibreel, where the Angel Jibreal comes to the Prophet(SAW) and questions as to what Islam, Imaan and Ihsaan are, and later in the hadith asks specifically about the signs of the HOUR... and the Prophet(SAW) responds "That the female slave should give birth to her mistress, and you see poor, naked, barefoot shepherds of sheep and goats competing in making tall buildings."
Is it not significant that atleast one for sure, if not both of these signs have happened in our time, i.e the end of the last century. This is a monumental hadith, should these signs not be given some weight? While they should be given a lot of attention, part of the last hour being the last hour is that most of mankind will be heedless, and will be lost...
So in a way, we shouldn't be surprised when no one cares, or pays attention.
Naeem: Could you please give me the source of the hadith on imams not talking about Dajjal near the end of time? I would really appreciate it as i'm currently conducting some research. JZK.
Coincidentally, a brother sent me this hadith a few months ago.
لا يخرج الدجال حتى يذهل الناس عن ذكره ، وحتى يترك الأئمة ذكره على المنابر
The dajjal will not appear until the people are surprised by his being mentioned, and not until the imams stop mentioning him on the minbars.
[The muhaddith is Al-Haythami who said this is saheeh according to ibn Ma'een]
Something Islamasaurus said made me wonder if you all knew that some Christians believe the rebirth of the nation of Israel is one of the signs of the last days. Does Islam have this as well?
@Susanne:
I don't know about the nation of Israel, but here's one verse I know of:
And We said to the Children of Israel after him (Moses): "Dwell in the land, then, when the final and the last promise comes near [i.e. the Day of Resurrection or the descent of Christ, son of Maryam (Mary) (peace be upon her) on the earth], We shall bring you altogether as a mixed crowd (gathered out of various nations)."
This is from the Qur'an, 17:104.
Its my perception that the onset of the coming of the Last Days will not occur if the entire worlds attention is on it. Hence, most of the people who are in denial are merely fulfilling that prophesy. I wonder if its too late to get married and hope for decent kids :P
AA-
@Azra, thanks for your plug. I actually read it a while back and am working on a similar post...let's if I ever get around to finishing it.
"Everyone is brainwashed by science and this need for scientific explanation that these occurrances are just brushed aside."
Exactly. I think too many Muslims are waiting for these signs to be miracles that will be so obvious that they will be undeniable. But that just won't be the case. One good example I heard from Sh Hamza Yusuf was one sign being that a man's thigh will speak to him when he goes out to inform him of the happenings back home. If taken literally, this would be an amazing miracle. But he interpreted it to mean the cellphone that is found in people's pockets.
@BrownS, "I thought the ten major signs would happen in quick succession after the first one appeared." Yes, but does that mean there will be hours or minutes in between the signs? Or maybe days or weeks? Or maybe even years? As we have seen from the mounds of hadith on this topic, time is *extremely* relative.
I recall the Prophet teaching that the time between him and the Last Day is like the two fingers.
"The Dajjal, Isa (as), the Mahdi, and everything they do and call to seem to be highly unique and massive events that will change life the way we know it. It's supposed to be the biggest fitnah ever right."
Sure, some of their actions will indeed be miracles (like Dajjal bringing back to life the dead and Isa descending from the Heavens on the wings of angels), but so much more that has been ascribed to him really seems 'non-disruptive' (nice word bro!).
Please re-read the hadith on the Dajjal and really, you'll see many things that are normal nowadays, such as causing the rain to fall (cloud seeding) and crops to grow (genetic seed engineering) and so on.
It's simply not going to be as apocalyptic as we all imagine.
Salaam
This is a very cool post.
I think it is very important that we realise that the perception of time, as Allah (SWT) defines it and the way we do is two TOTALLY different things. While for some 1400 years is such a long time, for others like people who study geological time, it is like a drop in the ocean.
“ I recall the Prophet teaching that the time between him and the Last Day is like the two fingers.”
For me the closeness of his fingers, has no time limit on it…but shows one important thing. That the day of judgement is coming! And while I do get that this is a post about the signs, I think people miss the real message.
Everything from the rising sun, to the brilliant winter night sky to volcano eruptions, are all suppose to be physical signs of the greatness of Allah (SWT) and the mortality of our lives. The fact that we are going to die is “evidence” that ‘our’ world will not last. Whether the major or minor signs are there or not, death is still waiting for us. We are still going to have to answer for our sins. And that is the whole point of the signs of the day of Judgement, to repent. And remember that the purpose of all human life, whether they believe it or not, is to worship the one God.
science nerd chiming in here.
Actually the 1883 explosion of Krakatoa in Indonesia sent smoke drifting across the entire planet within days. It affected climate change and changed the skies completely...for years after the explosion. Iceland doesn't even come close to doing what Krakatoa did it comes to volume of smoke. Good theory though.
AA-
@Trinity, "Whether the major or minor signs are there or not, death is still waiting for us. We are still going to have to answer for our sins. And that is the whole point of the signs of the day of Judgement, to repent."
Excellent point. Regardless of which signs we are witness to or not, we will all face the one reality called death.
But yeah, all the teachings in our deen regarding the end of times and its signs exist with a divine wisdom. The primary reason, IMO, relates to the first comment above by Yursil - that is to ensure that we are amongst those who are on the right path and not with those deluded by the machinations of Dajjal.
@Sabi,
Yeah, I became aware of Krakatoa by Anon's comment above. But I would even add that some believe the smoke took place during the life of the Prophet (saw):
Narrated Abdullah: Five (great events) have passed: the Smoke, the Moon, the Romans, the Mighty grasp and the constant Punishment which occurs in 'So the torment will be yours forever.' (25.77) (Sahih Bukhari)
So, regardless of the status of this Iceland ash cloud being the dukhan or not, it should remind us all of the importance of being aware of the major/minor signs of the Last Day.
I seriously believe that modern Muslims need to revive this subject of signs of the last day instead of writing it off with a hocus-pocus, 'not-in-my-lifetime' attitude that so many of us incorporate.
agreed!
Here's a question that's been on my mind.
Why are most of the prominant scholars today quiet on this subject? I may be wrong but apart from Imran Hossein no one seems to be giving it a lot of attention or conducting any sort of analysis into the signs despite there being so many things that are happening that could relate to the given prophecies. Why?
P.S Naeem, please don't forget the source of the hadith I requested, if you don't have it, that's cool, just let me know iA.
AA- Islamasaurus,
BrownS referenced that hadith in his above comment. Its the same one I was referring to. I hope that is sufficient for your research.
786
Salams Folks
I remember Shaykh Hamza narrated a Hadith (not sure of the reference) of the Prophet SAW in which he said that:
If the the End of the World is coming and you are planting a seed, then finish planting it. (paraphrased)
I'm only posting this as a brother said if it is probably too late to get married! (tongue in cheek, i guess)
I feel we just have to work together like meerkats and have the odd few on watch to let the rest know. My ramblingsif it amounts to much
Sayf
Far too much amateurish interpretation, in my opinion this in my opinion that, lets just stick to what we know and lets try to put it in perspective.
"When the Prophet died, people predicted that those were the end times; when the 'Ali-Mu'awiyya conflict occurred they did the same, and so on. Global end times are irrelevant when compared to the end time of the individual, which is death. We will all probably be dead, and taken to task in the after life long before the physical world ends. Our own salvation is tied, not to global qiyamat (reckoning), but to our own individual qiyamat."
-Dr. Muneer Fareed, Making Sense of Misfortune, Islamica Magazine, 2006
@ Anonymous (May 1): My attitude toward this issue mirrors Dr. Muneer's. I'm more concerned about the salvation of myself and my families. IMO, the chance of my being alive at the end of days is an extremely remote possibility, insha'allah, whereas my own personal demise is guaranteed. The recent, very unexpected death of my father-in-law has impressed upon me the importance of being in a state of Islam at the time of my death, insha'allah.
AA- JD and Co.,
If the End Times is so remote and irrelevant, why then should we *ever* indulge ourselves into this subject?
"When the Prophet died, people predicted that those were the end times; when the 'Ali-Mu'awiyya conflict occurred they did the same, and so on."
There is something to be said of these 'people' who decried the end of times. They were the blessed companions of the Prophet (saw), the best generation of all.
Shouldn't we learn from their examples?
Even the Prophet (saw) expressed concern about the signs of the Last Day and went so far as to investigate the coming of Dajjal, as quoted in the two hadith in my post.
Look, no one is advocating we run around like Chicken Little, screaming about the end of the world. I'm just saying that we shouldn't take your approach to its logical conclusion by simply casting aside all talk of Islamic eschatology.
Salaam 'alaikum.
If the End Times is so remote and irrelevant, why then should we *ever* indulge ourselves into this subject?
Ah, the "extremes" argument. Yes/no, on/off, all the way/none at all. That type of argument works best if one's a bit. ;) I don't have a problem with people discussing the topic, but it's not a high priority on my agenda. That's why there are 29 other comments on this post before mine. I do think it's important to know the major and minor signs, and information about the dajjal, but this is not something I obsess over, just as I didn't obsess over the Book of Revelations when I was growing up Catholic. Natural phenomena like earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are signs (ayat), but I don't necessarily know that they are major or minor signs indicating that "the end of days" is near. And, to be honest, it's not something I'm terribly worried about. After all, if the Last Day does come, we'll all be just as dead as if we died before then.
AA- JD,
Hey, no fair! You gotta quote my entire comment bro. :-) I also said: "I'm just saying that we shouldn't take your approach to its logical conclusion by simply casting aside all talk of Islamic eschatology."
Meaning, that I didn't say you were calling for an outright rejection of all talk on End Times. I simply said that your approach, *taken to its logical conclusion*, would require us to minimize the overall importance of this subject.
After all, if we are convinced that our death is imminent and destined to take place before the Last Day, then why should we ever bother wasting time on said topic?
Seems like it would be just a waste of time, no?
"After all, if the Last Day does come, we'll all be just as dead as if we died before then."
But the talk of the Last Day is not about just dying. I think that misses the entire point of Islamic eschatology.
As Yursil alluded to in his remarks that kicked off the commenting, its about ensuring that one is not deluded by the fitnah of last days, for too many people will be fooled by the plotting of Dajjal and led into disbelief.
Naeem: WAS.
I also said: "I'm just saying that we shouldn't take your approach to its logical conclusion by simply casting aside all talk of Islamic eschatology."
Well, if you really want me to comment on this sentence... ;)
I would say that this argument is overly broad. The signs, minor and major, are only a subset of the larger field of Islamic eschatology. Many of the earliest surahs (e.g., Surah Al-Qari'ah, 101) deal with Islamic eschatology but don't necessarily talk about the signs. Obviously, this type of discussion is important and can't be cast aside.
In general, I don't have a problem with the discussion of eschatology, Islamic or otherwise. What I worry about is when people try to pigeonhole current events and natural disasters into topics like the signs to give credence to their millennialist (or equivalent) beliefs. The Earth and humanity have this nasty habit of surviving the "end of the world," which, unfortunately, not all believers do. I am leery of this type of discussion because the odds of predicting this type of event are very poor, and a lot of people have suffered over the centuries from too keen an interest in this type of belief.
As for Yursil's comment, I completely agree. If this is a problem among Muslims, it's an even greater problem among American Christians, IMVHO. Far too many believers claim a "saved" status, yet proceed to lead sinful lives. Lives I have no interest in emulating. That's why a verse like 110:3 ("Celebrate the praises of thy Lord, and pray for His Forgiveness: For He is Oft-Returning (in Grace and Mercy).") is very meaningful to me: Here, the Prophet (pbuh) is told shortly before his death to continue praying for his forgiveness, even though, one would think, of all Muslims who have ever lived on this Earth, he of all people would be guaranteed Jannah. And, yet, there is no "slacking off"; saved or not, he (and we) must continue to make an effort. The salvation of the individual becomes the higher priority because, whether the dajjal shows up today or not, we have our own souls to worry about.
Sweet piece. I had a similar thinking and yes, we should be constantly reflecting on these events. These hadith/events are one way in which we are connected back to the Seerah, because signs of qiyamah occurred in the era of the Sahabas- its a way for us to witness the veracity of God's truth, rather than dismiss this as "every time sees qiyamah coming near," because as the Quran explicitly says:
"GLORY BE TO YOU, FOR YOU HAVE NOT CREATED ALL THIS IN VAIN!"
So whereas the comments here took the scientific "falsifiability" approach as if this were a false hadith, as if they can prove nature and God, to be simply mistaken, that we should not take heed of this event. It is very much a sign of the End, if not specifically of that mentioned in the hadith. They fail to realize this event is as much a portent of the REAL sign: if this is how bad it is now, and this is NOT a sign then how bad will the actual phenomena be?
I also think there is an argument of USA being Yajuj Majuj- 20% of the world's population using 80% of the world's resources, 761 military bases worldwide, ships in every sea- yeah there is DEFINITELY a strong argument there!!! No denying it!
@sabiwabi
THE KEY WAS THE 40DAYS. ITS LASTED EXACTEY 40 DAYS.
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