The Signs Before The Day Of Judgement

Author: Al-Haafidh Ibn Katheer

Published: Thursday 14th January, 2016



Description of the People who will be Alive at the End of Time

It was reported from 'Abd Allaah ibn 'Amr that the Prophet (صلى الله علیه وسلم) said,

"The Hour will not come until Allaah takes away the best people on earth; only the worst people will be left; they will not know any good or forbid any evil." [Ahmad] [1]


'Abd Allaah ibn Mas'ood said,

"I heard the Prophet (صلى الله علیه وسلم) say: 'Eloquence can be bewitching; the worst of the people are those upon whom the Hour will come while they are still alive, and those who turn graves into mosques.' " [Ahmad] [2]


It was reported from Anas that the Prophet (صلى الله علیه وسلم) said,

"The Hour will not come until no-one on earth says 'Laa ilaaha illaa Allaah.'" [Ahmad] [3]


It was also reported from Anas that the Prophet (صلى الله علیه وسلم) said:

"The Hour will not come until no-one on earth says, 'Allaah, Allaah.'" [Ahmad] [4]


There are two suggestions as to the meaning of the phrase, "until no-one on earth says 'Allaah, Allaah'":

  1. It could mean that no-one will forbid evil, or try to correct another if he sees him doing something wrong. We have already come across this in the Hadeeth of 'Abd Allaah ibn 'Amr:

    "Only the worst people will be left; they will not know any good or forbid any evil."

  2. It could mean that Allaah will no longer be mentioned, and His Name will not be known; this will be part of the prevalent corruption and Kufr, as in the previous Hadeeth,

    "Until no-one on earth says 'Laa ilaaha illaa Allaah."

'Aa'ishah said,

"The Prophet (صلى الله علیه وسلم) came in, saying 'O 'Aa'ishah, your people will be the first of my Ummah to join me.' When he sat down, I said, 'O Messenger of Allaah, may I be sacrificed for you! When you came in, you were saying something which scared me.' He asked, 'What was that?' I said, 'You said that my people would be the first of your Ummah to join you.' He said, 'Yes.' I asked, 'Why is that?' He said, 'Death will be widespread among them, and their relatives will be jealous of them.' I said, 'How will people be after that?' He said, 'Like locusts: the strong will devour the weak, until the Hour comes.' " [Ahmad] [5]


'Albaa' al-Salamee said,

"I heard the Prophet (صلى الله علیه وسلم) say: 'The Hour will only come upon the worst of the people.' " [Ahmad] [6]


Footnotes

[1] Ahmad, Musnad, 1/454.

Checker's Note: Da`eef isnaad due to `an`anah of al-Hasan al-Basree.

[2] Ahmad, Musnad, 3/268.

Checker's Note: Saheeh, Musnad Imaam Ahmad, checking by Ahmad Shakir: 4342.

[3] Ahmad, Musnad, 3/268.

Checker's Note: Saheeh, Tahdheerus Saajid of Shaykh al-Albaanee, pg. 119.

[4] Ahmad, Musnad, 3/107.

Checker's Note: Saheeh, Saheeh al-Jami as-Sagheer: 7420.

[5] Ahmad, Musnad, 6/81.

Checker's Note: Saheeh, Silsilatul Ahadeeth as-Saheehah: 1953.

[6] Ahmad, Musnad, 3/499.

Checker's Note: Saheeh, Mustadrak of al-Hakim: 4/496. Declared saheeh by al-Hakim and agreed to by adh-Dhahaabee.


 

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