The Minor Signs of the Day of Judgment

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) described numerous signs that would appear before the Day of Judgment, categorized by scholars into minor signs (ashrat al-sa'ah al-sughra) and major signs. The minor signs are those that occur over a long period, often as gradual social, moral, and natural changes. Many of these have already appeared, while others continue to unfold. Knowledge of these signs strengthens a believer's faith in the truthfulness of the Prophet and encourages preparedness for the Hereafter.

Signs That Have Already Appeared

Among the minor signs that have already occurred: the Prophet's mission itself ("I and the Hour have been sent like these two," holding up his index and middle fingers, Sahih al-Bukhari); the death of the Prophet (peace be upon him); the conquest of Jerusalem; widespread plague (the plague of Amwas in 639 CE); the appearance of great fires; and the building of tall structures by formerly poor Bedouin. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "The Hour will not come until the barefoot, naked, destitute shepherds compete in constructing tall buildings" (Sahih Muslim). The transformation of the Arabian Peninsula from desert to modern metropolises with the world's tallest structures is considered by many scholars as a fulfillment of this prophecy.

Signs Related to Knowledge and Religion

The Prophet foretold that religious knowledge would diminish while ignorance would increase: "Among the signs of the Hour are: knowledge will be taken away, ignorance will prevail, drinking of wine will be common, and fornication will be widespread" (Sahih al-Bukhari). He also said: "Allah does not take away knowledge by snatching it from the hearts of the people, but He takes it away by taking away the scholars, until when no scholar remains, people will take ignorant ones as their leaders. They will be asked and they will give fatwas without knowledge, going astray and leading others astray" (Sahih al-Bukhari).

Signs Related to Social and Moral Decline

Numerous hadiths describe social changes: the slave woman will give birth to her mistress (interpreted as children disrespecting and commanding their parents); trust will be lost; people will be deceitful in business; music and musical instruments will become prevalent; men will imitate women and women will imitate men; there will be much killing (harj) without the killer knowing why he killed or the killed knowing why he was killed; time will pass quickly; markets will become close together; family ties will be severed; and people will wish for death due to the severity of trials. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "The Hour will not come until a man passes by the grave of another and says, 'Would that I were in his place'" (Sahih al-Bukhari).

The Believer's Response

Knowledge of these signs should not cause despair but rather vigilance and increased worship. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "If the Hour comes while one of you has a palm shoot in his hand, and he is able to plant it before it happens, let him plant it" (Musnad Ahmad). This remarkable hadith teaches that Muslims should continue doing good and building for the future even as the signs of the Hour unfold. The purpose of knowing these signs is not to predict the exact time of the Hour, which is known only to Allah, but to recognize the truth of the Prophet's message and to prepare spiritually through righteous action.