Part 7

It Is Forbidden To Hope For Death

Book of The End ; Great Trials and Tribulations 41

mercy on me. And if You wish a trial for a people, then. take me to You with death, without me being put to trial. O Allah, I ask You (to gtant me) Your love, the love of those who love You, and the love of every deed that brings me closer to Your love.” (Ahmad)

These narrations indicate that there will come a very severe and difficult time upon the people, when the Muslims will not have Jamaa’ah established upon the truth — this is either for the entire earth or some parts of it.

Knowledge Will Be Raised With The Death Of The Scholars

The Prophet #@ Intimated To Us That A Group From This Nation Will Remain Upon The Truth Until The Day Of Judgment

In another hadith, the Prophet #% said, “From my Nation there shall continue to remain a group that is victorious upon the truth; they will not be harmed by those who forsake them or by those who oppose them. (This will continue) until Allah’s Matter arrives (this is referring to when the Hour is near at hand, when Allah 8% will take the life of every male and female believer), when they will still be upon that state.”

A Narration Which Indicates That Every 100 Years, Allah 3 Will Send For This Nation He (Or Those) Who Will Revive The Affairs Of The Religion

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Abu Daawood was the only one to relate this narration. Every group says that their Imam is being referred to in this hadith. Yet it appears, and Allah 2% knows best, that it is comprehensive of a group of scholars from every group and from every branch of knowledge — such as Tafseer, hadith, Figh, Arabic Grammar, the Arabic language in general, and other branches as well. And Allah 8 knows best. As for the hadith of ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr 4, “Verily, Allah a does not seize knowledge by force, taking it forcefully from the people; rather, He %% takes away knowledge by the death of the scholars,” its manifest meaning is that knowledge is not taken from the breasts of men after Allah 4 has endowed them with it.

Some Of The Signs Of The Hour That The Prophet # Mentioned

Qataadah reported that Anas ibn Maalik .& said, “Shall I not relate to you a Hadeeiht | heard from the Messenger of Allah #%, which none will relate to you after me? I heard him say that, ‘from the signs of the Hour is the raising (or taking) of knowledge; ignorance will spread, fornication will become rampant, alcohol will be imbibed, men will perish, and women will remain, until there remains one male guardian for every 50 women.” (Ibn Maajah)

Knowledge Will Be Raised (Or Taken Away) From Peop e At The End Of Time

‘Abdullah # related that the Messenger of Allah 2% said, “Just before the Hour there will be days when knowledge will be raised, when ignorance will descend, and when there will be much killing.” (Ibn. Maajah)

Hudhaifah ibn Al-Yamaan 4 related that the Messenger of Allah 2 said, “Islam will perish (i.e, knowledge will perish and its traces will be effaced) like the embroideries of a garment perish, until (the time) when fasting, prayer, worship, and charity will not be known; when in one night forgetfulness will pass over the Book (the Qur’an) and not a single Verse from it will remain on the earth. A group of people will remain — the aged man and woman — who will say, “We were around when our father was upon this word: Laailaha illallaeh (none has the right to be worshipped but Allah), but they will not know what is prayer, fasting, worship, or charity.” Silah

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This proves that knowledge will be taken from the people near the end of this world, a time when the forgetfulness of the Quran will pervade the earth — in the Masaahif and in the breasts of men. And people will remain without knowledge. The aged man and woman will say that they were around when people would say: ‘Laailaha illallaah,’ and they will say it seeking closeness to Allah 3% by it. It will benefit them even though they do not otherwise have good deeds or beneficial knowledge. Perhaps the meaning of “it will save them from the Hellfire” is that their saying the phrase of tawhid will save them from entering the Hellfire altogether; in that case, the only obligation upon them is to say it, since they are not required to do deeds. And Allah %% knows best. But perhaps Hudhaifah’s statement means that they are saved from the Fire after first having to enter it; so the implications of this hadith may be the intended meaning of the following Qudsee hadith: “By My Greatness and Exaltedness, I will remove from the Hellfire whoever says on any day from time: Laailaha illallaah (none has the right to be worshipped but Allah),’ But still, this last hadith might be referring to another group of people. We will study this in more detail when discussing the levels of intercession. What is important to note here is that knowledge will be raised at the end of time and ignorance will become rampant. In the aforesaid Hadeeih we are told that ignorance will descend, which means that people will be inspired by it, and that is from forsakenness, which we seek refuge from Allah 3%. The said state of affairs will continue as people increase in ignorance and misguidance, until life on this world ends. This we are informed of in the hadith of the Prophet #%, “The Hour will not arrive upon anyone who says, ‘Allah, Allah,’ and it will not arrive except upon the most evil of people.”

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EVILS THAT WILL OCCUR AT THE END OF TIMES, OF WHICH SOME ARE TAKING PLACE IN OUR AGE

The Prophet #4 Spoke Of Evils That Were To Occur After His Time

“O group of Muhaajireen, five practices — if you are afflicted with them...and I seek refuge in Allah from you reaching them: (1) evil does not spread throughout a people to the extent that they proclaim it openly except that plague and hunger will spread among them, to such a degree that was previously unknown by their predecessors; (2) people will not reduce in measurement (i.¢., by cheating with scales when buying and selling) except that they will be overtaken by drought in the lands, by burdensome obligations, and by the oppression of the ruler upon them; (3) they will not refuse to pay Zakaat on their wealth except that they will be prevented rain from the sky, and were it not for livestock, they would not receive rain (altogether); (4) they will not break Allah’s covenant and the covenant of His Messenger #% except that their external enemies will be given reign to subjugate them, enemies that will take something from what is in their hands; (5) and as long as their Imams do not rule by Allah’s Book and they smock what Allah revealed, Allah 3 will make their strength to be used among themselves — against one another.” (Ion Maajah)

Tbn Maajah was alone in relating the narration and it does have some Gharaabah (strangeness) in it. ‘Alee ibn Abee Taalib # related that the Messenger of Allah 2% said, “When my nation does fifteen practices, calamity befalls it.” It was asked, “And what are they, O Messenger of Allah #8?” He said,

1) When the spoils of war are hoarded by some members of society only; 2) when people take for themselves things that are left with them as a trust, considering those things to be booty; 3) when Zakaat is taken unwillingly from the people (as if they feel it is a burden or tax); 4 and 5) when a man obeys his wife but disobeys his mother; 6

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and 7) when a man treats his friend well but is harsh and distant with his father; 8) when voices are raised in mosques; 9) when the leader of a people is the most base individual among them; 10) when a man is honored because his evil is feared; 11) when alcohol will be imbibed; 12) when silk will be worn (by men); 13) when female singers will be used; 14) when musical instruments will be used; 15) when the last of this nation curses the first of it..at that point wait for a red wind, or the sinking of the earth, or for people to be transformed (into animals). (At-Tirmidhee)

At-Tirmidhee then said, “This Hadeeh is Ghareeb; we do not know it from ‘Alee except through this chain...some scholars have made remark upon the memory of one of its narrators, Abu Al-Farj ibn Fudaalah. And in another narration, ‘Alee ibn Abee Taalib said,