. J ; ; ;J; : ,;I•; (cont.)

If the leader of the people is someone who used to be poor and destitute, and he is the ruler over the people, regardless if that is a general rule or a specific rule only in some matters, then it is hardly conceivable that such a person will give the people their rights. Indeed, instead, he will hide from them what wealth he possesses. One of the early scholars stated, "For you to stretch your hand to the mouth of a sea monster and he bites on to it is better than for you to stretch your hand to the hand of a rich person who used to be poor."1 If in addition to being ignorant, he is also coarse and harsh, then religion will also be ruined. This is because it is of no importance to him to rectify the religion of the people nor to teach them their religion. His only concern is to gather and store wealth. He will not be concerned with how the people's religion has become ruined or what poor soul has lost his life out of need .... If the kings and rulers of the people are of that nature, then all of the other affairs will also be turned upside down. The liar will be believed in and the truthful one will not. The deceitful one will be trusted and the trustworthy one will be deceived. The ignorant one will speak while the scholar will remain silent. Alternatively, there will not be any scholars at all. It is authentically reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "One of the signs of the Hour is that knowledge will be removed and ignorance will be dominant." [Recorded by al­ al-Bukhari.] He also stated, "Knowledge shall be taken away by the taking away of the scholars, until no scholar is left. The people will take ignorant persons as their leaders. They shall ask them and they will reply without knowledge. They are misguided and they misguide others." [Recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim.] Al-Sha'bi said, "The Hour will not be established until knowledge becomes ignorance and ignorance becomes knowledge." This is all part of the turning upside down of the realities at the end of Time and the affairs being the opposite of what they should be. 2 Perhaps American society is very much approaching the first sign. Nowadays, children seem to have more rights than their parents. If a parent even somewhat mildly disciplines his or her child, he or she may be arrested and the children taken away. On the other hand, young teens may even beat up their parents, and hardly get more than a slap on the wrist from the authorities. 1 The one who made that statement was Sufyaan al-Thauri. 2 Ibn Rajah, Jaami, vol. 1 , pp. 140-141. Hadith #2: The Hadith of Jibreel Perhaps one of the greatest signs of this turning upside down of the ways things should be is the place of the Muslims vis-a-vis the disbelievers today. Although Muslims should be witnesses against mankind, leading mankind and demonstrating the truth of Islam, today that is definitely not the case. Indeed, the case is almost completely the opposite. Muslims are under the control and influence of the disbelievers. This is definitely a case of the affairs being in the wrong hands and may be considered a sign that the Hour is approaching. Al-Qaari also points out that the first sign, concerning the slave girl giving birth to her master, implies the presence of a great deal of injustice, evil and ignorance. These aspects even reach the higher classes of society, as they are the ones most likely to have slaves and so forth. The second sign implies extreme love for this world and a neglect of what this world leads to in the Hereafter. The desire for this world is also exhibited among the lowest classes who can barely clothe themselves. 1 Then he [the Prophet (peace be upon him)] said, "O Umar, do you know who the questioner was ... " Then he went away. I stayed for a long time. As was noted earlier, the narrations of Umar and Abu Huraira greatly differ as to when the Prophet (peace be upon him) identified the questioner as being the angel Gabriel. Many scholars pointed out that Umar left in search of the person and, upon not finding him, returned to his home which was some distance from the Prophet's mosque. Al-Qadhaah further speculates that on the following day it was Umar's neighbors tum to be with the Prophet (peace be upon him), as they used to alternate being with the Prophet (peace be upon him) and then they would tell each other what happened on that day. Hence, it was not until the third day, as is explicitly stated in some narrations, that Umar was told by the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) who the questioner was.