Signs of the Hour: Minor Signs

Islamic eschatology distinguishes between the minor signs of the Hour (al-ashrat al-sughra) and the major signs (al-ashrat al-kubra). Al-Ashqar's treatment of the minor resurrection begins with a careful examination of the minor signs — those events and conditions that precede the major signs and, in many cases, that the early Muslim generations had already witnessed beginning to unfold.

The Prophet Muhammad described numerous minor signs in authenticated hadith, ranging from moral and social developments to specific historical events. Among the most prominent categories are: the widespread prevalence of fornication, adultery, and alcohol consumption; the killing of people without just cause; the appearance of women who are clothed yet naked (dressed provocatively while exposing themselves); the spread of music and entertainment to a degree unprecedented in history; children becoming disobedient to their parents while adults become obedient to their wives in matters of disobedience; the loss of trust and trustworthiness in social relations; the decrease of knowledge and the increase of ignorance.

Several minor signs take the form of specific historical events that the Prophet foretold. He predicted the conquest of Jerusalem, the plague of Amwas (which occurred in 18 AH), the fitna (civil strife) that would emerge from the direction of Iraq, the conquest of Constantinople, and the emergence of Kharijite-style extremist groups who recite the Quran but it does not pass their throats. Classical scholars documented the fulfillment of many of these predictions as they occurred, taking them as confirmations of prophethood.

Particularly significant among the minor signs are those the Prophet described as meaning the Hour is 'near.' When a slave woman gives birth to her mistress — interpreted as a sign of social inversion and the collapse of established hierarchical structures — and when barefoot, naked, destitute shepherds compete in constructing tall buildings, the Prophet said these are signs of the approaching Hour. The latter sign is widely regarded as having a striking resonance with the contemporary transformation of Arabian Peninsula landscapes.

Al-Ashqar notes that the purpose of detailing the minor signs is not to generate apocalyptic excitement but to cultivate an appropriate orientation toward this world. The signs serve as recurring reminders that this world is transient, that it is moving toward a definite end, and that the believer's preparation for the Hereafter should not be delayed by the assumption that the end is far away. The minor signs frame ordinary human history within an eschatological horizon that gives urgency to the moral and spiritual choices of every generation.