The Day of Judgment

What Does Islam Say about the Day of Judgment?

Muslims believe that the present life is only a trial preparation for the next realm of existence. This life is a test for each individual for the life after death. A day will come when the whole universe will be destroyed and the dead will be resurrected for judgment by God. This day will be the beginning of a life that will never end. This day is the Day of Judgment. On that day, all people will be rewarded by God according to their beliefs and deeds. Those who die while believing that “There is no true god but God, and Muhammad is the Messenger (Prophet) of God” and are Muslim will be rewarded on that day and will be admitted to Paradise forever, as God has said:
“And those who believe and do good deeds, they are dwellers of Paradise, they dwell therein forever.” (Quran, 2:82)
But those who die while not believing that “There is no true god but Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger (Prophet) of God” or are not Muslim will lose Paradise forever and will be sent to Hellfire, as God has said:
“And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will not be accepted from him and he will be one of the losers in the Hereafter.” (Quran, 3:85)
And as He has said:
“Those who have disbelieved and died in disbelief, the earth full of gold would not be accepted from any of them if it were offered as a ransom. They will have a painful punishment, and they will have no helpers.” (Quran, 3:91)
One may ask, ‘I think Islam is a good religion, but if I were to convert to Islam, my family, friends, and other people would persecute me and make fun of me. So if I do not convert to Islam, will I enter Paradise and be saved from Hellfire?’
The answer is what God has said in the preceding verse, “And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will not be accepted from him and he will be one of the losers in the Hereafter.”
After having sent the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) to call people to Islam, God does not accept adherence to any religion other than Islam. God is our Creator and Sustainer. He created for us whatever is in the earth. All the blessings and good things we have are from Him. So after all this, when someone rejects belief in God, His Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) or His religion of Islam, it is just that he or she be punished in the Hereafter. Actually, the main purpose of our creation is to worship God alone and to obey Him, as God has said in the Holy Quran (51:56).
This life we live today is a very short life. The unbelievers on the Day of Judgment will think that the life they lived on earth was only a day or part of a day, as God has said:
He (God) will say, “How many years did you stay on the earth?” They will say: “We stayed a day or part of a day….” (Quran, 23:112-113)
And He has said:
Did you then think that We had created you in jest (without any purpose), and that you would not be returned to Us (in the Hereafter)? So, God is exalted, the True King. None has the right to be worshipped but Him… (Quran, 23:115-116)
The life in the Hereafter is a very real life. It is not only spiritual, but physical as well. We will live there with our souls and bodies.
In comparing this world with the Hereafter, the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said: {The value of this world compared to that of the Hereafter is like what your finger brings from the sea when you put it in and then take it out.} The meaning is that, the value of this world compared to that of the Hereafter is like a few drops of water compared to the sea.
Signs of the Last Hour
The following information is a summary of a lecture given by a scholar of Riverside, Gharm-Allah El-Ghamdy, around the fall of 1991. Editor’s notes are in brackets [ ]. It is hard to tell whether certain of these events have already occurred, or when they will precisely occur. Allah knows best.
Though Allah only knows when the Last Hour before the Day of Resurrection will come, He has given us ‘clues’ about its approach through information in the Qur’an and the hadith of the Prophet. The signs can be separated into two categories: minor and major. This article does not cover all the signs, but most of the important ones are here. All these signs are, of course, based on hadith and/or Qur’an, mainly the former.
Minor Signs (in no particular order):
“The coming of the Last Prophet, Muhammad ibn Abd-Allah (SAW).” [This has already happened, of course.]
“The slave will become the master.”
“Shepherds will compete in the construction of tall buildings.” [The modern ex-nomads of Saudi Arabia are an excellent example of this.]
“Knowledge of Islam will be taken away while ignorance will increase. This removal of knowledge will be because old scholars will die and fewer and fewer new scholars will replace them. The leaders of the Muslims will be chosen from ignorant people, and they will rule according to their whims.” [Today, studying Islam formally is considered to be an inferior career in most of the Muslim world. The leaders of the Muslim world are more known for their political or military prowess (oppressive ability?) than Islamic knowledge.]
“Drinking and fornication will increase heavily.”
“The population of men will decrease, and women increase till fifty women shall be for every man.”
“Thirty people will claim to be prophets, followed by Al-Dajjal (the anti-Christ roughly).”
“There will be such an abundance of wealth that people will not be able to find recipients for zakat.”
“Killing will increase.”
“Time will be shortened so that a year will be like a month, a month like a day, a day like an hour.” [This perception of the seemingly dwindling amount of time is very apparent, especially in First World countries.]
“Two great countries will fight and kill each other, both claiming the same thing.”
“Earthquakes will increase in number.”
“A person will pass by the grave, and wish to trade places out of despair.”
Major Signs (in rough chronological order):
“Al-Dajjal will come, claiming to be God holding Heaven and Hell. His purpose is to deceive, and unbelievers will follow him. He is short, red-faced, blind in the right eye, and has hair which sticks up. He will go around the world, but will be unable to enter Madinah or Makkah.” [There are numerous detailed ahadith on this man.]
“Al-Mahdi will come at the time of Al-Dajjal. He will call to the true Islam, and will be a military leader. His name will be exactly like that of the Prophet: Muhammad ibn Abd-Allah, and his father’s name will match the Prophet’s father’s name also. He will be descended from Fatima, the daughter of the Prophet.”
“Isa (Jesus) will come at the time of Al-Dajjal and al-Mahdi as well. He will descend at the time of Fajr prayer on a masjid in Damascus, the capital of Syria. He is of medium height, red-faced, and his hair is as if he just took a shower. He will call people back to Islam, but he will also be a military leader. The People of the Book will revert to Islam, and wealth will be super-abundant. Isa will break the cross, kill the swine, and personally slay Al-Dajjal. He will stay on Earth for a long time thereafter, and then die.”
“An animal will come and call people back to Islam.” [A partial description of this animal is that it is very hairy, so much so that one will not be able to tell its front from its rear (Arabic: 'Dab-ba'). Reference to this animal is mentioned in the Qur'an.]
“Gog and Magog (two hidden tribes of people) will break free of the dam that holds them back, and ravage the earth. They will drink all the water, and kill people until Allah sends against them a worm which will wipe them out.” [This is roughly before/during the time of Isa, although it is not entirely clear.]
“Three places in the world will sink and be swallowed up by the earth. One in the west, one in the east, and one in the Saudi Arabian peninsula.” [This may refer to a series of giant, epic earthquakes.]
“Fire will come from the area of Aden in Yemen, and sweep northwards.” [There are claims that this already happened in some medevial event.]
“The sun will rise from the west.” [This description is not meant to be a symbolic one...but it is known that it is one of the last, if not the very last one before the following.]
“Smoke will appear all over the earth which will cause believers to catch something similar to a slight cold, whereas the unbelievers will be hit harder by it. Finally, a cold wind will come and kill all believers, leaving only unbelievers on the earth who will then witness the LAST HOUR. The angel Israfil will blow a trumpet, and the resurrection of all human beings will begin.” [At this point, the Day of Resurrection commences in which the skies and earth are destroyed by Allah.]
This list is far from complete; there are many other signs. A couple more of interest are: Constantinople (Istanbul) will fall before Rome to Islam (note that this means Rome will indeed fall), and the Muslim political system will go from Prophetic leadership to a just Khilafah to a ‘biting’ authority to an oppressive authority and finally back to a just Khilafah. It seems that today we are in the next to last stage of this chain; now is a good time to actively work for the reestablishment of the Muslim state and Khilafah.
Finally, the Prophet has said that when the Signs start to come, they will come FAST – like a string of beads falling one after the other.
And Allah Knows Best.

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50 Signs of the Day of Judgment

The Signs are listed in roughly chronological order, although the order is not necessarily precise, especially for those in the future.

This is a brief summary of the signs; there are many books, articles, and cassettes etc., which discuss these in greater detail. May Allah enable us to recognize and heed the Signs, and strengthen us in the times of tribulation.

“Are they waiting for anything except the Hour, to come to them suddenly? But its Signs have already come!” (Al-Quran, Surah Muhammad)

Past
1. Splitting of the Moon.

2. Death of the Prophet Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.

3. A form of death, which will kill thousands of Muslims. (Understood to refer to the plague of Amwas during the caliphate of ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab.)

4. A major fighting in Madinah (understood to refer to the battle of al-Harrah during the caliphate of Yazid, 63 AH).

5. The Muslim conquest of Jerusalem.

6. The Muslim conquest of Constantinople.

7. Two large groups of Muslims will fight in war.

8. A war between the Muslims and a reddish people with small eyes, wearing sandals made of hair (understood to refer to the Mongol Tatar invasion of the Islamic lands.)

9. A peace agreement between the Muslims and non-Muslims from the yellow race (Chinese, Mongols, etc.)

10. Thirty impostors (Dajjaal) will appear, each thinking he is a prophet.

Present
11. Naked, destitute, barefoot shepherds will compete in building tall buildings.

12. The slave-woman will give birth to her master or mistress.

13. A trial (fitnah), which will enter every Arab household.

14. Knowledge will be taken away (by the death of people of knowledge), and ignorance will prevail.

15. Wine (intoxicants, alcohol) will be drunk in great quantities.

16. Illegal sexual intercourse will become widespread.

17. Earthquakes will increase.

18. Time will pass more quickly.

19. Tribulations (fitan) will prevail.

20. Bloodshed will increase.

21. A man will pass by the grave of another and wish he was in the latter’s place.

22. Trustworthiness will be lost, i.e. when authority is given to those who do not deserve it.

23. People will gather for prayer, but will be unable to find an imam to lead them.

Future
24. The number of men will decrease, whilst the number of women will increase, until for every man there are 50 women.

25. The Euphrates will reveal a treasure of gold, and many will die fighting over it, each one hoping to be the one who gains the treasure.

26. The Romans (Europeans) will come to a place called A’maq or Wabiq, and an army of the best people will go forth from Madinah to face them.

27. The Muslim conquest of Rome.

28. The Mahdi (guided one) will appear, and be the Imam of the Muslims.

29. Jesus Christ will descend in Damascus, and pray behind the Mahdi.

30. Jesus will break the cross and kill the swine, i.e. destroy the false Christianity.

31. The Antichrist (al-masih al-dajjal, the false Christ) will appear, with all his tools of deception, and be an immense trial. He will be followed by 70,000 Jews from Isfahan (present-day Iran).

32. The appearance of Ya’juj and Ma’juj (Gog and Magog), and the associated tribulations.

33. The emergence of the Beast from the Earth, carrying the Staff of Moses and the Seal of Solomon, who will speak to the people, telling them they did not believe with certainty in the Divine Signs.

34. A major war between the Muslims (including Jews and Christians who truly believe in Jesus after his return) led by the Imam Mahdi, and the Jews plus other non-Muslims led by the Antichrist.

35. Jesus will kill the Antichrist at the gate of Ludd (Lod in present-day Israel, site of an airport and a major Israeli military base).

36. A time of great peace and serenity during and after the remaining lifetime of Jesus.

37. Wealth will come so abundant that it will become difficult to find someone to accept charity.

38. Arabia will become a land of gardens and rivers.

39. Society will then decay.

40. The buttocks of the women of the tribe of Daws will again sway in circumambulation (tawaf) around the idol Dhul-Khulsah.

41. A great fire in the Hijaz, seen by the inhabitants of Busra.

42. Three major armies will sink into the earth: one in the east, one in the west, and one in Arabia.

43. An Abyssinian leader with thin shins will destroy the Ka’bah.

44. The huge cloud of smoke.

45. The sun will rise from the west (its place of setting).

46. A gentle wind, which will take the souls of the believers.

47. There is no-one left on the earth saying, “Allah, Allah” or “There is no god except Allah.”

48. Eventually the Day of Judgment is established upon the worst of the people, who copulate like donkeys in public.

49. The blowing in the Trumpet by the Angel Israfil, upon which everyone will faint except as Allah wills.

50. The second blowing in the Trumpet, upon which everyone will be resurrected.

By: Dr. Suhaib Hasan
Source: mirsalam online quran teacher www.onlinequran.pk