All praise is for the Lord of the worlds and mercy and salutations on the Prophet of Allah who gave information about the magnificent statement, and on his household, his Companions, and on everyone who followed him with goodness, till the Day of Judgment.

After the setting of the Sun of Prophethood, the Muslim world was overwhelmed with dangerous windstorms of calamities, rains of trials and disorders, civil wars, sectarianism, particularly after the completion of one thousand years of the Hijrah. It was as if according to the prophecies of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) a chain of mischief and disorders descended down. Every morning dawned with a new disorder and every night brought in its wake a new darkness, more dangerous and terrible than that of the preceding night. As for the present conditions, they are themselves testifying to this prophecy of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) who said: "No doubt I am beholding such disorders as will fall soon on your dwellings like the rains." (Bukhari)

This is, as if, the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) was himself beholding this present era surrounded by disorders and calamities - an era in which the Muslims are engaged among themselves in wrongs and tyrannies, quarreling and fighting, civil wars, prejudices and various forms of sectarianism. On the contrary, all the disbelievers, the Jews, the Christians and the idolaters stand united in enmity with the Muslims. This corroborates the truth of a Hadith of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) in which he has said: “It will not be long when different Nations hailing from different parts of the world will become united on enmity with you in such a way as hungry people rush towards a dinning cloth." The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) was asked: "O Prophet of Allah! Will this happen, because of our small number?" The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) replied: "No, but you shall become like the foam of flood-water. Your hearts will have become weak, and your fear will be taken away from the hearts of the enemies. You will begin to love the world and hate death.” ( Abu Dawood)

It is a fact today that our number is like the foam of the sea but our hearts have become weak on account of differences and our division in different groups. On the other hand, the hearts of our enemies have become stronger in opposition to us. That is why we are today surrounded on all sides by our enemies.

The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) had beckoned to such calamities, trials and disorders fourteen centuries ago from now and had also appraised the Muslims of the causes of these calamities along with the remedies for protection ourselves therefrom. If we, Muslims, had taken heed of these warnings, we would perhaps have found some way out. The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) has likewise appraised us of the signs of the Day of Resurrection, so that we may get an idea of the distance of that Day from us. As for the exact Hour or the arrival of the Day of Resurrection the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) too has said nothing about that Hour. In reply to a question on this subject, he could only say: "The man questioned does not know more than the questioner."

Keeping in view the interests and good of this Ummah, the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) has laid down some signs of the Day of Resurrection as milestones are fixed on roads to guide wayfarers on to their destinations. If we observe these signs today we can easily know that we are at the end of the journey and about to reach the destination. Many scholars of Ahadith have mentioned these signs to awake from their slumber, the negligent, and to induce the men of insight to give serious thought to the signs of Resurrection. Now that the dangerous stormy winds of calamities and accidents are blowing and trials and tribulations are falling down like torrential rains, encompassing all high and low, rich and poor, the following Hadith of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) has come before us in its practical form: "Islam will again become stranger as it was stranger in the beginning."


THE PERIODS OF MISCHIEFS AND DISORDERS

Hazrat Huzaifah bin Yamaan (r.a.) has narrated: "While people used to ask the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) about good things, I used to ask him about trials and disorders, because I feared lest I should be caught in trials and disorders."

In the same way Hazrat Huzaifah (r.a.) has narrated: "I said to the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) that we were ignorant before the advent of Islam and professed Shirk (polytheism). Thereafter, we were enabled by Almighty Allah to embrace Islam and we came to virtues after giving up vices and sins. Is it possible that we shall relapse into vices after having come to virtues?" The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) replied in the affirmative. Then I asked: "Shall any virtue ever follow that vice?" The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) replied: "There will be virtue with some mixture of vice." I asked the nature of that vice. The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) replied: "The people will not follow the model of my life. So, some of their deeds will be good and some will be bad." I asked if there would again be vice to follow this virtue? The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) replied: "Yes, vice will follow this virtue also. Some people will invite others towards the gates of Hell. They will put into Hell those who respond to the inviters." I requested the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) to inform me of the identity of those persons. He (s.a.w.) said: "Apparently they will be like us; their skins and tongues will be like ours." I asked: "O Prophet of Allah! If these trials and disorders rise during our lives, what should we do?" He (s.a.w.) replied: "Hold fast to the party of the Muslims and their Imam (Leader)." I asked: "What should we do, if there is neither a party nor any Imam?" The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) replied, saying: "Keep yourself aloof from all sects. In such a crisis if you are forced to eat roots of trees, do eat roots till death overtakes you."

The Hadith of Hazrat Huzaifah (r.a.) is very useful for us. He asked the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) such questions, which apply, and are quite relevant, to our times. It has been advised in this Hadith that we should steer clear of the trials and mischief of the times and that we should hold fast to the group of the Muslims and its Imam. In the absence of such a group and Imam, we have been asked to shun all groups and live according to the practices and ways of life of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) and his Noble Companions (r.a.)


THE MURDERER AND THE MURDERED WILL BOTH ENTER HELL

Hazrat Ahnaf bin Qais (r.a.) has reported that the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) said that when two Muslims draw their swords against each other, the murderer as well as the murdered will enter Hell. The Companions said to the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.): "The punishment awarded to the murderer to enter Hell is understandable, why should the victim murdered also enter Hell?" The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) replied to this question, saying: "It is because the victim murdered also intended to murder his companion."

There is another narrative, stating briefly: "When two Muslims face each other with drawn swords; the murderer and the murdered will both enter Hell." It occurs in another narrative: "When two Muslims take up arms against each other, both will be in the abyss of Hell. Thus, if anyone of the two murders the other, both shall enter Hell." (Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawood and Nasai).

The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) said in a Hadith: "Indeed in the days near the Day of Resurrection, killings of one another will take place. This (killing) will not be against the infidels, but some members of the Ummat shall kill some other member. A Muslim shall meet his Muslim brother and shall kill him. The people of those (ensuring) days will be deprived of their wisdom and some foolish persons will become their deputies. Most of them shall think that they command some importance although they shall have not importance (or standing).

It is narrated by Hazrat Abu Hurairah (r.a.) that the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) said: "By that Being (Allah) in whose hands is my soul, the world will not come to its end unless a day comes in which the murderer shall not know why he committed murder, nor shall the victim know why he was murdered." They asked the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) how it shall happen? He replied: "This will be due to Haraj, i.e. disorder and mischief during which the murderer and the murdered shall both enter Hell."

There is another narrative from Hazrat Abu Hurairah (r.a.) stating that the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) said: "The ages shall come closer and knowledge shall be taken away (from the people) and disorders and mischiefs shall rise, miserliness shall spread and disorder shall be on the increase." The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) was asked: "What is Haraj (disorder)?" He replied: "It is murder."

Some Ulama have explained the meaning of the ages "coming close" by saying that what occurred previously during years and months will then occur in weeks and days. A narrative is following shortly in which it occurs that years will become like months, months like weeks and weeks like days etc. For example, now-a-days murders have become a daily affair, whereas in the past murders used to occur in years and months. In other words the times in the past were distant from one another and such events used to occur rarely, but now the times have come closer and such events have become a daily affair.


FOURTEEN HABITS AND CALAMITIES

Hazrat Ali Abi Talib (r.a.) has narrated that the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) said: "When fourteen habits are born in my Ummat, calamities will begin to descend on them." When they asked about the calamities, the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) explained saying:

• When public property is misappropriated as personal property;
  
• Deposit in trust is taken as war booty;
  
• Zakaat (obligatory alms) is regarded as penalty;
  
• Husbands begin to obey their wives;
  
• Sons disobey their mothers;
  
• People do good to their friends and oppress the parents;
  
• Noise is created in Mosques;
  
• The meanest fellow of the community becomes the leader;
  
• A man is respected for fear of his wickedness;
  
• Intoxicants and narcotics come into use openly;
  
• Men begin to wear silk garments;
  
• Musical instruments are in general use;
  
• Dancing and merry-making parties are held everywhere;
  
• The people living in the ensuring times curse the bygone elders and saints.

In such a situation the people should wait for the descend of divine punishment. This may be either in the form of red windstorm, earthquake or the distortion of their shapes like the Sabbath-Breakers (Tirmizi).