Signs of the Last Hour

The knowledge of the Hour is with Allah alone: “They ask you about the Hour: when will it come? Say: its knowledge is only with my Lord” (7:187). Not even Jibril or the Prophet ﷺ knew its time (Muslim). So we never set dates, and we are wary of anyone who does. When a man asked the Prophet ﷺ “When is the Hour?”, he replied: “What have you prepared for it?” The man said: “Nothing, except that I love Allah and His Messenger.” He said: “You will be with those you love” (Bukhari and Muslim). The signs are reminders to prepare, not a puzzle to solve.

The Prophet ﷺ said the minor signs come long before the Hour, and many have already occurred. Examples reported in Bukhari and Muslim:

• His own sending: “I and the Hour have been sent like these two,” joining two fingers.
• His passing away, and the conquest of Jerusalem.
• The spread of great wealth, so that a man looks for someone to accept his charity.
• The splitting of the Muslims into groups, and the trials (fitan) that came after the Companions.

The Prophet ﷺ described conditions that would grow as the Hour approaches. Reading them is not a reason to fear, but to be careful and grateful for our faith:

• Knowledge is lifted and ignorance spreads; scholars pass away (Bukhari and Muslim).
• Killing and bloodshed increase (Bukhari and Muslim).
• Trust and honesty are lost: “When trust is lost, wait for the Hour” (Bukhari).
• Herders and the poor compete in building tall buildings (Muslim).
• Time seems to pass more quickly, and earthquakes become frequent (Bukhari).
• Immorality, drink and public sin become common, and trials come like waves.

Hudhayfah ibn Usayd reported that the Prophet ﷺ said: “The Hour will not come until you see ten signs” (Muslim). Once they begin, they follow one another quickly, like beads of a string that breaks:

• The smoke (Ad-Dukhan).
• The Dajjal (the false Messiah).
• The Beast of the Earth that speaks to people (27:82).
• The sun rising from the west.
• The descent of Isa ibn Maryam.
• Gog and Magog (Ya'juj and Ma'juj).
• Three great landslides: one in the east, one in the west, one in the Arabian Peninsula.
• A fire from Yemen that drives people to their gathering place.
• Some reports add the Mahdi and the wind that takes the souls of the believers.

Several narrations (Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, Ahmad) speak of a righteous man from the Prophet's ﷺ family, called the Mahdi, who will fill the earth with justice as it was filled with injustice. Scholars differ on how strong these reports are, and some do not count him among the ten major signs. Either way, we never claim that any person is the Mahdi; whoever does is deceived or deceiving.

The Dajjal is the greatest trial since Adam was created (Muslim). He will claim to be a god, is blind in one eye, and will come with astonishing tricks, testing people with wealth and hardship. Every prophet warned his people about him. Believers are protected by knowing that Allah is not blind in either eye, by holding fast to their faith, and by reciting the first ten verses of Surah Al-Kahf (Muslim). Every Muslim should seek refuge in Allah from him at the end of every prayer, before the Salam:

Isa (Jesus) was not killed or crucified; Allah raised him to Himself (4:157-158). He will return as a just ruler following the law of Muhammad ﷺ, descending at the white minaret east of Damascus. He will break the cross, end the false claims made about him, and kill the Dajjal (Muslim). In his time people will pray behind a Muslim leader, justice will spread, and wealth will be so abundant that nobody will want to accept it.

Two vast peoples, kept behind a barrier built by Dhul-Qarnayn (18:94-98). When Allah wills, they will be released and spread through the land, drinking whole lakes and causing great corruption. Isa and the believers will take refuge and pray to Allah, who will send a disease upon their necks so that they die together, and then rain washes the earth clean (Muslim).

When the sun rises from the west, the door of repentance closes: “On that day, no soul will benefit from faith it did not have before” (6:158; Bukhari and Muslim). Then comes a gentle wind that takes the soul of every believer, so that only the worst of people remain, and upon them the Hour comes. Israfil blows the Trumpet, everyone falls unconscious, then a second blast raises all to stand before Allah (39:68). This is why we repent now, while the door is open.

The Prophet ﷺ guided us to a calm, practical response instead of fear:

• Hasten to good deeds before trials come “like patches of a dark night” (Muslim).
• Repent often and keep your heart close to Allah while the door is open.
• Learn your religion and hold fast to the Quran and the Sunnah; false claims spread where knowledge is weak.
• Do not fix dates, and do not spread rumours or fear.
• Keep good company, love Allah and His Messenger ﷺ: you will be with those you love.
• Keep working: “If the Hour comes while one of you has a sapling in his hand, let him plant it if he can” (Ahmad).