This talk is about the
conditions and signs of the end of this worldly life. The purpose of talking
about the end of life is to be taken as a lesson and a preachment. And to
avoid doing what would generate Allah’s anger. Today the talk will include
some of the signs of the hour of the end of life known as the smaller or minor
signs.
One of the sign
mentioned is: the abundance of wealth and the lack of need for charity.
Abo-Hurairah reported that the prophet (May peace be upon him) said {The hour
of resurrection shall not occur until there will be so much wealth amongst you
to the point that a man with the wealth seeking who would accept his charity.
With who ever he approaches saying: “I have no desire nor need for it”}
Ibn Auday (ÅÈä ÚÏí)
said: while I was with the prophet, may peace and prayers be upon him, a man
came up and complained to him about poverty. Then another man came to him and
complained about the robbers robbing travelers. The prophet said {Adday (ÚÏí),
have you seen the land of Heerah? Auday said: Never been to it but I have
heard of it. He said: If you were given a long life you shall see a violence
free Heerah, to the point that one would leave Heerah all the way to Kaaba (in
Mekkah) fearing nothing but Allah.}. Auday said “I said to my self where are
all the gangsters of Taie (ØíÁ) who made the land unbearable. The prophet
said: “and if your life gets even longer you shall win the treasures of Kisra”
meaning the king of Persia. I said “You mean Kisra the sun of Hormuz?” He
said ” Kisra the sun of Hormuz. And if your life would still be longer you
shall see a man takes out as donation; a handful of gold or silver seeking
some one to accept it, and he shall find not someone to take it off him”.
Later on in his life Auday said:”Well, I lived and saw a violence free Heerah,
where people travel from Heerah to Mekka with no fear except from Allah. And I
was amongst the Muslim army who won the treasures of Kisra son of Hurmuz. And
if your life will extend you shall see the rest of what the prophet had said.”
Well, much of the
prophet had told us has indeed materialized. There was an abundance of wealth
after the prophet and during the life time of his companions; due to treasures
taken after winning wars against the Persian and the Roman empires. There was
so much abundance of wealth in the life of the Khalifa Omar ben Abdul-Azeez.
Then, a man offering a charity could find no takers. Also towards the end of
this worldly life; there will be an abundance of wealth that one shall not
find takers to offered money.
Another sign or
condition of the end of this life is the spread of temptations. And a
temptation meaning testing and the term was used to describe everything bad or
the consequence of anything bad like sin, disbelieve in God, murder and other
undesirable things.
The prophet peace be
upon him told us about the great temptations of the end of life. In them truth
is covered by falsehood. Temptations that shake belief such; a man be a
believer in the morning and becomes an unbeliever by the evening. Every time a
temptation appears, a believer says is this going to be my demise? But it gets
cleared and another will come and he says: is it this one, or this one. And so
on, temptation shall continue appearing amongst people until the final hours.
The prophet peace be
upon him said: ”At the end of life there will be temptations like the chunks
of the dark night, a man can be a believer in the morning and becomes a
unbeliever at night, selling his belief with some of what this worldly life
offers”
He was also reported
saying: “It was only right for each prophet before me to guide his nation to
what he knew; and warns them from the bad he knew. This nation of yours; it
was made at its best in its early part. Towards the end it shall be infected
with temptations and undesirable situations. Each temptation will belittle
other temptations before it. A temptation strikes and the believer will say:
is it this one or this one. This who wishes to be dislodged off the hell fire
and be entered into paradise let his time of death comes to him/her when
he/she believes in Allah and in the day after.”
The prophet told us to
fortify our selves with Allah from the temptations and the tests; the clear to
see ones and the hidden ones”.
Nowadays, we see the
temptations and calamities occurring to the nation one after the next. And
also, one temptation is worst than the one before.
One of the greatest
temptations the prophet may peace be upon him warned us about was the
imitation of the previous nations like the Jews and the Christians. Some of
us now days have imitated the unbelievers in looks and in behaviour. They are
so impressed by them. The prophet said: {The hour shall not come until my
nation shall take after the older nations before it bit by bit. They said:
“Like the Persians and the Romans?” He said: “And are there others?”} and
another narration : They said: “Like the Jews and the Christians? And he said
“Who else.”
One of the other minor
signs of the ending hour; is the appearance of those who falsely claim to be
prophets. There will be round thirty of them. Some have already made this
false claim at the time of the prophet; and at the time of the companions; and
some are still appearing. The prophet said “The hour will not occur until
nearly thirty false liars shall appear; all claiming to be messengers of
Allah.” In recent times one of those claiming to be a prophet in India his
name was: “Mizra Ahmad Gadiani” He falsely claimed to be the awaited Messiah.
The scholars proved he was a liar and a falsifier. Those liars will continue
to appear one after the other until the very last. The prophet said “The hour
will not occur until nearly thirty false liars shall appear; the last of them
shall have one bad eye or the One-eye liar.”
One of the signs of the
time of the hour is the loss of honesty or trustworthiness. The prophet said:
“If honesty is lost then expect the hour to occur. Some one asked: “and how is
it that honesty gets lost?” the prophet said: “If things to be done are given
to the wrong individuals then expect the hour”
Hodaifa said the prophet
peace be upon him; told us two things. I saw one and I am still waiting for
the other. He told us that honesty was brought down in the root of men’s
hearts. They learned from the Quran and knew from the Sunnah. Then he told us
about how it shall be lifted up again, he said: “The man shall go into some
sleep, the honesty is gripped from his heart. Only a sign of trace will
remain. Then he will go into another sleep and it will be gripped yet again.
and the trace will leave a rough blister, Like the mark left by a burning
stone, which can be seen inflamed. With nothing in the heart, people will
enter into deals; and no one will honor his commitments. It shall be said:
that in such and such people; there is an honest man. And it shall be said
about a man: “How wise he is, and how cool and how wonderful he is, and yet
there is not as much as a tiny grain of belief in his heart. Time came upon me
that I didn’t mind from whom I took a promise or a pledge. If one were a
Muslim; then Islam will hold him at his promise and if he were a Christian
then his interest will keep it. But in such a day (in the future) I would only
take a promise or a pledge from such a person and such a person only.”
This shows that time
shall come that once a man was honest he shall become a traitor. This only
occurs to those who no longer fear Allah. And whose belief has gone weak, and
those who integrate with the traitors so they become so.
Unfortunately, much
cheating and dishonesty has spread amongst some of the Muslims; may Allah
guides them. Cheating and dishonesty in business, industry, agriculture and in
general dealings with people except for the few whom Allah has blessed. We
pray to Allah to fix our ways, and improve our actions.
Assalam Alaikum -
The Islamic greeting, literately means: Peace
be with you. Used when approaching or leaving. When used during approaching
it will be like saying: I bring no harm to you . and when said during
leaving somebody it will mean: No harm will come to you after I leave.
Aya (or Ayah):
is a verse of the Koran.
It also means a miracle or a sign from God.
Arafa (or Arafah or Arafat):
is a mountain
outside the city of Mecca
that represents the climax of the Hajj worship. All doing
Hajj must stay at this location on the same
day.
Badr
- The place of the first significant battle between the Muslims and the
pagans of the Quraish. It is located in Saudi Arabia.
Caliph
- A Muslim ruler. See:
(Khalifa)
Dajjal
- Antichrist or the False Massiah.
Dawah
- The proliferation of Islamic teachings through word and deed.
Deen (Din)
- Religion or way of life.
Duaa:
a prayer in the form of
talking to Allah;
praising him and asking him for help.
Fatwa
- Legal verdict given based on the Qur'an (Koran) and the Sunnah which are
the recorded sayings and deeds of Muhammad.
Ferdose:
is the highest level of
the all the gardens of Eden or paradise.
Fiqh
- Religious law.
Hadeeth:
is something reported
that the messenger have said. It includes all the speeches and ceremonies he gave.
It is usually narrated or told by one
of his companions. There is a list of hadeeths approximately 14000 that are
reported and checked to be genuine. No
more hadeeths are acceptably added to this list.
Hajar -
The Black Stone set into the corner of the
Ka'aba in Mecca. It is said to be a stone from Heaven.
Hajj -
The pilgrimage to Mecca which takes place in
the last month of the Islamic calendar. One of the five pillars of Islam.
Hasana or hasanas:
is the reward for a good deed. a hasana is a point or a merit for a good deed.
Hadith
- The sayings and not deeds of the prophet Muhammad recorded by his
followers. Considered authoritative and perfect.
Hajj: is
the worship of pilgrimage.
Hijra (or
Hejrah):
the event of the immigration of the messenger from Mekkah to Madina. This
event marks the start of the Islamic calendar. the Islamic calendar has 12
months based on the lunar cycle, each is 29.5 days. Hijra is also used as a
name for the Islamic dating system.
Ibadah -
Worship. All the words and deeds with which
Allah is pleased. These deeds could be prayer and charity.
Iblis - (Ibleese):
On of Satan's names.
Ibn (Ebn): the son of. Used
by Arabs as part of an individual's name. Example: Ali whose father is Omar
or the son of Omar, would be called: Ali Ibn
Omar.
Imam
(or Emam)- The leader for a prayer. In the Shiaa sect, an Imam is the individual who has the religious authority.
Iman:
belief or faith
Injil (Enjeel) -
The Bible. The book inspired to Jesus for the
Christians.
Islam
- Submission, the religion of all the
prophets of Allah culminating in Muhammad.
Jannah -
The heavenly garden, Paradise. The place of
the faithful in the afterlife.
Jihad:
is striving in the
line
of Allah in many forms. Includes a very wide scope varying from improving
oneself to fighting a defensive war in protection
of Allah's word. The greatest Jihad is the
fight one's self against temptations.
It also means "holy war."
Jinn
-
Supernatural, invisible beings race of
beings, below angels. They were made from fire. Like humans, there amongst
them are the faithful and the non beleivers and Jinn shall be judged on
Judgment Day.
Ka'aba:
A cube shaped building in
Mecca containing a stone laid there by Abraham and Ishmael. Some say
Ka'aba was first built by Adam, and some say by
Abraham. It is the holiest place for Muslims. It is where all Muslims face in their daily prayers.
Ka'aba also makes a major part of the pilgrimage
in a ritual known as Tawaf.
Khalifa:
is the Muslim ruler. Head of the Islamic empire. Exact translation:
"Successor".
Khutbah -
A sermon given in a Mosque, usually on Friday.
Kufr -
Denial or Disbelief. A term Muslims use for
anyone who denies existence of Allah or the prophecy of Muhammed.
Koran
- Also spelled Qur'an. The holy book
of Islam revealed to Muhammad by Allah through the Archangel Gabriel. Koran
literally means "the recital." It is the final revelation of Allah given to
the prophet Muhammad. It consists of 114 surahs (or chapters.)
Madinah - (Medinah): A city in the
Arabian
peninsula
(in the country known now as Saudi Arabia). A city where the messenger had to
immigrate to.
Then it was called Yathrib.
Masjid -
A
center for Muslim activity. It is referred to as a mosque.
Masiah -
A
sin, or a sinful act
Mecca or Makkah:
is
the holiest city for Muslims. It contains the Ka'aba mosque with the famous
black cubical shape. Mecca is the birth place of the messenger (PPBU).
Mosque - A Muslim
house of worship.
Muhajir -
(Muhajireen)
Immigrant, one who leaves his home town due to lack of religious freedom. It
was first used to describe early Muslims immigrating from Mecca to Median
and Ethiopia.
Muhammad -
the final messenger and
prophet of God whose message abrogated all previous revelations. He
received the Koran through the angel Gabriel over a 23 year period. Born in
Mecca and died in Medina at the age of 63. His full name: Muhammad
ibn Abd-Allah
Muslim
- One who holds faith to the religion of
Islam.
Nafilah:
a voluntary prayer other
than the five obligatory prayers; performed at any time.
Nasara -
Christians. Nasrani:
A Christian individual. Nasraniah:
Christianity.
Ommah:
is the Arabic word for a
nation. It usually refers to
the Islamic nation unless otherwise specified.
Paradise -
Another word for heaven. A
garden of bliss, fruits, rivers and all forms of pleasures imaginable and
imaginable. No suffering, disease or death. Service is provided by angels.
All live in it an ever lasting youthful life. Promised by Almighty
Allah to all faithful, true Jews, true Christians and True Muslims. Paradise
is one of two places every person will go to, either Paradise or Hellfire.
PPBU
(P.B.U.H.) :
Peace and Prayers Be
Upon him. A statement Muslims use any time they mention the name of the
messenger or make a reference to him.
Qadar -
Fate. Preordainment is the teaching that all
things, good and bad, are preordained to occur.
Qadr - (night of Qadr):
The night when the first
revelation of the Koran took place. Most likely it happened during one of the
last ten nights of the month of Ramadan. Or when the Koran was brought down to
the nearest heaven in one go, and from there it was brought down in bits and
few verses at a time over a period of 23 years. This night is considered the
holiest night for Muslims with tremendous advantages.
Qibla -
The direction which Muslims turn for daily
prayers, towards Mecca.
Quraish -
An ancient Arab tribe to which the messenger
Muhammad belonged.
Ramadan -
The ninth month of the Islamic calendar which
is the month of the fast. The holiest month in the Muslim colander.
Salat -
Prayers. Generally it covers all forms of
worship, but more specifically refers to the Muslim rituals which is
performed to worship Allah five times daily.
Shiaa:
A sect of Islam that teaches that a religion
leader (Imam) should be the political ruler and must be direct descendants
of the messenger (PPBU). Therefore, disapproving of all Muslim leaders who
ruled After the messenger (PPBU) except Ali, the messenger's grandson.
Shirk -
Associating another god with Allah. Or associating anyone or anything with
Allah. Or using anyone or anything as a medium to Allah. The opposite of
Monotheism or Tawheed.
Siam or Soam-
Fasting
Sunni:
is a the title of those Muslims who are suppose to be following the life
style of the messenger. This differentiates them from the Shiaa of Iran.
Sunna (Sunnah):
Is how the Messenger PPBU lived, what he did or said. It includes the way he
dressed, ate, drank, prayed, interacted with other people and fought.
Basically, sunnah is the life style of the messenger PPBU. It is considered
the second source of legislation in Islamic laws and it is considered to be an
important reference to be used for concluding arguments and disputes.
It is also a title give to the main stream Muslims who make 90% if all
Muslims.
Surah -
A
chapter of the Koran.
Tawaf:
part of the pilgrimage (Hajj)
ritual. It involves walking round the Ka'aba Mosque in anti-clock wise
direction a number of seven circles.
Tauhid - Tawheed -
Monotheism, in Islam is the teaching that
there is only one God who alone is worthy of worship. The first requirement
of becoming a Muslim. It is included in the testimony of faith for new
Muslims when declaring that God is one: (No God but Allah)
Taqwah -
Proper fear and veneration of Allah. A divine spark that enables the person
to understand God.
Taurat: The old
Testaments and scriptures of Mosa.
Ummah -
the word means: a Nation. Usually refers to
the Islamic nation unless otherwise stated.
Umrah - (Amrah):
A mini hajj. A Minor form of pilgrimage to
Mecca. Unlike Hajj which can only be done on the 12th month of the Islamic
year, Umrah can be performed at any time.
Wathoo (wadoo): a washing up ritual
done by Muslims before each of the five daily prayers known as ablution.
Zaboor -
The
Psalms
Zakat -
The
third pillar of Islam. Alms giving, charity that is given to the poor.
