CLASS 1
THE HOUR & ITS SIGNS
PILLARS OF ISLAMIC BELIEF
Islam, is belief and Laws. Pillars of the Laws are the 5 Pillars of Islam i.e. Shahadah, Establish Salah, Give Zakat, Fast in the month of Ramadan & Perform Hajj (if capable). These pillars are the basis of Islamic Law. As for the Pillars of Belief also called as Islamic ‘Aqeedah (creed), its pillars are:
Believing in Allah,
His Angels,
His Books,
His Messengers,
The Last Day and
The good or bad that Qadar (predestination) brings.
These pillars are mentioned in the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger ﷺ.
THE 5TH PILLAR OF IMAN:
BELIEF IN THE LAST DAY
Death is one of the few indisputable facts of life. Regardless of faith, race, status or age, we will all die. While the certainty of death is universally accepted, the question of what happens afterwards has been debated throughout history. After all, the enigma of death stumps us. We’ve devised various ways of killing other humans. Yet, despite innumerable technological and medical advances, we still cannot prevent an individual from dying. Furthermore, unlike life which we experience daily, we really don’t have first-hand knowledge of life after death. Aside from some near-death incidents, no one has come back from the dead to tell us what they encountered.
Islam teaches the Muslims through divine guidance (Quran & Sunnah), that one’s life doesn’t end on earth; rather, it is followed by the eternal life of the hereafter. This pamphlet explains how this belief has a major impact on our earthly lives, while instilling hope for healing in a perfect world where Allah’s ultimate justice will prevail.
The Last Day is the Day when mankind will be resurrected to be asked about their deeds and receive reward or punishment for them. It is called “the Last Day,” because it is the last day, no day after that. Afterwards, people of Paradise will permanently reside and take their places in it, and people of Hell will permanently reside and take their places in it.
Why Believe? Believing in the soul and the afterlife is foremost about having faith in the unseen. Just as our souls are intangible beings giving life to our physical bodies, the world we see around us is functioning based on an invisible system created by Allah who is Ever-Watchful and All-Aware. Allah is also Just and He maintains a meticulous record of our deeds. We will be recompensed for our earthly lives in the hereafter where ultimate justice prevails.
Humans naturally seek justice in all aspects of their lives. When a person works, they expect to receive an appropriate salary. When an individual is harmed, they seek compensation. When someone helps another, they anticipate appreciation for their effort. Even though humans strive hard to establish justice, the reality is that this world will never be perfectly just. Many criminals go unpunished while the oppressed are denied basic rights. Do their lives simply dissolve without any accountability or fair dealing?
According to Islam, one of the greatest injustices humans can commit is to deny Allah’s existence, add partners to Him or worship worldly ideals or materialistic goals. Islam teaches that Allah is the Creator, Sustainer and Nourisher of every being in the heavens and the earth. As His creation, it is His right that we worship and obey Him. He showers us with His blessings every day out of His love and mercy. Worshiping Him is an expression of gratitude to Allah, and ignoring Him or worshiping others is ungratefulness and a denial of His blessings.
If our man-made judicial systems punish people for committing injustices against other people, it is even more understandable that Allah would punish those who deny Him His rights and commit injustices against His creation. Allah says in the Quran, “We shall set up scales of justice for the Day of Judgment, so that not a soul will be dealt with unjustly in the least, and if there be (no more than) the weight of a mustard seed, We will bring it (to account): and enough are We to take account” (21:47).
When you believe in the Last Day, you believe that it is the day when you stand before Allah to be asked by Him why you did those things and why you did not do the other ones. It is the day when Allah asks you why you divorced your wife arbitrarily, why you got married in a way that did not please Allah or why you had an illicit affair. On that day you will be asked about every giving, prohibition, satisfaction or anger that was not for the sake of Allah.
When you are aware of the fact that Allah will ask you about all your deeds, call you to account for whatever you do and punish you for your wrongdoings, you will absolutely become straight on Allah's path.
It seems that all our lessons revolve around belief in the Last Day.
Belief in Allah and belief in the Last Day are inseparable: Amongst the six pillars of faith, the most amazing inseparable correlation is the one between believing in Allah and believing in the Last Day, because the mere belief in Allah does not oblige man to obey Him, while believing that Allah exists, that He knows everything and that He will call you to account for all your deeds, you will never make man think of disobeying Him.
Signs of the Hour & benefits of learning about it
Many ahadeeth have been narrated in which the Messenger ﷺ listed a number of Signs of the Hour. The scholars divided them into two categories, the minor signs and the major signs. The minor signs, for the most part, will occur a long time before the Resurrection begins. Some of them have happened and ended – although they may be repeated – and some of them have appeared and are ongoing, and some have not yet happened, but they will happen as the truthful one (the Prophet ﷺ) has told us.
The major signs are serious matters, the appearance of which will indicate that the Day of Resurrection is at hand and that there is only a short time until that great Day comes.
Benefit of learning about the Signs
It may be said, you have exhausted yourselves in studying matters which are of little benefit. It would be better if you concerned yourselves with the affairs and problems of the Muslims instead of wasting so much time in investigating things which will happen in the future. You should concern yourselves with the reality in which you are living, instead of some other world in which you hope to live or that you fear may come upon you. You are running away from facing real difficulties. We may sum up the benefits that we gain from studying the reports which speak of the portents of the Hour as follows:
The fact that some of these prophecies have come to pass as they were described in the reports reaffirms and strengthens faith. Muslims in all ages have witnessed events happening as they were foretold in the sound texts. The Sahabah witnessed the victory of the Byzantines over the Persians, then the victory of the Muslims over both the Persians and the Byzantines, and the prevalence of Islam over all other religions. They saw the ummah split in the year when the Messenger ﷺ said it would happen, and they saw many events unfold as foretold in the texts. Similar things have happened in every era, the Muslims have witnessed events as foretold in the texts. Undoubtedly this has a great impact on strengthening the believer's faith, and this is a means of calling others to the truth which our Lord has given us.
Strengthening belief in the Day of Resurrection. The resurrection and its terrors are matters of the Unseen which Allah and His Messenger have informed us about. Belief in them is one of the fundamentals of faith. The fact that events in this world unfold as described in the texts is a clear indication of the truthfulness of all of the reports, including the reports about the Hour. And all of that comes from Allah.
Other benefits are, knowing how to react in situations based on Shariah, being steadfast in times of trials because we are already warned about them, being away from soothsayers,
MINOR SIGNS OF THE LAST DAY
The Sending of the Messenger ﷺ and his Death.
The appearance of fire in the Hijaaz, which appeared in the middle of the 7th century AH, in 654 AH.
The emergence of claimants to Prophethood, such as the liar Musaylimah and al-Aswad al-‘Anasi. (Some say that this is ongoing as we have some of the
The appearance of fitan (tribulations).
The conquest of Constantinople
Widespread wealth and lack of need for charity
The Appointment of Unqualified People to Positions of Authority
Increase in the number of police and helpers of the oppressors
Zina will become rife.
Riba will become rife.
Drinking Alcohol and Spread of musical instruments and their being thought to be allowed.
Killing will be rife
Many Earthquakes will occur.
Trust will disappear
Building tall buildings & The slave girls giving birth to her mistress
Exclusive Greetings, Widespread Trade and Severance of Family Ties
Religious Ignorance will prevail
Inanimate objects will speak - Smart Phones, TVs, Radio?
The Standards by Which People are Measured Will Become Distorted
The Nations Will Call One Another to Attack the Muslim Ummah
The conquest of Jerusalem.
The plague of Amwaas (Emmaus), which is a city in Palestine.
Appearance of women in clothes which do not cover them, Spread and increase in writing - Social media has given everyone the power to write and say anything about anyone, we see random people having a go at scholars.
Time passing quickly
Sudden death being common
Adorning the mosques and rivalling therein
Increase in falsehood and having no concern to check reports
Increase in false testimony and witholding true witness
Large number of women and small number of men
Hatred amongst peoples hearts
Wishing for death because of the severity of trials
SubhaanAllah all of these have more or less already occurred, May Allah give us all the Hidayah to take this as a reminder and set our affairs right, become better Muslims, make us amongst those who stick to the right path and are amongst those who He is pleased with.
THE MAJOR SIGNS OF THE HOUR
There are major signs which will indicate that the Hour is at hand. When they appear, the Hour will be close behind them. Muslim narrated on the authority of Hudhayfah ibn Usayd al-Ghifaari: "The Prophet ﷺ looked at us whilst we were discussing something. He said, 'What are you talking about?' They said, 'We are talking about the Hour.' He said, 'It will not come until you see ten signs ahead of it.'
He mentioned the smoke, the Dajjaal (Pseudo-Christ), the Beast, the rising of the sun from the west, the descent of 'Eesa (Jesus) ibn Maryam, Ya'jooj and Ma'jooj, and three landslides, one in the east, one in the west and one in the Arabian Peninsula, and the last sign is a fire which will emerge from Yemen and drive the people to their place of gathering. " (Muslim)
The major signs will come one after the other; hardly any time will elapse between one and the next. The way they will follow one after another will be like what happens when a necklace breaks and the beads fall one after another; the first bead falls and the others follow it straight away. Al-Haakim narrated with a saheeh isnad that Anas ibn Maalik (R.A) reported: "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "The signs are like beads next to one another on a string. When the string breaks they follow one another. " (Classed as Sahih by Albani)
After the Dajjaal emerges, 'Eesa (Jesus) will descend and kill the Dajjaal, then Ya'jooj and Ma'jooj (Gog and Magog) will emerge during the time of' Eesa, and Allah will destroy them during his time. The sequence of events up to this point is clear.
With regard to the remaining signs, the exact sequence is not quite clear. Allah knows best!
Those who wish to learn more about Qayamah and its sings, please join our free online certificate course “THE DAY OF JUDGEMENT”, to learn in detail about the Major & Minor Signs of Qayamah, the state of the believers and disbelievers, events on that day and more. https://learn-islam.org/day-of-judgement (available online now, register and learn).
Note this is not part of the ongoing course, it is an independent course that can be done at your own pace and at your own convenience.
In this course we will learn more about one Major Sign - Fitna of Dajjal.
TIPS FOR THE TEST
Do not have to memorize the Ayahs & ahadeeth word for word but get a good understanding about what it means and the message in it.
Remember the guidelines.
ATTENDANCE/ASSIGNMENT
Please do this assignment before taking the test, there will be a question asked about the Assignment worth 10 marks in the test: -
I. Invite atleast 15 people to the course (can invite via WhatsApp, Facebook, Email, telegram or word of mouth) 3 Marks. (check the note below for exceptions)
Note:
Those who have already invited whether on Whatsapp, Email or FB, do not need to invite again.
It does not matter, whether people join or not, our job is to invite.
II. Talk to 5 people (friends or family) about any three topics from the course - (5 Marks)
III. Make Dua for the Muslims that are being oppressed around the world and also for those who are not to get their acts right and start helping the Ummah. (2 Marks)
Please take this assignment as a motivation to start talking about Islam and make it part of your regular day (even if you do not know too much, spread the little that you know, as the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said “Convey from me, even if it is one verse”, most of us are too shy to talk about Islam but are ok to talk about anything under the sky.
May Allah make us all amongst those who call others to good by spreading the Deen of Allah and help us in this noble path.
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FORGOTTEN SUNNAHS : https://learn-islam.org/forgotten-sunnahs-book