Jamal Badawi – Muslim Beliefs 10 – Signs Of The Hour

			In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful, the creator and Sustainer of the universe, I
greet you with the greetings of all the profits from Adam to Prophet Muhammad peace and blessings be
upon him. Assalamu Aleikum, which means peace beyond you. I'm your host Hamad Rashid. Welcome to
Islam and focus. Today we begin our 10th program and the series of Muslim beliefs. And we'll
continue the discussion that we started last week dealing with the description of what will happen
on the Day of Judgment. I have with me on the program again today, Dr. Jamal Badawi of St. Mary's
welcome to the program, brother Jamal.
		

			We began our discussion last time of the day of judgment. Could you perhaps just quickly highlight
the main points that we discussed in the beginning program on this? Sure.
		

			We were addressing first the question that's common in many minds as to how could we come back to
life after we are dust in our bones decompose and the earth? And we indicated how the Quran
responded to this question that after all, it is he Allah or God who created us from nothing of
virtually nothing to start with, and who who he who has the ability to create us from this
microscopic
		

			state of being into fully grown human beings is able to return us. The Quran even emphasizes further
that returning things is easier than creating it in the first place. And the analogy also was given
in the Quran between giving life to earth which is barren, and giving life also to bones that has
been decomposed that he who created all that is definitely able to, to do that with a great deal of
ease.
		

			we addressed the question also that some people may have in mind as to whether the punishment of the
wicked an unbeliever is simply that he will not distract them. He said, according to the Quran,
according to Muslim understanding of justice, that this is not the case that everybody good and bad,
believe that unbeliever, righteous and wicked would all right so that everybody would get his reward
or punishment. At this life is not long enough to get the full compensation for ones on dates and
attitudes.
		

			The question then started into the discussion of the measure of the minor signs,
		

			that signals the approaching of the Day of Judgment. We discuss some of the things that Prophet
Muhammad peace be upon him prophesied 1400 years ago, which has been fulfilled already, in terms of
technological change in terms of the spread of new means of transportation, he described that in
some detail
		

			about objects speaking, referring to the possible media that we know of today, we discussed a little
bit about the spread of economic life, the discovery of resources in the earth. We talked also about
the spread of skyscrapers, which he also prophesied, especially those that will be built by people
who used to be sheep herders in the past and poor, which are quite interesting and revealing signs.
The last question I believe, that you raised was on the question of health conditions. And we said
again, that there was prophecy of the spread of drinking and similar intoxicating stuff and the
spread of serious diseases
		

			and the sudden death or possible reference to heart attacks and strokes becoming more frequent and
		

			continuing then with our discussion of the some of the minor signs,
		

			an area that most people might find interesting is this area of morality, both individual and
collective. Is there anything
		

			in the moral situation which might give us a clue as to the approach of the Day of Judgment?
		

			Well, there are um, I have to be quite frank on this because the sayings of the Prophet on this
particular show are very clear and quite numerous.
		

			For example, if we summarize in terms of individual morality, one of the things that he prophesied
that
		

			the there will be a spreading of provocative clothing, especially
		

			Among females, and one of the saying you said people would be closed, but I'm closed, which means
that the claws, the kind of material, the way it's designed and the extent of covering of the body
would be so provocative that the body appears as if it's not covered at all because of tightness or
other reasons. Could also referring to bikinis, I suppose Well, I think that could be part of the
economics, the bikini covers of the body. Not only that, also, the extremely tight clause that
describes the exact shape of the body, especially the parts of the body that
		

			really should not be exposed, would be quite spread, at least should not be according to Islamic
teaching. A second prophecy that was made is that women will emulate or imitate men and men will
imitate women, which could mean imitation in terms of behavior, appearance, way of dressing, even.
And again, I'm not to make a lengthy commentary on that, because I think we see some of this in our
day and age.
		

			A third sign that the Prophet peace be upon him mentioned is that there will be a spread of
homosexuality both between males and females. Actually, these times they said that
		

			everybody would feel every * more or less feel self sufficient, in a sense, or giving a metaphor,
a polite method for what goes on. In terms of sexual life. More specifically, even he described the
state where adultery and fornication would be so widespread, not only widespread, but specifically
even he referred to the fact that it will no longer become a private thing, it becomes almost
something that's exposed.
		

			In one of the saying, for example, he says, it's almost happened other people doing it in the, in
the street. Well, I think of that, and I wonder whether that might be an allegory even of so called
x rated movies where you can just go to any drive and and watch
		

			things that really
		

			used to be very, very private type of domain of only marital relationship.
		

			Actually, in one of the single the property said, it'd be almost like animals, just whatever,
whatever. However, person pleases,
		

			we may do it.
		

			In terms of social morality, there were also a number of signs, one of which is the lack of care and
attention to other relatives, like parents and close relatives. He described that in one Hadees. And
in fact, in another Hadith, he even specified that sometimes people will be more obedient and listen
to their wives, and disregard their mothers, a person will be quite generous with his friend in
terms of all these parties, for example, and would be generous with his friend, but does not provide
any help to his father, especially if the father is all unable to earn a living, that people will be
so indifferent. And I wonder in my mind, again, about people who insist on sending their elderly,
		

			the parents to a nursing home, because they don't want to take the trouble of taking care of them
and just like wanting to get rid of them, and the attitude of people not even asking about their
parents or relatives, they just leave and go faraway lands and never care to even inquire or even
get a phone call and occasions, I mean, the lots of programs like this, that appear once in a while
on TV that shows the kind of cruelty that has been perpetrated on the elderly, and lack of consent
for relatives, that was all predicted 1400 years ago.
		

			Secondly, an interesting thing that the Prophet mentioned, is that people would hate to raise
children, and in one specific Hadith are saying, he says, there would come a time where a person
would prefer would rather prefer to bring a dog in his house rather than a bring a child.
		

			Third sign is the spread wide spread of hypocrisy, as expressed in one of the saying that people
would say good words, but their deeds are quite evil. And I wonder in my mind, my mind, for example,
that's my own personal
		

			reflection on this saying, as well as that has something to do also with the promises made by
politicians and all the things that goes on, you hear lots of good words about human rights and
other things, but the actual practice sometimes does not measure up to this.
		

			Another sign that has been repeated in more than one source of the collections of hobbyists is the
spread of killing
		

			to the point that in one Hadith, he says that
		

			There'll be so much killing that a person would not know even why he killed his brother,
		

			which could again, possibly be a reference to
		

			despotic rulers who for their own selfish reasons, and their desire to grab somebody else's land or
sources of wealth, tried to push their people into a fight where they're killing each other without
really
		

			realizing that this is not really a just cause to get people killed. For all the spread of the
words, in our century in the 20th century has been phenomenal.
		

			Many of which, of course, are indefensible, there's no good reason, actually for most of this
killing to take place. Another sign also is that people would not be as charitable there would still
always be people who are charitable, it says that for some people,
		

			charity would be like a burden on them. Actually, he made the prophecy in one Hadith, even about
		

			rulers that there will be too many rulers, but very few of them would be honest rulers or people in
political offices or political power. And finally, one of the signs that he gave is that there will
be a time where a person which could be a person as an individual or entity, like a nation, would be
respected only because of its sheer brutal power, not because of justice, person will be just
honored because of the fear rather than because of any particular good reasons why person or group
of people should be honored.
		

			So these are some of the
		

			I hope,
		

			clear signs that to me, one can see a good deal.
		

			We've talked about the technology, we've talked about signs in the economic situation. And just now
about morality. Are there any other
		

			areas or any other minor signs that we should perhaps touch on before we look at some of the major
ones? Yes, there are a few more things that perhaps may not necessarily classify exactly under any
of the previous ones, but they're quite interesting and revealing, too. That includes, for example,
the fact that it will be too many false teachers and false prophets, teaching people and misleading
them. As you know, for the Muslim he believes that all prophets were prophets of God, prior to
Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him that Muhammad is the last of those prophets. So the Muslim
believes in Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad, but it's very clearly indicated that Mohammed is the
		

			last prophet. In fact, in one of the sayings of the Prophet, he indicated that they will be close to
30 people, each of them would come and claim to be a new prophet and try to mislead people. And even
some might claim that they have new holy books. And for the Muslim, the last revealed scripture was
the Quran, that was 1400 years ago.
		

			It also indicates that some people would,
		

			even who used to be believers will no longer be believers, they will leave faith.
		

			And in one specific Hadees even are saying he says that some people would trade their faith for some
material benefits
		

			that they might obtain.
		

			He also indicated that the social values will undergo certain changes, that a person who is pious
was trying to follow the path of God and to be obedient to God would be belittled and slighted by
other people. In other words, instead of people praising goodness, the opposite would be true. In
fact, in one of his sayings, the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him say that a person at one time
would be
		

			be lessened because of his prayers, the same way that one could be less than or theists prostitute
for example, for what she's doing, that the is a total reversal of the values of beauty of goodness
of purity, that to be just regarded as the reverse like somebody for example now is trying to teach
someone now to a girl that How come you don't have a
		

			boyfriend? How come you're still version at that age, just become the reverse of the purity, and
moral values as preached by all prophets in all revealed scripture throughout history.
		

			There is indication also that in the same family, there will be people following different kinds of
religions of faith which was acting up lots of
		

			people changing or moving around trying to discover the truth or untruth, whatever the activities
might say. And, and
		

			there was indication also that people would not take a positive step to start to stop evil. That's
in the Quranic terminology, called the American model of ordaining all that is good and trying to
forbid or
		

			advise people not to do evil things that everybody would say, you know, mind your business. And
that's an interesting thing in view of the many of the stories that we hear about people sometimes
being killed in the streets with people watching from their bedroom windows, not caring even to call
the police or help everybody's, you know, I don't care. I don't want to get involved, this kind of
attitude of apathy would be in society, which would give more room for the spirit of evil.
		

			There was a prophecy also that of the spread of literacy and ignorance side by side, that they could
be literacy in the in terms of scientific technical knowledge, but a dearth of knowledge that is
more important than knowledge that relate to faith and relationship between mankind and the creator
between mankind and other human beings. How does the human being relate to the universe that the big
does have knowledge and wisdom in that particular field.
		

			In fact, in one thing, even he said that some of those even religious leaders, the religious
scholars, will be unscrupulous that despite of their knowledge, they are crooked in their behavior.
And that my face in question people who use religion as a means of obtaining funds or wealth for
themselves, or possession, or people who we find all over the world who might support this
particular order for some benefit, using their religious authority to come here to get people to
obey a particular dictator or unjust ruler.
		

			There was also prophecy that some Muslims will imitate those who were before them, instead of
following the heritage, the following the Scripture and Revelation, the pure revelation given by
God, they tried to imitate this and that. But at the same time, the prophet also indicated that
among Muslims, they will be a group of people who will always keep steadfast on the true path,
regardless of whoever differed with them, or condemned them for their steadfastness.
		

			So in on the whole, you could say that there would be lots of commotions and temptations of people
to
		

			deviate from the path of truth, not to follow
		

			the divine guidance in their lives and try to follow all kinds of false ways of life and
philosophies. And materialism would be quite championed. When we began the introduction to our last
program, I think we talked about
		

			both minor and major signs. I wonder if you could give us some indication of the, what these major
signs are of the approach of the Day of Judgment. Okay. And some of those major signs are mentioned
in the Quran. Some are mentioned in the sayings of Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him, but they
total 10 signs this are rather difficult to interpret and understand because we don't know exactly
whether the words are literal, or whether they might be allegorical of something else that may
happen. But maybe I can go through the major ones that have been predicted, first of all, that three
of the signs relate to three major eclipses.
		

			One Eclipse in Arabia, one east of it, one west of it. So that's three types of eclipses.
		

			And another sign would be the appearance or emergence of huge smoke in the sky.
		

			Now, whether that literally means smoke, or whether it might be a reference to me smog over smog or
pollution, it's an interesting area that appears for example, in sort of, in a chapter of a brand
called a decant smoke. Yes. And it says first Tucker do metallic is Santa Vito craney. Movie, yes,
and
		

			that is wait until the day when the sky would be full of smoke, this would be really a tournament or
punishment for people. So one of the meanings that could be something that's close to the Day of
Judgment could also be referenced to pollution and the suffering that results from pollution. God
knows. I mean, one cannot say that this is necessarily the interpretation of
		

			a fifth sign
		

			is that fire will come out of the bottom of the earth in the admin area, which is in the Arabian
Peninsula. And I read one time that it actually is located on top of a volcano. But again, this is
beside the point, it may or may not be a reference to that.
		

			Sixth sign would be that the sun will come from the west instead of the East, which could signify a
kind of disturbance in the cosmic order or the axis of the earth that the sun would be rising from
the west rather than the east.
		

			How many of these now six, six, the seventh
		

			would be that a,
		

			an animator would come out and speak to people again, we don't know exactly that that would be
literally whether it would be also allegorical, in a sense that people would be so much ignorant in
terms of wisdom, even though they might have all kinds of technological knowledge that even animals
can tell them, you know, or speak to them or show them that they are really not
		

			prudent enough in many of their actions or decisions that they they take that appears, for example,
in the Quran in chapter 27, verse 82, but we don't know exactly what's the nature or description of
that particular animal. Another sign that might be familiar with many of the viewers appears in the
Quran in chapter 21, verses 96 to 97. And that is becoming of Goku and Magog or in the Quran, yeah,
Judo, McGeorge groups of people who would come and destroy everything that they can lay their hands
on. Again, there are lots of discussions and interpretation as to what that exactly refers to. But
there will be destruction that people will destroy, or engage in great commotion and warfare.
		

			Another sign was that the magic or the reformer with the Muslim whose name would be either Mohammed
or admin would come also towards the end of the day, and he would establish justice, and peace on
earth. But you will come only as a follower of Islam as carrying the message of Islam and trying to
enforce it, there will be lots of peace on earth. Another sign is that during the lifetime of that
magic, or the promised one,
		

			the false messiah will come down to us.
		

			The description are again, very difficult to interpret whether it's literal or allegorical, that he
will be one night that he will impress people and even invite them to worship Him, whether he will
impress them by Americans, or impress them by technological power. Whether that's false messiah
refers to one person or a group of people like this is something that nobody can say for sure. But
that many people have been misled, and they will follow Him and almost worship Him in the sense of
blind and total obedience to that false messiah.
		

			But most importantly, it says that, at this time,
		

			the Jesus peace be upon him, was highly regarded and respected by Muslims as one of the great
prophets, we come down to earth and join the Muslim ranks and join the malady in fighting the false
messiah and killing him.
		

			After that, the the manatee will die. And after a while, also, there will be a number of years on
Earth where there will be perfect peace. And then in one of the single the Prophet says, Prophet
Jesus peace be upon him will die then and the Muslims would make funeral prayer on him. And then
after that, a wind accord wind will blow. And we would not leave any person with the slightest faith
in his heart, but technically soul. And only even people would remain on earth and this other people
who would be there at the time when the Day of Judgment actually starts,
		

			by the way on the question of the false messiah, something interesting also in one of the saying of
the Prophet that says that the world will take place where Muslims would be to the east of the bank
of the Jordan River, and the false messiah and his Legion would be on the west part of the Jordan
River. Then just the thing is that this had this was quoted from the Prophet 1400 years ago. And the
narrator of that saying, even said, I don't know where the Jordan River on earth even the narrator
said, didn't know where that might be located so that they might be specification even of the rough
area, where the fight between the false messiah and his Legion, on one hand, and Muslim joined by
		

			Prophet Jesus peace be upon him. On the other hand, but again, the exact meaning is only known to
guide. Each one of these
		

			explanations, really is food for thought and really whets the appetite I wish we had time to go off
and do explore some of the inferences that one could draw from them, actually affect them as one one
interesting thing about this Prophet Jesus peace be upon him because that has been mentioned
actually more than one place. In one verse in the Quran in chapter 43, verse 61, it says about Jesus
being the sign of the hour. Why not hula and Melissa, which was interpreted in two meanings that the
verse the verse in verse of Jesus is a sign that the hour is true. That's one possible
interpretation. The second interpretation that the coming the second coming of Prophet Jesus peace
		

			be upon him, to join hands with the believers with Muslims would be itself also
		

			And that the hour is eminent. This is one, another controversial verse in the Quran that has been
interpreted also, in a variety of ways, appears in chapter four, verse 158. What it says about the
people of the book, that none of the People of the Book will die, until he believes in Jesus.
		

			That was interpreted to mean one of the things that either every Christian, for example, before his
death, would realize, at the time of death, the nature of Jesus and the fact that has been indicated
in the Quran, that he was a great messenger and prophet of God and all the other things that are
attributed to him are not true. That's one interpretation. The second interpretation is that the
people of the book or the Christians would be living at the time when of the second coming of Jesus
will at that time believe in Jesus as a prophet and a human being, that is before the final outcome.
So these are also differences, particularly to this second coming of the Prophet Jesus peace be upon
		

			I just want to indicate that because I understand that our Christian Brothers also ancestors
believed in the second coming of Jesus, but in a different way, that the second coming as a god to
judge people, Muslim believe also any second coming but as a follower of Islam and all prophets,
were followers of Islam, because Islam means submission to the will.
		

			In the brief time that we have remaining on today's program, I'd like to
		

			have you described the what the, the actual, the beginning of the day of judgment itself, what
actually happens on that day,
		

			when the Quran gives us a sketch of the things that happens, like I said, After only even people are
giving
		

			that first of all, there would be a blow of chocolate where the remaining people living on earth
will die wherever the evil people would be remaining.
		

			Secondly, that there would be a great change in the cosmic order, there would be a cosmic catalyst
taking place.
		

			Something that is totally unimaginable and absolutely terrifying.
		

			To summarize, because there are lots of verses in the Quran to deal with, especially in chapters
70 570-881-8284 89 and 99, are some of the chapters where there are lots of vivid description of the
this cosmic changes that take place in the Day of Judgment.
		

			But just to give you some brief notion of what kinds of things happened, first, that the sky would
be a cliff asunder or unveiled,
		

			that the stars will be dispersed and might even come and crash with each other. So they get the
whole order of the universe's totally changed, the oceans will burst forth. In one verse in the
Quran, it gives even the impression that it might even ignite, I wonder whether that has something
to do with the component of waters, one of them, one of the components, hydrogen gets fired and the
oxygen increase, I don't know there might be some change that might result in this chemical
transformation, that the mountains will become like flakes of tissue wool, or card it would fly,
that sword, the balance of the Earth is changing altogether. And one verse in the Quran actually
		

			talks about mountains, vanishing from existence and becoming like Mirage, the Earth would be shaking
to its utmost convulsions. And another verse talks about the earth being pounded the sun and the
moon would be combined, in the same become in one place. But above all, the description, the
description of people coming out of the earth, the earth, you know, opening and all of those who
lived
		

			since the creation of Adam, the first human being on Earth, will come back to face the
accountability a day, as described in the Quran, where everybody would be concerned only with his
own salvation, running away even from his most close relatives, parents, wives, husbands, children,
this is the day where everybody stands in pledge of his or her own deeds.
		

			Okay, well, we've exhausted our time for today. We'd like to invite all of the viewers of the
Islamic focus program back next week when we'll conclude our discussion of the Day of Judgment.
Thank you for watching. Join us next time with you. Assalamu alaikum Peace be on