Introduction

by **samirisaoui** Sat Nov 30, 2013 3:29 am

All praises go to God Almighty, The Lord of the universe. A person’s life is divided into two parts after birth: first, this worldly temporary life, which extends from birth until death. The second is the Hereafter which is an everlasting life eventually ending up in Heaven or Hell. The Hereafter has different fundamentals than this worldly life. It starts with one’s death, then one spends a period in wait. This waiting takes place in one’s grave. We will be waiting for the Last Day. Which signifies all life entering the phase of the Hereafter in which all of mankind will be inevitably be judged by the Almighty for their choice of faith and deed.
The Holy Qur’an mentions many verses which attest to the existence of the inevitability of life after death. God Almighty says: And of them there are some who say:
‘Our Lord! Give us in this world that which is good (enjoying what is delightful from the lawful) and in the Hereafter that which is good (entering paradise) and save us from the torment of the Fire! (Qur’an 2:201)
Almighty God has informed us that there will be a Last Day for this worldly existence. It is the day where this life is brought to an end for all living and non-living things. It is the day which marks the beginning of the Day of Judgment. In this day, everyone will die in one second. It will be a horrifying day, and only the worst of man will witness this awful day because God will cause the believers to die before such a day. This day is known as “The Last Day or The Last Hour”.
We will now discuss five important points concerning the Last Day and then discuss the minor and major signs of The Last Day:
1. What is the Last Hour?
It is the end of existence as we know it. When this Hour arrives, all people will be shocked and frightened as the whole universe trembles and quivers, and then everything is destroyed. God Almighty says:
Oh mankind! Be conscious of your Lord! Indeed, the earthquake of the Last Hour (of judgment) is a violent most momentous occasion. On that Day you shall see; every nursing mother will forget her nursling, every pregnant one will have a miscarriage, and you will see what’s left of mankind in a drunken state, yet they are not drunken, but severe will be the torment of God(Qur’an 22:1-2)
2. When is the Hour?
God Almighty didn’t give anybody, not even any of His Prophets (peace be upon them all) the knowledge of the Hour’s appointed time. Maybe the wisdom behind it is admitting the lack of knowledge that human beings have, and knowing that no matter how advanced their technology gets, it is still limited. Being unaware of its exact time motivates people to be prepared for it, so their faith in God increases and they are more eager to do righteous works. God Almighty informs His Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) about people’s lack of knowledge about the time of the Hour.
The Qur’an says:
People ask you concerning the Hour, Say: The knowledge of it is with God alone. What do you know? It may be that the Hour is near!” (Qur’an 33:63)
The Hour will come suddenly; God Almighty says:
“Do they then await on anything other than the Hour, that it might come upon them suddenly? Surely some of its signs have already appeared.” (Qur’an 47:18)
The time of the Hour is closer now compared to what has passed. God says in the Holy Qur’an:
“The Hour has drawn near, and the moon has been split in to two pieces” (Qur’an 54:1)
The splitting of the moon took place in the time of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). When the people of Mecca requested a miracle to prove his Prophethood, the angel Gabriel told the Prophet (PBUH) to direct their attention to the moon and before their eyes half of the moon appeared east of the mountain and the other half to the west. The Makkans reaction was to accuse him of sorcery. This miracle should have without a doubt proven that the Prophet (pbuh) was who he says because the only one who can split the moon and then reassemble it in seconds is the one who created it and controls it, but those with diseased hearts are blind to the truth no matter what miracle is shown to them.
Once that was established God sent the verses about it and warning the people that what the Qur’an foretold about The Last Hour was certainly true. The People of Mecca as well as others in different parts of the world witnessed this great event. Ibn Taymiyyah, one of the greatest Muslim scholars who lived in the thirteenth century mentioned that a traveler found an old building in India which said: this was built the night the moon split.
3. The effects of the Hour on the universal system:
When the Hour approaches, the universal system is transformed. The Qur’an says:
“On the Day when the earth will be changed to another earth and so will be the heavens and they (all creatures) will appear before God, the One, the Overwhelming.”(Qur’an 14:48)
“The day will be known by its heavy earthquakes. Oh mankind! Fear your Lord and be dutiful to Him! In truth, the earthquake of the Hour (of judgment) is a terrible thing.”(Qur’an 22:1)
The mountains will be destroyed from the intensity of these quakes; its rocks turn to dust that fills the valleys, then the earth becomes a plain with no hills or valleys. God Almighty says:
“And they ask you concerning the mountains, say: ‘My Lord will demolish them and scatter them into dust particles. Then he shall leave them as a level smooth plain.”
(Qur’an 20:105-107)
The oceans will dry up and turn into fire. The Qur’an says:
“And when the seas overflow”. (Qur’an 82:3)
The heaven is overtaken by various changes such as it splitting, its stars fall out there orbits. The Qur’an says:
“When the cosmos are ripped apart asunder and the stars have fallen and scattered in disarray” (Qur’an 82:1-2)
4. People’s condition on that day
Some of the worst people will witness some of the signs of the Hour before death strikes them.
“Oh mankind! Fear your Lord and be dutiful to Him! Verily, the earthquake of the Hour (of judgment) is a terrible thing. The Day you shall see it, every nursing mother will forget her nursling, and every pregnant one will drop her baby, and you see mankind as in a drunken state, yet they are not drunken, but severe will be the ordeal of God”(Qur’an 22:1-2)
The people appear to be in a drunken state because of the strength of the horrors of that Day. God saves his faithful servants from the torments of that Day, so they will die before its time and only the wicked people will experience the horrific signs of the Hour. The Prophet (PBUH) said:
“The Hour will only be witnessed by wicked people” (Muslim)
5. Believing in the Hour:
God has taught us that those who truly believe in the Last Hour will be known for their pious actions and will therefore be saved from its torment. He promised those who refuse to believe in it, a terrible punishment on the Day of Judgment because they are living to satisfy their own desire even if it is harmful to themselves and others. So it is one of the essential articles of Faith in order to make us people trying to live everyday as though it were our last realizing that tomorrow we could be called to account for our actions. God says in the Qur’an: Those who disbelieve say:
‘The Hour will not come to us’.
Say: ‘Yes, by my Lord, the All-knower of the unseen, it will come to you” (Qur’an 34:3).
God also says:
“Nay, they deny the Hour (the Day of Resurrection) and for those who deny the Hour, we have prepared a flaming fire” (Qur’an 25:11)
The minor and major signs of the Hour:
The portents of the Hour refer to the signs and indications that will lead up to its occurrence. God Almighty says in the Holy Qur’an:
“Do they then await (anything) other than the Hour that it should come upon them suddenly? But some of its portents (signs and indications) have already come; and when it (actually) takes place, how can they benefit then by their reminder (guidance which they chose not to follow)? (Qur’an 47:18)
God Almighty didn’t keep the knowledge of the Hour’s signs unknown to mankind. Instead, He revealed its knowledge to His Prophets and Messengers (peace be upon them all) so they can warn their people from its horrors and prepare them for their meeting with their Maker. They wanted their people to return to the true belief in God Almighty before it’s too late. This is the Mercy of God and His message, contrary to some who claim we weren’t sent a message. If this were the case, we would all be responsible to make our own guidance and warn ourselves about something we know nothing about. There are many who accuse God of leaving man on his own to guide himself and to arrive at the truth of life and its purpose on his own. These people are underestimating God and His vast Mercy and Compassion for mankind and on the other hand they are overestimating man in his feeble state and insignificance in this vast universe.
The signs of the Hour are divided into two parts:
The minor signs and the major signs which will be discussed in the following two sections.
All praises go to God Almighty, The Lord of the universe. A person’s life is divided into two parts after birth: first, this worldly temporary life, which extends from birth until death. The second is the Hereafter which is an everlasting life eventually ending up in Heaven or Hell. The Hereafter has different fundamentals than this worldly life. It starts with one’s death, then one spends a period in wait. This waiting takes place in one’s grave. We will be waiting for the Last Day. Which signifies all life entering the phase of the Hereafter in which all of mankind will be inevitably be judged by the Almighty for their choice of faith and deed.The Holy Qur’an mentions many verses which attest to the existence of the inevitability of life after death. God Almighty says: And of them there are some who say:
‘Our Lord! Give us in this world that which is good (enjoying what is delightful from the lawful) and in the Hereafter that which is good (entering paradise) and save us from the torment of the Fire! (Qur’an 2:201)Almighty God has informed us that there will be a Last Day for this worldly existence. It is the day where this life is brought to an end for all living and non-living things. It is the day which marks the beginning of the Day of Judgment. In this day, everyone will die in one second. It will be a horrifying day, and only the worst of man will witness this awful day because God will cause the believers to die before such a day. This day is known as “The Last Day or The Last Hour”.
We will now discuss five important points concerning the Last Day and then discuss the minor and major signs of The Last Day:
1. What is the Last Hour?It is the end of existence as we know it. When this Hour arrives, all people will be shocked and frightened as the whole universe trembles and quivers, and then everything is destroyed. God Almighty says:
Oh mankind! Be conscious of your Lord! Indeed, the earthquake of the Last Hour (of judgment) is a violent most momentous occasion. On that Day you shall see; every nursing mother will forget her nursling, every pregnant one will have a miscarriage, and you will see what’s left of mankind in a drunken state, yet they are not drunken, but severe will be the torment of God(Qur’an 22:1-2)2. When is the Hour?God Almighty didn’t give anybody, not even any of His Prophets (peace be upon them all) the knowledge of the Hour’s appointed time. Maybe the wisdom behind it is admitting the lack of knowledge that human beings have, and knowing that no matter how advanced their technology gets, it is still limited. Being unaware of its exact time motivates people to be prepared for it, so their faith in God increases and they are more eager to do righteous works. God Almighty informs His Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) about people’s lack of knowledge about the time of the Hour.
The Qur’an says:
People ask you concerning the Hour, Say: The knowledge of it is with God alone. What do you know? It may be that the Hour is near!” (Qur’an 33:63)The Hour will come suddenly; God Almighty says:
“Do they then await on anything other than the Hour, that it might come upon them suddenly? Surely some of its signs have already appeared.” (Qur’an 47:18)The time of the Hour is closer now compared to what has passed. God says in the Holy Qur’an:
“The Hour has drawn near, and the moon has been split in to two pieces” (Qur’an 54:1)The splitting of the moon took place in the time of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). When the people of Mecca requested a miracle to prove his Prophethood, the angel Gabriel told the Prophet (PBUH) to direct their attention to the moon and before their eyes half of the moon appeared east of the mountain and the other half to the west. The Makkans reaction was to accuse him of sorcery. This miracle should have without a doubt proven that the Prophet (pbuh) was who he says because the only one who can split the moon and then reassemble it in seconds is the one who created it and controls it, but those with diseased hearts are blind to the truth no matter what miracle is shown to them.
Once that was established God sent the verses about it and warning the people that what the Qur’an foretold about The Last Hour was certainly true. The People of Mecca as well as others in different parts of the world witnessed this great event. Ibn Taymiyyah, one of the greatest Muslim scholars who lived in the thirteenth century mentioned that a traveler found an old building in India which said: this was built the night the moon split.
3. The effects of the Hour on the universal system:When the Hour approaches, the universal system is transformed. The Qur’an says:
“On the Day when the earth will be changed to another earth and so will be the heavens and they (all creatures) will appear before God, the One, the Overwhelming.”(Qur’an 14:48)“The day will be known by its heavy earthquakes. Oh mankind! Fear your Lord and be dutiful to Him! In truth, the earthquake of the Hour (of judgment) is a terrible thing.” (Qur’an 22:1)The mountains will be destroyed from the intensity of these quakes; its rocks turn to dust that fills the valleys, then the earth becomes a plain with no hills or valleys. God Almighty says:
“And they ask you concerning the mountains, say: ‘My Lord will demolish them and scatter them into dust particles. Then he shall leave them as a level smooth plain.”(Qur’an 20:105-107)The oceans will dry up and turn into fire. The Qur’an says:
“And when the seas overflow”. (Qur’an 82:3)The heaven is overtaken by various changes such as it splitting, its stars fall out there orbits. The Qur’an says:
“When the cosmos are ripped apart asunder and the stars have fallen and scattered in disarray” (Qur’an 82:1-2)4. People’s condition on that daySome of the worst people will witness some of the signs of the Hour before death strikes them.
“Oh mankind! Fear your Lord and be dutiful to Him! Verily, the earthquake of the Hour (of judgment) is a terrible thing. The Day you shall see it, every nursing mother will forget her nursling, and every pregnant one will drop her baby, and you see mankind as in a drunken state, yet they are not drunken, but severe will be the ordeal of God”(Qur’an 22:1-2)The people appear to be in a drunken state because of the strength of the horrors of that Day. God saves his faithful servants from the torments of that Day, so they will die before its time and only the wicked people will experience the horrific signs of the Hour. The Prophet (PBUH) said:
“The Hour will only be witnessed by wicked people” (Muslim)5. Believing in the Hour:God has taught us that those who truly believe in the Last Hour will be known for their pious actions and will therefore be saved from its torment. He promised those who refuse to believe in it, a terrible punishment on the Day of Judgment because they are living to satisfy their own desire even if it is harmful to themselves and others. So it is one of the essential articles of Faith in order to make us people trying to live everyday as though it were our last realizing that tomorrow we could be called to account for our actions. God says in the Qur’an: Those who disbelieve say:
‘The Hour will not come to us’.Say: ‘Yes, by my Lord, the All-knower of the unseen, it will come to you” (Qur’an 34:3).God also says:
“Nay, they deny the Hour (the Day of Resurrection) and for those who deny the Hour, we have prepared a flaming fire” (Qur’an 25:11)The minor and major signs of the Hour:The portents of the Hour refer to the signs and indications that will lead up to its occurrence. God Almighty says in the Holy Qur’an:
“Do they then await (anything) other than the Hour that it should come upon them suddenly? But some of its portents (signs and indications) have already come; and when it (actually) takes place, how can they benefit then by their reminder (guidance which they chose not to follow)? (Qur’an 47:18)God Almighty didn’t keep the knowledge of the Hour’s signs unknown to mankind. Instead, He revealed its knowledge to His Prophets and Messengers (peace be upon them all) so they can warn their people from its horrors and prepare them for their meeting with their Maker. They wanted their people to return to the true belief in God Almighty before it’s too late. This is the Mercy of God and His message, contrary to some who claim we weren’t sent a message. If this were the case, we would all be responsible to make our own guidance and warn ourselves about something we know nothing about. There are many who accuse God of leaving man on his own to guide himself and to arrive at the truth of life and its purpose on his own. These people are underestimating God and His vast Mercy and Compassion for mankind and on the other hand they are overestimating man in his feeble state and insignificance in this vast universe.
The signs of the Hour are divided into two parts:
The minor signs and the major signs which will be discussed in the following two sections.

source
http://www.the-faith.com