Sunni Islam, which is followed by the majority of Muslims, and uses the Quran and the Hadith as a reference to the signs of Judgment day. The signs in Sunni Islam revolve around the purification of earth from non-believers, either by mass conversion of non believers or in most cases by death. The appearance of the Mahdi as the final Muslim Caliph and the ascending of prophet Jesus in his time.
Before the major signs as they are called, all minor signs have to occur. They are listed here:
A. The Minor Signs
- The Prophethood of Muhammad
- The death of the Prophet
- The conquering of Bait ul-Maqdis
- The Plague of Amwaas (in Palestine)
- The increase in wealth so that sadaqah is not needed
- Trials and civil strife:
(i) The appearance of troubles in the east
(ii) The killing of Uthmaan (ra)
(iii) The battle of al-Jamaal
(iv) The battle of Siffeen
(v) The appearanc of the Khawaarij
(vi) The happening of al-Harrah
(vii) The appearance of the saying that the Quran is create
(viii) The following of the ways of the previous nations
- The appearance of claimants to Prophethood
- Widespread safety
- The appearance of fire in the Hijaz
- Fighting the Turks
- Fighting the non-Arabs
- Disappearance of trustworthiness
- Disappearance of knowledge and appearance of ignorance
- Increase in the number of police and helpers of the oppressors
- Spread of fornication
- Spread of usury
- Spread of musical instruments
- Drinking of intoxicants and its being allowed
- Adorning the mosques and rivalling therein
- Building tall buildings
- The slave girls giving birth to her mistress (the daughter of her master)
- Increase in killing
- Time passing quickly
- Coming together of markets
- Appearance of Shirk in this Ummah
- Appearance of wickedness, cutting off of relations and ill treatment of neighbours
- Dying of grey hairs with black dye
- Increase of extreme miserliness
- Increase in trade
- Increase in earthquakes
- Appearance of sinking into the earth, transformation into animals and false-accusations
- The passing away of the pious
- The raising of the despicable people to positions of importance
- That greeting is given only to those the person knows
- That knowledge is sought from other than the scholars in truth
- Appearance of women in clothes which do not cover them
- The truthfulness of the dreams of the Believers
- Spread and increase in writing
- Laxity with regard to the Sunnah
- Increase in size of the new moons
- Increase in falsehood and having no concern to check reports
- Increase in false testimony and withholding true witness
- Large number of women and small number of men
- Sudden death being common
- Hatred amongst peoples hearts
- The return of the land of the Arabs to being pastures and rivers
- Increase in rain but decrease in agriculture
- The revealing of a mountain of gold by the Euphrates river
- The talking of wild animals and inanimate objects to people
- Wishing for death because of the severity of trials
- Increase in the number of 'Romans' and their fighting the Muslims
- Victory over Constantinople
- The appearance of al-Qahtaanee
- Fighting the Jews
- The expelling by al-Madeenah of its wicked people, then its desolation at the end of time
- The sending of a pleasant wind to take away the souls of the Believers
- The attacking of the Sacred House and dismantling of the Ka'bah
B. The Major Signs
- The Mahdee
- The Anti-Christ Maseeh ud-Dajjal
- The descent of Isa
- Yajooj and Maajooj
- The three great sinkings of the earth
- The appearance of smoke in the sky
- The rising of the sun in the west
- The beast of the earth [Daabbat ul-Ard]
- The fire which brings the people together
- A wind that will take the souls of all Muslims and only leave infidels on Earth.
Source: SalafiPublications; Signs Before the Day of Judgement Author: Yoosuf ibn Abdillaah ibn Yoosuf al-Waabil in "Ashraatus-Saa'ah" (Trans. Dawud Burbank)
These next occurrences are the final steps of Judgment day and occur on Earth:
- The blowing of the first Trumpet killing all humans on Earth.
- The blowing of the second Trumpet marking resurrection.
- The awaiting of Judgment by all humans, a process that is said to take thousands of years under a scorching sun.
- Judgment of mankind begins.
It should be mentioned that unlike the Shi'a, Sunni Muslims don't give much credit to the coming of the Mahdi since he is just another Caliphate to them and a human who is born at a certain time and has a normal life span and dies a natural death. He is anticipated but not treated more than a normal human. |