By Babatunde Jose

Islamic eschatology is the branch of Islamic theology concerning the end of the world, and the “Day of resurrection” after that, known as Yawm al-Qiyāmah “the Day of Judgment”. In the Christian religion, The Day of Judgment is the day in the future when all people who are living or who have ever lived will be judged by God. It is often known as the Last Judgment, Final Judgment, Judgment Day, Doomsday, or sometimes it is called The Day of the Lord.

The term ‘Last Day’ in reality stands for the ‘Last Age’, or the age which would culminate in the end of history—when the true Messiah, would return to rule the world with justice and ‘eternal’ rule. This is perhaps allegorical and actually depicts the rule of a purposeful and just ruler. It would be ‘eternal’ in the sense that history would end with that event. This would be so since the modern secular rope would have reached its predictable end in total godlessness, and with such a consequent collapse of morals, and of moral consciousness.

The ominous signs are with us: The end will not come suddenly. There are signs that would herald its coming.  A 70 year old man having carnal knowledge of a six year old child; father impregnates a 13 year old daughter; mother sleeping with her son and brother and sister in sexual relationship are all portends of the End Time.

Though it is claimed that mankind is witnessing unprecedented progress, that the present is the best of all ages; that the world keeps on growing better and better and that modern civilization has rendered all previous civilizations, moribund and obsolete; even when that mainstream is heading for the hell-fire.

The ship of the world is now sinking! The evidence is all around us as plainly visible as daylight! But those who are blind cannot see that the ship is sinking. They use their check books, or the barrels of their guns, to impose themselves around the world as leaders; corrupting everything they touch. Unlike the proverbial Midas, these ones are with a touch of filth. The blind then lead the blind until all are lost and will be drowned like the people of Noah. Our leaders and icons of yesterday are today enmeshed in sex and social scandals of monumental proportions. Even the Church is not left out as we are witnessing daily its epic scandal which has refused to go away.

Prophet Muhammad prophesied many signs of the Last Day, most of these are known as the ‘minor’ signs:  “People would follow a way of life other than mine, and give guidance other than mine”…“I fear for my people only the leaders who lead men astray”…“Before the Last Hour there will be great liars, so beware of them”…“When the most wicked member of a tribe becomes its ruler, and the most worthless member of a community becomes its leader, and a man is respected through fear of the evil he may do, and leadership is given to people who are unworthy of it, expect the Last Hour”. All of these warnings have already been dramatically and ominously fulfilled. Around the world today, with but few exceptions, and even here in our country, people, including Muslims, now have the worst leaders.  The Prophet said:” The last Hour will not come until Allah takes away the best people on the Earth; only the worst people will be left. They will not know any good or forbid any evil.” We are at that crossroad now, “Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other.  And the men, instead of having normal sexual relationships with women, burned with lust for each other.  . . .  When they refused to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their evil minds and let them do things that should never be done.  Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, fighting, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip.  They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful.  They are forever inventing new ways of sinning and are disobedient to their parents.  They refuse to understand, break their promises, and are heartless and unforgiving.  They are fully aware of God’s death penalty for those who do these things, yet they go right ahead and do them anyway.  And, worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too. (Romans 1:24-32 NLT) This is our society today.

Among some of the lesser signs of the End Time are:

• “When women parade in public “dressed, yet naked”, as they do today and “donkey-like” sexual intercourse is on public display.

• “Men would dress like women”, and already this sign also has come to pass. Almost no one can tell that ‘she’, the so-called ‘cross-dresser’, is really a man;
• Homosexuality (and lesbianism) would become commonplace, while social acceptance and legal protection for this abominable sexual perversion is gaining ground. Indeed those who oppose this abomination are now called ‘homophobia’; Yet the ‘Good book’ said, “If a man lies with a male as with a women, both of them shall be put to death for their abominable deed; they have forfeited their lives.” (Leviticus 20:13 NAB)

• Fornication and adultery would become commonplace, that, also, appears to have already been fulfilled in a modern world in which virginity and marital fidelity are becoming old-fashioned;

• “Time would move swiftly—a year passing like a month—a month like a week—a week like a day” etc., and already the perception of swiftly moving time is a universal experience;

• Such prevalence of random killing, murder and violence that “a killer would not know why he is killing and the one who is killed would not know why he is being killed”. Today, we call it terrorism.

• “Nothing would remain of Islam but the name, and nothing would remain of the Qur’an but the traces (of its writing). Man would be devoid of guidance; and the Ulama (religious scholars of Islam who represent such people) would be the worst people beneath the sky. From them would emerge Fitnah (trials) and they would be the centers of Fitnah (since they betray Islam).”

• Universal consumption of Riba (i.e, money lent on interest, and transactions which ‘rip off’ people through deception in business, etc.)

There are some other minor signs which have been couched in enigmatic language, but which would not be accommodated by this essay. See Ibn Kathir: The Signs Before The Day of Judgement. Many are already being fulfilled.

However, at this time in our country, it is safe for us to pray because: “We have nothing except what Allah gives. We own nothing except what our good deeds from the authority of Allah’s mercy and His grace.  The pursuit of earthly powers is indeed a wasteful expenditure of human energy and time. Only Allah grants power to His chosen. None can ever alter His will nor undermine His choice. May Allah favor us with the highest fulfillment in this world; and avail us space in the Hereafter. Ameen

Barka Juma’at and a happy weekend