Just as the major signs of the hour are vital, the minor signs are important to consider. As we have seen the signs occur and increase in rapidity. Once we begin to witness them, know that time if very short.
“Whatever of them occurs first, it will be soon followed by the other.” (source, Muslim)
الآيات خرزات منظومات في سلك فإن يقطع السلك يتبع بعضها بعضًا
Having covered the major signs let’s consider the minor ones. This page is a work in progress, and it will expand as we elaborate on these themes.
The Minor signs:
These signs will occur before the final hour as matters increasing in their severity. Many of them describe conditions that have existed before but are marked by increasing severity and their obviousness. As we will explore in greater depth, many of these minor signs are factors resulting from major signs. Some however precede them. Numerous narrations exist relating these minor signs, however some textual sources show signs of deliberate corruption. We content that this is the result of purposeful attempts to dilute their significance, distract us from them, and confuse us so that when we see them we are unsure exactly what we are looking at. This calls for a process, therefore, of decoding.
An interesting example of such signs includes the range of narrations describing the tribulations emerging from the nejd area of arabia, being the western part of the arabian desert (and not iraq as some people falsely claim). In recent history the nejd is best known as the tribal homeland of the saudi family and the wahabiyya movement.
There are numerous minor signs we are buried in our necks to, and still massively increase. These are systemic and chronic in nature. For example, take the sign of the removal of knowledge and prevalence of ignorance. Perhaps it seems to you that we live in an age of mass knowledge. But is this really the case? Certainly we have the prevalence of the internet and mass literacy, but ask yourself – what do you, personally, really know? Each of us must ask our self this. What do we really know about the most essential type of knowledge, the knowledge of the divine patterns in which we ought to live our lives, do we have?
What caused you to check out this site? Curiosity, the desire for knowledge? What of the millions of people just like you out there, who are simply not aware that anything is wrong with the world, they enjoy the party until the piper comes and collects his dues..There are things that humanity once knew and was taught, and much of this has been lost. If your computer was taken away from you today, how much knowledge of the world would you have, most importantly how much of essentially knowledge, spiritual knowledge, religious knowledge, knowledge concerning your very being and soul, do you have?
Sexual Immorality and Increased Ignorance
Among the minor signs are large scale and systemic increases in types of sexual immorality. This will occur to unparalleled degrees. So too will be the spread of afflictions and diseases therefrom. An example of this is the sign is that there will come a time in which people will openly engage in sexual intercourse outdoors in the middle of the roads like beasts. A similar such minor sign is that the hearts of people will be occupied by vain desires, and that the foolish will waste their wealth. So too will be the decrease of knowledge and the increase in ignorance
In al-bukhari one finds the narration from anas, in which he says:
“I will narrate to you a hadith and no one will tell you after I tell you about after it. I heard allah’s messenger, peace and blessings upon him, saying from among the portents of the Hour are knowledge will decrease, ignorance will prevail, there will be a prevalence of open fornication and adultery, women will increase in number and men will decrease in number so much so that fifty women will be looked after by one man.”
عَنْ أَنَسٍ قَالَ لأُحَدِّثَنَّكُمْ حَدِيثًا لاَ يُحَدِّثُكُمْ أَحَدٌ بَعْدِي سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ مِنْ أَشْرَاطِ السَّاعَةِ أَنْ يَقِلَّ الْعِلْمُ وَيَظْهَرَ الْجَهْلُ وَيَظْهَرَ الزِّنَا وَتَكْثُرَ النِّسَاءُ وَيَقِلَّ الرِّجَالُ حَتَّى يَكُونَ لِخَمْسِينَ امْرَأَةً الْقَيِّمُ الْوَاحِدُ
Some cycles of narrations all paint conditions being so bad that a man would pass by the grave of another and wish for death saying ‘if only i were in his place’. On this theme, for example, in bukhari we find the narration of abu huraira, stating that: The prophet, peace and blessings upon him, said,
“The hour will not be established till a man passes by a grave of somebody and says, ‘Would that I were in his place.’
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ لاَ تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ حَتَّى يَمُرَّ الرَّجُلُ بِقَبْرِ الرَّجُلِ فَيَقُولُ يَا لَيْتَنِي مَكَانَهُ
Tribulations of slaughter and killing:
These narrations involve the signs of tribulations involving massive and widespread mindless riotous murderer and killing. This is such that a murderer would not know why he committed the murder, and a victim would not know why he was slain. A sign of the days of such riotous killing will be a general spread of distrust, as when a man will not trust the person to whom he is speaking.
Consider, then, this narration from al-thirmidhi, transmitted from hudhayfa bin yaman that:
The messenger of allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, By the one in whose hand is my soul, the Hour will not be established until you kill your leader and you confront each other with swords and your property will be inherited by the most evil among you.
عَنْ حُذَيْفَةَ بْنِ الْيَمَانِ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ لَا تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ حَتَّى تَقْتُلُوا إِمَامَكُمْ وَتَجْتَلِدُوا بِأَسْيَافِكُمْ وَيَرِثَ دُنْيَاكُمْ شِرَارُكُمْ
In al-tirmidhi, it is related that allah’s messenger said:
“There will occur prior to the hour a tribulation that will be like the last darkest part of the night in which a man will wake up as a believer and go to sleep as a disbeliever or go to sleep as a disbeliever and wake up as a disbeliever. People will sell their religion for a piece of worldly life.”
تكون بين يدي الساعة فتن كقطع الليل المظلم يصبح الرجل فيها مؤمنا ويمسي كافرا ويمسي مؤمنا ويصبح كافرا يبيع أقوام دينهم بعرض من الدنيا
Consider that according to al-tirmidhi hasan al-basri would cite this narration and explain that its meaning was that “A man will wake up deeming the blood of a muslim and his honor forbidden to take, but go to sleep considering them licit…” In other words, it pertains to shedding blood, in a word widespread murder. How is this disbelief, kufr ?
Regarding the increase in killing and civil strife near the end of time – as the blessed Prophet himself stated, Whoever exposes himself to these afflictions and tribulations, they will destroy him. So whoever can find a place of protection or refuge from them, should take shelter in it.
In sahih muslim we find narrated that allah’s messenger, peace and blessings upon him, said:
“Do not return back to disbelief after me; by striking the necks of each other.”
لا ترجعوا بعدي كفارا يضرب بعضكم رقاب بعض
In other words, killing each other is apostasy. So here we have conditions of mass apostasy due to mass slaughter and murder of each other. Consider this point very carefully, because it is very relevant today.
A variant of the above narration we find in abu dawud:
“Before the hour there will be a tribulation like patches of dark night. A man will get up a believer and go to sleep a disbeliever, or will go to sleep a believer and get up a disbeliever. The one who sits will be better than one who stands, and one who walks will be better than one who runs. Break your bows, cut their strings, and strike your swords against stones. If someone comes to kill any of you, then be like the better of the two sons of adam.”
(That is to say be like abel, upon him peace, who was slain by his ingrate of a brother cain, may allah break his back. Do not fight back and incur the sentence of kufr upon yourself by slaying another muslim in turn). Much more can be said on this cycle of minor signs and the absolute necessity of restraining yourself from killing during these tribulations. Allah willing we shall deal with this theme later.
Other minor signs include signs already long since come to pass, such as the muslims fighting the turks, and signs yet to come. and signs that seem to come and return after leaving for a while. Some more of the so-called Minor Signs, that are actually symptoms of a Major Sign, include the spread of massive world-wide drought embracing, such water shortages eventually killing almost all cloven foot animals and leaving people in desperate situations. Along with these water shortages a massive famine will spread across all of humanity.
As stated, there are more, far more, detailed signs than just these. A key to understanding the minor signs is that we are literally surrounded by them, they grow and increase in intensity as time progresses.
One good example of such a sign is the consumption of multiple types of liquors. There are a large number of narrations regarding increase in the drinking of wines, called by other names. The prophet, peace and blessings upon him, prophesied that the consumption of wines, in the plural, would occur. In other words, for the first time in human history a large diversity of types of wines and liquors would be massively consumed. Before this, in history, the types of alcoholic beverages consumed in a given land was limited. At no other time in history could a man simply walk into a shop and see hundreds, or even thousands, of different types of alcohol in front of his eyes.
Just as an example, consider these links:
http://www.thelocal.se/1674/20050628/
“…Alcohol consumption has soared more than 30 percent in Sweden since the mid-1990s, costing the country an additional 50 billion kronor each year…”“..Swedes today drink more than they have in the past 100 years… The increase since the mid-1990s is about 30 percent,” the non-governmental organization said, referring to numbers in the new report, conducted by national economist Anders Johnson…”
In England
http://www.ic.nhs.uk/statistics-and-data-collections/health-and-lifestyles/alcohol/statistics-on-alcohol:-england-2007-%5Bns%5D
“..in 2005/06, there were 187,640 NHS hospital admissions among adults aged 16 and over with either a primary or secondary diagnosis specifically related to alcohol. This has more than doubled from 89,280 in 1995/96..”“..among children under 16 there were 5,280 NHS Hospital admissions in 2005/06 with either a primary or secondary diagnosis specifically related to alcohol. This represents an overall increase of just over a third from 3,870 in 1995/96..”
“..in 2005, 6,570 people died from causes directly linked to alcohol consumption, of these just under two thirds (4,160) died from alcoholic liver disease. Two thirds (67 per cent) of those dying from alcoholic liver disease were men…”“..the volume of pure alcohol released for home consumption per person aged 16 and over has increased from 9.4 litres in 1993/94 to 11.4 litres in 2005/06 in 2006, alcohol was 65 per cent more affordable than it was in 1980. Household expenditure on alcohol has increased steadily since 1980 as has total household expenditure; however expenditure on alcohol as a proportion of total household expenditure has decreased steadily over the same period standing at 5.2 per cent in 2006 compared to 7.5 per cent in 1980…”
Increasing trends
http://www.greenfacts.org/en/alcohol/index.htm
“..Worldwide, adults consume on average 5 litres of pure alcohol from beer, wine and spirits per year. The average alcohol consumption is highest in Europe, followed by the Americas and by Africa. It tends to increase with economic development. However, consumption remains low in some regions where the majority of the population is Muslim…”“..Getting drunk has gained a disproportionate cultural importance among young people and the use of alcohol now seriously threatens the health and well-being of many of them. Episodic heavy drinking is becoming increasingly frequent, particularly among boys. In Denmark, for instance, more than half of 11 to 15 year olds are considered heavy episodic drinkers…”
A curious narration that emerged in brother abu abdullah’s research is the narration from ali ibn abi talib, peace be upon him, regarding an increase in the drinking of numerous types of qahwa, which is the arabic word for coffee.
How is this relevant, to you? Ask yourself how this is relevant to you, and your daily life. Well this is a question only you can answer, but having had a brief introduction to the themes in the minor signs, allah willing we will take a deeper look at the actual narrations themselves and consider what they may entail in our own lives.
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thanks!!