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In a hadith, the Prophet (saas) described the
End Times in this way:
The meaning of harj mentioned in the above hadith of the Prophet
Muhammad (saas) is “utter confusion” and “disorder,”
which is not to be limited to one particular area, but will
be widespread throughout the world.
Again, on this topic, the following words of
the Prophet (saas) have come down to us:
When we examine the above hadiths, we are led
to an important conclusion. The Prophet (saas) described conflicts,
chaos, murder, war to involve the whole earth, and outbreaks
of terror, and revealed that these events are signs of the
Last Day.
If we look at the last fourteen centuries, we
see that wars were regional before the twentieth century.
However, wars that affected everyone in the world, political
systems, entire economies and social structures, have happened
only comparatively recently, in the two world wars. In World
War I, more than 20 million died; in World War II, the toll
was more than 50 million. At the same time, World War II is
acknowledged to have been the bloodiest, the greatest and
the most destructive war in history.
Modern military technology, including nuclear,
biological and chemical weapons, have increased the effects
of war to an extent never before seen in history. Because
of the weapons of mass destruction that have been developed,
it is commonly accepted that the world will not enter into
a third world war.
The conflicts that occurred after World War II—the
Cold War, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Arab-Israeli
conflict, and the Gulf War—are among the most critical
events of our time. Likewise, regional wars, conflicts and
civil wars, have caused destruction in many parts of the world.
In places such as Bosnia, Palestine, Chechnya, Afghanistan,
Kashmir and many others, problems continue to afflict humanity.
Another instance of a type of “chaos”
that concerns human beings as much as war is organized international
terror. As authorities on the subject also agree, acts of
terror have multiplied in the latter half of the twentieth
century.5 Indeed, it is even possible
to say that terror is a phenomenon particular to the twentieth
century. Organizations devoted to racism, communism and similar
ideologies, or with nationalistic aims, have engaged in acts
of brutality with the help of the developing technology.
Within the world’s recent history, acts
of terror have, time and again, fomented chaos.
Much blood has been shed and countless innocent
people have been maimed or killed. But still, humanity has
not learned its lesson from these tragic events.
In many places in the world, terror continues
to be the roots of acts of murderous anarchy.
There are a number of verses of the Qur’an
relevant to this subject. In Surat ar-Rum, it is stated that
confusion has come upon the earth because of what human beings
have wrought:
Corruption has appeared in both land and sea
because of what people’s own hands have brought about
so that they may taste something of what they have done
so that hopefully they will turn back. (Surat ar-Rum: 41)
We must add that this verse is to remind
us of a very important truth. The pain and misery that arises
from the mistakes human beings make are a kind of opportunity
to assist them in turning away from these errors.
In the hadiths, the Prophet
(saas) described the wars and terror that now engulf
the world, and related that these things are signs of
the Last Day. Today, in every part of the world, conflicts,
regional as well as civil wars are pervasive. |
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Many countries of the world struggle with acts of terror
perpetrated by their own citizens. In places like Chechnya,
mass graves (right) can be found, and elderly persons,
children and babies are made to suffer. This terror and
conflict concerns all of us and must be considered as
among the signs of the Last Day. These events that have
been predicted in the hadiths are an occasion for everyone
to consider and from which to learn a lesson. |
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The fact that
the signs related in the hadiths of the Messenger of Allah
(as) are coming true, and the fact that our world is full
of scenes like these is a warning for humanity to return
to the
moral teaching of the Qur’an. |
In the Qur’an, Allah reveals
that human beings have brought evil upon themselves.
The problems in the world today is a proof of this...
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The condition in which people
find themselves in the world today is an important opportunity
for them to consider the chaos in which they live, and
to learn a lesson from it and turn away from their error.
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In short, we are now living
in that age of confusion and disorder in which yet another
sign of the End Times is manifested. This sign is a stern
warning that people should begin immediately to live their
lives according to the moral teachings of the Qur’an.
5. M. Encarta Encyclopedia 2000,
“Terrorism” |
