About the Events Preceding the Day of Judgment

"Such as took their religion to be mere amusement and play, and were deceived by the life of the world." That day shall We forget them as they forgot the meeting of this day of theirs, and as they were wont to reject Our signs.
(Al-Qur'an, 7:51 -Al-Araf [The Heights])
About the Events Preceding the Day

http://ourdialogue. com/answers/ articles. php?action= show&showarticle= 156

Question 1
I have heard different reports about the time preceding the Day of Judgment, with one saying that the whole world would be corrupt and people would not remember God at all. The other report says that the Prophet Jesus would come again and kill the Imposter and establish an Islamic state. Which is true? If the first one is the correct answer, then one may argue that Islam is ultimately a failure?

Question 2
Is it a sign of the Day of Judgment that Muslims today are turned against one another, helping unbelievers against their own brethren, caring little for the betterment of Muslim communities and indulging in the pleasures of this world, etc.?

Answer 1
There is no conflict between the two reports, which you have heard. But before I explain how this is so, I would like to say that many of the Hadiths that speak of future events, particularly those relating to the Day of Judgement and its signs and the events that precede it are not at the highest level of authenticity. Some of them are of the grade of Sahih, or authentic, and some are Hasan, or acceptable, while others are poor in authenticity. Moreover, many accept a figurative interpretation.

The two reports should be read as speaking of events that occur in succession. The earth would be first full of corruption that people would be so used to it that they do not even think about God or their religious duties. When things reach this stage and the impostor arrives to try to remove all goodness from human life, the second coming of the Prophet Jesus Christ takes place. He would gather around him some believers who would be dedicated to the cause of the divine faith. He fights the Impostor and kills him to establish a world order based on the divine faith in its final form, i.e. complete human submission to God alone, which is the essence of Islam.

Islam is certainly not a failure. It is always victorious. Its victory is seen every day in the behavior of many a Muslim who disdains all temptations, forsaking wealth, position, power and other worldly values for God’s sake. Its ultimate victory is seen when such people are of sufficient numbers to organize the life of their community on the basis of Islamic values. This has happened many times in history and will continue to happen again and again until the end of human life on earth.

Answer 2
It is in the nature of Islam that it gives strength and dignity to a community that truly believes in it and is committed to its implementation in day-to-day life. When a community takes Islam only as a religion it inherited from its forefathers, or reduces it to a set of rituals it may or may not observe, then Islam does not impart its true nature to such a community. God says in the Qur'an:

“If you support God, then God will certainly support you and steady your feet.” [Muhammad 47: 7]

When the Qur’an speaks of believers supporting God, it implies supporting His cause by implementing His message and advocating it, making it known to people and calling on them to accept it. This is a basic duty of every Muslim, and it applies at the individual and community levels alike.

It should be pointed out that the verb used in the Arabic text for ‘support’ also connotes ‘giving victory‚’ Thus, when we give such support to God’s message, He will give us support in every way, including victory against our enemies, in war and peace. Moreover, the final phrase in the quoted verse, which says that God will ‘steady your feet’ has also military connotations, implying support in case of war.

The same expression is used in the Qur’an in reference to the duty the angels were assigned in the Battle of Badr, the first major military encounter between Muslims and unbelievers. This clearly indicates that our weakness today and the problems we have are the result of our abandoning the Islamic faith, and turning away from it. When people do that, God leaves them to their own devices, until they realize that they cannot have true power and dignity except through Islam.

This is in a nutshell the present situation of Muslims. As for its being a sign of the Day of Judgement, I am afraid we cannot say so, because this situation may be repeated time after time in human history. What we need to do in order to get rid of our miserable situation today is to start a true revision of our present situation with the aim of starting a genuine Islamic revival that is free from ignorant extremism and rigidity. It should be a revival that brings back Islam in its true nature: Tolerant, caring, compassionate and easy to implement.

AB – withheld62@yahoo. com
First They Came for the EXTREMIST, FUNDAMENTALIST & MODERATE Muslims. And I DIDN’T Speak Out Because I Wasn't An Extremist, Fundamentalist or a Moderate Muslim. Then FINALLY They Came for Me the NON-PRACTICING Muslim And NO Muslims Were Left to Speak Out for ME.