Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Dear Burhan,

ASAK.

Can you please explain me the meaning of the following hadith....

Narrated by Abu Huraira (Radhiallaho anho):

Allah's Messenger (sallallaahu 'alaihi wasallam)said, "When honesty is lost, then wait for the Hour." It was asked, "How will honesty be

lost, O Allah's Apostle?" He said, "When authority is given to those who do not deserve it, then wait for the Hour.

JazakAllah.

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Meaning of “Wait for the Hour”

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad(saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

The translation of the full hadith is as follows:

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 1.56 Narrated by Abu Huraira

While the Prophet (saws) was saying something in a gathering, a Bedouin came and asked him, "When would the Hour (Doomsday) take place?" The Messenger of Allah (saws) continued his talk, so some people said that the Prophet (saws) had heard the question, but did not like what that Bedouin had asked. Some of them said that the Messenger of Allah (saws) had not heard it. When the Prophet (saws) finished his speech, he said, "Where is the questioner, who inquired about the Hour (Doomsday)?" The Bedouin said, "I am here, O Messenger of Allah (saws) ." Then the Prophet (saws) said, "When honesty is lost, then wait for the Hour (Doomsday)." The Bedouin said, "How will that be lost?" The Prophet (saws) said, "When the power or authority comes in the hands of unfit persons, then wait for the Hour (Doomsday.)"

The advent of the Hour (Doomsday) is a time known to Allah Subhanah Alone, and no one else. The Messenger of Allah (saws), whenever he was asked about the advent of the Hour, he (saws) would give the major and minor signs from the knowledge Allah had made known to him, which would signal the coming of the Day of Doom!

The above hadith, where the Prophet of Allah (saws) said ‘when honesty is lost, and when the power comes in the hands of unfit people’ then beware, for the Hour is indeed near, is among the Minor Signs of the coming of the Hour. The meaning of the hadith is inclined towards the political landscape of the Muslim Ummah; where, as we see today, that the leadership of most, if not all, muslim countries is in the hands of unjust, un-pious, non-God conscious transgressors! The leaders of most, if not all, muslim countries do not rule and govern by the Divine and Just Laws of Allah Subhanah, and they oppress and tyrannize all those people who, so much so as even raise a voice, to their unjust leadership!

The honest truth of the matter is that we don’t love our rulers, and the rulers don’t love us! Neither are we like the noble companions, nor are they like the Rightly Guided Khalifahs or Leaders! And the Sunnah or Way of Allah Subhanah is that He does not change the condition of the people, until the people change themselves! When the general believers develop true love and fear Allah as He deserves to be loved and feared, and develop piety and God-consciousness in ourselves; then it is only natural that we will choose a pious leader to lead us in the Cause of Allah Subhanah.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 13 Raad verse 11 (part): Verily never will Allah change the condition of a people, until they change it themselves. But when (once) Allah willeth a people's punishment, there can be no turning it back, nor will they find besides Him any to protect.

Sahih Muslim Hadith 4573 Narrated by Awf ibn Malik

The Messenger of Allah (saws) said: “The best of your rulers are those whom you love and who love you, who invoke God's blessings upon you, and you invoke His blessings upon them. And the worst of your rulers are those whom you hate, and who hate you; and whom you curse, and who curse you.” It was asked (by those present): “Shouldn't we overthrow them with the help of the sword?” He (saws) said: “No, as long as they establish prayer among you. If you then find anything detestable in them, you should hate their administration, but do not withdraw yourselves from their obedience.”

As we stand today, most, if not all, of the Minor Signs of the coming of the Hour, as declared by the Messenger of Allah (saws) have come true. And once the Minor Signs have come, the coming of the Major Signs of the Hour, and then ultimately the Hour are very close indeed!

There are several authentic narrations whereby the Messenger of Allah (saws) has prophesized about the advent of the Hour:

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 4.401 Narrated by Auf bin Malik

I went to the Prophet (saws) during the Ghazwa of Tabuk while he was sitting in a leather tent. He (saws) said, "Count six signs that indicate the approach of the Hour: my death, the conquest of Jerusalem, a plague that will afflict you (and kill you in great numbers) as the plague that afflicts sheep, the increase of wealth to such an extent that even if one is given one hundred Dinars, he will not be satisfied; then an affliction which no Arab house will escape, and then a truce between you and Bani Al-Asfar (i.e. the Byzantines or Christians) who will betray you and attack you under eighty flags. Under each flag will be twelve thousand soldiers.”

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 5991 Narrated by Talhah ibn Malik

Allah's Messenger (saws) said, "One of the signs of the approach of the Last Hour will be the destruction of the Arabs."

Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 581 Narrated by Sulamah daughter of al-Hurr

I heard the Messenger of Allah (saws) say: “One of the Signs of the Last Hour will be that people in a mosque will refuse to act as imam, and will not find an imam to lead them in prayer.

The following hadith is unanimously considered as the Major Signs of the coming of the Last Hour:

Sahih Muslim Hadith 6931 Narrated by Hudhayfah ibn Usayd Ghifari

The Messenger of Allah (saws) came to us all of a sudden as we were (busy in a discussion). He (saws) said: “What do you discuss about?” (the Companions) said: “We are discussing about the Last Hour.” Thereupon he (saws) said: “It will not come until you see ten Signs before and (in this connection) he made a mention of the Smoke, the Dajjal, the beast, the rising of the sun from the west, the descent of Jesus son of Mary (a.s.), the Gog and Magog, and landslides in three places, one in the east, one in the west and one in Arabia at the end of which fire would burn forth from the Yemen, and would drive people to the place of their assembly.”

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan