General Signs of Doomsday

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

I have been reading and listening about these signs in parts of eschatology speeches by various scholars, kitabs of different sects such as Sunna and Shi'a Islam, and also of different philosophical religions such as of Hindu-Buddhism where I also listened to both Hindu and Buddhist acharyas speeches. We actually could see these signs happening since long in which, it actually happens gradually. If we notice these earlier then it would be fortunate. If not, then we would be among the losers. If I talked about these matters without mentioning the sources, many of my Muslim friends and relatives said that I am losing my mind. I am talking with basis and I am not a reader of conspiracy sites. I also mentioned these to non-Muslim friends such as of Buddhism traditions and some of them also thought that I am a lunatic, lol.

What I could comment about these signs... We could not avoid these. It would certainly happen because the doomsday is the fact of the universe. It is the promise of the Lord and part of our pillars of faith which mentions the faith that hereafter is a fact. If brothers and sisters are living in Malaysia, Singapore or Indonesia, try to find this classical book written by Nuruddin al-Raniri known as Negeri Akhirat. It means the Land of Hereafter. I just talked about this figure in the gap of few posts and it is just for brothers and sisters information. Not only because he is from the mission circle I am particularly affiliated, hehe. In our Shi'a brothers' sources based from al-Irshad, they recorded the speeches of Imam Muhammad al-Baqir r.a saying that the world would be destroyed by two kind of deaths. The first one is the white death. While the second one is the red death. White death means the death due to diseases and plagues. The red death refers to bloodbath war. 

Major Events

Back to Negeri Akhirat, Nuruddin al-Raniri talks about the Signs of Doomsday in a special chapter. In His research, he basically making a research about seven major events before the Doomsday. Basically I don't like to talk about these. Because some people would mention about the Glory of Islam as a "World" dominion. For us who engaged ourselves within the tasawwuf science. Worldly concerns is not of our aim and must be avoided in our speeches. We are aiming for the glorious appearance of the Holy Lord and not the "fake" dominion of the temporary Earth. If people asking me out here about tasawwuf sciences, I would just shut my mouth especially if I could sense it has something to do with "worldly" matters. I personally do not like to exaggerate on "petty" matters but one must strive hard to fulfill the aim of life which is to return to Him. Those seven major events are:

1. Sun rises in the West where the circulation of the Earth is reversing to the other side.

2. The Gog and Magog.

3. The Ethiopian armies who would demolish the cubicle in our holy shrine in Mecca.

4. The Guided Imam or the al-Mahdi.

5. The False Messiah or the Dajjal.

6. Jesus a.s descension.

7. The underworld creature.

Regions being Hit with Disaster

Nuruddin mentioned that the Doomsday would be initialized by a catastrophic disaster. Few regions would be destroyed and vanquished before the Resurrection event. Those regions are:

1. Mecca would be destroyed through the hands of people from Ethiopia. 

2. Medina would be destroyed through the hands of the disbelievers.

3. Basra in Iraq would be flooded and sunken.

4. Kufah in Iraq would be invaded by the Turks.

5. Armenia would experience thunder and lighting storm.

6. Balkh in Central Asia would experience greater earthquake. 

7. People in Khorasan and Isfahan in Persian speaking land would be killing among themselves.

8. Yemen would be attacked by locusts.

9. Indian sub-continent would be flooded.

10. Egyptian land would be drained where water of its rivers would be dried out.

These narrations compiled by al-Raniri signifies that regions in Central Asia, Northern Africa, Indian sub-continent and Middle East would experience war or experiencing natural disasters and diseases. According to him, the demolition of these cities and region would be initialized with pain and torments.  He supports this narrations with a verse from Surat al-Israa' 17:58. Allah says: "And indeed among countries except that We destroy them before the day of Resurrection or we cast torments upon them as it is written in the Book (Guarded Tablet)".  

There are two kinds of Doomsday of the Earth. One is the outer Doomsday while the other is the inner Doomsday. 

Outer Doomsday

1. Smoke covering the skies. 

2. Three region with the hills flying all over in the East, the West and in the Arabian Peninsula.

3. Fire flaming from the wells in Aden and in other narrations it is in Arabian region.

4. Human-being and creatures would be chased to the assembly field.

The smoke according to some researchers signifies pollution in large scale as industries become uncontrollable. The hills flying in regions signifies earthquakes and landslides all over the three regions. Fire flaming signifies the oils exploitation in the Middle East.    

Inner Doomsday

These visible events would be signified with the emergence of seven major signs mentioned. In the period of Doomsday events. There are also inner Doomsday signs which actually happens spiritually. We can see it now without having to deal with "theories" which look like academically structured or just random brawling theories. Whatever people say or deny about these, it is still happening. 

1. Beautiful and great mosques are constructed but not so many people joining congregational prayer services.

2. Sky scratching towers and buildings constructed with all sorts of architecture. Some people are doing this in the name of nation and religious glory but the real meaning is for the worldly fame and for business.

3. People are backbiting among each other. I could see this too, from politicians down to civilians and public.

4. People are leaving behind the command of charity and chastity or prohibiting vices and evil.

5. Women resembling men and men resembling women. 

6. Men having lust on men and women having lust on women. 

7. Many women are riding on the horse (driving vehicle).

8. People who tyrannize others but his carcass is still receiving a shroud and sent to the graveyard by many people.

9. Wicked becoming more wicked while the believers is returning to virtuous deeds. 

10. Many hypocrites in religious deeds but they are also those who disrespect the jurists, insulting the religion and killing human without any "justified" reasons.

11. Teaching of scriptures becoming the source of living. I could see many advertisements around such as "Teaching Quran" please call this number. And this is viewed as common by people. When people teaching the scripture, they should not demand for money and not even think about it. But it is different now. 

12. And a son is making his father as an infidel, while a father is making his son as an infidel.

13. There is no love and mercy among family members. I could also see this around me. I don't have to look far.

Although many mosques could be seen around but rarely people feel the spirit to perform prayer services in congregations. The calling toward charity and chastity and prohibiting vices and evil is left behind. Men wearing and behaving like women and otherwise. Tyranny and human life is seen as nothing. Jurists are insulted and disrespected. Who are these jurists? They are those who study the scripture knowledge and specializing in divine law. There are also hypocrites amongst religious people. They use the religion as a source for a living and for worldly fame. These are also known as the fitna or the tests of the Lord of the universe. It is not really easy to escape from these. Even I am also having doubts on my self.       

There are also various sources for these signs in Islamic scholars compilation and narrations whether they are of Sunna or Shi'a lineages. There are also mentions about these events in Hindu gospels and Buddhist basket of metaphysical affairs where I have got them from my discourses with few devout Buddhist friends from Thailand. Regarding the Imam Mahdi, it is a subject of polemics. Nuruddin and some scholars especially the Twelver Shi'a Muslim brothers hold that this imam exist but there are also scholars who reject the existence of this imam. Nuruddin believes has this root from the emergence of communities of slander. As for me, whether this imam is in existence or not is not really a matter to worry about. We need to worry about the signs following the events of Resurrection more than this matter. Insha Allah if we have time, we may discuss about this topic further.   

Sealed with prayers for mercy, peace and love, amin!

Lecture of the al-Hikam

In the Name of the God the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful

The statement there is no deities other than the God denotes that we only depend on Him. This is also a dzikr or remembrance that we chant after every salat service. When we chant the dzikr, try to analyze the meaning. 

This is just a brief reminder for myself, don't be afraid if the time constraint running over my head if chanting the statement. He is the One who controls the 'time.' And actually I've got nothing much to do, so better concentrate on Him.

When we declare this, we do not depend on other things anymore. When we face problem, is it our friends for us to depend on? Then if we can't depend on friends, to whom should we go to complain and ask help? Going to the police? If police could not help us to solve problems? Where should we go? To religious and pious people asking them for prayers? If pious people can't help us? What can we do? We have to depend to the Highest Authority, which is the God. Why not just right away go to Him by performing salat tahajjud? 

In Malaysia, let us see whether we are depending to the God or not? How about our Creed? Say for example, we have a virgin daughter. When she wants to get marry, what we would first require or ask? How do we perceive our son-in-law to come? First thing that we would ask maybe, what is his job? Whether he has 'money' or not? How is he going to make our daughter happy if he has no 'money' or if he is poor? Now, we forget one thing, our daughter happiness and prosperity actually depends on the Mercy of the Lord of the universe. 

People will ask about the job to everyone, right? I had experienced this too though I never ask anyone daughter to be my wife. I don't want anything, I don't care about people around since my aim is only to reach Allah, but still there are people asking me this sort of thing including my nephew, who studied with me in the madrasah. So, where is this teaching of no association to the God in our daily speech? Why don't we ask people whether they are in progress memorizing the glorious Quran or not? Whether our in-laws know how to perform salat properly? Nowadays, we could not be free from materialism, aren't us? 

Think again, if we have money or possessions, are we going to be happy? If we have 10 cars, we still have to spend money on maintenance, or perhaps paying the loan buying the car. When we can't pay the loan, the bank will send us letters, court rulings, or maybe someone to threaten and take away our car.  We have possibilities to be affected by hypertension and other health problems.

And then we have no shelter and no one to protect us when death is coming to us. Dang, here it comes again, death cult! Is it only special only to Islam? No wonder many people who loves their enjoyable life hate religion, jah? However, death is a natural cause, even if we don't believe in any deity nor life in the hereafter. Can everyone in this universe live for 1000 of years? Or perhaps being immortal? Until now, I can't find anyone who could live forever. Is it fun to live forever? I had watched a movie which I could barely remember the title of two rivaling women drinking a magic portion, and they had been immortal but they do not live happy life because their boyfriend passed away in front of them. And they fight each other blaming each other, since they share boyfriend and hitting one another until their body sprinkles around but they still do not die. Is this the life that we want?

Speaking of the drunk due to death, anyone has any idea on how 'Izrael, the angel of death's looks like? Usually death comes without any warning. Is the angel going to send us sms informing us, he's coming to us? After a person passes away, he will enter the barzakh which is the world between this physical world and the hereafter. It is a transitional phase. There will be two angels, Munkar and Nakir asking questions to the soul of the departed, and if questions could not be correctly answered, the departed would receive torments until the resurrection event.

So, who gave us heart to live? Who gave us oxygen? Isn't it Allah, the Lord of the universe? So, we are lower or higher than others?

I. When we are hungry, we need to eat to satisfy the hunger.

II. When we are about piss or to poop, we would've to go to the lavatory.

III. We touch poops everyday with our hands and handling tissue covered with dirts from our stomach when we clean up our mess in the lavatory.

IV. When we are sick, we need medicine.

V. We need someone to talk with, we have to go for salat service.

When we die, we're going to turn out to be defecates and rotten, smell as hell. I had analyzed Judaism teaching regarding the contact with dead bodies would bring ones into impurity. So, I guess that rotten dead bodies perhaps is equated to defecates. So, we have nothing to be proud of ourselves no matter we are Israelis, Palestinians, Jews, Muslims, kings or whatever we are. When we see trash lorry, we would make that face cause the lorry stinks. But we had forgotten that our stomach contains stink and trash from what consume everyday.

During the Day where our deeds would be counted and calculated, we only have our Lord to protect and save us. It is important to be good to our own family, be good to wife and children. Be good to husband and children. Children be good to parents. Help each other. Husband don't assume wife as a machine. 

I read a fellow's blog and he talked about Afghanistani who wanted to marry another one, so he backbiting his own wife at the clinic blaming the wife for getting pregnant so many times, since the poor wife could not speak in English. I think not only that fellow think the guy is an idiot, I also think that kind of human does not suit to be classified as a human. It is different in South East Asia, where we regard women as equal to men. Women are even productive than men in trade and business. Both women and men form society so, why not be respectful to each other? Don't act arrogant among each other. Husband do not have to be transformed into a sissy to help his wife to clean up kitchen or table after dinner, lunch, or breakfast if they have time. This is not about being modern or about being advanced, this is about mentality. I see that men in Western part of the world regardless from Europe, Central Asia, South Asia or Middle East always have this kind of thought. And it influences others around the world. My family constitutes of more women than men. So basically I respect women. Without dad, mum or my sisters, I would have difficulties. I appreciate them more than friends, I don't even have close friends except the God as close Friend where I talk with Him most of the time telling Him my feelings, sharing problems and what I think : )

There is no one who gives life or brings death to everything except the God. When we pray for something, the God sometimes does not delegate all of our prayers because He is full of Wisdom. So, when we feel weak like I feel now cause I have to finish up a thesis, an assignment, and having to face two tests for a paper, just say: "there is no strength and no force except that they come from the God, the Most Highest, the Greatest!" - end notes, explanation on al-Hikam delivered on the 30th September 2011

Allahumma salli 'alaa Muhammad wa 'alaa aali Muhammad. Sealed with prayers for mercy, peace, and love, amin!