The End Times and the Mahdi (Harun Yahya)

ISBN: 9756426276
Author: Harun Yahya
Publisher: Khatoons (2003)
Pages: 136 Binding: Paperback

Description from the publisher:

The signs in the Qur'an and the extensive references to the End Times provided by the Hadith literature brings us to a very important conclusion. In this book the End Times is examined in the light of verses and hadiths. It is clear that the signs in question have now started to appear one after another, just as described in these references. The advent of these signs heralded fourteen centuries ago are great occurrences that increase believers' faith in and loyalty to Allah. It is surely not a coincidence that, in such a short period of time, all of these signs appeared one after another. These signs are good news to Allah's servants.

INTRODUCTION

The End Times (or the Last Days) may not be a familiar concept to many people. Therefore, we first give a brief explanation of it. The End Times means 'the last era.' According to Islamic literature, it is a period of time that is close to Doomsday.

The signs in the Qur'an and the extensive references to the End Times provided by the Hadith literature brings us to a very important conclusion. Verses and hadiths indicate that there are two phases of the End Times. The first phase is a period when all people will suffer material and spiritual problems. Following this, Earth will enter upon a period of salvation called the 'Golden Age,' which is characterized by bounty and blessings due to the prevalence of true religion. With the end of the Golden Age, there will be a rapid social collapse and people will begin to wait for Doomsday.

In this book, we examine the End Times in the light of verses and hadiths. It is clear that the signs in question have now started to appear one after another, just as described in these references. The advent of these signs heralded fourteen centuries ago are great occurrences that increase believers' faith in and loyalty to Allah. It is surely not a coincidence that, in such a short period of time, all of these signs appeared one after another. These signs are good news to Allah's servants.

The account of events related in the following pages are prepared according to the guidance of the verse, 'Say: 'Praise be to Allah. He will show you His Signs, and you will recognize them. Your Lord is not unaware of what you do'' (Surat an-Naml: 93).

Another issue we need to stress here is that Allah knows the best of everything. As is in every other subject, we have no knowledge other than that about which He informs us.

Portion of Chapter 1

SIGNS OF THE LAST DAY IN THE QUR'AN

The signs of the Last Day in the Qur'an

What are they awaiting but for the Hour to come upon them suddenly? Its Signs have already come. What good will their Reminder be to them when it does arrive? (Surah Muhammad: 18)

From this verse we learn that the Qur'an describes signs that announce the coming of the Last Day. In order to understand the signs of this 'great announcement' we must reflect upon these verses. Otherwise, as the verse indicates, our thinking will be of no use when the Last Day is suddenly upon us.

The Hour is near

Allah reveals in the Qur'an that there can be no doubt that the Last Day is near.

And the Hour is coming without any doubt ... (Surat al-Hajj: 7)

We did not create the heavens and earth and everything between them, except with truth. The Hour is certainly coming. (Surat al-Hijr: 85)

There may be some who think that the message of the Qur'an concerning the Last Day was revealed more that 1400 years ago and that this is a long time compared to the length of a human life. But here, it is a question of the end of the world, the sun and the stars, in short, of the universe. When we consider that the universe is billions of years old, fourteen centuries is a very short period of time.

The supremacy of the morality of Islam in the world

Allah announces that those who serve Him purely, without associating any of His creatures as divinities besides Him, and do good works to win His favor, will be endowed with power and authority.

Allah has promised those of you who believe and do right actions that He will make them successors in the land as He made those before them successors, and will firmly establish for them their religion with which He is pleased and give them, in place of their fear, security. 'They worship Me, not associating anything with Me.' Any who are disbelievers after that, such people are deviators. (Surat an-Nur: 55)

In a number of verses, it also says that it is a divine law that those servants who are faithful and live the true religion in their hearts will be made the inheritors of the world:

We wrote down in the Psalms, after the Reminder came: 'It is My righteous servants who will inherit the earth.' (Surat al-Anbiya': 105)

We will leave you the land to live in after them. That is the reward of those who fear My station and fear My threat. (Surah Ibrahim: 14)

There is no doubt that Allah will keep His promises. The high morality that will conquer perverse philosophies, distorted ideologies and false religious understanding is Islamic morality. The disbelievers and pagans cannot prevent this from happening.

The splitting of the moon

The 54th Surah of the Qur'an is called 'Surat al-Qamar.' In English qamar means moon. In several instances, this Surah tells about the destruction that befell the people of Nuh, Ad, Thamud, Lut and Pharaoh, because they rejected the warnings of the prophets. At the same time, there is a very important message stated in the first verse, concerning the Last Day.

The Hour has drawn near and the moon has split. (Surat al-Qamar: 1)

The word 'split' used in this verse is the Arabic shaqqa, which in Arabic it has various meanings. In some commentaries on the Qur'an, the meaning 'split' is preferred. But shaqqa in Arabic can also mean 'ploughing' or 'digging' the earth.

As an example of the first usage, we can refer to the 26th verse of Surat al-Abasa:

We pour down plentiful water, then split the earth into furrows. Then We make grain grow in it, and grapes and herbs and olives and dates. (Surah 'Abasa: 25-29)

It can be clearly seen that the meaning of shaqqa here is not to 'split.' It means to plough the earth in order to grow various plants.

If we went back to the year 1969, we would see one of the great wonders of the Qur'an. The experiments carried out on the surface of the moon on July 20, 1969, may be hinting at the fulfilment of news given 1,400 years ago in Surat al-Qamar. On that date, American astronauts set foot on the moon. Digging at the lunar soil they carried out scientific experiments and collected samples of stones and soil. It is surely very interesting that these developments are in complete agreement with the statements in the verse.