the prophet muhammad (saas) - Prophet Muhammad (SAW) for All

The word "tribulation (fitna)" implies anything that turns peoples' reason and hearts away from the true
path, or war, incitement, chaos, disorder and conflict. The tribulation in the hadith will leave smoke and
dust behind it, we learn.
Furthermore, the way that tribulation is described as "darkness" in the hadith, can be seen as an
indication that its origins are unclear, that it is unexpected. Looking at it from that regard, it is probable
that the hadith is referring to the world's worst terrorist attack, on the cities of New York and Washington in
the United States on September 11, 2001.
The inhabitants of Egypt and Sham would kill their ruler and his commands…253
The people of Sham will take prisoner the tribes of Egypt.254
Today, the states in the region in question include Israel. That is why the hadith could be pointing to
the war between the State of Israel and Egypt, and the invasion of Egyptian territory.
The Hour (Last Day) will not be established until ... earthquakes will be very frequent.255
There are two great events before the day of Judgment ... and then years of earthquakes.256
The signs of the end times are coming one after the other
In the hadiths that have come down to us from the Prophet (saas), news is given concerning the end
times and the Golden Age of Islam. When we compare these signs with the things that are taking place in our
time, we can see many indications that we are living through the End Times and which also herald the arrival
of the Golden Age of Islam.
We must make it clear that some of the signs pointed to in the hadiths that we have been considering
in this chapter may have been witnessed to one extent or another throughout the 1,400-year history of Islam,
in some part of the world. That does not mean, however, that those were the end times. Because, in order
to describe one period as the End Times, all the signs of the last day need to happen at the same time, one
after the other. That situation is referred to in a hadith:
"Signs following one another like bits of a necklace falling one after the other when its string is
cut."257
In the hadiths, the beginning of the End Times is described as when discord grows, and war and
conflict are on the increase, when there is chaos and moral degeneration rears its head and people turn away
from the morality of religion. At the time in question, natural disasters will occur all over the world, poverty
will reach unseen levels, there will be a large increase in the crime rate, and murder and brutality
everywhere. Yet this will be only the first stage. During the second phase, Allah will rescue mankind from
this chaos and replace it with a blessed existence full of plenty, peace and security.
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