VOLUME 1: Issue 12

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ISLAMIC ESCHATOLOGY

Combining NEWS and COMMENTARY

Islamic eschatology is the aspect of Islamic theology incorporating the beliefs and the Islamic eschatological narrative regarding signs of tribulation, the end of the world, and afterlife with the resurrection of the dead, the final judgment, and the eternal division of the righteous and the wicked.

Similar to the Abrahamic religions (you may be interested in this article: Who Are The People Of The Book?), Islam teaches that there will be a resurrection of the dead that will be followed by a final tribulation and eternal division of the righteous and wicked. The Great Tribulation is described in the Hadith literature and commentaries of various medieval Muslim scholars, including Al-Ghazali, Ibn Kathir, and Muhammad Al-Bukhari, among others. The Day of Judgement is referred to with several names throughout the Qur’anic text, such as the Day of Reckoning, the Last Day, and the Hour (al-Sā’ah). Islamic apocalyptic literature describing Armageddon is often known as fitna, Al-Malhama Al-Kubrick (The Great Epic), or Ghaynah (Occultation) in the Shi’a branch of Islam. The righteous are rewarded with the pleasures of Jannah (Paradise), while the unrighteous are punished in Jahanna (Hell).

The ḥadīth literature describes several events happening before the Day of Judgment, which are described as “minor signs” and “major signs.” During this period, terrible corruption and chaos would rule the Earth, caused by Al-Masih ad-Dajjal (an eschatological figure similar to the Antichrist in Christianity) then the Mahdi (a righteous man descended from the Islamic prophet Muhammad, assisted by the prophet Isa (Jesus) who will return to Earth, will defeat the Dajjal and establish a period of peace, liberating the world from cruelty and injustice. These events will be followed by a time of serenity when people will live according to religious values.

A 2012 poll conducted by the Pew Research Center found that 50 percent or more respondents in several Muslim-majority countries (Lebanon, Turkey, Malaysia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Tunisia, and Morocco) expected the Mahdi (the final redeemer according to Islam) to return during their lifetime.

PROPHESY FULFILLED???

This is where it starts getting dicey … I do not want to get into the area of projecting the future. Our whole purpose and direction has been to explain what Islam is and what Muslims believe about their religion. But, this also includes what Muslims believe about their own salvation. However, when it comes to Islamic eschatology and current events, it is difficult to put a hold on speculation. I have tried to present the facts as I find them. There are several things that need to come in to play according to Islamic eschatology. These are just a few of the requirements needed for the end times:

THE KING IS DEAD

Islamic state confirms death of its leader, names new chief … Here’s The Story …

ISI/DI: I have to admit, I was somewhat disappointed when Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the first leader of ISIL (now, ISIS or, the Islamic State — IS) was killed. When he called for all Muslims to unite under his flag, forming a Caliphate — it was a scary time as well as a time of … anxiousness. I felt at the time al-Baghdadi was on his way to eventually proclaiming himself as al-Mahdi, the savior of Islam. The reason being, he had met a number of ’signs’ required to be the Mahdi. One was being a descendent of Muhammad. Real or not, it was a claim he had quietly made and apparently the bloodline was documented. There were several signs of this nature, which no longer matter now — he is dead. Just as the man who replaced him is dead. There is one sign, though, that just hangs out there. The Mahdi must die, and then, return from the dead to make the final claim of being the Mahdi. More on that later, though.

LONG LIVE THE KING

Islamic State names new leader after prior chief’s death … Here’s The Story …

ISI/DI: No real comments to make here. Just one more in the line of succession.

In Statement By New Islamic State (ISIS) Spokesman Abu Omar Al-Muhajir, Group Confirms Killing Of Leader Abu Ibrahim Al-Qurayshi And Spokesman Abu Hamza Al-Qurayshi, Announces Abu Al-Hassan Al-Hashimi Al-Qurayshi As New Leader … Here’s The Story …

ISI/DI: A new leader? They will not name him or give out any information? Why? They have already named him “caliph” which would indicate there is a caliphate. It’s a bit difficult having a king with no kingdom. In case you are just reading my comments and not the artIcle itself, there is this: ‘the new leader and “Caliph of the Muslims,”’ I don’t think I’ve seen any one with that title and following, other than al-Baghdadi, who really made the claim of being caliph himself. Even so, he did have a following of over 130,000 fighters throughout the Levant; and probably thousands more worldwide.

Islamic State names new caliph, brother of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi … Here’s The Story …

https://robertspencer.org/robert-spencers-booksISI/DI: Trust me, I could not make this up. The older brother of the one-time caliph is now himself the caliph. And, it seems he carries as many secrets about his own background as did the first caliph, which is also part of the mystique of the Mahdi. Being brother to Abu Bakr, it can be assumed (at least initially) that he also is of the same bloodline which goes back to Muhammad — if Muhammad truly existed. Robert Spencer of JihadWatch.org, has raised that very question in one of his recent books, Did Muhammad Exist?

WARS

AND RUMORS

OF WARS

The Atlantic: Nuclear war would accelerate climate change … Here’s The Story …

ISI/DI: Yes, I guess it would. Nuclear war would not just accelerate climate change, but might be what would pull the entire world, not just into World War III, but, Armageddon, itself.

Reacting To Appointment Of New ISIS Leader, Fighters, Supporters Declared Allegiance; Al-Qaeda Supporters Question The Identity Of New Caliph … Here’s The Story …

ISI/DI: The new caliph seems to be drawing support from Muslims around the world, something his younger brother hoped to achieve.

Now you have it. ISIS has a new leader, who is carrying around a lot of baggage, and I don’t mean that necessarily in a bad way. He is walking in the footsteps of a younger, more charismatic brother; he is also working with a more time-tested organization, which has world-wide notoriety. He is presumed to be of the Sunni faith, as was his younger brother, and has opposition from the Supreme Leader, Grand Ayatollah of Shi’ite Iran, who has his own eye on being caliph and leading a caliphate; then, there is Erdogan of Turkey, a Sunni, who wants to revive the Ottoman Empire. This new Baghdadi is also a Salafi, which makes him a very dangerous individual.

Russia threatens ‘universal nuclear war’ if NATO peacekeepers enter Ukraine … Here’s The Story …

ISI/DI: Here we are, now nearly two months into the Russia-Ukraine war. I can’t believe our own country is still sitting on the sidelines of this venture. Everybody has made their wishes known — and now just sit on their laurels.

Would a Russian nuclear war spill over to Armageddon? Putin seems to have no fear, other than not winning the Ukraine.

Islamic State morphs and grows in Pakistan, Afghanistan … Here’s The Story …

ISI/DI: They’re baaaack — actually, ISIS never left, nor were they destroyed. Yes, they were beaten back in some areas by the last administration, but rarely went under 80,000 soldiers, throughout the Levant, and much more when worldwide affiliations are counted … Boko Haram in Central Africa and Maute group, Abu Sayyaf group, Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters and Ansar Khalifa of the Philippines, and al-Sham and others in Southeast Asia.

WILL THERE BE ANOTHER RAMADAN WAR? … Here’s The Story …

ISI/DI: There are some who want another Ramadan War. Palestinians, the Shit’tes of Iran, Syria, Russia, Turkey. All for different reasons, all personal. War in the Middle East has become a cottage industry for some.

77% of Evangelicals: Iran will use nukes to ‘wipe Israel off the map’ … Here’s The Story …

ISI/DI: They are seeking a nuclear bomb; they’ve said they want to wipe Israel pff the face of the map … why shouldn’t evangelicals believe it?

Joe Biden Unleashes the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse … Here’s The Story …

ISI/DI: This war between Russia and Ukraine has sparked a lot of talk — nukes, end times, Armageddon — about what will happen if an unstable country like Iran is able to obtain nuclear weapons.

There are a multitude of questions we might ask — Is Iran as unstable as some would like us to believe? Is Iran as unstable as she appears? Is it time for another regime change for Persia?

How intent is Iran on wanting nuclear weapons, and what role does — or should — Iran have to play in the future of our world?

One scenario that could play out — one that is very close to the edge — Iran gets the bomb . . . and uses it. They use it on Israel; they use it on Saudi Arabia; they use it on America. Yes, Armageddon erupts. We all go up in smoke.

Why would Iran do this? It all comes down to theology,I and to be more precise, it actually comes down to eschatology, and to what degree does the Iranian leadership really believe it all. So far, they appear to be pretty hard-core with the exception of one area, which I’ll come back to.

Let’s back up, to 2014. This is the year that the Supreme Leader, Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei made it known that he had been in conversation with al-Mahdi — and al-Mahdi told him he would be coming soon. Khamenei then announced the beginning of Islam’s seven-years of tribulation, starting in 2014-2015, placing the Mahdi’s return in 2021-2022.

Though the Mahdi is not referenced in the Quran, he is mentioned in the ḥadīth literature. Among the first references to the Mahdi appear in the late 7th-century, when the revolutionary Mukhtar ibn Abi Ubayd ( c. 622–687) declared Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyya, a son of caliph Ali ( r. 656–661), to be the Mahdi. Remember, up until this point al-Mahdi is only a figment of the Islamic imagination, and not mentioned in the Qur’an at all.

Khamenei has been in power since 1989; he’s approaching his 83rd birthday; without providing any specifics, it is said his health is not that great. Is he unstable enough, that if he got the bomb, he would actually set it off? THAT is the question!!

Any and every thing else is second to that. For over 30 years he has led the country of Iran. He has surely thought of his own death . . . but, to what degree? Does he really buy into the martyrdom which Islam teaches?

If his health is failing, if he is a true believer, if, if, if. I’m guessing you may see where I’m going with this. What frame of mind does someone have to be in who decides he wants to end the world?

What now, or what next? We could be heading for a three-way collision in the Islamic world … or we could be heading for unity within Islam, for the sake of the lesser jihad.

Sources For Islamic Eschatology

Islamic sacred scriptures have a plethora of content on the Last Judgment and the tribulation associated with it. The threes sources which are primarily referred to when exploring the topic of Islamic eschatology are the Qur’an itself, Hadith literature, and Sunnah (accounts of the sayings and living habits attributed to the Islamic prophet Muhammad during his lifetime). One of the functions of the Qur’an as it relates to eschatology and the Day of Judgment is to serve as a reminder of Allah’s intentions for humanity and as a warning for those who do not abide by him. The ḥadīth are often referred to in tandem with the Qur’an in order to create a more detailed and comprehensive understanding of Islamic scriptures. The compilation of ḥadīth took place approximately two hundred years after the death of Muhammad. The Last Judgment and the tribulation have also been discussed in the commentaries of prominent ulama (body of Muslim scholars) such as al-Ghazali, Ibn Kathir, and Muhammad al-Bukhari. Scholarly discourse on eschatology and its sub themes often includes an exploration of hadith as they pertain to matters in the Qur’an, and serve as a source for clarification. The ḥadīth are generally viewed as being second in authority to the Qur’an, as the Qur’an is generally understood to be the verbatim word of Allah in Islam.

Signs Of The End Times

In Islam, there are a number of minor signs and major signs reported in various hadith collections. The Mahdi is said to be a link between the minor and major signs. In the hadith literature, it is mentioned that minor signs will occur first, then the Mahdi will come and then the major signs. There is debate over whether they could occur concurrently or must be at different points in time.

Greater Signs

1. Sexual immorality appears among people to such an extent that they commit it openly, except that they will be afflicted by plagues and diseases unknown to their forefathers;
2. People cheat in weights and measures (business, trades, etc.) and are stricken with famine, calamity, and oppression as a result;
3. They withhold zakat money (charity) and hoard their wealth, and rain is withheld from the sky from them;
4. They break their covenant with Allah and the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and Allah enables their enemies to overpower them and take some of what is in their hands;
5. Men and women partake in sihr (a serious crime) and shirk (the sin of idolatry or polytheism); they travel the world through attaching themselves to your the jinn (a spirit of lower rank than an angel), causing mischief;
6. Unless their leaders rule according to the Qur’an and seek all good from that which Allah has revealed, Allah will cause them to fight one another;
7. The conquest of Constantinople without weapons.

Minor Signs

1. The Arabs will be utterly destroyed and sent to Hell;
2. The coming of fitna (tribulations) and removal of khushoo (fearfulness of Allah, reverence of Allah, etc.);
3. A person passing by a grave might say to another the following: “I wish it were my abode:”
4. The loss of honesty, as well as authority put in the hands of those who do not deserve it;
5. The loss of knowledge and the prevalence of religious ignorance;
6. Frequent, sudden, and unexpected deaths;
7. The killer will not know why he has killed, and the one killed will not know why he was killed;
8. Acceleration of time;
9. Fabrication of hadiths;
10. Rejection of hadiths;
11. The spread of riba (usury, Interest), zina (adultery, fornication, prostitution, rape, sodomy, pedophilia, and pederasty, homosexuality, incest, and bestiality) and the drinking of alcohol.
12. Widespread acceptance of music;
13. A young boy who lived in Muhammad’s time won’t be very old when the Hour comes;
14. Pride and competition in the decoration of mosques;
15. Women will increase in number and men will decrease in number so much so that fifty women will be looked after by one man;
16. Abundance of earthquakes;
17. Frequent occurrences of disgrace, distortion, public humiliation and defamation;
18. When people wish to die because of the severe trials and tribulations that they are suffering;
19. In a fight between Jews and Muslims, stones and trees would inform Muslims about Jews hiding behind them;
20. Nobody will live after 100 years;
21. When paying charity becomes a burden;
22. Nomads will compete in the construction of tall buildings;
23. Women will appear naked despite their being dressed;
24. People will seek knowledge from misguided and straying scholars;
25. Liars will be believed, honest people disbelieved, and faithful people called traitors;
26. The death of righteous, knowledgeable people;
27. The emergence of indecency (obscenity) and enmity among relatives and neighbors;
28. The rise of idolatry and polytheists within the Ummah (community);
29. The Euphrates will uncover a mountain of gold;
30. There will be 30 false prophets after Muhammad;
31. A man from Qahtan appears, driving people with his stick;
32. A man called Jahjah will occupy the throne;
33. The land of the Arabs will return to being a land of rivers and fields;
34. People will increasingly earn money by unlawful (Haram) ways;
35. There will be much rain but little vegetation;
36. Evil people will be expelled from Medina;
37. Predators will speak to people, the tip of a man’s whip and the straps on his sandal will speak to him, and his thigh will inform him of what occurred with his family after him;
38. Lightning and thunder will become more prevalent;
39. Islam will wear out as embroidery on a garment wears out, until no one will know what fasting, prayer, (pilgrimage) rites and charity are;
40. All Jews will accept Islam if ten Jewish scholars convert to Islam;
41. Countries conquered by Muslims (Iraq, Syria, Egypt) will stop paying money and Muslims will return where they started;
42. The buttocks of the women of the tribe of Daus move while going round Dhi-al-Khalasa (an idol similar to the Kaba);
43. There will be a special greeting for people of distinction;
44. Trade will become so widespread that a woman will help her husband;
45. Only the worst people will be left; they will not know any good nor forbid any evil (i.e., no one will say there is no god but Allah)’
46. People will worship Lat and Uzza (goddesses that were worshipped by pre-Islamic Arabs);
47. Luka bin Luka (meaning “the wickedest”) will be the happiest person;
48. Nations will soon call each other to attack Muslims;
49. There will be twelve caliphs. All of them from the Quraysh tribe;
50. Islamic knowledge will be passed on, but no one will follow it correctly;
51. Muslim rulers will come who do not follow the guidance and tradition of the Sunnah. Some of their men will have the hearts of devils in a human body;
52. Stinginess will become more widespread and honorable people will perish;
53. A man will obey his wife and disobey his mother, and treat his friend kindly while;
54. Voices will be raised in the mosques;
55. Rain will destroy all dwellings except tents;
56. The leader of a people will be the worst of them;
57. The most honored man is the one whose evil the people are afraid of;
58. Much wine will be drunk;
59. Muslims shall fight against a nation who wear shoes made of hair and with faces like hammered shields, with red complexions and small eyes;
60. The Quraysh tribe will get extinct;
61. The emergence of the Sufyani within the Syria region;
62. The Romans will form a majority amongst people;
63. The truce and joint Roman-Muslim campaign a Roman vs. Muslim war.

Other Signs Of Lessor Meaning

1. The Black Standard will come from Khorasan (eastern region of Iras); it is planted in Jerusalem;
2. Mecca will be attacked and the Kaaba will be destroyed;
3. Dajjal (anti-Christ) nor plague will be able to enter Medina;
4. Emergence of an army, from Yemen, that will make Islam dominant;
5. An Abyssinian having two small shanks who would destroy the House of Allah;
6. Swelling of crescents;
7. An Arab king will die; there will be disagreement concerning succession; then a man will emerge from Medina. He will hurry to Mecca, and the people of Mecca will come out to him and urge him and try to force him to accept the Bay’ah (oath of allegiance);
8. The sun would rise from West any day except Friday (It is the d ay when the world has begun to be over);
9. A first trumpet will sound, and all remaining humanity will die, followed by a period of forty years, at the end of which smoke will envelope the world for forty days;
10. The people of the West will continue to triumphantly follow the truth until the Hour is established;
11. Markets will approach / come close;
12. The Qur’an will vanish in one night;
13. Islam started as something strange and it would again revert (to its old position) of being strange just as it started, like serpent crawling back into its hole;

However, these signs aforementioned are not all based on reliable hadiths and if one of them is based on a reliable hadith, it could not be treated as a commandment or a prohibition.

I am still working on the remainder — and completion — of this topic, Islamic Eschatology, and plan to have it posted on, or before, May 1, 2022. Watch for a notification coming soon

Discussed will be more on the Mahdi, the role of Jesus in Islamic eschatology, Sunni and Shi’a perspectives, along with many more details of the Islamic Apocalypse.

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VOLUME 1: Issue 12

04/11/2022

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