All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds. We seek His forgiveness and guidance, and we bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad (peace be upon him) is His final Messenger.
Dear brothers and sisters in Islam,
Today, I want to discuss an important and sobering topic – “Iqtarabatu saa’ah” – the Nearness of the Hour. As believers, we firmly believe in the Day of Judgment, an inevitable reality that will come to pass. Allah, in His infinite wisdom, has provided us with numerous signs and reminders in the Quran and the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) to prepare ourselves for this momentous event.
In Surah Al-Qamar (Chapter 54), Allah says:
“اقْتَرَبَتِ السَّاعَةُ وَانشَقَّ الْقَمَرُ ﴿١﴾ وَإِن يَرَوْا آيَةً يُعْرِضُوا وَيَقُولُوا سِحْرٌ مُّسْتَمِرٌّ ﴿٢﴾” (القمر: ١-٢)
“The Hour has come near, and the moon has split [in two]. And if they see a miracle, they turn away and say, ‘Passing magic.’.” (Quran 54:1)
Both Al-Bukhari and Muslim, as well as Al-Hakim in his book Al-Mustadrak, narrated from Ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: “I saw the moon split into two parts in Makkah before the Prophet (peace be upon him) was exiled.” People said: “This is magic!” Then, the verse was revealed.
Abu Bakr al-Bazzar narrated from Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) was delivering a sermon to his companions, and the sun was about to set, with only a short part of it still visible. He said,
»والذي نفسي بيده، ما بقي من الدنيا فيما مضى منها إلا كما بقي من يومكم هذا، فيما مضى منه، وما نرى من الشمس إلا يسيرا. «
“By the One in whose hand is my soul, what is left of the world, compared to what has passed, is like what is left of this day compared to what has passed from it. The sun is setting, and we see only a little of it.”
This verse serves as a powerful reminder of the signs of the approaching Hour. We witness these signs in various forms, such as wars, natural disasters, moral decay, and the widespread disregard for ethical principles. These signs are not meant to instill fear but to awaken our consciousness and urge us to return to Allah with sincere repentance and righteous deeds.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) emphasized the importance of being mindful of the Hereafter and preparing for the Day of Judgment. He said in a Hadith:
»اغْتَنِمْ خَمْسًا قبلَ خَمْسٍ: شبَابَكَ قبلَ هَرَمِكَ، وصِحَّتَكَ قبلَ سَقَمِكَ، وغِنَاءَكَ قبلَ فَقْرِكَ، وفَرَاغَكَ قَبلَ شُغلِكَ، وَحَيَاتَكَ قبلَ مَوْتِكَ. «
“Take benefit of five before five: your youth before your old age, your health before your sickness, your wealth before your poverty, your free time before you are preoccupied, and your life before your death.” (Narrated by Ibn Abbas; Sahih Al-Jami’)
This Hadith teaches us to make the most of our time, health, wealth, and opportunities to engage in acts of worship and good deeds before it’s too late. The approaching Hour should be a motivation for us to increase our good deeds and seek Allah’s pleasure in everything we do.
Dear brothers and sisters,
The concept of “Iqtarabatu saa’ah” is a reminder that we are on a limited journey in this world. Our lives are transitory, and our actions will be accounted for on the Day of Judgment. Let us heed the teachings of our beloved Prophet (peace be upon him) and take proactive steps to prepare ourselves for this inevitable reality.
We must strengthen our faith and connection with Allah through regular prayers, recitation of the Quran, and seeking knowledge. Our faith is our anchor in times of trials and tribulations, and it provides us with hope and solace when facing the challenges of life.
Allah, in His infinite mercy, is ever ready to forgive us when we turn to Him in sincere repentance. Let us seek His forgiveness for our sins and strive to improve ourselves as we draw nearer to the Day of Judgment.
As believers, we are entrusted with the duty to spread goodness and compassion in our communities. Let us be kind, charitable, and supportive of one another, especially during these challenging times.
Our acts of kindness can have a significant impact on those around us and can be a means of earning Allah’s pleasure.
In a world plagued by injustice and oppression, let us be advocates for justice and equality. Our faith teaches us to stand up for the rights of the oppressed and to speak out against any form of tyranny and corruption. Let us strive to be better Muslims, better human beings, and true representatives of the beautiful teachings of Islam.
May Allah grant us the strength and guidance to prepare for the Day of Judgment and to live our lives in accordance with His commands. May He bestow upon us His mercy and forgiveness and grant us success in this world and the Hereafter. Amiin.
Second Part: “Amaaratu saa’ah” – The Signs of the Hour
All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds. We seek His forgiveness and guidance, and we bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad (peace be upon him) is His final Messenger.
Dear brothers and sisters in Islam,
The second part of the Khutbah will be on “Amaaratu saa’ah” – the Signs of the Hour. As believers, we firmly believe there are major and minor signs of the Day of Judgment, a reality based on evidences from the Quran and the teachings of the Prophet peace be upon him).
In Surah Ar-Rum (Chapter 30), Allah says:
” غُلِبَتِ الرُّومُ ﴿٢﴾ فِي أَدْنَى الْأَرْضِ وَهُم مِّن بَعْدِ غَلَبِهِمْ سَيَغْلِبُونَ ﴿٣﴾ فِي بِضْعِ سِنِينَ ۗ لِلَّهِ الْأَمْرُ مِن قَبْلُ وَمِن بَعْدُ ۚ وَيَوْمَئِذٍ يَفْرَحُ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ ﴿٤﴾” (الروم: ٢-٣)
“The Byzantines have been defeated in the nearest land. But they, after their defeat, will overcome. Within three to nine years. To Allah belongs the command before and after. And that day the believers will rejoice.” (Quran 30:2-4)
This verse is just one of the many signs of the approaching Hour mentioned in the Quran. It reminds us that history is filled with events and occurrences that carry profound messages for humanity. The defeat and subsequent victory of the Byzantines serve as a reminder of the transient nature of this world and the ultimate victory of truth over falsehood.
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) also spoke extensively about the signs of the Hour. One of the major signs he mentioned is the spread of corruption and immorality, as narrated in a Hadith:
“The Hour will not be established until there appear ten signs. The sun will rise in the west, the beast will emerge, Gog and Magog will appear, the smoke will cover the earth, the Dajjal (Anti-Christ) will emerge, and three earthquakes will occur (one in the east, one in the west, and one in the Arabian Peninsula), and a fire will come out from the land of Hijaz (in Saudi Arabia) and will drive people to their final gathering place.” (Narrated by Muslim)
Dear brothers and sisters,
Most of the major signs mentioned in this Hadith are yet to appear. However, we have witnessed many minor signs of the Hour. Abu Hurairah narrated that The Prophet (peace be upon him) said,
»لاَ تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ حَتَّى يُقْبَضَ الْعِلْمُ، وَتَكْثُرَ الزَّلاَزِلُ، وَيَتَقَارَبَ الزَّمَانُ، وَتَظْهَرَ الْفِتَنُ، وَيَكْثُرَ الْهَرْجُ ـ وَهْوَ الْقَتْلُ الْقَتْلُ ـ حَتَّى يَكْثُرَ فِيكُمُ الْمَالُ فَيَفِيضُ. «
“The Hour (Last Day) will not be established until (religious) knowledge will be taken away (by the death of religious learned men), earthquakes will be very frequent, time will pass quickly, afflictions will appear, murders will increase and money will overflow amongst you.” (See Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith No. 85 Vol 1).
The signs of the Hour are a reminder that our time in this world is limited. We must take heed of these signs and use them as motivation to improve ourselves and seek Allah’s pleasure in all aspects of our lives.
As we witness the increasing challenges and trials in the world today, let us remember that the Day of Judgment is a reality that awaits us all. It is a day of accountability, where we will be asked about our deeds and how we spent our time in this world.
In times of difficulty and uncertainty, let us turn to Allah in sincere supplication and seek His guidance and support. He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing, and the Most Merciful, and He is always near to those who call upon Him with sincerity.
May Allah grant us the ability to recognize the signs of the Hour and to prepare ourselves for the Day of Judgment. May He guide us on the straight path and keep us steadfast in our faith. May He grant us success in this world and the Hereafter. Amiin.
Jazakumullah khairan. May Almighty Allah increase the knowledge.
Thanks