Signs
of our Times
‘Innas-Saa-’ata
la-’aatiyatul laa rayba fiihaa wa laakinna ‘aksaran-naasi laa yu’-minuun. – “Indeed,
the Hour is coming - no doubt about it - but most of the people do not
believe.” (Al-Mu'min, 40: 60).
Nowadays,
we are seeing that time is passing so quickly and that all sort of problems are
cropping up. We are suffering a change in nature and also a change in the human
attitude and behaviour.
Consequently,
we (as humans) are worried about our future. When we analyse the situation, we
see how the world is being degraded and going to its lost: there are hypocrisy,
power thirst, wars, strife, persecution against the weak, infidelity,
bestiality, as well as atrocities, complicity and concealed tolerance for the
crimes against humanity etc.
On
the other hand, in alarming and uncontrolled proportions, there are all sorts
of calamities of nature: heat wave, drought, fire, flood, famine, strange
maladies (viruses etc.), earthquakes, cyclones and other catastrophes. This
tendency brings us to think if there are not other cataclysms in the near
future? When nature is inflicting upon us such sanctions, this also means that
it is giving us a message, but unfortunately we are not understanding the
message it is giving and thus as the situation is now and being presented to
the world, spirituality has no place in such a world of decadence.
Divine Servants and the Ilm-e-Ghayb
In
the Holy Quran, Allah the Exalted has said that the universe shall not exist
forever and that from time to time, there shall be such occurrences and signs
which shall announce the approach of the end of the universe. It is therefore
necessary for us to be alert of those signs so that we can meditate on them and
consequently consolidate our faith. Through the series of sermons (Friday
Sermons) which I shall do on this subject, you shall come to realise that all
messengers of Allah, and also this humble servant of Allah who is present
before you all today have a profound knowledge of the unseen (Ilm-e-Ghayb) through
Allah, and you can see that already many of the predictions/prophecies made
have been realised, Alhamdulillah, Summa Alhamdulillah, and a believer must
have faith that the other announced signs also shall come what may be realised
by the infinite grace of Allah.