End Time

The End Time, End Times, or End of Days are the eschatological writings in the three Abrahamic religions and in doomsday scenarios in various other non-Abrahamic religions. In Abrahamic religions, End times are often depicted as a time of tribulation that precedes the appearance or return of the Messiah, a person who will usher in the Kingdom of God and bring an end to suffering and evil. Various other religions also have eschatological beliefs associated with turning and redemption.
Islam

Main articles: Islamic eschatology and Qiyamah

Islam gives very clear guidelines to its followers regarding the end of times. There are various signs (as many as up to 100) given in the Sunnah and Quran for the coming of Judgment Day. These signs can be divided into two parts, minor and major. The major signs include the coming of an Antichrist, Imam Mahdi and then Prophet Jesus (who will combine forces of good against evil), the blowing of Trumpet and the minor signs will precede them. For a list of all signs of coming of Judgment day in Islam, visit [1]

Islamic eschatology is concerned with the Qiyamah (end of the world; Last Judgment) and the final judgment of humanity. Eschatology relates to one of the six articles of faith (aqidah) of Islam. Like the other Abrahamic religions, Islam teaches the bodily resurrection of the dead, the fulfillment of a divine plan for creation, and the immortality of the human soul; the righteous are rewarded with the pleasures of Jannah (Heaven), while the unrighteous are punished in Jahannam (Hell). A significant fraction of the Quran deals with these beliefs, with many hadith elaborating on the themes and details. Islamic apocalyptic literature describing the Armageddon is often known as fitna (a test) and malahim (or ghayba in the shi'ite tradition).

[edit] Sunni Islam

Sunni Islam, which is followed by the majority of Muslims, and uses the Quran and the Hadith as a reference to the signs of Judgment day. The signs in Sunni Islam revolve around the purification of earth from non-believers, either by mass conversion of non believers or in most cases by death. The appearance of the Mahdi as the final Muslim Caliph and the ascending of prophet Jesus in his time.

Before the major signs as they are called, all minor signs have to occur. They are listed here:

A. The Minor Signs

1. The Prophethood of Muhammad
2. The death of the Prophet
3. The conquering of Bait ul-Maqdis
4. The Plague of Amwaas (in Palestine)
5. The increase in wealth so that sadaqah is not needed
6. Trials and civil strife:
(i) The appearance of troubles in the east
(ii) The killing of Uthmaan (ra)
(iii) The battle of al-Jamaal
(iv) The battle of Siffeen
(v) The appearanc of the Khawaarij
(vi) The happening of al-Harrah
(vii) The appearance of the saying that the Quran is create
(viii) The following of the ways of the previous nations
7. The appearance of claimants to Prophethood
8. Widespread safety
9. The appearance of fire in the Hijaz
10. Fighting the Turks
11. Fighting the non-Arabs
12. Disappearance of trustworthiness
13. Disappearance of knowledge and appearance of ignorance
14. Increase in the number of police and helpers of the oppressors
15. Spread of fornication
16. Spread of usury
17. Spread of musical instruments
18. Drinking of intoxicants and its being allowed
19. Adorning the mosques and rivalling therein
20. Building tall buildings
21. The slave girls giving birth to her mistress (the daughter of her master)
22. Increase in killing
23. Time passing quickly
24. Coming together of markets
25. Appearance of Shirk in this Ummah
26. Appearance of wickedness, cutting off of relations and ill treatment of neighbours
27. Dying of grey hairs with black dye
28. Increase of extreme miserliness
29. Increase in trade
30. Increase in earthquakes
31. Appearance of sinking into the earth, transformation into animals and false-accusations
32. The passing away of the pious
33. The raising of the despicable people to positions of importance
34. That greeting is given only to those the person knows
35. That knowledge is sought from other than the scholars in truth
36. Appearance of women in clothes which do not cover them
37. The truthfulness of the dreams of the Believers
38. Spread and increase in writing
39. Laxity with regard to the Sunnah
40. Increase in size of the new moons
41. Increase in falsehood and having no concern to check reports
42. Increase in false testimony and withholding true witness
43. Large number of women and small number of men
44. Sudden death being common
45. Hatred amongst peoples hearts
46. The return of the land of the Arabs to being pastures and rivers
47. Increase in rain but decrease in agriculture
48. The revealing of a mountain of gold by the Euphrates river
49. The talking of wild animals and inanimate objects to people
50. Wishing for death because of the severity of trials
51. Increase in the number of 'Romans' and their fighting the muslims
52. Victory over Constantinople
53. The appearance of al-Qahtaanee
54. Fighting the Jews
55. The expelling by al-Madeenah of its wicked people, then its desolation at the end of time
56. The sending of a pleasant wind to take away the souls of the Believers
57. The attacking of the Sacred House and dismantling of the Ka'bah

B. The Major Signs

1. The Mahdee
2. The Anti-Christ Maseeh ud-Dajjal
3. The descent of Isa
4. Yajooj and Maajooj
5. The three great sinkings of the earth
6. The appearance of smoke in the sky
7. The rising of the sun in the west
8. The beast of the earth [Daabbat ul-Ard]
9. The fire which brings the people together
10. A wind that will take the souls of all Muslims and only leave infidels on Earth.

Source: SalafiPublications; Signs Before the Day of Judgement Author: Yoosuf ibn Abdillaah ibn Yoosuf al-Waabil in "Ashraatus-Saa'ah" (Trans. Dawud Burbank)

These next occurrences are the final steps of Judgment day and occur on Earth:

1. The blowing of the first Trumpet killing all humans on Earth.
2. The blowing of the second Trumpet marking resurrection.
3. The awaiting of Judgment by all humans, a process that is said to take thousands of years under a scorching sun.
4. Judgment of mankind begins.

It should be mentioned that unlike the Shi'a, Sunni Muslims don't give much credit to the coming of the Mahdi since he is just another Caliphate to them and a human who is born at a certain time and has a normal life span and dies a natural death. He is anticipated but not treated more than a normal human.

[edit] Shia Islam

End of time beliefs in Shia Islamic thought are based on Quranic references, instruction from the Prophet Muhammad and his Ahl al-Bayt. Several variants of one theory exist in Shia eschatology, yet they all revolve around the messianic figure, Muhammad al-Mahdi, who is considered by Shias as the 12th appointed successor of Prophet Muhammad. The Shia end of time theory also states that the coming of Jesus will coincide with the return of the Mahdi. Shias believe that Jesus and the Mahdi will work together to bring about peace and justice on earth between all peoples of faith. The aforementioned is the general theme accepted among Shia theologians, but there remains a group that continues to study classical texts to further define the end of time events.

In Shia Islamic thought, there is a worldly reality that is mentioned to occur before the end of human life on earth. The events that occur in the final moments of humanity will mainly revolve around Dajjal and his ability to woo humanity to a new world religion, one that is not divinely issued. The idea of a Mahdi returning to help humanity against the "Great Deception" is also mentioned in Sunni traditions, but is specifically outlined as Muhammad al-Mahdi in Shia sources. There are many sources that have prophecies regarding the last days, with only some that are accepted as repeated in different sources by different people. A majority of Shia scholars[who?] agree on the following detail of events that will occur in the final days:

1. The Dajjal will claim to be the savior of humanity and people of all faiths will unite under his religion
2. There will be mass killings of Shias in Iraq (around the Euphrates), and there will be prices put on their hands, even if they are not criminals
3. There will be a revolt by a "Yamani" who will be defeated in his efforts
4. The Mahdi will reappear and make a speech at the Kaaba and will gather an army of 313 generals and thousands of followers to defeat the Dajjal
5. A person by the name of "Sufyani" (his religion is not mentioned, though he is a descendant of the disintegrated Ummayyad dynasty whose scattered descendants may have been in the Levant and Spain or Morocco over the last 12 centuries) will lead forces from Syria across Iraq to Arabia to defeat the Mahdi's forces along with his Allies
6. The Mahdi will re-establish the true Islam and the world will find peace and tranquility
7. There will be a period of rule by the Mahdi
8. The resurrection of men and women will begin as the Day of Judgement will commence