A phrase found in one of the authentic hadiths (Verily, time has come full circle as it was when Allah created the heavens and the earth), and it occurred to me that this
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : I have read this phrase in one of the authentic hadiths and did not know its meaning, but it occurred to me that this phrase is evidence of the nearness of the end of the world, and of the speed of its days and their passing. This phrase is: Mishkat al-Masabih 2659. Is what occurred to me correct? And if not, what is the meaning of that? May you be rewarded.
The Shaykh : Yes, what occurred to you is not correct. Rather, the meaning of the hadith is that time has come full circle as it was. The Arabs used to practice al-nasi', which means postponement. They would substitute one month for another, because some of the months are sacred, in which fighting is forbidden. These are: Dhu al-Qa'dah, Dhu al-Hijjah, Muharram, and Rajab. And some are not sacred. So the Arabs would manipulate them, moving the sacred month to a permissible month, and moving the permissible month to a sacred month. It so happened that the Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him) Farewell Pilgrimage coincided with the month that the Arabs had made sacred, which coincided with the sacred month in the Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him) pilgrimage. So time came full circle as it was when Allah created the heavens and the earth.
But what indicates the speed of time is what is established in the authentic collections that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) mentioned that the Hour will not stand until such and such happens. He said:.
Some scholars said: The meaning of: is that the lands expand, so the city of number and number and number expand. And when they expand, they become closer. So they interpreted the closeness of time as the closeness of place, and they said: It is necessary that the closeness of place entails the closeness of time, because if a person used to cover the distance between two countries in two days, and the lands expand, he covers it in one day.
And some of them said: The intended meaning is communications. For example: In the past, it was not possible to contact a person in Riyadh... by camel after ten days or more, by car before the telephone lines in two days or a day and a half, and now you cover it in three hours between al-Qasim and Riyadh. Add to that stronger communications, which are the telephone and fax, in an instant. He said: This is the meaning of the closeness of time.
And in my opinion, the closeness of time is the passing of days, nights, and hours. Now, the week passes as if it were a day. You come to pray Jumu'ah today, and you say, "How far away is the second Jumu'ah?" And then it is as if it is at the end of the day. This is something observed, meaning everyone complains about it. They say the speed of days is like hours. Yesterday we were in Jumu'ah prayer, and tomorrow is Jumu'ah, and it is as if it were one day, while it is six days between one Jumu'ah and the other. This is the meaning of the closeness of time.
And a person should in these days always ask Allah for steadfastness, and strive to follow the methodology of the righteous Salaf, the Companions and those who followed them with excellence, so that the saying of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) is realized for him:[At-Tawbah 9:100].
Time has completed a cycle to the form of the day when God created the heavens and the earth.
ألا إن الزمان استدار كهيئته يوم خلق الله السماوات والأرضThe Shaykh : Yes, what occurred to you is not correct. Rather, the meaning of the hadith is that time has come full circle as it was. The Arabs used to practice al-nasi', which means postponement. They would substitute one month for another, because some of the months are sacred, in which fighting is forbidden. These are: Dhu al-Qa'dah, Dhu al-Hijjah, Muharram, and Rajab. And some are not sacred. So the Arabs would manipulate them, moving the sacred month to a permissible month, and moving the permissible month to a sacred month. It so happened that the Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him) Farewell Pilgrimage coincided with the month that the Arabs had made sacred, which coincided with the sacred month in the Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him) pilgrimage. So time came full circle as it was when Allah created the heavens and the earth.
But what indicates the speed of time is what is established in the authentic collections that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) mentioned that the Hour will not stand until such and such happens. He said:
and time becomes close
ويتقارب الزمانSome scholars said: The meaning of:
and time becomes close
يتقارب الزمان1
12
23
3And some of them said: The intended meaning is communications. For example: In the past, it was not possible to contact a person in Riyadh... by camel after ten days or more, by car before the telephone lines in two days or a day and a half, and now you cover it in three hours between al-Qasim and Riyadh. Add to that stronger communications, which are the telephone and fax, in an instant. He said: This is the meaning of the closeness of time.
And in my opinion, the closeness of time is the passing of days, nights, and hours. Now, the week passes as if it were a day. You come to pray Jumu'ah today, and you say, "How far away is the second Jumu'ah?" And then it is as if it is at the end of the day. This is something observed, meaning everyone complains about it. They say the speed of days is like hours. Yesterday we were in Jumu'ah prayer, and tomorrow is Jumu'ah, and it is as if it were one day, while it is six days between one Jumu'ah and the other. This is the meaning of the closeness of time.
And a person should in these days always ask Allah for steadfastness, and strive to follow the methodology of the righteous Salaf, the Companions and those who followed them with excellence, so that the saying of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) is realized for him: