What is the ruling on specifying a particular time for the end of the world?
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Question:
One of the brothers brought us a printed document of more than seven pages. It contains a provocative discussion before religious scholars and experts, stating that the end of the world will occur after 298 years. This is what the initial letters of the surahs indicate, and he presented some evidence from the Qur'an that the world will end after 298 years. We do not know what he based his opinion on. Is the entire book with you, Your Eminence?
Answer:
We have certainly heard about this. In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, and may Allah send blessings and peace upon His Messenger, upon his family and companions, and upon those who follow his guidance. As for what follows:
We have heard about this statement for days. What this person said is a myth among myths, and ignorance among ignorance. It is not permissible to pay attention to it, nor to rely on it. Rather, it is clear misguidance.
And Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) has informed us in His great Book, in verses, that the Hour is not known by anyone but He and that no one knows when it will come except Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He), and that it will not come except suddenly, and that no one knows it except Allah . So one should not be drawn to this.
Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) said: [Luqman: 34]. He mentioned the rest of the five. And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Among them is: knowledge of the Hour. No one knows it except Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He). And the Qur'an explicitly states: [Al-A'raf: 187].
So He is the One who knows it, and this is a matter settled upon by all the scholars, with no dispute in it—praise be to Allah. In fact, all the scholars have agreed that the Hour is not known by anyone but Allah alone. It is not known how much remains of the world: whether two thousand years remain, or three thousand, or more, or less. No one knows about this; rather, that is with Him by the consensus of the scholars.
The noble verses of the Qur'an indicate this, and the authentic hadiths from the Messenger of Allah indicate this, and the scholars have agreed upon this.
Any deduction that contradicts what the Sunnah and the Book have brought is a false deduction. Rather, it is a myth. Rather, it is speaking about Allah without knowledge. Rather, this person must be asked to repent. If he repents, well and good; otherwise, he must be killed as a disbeliever. Whoever says that the Hour will be on such a day, or after such a day, or at such an hour, or in such a year, this is ignorance and misguidance, and disbelief. The person must be asked to repent. If he repents, well and good; otherwise, it is obligatory that he be killed as an apostate. Because he is denying Allah and His Messenger. Allah says that no one knows it except He, and he says: I know it, it will come at such a time, after such a period. This is not said by anyone except one who is afflicted in his mind and his religion.
One of the brothers brought us a printed document of more than seven pages. It contains a provocative discussion before religious scholars and experts, stating that the end of the world will occur after 298 years. This is what the initial letters of the surahs indicate, and he presented some evidence from the Qur'an that the world will end after 298 years. We do not know what he based his opinion on. Is the entire book with you, Your Eminence?
Answer:
We have certainly heard about this. In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, and may Allah send blessings and peace upon His Messenger, upon his family and companions, and upon those who follow his guidance. As for what follows:
We have heard about this statement for days. What this person said is a myth among myths, and ignorance among ignorance. It is not permissible to pay attention to it, nor to rely on it. Rather, it is clear misguidance.
And Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) has informed us in His great Book, in verses, that the Hour is not known by anyone but He and that no one knows when it will come except Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He), and that it will not come except suddenly, and that no one knows it except Allah . So one should not be drawn to this.
Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) said:
Indeed, Allah [alone] has knowledge of the Hour
إِنَّ اللَّهَ عِنْدَهُ عِلْمُ السَّاعَةِThe keys of the unseen are five
مفاتح الغيب خمسةThey ask you, [O Muhammad], about the Hour: when is its arrival? Say, "Its knowledge is only with my Lord. None will reveal its time except Him. It lays heavily upon the heavens and the earth. It will not come upon you except unexpectedly." They ask you as if you are familiar with it. Say, "Its knowledge is only with Allah
يَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ السَّاعَةِ أَيَّانَ مُرْسَاهَا قُلْ إِنَّمَا عِلْمُهَا عِنْدَ رَبِّي لَا يُجَلِّيهَا لِوَقْتِهَا إِلَّا هُوَ ثَقُلَتْ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ لَا تَأْتِيكُمْ إِلَّا بَغْتَةً يَسْأَلُونَكَ كَأَنَّكَ حَفِيٌّ عَنْهَا قُلْ إِنَّمَا عِلْمُهَا عِنْدَ اللَّهِSo He is the One who knows it, and this is a matter settled upon by all the scholars, with no dispute in it—praise be to Allah. In fact, all the scholars have agreed that the Hour is not known by anyone but Allah alone. It is not known how much remains of the world: whether two thousand years remain, or three thousand, or more, or less. No one knows about this; rather, that is with Him by the consensus of the scholars.
The noble verses of the Qur'an indicate this, and the authentic hadiths from the Messenger of Allah indicate this, and the scholars have agreed upon this.
Any deduction that contradicts what the Sunnah and the Book have brought is a false deduction. Rather, it is a myth. Rather, it is speaking about Allah without knowledge. Rather, this person must be asked to repent. If he repents, well and good; otherwise, he must be killed as a disbeliever. Whoever says that the Hour will be on such a day, or after such a day, or at such an hour, or in such a year, this is ignorance and misguidance, and disbelief. The person must be asked to repent. If he repents, well and good; otherwise, it is obligatory that he be killed as an apostate. Because he is denying Allah and His Messenger. Allah says that no one knows it except He, and he says: I know it, it will come at such a time, after such a period. This is not said by anyone except one who is afflicted in his mind and his religion.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.