Signs of the Hour - First Kind, the farthest

Pg.169

In a lengthy report from Ibn Ábbās rađiyAllāhu ánhu that after the Farewell Pilgrimage, the Prophet şallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam grasped the handle on the door of the Kábah and said: ‘People! Shall I not inform you of the Signs of the Hour?’

Salmān stood up and said: ‘Tell us O Messenger of Allāh! May my parents be sacrificed upon you.’

So he said: ‘Among the signs of apocalypse are:

1. [People will] squander the obligatory prayer.
2. They will be inclined towards caprice and [unlawful] desires.
3. Respect will be accorded [only] to the wealthy.

Salman said: ‘Will this happen O RasūlAllāh şallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam?’
He replied: ‘Yes. By Him in whose power Muĥammad’s life rests; Salman, this is when:

4. Zakāh will be considered as a tax
5. Tributes [to the state] will be considered as personal property
6. The liar will be considered the truthful
7. The truthful will be [decried as] a liar
8. People will take the dishonest man as trustworthy
9. The trustworthy will be considered as dishonest
10. And the Ruwaybiđah shall speak.

The people asked: ‘What is Ruwaybiđah?’
He replied:

11. Those who are not worthy to speak shall speak
12. Nine out of ten will reject the truth
13. Islām will have departed; and only its name remains.
14. Qur’ān will be abandoned except for its writing [illā rasmuhu]
15. People will decorate copies of the Qur’ān with gold
16. Men amongst my followers will become fat
17. People will seek opinions of little girls
18. Young boys will make speeches from pulpits
19. And the audience will be women
20. And they shall decorate their mosques [as ornate as] churches and synagogues
21. Tall pulpits will be erected
22. There will be a huge congregation [increase in lines] along with resentful hearts and varying tongues [alsunin mukhtalifah] and concealed desires.

Salman said: ‘Will this happen O RasūlAllāh? ŞallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam.
He said: ‘Yes. By Him in whose power Muĥammad’s life rests; Salman, this is when:

23. A believer [mu’min] will be of less worth than a slavegirl
24. A believer’s heart will melt in his bosom like salt in water because he sees vice and he cannot stop it.
25. Men will be content with men [homosexuality - gay]
26. Women will be content with women [homosexuality - lesbianism]
27. People will jealously guard [or pride in] young boys like damsels and maidens. [homosexuality]

O Salmān, it is then:

28. Leaders will be sinners, transgressors
29. And rulers will be evil
30. Trustees will be the corrupt
31. They shall squander obligatory prayers and follow their [base] desires

And if you encounter those times, fulfil the obligatory prayer in its appointed time. O Salmān, it is then

32. Hordes from the east and the west will appear – their bodies are human but their hearts are devilish; they shall not have mercy on the young nor respect the old. 33. It is then O Salmān that people shall come to pilgrimage to this house [Kábah]; the kings come as an amusement, the traders for business, the poor for alms and the scholars to show off their abilities and earn fame.

Salman asked: ‘Will this happen O RasūlAllāh? ŞallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam’
He said: ‘Yes and By Him in whose power Muĥammad’s life rests; Salman, this is when:

34. When falsehood will be widespread
35. A comet will appear
36. Women will participate in business along with their husbands
37. And Markets will be nigh.[tataqārib]

Salman asked: ‘What do you mean that ‘markets will be nigh?’
He replied: ‘The markets will collapse and profits will be meager. It is then O Salmān that Allāh táālā will send a storm [rīĥ] in which shall be yellow snakes, which shall fall upon the heads of scholars because they see evil and don’t stop it.’

Salmān asked: ‘Will all of this happen yā RasūlAllāh?’ şallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam.

He said: ‘Yes. By Him in whose power Muĥammad’s life rests, it will happen.’

This is reported by Ibn Mardawih.