Ayat and Hadith about the Hour


Allah (swt) said:

Surah 79.An-Naziat (Those Who Drag Forth), verse 42, 43, 44, 45 and 46
"They ask thee about the Hour",-‘When will be its appointed time? Wherein art thou (concerned) with the declaration there of? With thy Lord in the Limit fixed there for. Though art but a Warner for such as fear it. The Day they see it, (It will be) as if they had tarried but a single evening, or (at most till) the following morn! When they repented, and saw that they had erred, they said: "If our Lord have not mercy upon us and forgive us, we shall indeed be of those who perish."  

There are many Ayats and Hadiths concerning this subject: Allah (swt) said:

Surah 54.Al-Qamar (The Moon), verse 1
"The Hour (of Judgment) is nigh, and the moon is cleft asunder."

The Prophet (saw) said, whilst pointing with his index and middle fingers, “The time of my advent and the Hour are like these two fingers.” .

In another report he said, “The Hour almost came before me.” This indicates how close we are, relatively speaking, to the Hour.

Allah (swt) said:  
Surah 21.Al-Anbiya (The Prophets), verse 1
"Closer and closer to mankind comes their Reckoning: yet they heed not and they turn away."

Surah 16.An-Nahl (The Bee), verse 1
"(Inevitable) cometh (to pass) the Command of Allah  (swt) : seek ye not then to hasten it: Glory to Him, and far is He above having the partners they ascribe unto Him!"

Surah 48.Al-Fath (Victory), verse 18
"Allah’s Good Pleasure was on the Believers when they swore Fealty to thee under the Tree: He knew what was in their hearts, and He sent down Tranquillity to them; and He rewarded them with a speedy Victory;"

In Sahih al-Bukhari, there is a Hadith which states that a Bedouin asked the Prophet (saw) about the Hour. He said, “It will surely come to pass. What have you prepared for it?” The man said, “O Messenger of Allah, I have not prepared much in the way of prayer and good works, but I love Allah and His Messenger.” The Prophet (saw) said, “You will be with those you love.” The Muslims had never rejoiced as much they did when they heard this Hadith.

Some Hadith report that the Prophet (saw) was asked about the Hour. He looked towards a young boy and said, “If he lives, he will not grow very old before he sees your Last Hour coming to you.” By this he meant their death and entering the Hereafter, because everyone who dies enters the Hereafter; some people say that when a person has died, his Judgement has begun. This Hadith with this meaning is "correct" (Sahih). Some heretics comment on this Hadith and give it an incorrect meaning.

The exact timing of the Great Hour is something which Allah alone knows and which He has not revealed to anyone, as is clear from the Hadith in which the Prophet (saw) said: “There are five things which nobody knows except Allah (swt);” then he recited,

Surah 31.Luqman, verse 34
“Verily the knowledge of the Hour is with Allah (swt) (alone). It is He Who sends down rain, and He Who knows what is in the wombs. Nor does anyone know what it is that he will earn on the morrow: Nor does anyone know in what land he is to die. Verily with Allah (swt) is full knowledge and He is acquainted (with all things).”

When Jibril came to the Prophet (saw) in the guise of a Bedouin, he asked him about Islam, Imam and Ishan and the Prophet (saw) answered his questions. But when he asked him about the Hour, he said, “The one questioned about it knows no better than the questioner.” Jibril said, “Tell me about its signs.” Then the Prophet (saw) described them, as we shall see later when we quote this Hadith and others in full.

Hudhayfah said: “The Prophet (saw) stood up one day to speak to us, and told us everything that was going to happen until the Hour, and left nothing unsaid. Some of the listeners learnt it by heart, and some forgot it; these friends of mine learnt it. I do not remember it completely, but sometimes it springs to mind, just as one might remember and recognise the face of a man whom one had forgotten, when one sees him.” (Abu Dawud, Muslim)

Imam Ahmad reported via Abu Nudrah that Abu Said said: “One day the Prophet (saw) led us in praying the afternoon prayer (Salat-’Asr). Then he stood and addressed us until sunset. He mentioned everything that was to happen until the Day of Resurrection, and left nothing unsaid. Some of us remembered it, and some of us forgot it. One of the things he said was: ‘O people, this world is full of attractive temptations. Allah has appointed you as vicegerents (Khalifa) in this world, and He will see how you will act. So guard yourselves against the temptations of this world and of women.’ Towards the end of this speech, he said, ‘The sun is about to set, and what remains of this world, compared to what has passed, is like what remains of this day compared to what has passed.’ ”

'Ali Ibn Zayd Ibn Jad’an al-Timi narrated some Gharib and Munkar Hadith which could bring into question the validity of this Hadith. But there are some reports which are similar to this Hadith, and which were transmitted with different isnads. Part of this Hadith is in Sahih Muslim, through Abu Nudrah on the authority of Abu Said. This Hadith refers to something which is beyond any doubt: what remains of this world, compared to what has passed, is very little. In spite of that, no one can know exactly how much time is left except Allah (swt), and no one can know exactly how much time has passed, except Allah (swt).