পৃষ্ঠা 1: ভূমিকা: গ্রন্থের উদ্দেশ্য, নির্ভরযোগ্য উৎস ও কিয়ামতের আলামত জানার গুরুত্ব

Author's Introduction

In the Name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful.

And in Him is my trust, and may blessings and peace be upon our Master Muhammad and upon all his family and Companions.

I praise Him Who clarified the path of truth and established an evidence for it in everything; Who promised a truthful promise to whoever takes Him as a trustee and is pleased with Him as a guarantor; Who appointed Ibrahim as a leader, for he was indeed an upright guide, devoutly obedient, and took him as an intimate friend; and Who commanded him to build a House sought from every distant pass by whoever can find a way thereto, in order to harmonize the outer form with the inner meaning, and as an allusion from the allegorical to the real, and as a similitude; and Who made his guidance a sign of the eventual rolling up of the carpet of this worldly existence, and to test the believers and lead astray whomsoever He wills into deep error; and Who made, by his supplication, from his offspring Muhammad (ﷺ) as a servant, a leader, a prophet, and a messenger, for he was the supplication of his father Ibrahim as he was informed in the Sahih, and his supplication was indeed answered.

I praise Him that there has come to us from Him a trustworthy Messenger with a noble Book, and that He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Forbearing; a Messenger deeply concerned for us, full of pity and mercy towards the believers, and of an exalted moral character, as conveyed by the Most High, the All-Wise. He commanded him to follow the creed of his father Ibrahim, and sent him before the Hour as a warner like the index finger and the middle finger; so he informed of all the tribulations and signs occurring before it, so ask of it one well-informed. He conveyed fully and with great emphasis, and warned his Ummah against tribulations in general, and against the Dajjal (False Messiah) in particular with the sternest warning.

May Allah bestow His blessings and abundant peace upon him, and upon his family, his Companions, his inheritors, his brethren, and his beloved ones.

To proceed:

When I saw that al-Hafiz Jalal al-Din Abu al-Fadl 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Bakr al-Suyuti mentioned in the introduction of the book he authored on clarifying the state of the Barzakh, titled "Sharh al-Sudur bi-Sharh Hal al-Mawta fi al-Qubur", stating verbatim: ("And I hope, if there is leeway in my lifespan, to append to it...

...a book, Allah willing, on the signs of the Hour, and another on the states of Resurrection and the Day of Judgment, and the description of Paradise and Hellfire, likewise in a comprehensive manner. May Allah realize that through His grace and generosity," end quote. And I found that he had indeed authored a book regarding the states of the Resurrection and what follows, naming it "al-Budur al-Safirah fi Umur al-Akhirah", but I did not find any book by him on the signs of the Hour, whether because he did not author it, or because it was lost, or for some other reason. Therefore, I wished to author a book on the signs of the Hour that comprehensively covers them, just as al-Hafiz al-Suyuti had intended, so that it might serve as an isthmus (barzakh) between his two books: "Sharh al-Sudur" and "al-Budur al-Safirah", or as an introduction to them both.

And in this matter, I have placed my trust in Allah, the Exalted, seeking His aid, and I say:

Allah, the Exalted, has said: {Mankind's reckoning has drawn near to them, while they are heedless, turning away} [Al-Anbiya': 1].

And Allah, the Exalted, has said: {And what will make you realize? Perhaps the Hour is near} [Al-Ahzab: 63].

And Allah, the Exalted, has said: {Are they waiting for anything except that the Hour should come upon them suddenly while they perceive not?} [Az-Zukhruf: 66].

And Allah, the Exalted, has said: {Do they then wait for anything except that the Hour should come upon them suddenly? For its signs have already come} [Muhammad: 18].

Along with other such verses.

As for the hadiths, they are virtually innumerable, and some of them will be mentioned, Allah willing.

Since this worldly life was not created for permanence and is not an abode of residence, but rather a resting station among the stations of the Hereafter, established so that provisions may be gathered from it for the Hereafter, and to prepare for the presentation before Allah and meeting Him; and since it has signaled its end and is turning away, it is an obligation upon every scholar to publicize its signs, propagate the hadiths and narrations reported concerning it among the people, and recount them time and again to the common folk. Perhaps they may refrain from some sins, some of their hearts may soften, they may awaken from the slumber of heedlessness, and seize the respite before the sudden strike of calamity.

This motivated me to expound upon it somewhat extensively, even if it leads to repetition, not like those who merely compiled a few pages in an abridged manner; in order that it may serve as an enlightenment for the deceived, a reminder for the people of insight, a means to attain the pleasure of the Almighty, and a pathway to the Abode of Permanence.

And I ask Allah to purify my intention and rectify my inner conscience, for indeed deeds are judged only by intentions, and for every...