পৃষ্ঠা 118: দ্বিতীয় অধ্যায়: মধ্যবর্তী আলামতসমূহ যা দৃশ্যমান হয়েছে এবং ক্রমবর্ধমানভাবে সংঘটিত হচ্ছে

And al-Shurat (the police or guards); with a dammah on the pointed letter (shin) and a fathah on the unpointed letter (ra): they are the assistants and armed enforcement of the ruler.

Al-Sakhawi said: 'In our time, they are the henchmen of the oppressors, and it is mostly applied to the vilest faction around the governor and the like, and it may broadly be applied to oppressive rulers themselves.' End quote.

And al-hamz signifies backbiting, defaming people, and exposing their flaws. From hamaza yahmizu, one is described as hammaz and humazah (for hyperbole and emphasis). Similarly, al-lamz yields lammaz and lumazah. Among its occurrences is the saying of Allah the Exalted: {A slanderer, going about with malicious gossip} [al-Qalam: 11], and His saying: {And do not insult one another} [al-Hujurat: 11], and His saying: {Woe to every slanderer and backbiter} [al-Humazah: 1].

It is also said: al-lamz is finding fault to one's face, while al-hamz is finding fault behind one's back (in their absence).

And among them is: 'Indeed, before the Hour there will be greeting only people one knows (the exclusive greeting), the widespread prevalence of trade to the point that a woman assists her husband in trade, the severing of ties of kinship, the prevalence of the pen (writing), the emergence of false testimony, and the concealment of true testimony.' Narrated by Ahmad, al-Bukhari, and al-Hakim, who graded it authentic, on the authority of Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him).

And 'the prevalence of the pen' is a metaphor for the abundance of scribes and clerks alongside the scarcity of genuine scholars; meaning, they suffice with merely learning writing in order to mingle with the rulers.

And among them is: 'When this Ummah deems wine lawful under the guise of nabidh (meaning, they drink it and call it nabidh, while nabidh in essence is wine, because it refers to every liquid intoxicant), usury lawful through trade (meaning, they contrive stratagems by presenting usury in the guise of sales), unlawful bribery lawful through gifts (meaning, they consume bribes and pure illicit gains, calling them gifts), and they trade with zakah (meaning, they give zakah to their hired laborers as wages, or they exchange zakah mutually, such that this one gives to that one and vice versa).'

And among them is: 'When women are satisfied with women and men are satisfied with men, give them tidings of a red wind emerging from the East, whereupon some of them will be transformed (into beasts) and some will be swallowed by the earth; that is because they disobeyed and were transgressing.' Narrated by al-Daylami on the authority of Anas (may Allah be pleased with him).

And among them is: 'When the public wealth (al-fay') is taken as a rotating spoil among the wealthy.' Narrated by al-Tirmidhi on the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him).