THE TIME WHEN THE SUN RISES IN THE WEST IS APPROACHING
All-Powerful and Almighty Allah has created our Earth together with all the living things on it, the Solar System, the Milky Way, billions of constellations and galaxies, in other words the entire universe, out of nothing. Of course, Allah, Who created this boundless universe and Who maintains it at every moment, is also powerful enough to put an end to it whensoever He desires. It is revealed in verses of the Qur’an that the universe will inevitably come to an end on a day appointed by Allah. That day is the Judgment Day. The Hour is coming–there is no doubt about it. But most of mankind have no faith. (Surah Ghafir, 59) All balances and order will fall apart on that great day of closure. This flawless order that has prevailed for billions of years will come to an end at our Lord’s command, and at the time appointed by Him. The Doomsday is the last day that God appointed for life of this world. Allah has given us a great deal of information about the Doomsday and the events that will take place during it in several verses of the Holy Qur’an. No exact date for the Doomsday is given in the Qur’an But it is revealed that its portents will take place before it. One verse reveals that the portents of the Doomsday have already come about: “What are they awaiting but for the Hour to come upon them suddenly? Its Signs have already come…” (Surah Muhammad, 18) In the hadiths, our Prophet (saas) has issued detailed statements both about the signs of the Doomsday and about the period immediately before it. One phenomenon described in the hadiths and universally accepted as one of the signs of the Judgment Day is the “Rising of the Sun in the West.”
THE RISING OF THE SUN IN THE WEST IS APPROACHING
Many people know something about the Judgment Day. They are more or less aware of the intensity of the hour of Doom. Nevertheless, the great majority of people share a common attitude towards such a vital issue; never to think or speak about it… They do all they can to avoid thinking about the terror that will be experienced when the hour of Doom comes. They are even unable to bear to look at a newspaper report or a film about a catastrophe or disaster reminding them of Doom. They avoid thinking about a great truth that will one day inevitably come upon them. People who behave utterly irresponsible in the face of this great truth are in a great unawareness. Because in His verses Allah reveals that the hour of Doom is very close and that this is a matter on which there is no room for doubt: “…The Hour is certainly coming, so turn away graciously.” (Surat al-Hijr, 85) The events that will take place on the Judgment Day on Earth and all across the universe are described in great detail, from their violence and intensity, people’s states of mind at that time and their terror, panic and astonishment, to the behaviour of animals. There is no doubt that in the same way that the universe was flawlessly and miraculously created out of nothing, so it will also come to a flawless and glorious end. The Earth is rapidly approaching the end appointed for it, and the signs foretelling that end are taking place one after the other in the present day.
PORTENTS OF THE JUDGMENT DAY FROM THE WORDS OF OUR PROPHET (SAAS)
Many of our Prophet’s (saas) hadiths are about the signs of the Judgment Day. In the hadiths our Prophet (saas) has not only provided information about the portents of the Judgment Day, but has also given detailed statements about the period immediately preceding it. This period in which the portents of the Judgment Day will appear is known as the “End Times.” Some of the events we are told will take place during this period are: • A climate of war and chaos pervading the whole world • An increase in earthquakes and natural disasters • Strife occurring everywhere • The destruction of great cities • The abandonment of the true faith and the moral values of the Qur’an • Forbidden things being regarded as lawful • The spread of poverty and hunger • Social and moral degeneration • The emergence of health epidemics • The taking place of great and astonishing events • The shortening of time • A rise in urbanisation • The construction of tall buildings • A lengthening of life spans • Major advances in technology These are phenomena that began taking place one after the other at the beginning of the 20th century and that are still carrying on doing so at the same pace. Yet one very important reminder needs to be issued here. Some of the signs revealed in the hadiths may to a certain extent have taken place at any period during the 1400-year history of Islam, in any part of the world. Yet such a thing does not mean that the period in question is actually the End Times. Because in order for a period to be described as the End Times all of the signs of the Judgment Day have to take place consecutively in exactly the same age. This is expressed as follows in one hadith: “The signs of the Judgment Day will take place one after the other. Like the beads of a necklace breaking away one after the other.” (Ramuz al-Ahadith, 277/6, Al-Jami’ al-Sagir, 3/167) When the hadiths are examined in terms of the End Times and in the light of this information, a very clear picture emerges. The signs revealed in detail by our Prophet (saas) hundreds of years ago are all taking place in one corner of the world, one after the other and just as described, “in the present day.” The hadiths draw a perfect picture of our time. It is of course no coincidence that so many signs have taken place within such a short space of time, one after the other and in the same place. There is no doubt that this is a miraculous state of affairs calling for profound reflection. Therefore, people must not refuse to see these divine signs, warnings and reminders of the End Times, and must be well aware of the period and climate we are living in.
THE RISING OF THE SUN IN THE WEST IS APPROACHING
One of the portents of the Judgment Day revealed in the hadiths of our Prophet (saas) is “The Rising of the Sun in the West.” It is also revealed in hadiths that the Judgment Day will not arrive until this portent has taken place: “THE JUDGMENT DAY WILL NOT TAKE PLACE UNTIL THE SUN IS BORN FROM WHERE IT SETS. Those people in the world will have faith when they see this.” (Sunan Ibn Majah, Vol. 9, p. 4362) “The Judgment Day will not come until 10 signs are seen: Smoke, the dajjal, Dabbat al-Ardh, THE SUN RISING IN THE WEST, Isa’s (as) return to Earth…” (Rudani, The Great Hadith Collection, Vol. 5, p. 362) “Make haste to perform (good works regarded as religious observances) before six things happen: THE SUN RISING IN THE WEST, Smoke, Dabbat al-Ardh, the dajjal…” (Sunan Ibn Majah, Vol. 10, p. 295) The most important feature of this portent in the hadiths is how it is revealed that someone who has never had faith before seeing this sign will have faith after having seen it and yet turning to faith will benefit him nothing, because coming to believe in this way will not be accepted in the Sight of Allah. The rising of the Sun in the West is described metaphorically in the Qur’an: “What are they waiting for but for the angels to come to them or for your Lord Himself to come, or FOR ONE OF YOUR LORD’S SIGNS TO COME? ON THE DAY THAT ONE OF YOUR LORD’S SIGNS DOES COME, no faith which a self professes will be of any use to it if it did not believe before and earn good in its faith. Say: ‘Wait, then; We too are waiting’.” (Surat Al-An’am, 158) The great Islamic scholar Ahmad ibn Hanbal recounts how our Prophet (saas) said that the term “YOUR LORD’S SIGNS” in this verse referred to the “rising of the Sun in the West.” One hadith of our Prophet (saas) commenting on this verse takes the form: “The Judgment Day will not take place until the Sun rises in the West. When the Sun rises in the West, all people will see it and turn to faith. This is when “…On the day that one of your lord’s signs does come, no faith which a self professes will be of any use to it if it did not believe before and earn good in its faith …” (Surat al-An’am, 158). It is certain that The Judgment Day will surely come…" (Sahih Bukhari, Vol. 14, p. 6426) Great Islamic commentators interpret this verse in the same way, regarding it as a sign of “The Sun Rising in the West.” Additionally, the words of verse 9 of Surat al-Qiyama , “when the Sun and Moon are fused together” are also interpreted as evidence of “the Sun rising in the West”.
HOW WILL THIS GREAT PORTENT TAKE PLACE?
Many great Islamic scholars have issued statements about the form that the Sun rising in the West will take. Bediüzzaman Said Nursi says the following about how this great portent related by our Prophet (saas) will take place: “The Rising of the Sun in the West is too evident to require any proof, and is an incontrovertible portent of the Judgment Day. And for its certain nature, since it is a heavenly phenomenon that closes the door to repentance based upon reason, its interpretation and meaning are manifest, and it needs no proof.” (Rays, Fifth Ray, Twentieth Matter, p. 520) As stated by Bediüzzaman, this portent will take place in such a way as to be witnessed by all. People will personally witness the proximity of the Judgment Day and this great heavenly phenomenon that will impact on all things, living and inanimate, on Earth. In the next part of that extract Bediüzzaman Said Nursi provides information about the manner in which this great event will take place. (There is no doubt that Allah knows the truth.) “Allah knows the reason for the birth (of the Sun in the West) that will be seen: with the removal of the Qur’an, the ruler of the reason of the world, the world will lose its mind, and if, by the leave of Allah, it will turn backwards in its course by striking another star, and its orbit from West to East will, by Allah’s leave, change direction from East to West and the Sun will thus rise in the West. Yes, if Allah, Who binds the world to the Sun and the Earth to the heavens, eliminates the gravitational attraction of the Qur’an, His powerful thread, the thread of the globe will break, it will move at random and the Sun will rise in the West because of its backward and irregular motion. And The Judgment Day will take place, by Allah’s leave, as a result of this impact.” Bediüzzaman Said Nursi has described in several places in his “Treatise” how this portent will be fulfilled by the Earth striking a star or meteorite. In the wake of this collision, which will occur by Allah’s leave, the Earth’s orbit will be reversed and it will begin rotating from East to West, rather than from West to East. And this will result in the Sun rising in the West, not in the East, and thus yet another of the great signs of the Judgment Day imparted by our Prophet (saas) will have been fulfilled. Bediüzzaman Said Nursi tells us that the Judgment Day will take place in the wake of this event. It is Allah Who knows the truth of this. This “striking and rocking” revealed by Bediuzzaman in interpreting the hadith of our Prophet (saas), is also revealed by our Lord in the Holy Qur’an. In Surat an-Nazi‘at it is revealed that: “On the Day the first blast shudders, and the second blast follows it” (Surat an-Nazi‘at, 6-7) Two major blasts are referred to in the verse. The first of these may be a great shock that will take place with our Earth colliding with a comet or meteorite. And Allah knows best. The first impact will halt the revolution of our Earth, which has been continuing in perfect regularity for millions of years. This will shatter the equilibrium of the Earth. Day and night will cease, and one side of the Earth will remain in darkness for days, while day on the other side will never end. People will be cast into confusion by this change, and the Earth will be filled with terror, fear and a state of panic. The Earth’s crust will begin moving, and earthquakes will take place all over the world. Severe volcanic eruptions and the flow of magma over the Earth will further increase this terror, fear and panic. Yet our Lord reveals that the first shock will be followed by a second. He may be indicating by means of this verse that a second impact will take place. And Allah knows best. The terror people feel will be even further intensified by this second impact. With this impact, the Earth will begin revolving in the opposite direction. The Earth, which has flawlessly revolved from West to East for millions of years, never missing for even a second, will begin revolving from East to West. As a result, the Sun will rise in the West, rather than in the East. However, these impacts, and the change in direction of the rotation of the Earth, will also damage the ecological system that permits order on Earth and the survival of living things. The terror among people will increase even further, and the process whereby living things and the world istelf cease to exist will commence. Our Lord reveals people’s state of mind in the wake of these shocks in Surat An-Nazi‘at: “Hearts that Day will be pounding and eyes will be cast down.” (Surat an-Nazi‘at, 8-9) Everyone who lives to see that day will realise that the Earth has finally come to an end and will acquire indisputable knowledge of the existence of the Hereafter. Before such a day happens, people need to remember the hour of The Judgment Day and what it implies, something some of them may never have thought of before.
THE METEORITE COLLISION THAT PUT AN END TO THE AGE OF THE DINOSAURS 65 MILLION YEARS AGO
As you sit watching this film, the upper layers of the atmosphere are being bombarded by meteors. You may not be aware of it, but it is the atmosphere surrounding the Earth that protects you from such disasters. Thanks to the atmosphere, more than 10,000 tons of meteors are consumed in the Earth’s atmosphere every year. However, some of these meteors are large enough to put an end to all life in the event they fall on Earth. Indeed, some meteors that have previously fallen to Earth have caused major changes in the world’s geological and ecological structure. One of these, which fell on Tunguska in Siberia in the early 20th century, is estimated to have been 60 kilometres in diameter. This meteor destroyed a 2000 square kilometer area of forest and caused an explosion 1000 times greater than the atom bomb dropped over Hiroshima. Only the fact that nobody was living in the region prevented a terrible tragedy taking place. It has been estimated that had the same meteor fallen, for instance, on top of the Eiffel Tower, some 10 million people would have lost their lives. The well-known scientist Carl Sagan describes the events that took place when the Tunguska meteor struck: “In the early morning hours of June 30, 1908, in Central Siberia, a giant fireball was seen moving rapidly across the sky. Where it touched the horizon, an enormous explosion took place. It levered some 2,000 square kilometers of forest and burned thousands of trees in a flash fire near the impact site. It produced an atmospheric shock wave that twice circled the Earth. For two days afterward, there was so much fine dust in the atmosphere that one could read a newspaper at night by scattered light in the streets of London, 10,000 kilometers away.” (http://www.longwood.k12.ny.us/lhs/science/astro/cosmos/heavenhell.html) Another instance is a meteor of some 100 kilometers in size that struck the Gulf of Yucatan in Mexico. The age of the dinosaurs came to an end in the wake of this meteor strike that took place around 65 million years ago. An examination of what took place during this impact will help us understand the kind of likely effects of the two impacts indicated by Bediüzzaman Said Nursi and revealed in verses. Such impacts gave rise to fundamental changes in the ecological system. The first effect was widespread destruction. Volcanic eruptions in the wake of the impact gave rise to earthquakes, tsunamis, severe storms, fires and acid rain all across the planet. This meteor, which turned into a ball of fire the moment it entered the atmosphere and was 4 times brighter than the Sun, led to global warming. The impact took place at a temperature of boiling point, chemical changes occurred in the atmosphere, and gas and dust clouds spreading across the world, together with evaporated sulphur, led to a global darkening that blocked out the rays of the Sun. As a result, global temperatures dropped, there was permanent winter for a number of generations and photosynthesis came to a halt. Scientists report that if photosynthesis stopped for just one year the whole ecosystem would collapse as a result. Because 99,9% of life on Earth is dependent upon the Sun, and the elimination of the Sun means the elimination of the first precondition for life. Therefore, long-term blocking out of sunlight altered the ecological system on Earth. With the disappearance of plants and planktons, there was a sudden drop in the world’s oxygen levels. Plant-eating animals soon starved to death, and this change which lasted for hundreds of years resulted in the disappearance of a great many animal species. In the wake of this meteorite collision, which took place 65 million years ago, 90% of the living species in the seas and 70% of vertebrates on land disappeared. The most important impact of this extinction, known as the Cretaceous Tertiary Mass extinction, was that it led to the end of the age of the dinosaurs.
EVENTS THAT WILL TAKE PLACE AFTER “THE SUN RISES IN THE WEST”
The first great collision in the run-up to the Judgment Day will alter all the ecological balances on Earth, and human beings, animals and all other living things will be confronted by a succession of terrible disasters. The collisions and the Earth changing its orbit will set the Earth’s crust in motion and there will be violent earthquakes all over the planet. In fact, our Prophet (saas) regards violent earthquakes as one of the portents of the Judgment Day. There will be tremors felt across the planet. The most terrifying thing, however, will be the absence of anywhere to shelter or hide in. Because these explosion will bear no resemblance to the earthquakes people have seen hitherto. This quake will be one from which there is no escape, and which begins at the same time all over the world. The earthquakes that take place because of this collision will be followed by volcanic eruptions, huge fractures will appear in the Earth’s crust and magma bill be thrown out all over the world. In Sura Al-Zilzal our Lord tells us: “And the earth then disgorges its charges and man asks, ‘What is wrong with it?’ on that Day it will impart all its news because your Lord has inspired it.” (Surat az-Zilzal, 2-5) The planets, stars and countless celestial bodies all over the boundless universe were created by a single command from Allah, and have been maintained in a glorious balance through His might. As with all things, Allah has prepared a hitherto unseen end for this magnificent world in the heavens. There will be extraordinary changes in the skies as a result of these two great collisions, and disasters will rain down. The events that will take place in the skies are described in verses: “On the Day when heaven sways to and fro.” (Surat at-Tur, 9) “By which heaven will be split apart? His promise will be fulfilled.” (Surat al-Muzzammil, 18) “And Heaven will be split apart, for that Day it will be very frail.” (Surat al-Haqqa, 16) A huge cloud of dust and smoke will cover the Earth as a result of a collision with a star or meteorite. This cloud of dust and smoke covering the world will be large enough to block out the Sun’s rays and devastate the ecological system. Indeed, one of the portents of the Judgment Day reported by our Prophet (saas) is this “smoke that will linger for years.” As a result of these phenomena, life will come to an end in the sea in the same way as on dry land. The seas, which impart a feeling of cool and comfort under normal circumstances, will suddenly give off an unbelievable heat. Giant waves will be replaced by clouds of flame, and the smoke in the air will consume much of the oxygen. This image of the boundless seas on fire and boiling from end to end will prevail across much of the planet and bring with it all kinds of disasters. The waters frothing and boiling under the effect of the powerful earthquakes occurring as the result of a collision between the Earth and a star will consume human settlements and lead to the disappearance of cities and islands. In addition, the changes in the ecological system will also cause the ice caps to melt, in turn leading to rising sea levels. This time, for which Allah has appointed a specific time, will be one of a terrifying series of merciless phenomena. That day will be one when people feel an indescribable fear and terror in their hearts. People will flee in all directions, looking for somewhere to take shelter. But everyone knows that there is no escape from that day. “Yet man still wants to deny what is ahead of him, asking ‘So when is the Day of Rising?’ But when the eyesight is dazzled, and the moon is eclipsed, and the sun and moon are fused together, on that Day man will say, ‘Where can I run?’ No indeed! There will be no safe place. That Day the only resting place will be your Lord. (Surat al-Qiyama, 5-12) BEFORE THAT DAY COMES… As time passes, the Judgment Day is rapidly approaching. The great majority of people think that it is generations long after their own that will be confronted by the Judgment Day. But a reminder needs to be issued here. Generations before our own thought along exactly the same lines and never even considered this event which they imagined would take place in the “far distant future.” The fact is, however, that everyone who has ever lived since mankind was first created will witness the events that take place on the Judgment Day and will be called together in the presence of Allah. There will be no escape for anyone on that day. Moreover, there is no guarantee that this day will not occur as you go about your daily life and make plans for the future. The life created by Allah within such great order will come to an end, together with that order itself, at a time unknown to us. That last day will be a terrifying one of great distress for deniers. For that reason, instead of not believing and waiting on events, it will be far more advantageous for people to believe in The Judgment Day and to have no doubt about its reality. It must not be forgotten that everyone will appear alone in the presence of Allah and be questioned on their own. That being the case, we need to make serious efforts and preparations for death and what follows. Because everyone will receive full recompense in the Hereafter for their actions in this world, suffering not the slightest injustice. “You who believe! Fear Allah and let each self look to what it has sent forward for Tomorrow. Fear Allah. Allah is aware of what you do. Do not be like those who forgot Allah so He made them forget themselves. Such people are the deviators. (Surat Al-Hashr, 18-19)
