We believe in the portents of the Final Hour, foremost among them the emergence of the Antichrist (al-Dajjāl) — a momentous topic that every Muslim must understand, especially in times rife with ignorance and superstition.
The word ashrāṭ is the plural of sharṭ, meaning “sign.” From the same root comes the term shurṭī (policeman), so called because of the distinctive mark he wears. Thus, “the portents of the Hour” refers to the signs that herald its imminent arrival. Allah, Exalted be He, says, “Are they waiting for anything except the Hour to come upon them suddenly? Yet its tokens have already arrived” (Muḥammad 47:18). His words “Are they waiting” mean “Are they expecting,” and “suddenly” indicates that none but Allah knows its appointed time. He also says, “Its knowledge weighs heavy in the heavens and the earth; it will not come upon you except suddenly” (al-Aʿrāf 7:187).
Gabriel once asked the Prophet ﷺ, “Inform me about the Hour.” He replied, “The one who is asked knows no more about it than the one who is asking.” Gabriel then said, “Tell me about its portents.” He answered, “That a slave-girl will give birth to her mistress, and that you will see the barefoot, naked shepherds of sheep competing with one another in the construction of lofty buildings.” (1)
Scholars have classified the portents of the Hour into three categories:
- The minor signs, which have already taken place and are now past.
- The intermediate signs, which are still unfolding—such as the technological and communication advances of our age, the extraction of treasures from the earth, and the shrinking of distances between lands until the world appears like a single village,