…The Prophet, peace be upon him, said to Gabriel: “The one questioned about it knows no more than the questioner,” meaning that neither you nor I know when the Hour will occur. Allah, majestic and exalted, has not disclosed this to the angels, the messengers, or anyone else; He has kept that knowledge exclusively for Himself. (53) He then said, “Inform me about its portents.” The word amarat is the plural of amara, meaning “sign” or “indication,” whereas imara (with a short i) denotes “governorship.” “Inform me about its portents,” that is, the signs that signal the Hour’s approach. Indeed, the Hour has signs which Allah has clarified: some minor, some major, some intermediate, and some that will appear right as the Hour is established, very close to its onset. Scholars therefore group the signs of the Hour into three categories: minor and early signs, intermediate signs, and major signs. The minor and intermediate signs have all already taken place, or most of them have. The major signs—the emergence of the Dajjal (Antichrist), the descent of Isa (Jesus), the appearance of the Beast, and the release of Ya’juj and Ma’juj (Gog and Magog)—will occur when the Hour is at hand, one following the other in rapid succession.