As-Saa'a/Al-Qiyaama (The Hour/The Standing)
O, Muslims. The Hour is surely coming. Allah has tested us with the near total concealment of this reality. It is knowledge that we must SEEK and learn from its sources. {Inna as-saa'ata aatiyatun akaadu ukhfeehaa li tujzaa kullu nafsin be maa tas'aa} (see below). The only way to be prepared for it is to study Allah's revelation in its two parts and maintain consciousness of our final destination. Do not let this day come to you while you are unprepared. Allah said:
{Yaa ayyuhaa an-naasu ittaqoo rabbakum inna zalzalata as-saa'ati shai'un 'adheem (1) Yauma taraunahaa tadh-halu kullu murdhi'atin 'amma ardha'at wa tadha'u kullu dhaati hamlin hamlahaa wa taraa an-naasa sukaaraa wa maa hum bi sukaaraa wa lakinna 'adhaaba Allahi shadeedun (2) Wa min an-naasi man yujaadilu fiy Allahi bi ghairi 'ilmin wa yattibi'u kulla shaitaanin mareedin.}
{O people beware of your Lord. Surely, the tremors of the Hour is something horrendous. (1) On the day you see it, every nursing woman will completely forget the one she is nursing and every pregnant woman will lose her pregnancy and you will see the people drunk. They are not drunk, but Allah's punishment is severe. (2) And among the people are those who dispute about Allah without knowledge and they follow after every rebellious devil.} Al-Hajj:1-3
The meaning of Qiyama is the "Great Standing". This is the day when all mankind will stand before their Lord. The Arabic word also denotes momentous events taking place. So, Qiyama was call this for these two meanings: for the many awesome events which will take place that day, and for the standing of all people from all times before Allah in judgement. Allah said:
{Wailun lil-mutaffifeen (1) Alladhina idhaa iktaaloo 'alaa an-naasi yastaufoona (2) Wa idhaa kaaloohum au wazanoohum yukhsiroon (3) Alaa yadhunnu oolaa'ika annahum mab'uthoon (4) Li yaumin 'adheemin (5) Yauma yaqoomu an-naasu li rabbi al-'aalameen(6)}
{Woe to the minor cheaters in weights and measures (1) Those who, when they exchange by measure take full measure (2) But when they measure for others or weigh for them reduce it (3) Do these not think that they will be resurrected? (4) On a momentous day (5) They day when the people stand before the Lord of the Worlds(6)} Al-Mutaffifeen:1-6
This day has also been called As-Saa'a. The meaning of this word is a period of time (nowadays 1 hour). In Islamic terminology, the meaning of as-saa'a is the time or the day when Qiyaama begins. It is the day that this world is befallen with total destruction. The "Greatest Hour" (as-saa'atul kubraa) is the day all people will be brought forth from their graves, their accounts taken and their destinations set - to the torment of the fire or the bliss of the paradise.
Anyone who has heard of the Prophet (sas) Muhammad but did not believe fully in his message will be among the disbelievers - those whose punishment is hell-fire for eternity. The Prophet (sas) mentioned this in a hadith. Allah described those who "believe in some of the book and reject some" and those who "attempt to differentiate between Allah and His Prophets" as the TRUE disbelievers.
The first step to trying to make sure that we are believers able to face the day of Qiyaama is to rectify our salat. Every salat should be made in a masjid when that is possible. The Prophet (sas) explained that one salat in the masjid is equal to 26 prayers made at home. This does not apply to one who can hear the adhan being called. About this latter case, the Prophet (sas) said:
"Man sami'a an-nidaa'a falam ya'tihi falaa salaata lahu illa min 'udhrin."
"Whoever heard the call (adhan) and did not come to it has no prayer unless he did so with a valid reason." Ibn Hibban, Al-Haakim & others and it is sahih.
After the starting point of salat, every Muslim must seek to increase their knowledge of the authentic teachings of Islam, to hold fast to the Muslims and cling to the jama'a, cooperating in all that is righteousness. Go to listen to those who derive their teachings from the Qur'an and the Sunnah and who engage in no bid'a (innovation) of belief or practice. It is not simply a matter of knowing the five pillars! Islam is surely much more than that. There is so much false information about Islam these days. It is both old and new. Between all the old innovations of grave-worship, saint-worship and all sorts of superstitions and shirkiyaat and the modern waves of nationalism, secularism and "modernized" Islam which includes acceptance of all false religions as "valid" in the name of "tolerance"!
If you are not very well grounded in the correct knowledge of Islam, how will you face the fitna (test) of ad-dajjaal should he come in your lifetime? The Prophet (sas) said:
"Man sami'a bi ad-dajjaali fal yan'a 'anhu. Fa wa Allahi inna ar-rajula la ya'teehi wa huwa yahsabu annahu mu'minun fa yattib'uhu mimma yub'athu bihi min ash-shubuhaati."
"Whoever hears of ad-dajjaal, let him avoid him. For, by Allah, a man will come to him thinking himself to be a believer but then will follow him because of the confusing arguments with which he will be sent." Abu Daud & others and it is sahih.
Just as there is the worst Dajjal, who is a single individual, there are also dajaajeel or minor ones or 30 kadh-dhaaboon - 30 incessant liars as foretold by the Prophet (sas), "each and every one of them imagines or claims himself to be a prophet". Two things will allow any of us to be seduced and led astray by the liars: following of hawaa and weakness in knowledge. A third and even more fatal flaw which leaves us completely exposed is not holding fast to our fellow Muslims and being as a single body, as a well-mortared wall against our enemy and his legions. This leaves us like the lone sheep who wanders from the herd in a land full of wolves and this wallahi is the state of most of us.
One of the most important forms of knowledge is to acquire CERTAINTY of the coming of Qiyama. This is not mere profession or theoretical belief that it is real, rather it is a consistent AWARENESS of its approach which accompanies the Muslims every moment of his/her life. Allah said:
{Iqtaraba li an-naasi hisaabuhum wa hum fiy ghaflatin mu'ridhoon.}
{The people's account-taking has drawn near but they are in unawareness, turning away.} Al-Anbiyaa':1
This is the single biggest test with Allah tests us in this life. We cannot see, touch, hear, smell or feel the hereafter. No one can come back from there and tell us about it. We only know about it from the revelations which Allah has sent to His creation, only the last of which is still intact. This knowledge, this consciousness must be SOUGHT. It is sought through living with the signs of Allah (His verses) and the explanations of the Prophet (sas), through pondering them, keeping them in our concsiousness and making them a real part of our inner and outer reality. Many will fail to do so. They will be distracted by this life and by their own hawaa (ideas, desires and inclinations). Allah said:
{Inna as-saa'ata aatiyatun akaadu ukhfeehaa li tujzaa kullu nafsin bima tas'aa. (15) Fa laa yasuddannaka 'anhaa man lam yu'minu bihaa wa ittaba'a hawaahu fa tardaa.}
{The Hour is surely coming. I have practically hidden it in order that each soul may be repayed for the level of its effort. So let now those divert you from it who have not believed in it and who have followed their own inclinations such that you are destroyed.} Taha:15-16
Finally, this knowledge, belief and certainty must be translated in to ACTION and be reflected in our lives every minute of every day. It is not enough to merely PROFESS such belief. If it is real, it will manifest in our lives and our actions, individually and collectively.
The Prophet (sas) warned us that the Hour is close. We should live every day like it could come any minute. The Prophet (sas) said:
"Bu'ithtu anaa wa as-saa'atu ka haataini, ka fadhli ihdaahumaa 'alaa al-ukhraa." Wa dhamma as-sabaaba wa al-wustaa.
"My being sent and the Hour are like these two, like the increase of one of them over the other." And he (sas) put is pointer and middle fingers together. Bukhari & Muslim
Also, there are many, many signs of its approach mentioned in the Qur'an and the hadith. Most of them have come to pass. The Prophet (sas) was once asked when Qiyama will come and he (sas) answered as follows:
"Idhaa dhuyyi'at al-amaanatu fantidhir as-saa'ata." Qaala: Wa kaifa idhaa'atuhaa? Qaala: "Idhaa wussida al-amru ilaa ghairi ahlihaa fantidhir as-saa'ata."
"When trustworthiness is lost, expect the Hour." He said: And how is it lost? He (sas) said: "When power is in the hands of the wrong people, expect the Hour." BukhariWahb ibn Munabbih said: "When the Hour comes, the rocks will scream like the screaming of women..."