When we look at the hadith signifying the time of the Day of Judgment, it is seen that there is not an unanimity amongst the hadiths regarding the time given.
In such a case, one needs to look at the common point on which all hadiths agree. For instance when we analyse the 8 hadith, compiled by the great scholar of Ahl-Sunnah, al-Suyuti, that narrates the age of the Earth to be 7000 years, we see that all these hadiths reveal one single point which they agree on unanimiously. The similarity of the events related in the hadith yet the disagreement on the time signify an error made during the transmission of the hadith from our Prophet’s (saas) time to our day. For this reason one needs to accept the transmission errors on the hadiths about the Day of Judgment and notice the common point they relate.
1. EXPLANATION
From the hadith regarding the time of the Day of Judgment, we understand that people will live 120 years from the beginning of the End Times to the Day of Judgment. This period will be the last times of the earth that will commence with the prevelance of irreligious systems, continue with the appearance of Hazrat Mahdi (as) and the second coming of Prophet Jesus (as) and the prevelance of the morality of religion over the entire world, and end with the eradication of the morality of Islam and dominance of irreligion. That is to say, at the begining and end of this period of 120 years, the movement of irreligion will be severe while in the middle the morality of Islam will prevail and the Golden Age will dominate.
It is not a wise and rational attitude to indicate the time of the Day of Judgment in the distance and to prevent people to feel the due awe for it. Even if it will be far off, every individual will witness the Day of Judgment when he dies.
In a hadith related from our Prophet (saas):
During a conversation, a deep noise came. Our Prophet (saas) said: “That is the sound of a rock which has been rolling down hill for seventy years and has at this moment come to rest in the very pit of Hell.” Five minutes after he made this strange announcement, someone came and said: “Such-and-such a dissembler has died. He was seventy years old, and has gone to Hell,” (Muslim, Janna, 31, No: 2844; Musnad, iii, 341, 346)
As this hadith also states, although our Prophet (saas) and other people around him were alive, the hypocrite mentioned in the hadith died, he was put on trial and sent to the Hell. All these events occurred very rapidly. For this reason, because all people who die will experience the Day of Judgment, trying to show that it will occur far in the future only to make people feel no fear for it would not be a decent act. Besides, this will not change the facts.
2. EXPLANATION
The second explanation of the hadith, sun rising from the West may be the appearance of Hazrat Mahdi (as) from the West. Indeed, in another hadith revealed by our Prophet (saas) Hazrat Mahdi (as) is compared to a Sun.
HAZRAT MAHDI (AS) IS THE SUN WHO WILL DO AWAY WITH ALL TROUBLES AND OPPRESSION. When he bestows goodness he is fertile rain. (Al-Barzanji, Al-Isha'ah li-ashrat al-sa'ah, p. 188)
Besides, in a hadith revealed by our Prophet (saas) it is related that Hazrat Mahdi (as) will appear from the “West.” In the hadith revealed by Hafiz Abu Nuaim our Prophet (saas) told:
In such a troublesome time a person FROM THE FAR END OF THE (WESTERN) COUNTRY and one of the sons of our Prophet’s (saas) blessed daughter Fatima will appear. That individual is Hazrat Mahdi (as) who will engage in activities at the End Times. The appearance of Hazrat Mahdi (as) is the first of the portents of the Day of Judgment. (Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir az-Zaman, p.16)
As is known, Turkey is located in the West end of Islamic countires. The information in the hadith reveal that Hazrat Mahdi (as) will appear from Turkey. When this hadith is considered, one may think that the information in the hadith revealing that the Sun will rise from the West signifies that Hazrat Mahdi (as) will also appear from the West.
In this case, based on the information in the other hadith revealed by our Prophet (saas), for the appearance of Hazrat Mahdi (as), if we take the Hijri 1400 year for the appearance of Hazrat Mahdi (as) as a basis, the phrase that the Day of Judgment will commence after 120 years the Sun rises from the West corresponds to the Hijri year 1520.
The date provided by Said Nursi, that is the Hijri year 1520 are the years that Muslims will lose their strenghth and the system of irreligion will prevail the world. According to the explanations of Bediuzzaman Said Nursi 20-25 years after these years the Day of Judgment is awaited. (Allah knows the truth.)
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