Questions Belief

Is the Day of Judgement near?

Pending review by our scholars

Short answer

Yes, in the sense the Quran uses: the Hour has drawn near, and the Prophet ﷺ said he and the Hour were sent like two fingers side by side. But no one knows its date except Allah. Many minor signs have appeared; the major signs, such as the Dajjal and the return of Isa, have not.

Hanafi position

Belief in the Last Day and its signs is part of iman. Its time is part of the unseen known only to Allah, so anyone who claims to know the date of the Hour contradicts the Quran.

The four schools agree on this.

Explanation

The Quran says "The Hour has come near" (54:1) and "their account has approached" (21:1). This was said fourteen centuries ago, because the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is the last prophet and his ummah the last ummah. He held up his index and middle fingers and said he and the Hour were sent like these two. Near, in Allah's measure, is not near by our clocks: a day with your Lord is like a thousand years (22:47).

The exact time is hidden. When people asked the Prophet ﷺ about it, Allah told him to say its knowledge is only with his Lord and that it will come suddenly (7:187). So ignore videos and posts that give a year for the end of the world.

Scholars divide the signs into two groups. Minor signs are spread across history, and many have appeared, such as the spread of ignorance, the bare-footed shepherds competing in tall buildings and time seeming to pass quickly. The ten major signs come close together near the very end. In Sahih Muslim the Prophet ﷺ listed them: the smoke, the Dajjal, the Beast, the sun rising from the west, the descent of Isa, Ya'juj and Ma'juj, three great landslides in the east, the west and Arabia, and a fire from Yemen driving people to their gathering place. None of the major signs has happened yet.

For each of us, the nearest "hour" is our own death, which could come at any time. The sensible response is to repent and prepare. Read the full list in signs of the Day of Judgement.

The evidence

Quran, Surah Al-Qamar 54:1

بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ ٱقْتَرَبَتِ ٱلسَّاعَةُ وَٱنشَقَّ ٱلْقَمَرُ ﴿١﴾

The Hour has come near, and the moon has split [in two].

States that the Hour has drawn near.

Quran 54:1, translation by Sahih International

Quran, Surah Al-A'raaf 7:187

يَسْـَٔلُونَكَ عَنِ ٱلسَّاعَةِ أَيَّانَ مُرْسَىٰهَا ۖ قُلْ إِنَّمَا عِلْمُهَا عِندَ رَبِّى ۖ لَا يُجَلِّيهَا لِوَقْتِهَآ إِلَّا هُوَ ۚ ثَقُلَتْ فِى ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۚ لَا تَأْتِيكُمْ إِلَّا بَغْتَةًۭ ۗ يَسْـَٔلُونَكَ كَأَنَّكَ حَفِىٌّ عَنْهَا ۖ قُلْ إِنَّمَا عِلْمُهَا عِندَ ٱللَّهِ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ ٱلنَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ ﴿١٨٧﴾

They ask you, [O Muhammad], about the Hour: when is its arrival? Say, "Its knowledge is only with my Lord. None will reveal its time except Him. It lays heavily upon the heavens and the earth. It will not come upon you except unexpectedly." They ask you as if you are familiar with it. Say, "Its knowledge is only with Allah, but most of the people do not know."

No one but Allah knows when the Hour will come.

Quran 7:187, translation by Sahih International

Quran, Surah Al-Ahzaab 33:63

يَسْـَٔلُكَ ٱلنَّاسُ عَنِ ٱلسَّاعَةِ ۖ قُلْ إِنَّمَا عِلْمُهَا عِندَ ٱللَّهِ ۚ وَمَا يُدْرِيكَ لَعَلَّ ٱلسَّاعَةَ تَكُونُ قَرِيبًا ﴿٦٣﴾

People ask you concerning the Hour. Say," Knowledge of it is only with Allah. And what may make you perceive? Perhaps the Hour is near."

The Hour may be near, but its time is with Allah alone.

Quran 33:63, translation by Sahih International

Sahih al-Bukhari 6504

Sahih

... بُعِثْتُ أَنَا وَالسَّاعَةُ كَهَاتَيْنِ ...

"I and the Hour have been sent like these two (fingers)."

Shows the Prophet's coming marked the closeness of the Hour.

Sahih al-Bukhari 6504 · Sahih · Read on sunnah.com

Sahih Muslim 2901

Sahih

... إِنَّهَا لَنْ تَقُومَ حَتَّى تَرَوْنَ قَبْلَهَا عَشْرَ آيَاتٍ ...

"It will not come until you see ten signs before it."

Introduces the ten major signs of the Hour.

Sahih Muslim 2901 · Sahih · Read on sunnah.com

Where the ruling is recorded

  • al-Fiqh al-Akbar (Imam Abu Hanifa), Section on the signs of the Hour. Affirms the major signs, including the Dajjal, Ya'juj and Ma'juj, the sun rising from the west and the descent of Isa.

This answer is pending review by the scholars on our team. Quran translation by Sahih International. Hadith Arabic from the standard editions of the six books and the Muwatta, with gradings as recorded there; the English is our own rendering. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.