Introduction

Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, has concealed knowledge of the Hour, so no one knows when it will happen except Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted. Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning), "Verily, Allah alone has knowledge of the Hour; it is He Who sends down rain and He knows what every womb contains. No soul knows what it will do on the morrow, and no soul knows in what land it will die. Verily, Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware." (Luqman 31:34)

Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr said, “The onset of the Hour is a matter of the unseen which no one knows anything about. Even though we know that it will happen on a Friday, we do not know which Friday it will be. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was asked about the Hour and when it would begin, and he said: “The one who is asked about it does not know more than the one who is asking.” He asked Jibril about it, and he said something similar (al-Bukhari, Muslim). And Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning), "Say: The knowledge thereof is with my Lord alone." (al-A‘raf 7:187) The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) has taught us about the portents and signs that will appear before it, and most or many of them have already appeared. Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning), "It will not come upon you but suddenly." (al-A‘raf 7:187)