The End is near - Reaching for the Skies

There are many signs of End times mentioned in the various books of Hadith, some of them have been passed and some of them are yet to come. Now a days, every aware person can easily find the sign everywhere with every passing day. I brought up in a moderate Muslim family but my parents and my grandparents told us about the Antichrist and the tribulations of the coming days in bits and pieces. One of them was about the Sky scrapers as the sign of End times.  Now, I am witnessing the sign that was told by my parents when I was just a kid.

Few days ago, I read an article on a news website about a building called “Kingdom Tower”. That building will be constructed by Saudi government in the period of four years (2018).

Kingdom Tower at Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

The total estimated cost to build the Kingdom Tower is $1.23 billion (USD) and It will be the tallest building ever constructed in the world (1000 m). This news reminded me a hadith written in Sahih Bukhari:

Narrated Abu Huraira:

One day while the Prophet was sitting in the company of some people, (The angel) Gabriel came and asked, "When will the Hour be established?" Allah's Apostle replied, "The answerer has no better knowledge than the questioner. But I will inform you about its portents. 

1. When a slave (lady) gives birth to her master. 

2. When the shepherds of black camels start boasting and competing with others in the construction of higher buildings. And the Hour is one of five things which nobody knows except Allah.

Bukhari :: Book 2 :: Volume 1 :: Hadith 47

Now the Arab nations are competing with each other to build the skyscrapers. The shepherds of black camels are now the owner of the world’s best luxurious hotels like Burj Al Arab and the world’s tallest buildings. Burj Kalifa is tallest building (828 m) ever built so far is situated in Dubai. In 2012, Saudis constructed the “The Makkah Royal Clock tower” hotel (601 m), which was the second highest skyscraper in the world in 2012 (Now the third highest) and now they are competing with UAE and constructing the 1007 m tall “The Kingdom Tower” at Jeddah. The race for reaching for the skies by constructing the skyscrapers has begun.

Burj Khalifa at Dubai, UAE

The world’s tallest building, the tallest residential building and the tallest hotel are all constructed in UAE and Saudi Arabia.

• Constructed in 1990, Jeddah Light House (113 m) is the tallest light house in the world.
• Constructed in 1993, World’s tallest minaret(210 m) Hassan II Mosque, Casablanca, Morocco.
• In the year 1999, Burj Al Arab (321 m) was the tallest building in the world used as a hotel.
• Constructed in 2007, The Rose Tower, Dubai (333 m) is the second tallest hotel in the world.
• Constructed in 2010, Burj Khalifa (828 m) is still the tallest man-made structure in the world.
• In the year 2012, The Makkah Royal Clock Tower (601 m) was the second tallest building in the world (Now third tallest).
• Constructed in 2012, the Princess tower (413 m) is the world’s tallest residential building.
• Constructed in 2012, JW Marriott Marquis Dubai Tower (355 m)is the tallest hotel in the world.
• In the year 2018, the Kingdom tower (1007 m) would become the tallest building ever constructed in the world.

Makkah Clock Tower Hotel

   Burj Al Arab at Dubai, UAE

Princess Tower Dubai, UAE

Rose Tower Dubai, UAE

JW Marriott Marquis Dubai Tower

Some buildings are still in construction phase and soon will be included in the list of greatest skyscrapers in the world.

• Pentominium, Dubai (516 m)
• Burj Al Alam, Dubai (510 m)
• Diamond Tower, Jeddah (432 m)
• Dream Dubai Marina (432 m)
• Marina 106, Dubai (425 m)
• Lighthouse Tower, Dubai (402 m)
• Capital Market Authority Headquarters, Riyadh (400 m)

When I saw pictures of Makkah clock tower few years back on the Internet, I was totally amazed and speechless because I never thought that I will see the prophecies of Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h) with my own eyes. The signs are now clearly visible to us.

Narrated Sayyidn'a Abdullah bin Umar: 

When the belly of Makkah will be cleft open and through it will be dug out river-like passages (i.e. tunnels) and the buildings of the Holy City of Makkah will rise higher than its mountains, when you observe these signs, then understand that the time of trial(Judgment day) is near at hand

Nu`aym b. Hammad narrated it with its chain in Kitab al-Fitan (1:43 no. 59).

Picture speaks itself - Buildings higher than the mountains.

Above mentioned Hadith was not understandable few years ago. But now, every word of the Hadith is fully understandable to us. From dusty port towns to wealthy and luxurious cities, UAE and other Arab countries reached the height of advancement in few years when oil was discovered in the Gulf. As mentioned in Sahih Muslim's hadith:

Abdullah ibn Umar said: My father, Umar ibn al-Khattab, told me: One day we were sitting in the company of Allah's Apostle (peace be upon him) when there appeared before us a man dressed in pure white clothes, his hair extraordinarily black. There were no signs of travel on him. None amongst us recognized him. At last he sat with the Apostle (peace be upon him) He knelt before him placed his palms on his thighs and said: Inform me about the hour (of the Doom). He (the Holy Prophet) remarked: One who is asked knows no more than the one who is inquiring (about it). He (the inquirer) said: Tell me some of its indications. He (the Holy Prophet) said: That the slave-girl will give birth to her mistress and master, that you will find barefooted, destitute goat-herds vying with one another in the construction of magnificent buildings.

Muslim :: Book 1 : Hadith 1 

Dubai, 1970s

Not only Arabs, nations all over the globe are participating in the race to build skyscrapers.

Narrated Abu Huraira: 

Allah's Apostle said, "The Hour will not be established till the people compete with one another in constructing high buildings".

Bukhari :: Book 88 :: Volume 9 :: Hadith 237

In the last decade, many tallest buildings were constructed in different parts of the world. Some of them are:

• Shanghai Tower, China (632 m) constructed in 2014
• One World Trade Centre, USA (541.3 m) constructed in 2013
• Taipei 101, Taiwan (509 m) constructed in  2004
• International Commerce Centre, Hong Kong  (484 m) constructed in 2010
• Petronas Tower, Malaysia (452) constructed in 1998
• Al Hamra Firdous Tower, Kuwait (413 m) constructed in 2011

Construction of Skyscraper in Middle East is the most visible sign of the End times.The signs are everywhere, you just have to look around and realize the fact that “The end is near”.

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Independent Sindh - An Analysis

Today, when I was surfing the net, I saw a picture on facebook. That picture was posted by a Sindhi nationalist Page showing some Hajis wearing Ahraams are waving the flag of Azad Sindhu Desh at Makkah, Saudi Arabia.  I was shocked to see that photo because every Muslim knows that at the time of Hajj all the people around the world are not recognized by their ethnicity but only by their religion and that is Islam. All the Hajjis wear the same clothes to show the unity among Muslims.

I think, it is a shameful act done by some lunatic ethnic nationalists. Seculars and ethnic nationalists always accused religion that it creates division among humans but they forget that at the time of Hajj the religion i.e. Islam removes and overrides all the ethnic, man-made divisions. All the people from different part of the world walking side by side, wearing same clothes reciting the same religious prayers shows the great integrity among humans.

Few years back, I met a guy who is a pure Sindhi nationalist and a great supporter of Azad Sindhu Desh. During our conversation, I asked some questions to him and he could not give me a single reply with solid arguments. The questions were:

• If Sindh becomes an independent state than how would Sindh prevent the threat of Kala Bagh Dam?
• What changes the independent state of Sindh will bring in the lives of common people of Sindh? Is there any benefit for poor, enslaved Haaris (Farmers) by the feudalism?
• Economic condition of Sindh except Karachi is not good enough. How will Independent Sindh survive?
• For the security and survival of Independent Sindh, you will have to be relying on India or you want to integrate with India?

Independence of Sindh is a worst case scenario for the Sindh itself. After the independence of Sindh there will be no moral or legal way to restrict the rest of the Pakistan to make Kala bagh dam and according to the people of Sindh, it is the matter of life and death to them.

I think, Independent Sindh will not bring any positive change to the lives of poor people of Sindh. They are being slaved by feudalism and they will be because after independence, the same feudal system will run the government. Oppression of feudalism will never end.

Sindh’s economic conditions and literacy rate is too low to survive as an independent state. On the other hand, feudal system will not allow the people to educate themselves. Without education, no country can excel.

For the security and survival, Independent Sindh will have to depend on Indian military, like Bangladesh. But in Bangladesh, feudal system was eliminated by the true leadership of Pakistan i.e. Liaqat Ali Khan after independence that is why Bangladesh successfully survived without further help of India as a separate state. But the scenario about Sindh is different. Feudal system has very long roots in the soil of Sindh.  There are two possible way for survival:

1. Allow Indian military to come to Sindh’s soil and defend it against the rest of the Pakistan, or
2. Integrate into India as another province.

In the above mentioned scenarios, there will be no independence for Sindh. It is far better to be integrated with a Muslim state than with a Non-Muslim state i.e. India.

Independence of Sindh is not the solution for the problems faced by the people. Sindh is not enslaved by Pakistan or Punjab etc. but it is enslaved by the feudal system. They have to eliminate the feudal system to free themselves by the feudal tyrants.