Bukhari

Explanation:
This is also an allusion to those battles in which men were slain in great numbers, and only women remained.

Relevance between the Chapter and the Hadith:
The words that Imam Bukhari rahimahullah has cited in the chapter are «رفع العلم» “the removal of knowledge,” and the hadith he presents is «يقل العلم», meaning “the decrease of knowledge.” The relevance that arises here is in the sense that when a person of understanding and knowledge ceases to teach and spread his knowledge, it is inevitable that knowledge will become scarce. And as knowledge becomes scarce, just as time continues to turn, knowledge will continue to diminish until even that little knowledge is finally taken away.

◈ Allamah Ibn Battal rahimahullah says:
“If someone possesses the capability for knowledge, understanding, and aptitude, then seeking knowledge and engaging in it is more obligatory upon him than others. Therefore, he should strive in seeking knowledge, for if he does not acquire knowledge, he will ruin himself.” From this statement of Ibn Battal rahimahullah, it is also clear that if there is no connection with seeking knowledge, the scarcity of knowledge will increase, and that will lead to the removal of knowledge, which is among the signs of the Hour.” [شرح صحيح البخاري لابن بطال ج1 ص125 وفتح الباري ج1 ص 178]

◈ Hafiz Ibn Hajar rahimahullah says:
“The purpose of Imam Bukhari rahimahullah is to encourage the learning of knowledge, because knowledge will only be removed when the scholars depart, and as long as scholars remain, knowledge will remain. The disappearance of knowledge is among the signs of the Day of Judgment.” [فتح الباري، ج1، ص 178]

◈ Allamah Kirmani, relating the narration of Imam Rabi‘ah to the chapter heading, writes:
“The purpose of Rabi‘ah’s narration is to encourage the dissemination and propagation of knowledge, that if a scholar does not spread knowledge and dies in that state, the removal of knowledge will result in the prevalence of ignorance.” [الكواكب الداري، ج2، ص59]

◈ Allamah ‘Ayni rahimahullah says:
“Some scholars have said that its meaning is that it is not appropriate for a scholar to frequent the gatherings of worldly people; he should honor and respect his knowledge and not waste himself.” [عمدة القاري، ج2، ص 81]
Here, apparently, the statement of Allamah ‘Ayni rahimahullah does not establish a connection between the narration and the hadith. Responding to this objection, Allamah ‘Ayni himself says:
“When his coming and going to the worldly people becomes frequent, the scholarly dignity and respect for the people of knowledge will be lost. As a result, his engagement and concern for knowledge will gradually diminish, which will lead to the removal of knowledge and the emergence of deception.” [عمدة القاري، ج2، ص81]
↰ Therefore, from here the relevance between the chapter heading and the hadith becomes evident.

Benefit:
This prophecy of the Noble Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam has been fulfilled exactly. In this century, the prevalence of ignorance is not hidden from any person of understanding. Every day, the Shari‘ah and the consensus of the Ummah are being torn apart in print and electronic media, from which we seek Allah’s protection. Among the signs of the Day of Judgment mentioned in the above hadith are:
➊ The decrease of religious knowledge
➋ The spread of ignorance
➌ Open fornication (zina)
➍ The abundance of women and the scarcity of men, to the extent that for every man,
➎ there will be fifty women.
For this reason, Islam has granted permission for a man to marry up to four women. The removal of knowledge, the spread of ignorance, and the prevalence of fornication are clear, but the matter of there being fifty women for every man is a complex issue that is extremely important to understand.

The Number of Women in the Present Era:
If we analyze, naturally boys and girls are born in equal numbers, but a girl has a stronger immune system compared to a boy. A girl can resist diseases more than a boy; therefore, in early childhood, the mortality rate among boys increases more than among girls. In America, the number of women exceeds men by 7.8 million. In New York alone, women outnumber men by 1 million. Similarly, in Britain, the number of women is 5 million more than men. Likewise, in Russia, the number of women exceeds men by 9 million. Alhamdulillah, the prophecy made in the noble hadith is absolutely clear and correct. Before the Day of Judgment, one man will be responsible for fifty women. All these incidents and reports manifest the truthfulness of this prophecy.

Benefit Number 2:
The Manner of the Removal of Knowledge in Light of the Sahihayn and Other Books of Hadith
The manner of the removal of knowledge is narrated in the Sahihayn as follows, as related by Sayyiduna ‘Amr ibn al-‘As radi Allahu anhu, who said:
“I heard the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam say: Allah will not take away knowledge by snatching it from the servants, but He will take away knowledge by causing the scholars to die, until when no scholar remains, people will take ignorant ones as leaders. They will be asked questions and will give verdicts without knowledge, thus they will go astray and lead others astray.” [صحيح البخاري كتاب العلم رقم 100، صحيح مسلم كتاب العلم رقم 6796، رواه نسائي فى الكبري ج2 ص457]
↰ From the above hadith, it is understood that the manner of the removal of knowledge will be that the scholars will continue to pass away. However, from some narrations, it is understood that knowledge will be taken directly from the hearts, and so will the Qur’an.

◈ Imam Ibn Abi Shaybah rahimahullah has narrated in “al-Musannaf” the statement of Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud radi Allahu anhu:
«ما تفقدون من دينكم الأمانة، واخر ما تفقدون منه الصلاة، وسيصلي قوم لادين لهم وان هذي القرآن االذي بين أظهركم كأنه قد نزع منكم قال، قلت، كيف يا عبدالله ؟ وقد اثبته الله فى قلوبنا، قال يسرى عليه فى ليلة، ترفع المصاحف وينزع ما في القلوب ثم تلا : ﴿ولئن شئنا لنذهبن بالذي أوحينا إليك﴾ إلى آخر الآية» [المصنف ابن ابي شيبة كتاب الفتن رقم الحديث 37574]
“The loss that will occur in your religion will be the loss of trust, and besides that, the loss of prayer. Soon people will perform prayer, but they will be irreligious. And indeed, this Qur’an that is among you will surely be taken away. Among you (the narrator says), it was asked: How will the Qur’an be taken away, O ‘Abdullah, when Allah has established it in our hearts? (‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud radi Allahu anhu) replied: It will be taken away such that the mushaf will be lifted and what is in the hearts of people will also depart. Then he recited this verse from the Qur’an: «وَلَئِن شِئْنَا لَنَذْهَبَنَّ بِالَّذِي أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْكَ» al-ayah.”
↰ According to the narration of al-Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah, knowledge and the Qur’an will be taken away from the hearts, but there is a clear reconciliation between the two: initially, knowledge will depart by the scholars being taken away and there will be no bearers of their knowledge; later, even the insides of men and the pages will be taken away. «والله اعلم بالصواب»

Hadith Commentary:
This is also an allusion to those battles in which men were slain in great numbers, and only women remained.

Hadith Commentary:
1.
The address of Anas radi Allahu anhu is to the people of Basrah, and in Basrah, the death of Anas radi Allahu anhu occurred after all the other companions radi Allahu anhum ajma'in. Therefore, he said that after me, you will not find anyone to narrate this hadith.
In the first hadith, the removal of knowledge was declared as a sign of the Hour, and in this one, the scarcity of knowledge is mentioned.
There is no contradiction in this, because the decrease is the initial stage and its complete disappearance will be the final stage. That is, near the Hour, knowledge will gradually begin to decrease, and eventually it will be eliminated. Therefore, the only way to preserve knowledge is to strengthen the chain of teaching, so that when one scholar passes away, another can take his place.
(Fath al-Bari: 1/236)
2.
The reason given for the scarcity of men and abundance of women near the Hour is that in such times, there will be many wars.
One government will attack another government.
Just as America first attacked Afghanistan and today is attacking Iraq, tomorrow it will be the turn of another country.
In these wars, men will be killed and women will remain in abundance.
This number will increase to such an extent that there will be fifty women under the supervision of each man.
This does not mean that one man will, lawfully or unlawfully, keep fifty women in his house.
(Fath al-Bari: 1/236)
3.
The following signs of the Hour are mentioned in these ahadith:
Loss of knowledge, drinking of wine, fornication, abundance of women, scarcity of men.
In reality, the system of the world is connected to five things: religion, intellect, lineage, wealth, and life.
When these five begin to decline, the Hour will draw near.
The protector of religion is knowledge.
Wine is the enemy of intellect.
Fornication is deadly poison for lineage.
Mutual fighting and conflict result in the loss of wealth and life.
Among all these signs, the removal of knowledge will occur first, which we are witnessing today.
(Fath al-Bari: 1/236)

Hadith Commentary:
Hazrat Anas radi Allahu anhu was working as a preacher (muballigh) in Basra.
He passed away in Basra in the year 91 AH.
He was the last Companion (Sahabi) in Basra.
He lived to the age of one hundred years.
Radi Allahu anhu wa ardaah.

Hadith Commentary:
(1)
Anas radi Allahu anhu was appointed in Basra as a preacher. When he narrated this hadith, at that time no other Companion was alive, which is why he said: No one besides me will narrate this hadith.

(2)
In this hadith, frequent consumption of alcohol is considered a sign of the Hour (Qiyamah). Ibn Abbas radi Allahu anhu narrates that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: “If an addict of alcohol dies in that state, he will be presented before Allah as an idol-worshipper.” (Musnad Ahmad: 1/272, and al-Silsilah al-Ahadith al-Sahihah, no. 677) The severity of drinking alcohol can be well understood from the fact that if the people of a region persist in the use of alcohol, the Islamic government is permitted to use force against them. (Sunan Abi Dawud, al-Ashribah, Hadith: 3683)

Hadith Commentary: Many of the signs mentioned in the hadith have already appeared, and "the matter of the Hour is nothing but like the blink of an eye."

Hadith Commentary:
(1)
The purpose of "do not go near adultery" is to avoid its preludes and initial steps, such as: looking with desire, touching, or kissing. These acts are not adultery (zina) themselves, but they lead to adultery.

Near the end of times, adultery (zina) will become widespread; it will not be done in secret, but rather openly and blatantly in the streets and alleys.

This means that near the end of times, there will be an abundance of things that serve as precursors to adultery and immorality, due to which the epidemic of adultery will become widespread. In our era, the causes, means, and resources for adultery are abundantly present.

On the internet, television, cable, and at CD points, these means are widely available.

Hadith Commentary:
1.
The purpose of Imam Bukhari rahimahullah is to highlight the importance of teaching and propagation (tabligh). Therefore, scholars should continue to fulfill the duty of teaching and propagation. If someone possesses knowledge but does not spread it further, then he is also committing injustice to knowledge itself, because after his passing, a priceless treasure will be lost. The meaning of the statement of Rabi’ah al-Ra’i is also this: that one should not adopt such means by which his knowledge becomes restricted and limited.

2.
It is the duty of every scholar, to the extent of his ability, to prevent the signs of the Hour (Qiyamah). Therefore, the only way to prevent the removal of knowledge and the emergence of ignorance is that the process of propagation and teaching for the dissemination of knowledge should continue. The manifestation of ignorance will occur when the people of knowledge come to an end. From this, it is also understood that where knowledge is not valued, one should migrate from there. Scholars should choose to reside in such places where their knowledge can be of benefit.

3.
We have not been informed of the exact time of the Hour (Qiyamah), but the removal of knowledge and the emergence of ignorance have certainly been declared as its precursors. Therefore, it is the duty of scholars that we promote knowledge and continue striving to eliminate ignorance.

4.
It is our duty to prevent adultery (zina), and not to allow an environment of drinking and serving alcohol to develop. If, despite our efforts, adultery spreads or the era of drinking prevails, then we will not be held accountable for that. Similarly, it is our duty to prevent the emergence of ignorance and the removal of knowledge, which can be fulfilled through teaching and propagation.

Hadith Commentary:
The meaning of the hadith is that the responsibility of looking after widows among groups of fifty women will fall upon a single man, because the birth rate of men will decrease or they will be killed in battles.

Hadith Commentary:
The decrease in men and the abundance of women will be due to wartime circumstances or as a result of increased births; thus, nowadays, in most newlywed couples, the birth of girls is more common.

Hadith Commentary:
Vocabulary of the Hadith:
Ashrat:
Plural of shart,
Sign,
Indication,
Yadhhab al-rijal:
Due to war, conflict, and killing,
Men will gradually decrease,
The number of women will continue to increase,
The beginning of which has already occurred.

Benefits and Issues:
The guardian (qayyim) of fifty women,
A supervisor and protector,
This does not mean that he will marry all of them,
Rather, due to the scarcity of men,
He will be the protector of all the women of his family,
Because all the rest will have been killed, and Anas radi Allahu anhu mentioned this at a time
When, besides him, no other Companion was present in Basra, and he was among those few Companions
Who passed away among the very last.

Explanation:
1:
Anas radi Allahu anhu was the last Companion whose demise took place in Basra.
It is possible that he said this statement during the final period of his life.
It is evident that at that time, there would have been only a few such Companions remaining who had not heard this hadith from the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.

Benefits and Issues:

➊
“No one will narrate after me.”
This means that the Companions who heard this hadith from the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) have all passed away. In Basrah, the last Companion to pass away was Anas (radi Allahu anhu). He died in 91 AH.

➋
The lifting of knowledge refers to the passing away of scholars who are experts in religious sciences, as a result of which religious guidance will come to an end, and people, despite being considered knowledgeable, will be ignorant of the religion.

➌
Due to the widespread prevalence of obscenity, people will no longer have any aversion to shamelessness. Nowadays, our poetry, novels, and films, etc., are fully engaged in spreading indecency. Non-Muslims are teaching Muslim youth waywardness in the name of freedom, entertainment, and enlightenment, in which modern inventions such as TV, dish, VCR, cable, and the internet, etc., have greatly expanded and intensified this phenomenon.

➍
The emergence of new types of intoxicants is also proving true the prophecy of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam). It is the duty of Muslims to take every possible measure to protect themselves from these tribulations.

➎
The dangerously low number of men in society will be due to men being killed in wars, being killed in mutual disputes and riots, and men dying in various types of accidents, etc. As a result, the situation will arise where one man will be the guardian of many women, such as mothers, maternal aunts, grandmothers, daughters, sisters, nieces, and paternal nieces, etc.