This excerpt is taken from Sheikh Hafiz Mubashir Hussain Lahori's book Signs of the Day of Judgment in the Light of Authentic Hadiths.
Sign of the Day of Judgment: Immorality will spread
عن أبى أمامة الباهلي رضى الله عنه قال قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم : لينقضن عرى الإسلام عروة عروة فكلما انتقضت عروة تشبث الناس بالتي تليها وأولهن نقضا الحكم وآخرهن الصلاة
It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Imamah Bahili (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said: "The links of Islam will break one after another; when one breaks, people will hold onto the other. The first to break will be the command (the matter of Caliphate), and the last to break will be the establishment of prayer."
Reference: Ahmad (316/5) Hakim (104/4) Tabarani Kabir (98/8)
It is narrated from Ibn Farwaz (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: The links of Islam will break gradually, just as a rope (chain) breaks at intervals.
Reference: Ahmad (317/4)
عن أبى هريرة رضى الله عنه عن النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم قال : لا تقوم الساعة حتى يتقارب الزمان وينقص العمل
It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said: "The Day of Judgment will not be established until the time draws near and there will be a deficiency in deeds."
Reference: Bukhari: Book of Tribulations: Chapter on the Appearance of Tribulations (7061) Muslim (157) Ahmad (687/2) Abu Dawood (4255) Ibn Majah (4096)
It is narrated from Hazrat Abdullah bin Masood (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "Among the signs of the Day of Judgment is that a man will pass by a mosque but will not perform two units (rak'ahs) of prayer (Tahiyyatul Masjid) in it."
Reference: Ibn Khuzaymah (283/2) As-Silsilah As-Saheehah (253/2) Bazzar (147/4) Majma' Az-Zawa'id (329/7)
Hazrat Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "A time will come upon the people when the one who is patient in protecting his religion will be like the one who holds a burning coal in his hand."
Reference: Tirmidhi: Book of Tribulations: Chapter on the Patient on His Religion in Tribulations Like One Holding a Burning Coal (2260)
Benefits:
(1) Abandonment of Islamic teachings is a sign of the Day of Judgment.
(2) This sign has already occurred.
(3) Indifference towards Islamic teachings will gradually begin, and eventually, a time will come when there will be no one left on the face of the earth to call out "Allah Allah," nor will there be time when the command will be given to Hazrat Israfil to blow the trumpet.
(4) The first link of Islamic teachings to break will be the system of leadership and Caliphate, and history bears witness that the actual interruption of the Islamic Caliphate began with the establishment of autonomous and semi-autonomous states, and at the beginning of the twentieth century, a marvel like Mustafa Kemal completed the destruction of the Ottoman Caliphate with his "unmatched perfection."
(5) To promote wrongdoing, the last important duty to be undermined will be the establishment of prayer, and indeed, this process is ongoing in various places and times.
(6) A slight example of wrongdoing is that people, despite being near mosques, will not arrange for obligatory and voluntary prayers; many leaders will be seen at the foundation and inauguration ceremonies of mosques, yet they will not even be granted a single prostration before Allah.
(7) Those committing wrongdoing are not only the ignorant and common people but also great scholars and elites who fall prey to misdeeds.
(8) We should strive by all possible means to avoid this terrible sign of the Day of Judgment.
