This excerpt is taken from Sheikh Hafiz Mubashir Hussain Lahori's book Signs of the Day of Judgment in the Light of Authentic Hadith.
Sign of the Day of Judgment: Incompetent people will take charge of positions
عن أبى هريرة رضى الله عنه قال : بينما رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم جالس يحدث القوم فى مجلسه حديثا ، جاءه أعرابي فقال : متى الساعة ؟ قال : إذا ضيعت الأمانة فانتظر الساعة ، قال : يا رسول الله ! كيف إضاعتها ؟ قال : إذا وسد الأمر إلى غير أهله فانتظر الساعة
Hazrat Abu Huraira (RA) narrates that the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was engaged in conversation with people in his gathering when a villager came and asked: O Messenger of Allah! When will the Day of Judgment come? The Prophet (PBUH) replied: When trust is lost, then await the Day of Judgment. He asked: O Messenger of Allah! How will trust be lost? The Prophet (PBUH) said: When affairs are entrusted to unworthy people, then await the Day of Judgment.
Reference: Bukhari: Book of Softening the Hearts: Chapter on Raising the Trust (6496) Ahmad (375/2) Al-Targhib wal Tarhib (123/1) Al-Sunan al-Kubra (118/10) Al-Jami' al-Saghir (136/1)
عن حذيفة بن اليمان رضى الله عنه أن النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم قال : لا تقوم الساعة حتى يكون أسعد الناس بالدنيا لكع بن لكع
It is narrated from Hazrat Hudhaifa (RA) that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: The Day of Judgment will not be established until the most fortunate among people is considered the most unfortunate and the son of the unfortunate.
Reference: Ahmad (482/5 - 430/2 - 472 - 607/3) Tirmidhi (2209) Al-Nihaya (231/1) Al-Jami' al-Saghir (200/2) Majma' al-Zawa'id (220/7) Sahih al-Jami' (142/6) Kanz al-Ummal (220/14) Dar Manshoor (51/6)
It is narrated from Hazrat Anas bin Malik (RA) that the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said: A few years before the emergence of the Dajjal, deceivers will become common, the truthful will be denied and the liars confirmed, the trustworthy will become treacherous and trusts will be placed with the treacherous, and in these (governmental affairs) a "Ruybaidha" will interfere. It was asked: Who is Ruybaidha? He said: A wicked person who will speak on public matters (issue rulings). (Meaning the unworthy will be made worthy).
Reference: Ahmad (383/2 - 446 - 277/3) Ibn Majah (4085) Hakim (512/4) Al-Nihaya (103/1) Al-Fath (91/13) Majma' al-Zawa'id (556/7) Mushkil al-Athar (305/1) Al-Silsila al-Sahihah (509/4)
It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Huraira (RA) that among the signs of the Day of Judgment is that lowly, despicable people will dominate (rule over) the righteous and noble people. Why, Ibn Mas'ud! Have you also heard this from my beloved Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)? Ibn Mas'ud (RA) said: Yes, by the Lord of the Kaaba.
Reference: Majma' al-Zawa'id (327/7) Al-Fath al-Bari (15/13)
In one narration, it is stated that lowly, despicable, and wicked people will dominate (take control of) the world.
Reference: Ahmad (535/5) Majma' al-Zawa'id (630/7)
It is narrated from Hazrat Hudhaifa (RA) that the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) told me two hadiths, one of which is: (Then a time will come when there will be no trustworthy person. It will be said that so-and-so is a trustworthy person among the people. It will also be said about him that he is very wise, high-spirited, and brave, while in his heart there will not be even a mustard seed of faith.)
Reference: Bukhari: Book of Softening the Hearts: Chapter on Raising the Trust (6497)
Hazrat Umar bin Khattab (RA) said that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH), while answering a question about the signs of the Day of Judgment, said: When naked, mute, deaf (hairless type) people become kings of the earth, then the Day of Judgment is near.
Reference: Bukhari: Book of Faith: Chapter on Gabriel's Question about Faith, Islam, and Ihsan (50) Muslim (7)
It is narrated from Ibn Umar (RA) that the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said: When the people of my Ummah become arrogant and the princes of Persia and Rome become their servants, then Allah will impose the worst people upon their best people.
Reference: Tirmidhi: Book of Tribulations: Chapter on When the Worst Will Be Imposed on the Best (2261)
It is narrated from Hazrat Hudhaifa (RA) that the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said: The Day of Judgment will not be established until you kill your Imam (Caliph) and fight among yourselves with swords, and besides this, the worst people among you will inherit your world.
Reference: Tirmidhi: Book of Tribulations: Chapter on What Has Been Mentioned About Enjoining Good (2170)
Hazrat Abu Huraira (RA) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: If your life is prolonged, you will see people who spend their days and nights in the wrath and curse of Allah, and in their hands will be sticks like the tails of oxen.
Reference: Muslim: Book of Paradise: Chapter on The Fire Will Be Entered by the Arrogant and Paradise by the Weak (2857)
Benefits:
➊ Incompetent people assuming or being assigned responsibilities is a sign of the Day of Judgment.
➋ In the present era, the emergence of this sign of the Day of Judgment is happening like the break of dawn.
➌ When this sign appears, for honorable people, it will be better to die (i.e., the belly of the earth) than to live on the surface of the earth.
➍ This sign will manifest when arrogance, luxury, abundance of wealth, numerous servants, and indifference to religion arise among people.
➎ Near the Day of Judgment, the worst and most wicked people will become favorites of the public and take control of politics and leadership.
➏ Undoubtedly, in the present era, the public willingly and lovingly elect irreligious, secular individuals who are far from Islamic teachings and religious thought as their rulers because such rulers provide them with obscenity, nudity, complete freedom, and other similar amenities, while capable and responsible individuals are kept away from positions and governments because they prove to be enemies of the un-Islamic lifestyle and play a role in promoting the Islamic way of life.
➐ If today the rulers and leaders of Muslims are judged and measured by the scale of Islam, except for a few, all others will be declared the worst.
➑ It is an established fact that if even one or two wicked and evil-minded people enter a neighborhood (town), all the honorable people of that area will seek refuge from their evil, yet those wicked people will dominate everyone.
➒ Today, in every small and large institution, such individuals will be seen holding control who have been described in the Ahadith with titles like despicable, wicked, and mean.
➓ We must seek every possible way to avoid becoming part of the list of these worst individuals and becoming the embodiment of the mentioned Ahadith through our actions and behavior.
