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: The Emergence of Tribulations:
عن أبى هريرة رضى الله عنه أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال : بادروا بالأعمال فتنا كقطع الليل المظلم يصبح الرجل مؤمنا ويمسي كافرا ، أو يمسي مؤمنا ويصبح كافرا ، يبيع دينه بعرض من الدنيا
Hazrat Abu Huraira (RA) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: Hurry to perform righteous deeds (because) trials will descend like pieces of a dark night. A person will be a believer in the morning and become a disbeliever by the evening, or he will be a believer in the evening but will have become a disbeliever by the morning. He will sell his religion for the temporary world.
Reference: (Muslim: Book of Faith: Chapter on Urging to hasten in good deeds before the appearance of trials: 118, Tirmidhi: 2196, Ahmad: 304/2)
وعن أم سلمة رضي الله عنها زوج النبى قالت : استيقظ رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ليلة فزعا ، يقول : سبحان الله ماذا أنزل الله من الخزائن ؟ وماذا أنزل من الفتن ؟ من يوقظ صواحب الحجرات ، يريد أزواجه ، لكي يصلين ؟ رب كاسية فى الدنيا عارية فى الآخرة
Hazrat Umm Salama (RA) said that one night the Noble Prophet (PBUH) woke up distressed and said: Glory be to Allah! How many treasures and trials have been sent down from Allah? Who will wake up the women of the chambers (the wives of the Prophet) so that they may pray? There are many women who will be dressed in this world but will be naked in the Hereafter.
Reference: (Bukhari: Book of Trials: Chapter No time comes except that the one after it is worse: 7069)
وعن أبى هريرة رضى الله عنه قال قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يتقارب الزمان وينقص العمل ويلقى الشح وتظهر الفتن ويكثر الهرج ، قالوا وما الهرج يا رسول الله ؟ قال : القتل ، القتل
Hazrat Abu Huraira (RA) said that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said (signs of the Day of Judgment are): The time will come near, deeds will decrease, stinginess will become widespread, trials will become apparent, and killing will increase. The companions (RA) asked, O Messenger of Allah (PBUH), what is killing? He said: Killing, killing.
Reference: (Bukhari: Book of Trials: Chapter on the appearance of trials: 7061, Muslim: 11, Abu Dawood: 4255, Ibn Majah: 4101, Ahmad: 380/2)
عن أسامة رضى الله عنه أن النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم أشرف على أطم من آطام المدينة ، ثم قال : هل ترون ما أرى؟ قالوا : لا ، قال : إني لأرى مواقع الفتن خلال بيوتكم كمواقع القطر
Hazrat Usama (RA) said that the Prophet (PBUH) climbed a high house in Medina and then said: Do you also see what I see? The companions (RA) said: No, O Messenger of Allah (PBUH)! Then he (PBUH) said: Indeed, I see trials falling among your houses like drops of rain.
Reference: (Muslim: Book of Trials: Chapter on the descent of trials like drops: 7245)
Benefits:
(1) A sign of the Day of Judgment is that trials and tribulations will increase. The word fitnah is used for tests, trials, and undesirable things such as sin, disbelief, murder, and plundering, etc.
Reference: (Al-Nihayah fi Gharib al-Hadith: 410/3, Fath al-Bari: 13/3)
(2) Its manifestation has already occurred since the Prophetic era (peace be upon him) and it continues to increase abundantly.
(3) Fitnah is actually an imperceptible thing, but Allah Almighty, by His perfect power, showed its existence to the Prophet (peace be upon him).
(4) Upon the emergence of fitnah, the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him) also made partial prophecies which will be detailed later.
Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) is a barrier among the fitnahs:
It is narrated from Hazrat Hudhaifa (may Allah be pleased with him) that Hazrat Umar ibn Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) asked who had memorized the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) regarding trials and tribulations. Hazrat Hudhaifa (may Allah be pleased with him) replied that I have memorized them word for word. Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Present them, you are indeed courageous. He said: The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: A man's family and wealth are a trial for him, which prevent him from prayer, zakat, enjoining good, and forbidding evil. Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I am not asking about this trial; I am asking about the trial that will surge like the waves of the sea. Hazrat Hudhaifa (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Commander of the Faithful! You should not be troubled by that trial because there is a closed door (barrier) between you and that trial. Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) asked: Will that door be opened or broken? I said: It will be broken. He said: Then surely it cannot be closed? I said: Yes. We asked Hazrat Hudhaifa (may Allah be pleased with him) if Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) knew about this door. He said: Yes! Just as I am certain that night will come before tomorrow, because I had mentioned something that was not baseless. We were afraid to ask him who that door was, so we asked Masruq (may Allah have mercy on him), a Tabi'i, to ask. When he asked who that door was, he replied: That door was Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him).
Reference: (Bukhari: Book of Trials: Chapter on the Trial that Surges like the Waves of the Sea: 7096)
Benefits:
(1) Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was indeed a strong barrier amidst the trials.
(2) The door refers to Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) himself.
(3) The breaking of the door was an indication of his martyrdom.
(4) Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) himself knew the intended meaning of the hadith.
(5) The trials refer to bloodshed and killing and plundering, which began after the martyrdom of Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) and have not ceased to this day; rather, they will gradually increase until the Day of Judgment.
(6) Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was martyred by a slave of Magian descent named Firoz Abululu during the dawn prayer.
