Social signs

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Signs of the Hour described by the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) that Muslim scholars say are already visible. These are presented as correspondences between the wording and today's world, which readers can weigh for themselves.

Barefoot shepherds competing in buildingsVying over mosques

Barefoot shepherds competing in buildings

Sahih Muslim 8 (also Sahih al-Bukhari 50)Sahih (Muslim, al-Bukhari)
“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.”Sahih Muslim 8, English translation as given on sunnah.com

What happened

Within a lifetime of the oil discoveries, the Arabian Peninsula went from a largely pastoral economy to some of the highest buildings in the world, including the Burj Khalifa in Dubai (828 m, 2010).

The Muslim case

Yaqeen Institute and InfoIslam present this as a sign visible today. InfoIslam notes that the Arabic yatatawalun describes competition, each outdoing the other in height. IslamQA lists it among the signs.

Scope

The hadith speaks of competing in tall buildings; it does not say 'the tallest in the world'. It is offered as a strong correspondence with today's Gulf, not as the only possible fulfillment.

Vying over mosques

Sunan Abi Dawud 449Sahih (al-Albani), as shown on sunnah.com
“The Last Hour will not come until people vie with one another about mosques.”Sunan Abi Dawud 449, English translation as given on sunnah.com

What happened

Mosque building has become a field of prestige, with record-sized and lavishly decorated mosques built by states and patrons.

The Muslim case

Yaqeen Institute cites this with Ibn Abbas's comment that mosques would be ornamented as earlier communities ornamented their temples. The Ask Imam answer on islamqa.org lists competing in decorating mosques among the signs already apparent.

Scope

Ornate mosques also existed in earlier centuries; scholars describe this sign as having appeared and grown, not as a single event.

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