What Have You Prepared?

يَسْـَٔلُكَ النَّاسُ عَنِ السَّاعَةِۗ قُلْ اِنَّمَا عِلْمُهَا عِنْدَ اللّٰهِۗ وَمَا يُدْرِيْكَ لَعَلَّ السَّاعَةَ تَكُوْنُ قَرِيْبًا

“People ask you in disbelief about the appointed time for the Hour of Judgment, O Prophet. Say to them: Indeed, its precise knowledge is only with God. But what is it that shall make you realize that it is surely coming? Perhaps the Hour of Doom is already very near! (Surat Al-Ahzab, Aya 63) (Translation by Ahmad Zaki Hammad)

It’s a new year. Another year of life gifted to us by Allah ﷻ. Another year of opportunities for us to repent, change, and become better Muslims. Another year in this temporary Dunya that is nothing other than a distraction and a test. Another year of genocide, murdering of the innocent, destruction, and sadness for our ummah. However, it was also a year of khair, as we saw a true tyrant of Bilad Al-Sham fall from power through the will and grace of Allah ﷻ. Our Syrian brothers and sisters are finally free from the cruelty, torture, and persecution that they faced for the last 50 years under that family regime. Throughout all of this, all we can say is “Alhamdulillah.” All praise is due to Allah ﷻ. However, one question that we need to ask ourselves at the conclusion of yet another year: What have we changed about ourselves?

All of the death and destruction taking place not only in Bilad Al-Sham, but all around the world, especially to the Muslims is a sign of the Final Hour. Every day is a day closer to this Day of Resurrection. What have we prepared for it?

In Surat Ar-Ra’d, verse number 11, Allah ﷻ says that He “does not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves.” Meaning that Allahﷻ will not make a massive change in the ummah collectively until each Muslim works on and improves themselves first. This is actually a mercy from Allah ﷻ but we fail to recognize it at times.

While we live through witnessing all these atrocities and calamities that our brothers and sisters overseas are facing from a country on the other side of the world, it is easy for us to feel hopeless. It is easy for us to feel like we are unable to do anything from here. From His mercy, Allah ﷻ tells us in this verse that He does not expect us to be able to physically help all our fellow Muslims in need. Allah ﷻ is not looking at the result, He is looking at the effort. Allah ﷻ wants to see the effort that each of us individually made to make a change in ourselves to become better Muslims. We are far from perfect. There is always so much that we can and need to fix in our lives. If the Messenger of Allah ﷺ himself, who was the only perfect human to exist and was protected from wrongdoing, was worried about his akhira, then what about us?

After witnessing these atrocities unfold over the course of the last year and a half, a fire for change should have sparked underneath us. Everyone knows of things that they can do better. Whether it be Salah, our relationship with the Quran, attending the Masjid more regularly, or quitting a recurring sin. Allah ﷻ is going to question us on the Day of Judgement about these changes that we made or didn’t make in our lives. If you have not done so in 2024, Allah ﷻ is giving you another chance once again to better yourself in the year 2025, out of His mercy. In fact, we may very well not be alive to witness the year 2026. We do not know when our time will finish.

It was narrated by Anas Ibn Malik, in Sahih Al-Bukhari, that “A man asked the Prophet ﷺ “When will the Hour be established O Allah’s Messenger ﷺ?” The Prophet ﷺ said, “What have you prepared for it?” The man said, ” I haven’t prepared for it much of prayers or fast or alms, but I love Allah and His Apostle.” The Prophet ﷺ said, “You will be with those whom you love.” Look at how the Messenger ﷺ responded to this question. Instead of wondering when the last hour is, we need to ask ourselves what we have prepared for it.

We all are still falling very short and have much to prepare. We are nowhere close to being ready for it and we never will be! That is why even the Prophet ﷺ himself was still worried about the akhira. We should be using these tests that our brothers and sisters overseas are facing to be wake up calls for us to remember our true purpose and identity in this temporary dunya and prepare for the Day of Judgement. The Prophet ﷺ said that the Day of Judgement and himself almost arrived together. Meaning, that he is a sign of the Day of Judgement and his arrival barely missed it. He is trying to tell us that the Day of Judgement is already close. If it was near during the time of Rasulullah ﷺ, then how far is it now over 1,400 years later? Just something to keep in mind.

In Surat Al-Ahzab, Allah ﷻ is telling the Prophet ﷺ how to respond to people when they ask him about when the Final Hour is. This was such a frequently asked question and still is even in the present day. Allah ﷻ says, “People ask you in disbelief about the appointed time for the Hour of Judgment, O Prophet. Say to them: Indeed, its precise knowledge is only with God. But what is it that shall make you realize that it is surely coming? Perhaps the Hour of Doom is already very near!” This verse should honestly scare us a little bit and make us realize that our time may come to an end at any moment. It is time to reconsider our priorities and focus on what truly matters: our akhirah (afterlife).

We ask Allah ﷻ to make us among the merciful and compassionate ones so that He will have mercy upon us. We ask Allah ﷻ to make us among those who forgive so that we may be forgiven for our shortcomings. We ask Allah ﷻ unite us with our Prophet ﷺ in the highest level of paradise. Allahumma Ameen.

By Ahmad Salah