What Are the Characteristics of the People of the End Times?

The Disappearance of Righteousness

Imam Ahmad narrated from ‘Abd al-Samad, who said: Hammām narrated to us from Qatādah, from al-Ḥasan, from ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Amr, who said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

“The Hour will not be established until Allah takes His chosen ones from among the people of the earth. Then there will remain a remnant of people in chaos, who do not recognise good, nor do they forbid evil.”

[Ṣ: 28]

And he (Ahmad) also narrated from ‘Affān, who said: Hammām narrated to us from Qatādah, from al-Ḥasan, from ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Amr — but this version was not raised to the Prophet ﷺ — and it states:

“Until Allah takes His chosen ones from among mankind.”

The Hour Will Fall Upon the Worst of People

Imam Ahmad also narrated from ‘Affān, from Qays, from al-A‘mash, from Ibrāhīm, from ‘Ubaydah al-Salmanī, from ‘Abdullāh ibn Mas‘ūd, who said:

“We heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: ‘Indeed, some speech contains a type of magic, and the worst of people are those upon whom the Hour will be established while they are still alive—those who take graves as places of worship.’”

This chain is authentic, and this narration is not recorded in this exact form by al-Bukhārī or Muslim.

Imam Ahmad further narrated from Bahz, from Shu‘bah, from ‘Alī ibn al-Aqmar, who said:

“I heard Abū al-Aḥwaṣ narrating from ‘Abdullāh who said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: ‘The Hour will not be established except upon the worst of people.’”

Muslim also narrated this from Zuhayr ibn Ḥarb, from ‘Abd al-Raḥmān ibn Mahdī, from Shu‘bah, from ‘Alī ibn al-Aqmar.

The Collapse of Morality and Faith

It has been mentioned in previous ahādīth that men will become few and women will become many, to the extent that one man will be responsible for fifty women, and that people will commit intercourse in public, like animals. These reports have been presented earlier in detail with their chains of narration and various wordings — sufficient to avoid repetition here. And all praise is due to Allah.

The Erasure of Tawḥīd

Imam Ahmad narrated from ‘Affān, who said: Ḥammād informed us from Thābit, from Anas, who said:

“The Hour will not be established until it is no longer said on the earth: ‘Lā ilāha illā Allāh.’”

Muslim narrated this from Zuhayr ibn Ḥarb, from ‘Affān, with the wording:

“The Hour will not be established until it is no longer said on the earth: ‘Allāh, Allāh.’”

Ahmad also narrated from ‘Abd al-Razzāq, from Ma‘mar, from Thābit, from Anas, who said:

“The Hour will not come upon anyone who says: ‘Allāh, Allāh.’”

Muslim also narrated this from ‘Abd ibn Ḥumayd, from ‘Abd al-Razzāq.

He also narrated from Ibn Abī ‘Adī, from Ḥumayd, from Anas, who said:

“The Hour will not be established until it is no longer said on the earth: ‘Allāh, Allāh.’”

This chain of narration is thulāthī (three-tiered) and meets the conditions of both al-Bukhārī and Muslim, although it was only narrated by al-Tirmidhī, from Bundār, from Muḥammad ibn ‘Abdullāh ibn Abī ‘Adī, from Ḥumayd, from Anas, raised to the Prophet ﷺ. [Ṣ: 284]

Tirmidhī later narrated it from Muḥammad ibn al-Muthannā, from Khālid ibn al-Ḥārith, from Ḥumayd, from Anas, but as a mawqūf narration (not raised to the Prophet ﷺ), and he said: “This version is more authentic than the first.”

What Does It Mean That “Allah Will No Longer Be Mentioned”?

There are two interpretations of the Prophet’s ﷺ words: “Until it is no longer said on earth: ‘Allāh, Allāh.’”

Moral Disintegration: That no one will object to evil or call others to righteousness. No one will say to another: “Fear Allah” or “Be mindful of Allah.” This is the same meaning as in the hadith of ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Amr: “Then there will remain a remnant of people in chaos who do not recognise good, nor forbid evil.”
Complete Religious Erasure: That Allah will no longer be mentioned on earth, and His name will not be known at all. This will occur during a time of ultimate corruption, widespread disbelief, and the extinction of religious knowledge. People will no longer say, “Lā ilāha illā Allāh,” except as a relic. As mentioned in another hadith: “The Hour will not be established until it is no longer said: ‘Lā ilāha illā Allāh.’”

The elderly at that time will say:

“We heard people before us saying: ‘Lā ilāha illā Allāh.’”

But the name of Allah will be completely forgotten, and the worst of people will remain—those upon whom the Hour will fall, as narrated in the hadith:

“The Hour will not come except upon the worst of people.”
And in another version:
“The worst of people are those upon whom the Hour will come while they are still alive.”

The Spread of Greed and Hardship

In the hadith of ‘Abd al-‘Azīz ibn Ṣuhayb, from Anas, from the Prophet ﷺ:

“People will only increase in miserliness. Time will only grow harsher. And the Hour will only come upon the worst of people.”

[Ṣ: 285]

The Hastening of Deaths and the Devouring of the Weak

Imam Ahmad also narrated from Hāshim, from Isḥāq ibn Sa‘īd ibn ‘Amr ibn Sa‘īd ibn al-‘Āṣ, from his father, from ‘Ā’ishah, who said:

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ entered upon me saying:
“O ‘Ā’ishah, your people will be the quickest among my nation to join me (in death).”

She said: “When he sat down, I asked: ‘O Messenger of Allah, may my life be sacrificed for you. You entered saying something that alarmed me.’”

He asked: “What was it?”

She said: “You claimed my people would be the quickest to follow you.”

He said: “Yes.”

She asked: “Why is that?”

He said: “Death will overtake them swiftly, and their own ummah will breathe over them.”

She asked: “What will the people be like after that?”

He said:
“They will be like locusts—each devouring the weaker one—until the Hour is established upon them.”