Allah calls to the Abode of
Peace and guides whom He wills to a straight path. Those who do
good will have the best and more! Neither dust nor debasement will darken
their faces.
They are the Companions of Paradise, remaining in it timelessly, forever. (Surah Yunus: 25-26)
The Golden Age
Many
hadiths indicate the existence of a period when the Qur'an's values
will pervade Earth. This period, known as the Golden Age, will last
for more than half a century and, in many ways, will resemble the
Blessed Period of our Prophet (saas). We call this period the Golden
Age due to our Prophet's (saas) Paradise-like depictions of it.
It will be marked by the abundance of every type of goods and crops,
the establishment of security, justice, peace, and happiness; and
the use of advanced technology for humanity's comfort, ease, joy,
and peace. No one will be in need, for all goods and services will
be available to satisfy all people's material needs. Many hadiths
say that "weapons will be silenced," and thus herald a world filled
with peace. In the Golden Age, enemy nations will become brothers
and sisters and re-establish peace, friendship, and love among their
leaders and peoples.
Technology will reach its peak, and people will receive
its fullest benefits. Medicine, agriculture, communication, transportation,
and industry will undergo remarkable development, and people will
continuously witness new discoveries. Each discovery will become
an impetus for another and thereby contribute to the overall acceleration
of discoveries.
The arts will flourish, and the broad
horizons and deep thinking granted by faith in Allah will advance
all branches of art. Such a spirit will enable people to produce
glamorous works of music, theater, and painting. According to one
hadith, people will be so content that they will spend their days
with no idea as to how time passes and how one day turns into the
next. They will pray to Allah to prolong their lives in order to
receive more benefits from these graces. Another Prophetic hadith
states that "the younger ones wish they were grown-ups, while
the adults wish they were younger… The good become even more good,
and the wicked ones are treated well."1
UNPRECEDENTED ABUNDANCE
The Golden Age will be a period of great abundance,
for each individual's material wants will be satisfied according
to need. Technology will produce such an abundance of goods that
hunger will be eradicated forever and all people will be provided
with the necessities of life. Earth's wealth will serve humanity,
and new agricultural technologies will lead to an unparalleled
increase in crop production. People of faith will receive great
rewards for every good deed they do, both in this world and the
Hereafter. Bounty and abundance, which will permeate every moment
of life, will be a grace that Allah will grant to those who live
by the Qur'an's moral code. Every good act they do will turn into
a great fortune. In one verse, Allah describes the great reward
all believers will receive when they spend for His good pleasure:
The metaphor of those who spend their wealth
in the Way of Allah is that of a grain that produces seven ears:
in every ear there are a hundred grains. Allah gives such multiplied
increase to whoever He wills. Allah is All-Encompassing, All-Knowing.
(Surat al-Baqara: 261)
Anyone who
acts rightly, male or female, being a believer, We will
give them a good life and will recompense them according
to the best of what they did.
(Surat an-Nahl: 97)
Many hadiths reveal that there will be an unprecedented abundance
of crops and goods, all of which will be distributed without measure:
During this (period), my ummah (people)
will lead a kind of comfortable and carefree life that they
have never known before. (The land) will bring forth its yield
and will not hold anything back.2
In the last of times there will be a khalifa
(successor) who will distribute wealth without even counting
it.3
Then my Ummah, be its members good or
wicked, will be blessed with a blessing the like of which they
have never heard before. Allah sends them an abundance of rain,
the land will produce a great abundance of crops, and possessions
will be commonplace.4
In those years my community will enjoy
a time of happiness such as they have never experienced before.
Heaven will send down rain upon them in torrents, the earth
will not withhold any of its plants, and wealth will be available
to all. A man will stand and say, "Give to me, Mahdi!" and he
will say, "Take."5
Both the Ummah's good and wicked members
will be blessed with a blessing, the like of which they
have never seen before. Despite the abundance of rain,
not a drop will go to waste. The land will grow fruitful and
fertile, without demanding a single seed...6
The land will turn like the silver tray
growing vegetation...8
How To Attain Such Bounty
Someone sowing
a measure of wheat will find 700 in return ... A person will scatter
a few handfuls of seeds, but will reap 700 handfuls … Despite
an abundance of rain, not a drop will go to waste.9
This hadith refers to an increase in agricultural
production that will occur in the End Times by transitioning to
modern agriculture, developing new production techniques, improving
seed stocks, and using rainwater more efficiently by constructing
new dams and ponds.
Indeed in our day, remarkable improvements in technology
have increased both the productivity and quality of field crops.
As with all other forms of technology, rapid developments, especially
in genetics, is causing a revolution in agricultural technology.
Without a doubt, this productivity will continue to grow until
it reaches its peak in the Golden Age.
One hadith of our Prophet about
the Golden Age is as follows:
During the last days of my community,
the Mahdi will emerge. Allah will give him abundant rain
and the earth will bring forth its plants and give forth
its wealth and herds will multiply and the community will
be huge. (Al-Hakim Hadiths)
The Golden Age is a time when there
will be an abundance of crops and possessions. This age's
advanced technology and science will enable the production
of high-quality and durable crops.
The Improvement of Crops
Thanks to the technological developments
that will occur in the Golden Age, seed quality and irrigation
systems will improve greatly. This way, many deserts will
become fertile and crop yields will increase.
In the End Times, every agricultural development
will serve all of humanity. In our own time, only some groups
or societies benefit from technology, but in the Golden Age everyone,
regardless of their ethnicity, age, gender, or language, will
enjoy its benefits. No one will enjoy special privileges, for
both rich and poor will have equal access to these services. No
one will suffer from poverty or starve, for opulence and welfare
will mark this era. Technology will ensure the transition to an
agricultural system that secures healthy, tasty, durable, cheap,
and abundant yields. Current scientific developments, especially
in genetics, already provide hints about the nature of these technological
developments and the kind of abundance that they will bring.
Genetics has a vast field of application in food production.
Thanks to genetics, genes that cause abnormalities in the genetic
codes (DNA) of plants can be eliminated, and those that improve
plant quality and durability can be identified. Considering that
substantial agricultural products can be obtained only from quality
raw material, these methods, which ensure the production of plants
resistant to salt and temperature extremes, will lead to an agricultural
revolution. A plant's level of protein or vitamin can be increased
by injecting DNA pieces into its cells. The same method can produce
plants that are resistant to pests, herbicides, disease, severe
weather conditions, and poor soil. Genetic studies of seeds seek
to minimize anything that might harm a seed and support a year-round
agricultural industry. The finalization of these studies will
bring great prosperity and abundance in agriculture.
In the End Times, the prevailing Qur'anic morality
will ensure that everyone will receive their just share of goods.
In fact, these goods will be so abundant that everyone will receive
all that they ask for, and much more besides. At all times, Allah
grants to His servants who display this moral excellence an abundant
life and promises them great blessings both in this world and
beyond. This is related in Surat an-Nahl:
Anyone who acts rightly, male or female,
being a believer, We will give them a good life and recompense
them according to the best of what they did. (Surat an-Nahl: 97)
Like genetics, scientific researchers are working
to produce fruits and vegetables that can stay fresher longer
and field crops that can thrive in extreme climates. Long-term
storage and preservation of food, as well as eliminating the factors
that cause rot and decay, will be the sign of the abundance that
people will experience in the End Times. Recent breakthroughs
in technology and new methods (e.g., radiation, high temperature,
high pressure, and genetic studies) render bacteria ineffective
and thus make months-long food storage possible. Gamma or electron
radiation, for instance, reduces or eradicates such disease-producing
agents as microbes, bacteria, and nits. Food that is treated according
to such methods become durable and carries no risk of food poisoning.
Furthermore, processed food can maintain its flavor, freshness,
taste, and color in a form very similar to its natural state and
never lose its juice. A radiated strawberry can be safely stored
in a refrigerator for months, and a potato can be kept for an
extended period of time without budding.
Another benefit of agricultural technology
will be satellites that constantly monitor agricultural
fields. Aerial photography will enable the earliest possible
discovery of all types of potential harm to crops. Weather
conditions, underground water and mineral resources, and
pests will be monitored by satellites. In this satellite
picture, those regions invaded by harmful insects are shown
in red.(left)
In our day, agriculture through satellite-monitoring is
being implemented in some American states and has already
proved to be successful. Genetic studies focus on producing
more durable crops containing high level of vitamins.
Such processes will end waste and ensure the optimum employment
of resources. Such technological developments, which are still
at a very early stage, have only limited applications today. However,
they will be very effective in maintaining the land's abundance
in the End Times. People will be able to allocate resources wisely
and minimize waste, and farmers will be able to produce huge amounts
of long-lasting and quality agricultural products.
In the Golden Age, technology will serve humanity,
and its blessings will be allocated evenly among all people regardless
of ethnicity, community, and country. Nations that are far from
one another, as well as societies of dissimilar cultures, will benefit
from these sources evenly, and everyone will enjoy a just administration.
Adherence to the Qur'an's morality in its true sense will ensure
the maintenance of this Paradise-like order on Earth. The just administration
of sincere Muslims, who turn to Allah for every deed they perform,
will secure peace and security, as well as continued blessings.
Greening the Deserts
Another sign for the greening of deserts
is the following hadith: "…every piece of land
will be planted" (Al-Isha‘ah li-ashrat al-sa‘ah,
p.255). If we consider that deserts make up 43 percent of
all land, we can better understand the importance of greening
the deserts in order to feed starving countries.
Another sign of the End Time's abundance
is the greening of the world's deserts. This development's significance
can be better understood if we consider that deserts make up 43
percent of all land. Today, the constant water supply to deserts
makes agricultural production possible in even most barren locations.
Applying technology to deserts will provide drought-hit countries
on the edge of starvation with fertile land.
Computer-monitored irrigation systems that divert
water directly to plant roots and prevent even a single drop of
water from going to waste will allow agricultural production in
deserts. Purifying and then using all forms of water are also
important for desert agriculture. Treated flood and sea water
will provide ample amounts of water, form the basis of agricultural
technology, and be a great gain for the countries' economy. Our
Prophet (saas) referred to the productive use of water, as follows:
Both the
good and the evil members of the Ummah will be blessed with a
blessing the like of which they will have never heard. Despite
the abundance of rain, not a drop will go waste; the land will
become fruitful without a single seed.10
Computer-monitored irrigation
systems that divert water directly to plant roots and thus
prevent even a single drop of water from going to waste is
one of the technologies that will allow agricultural production
in deserts. These technologies will be widely available in
the Golden Age.
Hydroponics (growing plants without soil) is another method
for greening deserts. In the Golden Age, this method will
be very instrumental, especially in regions with unfavourable
climates and low incomes. This method, which is currently
employed in very few regions, will make vegetable growing
possible even in the most infertile desert and thus bring
relief to lands suffering from drought and misery. Aquaponics
(growing plants in water) offers many advantages, for it allows
producers full control over the nutrients that plants need.
Another advantage is that water does not contain the abundant
microbes that are found in the soil.
The High Cost of Living and Poverty Will
End
As the Golden Age will be a time
of welfare and great wealth, all people will receive more than
they demand. Nothing will be measured or counted. However, the
high cost of living and poverty are the main features of the earlier
periods of the End Times, for the poor will become poorer while
the rich will become richer. This feature is also emphasized in
a hadith, as follows: Poverty will spread.11
Allah sends starvation and poverty to warn people
who are far removed from religion. If such people had faith, they
would find relief from the great troubles and hardships that they
meet throughout their lives. Indeed, Allah grants great wealth,
happiness, and welfare to Muslims who have faith in Him and earnestly
serve His cause, while He sends trouble and suffering to unbelievers
in return for their disbelief. When people become ungrateful,
Allah takes back their blessings and tests them with starvation
and fear. One verse mentions this Divine Justice:
Corruption has appeared in both land and
sea because of what people's own hands have brought about, so
that they may taste something of what they have done, so that
hopefully they will turn back. (Surat ar-Rum: 41)
Allah gives the example of Pharaoh and his people,
who were subjected to drought and scarcity of crops because of
their ungratefulness. Allah tested Pharaoh with drought at a time
when he had been enjoying great wealth and possessions:
We seized Pharaoh's people with years of
drought and scarcity of fruits so that hopefully they would pay
heed. (Surat al-A'raf: 130)
Throughout the Qur'an, Allah calls attention to these
attributes of disbelieving societies:
Allah makes an example of a city that was
safe and at peace, its provision coming to it plentifully from
every side. Then it showed ingratitude for Allah's blessings,
so Allah made it wear the robes of hunger and fear for what it
did. (Surat an-Nahl: 112)
Allah reveals the real reason why He makes the unbelievers'
lives troublesome:
But if anyone turns away from My reminder,
his life will be a dark and narrow one … (Surah Ta-Ha: 124)
Those societies that turned away from Messengers'
warnings and insisted upon denial have always encountered great
trouble. However, as the verses and hadiths inform us, sincere
Muslims are always rewarded with great blessings for their faith.
In addition to this, our Prophet (saas) said that his people will
live in blessings, especially during the Last Days:
A time will come when a person, with
his golden alms in his hand, will go around, finding no one
(in need) who is willing to receive the alms.12
Then will my Ummah be blessed,
the number of animals will increase and the land will bear its
fruits.13
Definitely possessions will be in abundance
then, flowing like water. Yet no one will (condescend) to take
any.14
1. Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi `Alamat
al-Mahdi Akhir az-Zaman, p. 17. 2. Ibn Majah. 3. Muslim. 4. Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan, p. 16. 5. At-Tabarani. 6. Ibn Hajar al-Haythami, Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar fi `Alamat al-Mahdi
al-Muntazar, p. 23. 7. Ibid., p. 45. 8. Ibn Majah. 9. Ibn Hajar al-Haythami, Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar, p. 24. 10. Ibid., p. 23. 11. Mukhtasar Tazkirah Qurtubi, p. 457. 12. Ibid., p. 462. 13. Ibn Hajar al-Haythami, Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar, p. 26. 14. Mukhtasar Tazkirah Qurtubi, p. 464.