End Times Part 1: The Rise of the Nation State

Say (O Muhammad SAW): "O Allah! Possessor of the kingdom, You give the kingdom to whom You will, and You take the kingdom from whom You will, and You endue with honour whom You will, and You humiliate whom You will. In Your Hand is the good. Verily, You are Able to do all things.

قُلِ اللَّهُمَّ مَالِكَ الْمُلْكِ

تُؤْتِي الْمُلْكَ مَن تَشَاءُ

وَتَنزِعُ الْمُلْكَ مِمَّن تَشَاءُ

وَتُعِزُّ مَن تَشَاءُ

وَتُذِلُّ مَن تَشَاءُ ۖ

بِيَدِكَ الْخَيْرُ ۖ

إِنَّكَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ - 3:26

The World has not always been  like how it is portrayed in world maps - into nations with distinct clear boundaries. The striving for sovereign states with a unified population within clear borders is relatively new to human history. Before the appearance of nation states were multi-ethnic empires and kingdoms and caliphates. They were usually an absolute monarchy ruled by a king, emperor or sultan. The empire was dominated by one ethnic group, and their language was usually the language of public administration. Unlike the nation state, this was not purely an European construct. 

The empire was not like the nation state. There were no fixed boundaries based on ethnic or cultural lines. There was no fixed common identity but a flux of constantly changing cultures. Nationalism is the solvent that dissolved the historic concept of the traditional empire. Empires, as large-scale and long-lasting multiethnic and “multicultural” experiments, may have much to teach us in the current historical phase of globalization and increasingly heterogeneous societies interconnected in many different ways. 

A state is specifically a political and geopolitical entity, while a nation is a cultural and ethnic one. The term “nation-state” implies that the two coincide, in that a state has chosen to adopt and endorse a specific cultural group as associated with it. Their territory is considered semi-sacred and nontransferable. Nation-states use the state as an instrument of national unity, in economic, social, and cultural life. 

The concept of the nation state triumphed in 19th century Europe and the Europeans exported it as a quick fix solution for the end of colonialism in the rest of the world. The zionist state of Israel was seen as the model of this new nation state concept that would come to dominate the world. They had no idea the havoc that that would create. The model of the nation-state implies that its population constitutes a nation, united by a common descent, a common language, and many forms of shared culture - just like the nation states of Europe. When the implied unity was absent, the nation-state often tried to create it by force. Sometimes this was tantamount to mass displacements and genocide. 

19th-century colonialism and 20th-century decolonisation did result in several independent Muslim-majority states in the Muslim world. This decimated  any hope for a union of the muslim world and opened the gates to nationalism and tribalism. Most of these states were and are ruled by despotic tyrants puppet-ed by the world powers around them. There was a radical change in how the Muslim world was organised and governed. 

In a hadith reported by Hudhaifa (rali) , recorded in Musnad Ahmad, the Prophet (pbuh) is reported to have said:

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ تَكُونُ النُّبُوَّةُ فِيكُمْ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ أَنْ تَكُونَ ثُمَّ يَرْفَعُهَا إِذَا شَاءَ أَنْ يَرْفَعَهَا ثُمَّ تَكُونُ خِلَافَةٌ عَلَى مِنْهَاجِ النُّبُوَّةِ فَتَكُونُ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ أَنْ تَكُونَ ثُمَّ يَرْفَعُهَا إِذَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ أَنْ يَرْفَعَهَا ثُمَّ تَكُونُ مُلْكًا عَاضًّا فَيَكُونُ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ أَنْ يَكُونَ ثُمَّ يَرْفَعُهَا إِذَا شَاءَ أَنْ يَرْفَعَهَا ثُمَّ تَكُونُ مُلْكًا جَبْرِيَّةً فَتَكُونُ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ أَنْ تَكُونَ ثُمَّ يَرْفَعُهَا إِذَا شَاءَ أَنْ يَرْفَعَهَا ثُمَّ تَكُونُ خِلَافَةً عَلَى مِنْهَاجِ النُّبُوَّةِ ثُمَّ سَكَتَ مسند أحمد).

“On the authority of Hudhayfa, the Prophet said: ‘There will be (an era of) Prophethood, so long as Allah wills. Then Allah will withdraw it, when He wills to withdraw it, to be followed by (an era of) Khilafah on the lines of Prophethood. It will last as long as Allah wills; then Allah will withdraw it when He wills to withdraw it. Then there will be despotic monarchy and stay as long as Allah wills. Then Allah will withdraw it when He wishes to withdraw it. That will be followed by a tyrannous monarchy which will last as long as Allah wills. Then Allah will withdraw it when He wills to withdraw it. That will be followed by (an era of) Khilafah on the lines of Prophethood. Thereafter he did not speak any further.’

The hadith predicts five eras in the Muslim world:

1. Nubuwwah (Prophethood) - which ended in the death of the Prophet (pbuh)

2. Khilafah on the pattern of Prophethood - which was the 30 year reign of the Rashidun Caliphs which ended with the death of Ali (rali) 

3. Despotic rule - of dynasties occupying the seats of power in the ummah just like they did in the rest of the world

4. Tyrannous rule (of the nation states) , and, finally,

5. Khilafah on the pattern of Prophethood (which the Imam Mahdi would restore)

There is debate as to whether the ummah should wait for the appearance of the Mahdi to restore the khilafah or whether the Mahdi would appear after the restoration of the Khilafah. This right opinion - with fits the many ahadith that would be discussed in the future parts - seem to be that former. We should not hasten to create a Khilafah. All the false Mahdis and the false khilafahs - even ISIS - believed in restoring the khilafah before the Mahdi. This does not fit the picture of the ahadith that talk of the end times. 

This has a parallel on the zionist project  (backed by Messianic Jews and many Christian groups) to restore the Kingdom of Israel - the bride - for the second coming of the Messiah Jesus Christ. Instead what they have done is to create an impostor state of Israel to be ruled by an Impostor Messiah - the Anti-Christ. Mahdi and Jesus Christ are the two central figures of the End Times and their jobs is to unite the worlds - and everyone who pretends to do that job in their name are just impostors and liars.

The last part of the hadith mentioned initially is a glad tiding and a promise for the Muslim Ummah, a prophecy that there will again be Khilafah established, based upon the Prophetic methodology. No matter the darkness and suffering the Muslims of the Ummah go through - there is always the hope of a new dawn - from Palestine to Yemen to Syria to Kashmir - to any part of the body of the Muslim ummah crying out for unity and power.

Another report like the above is declared as having a trustworthy chain, as preserved by Tabarani and others. It reports the Prophet as having said:

أَوَّلُ هَذَا الْأَمْرِ نُبُوَّةٌ وَرَحْمَةٌ ، ثُمَّ يَكُونُ خِلَافَةً وَرَحْمَةً ، ثُمَّ يَكُونُ مُلْكًا وَرَحْمَةً ، ثُمَّ يَتَكادَمُونَ عَلَيْهِ تَكادُمَ الْحُمُرِ ، فَعَلَيْكُمْ بِالْجِهَادِ ، وَإِنَّ أَفْضَلَ جهادِكُمُ الرِّبَاطُ وَإِنَّ أَفْضَلَ رباطِكُمْ عَسْقَلَانُ – مجمع الزوائد ومنبع الفوائد . محقق  – رواه الطبراني ورجاله ثقات

“The beginning of this affair (i.e. Islam) is Prophethood blended with mercy. Then there will be Khilafah blended with mercy. It will be followed by Kingship blended with mercy. Then they will (fall upon it and) chew (i.e. the territories for rule) the way of the donkeys (which fall upon fodder and chew it). So, upon you is Jihad; and the best of your Jihad is to guard a frontier of Islam; and the best of your frontiers is `Asqalan.” 

`Asqalan is a famous historical sea-port in Palestine, about 20 km from Ghazza, which gave rise to many renowned scholars (Ibn Hajr was an `Asqalani). Now it is under the occupation by Israel, and thus the best of frontiers has been lost.

What is the way of the donkeys mentioned in the hadith? It seems like this corresponds to the fourth category in the first hadith - Tyrannous rule. They would have their territories - marked by clear boundaries - and eat from their land mindlessly. With no other greater purpose but to go on and on eating. What then is the remedy to this pathetic state of affairs?

Instead of the establishment of  khilafah being a catalyser, the Muslims in the Muslim world should rather heal the numerous cultural and political hostilities between the various "nations" and develop a spiritual, psychological, social, and material basis for the establishment of a strong political entity from the individual level upward. 

Imam Ahmad reported from Thouban that the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) said:

"The nations are close to invading you from all horizons as the eaters rush calling one another for their receptacle". We said: "Is this due to our small number at that time?" The Prophet (pbuh) said: "You are numerous at that time. But you will be like the foam of the sea. Your enemies will no longer venerate you (veneration will be taken out of their hearts) and Wahan will be set in your hearts". We asked him "and what is Wahan?" The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) replied: "Love for worldly affairs and fear of death" [Ahmad and Abu Dawood ]

"as the eaters rush calling one another for their receptacle" is very much a reference to the 1916 Sykes-Picot agreement by which  representatives of Great Britain and France secretly divided the Arab lands under the rule of the Ottoman Empire into British and French spheres of influence with the conclusion of World War I - just like eaters would divide a pie or pizza or whatever. I think that was the end of the phase 3 of the hadith prophecy and the beginning of phase 4 - the rule of nation states in the ummah -marked by the ascent of Israel and the saudi state. Future parts would cover the zionist project for the reception of the Anti-Christ, the civil war that would devastate the KSA, the appearance of the Mahdi (AS) and his role, the destruction of Israel under the banner of Jesus (AS) and the minor signs of the End Times.