In the first post of this series we saw that only Allah knows when the Hour comes. That rule stays with us all the way through. Now we begin the signs themselves, and the first sign in our series may surprise some readers: the coming of the Prophet ﷺ is itself counted as a sign that the Hour is near.
This is Part 2 of our Signs of the Hour series. If you missed the start, read Part 1: Only Allah Knows When the Hour Comes first.
Quick answer
Short answer: In a sahih hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari (6504), the Prophet ﷺ said that his being sent and the Hour are ‘like these two’, meaning very close. His coming is a sign that the end of times has drawn near. It gives no date, and no one can count one from it.
What the Prophet ﷺ said
Imam al-Bukhari recorded this hadith in his Book of Riqaq, the book of narrations that soften the heart. He placed it under a chapter titled “I was sent, and the Hour, like these two”.
The hadith
- Content (our own words): The Prophet ﷺ said that he was sent with the Hour ‘like these two’, showing how close they are.
- Reference: Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of Riqaq, chapter “I was sent, and the Hour, like these two”, hadith 6504 (sunnah.com), narrated by Anas ibn Malik.
- Grade: Sahih (by inclusion in Sahih al-Bukhari).
The picture is simple and easy to remember. The words ‘like these two’ point to things that are very close. In the same way, the Prophet ﷺ described his own coming and the Hour as very close in time.
What “close” means here
It is natural to ask: if the Hour was so close, why has it not come yet? The answer goes back to Part 1.
The hadith tells us that the two are near each other. It does not tell us how long that nearness lasts in years. The Qur’an and the hadith of Jibril are clear that the date is known to Allah alone. So this hadith is not a clock. It is a reminder that we live in the last part of the story of this world, the part that began with his coming.
Warning
Please do not calculate. Some people try to turn this hadith into a number, for example by measuring a gesture or comparing it with ages of the world. Nothing in the hadith asks us to do that, and Part 1 showed that the time of the Hour is hidden. If you see such a calculation online, treat it with caution and do not share it.
Why this is a sign at all
Most signs of the Hour describe changes in people or in the world. The first sign in our series is different. It is not a disaster or a strange event. It is the coming of mercy and guidance.
That shapes how we read the whole series. The signs are not meant to frighten. The first of them is the sending of the Prophet ﷺ himself, and with him came the Qur’an, the prayer, and a clear path back to Allah. A sign that the end is near arrived together with the means to prepare for it.
Lessons for the heart
- Gratitude. We were born in the age that began with the Prophet ﷺ. His message has reached us and is within our reach.
- Seriousness without fear. The Hour is near in the sense the Prophet ﷺ described. That calls for a steady, sincere life, not panic.
- No guessing games. Nearness is not a date. Leave the timing with Allah, as Part 1 taught.
- Use the time we have. Because the guidance is already here, the best response is to act on it today: pray on time, mend broken ties, and keep the heart turned to Allah.
What comes next
In the next post we look at the signs mentioned in the hadith of Jibril: a slave woman giving birth to her mistress, and barefoot shepherds competing in tall buildings. We will present what the hadith says and keep away from guesswork. Until then, you can explore more sound narrations in our hadith library and more reflections in our teachings section.
Sources
- Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of Riqaq, chapter “I was sent, and the Hour, like these two”, hadith 6504, narrated by Anas ibn Malik, graded Sahih (by inclusion), sunnah.com. The content is described in our own words.
- For the rule that only Allah knows the time of the Hour, see Part 1 of this series, which cites Qur’an 7:187 and Sahih Muslim 8.