Question Posed to The Noble Shaykh Sālih al-Fawzān (may Allāh preserve him):

Question:  An abundance of trials and tribulations, occurrences and jealousy have been noticed in this time. Is this from the signs of the establishment of the Hour?

Answer: Without a doubt, the trials and tribulations are from the signs of the establishment of the Hour. There’s no might or power except with Allāh. It is upon the Muslim that he ask Allāh for the safety from the trials and tribulations and that when they take place, he doesn’t participate in it. Rather, he keeps far away from it and busies himself with the acts of worship. The performance of the acts of worship during the time of killing is like making hijrah to the Messenger of Allāh (ﷺ) as has come in the ḥadīth. The person busies himself with the acts of worship, leaves off entering into the trials and tribulations and participating in it and he keeps far away from it. And the Prophet (ﷺ) mentioned to Hudhayfah (رضى الله عنه) that which will take place from the trials and tribulations and the presence of the callers to it and the callers on the gates of the hell-fire. Hudhayfah (رضى الله عنه) asked the Prophet: “So what do you command with if that time reaches me, O Messenger of Allāh?” He said: “Hold on to the Jamāʿah of the Muslimīn and their Imām.” This is from the greatest of that which protects (a person) from the trials and tribulations, and it is that the Muslim connects himself to the Jamāʿah of the Muslimīn and their Imām. Hudhayfah (رضى الله عنه) said: “O Messenger of Allāh, if they don’t have a Jamāʿah or an Imām?” The Messenger of Allāh stated: “Keep away from all of the sects even if you have to bite on to the roots of a tree until death comes to you and you are upon that” [1]

Source: http://www.alfawzan.af.org.sa/allftwa?page=23

[1] – Narrated Hudhaifa bin Al-Yamān: The people used to ask Allāh’s Messenger (ﷺ) about good, but I used to ask him about evil for fear that it might overtake me. Once I said, “O Allāh’s Messenger (ﷺ)! We were in ignorance and in evil and Allah has bestowed upon us the present good; will there by any evil after this good?” He said, “Yes.” I asked, “Will there be good after that evil?” He said, “Yes, but it would be tained with Dakhan (i.e. Little evil).” I asked, “What will its Dakhan be?” He said, “There will be some people who will lead (people) according to principles other than my tradition. You will see their actions and disapprove of them.” I said, “Will there by any evil after that good?” He said, “Yes, there will be some people who will invite others to the doors of Hell, and whoever accepts their invitation to it will be thrown in it (by them).” I said, “O Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ)! Describe those people to us.” He said, “They will belong to us and speak our language” I asked, “What do you order me to do if such a thing should take place in my life?” He said, “Adhere to the group of Muslims and their Chief.” I asked, “If there is neither a group (of Muslims) nor a chief (what shall I do)?” He said, “Keep away from all those different sects, even if you had to bite (i.e. eat) the root of a tree, till you meet Allah while you are still in that state.” [Bukhāri, 3606]

حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ مُوسَى، حَدَّثَنَا الْوَلِيدُ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي ابْنُ جَابِرٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي بُسْرُ بْنُ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ الْحَضْرَمِيُّ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو إِدْرِيسَ الْخَوْلاَنِيُّ، أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ حُذَيْفَةَ بْنَ الْيَمَانِ، يَقُولُ كَانَ النَّاسُ يَسْأَلُونَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَنِ الْخَيْرِ، وَكُنْتُ أَسْأَلُهُ عَنِ الشَّرِّ مَخَافَةَ أَنْ يُدْرِكَنِي‏.‏ فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّا كُنَّا فِي جَاهِلِيَّةٍ وَشَرٍّ، فَجَاءَنَا اللَّهُ بِهَذَا الْخَيْرِ، فَهَلْ بَعْدَ هَذَا الْخَيْرِ مِنْ شَرٍّ قَالَ ‏”‏ نَعَمْ ‏”‏‏.‏ قُلْتُ وَهَلْ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ الشَّرِّ مِنْ خَيْرٍ قَالَ ‏”‏ نَعَمْ، وَفِيهِ دَخَنٌ ‏”‏‏.‏ قُلْتُ وَمَا دَخَنُهُ قَالَ ‏”‏ قَوْمٌ يَهْدُونَ بِغَيْرِ هَدْيِي تَعْرِفُ مِنْهُمْ وَتُنْكِرُ ‏”‏‏.‏ قُلْتُ فَهَلْ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ الْخَيْرِ مِنْ شَرٍّ قَالَ ‏”‏ نَعَمْ دُعَاةٌ إِلَى أَبْوَابِ جَهَنَّمَ، مَنْ أَجَابَهُمْ إِلَيْهَا قَذَفُوهُ فِيهَا ‏”‏‏.‏ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صِفْهُمْ لَنَا فَقَالَ ‏”‏ هُمْ مِنْ جِلْدَتِنَا، وَيَتَكَلَّمُونَ بِأَلْسِنَتِنَا ‏”‏ قُلْتُ فَمَا تَأْمُرُنِي إِنْ أَدْرَكَنِي ذَلِكَ قَالَ ‏”‏ تَلْزَمُ جَمَاعَةَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَإِمَامَهُمْ ‏”‏‏.‏ قُلْتُ فَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُمْ جَمَاعَةٌ وَلاَ إِمَامٌ قَالَ ‏”‏ فَاعْتَزِلْ تِلْكَ الْفِرَقَ كُلَّهَا، وَلَوْ أَنْ تَعَضَّ بِأَصْلِ شَجَرَةٍ حَتَّى يُدْرِكَكَ الْمَوْتُ وَأَنْتَ عَلَى ذَلِكَ ‏”‏‏.‏

Translated by Abu Yusuf Khaleefah
18th of Muharram, 1437 (11-01-2015)
Masjid Nur Allah, Queens, NYC

                                   Original Arabic

السؤال: للشيخ صالح الفوزان حفظه الله تعالى
يلاحظ في هذا الزمان كثرة الفتن والحوادث والحسد، هل هذا من علامات قيام الساعة؟
الجواب:

بلا شك أن الفتن من علامات قيام الساعة – فلا حول ولا قوة إلا بالله -.
فعلى المسلم أن يسأل الله السلامة من الفتن وإذا حدثت فإنه لا يشارك فيها، بل يبتعد عنها ويشتغل بالعبادة، فالعبادة وقت الهرج كهجرة إلى الرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم كما في الحديث يشتغل بالعبادة ويترك الدخول في الفتن والمشاركة فيها ويبتعد عنها،

والنبي صلى الله عليه وسلم لما ذكر لحذيفة ما يحدث من الفتن ومن وجود الدعاة إليها دعاة على أبواب جهنم قال: فَمَا تَأْمُرُنِي إِنْ أَدْرَكَنِي ذَلِكَ يا رسول الله؟

قال:”أن تَلْزَمَ جَمَاعَةَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَإِمَامَهُمْ” هذا من أعظم ما يقي من الفتن أن المسلم ينظم إلى جماعة المسلمين وإمام المسلمين قال يا رسول الله: فَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُمْ جَمَاعَةٌ وَلاَ إِمَامٌ،

قَالَ:

“فَاعْتَزِلْ تِلْكَ الْفِرَقَ كُلَّهَا،

وَلَوْ أَنْ تَعَضَّ على أَصْلِ شَجَرَةٍ حَتَّى يأتيك الْمَوْتُ وَأَنْتَ عَلَى ذَلِكَ”.