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)
Many hadiths reveal that there will be an unprecedented
abundance of crops and goods, all of which will be distributed
without measure:
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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. (Ibn Majah)
In the last
of times there will be a khalifa (successor)
who will distribute wealth without even
counting it. (Muslim)
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. (Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi,
Al-Burhan, p. 16)
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."
(At-Tabarani)
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... (Ibn
Hajar al-Haythami, Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar
fi' 'Alamat al-Mahdi al-Muntazar, p. 23)
The land
will emit the treasures within. (Ibn Hajar
al-Haythami, Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar fi' 'Alamat
al-Mahdi al-Muntazar, p. 45)
The land
will turn like the silver tray growing vegetation...
(Ibn Majah)
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Technological developments will provide abundance
in the Golden Age
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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. (Ibn Hajar al-Haythami,
Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar, p. 24) |
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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.
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 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:
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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. (Ibn Hajar al-Haythami, Al-Qawl
al-Mukhtasar, p. 23) |
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The High Cost of Living and Poverty Will End
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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.
(Mukhtasar Tazkirah Qurtubi, p. 457) |
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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.
"But whosoever turns away
from My Message, verily for him is a life narrowed down…"(Surah
Ta-ha: 124)
The communities who did not take heed to the
words of the Messengers and took a firm stand on disbelief
have always encountered extremely grave troubles in return.
However, as communicated in the hadiths and informed in Qur'anic
verses, Muslims are rewarded with substantial blessings in
response to their faith. Furthermore, our Prophet has communicated
that, during the last period of his community, in "End
Times," Muslims will live in great prosperity:
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:
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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. (Mukhtasar Tazkirah Qurtubi, p.
462)
Then will
my Ummah be blessed, the number of animals
will increase and the land will bear its
fruits. (Ibn Hajar al-Haythami, Al-Qawl
al-Mukhtasar, p. 26)
Definitely
possessions will be in abundance then, flowing
like water. Yet no one will (condescend)
to take any. (Mukhtasar Tazkirah Qurtubi,
p. 464)
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