What are the signs of the Day of Judgement?
Yes, there are signs. Islam describes two kinds of signs: minor and major. Minor signs are gradual changes in society, like the loss of religious knowledge and people competing to build tall buildings. Major signs are ten huge events right before the end, such as the appearance of the Dajjal (the false messiah), the return of Jesus and the sun rising from the west. Only God knows when the Day will come.
Only God knows the date
Before any list, the most important point is this:
When the angel Gabriel asked the Prophet ﷺ when the Hour would come, he replied that "the answerer has no better knowledge than the questioner" (Sahih al-Bukhari 50). So anyone who claims to know the date, or that a certain news event "is" a specific sign, is guessing. See Is it a sin to share fake news online as a Muslim?
Minor signs
These are general trends, many of which scholars say have already appeared. In the same conversation, the Prophet ﷺ mentioned that a slave woman would give birth to her master, and "when the shepherds of black camels start boasting and competing with others in the construction of higher buildings" (Sahih al-Bukhari 50). He also said that among the signs:
- Religious knowledge will be taken away as scholars pass on.
- Ignorance will spread.
- Drinking alcohol will become very common.
- Open sexual immorality will become widespread.
(Sahih al-Bukhari 80). These are meant as a moral warning to the reader, not a checklist for judging other people.
The ten major signs
The Prophet ﷺ said the Hour "will not come until you see ten signs," and listed them (Sahih Muslim 2901):
- The smoke
- The Dajjal, a great deceiver and false messiah
- The beast that emerges from the earth
- The sun rising from the west
- The descent of Jesus, son of Mary, who returns and rules with justice (Sahih al-Bukhari 3448)
- Gog and Magog (Ya'juj and Ma'juj)
- Three landslides, one in the east, one in the west and one in Arabia
- A fire from Yemen that drives people to the place of their gathering
Scholars have discussed the order and the details, but the hadith itself doesn't give dates, and Muslims are taught not to speculate beyond what is authentically reported.
What it means for you today
The signs aren't meant to cause panic. They remind us that this life is short and the door of repentance is open now. The Prophet ﷺ said that whoever repents before the sun rises from the west, "Allah turns to him with Mercy" (Sahih Muslim 2703). See Will Allah forgive me if I keep committing the same sin?
For most people, the "end" that matters first is their own death. See What happens in the grave in Islam?
- Only God knows when the Day of Judgement will come.
- Minor signs are gradual moral and social changes.
- Ten major signs include the Dajjal, Jesus' return and the sun rising from the west.
- The signs are a call to repent, not a reason to panic.
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