A DANGEROUS PHENOMENON

Predicted by the Prophet

During the last days there will appear some young people who will not be intelligent. They will apparently speak well and read the Quran, but their faith will not go beyond their throats.
(Sahih al-Bukhari)

THERE is a point in this Hadith that appears between the lines. Understanding this hidden point will help us to comprehend the actual meaning of the Hadith. What is mentioned in the Hadith as a prediction by the Prophet is that in the future the world will have opportunities which will give people the chance to become popular and to occupy high positions at a very young age. This will happen despite lack of adequate knowledge and experience amongst those people.

The present age is precisely the one that has been predicted in this Hadith. Analysis of the present age indicates the conditions which give rise to this phenomenon such as the media, stage, freedom of speech, democracy, abundance of wealth, politics, showmanship, and presence of gullible followers.

Today, it is clearly visible how these new phenomenon has given some people the opportunity to garner high positions despite lacking the necessary abilities. Such people despite being superficial, have acquired popularity among the public through external demonstration. These are the people who, bereft of the Quranic spirit, have won fame simply through their impressive talk. Not fearing God and being unmindful of the Hereafter, they have won a big following through speeches which are popular among the masses. All of these are because of the new possibilities that were created in the modern industrial age.

One should be wary of this phenomenon and choose carefully whom they wish to follow. One should personally read and understand the Quran and the teachings of the Prophet, be a keen observer of the times and think objectively. If one does not develop intellectually then there is every chance of following the aforementioned people blindly which will result in failure.