Mosque Stewardship, Preservation of Knowledge, and Discernment During Trials (Reports 18–25)

1. Future trials and the protection of knowledge and conduct

The final eight reports of ذِكْرُ بَعْضِ الْمُغَيَّبَاتِ address mosque leadership, love of the Messenger ﷺ, promoting good, materialism, abuse and display, loss of knowledge, teaching responsibilities, and Qur’anic recitation.

Reports about future conditions should lead to responsible conduct, not speculation about specific people. Brief descriptions do not justify a definitive judgment about the final fate of an individual or a social group.

Selected vocabulary, concise grammatical insights, and relevant examples connect each report to practical understanding.

2. Report 18: Leading the mosque is a responsibility

إِنَّ مِنْ أَشْرَاطِ السَّاعَةِ أَنْ يَتَدَافَعَ أَهْلُ الْمَسْجِدِ، لَا يَجِدُونَ إِمَامًا يُصَلِّي بِهِمْ
Translation: Among the signs of the Hour is that the people of a mosque will keep pushing the responsibility toward one another, finding no imam to lead their prayer.

Source: أحمد وأبو داود

أَشْرَاطُ السَّاعَةِ means signs of the Hour. The verb يَتَدَافَعَ suggests people pushing responsibility from one to another. إِمَامًا يُصَلِّي بِهِمْ refers to an imam who leads them in prayer.

The report warns about a failure of communal responsibility. Mosques need suitable leadership, punctuality, integrity, and cooperation rather than unwillingness to serve.

3. “They cannot find”: Negation and preparation

In لَا يَجِدُونَ, لَا negates a present-tense verb: “they do not find.” The expression يُصَلِّي بِهِمْ connects the leading of prayer to the congregation; هُمْ refers to those being led.

For example, if the regular imam travels, arranging a suitably qualified substitute is responsible planning. Leading prayer is not simply a prestigious position; relevant competence is essential.

Other shared duties include cleanliness, observance of prayer times, and concern for worshippers.

4. Report 19: Longing to see the Messenger ﷺ

إِنَّ مِنْ أَشَدِّ أُمَّتِي لِي حُبًّا نَاسًا يَكُونُونَ بَعْدِي، يَوَدُّ أَحَدُهُمْ لَوْ رَآنِي بِأَهْلِهِ وَمَالِهِ
Translation: Some of the people of my community who love me most intensely will come after me; one of them would wish to see me even at the cost of family and wealth.

Source: مسلم

أَشَدِّ أُمَّتِي لِي حُبًّا expresses intensity of love; أَشَدّ is a comparative/superlative form. يَوَدُّ means “he deeply wishes,” and لَوْ رَآنِي expresses a longing to see the Messenger ﷺ.

Love of the Prophet ﷺ is expressed practically by learning his teachings, following them, and striving to adopt his character. The report particularly highlights the longing of later believers.

5. Love expressed through practice and respect

Love is not fulfilled by emotional statements alone. Accurate transmission, care in prayer, justice in dealings, keeping promises, and kindness show how love becomes conduct.

بِأَهْلِهِ وَمَالِهِ mentions “family and wealth,” a forceful expression of longing, not an instruction to abandon family rights or waste property.

For example, someone may enjoy reading the Prophetic biography yet deceive customers. Genuine love should reform both learning and behavior.

6. Report 20: Preserving what is right

إِنَّهُ سَيَكُونُ فِي آخِرِ هَذِهِ الْأُمَّةِ قَوْمٌ، لَهُمْ مِثْلُ أَجْرِ أَوَّلِهِمْ، يَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ، وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ، وَيُقَاتِلُونَ أَهْلَ الْفِتَنِ
Translation: In the latter part of this community there will be people with a reward like that of its earliest members: they will enjoin good, forbid wrong, and confront those who spread turmoil.

Source: البيهقي في دلائل النبوة

فِي آخِرِ هَذِهِ الْأُمَّةِ points to a later period. لَهُمْ مِثْلُ أَجْرِ أَوَّلِهِمْ describes a reward connected with righteous perseverance.

يَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ means enjoining recognized good, and وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ means discouraging wrong. Responsible correction needs sound knowledge, appropriate authority, tact, and awareness of consequences.

7. Distinguishing reform from spreading harm

يُقَاتِلُونَ أَهْلَ الْفِتَنِ reports severe confrontation. It does not provide individuals with an independent license for violence, labeling opponents as enemies, or bypassing legal and ethical limits. Questions of armed conflict and public authority require separate, advanced treatment.

Everyday reform involves preventing rumors, acting justly during disagreement, protecting the vulnerable, and seeking sound guidance.

The phrases بِالْمَعْرُوفِ and عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ use different prepositions, linking action to promoting good and refraining from wrong.

8. Report 21: The power and limits of money

لَيَأْتِيَنَّ عَلَى النَّاسِ زَمَانٌ لَا يَنْفَعُ فِيهِ إِلَّا الدِّينَارُ وَالدِّرْهَمُ
Translation: A time will certainly come upon people when only the dinar and the dirham will be considered beneficial.

Source: أحمد

لَيَأْتِيَنَّ uses emphatic particles to stress the coming event. لَا يَنْفَعُ فِيهِ إِلَّا combines negation and exception to express restriction: “nothing will benefit except …”

الدِّينَارُ وَالدِّرْهَمُ names gold and silver currency and points to the dominance of material concerns. The warning is against a way of life that treats financial benefit as the only measure of value.

9. “Lā … illā”: Emphasizing restriction

The construction لَا يَنْفَعُ فِيهِ إِلَّا الدِّينَارُ وَالدِّرْهَمُ negates broadly and then introduces an exception. It forcefully portrays a materialistic climate; it does not mean faith, learning, and ethics truly become worthless.

For example, an organization may honor only donors while overlooking committed teachers and people serving those in need. Its sense of worth has become distorted.

Lawful earning, budgeting, and saving remain beneficial. The problem begins when money displaces justice and trust.

10. Report 22: Abuse of power

صِنْفَانِ مِنْ أَهْلِ النَّارِ لَمْ أَرَهُمَا: قَوْمٌ مَعَهُمْ سِيَاطٌ كَأَذْنَابِ الْبَقَرِ، يَضْرِبُونَ بِهَا النَّاسَ، وَنِسَاءٌ كَاسِيَاتٌ عَارِيَاتٌ مُمِيلَاتٌ مَائِلَاتٌ، رُؤُوسُهُنَّ كَأَسْنِمَةِ الْبُخْتِ الْمَائِلَةِ. لَا يَدْخُلْنَ الْجَنَّةَ وَلَا يَجِدْنَ رِيحَهَا، وَإِنَّ رِيحَهَا لَتُوجَدُ مِنْ مَسِيرَةِ كَذَا وَكَذَا
Translation: Two groups among the people of the Fire are described: people carrying whips like cattle tails and striking others, and women described as clothed yet uncovered, inclining and causing others to incline, with heads likened to the leaning humps of Bactrian camels. A severe warning is given about their being denied entry to Paradise and its fragrance, although that fragrance can be sensed from afar.

Source: مسلم

صِنْفَانِ is a dual noun meaning two groups. The first group is described as carrying سِيَاطٌ, whips, and striking people. كَأَذْنَابِ الْبَقَرِ compares the shape of the whips to cattle tails.

The central wrong is injustice and abusive physical punishment. Authority should be exercised with justice and restraint, never as personal cruelty or humiliation. Punishment is not a matter of private anger.

11. “Clothed yet uncovered”: Dress and dignity

The second description uses كَاسِيَاتٌ عَارِيَاتٌ, being outwardly dressed while falling short of the modest coverage indicated by the language. مُمِيلَاتٌ مَائِلَاتٌ describes inclining and influencing others to incline.

رُؤُوسُهُنَّ كَأَسْنِمَةِ الْبُخْتِ الْمَائِلَةِ likens a conspicuous, leaning head arrangement to a camel’s hump. أَسْنِمَة is plural of سَنَام.

The warning stresses dignity and modesty. It is not a basis for declaring the ultimate fate or inner faith of a particular woman.

12. Report 22: Responding responsibly to a severe warning

In لَا يَدْخُلْنَ الْجَنَّةَ وَلَا يَجِدْنَ رِيحَهَا, two verbs are negated. The severe warning emphasizes wrongdoing, but it should not be weaponized to ridicule, harass, or pronounce personal verdicts on others.

Both groups illustrate the misuse of power or social influence. Advice should remain respectful, proportionate, and attentive to individual dignity.

For example, a discreet, informed conversation about dress or conduct is very different from public humiliation of a student.

13. Report 22: Key vocabulary and basic grammar

ExpressionMeaning / structure
صِنْفَانِTwo groups; dual form
سِيَاطٌWhips; plural
كَاسِيَاتٌ عَارِيَاتٌContrasting feminine plural descriptions
أَسْنِمَةٌHumps; plural of sanām
رِيحَهَاIts fragrance; -hā refers to Paradise

كَـ in كَأَسْنِمَةِ marks comparison, while لَا negates the following verbs. These selected features help unpack the meaning without an exhaustive grammatical parsing.

14. Report 23: How knowledge is lost

إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَقْبِضُ الْعِلْمَ انْتِزَاعًا يَنْتَزِعُهُ مِنَ الْعِبَادِ، وَلَكِنْ يَقْبِضُ الْعِلْمَ بِقَبْضِ الْعُلَمَاءِ، حَتَّى إِذَا لَمْ يَبْقَ عَالِمًا اتَّخَذَ النَّاسُ رُؤُوسًا جُهَّالًا، فَسُئِلُوا فَأَفْتَوْا بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ، فَضَلُّوا وَأَضَلُّوا
Translation: Allah will not remove knowledge by suddenly snatching it from people, but will remove it through the passing of scholars. When no scholar remains, people will take ignorant leaders, who will be asked questions and give rulings without knowledge, going astray and leading others astray.

لَا يَقْبِضُ الْعِلْمَ انْتِزَاعًا negates the idea of knowledge being suddenly extracted. In contrast, وَلَكِنْ يَقْبِضُ الْعِلْمَ بِقَبْضِ الْعُلَمَاءِ describes the loss of scholars and consequent loss of access to sound knowledge.

If people lacking sufficient training replace scholars as religious authorities, harm may follow in two directions: mistaken understanding and misleading answers given to others.

15. “They were asked and gave rulings”: A dangerous chain

رُؤُوسًا جُهَّالًا refers to ignorant leaders; جُهَّال is a plural of “ignorant.” فَسُئِلُوا means “then they were asked,” and فَأَفْتَوْا means “they issued rulings”; فَـ links the sequence.

فَضَلُّوا وَأَضَلُّوا separates going astray oneself from leading others astray. The second verb adds the sense of causing others to err.

A responsible response is: “I do not know enough to answer this; consult a qualified scholar.” Confidence of tone is not proof of expertise.

16. Practical ways of preserving knowledge

Knowledge is preserved through reliable teaching, recognized references, correction of mistakes, and consultation with competent specialists. Accumulating online posts or forwarding viral statements is not the same as safeguarding knowledge.

For example, a family inheritance question may involve several heirs and exceptions. An untrained person should not invent percentages, but direct the case—with complete facts—to a qualified scholar or expert.

Recognizing the limits of one’s knowledge is a strength; issuing definitive rulings without it is dangerous.

17. Report 24: Learn knowledge and pass it on

تَعَلَّمُوا الْعِلْمَ، وَعَلِّمُوهُ النَّاسَ. تَعَلَّمُوا الْفَرَائِضَ، وَعَلِّمُوهَا النَّاسَ. تَعَلَّمُوا الْقُرْآنَ، وَعَلِّمُوهُ النَّاسَ. فَإِنِّي امْرُؤٌ مَقْبُوضٌ، وَالْعِلْمُ سَيُقْبَضُ، وَتَظْهَرُ الْفِتَنُ، حَتَّى يَخْتَلِفَ اثْنَانِ فِي فَرِيضَةٍ لَا يَجِدَانِ أَحَدًا يَفْصِلُ بَيْنَهُمَا
Translation: Learn knowledge and teach it to people; learn the prescribed duties and teach them; learn the Qur’an and teach it. I too will be taken from this world; knowledge will be taken away and trials will appear, until two people disagree about a prescribed share or duty and find no one able to settle their dispute.

Source: الدارمي

تَعَلَّمُوا means “learn,” while عَلِّمُوهُ means “teach it.” Both are plural imperatives, but one concerns acquiring knowledge and the other conveying it.

الْفَرَائِضَ concerns prescribed duties, particularly the subject of legally prescribed shares in the surrounding example. The later disagreement about a farīḍah illustrates the need for such expertise. الْقُرْآنَ is mentioned separately to emphasize its particular importance.

18. “Learn” and “teach”: Two responsibilities

In تَعَلَّمُوا الْعِلْمَ، وَعَلِّمُوهُ النَّاسَ, the instruction to learn precedes the instruction to teach. The suffix ـهُ refers to الْعِلْمَ. In الْفَرَائِضَ … وَعَلِّمُوهَا, ـهَا refers back to the plural noun.

Good teaching includes awareness of one’s limits: explain what one knows accurately, investigate complex cases, and consult qualified people where necessary.

For example, a Qur’an teacher should be competent in recitation; detailed inheritance disputes should not be taught confidently without preparation.

19. Finding reliable guidance in disagreement

حَتَّى يَخْتَلِفَ اثْنَانِ فِي فَرِيضَةٍ describes two people disagreeing about a prescribed religious duty or share. لَا يَجِدَانِ أَحَدًا يَفْصِلُ بَيْنَهُمَا means they cannot find a person able to settle their disagreement.

The shortage of sound expertise can cause rights to be lost and disputes to grow. Accurate facts, relevant records, fairness, and specialists help reach a defensible decision.

Preserving knowledge is not merely memorizing terms; it also serves people whose real rights and obligations are at stake.

20. Report 25: The purpose of Qur’anic recitation

اقْرَؤُوا الْقُرْآنَ بِلُحُونِ الْعَرَبِ وَأَصْوَاتِهَا، وَإِيَّاكُمْ وَلُحُونَ أَهْلِ الْعِشْقِ وَلُحُونَ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابَيْنِ، وَسَيَجِيءُ بَعْدِي قَوْمٌ يُرَجِّعُونَ بِالْقُرْآنِ تَرْجِيعَ الْغِنَاءِ وَالنَّوْحِ، لَا يُجَاوِزُ حَنَاجِرَهُمْ، مَفْتُونَةٌ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَقُلُوبُ الَّذِينَ يُعْجِبُهُمْ شَأْنُهُمْ
Translation: Recite the Qur’an according to Arabic modes of pronunciation and voices; avoid turning it into an imitation of romantic songs or the distinctive chanting styles mentioned in the text. People will come who repeatedly modulate the Qur’an like singing and lamentation; their recitation will not go beyond their throats, and a warning is given about their hearts and the hearts of those merely impressed by their display.

اقْرَؤُوا is an imperative: “recite.” بِلُحُونِ الْعَرَبِ وَأَصْوَاتِهَا stresses Arabic pronunciation and voice patterns. إِيَّاكُمْ introduces a strong warning against specified styles.

Qur’anic recitation should respect pronunciation, letters, vowels, appropriate pauses, and reverence. A beautiful voice may be an asset, but vocal display should not distort the words or distract from their meaning.

21. Tajwīd, beautiful recitation, and affectation

It helps to distinguish three features of recitation:
1. Accurate articulation — preserving letters, vowel marks, and meaningful pauses.
2. Beauty of voice — using an attractive voice while maintaining accuracy.
3. Avoiding affectation — avoiding forced melodies that distract from the text or reverence.

يُرَجِّعُونَ بِالْقُرْآنِ refers to repeatedly modulating the voice. تَرْجِيعَ الْغِنَاءِ وَالنَّوْحِ compares this style to singing and lamentation. The emphasis is on accurate, dignified recitation.

22. “It does not pass their throats”: Beyond vocal display

لَا يُجَاوِزُ حَنَاجِرَهُمْ literally means “it does not go beyond their throats.” The striking expression indicates that vocal beauty alone is not enough; recitation should reach understanding, character, and action.

حَنَاجِر is the plural of حَنْجَرَة, “throat.” مَفْتُونَةٌ قُلُوبُهُمْ speaks of hearts overcome by trial. Admiring technical display while disregarding the Qur’an’s guidance can become a harmful habit.

For example, after listening to a beautiful recording, a learner can also study the verses’ meaning and practical message.

23. Language and recitation styles: Guidance without prejudice

وَإِيَّاكُمْ وَلُحُونَ أَهْلِ الْعِشْقِ وَلُحُونَ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابَيْنِ warns against turning Qur’anic recitation into an imitation of certain songlike styles. لُحُون refers to modes of vocal delivery; the passage should not be turned into disrespect toward entire languages or religious communities.

Correction should focus on articulation, lengths, pauses, and accurate performance. Mocking someone’s voice, culture, or background does not serve that goal.

When unsure of one’s own recitation, consulting a trained teacher or reciter is the responsible next step.

24. Connecting recitation to understanding

قُلُوبُ الَّذِينَ يُعْجِبُهُمْ شَأْنُهُمْ refers to listeners fascinated by a performance. When admiration stops at melody and ignores the Qur’an’s guidance, much of the benefit is lost.

Gatherings can combine accurate, reverent recitation with short explanations, appropriate reflection, and ethical application. Vocal beauty and comprehension need not be rivals.

يُعْجِبُهُمْ means “it pleases or impresses them,” and شَأْنُهُمْ refers to their state or manner.

25. End of Part One: Mosque, knowledge, and conduct

Reports 18–21 emphasize shared responsibility, love of the Prophet ﷺ, promoting good, and a balanced view of wealth. Report 22 warns strongly against abuse and irresponsible display.

Reports 23–24 highlight the disappearance of sound knowledge, the danger of unqualified rulings, and the need for reliable teaching. Report 25 focuses on Qur’anic recitation and the relationship between voice, meaning, and conduct.

Central lesson: Serve responsibly, preserve trustworthy knowledge, respect rights, and recite the Qur’an accurately and with dignity. These principles improve both individual character and communal life.