The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Near the establishment of the Hour there will be days during which (religious) knowledge will be taken away (vanish) and general ignorance will spread, and there will be Al-Harj in abundance, and Al-Harj means killing."
Context and Significance
This profound hadith from Sahih al-Bukhari 7064 addresses the spiritual and societal conditions preceding the Day of Judgment. The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) describes three interconnected signs: the disappearance of religious knowledge, the spread of ignorance, and increased killing (Al-Harj).
Disappearance of Religious Knowledge
Scholars interpret the "taking away" of knowledge as occurring through the death of authentic scholars without adequate successors. True Islamic knowledge isn't merely information but understanding derived from the Quran and Sunnah through qualified transmission.
Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani explains this occurs when people seek knowledge from unqualified sources, leading to misinterpretation and innovation. The knowledge "vanishes" in its authentic form while false knowledge proliferates.
Spread of General Ignorance
This ignorance (al-jahl) refers specifically to ignorance of divine guidance, not merely lack of information. When authentic scholars disappear, people follow misguided leaders, innovate in religion, and abandon established Islamic practices.
Al-Qurtubi notes this creates a society where haram becomes halal, truth becomes falsehood, and religious obligations are neglected - all while people believe they are rightly guided.
Meaning of Al-Harj
The Prophet (ﷺ) explicitly defines Al-Harj as "killing," eliminating any ambiguity. Classical commentators including Ibn Kathir identify this as widespread civil strife, fitnah, and senseless violence that becomes commonplace.
This killing results directly from the previous two conditions - when religious knowledge disappears and ignorance prevails, moral restraints weaken, life becomes cheap, and conflicts multiply.
Contemporary Relevance
Scholars caution against hastily applying these signs to specific contemporary events without proper scholarly consensus. However, the hadith serves as a timeless warning about the consequences of neglecting religious education and scholarly tradition.
The solution lies in preserving authentic knowledge, supporting legitimate scholars, and maintaining the chain of transmission (isnad) that has protected Islamic tradition for centuries.