Fitnah in Islam means to Test or Trials, Fitnah includes the things which are not accepted in Islam and are worldly, which means a person is more likely to fall under its trap but a true Muslim never will. We can see many sects spreading hatred against each other. The more they’re getting divided the more they are having hate for each other in their hearts.

وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ إِلَّا كَافَّةً لِّلنَّاسِ بَشِيرًا وَنَذِيرًا وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ

“And, We have not sent you except comprehensively to mankind as a bringer of good tidings and a warner. But most of the people do not know.” (Surah Saba’ 34:28)

The reason behind the appointment of Prophets among nations throughout earth history by Allah SWT had always been for the accomplishment of essential goals. These include believing in One God, obeying all of His Messengers and taking life in this world as temporary and preparing for Judgment Day. The Holy Prophet ﷺ of the Almighty Lord was sent to be a Role Model in all matters for the entire mankind and till the end of the world.

Here are some major signs of the age of Fitnah:

• Division of Muslims into different sects
• Voice will be raised in Mosques
• Disputing over small matters
• Killing and robbing are trial
• Tall buildings
• Music in every home
• Music is a part of life
• Earthquakes, tornadoes, and tsunamis
• A quarrel between two parties is a (Trial)
• People will hurt other people with their tongue
• Men will obey wives and disobey their mothers

Seventy-two (72) signs of Trials and Tribulations

Sayyidn’a Huzaifah has narrated that the Holy Prophet s.a.w. predicted that seventy-two events shall occur in the period close to the Day of Judgment. These are:

1. That is, they will misappropriate the trusts entrusted to them for safe custody
2. They will begin to consider lying to be lawful. Telling lies will become an art
3. People will begin to miss their prayers and pay no attention to them
4. The pages and covers of the Holy Qur’an will be lavishly decorated
5. The Mosques will be decorated with beautiful writings and designs
6. Peace and security will deteriorate (as we see this at the moment)
7. Justice will become a virtue almost hard to find anywhere
8. One who betrays his trust will be regarded as trustworthy
9. They will begin to commit murders on ordinary grounds
10. Sudden deaths will become a common occurrence
11. Oppression and wrongdoing will become rampant
12. The trustworthy will be regarded as untrustworthy
13. They shall violate the bonds of relationships
14. Falsehood will become truth (and vice versa)
15. Divorces will become a common practice
16. They shall construct high-rise buildings
17. They will begin to eat usurious income
18. They shall begin to betray their trusts
19. They shall sell their Deen (Faith)
20. Silk garments will be worn by men
21. The liar will be regarded as truthful
22. The truthful will be regarded as a liar
23. Calumny (slandering) will become a common feature, i.e., people will put false blame on one another
24. The weather shall be hot despite rains.  ( possible indication of  global warming)
25. Instead of desiring children people will hate them. They will pray to Allah not to favour them with children. This is happening as a result of the Family Planning Department of Governments are raising the slogan, “Only Two Issues” guarantee Prosperity.
26. The meaner classes will be happy and prosperous
27. The respectable classes will be in trouble and cast out of society
28. The Rulers and the Ministers will become used to lying-engrossed in lies from morning till evening
29. The scholars of Deen and the reciters of the Qur’an will become lewd and sinners
30. The hearts of the wearers of skin garments will be more foul-smelling than dead animals
31. They will be more bitter than the aloe plant (with bitter leaves)
32. Even so, the hearts will remain desolate and empty
33. The leaders of the people will become wrongdoers
34. Punishments of the Shari ‘ah will be suspended
35. The trustworthy will begin to betray their trusts
36. Lofty minarets will rise from the mosques
37. The people shall put on skin-garments
38. Gold will become widely used
39. Silver will be in great demand
40. Sins will be on the increase
41. Wine will be drunk freely
42. The slave girl shall bear her master.  In other words, the daughter shall rule over her mother and behave with her as a master behaves with his slave girls.
43. The bare-footed, the naked and the uncultured shall become Kings and Rulers.  The mean, the untouchable classes, and the depressed ones will become Heads of State – (this is what has happened in India).
44. Woman and man shall be partners in trade, as women are trying to take part in every walk of life side by side with men
45. Men will imitate women; and
46. Women will imitate men. In other words, men and women shall adopt each other’s guise and appearance. See what has happened today under the frenzy of fashion, so it is difficult to distinguish between men and women from a distance.
47. The people will swear by names other than Allah’s name. It is lawful to swear only by Allah or some attribute of Allah or by the Holy Qur’an. In the later ages, people will swear by objects as ‘by your head’, etc. This is unlawful and strictly forbidden.
48. In the times to come even the Muslims will bear false witnesses. The use of the word ‘even’ indicates that the non-Muslims do bear false witnesses freely but a Muslim who is not expected to do so, will also commit this sin.
49. Salam (salute) will be bidden only to those who are known and not to strangers. This is against the injunction of the Holy Prophet who has said in a Hadith: Salam should be bidden to everyone whether you know or do not knock the person. If you are on a way you must bid Salam to every passer-by, except that if the number of the passers-by is very large, you may ignore this formality. However, a time will come when people will avoid bidding Salam even when only a few men are passing on the road, and the custom of Salam will come to an end.
50. The meanest man shall become the leader of the community by their consent or votes
51. Zakat (the obligatory Islamic tax) will be paid reluctantly as if it were a penalty
52. A trust shall be taken and misappropriated as plundered property
53. Work relating to the Hereafter will be done to earls worldly gains
54. Wrongdoing and tyranny will be looked upon as acts of pride
55. Justice will be sold (with bribery) in the Courts of Justice
56. Musical instruments will be kept and preserved with care
57. The voices of the wrongdoers will rise in the mosques
58. A man will not hesitate to cause harm to his friends
59. Men will misbehave with their mothers
60. The number of Police will increase
61. Wine will be drunk by road-sides
62. Men will disobey their parents
63. A man will obey his wife
64. Women engaged in the singing profession (Film Actresses) will be held in great esteem and accorded high status
65. The Holy Qur’an will be recited in a musical style, to enjoy the singing tone and its musical cadence
66. (War-spoils) will be taken as the personal estate has been used here to imply public property which will be enjoyed as personal property
67. The Qur’an will not be recited for the sake of its Da’wah (preaching) for understanding it and for reaping the reward for its recitation
68. Religious knowledge will be acquired not for the sake of religion but for the sake of earning worldly resources and worldly honour and status
69. The later people of the Ummah will taunt and curse the former people, i.e. the latter will pass derogatory remarks at the former
70. Red wind-storm may come from Allah, or
71. Earthquakes may upheave the earth; or
72. The people’s faces may be distorted; or
73. Stones may rain down from the sky or some other torment may descend from Allah – God forbid. All these signs are proving true of our society one by one. The punishment that has come over us is due to these misdeeds. (Durre-Mansoor vol 4, P-52)

Refrain from sins

While thinking to reform yourself, the least you should do is to give up one by one the sins that you commit from morning till evening. You should also turn to Allah every day in repentance and seek His forgiveness. You should also pray to Allah to keep you and your household away from the ill-omen and woes of the period of trials. The words of prayer may be:

 O, Allah! I seek refuge with You from all apparent and hidden trials.

 You should, also, save yourself as far as possible from the following sins:

1. Sins due to casting evil eyes
2. Lewdness and nakedness
3. Backbiting
4. Hurting others
5. Sins of accepting a bribe
6. Dealings in Usurious transactions, etc.

Recent earthquakes, tsunamis, and tornadoes have been shaking the entire world and this is happening more frequently now in the present time. About this sign of the age of Fitnah Holy Prophet (SAW) mentioned in hadith:

“Sinking (swallowing) of the Earth, frequent Earth Quakes, flying of Stones with Severe Winds.” (Tirmidhi)

Nowadays men treat their mothers like maids and wife is being treated like a queen. Disobedience of parents has become a common thing in the present era. Holy Prophet (PBUH) said about this sign of the age of Fitnah in these words:

“When Man obeys his Wife but disobeys his Mother.” (Tirmidhi)

If you spent your life in negligence, thoughtlessness, and recklessness, then this may – God forbid – result in a bad end and loss of Eeman (Faith). These are some of the prevailing signs of the age of Fitnah (Trial) for Muslims that can be observed in the present day and age. May Allah help us to act upon these injunctions? Aameen!