This was in another section, i know its not on topic, but i hope it benefits insha Allaah:
:salamext:
I've mentioned this hadith quite alot, and it clears up alot of misunderstandings aswell as gives glad tidings:
Allaah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said:
"The Prophethood will last among you for as long as Allah (God) wills, then Allah would take it away. Then it will be (followed by) a Khilafah [caliphate] Rashida (rightly guided) according to the ways of the Prophethood. It will remain for as long as Allah wills, then Allah would take it away. Afterwards there will be a hereditary leadership which will remain for as long as Allah wills, then He will lift it if He wishes. Afterwards, there will be biting oppression, and it will last for as long as Allah wishes, then He will lift it if He wishes. Then there will be a Khilafah Rashida according to the ways of the Prophethood," then he kept silent.
[recorded in Musnad Imam Ahmad (v/273)]
We're under the underlined stage, and all the events before it have occured in our islamic history. Inshaa'Allaah the rest of the prophecy will soon come into effect.
According to the hadith, the prophet (peace be upon him) will be followed by rightly guided caliphs and after those caliphs (Abu Baker, Omar, Uthman and Ali) will come hereditary leadership (the other Caliphs) and after that will come tyrannical rule (today) and after that will come a rightly guided caliphs yet again inshaa'Allaah.
We are in a stage where the people who speak out are being tortured and locked up, some even getting killed. Allaah trials the believers through these hardships, and as the muslims face pressure - some turn towards Allaah more whole-heartedly, others turn away from Allaah and follow their society out of fear of following Islaam.
We are in this stage when everyone is in the grey area, but after this hardship - there are two clear distinct groups - Black and White:
1) True Believers
2) Disbelievers
The True believers remain firm on Islaam, and the disbelievers will continue trying to eradicate Islaam.
Yet after this hardship, when Allaah knows the believers are worthy of their own state. He grants it to them, yet they still may be in a state of fear and get attacked by the enemy. This is like the Early Medinan Period.
However, if the Muslims remain firm on emaan and establish the salaah, pay the zakaah, enjoin the good, forbid the evil etc. Then He will continue supporting them.
As the muslims grow in strength by the will of Allaah, they will stay firm and defeat the enemy who comes to attack them - because the enemy wants to destroy Islaam since it is an opposition to their power.
Once the muslims become firm and strong, and a strength against the believers - then many people may secretly do Hijrah from the land of disbelief, to the land of Islaam. To the extent that the enemy feels that the muslims are so strong, that they have no other choice apart from a peace treaty.
Within this peace treaty time, alot of muslims will travel and make hijrah to the muslim land.
However now that the muslims are a power of their own, this is the time when the amount of hypocrites who pretend to be muslims will become on the increase, and the threat from the inside will be big. However, the believers will still remain successful so long as they keep their duties to Allaah.
Now that they are a power, they would do dawah to other lands and spread Islaam to other areas.
As they continue their dawah and fight to make Islaam the highest, then they are likely to get many spoils of war [wealth etc.] And they will become a powerful nation so long as they remain firm in their Islaam.
However, as time progresses the muslims will have soo much wealth that they will get attatched to this world instead of the hereafter. They will have so much wealth that many of the believers will start to prefer this world over the hereafter. They will then indulge in many sins. To the extent that they will become similar to the enemy, striving for this world instead of the hereafter.
Then Allaah will want to wake the ummah up again, and due to their sins - He will send them trials and an opposition. The enemy knows that the believers are united, but due to the believers love for this world - they will argue amongst each other. The enemy realises that the believers are at their weakest [due to love for this world] - so the enemy will fight.
The believers will fight back, while others will stay behind. The enemy is sincere, and many muslims may just fight for their pride and love for this life. Then Allaah will allow the enemy to overcome the believers, because their sins are similar, and they both strive for the same cause [this world.]
To the extent that the muslims will face hardship, and again - they will turn to Allaah in a state of weakness, depending on Allaah instead of this life and its delusion. And the cycle will begin again, right from the start.
That has been the exact same Sunnah which has occured within this Ummah, Allaah will trial us, the same way the people before us were trialled - that's because we have fallen into the exact same mistakes they fell into. And in the end, the victory is for the believers.
"Allah has promised to those of you who believe, and do good deeds, that He will surely grant them in the land inheritance of power as He granted it to those before them; that He will establish in authority their religion which He has chosen for them. And that He will change their state after fear to one of security and peace. They will worship Me alone and not associate aught with Me." (Qur'an Al-Noor (the Light) 24:55)
Allaah Almighty knows best, and He is the Wise, All Powerful.