What is the Islamic concept of time? What did the Prophet say about time?
The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace said) said:
“The Hour shall not be established until time is contracted, such that a year is like a month, a month is like a week, a week is like a day, a day is like an hour, and an hour will be like a burning flame.” (Tirmidhi, Zuhd, 24/2332)
Towards the end of time, wealth will become abundant and because people will be devoting their time to it and to vain amusement, or because they will experience deep anxiety due to increased turmoil, they will not know how time passes and be unable to benefit from it. It has also been suggested that this prophetic narration indicates that lifespans will shorten, and that time will become unproductive.
The Hadith scholar al-Khattabi states that the contraction of time will occur during the time of the prophesised Imam Mahdi (may Allah be pleased with him) or after the return of Prophet Isa (upon him be peace). The famous scholar ‘Ali al-Qari, however, has said that this will happen during the time of both, because the contraction of time will occur when the Dajjal appears.
Source: Osman Nuri Topbaş , Journey To Eternity, Erkam Publications
