What is the reason for the Ummah’s deviation?

Narrated Thawban: The Prophet (ﷺ) said: ‘The people will soon summon one another to attack you just as people, when eating, invite others to share their dish. Someone asked: Will that be because of our small numbers at that time? He replied: No, you will be numerous at that time: but you will be scum and rubbish like that carried down by a torrent, and Allah will take fear of you from the breasts of your enemy and hurl wahn (enervation) into your hearts. Someone asked: What is wahn (enervation) O Messenger of Allah (ﷺ): He replied: Love of the world and dislike of death.’ [1]

These people are not mentioned for us to just scorn them, but for us to understand our own weakness by being too absorbed in worldly things. There is also a warning from falling into the traps which Jews & Christian have fallen into.

‘Amr Bin ‘Auf narrated : “Allah’ Apostle (ﷺ) sent Abu ‘Ubaidah bin Al-Jarraah to Bahrain to collect the Jizyah. Allah’s Apostle (ﷺ) had established peace with the people of Bahrain and appointed Al- ‘Alaa bin Al-Hadrami as their governor. When Abu ‘Ubaidah came from Bahrain with the money, the Ansaars heard of Abu ‘Ubaidah’s arrival which coincided with the time of the morning prayer with the Prophet (ﷺ). When Allah’s Apostle led them in the morning prayer and finished, the Ansar approached him and he looked at them, smiled on seeing them and said “I feel that you have heard that Abu ‘Ubaidah has brought something?” They said, “Yes, Allah’s Apostle!”

He said, “Rejoice and hope for what will please you! By Allaah, I am not afraid of your poverty but I am afraid that you will lead a life of luxury as past nations did, whereupon you will compete with each other for it, and it will destroy you as it destroyed them.”[2]

In a hadeeth narrated by Abdullah ibn ‘Umar the Prophet (ﷺ) warned the Muhaajiroon of five things [3]:

1. Fornication and adultery- and this has not happened without new diseases befalling people because of it;
2. Corruption in weighing and measuring- and this has not happened without famines and drought following, and rulers oppressing people;
3. Withholding of charity- and this has not happened without the seizure of rain, that, were it not for the animals, rain would never come upon the land;
4. Breaking the covenant with Allah and His messenger (ﷺ) and this has not happened without the enemy taking charge of them and taking their possessions by force;
5. Rulers who do not rule by the Book of Allah- and this has not happened without Allah making them fight amongst themselves.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “The Hour will not come until some of my nation will join the pagans and worship idols, and there will be among my nation thirty liars all claiming to be a prophet and I am the last of the prophets, there is no prophet after me.” [4]

It is narrated from ‘Aa’ishah that the Prophet (ﷺ) said, ‘Allah has cursed people who have taken the graves of their prophets as places of worship.’ [5]

References:

[1] Sunan Abi Dawud: 4297

[2] Saheeh-al-Bukhaari, The Book of the Obligation of Al-Khumus, Hadeeth :38

[3] Sunan Ibn Maajah, The Book of Trials and Tribulations (Fitan), Hadeeth :419

[4] At-Tirmidhi ,The book of Fitan, Hadeeth : 2219

[5] An-Nasaai: Vol.4: The Book of the Funeral Prayer: Chapter- Taking of graves as mosques, pg. 95