The Golden Age

Allah calls to the Abode of Peace and guides whom He wills to a straight path. Those who do
good will have the best and more! Neither dust nor debasement will darken their faces.
They are the Companions of Paradise, remaining in it timelessly, forever.
(Surah Yunus: 25-26)

Introduction

The End Times (or the Last Days) may not be a familiar concept to many people. Therefore, we first give a brief explanation of it. The End Times means "the last era." According to Islamic literature, this period of time is close to Doomsday, during which we will witness the prevalence of the Qur'an's morality and widespread adherence to religious values.

Towards the end of this period, all conditions that ensure a peaceful and safe life will be established, and the misery that marked the previous periods will be replaced will wealth, abundance, and justice. All forms of immorality, fraud, and degeneration will end. This is the blessed period, marked by Islamic morality, for which all people of faith have longed for centuries.

The Hadith literature and the works of Muslim scholars contain extensive references to this period. These descriptions indicate that, following great corruption and outrage, Earth will enter upon a period of salvation characterized by bounty and blessings due to the prevalence of true religion. In this period, science, medicine, and technology will advance to a unprecedented degree and provide extensive benefits humanity, and the understanding of art will flourish in an unprecedented way.

During the early phases of the End Times, moral degeneration will become all-pervasive due to the influence of some philosophical systems such as atheism, materialism and racism. Humanity will forget the reason for its existence and thus enter the downward spiral of spiritual purposelessness and moral degeneration. Great disasters will occur one after another. Wars and insurmountable trouble will cause humanity to seek the answer to the question: "Is there a way out?" But Allah will save people from this great turmoil and enable them to enter a blessed period. Actually, such a blessed period applies to each community at all times, provided its members abide by the Qur'an's morality. Allah has always granted great blessings to His servants who, out of their awe and consciousness of Him, comply meticulously with His commands. He causes such people to live in abundance.

What we know about the End Times comes from our Prophet's (saas) words and the works of Muslim scholars. There is no reason to doubt the authenticity of these resources, for the Hadith literature provides detailed descriptions about this period. The facts that such detailed accounts were provided 14 centuries ago and that all these happenings occurred one after another within a particular period of time is a miracle in itself, and thereby removes any misgivings regarding the origin of these words.

Indeed, since Allah gives us some information related to the End Times, such as the global prevalence of the Qur'an's morality or Jesus' second coming to Earth, we have no reason to doubt its accuracy. In the following verse, Allah gives the good news that the Qur'an's morality will pervade Earth:

Allah has promised those of you who believe and do right actions that He will make them successors in the land, as He made those before them successors, and will firmly establish for them their religion, with which He is pleased, and give them, in place of their fear, security. "They worship Me, not associating anything with Me." Any who are unbelievers after that, such people are deviators. (Surat an-Nur: 55)


Signs That the Qur'an's Values Will Prevail

Many verses refer to the global prevalence of the Qur'an's values in the Golden Age, the latter years of the End Times. These verses have great parallels with our Prophet's (saas) sayings related to the Golden Age. Clearly, this prevalence is a sign of the Golden Age described by our Prophet (saas), for such an event has not occurred yet. Some verses about how this phenomenon will come about are as follows:

Allah has written, "I will be victorious, I and and My Messengers." Allah is Most Strong, Almighty. (Surat al-Mujadala: 21)

They desire to extinguish Allah's Light with their mouths, but Allah will perfect His Light, though the unbelievers hate it. He sent His Messenger with guidance and the Religion of Truth to exalt it over every other religion, though the idolaters hate it. (Surat as-Saff: 8-9)

They desire to extinguish Allah's Light with their mouths. But Allah refuses to do other than perfect His Light, even though the unbelievers detest it. He sent His Messenger with guidance and the Religion of Truth to exalt it over every other religion, even though the idolaters detest it. (Surat at-Tawba: 32-33)

Allah confirms the Truth by His words, even though the evildoers hate it. (Surah Yunus: 82)

Those before them planned, but all planning belongs to Allah. He knows what each soul earns, and the unbelievers will soon know who has the Ultimate Abode. (Surat ar-Ra'd: 42)

We destroyed generations before you when they did wrong. Their Messengers brought them the Clear Signs, but they were never going to have faith. That is how We repay evildoers. Then We appointed you after them to be successors on the earth so We might observe how you would act. (Surah Yunus: 13-14)

The Qur'an relates the following divine law in many of its verses: Those who have a pure faith in Allah and do not ascribe partners to Him will inherit the earth. Some examples are the following:
We wrote down in the Zabur, after the Reminder came: "My righteous servants will inherit the earth." (Surat al-Anbiya': 105)

We will leave you the land to live in after them. That is the reward of those who fear My station and fear My threat. They asked for Allah's victory, and every obdurate tyrant failed. (Surah Ibrahim: 14-15)

Musa said to his people: "Seek help in Allah and be steadfast. Earth belongs to Allah. He bequeaths it to any of His servants He wills. The successful outcome is for those who guard against evil." They said: "We suffered harm before you came to us and after you came to us." He said: "It may well be that your Lord is going to destroy your enemy and make you the successors in the land so that He can see how you behave." (Surat al-A'raf: 128-29)

Rather We hurl truth against falsehood, and it cuts right through falsehood and causes it to vanish! Woe without end to you for what you portray! (Surat al-Anbiya': 18)


The Golden Age

Many hadiths indicate the existence of a period when the Qur'an's values will pervade Earth. This period, known as the Golden Age, will last for more than half a century and, in many ways, will resemble the Blessed Period of our Prophet (saas). We call this period the Golden Age due to our Prophet's (saas) Paradise-like depictions of it. It will be marked by the abundance of every type of goods and crops, the establishment of security, justice, peace, and happiness; and the use of advanced technology for humanity's comfort, ease, joy, and peace. No one will be in need, for all goods and services will be available to satisfy all people's material needs. Many hadiths say that "weapons will be silenced," and thus herald a world filled with peace. In the Golden Age, enemy nations will become brothers and sisters and re-establish peace, friendship, and love among their leaders and peoples.

Technology will reach its peak, and people will receive its fullest benefits. Medicine, agriculture, communication, transportation, and industry will undergo remarkable development, and people will continuously witness new discoveries. Each discovery will become an impetus for another and thereby contribute to the overall acceleration of discoveries.

The arts will flourish, and the broad horizons and deep thinking granted by faith in Allah will advance all branches of art. Such a spirit will enable people to produce glamorous works of music, theater, and painting. According to one hadith, people will be so content that they will spend their days with no idea as to how time passes and how one day turns into the next. They will pray to Allah to prolong their lives in order to receive more benefits from these graces. Another Prophetic hadith states that "the younger ones wish they were grown-ups, while the adults wish they were younger… The good become even more good, and the wicked ones are treated well."1



UNPRECEDENTED ABUNDANCE

The Golden Age will be a period of great abundance, for each individual's material wants will be satisfied according to need. Technology will produce such an abundance of goods that hunger will be eradicated forever and all people will be provided with the necessities of life. Earth's wealth will serve humanity, and new agricultural technologies will lead to an unparalleled increase in crop production. People of faith will receive great rewards for every good deed they do, both in this world and the Hereafter. Bounty and abundance, which will permeate every moment of life, will be a grace that Allah will grant to those who live by the Qur'an's moral code. Every good act they do will turn into a great fortune. In one verse, Allah describes the great reward all believers will receive when they spend for His good pleasure:

The metaphor of those who spend their wealth in the Way of Allah is that of a grain that produces seven ears: in every ear there are a hundred grains. Allah gives such multiplied increase to whoever He wills. Allah is All-Encompassing, All-Knowing. (Surat al-Baqara: 261)

Anyone who acts rightly, male or female, being a believer, We will give them a good life and will recompense them according to the best of what they did.
(Surat an-Nahl: 97)

Many hadiths reveal that there will be an unprecedented abundance of crops and goods, all of which will be distributed without measure:

During this (period), my ummah (people) will lead a kind of comfortable and carefree life that they have never known before. (The land) will bring forth its yield and will not hold anything back.2

In the last of times there will be a khalifa (successor) who will distribute wealth without even counting it.3

Then my Ummah, be its members good or wicked, will be blessed with a blessing the like of which they have never heard before. Allah sends them an abundance of rain, the land will produce a great abundance of crops, and possessions will be commonplace.4

In those years my community will enjoy a time of happiness such as they have never experienced before. Heaven will send down rain upon them in torrents, the earth will not withhold any of its plants, and wealth will be available to all. A man will stand and say, "Give to me, Mahdi!" and he will say, "Take."5

Both the Ummah's good and wicked members will be blessed with a blessing, the like of which they have never seen before. Despite the abundance of rain, not a drop will go to waste. The land will grow fruitful and fertile, without demanding a single seed...6

The land will emit the treasures within.7

The land will turn like the silver tray growing vegetation...8



How To Attain Such Bounty

Someone sowing a measure of wheat will find 700 in return ... A person will scatter a few handfuls of seeds, but will reap 700 handfuls … Despite an abundance of rain, not a drop will go to waste.9
This hadith refers to an increase in agricultural production that will occur in the End Times by transitioning to modern agriculture, developing new production techniques, improving seed stocks, and using rainwater more efficiently by constructing new dams and ponds.

Indeed in our day, remarkable improvements in technology have increased both the productivity and quality of field crops. As with all other forms of technology, rapid developments, especially in genetics, is causing a revolution in agricultural technology. Without a doubt, this productivity will continue to grow until it reaches its peak in the Golden Age.


One hadith of our Prophet about the Golden Age is as follows:

During the last days of my community, the Mahdi will emerge. Allah will give him abundant rain and the earth will bring forth its plants and give forth its wealth and herds will multiply and the community will be huge. (Al-Hakim Hadiths)

The Golden Age is a time when there will be an abundance of crops and possessions. This age's advanced technology and science will enable the production of high-quality and durable crops.




The Improvement of Crops


Thanks to the technological developments that will occur in the Golden Age, seed quality and irrigation systems will improve greatly. This way, many deserts will become fertile and crop yields will increase.


In the End Times, every agricultural development will serve all of humanity. In our own time, only some groups or societies benefit from technology, but in the Golden Age everyone, regardless of their ethnicity, age, gender, or language, will enjoy its benefits. No one will enjoy special privileges, for both rich and poor will have equal access to these services. No one will suffer from poverty or starve, for opulence and welfare will mark this era. Technology will ensure the transition to an agricultural system that secures healthy, tasty, durable, cheap, and abundant yields. Current scientific developments, especially in genetics, already provide hints about the nature of these technological developments and the kind of abundance that they will bring.

Genetics has a vast field of application in food production. Thanks to genetics, genes that cause abnormalities in the genetic codes (DNA) of plants can be eliminated, and those that improve plant quality and durability can be identified. Considering that substantial agricultural products can be obtained only from quality raw material, these methods, which ensure the production of plants resistant to salt and temperature extremes, will lead to an agricultural revolution. A plant's level of protein or vitamin can be increased by injecting DNA pieces into its cells. The same method can produce plants that are resistant to pests, herbicides, disease, severe weather conditions, and poor soil. Genetic studies of seeds seek to minimize anything that might harm a seed and support a year-round agricultural industry. The finalization of these studies will bring great prosperity and abundance in agriculture.

In the End Times, the prevailing Qur'anic morality will ensure that everyone will receive their just share of goods. In fact, these goods will be so abundant that everyone will receive all that they ask for, and much more besides. At all times, Allah grants to His servants who display this moral excellence an abundant life and promises them great blessings both in this world and beyond. This is related in Surat an-Nahl:

Anyone who acts rightly, male or female, being a believer, We will give them a good life and recompense them according to the best of what they did. (Surat an-Nahl: 97)

Like genetics, scientific researchers are working to produce fruits and vegetables that can stay fresher longer and field crops that can thrive in extreme climates. Long-term storage and preservation of food, as well as eliminating the factors that cause rot and decay, will be the sign of the abundance that people will experience in the End Times. Recent breakthroughs in technology and new methods (e.g., radiation, high temperature, high pressure, and genetic studies) render bacteria ineffective and thus make months-long food storage possible. Gamma or electron radiation, for instance, reduces or eradicates such disease-producing agents as microbes, bacteria, and nits. Food that is treated according to such methods become durable and carries no risk of food poisoning. Furthermore, processed food can maintain its flavor, freshness, taste, and color in a form very similar to its natural state and never lose its juice. A radiated strawberry can be safely stored in a refrigerator for months, and a potato can be kept for an extended period of time without budding.


Another benefit of agricultural technology will be satellites that constantly monitor agricultural fields. Aerial photography will enable the earliest possible discovery of all types of potential harm to crops. Weather conditions, underground water and mineral resources, and pests will be monitored by satellites. In this satellite picture, those regions invaded by harmful insects are shown in red.(left)



In our day, agriculture through satellite-monitoring is being implemented in some American states and has already proved to be successful.

Genetic studies focus on producing more durable crops containing high level of vitamins.




Such processes will end waste and ensure the optimum employment of resources. Such technological developments, which are still at a very early stage, have only limited applications today. However, they will be very effective in maintaining the land's abundance in the End Times. People will be able to allocate resources wisely and minimize waste, and farmers will be able to produce huge amounts of long-lasting and quality agricultural products.

In the Golden Age, technology will serve humanity, and its blessings will be allocated evenly among all people regardless of ethnicity, community, and country. Nations that are far from one another, as well as societies of dissimilar cultures, will benefit from these sources evenly, and everyone will enjoy a just administration. Adherence to the Qur'an's morality in its true sense will ensure the maintenance of this Paradise-like order on Earth. The just administration of sincere Muslims, who turn to Allah for every deed they perform, will secure peace and security, as well as continued blessings.



Greening the Deserts


Another sign for the greening of deserts is the following hadith: "…every piece of land will be planted" (Al-Isha‘ah li-ashrat al-sa‘ah, p.255). If we consider that deserts make up 43 percent of all land, we can better understand the importance of greening the deserts in order to feed starving countries.
Another sign of the End Time's abundance is the greening of the world's deserts. This development's significance can be better understood if we consider that deserts make up 43 percent of all land. Today, the constant water supply to deserts makes agricultural production possible in even most barren locations. Applying technology to deserts will provide drought-hit countries on the edge of starvation with fertile land.


Computer-monitored irrigation systems that divert water directly to plant roots and prevent even a single drop of water from going to waste will allow agricultural production in deserts. Purifying and then using all forms of water are also important for desert agriculture. Treated flood and sea water will provide ample amounts of water, form the basis of agricultural technology, and be a great gain for the countries' economy. Our Prophet (saas) referred to the productive use of water, as follows:

Both the good and the evil members of the Ummah will be blessed with a blessing the like of which they will have never heard. Despite the abundance of rain, not a drop will go waste; the land will become fruitful without a single seed.10

Computer-monitored irrigation systems that divert water directly to plant roots and thus prevent even a single drop of water from going to waste is one of the technologies that will allow agricultural production in deserts. These technologies will be widely available in the Golden Age.

Hydroponics (growing plants without soil) is another method for greening deserts. In the Golden Age, this method will be very instrumental, especially in regions with unfavourable climates and low incomes. This method, which is currently employed in very few regions, will make vegetable growing possible even in the most infertile desert and thus bring relief to lands suffering from drought and misery. Aquaponics (growing plants in water) offers many advantages, for it allows producers full control over the nutrients that plants need. Another advantage is that water does not contain the abundant microbes that are found in the soil.



The High Cost of Living and Poverty Will End

As the Golden Age will be a time of welfare and great wealth, all people will receive more than they demand. Nothing will be measured or counted. However, the high cost of living and poverty are the main features of the earlier periods of the End Times, for the poor will become poorer while the rich will become richer. This feature is also emphasized in a hadith, as follows: Poverty will spread.11

Allah sends starvation and poverty to warn people who are far removed from religion. If such people had faith, they would find relief from the great troubles and hardships that they meet throughout their lives. Indeed, Allah grants great wealth, happiness, and welfare to Muslims who have faith in Him and earnestly serve His cause, while He sends trouble and suffering to unbelievers in return for their disbelief. When people become ungrateful, Allah takes back their blessings and tests them with starvation and fear. One verse mentions this Divine Justice:

Corruption has appeared in both land and sea because of what people's own hands have brought about, so that they may taste something of what they have done, so that hopefully they will turn back. (Surat ar-Rum: 41)

Allah gives the example of Pharaoh and his people, who were subjected to drought and scarcity of crops because of their ungratefulness. Allah tested Pharaoh with drought at a time when he had been enjoying great wealth and possessions:

We seized Pharaoh's people with years of drought and scarcity of fruits so that hopefully they would pay heed. (Surat al-A'raf: 130)

Throughout the Qur'an, Allah calls attention to these attributes of disbelieving societies:

Allah makes an example of a city that was safe and at peace, its provision coming to it plentifully from every side. Then it showed ingratitude for Allah's blessings, so Allah made it wear the robes of hunger and fear for what it did. (Surat an-Nahl: 112)

Allah reveals the real reason why He makes the unbelievers' lives troublesome:

But if anyone turns away from My reminder, his life will be a dark and narrow one … (Surah Ta-Ha: 124)

Those societies that turned away from Messengers' warnings and insisted upon denial have always encountered great trouble. However, as the verses and hadiths inform us, sincere Muslims are always rewarded with great blessings for their faith. In addition to this, our Prophet (saas) said that his people will live in blessings, especially during the Last Days:

A time will come when a person, with his golden alms in his hand, will go around, finding no one (in need) who is willing to receive the alms.12

Then will my Ummah be blessed, the number of animals will increase and the land will bear its fruits.13

Definitely possessions will be in abundance then, flowing like water. Yet no one will (condescend) to take any.14

Great Advances in Technology

The technological advances of the twentieth century, especially during its last quarter, were without historical precedent. Many technological instruments that were unknown just 100 years ago have become integral parts of our lives. The gap between the technology of the previous century and of today has reached unimaginable dimensions. Current developments provide important signs regarding the technological advances from which people will benefit in the Golden Age.

That age's technological advances will provide great comfort and ease to people's lives. The time spent at home, at one's job, and in school will be comfortable, enjoyable, and pleasant. Housework, shopping, security systems, heating, ventilation, electricity are just a few of the things that will be monitored by computers. Robots will replace human labor in many areas. In their comfortable armchairs, watching television, people will be able to handle their work through remote-controlled robots. Scientists predict that housework, instrument maintenance, removing of dust at home will be done by robots, some as small as nanochips. By Allah's Will, all of these predictions will come true, and the majority of time-consuming tasks will be accomplished by technological instruments.

Technology will present the beauties of the world to people. Through high-tech television, people will have the privilege to see and enjoy three-dimensional environments and even to participate in recreational activities and games. Virtual reality technology will enhance learning and provide people with valuable life skills.

The extensive use of computers and Internet technologies will bring radical changes to education. Home-schooling will be easier and more involved with the developing virtual reality technologies. More efficient learning systems, which will rely on gaining personal experience through virtual reality technologies or the Internet, will replace the classical education methods, which are based on memorization. Virtual reality is used extensively today in training. For example, environments that may be hazardous in the real world can be simulated quite easily by using virtual reality technology. Thanks to this technology, pilot training, for instance, has become safe. In the Golden Age, these technologies will be applied from business and planning to manufacturing and entertainment, and to many diverse business domains.

The radical changes due to appear in education and training in the Golden Age will benefit entire nations. As is the case with all other times, those people of the Golden Age who live according to the real spirit of the Qur'an's moral teachings will attain all of the beauty, comfort, and ease that they deserve. They will live amidst abundance.




Advances in Transportation

Advances in transportation will offer comfort and security and minimize time loss. New highways and high-tech vehicles will be instrumental in preventing accidents.

The extensive use of underground transportation will eliminate traffic congestion. Electricity, solar energy, or wind power will replace the air polluting fuel oils used in vehicles and thus make cities more livable places.

Among His signs is that He sends the winds bearing good news, to give you a taste of His mercy, and to make the ships run by His command, and to enable you to seek His bounty so that hopefully you will be thankful.
(Surat ar-Rum:46)



Supersonic planes, trains, and other high-tech vehicles will offer all the comforts one may need. More importantly, this technology will serve everyone, and not just a particular part of the world's population. All people will have access to the same technology, and discrimination will end.

The Pace of Technological Advancement In The End Times

The technological advances witnessed in the last two decades of the twentieth century were unprecedented in world history. Many technological instruments we had no idea of even 100 years ago are now integral parts of our lives. Cellular phones, for instance, described as a product of "space technology" in the journals of the 1980s, are now the most ordinary means of communication. These rapid scientific and technological developments provide clues about the sort of technology that people will enjoy in the Golden Age.



The first sound recording was done by Thomas Edison in 1877. During the last two decades, sound quality has attained perfection in terms of quality.


Until the 1960s, television-related technology could only produce black and white televisions. Today, televisions offer three-dimensional images and high-quality sound.



Since Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone in 1876, communication technology has developed rapidly and become widespread. The production of cellular phones was a technological breakthrough. The next big step in communication technology is expected to be video-phones.

The twentieth century's greatest breakthrough was computer technology. There is a tremendous gap between the first bulky computers and the modern computers of today. In many areas, ranging from medicine to education and from science to agriculture, computers have changed the course of our lives.

Over the last 140 years of photography, cameras have evolved into hundreds of species, ranging from single-use pocket cameras to 4x5" studio cameras. Bridging the gap to digital imaging took place during the last two decades.

In the Golden Age, more efficient learning systems that rely on gaining personal experience through virtual reality technologies or the Internet will replace the classical education methods, which are based on the mere memorization of learning material.


Environments that may be hazardous in the real world can be simulated using virtual reality technology. Thanks to this technology, pilot training, for instance, has become safe. In the Golden Age, these technologies will be used in all fields ranging from business and planning to manufacturing and entertainment.

It will be easier to notice the flaws and find solutions for someone who is trained in car manufacturing in a virtual environment. Thus, experience and quality will replace education based on memorizing.

Technological advances in the Golden Age will add great comfort, ease, and joy to people's lives. However, these benefits will not be confined to a handful of people but will be available to all people.
Employing robots in technology or housework will offer great comfort.




In the Golden Age, technological advances in transportation will put new energy resources to use. Electricity, solar energy, or wind power will replace air-polluting fuel oils used in vehicles, and thus will make cities more livable.






The transition from steam locomotive to supersonic trains has been very rapid. But in the Golden Age, aside from speed, security and comfort also will gain importance.


The extensive use of underground transportation will improve all cities' beauty and eliminate traffic congestion. As a result, people will live in more beautiful and pleasing cities.


Advances in Communication

Great advances in communication will provide very rapid communication and information exchange among all people, regardless of location. Satellite-based telecommunication networking, in particular, will provide tremendously rapid communication, and holographic telephones will introduce a new dimension to communication by projecting a life-size holographic image of the person being called.


Computer and Internet Technology in Humanity's Service

Computer technologies will surely play a great role in the abundance of blessings. Today, computers are improving life quality in houses, workplaces, medicine, communication, the arts, and so on. In the Golden Age, these developments will accelerate in the socioeconomic domain on a global basis and bring more comfort to humanity.

In the twentieth century, Internet technology opened a new era by making communication and information sharing almost instantaneous. Learning, reading an international organization's reports, researching in a library, getting news, learning about technological developments and relevant comments now takes only a few minutes. As a result, comprehensive information collection that used to take long years of research can now be done with a minimum of effort.

As the Internet has overcome all obstacles to sharing accumulated information, all people and nations can have access to it. The ever-developing Internet technologies will have more to offer in the future.

One point deserves a special mention here. At no time in human history has the world witnessed such rapid development. In particular, the twentieth century's technological developments have been unprecedented. Only 100 years ago, no one could have imagined the world in which we live today. Only 15 or 20 years ago, people would have seen the Internet as a very advanced technology that could only be attained maybe after 100 years. Each of these developments indicates that humanity is approaching a very important time. It appears that the Golden Age will be a glorious time when people will benefit from all sorts of technology and thousands of blessings.


Technological Revolution in Energy

The energy age that began with the Industrial Revolution, usually considered to designate the period of 1750-1830 in Britain, reached a defining point with the technological developments of the twentieth century. In the coming 50 years, the world's population is expected to double and energy consumption to triple. Meanwhile, according to the best estimations, available oil reserves will meet humanity's needs for no longer than a century. Natural gas reserves, on the other hand, will be exhausted within a few decades. These facts have led scientists to turn their attention to cheaper and readily available energy sources, such as the sun, wind, and water.

Energy production from non-polluting sources is the major development of the foreseeable future. For instance, wind power will make coastal cities, in particular, less dependent on customary energy supplies and promote economic development by lessening dependency on foreign supplies and thereby increasing the general welfare. Wind power's non-abating nature and easy-accessibility have encouraged scientists to focus on producing renewable energy from wind.

Solar energy is another potential energy source. On an annual basis, Earth receives an amount of solar energy that amounts to 15,000 times our total current energy consumption. The solar energy received over a 20-day period equals the world's total energy reserves. Therefore, the efficient use of these resources will end our oil dependency.

Justice in the Golden Age

According to our Prophet (saas), before the Golden Age a great degeneration and injustice will prevail in society. Theft and fraud will grow, people will not seek to meet the needs of the needy, and only a small group of people will enjoy the benefits of affluence. But during the Golden Age, when the Qur'an's morality will prevail, every strata will benefit equally from justice, security, and peace. In such a secure environment, people will not commit any form of fraud, wickedness, and unlawful acts. The following sayings are only a few that describe the justice unique to the End Times:
Earth will be filled with equity and justice, just as it was previously filled with oppression and tyranny.16

... There will be no injustice or oppression under his [the Mahdi's] rule.17

The earth fills with justice.18

He [the Mahdi] will distribute wealth evenly among people. His justice will permeate everywhere. Earth, replete with violence and wickedness, will overflow with justice upon his arrival.19

During the time of Mahdi, justice will prevail to such an extent that every possession taken by force will be returned to his owner; furthermore, some other person's thing, even if it rests within one's teeth, will be given back to its owner… Security will permeate all over Earth and even a few ladies will be able to fulfil their hajj without the company of men.20


Allah Commands Justice

O you who believe, be upholders of justice, bearing witness for Allah alone, even against yourselves or your parents and relatives. Whether they are rich or poor, Allah is well able to look after them. Do not follow your own desires and deviate from the truth. If you twist or turn away, Allah is aware of what you do. (Surat an-Nisa': 135)

As this verse maintains, Allah commands the believers to be just under all circumstances. For this reason, when the Qur'an's morality prevails, they will exercise justice in its true sense. Their system will ensure that all people take advantage of all benefits and will receive what they request, and that everyone will be protected and guarded. For this reason, people will no longer have an attitude that does not comply with the Qur'an's morality, and injustice and violence will disappear completely.

In the Golden Age, people will comply scrupulously with each Qur'anic verse and thereby bring about a Paradise-like environment of peace and security. One of the most telling attributes of a Muslim living in such an environment is his or her commitment to uphold justice under all circumstances, provide justice to others, and never to swerve from it. In such a society, the believers will maintain justice at every instant of life. No one will be allowed to live in misery or be subjected to injustice, for all people will receive a just recompense for their work, and no one will need to suffer to make ends meet. Everyone will be asked to accomplish things in line with his or her own ability and will be provided with all kinds of opportunities. Allah commands His believing servants to rule with justice. Some of the related verses are as follows:

Allah commands justice, doing good, and giving to relatives. And He forbids indecency, doing wrong, and tyranny. He warns you so that hopefully you will pay heed. (Surat an-Nahl: 90)

Allah commands you to return to their owners the things that you hold on trust and, when you judge between people, to judge with justice. How excellent is what Allah exhorts you to do! Allah is All-Hearing, All-Seeing. (Surat an-Nisa': 58)

Among those We have created there is a community who guide by the Truth and act justly according to it. (Surat al-A`raf: 181)

O you who believe, show integrity for the sake of Allah, bearing witness with justice. Do not let hatred for a people incite you into not being just. Be just. That is closer to heedfulness… (Surat al-Ma'ida: 8)

At present, we can see clearly the existence of great injustice and an unequal allocation of resources. Images of children starving to death or of people murdering one another for a loaf of bread bring to mind social justice. That the wealth of the 200 richest people amounts to the wealth of 2.5 billion fellow human beings is the most explicit indication of the prevailing unjust system. When there are so many people in need, many affluent people still strive to hoard even more goods to add to their fortunes. Money spent only for pleasure and debauchery, or for no purpose at all, may well become the way out for hundreds of thousands of people dying of hunger. However, some miserly people still turn their faces away from those who are suffering. In the Qur'an, Allah describes these people as follows:

No indeed! You do not honor orphans or urge the feeding of the poor; you devour inheritance with voracious appetites and have an insatiable love of wealth. (Surat al-Fajr: 17-20)

Such moral corruption is the result of being selfish and losing the feelings of cooperation and solidarity. In this case, the only solution is to establish the Qur'an's morality throughout society, for those people who display its morality are just, compassionate, and seek to help those in need. Only through the existence of such morally excellent people can this Earth be filled with justice, abundance, and blessings.

Some Qur'anic verses regarding the establishment of social justice on Earth are as follows:

You will not attain true goodness until you give of what you love. Whatever you give away, Allah knows it. (Surah Al 'Imran: 92)

As for those who hoard up gold and silver and do not spend it in the Way of Allah, give them the news of a painful punishment. (Surat at-Tawba: 34)

O you who believe, give away some of the good things you have earned and some of what the land produces for you. And do not aim toward the defective therefrom, spending [from that] while you would not take it [yourself] except with closed eyes. Know that Allah is Rich Beyond Need, Praiseworthy. (Surat al-Baqara: 267)

If you give your alms in public, that is good. But if you conceal it and give it to the poor, that is better for you, and We will erase some of your bad actions from you. Allah is aware of what you do. (Surat al-Baqara: 271)

Those who are steadfast in seeking the face of their Lord, and establish prayer and give from the provision We have given them, secretly and openly, and stave off evil with good, it is they who will have the Ultimate Abode. (Surat ar-Ra'd: 22)

Those who give in times of both ease and hardship, those who control their rage and pardon other people-Allah loves the good-doers. (Surah Al 'Imran: 134)

[Charity is] for the poor who are held back in the Way of Allah, unable to travel in the land. The ignorant consider them rich because of their reticence. You will know them by their mark. They do not ask from people insistently. Whatever good you give away, Allah knows it. (Surat al-Baqara: 273)

If someone is in difficult circumstances, there should be a deferral until things are easier. But making a free gift of it would be better for you, if you only knew. (Surat al-Baqara: 280)

They give food, despite their love for it, to the poor and orphans and captives [saying]: "We feed you only out of desire for the Face of Allah. We do not want any repayment from you or any thanks." (Surat al-Insan: 8-9)

Have you seen him who denies the religion? He is the one who harshly rebuffs the orphan and does not urge the feeding of the poor. (Surat al-Ma'un: 1-3)

And how is it with you that you do not give in the Way of Allah, when the inheritance of the heavens and Earth belongs to Allah? Those of you who gave and fought before the Victory are not the same as those who gave and fought afterward. They [the former] are higher in rank. But to each of them Allah has promised the Best. Allah is aware of what you do. (Surat al-Hadid: 10)

The Golden Age will be a blessed period during which people will comply scrupulously with Allah's commands, and, as a result, justice, self-sacrifice, and charity will prevail. In this blessed period, the rich will not hesitate to give to the needy, and everyone will think of the good and comfort of others. This spirit of sharing will make everyone enjoy the same level of welfare and will solve many age-old problems, such as poverty and hunger.