The prophet (ﷺ) said “When my Community keeps on the right, it is going to enjoy an age of one day, and when it does not keep on the right, it will have an age of half a day”. [al-Bayān, Tafsīr of Sūrat al-‘Asr.]
In another version the Prophet (ﷺ) said, “If my Community keeps on the right, it is going to enjoy an age of one day, and if it becomes corrupt, it will have an age of half a day.” [Al-Munawī cites it in Fayd al-Qadīr from Shaykh Muhyī al-Dīn Ibn ‘Arabī.]
A scholar said regarding these ahadith: “Thus the Islamic community of the right way would flourish for one thousand years and the community in decline would last for another five hundred years. For the first millennium of Islamic civilization, the Muslims were favored by Allah with an advancement unparalled before or after. Muslims were at the forefront of not only religious development but also were the world’s leading researchers, physicians, chemists, astronomers, botanists, philosophers, and architects. Muslims were the shining lights that illuminated Europe and touched off the Renaissance.
After its first millennium a gradual yet definite decline began within the Ummah which has continued until our present time. As the Muslims have wandered away from the way of the Prophet and Allah’s heavenly message of Islam, the divine blessings and support have similarly diminished. Miraculously, the Prophet predicted that this process would take one thousand years and it came to pass. The second prediction in this hadith is that the Ummah will continue further for five hundred more years in decline. Thus, according to this understanding of this hadith Allah has granted the Ummah a lifespan of fifteen hundred years, and Allah knows best.
This prediction of a fifteen hundred year lifespan is also in keeping with the recent appearance of the Signs of the Last Days. These signs have not appeared in their totality until lately. Even a cursory examination of these signs shows their present-day fulfillment as foretold by Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) over fourteen hundred years. The 1000th year of the Islamic Hijrī calendar was marked by the rule of Ottoman sultan Murād III 1546–95 (ruled 1574–95), son and successor of Selim II.
He was dominated by his family, and although his generals were successful against Persia, his reign marked the beginning of the decay of the Ottoman Empire and the Islamic caliphate as a whole. The life of my community will not exceed 1500 years. (As-Suyuti, Al-Kashf 'an Mujawazat Hazihi al-Ummah al-Alf; As-Suyuti, Al-Hawi Lil-Fatawi, 2/248; Tafsir Ruh al-Bayan. Burusawi 4/262; Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Kitab al-`Ilal, p. 89) The life of this community will exceed 1000years, yet be limited to 1500 years. (Al-Barzanji, Al-Isha'ah li-ashrat al-sa'ah, p. 299)
When the Muslims reached the 1,000th year they thought they were nearing the end because of these ahadith which indicated we will have half the time the Jewish nation had, but Imam as-Suyuti [The mujadid of the 9th Islamic century, The concept is based on the following Prophetic tradition (hadith): "Allah shall raise for this Umma at the head of every century a man who shall renew (or revive) for it its religion." Abu Dawud] was alive during these times, he wrote a fatwa [legal ruling] in which he said it was supposed to be 1000 years but there is a dua of rasul Allah in which he supplicates Allah to give his Ummah another half a day and the companions asked the prophet how long is half a day and he answered 500 years.
So the imam said the life of this Ummah is 1,500 years. Imam as Suyuti mentions in his book “Risalah Al-Kashf ‘an mujawazt hadehel ommah al alf”, or “treastie on revealing of the proceeding of this nation beyond the thousand, ” page 206 about the advent of the Mahdi that, “from what the narrations reveal is that the age of this ummah extends beyond a thousand but it doesn’t exceed in increase another 500 in actuality beyond this thousand.” The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Allah will not fail to detain this community for less than half a day. (500 years). Abu-Dawud.
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: I hope my community will not fail to maintain their position in the sight of their Lord if He delays them half a day. Sa'd was asked: How long is half a day? He said: It is five hundred years. (500 years) Abu-Dawud.
Meaning delayed beyond the thousand years, Allah will not keep the Muslim Ummah on earth more than another 500 years. I should mention this isn’t the time for the day of judgment this is simply the lifespan of this Ummah, the day of judgment will not come as long as there is a single person on earth saying “Allah Allah” irrespective of whether Iman is present in their hearts, they would simply be imitating what they heard from their fathers without knowing its meaning.
The Prophet of Allah (ﷺ) is reported to have said : ” In between the hands of the hour(Qiyamah), there will come out a breeze/wind and it will take away the spirit of every believer.” (reported by Ahmad, Muslim, Thirmidhi and Ibn Majah), and in another narration he (ﷺ) said ,”Verily Allah(swt) will send a wind from Yemen that will be more softer than silk, and it will not leave a person with even a single seed of eman, but will take his soul away.”( reported by al-Hakim) The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "The Hour will not rise before Allah, Allah is no longer said on earth." And through another chain: "The Hour will not rise on anyone saying: Allah, Allah." [Muslim narrated both in his Sahih, Book of Iman (Belief), chapter 66 entitled: dhahab al-iman akhir al-zaman "The Disappearance of Belief at the End of Times."] There won’t be any people with Iman at the time, "The Hour will only come upon the worst of the people." [Declared sahih by al-Hakim and agreed to by adh-Dhahabi].
Anas ibn Malik reported: The Messenger of Allah, (ﷺ) said, “If the Resurrection were established upon one of you while he has in his hand a sapling, then let him plant it.” Source: Musnad Ahmad 12491 Sahih (authentic) according to Al-Haythami
See this for more:
http://www.sunniforum.com/forum/showthread.php?64816-The-Life-span-of-this-ummah
Also see this:
http://www.ummah.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-348087.html
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