The Life Span of The World is 7000 Years

1. The hadiths transmitted from the Prophet (saas) reveal that the life span of the earth is 7000 years.

Anas ibn Malik narrates that the Messenger of Allah (saas) said: THE LIFE SPAN OF THE WORLD IS SEVEN DAYS IN THE DAYS OF THE HEREAFTER. Almighty Allah has said: ONE DAY IN THE SIGHT OF YOUR LORD IS LIKE A THOUSAND OF YOUR YEARS. ALLAH WILL ASCRIBE THE EQUIVALENT OF GOOD DEEDS OF THE SEVEN THOUSAND YEARS OF THE AGE OF THIS WORLD to the one who meets the need of any of his brothers in the faith on the path of Allah as if he spends his days in fasting and his nights in worship. (Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir az-Zaman, p. 88)

We informed ibn Zayd about Amr ibn Yahya. May Allah be pleased with him, he said: The Messenger of Allah (saas) said: THE LIFE SPAN OF THE WORLD IS SEVEN DAYS IN THE AFTERLIFE DAYS. Almighty Allah said that a day in the Sight of your Lord is like a thousand of your years. (As-Suyuti, Al-Kashf 'an Mujawazat Hazihi al-Ummah al-Alf, p. 10)

At-Tabarani says in al-Mujam-ul-kabir: We told Ahmad ibn an-Nadril as-Qari and Jafar ibn Muhammad al-Aryani (or Uryani) and they both said; We told al-Walid ibn Abd al-Malik ibn Sarh al-Sahrani and we told Sulayman ibn Ata al-Quraysh al-Harbi, and ad-Dahhaq ibn Zaml al-Jahni said of Amr ibn ab al-Shajaat ibn Rabi al-Jahni and Sullamatu ibn Abdullah al-Jahni:

I had a dream and told it to the Messenger of Allah (saas). He spoke his words: O Messenger of Allah, I am with you on a seven-stepped pulpit, and you are on its highest degree. He (saas) said: As for the seven-stepped pulpit, I am on the highest step, THE LIFE OF THE WORLD IS SEVEN THOUSAND YEARS ... (As-Suyuti, Al-Kashf 'an Mujawazat Hazihi al-Ummah al-Alf, p. 10)

They narrated from Daqqaq ibn Zaid al-Juhani: I told the Messenger of Allah (saas) of a dream I had had. In that dream the Messenger of Allah (saas) was at the top step of a seven-stepped pulpit. He said: THE SEVEN-STEPPED PULPIT YOU SEE IS THE SEVEN THOUSAND YEARS OF AGE OF THIS WORLD.(Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir az-Zaman, p. 89)

According to these hadiths, which appear in the book Al-Burhan fi 'Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir az-Zaman by al-Muttaqi, one of the greatest Sunni scholars, the Prophet (saas) put the life span of the world at 7000 years.  Hadiths putting the life span of the world at 7000 years also appear in the works of many other Sunni scholars, including al-Muttaqi’s Kanz al-Ummal, hadith no. 16459, Muhammad Tahir Ibn Ali al-Hindi ‘s Tadhkirat al-Mawduat, I/223, Imam Sakhawi’s al-Maqasid al-Hasana (transmitted by Daylami), I/693, hadith no. 1243, Al-Munawi’s Fayz al-Qadir, III/547, hadith no. 4278 (transmitted by Daylami) and Bayazid Bistami’s Miftah al-Jifr. This is clear evidence that scholars of the Ahl al-Sunnah are in complete agreement on the subject.

2. According to a hadith narrated by many scholars, including Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, the great hadith scholar and founder of the Hanbali school, the Prophet (saas) refers to the beginning of a certain calendar, saying, the time that had passed in the world up until him was 5600 years:

Ahmad ibn Hanbal transmitted in his 'Ilal: FIVE THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED YEARS HAVE PASSED FROM THIS WORLD. (Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir az-Zaman, p. 89)

These dates, which our Prophet (saas) reveals as the world having a life span of 7000 years and 5600 years having passed up until his time, need to be evaluated within a specific calendar. They must very definitely not be evaluated as the beginning of human history when the Prophet Adam (as) was sent down to Earth. Just as the hijrat of our Prophet (saas) from Mecca to Medina is considered the beginning of the Islamic calendar, or the birth of the Prophet Jesus (as) of the Christian calendar, and today eras are reckoned from these dates, it appears that this 7000-year period described by the Prophet (saas) may have been given according to the date of an event which was accepted as a landmark during his time. It may be a reference to many important dates that have occurred throughout the lives of the prophets, for example the birth of the Prophet Abraham (as) or the Prophet Noah (as), or the prophethood being bestowed on the Prophet Abraham (as), or the Prophet Abraham (as) migrating from one place to another or the beginning of the flood when the Prophet Noah (as) boarded the Ark, or the flood’s end, or many other similar events that have taken place in the lives of other prophets. The important thing here is that our Prophet (saas) makes a calculation based on the beginning of the calendar in question and puts the life span of the world at 7000 based on that calendar, saying that 5600 years have passed between the beginning of that calendar and himself.

The great Sunni scholar Al-Barzanji states that the life span of the community will not exceed the Hijri year 1500. (Allah knows the truth.)

THE LIFE OF THIS COMMUNITY WILL EXCEED 1000 YEARS, YET BE LIMITED TO 1500 YEARS...(Al-Barzanji, Al-Isha'ah li-ashrat al-sa'ah, p. 299)

As-Suyuti’s statement made on the basis of the hadith handed down from the Prophet (saas) is also that the life of the community will not go past the Hijri year 1500:

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. Bursawi 4/262; Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Kitab al-`Ilal, p. 89)

The life span of the community is one thing and that of the world another. Said Nursi, the greatest mujaddid of the last 1000 years, says that Muslims will remain on the true path until a command comes from Allah, and will be victorious until around 1506 with the Judgment Day probably taking place in 1545 (Allah knows the truth):

"A group from my community will remain in truth until Allah's command."

The abjad calculation of the clause "A group from my community..." which is 1542 (2117) implies its [the community's] time of survival. The abjad calculation of the clause "will remain in truth" (when the gemination mark is counted) gives 1506 (2082); it indicates until that date it will continue its work of enlightenment evidently and obviously, and maybe victoriously; then until 1542 (2117) in secrecy and defeat. The abjad calculation of the clause "until Allah's command" (when the gemination mark is counted) suggests that THE JUDGMENT DAY WILL BEFALL the unbeliever in 1545 (2120). (Bediuzzaman Said Nursi, Kastamonu Addendum, p. 33)

According to the statements from the Sunni scholars Al-Barzanji and Imam As-Suyuti and from Bediuzzaman Said Nursi, based on the hadiths of our Prophet (saas), the life of the Muslim community will not exceed the Hijri 1500s.

Suyuti Relates Trustworthy Hadiths Regarding That The Life Of The World Lasts 7000 Years

1

Ibn Asaqir says: Abu Said Ahmed ibn Muhammad Baghdadi (with the full history of its transmission) narrated. He said from Anas ibn Malik (ra) that The Messenger of Allah (saas) said:

Allah will ascribe the equivalent of good deeds of the seven thousand years of the age of this world to the one who meets the need of any of his brothers in the faith on the path of Allah as if he spends his days in fasting and his nights in worship.

2

Ibn Abiyy says: Abu Ishak narrated from Ibrahim b. Abdullah Nabt (with the full history of that transmission) narrated. He said from Anas ibn Malik (ra) that The Messenger of Allah (saas) said:

The life span of the world is seven days in the afterlife days. Almighty Allah said, "a day with your Lord is equivalent to a thousand years in the way you count".

3

Ibn Abi ad-Dunya says that: Ali ibn Said narrated from Hamza ibn Hisham and he from Said ibn Jubair that,

The world is one week of the weeks of the Hereafter

4

Ibn Abi Hatam narrates from Ibn Abbas in the Commentary that:

The world is one week of the weeks of the Hereafter, it is seven thousand years, of which six thousand have already gone by.

5

There is this account reliably narrated from Ibn Abbas:

He said: The world is seven days. Each day is like a thousand years. And The Messenger of Allah (saas) was sent at the end of that.

6

At-Tabarani in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir says: Ahmad ibn Nadr al-Askari and Jaffar Ibn Muhammad al-Faryabi (with the full history of its transmission) narrated. They said from Daqqaq Ibn Zaid Al-Juhani that,

I had a dream and told it to Messenger of Allah (saas). He spoke the words inside him: O Messenger of Allah, I am with you on a seven-stepped pulpit, and you are on its highest degree. He (saas) said: As for the seven-stepped pulpit, I am on the highest step, the life of the world is seven thousand years. And I shall be in the last thousand.

7

Ibn Abd al-Hamid says in the Commentary; Muhammad ibn Fadl narrates from Hammad bin Zayd, and he from Yahya ibn Atik, and he from Muhammad ibn Sirin and he from one of the People of the Book who became a Muslim that,

Allah created the earth and sky in six days. A day with your Lord is equivalent to a thousand years in the way you count. And the life span of the world is six days, and the Day of Reckoning will fall on the seventh. Six days have gone by, and you are in the seventh.

8

According to a hadith narrated by many scholars, including Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, the great hadith scholar and founder of the Hanbali school, in his ‘Ilal, our Prophet (saas) refers to the beginning of a new calendar, saying, the time that had passed in the world up until him was 5,600 years. Ismail bin Abdul Karim said from Abdussamed and he from Vahb that:

Five thousand six hundred years have passed from this world

Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir az-Zaman, p. 88.

Which Great Islamic Scholars Have Said, On The Basis Of The Hadiths Of Our Prophet (Saas), That The Life-Span Of The World Is 7000 Years?

Bediuzzaman Said Nursi – At-Tabari – Al-Barzanji - Ad-Daylami - Bistami - Ahmad Ibn Hanbal - As-Suyuti - Manawi – Ibn Kathir

1) Bediuzzaman Said Nursi Stated That The Life Span Of Mankind Was 7000 Years:

"... THERE ARE SEVEN THOUSAND YEARS, DESCRIBED AS QUR'ANIC DAYS, FROM THE TIME OF ADAM TO THE DAY OF RECKONING..." (Barla Addendum, p. 286)

"A GROUP FROM MY COMMUNITY WILL REMAIN IN TRUTH UNTIL ALLAH'S COMMAND."

The abjad calculation of the clause "A group from my community..." which is 1542 (2117) implies its (the community's) time of survival. The abjad calculation of the clause "will remain in truth" (when the gemination mark is counted) gives 1506 (2082) it indicates until that date (2082) it will continue its work of enlightenment evidently and obviously, and maybe victoriously until 1542 (2117) in secrecy and defeat. The abjad calculation of the clause “UNTIL ALLAH’S COMMAND” (WHEN THE GEMINATION MARK IS COUNTED) SUGGESTS THAT THE DAY OF JUDGMENT WILL BEFALL THE UNBELIEVER IN 1545 (2120).(Kastamonu Addendum, p. 33)

Said Nursi says that the life of the Ummah will last until the year Hijri 1506:

"The first sentence refers to the last period of a community striving on the path of Allah in the End Times in ONE THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED - (1500) and the second sentence to the victory of the struggle (waged on the path of Allah) in ONE THOUSAND FIVE HUNDED AND SIX (1506). (...)It suggests it will continue in a visible and manifest, and perhaps victorious form, until this date (1506)."(The Ratifying Stamp of the Unseen, p. 46)

2) Tabari Stated That The Life Span Of The World Was 7000 Years:

"... In Abdullah ibn Abbas' account there are 2256 years from the Prophet Adam (as) to the Prophet Noah (as), 1079 years from Prophet Noah (as) to Prophet Abraham (as), 506 years from the Prophet Moses (as) to the Prophet Solomon (as) building the Temple, 220 years from him to Alexander and 369 years from Alexander to the Prophet Jesus (as). There are 551 years from the Prophet Jesus (as) to our Prophet (saas). The intervening 434 years were counted from the Interregnum. However, it is stated that the Disciples dispersed around and did this AND THE LIFE OF THE WORLD WAS MADE 7000 YEARS..." (from the Tabari translation, pp. 289-290)

3) In Al-Burhan Fi Alamat Al-Mahdi Akhir Az-Zaman, It Is Stated That The Life Span Of The World Is 7000 Years:

Anas Ibn Malik narrates that the Messenger of Allah (saas) said:

The life span of the world is seven days in the days of the Hereafter. Almighty Allah has said: "A day with your Lord is equivalent to a thousand years in the way you count".

Allah will ascribe the equivalent of good deeds of THE SEVEN THOUSAND YEARS OF THE AGE OF THIS WORLD to the one who meets the need of any of his brothers in the faith on the path of Allah as if he spends his days in fasting and his nights in worship.(Al-Burhan fi Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir al-zaman, p. 88)

Ibn Abbas cites the Prophet (saas) as saying: THE WORLD IS SEVEN DAYS LONG, EACH DAY IS LIKE A THOUSAND YEARS, and the Messenger of Allah (saas) was sent at the end of that. (Al-Burhan fi 'Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir az-Zaman, 89)

They narrated from Daqqaq Ibn Zaid Al-Juhani: I told the Messenger of Allah (saas) of a dream I had had. In that dream the Messenger of Allah (saas) was at the top step of a seven-stepped pulpit. He said: THE SEVEN-STEPPED PULPIT YOU SEE IS THE SEVEN THOUSAND YEARS OF AGE OF THIS WORLD. (Al-Burhan fi 'Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir az-Zaman, p. 89)

4) The Life Span Of The World Is Put At 7000 Years In Collections Of Hadiths:

"THE LIFE OF THE WORLS AND MANKIND FROM ADAM TO THE DAY OF RECKONING IS 7000 YEARS." Kanz al-Ummal, hadith no: 16459. Muhammad Tahir ibn Ali al-Hindi, Tadhkirat al-Mawduat, I/223.
Al-Sakhawi in al-Maqasid al-Hasana (transmitted by Daylami), I/693, hadith no: 1243. 
Al-Munawi, Fayz al-Qadir, III/547; hadith no: 4278 (transmitted by Daylami)

"... SABEANS AND MEMBERS OF THE OTHER THREE REVEALED FAITHS ARE AGREED THAT THE LIFE SPAN OF THE WORLD IS 7000 YEARS..." (Bayazid Bistami's Miftah al-Jifr)

5) Our Prophet (Saas) Revealed That The Life Of My Community (Ummah) Will Not Exceed 1500 Years:

"The life of my community WILL NOT EXCEED 1500 YEARS." 
(Suyuti, Al-Kashf 'an Mujawazat Hadhihi al-Ummah al-Alf, 'Al-Hawi lil-Fatawi',
Suyuti. 2/248, Tafsir Ruh al-Bayan. Bursawi 4/262, Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Kitab al-`Ilal, p. 89)

Suyuti's statement made on the basis of the hadith handed down from our Prophet (saas) is also that THE LIFE OF THE UMMAH WILL NOT GO PAST THE YEAR 1500:
The life of this community will exceed 1000 years, yet be limited to 1500 years...
(Muhammad ibn `Abd ar-Rasul Barzanji, Al-Isha`ah li Ashrat as-Sa`ah, p. 299) 
(Transmitted by Jalaluddin As-Suyuti's Al-Kashf 'an Mujawazat Hadhihi al-Ummah al-Alf, 'Al-Hawi lil-Fatawi')

6) Our Prophet's (Saas) Hadith Saying That "I Came At The Afternoon Prayer Of Mankind:"

I CAME AT THE AFTERNOON PRAYER OF MANKIND. (Ahmad ibn Hanbal. Kitab al-`Ilal p.89)

Considering this hadith together with that reading, "The life of my community will not exceed 1500 years";

WHEN WE TAKE THE TIME FROM AFTERNOON TO EVENING, ONE FOURTH OR ONE FIFTH OF THE DAY, AS 1500 YEARS, THEN THE LIFE SPAN OF MANKIND EMERGES AS BETWEEN 6000 AND 7500 YEARS. (Allah knows the truth.)

Mass Realization Of The Portents Of The End Times In The Last 30 Years Confirms That The Life Span Of This World Is 7000 Years

In 8 authentic hadiths said by our Prophet (saas) and narrated by Imam Suyuti who is one of the greatest hadith imams it is notified that the life span of the world is 7000 years and 5600 years of this have passed until the time of our Prophet (saas).

When we extract 5600 from 7000, 1400 years is left.

In another hadith, our Prophet (saas) said that “the life span of my community will not exceed 1500 years.”

Since we are in the year of Hijri 1430 now and calculate that we are in the Hijri 14th century till the year of Hijri 1500, then it is a certain fact that Hazrat Mahdi (as) has to come within this century.

Because there is no other century left for Hazrat Mahdi (as) to come.

The realization of almost all the portents of the End Times narrated by our Prophet (saas) in the hadiths one after the other since the beginning of the Hijri 1400, clearly shows that we are in the End Times and Hazrat Mahdi (as) will come within this century.

Further the fact that all of the portents have been realized in the last 30 years confirms the hadiths that the life span of the world is 7000 years, 5600 years of this have passed till the time of our Prophet (saas) and the life span of this community will not quite pass 1500 years. (In the following pages, these portents are explained in detail.)

The Day Of Judgment Is Close After The Messenger Of Allah (Saas)

The Messenger of Allah (saas) said: "I was sent at the same hour appointed for the Day of Judgment. But, just like this passing that, I came not long ago passing the hour appointed for the Day of Judgment!" and showed His middle finger and index finger. [(Al-Kutub as-Sittah, narrated by Mustawrid ibn Shaddad Fihri, hadith no 5026) Tirmidhi, Fitan 39, (2214).] [50]

The Messenger of Allah (saas) said: "I was sent even though the Day of Judgment is so close!" and showed his index finger and middle finder. [(Al-Kutub as-Sittah, narrated by Sehl Ibn Sa'd, hadith no 5025) 
(Bukhari, Rikak 39, Commentary, Nâziat 1, Talaq 25; Muslim, Kitab al-Fitan 132, (2950)] [49]

I went down to Abdullah Ibn Hawwala al-Azdi (ra). He told me: "The Messenger of Allah (saas) sent us on foot so that we can get prizes. We turned back but could not get any prize. He understood our fatigue from our faces, straightened up and said: "Oh my Lord, don't depute me to them; I'm unable to assume responsibility for them! Don't depute them to themselves; they are also unable to do that! Don't depute them to other people; they would prefer themselves over them!" Then he put his hand over my head and said: "Ibn Hawwala, if you see that the Caliphate has taken its abode (from Madina) in the holy land (Syria), then the earthquake, the tribulations and great events are at hand, and the Day of Judgment on that day will be closer to people than my hand is to your head.."(Al-Kutub as-Sittah, narrated by Ibnu Zugb al-Ayadi)

The Hour [Day of Judgment] will not be established until ... earthquakes will be very frequent. (Ramuz al-Ahadith, 476/11)

There are two great events before the Day of Judgment ... and then years of earthquakes. (Ramuz al-Ahadith, 187/2)

The Day of Judgment will not take place until these things come to pass… Death and slaughter will be widespread… (Al-Suyuti, al-Jami al-Saghir, 3:211; Musnad, 2:492, 4:391, 392)

The Messenger of Allah (saas) said: "The Hour will not take place before time shrinks. One year will be like a month, one month will be like a week, a week will be like a day, and a day will be like an hour; and an hour will be like a burning flame. (Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Musnad)

It Is Impossible For The Day Of Judgment To Be 120 Years After The Sun Has Risen From The West

Our Prophet (saas) reports in one hadith that one of the great omens of Day of Judgment is the Sun rising in the West. 

"The Sun will rise in the West, people will believe en masse, but the faith of those who had no faith before will benefit them nothing." (Al-Tajrid al-Sarih Translation, XII 307; Muslim, Kitab al-Fitan, 118)

Said Nursi, the great mujaddid (reviver) of the Hijri 13th century, described in his Rays how this miraculous event might take place:

The sun rising in the west and the emergence from the earth of the Beast (Dabbat al-Ardh). The sun rising in the west will be a self-evident sign of the end of the world, and because it is self-evident, it will be a heavenly event which closes the door of repentance, which is tied to the will and reason. Its meaning is therefore clear, and is in no need of interpretation. One may just say the following: Allah knows the truth, its apparent cause will be this: with the disappearance from the head of the earth of the Qur'an, which is like its intelligence, the earth will go mad. With Divine permission, on another planet colliding with it, its rotation will be reversed. Through Divine will, its journeying from west to east will be reversed to from east to west, and the sun will start to rise in the west. Yes, the Qur'an is 'the firm cord of Allah' which binds the earth to the sun, and the ground to the Divine Throne. If its gravity is broken, the string holding the earth would be undone, it would become dizzy and deranged, and with its reversed uncontrolled motion, the sun would rise in the west. There is another interpretation, which is that due to a collision, Day of Judgment would break forth at the Divine command. (The Rays / The Fifth Ray - Second Station, Twentieth Matter - p. 113)

phenomenon described in the hadith, it appears that this great sign that will appear immediately before the Day of Judgment will probably arise as the result of a comet striking the Earth and causing it to change the direction of its rotation. Following this major change, there will be successive strong earthquakes and powerful storms and tsunami, gravity will be impaired, the atmosphere will be destroyed, the ozone layer will disappear and many other natural disasters will take place. As a result, all the harmful radiation in space will reach the Earth and many other such natural disasters will arise. That is in all likelihood how the Day of Judgment process will take place. Since it will be impossible to live in such an environment in which all the laws of physics have been suspended, THE TEST WILL ALSO COME TO A TOTAL END. Bediuzzaman described this major and glorious phenomenon as “a Divine phenomenon that closes the door of repentance,” thus indicating that the test will come to an end after the Sun has risen from the West.

To Claim That Day Of Judgment Will Take Place 120 Years After The Sun Rises From The West Contradicts All These Statements.

Allah has created the Earth to be compatible with the test. Allah does not permit events to take place that might leave no more room for free will, because there would then be no need for the test. Allah produces the phenomena He creates miraculously in the world in such a way as to be explained in another way. As a result, Allah distinguishes between those people who believe in Him and can see the profundity, wisdom and fineness in the phenomena He creates from those who do not believe or who harbor doubts. Allah does not create events in such a way as to put true believers in the same position as those who lack sincerity and whose reason and faith are weak, in other words, in such a visible way as to oblige people to believe by eliminating all need of free will, independent thought and judgment.

The Sun rising in the West is a most miraculous phenomenon that will leave no room for independent judgment. Once this phenomenon takes place the test will come to an end, by Allah’s will there will be no more room for repentance and Day of Judgment will commence.

Master Said Nursi describes the wisdom in this in his Fifth Ray:

Îman ve teklif (sorumluluk), ihtiyar dâiresinde (irade ve birşeyi tercih edebilme gücü açısından) bir imtihan, bir tecrübe, bir müsabaka Since belief and accountability are a test, a trial, a competition within the bounds of man's will, theoretical issues that are obscure, profound, and in need of careful study and experiment cannot be obvious. They should not be so compelling that everyone has to affirm them willy-nilly. For in this way the Abu Baqr's may rise to the highest of the high and the Abu Jahl's descend to the lowest of the low. If there is no will, there is no accountability. It is because of this mystery and wisdom that miracles are displayed only rarely, and in this realm of accountability, like some allegorical verses of the Qur'an, the signs of the end of the world, which will be visible and seen, are obscure and open to interpretation. SINCE WHEN THE SUN RISES IN THE WEST IT WILL BE SO CLEAR EVERYONE WILL BE COMPELLED TO AFFIRM IT, THE DOOR OF REPENTANCE WILL BE CLOSED AND REPENTANCE AND BELIEF WILL NO LONGER BE ACCEPTED. (The Rays / The Fifth Ray - p. 99)

The idea that life will survive for another 120 years after the Sun has risen in the West is clearly false in two regards. First, it is incompatible with the law of Allah for life to survive in an environment in which there is no test or repentance. Second, the phenomena of the Day of Judgment that will follow one another after the Sun has risen in the West will make life impossible. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR LIFE TO SURVIVE 120 HOURS, LET ALONE 120 YEARS, IN AN ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH MAJOR EARTHQUAKES TAKE PLACE, THE SEAS ARE DIVIDED IN TWO, THERE ARE TSUNAMI AND SEVERE STORMS, IN WHICH NO ATMOSPHERE REMAINS, THE OZONE LAYER HAS DISAPPEARED AND IN WHICH MANY OTHER EXTRAORDINARY NATURAL DISASTERS TAKE PLACE. In such a devastating climate, in which Allah will also manifest His magnificent glory in such a wondrous way, LIFE WILL SURVIVE FOR 120 MINUTES AT MOST. BUT THE INTENSITY OF THESE PHENOMENA WILL MAKE THAT TIME FEEL LIKE 120 YEARS.

However Our Prophet’s (saas) reference to “the Sun rising in the West” can also be interpreted figuratively. then, it is also a reference to the coming of Hazrat Mahdi (as). In this hadith, the Sun may refer to Hazrat Mahdi (as) himself. Just as Hazrat Mahdi (as) is likened to the Sun in another hadith related from our Prophet (saas).

HAZRAT MAHDI (AS) IS THE SUN WHO WILL ELIMINATE ALL GRIEFS AND CRUELTY. He is abundant rain in a time of blessing. (Muhammad Ibn Rasul Al Hussain Al Barzanji, Al-Isha'ah li-ashrat al-sa'ah, p. 188)

The figurative meaning of the reference to the West in terms of the rising of the Sun can be clarified by examining this hadith in the light of other hadiths. Another hadith related from our Prophet (saas) does indeed speak of Hazrat Mahdi (as) appearing from the West:

In the hadith related by Hafidh Abu Nuaym, our Prophet (saas) said: "There will be (days of) disorder, CORRUPTION AND FEAR IN THE MAGHREB (west) (It is said that) at that time one who is descended from the revered daughter of our Prophet (saas), Fatima, will appear in the furthest region of the Maghreb (west). That person who will rise up in the End Times is Hazrat Mahdi (as). And the coming of Hazrat Mahdi (as) is the first of the portents of the Hour." (Jalaluddin al-Suyuti, Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir az-Zaman, p. 16)

The hadith says that Hazrat Mahdi (as) will appear “from the furthest of the countries of the West.” Turkey is the westernmost Islamic country. The information in the hadith suggests that Hazrat Mahdi (as) will come from Turkey. Bearing this hadith in mind, it is possible that the information in the hadith referring to the Sun rising in the West may also indicate that Hazrat Mahdi (as) will come from the West.

Therefore, if on the basis of other hadith of our Prophet (saas) we take the year Hijri 1400 as that of the coming of Hazrat Mahdi (as), then the reference to the Day of Judgment beginning 120 years after the rising of the Sun in the West corresponds to the year 1520. Said Nursi says that in the years around 1520 Muslims will begin to weaken and that the system of disbelief will rule the whole world. According to Said Nursi’s account, the Day of Judgment may be anticipated 20-25 years after these years. (Allah knows the truth)