36/25. Chapter:
Sunan Ibn Majah 4045 — Loss of Knowledge and Spread of Ignorance
The portents of the Hour
Loss of Knowledge Before the Hour: A Hadith on Ignorance and Moral Decline
Sunan Ibn Majah : 4045
Sunan Ibn MajahHadith Number 4045
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ، وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى، قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، سَمِعْتُ قَتَادَةَ، يُحَدِّثُ عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، قَالَ أَلاَ أُحَدِّثُكُمْ حَدِيثًا سَمِعْتُهُ مِنْ، رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ لاَ يُحَدِّثُكُمْ بِهِ أَحَدٌ بَعْدِي سَمِعْتُهُ مِنْهُ " إِنَّ مِنْ أَشْرَاطِ السَّاعَةِ أَنْ يُرْفَعَ الْعِلْمُ وَيَظْهَرَ الْجَهْلُ وَيَفْشُوَ الزِّنَا وَيُشْرَبَ الْخَمْرُ وَيَذْهَبَ الرِّجَالُ وَيَبْقَى النِّسَاءُ حَتَّى يَكُونَ لِخَمْسِينَ امْرَأَةً قَيِّمٌ وَاحِدٌ " .
Anas bin Malik Narrated from:
Shall I not tell you a Hadith that I heard from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), which no one will tell you after me? I heard it from him (saying): ‘Among the portents of the Hour are that knowledge will be taken away and ignorance will prevail, illegal sex will become widespread and wine will be drunk, and men will disappear and women will be left, until there is one man in charge of fifty women.”
Reference : Sunan Ibn Majah 4045In-book reference : Book 36, Hadith 120English translation : Vol. 5, Book 36, Hadith 4045
Summary of Sunan Ibn Majah Hadith 4045
This Hadith about the signs of the Hour focuses on knowledge and moral decline. Anas bin Malik said he heard this directly from the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said that among the portents of the Hour are that knowledge will be taken away, ignorance will spread, illegal sex will become widespread, wine will be drunk, and men will disappear while women remain, until one man is in charge of fifty women. The core topic is Knowledge. The Hadith shows that the end times are marked by changes in belief, behavior, and society. It warns against ignorance and careless living without adding details beyond the narration.
What we learn from this hadith
- Loss of knowledge is named as a sign of the Hour.
- Ignorance spreading among people is treated as a major warning.
- Widespread illegal sex and drinking wine are signs of moral decline.
- The Hadith points to a future social imbalance mentioned by the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم.
