Changes in Morality and Behaviour

This sign does not mean that sin never existed before. Zina, alcohol, shamelessness, and disobedience existed in earlier nations too. The sign is that these sins become widespread, public, defended, beautified, and treated as normal by many people.

Islam does not teach Muslims to spy on people or hunt for faults. The purpose of studying this sign is not to point fingers at individuals. It is to understand the direction of society, protect one’s own heart, protect one’s family, and return to Allah before the Hour arrives.

When haya weakens, sin stops looking dangerous. When sin stops looking dangerous, repentance becomes delayed. When repentance is delayed, the heart becomes used to darkness. The believer reads these narrations as a warning and a mercy, not as entertainment.

The Prophet ﷺ mentioned that zina would become widespread near the end of time. Zina is not only a private moral failure. It damages families, lineage, trust, modesty, marriage, children, and the spiritual health of society.

The Qur’an does not only say “do not commit zina.” It says not to even approach it. This means Islam closes the roads that lead toward it: private temptation, shameless display, careless mixing, secret relationships, lustful entertainment, and anything that makes the heart comfortable with disobedience.

The sign appears when the sin is no longer hidden in shame but becomes common, promoted, joked about, defended, or treated as normal. A believer should not become harsh and proud while seeing this. The correct response is lowering the gaze, guarding chastity, strengthening marriage, protecting children, and making sincere repentance.

The Prophet ﷺ mentioned that alcohol would be drunk as one of the signs of the Hour. The danger of khamr is not only the drink itself. It clouds the mind, weakens shame, opens doors to other sins, breaks families, harms bodies, and turns people away from Salah and remembrance of Allah.

The Qur’an explains that intoxicants are from the work of Shaytan and that Shaytan wants to use them to create hatred, enmity, and distance from worship. A society may dress alcohol in luxury, celebration, freedom, or status, but revelation shows what sits underneath the perfume bottle: spiritual harm.

This sign becomes clearer when intoxicants are no longer treated as shameful or dangerous, but as part of ordinary life. The believer protects the mind because the mind is a trust from Allah. A clear mind helps a person pray, repent, make good decisions, and recognise truth.

Another serious moral change is when people do not merely fall into sin, but begin to treat sin as lawful, harmless, stylish, or religiously acceptable. Falling into sin while admitting it is wrong is one danger. Redefining the wrong as right is a deeper danger because it attacks repentance itself.

Sahih al-Bukhari reports that some people from the Ummah would regard certain forbidden matters as lawful. This shows a moral and religious collapse: the boundary between halal and haram becomes blurred, not because the revelation changed, but because people’s desires begin to argue with revelation.

A believer may slip and repent, but should never make peace with disobedience. The heart must keep Allah’s limits honoured. Once a person starts calling darkness “light,” the inner compass begins spinning like a broken market fan.

Haya is a beautiful part of faith. It is not weakness, fear, or lack of confidence. Haya is the inner honour that stops a believer from behaving as though Allah is not watching.

The Prophet ﷺ warned of people he had not yet seen, including women described as clothed yet naked, inclined and causing others to incline. Scholars explained this as a warning against clothing and behaviour that outwardly appears dressed but inwardly serves display, temptation, arrogance, and shamelessness.

This warning must be handled with seriousness and fairness. It is not a licence to insult people. It is a reminder to guard modesty, lower the gaze, dress with dignity, avoid displaying beauty for sin, and help families love haya without turning religion into harshness.

The answer to these signs is not despair and not arrogance. A Muslim should protect the heart, lower the gaze, avoid places and habits that pull toward sin, choose righteous company, repent quickly, and make the home a place where Allah is remembered.

Parents and teachers should explain these matters with wisdom. Children and young people need clear Islamic guidance before society teaches them confusion with glitter on it. The goal is not fear alone. The goal is love of purity, honour, repentance, and obedience to Allah.