The Signs of the Hour in Hinduism and Their Comparison with the Islamic Perspective

أشراط الساعة في الديانة الهندوسية ومقارنتها بالتصور الإسلامي

Abstract

Belief in life after death is a fundamental doctrine found in almost all major world religions. Hinduism, like Islam, pays considerable attention to the destiny of both the individual and the universe, offering its own eschatological framework about the end of worldly existence. Hindu scriptures describe the ultimate destruction of the material world through the concept of Kalpa, which refers to cosmic cycles of creation and dissolution. Within this framework, time is divided into four successive ages: Krita Yuga, Treta Yuga, Dvapara Yuga, and Kali Yuga. Each stage represents a gradual moral and spiritual decline, culminating in the present Kali Yuga, often identified as an age of corruption, moral decay, and spiritual darkness. Hindu eschatological texts also describe specific signs that herald the end times, including natural disasters, social breakdown, and the eventual arrival of divine intervention. When compared with the Islamic perspective, particularly the concept of Ashrat al-Sa‘ah (signs of the Hour), significant similarities emerge, such as moral corruption, social disorder, and cosmic upheavals preceding the Day of Judgement. However, there are also profound differences, especially in terms of divine accountability, the resurrection of individuals, and the final judgment before Allah in Islam. This comparative study highlights these convergences and divergences, aiming to deepen our understanding of how different civilizations have interpreted the end of time. The research not only underscores the universality of eschatological concerns but also contributes to interfaith dialogue by presenting the Hindu and Islamic perspectives in a critical, analytical framework.