The “Judgment day is coming!” excuse for lethargy

I recently saw a video showing detestable footage of Israeli soldiers abusing women and children in Palestine. I noticed that one person, after seeing it, commented in a text box next to the video saying “Judgement day is coming”.

Yes, Judgement day is coming, its been coming for 1,400 years, and may be coming for another 1,400 more years, Allah (swt) knows, and we do not know. So we should please refrain from ‘prophesying’, as we cannot claim knowledge for ourselves that Allah alone knows. I’m sure when Baghdad fell to the Mongols, some Muslims then thought Judgement day was ‘around the corner’, or perhaps when the Crusaders took over Jerusalem and butchered its inhabitants, Christian and Muslim, people thought Judgement day was around the corner too. Thankfully, Salahudeen and Sultan Baybars didn’t share their sentiment – and acted accordingly.

I’m not worried about when Judgement day is coming because even if it comes 10,000 years after you die, you will still not escape it, and so we should be much more more worried about the questions Allah (swt) will be asking on that day, rather than the date on the calendar. Questions, such as why we didn’t stop the oppression, humiliation and killing of our brothers and sisters in Palestine and Syria (al Sham). Why we sat back and did nothing to defend the weak and oppressed.

Some amongst Muslims may respond, ‘but we are weak, we are divided and we do not act’, but little is it that they understand.

Despite our numbers, military potential and strategic advantage we fail to leverage our military might against oppressors. The reason we are weak is only because we believe we are weak.

Our repeated non-prioritising of re-establishing the Islamic Caliphate (Khilafah), and the blind adoption of nationalism, religious sectarianism, and political factionalism due to the dogmatic implementation of democracy has led to mass division, hatred and recrimination.
The reason we are divided, is because we believe we should be divided.

And finally, our defeatist and fatalistic beliefs that judgement day is ‘coming soon’ (within our lifetimes?), or we should ‘perfect ourselves’, or that the ‘Mahdi’, or Isa (a.s.) will be ‘coming soon’ to sort out our problems; makes Muslims do nothing, and conveniently excuses the lazy, materialistic, mentally indigent ones amongst us, to languish in their own rot, rather than lift a finger.
The reason we do not act, is because we believe we shouldn’t act.

If Muslims removed these three beliefs from our hearts, then the resultant actions that would be consequent would change our conditions, and the world.

“Truly, God does not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves.” (Quran 13:11)

And even if the last hour before Judgement Day comes, there is still no excuse for inaction.

The Prophet (saaw), said:

“If the last hour comes and in your hand you have a date palm seedling, then if you are able to plant it before that, then do so.” [Imam Ahmed]