ثُمَّ قَسَتْ قُلُوبُكُمْ مِّن بَعْدِ ذَٰلِكَ فَهِيَ كَالْحِجَارَةِ أَوْ أَشَدُّ قَسْوَةً
“Then your hearts became hardened after that, being like stones or even harder.” [2:74]
وَيْلٌ لِلْعَرَبِ مِنْ شَرٍّ قَدِ اقْتَرَبَ
“There is no god but Allah! Woe to the Arabs from an evil that has drawn near.” (Bukhari)

What Does the Word Fitnah Mean?

When gold is placed into the fire and melted to distinguish the original gold from the fake, this process is called “fatanah.” The gold endures intense burning and difficulty, this is what fitnah means: a test that reveals what is genuine.

The words “fitnah” and “balā’” (بلاء) are synonymous.

Warnings of Coming Fitnah

Zubair ibn Adi r.a went to Anas ibn Malik r.a and complained about the hardships they were facing under Hajjaj ibn Yusuf. Anas r.a said: “Have patience until you meet your Lord. I heard the Prophet ﷺ say: ‘A time will come when every year will be worse than the one before it.’”

Usamah ibn Zayd r.a narrates that on one occasion the Prophet ﷺ climbed onto a rooftop in Madinah and said to the Sahabah, “Do you see what I see?” They replied, “No.”
The Prophet ﷺ said: “I can see the fitnah that will engulf Madinah. Every household and every individual will be affected by the tests that are coming.”

The Prophet ﷺ then gave the parable of rain: just as rain reaches everyone in Madinah and falls continuously, fitnah will also come one after another.

Fitnah will be so intense that a person will think, “This fitnah will destroy me,” yet he does not know that the one coming after it will be more severe.

Rasulullah ﷺ said: “A person will pass by the graveyard and say, ‘If only I were in your position and you were in mine.” It will be so difficult that people will desire death.

Signs of Fitnah
  • Salah will be neglected
  • Consuming interest will increase
  • Women will not be clothed properly
  • Tall buildings will become widespread
    The Prophet ﷺ said: “A time will come upon the ummah when there will be nothing but deception. The liar will be regarded as truthful, and the truthful will be seen as a liar. The treacherous will be seen as trustworthy, and the trustworthy will be viewed as treacherous.”
Why Does Allah Ta’aala Allow Fitnah?

Islam carries the meaning of struggle. Allah Ta’aala says in the Quran:
“Do the people of iman think they will be left alone without being tested? Indeed We tested those who were before them. So Allah will surely know those who are truthful, and He will surely know the liars.” [29:2-3]

Allah brings about trials because He wants to test our iman. These tests come to differentiate between right and wrong and to show what is genuine in a person’s faith.

In the end, these fitnahs are for our own good, through them Allah strengthens us, purifies us, and raises our rank.

It is from the mercy of the Prophet ﷺ that he informed us of the trials that are coming, so we may recognise them, prepare for them, and remain steadfast upon the truth.

May Allah Ta’aala protect us all and keep our hearts firm on the deen. 
أَعُوذُ بِاللهِ مِنَ الْفِتَنِ مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا وَمَابَطَنَ
I seek refuge with Allah from Fitan, the apparent thereof and the hidden.

Edited summary of Jumuah bayan delivered by Shaykh Muhammad Saleem Nawab Sahib on 05-12-25.