The Sun Rises from the West

Abi Hurayrah age narrated that the Prophet; said,
"For sure, the Hour will not be established until the sun rises from the West; and when people see it then, whoever will be living on the surface of the earth will have faith, and that is (the time) "when no good will it do to a soul to believe then, if it believed not before. }

Hudhayfah ibn Usayd Ghifâri 4ğe narrated that the Prophet; said (concerning the major signs of the Last Hour), "...The first major sign to appear would be the rising of the sun from the West, or the coming out of the beast from the earth at forenoon (Duhd) time, whichever coues out first, the second would appear right after it.

Explanation of the Hadith

The enemies of Islam from among the Arabs, Westerners and Orientalists, who do not believe in the Resurrection used to deny the fact that the sun will rise from the West saying that since the beginning of man's existence on earth, the sun rises in the East and sets in the West. They can never imagine that there is a power on earth or in the whole universe that could cause such a tremendous change in the rising and setting of the sun.
Nevertheless, a few years ago, geologists began making a research on the earth's climate prehistorically as recorded on the trunks of trees, in the fossilized remains of animals, and in the sediments of ice blocks, which had slid down on the land from the two poles and from the tops of mountains. They also examined various marine and continental sediments found in the remnants of the earth's rocks and what they still contain of early life signs especially pollen grains, which are kept in great numbers in all types of sediments and sedimentary rocks. They are markedly present in great amounts in marine sediments, river deltas and seashores. Very often these sediments are penetrated by dry surfaces, due to the receding of the seawater or the scarcity of rain. Moreover, these surfaces contain deposits of minerals, which reflect a full image of the structure of the gaseous and aquatic spheres surrounding the earth, as well as the degree of temperature and acidity of each one of them. In addition, the yearly rings of trees (which show age) and the growing lines in animal skeletons represent a great record of climatic changes, which are instantly and accurately recorded in each of them. In a recent study of climatic changes as they are recorded in the rings of trees, it has been found that each of these yearly rings is actually composed of a large number of rings representing the four seasons, the twelve lunar months of the year, the number of weeks in each lunar month as well as the number of days of each week, and even the day and night of each day.
During the course of this research, it was noticed that the days of the year increase with the passage of time. Researchers realized that the only explanation for this is the increase in the velocity of the rotation of the earth on its axis in front of the sun. This velocity increases the number of days in the year, and makes the length of the day shorter, while the number of seasons and months each year is constant.
Scientists drew many curves that show the number of days in each year throughout the different geological ages. They discovered that the number of days in a year at the beginning of the creation of the earth was more than 2000 days and that the length of the day and night together was less than four hours. It is amazing to see at this point that the Glorious Qur'an refers to this cosmic fact, as Allah, Glorified be He, SayS,
{{Indeed your Lord is Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth in Six Days and then He Istawa (rose over) the Throne. He brings the night as a cover over the day, seeking it rapidly.}}

(Al-A'râf: 54)

Taking into consideration that this verse was revealed 1400 years ago, when man knew nothing about the velocity of the earth's rotation on its axis, a fact discovered in the late decades of the 20" century, we undoubtedly, reach the conclusion that the Glorious Qur'an was revealed from Allah and Muhammad lig is His Messenger
This continuous decrease in the velocity of the rotation of the earth on its axis in front of the Sun has been discovered from a study of the growing lines in the skeletons of many animals such as ancient coral reefs and their remnants in the rocks of the latter geological ages. This continuous decrease in the speed of the rotation of the earth on its axis is explained as being due to friction resulting from the process of ebb and flow and the blowing of the wind in the opposite direction to that of the earth's rotation. Both of these factors act as brakes, which slow down the velocity of the rotation of the earth on its axis at the rate of a fraction of a second per century.
Drawing future curves for the process of the slowing down of the velocity of the rotation of the earth, showed that this process (slowing down of its velocity) must eventually force the earth to change the direction of its rotation (from the west to the east, so the sun will rise from the East and set in the West) until it starts to rotate in the opposite direction, from the East to the West, and then the Sun will rise from the West, which is one of the major signs of the Hour, and one of the Prophecies of the Prophet . Many enemies of Islam thought this would never happen. However, it has been proven now by modern science that it is a phenomenon that will definitely take place.
We finally need to draw the attention of the reader to the fact that the Hereafter also has its laws, which are definitely different from those of this worldly life. However, Allah's Mercy is extremely evident in leaving for us some of the material evidences in this life that assert the reality of the occurrence of the events of the Hereafter, with all its signs. No wise person can actually imagine that it is possible to calculate the time when the sun will rise from the West by calculating the rate of the slowing down of the earth's rotation on its axis, as the occurrence of the Hour is a Divine event, which is in no need for laws or the slowing down of the velocity of the earth to take place. Truly Allah says,
{{They ask you about the Hour (Day of Resurrection): "When will be its appointed time?' Say: 'The knowledge thereof is with my Lord (Alone). None can reveal its time but He. Heavy is its burden through the heavens and the earth. It shall not come upon you except all of a sudden." They ask you as if you have a good knowledge of it. Say: "The knowledge thereof is with Allah but most of mankind know not}}.

(Al-A'raf 187)

Finally, peace and prayers be upon Prophet Muhammad who told us, fourteen centuries ago, about the inevitability of the rising of the sun from the West as one of the major signs of the Hour. Then a few years ago, modern science came to discover this fact recorded in plant and animal skeletons. No rational person can imagine that the source of such future cosmic facts fourteen centuries ago could be anyone but Allah, the Almighty; the Creator of the heavens, earth, and all mankind.