Introduction
People have studied history with various perspectives but no one attempted to study history in light of developments that took place in the field of dawah work. A perusal of history in this regards outlines three major stages that the history of dawah work has undergone. These are as follows:

1. Announcement of Truth by Prophets (Elan-e-Haq)
2. Establishing Islam as a dominant ideology by Companions of Prophet (Izhaar –e-deen)
3. Spreading of the Word of God to every household by Ikhwan-e-Rasool (Idkhal-e-kalimah)
 
While the first two stages have already been completed, the third remains. But it is most unfortunate that no one is restless about accomplishment of the task assigned in the third stage, which would allow him to submit his candidature for the one and only position of honour that remains. As I deliberated over the reason for this disconnect, I realized that it was so because the onset of Ikhwan-e-Rasool was linked with the appearance of Dajjal and Messiah. To the Muslim mind, since these two roles have not yet been identified, the role of Ikhwan-e-Rasool too has not begun.

History is being repeated
The same series of events unfolded at the time of Prophet Muhammad. Both the Old and New Testament had predicted the coming of a Prophet but the followers of these Books changed the very criterion of Prophethood. The Jews declared that a Prophet will only be born in the clan of Banu Israel and not amongst the Banu Ismail. Since the Prophet Muhammad was born in Banu Ismail, the Jews rejected his Prophethood. This was a self-styled criterion and would hence be unacceptable before God. It is most unfortunate that the present-day Muslims are repeating history and following in the footsteps of the earlier Jews. This was predicted in a Hadith which observed: 
“You [Muslims] shall definitely follow the way of the Jews, step-by-step; 
so much so that if they enter inside a ant-hole, so would you.” (Al-Bukhari)
 
In changing the very criterion of the Prophethood, Jews and Christians committed a crime. In the same vein, the Muslims too construed a self-styled criterion and associated the appearance of Dajjal and Mahdi to the role of Ikhwan-e-rasool and abandoned dawah work till such time as these roles become manifest. This was a blunderous mistake committed by the Muslims.
Why did the Muslims commit such a grave mistake?
The teachings of Quran and Hadith are often in indicative or metaphorical language. There is a general agreement amongst the ulema therefore to not consider each teaching literally but understand the deeper meaning of the metaphor. However, in the case of appearance of Mahdi and Dajjal, this principle was forsaken and metaphors were taken in the literal sense of the word. For instance, a Hadith states that:
"Messiah will come from the heights." (Majma-ul-Zawaid)

The above is actually interpreted to mean that the Messiah will come down from the skies. This is a fallacy and it is not difficult to understand why. Let us take for example the verse in the Quran which says that God send down rain from the skies. This verse cannot be literally interpreted to mean that rain comes down from the skies alone because an entire process of rain cycle is at work. Similarly the word ‘heights’ in the above Hadith actually refers to the age of aviation. Only insincere people cannot agree with the rationale of this argument. They will realize only when death strikes them. 

End of the world is fast approaching
Scientists worldwide have developed consensus on the fact that the world shall soon come to an end. Global warming has such far reaching impacts that there can be no going back. The life support system in the world is perishing. Water, air have become polluted, fragile animals are dying, lands are turning barren, glaciers are melting and the balance in nature is going awry. The change has been so drastic that according to a report, even the axis of Earth has shifted from its previous position. Which mortal has in its power to restore such drastic alterations?
 
With the rise in the evil prevalent in today’s world, man has already lost the justification to continue to exist. While the Community of Lot incurred the wrath of God because of the practice of homosexuality, now not only has this practice been legalized but it is brazenly promoted worldwide. The example of Lot’s community indicates that if such an evil develops in the society, that society earns God’s wrath for itself. These evil developments in the world suggest that Mahdi, Messiah, Dajjal must already have appeared, now only the appearance of Doomsday remains. And because after the final Prophet, no one can claim to be a Prophet anymore, these roles will never be openly announced. They will have to be recognized.
Opening of dawah opportunities
The opening up of dawah opportunities was meant to establish Islam as a dominant ideology and certainly not as a political entity or power. But the term ‘Izhar-e-deen’ was given an entirely different hue by Muslim leaders. They erroneously gave a political interpretation to the concept.
 
In the year 1993 when the mosque at Ayodhaya was demolished, a yatra was organized in Maharashtra which was organized which aimed at covering close to 30 locations within a span of 15 days. Once while in conversation with the organizers, I told them of a tradition that has been narrated by the slave of Caliph Uthman. It says:
"He [Uthman] used to have a bath daily, either once or twice."
 
The organizers were thrilled to hear such a reference and insisted that instead of generic instances, I must cite Islamic references in my speeches. This incident illustrates that the feeling of religious hatred does not exist any more. Media is often blamed for bringing infamy to Islam but in reality it is the Muslims who are responsible for misrepresenting Islam as a militant ideology. Because Muslims themselves associate militancy with Islam, the religion is looked upon as a proponent of violence. The biggest disadvantage of such a doing is that while man wants to know Islam, the acts committed by the Muslims make him rebuff Islam.
 
Therefore it becomes imperative to differentiate between Islam and Muslims. Muslims have to be judged in the light of Islamic teachings and not vice versa. In other words, it means that Islam and Muslims are independent of each other.
 
The irony with Muslim community is while on one side, their acts repel others from Islam, they themselves stay away from doing dawah work because they think the right ‘time’ has not yet arrived. This great divide between Muslims and the teachings of Islam was predicted in a Hadith, which is as follows,
"Mosques will be fully occupied but devoid of guidance." (Al-Baihaqi)
 
Sharing Islamic wisdom
I once told a group of Hindus that when the Namaz ends, those praying turn once to their right and once to their left and addressing all the men on the globe on each side say, “Salaam (Peace be upon you)”. A Taba'in elaborated this as follows,
"When a Muslim says Salam, he sends the message ‘O People! You will not be harmed by me. 
I shall strive to be a peaceful member of the society, I live in.” (Ibn Uaina)
 
The entire world is interested in knowing about Islam but the acts of Muslims make them baulk. Media merely reports the act done by Muslims but Ulema conveniently transfer the entire blame on media rather than blaming the Muslims for their violent acts. 

Today’s newspaper presents a report on a newly published book, entitled “Jesus Discovery”. The author claims that the various beliefs prevalent in Christianity today are attributable to the erroneous translation of the original Greek text. The book therefore raises questions on the very credibility of the present-day form of Christianity. But we hear of no reaction from the Christian fraternity. If on the contrary, this would have happened to Muslims, they would have instantly reacted. Such volatile temperament suggests that Muslims lack rational arguments to counter propaganda. This has severely hampered the process of dawah because Muslims worldwide have fallen prey to extremism, hatred and violence.
 
End of history of man
History of man has to meet its end because it is not possible for it to continue forever. God cannot indefinitely provide oxygen, food, water, fruits to man despite his flagrant misdeeds. The communities that suffered God’s wrath did a miniscule of the misdeeds committed by the present day man. Therefore, the end of history is very near. The blowing of the trumpet (Sur-e-Israfeel) is the other name for the end of history.
 
It therefore becomes very crucial for man to understand that when Doomsday itself is so near, will the Mahdi and Dajjal come after the doom strikes? All the predictions of the end of world are coming true, which means that Mahdi and Dajjal have appeared as well. Now is the time to recognize them. 
 
If despite all predictions coming true, man continues to harp over his ignorance, the following verse of the Quran will soon become a reality:
"Whoever has been blind in this life will be blind in the life to come." (17:72)
     
This verse means that he who could not recognise the truth in the present world, will be raised blind in the Hereafter. Such men will not be able to see the majestic glory of their Lord. This will be a bigger punishment as is alluded to in the following verse of the Quran: 
“On the Day when Truth will be laid bare, they will be called upon to prostrate themselves but they will not be able to do so.” (68:42)
 
Imagine the scene when the Lord of the world appears in all His glory and man cannot submit before Him in gratitude. The price for being able to see God in the hereafter is that man realises the glory of God in this world itself. 
 
God’s scheme of things is such that there always exists an element of doubt. The test of man is whether he successfully tears apart the veil of confusion or succumbs to the falsities of this world. 
 
Ridiculing the message of God
Quran cites instances where the Prophets were flagrantly ridiculed by their communities. According to a verse, leaders of a community said the following about their contemporary Prophet: 
“This is only a human being like yourselves – he eats what you eat and drinks what you drink – if you obey a human being just like yourselves, then you will be surely lost.” (23:33)
 
Even during the time of Prophet Muhammad, his community people spared no chance to ridicule him and used to say, "Are you the only one whom God found to be the Prophet from amongst us?" 
Man always erred in identifying the Prophet and that is why the Quran says:
“Likewise there, there came no messenger to those before them, but they said, 
‘He is a sorcerer or a madman.” (5:52)

Man remains obdurate in his refusal to accept the truth till such time as death appears before him. Citing the example of such obstinacy, the Quran states that acceptance at the last hour amounts to nothing and observes,
“Only now? When you had always been a rebel and a wrongdoer” (10:91)

Signs of the Doomsday
Hadith records several signs, appearance of which would indicate the onset of doom (Abu Dawud). According to a tradition, as the doom would approach near, the water level would decrease. (Al-Mauja-mul-Kabeer, Tabrani, 19883). This is exactly the case today. Water crisis is one of the most glaring problems that has been staring at us and is becoming more and more piercing day by day. The major aspects of the water crisis are overall scarcity of usable water and water pollution.

According to another tradition, doomsday would be preceded by an increase in the heat on the Earth (Abu Dawud, 3757). This prediction has come to pass in the form of global warming. The average facade temperature of the globe has augmented more than 1 degree Fahrenheit since 1900 and the speed of warming has been almost three folds the century long average since 1970. This increase in earth’s average temperature is called Global warming.

A tradition states that the fragile animals will be the first to die as the doomsday would approach near (Shaibul-Imaan-lil Baihaqi, 9777). Studies show that the world biodiversity has declined by almost one third in the past 35 years and some scientists see the loss of plants, animals and insects as the start of the sixth great species wipe out in the Earth's history.

Yet another tradition predicted that honesty will no longer remain in the world (Al-Bukhari, 6015) and brazenness and immodesty will increase like never before. (Al-Mauja-mul-Kabeer, Tabrani, 8507) As we witness the world around us, all this has actually transpired.
 
Conclusion
God will not change the law of nature for man. The element of doubt shall remain till the blowing of the final trumpet (Sur-e-Israfeel). While death marks the compulsory eviction of every man from Earth at an individual level, doomsday would do so at global level. Before this compulsory eviction, man must re-assess himself. He must abandon his self-styled criteria and mercilessly de-condition himself so that he can sort the innate jungle of thoughts and recognize the importance of propagating the message of God before the doom strikes. 

May God guide us so that we may spread His message and bear witness to the Truth of God!