Every single morning of your life, the sun has risen from the east. Predictable. Constant. Unchanging for thousands of years.
One morning—maybe soon, maybe generations from now—you’ll wake up and see the sun rising from the west.
And in that moment, everything changes. Forever.
The Hadith That Should Shake You
Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه reported in Sahih al-Bukhari (6506) and Sahih Muslim (2703): The Prophet ﷺ said:
“The Hour will not be established until the sun rises from the west. And when it rises from there and the people see it, they will all believe. But that is when faith will not benefit anyone who did not believe before, or who did not earn good through their faith.”
Read that again. Everyone will believe. Atheists. Polytheists. Disbelievers. The most stubborn rejecters of truth. When they see the sun rising from the wrong direction—they’ll know. They’ll believe immediately.
But their belief won’t save them. Because they’re too late.
The Prophet ﷺ then recited this verse:
[Surah Al-An’am, Ayah 158]
“Do they await but that the angels should come to them or your Lord should come or that there come some of the signs of your Lord? The Day that some of the signs of your Lord will come, no soul will benefit from its faith if it had not believed before or had earned some good through its faith. Say: ‘Wait, then; indeed, we are waiting.'”
Some of the signs = the sun rising from the west being the primary one mentioned by scholars.
When that sign appears? Belief becomes useless.
The Door That’s About to Close
Safwan ibn Assal رضي الله عنه reported in Sunan at-Tirmidhi (3536), authenticated as Sahih by At-Tirmidhi and Al-Albani: The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Verily, Allah ﷻ has placed a gate for repentance in the west, the width of which is like seventy years of travel. It will not close until the sun rises in its direction.”
Think about that image. A gate. In the west. So wide it would take seventy years to walk from one end to the other.
That’s the door of repentance. Massive. Open. Welcoming. Available to anyone. Any sin. Any time. Any amount of times.
For over 1400 years since the Prophet ﷺ spoke these words, that door has been open. Every sinner who wanted to return to Allah ﷻ could walk through it. Murderers. Adulterers. Apostates who came back. The worst of sinners—if they repented sincerely, Allah ﷻ accepted them.
But one day, the sun will rise from that direction. And the door—that massive, generous, patient door—will slam shut. Forever.
Why the Sun? Why the West?
Classical scholars explain: The sun rising from the west is such a dramatic, undeniable, universal sign that no one can miss it or dispute it.
- Everyone sees it simultaneously – No matter where you are on Earth, you’ll witness this impossible phenomenon
- It defies all natural law – proving beyond doubt that supernatural power controls the universe
- It’s irreversible – Once it happens, there’s no going back to normal
Ibn Hajar Al-Asqalani رحمه الله explained in Fath Al-Bari:
“The wisdom in closing the door of repentance when the sun rises from the west is that this is a matter that goes against the usual cosmic pattern, so when people witness it, they will be certain about the other matters of the unseen.”
In other words: When you see the sun rise from the west, you’ll KNOW—with absolute certainty—that everything the Prophet ﷺ said is true. Allah ﷻ is real. Judgment Day is real. Paradise is real. Hell is real. Everything.
But knowledge at that point doesn’t help. Because the test is over.
Another Hadith – Even More Direct
Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه reported in Sahih Muslim (2703): The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Whoever repents before the sun rises from the west, Allah ﷻ will accept his repentance.”
Simple. Direct. Clear.
Before the sun rises from the west = Repentance accepted.
After the sun rises from the west = Too late.
And we have no idea how close we are to that day.
Is It Close?
The Prophet ﷺ placed this sign among the major signs of the Hour. The scholars categorize signs into:
Minor signs – Many already occurred (widespread wealth, tall buildings, knowledge decreasing, etc.)
Major signs – These happen near the very end in rapid succession:
- The Mahdi
- Dajjal (False Messiah)
- Return of Prophet Isa عليه السلام
- Ya’juj and Ma’juj
- The sun rising from the west
- The Beast emerging from the earth
- The smoke
- Three major landslides
- Fire from Yemen driving people to their gathering place
- The final trumpet
The sun rising from the west is listed as the fifth major sign in most narrations. Meaning: it comes after Mahdi, Dajjal, Isa عليه السلام, and Ya’juj wa Ma’juj.
But scholars emphasize: We don’t know when these will begin. It could be centuries away. It could be decades. Only Allah ﷻ knows.
What we know for certain: Once the major signs start, they’ll occur quickly, one after another like beads of a broken necklace falling.
What Happens After?
Imam Muslim رحمه الله placed three hadith together in his Sahih showing the sequence:
Abdullah ibn Amr رضي الله عنه reported: The Prophet ﷺ said:
“The first of the signs to appear will be the rising of the sun from its setting place and the emergence of the Beast to the people in forenoon. Whichever of them appears first, the other will follow immediately after.”
Some narrations say the sun rising comes first. Others mention the Beast first. The scholars say: they’re so close together in timing, they’re essentially simultaneous or hours apart.
The point: After the sun rises from the west, the very next major sign (the Beast) appears the same morning.
Then the countdown to the Final Hour accelerates even faster.
For Muslims Alive at That Time
A natural question: “What about Muslims alive when this happens?”
The authentic answer from hadith: The door of repentance closes. But what about Muslims who were already believers?
The scholars explain:
- Muslims who were already believers and practicing remain in their state
- They continue living and worshipping until they die
- The test of faith is over, but their deeds still count for their ranks in Paradise
- Eventually, according to some narrations, a pleasant wind will come that takes the soul of every believer, leaving only the worst of people for the Final Hour
The critical distinction: It’s the acceptance of NEW faith that stops. Someone who was Muslim and pious benefits from their prior belief. Someone who was a disbeliever and now wants to believe—too late.
The Urgency for You Right Now
You’re reading this before the sun rises from the west. That means:
The door is OPEN right now. Whatever you’ve done—lying, stealing, zina, abandoning prayer, disobeying parents, drinking, gambling, shirk, decades of neglecting Islam—the door is STILL OPEN.
Allah ﷻ will accept your repentance right now. This very moment. You don’t need anything special. Just sincere remorse, commitment to change, and turning back to Him.
Tomorrow might be too late. Not because the sun will rise from the west tomorrow—it probably won’t. But because you might die before tomorrow. And then your chance is gone forever.
The Prophet ﷺ said in Sunan at-Tirmidhi (3537), graded Hasan (good):
“Indeed Allah ﷻ accepts the repentance of His servant as long as death has not reached his throat.”
Two deadlines for repentance:
- Your personal death
- The sun rising from the west (universal deadline)
Whichever comes first—that’s your cutoff.
What You Must Do NOW
1. Repent immediately for every sin. Don’t delay. Don’t procrastinate. Don’t say “I’ll start being good next Ramadan.” The door is open now. Walk through it now.
2. Make sincere tawbah. Stop the sin. Regret it deeply. Commit firmly never to return. If you wronged people, make amends.
3. Start praying consistently. This is non-negotiable. Five times daily. On time. With focus. Prayer is the difference between belief and disbelief.
4. Live as if you might not see tomorrow. Because you might not. The Prophet ﷺ said: “Take advantage of five before five: Your youth before your old age, your health before your sickness, your wealth before your poverty, your free time before your preoccupation, and your life before your death.”
5. Call others to the truth. Share this knowledge. Warn people. The door won’t stay open forever—not for humanity collectively (sun rising) and not for individuals (death).
The Hope You Still Have
The very fact that you’re reading this before the sun has risen from the west is pure mercy from Allah ﷻ.
You still have time. You still have opportunity. You still have a chance.
The door—that massive gate seventy years wide—is still open. Allah ﷻ is still accepting repentance. He still forgives all sins for those who sincerely turn back to Him.
But one day—maybe soon, maybe distant, but definitely coming—that sun will rise from the west. And everyone will know. But knowing won’t help.
Don’t be among those who believed too late. Believe now. Repent now. Change now.
Because once the sun rises from the west, faith will not benefit anyone who did not believe before.
And you still have “before.” Use it.
Disclaimer: This article presents authentic hadith from Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, and authenticated narrations from Sunan at-Tirmidhi about the sun rising from the west as a major sign of the Day of Judgment. All narrations cited are from the most reliable hadith collections verified by classical scholars. Readers are advised to consult qualified Islamic scholars for detailed guidance. The content reflects classical and contemporary Islamic scholarship and should not replace personal consultation with knowledgeable religious authorities.