If animals go around in circles, does that indicate that some event is about to happen, or is it a sign of the onset of the Hour?

Question

Tauhid Lab Assistant · Accepted Answer

> TL;DR: No authentic prophetic teachings list “animals moving in circles” as a sign of the onset of the Hour. The established, major portents are specific—such as the sun rising from the west, the Dajjāl (Antichrist), the descent of ‘Īsā (Jesus), Gog and Magog, and the great fire—while unusual phenomena generally call for remembrance, supplication, and seeking forgiveness. [HAD1] [HAD2] [HAD4] [HAD6] [TAF6] [HAD3]

## What the sources actually establish

- The recognized major signs of the Last Hour (As-Sā‘ah — the Final Hour of reckoning) are explicitly enumerated in authentic Hadith, and “animals circling” is not among them. The Prophet mentioned, among other signs: the sun rising from the west, the Dajjāl (Antichrist), the descent of ‘Īsā ibn Maryam (Jesus, peace be upon him), Gog and Magog, three massive landslides, thick smoke, the Beast of the earth (Dābbat al-Ard — a creature that will emerge near the end and address people), and a fire that gathers people toward the place of assembly. [HAD1] [HAD2] [HAD4] [HAD6] [TAF6]

- Tafsīr (Qur’anic exegesis) connects the Qur’anic warning that “when some of your Lord’s signs appear, no soul’s belief will benefit it if it had not believed before” directly to the sign of the sun rising from the west; again, animal circling is not cited. [TAF4] [TAF6]

- The Prophet taught a general rule for extraordinary natural phenomena: when awe-striking “signs” appear (like an eclipse), hasten to remembrance of Allah (Dhikr — conscious remembrance), supplication (Du‘ā’ — asking Allah), and seeking forgiveness; he exemplified this by performing the eclipse prayer during a solar eclipse. [HAD3]

- As to the moral landscape near the end: authentic Hadith describe the removal of sacred knowledge, spread of ignorance, adultery, and intoxicants, as well as demographic imbalance; these are “minor signs,” and again, “animals circling” is not named among them. [HAD5]

- Classical exegetes explain that the Hour will arrive suddenly after its clear portents, reinforcing that anticipation must be grounded in verified signs rather than speculations about incidental patterns in nature. [TAF7]

### Animals in revelation: signs of God’s wisdom, not apocalyptic omens
- Animals themselves are “signs” (āyāt) of Allah’s order—living parables of fitrah (original sound nature), not harbingers of the Hour by their routine behaviors. Tafsīr notes how animals fulfill their roles without arrogance, corroborating prophetic truth by their very orderliness. [TAF1]

- On the Day of Resurrection (Qiyāmah — the Day all are raised for judgment), even animals will be resurrected for perfect justice to be manifested; this underscores ethical seriousness of how we treat creatures now, but it is not an omen about when the Hour begins. [TAF5]

### The Hour’s recognized sequence and suddenness
- The Hour will not begin until major portents occur, including the sun rising from the west; when people see that sign, faith and repentance will no longer avail those who did not already believe or do good. [HAD1] [TAF6]

- Some signs have occurred, others will unfold, and the Hour will arrive suddenly upon the worst of people after believers have been taken; the length, detail, and order of events around the Dajjāl, ‘Īsā, and Gog and Magog are precisely described in authentic reports. [HAD2] [TAF7]

## How to respond wisely today

1) Treat unusual phenomena as spiritual reminders, not timelines  
- When confronted by striking natural occurrences (including unusual animal behavior), the Prophetic instruction is to intensify remembrance, supplication, and seeking forgiveness, just as he did during the eclipse. [HAD3]  
- Maintain sincere repentance (Tawbah — returning to Allah by abandoning sin and resolving to obey); repentance remains accepted until the great sign of the sun rising from the west. [TAF6]

2) Prepare for the fitan (tests) the Prophet specified  
- Fortify faith and practice through constant worship, sound knowledge, and upright character; among concrete protections, the Prophet instructed reciting the opening verses of Sūrat al-Kahf as a shield against Dajjāl’s trials. [HAD2]  
- Keep your daily Salāt (Salāh — the structured, five-times-daily ritual prayer) on time, give charity, and uphold truthfulness and trustworthiness; these are the actions the Prophet continually emphasized amid pre- Hour corruption. [HAD5]

3) Ethical conduct toward animals is part of that preparation  
- Since animals will be resurrected for perfect redress on Qiyāmah, conscientious and compassionate treatment of animals now is spiritually consequential and aligns with divine justice. [TAF5]

4) Verify claims; avoid sensationalism  
- Scholars advise not to chase speculative end-times claims; focus on accountability, the grave, and the Hereafter, increasing self-rectification daily. [FAT3]  
- For a concise, authenticated list of major signs, see scholarly summaries that rely on Sahīh reports (e.g., enumerations highlighting Dajjāl, ‘Īsā, Gog and Magog, sun from the west, the Beast, smoke, great fire, and the three landslides). [FAT1] [FAT2]

### Practical, contemporary examples
- If a viral video shows animals circling:  
  - Respond with private Du‘ā’, extra Dhikr, and seeking forgiveness that day, following the Prophet’s guidance for awe-inducing signs. [HAD3]  
  - Use it as a prompt to review the authenticated major signs and renew Tawbah before the irrevocable sign (sun from the west) appears. [HAD1] [TAF6]  
  - Avoid forwarding apocalyptic claims unless anchored in clear texts checked by qualified scholars. [FAT3]

### Psychological, social, and ethical benefits directly tied to these teachings
- Channeling anxiety about unusual events into worship and repentance transforms fear into God-consciousness and action, precisely the Prophet’s lesson during celestial signs. [HAD3]  
- Focusing on the verified portents clarifies priorities and guards communities from rumor-driven panic; the Qur’anic-exegetical link to the westward sunrise sets a crisp threshold that reduces speculation. [TAF6]  
- Treating animals ethically aligns personal conduct with the coming disclosure of perfect justice on Qiyāmah, fostering compassion and restraint in daily life. [TAF5]

## Divergent Perspectives

- Caution regarding weak reports: Some circulating “end-times lists” include details not found in rigorously authenticated sources; hadith experts flag certain narrations as unreliable, so they are not bases for belief or alarm. [FAT6]  
- Balanced, authenticated summaries exist: Trusted fatwa resources condense the sound hadith on the major signs without resorting to sensational details, keeping the community anchored to the clearest proofs. [FAT1] [FAT2]

In sum: animals moving in circles is not identified in authentic sources as a sign of the Hour. Anchor your understanding in the specific major signs the Prophet taught, respond to startling phenomena with remembrance, Du‘ā’, and Tawbah, and keep preparing—calmly and steadily—for the Hereafter. [HAD1] [HAD2] [HAD3] [HAD4] [HAD5] [HAD6] [TAF4] [TAF5] [TAF6] [TAF7] [FAT1

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If animals go around in circles, does that indicate that some event is about to happen, or is it a sign of the onset of the Hour?

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