The Myth of 2012

[Surely, knowledge of the Hour is with Allah alone.] (Luqman31:34)




Muslims believe that only Allah knows when this world will come to an end.

Earth shattering quakes, fiery meteors falling from the sky, tidal waves the size of skyscrapers, and the apocalyptic message that our world is over. That is the premise ofthe latest Hollywood blockbuster, "2012", which has many people from almost every faith known to man turning towards their own holy books for answers.

The director of "2012", Roland Emmerich, grips movie goers in fear with scenes of the Earth cracking into deep and steam bursting fissures as humans run for their lives. The religious symbolism is heavy with the Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's Basilica, and the Jesus the Redeemer Statue in Brazil all crumbling to dust.

The director had, initially, planned to include a scene of the destruction of the Kabah in the film but later changed his mind after fearing dissent from Muslims around the world.

Despite all the mayhem, carnage, death, and destruction, the movie "2012" offers very little concrete evidence that the year 2012 will mark the end of our world.

In fact, all the film really offers is fear and innuendo all wrapped neatly in a digitally enhanced package that is based on a thousand year old Mayan prediction. Experts in scientific analysis and astrology say the Mayans created a calendar that computes systematically with our modern day Gregorian calendar.

* According to the Mayan prediction, which is based primarily upon hypothetical planetary alignments, a planet called Nibiru will crash into the Earth and set off a string of natural disasters that will annihilate our plant and everything living on it
* Long before the movie was even a script, the scientific community has heatedly debated the validity of the Mayan prediction for years, with both critics and believers providing solid evidence to support each respective belief.
* Outside of the scientific community, soothsayers, conspiracy theorists, and survivalists have all been delivering their own words of gloom and doom to both captivate and terrify anyone who will listen
* Throughout the history of the world, each civilization has believed in a catastrophic event that would befall them. And in many cases, a calamity has indeed come to fruition in the form of a natural disaster.


The Glorious Quran reveals several instances where entire civilizations were wiped off the face of the Earth in mere moments, primarily because of their rejection of complete monotheism.

Thankfully, Allah Almighty, in infinite mercy and wisdom, has spared Muslims from fretting over the end of our world. The knowledge of when our world will end rests with Allah alone and is part of the unseen.

The Mayans, modern-day scientists, and anyone else claiming Divine knowledge cannot categorically guarantee when our world will end. The only certainty is that it will end, one day.A day in which the earth will rattle, the seas will swell, and the mountains will crumble to dust. And everyone who has ever lived, or is alive on that day, will be called to judgment to account for his or her every deed committed on earth.

While no one can pinpoint the date for the end of our world, there are several hadiths of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) that give clues, or signs, as to when it will appear.

Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) said,

The Hour will not begin until the sun rises from the West, and when it rises and the people see it, they will all believe, but that will be when it will do a person no good to believe, if he believed not before, nor earned good (by performing deeds of righteousness) through his faith. (Muslim)

Allah Almighty has kept that date a secret. Not a human, angel, or prophet has ever been privy to that knowledge. Anyone who promulgates this false message of 2012 as being the end of our world is committing a grave disservice to their own souls as well as the greater community around them.

With the gargantuan and global reach of Hollywood movies, in general, many people will succumb to the hype surrounding the movie "2012" and mark their calendar for the purported "Doomsday". However, in this case, truth is stronger than fiction. Allah's trust and infinite mercy are more substantial than anything Hollywood can dream up. By Sumayyah Meehan
Freelance WriterSumayyah Meehan reverted to Islam almost 11 years ago. She is a Waynesburg College graduate with a BA in criminal justice. She is working on an Islamic children's book. She resides in Kuwait with her husband and three children.