Will civilisation collapse at the end of time and will battles be fought with swords and spears?

The scholars differed concerning the issue
of fighting at the end of time, and whether the weapons used will in fact be
swords and spears in a real sense, or will the means of transport be horses
and camels in a real sense, or is this more like something that was
addressed to the Sahaabah in terms of what they were familiar with, but it
be in a form that is appropriate at that time? 

There are two scholarly views. The view of
most of the contemporary scholars is that this civilisation that we see now,
with its technology and weapons, will all disappear, and that wars will go
back to being fought on horseback and the weapons that will be used in them
will be spears and swords, and what the Prophet (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him) spoke of is how it will really be. This is the view of
Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him),
Shaykh ‘Abd al-Muhsin al-‘Abbaad – in his audio commentary on the books of
Sunnah – and Shaykh ‘Umar al-Ashqar, and others. 

Among the texts of which the apparent
meaning supports this view are the following: 

1.

It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may
Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace
of Allah be upon him) said: “The Hour will not begin until the Byzantines
camp at al-A‘maaq or Daabiq, and an army composed of the best people on
earth at that time will go out from Madinah to meet them. When they arrange
themselves in ranks, the Byzantines will say: Do not stand between us and
those who took prisoners from us; let us fight them. The Muslims will say:
No by Allah, we will never let you reach our brothers. Then they will fight
them, and one third will flee, whose repentance will never be accepted by
Allah; one third will be killed, and they are the best of martyrs before
Allah; and one third will prevail and will never succumb to any fitnah, and
they will conquer Constantinople.  Whilst they are dividing the spoils,
having hung their swords on the olive trees, the Shaytaan will shout out
among them: The (false) messiah has taken your place among your families. So
they will march, but that will be false news. When they reach Syria, he will
emerge, and whilst they are still preparing for battle, drawing up their
ranks, the iqaamah for prayer will be given and ‘Eesa ibn Maryam (S) will
descend and will lead them in prayer. When the enemy of Allah sees him, he
will melt as salt melts in water. If he left him alone, he would still melt
until he was destroyed, but Allah will kill him by his hand (i.e. Allah will cause him to be killed at the hand of ‘Eesa), and he will show them his blood on his lance.”  

Al-A‘maaq and Daabiq are two places in
Syria. 

The hadeeth mentions the use of swords and
lances (or spears) in fighting, and that will happen at the end of time. 

2.

It was narrated that Ibn Mas‘ood (may
Allah be pleased with him) said – in a hadeeth about the time of the Dajjaal
–: The cry will reach them that the Dajjaal has taken their place among
their offspring. So they will throw aside whatever is in their hands and
will go there, sending ten horsemen ahead of them as scouts. The Messenger
of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “I know their
names, and the names of their fathers, and the colours of their horses. They
will be the best horsemen on the face of the earth at that time” or “among
the best horsemen on the face of the earth at that time.” Narrated by Muslim
(2899). 

3.

It was narrated that Al-Nawaas ibn Sam‘aan
said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)
said: “The Muslim will use the bows, arrows and shields of Ya’jooj and
Ma’jooj as firewood, for seven years.” 

Shaykh ‘Umar Sulaymaan al-Ashqar (may
Allah have mercy on him) said, after quoting a number of hadeeths about this
matter: 

These hadeeths and many similar hadeeths
indicate that this powerful civilisation which has invented all this huge
arsenal of bombs and missiles will decline and disappear. It is most likely
that it will destroy itself, and that humanity will once again go back to
fighting on horseback, using spears, bows and arrows, and the like. And
Allah knows best.

End quote from al-Qiyaamah as-Sughra
(p. 275) 

What we think concerning this matter is
that the hadeeths quoted above should be taken as they appear to mean and we
should not try to interpret them differently, and that fighting at the end
of time in those battles and wars will use those weapons and fighters will
ride on horses. But we cannot be certain that the present civilisation will
disappear altogether, because that is something that is not mentioned in the
texts.  Another indication is that swords, horses and mules are still used
in battles that are currently happening, even though civilisation has
reached such a high level. By expressing this view we confirm what is
narrated in the saheeh hadeeths, but we leave knowledge of the unseen to
Allah, may He be exalted. 

This view is more on the safe side for
religious commitment; there is no great practical benefit in discussing this
matter, so we do not think that we should be distracted by it, let alone
indulge in discussion about it. 

And Allah knows best.