He reported God's messenger as saying, "When the time becomes short [1] knowledge will be withdrawn, civil strife will appear, niggardliness will be cast into people's hearts, and harj will be prevalent." He was asked the meaning of harj and said it meant slaughter. [2] 1. Literally, `when time is contracted'. The reference is to the approach of the last hour. 2. Harj, meaning 'turmoil' or 'Rioting, a state of affairs which leads ta people being killed. (Bukhari and Muslim.)