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

                People have different views about the issue of technology and its fate at the end of time. Will it still exist or will it disappear? There are hadeeths which indicate that there will be a war with the Dajjaal and that it will be fought with swords, and that ‘Eesa (peace be upon him) will kill the Dajjaal with a spear, and so on. Does this mean that technology will disappear?
Praise be to Allah.
    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.