The Greatest Fitnah: Who Is the Dajjāl
Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Seal of Prophets, his Family, Companions, and whomsoever was rightly guided by him.
## Introduction
Allah brings forth and makes clear whatever He wills, and He chooses from among the signs and portents of the Last Hour those which indicate that its coming is near.
The Prophet ﷺ admonished his nation against the cursed False Messiah. His admonition was so great and so emphasized that he described this calumniator and wrongdoer in detail and mentioned his seductions and traits so as to make him easily recognizable to all Muslims, so they would be able to escape his temptations and his aberration. Additionally, the Prophet ﷺ foretold his course from advent to death.
The Prophet ﷺ stated his colour, height, width, eye shape and the inscriptions on his forehead. Moreover, our Prophet ﷺ cited his seductions; methods of the aberrance he brings about; the means of salvation from him and how to escape from his wickedness and temptations.
Among these is the False Messiah (al-Masīḥ al-Dajjāl).
As I have mentioned before, the Dajjal will be followed in majority by Jews
“Seventy thousand Jews from Isfahān will follow the Dajjāl, wearing cloaks (ṭayālisah).”
يَتْبَعُ الدَّجَّالَ مِن يَهُودِ أصْبَهانَ، سَبْعُونَ ألْفًا عليهمُ الطَّيالِسَةُ.
الراوي : أنس بن مالك | المحدث : مسلم | المصدر : صحيح مسلم
## Who is the Dajjāl?
He is a man from the descendants of Adam. Allah, exalted is He, has granted him abilities that no other human being possesses. Allah has enabled him with these as a test and trial of people’s faith.
The Prophet ﷺ warned us against following him in his misguidance, and he informed us of his physical and moral characteristics.
## Why are we talking about the Dajjāl here?
Knowing about something is better than being ignorant of it. Ḥudhayfah ibn al-Yamān (may Allah be pleased with him) used to ask the Messenger of Allah ﷺ about evil, out of fear that it might overtake him.
The Dajjāl is the greatest trial (fitnah). The Prophet ﷺ feared this trial for his ummah, so he warned, cautioned, and alerted them to it—because of the doubts and temptations that will accompany the Dajjāl, along with his claim that he is the Lord of all worlds!!
So if we learn the attributes of the Dajjāl and the ways of keeping safe from him, Allah will protect us from his evil.
## What does the Dajjāl claim?
The Dajjāl claims that he is the Lord of all worlds, and he calls people to believe in that.
For this reason the Prophet ﷺ said:
“The Dajjāl is one-eyed, and your Lord is not one-eyed.”
حدثنا أبو بكر بن أبي شيبة. حدثنا أبو أسامة ومحمد بن بشر. قالا: حدثنا عبيدالله عن نافع، عن ابن عمر. ح وحدثنا ابن نمير (واللفظ له). حدثنا محمد بن بشر. حدثنا عبيدالله عن نافع، عن ابن عمر؛
أن رسول الله ﷺ ذكر الدجال بين ظهراني الناس فقال “إن الله تعالى ليس بأعور. ألا وإن المسيح الدجال أعور العين اليمنى. كأن عينه عنبة طافئة”.
وحدثني زهير بن حرب. حدثنا عفان. حدثنا عبدالوارث عن شعيب بن الحبحاب، عن أنس بن مالك، قال:
قال رسول الله ﷺ “الدجال ممسوح العين مكتوب بين عينيه كافر” ثم تهجاها ك ف ر. “يقرؤه كل مسلم”.
He also has doubts and deceptive tricks by which he puts people to trial.
### Hadith of Anas Ibn Malik
On the authority of Anas Ibn Malik, Imam Ahmed narrated:
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: ‘There will be no town which Ad-Dajjal will not enter except Makkah and Madinah, and there will be no entrance (road) (of both Makkah and Madinah) but the angels will be standing in rows guarding it against him. Ad-Dajjal will come and encamp at a place close to Madinah and then Madinah will shake thrice (i.e. three earthquakes will take place) and all the male and female hypocrites will come up to him.’”
Related by al-Bukhari and Muslim, too, on the authority of Anas in the same wording.¹
Also, Imam Ahmed narrated, on the authority of Anas Ibn Malik, that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“Ad-Dajjal is blind in his left eye with the word Kafir (i.e. unbeliever) or Kufr (unbelief) written between his two eyes.”
This Hadith fulfills the two authentic collections (by al-Bukhari and Muslim) of Hadith requirements.²
On the authority of Anas Ibn Malik, Imam Muslim reported that the Prophet ﷺ said:
“The Dajjal will be followed by seventy thousand Jews of Ashabaan wearing Persian shawls.”³
Ahmed related, on the authority of Anas Ibn Malik who said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“Allah did not send any Prophet but that He warned his nation of the one-eyed liar (Ad-Dajjal). He is one-eyed while your Lord is not one-eyed, the word Kafir (unbeliever) is written between his two eyes.”
Imam al-Bukhari and Imam Muslim also reported it on the authority of Anas Ibn Malik.⁴
## Signs of the Appearance of the Dajjal
A lengthy hadith narrated by Ibn Majah, Ibn Khuzaymah, and Ad-Dhiya', attributed to Abu Umamah, reports that the Prophet of Allah, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, said:
"There will be three hard years before the Dajjal (appears). During them, people will be stricken by a great famine. In the first year, Allah will command the sky to withhold a third of its rain, and the earth to withhold a third a third of its produce. In the second year, Allah will command the sky to withhold two thirds of its rain, and the earth to withhold two thirds of its produce. In the third year, Allah will command the sky to withhold all of its rain, and it will not rain a single drop of rain. He will command the earth to withhold all of its produce, and no plant will grow. All hoofed animals will perish, except that which Allah wills."
## The Destruction of Al-Masih ad-Dajjal
As was narrated in the hadith by An-Nawwas ibn Sam'an, the Dajjal will be killed at the hand of Jesus son of Mary.
The Dajjal's death will occur after the angels turn him towards Ash-Sham away from the outskirts of Madinah. He will perish in Ash-Sham near the eastern door of Lud in Palestine, may Allah return it to the Muslims.
