Masih ad-Dajjal

This article is part of the series:
Islam
Beliefs Oneness of God Prophets · Revealed books Angels · Predestination Day of Resurrection
Practices Profession of faith · Prayer Fasting · Alms · Pilgrimage
Texts & laws Quran · Sunnah · Hadith Fiqh · Sharia · Kalam
History & leaders Timeline · Muhammad Ahl al-Bayt · Sahaba Rashidun · Imamate Caliphate · Spread of Islam
Denominations Sunni · Shia Sufi · Ibadi · Ahmadiyya · Quraniyoon
Culture & society Academics · Animals · Art Calendar · Children Dawah · Demographics Festivals · Mosques Philosophy · Politics Science · Women
See also Other religions · Glossary Islam portal This box: view · talk · edit

Part of a series on
Eschatology
Buddhist eschatology Maitreya Mappō Three Ages
Christian eschatology Bibical texts Book of Revelation Book of Daniel Olivet discourse Sheep and Goats Major figures Jesus Two Witnesses Four Horsemen Antichrist Different views Preterism Idealism Historicism Futurism Millennial differences Premillennialism Amillennialism Postmillennialism Other events Chronology of Revelation Rapture Seven Seals Jesus' Second Coming Last Judgment
Hindu eschatology Hindu eschatology Kalki Kali Yuga Shiva
Islamic eschatology Good Dhul-Qarnayn Muhammad Imam Mahdī Jesus the Messiah (Second Coming) Beast of the Last Days Evil Khawarij False Messiah Gog and Magog Dhul Suwayqatayn Culmination Resurrection & Judgement
Jewish eschatology The Messiah Book of Daniel Kabbalah
Zoroastrian eschatology Frashokereti (eschatology) Saoshyant
Inter-religious End times Apocalypticism 2012 phenomenon Millenarianism Last Judgment Resurrection of the Dead Gog and Magog Messianic Age
v · d · e

al-Masih ad-Dajjal (Arabic: المسيح الدجّال‎ al-Masīḥ ad-Dajjāl, Arabic for "the false messiah"), is an evil figure in Islamic eschatology.^[1] He is to appear pretending to be Masih (i.e. the Messiah) at a time in the future, before Yawm al-Qiyamah (Judgment Day), directly comparable to the figures of the Antichrist and Armilus in Christian and Jewish eschatology, respectively.

Name

Dajjāl is a common Arabic word (دجال) with the meaning "deceiving" or "the Placebo" or "impostor" Al-Masīḥ ad-Dajjāl, with the definite article al- ("the"), refers to "the deceiving Messiah", a specific end-of times deceiver.

Qur'an

The "Dajjal" is not mentioned by name or referenced in the Qur'an.

Hadith

According to hadith, Muhammad is said to have prophesied that the Masih ad-Dajjal would be the last of a series of thirty Dajjal or "deceivers" (false prophets).^[2]

• Muhammad is reported to have said:

... Allah is not one eyed while Messiah, Ad-Dajjal is blind in the right eye and his eye looks like a bulging out grape.^[3]

Narrated 'Abdullah bin 'Umar: Allah's Apostle said. "While I was sleeping, I saw myself (in a dream) performing Tawaf around the Ka'ba. Behold, I saw a reddish-white man with lank hair, and water was dropping from his head. I asked, "Who is this?' They replied, 'The son of Mary.' Then I turned my face to see another man with a huge body, red complexion and curly hair and blind in one eye. His eye looked like a protruding out grape. They said (to me), He is Ad-Dajjal." The Prophet added, "The man he resembled most is Ibn Qatan, a man from the tribe of Khuza'a."^[4]

Narrated Ibn Umar: Once Allah's Apostle stood amongst the people, glorified and praised Allah as He deserved. Then, mentioning Dajjal, he said, "I warn you against him (i.e. the Dajjal) and there was no prophet but warned his nation against him. No doubt, Noah warned his nation against him but I tell you about him something of which no prophet told his nation before me. You should know that he is one-eyed, and Allah is not one-eyed."^[5]

Every Messenger of God did warn his nation about the trials of Dajjal. God, however, delayed Dajjal’s birth and did not let him appear until now. Be aware! He will claim to be God and try to create doubts in your minds. Have a firm belief, the one-eyed creature cannot be your Lord. He will claim to have come with the gifts of paradise and arsenal of hell.^[6]

• Ali was reported to have said:

His right eye will be punctured, and his left eye would be raised to his forehead and will be sparkling like a star. Only the believers will be able to read the word ‘Kufr’ [disbelief], inscribed in bold letters, on his forehead. There will be big mountains of smoke at both front and backsides of his caravan. People will anticipate food within those mountains, during the severe famine.All rivers, falling in his way, will become dry and he will call upon people in aloud voice, "O my friends come to me! I am your lord who has made your limbs and given you sustenance.^[7]

• Anas b. Malik reported that Allah's Messenger said: There is never a prophet who has not warned the Ummah of that one-eyed liar; behold he is one-eyed and your Lord is not one-eyed. On his forehead are the letters k. f. r. (Kafir).^[8]

Signs of his coming

Hadith attributed to Muhammad give many signs of the appearance of the Dajjal, and exhorted his followers to recite the first and last ten verses of Sura Al-Kahf, as protection from the trials and mischief of the Dajjal.^{[citation needed]}

The following signs are ascribed to Ali in the coming of Dajjal:^[7]

• People will stop offering the prayers
• Dishonesty will be the way of life
• Falsehood will become a virtue
• People will mortgage their faith for worldly gains
• Usury and bribery will become legitimate
• Imbeciles would rule over the wise
• Blood of innocents would be shed
• Pride will be taken on acts of oppression
• The rulers will be corrupt
• The scholars will be hypocrites
• Adultery will be rampant
• The liars and treacherous will be respected
• There will be acute famine at the time
• There will be no shame amongst people
• Children would challenge their mothers
• Youngsters would perform marital relationship with their parents
• Many people would worship Satan
• There would be no respect for elder people
• Rape

Eschatology

See also: Mahdi, Second Coming of Christ#Islam, and Jesus in Islam

The Dajjal will appear somewhere between Syria and Iraq and will travel the whole world preaching his falsehood, but will be unable to enter Mecca or Medina.^[3] Isa (Jesus) will return and the Dajjal will gather an army of those he has deceived and lead them in a war against Jesus, who shall be accompanied by an army of the righteous.

Differing views

Sunni beliefs

Sunni Muslims believe that Isa (the name of Jesus in Arabic) will descend on Mount Afeeq, on the white Eastern Minaret of Damascus. He will descend from the heavens with his hands resting on the shoulders of two angels.^[9] His cheeks will be flat and his hair straight. When he lowers his head it will seem as if water is flowing from his hair, when he raises his head, it will appear as though his hair is beaded with silvery pearls.^[10] He will descend during fajr (morning prayer) and the leader of the Muslims will address him thus, "O' Prophet of God, lead the prayer."

Isa will decline with the words, "The virtue of this nation that follows Islam is that they lead each other." Implying that he will pray behind the imam (the man that leads the prayings) as the word of God was completed after revelation of Qur'an and Muhammad being the last prophet of God.^[10]

After the prayer, Isa will prepare himself to do battle and shall take up a sword. An army shall return from a campaign launched before the arrival of Isa. Isa shall set out in pursuit of Dajjal. All those who embraced the evil of Dajjal shall perish even as the breath of Isa touches them. The breath of Isa shall precede him as far as the eye can see. Dajjal will be captured at Lud. The Anti-Christ shall begin to melt, as salt dissolves in water. The spear of Isa shall plunge into Dajjal’s chest, ending his dreaded reign.^[11][12] The followers of Dajjal will be rooted out, for even the trees and rocks will speak out against them. Isa will break the cross and kill pig (the animal). Then all battles shall cease and the world will know an age of peace. The rule of Isa will be just and all shall flock to him to enter the folds of the one true religion, Islam.

Shīa beliefs

Shias believe that Dajjal will be killed by Muhammad al-Mahdi.^[13][14]

See also

• Beelzebub
• Belial
• Devil (Islam)
• Mahdi

References

1. ^ Oxford Dictionary of World Religions, Al-Dajjāl, p. 43.
2. ^ Patric Hughes. "A Dictionary of Islam" pg 64
3. ^ ^{a b} Sahih al-Bukhari, 3:30:105
4. ^ Collected by Muhammad al-Bukhari Sahih al-Bukhari Sahih al-Bukhari, 9:88:242
5. ^ Collected by Muhammad al-Bukhari Sahih al-Bukhari Sahih al-Bukhari, 4:55:553
6. ^ Bilgrami, Sayed Tahir (2005). "6". Essence of Life, A translation of Ain al-Hayat by Allama Mohammad Baqir Majlisi. Qum: Ansarian Publications. p. 103. 
7. ^ ^{a b} Bilgrami, Sayed Tahir (2005). "6". Essence of Life, A translation of Ain al-Hayat by Allama Mohammad Baqir Majlisi. Qum: Ansarian Publications. p. 104. 
8. ^ Collected by Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj Nishapuri Sahih Muslim Sahih Muslim, 41:7007
9. ^ Jesus (Isa) A.S. in Islam, and his Second Coming
10. ^ ^{a b} The descension of Sayyidena Eesa
11. ^ Sahih Muslim, 41:7023
12. ^ Who is the evil Dajjal (the "anti-Christ")?
13. ^ Bilgrami, Sayed Tahir (2005). "6". Essence of Life, A translation of Ain al-Hayat by Allama Mohammad Baqir Majlisi. Qum: Ansarian Publications. p. 105. 
14. ^ al-Qarashi, Allama Baqir Sharif (2006). The Life of Imam al-Mahdi Peace Be Upon Him. Qum: Ansarian Publications. p. 343. 

• http://www.alislam.org/library/books/revelation/part_6_section_2.html

External links

• Ahadith on the Dajjal (muttaqun.com)
• More Ahadith about Dajjal
• "Seeing with Both Eyes" (Text of a lecture given on the Dajjal by Shaykh AbdulHakim Murad [Timothy Winter])
• The Detailed Information on Dajjal (Translation of the book DAJJAL originally written in Urdu by a PhD scholar)