In the name of Allāh, Most Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy.
A small request: I have made this article freely available―I request that you donate a small amount of just £2 or $2 to the “Salafi Bookstore and Islamic Centre” (click here) so they can continue their work to print and distribute free audios, leaflets and booklets to aid the da’wah of Ahlus-Sunnah and Hadīth across the world.
All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of all creation, may Allah extol the mention of our noble Prophet Muhammad in the highest company of Angels, bless him and give him peace and security―and his family, his Companions and all those who follow him correctly until the establishment of the Hour.
With additional notes from Abu Khadeejah Abdul-Wāhid.
Read and share.
Part 21: Appearance of the Dajjāl, the Descent of ‘Īsā (‘alaihis-salām) and the Test of One’s Faith
Imām Ahmad bin Hanbal (rahimahullah) continued and said:
والإيمان أن المسيح الدجال خارج, مكتوب بين عينيه كافر والأحاديث التي جاءت فيه, والإيمان بأن ذلك كائن.
“And to have imān (faith) that the Maseeh Ad-Dajjāl (the False Messiah or Antichrist) will appear. The word kāfir will be written between his eyes – and to have imān in the ahadeeth that have been narrated regarding him – and to have faith that this will take place.“
Explanation
The Maseeh Ad-Dajjāl shares the title ‘Maseeh’ with ‘Isā bin Maryam (ʿalaihis-salām), except that one is the true Messiah and he is ‘Isā (ʿalaihis-salām) and one is the false Messiah, the Great Liar, and he is the Dajjāl. The difference between the two is what is said after the term ‘Maseeh.’ So for the Dajjāl, it is said Al-Maseeh Ad-Dajjāl (the False Messiah), and it is said concerning ʿIsā, Al-Maseeh ʿIsā Ibn Maryam, i.e., the Messiah, Jesus the son of Mary (ʿalaihis-salām).
The scholars have said that the term ‘Maseeh’ for the Dajjāl is either because:
a) He will touch/wipe (yamsahu) every part of the earth in the forty days that he will be in it, or
b) His right eye is wiped/blotted out (mamsooha).
Ibn al-Atheer (rahimahullāh) said in Jāmiʿ al-Usool, volume 4: The Dajjāl is called ‘Maseeh’ because one of his eyes is mamsooha (wiped or blotted out), so a ‘Maseeh’ is a person whose face is blotted out on one side, with no eye and no eyebrow.
This is in contrast to al-Maseeh ‘Isa bin Maryam (‘alaihis salām), who is referred to as ‘al-Maseeh’ because he used to wipe (yamsahu) the sick people, and they would be healed by Allah’s permission, whereas the Dajjāl is a liar.
Ahadeeth Regarding the Fitnah of the Dajjāl and his Appearance
There appear in the narrations of Allah’s Messenger (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) various ahadeeth regarding the appearance of the Dajjāl, and the fitnah that he will bring. He will show the people what seems like hellfire and what seems like paradise. He will command the sky to send down the rain, and it will send it down. He will command the Earth, and it will bring forth its produce. He will be a great trial for the people, and he will call them to believe in him, and he will claim to be their Lord.
The Messenger (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) said: “There was not a Prophet except that he would warn his people from the Dajjāl, so I will tell you of affairs that no prophet before me has said: He is ‘أعور’ (one-eyed), his right eye is like a floating grape, and your Lord is not one-eyed.”
In a narration from Abu Hurairah, Allah’s Messenger (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) said: “Shall I not inform you regarding the Dajjāl what no prophet before me informed his people of? Indeed, he is one-eyed, and he will come with that which resembles Paradise, and that which resembles Hellfire. What he calls Paradise is Hellfire, indeed I warn you from him just as Nuh (‘alaihis salām) warned his people.” (Reported by Imām Muslim).
Al-Bukhāri and Muslim report from Anas bin Mālik that Allah’s Messenger (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) said: “There was not a prophet sent by Allah except that he warned his people from al-Aʿwar ad-Dajjāl (the One-Eyed Liar). Indeed, he is one-eyed and your Lord is not one-eyed. There will be written between his eyes the word kāfir (unbeliever).”
In another hadeeth reported by Muslim and Abu Dāwud from Nawwās bin Sam’ān, that Allah’s Messenger (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) said: “It is other than the Dajjāl that I fear for you, for if he emerges while I am among you I shall contend with him on your behalf, but if he comes forth and I am not with you, then each person must contend with him on his own behalf. Allah will take care of looking after every muslim, even after I have gone. Those of you who live up to his time should recite before him, the opening verses of Suratul Kahf, for they are a protection from his trial.” Some narrations specify the first ten ayāt of Suratul-Kahf.
The Sahābah asked the Prophet (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) how long he (the Dajjāl) would be on Earth, so he replied, ‘Forty days; one day like a year, one like a month, one like a week, an the rest of his days will be like your days.’ They asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam), will one day’s prayer suffice us on that day which will be like a year?’ So he (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) replied, ‘No, you must make an estimate of the extent of that day. Then ‘Isa bin Maryam will descend at the white minaret, east of Damascus, and he will catch up with the Dajjāl, at the gate of Ludd and kill him.”
There also occurs in the hadeeth of Abu Umāmah (radiyallahu ‘anhu) that Allah’s Messenger (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) said: “Before the Dajjāl appears, there will be three difficult years in which the people will suffer severe famine. In the first year, Allah will command the sky to withhold one-third of its rain, and the Earth to withhold one-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. Then in the third year, He will command the sky to withhold all of its rain, and not a single drop will fall that year, and the Earth to withhold all of its produce, and nothing will grow.
All of the cloven hoofed animals will die off except those that Allah wills.” It was said to the Messenger of Allah (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam), ‘O Messenger of Allah! Upon what will the people live?’ So he said, “Tahleel (Lā ilaha illAllah), Takbeer (Allahu akbar), Tasbeeh (Subhān Allah) and Tahmeed (Alhamdulillah), that will take the place of food for them.” (Reported by Ibn Mājah, Ibn Khuzaymah, and authenticated by Shaikh al-Albāni in Saheeh al-Jāmi’).
Many narrations mention the appearance of the Dajjāl, and we understand from those narrations that the Dajjāl will bring fitan (trials) with him, and many of the people will be beguiled and deceived by them, just as many Muslims today are deceived by what they see from the kuffār of their technology, liberal ideas, theories of evolution, secularism, media propaganda and philosophies.
The fitnah presented by the unbelievers today is nothing compared to that which the Dajjāl will come with. So, if the people are being deceived today, then imagine what will happen when the Dajjāl himself appears! People today are easily led astray, and they turn away from the Kitāb and the Sunnah, and the true Salafi ‘Aqeedah, so what will happen when the Dajjāl appears?
In a narration, Allah’s Messenger (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) said:
“Part of his (the Dajjāl’s) fitnah will be that he will say to a bedouin, ‘What do you think if I were to resurrect your father and your mother, will you bear witness then that I am your Lord?’ The Bedouin will say yes. Then two devils will appear in the form of his father and mother, and they will say, ‘O my son! Follow him, for he is your Lord.’ Part of his fitnah will be that he will overpower a single soul, a young man, and he will kill him. He will cut him with a saw until he falls into two pieces – in one narration, it states that he will overpower him and throw him to the ground and beat him on his front, and then turn him over and beat him upon his back. He will then say to him, ‘Bear witness that I am your Lord,’ and the youth will say, ‘I bear witness that you are the Dajjāl’.
After sawing him into two pieces, he will walk in between his torn body and say, ‘Look at this slave of mine, I will now resurrect him, and then he will claim that he has a Lord other than me?’
Then Allah (the Most High) will cause that youth to be resurrected, and the Dajjāl will ask him, ‘Who is your Lord?’ So he will reply, ‘Allah is my Lord and you are the enemy of Allah, you are the Dajjāl. By Allah! I have never had more insight about you than I have today.’” (Saheeh, reported by Ibn Mājah).
—-
In another narration, the Prophet (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) said, “Part of his Fitnah will be that he will command the sky to pour down rain and it will rain. He will command the Earth to bring forth vegetation, and it will do so.
Part of his fitnah will be that he will pass by a clan who will disbelieve in him, so all of their cattle will perish.
Part of his fitnah will be that he will pass by a clan who will believe in him, so he will command the sky to rain down on them and it will rain, and he will command the Earth to bring forth its vegetation and it will do so, until their cattle will come in the evening of that day, bigger and fatter than they had ever been, with their flanks stretched and their udders full of milk.
There will be no part of the Earth left that he does not enter and prevail over, except for Makkah and Madinah. He will not be able to approach them by any of their mountain passes, except that he will be met by angels with unsheathed swords.
On that day, he will stop at the red hill at the end of the marsh, and then Madinah will be shaken three times, with its people within it. No hypocrite, male or female, will remain therein; rather, all of them will come out to him and thus Madinah will be cleansed of all of its impurities on that day, just as the bellows cleanses the impurity of iron. That day will be called the Day of Deliverance.” (Reported by Ibn Mājah)
Allah’s Messenger (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) informed us about the fitnah of the Dajjāl such that he said, “Whoever hears that the Dajjāl has appeared, let him stay far away from him, for by Allah, a man will approach thinking himself to be a believer, but will end up following him due to the doubts that the Dajjāl throws at him and causes confusion within him.” (Reported by Abu Dāwud and authenticated by Shaikh al-Albāni, rahimahullah).
In another narration collected by Abu Dāwud, the Prophet (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) said: “I have told you so much about the Dajjāl that I am afraid you may not understand. The Dajjāl is short, hen-toed, has tightly curled hair, is one-eyed, one eye is sightless, neither protruding nor deeply set. If you are confused when he comes, know that your Lord is not one-eyed.” (Reported by Abu Dāwud).
There are many more narrations regarding the Dajjāl; some of them have even been narrated in the scriptures of the Jews and the Christians, but what we have in the Kitāb and the Sunnah is enough. The Prophet (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) told us that when the Dajjāl comes, he will claim to be a prophet, and then he will claim to be the Lord.
The Prophet (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) also informed us that the Dajjāl is alive today – he was seen by the noble companion Tameem ad-Dāri (radiyallahu ‘anhu), as is mentioned in a narration collected by Abu Dāwud. This companion was with a group of other travellers when he was still a Christian and they were shipwrecked on an island. They saw a beast named al-Jassāsah whom they were afraid of, so it informed them of a monastery on the island, which they rushed to in order to escape from him.
When they entered the monastery, they saw a huge man with a strong frame whose hands were chained to his neck. He said to them, “I am the Messiah (Antichrist).” He told them that he would be given permission to leave soon. So, we believe the Dajjāl is present today, and in another narration collected by Imām Ibn Mājah, the Prophet (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) said that he would appear from a land in the East called Khurasān, and he will be followed by people with faces like hammered shields.
Imām Muslim narrated in his Saheeh that the Prophet (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) said: “The Dajjāl will be followed by seventy thousand Jews from Isfahān wearing Persian shawls.” Isfahān City is the capital of Isfahān Province in present-day Irān. It is said that Isfahān today contains the third highest population of Jews in the world, and Allah knows best.
In a Hadeeth collected by Abu Dāwud, the Prophet (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) said: “The Last Hour will not come before there come forth thirty great liars (dajjāloon / kadhāboon). Each one claiming that he is a messenger of Allah.”
The narrations regarding the Dajjāl are vast and numerous, so refer to the 55-page PDF article entitled “The Emergence of the Antichrist Dajjāl, the Return of the Messiah, Jesus Son of Mary (عليهما السلام) and the Unleashing of Gog and Magog,”
His fitnah is the greatest fitnah to afflict the children of Adam – may Allah protect us. This is why, at the end of every prayer, we do not give salām until we seek refuge in four things – one of those four being the fitnah of Maseehid Dajjāl.
Belief in the Descent of Jesus (‘alaihis-salām) and His Killing of the Dajjāl
Imām Ahmad bin Hanbal (rahimahullah) continues this point regarding the Dajjāl, saying:
وأن عيسى ابن مريم عليه السلام ينزل فيقتله بباب لد.
“To have faith that ‘Isā Ibn Maryam (peace be upon him) will descend and he will kill him (the Dajjāl) at the gate of Ludd.”
Ludd is situated near Bayt ul-Maqdis (Jerusalem) as mentioned by Imām an-Nawawi (rahimahullah). It is an airport town in occupied Palestine, two miles from Ramla. Ludd is mentioned in several places in the Old and New Testaments. It is a well-known centre of Jewish scholars today, and it has been occupied since 1948 by the State of Israel, and has been resettled with Jewish immigrants who now make up about four-fifths of its population.
So ‘Isa ibn Maryam will descend before the Hour, and he will kill the Dajjāl. The descent of ‘Isa (‘alaihisalām) will take place when the muslims are waiting for the Fajr prayer. He will descend wearing two garments dyed in saffron, and his hands will be placed upon the wings of two angels. He will arrive when the iqāmah is called for Fajr. At that time, the leader of the muslims will be the Mahdi, and his name will be Muhammad Ibn ‘Abdillah al-Hāshimi, al-Qurayshi. He will say to ‘Isa ibn Maryam, ‘Lead us in prayer O Rooh Allah! (O spirit that has been created by Allah and placed in Mary).’
‘Isa (‘alihisalām) will respond to the Mahdi by saying, ‘You are the Imām and you are from them.’ He will leave after the prayer in pursuit of the Dajjāl. He will have a spear in his hand and will catch up with the Dajjāl at the gate of Ludd and will spear him, thus killing him. Then ‘Isa (‘alaihisalām) will return to the believers and give them glad tidings of their levels in Jannah. (Reported in a lengthy hadeeth collected by Imām Muslim in his Saheeh).
It is reported that ‘Isa ibn Maryam will marry the daughter of the Mahdi, and Allah knows best. In a narration collected by Abu Dāwud, Abu Hurairah (radiAllahu ‘anhu) narrated that the Prophet (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) said: “There is no prophet between me and ‘Isa. He will descend – when you see him, you will know him. He will be a man of average build with a reddish-white complexion. He will descend wearing two garments dyed with saffron, with his hair looking as if it is wet, although it is not.”
In another narration collected by Ibn Mājah, Abu Hurairah (radiyallahu ‘anhu) mentioned that the Prophet (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) said: “Whilst they will be preparing to fight the Dajjāl and forming rows, the time for prayer will come. ‘Isa (‘alaihisalām) will come down and lead them (in their battle and rule).”
In another narration collected by Imām Muslim, an-Nawwās bin Sam’ān (radiAllahu ‘anhu) said that Allah’s Messenger (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) said: “‘Isa (‘alaihisalām) will descend at the White Minaret in the east of Damascus wearing two garments dyed with saffron, placing his hands on the wings of two angels.
When he lowers his head, it will drip, and when he raises it, drops will fall as if they were pearls. No disbeliever will smell the fragrance of his breath except that he will die, and his breath will reach as far as the eye can see. He will pursue the Dajjāl until he catches up with him at the eastern gate of Ludd, where he will kill him. Then ‘Isa will come to the people whom Allah had protected from the Dajjāl, and he will wipe their faces and inform them of their status in Jannah.”
There occurs in another narration collected by Ibn Mājah from Abu Umāmah (radiyallahu ‘anhu) that the Prophet (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) said: “When he has completed the Prayer, ‘Isa (‘alaihis-salām) will say, ‘Open the gate,’ so they will open it and behind it will be the Dajjāl accompanied by seventy thousand Jews, each of whom will be carrying an adorned sword. When the Dajjāl sees ‘Isa ibn Maryam, he will start to melt like salt in water, and he will try to flee. ‘Isa will catch up with him and kill him.”
We believe in all of these narrations and we do not deny any of them – this is the belief of Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamā’ah. Anyone who does not believe in these affairs has disbelieved in the narrations of Allah’s Messenger (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam). The Sahābah (radiAllahu ‘anhum) were united in their belief of this, as were the Salaf of this Ummah, which is why all of the books of ‘Aqeedah mention the appearance of the Dajjāl, the descent of ‘Isa ibn Maryam and his rulership over the Earth.
Regarding the rulership of ‘Isa (‘alaihis-salām) the Prophet (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) said:
‘At this time the Earth will be filled with peace, no one will be appointed to collect the zakāh of the sheep and camels; grudges and mutual hatred will disappear and the venom of every venomous creature will be removed, such that a baby boy will put his hand on a snake and it will not harm him, and a baby girl will make a lion run away from her, and it will not harm her.
The wolf will be amongst the sheep, just like a sheepdog. The Earth will be filled with peace just as a vessel is filled with water, and the people will be united, and none will be worshipped except for Allah.
War will cease, and the Quraysh will no longer be in power, the Earth will be like a silver platter with its vegetation growing upon it, as it did in the time of Adam (‘alaihis-salām) until a group of people will gather around one bunch of grapes and it will suffice them.
A group of them will gather around a single pomegranate, and that will suffice them too. The oxen will be sold for a large amount of money, whereas the horses will be sold for only a few dirhams.
The Sahābah asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah! Why will the horses be so cheap?’ He replied, ‘Because they will never be ridden in war again.’ They also asked, ‘Why will the oxen be so expensive?’ So he replied,’ Because all of the land will be tilled.’ (Collected by Ibn Mājah and authenticated by Shaikh al-Albāni).
These books of ‘Aqeedah also mention that towards the end of the time of ‘Isa (‘alaihis-salām), Gog and Magog (Ya’jooj and Ma’jooj) will come out and swarm upon the Earth, and the believers will take refuge in Mount Toor. We believe in all of this, but we do not allow our fear to overcome us. We protect ourselves with the ‘ibādah of Allah (the Most High) with the Qur’ān, with our Eemān, and with our righteous actions. May Allah not make us of those who are present when the Dajjāl appears because his fitnah is the greatest to befall mankind. The Prophet (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) and the Sahābah would seek refuge in Allah from the fitnah of the Dajjāl.
Recognising the Plots of the Enemies and How to Protect Ourselves from Them
People today find it difficult to protect themselves from the fitnah around them. They are deceived and confused; they are misguided and beguiled, so how will they deal with the fitnah of the Dajjāl? The kuffār today know that their messiah (Dajjāl), the False Messiah.
As for the Muslims, they are awaiting the True Messiah, ‘Isa ibn Maryam (‘alaihis-salām). The kuffār are preparing the path for the Dajjāl – whether knowingly or unknowingly – they are paving the way for him with their false philosophies and false ideologies, by controlling how people think and through corrupting future generations. Many know that he is to come, so if they are preparing, then why are you not prepared?
The preparation of the believer is Eemān, Knowledge, Taqwa, ‘Ibādah, Qur’ān, Dhikr, Du’ā, preserving one’s ‘Aql – so that your intellect is not overpowered by what they throw at you – just as when the Dajjāl will come to the man and say, ‘If I bring your mother and father back to life will you not then say that I am your Lord?’ The man will say yes because he will be overpowered by the ‘aql, thinking that if he can bring my parents back to life, then he must be the Lord. See how quickly and easily he is beguiled.
But Allah (the Most High) is the one who will release the Dajjāl as a trial and a test to separate the believers from the liars; the truthful from those who are deceived. How are you today that you think that you can survive the fitnah of the Dajjāl? People nowadays are confused by secularism, evolution, Darwinism, cosmology, astrology – some utterly deceived, so what will the Dajjāl do to them? Allahul Musta’ān.
Children come home deceived by what they learn at school, people become deceived by what they hear on the news and social media – how easy will it be when the Dajjāl appears? If you are saved from his fitnah, thank Allah and praise Him because he has not yet come as there are other matters which will occur before he comes.
We must prepare and make ourselves strong in ‘Aqeedah, in Eemān, in ‘ibādah, in Dhikr; study the books of ‘Aqeedah under the scholars (or with explanations), not being deceived by everything we hear in the media.
The reports of the thiqāt (trustworthy ones) and what is found in the books of ‘Aqeedah are sufficient for us. Do not listen to everyone who calls out, be careful, bārakallahu feekum.
We ask Allah for safety and salāmah because these are difficult times – trials are coming upon us in waves, and Allah’s refuge is sought. It is upon us to understand and recognise the plots of the enemies, and to protect ourselves with Eemān, correct ‘Aqeedah and righteous actions.
(End)
والحمد لله رب العالمين وصلى الله على نبينا محمد وعلى آله وصحبه أجمعين.
سبحانك اللهم وبحمدك أشهد أن لا إله إلا أنت، أستغفرك وأتوب إليك
Abu Khadeejah Abdul-Wāhid.
Copyright 2025.
This article was transcribed by Umm Maryam (may Allah reward her) from the classes of Abu Khadeejah (SalafiSounds.com). Please share it with others.
Be the first to comment