Meshiha Deghala

 

al-Dajjal (Arabic: الدّجّال, al-dajjāl) (“The Deceiver/impostor”), also known as the false Messiah (see also: Antichrist) is an evil figure in Islamic eschatology, who will appear before Yawm al-Qiyamah (The Day of Resurrection, Judgement Day).

“Dajjal” is a common Arabic word, used in the sense of “false prophet”. But “Al-Dajjal”, with the definite article, refers to “The Impostor”, a specific end-of time deceiver. It is worthy to note that the term Al-Masih Ad-Dajjal (Arabic for “The False Messiah”) is a literal translation of the Syriac term “Meshiha Deghala”, which had been in the common vocabulary of the Middle East and adapted into the Arabic language 400 years prior to the Qur’an via the Peshitta (which uses that term instead of the Greek “antichristos”).

The belief is based around the events prior to the day of judgement around the Second Coming of Christ, when Dajjal shall 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.

The Quran doesn’t mention the Dajjal, unlike the Hadith. A couple of Ahadeeth describing the dajjal are as follows:

Sahih Muslim Hadith 7039 Narrated by Abu Hurayrah
Allah’s Apostle (peace be upon him) said: Hasten to do good deeds before six things happen: the rising of the sun from the west, the smoke, the Dajjal, the beast and (the death) of one you or the general turmoil.

Sahih Muslim Hadith 6931 Narrated by Hudhayfah ibn Usayd Ghifari
Allah’s Apostle (peace be upon him) came to us all of a sudden as we were (busy in a discussion) He said: What do you discuss about? (the Companions) said: We are discussing about the Last Hour. Thereupon he said: It will not come until you see ten signs before and (in this connection) he made a mention of the smoke, Dajjal, the beast, the rising of the sun from the west, the descent of Jesus son of Mary (Allah be pleased with him), The Gog and Magog, and landslides in three places, one in the east, one in the west and one in Arabia at the end of which fire would burn forth from the Yemen, and would drive people to the place of their assembly.

Sahih Muslim Hadith 6979 Narrated by AbuHurayrah
Allah’s Apostle (peace be upon him) said: You have heard of the city, one side of which is inclined and the other is on the coast (Constantinople). They said: Yes, Allah’s Apostle (peace be upon him). Thereupon he said: The Last Hour will not come until seventy thousand people from Banu Isra’il attack it. When they land there, they will neither fight with weapons nor shower arrows but will only say: “There is no god but Allah and Allah is the Greatest,” and one side of it will fall. Thawr (one of the narrators) said: I think that he said: The area on the coast. Then they will say for the second time: “There is no god but Allah and Allah is the Greatest,” and the other side will also fall. They will say: “There is no god but Allah is the Greatest,” and the gates will be opened for them and they will enter. They will be collecting spoils of war and distributing them among themselves when a noise will be heard and it will be said: Verily, the Dajjal has come. Thus they will leave everything there and turn to (confront) him.

Sahih Muslim Hadith 7034 Narrated by Anas ibn Malik
Allah’s Apostle (peace be upon him) said: The Dajjal would be followed by seventy thousand Jews of Isfahan wearing Persian shawls.

Sahih Muslim Hadith 6924 Narrated by AbuHurayrah
Allah’s Apostle (peace be upon him) said: The Last Hour will not come until the Romans land at al-A’maq or in Dabiq. An army consisting of the best (soldiers) of the people on Earth at that time will come from Medina (to oppose them). When they arrange themselves in ranks, the Romans will say: Do not stand between us and those (Muslims) who took prisoners from among us. Let us fight them. The Muslims will say: Nay, by Allah, we shall never turn aside from you and from our brethren so that you may fight them. They will then fight and a third (part) of the army, whom Allah will never forgive, will run away. A third (part of the army), which will be constituted of excellent martyrs in Allah’s eyes, would be killed. The third who will never be put on trial will win and they will be the conquerors of Constantinople. As they are busy in distributing the spoils of war (amongst themselves) after hanging their swords by the olive trees, Satan will cry: The Dajjal has taken your place among your families. They will then come out, but it will be of no avail. When they reach Syria, he will come out while they are still preparing themselves for battle, drawing up the ranks. Certainly, the time of prayer will come and then Jesus (peace be upon him), son of Mary, descend and will lead them in prayer. When the enemy of Allah see him, it will (disappear) just as salt dissolves in water and if he (Jesus) were not to confront them at all, even then it would dissolve completely. Allah would kill them by his hand and he would show them their blood on his lance (the lance of Jesus Christ).

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 4.554 Narrated by Abu Huraira
Allah’s Apostle said, “Shall I not tell you about the Dajjal a story of which no prophet told his nation? The Dajjall is one-eyed and will bring with him what will resemble Hell and Paradise, and what he will call Paradise will be actually Hell; so I warn you (against him) as Noah warned his nation against him.”

Sahih Muslim Hadith 7037 Narrated by AbuQatadah
We used to go to Imran b. Husayn passing in front of Hisham b. Amir. He, one day, said: You pass by me (in order) to go to some persons but (amongst the living persons) none remained in the company of Allah’s Apostle (peace be upon him) more than I and none knows more hadiths than I. I heard Allah’s Apostle (peace be upon him) said: There would be no creation (creating more trouble) than the Dajjal right from the creation of Adam to the Last Hour.

Sahih Muslim Hadith 7023 Narrated by Abdullah ibn Amr
Someone came to him and said: What is this hadith that you narrate that the Last Hour will come at a certain time? Thereupon he said: Hallowed be Allah, there is no god but Allah (or words to the same effect). I have decided that I shall not narrate anything to anyone now. I have only said that you will see after some time an important event: that the (sacred) House (Ka’bah) will be burnt and it definitely happen. He then reported that Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said: The Dajjal will appear in my Ummah and he will stay (in the world) for forty–I cannot say whether he meant forty days, forty months or forty years. Allah will then send Jesus, son of Mary, who will resemble Urwah ibn Mas’ud. He (Jesus Christ) will chase him and kill him. Then people will live for seven years, during which time there will be no rancour between any two persons. After that Allah will send a cold wind from the direction of Syria. None will survive on Earth, having a speck of good in him or faith in him: he will die. Even if some among you were to enter the innermost part of the mountain, this wind would reach that place also and cause your death. I heard Allah’s Apostle (peace be upon him) as saying: Only the wicked people will survive and they will be as careless as birds with the characteristics of beasts. They will never appreciate good nor condemn evil. Then Satan will come to them, in human form, and would say: Don’t you respond? They will say: What do you order us to do? He will command them to worship the idols but, in spite of this, they will have an abundance of sustenance and lead comfortable lives. Then the trumpet will be blown and he who hears it will bend his neck to one side and raise it from the other side. The first one to hear that trumpet will be the person who is busy in setting right the cistern meant for supplying water to the camels. He will faint and the other people will also faint. Then Allah will send or He will cause to be sent rain which will be like dew and there will grow out of it the bodies of people. Then the second trumpet will be blown and they will stand up and begin to look (around). Then it will be said: O people, go to your Lord. They will be made to stand there and they will be questioned. Then it will be said: Bring out a group (of them) for the Hell-Fire. It will be asked: How much? It will be said: Nine hundred and ninety-nine out of one thousand for the Hell-Fire. That will be the day that will make the children old because of its terror and that will be the day about which it has been said: “On the day when the shank will be uncovered”.

Sahih Muslim Hadith 5352 Narrated by Mughirah ibn Shu’bah
None else had asked more questions from Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) about the Dajjal than I, but he simply said in a (light mood): My son, why are you worried because of him? He will not harm you. I said: The people think that he would have with him rivers of water and mountains of bread, whereupon he said: He would be more insignificant in the sight of Allah than all these things (belonging to him).

Sahih Muslim Hadith 3187 Narrated by AbuHurayrah
Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said: Dajjal will come from the eastern side with the intention of attacking Medina until he will get down behind Uhud. Then the angels will turn his face towards Syria and there he will perish.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 9.239 Narrated by Anas bin Malik
The Prophet said, “Ad-Dajjal will come and encamp at a place close to Medina and then Medina will shake thrice whereupon every Kafir (disbeliever) and hypocrite will go out (of Medina) towards him.”

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 9.242 Narrated by 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.”

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 9.244 Narrated by Hudhaifa
The Prophet said about Ad-Dajjal that he would have water and fire with him: (what would seem to be) fire, would be cold water and (what would seem to be) water, would be fire.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 6.230 Narrated by Anas bin Malik
Allah’s Apostle used to invoke thus: “O Allah! I seek refuge with You from miserliness; laziness; from old geriatric age; the punishment in the grave; from the affliction of Ad-Dajjal; and from the afflictions of life and death.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 9.505 Narrated by Anas
The Prophet 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.”

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 93 Narrated by AbuHurayrah
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: `Lose no time to do good work before you are caught up by one of the seven calamities.’ Then by way of warning he recounted,`A starvation which may impair your wisdom, or a prosperity which may mislead you, or an ailment which may damage your health, or an old age which may harm your senses, or a sudden death or the appearance of Dajjal (Antichrist). All these are bad events which may be awaited; or the Doomsday, but this day is indeed very hard and bitter.’ Transmitted by Tirmidhi.

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 5487 Narrated by AbuBakr as-Siddiq
Amr ibn Hurayth quoted AbuBakr as-Siddiq as saying that Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) told them the Dajjal would come forth from a land in the East called Khurasan, followed by people whose faces resembled shields covered with skin. Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 4305 Narrated by Imran ibn Husayn
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Let him who hears of the Dajjal (Antichrist) go far from him for I swear by Allah that a man will come to him thinking he is a believer and follow him because of confused ideas roused in him by him.

Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 4306 Narrated by Ubadah ibn as-Samit
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: I have told you so much about the Dajjal (Antichrist) that I am afraid you may not understand. The Antichrist is short, hen-toed, woolly-haired, one-eyed, an eye-sightless, and neither protruding nor deep-seated. If you are confused about him, know that your Lord is not one-eyed.

Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 4311 Narrated by Fatimah, daughter of Qays
The Apostle of Allah (peace be upon him) once delayed the congregational night prayer. He came out and said: The talk of Tamim ad-Dari detained me. He transmitted it to me from a man who was on of of the islands of the sea. All of a sudden he found a woman who was trailing her hair. He asked: Who are you? She said: I am the Jassasah. Go to that castle. So I came to it and found a man who was trailing his hair, chained in iron collars, and leaping between Heaven and Earth. I asked: Who are you? He replied: I am the Dajjal (Antichrist). Has the Prophet of the unlettered people come forth now? I replied: Yes. He said: Have they obeyed him or disobeyed him? I said: No, they have obeyed him. He said: That is better for them.

Sahih Muslim Hadith 296 Narrated by AbuHurayrah
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) observed: When three things appear faith will not benefit one who has not previously believed or has derived no good from his faith: the rising of the sun in its place of setting, the Dajjal, and the Beast of the earth.

Al-Muwatta Hadith 49.2
Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi from Abdullah ibn Umar that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “I dreamt at night that I was at the Kaba, and I saw a dark man like the most handsome of dark men you have ever seen. He had hair reaching to between his ears and his shoulders like the most excellent of such hair that you have seen. He had combed his hair, and water was dripping from it. He was leaning on two men or on the shoulders of two men doing tawaf around Kaba. I asked, ‘Who is this?’ It was said, ‘al-Masih ibn Maryam.’ Then we were with a man with wiry hair and blind in his right eye, as if it was a floating grape. I asked ‘Who is this?’ It was said to me, ‘This is al-Masih ad-Dajjal.’ “

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 2.626 Narrated by Mujahid
I was in the company of Ibn Abbas and the people talked about Ad-Dajjal and said, “Ad-Dajjal will come with the word Kafir (non-believer) written in between his eyes.” On that Ibn Abbas said, “I have not heard this from the Prophet but I heard him saying, ‘As if I saw Moses just now entering the valley reciting Talbyia. ‘ “

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 9.504 Narrated by Abdullah
Ad-Dajjal was mentioned in the presence of the Prophet. The Prophet said, “Allah is not hidden from you; He is not one-eyed,” and pointed with his hand towards his eye, adding, “While Al-Masih Ad-Dajjal is blind in the right eye and his eye looks like a protruding grape.”

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 4.553 Narrated by Ibn Umar
Once Allah’s Apostle stood amongst the people, glorified and praised Allah as He deserved and then mentioned the Dajjal saying, “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.”

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 5.685 Narrated by Ibn Umar
We were talking about Hajjat-ul-Wada, while the Prophet was amongst us. We did not know what Hajjat-ul-Wada’ signified. The Prophet praised Allah and then mentioned Al-Masih Ad-Dajjal and described him extensively, saying, “Allah did not send any prophet but that prophet warned his nation of Al-Masih Ad-Dajjal. Noah and the prophets following him warned (their people) of him. He will appear amongst you (O Muhammad’s followers), and if it happens that some of his qualities may be hidden from you, but your Lord’s State is clear to you and not hidden from you. The Prophet said it thrice. Verily, your Lord is not blind in one eye, while he (i.e. Ad-Dajjal) is blind in the right eye which looks like a grape bulging out (of its cluster). No doubt,! Allah has made your blood and your properties sacred to one another like the sanctity of this day of yours, in this town of yours, in this month of yours.” The Prophet added: No doubt! Haven’t I conveyed Allah’s Message to you?” They replied, “Yes,” The Prophet said thrice, “O Allah! Be witness for it.” The Prophet added, “Woe to you!” (or said), “May Allah be merciful to you! Do not become infidels after me (i.e. my death) by cutting the necks (throats) of one another.”

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 1.795 Narrated by Aisha
(the wife of the Prophet) Allah’s Apostle used to invoke Allah in the prayer saying “Allahumma inni a’udhu bika min adhabil-qabri, wa a’udhu bika min fitnatil-masihid-dajjal, wa a’udhu bika min fitnatil-mahya wa fitnatil-mamati. Allahumma inni a’udhu bika minal-ma thami wal-maghrami. (O Allah, I seek refuge with You from the punishment of the grave and from the afflictions of Masiah Ad-Dajjal and from the afflictions of life and death. O Allah, I seek refuge with You from the sins and from being in debt).” Somebody said to him, “Why do you so frequently seek refuge with Allah from being in debt?” The Prophet replied, “A person in debt tells lies whenever he speaks, and breaks promises whenever he makes (them).” ‘Aisha also narrated: I heard Allah’s Apostle in his prayer seeking refuge with Allah from the afflictions of Ad-Dajjal.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 4.649 Narrated by Abdullah
The Prophet mentioned the Massiah Ad-Dajjal in front of the people saying, -Allah is not one eyed while Messiah, Ad-Dajjal is blind in the right eye and his eye looks like a bulging out grape. While sleeping near the Ka’ba last night, I saw in my dream a man of brown color the best one can see amongst brown color and his hair was long that it fell between his shoulders. His hair was lank and water was dribbling from his head and he was placing his hands on the shoulders of two men while circumambulating the Kaba. I asked, ‘Who is this?’ They replied, ‘This is Jesus, son of Mary.’ Behind him I saw a man who had very curly hair and was blind in the right eye, resembling Ibn Qatan (i.e. an infidel) in appearance. He was placing his hands on the shoulders of a person while performing Tawaf around the Ka’ba. I asked, ‘Who is this?’ They replied, ‘The Masih, Ad-Dajjal.’ “

Sahih Muslim Hadith 7015 Narrated by An-Nawwas ibn Sam’an
Allah’s Apostle (peace be upon him) mentioned of the Dajjal one day in the morning. He sometimes described him as insignificant and sometimes described (his turmoil) as very significant (and we felt) as if he were in the cluster of the date-palm trees. When we went to him (to the Holy Prophet) in the evening and he read (the signs of fear) on our faces, he said: What is the matter with you? We said: Allah’s Apostle (peace be upon him) you mentioned the Dajjal this morning (sometimes describing him) as insignificant and sometimes very important, until we began to think he was present in some (nearly) part of the cluster of the date-palm trees. So he said: I harbour fear in regard to you in so many other things besides the Dajjal. If he comes forth while I am among you, I shall contend with him on your behalf, but if he comes forth while I am not among you, a man must contend on his own behalf and Allah will take care of every Muslim on my behalf (and safeguard him against his evil). He (the Dajjal) will be a young man with twisted, cropped hair, and a blind eye. I compare him with AbdulUzza ibn Qatan. He who among you will survive to see him should recite over him the opening verses of Surah al-Kahf (xviii). He will appear on the way between Syria and Iraq and will spread mischief right and left. O servant of Allah! Adhere (to the path of Truth). We said: Allah’s Apostle (peace be upon him), how long will he stay on Earth? He said: For forty days, one day like a year, one day like a month, one day like a week, and the rest of the days will be like your days. We said: Allah’s Apostle (peace be upon him) will one day’s prayer suffice for the prayers of the day equal to one year? Thereupon he said: No, but you must make an estimate of the time (and then observe prayer). We said: Allah’s apostle (peace be upon him) how quickly will he walk upon the earth? Thereupon he said: Like cloud driven by the wind. He will come to the people and invite them (to a wrong religion); they will affirm their faith in him and respond to him. He will then give a command to the sky: there will be rainfall upon the Earth and it will grow crops. Then in the evening, their pasturing animals will come to them with their humps very high, their udders full of milk and their flanks distended. He will then come to another people and invite them. But they will reject him so he will go away from them; they will have a drought and nothing will be left with them in the form of wealth. He will then walk through the desert and say to it: Bring forth your treasures. The treasures will come out and gather before him like a swarm of bees. He will then call someone in the flush of youth, strike him with the sword, cut him into two pieces and (make these pieces lie at the distance which is generally between the archer and his target. He will then call (that young man) and he will come forward laughing with his face gleaming (with happiness). It will at this very time that Allah will send Christ, son of Mary. He will descend at the white minaret on the eastern side of Damascus, wearing two garments lightly dyed with saffron and placing his hands on the wings of two Angels. When he lowers his head, there will fall beads of perspiration from his head, and when he raises it up, beads like pearls will scatter from it. Every non-believer who smells the odour of his body will die and his breath will reach as far as he is able to see. He will then search for him (Dajjal) until he catches hold of him at the gate of Ludd and kills him. Then a people whom Allah had protected will come to Jesus, son of Mary, and he will wipe their faces and inform them of their ranks in Paradise. It will be under such conditions that Allah will reveal to Jesus these words: I have brought forth from among My servants such people against whom none will be able to fight; you take these people safely to Tur, and then Allah will send Gog and Magog and they will swarm down from every slope. The first of them will pass the lake of Tiberias and drink out of it. And when the last of them passes, he will say: There was once water there. Jesus and his companions will then be besieged here (at Tur, and they will be so hard pressed) that the head of the ox will be dearer to them than one hundred dinars. Allah’s Apostle (peace be upon him), Jesus, and his companions will supplicate Allah, Who will send to them insects (which will attack their necks) and in the morning they would perish as one single person. Allah’s Apostle (peace be upon him), Jesus, and his companions, then come down to Earth and they will not find on Earth as much space as a single span that is not filled with putrefaction and stench. Allah’s Apostle (peace be upon him), Jesus, and his companions will then beseech Allah who will send birds whose necks would be like those of Bactrian camels and they will carry them away and throw them where Allah wills. Then Allah will send rain which no house of mud-bricks or (tent of) camel-hair will keep out and it will wash the Earth until it resembles a mirror. Then the Earth will be told to bring forth its fruit and restore its blessing and, as a result thereof, there will grow (such a big) pomegranate that a group of people will be able to eat it and seek shelter under its skin, a dairy cow will give so much milk that a whole party will be able to drink it. The milking camel will give such (a large quantity of) milk that the whole tribe will be able to drink from it, and the milking-sheep will give so much milk that the whole family will be able to drink from it. At that time Allah will send a pleasant wind which will soothe (people) even under their armpits. He will take the life of every Muslim and only the wicked will survive who will commit adultery like asses and the Last Hour would come to them.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 3.106 Narrated by Abu Said Al Khudri
Allah’s Apostle told us a long narrative about Ad-Dajjal, and among the many things he mentioned, was his saying, “Ad-Dajjal will come and it will be forbidden for him to pass through the entrances of Medina. He will land in some of the salty barren areas (outside) Medina; on that day the best man or one of the best men will come up to him and say, ‘I testify that you are the same Dajjal whose description was given to us by Allah’s Apostle .’ Ad-Dajjal will say to the people, ‘If I kill this man and bring him back to life again, will you doubt my claim?’ They will say, ‘No.’ Then Ad-Dajjal will kill that man and bring him back to life. That man will say, ‘Now I know your reality better than before.’ Ad-Dajjal will say, ‘I want to kill him but I cannot.’ “