For the guidance of His creation, Allah sent prophets on earth and the last of them is our beloved Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wasallam. He guided mankind to the epitome of humanity i.e. complete subservience to Allah, and unshackled the downtrodden from the chains of bondsmanship of various man made gods.
"Those who follow the apostle, the unlettered Prophet, whom they find mentioned in their own (scriptures),- in the Torah and the Injeel;- for he commands them what is just and forbids them what is evil; he allows them as lawful what is good (and pure) and prohibits them from what is bad (and impure); He releases them from their heavy burdens and from the yokes that are upon them. So it is those who believe in him, honor him, help him, and follow the light which is sent down with him,- it is they who will prosper." (Al Quraan - 7:157)
Out of immense mercy for this Ummah, and under Allah's command, he not only took pains to take care of our present but also warned us from impending perils and Fitnahs which can endanger our most precious belonging i.e. Imaan. For a Muslim, Imaan is the most important thing, which would be the basis of eternal happiness. If one has Imaan but is deficient in good deeds, he might go to Jahannum but after a prescribed time - until the period of his punishment is over - he will go to Jannah. Due to his Imaan he will not live forever in jahannum. But if one has no Imaan then eternal misery and doom is one's fate. This is the very reason Iblees attacks one's Imaan more than anything else.
Imaan is the acceptance by heart as well as declaration by tongue of whatever the Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) brought from Allah and gave us.
The Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alaihi wa sallam told us about the Day of Judgment believing in which is an important article of Imaan. As no one except Allah knows about the appointed time of that Day, he (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) told us the signs leading to that day.
One of the major signs of Qiyamah is the Dajjaal. Dajjaal is the ultimate manifestation of evil on earth; "Greatest tribulation" [Hadeeth 7396: Muslim]. “Greatest Fitnah” [Ahmad].“Every Prophet has frightened his Ummah from the Dajjaal” [Hadeeth 6869: Bukhari]. He would be a test for Muslims and through him the believers and non believers would be distinguished.
So taking guard against this Fitnah should be a Muslim's first priority. And to guard against an enemy one must know about one’s enemy and its modus operandi.
Personality of Dajjaal:
Dajjaal is an individual and not a system or a nation. Several Ahadeeth establish this fact.
Also the companions of Tamim Daari Razi Allahu Anhu were not the Sahabah rather they were his fellow Palestinians. From Hadeeth of Fatimah bint Qais Razi Allahu Anha which is also famous as Khabr e Tamim Daari Razi Allahu Anhu, it is established that the Dajjaal is imprisoned in a monastery on an island. Hadhrat Tamim Daari was travelling with his fellow Palestinians [Hadeeth 2419, Kitab ul Fitan, Tirmazi] when a certain extraordinary incident took place. This incident is mentioned in this long Hadeeth.The relevant part of the Hadeeth is given below:
Imaan is the acceptance by heart as well as declaration by tongue of whatever the Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) brought from Allah and gave us.
The Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alaihi wa sallam told us about the Day of Judgment believing in which is an important article of Imaan. As no one except Allah knows about the appointed time of that Day, he (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) told us the signs leading to that day.
One of the major signs of Qiyamah is the Dajjaal. Dajjaal is the ultimate manifestation of evil on earth; "Greatest tribulation" [Hadeeth 7396: Muslim]. “Greatest Fitnah” [Ahmad].“Every Prophet has frightened his Ummah from the Dajjaal” [Hadeeth 6869: Bukhari]. He would be a test for Muslims and through him the believers and non believers would be distinguished.
Imraan bin Husain radhiyallahu anhu says Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wasallam said: "Those who hear about Dajjaal should stay far from him. By Allah! A person will approach him thinking him to be a Believer, but on seeing his amazing feats he will become his follower." [Abu Dawood].
So taking guard against this Fitnah should be a Muslim's first priority. And to guard against an enemy one must know about one’s enemy and its modus operandi.
Personality of Dajjaal:
Dajjaal is an individual and not a system or a nation. Several Ahadeeth establish this fact.
"He (Dajjaal) would be a young man with twisted, contracted hair, and a blind eye." [Hadeeth 7373: Muslim].
“Dajjaal is blind of one eye and there is written between his eyes the word ‘Kafir’. He sallallahu alayhi wasallam then spelled the word as kaaf fa ra, which every Muslim would be able to read.” [Hadeeth 7365: Muslim].
“Dajjaal is a Jew” [Hadeeth 7349: Muslim]His Imprisonment:
Also the companions of Tamim Daari Razi Allahu Anhu were not the Sahabah rather they were his fellow Palestinians. From Hadeeth of Fatimah bint Qais Razi Allahu Anha which is also famous as Khabr e Tamim Daari Razi Allahu Anhu, it is established that the Dajjaal is imprisoned in a monastery on an island. Hadhrat Tamim Daari was travelling with his fellow Palestinians [Hadeeth 2419, Kitab ul Fitan, Tirmazi] when a certain extraordinary incident took place. This incident is mentioned in this long Hadeeth.The relevant part of the Hadeeth is given below:
"When Allah's Messenger sallallahu alayhi wasallam had finished his prayer, he sat on the pulpit smiling and said: Every worshipper should keep sitting at his place. He then said: Do you know why I had asked you to assemble? They said: Allah and His Messenger know best. He said: By Allah. I have not made you assemble for exhortation or for a warning, but I have detained you here, for Tamim Dari, a Christian, who came and accepted Islam, told me something, which agrees with what I was-telling, you about the Dajjaal. He narrated to me that he had sailed in a ship along with thirty men of Bani Lakhm and Bani Judham and had been tossed by waves in the ocean for a month. Then these (waves) took them (near) the land within the ocean (island) at the time of sunset. They sat in a small side-boat and entered that Island. There was a beast with long thick hair (and because of these) they could not distinguish his face from his back. They said: Woe to you, who can you be? Thereupon it said: I am al-Jassasa. They said: What is al-Jassasa? And it said: O people, go to this person in the monastery as he is very much eager to know about you. He (the narrator) said: When it named a person for us we were afraid of it lest it should be a Devil. Then we hurriedly went on till we came to that monastery and found a well-built person there with his hands tied to his neck and having iron shackles between his two legs up to the ankles.” [Hadeeth 7386:Muslim].
As to the direction in which the island of his imprisonment is situated, in the end of this Hadeeth, Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wasallam said
“he is in the east, he is in the east, he is in the east”.
His Emergence:
In the same Hadeeth (Khabr e Tamim Daari), there are three tangible signs of his emergence from his imprisonment.
1. The date-palm trees of gardens of Baisan or between Baisan and Ammaan [Ahmad v18 p517] will not bear fruit. Baisan is a city south of Ain e Jalut in Palestine [Minnatul Mun'im v4 p383].
2. The lake of Tiberias a.k.a. Sea of Galilee (present day Israel) would dry.
3. The spring of Zughar (Ard e Balqa, Shaam: Nehayah v2 p304, South East bank of Dead Sea: Minnatul Mun'im v4 p383) will dry and people would not irrigate their land with it.
He would emerge after the advent of Imaam Mahdi Razi Allahu Anhu, and before the descent of Hazrat Eesa Alaihis Salaam[Hadeeth 7373: Muslim]. He would emerge from Khurasaan [Tirmazi, Ibnu Majah, Ahmad] and begin his campaign of destruction from "Khallah" a place between Shaam and Iraaq [Hadeeth 7373: Muslim] and gain power in Isfahaan where seventy thousand Jews would accompany him, they would have green shawls on them [Hadeeth 7392:Muslim].
Imaam Muslim in the Hadeeth of An-Nawwas b. Sam'an Razi Allahu Anhu narrates the events that would take place towards the end of the world as mentioned by Prophet Muhammad Sallallaaho alaihi wasallam. In that Hadeeth the description of Dajjaal's Fitnah is quite elaborate. In the following lines, this Hadeeth would be repeatedly referred to.
Dajjaal's Stay on Earth:
Claim of Dajjaal:
Dajjaal would first claim to be a prophet then claim to be God himself. The Prophet Sallallaaho Alaihi Wasallam told both his claims along with their refutation in the following Hadeeth.
In the same Hadeeth (Khabr e Tamim Daari), there are three tangible signs of his emergence from his imprisonment.
1. The date-palm trees of gardens of Baisan or between Baisan and Ammaan [Ahmad v18 p517] will not bear fruit. Baisan is a city south of Ain e Jalut in Palestine [Minnatul Mun'im v4 p383].
2. The lake of Tiberias a.k.a. Sea of Galilee (present day Israel) would dry.
3. The spring of Zughar (Ard e Balqa, Shaam: Nehayah v2 p304, South East bank of Dead Sea: Minnatul Mun'im v4 p383) will dry and people would not irrigate their land with it.
He would emerge after the advent of Imaam Mahdi Razi Allahu Anhu, and before the descent of Hazrat Eesa Alaihis Salaam[Hadeeth 7373: Muslim]. He would emerge from Khurasaan [Tirmazi, Ibnu Majah, Ahmad] and begin his campaign of destruction from "Khallah" a place between Shaam and Iraaq [Hadeeth 7373: Muslim] and gain power in Isfahaan where seventy thousand Jews would accompany him, they would have green shawls on them [Hadeeth 7392:Muslim].
Imaam Muslim in the Hadeeth of An-Nawwas b. Sam'an Razi Allahu Anhu narrates the events that would take place towards the end of the world as mentioned by Prophet Muhammad Sallallaaho alaihi wasallam. In that Hadeeth the description of Dajjaal's Fitnah is quite elaborate. In the following lines, this Hadeeth would be repeatedly referred to.
Dajjaal's Stay on Earth:
"....We said: Allah's Messenger, how long would he stay on the earth? He said.. For forty days, one day like a year and one day like a month and one day like a week and the rest of the days would be like your days. We said: Allah's Messenger, would 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 time (and then observe prayer)." [Muslim from An-Nawwas]
Claim of Dajjaal:
Dajjaal would first claim to be a prophet then claim to be God himself. The Prophet Sallallaaho Alaihi Wasallam told both his claims along with their refutation in the following Hadeeth.
"He would in the beginning claim to be a prophet, and there is no prophet after me, then after that he would claim 'I am your God', and you can not see your God until you die" [Ibnu Maajah from Abu Umaamah]
Ibn Umar reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him). made a mention of Dajjaal in the presence of the people and said: Allah is not one-eyed and behold that Dajjal is blind of the right eye and his eye would be like a floating grape. [Muslim]
His Supernatural Powers:
"We said: Allah's Messenger, how quickly would he walk upon the earth? Thereupon he said: Like cloud driven by the wind. He would come to the people and invite them (to a wrong religion) and they would affirm their faith in him and respond to him. He would then give command to the sky and there would be rainfall upon the earth and it would grow crops. Then in the evening, their posturing animals would come to them with their humps very high and their udders full of milk and their flanks stretched. He would then come to another people and invite them. But they would reject him and he would go away from them and there would be drought for them and nothing would be lef t with them in the form of wealth. He would then walk through the wasteland and say to it: Bring forth your treasures, and the treasures would come out and collect (themselves) before him like the swarm of bees. He would then call a person brimming with youth and strike him with the sword and cut him into two pieces and (make these pieces lie at a distance which is generally) between the archer and his target. He would then call (that young man) and he will come forward laughing with his face gleaming (with happiness)". [Muslim from An-Nawwas]
“....And there will be raised with him (i.e., with Dajjaal) Satans who would assume the form of those who are dead, and would then speak to those who are alive (i.e., to close relatives of a dead person) “Don’t you recognize me? I am your father; or I am your brother; or some other close relative.”[Kanz ul-Ummaal]
"....Dajjal would appear and there would be along with him water ant fire and what the people would see as water that would be fire and that would burn and what would appear as fire that would be water and any one of you who would see that should plunge in that which he sees as fire for it would be sweet, pure water" [Muslim from 'Uqba bin 'Amr]
The Greatest Shaheed:
Abu Sa'id al-Khudri reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying:
The Dajjal would come forth and a person from amongst the believers would go towards him and the armed men of the Dajjal would meet him and they would say to him: Where do you intend to go? He would say: I intend to go to this one who is coming forth. They would say to him: Don't you believe in our Lord? He would say: There is nothing hidden about our Lord. They would say: Kill him. Then some amongst them would say: Has your master (Dajjal) not forbidden you to kill anyone without (his consent)? And so they would take him to the Dajjal and when the believer would see him, he would say: O people. he is the Dajjil about whom Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) has informed (us). The Dajjal would then order for breaking his head and utter (these words): Catch hold of him and break his head. He would be struck even on his back and on his stomach. Then the Dajjal would ask him: Don't you believe in me? He would say: You are a false Masih. He would then order him to be torn (into pieces) with a saw from the parting of his hair up to his legs. After that the Dajjal would walk between the two pieces. He would then say to him: Stand, and he would stand erect. He would then say to him: Don't you believe in me? And the person would say: It has only added to my insight concerning you (that you are really the Dajjal). He would then say: O people, he would not behave with anyone amongst people (in such a manner) after me. The Dajjal would try to catch hold of him so that he should kill him (again). The space between his neck and collar bone would be turned into copper and he would find no means to kill him. So he would catch hold of him by his hand and feet and throw him (into the air) and the people would think as if he had been thrown in the Hell-Fire whereas he would be thrown in Paradise.Thereupon Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: He would be
the most eminent amongst persons in regard to martyrdom in the eye of the Lord of the world. [Muslim]
The places he cannot go:
"....I am going to tell you about myself and I am Dajjal and would be soon permitted to get out and so I shall get out and travel in the land, and will not spare any town where I would not stay for forty nights except Mecca and Medina as these two (places) are prohibited (areas) for me and I would not make an attempt to enter any one of these two. An angel with a sword in his hand would confront me and would bar my way and there would be angels to guard every passage leading to it"
[Hadeeth Tameem Daari]
Anas b. Malik reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said:
"There will be no land which would not be covered by the Dajjal but Mecca and Medina, and there would be no passage out of the passages leading to them which would not be guarded by angels arranged in rows. Then he (the Dajjal) would appear in a barren place adjacent to Medina and it would rock three times that every unbeliever and hypocrite would get out of it towards him." [Muslim]
His end:
"....Allah would send Christ, son of Mary, and he will descend at the white minaret in the eastern side of Damscus wearing two garments lightly dyed with saffron and placing his hands on the wings of two Angels. When he would lower his head, there would fall beads of perspiration from his head, and when he would raise it up, beads like pearls would scatter from it. Every non-believer who would smell the odour of his self would die and his breath would reach as far as he would be able to see. He would then search for him (Dajjal) until he would catch hold of him at the gate of Ludd and would kill him." [Muslim from An-Nawwas]
The end of his followers:
Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying:
The last hour would not come unless the Muslims will fight against the Jews and the Muslims would kill them until the Jews would hide themselves behind a stone or a tree and a stone or a tree would say: Muslim, or the servant of Allah, there is a Jew behind me; come and kill him; but the tree Gharqad would not say, for it is the tree of the Jews. [Muslim]
Defending against this Greatest Fitnah:
The Prophet Sallallaaho Alaihi Wasallam told us about the gravity of this Fitnah as well as how to guard against it. He said
"He who amongst you would survive to see him should recite over him the opening verses of Sura Kahf (xviii.)." [Muslim from An-Nawwas].
He also said,
"Whoever recites Surah Kahf on Friday, he would remain safe from every fitnah until the next Friday, and if the Dajjaal emerges he would be safe from his fitnah also." [Tafseer Ibni Katheer from Ali Razi Allahu Anhu]
The relevence of Surah Kahf with the Fitnah of Dajjaal is exquisitely expounded upon in a book named 'Ma'rka e Imaan o Maadiyat' by Maulana Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi.
