Introduction
The importance of studying the major signs
Studying the signs of the Hour – and the major signs in particular – is a matter of great importance that will motivate the individual to remain steadfast in adhering to faith before it is too late, and will make him more determined to repent and do righteous deeds before it is too late to mend his ways.
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Hasten to do good deeds before six things happen: the rising of the sun from its place of setting, the smoke, the Dajjal, the Beast, the personal affair of one of you (i.e., death) and the general affair (i.e., the Day of Resurrection).” (Muslim)
It was narrated that Hudhayfah ibn Usayd al-Ghifari (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) looked out over us when we were talking and said: “What are you talking about?” They said: We are talking about the Hour. He said: “It will never come until you see ten signs.” He mentioned the smoke, the Dajjal, the Beast, the rising of the sun from its place of setting, the descent of ‘Isa ibn Maryam, Ya’juj and Ma’juj, and three landslides: one in the east, one in the west and one in the Arabian Peninsula. And the last of that will be a fire which will emerge from Yemen and drive the people to their place of gathering. (Muslim).
What we may note in this hadith is that the ten major portents are called signs. The fact that they are called thus is a special indication, for these signs are regarded as miraculous, extraordinary events that are not something normal for people, who have no role in making them happen. Therefore they are purely divine actions, in contrast to the other signs which are called minor signs, and what may be noted is that most of them have to do with things becoming corrupted, changing and being reversed for many reasons, some of which stem from the lack of religious commitment among people, and the decline in people’s knowledge of religious matters. And Allah knows best.
Abu’l-‘Ala al-Mubarakfuri said: “You should understand that the reports differ regarding the sequence in which these ten signs will appear. Hence the scholars differed about their sequence. It was said that the first of the signs will be the smoke, then the emergence of the Dajjal, then the descent of ‘Isa (peace be upon him) , then the emergence of Ya’juj and Ma’juj, then the emergence of the Beast, then the rising of the sun from its place of setting; for the disbelievers will become Muslims at the time of ‘Isa (peace be upon him) , so that people will be following only one religion. If the sun were to rise from its place of setting before the emergence of the Dajjal and the descent of ‘Isa, faith would not be accepted from the disbelievers, so the order in which these matters are mentioned in the hadith is only a list, and is not indicative of the sequence in which they will occur.
It says in Fath al-Wadud: ‘It was said that the first of the signs will be the landslides, then the emergence of the Dajjal, then the descent of ‘Isa (peace be upon him) , then the emergence of Ya’juj and Ma’juj, then the wind which will take the souls of the believers, after which the sun will emerge from its place of setting, then the Beast of the earth will appear, then the smoke will come.’ The author of Fath al-Wadud said: ‘What is best with regard to such matters is to refrain from commenting and leave it to the One Who knows about it.’”
Scholarly views regarding the major portents
i. Al-Tahhawi said: “We believe in the portents of the Hour, such as the emergence of the Dajjal and the descent of ‘Isa ibn Maryam (peace be upon him) from heaven. We believe in the rising of the sun from its place of setting, and the emergence of the Beast of the earth from its place.”
ii. Ibn Abi Zayd said: “Among the matters of religion on which the ummah is agreed, and anything other than that is innovation and misguidance… is belief in what was narrated about the Prophet’s Night Journey to the heavens according to the soundly-narrated reports, and that he saw some of the greatest signs of his Lord; belief in what is soundly narrated about the emergence of the Dajjal and the descent of ‘Isa ibn Maryam (peace be upon him) , who will kill him; belief in the signs which will appear ahead of the Hour, such as the rising of the sun from its place of setting, the emergence of the Beast and other things that are mentioned in the sound reports. We believe in what has come to us from Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, in His Book and the reports which are soundly narrated from the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).”
iii. Abu ‘Amr al-Dani said regarding the belief of Ahl al-Sunnah: “It is obligatory to believe in what has been narrated from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and proven by sound transmission, and the Muslims have transmitted it generation after generation, about the hereafter, tribulations, the signs and portents of the Hour, and that it is nigh. That includes belief in the emergence of the one-eyed liar, the Dajjal, and his tribulation; belief that he will have a garden and a fire, but his garden will be a fire and his fire will be a garden; and belief that ‘Isa (peace be upon him) will kill him, and he and his misguided, disbelieving followers will die. We must believe that ‘Isa (peace be upon him) will descend, and that he will break the cross and kill the pigs and the Dajjal; then there will be a time of security on earth, when the call will be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): There is none among the People of the Book but will believe in him before his death al-Nisa’ 4:159 that is, before the death of ‘Isa (peace be upon him) , after he descends. And Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): Verily, he ‘Isa will be a sign of the Hour al-Zukhruf 43:61. And we must believe in the emergence of Ya’juj and Ma’juj, who are people of Hell. Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): until, when Ya’juj and Ma’juj have been let loose and come rushing from all directions, and the true promise nears its fulfilment al-Anbiya’ 21:96-97. They will emerge and will use up all the water, and people will seek to protect themselves from them in fortresses. Then Allah will send against them worms in their necks which will kill them, and the earth will be filled with the stench of their corpses. And we must believe in the Beast which will emerge from al-Safa in Makkah and will speak to the people in a clear Arabic tongue. Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): When the time for the fulfilment of the warning comes that is, when the divine wrath becomes imminent, We will bring forth to them out of the earth a Beast that will tell them that humankind did not believe in Our signs al-Naml 27:82. Ibn ‘Abbas said: ‘It is a beast with small feathers and big feathers, and four feet, which will emerge from one of the valleys of Tihamah.’ And we must believe in the rising of the sun from its place of setting; when it rises, the gate of repentance will be closed. Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): On the day when some of the signs of your Lord come, no good will it do to a soul to believe then, if it did not believe before or earn some good through its faith al-An‘am 6:158. It is soundly narrated from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) that he said: ‘The Hour will not begin until the sun rises from its place of setting. When it rises and the people see it, they will all believe, but that will be when no good will it do a soul to believe then if it did not believe before or earn some good through its faith.’ (Al-Bukhari, Muslim). We must also believe in the emergence of a fire from the land of the Hijaz, which will drive the people to the place of gathering before the Day of Resurrection, according to what is soundly narrated concerning that from the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).”
The ten portents will follow one another in rapid succession
It was narrated from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “The major signs (of the Day of Resurrection) are like beads on a string; if the string is cut they will fall one after another.” (Ahmad, al-Hakim; sahih).
Ibn ‘Uthaymin said: “The portents which will immediately precede the Hour, the major portents of the Hour, will come to you like beads of a necklace of which the string has been cut, meaning that they will come in rapid succession. The Dajjal will remain for forty days, then ‘Isa will come down, then Ya’juj and Ma’juj will come quickly after that.”
5.1. The smoke
Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
So watch O Muhammad for the day when the sky will bring forth obvious smoke
that will envelop the people. They will say: This is a painful punishment!
al-Dukhan 44:10-11.
It was soundly narrated from ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that this sign happened at the time of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), as he said: When the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) despaired of Quraysh and they persisted in their stubbornness, he said: “O Allah, help me against them with seven years like the years of Yusuf.” So they were afflicted with famine during which they ate bones and dead animals because of starvation, and they started to see between them and the sky something like smoke, due to hunger. They said: Our Lord, remove the punishment from us; we will surely believe! al-Dukhan 44:12. It was said to him: If We remove it from them, they will go back to disbelief. So he called upon his Lord in supplication, and He granted them relief, but then they went back to disbelief, so Allah punished them on the day of Badr. This is referred to in the verses in which Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
So watch O Muhammad for the day when the sky will bring forth obvious smoke
… We seize them with a mighty onslaught, We will surely exact retribution al-Dukhan 44:10-16.
Ibn Kathir said, commenting on the view of Ibn Mas‘ud (may Allah be pleased with him): “This interpretation is very strange, and nothing like it was narrated from any of the Sahabah except him. Some later scholars tried to refute it, citing the proven hadith of Abu Sarihah Hudhayfah ibn Usayd: ‘The Hour will not begin until you see ten signs,’ among which he mentioned the smoke. (Muslim). Similarly, in the hadith of Abu Hurayrah, it says, ‘Hasten to do good deeds before six things happen,’ among which he mentioned the smoke. (Muslim). These two hadiths in Sahih Muslim are both marfu‘ (directly attributed to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)) and the marfu‘ report takes precedence over all mawquf reports. The apparent meaning of the verse in the Qur’an indicates that there will be smoke in the sky that will envelop the people, and this is something real that will affect all people. It will not be like what was narrated from Ibn Mas‘ud, that it was something illusionary that Quraysh saw because of extreme hunger. Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
So watch O Muhammad for the day when the sky will bring forth obvious smoke
al-Dukhan 44:10 – that is, very clear and visible, not something imaginary that is caused by intense hunger – Our Lord, remove the punishment from us; we will surely believe! al-Dukhan 44:12 – that is, the people of that time will call out to the Lord with this supplication, asking for relief from this hardship, for they will have believed and become certain of that which they were warned about of unseen matters that will occur after that, on the Day of Resurrection. This indicates that this is something that will happen before the Day of Resurrection, because this punishment can be alleviated and the people will have the opportunity to repent and turn to Allah. And Allah knows best.”
Ibn Jarir was of the view that it is possible to reconcile these two views, as he said: “… it is not far-fetched to say that Allah will send this punishment upon the disbelievers whom He warned of this type of punishment, and this punishment of smoke could also be sent against others, according to the reports which were narrated from the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), because the reports from the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) clearly state that that (smoke) will happen, because what ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud narrated has already happened. Thus both reports that were narrated from the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) are sahih.”
Abu’l-Khattab ibn Dihyah said: “Examining the issue properly will lead us to understand that this refers to two events, one of which has already happened and the other will come to pass. As for that which has already happened, it refers to what they saw that looked like smoke, but it was not the real smoke which will appear when the signs which are portents of the Hour begin to appear, for when this sign appears, there will be nothing to prevent them saying (interpretation of the meaning): Our Lord, remove the punishment from us; we will surely believe! al-Dukhan 44:12. It will be removed from them, then they will go back to disbelief when the Hour approaches. Ibn Mas‘ud did not attribute his view to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him); rather it was his interpretation, and what is narrated from the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) says something different.”
It was narrated that Hudhayfah ibn Usayd al-Ghifari (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was in a room and we were below him. He looked out over us and said: “What are you talking about?” We said: The Hour. He said: “The Hour will not come until there have been ten signs: a landslide in the east, a landslide in the west, a landslide in the Arabian Peninsula, the smoke…” (Muslim).
Al-Nawawi said: “This hadith supports the view of those who say that the smoke is a smoke that will make it difficult for the disbelievers to breathe, but it will affect the believers like a cold. This has not happened yet; rather it will happen close to the onset of the Hour. We have noted above in the Book of the Beginning of Creation the view of those who say this, and Ibn Mas‘ud’s objection to it, and that he said: ‘Rather this refers to what Quraysh suffered of famine, to the extent that they saw between them and the sky something like smoke,’ and a number of the scholars agreed with Ibn Mas‘ud. The other view was held by Hudhayfah, Ibn ‘Umar and al-Hasan. Hudhayfah narrated it from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and said that that smoke would remain on the earth for forty days. It may be that there are two smokes, so as to reconcile between the reports.”
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Hasten to do good deeds before six things happen: the rising of the sun from its place of setting, the smoke, the Dajjal, the Beast, the personal affair of one of you (i.e., death) and the general affair (i.e., the Day of Resurrection).” (Muslim).
Al-Safarini said about the appearance of the smoke: “It is proven according to the Qur’an and Sunnah… Ibn ‘Abbas, Ibn ‘Umar, al-Hasan and Zayd ibn ‘Ali said: It is a smoke which will appear before the onset of the Hour. It will enter the ears of the disbelievers and the hypocrites, but its impact on the believers will be like a cold. The entire land will be like a house with fire in it. It has not happened yet, but it will come.”
Ibn Qasim said: “One of the portents of the Hour that is proven according to the Qur’an and Sunnah, and it is obligatory to believe in it is the sign of the smoke. Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, said (interpretation of the meaning): So watch O Muhammad for the day when the sky will bring forth obvious smoke al-Dukhan 44:10. Ibn ‘Abbas and others said: It is a smoke which will appear before the onset of the Hour. It will enter the ears of the disbelievers and the hypocrites, but its impact on the believers will be like a cold. We have noted above, in the report narrated by Muslim: ‘The Hour will not begin until you see ten signs,’ among which he mentioned the smoke.”
Ibn ‘Uthaymin said: “As for the sign of the smoke, the scholars differed regarding it: is it a sign that has already happened, or is it a sign that is yet to come? Some of them said that it is a sign that has already happened, and this is what is referred to in the verse in which Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): So watch O Muhammad for the day when the sky will bring forth obvious smoke al-Dukhan 44:10. What is meant by that is what happened to Quraysh of drought and famine, as a result of which they suffered extreme starvation; one of them would look at the sky and think that it was smoke, due to the severe impact of hunger on him. And some of the scholars said that it is something that will happen in the future, when Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, will send, at the onset of the Hour, a great smoke that will fill the atmosphere and envelop all the people. What is more likely to be correct is that it is a smoke which Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, will send at the onset of the Hour, which will envelop all the people, and Allah knows best how this smoke will be. We only know that it is a smoke, but we do not know how it will come to the people, or from where it will come. This is something that is known only to Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, . The purpose behind these portents is to warn the people that the onset of the Hour is at hand, so that they can prepare for it and strive for it.”
5.2. The emergence of the false messiah, the Dajjal
5.2.1. The meaning of the word masih (messiah)
Ibn al-Athir said: “As for the Dajjal, he is called masih because one of his eyes will be completely blind (mamsuh, lit. wiped).”
Al-Nawawi said: “As for the Dajjal, it was said that he is called masih because his eye is completely blind (mamsuh), and it was said it is because he is one-eyed, and the one who is one-eyed is called masih. And it was said that it is because he will traverse (mas-h) the earth when he emerges. And there were other suggestions.”
5.2.2. The meaning of the word Dajjal
Ibn al-Athir said: “The word Dajjal comes from a root that refers to mixing, and the verb dajila refers to confusing and deceiving others. In the hadith it says: ‘At the end of time there will be dajjalun.’ (Muslim). The word dajjalun refers to liars and deceivers. The Dajjal is mentioned often in hadiths; he is the one who will appear at the end of time, claiming divinity. In grammatical terms, the form of his name indicates that he will tell many lies and deceive people greatly.”
5.2.3. The fitnah (tribulation) of the Dajjal
His tribulation will be the greatest tribulation in the entire history of humankind
It was narrated that Hisham ibn ‘Amir said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) say: “Between the creation of Adam and the onset of the Hour there is no matter that will have more impact than the Dajjal.” (Muslim).
Al-Nawawi said: “What is meant is the greatest tribulation with the greatest impact.”
It was narrated that ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) stood before the people and praised Allah as He deserves, then he mentioned the Dajjal and said: “I am warning you about him, and there is no prophet who did not warn his people about him; Nuh warned his people about him, but I will tell you something about him that no prophet ever told his people. You should know that he is one-eyed, and that Allah is not one-eyed.” (Al-Bukhari).
Abu’l-‘Abbas al-Qurtubi said: “He said, ‘I am warning you about the Dajjal, and there is no prophet who did not warn his people about him; Nuh warned his people about him.’ The reason why the prophets warned their people about the Dajjal is that they knew that he would cause great tribulation and a difficult trial, as is mentioned in the hadiths that we shall discuss in detail below. Because no prophet was told about the exact time of his emergence, each of them expected him to emerge at the time of his nation, so he gave an emphatic warning about him. The benefit of this warning is belief in the existence of the Dajjal and determination to oppose him and go against him, to expose his lies, and to turn sincerely to Allah and seek refuge with Him from the tribulation of the Dajjal. This is the view of Ahl al-Sunnah and of the majority of jurists and hadith scholars.”
5.2.4. The Dajjal as if you can see him
Al-Nawawi said: “The Dajjal is one of Allah’s creation who will be defective in appearance. You should know this and teach it to the people, lest anyone who sees the Dajjal and his illusions be deceived by the confusion and temptation he will bring.
i. His head
According to the hadith of Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him), the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said of the Dajjal: “As if his head is a kind of snake.”
Al-Jawhari said: “The asalah (translated here as ‘a kind of snake’) is the most evil kind.”
Ibn Kathir said: “From behind, his head looks as if it is a kind of snake; perhaps he will have a long head.”
ii. His forehead
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said, describing the Dajjal: “he will have a high forehead.” (Ahmad, al-Tayalisi; hasan sahih).
Al-Munawi said: “The phrase ‘a high forehead’ indicates that he will have a receding hairline.”
iii. Description of his right eye
a. The Dajjal will be one-eyed; his right eye will be defective
It was narrated that Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “There is no Prophet who was sent but he warned his people against the one-eyed liar. Indeed he is one-eyed, and your Lord is not one-eyed.” (Al-Bukhari, Muslim).
Al-Munawi said: “Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, is far above being one-eyed and above all other defects. When the Dajjal claims to be divine and confuses the people with things that are beyond human capability, yet he is not able to correct his defective eye, that will prove that he is in fact human. This was stated by al-Zamakhshari.”
Ibn ‘Uthaymin said regarding the Dajjal: “There will be clear signs which indicate that he is a liar… One of these signs is that he is one-eyed and his right eye is defective, whereas the Lord Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, is not one-eyed, for the Lord Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, is perfect in all His attributes, and there is no shortcoming whatsoever in any of His attributes. As for the Dajjal, he will be one-eyed; his right eye will look like a floating grape. This is a clear physical sign which everyone will recognise.”
b. The right eye of the Dajjal will be completely blind, with a thick piece of flesh over it
It was narrated from Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “The Dajjal will have a completely blind eye.” (Muslim).
Abu’l-‘Abbas al-Qurtubi said: “What is meant by his eye being completely blind is that he will not be able to see anything with it.”
It was narrated from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “The Dajjal will be blind in his right eye, as if his eye is a floating grape.” (Muslim).
Ibn Battal said: “ ‘A floating grape’ – that is, the eye of the Dajjal will be floating on his face, protruding like a grape.”
It was narrated from Ubayy ibn Ka‘b (may Allah be pleased with him), from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), that he mentioned the Dajjal in his presence, and he said: “His eye will be green, like glass.” (Ahmad, al-Tayalisi, Ibn Hibban; sahih).
c. Written between his eyes will be kaf, fa’, ra’ – that is, kafir (disbeliever). This will be writing which no one will be able to see except a Muslim or a believer
It was narrated from Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Between the Dajjal’s eyes will be written kaf, fa’, ra’ – that is, kafir (disbeliever).” (Al-Bukhari, Muslim).
Ibn al-Malik al-Karmani al-Hanafi said: “ ‘Written between his eyes will be kaf, fa’, ra’.” This will be an indication that he is a caller to disbelief, not to guidance, so that the believers will avoid him. This is an immense blessing that Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, has given to this ummah, as the label of kufr (disbelief) will appear between his eyes.”
Al-San‘ani said: “ ‘which every Muslim will read.’ The apparent meaning is that this will be writing in a real sense, and Allah will cause only the believers to see it and recognise it, even if they are illiterate, whereas the disbelievers will not see it even if they are literate. This is similar to how the believer sees evidence through his insight, even though the disbeliever does not see it. That will be a time of extraordinary events.”
It was narrated from Hudhayfah al-Ghifari (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Written between his eyes will be ‘kafir.’ Every believer will read it, whether he is literate or illiterate.” (Muslim).
Al-Nawawi said: “The correct view of the scholars is that this will be writing in a true sense. It will be real writing which Allah will make as a sign and one of the definitive proofs that he is a disbeliever and a liar, and that what he brings is falsehood. Allah will make that clear to every Muslim, whether he is literate or illiterate, and He will conceal it from whomever He wants to be doomed and misguided, and that is entirely possible.”
Ibn ‘Uthaymin said regarding the Dajjal: “In addition to that, there will be clear signs which indicate that he is a liar, one of which is that written between his eyes will be the word kafir – kaf, fa’, ra’ – which only the believers will read, even if they do not know how to read, and the disbelievers will be unable to read it, even if they know how to read. That is because this will not be ordinary writing; rather it will be divine writing that comes from Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, .”
iv. His hair
The Dajjal will have very curly hair.
It was narrated from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said, describing the Dajjal: “He will have very curly hair.” (Al-Bukhari, Muslim).
Al-‘Ayni said: “Curly hair is not wavy or straight; the Arabic phrase here refers to very curly hair.”
He will have thick hair
It was narrated from Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said, describing the Dajjal: “The Dajjal will have thick hair.” (Muslim).
‘Ali al-Qari said: “That is, a great deal of thick hair.”
In addition to being thick, his hair will be branching out and sticking up in all directions
It was narrated from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “It is as if the hair on his head is the branches of a tree.” (Ahmad, al-Harith, Abu Ya‘la; sahih).
Ibn Hajar said: “‘It is as if the hair on his head is the branches of a tree’ means that his hair will be thick and sticking up in all directions.”
v. His neck
The Dajjal will have a thick neck.
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said, describing the Dajjal: “The upper part of his chest will be broad.” (Ahmad, al-Tayalisi; hasan sahih).
vi. His legs
His legs will be widely spaced.
It was narrated from ‘Ubadah ibn al-Samit (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) described the Dajjal as “bowlegged.”
It was said that what is meant by bowlegged is having the legs far apart, for both humans and animals.
Al-Khattabi said: “Bowlegged refers to one who walks with his legs far apart.”
vii. His posture
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said, describing the Dajjal: “He will be hunchbacked.” (Ahmad, al-Tayalisi; hasan sahih).
Ibn al-Jawzi said: “Describing the Dajjal, he will be hunchbacked, that is, leaning forward.”
viii. His build
The Dajjal will have a large body.
It was narrated from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said, describing the Dajjal: “He will be a big man.”
Ibn al-Tin said: “The one who is described as being a big man is the Dajjal.”
ix. The colour of his skin
He will be very white, with a reddish complexion.
It was narrated from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said, describing the Dajjal: “He will be ruddy.”
Ibn Hajar said: “Ruddy (ahmar) according to the Arabs refers to one who is very white with a reddish complexion.”
x. His age
The Dajjal will be a young man.
It was narrated from al-Nawwas ibn Sam‘an (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said of the Dajjal: “He will be a young man.” (Muslim).
xi. His race
He will be a human, one of the sons of Adam, not one of the jinn. And Allah knows best.
Al-Halimi said: “As for the Dajjal, he will be a man, one of the sons of Adam, one of the largest of them in size and the most audacious of them.”
Ibn Kathir said of the Dajjal: “He will be a man, one of the sons of Adam. Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, will create him to be a test and trial for people at the end of time. Allah will cause many to be led astray by him and many to be guided by him, but He will only cause the evildoers to be led astray by him.”
5.2.5. The emergence of the Dajjal
i. The signs of his emergence
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Have you heard of a city, one part of which is on land and the other is in the sea?” They said: Yes, O Messenger of Allah. He said: “The Hour will not begin until seventy thousand of Banu Ishaq attack it. When they come to it, they will halt and they will not fight with weapons or shoot arrows. Rather they will say: La ilaha illa Allah wa Allahu akbar (There is no god worthy of worship except Allah and Allah is most great), and one of its two parts will fall.” Thawr (one of the narrators of the hadith) said: I do not know but that he said: “The part that is in the sea. Then they will say a second time, La ilaha illa Allah wa Allahu akbar, and the other part will fall. Then they will say a third time: La ilaha illa Allah wa Allahu akbar, and it will be opened for them, and they will enter it and take booty. Then when they are sharing out the booty, a cry will come to them, saying the Dajjal has appeared, and they will leave everything and go back.”
Al-Muzhiri said: “With regard to the words ‘Have you heard of a city, one part of which is on land and the other is in the sea?’, this city is in the land of the Byzantines.”
‘Ali al-Qari said: “ ‘and they will enter it and take booty’ means that they will collect what is in it. ‘Then when they are sharing out the booty’ that is, when they want to divide the booty and start doing so, ‘a cry will come to them, saying the Dajjal has appeared, and they will leave everything’ that is, they will leave behind the booty and other spoils ‘and go back’ that is, they will go back quickly to confront the Dajjal and to help their wives and children.”
ii. The emergence of the Dajjal from the east
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “The false messiah will come from the east.” (Muslim).
It was narrated from Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Seventy thousand of the Jews of Isfahan will follow the Dajjal, wearing Jewish shawls.” (Muslim).
iii. His followers
It was narrated from Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Seventy thousand of the Jews of Isfahan will follow the Dajjal, wearing Jewish shawls.” (Muslim).
Ibn Taymiyah said: “The Jews interpret the prophecies about the Messiah as referring to someone other than ‘Isa ibn Maryam; rather it is someone else whom they are waiting for. In fact, they are only waiting for the false messiah, the Dajjal, for the ones who will follow him will be the Jews. Seventy thousand of the Jews of Isfahan will go out with him, wearing Jewish shawls, and the Muslims will fight them alongside ‘Isa, until the trees and rocks will say: ‘O Muslim, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him,’ as was proven in the sound reports.”
iv. How long he will remain on earth
It was narrated that al-Nawwas ibn Sam‘an (may Allah be pleased with him) said: We said: O Messenger of Allah, how long will he stay on earth? He said: “Forty days, a day like a year, a day like a month, a day like a week, and the rest of the days like your days.” We said: O Messenger of Allah, on that day which is like a year, will the prayers of one day be sufficient for us? He said: “No. Work out the time (for prayer).” (Muslim).
Al-Nawawi said: “Regarding the Prophet’s words ‘a day like a year, a day like a month, a day like a week, and the rest of the days like your days,’ the scholars said: This hadith is to be understood according to its apparent meaning. These three days will be as long as is mentioned in the hadith. This is indicated by the Prophet’s words ‘and the rest of the days like your days.’ As for their saying, ‘O Messenger of Allah, on that day which is like a year, will the prayers of one day be sufficient for us?’ to which he replied: “No. Work out the time (for prayer),” al-Qadi and others said: This ruling applies to that day, as prescribed to us by the Lawgiver. The scholars said: Were it not for this hadith, if it were left to us to figure out what to do, we would only pray the five prayers at the times known on other days, but what is meant by working it out is that when as much time has passed after sunrise as usually passes between dawn and midday, then pray Zuhr; then when as much time has passed after that as usually passes between it and mid-afternoon, then pray ‘Asr; then when as much time has passed after that as usually passes between it and sunset, then pray Maghrib; and do likewise for ‘Isha’ and Fajr, then continue to offer all the prayers on time, until that day is over, so that you will have prayed the required prayers for one year, all of them offered on time. As for the second day, which will be like a month, and the third day which will be like a week, they should be dealt with by analogy with the first day, working out the times for prayer in the manner mentioned with regard to the first day. And Allah knows best.”
Ibn Kathir said: “The length of his stay on earth will be forty days, one day like a year, one day like a month, one day like a week, and the rest of his days like the people’s usual days. That is equivalent to one year plus two and a half months.”
5.2.6. What will protect one from the Dajjal
i. Places that are protected from the Dajjal
Makkah and Madinah
It was narrated that Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “There is no city that the Dajjal will not enter, except Makkah and Madinah; there is no route into it but there are angels in ranks, guarding them. He will halt in the salt marsh, and Madinah will be shaken with three earthquakes, and every disbeliever and hypocrite will go out to him from it.”
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “On the roads leading to Madinah there are angels and neither the plague nor the Dajjal will enter it.”
Ibn Hajar said: “Regarding the words ‘on the roads leading to Madinah,’ Ibn Wahb said: What is meant is the entrances or, it was said, the gates.”
ii. Verses which offer protection by Allah’s leave
it was narrated from al-Nawwas ibn Sam‘an (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said of the Dajjal: “Whoever among you lives to see him, let him recite against him the opening verses of Surat al-Kahf.” (Muslim).
Al-Tibi said: “The words ‘let him recite against him the opening verses of Surat al-Kahf’ mean: for Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, will protect him against the turmoil of the Dajjal as He protected those young men against the turmoil of Decius the tyrant.”
It was narrated from Abu’l-Darda’ (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever memorizes ten verses from the beginning of Surat al-Kahf will be protected from the Dajjal.” (Muslim).
Ibn ‘Uthaymin said: “Surat al-Kahf possesses special benefits, one of which is that whoever recites its opening verses against the Dajjal will be protected from his tribulation. The Dajjal is the one-eyed man whom Allah will send at the end of time.”
iii. Seeking refuge with Allah from the tribulation of the Dajjal
The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to seek refuge with Allah from the tribulation of the Dajjal.
It was narrated from ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to offer supplication during prayer, saying: “Allahumma inni a‘udhu bika min ‘adhab al-qabri, wa a‘udhu bika min fitnat il-masih il-dajjal, wa a‘udhu bika min fitnat il-mahya wa fitnat il-mamat. Allahumma inni a‘udhu bika min al-ma’tham wa’l-maghram (O Allah, I seek refuge with You from the torment of the grave, I seek refuge with You from the tribulation of the Dajjal, and I seek refuge with You from the trials of life and death. O Allah, I seek refuge with You from sin and debt).” Someone said to him: How often you seek refuge with Allah from debt! He said: “When a man incurs debt, when he speaks he lies and when he makes a promise he breaks it.” (Al-Bukhari, Muslim).
‘Iyad said: “The Prophet’s supplication and his seeking refuge with Allah from some of these things when it was already known that he would be safe from them and protected from them served to increase his fear and veneration of Allah and his humbling of himself before Him, and to set an example for his ummah to follow in calling upon Allah and beseeching Him, which is the true essence of servitude (‘ubudiyyah) to Him.”
It was narrated from Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to say in his supplication, “A‘udhu bika min al-bukhli wa’l-kasali wa ardhal il-‘umuri wa ‘adhab al-qabri wa fitnat id-dajjali wa fitnat il-mahya wa’l-mamat (I seek refuge with You from miserliness, laziness, utter senility, the torment of the grave, the trial of the Dajjal and the trials of life and death).” (Al-Bukhari, Muslim).
The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to enjoin people to seek refuge with Allah from the trial of the Dajjal.
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “When one of you has recited the tashahhud let him seek refuge with Allah from four things. Let him say: ‘Allahumma inni a‘udhu bika min ‘adhabi Jahannama wa min ‘adhab il-qabri wa min fitnat il-mahya wa’l-mamat wa min sharri fitnat il-masih id-dajjal (O Allah, I seek refuge with You from the punishment of Hell and the punishment of the grave, and from the trials of life and death, and from the evil of the turmoil of the Dajjal).’” (Al-Bukhari, Muslim).
Ibn ‘Uthaymin said: “These are four things from which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) instructed us to seek refuge with Allah after finishing the tashahhud; in other words, before saying the taslim… As for the turmoil or trial (fitnah) of the Dajjal, that is because Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, will send the Dajjal ahead of the Hour… And the people will be deceived by him, and a large number of people, as many as Allah wills, will be misled by him, and his turmoil will be immense… That is why the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) mentioned him in particular, even though his tribulation is one of the trials of this life, and described his fitnah as immense. We ask Allah to protect us and you from it.”
iv. Arming oneself with knowledge, patience and certain faith
It was narrated from Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “The Dajjal will emerge and a man from among the believers will go towards him, and he will be met by armed men – the armed men of the Dajjal. They will say to him: ‘Where are you going?’ He will say: ‘I am going to this one who has emerged.’ They will say to him: ‘Don’t you believe in our lord?’ He will say: ‘There is nothing hidden about our Lord.’ They will say: ‘Kill him.’ They will say to one another: ‘Didn’t your lord forbid you to kill anyone without his consent?’ So they will take him to the Dajjal and when the believer sees him, he will say: ‘O people, this is the Dajjal whom the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) mentioned.’ The Dajjal will order that he be tied between stakes. He will say: ‘Take him and strike him on the head,’ and he will be beaten severely on his back and stomach. Then he will say: ‘Don’t you believe in me?’ He will say: ‘You are the false messiah.’ Then orders will be given that he be cut in two with a saw, from the middle of his head to between his legs. Then the Dajjal will walk between the two pieces and will say to him: ‘Get up,’ and he will stand up straight. Then he will say to him: ‘Do you believe in me?’ He will say: ‘It has only made me more certain about you.’ Then he will say: ‘O people, he will not do it to anyone after me.’ Then the Dajjal will take hold of him to slaughter him, but the area between his neck and collar bone will be turned into copper and he will not be able to harm him. Then he will take hold of his hands and feet and throw him, and the people will think that he threw him into Hell, but he will be thrown into Paradise.” The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “This will be the greatest of martyrs before the Lord of the Worlds.” (Al-Bukhari, Muslim).
Ibn ‘Uthaymin said: “The martyrdom of this man will be one of the greatest before Allah, because in this momentous, terrifying situation that we can hardly imagine, and no one can realize how utterly terrifying it will be except one who experiences it directly, this man will clearly state in a loud voice before everyone, so as to warn people and leave them with no excuse: ‘You are the Dajjal whom the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) told us about.’ This is what the Dajjal will be and this is what he will call people to.”
This hadith highlights an important matter which will help us to deal with the tribulation of the Dajjal. The first thing that may help us to deal with the Dajjal and his tribulation is acquiring knowledge about his tribulation according to what is soundly narrated from our Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). That believing man will say, when he confronts the Dajjal: “O people, this is the Dajjal whom the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) mentioned.” Thus he will already have knowledge about this Dajjal and his characteristics, so he will remind the people of that. Then he will be faced with torture and killing, but he will bear that with patience and remain steadfast, and that will only increase him in certain faith. The Dajjal will issue orders that he be tied between stakes. He will say: ‘Take him and beat him,’ and then he will be beaten severely on his back and stomach. The Dajjal will say: ‘Don’t you believe in me?’ He will say: ‘You are the false messiah.’ Then orders will be given that he be cut in two with a saw, from the middle of his head to between his legs. Then the Dajjal will walk between the two pieces and will say to him: ‘Get up,’ and he will stand up straight. Then he will say to him: ‘Do you believe in me?’ He will say: ‘It has only made me more certain about you.’ Then he will say: ‘O people, he will not do it to anyone after me.’”
5.2.7. The Dajjal’s ability to cause confusion
The tribulation that the Dajjal will bring with him is a trial of whims and desires and specious arguments. He will be very keen to make people fall prey to his confusion, and to mislead them and cause them to go astray from the path of truth. He will be given amazing skills and powers that will help him to do that, some of which will be more akin to magic, illusion and the help of the devils.
i. He will move quickly throughout the world
It was narrated from al-Nawwas ibn Sam‘an (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was asked about how quickly the Dajjal will travel throughout the world, and he said: “Like a cloud driven by the wind.” (Muslim).
It was narrated from Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “There is no city that the Dajjal will not enter, except Makkah and Madinah.” (Al-Bukhari, Muslim).
ii. His garden and his fire
It was narrated that Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “He – meaning the Dajjal – has a paradise and a hell with him, but his hell is a paradise and his paradise is a hell.” (Muslim).
According to another report: “I know what the Dajjal will have with him. He will have two flowing rivers, one that appears to the eye to be clear water and one which appears to the eye to be flaming fire. If anyone sees that, let him go to the river which he thinks is fire and close his eyes, then lower his head and drink from it, for it is cool water.” (Muslim).
Al-Nawawi said: “The scholars said: This is part of his tribulation. Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, will test His slaves by means of him, in order to establish truth and demolish falsehood. Then He will expose his reality and show the people how helpless he really is.”
Ibn ‘Uthaymin said: “Part of his trial is that Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, will give him something like a garden and a fire, as they will appear to be, but his garden will be a fire and his fire will be a garden. Whoever obeys him, he will admit him to what appears to people to be a garden, but in fact is burning fire – Allah forbid. Whoever disobeys him, he will admit him to what appears to be a fire, but in fact it is a garden with fresh and sweet water. Thus the matter will require help from Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, to enable one to remain steadfast. If Allah does not help a person to remain steadfast, he will be misguided and doomed.”
iii. The mountains of bread and meat that he will have with him
It was narrated that al-Mughirah ibn Shu‘bah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: No one asked the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) about the Dajjal more than I did. He said: “What was your question?” I said: They say that he will have mountains of bread and meat and a river of water. He said: “He is too insignificant before Allah for that.” (Al-Bukhari, Muslim).
According to one report: “He will have rivers of water and mountains of bread.” (Muslim).
‘Iyad said: “In response to al-Mughirah’s words in this hadith: ‘They say that he will have food and rivers,’ the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: ‘He is too insignificant before Allah for that,’ meaning that he is too insignificant for what Allah makes at his hands to be a cause of misguidance for the believers and a means of casting doubts into the hearts of those who have certain faith. Rather it will only increase the believers in faith, and will cause those in whose hearts is a disease and the disbelievers to doubt, as the one whom he will kill then bring back to life will say to him: ‘I have never been more certain about you than I am now’ (Al-Bukhari, Muslim). The phrase ‘He is too insignificant before Allah for that’ does not mean that he will not have any such things with him; rather he is too insignificant for Allah to make such things as proof of his claims. How could that be the case when the sign that he is a liar and disbeliever is so clear that even the illiterate person will be able to read it, in addition to other indications which will prove that he is a liar and that he has many shortcomings?”
iv. His demonstrating to people that he has control over sources of provision
He will do that by making the clouds rain, causing the earth to bring forth vegetation, causing the flocks to produce milk, and bringing forth the treasures of the earth.
It was narrated that al-Nawwas ibn Sam‘an said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “He will come to a people and call them, and they will believe in him and respond to his call. Then he will command the sky and it will rain, and he will command the earth and it will bring forth vegetation. Their herds will come back to them in the evening with their humps as high as they ever were and their udders full and their flanks stretched. Then he will come to another people and call them, and they will reject what he says, so he will leave them and they will be afflicted with drought, with none of their wealth in their hands. He will pass by ruins and say: Bring forth your treasure, and its treasure will follow him like a swarm of bees.” (Muslim).
It says in Tatimmah al-Mafatih fi Sharh al-Masabih: “That is, he will order the clouds to send down rain, and they will send down rain; he will order the earth to bring forth vegetation and it will bring forth vegetation. Thus their flocks will go back in the evening fattened and with a great deal of milk, the fattest they have been since the drought. And it was said that he would show them that by way of magic and illusion, but even if it will be real, it is not far-fetched to suggest that Allah could bring about all of these things when the Dajjal makes some certain movements, as He created the lowing of the calf that al-Samiri made as a test and trial for His slaves. Allah may test His slaves however He wills.
Ibn Taymiyah said regarding the Dajjal: “He will emerge after a severe calamity befalls the people and they are affected by great doubts, along with great desires and great fear. Most of the people will follow him, and the Jews, despite their claim to have a Book, will be those who follow him the most.”
Ibn ‘Uthaymin said: “In the beginning he will claim to be a prophet, then when people follow him on the basis of what he will present of illusions to support his claim, he will claim to be divine, and he will support that claim with what Allah will give him of means of confusing people, to the extent that he will issue commands to the sky and it will rain, and to the earth and it will bring forth vegetation. He will come to some people, calling them to believe that he is divine, and when they respond to his call, he will say to the sky: ‘Send down rain,’ and it will rain, and he will say to the earth: ‘Bring forth vegetation,’ and it will stir and swell, and bring forth vegetation; and their flocks will return to them with their udders fuller than ever before, and fatter than ever before, and the people will prosper. He will come to some other people and call them to believe that he is divine, but they will reject his call and disbelieve in him, so he will command the sky to withhold its rain and the earth to be dry, and in the morning they will find themselves hungry, with no grazing land, and their flocks will return to them more emaciated than ever before. This will be an immense trial, especially for the people of the desert.
v. He will kill a believing man, then bring him back to life
It was narrated that Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) spoke to us at length one day about the Dajjal. Among the things he told us was: “He will come but it will be forbidden to him to enter the approaches to Madinah. So he will go to one of the salt marshes near Madinah and on that day a man will go out to him who is the best of humankind, or one of the best of humankind, and he will say to him: ‘I bear witness that you are the Dajjal of whom the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) spoke.’ The Dajjal will say: ‘If I kill this man and bring him back to life, do you think that you will have any doubts about the matter?’ They will say: ‘No.’ So he will kill him then bring him back to life, and when he is brought back to life he will say: ‘By Allah, I was never more certain about you than I am now.’” He said: “The Dajjal will want to kill him, but he will not be able to do so.” (Al-Bukhari, Muslim).
It was narrated from Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “The Dajjal will emerge and a man from among the believers will go towards him, and he will be met by armed men – the armed men of the Dajjal. They will say to him: ‘Where are you going?’ He will say: ‘I am going to this one who has emerged.’ They will say to him: ‘Don’t you believe in our lord?’ He will say: ‘There is nothing hidden about our Lord.’ They will say: ‘Kill him.’ The they will say to one another: ‘Didn’t your lord forbid you to kill anyone without his consent?’ So they will take him to the Dajjal and when the believer sees him, he will say: ‘O people, this is the Dajjal whom the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) mentioned.’ The Dajjal will order that he be tied between stakes. He will say: ‘Take him and beat him,’ and he will be beaten severely on his back and stomach. Then he will say: ‘Don’t you believe in me?’ He will say: ‘You are the false messiah.’ Then it will be ordered that he be cut in two with a saw, from the middle of his head to between his legs. Then the Dajjal will walk between the two pieces and will say to him: ‘Get up,’ and he will stand up straight. Then he will say to him: ‘Do you believe in me?’ He will say: ‘It has only made me more certain about you.’ Then he will say: ‘O people, he will not do it to anyone after me.’ Then the Dajjal will take hold of him to slaughter him, but the area between his neck and collar bone will be turned into copper and he will not be able to harm him. Then he will take hold of his hands and feet and throw him, and the people will think that he threw him into Hell, but he will be thrown into Paradise.” The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “This will be the greatest of martyrs before the Lord of the Worlds.” (Muslim).
Ibn ‘Uthaymin said: “In His wisdom, Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, will grant the Dajjal miraculous feats in which there will be great trials and tests… One of those trials is that a man who is brimming with youth will go out to him and will say to him: ‘You are the Dajjal whom the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) told us about.’ The Dajjal will call him to follow him, but he will refuse to follow him, so he will strike him, injuring him, then he will kill him and cut him in two, then walk between the two pieces to show that they are completely separate. Then he will call him, and the young man will stand up with a cheerful face and say: ‘You are the Dajjal whom the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) told us about.’ Then he will go to kill him, but he will not be able to kill him, and he will never gain control over anyone else after him. He will be one of the greatest martyrs before Allah, because in this momentous, terrifying situation that we can hardly imagine, and no one can realize how utterly terrifying it will be except one who experiences it directly, this man will clearly state in a loud voice before everyone, so as to warn people and leave them with no excuse: ‘You are the Dajjal whom the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) told us about.’ This is what the Dajjal will be and this is what he will call people to.”
5.2.8. The killing of the Dajjal and the end of his tribulation
He will be killed, thus bringing his tribulation to an end, by the Messiah ‘Isa ibn Maryam (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), as we shall see below.
Ibn Hajar said: “As for when the Dajjal will die and who will kill him, he will die after prevailing over the entire earth except Makkah and Madinah. Then he will head towards Bayt al-Maqdis (Jerusalem), and ‘Isa will come down and kill him. (Muslim).”
5.2.9. Scholarly views on what we must believe with regard to the Dajjal
i. Ahmad ibn Hanbal said, discussing the beliefs mentioned in the Sunnah to which we must adhere: “The belief that the Dajjal will emerge, and that written between his eyes will be the word ‘kafir (disbeliever).’ We should believe in the hadiths which speak of him, and believe that that will surely happen, and that ‘Isa ibn Maryam (peace be upon him) will come down and kill him at the gate of Ludd.”
ii. Ibn Battah al-‘Ukbari said: “Then we must believe that ‘Isa ibn Maryam (peace be upon him) will come down from heaven to earth; he will break the cross, kill the pigs and the call will be one. The Dajjal will inevitably emerge among the last of this ummah. One of his eyes will be like a floating grape, and he will reach everywhere on earth except Makkah and Madinah. ‘Isa ibn Maryam (peace be upon him) will kill him at the eastern gate of Ludd, in Palestine.”
iii. Abu ‘Amr al-Dani said: “It is obligatory to believe in what was narrated from the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and proven by sound transmission, and became widely known among the Muslims, about the hereafter, the tribulations, the portents and signs of the Hour, and that it is near. That includes the emergence of the one-eyed liar, the Dajjal, the tribulation he will bring, and that he will have a garden and a fire, but his garden will be fire and his fire will be a garden. And we must believe that ‘Isa ibn Maryam (peace be upon him) will kill him, and he and the misguided disbelievers with him will die.”
5.3. The descent of the Messiah ‘Isa ibn Maryam (peace be upon him)
Introduction
i. ‘Isa’s title of “Messiah” and the reason why he was given this title
Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
And mention when the angels said, O Maryam, indeed Allah gives you good tidings of a word from Him, whose name will be the Messiah, ‘Isa, the son of Maryam
Al ‘Imran 3:45
O People of the Book, do not exceed the bounds of truth in your religion, and do not say anything about Allah except the truth. The Messiah ‘Isa son of Maryam was no more than a Messenger of Allah, and His word, which He bestowed upon Maryam, and a soul created by Him
al-Nisa’ 4:171.
It was narrated from al-Nawwas ibn Sam‘an (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Then whilst he is like that, Allah will send the Messiah son of Maryam, who will descend to the white minaret in the east of Damascus.” (Muslim).
Al-Sam‘ani said: “whose name will be the Messiah ‘Isa, the son of Maryam. Ibn ‘Abbas said: ‘He is called masih (messiah) because he did not touch (masaha) anyone who had a physical ailment but he was healed.”
ii. The correct belief regarding ‘Isa the Messiah (peace be upon him)
‘Isa ibn Maryam is a Messenger of Allah and His word which He bestowed upon Maryam, and a soul created by Him. He is one of the slaves of Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, , and he is not a son of Allah, exalted be Allah far above what the wrongdoers say.
Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
O People of the Book, do not exceed the bounds of truth in your religion, and do not say anything about Allah except the truth. The Messiah ‘Isa son of Maryam was no more than a Messenger of Allah, and His word, which He bestowed upon Maryam, and a soul created by Him. So believe in Allah and His Messengers. Do not say: Three trinity; desist, for that will be better for you. Allah is indeed only one God. Glory be to Him, far exalted is He above having a son. To Allah belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth, and sufficient is Allah as a disposer of affairs
al-Nisa’ 4:171.
Ibn Kathir said: “Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, forbade the People of the Book to exaggerate or go to extremes in praising ‘Isa, which is very common among the Christians, for they greatly overstep the mark with regard to belief in ‘Isa, to the extent that they raised him above the status that Allah gave him, and they raised him above the level of prophethood to the level of divinity alongside Allah, and they worshipped him as they worshipped Allah. They even went to extremes about clergymen, who claimed to be following his religion; the People of the Book claimed that the clergy were infallible and followed them in everything they said, whether it was true or false, misguidance or guidance, sound or fabricated. Hence Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
They take their rabbis and monks, and the Messiah son of Maryam, as lords besides Allah, even though they were commanded to worship only One God. There is no god worthy of worship except Him; glory be to Him, far exalted is He above having the partners they ascribe to Him
al-Tawbah 9:31.
It was narrated from ‘Umar that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Do not exaggerate in praising me as the Christians did with ‘Isa the son of Maryam, for I am only the slave of Allah and His Messenger.” (Al-Bukhari). … It was narrated from Anas ibn Malik that a man said: Muhammad, O our master, the son of our master, the best of us and the son of the best of us. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “O people, watch what you say and do not let the Shaytan mislead you. I am Muhammad ibn ‘Abdillah, the slave of Allah and His Messenger. By Allah, I do not want you to raise me above my status that Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, ordained for me.” (Al-Nasa’i, Ahmad; sahih). … The words and do not say anything about Allah except the truth al-Nisa’ 4:171 mean: do not fabricate lies about Him or ascribe to Him a wife or offspring; exalted be Allah far above that, and to Him alone belong dominion, pride and glory. For there is no god worthy of worship except Him and no Lord besides Him. Hence He says (interpretation of the meaning):
The Messiah ‘Isa son of Maryam was no more than a Messenger of Allah, and His word, which He bestowed upon Maryam, and a soul created by Him
al-Nisa’ 4:171, that is, he is only one of the slaves of Allah, one of His creation, to whom He said, “Be!” and he was. And he is one of His Messengers, and His word, which He bestowed upon Maryam; in other words, He created him with the word with which He sent Jibril (peace be upon him) to Maryam, and he blew into her the soul created by Him, by his Lord’s leave, and ‘Isa came into being by Allah’s leave. This soul that was blown into the neck of her garment reached her womb and conception took place, and all are created by Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted. Hence it was said of ‘Isa that he was the word of Allah and a soul created by Him, because he did not have a father from whom he was generated; rather he was created through the word that Allah said to him: “Be,” and he was. With regard to the soul with which Jibril (peace be upon him) was sent, Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, said (interpretation of the meaning):
The Messiah son of Maryam was no more than a Messenger, and other Messengers passed away before him. His mother was a woman strong and true in faith, and they both ate food
al-Ma’idah 5:75
The likeness of ‘Isa before Allah is as the likeness of Adam; He created him from dust, then said to him, ‘Be!’ and he was
Al ‘Imran 3:59
And remember the one who guarded her chastity: We blew into her garment through Our angel Jibril, and We made her and her son a sign for all people
al-Anbiya’ 21:91
And there is another example in Maryam, the daughter of ‘Imran, who guarded her chastity. We blew into her garment through Our angel Jibril, and she believed in the words and Books of her Lord, and was one of the obedient
al-Tahrim 66:12.
And Allah said, referring to the Messiah:
He was but a slave whom We blessed, and We made him a sign for the Children of Israel
al-Zukhruf 43:59.
‘Isa (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was not killed or crucified; rather Allah took him up to Himself
Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
And because of their saying: We slew the Messiah ‘Isa son of Maryam, the Messenger of Allah. But they did not slay him or crucify him; rather another man was made to resemble him to them and that man was crucified. Those who differ concerning this matter are in doubt concerning it, with no certain knowledge, but only conjecture to follow. But they certainly did not slay him.
Rather Allah took him up to Himself; and Allah is Almighty, Most Wise
an-Nisa’ 4:157-158.
iii. His physical characteristics
In the hadiths there is a description of his stature, hair and skin colour.
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “On the night on which I was taken on the Isra’ (Night Journey), I saw Musa… and I saw ‘Isa; he was a man of average height and ruddy, as if he had come out of a bathhouse.” (Al-Bukhari, Muslim).
Al-Tibi said: “‘Of average height’ means neither tall nor short.”
Ibn al-Mulaqqin said: “‘As if he had come out of a bathhouse’ – it was said that this was meant to describe his bright colour and radiant face. And it was said that the Arabs did not have bathhouses at that time; rather this is one of the signs of prophethood.”
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “There is no Prophet between me and him – meaning ‘Isa (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). He will descend and when you see him you should recognize him, a man of medium height with a reddish complexion, wearing two garments lightly dyed with saffron, with his head looking as if it is dripping although it will not be wet.” (Abu Dawud, Ahmad; sahih).
Ibn Ruslan said: “‘a reddish complexion’ means that his colour will be between red and white. ‘Wearing two garments lightly dyed with saffron’; the garment that is lightly dyed with saffron is a pale yellow colour, and its dye is not very dark. ‘With his head looking as if it is dripping’ with water ‘although it will not be wet’. Muslim narrated: “He will descend to the white minaret in the east of Damascus, wearing two garments lightly perfumed with saffron, placing his hands on the wings of two angels. When he lowers his head it will drip and when he raises it, it will scatter drops like pearls.’”
5.3.1. Evidence for his descent
Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
Verily, he ‘Isa will be a sign of the Hour
al-Zukhruf 43:61.
Al-Sa‘di said: “Verily, he ‘Isa will be a sign of the Hour means: ‘Isa (peace be upon him) is a proof for the coming resurrection, and that the One Who was able to create him from a mother without a father is able to raise the dead from their graves, or that ‘Isa (peace be upon him) will descend at the end of time, and his descent will be one of the signs that the Hour is fast approaching.”
And Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
There is none among the People of the Book but will believe in him before his death; and on the Day of Resurrection he will be a witness against them
al-Nisa’ 4:159.
Al-Baghawi said: “That is, there is no one among the people of the Book but he will surely believe in ‘Isa (peace be upon him) before he dies. This is the view of most of the commentators and scholars.
Before his death the scholars differed regarding this phrase. ‘Ikrimah, Mujahid, al-Dahhak and al-Suddi said: The pronoun refers to the kitabi (Jew or Christian); what it means is there is no one among the People of the Book but he will surely believe in ‘Isa (peace be upon him) before his own death, when it is too late and his belief will not benefit him… Some scholars are of the view that the pronoun “his” refers to ‘Isa (peace be upon him) , so what is meant is: there is no one among the people of the Book but he will surely believe in ‘Isa (peace be upon him) before ‘Isa (peace be upon him) dies. That will be when he comes down from heaven at the end of time, whereupon there will be no one left but he will believe in him and there will be only one religion, namely Islam.”
Ibn Kathir said, after quoting a great deal of evidence regarding the descent of ‘Isa ibn Maryam (peace be upon him) : “These hadiths are narrated via mutawatir reports from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), from the reports of Abu Hurayrah, Ibn Mas‘ud, ‘Uthman ibn Abi’l-‘As, Abu Umamah, al-Nawwas ibn Sam‘an, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘As, Majma‘ ibn Jariyah, Abu Sarihah and Hudhayfah ibn Usayd (may Allah be pleased with them). They indicate how and where he will descend, and that it will be in Syria; in fact it will be in Damascus, at the eastern minaret, and that will be at the time of Fajr prayer. In our time, in 741 AH, a white minaret was built for al-Jami‘ al-Umawi (the Umayyad Mosque), out of carved stone… Therefore it is most likely that this is the one to which the Messiah ‘Isa ibn Maryam will descend.”
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “By the One in Whose hand is my soul, soon the Son of Maryam (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) will descend among you as a just ruler, he will break the cross, kill the pigs and abolish the jizyah, and wealth will become so abundant that no one will accept it, until a single prostration will be better than this world and everything in it.” Then Abu Hurayrah said: Recite if you wish:
There is none among the People of the Book but will believe in him before his death; and on the Day of Resurrection he will be a witness against them
al-Nisa’ 4:159. (Al-Bukhari, Muslim)
5.3.2. The place where he will descend
It was narrated from al-Nawwas ibn Sam‘an (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “He will descend at the white minaret in the east of Damascus.” (Muslim)
Al-Nawawi said: “This minaret exists now, in the east of Damascus.”
Ibn Kathir said: “A minaret was rebuilt in our time, in 741 AH, of white stone. It was sponsored by the Christians who burned down the original minaret that was in that place. Perhaps this is one of the clear signs of prophethood, as Allah caused this white minaret to be built at the Christians’ expense, so that ‘Isa ibn Maryam will descend to it. Then he will kill the pigs, break the cross and not accept any jizyah from them, and whoever does not become Muslim, he will execute him. This will be the ruling with regard to all the disbelievers on earth at that time, because there will be no one who has any power over the people of this earth except him. This is an example of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) telling us about the Messiah, and that Allah has allowed that to him and prescribed that for him, otherwise he will only rule in accordance with this sharia (Islamic system of law).”
5.3.3. How he will descend
It was narrated from al-Nawwas ibn Sam‘an (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said in a lengthy hadith about the Dajjal: “Then whilst he is like that, Allah will send the Messiah son of Maryam (peace be upon him) , who will descend at the white minaret in the east of Damascus, placing his hands on the wings of two angels. When he lowers his head it will drip and when he raises it, it will scatter drops like pearls. Every disbeliever whom his breath reaches will die, and his breath will reach as far as he can see. He will pursue him the Dajjal until he catches up with him at the gate of Ludd, and kills him. Then some people whom Allah has protected from him the Dajjal will come to ‘Isa ibn Maryam, and he will wipe their faces and inform them of their ranks in Paradise.” (Muslim)
‘Ali al-Qari said: “‘placing his hand on the wings of two angels’– this is a description of how he will descend, just as the phrase before it describes how his garments will be and how beautiful they will be. Then there is a further description, as the hadith says ‘when he lowers his head it will drip’ that is, with sweat; ‘and when he raises it’ that is, his head, ‘it will scatter’ that is, there will fall from his hair shining drops, which will be like beads made of silver, ‘like pearls’ that is, in their clarity and whiteness.”
5.4.3. The first things he will do after he descends
The first thing he will do after he descends is kill the Dajjal
It was narrated from al-Nawwas ibn Sam‘an that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “‘Isa will descend to the white minaret in the east of Damascus, wearing two garments lightly perfumed with saffron, placing his hands on the wings of two angels. When he lowers his head it will drip and when he raises it, it will scatter drops like pearls. Every disbeliever whom his breath reaches will die, and his breath will reach as far as he can see. He will pursue him the Dajjal until he catches up with him at the gate of Ludd, and kills him.” (Muslim).
Ibn ‘Uthaymin said: “Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, will send down ‘Isa ibn Maryam, the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), resting his hands on the wings of two angels, because the angels have wings. They will bring him down from heaven, because at present ‘Isa is alive in heaven. He will come down when the Hour is about to begin, to kill the Dajjal. He will come down looking as if – and Allah knows best – he has just bathed in pure water, when he lowers his head it will drip with water, and when he raises his head, there will fall from it something like pearls. It may be that this is water, or it may be that it is sweat; and Allah knows best. Then he will seek out the evil, scheming, one-eyed Dajjal. No disbeliever will smell the breath of ‘Isa but he will die. Subhan Allah, the breath of ‘Isa will kill the disbelievers, and his breath will reach as far as he can see! This is also one of the signs of Allah, for our breath only travels a handspan or thereabouts, but the breath of ‘Isa will travel as far as he can see. What that means is that he will kill many of the disbelievers, because this breath will travel through the air and any disbeliever whom his breath reaches will die. He will come down at the white minaret in the east of Damascus; this is how the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) described it. So that minaret must exist at the time when ‘Isa ibn Maryam (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) comes down. He will reach the Dajjal and catch up with him at the gate of Ludd. Ludd (also known as Lod) exists at present in Palestine, but it has been colonised by the Jews.… ‘Isa will catch up with the Dajjal and will kill him there, and that will be the end of the Dajjal, and the Messiah and Messenger of Allah ‘Isa (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) will remain. And Allah is the source of help. Then ‘Isa ibn Maryam will come to some people whom Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, protected from the tribulation of the Dajjal; he will wipe their faces and give them glad tidings of their places in Paradise.”
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “The Hour will not begin until the Byzantines camp at al-A‘maq or Dabiq two places in Syria near Aleppo, and an army composed of the best people on earth at that time will go out from Madinah to meet them. When they arrange themselves in ranks, the Byzantines will say: ‘Do not stand between us and those who were taken prisoner from among us and became Muslim; let us fight them.’ The Muslims will say: ‘No by Allah, we will never let you reach our brothers.’ Then they will fight them, and one third will flee, whose repentance will never be accepted by Allah; one third will be killed, and they are the best of martyrs before Allah; and one third will prevail and will never succumb to any fitnah, and they will conquer Constantinople. Whilst they are dividing the spoils, having hung their swords on the olive trees, the Shaytan will shout out among them: ‘The Dajjal has taken your place among your families!’ So they will march, but that will be false news. When they reach Syria, he will emerge, and whilst they are still preparing for battle, drawing up their ranks, the iqamah for prayer will be given and ‘Isa ibn Maryam (peace be upon him) will descend and will lead them in prayer. When the enemy of Allah sees him, he will melt as salt melts in water. If he left him alone, he would still melt until he was destroyed, but Allah will kill him at his hand, and he will show them his blood on his lance.” (Muslim).
Ibn al-Malik al-Karmani al-Hanafi said: “‘When the enemy of Allah sees him, he will melt as salt melts in water. If he left him alone’ that is, even if ‘Isa (peace be upon him) left the Dajjal alone and did not kill him, ‘he would still melt until he was destroyed’ that is, completely. ‘but Allah will kill him at his hand’ that is, at the hand of ‘Isa (peace be upon him) ; ‘and he will show them’ that is, ‘Isa (peace be upon him) will show the Muslims, or the disbelievers, ‘his blood on his lance.’”
During the time of ‘Isa, Ya’juj and Ma’juj will emerge, and Allah will destroy them by the virtue of the blessing of ‘Isa’s supplication
It was narrated from al-Nawwas ibn Sam‘an (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said regarding ‘Isa (peace be upon him) after he kills the Dajjal: “Then some people whom Allah has protected will come to ‘Isa ibn Maryam, and he will wipe their faces and inform them of their ranks in Paradise. Whilst they are like that, Allah will reveal to ‘Isa (peace be upon him) : I have brought forth some slaves of Mine Ya’juj and Ma’juj against whom no one will be able to fight; take My Muslim slaves to safety in al-Tur. And Allah will send Ya’juj and Ma’juj, who will swarm down from every slope. The first of them will pass by the Lake of Tiberias and will drink what is in it, and the last of them will pass it and say: There was once water here. Then the Prophet of Allah ‘Isa and his companions will be besieged until the head of a bull for one of them will be better than one hundred dinars for one of you today. The Prophet of Allah ‘Isa and his companions will beseech Allah, and Allah will send worms in their necks, and they will all perish as one in the morning. Then the Prophet of Allah ‘Isa and his companions will come down to the land and they will not find a spot the size of a handspan on earth that is not filled with their putrefaction and stench. The Prophet of Allah ‘Isa (peace be upon him) and his companions will beseech Allah, and Allah will send birds like the necks of Bactrian camels which will carry them and throw them wherever Allah wills.” (Muslim).
‘Isa (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) will rule in accordance with Islamic sharia
One of the indications that ‘Isa (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) will rule in accordance with Islamic sharia is the fact that Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, has told us in His Book that He will teach ‘Isa the Book and wisdom, and the Torah and the Gospel. That was when glad tidings of ‘Isa were given to Maryam (peace be upon him) before his birth, in the verse in which Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
And Allah will teach him the Book and wisdom, the Torah and the Gospel
Al ‘Imran 3:48.
It was narrated from some of the early generations who commented on the meaning of this verse that what is meant by the Book is the Qur’an, and what is meant by wisdom is the Sunnah.
It was narrated from al-Hasan al-Basri that he said regarding the words And Allah will teach him the Book and wisdom, the Torah and the Gospel: “The Book is the Qur’an, and wisdom is the Sunnah.”
Ibn Abi Hatim said: “Something similar was narrated from Abu Malik, Muqatil ibn Hayyan and Qatadah.”
It was narrated that Jabir ibn ‘Abdillah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I heard the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) say: “A group among my ummah will continue to fight for the truth and will prevail until the Day of Resurrection. And ‘Isa ibn Maryam will descend and their leader will say: ‘Come and lead us in prayer,’ but he will say: ‘No, you are leaders of one another,’ as an honour from Allah to this ummah.” (Muslim).
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “How will you be when the son of Maryam descends among you and leads you in accordance with what you have?” Ibn Abi Dhi’b, one of the narrators of the hadith, said to al-Walid ibn Muslim: Do you know what “leads you in accordance with what you have” means? He said: Tell me. He said: He will lead you according to the Book of your Lord, may He be blessed and exalted, and the Sunnah of your Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). (Muslim).
Abu’l-‘Abbas al-Qurtubi said: “ ‘Isa (peace be upon him) will not bring a new system of law to the people of the earth; rather he will come to affirm this system of law (Islamic sharia), because this system of law is the last of the systems of law, and Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) is the last of the messengers. There is clear evidence for that in the fact that the Muslim leader will say to ‘Isa: ‘Come and lead us in prayer,’ and he will say, ‘No; you have your own leader from among yourselves,’ by way of Allah’s honouring this ummah.”
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “The Hour will not begin until ‘Isa ibn Maryam descends among you as a just ruler; he will break the cross, kill the pigs and abolish the jizyah, and wealth will become so abundant that no one will accept it.” (Al-Bukhari, Muslim).
Ibn Taymiyah said: “We are enjoined to believe in the Messiah son of Maryam, and to obey him if we live to see him. However, he will not instruct us to do anything that is not in accordance with the sharia of Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).”
Ibn Baz said: “The Messiah (peace be upon him) will not come down in our time; rather he will come down in the future, as the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) told us.… He will come down at the end of time as a just ruler; he will kill the false messiah, break the cross, kill the pigs and abolish the jizyah, and he will not accept anything but Islam. These are mutawatir hadiths narrated from the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) which are definitively sound, and the scholars of Islam are unanimously agreed that they are to be accepted and we are to believe in what they indicate; they quoted them in the books of ‘aqidah (creed).”
5.3.5. How life will be at the time of ‘Isa (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)
The time of ‘Isa (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) will begin, as noted above, with the killing of the Dajjal, then he will pray against Ya’juj and Ma’juj, and Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, will destroy them and their evil will come to an end.
Peace and security will prevail during his time, and there will be no fear and no aggression
It was narrated that ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “The Dajjal will appear among my ummah and he will stay for forty. I do not know if it is forty days, or forty months, or forty years. Then Allah will send ‘Isa ibn Maryam, who looks like ‘Urwah ibn Mas‘ud, and he will pursue him and kill him. Then the people will remain for seven years with no enmity between any two people.” (Muslim).
Abu’l-‘Abbas al-Qurtubi said regarding the hadith, “Towards the end of time, hardly any dream of a Muslim will be untrue”: “What is meant by the end of time that is mentioned in this hadith – and Allah knows best – is the time of the group that will still be with ‘Isa ibn Maryam (peace be upon him) after he has killed the Dajjal, as is mentioned in the hadith of ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr, in which it says: ‘Then Allah will send ‘Isa ibn Maryam... Then the people will remain for seven years with no enmity between any two people. Then Allah will send a cool wind from the direction of Syria and there will be no one left on the face of the earth in whose heart there is an atom’s weight of goodness or faith but it will cause him to die.’ The people of that time will be the best of this ummah after the early generations, and the most truthful of them in speech, and their dreams will not be untrue.”
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said about what will happen after ‘Isa (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) comes down: “He will bring back peace. He will turn swords into sickles and the venom of every venomous creature will disappear. The sky will send down its provision and the earth will bring forth its blessings until children will play with snakes and they will not harm them, sheep will graze with wolves and they will not harm them, and lions will graze with cattle and they will not harm them.” (Ahmad, Ibn ‘Asakir; sahih).
Al-Khattabi said: “The words ‘He will turn swords into sickles’ mean that the people will give up jihad and will focus on tilling the land and growing crops.”
His era will be a time of abundance and blessings
It was narrated from ‘Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), said regarding the time of ‘Isa (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him): “and wealth will become so abundant that no one will accept it.”
Al-Sam‘ani said: “Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): It is He Who has sent His Messenger with guidance and the religion of truth, so that He may cause it to prevail over all other religions al-Tawbah 9:33. It is well known that ‘Isa (peace be upon him) will come down from heaven, and he will break the cross and kill the pigs, and there will remain no Jew or Christian but he will become Muslim. At that time, war will lay down its burdens and wealth will become so abundant that no one will accept it.”
It was narrated from al-Nawwas ibn Sam‘an (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said, speaking of the time after Ya’juj and Ma’juj have been done away with: “Then it will be said to the earth: Bring forth your fruits and restore your blessing. On that day a group of people will eat from a pomegranate and shelter beneath its skin. Milk will be blessed until a milch-camel will be sufficient for a crowd of people, and a milch-cow will be sufficient for a tribe of people, and a milch-sheep will be sufficient for a family of people.” (Muslim)
It was narrated from ‘Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said regarding the time of ‘Isa (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) after he comes down: “The sky will send down its provision and the earth will bring forth its blessings.” (Ahmad, Ibn ‘Asakir; sahih).
5.3.6. How long will ‘Isa (peace be upon him) remain on earth?
There is a difference of scholarly opinion regarding how long ‘Isa (peace be upon him) will remain on earth after he comes down at the end of time. It was said that he will remain for forty years; it was also said that he will remain for seven years, during which he will reach the age of forty, because according to the most well-known view, his age when he was taken up to heaven was thirty-three years. And Allah knows best.
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “The Prophets are like half- brothers; their mothers are different but their religion is the same. I am the closest of the people to ‘Isa ibn Maryam, because there is no Prophet between me and him. He will descend and when you see him you should recognize him, a man of medium height with a white complexion with a reddish tinge, wearing two garments lightly dyed with saffron, with his head looking as if it is dripping although it will not be wet. He will break the cross, kill the pigs, abolish the jizyah and call the people to Islam. During his time, Allah will cause all religions to perish except Islam, and during his time Allah will destroy the false messiah, the Dajjal. There will be safety on earth, to such an extent that lions will graze with camels, tigers with cows and wolves with sheep; children will play with snakes and they will not harm them. He will remain for forty years, then he will die and the Muslims will offer the funeral prayer for him.” (Abu Dawud, Ahmad; sahih).
5.3.7. Scholarly views regarding the descent of ‘Isa (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)
i. Ibn Battah said: “We must believe that ‘Isa ibn Maryam (peace be upon him) will descend from heaven to earth. He will break the cross and kill the pigs, and the call will be one.”
ii. Abu ‘Amr al-Dani said: “It is obligatory to believe in what has been narrated from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and proven by sound transmission, and the Muslims have transmitted it generation after generation, about the hereafter, tribulations, the signs and portents of the Hour, and that it is nigh. That includes … believing that ‘Isa (peace be upon him) will descend, and that he will break the cross and kill the pigs and the Dajjal; then there will be a time of security on earth, when the call will be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): There is none among the People of the Book but will believe in him before his death al-Nisa’ 4:159 that is, before the death of ‘Isa (peace be upon him) , after he descends. And Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): Verily, he ‘Isa will be a sign of the Hour al-Zukhruf 43:61.”
iii. ‘Iyad said: “The descent of ‘Isa the Messiah and his killing the Dajjal are true and are soundly narrated according to Ahl al-Sunnah, because of the sahih reports that have been narrated concerning that, and because there are no reports to invalidate or undermine that. This is in contrast to some of the Mu‘tazilah and Jahamis, and others who share their view, who deny that and claim that what Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, says about Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) (interpretation of the meaning) the last of the Prophets al-Ahzab 33:40 and the Prophet’s words “There will be no prophet after me” (al-Bukhari, Muslim), the consensus of the Muslims regarding that, and the fact that the sharia of Islam will abide and will not be abrogated until the Day of Resurrection, all contradict these hadiths. But it is not as they claim, because none of the hadiths say that ‘Isa will abrogate any system of law (sharia) or come as a prophet with a new message; rather the reports describe him as a just ruler who will come to revive Islam and correct what has been changed in it, and his mission will be to rectify the condition of the ummah, establish justice, break the cross and kill the pigs.”
5.3.8. The wisdom behind the descent of ‘Isa (peace be upon him)
Ibn Hajar said: “The scholars said: the wisdom behind the descent of ‘Isa and not any of the other prophets is to refute the claim of the Jews that they killed him. Allah will demonstrate that they are lying and he (‘Isa) will kill them.”
5.4. The emergence of Ya’juj and Ma’juj
5.4.1. The meaning of Ya’juj and Ma’juj in linguistic terms
Ya’juj and Ma’juj are two tribes who are among the descendants of Adam.
5.4.2. The origin of Ya’juj and Ma’juj
They are among the descendants of Adam and Hawwa’, as is the clear and apparent meaning of the hadith of Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: The Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, will say on the Day of Resurrection: ‘O Adam!’ He will say, ‘Here I am, our Lord.’ Then a voice will call out: ‘Allah commands you to bring forth those of your offspring who are to be sent to Hell.’ He will say, ‘O Lord, who are those who are to be sent to Hell?’ He will say, ‘From every thousand, nine hundred and ninety nine.’ At that time every pregnant female will abort and every child will turn grey, and you will see the people appearing intoxicated while they are not intoxicated; but the punishment of Allah is severe al-Hajj 22:2.” That distressed the people so much that their expressions changed, then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “From among Ya’juj and Ma’juj nine hundred and ninety-nine and from among you one…” (Al-Bukhari).
Ibn Hajar said: “The point of the hadith is to highlight the huge numbers of Ya’juj and Ma’juj, and that in relation to them, this ummah is approximately one tenth of one tenth of one tenth (that is, one thousandth), and that they are among the progeny of Adam, so as to refute those who say otherwise.”
Ibn Kathir said: “They are among the progeny of Adam and Hawwa’… And they are among the progeny of Nuh (peace be upon him) , through the line of Yafith ibn Nuh, the father of the Turks. They used to spread mischief in the land and cause a great deal of trouble to its people, then Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, commanded Dhu’l-Qarnayn to detain them in their place behind the barrier, until Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, gives them permission to emerge and attack the people. Then there will happen to them what we have quoted in the hadiths. They are like other people, and look like them, and they resemble their fellow Turks, the same shape and colour.”
5.4.3. The barrier of Ya’juj and Ma’juj
i. The construction of the barrier and description thereof
Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, says regarding Dhu’l-Qarnayn (interpretation of the meaning):
until, when he arrived between the two mountains, he found beyond them a people who could scarcely understand a word.
They said: O Dhu’l-Qarnayn, Ya’juj and Ma’juj are spreading mischief in the land. May we give you some payment in return for your constructing a barrier between us and them?
He said: What my Lord has given me is better than what you would give me. But help me with manpower and equipment, and I will construct a fortified barrier between you and them.
Bring me blocks of iron. Then when he had filled the gap between the two mountain-sides he said: Blow with your bellows. Then when he had made it glow like fire, he said: Bring me molten copper to pour over it.
Thus Ya’juj and Ma’juj were made powerless to scale it or bore their way through it
al-Kahf 18:93-97.
Al-Sa‘di said: “Then he pursued another course until, when he arrived between the two mountains. The commentators said that he went from the east, heading north, and he arrived between the two mountains. There was a chain of mountains that was well known at that time, which formed a barrier between Ya’juj and Ma’juj and other people. …
He said: ‘What my Lord has given me is better that is, better than what you are offering and what you would give me; but I ask you to help me with your physical strength and labour
and I will construct a fortified barrier between you and them to prevent them from crossing to you.
Bring me blocks of iron that is, pieces of iron, which they brought to him
Then when he had filled the gap between the two mountain-sides that is, the two mountains between which he built the barrier
(he said): ‘Blow (with your bellows)’ on the fire, to let it reach the greatest intensity of heat. They used the bellows for that, so that the heat would become greater and melt the copper. When the copper had melted, which he wanted to pour between the blocks of iron,
he said: ‘Bring me molten copper to pour over it’. He poured the molten copper over it, and the barrier became extremely solid, and the people beyond it were protected by it from the harm of Ya’juj and Ma’juj.
Thus (Ya’juj and Ma’juj) were made powerless to scale it or bore their way through it that is, they were not able and did not have the strength to climb it because it was so high, or to bore through it because it was so solid and strong.”
ii. The destruction of the barrier
Ibn Kathir said: “The words This is a mercy from my Lord al-Kahf 18:98 means when Dhu’l-Qarnayn finished building the barrier, he said: This is a mercy from my Lord that is, a mercy to the people, as He has made a barrier between them and Ya’juj and Ma’juj, to prevent them from causing trouble and spreading mischief. But when the time appointed by my Lord comes that is, when the time comes for the fulfilment of Allah’s promise, He will level it that is, make it level with the ground. ‘Ikrimah said regarding the verse But when the time appointed by my Lord comes, He will level it al-Kahf 18:98: “That is, like a road, as it was before. The promise of my Lord is ever true that is, it will inevitably come to pass.
The words On that day We will leave them to surge like waves against one another al-Kahf 18:99 mean: on the day when the barrier is levelled, the people Ya’juj and Ma’juj will come out in waves and attack people, destroying their wealth and their belongings. This was stated by al-Suddi regarding the verse, On that day We will leave them to surge like waves against one another al-Kahf 18:99. He said: That is when they will emerge and attack the people. All of this will happen before the Day of Resurrection and after the Dajjal, as will be explained below in sha Allah, when we discuss the verses (interpretation of the meaning):
until, when Ya’juj and Ma’juj have been let loose and come rushing from all directions,
and the true promise nears its fulfilment
al-Anbiya’ 21:96-97.
Similarly, in this verse Allah says:
On that day We will leave them to surge like waves against one another. The Trumpet will be blown, then We will gather them all together al-Kahf 18:99.
Ibn Zayd said regarding the words, On that day We will leave them to surge like waves against one another that is, at the beginning of the Day of Resurrection. The Trumpet will be blown straight after that, then We will gather them all together.
Other scholars said: Rather what is meant by the words On that day We will leave them to surge like waves against one another is: on the Day of Resurrection, humans and jinn will mix together.”
And Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
until, when Ya’juj and Ma’juj have been let loose and come rushing from all directions,
and the true promise nears its fulfilment; then the eyes of the disbelievers will stare in horror
al-Anbiya’ 21:96-97.
Ibn Jarir said: “Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, is saying here: until, when the barrier is opened to let Ya’juj and Ma’juj – who are two nations – out.”
Al-Sa‘di said: “This is a warning from Allah to the people, lest they persist in disbelief and sin, for the time has drawn near for the emergence of Ya’juj and Ma’juj. These are two great tribes of the sons of Adam. Dhu’l-Qarnayn built the barrier to contain them, when a complaint was made to him about their spreading mischief in the land.
At the end of time, the barrier will be breached and they will emerge against people in the manner described by Allah, rushing from all directions. This is indicative of their huge numbers and the speed with which they will travel throughout the earth, either because of their own strength or because of what Allah will create for them of means of crossing large distances and making that which is difficult easy for them. They will subdue the people and behave arrogantly towards them in this world, and no one will be able to fight them.
and the true promise nears its fulfilment namely the Day of Resurrection, which Allah has promised will come, and His promise is true.”
It was narrated from Zaynab bint Jahsh (may Allah be pleased with her) that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) entered her house one day in a state of alarm, saying: “La ilaha illa Allah (There is no god worthy of worship except Allah), woe to the Arabs from a tribulation that has approached! Today a (hole) like this has been opened in the barrier of Ya’juj and Ma’juj,” and he made a circle with his thumb and forefinger. Zaynab said; I said: O Messenger of Allah, will we be destroyed even though there are righteous people among us? He said: “Yes, if evil prevails.” (Al-Bukhari, Muslim).
Abu’l-‘Abbas al-Qurtubi said: “The Prophet’s words, ‘woe to the Arabs from a tribulation that has approached,’ form a warning alerting people to the division, tribulations and killing that would occur among the Arabs, the first of which was the murder of ‘Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him). This is why he described it as having approached. Then that continued until the Arabs, among other nations, became like a platter of food from which people eat, as it says in the other hadith: ‘Soon the nations will call one another to attack you as diners call one another to a platter.’ These words were addressed to the Arabs, as were the words: ‘I see the places where tribulation will occur between your houses as rain falls between your houses.’ (Al-Bukhari, Muslim) and ‘Today a (hole) like this has been opened in the barrier of Ya’juj and Ma’juj.’ This refers to the barrier that was built by Dhu’l-Qarnayn to contain Ya’juj and Ma’juj. Their names come from the same root as the word ajij (flame), which is the light and heat of fire. They are so called because they are so many and so fierce. It was also said that their name is derived from the word ujaj, which refers to very salty water… The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said, ‘like this’ and he made a circle with his thumb and forefinger. The latter words are an explanation by the Sahabah of what they saw of the Prophet’s gesture. The point is that what has been opened in the barrier is very small, yet despite that Allah did not inspire them to say, ‘Tomorrow we will open it, in sha Allah.’ When they do say that, then they will emerge. And Allah knows best.”
5.4.4. The time when Ya’juj and Ma’juj will emerge
Their emergence will happen after ‘Isa ibn Maryam comes down and defeats the Dajjal.
It was narrated from al-Nawwas ibn Sam‘an (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said regarding the descent of ‘Isa (peace be upon him) : “He will descend at the white minaret in the east of Damascus, placing his hands on the wings of two angels. When he lowers his head it will drip and when he raises it, it will scatter drops like pearls. Every disbeliever whom his breath reaches will die, and his breath will reach as far as he can see. He will pursue him the Dajjal until he catches up with him at the gate of Ludd, and kills him. Then some people whom Allah has protected from him the Dajjal will come to ‘Isa ibn Maryam, and he will wipe their faces and inform them of their ranks in Paradise. Whilst they are like that, Allah will reveal to ‘Isa (peace be upon him) : I have brought forth some slaves of Mine Ya’juj and Ma’juj against whom no one will be able to fight; take My Muslim slaves to safety in al-Tur. And Allah will send Ya’juj and Ma’juj, who will swarm down from every slope. The first of them will pass by the Lake of Tiberias and will drink what is in it, and the last of them will pass it and say: ‘There was once water here.’ Then the Prophet of Allah ‘Isa and his companions will be besieged until the head of a bull for one of them will be better than one hundred dinars for one of you today.” (Muslim).
5.4.5. The destruction of Ya’juj and Ma’juj
It was narrated from al-Nawwas ibn Sam‘an (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Then the Prophet of Allah ‘Isa and his companions will be besieged until the head of a bull for one of them will be better than one hundred dinars for one of you today. The Prophet of Allah ‘Isa and his companions will beseech Allah, and Allah will send worms in their necks, and they will all perish as one in the morning. Then the Prophet of Allah ‘Isa and his companions will come down to the land and they will not find a spot the size of a handspan on earth that is not filled with their putrefaction and stench. The Prophet of Allah ‘Isa (peace be upon him) and his companions will beseech Allah, and Allah will send birds like the necks of Bactrian camels which will carry them and throw them wherever Allah wills. Then Allah will send rain which will not be kept out by any house of clay or hair; it will wash the earth and leave it like a mirror. Then it will be said to the earth: Bring forth your fruits and restore your blessing. On that day a group of people will eat from a pomegranate and shelter beneath its skin. Milk will be blessed until a milch-camel will be sufficient for a crowd of people, and a milch-cow will be sufficient for a tribe of people, and a milch-sheep will be sufficient for a family of people.”
Abu’l-‘Abbas al-Qurtubi said: “The worm referred to here is a worm that infests the noses of camels and sheep; even though it is regarded as insignificant, the damage it causes is severe. It may be said to an insignificant man: You are no more than a worm. The words ‘and they will all perish as one in the morning’ mean that they will be dead, slain. The word ‘putrefaction’ refers to rotting and a foul odour.
Bactrian camels are a kind of camels with thick necks and large humps. The words ‘rain which will not be kept out by any house of clay or hair’ mean: no dwelling, whether it is a house built of clay or a tent made of hair, will be protected from that rain, because it will be so heavy.”
Al-Nawawi said: “Regarding the words ‘it will wash the earth and leave it like a mirror,’ Tha‘lab, Abu Zayd and others said what is meant is that it will be smooth like a mirror. The author of al-Mashariq narrated this from Ibn ‘Abbas, who also likened it to a mirror because of its clarity and cleanliness.”
It was narrated from al-Nawwas ibn Sam‘an that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “The Muslims will use the bows, arrows and shields of Ya’juj and Ma’juj as firewood for seven years.” (Ibn Majah; sahih).
Al-San‘ani said: “ ‘The Muslims will use the bows, arrows and shields of Ya’juj and Ma’juj as firewood for seven years.’ … that is, after Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, destroys them, as mentioned above. This highlights the huge quantity of their weapons. Hence it was said that they will be nine tenths, and the people will be one tenth.”
5.4.6. Scholarly views regarding Ya’juj and Ma’juj
i. Abu ‘Amr al-Dani said: “It is obligatory to believe in what has been narrated from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and proven by sound transmission, and the Muslims have transmitted it generation after generation, about the hereafter, tribulations, the signs and portents of the Hour, and that it is nigh. That includes … believing in the emergence of Ya’juj and Ma’juj, who will be inhabitants of Hell. Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
until, when Ya’juj and Ma’juj have been let loose and come rushing from all directions,
and the true promise nears its fulfilment
al-Anbiya’ 21:96-97.
They will drink up all the water, and the people will fortify themselves against them. Then Allah will send a worm in the backs of their heads, and kill them thereby, then the earth will be filled with the stench of their corpses.”
ii. Ibn Qudamah said: “It is obligatory to believe in everything that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) has spoken of and was soundly narrated from him, whether it is something that we can see or something that is hidden from us. We know that it is true, and it does not matter whether we can understand it or not, even if we have not come to know what was really meant… An example of that is the portents of the Hour, such as the emergence of the Dajjal, the descent of ‘Isa ibn Maryam (peace be upon him) who will kill him, the emergence of Ya’juj and Ma’juj, the emergence of the Beast, the rising of the sun from its place of setting, and other such matters that have been soundly narrated.”
5.5. Three landslides
A landslide is when a place disappears into the earth. It is mentioned in the verse in which Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
And We caused the earth to swallow him and his house
al-Qasas 28:81.
The three landslides that will be among the portents of the Hour are mentioned in the Sunnah.
It was narrated from Hudhayfah ibn Usayd (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “The Hour will not begin until you see ten signs…” among which he mentioned three landslides: a landslide in the east, a landslide in the west, and a landslide in the Arabian Peninsula. (Muslim).
Al-San‘ani said: “Perhaps these landslides have not yet happened. And Allah knows best.”
Salih Al al-Shaykh said: “These three landslides will be huge landslides, the like of which has never happened before. Earthquakes and landslides happen on earth, and they are signs of Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, with which He tests and punishes people. But these landslides will be signs of the approach of the Hour, the like of which never happened before, so they will be unprecedented. They will be huge landslides that will happen in the east, in the west, and in the Arabian Peninsula. It is well known that a landslide occurs when a part of the land falls down or sinks.”
5.6. The rising of the sun from its place of setting
5.6.1. Evidence for the rising of the sun from its place of setting
Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
Do they then wait for anything except that the angels should come to them or your Lord should come or that there come some of the signs of your Lord? The Day that some of the signs of your Lord will come, no soul will benefit from its faith as long as it had not believed before or had earned through its faith some good. Say, “Wait. Indeed, we also are waiting”
al-An‘am 6:158.
Al-Baghawi said: “or that there come some of the signs of your Lord that is, the rising of the sun from its place of setting. This is the view of most of the commentators.”
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “The Hour will not begin until the sun rises from its place of setting. When it rises from its place of setting and the people see it, they will all believe, but on that day no soul will benefit from its faith as long as it had not believed before or had earned through its faith some good al-An‘am 6:158.” (Muslim).
It was narrated that Hudhayfah ibn Usayd (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) looked out over us when we were talking and said: “What are you talking about?” They said: We are talking about the Hour. He said: “It will never come until you see ten signs,” and he mentioned the smoke, the Dajjal, the Beast, the rising of the sun from its place of setting… (Muslim).
It was narrated that ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I remember a hadith from the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) that I have not forgotten yet. I heard the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) say: “The first of the signs to appear will be the rising of the sun from its place of setting and the emergence of the Beast to the people in the forenoon. Whichever of them appears first, the other will follow soon after.” (Muslim).
Abu’l-‘Abbas al-Qurtubi said: “The words ‘The first of the signs to appear will be the rising of the sun from its place of setting and the emergence of the Beast to the people in the forenoon’ mean – and Allah knows best – that the first of the signs to appear at the time when repentance will no longer be accepted and every heart will be sealed with whatever is already in it, because whatever repentance occurs before the sun rises from its place of setting will be accepted, and if the disbeliever becomes a believer it will be valid.”
Ibn Hajar said: “What is most likely to be the case, based on examining all the reports, is that the emergence of the Dajjal will be the first of the major signs which will signify that the general situation has changed in most of the earth, and the last of those signs will be the death of ‘Isa ibn Maryam. The rising of the sun from its place of setting will be the first of the major signs which signal the change of the general situation in the upper realm, and the last of those signs will be the onset of the Hour. Perhaps the emergence of the Beast will happen on the same day on which the sun rises from its place of setting.”
5.6.2. The closing of the gate of repentance after the sun rises from its place of setting
Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
The Day that some of the signs of your Lord will come no soul will benefit from its faith as long as it had not believed before or had earned through its faith some good. Say, “Wait. Indeed, we also are waiting”
al-An‘am 6:158.
It was narrated that Abu Musa (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Allah holds out His hand at night to accept the repentance of those who have sinned during the day, and He holds out His hand by day to accept the repentance of those who have sinned at night – until the sun rises from its place of setting.” (Muslim).
Abu’l-‘Abbas al-Qurtubi said: “Repentance will continue to be valid and acceptable until the time when the sun rises from where it sets. When that happens, every heart will be sealed with what is already in it, and no repentance will benefit anyone.”
5.6.3. The wisdom behind the sun rising from its place of setting
Al-Qurtubi said: “It was said that the wisdom behind the sun rising from its place of setting is that Ibrahim (peace be upon him) said to Namrud: But it is Allah Who brings the sun from the east; so bring it from the west if you can. Thus the one who disbelieved was dumbfounded al-Baqarah 2:258. Moreover, all the heretics and astrologers deny that and say that it cannot happen, but one day Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, will cause it to rise from its place of setting, so that those who deny that will see His might, as the sun is under His control; if He wills He will make it rise from the east and if He wills He will make it rise from the west.”
Ibn ‘Uthaymin said: “The rising of the sun from its place of setting is one of the signs of the Hour because the sun is one of Allah’s signs, and its course has not changed since Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, created it and will not change until the decree of Allah comes. When it changes its course, that will indicate that the universe is about to be destroyed and vanish.”
5.6.4. Scholarly views regarding the rising of the sun from its place of setting
i. al-Tahawi said: “We believe in the portents of the Hour, including the emergence of the Dajjal and the descent of ‘Isa ibn Maryam (peace be upon him) from heaven. And we believe in the rising of the sun from its place of setting and the emergence of the Beast of the earth from its place.”
ii. Ibn Abi Zamanin said: “Ahl al-Sunnah believe in the rising of the sun from its place of setting.”
iii. Ibn Baz said: “This sign is the greatest of the signs, namely the rising of the sun from its place of setting, because when it rises, no entering Islam or increase in good deeds will be accepted from anyone, and he will have nothing except what he did before. What is meant is that we must be careful and prepare to meet Allah, and not be heedless.”
5.7. The emergence of the Beast
Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
When the time for the fulfilment of the warning comes, We will bring forth to them out of the earth a Beast that will tell them that humankind did not believe in Our signs
al-Naml 27:82.
Ibn Kathir said: “This Beast will emerge at the end of time, when people become corrupt and turn away from the commands of Allah, and they change and alter the true religion. Allah will bring forth for them a Beast from the earth – it was said that it will be brought forth from Makkah or from elsewhere.”
Al-Sa‘di said: “This Beast is the famous Beast that will emerge at the end of time, and will be one of the portents of the Hour, as is mentioned in many hadiths. There is no sound evidence to describe it or say what kind of animal it will be; this verse only indicates that Allah will bring it forth to the people and that its speaking will be something extraordinary and will be one of the proofs of the truth of what Allah said in His Book. And Allah knows best.”
It was narrated from Abu Umamah al-Bahili (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “The Beast will emerge and mark the people on their noses, then they will live among you for a long time, until a man will buy a mount and he will be asked: ‘Who did you buy it from?’ And he will say: ‘’From the man with the mark on his nose.’”
Al-Munawi said: “‘The Beast will emerge’ at the end of time ‘and will mark the people’ that is, the disbelievers; it will make a mark on the face of each of them, like a branding. ‘On their noses, then they will live among you for a long time,’ that is, the lifespans of those who are marked will be extended after that, ‘until a man will buy a mount,’ for example, ‘and he will be asked: Who did you buy it from? And he will say: From the man with the mark on his nose.’ According to another report, he will say: I bought it from one of the people with marks on their noses.”
Ibn Hajar said: “Al-Hakim Abu ‘Abdillah said: What appears to be the case is that the rising of the sun from its place of setting will come before the emergence of the Beast, then the Beast will emerge on that day or close to it. I say: the wisdom behind that is that when the sun rises from its place of setting, the gate of repentance will be closed and the Beast will emerge to distinguish the believer from the disbeliever completely, as a confirmation that the gate of repentance has closed.”
5.8. The fire which will drive the people
5.8.1. Evidence to affirm this sign
It was narrated that Hudhayfah ibn Usayd (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) looked out over us when we were talking and said: “What are you talking about?” They said: We are talking about the Hour. He said: “It will never come until you see ten signs,” and he mentioned the smoke, the Dajjal, the Beast, the rising of the sun from its place of setting, the descent of ‘Isa ibn Maryam, Ya’juj and Ma’juj, and three landslides: one in the east, one in the west and one in the Arabian Peninsula. And the last of that will be a fire which will emerge from Yemen and drive the people to their place of gathering.” (Muslim).
Al-Nawawi said: “‘And the last of that will be a fire which will emerge from Yemen and drive the people to their place of gathering’ means: from the furthest part of Aden. Aden (‘Adan) is a famous city in Yemen… That fire that will emerge from the furthest part of Aden and Yemen is the fire that will drive the people (to the place of gathering), as stated in the hadith.”
Ibn Baz said: “After the sun rises from its place of setting, the Muslims will remain Muslims and the disbelievers will remain disbelievers. And the last of the signs will be a fire that drives the people to their place of gathering; it will emerge from the east, and according to some hadiths it will come from the furthest part of Aden in the south, then it will drive them towards the place of gathering. This will be the last of the signs.”
5.8.2. How the fire will drive the people at the end of time
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), who said: “The people will be gathered in three groups, hoping (for Paradise) and fearing (Hell), two on a camel, three on a camel, four on a camel, ten on a camel. The rest of them will be gathered by a fire which will rest with them when they stop to rest (during the day) and will stay with them when they stop for the night, and will be with them wherever they are in the morning and will be with them wherever they are in the evening.” (Al-Bukhari, Muslim).
Al-Nawawi said: “The scholars said: This gathering will be at the end of this world, just before the resurrection and just before the Trumpet blast, based on the Prophet’s words, “The fire will drive those who remain of them, staying with them overnight, pausing with them when they rest, and it will be with them morning and evening.” This is the last of the portents of the Hour, as Muslim stated after quoting the hadith on the signs of the Hour, as the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “The last of that will be a fire that will emerge from the furthest part of Aden and drive the people.” According to one report: “It will drive the people to their place of gathering.”
5.8.3. The land of gathering at the end of time
Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
It is He who expelled the ones who disbelieved among the People of the Book from their homes at the first gathering
al-Hashr 59:2.
Al-Sam‘ani said: “Regarding the words at the first gathering, al-Hasan said: What is meant by at the first gathering is that Syria will be the land of gathering. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) expelled them (the Jews) to Syria, so his expulsion of them was the first gathering. The second gathering will on the Day of Resurrection. This is the view of ‘Ikrimah too.”
The land of Syria will be the place of safety and faith when tribulations occur at the end of time
It was narrated that Abu’l-Darda’ (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whilst I was sleeping, I saw the entire religion being taken from beneath my head, and I thought that it was going to be taken away, so I followed it with my gaze, and it was taken to Syria. Indeed, when tribulation strikes, faith will be in Syria.” (Ahmad, al-Bazzar, al-Tabarani, al-Bayhaqi; sahih).
The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed for blessing for Syria. It was narrated that Ibn ‘Umar said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “O Allah, bless for us our Syria, bless for us our Yemen.” (Al-Bukhari).
The descent of ‘Isa (peace be upon him) at the end of time will be in Syria, and the believers will gather there to fight the Dajjal.
5.8.4. The time when the driving of the people by the fire will occur
The gathering mentioned in the hadiths quoted above will occur in this world; these hadiths do not refer to the gathering of people after the resurrection from their graves. As for the gathering in the hereafter, it is stated in the hadiths that the people, believers and disbelievers alike, will be gathered barefoot, naked, uncircumcised, carrying nothing.
It was narrated that Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) stood before us and said: “O people, you will be gathered barefoot, naked and uncircumcised, As We began the first creation, We will repeat it. That is a promise binding upon Us. Indeed, We will do it al-Anbiya’ 21:104.” (Al-Bukhari).
Ibn Baz said: “There are portents of the Hour which will occur at the end of time, and they have not happened up till now. They will occur as the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) stated. There are ten consecutive signs… The tenth sign is a fire that will emerge from the furthest part of Aden and will drive the people to their place of gathering in Syria; it will stay with them when they stop for the night and it will pause with them when they take a rest. After that the Hour will begin, at the time when Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, wills.
aqadia
