Dajjal in Hadith Literature

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There exist various Ahadith (sayings of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa)) about the Dajjal, many of which are metaphorical. Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian (as), the Promised Messiah and Mahdi, has provided many enlightened interpretations of these Ahadith, which coincide with the Holy Qur’an, other Ahadith, and the realities of our time. He states:

“Behold! The words of Allah are true and cannot be changed, but the people do not understand the meanings of the Ahadith and have not understood them as they should have been. And Allah blesses whomsoever He wills from amongst His servants, and grants him understanding of that which he has not granted understanding to anybody else in the world.”(1)

A summary of some of his interpretations are given below: His Physical DescriptionHis Being Compared to the Appearance of Abdul Uzza Ibn Qatan

The Holy Prophet (sa) described the Dajjal in one place as: “…He (Dajjal) will be a young man with curly hair and a protuberant eye; I liken him to ‘Abdul-‘Uzza bin Qatan…” (2)

The Holy Prophet (sa) here stated that if he were to compare him to someone, he would compare him to Abdul Uzza Ibn Qatan. Mullah Ali Qari stated in his explanation of this Hadith that the fact the Holy Prophet (sa) used the word “Kanni” (meaning “as if I am”) which means that this was a vision of the Holy Prophet (sa) that requires interpretation. (3) All the prophecies about the Dajjal narrated by the Holy Prophet (sa) were according to the visions or dreams that he saw about it(4) Therefore, as is universally accepted, they are all subject to interpretation.

The Eyes of the Dajjal

There are Ahadith which state that the Dajjal will be blind in the right eye:

“Allah is not hidden from you; He is not one-eyed, and pointed with his hand towards his eye, adding, while Al-Masih Ad-Dajjal is blind in the right eye and his eye looks like a protruding grape.”(5)

And others which state that he will be blind in the left: “The Dajjal is blind of left eye…” (6)

There is a Hadith which states that his right eye will be faulty shine very brightly:

“…and the right eye (of the Dajjal) is as if it is a shining star…”(7)

Ibn-e-Hajr in his book Fathul-Bari has discussed the various narrations surrounding the eyes of the Dajjal, concluding that almost equivalent traditions mention his blindness for both eyes. Many scholars have opined that this means that both of his eyes are defective, though to differing degrees.(8)

Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) has explained that the Ahadith which state that his right eye will be faulty and his left eye will be sharp mean that this group of people will be bereft of spiritual insight, but in matters of worldly sciences they will be sagacious.(9)

If the right eye is accepted as to be blind and the left eye faulty, then this means that these nations will be deprived of not only of spiritual, but worldly sight as well. They will not differentiate between legitimate and illegitimate ways of acquiring worldly goods.(10)

Another explanation that he has made is that the right eye of the Dajjal being blind means that he will not be able to understand the Holy Qur’an, and the left one being faulty means that he will not abide by the teachings of the Torah.(11)

His Emergence (Time and Place)

The Dajjal Being Chained in a Church during the time of the Holy Prophet (sa) and then emerging in the Latter Days (12)

This means that the concept of Dajjal or Dajalliyyat (act of being Dajjal) existed during the time of the Holy Prophet (sa) but was in a manner locked within the Christian circles and lands. Later on, this mischief would emerge from the Christian church and spread great havoc in the word (13) or that it is possible that the chains on the Dajjal represented those obstacles in the path of Christian missionaries which prevented them from spreading across the world during the life of the Holy Prophet (sa).(14)

The Dajjal Will Appear From the East

The Holy Prophet (sa) stated:

“Dajjal will emerge in a land in the east called Khorasan*…” (15)

* Khorasan, also spelled Khurasan, is a historical region and realm comprising a vast territory now lying in northeastern Iran, southern Turkmenistan, and northern Afghanistan. The historical region extended, along the north, from the Amu Darya (Oxus River) westward to the Caspian Sea and, along the south, from the fringes of the central Iranian deserts eastward to the mountains of central Afghanistan. Arab geographers even spoke of its extending to the boundaries of India.(16)

In another place he stated:

“Behold he (Dajjal) is in the Syrian sea (Mediterranean) or the Yemen sea (Arabian Sea). Nay, on the contrary, he is in the east, he is in the east, he is in the east, and he pointed with his hand towards the east.”(17)

“The Dajjal appearing from the East (“Mashrik”) means that he will appear from the lands of Faris, Najad and Hindustan (Persia – present-day Iran, the Arabian Peninsula and the Indo-Pak sub-continent), and out of these Hindustan was the most appropriate because of its fallen moral state.”(18)

The Time of His Arrival

The Promised Messiah (as) has explained that the Aayaat-e-Kubra (Greater signs of the Latter Days) will appear after 1200 years according to the hadith:

“Statement that the ‘Great Signs’ will appear after 1200 years means that these signs will appear in the 13th Century (of the Islamic Calendar). The First 200 years after the Holy Prophet (sa) were part of the golden age of Islam. Muslim scholars agree on this, therefore, this time is excluded from 1200 years mentioned in the Hadith. Moreover, no such signs appeared in that time. So the Messiah, the Dajjal, and all the other Greater Signs will appear in the 13th century.”(19)

The Length of His Stay

The Promised Messiah (as) has stated that there are some Ahadith which mention that his stay will be 40 days, and some that say 40 years. Some even say 45 years. Some Ahadith also state that one of his days will be like one of our years. If this is the case, then he will outlive the messiah. The fact is that the Holy Prophet (sa) has openly stated that:

“Which means that the sum total of his days will be like your days and they will not be supernatural.”(20)

His Claim of Being God and a Prophet The Holy Prophet (sa) stated:

“..He (The Dajjal) will start by saying ‘I am a Prophet,’ and there is no Prophet after me. Then a second time he will say: ‘I am your Lord’…”

The Promised Messiah(as) writes,

“…As it is written that the Dajjal will claim to be a prophet and also will lay claim to being God…The claim of prophet-hood has in this manner been made that the priests of these people have insolently interfered with the books of the prophets as if they themselves were prophets. They changed their lines and wrote explanations according to their own fancies…And in terms of claiming to be God…they have desired to unravel every secret of the heavens and the earth and have intended to take all the works of God into the palm of their hands…”(21)

He also writes that the claim of divinity doesn’t mean that they won’t accept God, but that they look with contempt on the commandments of God and desire that people obey and honor them like they should honor God.(22)

His Actions and Abilities He would rule the world except for Mecca and Medina (23)

The Promised Messiah (as) says about the Christian missionaries:

“…and there is hardly a place, with the exception of Mecca and Medina, where they have not gone in pursuit of their objective.”(24)

He would have Heaven and Hell with him, but his Heaven will actually be Hell and his Hell will actually be Heaven

The Holy Prophet (sa) stated:

“…there would be heaven and hell with him. His hell would be heaven and his heaven would be hell.” (25)

The Promised Messiah(as) has explained that while the new inventions of the Christian nations provide unparalleled comforts, their organizational system results in hard-work, poverty, and famine.(26)

The sky and earth will be obedient to him and the treasures of the earth will follow him

The Holy Prophet (sa) stated about the Dajjal:

“…He would then give command to the sky and there would be rainfall upon the earth and it would grow crops…He would then walk through the waste land and say to it: Bring forth your treasures, and the treasures would come out and then follow him like swarms of bees.”(27) The Promised Messiah(as) has explained that the sky and earth being obedient to the Dajjal means that his plans will be in line with the Taqdeer (Decree) of Allah. He will allow the world to be populated according to his will. (28) This means that the Dajjal will take much benefit from the land. He will populate and work the land according to his intellect with the result that such barren lands will begin to bear treasures.(29)

With regards to the wealth he brings forth following him, the Promised Messiah (as) has explained how the Christian nations populate the lands and make them wealthy through different industries. But once they do so, all the wealth they produce follows them back to Europe, such as is clear from India, whose wealth they take back to Europe.(30)

The Donkey of the Dajjal

The Holy Prophet (sa) has stated:

“The Dajjal will come forth on a brilliant, shining donkey between whose ears is the distance of 70 cubits.”(31)

And that he will move across the earth:

“…Like a rain cloud being driven by the wind…”(32)

The Promised Messiah(as) has stated that the donkey of the Dajjal is actually the train system that the Christian nations use. The length of the train is usually this length, and there is no doubt that they run on the strength of smoke, like clouds move quickly by strength of the wind. And because the train is the invention of the Christian nations whose leaders are the Dajjal, the train has been declared as its donkey.(33).

The Manner of His Death

The death of the Dajjal in no way means the physical defeat of the Christian nations. The Promised Messiah (as) has explained that the Dajjal being killed means that the arguments and evidences of the Christian faith will be broken. A religion that is completely defeated by sure arguments and its humiliation and disgrace has been made apparent is without a doubt viewed as being dead and defeated. (34)

Place of His Death as being Ludd

Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) stated:

“…He (Hazrat Esa) would then search for him (the Dajjal) until he would catch hold of him at the gate of Ludd and would kill him…” (35)

The Promised Messiah (as) states:

“…Ludd refers to those people who incessantly and illogically argue. This means that when such arguments of the Christians reach their peak, the Messiah will appear and put an end to all of their arguments.”(36)

This article appears in the Spring 2016 issue of the Muslim Sunrise.

References:

1. Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as), Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 7, Hamamatul Bushra, pg. 195 footnote
2. Sunan Ibn Majah, The Book of Tribulations, Chapter: The tribulation of Dajjal, the emergence of ‘Esa bin Maryam and the emergence of Gog and Magog
3. Sahih Bukhari, The Book of Tauheed, Chapter: “…In order that you may be brought up under My Eye…”
4. Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as), Ruhani Khazain. Vol. 3, Izala Auham, pg. 200
5. Sahih Bukhari, The Book of Tauheed, Chapter: “…In order that you may be brought up under My Eye…”
6. Sahih Muslim, The Book of Tribulations and Portents of the Last Hour, Chapter Ad-Dajjal
7. Kanzul Ummal, Harf Al-Qaf, Book of Qiyamat, Chapter on things that will Happen Immediately Before it, Hadith #38784
8. Fathul Bari Sharah Sahih Bukhari, Vol. 13, pg. 97-98, Under the Chapter of the Mention of the Dajjal.
9. Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as), Ruhani Khazian, Vol. 3, Izala Auham, pg. 369
10. Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as), Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 3, Izala Auham, pg. 490
11. Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as), Malfoozat, Vol. 3, pg. 214
12. Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as), Sahih Muslim, The Book of Tribulations and Portents of the Last Hour
13. Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as), Ruhani Khazian, Vol. 3, Izala Auham, pg. 373
14. Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as), Ruhani Khazian, Vol. 3, Izala Auham, pg. 359
15. Sunan Ibn Majah, Book of Tribulations, Chapter: The tribulation of Dajjal, the emergence of ‘Esa bin Maryam and the emergence of Gog and Magog
16. Encyclopaedia Britannica. http://www.britannica.com/place/Khorasan-historical-region-Asia. Accessed February 8 2016.
17. Sahih Muslim, The Book of Tribulations and Portents of the Last Hour, Chapter: Al-Jassasah
18. Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as), Ruhani Khazian, Vol. 3, Izala Auham, pg. 419
19. Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as), Ruhani Khazian, Vol. 3, Izala Auham, pg. 468
20. Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as), Ruhani Khazian, Vol. 3, Izala Auham, pg. 471
21. Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as), Ruhani Khazian, Vol. 6, Shahadatul Qur’an, pg. 316
22. Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as), Ruhani Khazian, Vol. 3, Izala Auham, pg. 359-360
23. Sahih Muslim, The Book of Tribulations and Portents of the Last Hour
24. Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as), Ruhani Khazian, Vol. 3, Izala Auham p. 362. English Translation from Essence of Islam, Vol. 3, pg. 290
25. Sahih Muslim, The Book of Tribulations and Portents of the Last Hour, Chapter Ad-Dajjal
26. Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as), Ruhani Khazian, Vol. 3, Izala Auham, pg. 491
27. Sahih Muslim, The Book of Tribulations and Portents of the Last Hour, Chapter Ad-Dajjal
28. Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as), Ruhani Khazian, Vol. 3, Izala Auham, pg. 492
29. Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as), Ruhani Khazian, Vol. 3, Izala Auham, pg. 492
30. Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as), Ruhani Khazian, Vol. 3, Izala Auham, pg. 492
31. Mirqatul Mafateeh, Sharah Mishkaatul Masabih, Book of Trials, Chapter of the Signs before the Day of Judgement and Mention of the Dajjal
32. Sahih Muslim, The Book of Tribulations and Portents of the Last Hour, Chapter Ad-Dajjal
33. Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as), Ruhani Khazian, Vol. 3, Izala Auham, pg. 493
34. Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as), Ruhani Khazian, Vol. 3, Izala Auham, pg. 470-471
35. Sahih Muslim, The Book of Tribulations and Portents of the Last Hour, Chapter Ad-Dajjal
36. Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as), Ruhani Khazian, Vol. 3, Izala Auham, pg. 493

Last modified: April 2019