Al-Masih ad-Dajjal (), commonly referred to simply as the Dajjal, is an antagonistic figure in Islamic eschatology, corresponding broadly to the Antichrist in Christian tradition. The term Dajjāl denotes a perjurer or false accuser and is associated with deception that "covers" and resists the truth. According to Islamic eschatological traditions, he will appear before the Day of Judgment, falsely present himself as the promised Messiah, and subsequently claim to be God. His appearance is counted among the ten major signs of the end times.
The Dajjal is not mentioned in the Quran, but is described extensively in hadith and later Islamic tradition. These traditions vary considerably concerning his age, appearance, schemes, place of residence, followers, and the precise circumstances of his emergence. He is generally said to arise in the East, although the location differs between sources. One traditional description states that he sleeps only with his eyes. Islamic representations of the Dajjal have also been described as partly indebted in their eschatological setting to Christian traditions concerning the Antichrist.
The Dajjal is said to imitate miracles associated with Jesus, including healing the sick and raising the dead, the latter allegedly with the assistance of demons, and to deceive large numbers of people, including weavers, magicians, and children born of fornication. In Islamic tradition, Jesus, known as al-Masīḥ, was taken to heaven rather than crucified and will eventually return, preach Islam, and kill the Dajjal. Following his later death, Jesus is said to be buried in Medina beside the tomb of Muhammad. Some versions of the eschatological tradition instead identify the Mahdi as the one who slays the Dajjal.
In some traditions the Dajjal is further identified with al-Shayṭān al-Rajīm, "the accursed Satan". This identification has been associated with the ritual repudiation of Satan during the ḥajj, when pilgrims throw stones at the symbolic pillars outside Mecca.
Etymology () is the characteristic noun form of the root word , meaning "lie" or "deception". It also appears in the Syriac (, , 'false, deceitful; spurious'). The compound , with the definite article ('the'), refers to "the deceiving Messiah", a specific end-time deceiver and is linguistically equivalent to Syriac Christianity's (, 'pseudo-Christ, false Messiah'). This is an evil being who will seek to impersonate the true Messiah (Jesus).
History In the Quran, the Dajjal and similar figures are absent, but they appear in hadith that are considered sound by Islamic scholarship.
Other apocalyptic narratives were not composed until 150–200 years later;Cook, D. (2002). Studies in Muslim apocalyptic (Vol. 21). Princeton: Darwin Press. p. 9; 301 the extensive usage of Hebrew and Syriac vocabulary in those Islamic apocalyptic writings suggests that apocalyptic narratives were adapted from other religious traditions.Cook, D. (2002). Studies in Muslim apocalyptic (Vol. 21). Princeton: Darwin Press. p. 299 Much apocalyptic material is attributed to Ka'b al-Ahbar, and other transmitters indicate a Christian background.Cook, D. (2002). Studies in Muslim apocalyptic (Vol. 21). Princeton: Darwin Press. p. 7-9 The first known complete Islamic apocalyptic work is the ('Book of Tribulations') by Naim ibn Hammad.Whittingham, M. (2020). A history of Muslim views of the Bible: the first four centuries (Vol. 7). Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG. p. 77
Stories regarding the Dajjal were probably adapted from Eastern Christianity. Many characteristics of the Dajjal, such as anti-Jewish sentiments, are possible remainings of Christian polemic against Jews that were later integrated into Islamic apocalyptic thought. There are additional descriptions of the Dajjal invoking Christian imagery; for example, in one narration the Dajjal is said to be chained in the West, similar to the Beast in the Book of Revelation. As pointed out by David Cook, the popularity of apocalyptic stories then required Muslim authorities to integrate them into the Islamic tradition to retain notability, as the apocalyptic literature competed with the Quran.Cook, D. (2002). Studies in Muslim apocalyptic (Vol. 21). Princeton: Darwin Press. p. 302
Later Islamic apocalyptic narratives were expanded and developed by Islamic authors, notably al-Ghazali, Ibn Arabi, al-Qurtubi, Ibn Kathir and as-Suyuti) and also from the Shia author al-Shaykh al-Mufid.Cook, D. (2002). Studies in Muslim apocalyptic (Vol. 21). Princeton: Darwin Press. pp. 269–306 The authors list various signs as meanings of the arrivals of the apocalypse, including extra-Quranic figures such as the Dajjāl and the Mahdi.Reeves, J. C. (2005). Trajectories in Near Eastern apocalyptic: a postrabbinic Jewish apocalypse reader (No. 45). Society of Biblical Lit., p. 109
Overview
A number of locations are associated with the emergence of the Dajjal, but he is usually said to come from the East. He is usually described as blind in his right eye, with his left eye being green; true believers are said to be able to read the word (Arabic for 'disbeliever') on his forehead. It is believed that many will be deceived by him and join his ranks, among them Jews, Bedouins, weavers, magicians, and children of fornication. Furthermore, he will be assisted by an army of devils (). Nevertheless, the most reliable supporters will be the Jews, to whom he will be the incarnation of God.
The Dajjal performs miracles, which resemble those performed by ʿĪsā (Jesus) such as healing the sick, raising the dead, causing the earth to grow vegetation, causing livestock to prosper and to die and stopping the sun's movement. The Dajjal is finally defeated and killed by Isa when the latter simply looks at him and, according to some narrations, puts a sword through him.
Dajjal's nature is ambiguous. Although the nature of his birth indicates that the first generations of Muslim apocalyptists regarded him as human, he is also identified in Islamic tradition rather as a devil in human form.
The characteristical one eye is believed to symbolize spiritual blindness. Thus, Dajjal, blind to the immanent aspect of God, can comprehend only the transcendent aspect of God's wrath. Hadiths describe Dajjal as twisting paradise and hell as he will bring his own paradise and hell with him, but his hell will be paradise and his paradise hell.Lewisohn, L., Shackle, C.(2006). Attar and the Persian Sufi Tradition: The Art of Spiritual Flight. Vereinigtes Königreich: Bloomsbury Publishing.
Muslim eschatology
Sunni eschatology
Sunni Islam affirms that Dajjal is an individual man. When he appears, he will stay for 40 days. The first day will be like a year, the second like a month, the third like a week and the rest like normal days. In-book reference: Book 39 (Battles), Hadith 31; English translation: Book 38, Hadith 4307
Sometime after the appearance of Dajjal, ʿĪsā will descend on a white minaret to the east of Damascus, which is thought to be the Minaret of Isa of the Umayyad Mosque, in Damascus, Syria. He will descend from the heavens wearing two garments lightly dyed with saffron and his hands resting on the shoulders of two angels. When he lowers his head, it will seem as if water is flowing from his hair, and when he raises his head, it will appear as if his hair is beaded with silvery pearls. Every disbeliever who smells his odour will die. In-book reference: Book 54 (Tribulations and Portents of the Last Hour), Hadith 134; Reference: Sahih Muslim 2937a
According to the Sunni , Dajjal will then be chased to the gate of Lod, where he will be captured and killed by ʿĪsā. ʿĪsā will then break the Christian cross, kill all pigs, abolish the and establish peace among all nations. In-book reference: Book 36 (Tribulations), Hadith 152; English translation: Vol. 5, Book 36, Hadith 4077
literature The following account describes one of the signs of Dajjal's arrival in Sunni eschatology:
Thawban ibn Kaidad narrated that Prophet Muhammad said:
Abu Hurairah narrated that Muhammad said:
Rasulullah also stated that the last of the dajjals will be the Islamic Antichrist, al-Masih ad-Dajjal (). The Dajjal is never mentioned in the Quran, but he is mentioned and described in the literature. Like in Christianity, Dajjal is said to emerge out in the East although the specific location varies among the various sources. Dajjal will imitate the miracles performed by ʿĪsā, such as healing the sick and raising the dead, the latter done with the aid of demons (). He will deceive many people such as weavers, magicians, half-castes, and children of prostitutes, but most his followers will be Jews. According to the Islamic eschatological narrative, the events related to the final battle before the Day of Judgment will proceed in the following order:
Jews are prophesied to be followers of the Dajjal, as narrated by Anas bin Malik:
Samra ibn Jundab reported that Prophet Muhammad, while delivering a ceremonial speech at an occasion of a solar eclipse, once said:
Anas ibn Malik narrated that Muhammad said:
The Mahdi () is the Redeemer in Islam. Just like the Dajjal, the Mahdi is never mentioned in the Quran, but his description can be found in the literature; according to the Islamic eschatological narrative, he will appear on Earth before the Day of Judgment.Martin 2004: 421Glasse 2001: 280 At the time of the Second Coming of Christ, the prophet ʿĪsā shall return to defeat and kill al-Masih ad-Dajjal. Muslims believe that both ʿĪsā and the Mahdi will rid the world of wrongdoing, injustice and tyranny and ensure peace and tranquility.Momen 1985: 166–8 Eventually, Dajjal will be killed by the Mahdi and ʿĪsā at the gate of Lod and dissolved slowly like salt in water.
Since the 1980s, popular Islamic writers such as Said Ayyub of Egypt have blamed the forces of Dajjal for the overtaking of the Islamic world by the Western world.
Twelver Shīʿa eschatology
In the Twelver denomination of Shīʿa Islam, one of the signs of the reappearance of the Mahdi, whom Twelvers consider to be their twelfth Imam from the ("People of the Household"), is the advent of the Dajjal.
"Whoever denies al-Mahdi has denied God, and whoever accepts al-Dajjal has denied God (turned an infidel)". That Shīʿīte is attributed to Muhammad and strongly emphasises both the return of Dajjal and the reappearance of the Mahdi.
Ḥadīth literature The following is a Twelver Shīʿīte ḥadīth on the topic of Dajjal in an excerpt from a longer sermon by ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib:
He will tell his followers that he is their Lord. He will be a one-eyed man with human needs, and God has no needs or eyes. Muhammad strongly warned his companions and believers about the deceiving claim. According to a tradition, "Al-Dajjal will verily be given birth by his mother in Qous in Egypt, and there will be thirty years separating between his birth and appearance. Shia reports regarding Isa state that he will descend at the Damascus east gate then he will appear in the East where he will be granted caliphate". A narration by Nu'aym bin Hammad according to the hadith of Jassasah is that "it is reported that he is confined in an abbey or a palace at an island in the Shaam or the Sea of Yemen. Some hadith reports that he will emerge from Khorasan whereas some say that he will appear in a place between the Shaam and Iraq".