Christian Priests as Dajjal — Essence of Islam Vol. 3

14 Sep, 2026 Essence of Islam 0

Essence of Islam Book Cover by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (AS)

Introduction

In this discourse from Essence of Islam (Volume 3), Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (AS), the Promised Messiah and Mahdi, expounds upon Christian Priests as Dajjal, presenting profound spiritual insights and scriptural verities.

Book Series: Essence of Islam (Volume 3)
Author: Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian (AS)
Section: Part 7: Dajjal or the Antichrist
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Dajjal—the Antichrist 281 Dajjal in fact is none other than the people known as Christian missionaries and European philosophers. They act like the two jaws of the Promised Dajjal with which he devours people’s faith like a python. First it is the common and ignorant people who get caught in the wiles of the missionaries; and then, those who happen to escape their clutches being disgusted with the disgraceful and false beliefs, are caught in the net of the European philosophers. I see that the common people are more vulnerable to the lies of the clergy, whereas the intellectual ones are more susceptible to the falsehood spread by the philosophers.
[Kitab-ul-Bariyyah, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 13, pp. 252-253, footnote]
[Essence of Islam, Vol. 3, p. 281]

There have been many Dajjals and there may be more to come. But the greatest Dajjal, whose deceit is so vile in God’s estimation that heaven might well be rent asunder by it, is the group which deifies a mere human being. God Almighty has set forth in the Holy Qur’an various kinds of deceit practised by the Jews, the Polytheists and others, but does not single out any which might cause heaven to be rent asunder. Therefore, we should not designate any group as the greatest Dajjal but the one so designated by God in His Holy Word. It would be most unfair and cruel to try to find someone else as the greatest Dajjal. On no account can we justify the existence of a greater Dajjal than the present day Christian clergy. Whereas God has designated them in His Holy Word as the greatest Dajjal, it would be the height of faithlessness to consider anyone else to be the greatest Dajjal in contrast to the Word of God. Had there been any possibility at any other time of the existence of such a Dajjal, God Almighty, Whose knowledge transcends the past, the present and the future, would have designated him and not these people as the great Dajjal. The sign of the great Dajjal, which we can clearly deduce from the Hadith of Bukhari 203 is that the great Dajjal would deify Jesus and would attribute salvation to the cross.
It is a matter of great delight for the knowledgeable that on this point the definitive verses of the Holy Qur’an and authentic Ahadith are both in agreement. Thus, the truth about this controversial issue has come to the open. The Holy Qur’an unambiguously designates the Christian clergy as the greatest Dajjal and terms their lies to be so great as could destroy heaven and earth. And the Hadith also specifies that the true sign of the Promised Messiah would be that he would break the cross and slay the great Dajjal. Our stupid Maulavis do not seem to reflect that the main objective of the Promised Messiah is the breaking of the cross and slaying of the great Dajjal. The Holy Qur’an has foretold that the great deception and mischief whereby the order of the entire universe might be upset and the world brought to an end is the mischief of the Christian missionaries. From this it clearly follows that there is no greater Dajjal than the clergy and that he who, having witnessed the revelation of this great mischief, waits for some other, denies the truthfulness of the Holy Qur’an. Moreover, as the literal meaning of the word Dajjal is a group that pollutes the earth with its deceit, and, according to the Ahadith, the singular sign of the great Dajjal

Dajjal—the Antichrist 283 would be his advocacy of the cross, if someone still fails to consider the Christian clergy as the great Dajjal, he is indeed spiritually blind.
[Anjam-e-Atham, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 11, pp. 46-48]
[Essence of Islam, Vol. 3, p. 281]

The Holy Qur’an then specifies that in the latter days the Christians will dominate the earth, and they shall be the cause of all kinds of mischief running rampant. Waves of calamities will rise on all sides and will race down from every height….They will possess great material strength and dominion, against which all other powers and states will seem powerless. They will also enjoy supremacy in all kinds of knowledge and sciences and establish new and wonderful industries. They will also be dominant in their policies, projects, and good administration, and will show great resolve in their worldly enterprises and will also excel in their endeavour to spread their faith. They will leave behind all other nations in their social, agricultural and commercial policies, as indeed in everything else. This is the meaning of:

حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا فُتِحَتۡ يَأۡجُوجُ وَمَأۡجُوجُ وَهُم مِّن كُلِّ حَدَبٖ يَنسِلُونَ

“It shall be so even when Gog and Magog are let loose and they shall hasten forth from every height.” (Surah ‘They shall hasten forth from every height.’—Ta Ha, 21:97)

Hadab means high ground and Nasal means to run ahead and to excel. In other words, they will leave behind every other nation in whatever is great and prestigious. This is the major sign of the people of the latter days who were designated as Gog and Magog and this is also the sign of the mischievous group of Christian clerics who are called the Promised Dajjal. Since Hadab means an elevated part of the earth, this indicates that they will achieve all earthly heights but will be deprived of the spiritual 204 ‘They shall hasten forth from every height.’—Ta Ha, 21:97
[Publisher] heights. This proves that these people are called Gog and Magog in view of their national dominance. Among them are the people who have left no stone unturned in spreading misguidance and consequently came to be known as the Great Dajjal. And God Almighty has said that at the height of misguidance, the trumpet will be blown and people of all faiths will be assembled at one place.
[Shahadat-ul-Qur’an, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 6, pp. 361-362]
[Essence of Islam, Vol. 3, p. 283]

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Introduction