The Islamic Dilemma is a recently popularised argument used by Christian apologists such as David Wood, Sam Shamoun and GodLogic. The argument claims that the Quran affirms the authenticity of the Torah and Bible. If the Torah and Bible are authentic, then the Quran is wrong for contradicting them. If they are corrupted, then the Quran is still wrong because it affirms them. Either way, Islam is supposedly disproven, hence the name “Islamic Dilemma.” This article focuses on debunking this argument, showing it relies on misinterpretations of Quranic verses

Reassessing the “Islamic Dilemma” Verses

Did Allah Tell Muhammad (SAW) to Consult the Bible? (10:94)

It is claimed that this verse instructs Prophet Muhammad (SAW), when in doubt about his revelations, to consult Jews and Christians to whom the prior scriptures were revealed, implying those scriptures are trustworthy.

فَإِن كُنتَ فِي شَكّٖ مِّمَّآ أَنزَلۡنَآ إِلَيۡكَ فَسۡـَٔلِ ٱلَّذِينَ يَقۡرَءُونَ ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ مِن قَبۡلِكَ ۚ لَقَدۡ جَآءَكَ ٱلۡحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّكَ فَلَا تَكُونَنَّ مِنَ ٱلۡمُمۡتَرِينَ ٩٥

Translation: And if thou art in doubt concerning that which We have sent down to thee, ask those who have been reading the Book before thee. Indeed the truth has come to thee from thy Lord; be not, therefore, of those who doubt.

[Quran 10:94]

However, this verse does not mention Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and does not suggest that he was the one in doubt, because one who receives revelation cannot experience doubt. The Quran itself cannot be described as something that produces doubt. The Qur’an elsewhere states about the Prophet Muhammad (SAW):

قُلۡ هَٰذِهِۦ سَبِيلِيٓ أَدۡعُوٓاْ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ ۚ عَلَىٰ بَصِيرَةٍ أَنَا۠ وَمَنِ ٱتَّبَعَنِي ۖ وَسُبۡحَٰنَ ٱللَّهِ وَمَآ أَنَا۠ مِنَ ٱلۡمُشۡرِكِينَ

Translation: Say, ‘This is my way: I call unto Allah on sure knowledge, I and those who follow me. And Holy is Allah; and I am not of those who associate gods with God.’

[Quran: 12:108]

That is to say, Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and his followers did not accept this religion based on conjecture; rather, through direct observation and revelation they came to recognize the truth. It is clear that those who accept something through such knowledge cannot experience doubt or uncertainty about it.

What this actually refers to is the people who argue and dispute. The verse repeats the objections of the disbelievers, who claimed that the Quran’s words caused doubt in their minds. Allah responds by saying that if they think this, they should ask those people who, before them, have read the Quran and benefited from it. They will see that the Quran does not create doubt, but brings clarity and certainty to those who understand it.

By saying, “ask those who have been reading the book before thee”, the verse also makes it clear that person needs a teacher, because understanding spiritual knowledge requires a certain level of spirituality. Therefore, when studying a revealed book, one should not decide on matters about which they have doubts without consulting the experts, as the understanding of a revealed book is granted according to spirituality.

Surah Yunus (10:94) in Light of Hazrat Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmad’s Tafseer-e-Kabeer

All these arguments that Christians raise were already addressed over 80 years ago in Hazrat Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmad’s Tafseer-e-Kabeer, published in 1940. This passage from Tafseer-e-Kabeer refutes the objections raised by Christians regarding this verse:

The doubters cannot be the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). The words “So if you are in doubt…” (فَإِنْ كُنْتَ فِي شَكٍّ) cannot refer to the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), because the one upon whom revelation is sent cannot have doubt. Therefore, what is meant by this is the people who differ and dispute. The Holy Qur’an cannot be something that produces doubt. Nor does this verse mean that the Qur’an creates doubt. Rather, in this place the words of the disbelievers’ objection have been repeated. They used to say that the expressions of the Holy Qur’an create doubts in our minds. Allah the Almighty repeats their own words and says: O objector, if according to you this speech produces doubts, then ask those people who, before you, have read the Holy Qur’an and have benefited from it—ask them what kind of illumination and light this Book has granted to their hearts. By questioning them, you will come to know that this speech is not something that creates doubt, but rather something that creates certainty.

For teaching, it is necessary not only to have a book, but also to have a human teacher. From this verse, it becomes clearly evident that a book alone is not sufficient. A person is also in need of a teacher, because for the unveiling of spiritual knowledge, a certain level of spirituality is also required. Therefore, when a person studies a revealed book, he should not make any decision regarding matters about which he has doubts without asking the experts of that book. Because if the book is revealed, then surely its understanding will be granted in accordance with spirituality.

Some people mistakenly think that the ones who are in doubt are the Noble Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and his companions, and that those whom he is commanded to ask are the Jews and the Christians. But as has already been proven earlier, the Noble Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) cannot be meant by this, nor can his companions. Because regarding them, the Holy Qur’an says elsewhere:

“Say: This is my way: I call to Allah with clear insight—I and those who follow me.” (Yusuf 12:109)

Meaning: Say that I and my followers do not accept this religion merely on the basis of conjecture; rather, through direct observation we have come to know the truthfulness of the Holy Qur’an. And it is obvious that those who accept something through observation cannot fall into doubt and uncertainty regarding it. The next verse also shows that in this place the Noble Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) cannot be the one being addressed

[Tafseer-e-Kabeer. vol 4, pg. 178-179]

Conclusion

The Islamic Dilemma relies on a false understanding of numerous ayahs. One key verse cited is 10:94, but it actually addresses disbelievers who doubt the Quran, instructing them to consult those who have understood and benefited from the Quran.

This article will detail all of Dajjal’s descriptions found in the ahadith. For an explanation of who dajjal is, visit this article.

1) Physical description

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: I have told you so much about the Dajjal (Antichrist) that I am afraid you may not understand. The Antichrist is short, hen-toed, woolly-haired, one-eyed, an eye-sightless, and neither protruding nor deep-seated. If you are confused about him, know that your Lord is not one-eyed.

[Sunan Abi Dawud 4320]

2) Kafir written on the forehead

The Dajjal has one blind eye, with a layer of thick skin over it, and between his eyes is written “disbeliever” (كَافِرٌ) which every believer will read, whether he is literate or illiterate.’

[Sahih Muslim 2934b]

3) Kafir will be read by any believer (Momin), literate or illiterate

“…between his eyes is written “disbeliever” (كَافِرٌ) which every believer will read, whether he is literate or illiterate.”

[Sahih Muslim 2934b]

“… everyone who would resent his deeds would be able to read or every believer (مُؤْمِنٍ).”

[Sahih Muslim 2930a, 2931, 169d]

“…everyone who is averse to his behavior shall read it.”

[Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2235]

4) Blind in the right eye

Al-Masih Ad- Dajjal is blind in the right eye and his eye looks like a protruding grape.

[Sahih al-Bukhari 7407]

Allah is not one-eyed and behold that Dajjal is blind of the right eye and his eye would be like a floating grape.

[Sahih Muslim 169e]

The Prophet (ﷺ) mentioned the Masih Ad-Dajjal in front of the people saying, Allah is not one-eyed while Masih Ad-Dajjal is blind in the right eye and his eye looks like a bulging out grape. While sleeping near the Ka`ba last night, I saw in my dream a man of brown color the best one can see amongst brown color and his hair was long that it fell between his shoulders. His hair was lank and water was dribbling from his head and he was placing his hands on the shoulders of two men while circumambulating the Ka`ba. I asked, ‘Who is this?’ They replied, ‘This is Jesus, son of Mary.’ Behind him I saw a man who had very curly hair and was blind in the right eye, resembling Ibn Qatan (i.e. an infidel) in appearance. He was placing his hands on the shoulders of a person while performing Tawaf around the Ka`ba. I asked, ‘Who is this? ‘They replied, ‘The Masih, Ad-Dajjal.’ “

[Sahih al-Bukhari 3439, 3440]
[Sahih al-Bukhari 3441]
[Sahih al-Bukhari 5902]
[Sahih al-Bukhari 6999]
[Sahih al-Bukhari 7026]
[Sahih Muslim 169b]
[Muwatta Book 49, Hadith 2]

5) He will have Paradise and Hell / River of Fire and Water

الدَّجَّالُ أَعْوَرُ الْعَيْنِ الْيُسْرَى جُفَالُ الشَّعَرِ مَعَهُ جَنَّةٌ وَنَارٌ فَنَارُهُ جَنَّةٌ وَجَنَّتُهُ نَارٌ

“There would be a garden and fire with him and his fire would be a garden and his garden would be fire.”

[Sahih Muslim 2934b]

وَإِنَّهُ يَجِيءُ مَعَهُ مِثْلُ الْجَنَّةِ وَالنَّارِ

“he would bring along with him a likeness of Paradise and Hell-Fire”

[Sahih Muslim 2936]

إِنَّ مَعَهُ مَاءً وَنَارًا، فَنَارُهُ مَاءٌ بَارِدٌ، وَمَاؤُهُ نَارٌ

“The Prophet (ﷺ) said about Ad-Dajjal that he would have water and fire with him: (what would seem to be) fire, would be cold water and (what would seem to be) water, would be fire.”

[Sahih al-Bukhari 7130]

“He said that the Dajjal would appear and there would be along with him water and fire …”

[Sahih Muslim 2935a]

“There would be along with him two canals (one flowing with water) and the other one (having) fire (within it)”

[Sahih Muslim 2935b]

“I know best what the Dajjal (Antichrist) will have with him. He will have with him a sea of water and a river of fire, and what you see as fire will be water and what you sea as water will be fire. If any of you who lives up to that time and desires water, he should drink from what he sees as fire, for he will find it water.”

[Sunan Abi Dawud 4315]

In all these ahadith, what seems like Paradise/Water/good will actually be Hell/Fire/evil. This is basically Satan’s tactic of flipping good and evil to misguide the people. The Holy Quran describes it:

By Allah, We did send Messengers to the peoples before thee; but Satan made their works[sins] appear beautiful to them. So he is their patron this day, and they shall have a grievous punishment.

[Quran 16:63]

6) He will have an Abundance of Food and Water with him

قُلْتُ لأَنَّهُمْ يَقُولُونَ إِنَّ مَعَهُ جَبَلَ خُبْزٍ وَنَهَرَ مَاءٍ

“Because the people say that he will have a mountain of bread and a river of water with him.”

[Sahih al-Bukhari 7122]

“No one asked Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) more about Dajjil than I asked him. He said: He should not be a source of worry to you for he would not be able to do any harm to you. I said: Allah’s Messenger, it is alleged that he would have along with him (abundance of) food and water. Thereupon he said: He would be very insignificant in the eye of Allah (even) with all this.”

[Sahih Muslim 2939a]

“… he would have a mountain load of bread and mutton and rivers of water…”

[Sahih Muslim 2939b]

6) Rejectors of Dajjal will lose their wealth

“He would then come to another people and invite them. But they would reject him and he would go away from them and there would be drought for them and nothing would be left with them in the form of wealth.”

[Sahih Muslim 2937a]

7) Travel extremely fast through the earth

We said: Allah’s Messenger, how quickly would he walk upon the earth? Thereupon he (ﷺ) said: Like cloud driven by the wind.

[Sahih Muslim 2937a]

فَإِذَا رَجُلٌ يَجُرُّ شَعْرَهُ مُسَلْسَلٌ فِي الأَغْلاَلِ يَنْزُو فِيمَا بَيْنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالأَرْضِ فَقُلْتُ مَنْ أَنْتَ قَالَ أَنَا الدَّجَّالُ

“So I came to it and found a man who was trailing his hair, chained in iron collars, and leaping between Heaven and Earth. I asked: Who are you? He replied: I am the Dajjal.”

[Sunan Abi Dawud 4325]

Travel to every city except Mecca and Medina

لَيْسَ مِنْ بَلَدٍ إِلاَّ سَيَطَؤُهُ الدَّجَّالُ، إِلاَّ مَكَّةَ وَالْمَدِينَةَ

“There will be no town which Ad-Dajjal will not enter except Mecca and Medina”

[Sahih al-Bukhari 1881]

لَيْسَ مِنْ بَلَدٍ إِلاَّ سَيَطَؤُهُ الدَّجَّالُ إِلاَّ مَكَّةَ وَالْمَدِينَةَ

“There will be no land which would not be covered by the Dajjal but Mecca and Medina”

[Sahih Muslim 2943a]

Has a Huge Donkey

يخرج الدجال في خفقة من الدين وإدبار من العلم فله أربعون ليلة يسيحها في الأرض اليوم منها كالسنة واليوم منها كالشهر واليوم منها كالجمعة ثم سائر أيامه كأيامكم هذه وله حمار يركبه عرض ما بين أذنيه أربعون ذراعا فيقول للناس أنا ربكم وهو أعور وإن ربكم ليس بأعور مكتوب بين عينيه كافر ك ف ر مهجاة يقرؤه كل مؤمن كاتب وغير كاتب يرد كل ماء ومنهل إلا المدينة ومكة حرمهما الله عليه وقامت الملائكة بأبوابها نهران أنا أعلم بهما منه نهر يقول الجنة ونهر يقول النار فمن أدخل الذي يسميه الجنة فهو النار ومن أدخل الذي يسميه [ ص: 368 ] النار فهو الجنة قال ويبعث الله معه شياطين تكلم الناس ومعه فتنة عظيمة يأمر السماء فتمطر فيما يرى الناس ويقتل نفسا ثم يحييها فيما يرى الناس لا يسلط على غيرها من الناس ويقول أيها الناس هل يفعل مثل هذا إلا الرب عز وجل قال فيفر المسلمون إلى جبل الدخان بالشام فيأتيهم فيحاصرهم فيشتد حصارهم ويجهدهم جهدا شديدا ثم ينزل عيسى ابن مريم فينادي من السحر فيقول يا أيها الناس ما يمنعكم أن تخرجوا إلى الكذاب الخبيث فيقولون هذا رجل جني فينطلقون فإذا هم بعيسى ابن مريم صلى الله عليه وسلم فتقام الصلاة فيقال له تقدم يا روح الله فيقول ليتقدم إمامكم فليصل بكم فإذا صلى صلاة الصبح خرجوا إليه قال فحين يرى الكذاب ينماث كما ينماث الملح في الماء فيمشي إليه فيقتله حتى إن الشجرة والحجر ينادي يا روح الله هذا يهودي فلا يترك ممن كان يتبعه أحدا إلا قتله

“…the Dajjal will emerge during a time of religious decline and decline of [religious] knowledge. In forty nights he will travel across the earth. One of these days will be like a year, one day will be like a month, one day will be like a week, and the rest of his days will be like your days. He will have a donkey to ride, the distance between its ears being forty cubits… He will have a mountain of bread with him, and everyone will be in hardship except those who follow him”

[Arabic: Musnad Ahmad 14537]

Full article on the Donkey of Dajjal: Click here.

8) Command the sky to rain and grow crops

“He would then give command to the sky and there would be rainfall upon the earth and it would grow crops.”

[Sahih Muslim 2937a]

9) Make animals produce more produce

“Then in the evening, their pasturing animals would come to them with their humps very high and their udders full of milk and their flanks stretched.”

[Sahih Muslim 2937a]

10) Extract treasures from wastelands

“He would then walk through the waste land and say to it: Bring forth your treasures, and the treasures would come out and collect (themselves) before him like the swarm of bees.”

[Sahih Muslim 2937a]

11) Revive dead people

“He would then call a person brimming with youth and strike him with the sword and cut him into two pieces and (make these pieces lie at a distance which is generally) between the archer and his target. He would then call (that young man) and he will come forward laughing with his face gleaming (with happiness)”

[Sahih Muslim 2937a]

12) Dajjal is the biggest fitnah ever

‏ مَا بَيْنَ خَلْقِ آدَمَ إِلَى قِيَامِ السَّاعَةِ خَلْقٌ أَكْبَرُ مِنَ الدَّجَّالِ

“There would be no creation (creating more trouble) than the Dajjal right from the creation of Adam to the Last Hour.”

[Sahih Muslim 2946a]

Dajjal means deceiver. The Holy Quran talks about the biggest deceiver:

یٰۤاَیُّہَا النَّاسُ اِنَّ وَعۡدَ اللّٰہِ حَقٌّ فَلَا تَغُرَّنَّکُمُ الۡحَیٰوۃُ الدُّنۡیَا ٝ وَلَا یَغُرَّنَّکُمۡ بِاللّٰہِ الۡغَرُوۡرُ

O ye men, assuredly the promise of Allah is true, so let not the present life deceive you, nor let the Deceiver deceive you with respect to Allah.

Surely, Satan is an enemy to you; so take him for an enemy.

[Quran 35:5-6]

13) Every Prophet warned about the Dajjal

“l warn you against him (i.e. the Dajjal) and there was no prophet but warned his nation against him. No doubt, Noah warned his nation against him.”

[Sahih al-Bukhari 3337]

The Holy Quran mentions who all prophets warned against:

وَلَقَدۡ بَعَثۡنَا فِیۡ کُلِّ اُمَّۃٍ رَّسُوۡلًا اَنِ اعۡبُدُوا اللّٰہَ وَاجۡتَنِبُوا الطَّاغُوۡتَ

And We did raise among every people a Messenger, preaching: ‘Worship Allah and shun the Evil One.’

[Quran 16:36]

14) Dajjal will emerge from the Church

He said: By Allah. I have not made you assemble for exhortation or for a warning, but I have detained you here, for Tamim Dari, a Christian, who came and accepted Islam, told me something,which agrees with what I was telling, you about the Dajjal. He narrated to me that he had sailed in a ship along with thirty men of Bani Lakhm and Bani Judham and had been tossed by waves in the ocean for a month. Then these (waves) took them (near) the land within the ocean (island) at the time of sunset. They sat in a small side-boat and entered that island. There was a beast with long thick hair (and because of these) they could not distinguish his face from his back. They said: Woe to you, who can you be? Thereupon it said: I am al-Jassasa. They said: What is al-Jassasa? And it said: O people, go to this person in the monastery as he is very much eager to know about you. He (the narrator) said: When it named a person for us we were afraid of it lest it should be a devil. Then we hurriedly went on till we came to that monastery and found a well-built person there with his hands tied to his neck and having iron shackles between his two legs up to the ankles.

We said: Woe be upon thee, who are you?
And he said: You would soon come to know about me. but tell me who are you.
We said: We are people from Arabia and we embarked upon a boat but the sea-waves had been driving us for one month and they brought as near this island. We got Into the side-boats and entered this island and here a beast met us with profusely thick hair and because of the thickness of his hair his face could not be distinguished from his back. We said: Woe be to thee, who are you? It said: I am al- Jassasa. We said: What is al-Jassasa? And it said: You go to this very person in the monastery for he is eagerly waiting for you to know about you. So we came to you in hot haste fearing that that might be the Devil…

He said: Inform me about the lake Tiberius?
We said: Which aspect of it do you want to know?
He said: Is there water in it?
They said: There is abundance of water in it.
Thereupon he said: I think it would soon become dry…
He said: Inform me about the unlettered Prophet; what has he done?
We said: He has come out from Mecca and has settled In Yathrib (Medina).
He said: Do the Arabs fight against him?
We said: Yes. He said: How did he deal with them?
We informed him that he had overcome those in his neighbourhood and they had submitted themselves before him.
Thereupon he said to us: Has it actually happened?
We said: Yes.
Thereupon he said: If it is so that is better for them that they should show obedience to him. I am going to tell you about myself and I am Dajjal and would be soon permitted to get out and so I shall get out and travel in the land, and will not spare any town where I would not stay for forty nights except Mecca and Medina as these two (places) are prohibited (areas) for me and I would not make an attempt to enter any one of these two. An angel with a sword in his hand would confront me and would bar my way and there would be angels to guard every passage leading to it;

then Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) striking the pulpit with the help of the end of his staff said: This implies Taiba meaning Medina. Have I not, told you an account (of the Dajjal) like this? ‘The people said: Yes, and this account narrated by Tamim Dari was liked by me for it corroborates the account which I gave to you in regard to him (Dajjal) at Medina and Mecca. 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.

I (Fatima bint Qais) said: I preserved it in my mind (this narration from Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ).

[Sahih Muslim 2942a]

Click here to read the complete article on this topic.

15) Dajjal will be killed with arguments

فَقَالَ ‏”‏ غَيْرُ الدَّجَّالِ أَخْوَفُنِي عَلَيْكُمْ إِنْ يَخْرُجْ وَأَنَا فِيكُمْ فَأَنَا حَجِيجُهُ دُونَكُمْ وَإِنْ يَخْرُجْ وَلَسْتُ فِيكُمْ فَامْرُؤٌ حَجِيجُ نَفْسِهِ وَاللَّهُ خَلِيفَتِي عَلَى كُلِّ مُسْلِمٍ إِنَّهُ شَابٌّ

Thereupon he (ﷺ) said: I harbor fear in regard to you in so many other things besides the Dajjal. If he comes forth while I am among you, I shall contend with him on your behalf, but if he comes forth while I am not amongst you, a man must contend on his own behalf and Allah would take care of every Muslim on my behalf (and safeguard him against his evil).

[Sahih Muslim 2937a]

حَجِيجُهُ (Contend) means to argue/debate

As per Lanes Lexicon, this is the following definition of the word:

Root: حج – Entry: حَجِيجٌ
Also i. q.مُحَاجٌّ↓ as act. part. n. of حَاجَّ: so in the phrase, أَنَا حَجِيجُهُ I am he who will overcome him by arguments, or proofs, or the like: occurring in a trad. relating to Ed-Dejjál.

[Lanes Lexicon, Book 1, part 1, pg 515]

Click here to read the article that goes into detail about this topic.

16) Dajjal will emerge from the East

بَلْ مِنْ قِبَلِ الْمَشْرِقِ ما هُوَ مِنْ قِبَلِ الْمَشْرِقِ مَا هُوَ مِنْ قِبَلِ الْمَشْرِقِ مَا هُوَ

“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.”

[Sahih Muslim 2942a]

الدَّجَّالَ يَخْرُجُ مِنْ أَرْضٍ بِالْمَشْرِقِ

“The Dajjal will emerge from a land in the east called Khurasan”

[Musnad Ahmad 12]

17) Most followers will be Jews and women

يَتْبَعُ الدَّجَّالَ مِنْ يَهُودِ أَصْبَهَانَ سَبْعُونَ أَلْفًا عَلَيْهِمُ الطَّيَالِسَةُ

“The Dajjal would be followed by seventy thousand Jews of Isfahan wearing Persian shawls.”

[Sahih Muslim 2944]

“You shall fight the Jews. You will gain such control over them, that a rock will say: ‘O Muslim! This Jew is behind me so kill him!’”

[Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2236]

Note: The Tirmidhi hadith is under the chapter “What Has Been Related About The Signs of the Dajjal” (باب مَا جَاءَ فِي عَلاَمَةِ الدَّجَّالِ).

عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَنْزِلُ الدَّجَّالُ فِي هَذِهِ السَّبَخَةِ بِمَرِّقَنَاةَ فَيَكُونُ أَكْثَرَ مَنْ يَخْرُجُ إِلَيْهِ النِّسَاءُ حَتَّى إِنَّ الرَّجُلَ لَيَرْجِعُ إِلَى حَمِيمِهِ وَإِلَى أُمِّهِ وَابْنَتِهِ وَأُخْتِهِ وَعَمَّتِهِ فَيُوثِقُهَا رِبَاطًا مَخَافَةَ أَنْ تَخْرُجَ إِلَيْهِ

[5/30 المحدث أحمد شاكر خلاصة حكم المحدث إسناده صحيح في مسند أحمد]

“The False Messiah will come upon this marsh of Marriqanat. Most of those who go out to him will be women, until a man goes back to his wife, his mother, his daughter, his sister, and his aunt to shackle them tightly, fearing they would go out to him.”

[Musnad Aḥmad 5353] – Sahih by Ahmad Shakir

There is a misconception among Muslims who think that the Dajjal will be killed in a battle with armies fighting with swords and other weapons. This is contrary to the description found in the ahadith.

Hadith #1 – Abolish War

حَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ، أَخْبَرَنَا يَعْقُوبُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي، عَنْ صَالِحٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، أَنَّ سَعِيدَ بْنَ الْمُسَيَّبِ، سَمِعَ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏”‏ وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ، لَيُوشِكَنَّ أَنْ يَنْزِلَ فِيكُمُ ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ حَكَمًا عَدْلاً، فَيَكْسِرَ الصَّلِيبَ، وَيَقْتُلَ الْخِنْزِيرَ، ويَضَع الحربَ، وَيَفِيضَ الْمَالُ حَتَّى لاَ يَقْبَلَهُ أَحَدٌ، حَتَّى تَكُونَ السَّجْدَةُ الْوَاحِدَةُ خَيْرًا مِنَ الدُّنْيَا وَمَا فِيهَا ‏”‏‏.‏ ثُمَّ يَقُولُ أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ وَاقْرَءُوا إِنْ شِئْتُمْ ‏{‏وَإِنْ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ إِلاَّ لَيُؤْمِنَنَّ بِهِ قَبْلَ مَوْتِهِ وَيَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ يَكُونُ عَلَيْهِمْ شَهِيدًا‏}‏‏.‏

Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “By Him in Whose Hands my soul is, surely (Jesus,) the son of Mary will soon descend amongst you and will judge mankind justly (as a Just Ruler); he will break the Cross and kill the pigs and abolish war. Money will be in abundance so that nobody will accept it, and a single prostration to Allah (in prayer) will be better than the whole world and whatever is in it.” Abu Huraira added “If you wish, you can recite (this verse of the Holy Book): — ‘And there is none Of the people of the Scriptures (Jews and Christians) But must believe in him (i.e Jesus as an Apostle of Allah and a human being) Before his death. And on the Day of Judgment He will be a witness Against them.” (4.159)

[Sahih al-Bukhari 3448]

Note, that this hadith is in Bukhari with a different wording also. Instead of saying ويَضَع الحربَ (abolish war), it has the words وَيَضَعَ الْجِزْيَةَ (abolish jizya). The version with the “abolish war” has been quoted by Ibn Hajr (R.H) in his commentary of Bukhari called Fatḥ al-Bārī and Al Ayni (R.H) in his commentary of Bukhari called ‘Umdat al-Qari.

It proves that the Masih will not be coming to fight but to end religious wars. This poses the question that if Dajjal won’t be killed in a battle/war, then how will he be killed? This is answered in the ahadith below.

Hadith #2 – Debate Dajjal (حَجِيجُهُ)

Version 1: Sahih Muslim

فَقَالَ ‏”‏ غَيْرُ الدَّجَّالِ أَخْوَفُنِي عَلَيْكُمْ إِنْ يَخْرُجْ وَأَنَا فِيكُمْ فَأَنَا حَجِيجُهُ دُونَكُمْ وَإِنْ يَخْرُجْ وَلَسْتُ فِيكُمْ فَامْرُؤٌ حَجِيجُ نَفْسِهِ وَاللَّهُ خَلِيفَتِي عَلَى كُلِّ مُسْلِمٍ إِنَّهُ شَابٌّ

Thereupon he (ﷺ) said: I harbor fear in regard to you in so many other things besides the Dajjal. If he comes forth while I am among you, I shall contend with him on your behalf, but if he comes forth while I am not amongst you, a man must contend on his own behalf and Allah would take care of every Muslim on my behalf (and safeguard him against his evil).

[Sahih Muslim 2937a]

Version 2: Ibn Majah

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) mentioned Dajjal, one morning, as something despised but also alarming, until we thought that he was in the stand of date-palm trees. When we came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) in the evening, he saw that (fear) in us, and said: ‘What is the matter with you?’ We said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, you mentioned Dajjal this morning, and you spoke of him as something despised but also alarming, until we thought that he was in the stand of date-palm trees.’

He said: ‘There are things that I fear more for you than the Dajjal. If he appears while I am among you, I will contend with him on your behalf, and if he appears when I am not among you, then each man must fend for himself, and Allah will take care of every Muslim on my behalf. He (Dajjal) will be a young man with curly hair and a protuberant eye; I liken him to ‘Abdul-‘Uzza bin Qatan.

[Sunan Ibn Majah 4075]

Version 3: Abi Dawud

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) mentioned the Dajjal (Antichrist) saying: If he comes forth while I am among you I shall be the one who will dispute with him on your behalf, but if he comes forth when I am not among you, a man must dispute on his own behalf, and Allah will take my place in looking after every Muslim. Those of you who live up to his time should recite over him the opening verses of Surat al – Kahf, for they are your protection from his trial. We asked: How long will he remain on the earth ? He replied : Forty days, one like a year, one like a month, one like a week, and rest of his days like yours. We asked : Messenger of Allah, will one day’s prayer suffice us in this day which will be like a year ? He replied : No, you must make an estimate of its extent. Then Jesus son of Marry will descend at the white minaret to the east of Damascus. He will then catch him up at the date of Ludd and kill him.

[Sunan Abi Dawud 4321]

حَجِيجُهُ (Contend) means to argue/debate

As per Lanes Lexicon, this is the following definition of the word:

Root: حج – Entry: حَجِيجٌ
Also i. q.مُحَاجٌّ↓ as act. part. n. of حَاجَّ: so in the phrase, أَنَا حَجِيجُهُ I am he who will overcome him by arguments, or proofs, or the like: occurring in a trad. relating to Ed-Dejjál.

[Lanes Lexicon, Book 1, part 1, pg 515]

The interesting thing to note here is that the translation specifically mentions that this word has been used in the context of Dajjal!

Hadith #3

فَلاَ يَحِلُّ لِكَافِرٍ يَجِدُ رِيحَ نَفَسِهِ إِلاَّ مَاتَ وَنَفَسُهُ يَنْتَهِي حَيْثُ يَنْتَهِي طَرْفُهُ فَيَطْلُبُهُ حَتَّى يُدْرِكَهُ بِبَابِ لُدٍّ فَيَقْتُلُهُ

Every non-believer who would smell the odor of his self (Isa AS) would die and his breath would reach as far as he would be able to see. He would then search for him (Dajjal) until he would catch hold of him at the gate of Ludd and would kill him.

[Sahih Muslim 2937a]

This hadith supports the previous ahadith in multiple ways.

1) The smell of Isa’s (A.S) breath will kill all the non-believers

Masih’s words/arguments will destroy the non-Muslims and his words will reach everywhere. We must not understand this literally because the ahadith about the coming of the Dajjal were visions and dreams of the Prophet (S.A.W) and thus, they must be interpreted. Moreover, the ahadith above supports this interpretation. If we are to take it literally, it is blasphemous and a mockery of a prophet of Allah. Read more about how these ahadith are dreams.

2) The Masih will catch and kill Dajjal at the gate of Ludd (لُدٍّ).

This means that the Dajjal will be killed via arguments because Ludd in Arabic lexicons is defined as:

لَدّ, originally لَدِدَ, (second pers. لَدِدْتَ, L,) aor. ـَ {يَلْدَدُ}, (L, Mṣb,) inf. n. لَدَدٌ (Ṣ, A, L, Mṣb,) He was violent, or vehement, in contention, or altercation; in dispute; in litigation. (Ṣ, A, L, Mṣb.)

[Lanes Lexicon, Book 1, part 7, pg 2657]

Similarly, this word is used in a few Quranic verses and means the same.

فَاِنَّمَا یَسَّرۡنٰہُ بِلِسَانِکَ لِتُبَشِّرَ بِہِ الۡمُتَّقِیۡنَ وَتُنۡذِرَ بِہٖ قَوۡمًا لُّدًّا

So We have made it (the Quran) easy in thy tongue that thou mayest give thereby good tidings to the righteous, and warn thereby a contentious people.

[Quran 19:97]

Who are the قَوۡمًا لُّدًّا (Contentious people)?

The word لُّدًّا (Ludda) is used for the Trinitarian Christians in the above verse and is explained just 5 verses before.

Because they ascribe a son to the Gracious God,

Whereas it becomes not the Gracious God to take unto Himself a son.

[Quran 19:91-92]

Thus, it is the Christians who are the contentious people which indicates that the Dajjal is the manifestation of Satan in the form of Trinitarian Christians at the time of the Messiah.

This is supported by the ahadith of the Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) where he commands the Muslims to recite the first and last 10 verses of Surah Kahf. These verses describe Dajjal and show us how we can save ourselves from its fitnah. The first ten verses warn us against the fitnah of the Trinitarian Christians.

All praise belongs to Allah Who has sent down the Book to His servant and has not put therein any crookedness.

He has made it a guardian, that it may give warning of a grievous chastisement from Him, and that it may give the believers who do good deeds the glad tidings that they shall have a good reward,

Wherein they shall abide for ever;

And that it may warn those who say, ‘ Allah has taken unto Himself a son.’

No knowledge have they thereof, nor had their fathers. Grievous is the word that comes from their mouths. They speak naught but a lie.

[Quran 18:1-5]

Visual Summary

Conclusion

In conclusion, these ahadith prove that the job of the Messiah won’t be to lead people into battle but will establish the truth of Islam via arguments (i.e his writings). He will distribute the wealth of knowledge among the people and no one will accept it. This is also explained by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (A.S) in his book Izala Auham:

This refers to the treasures of wisdom and verities, because the heavenly treasures that are bestowed upon the special servants of God Almighty, which they distribute to the world, are not the worldly riches, but consist entirely of wisdom and verities, as Allah the Almighty says:

يُؤْتِي الْحِكْمَةَ مَنْ يَشَاءُ ۚ وَمَنْ يُؤْتَ الْحِكْمَةَ فَقَدْ أُوتِيَ خَيْرًا كَثِيرًا ۗ (2:270)

 Khair means wealth and in fact pure wealth is the wisdom that has been referred to in the hadith This is the wealth which is a Sign among the signs of the Promised Messiah”

[Ruhani Khazain, vol 3, pg 441-443]

To learn about who the Dajjal is in detail, please check out this article.

Non-Ahmadi Muslims claim that we must understand the ahadith about the Dajjal literally. They believe such prophecies of the coming of Dajjal will be fulfilled exactly as described and no interpretation is needed for them, even though all such descriptions are from the dream and visions of the Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W).

In this article, we will prove that

1. The prophecies about the coming of the Dajjal are all dreams and visions, and thus, require interpretation.
2. Sunni Muslims themselves do interpretations of such ahadith due to the same reason that they were dreams of the Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W).

Dajjal was seen in a dream

Hadith #1

The first hadith shows that Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) saw the Dajjal in a dream while sleeping near the Ka’abah.

The Prophet (ﷺ) mentioned the Masih Ad-Dajjal in front of the people saying, Allah is not one-eyed while Masih Ad-Dajjal is blind in the right eye and his eye looks like a bulging out grape. While sleeping near the Ka`ba last night, I saw in my dream a man of brown color the best one can see amongst brown color and his hair was long that it fell between his shoulders. His hair was lank and water was dribbling from his head and he was placing his hands on the shoulders of two men while circumambulating the Ka`ba. I asked, ‘Who is this?’ They replied, ‘This is Jesus, son of Mary.’ Behind him I saw a man who had very curly hair and was blind in the right eye, resembling Ibn Qatan (i.e. an infidel) in appearance. He was placing his hands on the shoulders of a person while performing Tawaf around the Ka`ba. I asked, ‘Who is this? ‘They replied, ‘The Masih, Ad-Dajjal.‘ “

[Sahih al-Bukhari 3439]

Hadith #2

The dajjal was also seen by the Prophet (S.A.W) during Maira’j, which was yet another special vision/experience granted by Allah to him. For those who don’t believe Maira’j was a vision/dream, here is the article that proves it.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “On the night of my Ascent to the Heaven, I saw Moses who was a tall brown curlyhaired man as if he was one of the men of Shan’awa tribe, and I saw Jesus, a man of medium height and moderate complexion inclined to the red and white colors and of lank hair. I also saw Malik, the gate-keeper of the (Hell) Fire and Ad-Dajjal amongst the signs which Allah showed me.”

[Sahih al-Bukhari 3239]

Hadith #3

In another hadith, the expression “I liken him” clearly shows that the Prophet (SAW) must have seen Dajjal since he is comparing his physical appearance to someone. The only way he would have is through visions/dreams as he hadn’t appeared during his time.

قَطَطٌ عَيْنُهُ قَائِمَةٌ كَأَنِّي أُشَبِّهُهُ بِعَبْدِ الْعُزَّى بْنِ قَطَنٍ فَمَنْ رَآهُ مِنْكُمْ فَلْيَقْرَأْ عَلَيْهِ فَوَاتِحَ سُورَةِ الْكَهْفِ

He (Dajjal) will be a young man with curly hair and a protuberant eye; I liken him to ‘Abdul-‘Uzza bin Qatan. Whoever among you sees him, let him recite the first Verses of Surat Al-Kahf over him.

[Sunan Ibn Majah 4075]

This hadith is also explained by Sunnis scholars, one of the most renowned is Mulla ‘Ali al-Qari who explains this as:

.لا شك في تشبيهه به إلا أنه لما كان معرفة المشبه في عالم الكشف أو المنام عبر عنه بكاني كما هو المعتبر في تعبير حكاية الرؤيا والله تعالى أعلم

I said: There is no doubt that he was likened to him, except that when the certain person was seen in the world of revelation or a dream, he was expressed by Kaani (as if), as is considered in the expression of the tale of the vision, and God Almighty knows best.

[Mirqat al-Mafatih Sharh Mishkat al-Masabih, pg 115]

Hadith #4

The Prophet (S.A.W) describes the appearance of Dajjal with phrases like “as if”. Just like the above hadith, this too is a clear indication that he must have seen Dajjal. The only way he would have is through visions/dreams.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said (about Ad-Dajjal) that he is one eyed, his right eye is as if a protruding out grape.”

[Sahih al-Bukhari 7123]

Another usage of the same phrase can be found in the following hadith

The Dajjal shall emerge from a land in the east called Khurasan. He is followed by a people whom appear as if their faces are shields coated with leather.

[Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2237]

Hadith #5

The following hadith is a vision of Tamim al-Dari (R.A) which he narrates to the Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W), who then narrates it to the rest of the companions (R.A). It is quite long so I will only quote the parts that are relevant.

He said: By Allah. I have not made you assemble for exhortation or for a warning, but I have detained you here, for Tamim Dari, a Christian, who came and accepted Islam, told me something, which agrees with what I was telling, you about the Dajjal.
Then we hurriedly went on till we came to that monastery and found a well-built person there with his hands tied to his neck and having iron shackles between his two legs up to the ankles.
He said: Inform me about the unlettered Prophet; what has he done?
We said: He has come out from Mecca and has settled In Yathrib (Medina).
He said: Do the Arabs fight against him?
We said: Yes. He said: How did he deal with them?
We informed him that he had overcome those in his neighbourhood and they had submitted themselves before him.
Thereupon he said to us: Has it actually happened?
We said: Yes.
Thereupon he said: If it is so that is better for them that they should show obedience to him. I am going to tell you about myself and I am Dajjal and would be soon permitted to get out and so I shall get out and travel in the land, and will not spare any town where I would not stay for forty nights except Mecca and Medina…

[Sahih Muslim 2942a]

This hadith shows that it was a vision of Tamim al-Dari (R.A). The Dajjal here is reported to have asked, “Inform me about the unlettered Prophet; what has he done?”.

After all, how did this person come to know that the Arabian Prophet had already appeared? Should we think that he was also a recipient of revelation? Evidently this could not be. Nor could this be a case of guesswork. Thus, the only possible explanation is that it was seen in a vision as even the Sunni sources state:

Nabi [Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam] was shown Dajjaal, either in his dream or he was inspired with this vision (Kashf).

[Islamqa.org (Hanafi)]

Hadith #6

Similarly, in another hadith, Dajjal is described to have a “likeness”(بِمِثَالِ) of Paradise and Hell and not an actual Paradise and Hell.

أَلاَ أُحَدِّثُكُمْ حَدِيثًا عَنِ الدَّجَّالِ مَا حَدَّثَ بِهِ نَبِيٌّ قَوْمَهُ، إِنَّهُ أَعْوَرُ، وَإِنَّهُ يَجِيءُ مَعَهُ بِمِثَالِ الْجَنَّةِ وَالنَّارِ، فَالَّتِي يَقُولُ إِنَّهَا الْجَنَّةُ‏.‏ هِيَ النَّارُ، وَإِنِّي أُنْذِرُكُمْ كَمَا أَنْذَرَ بِهِ نُوحٌ قَوْمَهُ

Shall I not tell you about the False Messiah of which no prophet has told his people before? Verily, he is blind in one eye. He will come with the likeness of paradise and fire. He will bring it and say it is paradise, but it is fire. Verily, I have warned you just as Noah had warned his people.

[Sahih al-Bukhari 3338]

Why don’t all ahadith about Dajjal mention it was a dream/vision?

A reader can ask why don’t all the ahadith about Dajjal mention that they were dreams or visions. Similarly, why can’t all the ahadith about the descent of the Messiah mention that they too were seen in a dream or a vision?

This is a valid question and we have similar ahadith in Bukhari and Muslim where the narrators omit the part which describes the event as a vision while the other mentions it.

‘A’isha reported that Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) was startled in the state of sleep. We said:

Allah’s Messenger, you have done something in the state of your sleep which you never did before, Thereupon he said: Strange it is that some people of my Ummah would attack the House (Ka’ba) (for killing) a person who would belong to the tribe of the Quraish and he would try to seek protection in the House. And when they would reach the plain ground they would be sunk. We said: Allah’s Messenger, all sorts of people throng the path. Thereupon he said: Yes, there would be amongst them people who would come with definite designs and those who would come under duress and there would be travellers also, but they would all be destroyed through one (stroke) of destruction. though they would be raised in different states (on the Day of Resurrection). Allah would, however, raise them according to their intention.

[Sahih Muslim 2884]

The above hadith mentions that Muhammad (S.A.W) is describing an event he saw in a dream while the next hadith from Bukhari does not mention it. But the described event is exactly the same.

Narrated `Aisha:

Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “An army will invade the Ka`ba and when the invaders reach Al-Baida’, all the ground will sink and swallow the whole army.” I said, “O Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ)! How will they sink into the ground while amongst them will be their markets (the people who worked in business and not invaders) and the people not belonging to them?” The Prophet (ﷺ) replied, “all of those people will sink but they will be resurrected and judged according to their intentions.”

[Sahih al-Bukhari 2118]

Thus, we look at all the ahadith about a certain topic in a single lens. Any details omitted by some ahadith are detailed by others, which gives us a better understanding of the context of the ahadith.

“Sunnis” interpret Dajjal hadith since it is a dream

Similarly, “Sunnis” don’t understand all the ahadith about the Dajjal literally. They also interpret them. One of them is the hadith below where the Dajjal is seen doing Tawaf of the Ka’abah.

The Prophet (ﷺ) mentioned the Masih Ad-Dajjal in front of the people saying, Allah is not one-eyed while Masih Ad-Dajjal is blind in the right eye and his eye looks like a bulging out grape. While sleeping near the Ka`ba last night, I saw in my dream a man of brown color the best one can see amongst brown color and his hair was long that it fell between his shoulders. His hair was lank and water was dribbling from his head and he was placing his hands on the shoulders of two men while circumambulating the Ka`ba. I asked, ‘Who is this?’ They replied, ‘This is Jesus, son of Mary.’ Behind him I saw a man who had very curly hair and was blind in the right eye, resembling Ibn Qatan (i.e. an infidel) in appearance. He was placing his hands on the shoulders of a person while performing Tawaf around the Ka`ba. I asked, ‘Who is this? ‘They replied, ‘The Masih, Ad-Dajjal.‘

[Sahih al-Bukhari 3439]

They don’t take it literally and explain that the Dajjal cannot be in Makkah and do Tawaf as it goes against other ahadith which proves that he cannot enter Makkah nor Medinah.

There will be no town which Ad-Dajjal will not enter except Mecca and Medina.

[Sahih al-Bukhari 1881]
[Sahih Muslim 2884]

Conclusion

In summary, all the ahadith of the Dajjal are visions and dreams that Muhammad (S.A.W) saw. Moreover, it is nothing unusual to interpret dreams. One example is that the hadith of Dajjal doing Tawaf of the Ka’abah is not taken literally because as per other ahadith, Dajjal cannot enter Makkah or Medinah. There are many other visions of the Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) that did not happen literally and are listed here.

Similarly, the ahadith about the coming of the Messiah are also visions where he saw both the Messiah and the Dajjal together. Thus, interpreting those prophecies is nothing new within Islam but a practice of the Prophet (S.A.W) himself, especially when they have already been fulfilled.