Introduction

In multiple Ahadith, its prophesied that the Dajjal will have a huge donkey. This donkey will be used by Dajjal to travel through the earth with remarkable speed.

All the descriptions of this donkey are interpreted to refer to modern modes of transportation. In this article, the primary sources, scans, and translations will be provided for these ahadith, along with how they clearly apply to a modern mode of transportation.

Note on Authentication

Normally, we strive to establish the authenticity of Ahadith in our articles. However, in this case—due to the variety of narrations regarding Dajjal’s donkey—we will not delve deeply into the authentication of each individual Hadith. Instead, we will adhere to the principle that the fulfillment of a Hadith is itself a strong proof of its authenticity and truth. As you read this article, it will become evident how these Ahadith have been fulfilled.

Moreover, many non-Ahmadi Muslims—even when acknowledging that some of these Ahadith have weak chains—still accept the signs related to Dajjal’s donkey as valid. Therefore, to accept these narrations initially, but then reject them solely because Ahmadis reference them, is a clear example of double standards.

Holy Quran

Verse 1: Dajjal Donkey Metaphorical

If great modes of transport were to be built in the future, then the primary prophecies would be found in the Holy Quran. the book that contains comprehensive knowledge, and prophecies.

وَّالۡخَیۡلَ وَالۡبِغَالَ وَالۡحَمِیۡرَ لِتَرۡکَبُوۡہَا وَزِیۡنَۃً ؕ وَیَخۡلُقُ مَا لَا تَعۡلَمُوۡنَ

And He has created horses and mules and donkeys (al-hamayr) that you may ride them, and as a source of beauty. And He will create what you do not yet know.

[Holy Quran 16:9]

This verse is extremely explicit, it says that in the future God will create a mode of transport which the Arabs know nothing about. Which is obviously referring to all our modern modes of transport. It also explicitly says that the mode of transport God will create in the future are not donkeys (al-hamayr, plural of Himar), it is something else. Therefore, this verse proves that the Himar (donkey of Dajjal) must be interpreted metaphorically. There is no other choice, because the verse clearly distinguishes that the future mode of transport will not be literal donkeys. And Dajjal is also in the future. Therefore the “donkey of Dajjal” can never refer to a literal Himar (donkey).

Verse 2: Camels abandoned for travel at Messiah’s time

وَاِذَا الۡعِشَارُ عُطِّلَتۡ

And when the she-camels, tenmonth pregnant, are abandoned,

[Holy Quran 81:5]

This Surah prophesies that one day the most valuable form of transport for the Arabic (10 month pregnant camel) would be abandoned.

It is narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira that the Messenger or Allah (ﷺ) observed:

I swear by Allah that the son of Mary will certainly descend as a just judge and he would definitely break the cross, and kill swine and abolish Jizya and would leave the young she-camel and no one would travel upon it. Spite, mutual hatred and jealousy against one another will certainly disappear and when he summons people to accept wealth, not even one would do so.

[Sahih Muslim 155c]

Sunnah.com translated (وَلَتُتْرَكَنَّ الْقِلاَصُ فَلاَ يُسْعَى عَلَيْهَا) very strangely. We have put the correct translation above. This says that at the time of the Messiah’s descent, camels would be abandoned as a mode of transport. And the first first in Surah an Nahl in which Allah Almighty says He will create what the Arabs did not yet know, is the mode of transport that would be used. The Holy Quran and Sahih Ahadith hold clear prophecies for modern transport. Moreover, it should be noted that the time of the Messiah is the time of Dajjal, therefore camels would be abandoned for transport at the time of Dajjal too.

Allah’s Apostle (ﷺ) was in an apartment and we were beneath that, that he peeped in and said to us: What are you discussing about? We said: (We are discussing about the Last) Hour. Thereupon he said: The Last Hour would not come until the ten signs appear: land-sliding in the east, and land-sliding in the west, and land-sliding in the peninsula of Arabia, the smoke, the Dajjal, the beast of the earth, Gog and Magog, the rising of the sun from the west and the fire which would emit from the lower part of ‘Adan. Shu’ba said that ‘Abd al-‘Aziz b. Rufai’ reported on the authority of Abu Tufail who reported on the authority of Abu Sariha a hadith like this that Allah’s Apostle (ﷺ) did not make a mention of (the tenth sign) but he said that out of the ten one was the descent of Jesus, son of Mary (peace be upon him), and in another version it is the blowing of the violent gale which would drive the people to the ocean.

[Sahih Muslim 2901b]

So at the time of Dajjal and the true Messiah, camels would be abandoned for travel. This is a clear proof for Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (AS) of Qadian for being the Messiah. At his (as) time camels were being abandoned for travel and were replaced with railways etc.

Hadith 1: Journeys take year/month/week, 40 cubits earspan

دثنا محمد بن سابق حدثنا إبراهيم بن طهمان عن أبي الزبير عن جابر بن عبد الله أنه قال قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم 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]

This hadith is among those of Dajjal’s donkey that are considered Sahih:

1. Hamza Ahmed Al-Zein in his grading of Musnad Ahmad says its Sahih
2. Imam Hakim graded a rendering with slightly different wording, saying the same thing, Sahih
3. Imam Haytami said its narrated via 2 chains in Musand Ahmad, one of which is Sahih
4. Shu’aib al-Arnaut graded it Sahih on the condition of Imam Muslim

This hadith says a couple of points:

• Dajjal will be able to travel to whole earth in forty days
• Some days of his travel will be the length of a year
• Some days of his travel will be the length of a month
• Some days of his travel will be the length of a week
• Some days of his travel will be the length of a day
• His travelling is related to a donkey which he will ride
• This donkey will have an ear-span of 40 cubits
• Dajjal will possess mountains of bread/food

The interpretation only takes a second to figure out, due to the clarity of this hadith. Dajjal’s donkey’s ear-span is the wing-span of an airplane. And this is also the length of many railways. Dajjal travelling the whole earth in forty days, is a reality which is possible due to modern modes of transportation.

Hadith says some days will be like a year, some a month, some a week, and the rest like normal days. The hadith is literally saying that it will take these specific periods of time to travel the earth. To travel from Europe to other continents, travelling on foot and basic animals takes years (like in the ancient days). Then, travelling to different continents took months when great ships were innovated. Then travelling on railways took weeks (ex. the Trans-Siberian railway takes 7 days to span the entirety of Asia, from East to West). And now with the invention of airplanes, it takes days to get everywhere.

The hadith connects this travelling taking weeks, months, years to Dajjal’s donkey, meaning to say, Dajjal will be seated on his donkey when travelling these different distances (days, weeks, months, years).

And all these different modes of transportation, take mountains of food, bread, and resources along with them.

This hadith is narrated by multiple Ai’mmah, has different renderings, and has multiple chains. It is Sahih.

Hadith 1.1: Donkey is like cloud on wind

Another rendering of this hadith is in Sahih Muslim, which gives the speed of Dajjal on his donkey.

‏.‏ قُلْنَا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَمَا لَبْثُهُ فِي الأَرْضِ قَالَ ‏”‏ أَرْبَعُونَ يَوْمًا يَوْمٌ كَسَنَةٍ وَيَوْمٌ كَشَهْرٍ وَيَوْمٌ كَجُمُعَةٍ وَسَائِرُ أَيَّامِهِ كَأَيَّامِكُمْ ‏”‏ ‏.‏ قُلْنَا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ فَذَلِكَ الْيَوْمُ الَّذِي كَسَنَةٍ أَتَكْفِينَا فِيهِ صَلاَةُ يَوْمٍ قَالَ ‏”‏ لاَ اقْدُرُوا لَهُ قَدْرَهُ ‏”‏ ‏.‏ قُلْنَا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَمَا إِسْرَاعُهُ فِي الأَرْضِ قَالَ ‏”‏ كَالْغَيْثِ اسْتَدْبَرَتْهُ الرِّيحُ

We said: Allah’s Messenger, how long would he stay on the earth? He (ﷺ) said: For forty days, one day like a year and one day like a month and one day like a week and the rest of the days would be like your days. We said: Allah’s Messenger, would one day’s prayer suffice for the prayers of day equal to one year? Thereupon he (ﷺ) said: No, but you must make an estimate of time (and then observe prayer). 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]
[Sunan Ibn Majah 4075]
[Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2240]

So, along with the different periods of time it will take the Dajjal on his donkey to get to places (years, months, weeks, days), the speed of the Dajjal¹ on his donkey, will be like a cloud driven by wind. Which donkey travels like a cloud in the sky on the wind? Its referring to airplane. And what modes of transportation go so fast, that some of them can even reach the fastest wind speeds? Cars, trains, jets etc. For reference the fastest wind speed ever recorded is 231 mph, while the bullet train goes at 200 mph, and jets go a wopping 500 mph or more. Therefore, this hadith refers to nothing but modern transportation.

The hadith specifically says “cloud driven by wind”, an average cloud travels 30-40 mph, and average car has to go, due to road rules, 50 mph. The speeds of car vary on the roads, just like the speeds of clouds can also vary. This hadith is very clear.

Hadith 1.2: Donkey has lights, 70 cubits earspan

عَنْ أَبِيهِ ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ : ” يَخْرُجُ الدَّجَّالُ عَلَى حِمَارٍ أَقْمَرَ ، مَا بَيْنَ أُذُنَيْهِ سَبْعُونَ بَاعًا ” ، قَالَهُ لِي إِسْمَاعِيلُ : عَنْ أَخِيهِ ، عَنْ سُلَيْمَانَ ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدٍ

The Prophet (saw) said: The Dajjal will emerge on a moon-lit donkey, the span between its ears being seventy cubits”

[Arabic: At-Tarikh al-Kabir, Vol 1, pg 198]

This chain of transmission is weak. However, it gives more information on the first hadith which is sahih, so it can be used. Moreover, a fulfilled hadith has the highest level of authenticity.

Imam Bukhari writes this rendering in his famous work, Tarikh-al-Kabir, that the Dajjal will be in a Himar Aqmar, a moon-lit donkey. This Himar Aqmar word has multiple literal meanings 1. the donkey will have moon-like lights, inside or outside 2. the donkey will be the shining color of the moon, pure white. Aqmar (أَقْمَرَ) comes from Qamar (moon), the word means “be moon-lit” i.e. have moon-like lights according to lexicons. Therefore the hadith is saying the donkey will be moon-lit via some lights.

The hadith goes on to say, that the span between its ears will be seventy cubits.

Now what has moon-like lights, inside or outside, is pure white, and its span is seventy cubits or the like? The donkey is an airplane.

The first narration says forty cubits (أربعون ذراعا), while this one says (سَبْعُونَ بَاعًا). This shows that the donkey will have different earspans. Forty cubits, seventy cubits, or even more. Therefore an ignorant one’s allegation that a commercial airplane wingspan is not seventy cubits is completely baseless. 1. Small planes do have 70 cubits wing-span 2. The variation in the ear span shows that it’s not a set span, it can be greater or smaller than the ear span given in the Ahadith.

Hadith 2: Donkey is very fast

The Dajjal will travel to every town except Makkah, and Madinah, this is another hadith which shows the immense speed of his mode of transport, its inferred Dajjal will be seated on his donkey. However, even if one doesn’t want to accept this inference, it doesn’t disprove the point – that the Dajjal will have an extremely fast way to travel the earth and could go to every city very fast.

حَدَّثَنَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ الْمُنْذِرِ، حَدَّثَنَا الْوَلِيدُ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عَمْرٍو، حَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ، حَدَّثَنِي أَنَسُ بْنُ مَالِكٍ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ “‏ لَيْسَ مِنْ بَلَدٍ إِلاَّ سَيَطَؤُهُ الدَّجَّالُ، إِلاَّ مَكَّةَ وَالْمَدِينَةَ، لَيْسَ لَهُ مِنْ نِقَابِهَا نَقْبٌ إِلاَّ عَلَيْهِ الْمَلاَئِكَةُ صَافِّينَ، يَحْرُسُونَهَا، ثُمَّ تَرْجُفُ الْمَدِينَةُ بِأَهْلِهَا ثَلاَثَ رَجَفَاتٍ، فَيُخْرِجُ اللَّهُ كُلَّ كَافِرٍ وَمُنَافِقٍ ‏”‏‏.‏

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “There will be no town which Ad-Dajjal will not enter except Mecca and Medina, and there will be no entrance (road) (of both Mecca and Medina) but the angels will be standing in rows guarding it against him, and then Medina will shake with its inhabitants thrice (i.e. three earthquakes will take place) and Allah will expel all the non-believers and the hypocrites from it.”

[Sahih al-Bukhari 1881]
[Sahih Muslim 2943a]

So, Dajjal will travel very fast – that’s how he can reach all towns so fast except Mecca, Medina.

Hadith 3: Donkey is filthy

 أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَعْقُوبَ الْحَافِظُ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى، ثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ يَحْيَى، ثَنَا مُسَدَّدٌ، ثَنَا مُعَاذُ بْنُ هِشَامٍ، حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي، عَنْ قَتَادَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي الطُّفَيْلِ، قَالَ: كُنْتُ بِالْكُوفَةِ، فَقِيلَ: خَرَجَ الدَّجَّالُ، قَالَ: فَأَتَيْنَا عَلَى حُذَيْفَةَ بْنِ أَسِيدٍ وَهُوَ يُحَدِّثُ، فَقُلْتُ: هَذَا الدَّجَّالُ قَدْ خَرَجَ، فَقَالَ: اجْلِسْ، فَجَلَسْتُ فَأَتَى عَلَيَّ الْعَرِّيفُ، فَقَالَ: هَذَا الدَّجَّالُ قَدْ خَرَجَ وَأَهْلُ الْكُوفَةِ يُطَاعِنُونَهُ، قَالَ: اجْلِسْ، فَجَلَسْتُ فَنُودِيَ إِنَّهَا كَذِبَةٌ صَبَاغٌ، قَالَ: فَقُلْنَا يَا أَبَا سَرِيحَةَ مَا أَجْلَسْتَنَا إِلَّا لِأَمْرٍ فَحَدِّثْنَا، قَالَ: ” إِنَّ الدَّجَّالَ لَوْ خَرَجَ فِي زَمَانِكُمْ لَرَمَتْهُ الصِّبْيَانُ بِالْخَذْفِ، وَلَكِنَّ الدَّجَّالَ يَخْرُجُ فِي بُغْضٍ مِنَ النَّاسِ، وَخِفَّةٍ مِنَ الدِّينِ، وَسُوءِ ذَاتِ بَيْنٍ، فَيَرِدُ كُلَّ مَنْهَلٍ، فَتُطْوَى لَهُ الْأَرْضُ طَيَّ فَرْوَةِ الْكَبْشِ حَتَّى يَأْتِيَ الْمَدِينَةَ، فَيَغْلِبُ عَلَى خَارِجِهَا وَيَمْنَعُ دَاخَلَهَا، ثُمَّ جَبَلَ إِيلِيَاءَ فَيُحَاصِرُ عِصَابَةً مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ، فَيَقُولُ لَهُمُ الَّذِينَ عَلَيْهِمْ مَا تَنْتَظِرُونَ بِهَذَا الطَّاغِيَةِ أَنْ تُقَاتِلُوهُ حَتَّى تَلْحَقُوا بِاللَّهِ أَوْ يُفْتَحَ لَكُمْ، فَيَأْتَمِرُونَ أَنْ يُقَاتِلُوهُ إِذَا أَصْبَحُوا، فَيُصْبِحُونَ وَمَعَهُمْ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ فَيَقْتُلُ الدَّجَّالَ وَيَهْزِمُ أَصْحَابَهُ، حَتَّى إِنَّ الشَّجَرَ وَالْحَجَرَ وَالْمَدَرَ، يَقُولُ: يَا مُؤْمِنُ هَذَا يَهُودِيٌّ عِنْدِي فَاقْتُلْهُ “، قَالَ: ” وَفِيهِ ثَلَاثُ عَلَامَاتٍ: هُوَ أَعْوَرُ وَرَبُّكُمْ لَيْسَ بِأَعْوَرَ، وَمَكْتُوبٌ بَيْنَ عَيْنَيْهِ كَافِرٌ يَقْرَأُهُ كُلُّ مُؤْمِنٍ أُمِّيٌّ وَكَاتِبٌ، وَلَا يُسَخَّرُ لَهُ مِنَ الْمَطَايَا إِلَّا الْحِمَارُ، فَهُوَ رِجْسٌ عَلَى رِجْسٍ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: أَنَا لِغَيْرِ الدَّجَّالِ أَخْوَفُ عَلَيَّ وَعَلَيْكُمْ “، قَالَ: فَقُلْنَا: مَا هُوَ يَا أَبَا سَرِيحَةَ؟ قَالَ: «فِتَنٌ كَأَنَّهَا قِطَعُ اللَّيْلِ الْمُظْلِمِ» ، قَالَ: فَقُلْنَا: أَيُّ النَّاسِ فِيهَا شَرٌّ؟ قَالَ: «كُلُّ خَطِيبٍ مُصْقِعٍ، وَكُلُّ رَاكِبٍ مُوضِعٍ» ، قَالَ: فَقُلْنَا: أَيُّ النَّاسِ فِيهَا خَيْرٌ؟ قَالَ: «كُلُّ غَنِيٍّ خَفِيٍّ» ، قَالَ: فَقُلْتُ: مَا أَنَا بِالْغَنِيِّ وَلَا بِالْخَفِيِّ، قَالَ: «فَكُنْ كَابْنِ اللَّبُونِ لَا ظَهْرَ فَيُرْكَبَ، وَلَا ضَرْعَ فَيُحْلَبَ»

Hudhaifa bin Asid (ra): No creature will be made subserviant to him [Dajjal] except a donkey, filth upon flith

[Arabic: Al-Mustadark Ala’ Sahihayn, Vol. 4, pg. 574-575]

Sahih according to Imam Hakim.

It means that the filthy Dajjal will be seated on a filthy donkey. Is not pollution (spread of filth) through modes of transport a big issue in our time? There are always complaints of air pollution through our transport, water pollution etc. The fuel of our transport is considered very filthy.

★ Hadith 4: In-depth donkey description

This hadith possesses some of the most famous and well-known signs of Dajjal’s donkey. It is weak in chain, but its signs have been widely accepted by non-Ahmadis, and its signs are often quoted even today. Moreover it possesses such clear signs as have been fulfilled therefore denying it would be tantamount to foolishness. This same rendering has also been recorded by Shais in Bihar al Anwar. They both have the same signs.

عَنْ عَلِىٍّ: أَنَّهُ خَطَبَ النَّاسَ[…] تَحْتَهُ حِمَارٌ أَقْمَرُ ، طُولُ كُلِّ أُذُنٍ مِنْ أُذُنَيْهِ ثَلاَثُونَ ذِرَاعًا، مَا بَيْنَ حَافِرِ حِمَارِهِ إِلَى الْحَافِرِ الآخَرِ مَسيَرَةُ يَوْمٍ وَلَيْلَةٍ، تُطْوَى لَهُ الأَرْضُ مَنْهَلًا مَنْهَلًا، يَتَنَاوَلُ السَّحَابَ بيَمينِه، ويَسْبِقُ الشَّمْسَ إِلَى مَغِيبِهَا يَخُوضُ الْبَحْرَ إِلَى كَعْبَيْهِ، أَمَامَهُ جَبَلُ دُخَانٍ، وَخَلْفَهُ جَبَلٌ أَخْضَرُ، يُنَادى بصَوْتٍ لَهُ يُسْمِعُ بِهِ مَا بَيْنَ الْخَافِقَيْنِ: ” إِلَىَّ أَوْلَيَائِى! إِلَىَّ أَولِيَائِى! إِلَىَّ أَحِبَّائِى! إِلىَّ أحِبَّائِى! أَنَا الَّذِى خَلقَ فَسَوَّى، والَّذى قَدَّرَ

On the authority of Ali: He addressed [in sermon] the people […] Underneath him [he Dajjal will be seated upon] a moon-lit donkey (Himar Aqmar). The span of each of its ears is 30 cubits. The distance between the hooves of his donkey amounts to a journey lasting a day and a night. The earth will be stretched out for it, span by span. It shall take hold of the clouds with his right hand. It shall precede the sun to its place of setting, it shall traverse the sea, which will be up to its ankles. In front of it shall be a mountain of smoke, and behind it shall be a green mountain (holding abundance). He shall announce with a voice which shall heard in the two horizens, “[Come] to me, O my friends! [Come] to me, O my friends! [Come] to me, O my beloved ones! [Come] to me, O my beloved ones! I am the One who created and perfected, and the One who determined […]”

[Arabic: Jami‘ al-Jawāmi‘ – Al-Jāmi‘ al-Kabīr, Vol. 17, pg. 769]
[Urdu: Bihar al Anwar Vol 12 pg. 80-86]

Lets analyze it.

This donkey will be ( حِمَارٌ أَقْمَرُ ) meaning a moon-lit donkey which has already been explained.

(طُولُ كُلِّ أُذُنٍ مِنْ أُذُنَيْهِ ثَلاَثُونَ ذِرَاعًا) The span of each of his two ears is 30 cubits. This says the ear-span of this donkey will be absolutely huge, and will be 30 cubits. This is clear indication about the wingspan of an airplane, and also the length of railways. It should be noted, notice that 70 cubits is in one hadith, and 30 cubits in this one, and 40 cubits will be in the next one (مَا بَيْنَ أُذُنِي حِمَارِهِ أَرْبَعُونَ ذِرَاعًا). This shows that the span of this “donkey” (airplane or railway) wont be the same but will vary. It may be bigger or smaller than 30, 40, or 70 cubits. So, again, no one can raise the allegation that planes have wingspans larger than 70 cubits, since the ahadith themself vary in the length of the ears.

(مَا بَيْنَ حَافِرِ حِمَارِهِ إِلَى الْحَافِرِ الآخَرِ مَسيَرَةُ يَوْمٍ وَلَيْلَةٍ) The distance between one hoof of his donkey, to another hoof, will be equal to journey of a day and night. The next rendering of this same hadith says, (مَا بَيْنَ حَافِرِهِ إِلَى الْحَافِرِ الْآخَرِ مَسِيرَةُ أَرْبَعِ لَيَالٍ) the distance between one hoof and the other is a four-night journey. This shows that the journeys of this donkey will sometimes last 4 nights, and other times may last a single day and night, just like airplanes. This sentence also says that one hoof (leg) of this enormous donkey to another hoof will be a day and night journey, and surprisingly, a single flight between two airports in aviation is called a flight-leg². This shows the wondrous nature of this prophecy. It literally predicted that airplanes will take off from one airport (one hoof/leg), and land in another aiport (another hoof/leg), and these journeys would take a day and night or 4-nights i.e. the length of these journeys will vary.

( تُطْوَى لَهُ الأَرْضُ مَنْهَلًا مَنْهَلًا) The earth will be stretched out for it (the donkey) span by span. The word span used here is the Arabic, minhal (مَنْهَلً). Meaning the earth will be folded for him, making his journey swift from one minhal, to another minhal. What does minhal mean? A minhal is basically where an animals stops, and refuels themselves by drinking water. Its a stopping point to refresh and re-gain energy. Now this donkey will have multiple minhal (watering points). Its a clear description of train stations, airports, ports etc. Our modern transportations always have to stop on multiple points to refuel themselves. The hadith also conveys that the journeys between one minhal and another minhal (stopping points for this extraordinary donkey) will be very swift. The entire point of our modern transportation is swiftness.

(يَتَنَاوَلُ السَّحَابَ بيَمينِه) He shall take hold of the clouds with his right hand. In the next rendering of this hadith its written, (، يَتَنَاوَلُ السَّمَاءَ بِيَدِهِ) He will told hold of the sky with his right hand. This means that Dajjal will be able to fly and reach the sky, due to this donkey. It also means that the sky will be in the complete control of the Dajjal. This has been fulfilled with the flight of airplanes, and the fact that those countries who have aviation technology, or ballistic technology, have control over their respective skies. Is this not true?

(ويَسْبقُ الشَّمْسَ إِلَى مَغيبهَا) It will precede the sun to its place of setting. This is incredibly wondrous. This donkey will be able to precede the sun to its place of setting, a concept that was impossible before due to the slow pace of travel but is totally possible now. Airplanes travel so fast that they traverse multiple timezones, it becomes difficult to ascertain sunrise and sunset. Even faster are rockets, which can litearlly precede the sun to its place of setting. If a spacecraft were to travel eastward (in the direction of the Earth’s rotation) at a speed faster than the Earth’s rotation, it would “outrun” the setting sun, staying in perpetual daylight.

(يَخُوضُ الْبَحْرَ إِلَى كَعْبَيْهِ) It will wade through the sea which shall be up to its ankles. So this magnificent donkey wont just be flying, it will also traverse the seas which will be up to its ankles. The next sign says that it will have mountain of smoke in front of it, and mountain of abundance behind it. Now which thing travels extremely fast in the sea, is 30, 40, and even 70 cubits long, and holds huge mountains of abudance on its back? Its talking about cargo ships and other sea faring transportation. Which litearlly looks like they carry mountains of abundance on their backs.

(أَمَامَهُ جَبَلْ دُخَانٍ ، وَخَلَفَهُ جَبَلْ أَخْضَرُ) In front of it, is a mountain of smoke, and behind it is a green mountain [i.e. mountain of abundance]. This is self explanatory. All of our modes of transport produce smoke, and all of them carry mountains of abundance on their backs. Especially cargo ships, which is prophesied in the hadith right before this sentence. At this point these prophecies are getting a little too accurate don’t you think!

( يُنَادى بصَوْتٍ لَهُ يُسْمِعُ بِهِ مَا بَيْنَ الْخَافِقَيْنِ: ” إِلَىَّ أَوْلَيَائِى! إِلَىَّ أَولِيَائِى! إِلَىَّ أَحِبَّائِى!) He shall announce with a voice which shall heard in the two horizens, “[Come] to me, O my friends! [Come] to me, O my friends! [Come] to me, O my beloved ones!. So this magnificent donkey, before taking off, Dajjal will annouce on it extremely loudly to come to him and the donkey. So this donkey will annouce its arrival and take off! Is it not true that all of our modes of transports in every station (railway station), airports etc. annouce their arrivals and take off! Before moving annoucements are made for passengers to get on.

Then the hadith goes on to explain how Dajjal will claim to be God. This is perhaps an explaination of athiestic views of these nations which do not believe in God, and think they hold every power there is. All these advances in transportation and techonology have led them to think this way.

Hadith 4.1

This is another rendering of the above comprehensive hadith,

خَطَبَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ أَبِي طَالِبٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ عَلَى الْمِنْبَرِ[…]خْرُجُ مِنْ يَهُودِيَّةِ أَصْبَهَانَ عَلَى حِمَارٍ أَبْتَرَ مَا بَيْنَ أُذُنِي حِمَارِهِ أَرْبَعُونَ ذِرَاعًا، مَا بَيْنَ حَافِرِهِ إِلَى الْحَافِرِ الْآخَرِ مَسِيرَةُ أَرْبَعِ لَيَالٍ، تُطْوَى لَهُ الْأَرْضُ مَنْهَلًا مَنْهَلًا، يَتَنَاوَلُ السَّمَاءَ بِيَدِهِ، أَمَامَهُ جَبَلٌ مِنْ دُخَانٍ وَخَلْفَهُ جَبَلٌ آخَرُ

Ali bin Abi Talib (ra) did a sermon on the minbar: […] He will emerge from the Jewish region of Isfahan, riding a slit donkey. The distance between the ears of his donkey is forty cubits, and the distance between one hoof and the other is a four-night journey. The earth will be folded for him, making his journey swift from one watering place to another. He will reach the sky with his hand, with a mountain of smoke before him and another behind him.

[Arabic: Al-Sunan al-Wārida fī al-Fitan li al-Dānī. Vol 6, pg. 1196]

Many amazing signs have been mentioned in this hadith, lets analyze all of them. This narration says that Dajjal’s donkey will be a donkey that does not have any progeny (حِمَارٍ أَبْتَرَ) or the word `Abtar, after, Himar (donkey), means tailess. This shows that this donkey is not an actual donkey as actual donkeys can reproduce and have tails, it says that this extraordinary donkey cannot reproduce and/or does not have a tail. Our modes of transport, transport us from place to place like actual riding animals, however, our modern modes of transport do not reproduce, they are `abtar (no progeny), and they are also `abtar since obviously our transportations have no tails like riding animals. This word seems to establish that this enormous and wondrous “donkey” that Dajjal will have will absolutely not be like a regular everyday donkey. We make our modes of transport again and again. Our modes of transport dont reproduce and have progeny like the riding animals of the past.

(مَا بَيْنَ أُذُنِي حِمَارِهِ أَرْبَعُونَ ذِرَاعًا) Between the ears of his donkey is 40 cubits. This has already been explained

(مَا بَيْنَ حَافِرِهِ إِلَى الْحَافِرِ الْآخَرِ مَسِيرَةُ أَرْبَعِ لَيَالٍ) and the distance between one hoof and the other is a four-night journey. This has already been explained.

(تُطْوَى لَهُ الْأَرْضُ مَنْهَلًا مَنْهَلًا) The earth will be folded for him, making his journey swift from one minhal, to another minhal. This has already been explained.

( يَتَنَاوَلُ السَّمَاءَ بِيَدِهِ) He will reach the sky with his right hand. This shows the donkey can fly allowing Dajjal to reach the sky (السَّمَاءَ).

( أَمَامَهُ جَبَلٌ مِنْ دُخَانٍ وَخَلْفَهُ جَبَلٌ آخَرُ) In front of him is a mountain of smoke, and behind him another mountain. This is self explanatory. This amazing donkey will have smoke being produced from it, that will be in front of it. Behind this donkey will be another mountain, other ahadith in this article show that this other mountain is actually a “mountain of abundace”, meaning it will carry mountains of food and resources behind it. This is exactly what all our forms of modern transportation do, all of them carry mountains of resources and abundance behind them on their backs. This has also already been explained

Hadith 4.2

١٥٢٧ – حدثنا أبو عمر عن ابن لهيعة، عن عبد الوهاب بن حسين، عن محمد بن ثابت، عن أبيه، عن الحارث عن عبد الله عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال بين أذني حمار الدجال أربعون ذراعا وخطوة حماره مسيرة ثلاثة أيام يخوض البحر على حماره كما يخوض أحدكم الساقية على فرسه

It was narrated to us by Nuʿaym, who said: Abū ʿUmar narrated to us, from Ibn Lahīʿah, from ʿAbdul-Wahhāb bin Ḥusayn, from Muḥammad bin Thābit, from his father, from Al-Ḥārith, from ʿAbdullāh, from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), who said: “Between the ears of the Dajjāl’s donkey is a distance of forty cubits, and the stride of his donkey covers the journey of three days. He will traverse the sea on his donkey as one of you crosses a small stream on his horse.”

[Arabic: Kitab ul Fitn, Vol. 2, pg. 541-542]

Here, the Holy Prophet (saw) says the news about the earspan being 40 cubits as has been explained multiple times.

Then he (saw) conveys ( وخطوة حماره مسيرة ثلاثة أيام) And the stride of his donkey covers the journey of three days. In the first rendering it said a day and night journey, the second rendering said 4-nights journey, and this rendering says 3 day journey. This shows that Dajjal’s donkey will have journeys that vary in their lengths. Just like how our modern modes of transport vary in their journey lengths. Cargo ships may take longer to get to one place, than to another. Even still, a journey lasting one day, 4 nights, or 3 days, to travel the whole Earth was impossible at the time of the Arabs 1400 years ago, this has only been made possible with modern transport!

The the hadith says, (يخوض البحر على حماره كما يخوض أحدكم الساقية على فرسه) He crosses the ocean on his donkey as one of you crosses a stream on his horse. So crossing the sea will be so easy for this donkey as the Arabs crossed a small stream on their horses. Is it not true that our sea-faring transport, ships etc. travel the sea extremely easily!? Interestingly, the fastest U.S ship that crossed the Atlantic ocean took 3 days, 10 hours, and 40 minutes. This ship called the SS United States, holds the record to this day.

★ Hadith 5: Carrying alot of passengers

عن كعب الأحبار[…] ويخرج على حمار وهو يتناول السحاب بيده ويخوض البحر إلى كعبيه ويستظل في أذن حماره خلق كثير

Ka’b al Ahbar: “And it will come out riding a donkey, reaching out to the clouds with its hand and wading through the sea up to its ankles. Sheltered/shaded in the ear of the donkey will be large number of people/creation”

[Arabic: Fayd al-Qadīr, Vol. 3, pg. 537]

Hazrat Ka’b al Ahbar is known to relate alot of narrations from the Children of Israel (Israeliyyat), however the subject matter of this narration is exactly in line with the Ahadith of the Prophet Muhammad (saw) and similar signs with some differences and details have been mentioned, so we can take it.

This hadith says previously mentioned signs about controlling/reaching the clouds with his right hand, and wading through the seas up to its ankles.

(ويستظل في أذن حماره خلق كثير) This hadith mentions an important and extremely useful sign which is that this donkey will not just be limited to the transport of Dajjal, infact a large number of people/creation will be shaded/protected under the “ears of this donkey”, meaning to say in its travels this donkey will be carring a large number of people/creation. Passengers can use this extraordinary donkey.

Hadith 6: Carrying thousands of passengers

١٥٣٩ – حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدَةُ، وَوَكِيعٌ، عَنْ مِسْعَرٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ بْنِ مَيْسَرَةَ، عَنْ حَوْطٍ الْعَبْدِيِّ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، قَالَ: أُذُنُ حِمَارِ الدَّجَّالِ تُظِلُّ سَبْعِينَ أَلْفًا

١٥٤٠ – حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ، عَنْ سُفْيَانَ، عَنِ الْأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ بْنِ مَيْسَرَةَ الزَّرَّادِ، عَنْ حَوْطٍ الْعَبْدِيِّ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، قَالَ: «يَسْتَظِلُّ فِي ظِلِّ أُذُنِ حِمَارِ الدَّجَّالِ سَبْعُونَ أَلْفًا

١٥٤١ – حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ، عَنْ شُعْبَةَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ بْنِ مَيْسَرَةَ، عَنْ حَوْطٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، قَالَ: «أُذُنُ حِمَارِ الدَّجَّالِ تُظِلُّ سَبْعِينَ أَلْفًا

1539 – It was narrated to us by ʿAbdah and Wakīʿ, from Misʿar, from ʿAbdul-Malik bin Maysarah, from Ḥawṭ al-ʿAbdī, from ʿAbdullāh, who said: “The ear of the Dajjāl’s donkey will provide shade/sheltered security for seventy thousand people.”

1540 – It was narrated to us by ʿAbdur-Razzāq, from Sufyān, from al-Aʿmash, from ʿAbdul-Malik bin Maysarah az-Zarrād, from Ḥawṭ al-ʿAbdī, from ʿAbdullāh, who said: “Seventy thousand people will take shelter in the shade of the Dajjāl’s donkey’s ear.”

1541 – It was narrated to us by Muḥammad bin Jaʿfar, from Shuʿbah, from ʿAbdul-Malik bin Maysarah, from Ḥawṭ, from ʿAbdullāh, who said: “The ear of the Dajjāl’s donkey will provide shade for seventy thousand people.”

[Arabic: Kitab ul Fitn, Vol. 2, pg. 548]

This hadith clearly conveys that Dajjal’s donkey will not just be a mode of transport for Dajjal himself rather thousands of people will be able to be passengers on this donkey, and ride it. This hadith uses the word (يَسْتَظِلُّ) meaning, the donkey will shelter thousands of people under its ears. This is conveying how inside and under our modern modes of transport thousands of people can sit inside in the shade of the vehicle and are protected therein. The next rendering says thousands of Jews, however this one says thousnads of people in general. From this we can deduce that not only Jews will be riding Dajjal’s vehicle, rather any body in general will be able to ride on it.

وعن حذيفة رضي الله عنه عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم في قصة فتح القسطنطينية وغيرها: […]يركب حماراً أبتر، بين أذنيه أربعون ذراعاً، يستظل تحت أذنيه سبعون ألفاً من اليهود عليهم التيجان، فإذا كان يوم الجمعة من صلاة الغداة، وقد أقيمت الصلاة، فالتفت المهدي، فإذا هو بعيسى ابن مريم، قد نزل من السماء في ثوبين، كأنما يقطر من رأسه الماء 

“And from Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him), who narrated from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) in the story of the conquest of Constantinople and others: […] He will ride a donkey with a broken tail (or donkey without progeny), and between its ears, there will be a span of forty cubits. Seventy thousand Jews, wearing crowns, will seek shade under its ears. When it is Friday, after the Fajr prayer has been established, the Mahdi will turn around, and then he will see Jesus (the son of Mary) descending from the sky in two garments, as if water is dripping from his head.'”

[Arabic: ‘Aqd al-Durar fi Akhbar al-Muntazir, pg. 332]

Himar Abtar has already been explained.

This hadith also says that under the protected ears of the donkey, during its travels 70, 000 Jews will be be there.

( بين أذنيه أربعون ذراعاً، يستظل تحت أذنيه سبعون ألفاً من اليهود عليهم التيجان) Between its ears, there will be a span of forty cubits. Seventy thousand Jews, wearing crowns, will seek shade under its ears. This is not to mean only Jews will ride this donkey, as in some Ahadith its said Muslims will one day become exactly like Jews etc. As explained the first rendering doesn’t specify Jews but all people in general will ride on Dajjal’s donkey under its plane-like “ears”.

This renderin then says that Jesus (as) will descend from the sky and the Mahdi will come, this has already been explained in other articles regarding descent of Isa (as). From the Holy Quran Jesus (as) has died, therefore this descent and coming of the Mahdi is in regards to an Ummati (follower of Islam) who will achieve the same status as Jesus (as) and will be the Messiah of Muslims. This has been explained in many of our other articles. The fact that this hadith says “from the sky” proves nothing as this rendering seems to be weak in chain.

Hadith 7: Transport of fire

This hadith is not in regards to any Dajjal donkey, some Ahadith in this article directly prophecy modern forms of transportation without mention of Dajjal and a donkey, therefore this hadith is one of them.

١٥٦٥٨ – حَدَّثَنَا عُثْمَانُ بْنُ عُمَرَ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْحَمِيدِ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ، عَنْ رَافِعِ بْنِ بِشْرٍ هُوَ أَبُو بِسْرٍ السُّلَمِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: ” يُوشِكُ أَنْ تَخْرُجَ نَارٌ مِنْ حُبْسِ سَيَلٍ، تَسِيرُ سَيْرَ (١) بَطِيئَةِ الْإِبِلِ، تَسِيرُ النَّهَارَ وَتُقِيمُ اللَّيْلَ، تَغْدُو وَتَرُوحُ، يُقَالُ: غَدَتِ النَّارُ أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ فَاغْدُوا، قَالَتِ النَّارُ أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ فَأَقِيلُوا (٢) ، رَاحَتِ النَّارُ أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ، فَرُوحُوا. مَنْ أَدْرَكَتْهُ أَكَلَتْهُ ” (٣)

Narrated by Uthman bin Umar, he said: ‘Abdul Hamid bin Ja’far narrated to us, he said: ‘Muhammad bin Ali Abu Ja’far narrated to us from Rafi’ bin Bishr (Abu Bisr al-Sulami) from his father, that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said: “Soon a fire will emerge from a reservoir of water, moving at the pace of slow camels. It will travel during the day and halt at night. It will depart/set off in the morning and return in the evening. It will be said: ‘The fire has risen, O people, rise!’ When the evening comes, it will be said: ‘The fire has stopped, O people, rest!’ Whoever it overtaken by it will be eaten by it.”

[Musnad Ahmad 15658]

Now this is such a magnificently fulfilled prophecy, the like of which is impossible to refute. It says first that (يُوشِكُ أَنْ تَخْرُجَ نَارٌ مِنْ حُبْسِ سَيَلٍ) Very soon a fire will emerge from the trapping or confinement of water. This is litearlly clearly a description of steam engine. One does not even need to explain it. Then it says this will (تَسِيرُ سَيْرَ بَطِيئَةِ الْإِبِلِ) it (the fire) will move at the slow pace of camels. This is talking about how steam engine and how trains made of it used to move in the 20th century. Then the hadith says (تَسِيرُ النَّهَارَ وَتُقِيمُ اللَّيْلَ), it will travel during the day and halt at night. This is clearly referring to the moving of trains in the morning and their halting at night. Then it says further! ( تَغْدُو وَتَرُوحُ) It will depart/set off [in the morning] and return [in the evening] giving even more of a description of trains in the 20th century! Furtherstill it goes on to say ( يُقَالُ: غَدَتِ النَّارُ أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ فَاغْدُوا) it will be said the fire has risen, O people rise. Meaning when the train comes, O people, rise up and get on. Then the hadith says ( رَاحَتِ النَّارُ أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ، فَرُوحُوا) The fire has stopped O people, so halt and rest. Referring to trains stopping and people aboard halting and resting with it. Then it says ( مَنْ أَدْرَكَتْهُ أَكَلَتْهُ) whoever it overtaken by it will be eaten by it, meaning whoever this fire or steam engine powered transport reaches, when the people will get on, its looks like the train has eaten the person and then the fire i.e. the train carries the person place to place.

We are not concerned with the chain of this hadith, but the clear fulfilment of its prophecy is what we are currently concerned with.

★ Hadith 8: Modern transport resembling saddles

This hadith is extremely clear, and on top of that Sahih. It does not speak about Dajjal’s donkey or Dajjal, rather its a direct prophecy about cars and other trasnport and about Muslims using it in the End Times.

٧٠٨٣ – حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ يَزِيدَ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ عَيَّاشِ بْنِ عَبَّاسٍ الْقِتْبَانِيُّ، قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ أَبِي، يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ عِيسَى بْنَ هِلَالٍ الصَّدَفِيَّ، وَأَبَا عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ الْحُبُلِيَّ، يَقُولَانِ: سَمِعْنَا عَبْدَ اللهِ بْنَ عَمْرٍو، يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ: ” سَيَكُونُ فِي آخِرِ أُمَّتِي رِجَالٌ يَرْكَبُونَ عَلَى سُرُوجٍ، كَأَشْبَاهِ الرِّحَالِ، يَنْزِلُونَ عَلَى أَبْوَابِ الْمَسْجِدِ ، نِسَاؤُهُمْ كَاسِيَاتٌ عَارِيَاتٌ، عَلَى رُءُوسِهِمْ كَأَسْنِمَةِ الْبُخْتِ الْعِجَافِ، الْعَنُوهُنَّ، فَإِنَّهُنَّ مَلْعُونَاتٌ، لَوْ كَانَتْ وَرَاءَكُمْ أُمَّةٌ مِنَ الْأُمَمِ لَخَدَمْنَ نِسَاؤُكُمْ نِسَاءَهُمْ، كَمَا يَخْدِمْنَكُمْ نِسَاءُ الْأُمَمِ قَبْلَكُمْ

“It was told to us by ʿAbdullāh bin Yazīd, who said: ʿAbdullāh bin ʿAyāsh bin ʿAbbās Al-Qutbānī (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I heard my father say: I heard ʿĪsā bin Hilāl As-Sadāfī (may Allah be pleased with him) and Abū ʿAbdur-Raḥmān Al-Ḥubalī (may Allah be pleased with him) saying: We heard ʿAbdullāh bin ʿAmr (may Allah be pleased with him) say: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) say: “In the last [part] of my nation there will be men who ride on saddles resembling those of camels..  They will alight at the doors of the mosques.  Their women are clothed but naked.  On their heads are [what appears to be] like the humps of [lean] camels.  Curse them for they are cursed.  If there were a nation from the nations to come after you, your women would serve them, just as the women of the nations that were before you served you.”

[Arabic: Musnad Ahmad 7083]

These saddles are not camel saddles literally, but the hadith says they rememble them. Behold this is what a camel saddle looks like, and its put into comparison with a car seat. This hadith is authentic, and has even been attested by Sunnis to refer to cars.

It may also refer to different types of saddles and how our modern modes of transport relate to it. If one looks at other camel saddles like the following, they can see that they look similar to motorcycle seats. In short it seems that different types of camel saddles resemeble different types of seats in our modes of transport!

The U shaped camel saddle looks like the motorcycle and bike seats. Its amazing what connections you can make!

Conclusion

Let us summarize all the signs about transport we have collected above:

• At the time of the Messiah (as) and Dajjal in the Latter Days camels would be abandoned for travel according to the Holy Quran
• Allah Almighty says in Holy Quran He will create another form of transport that is different to riding animals like camels and donkeys in the End Times, so Dajjal’s donkey in End Times must be a metaphorical donkey
• The length of the journeys of this “donkey” will vary, sometimes it will take a week, sometimes a month, sometimes a day, or sometimes years
• This donkey will carry mountains of resources/abundance on its back
• The donkey will be able to fly and reach the speed of wind i.e. will be like a cloud driven by wind
• The donkey will have moon-like lights all over it.
• On the inside it will be lit with moon-like lights for the people inside
• On the outside it will have moon-like lights
• The donkey will be shining pure white like the moon
• The ear-span of the donkey will be 70 cubits, 40 cubits, or 30 cubits. The earspan of this huge donkey will vary.
• The donkey will be able to travel to any town it likes all over the world extremely fast
• The donkey will be very filthy, or perhaps it will produce filth
• The donkey will take off and land in another place.
• The distance between one hoof to another hoof (length of travel) will be a day or night, 4-nights, or 3 days i.e. the journeys on this donkey will vary, it will take off and land (flight-leg in aviation)
• The donkey will travel to earth from one minhal to another minhal meaning, it will have multiple ports to refuel, refresh, gain energy and then continue its journeys all over the earth. It will have to keep stopping at these ports to refresh and refuel.
• Dajjal on his donkey will have the ability to fly and complete control over the sky (airspace)
• The donkey will have such velocities that it will be able to precede the sun to its place of setting i.e. the rockets/planes in modern age
• The donkey will not just be able to fly, and have control over the skies, but the Donkey will also have sea-faring abilities, it will able to carry mountains of resources while the ocean is up to its “ankles”
• In front of this donkey will be a mountain of smoke, i.e. the donkey will produce a whole lot of smoke
• Before taking off, the Dajjal on his donkey will call people to “Come to it” i.e. annoucing to invite passengers aboard
• This donkey will not be like regular donkeys. It will not be able to reproduce at all. It’s ‘Abtar.
• It is ‘Abtar in another sense too as it will have no tail like regular donkeys i.e. it’s clearly a metaphorical donkey
• The donkey will be able to cross the ocean very easily
• The donkey will shelter/carry in shade a large number of passengers
• The donkey will be able to carry thousands of passengers
• In the future Muslims will see a mode of transport that will gain fire/energy by trapping a resevoir of water (steam-engine)
• This “fire” will carry people inside it, it will annouce its departures, and returns, and travels for all people to hear so that the people can halt or go into it to go along with this “fire”
• The Muslims in the end times will come to the Mosques in transport that will resemble camel saddles, so this modern mode of transport will look like seats and/or have seats

Decide for yourself what these signs apply to. Which nation invented this mode of transport (donkey) to ride on it? It was the Europeans. So who is the Dajjal? Certainly the Dajjal is not a person rather its a nation who invented these modes of transport.

The non-Ahmadi Muslims believe that Dajjal is an actual man like any other and his descriptions in the ahadith should all be understood literally. One of the proofs for that statement is the belief of the Sahaba (R.A) that a Muslim named Ibn Sayyad was a Dajjal. Thus, the argument is that if Sahaba RA thought a man was Dajjal, rather than a group of people or a system, then the Ahmadis are clearly wrong.

This article will prove why this argument is against the Quran and Ahadith and how it backfires on non-Ahmadis themselves.

Explanation

Let’s look at the narrations which prove that the Sahaba (R.A) believed that Ibn Sayyad was a Dajjal.

I saw Jabir bin `Abdullah swearing by Allah that Ibn Sayyad was the Dajjal. I said to Jabir, “How can you swear by Allah?” Jabir said, “I have heard `Umar swearing by Allah regarding this matter in the presence of the Prophet (ﷺ) and the Prophet (ﷺ) did not disapprove of it.”

[Sahih al-Bukhari 7355]
[Sahih Muslim 2929]

Narrated Ibn ‘Umar:

Umar and a group of the companions of the Prophet (ﷺ) set out with the Prophet to Ibn Saiyad. He found him playing with some boys near the hillocks of Bani Maghala. Ibn Saiyad at that time was nearing his puberty. He did not notice (the Prophet’s presence) till the Prophet (ﷺ) stroked him on the back with his hand and said, “Ibn Saiyad! Do you testify that I am Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ)?” Ibn Saiyad looked at him and said, “I testify that you are the Apostle of the illiterates.”

Then Ibn Saiyad asked the Prophet. “Do you testify that I am the apostle of Allah?” The Prophet (ﷺ) said to him, “I believe in Allah and His Apostles.” Then the Prophet (ﷺ) said (to Ibn Saiyad). “What do you see?” Ibn Saiyad replied, “True people and false ones visit me.” The Prophet said, “Your mind is confused as to this matter.” The Prophet (ﷺ) added, ” I have kept something (in my mind) for you.” Ibn Saiyad said, “It is Ad-Dukh.” The Prophet (ﷺ) said (to him), “Shame be on you! You cannot cross your limits.”

On that ‘Umar said, “O Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ)! Allow me to chop his head off.” The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “If he should be him (i.e. Ad-Dajjal) then you cannot overpower him, and should he not be him, then you are not going to benefit by murdering him.”

[Sahih al-Bukhari 1354]

Ibn Sa’id said to me something for which I felt ashamed. He said: I can excuse others; but what has gone wrong with you, O Companions of Muhammad, that you take me as Dajjal? Has Allah’s Apostle (ﷺ) not said that he would be a Jew whereas I am a Muslim and he also said that he would not have children, whereas I have children, and he also said: verily, Allah has prohibited him to enter Mecca whereas I have performed Pilgrimage, and he went on saying this that I was about to be impressed by his talk. He (however) said this also: I know where he (Dajjal) is and I know his father and mother, and it was said to him: Won’t you feel pleased if you would be the same person? Thereupon he said: If this offer is made to me, I would not resent that.

[Sahih Muslim 2927b]

Abu Sa’id reported:

I accompanied Ibn Sayyad to Mecca and he said to me: What I have gathered from people is that they think that I am Dajjal. Have you not heard Allah’s Messenger (may peace upon him) as saying: He will have no children, I said: Yes, of course. Thereupon he said: But I have children. Have you not heard Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: He would not enter Mecca and Medina? I said: Yes, of course. Thereupon he said I have been once in Medina and now I intend to go to Mecca. And he said to me at the end of his talk: By Allah, I know his place of birth his abode where he is just now. He (Abu Sa’id) said: This caused confusion in my mind (in regard to his identity).

[Sahih Muslim 2927a]

Nafi’ reported that Ibn ‘Umar met Ibn Si’id on some of the paths of Medina and he said to him a word which enraged him and he was so much swollen with anger that the way was blocked. Ibn ‘Umar went to Hafsa and informed her about this. Thereupon she said:

May Allah have mercy upon you, why did you incite Ibn Sayyad in spite of the fact that you knew it would be the extreme anger which would make Dajjal appear in the world?

[Sahih Muslim 2932a]

From the above ahadith, it is clear that

• The Sahaba (RA) believed that Ibn Sayyad was the Dajjal.
• Muhammad (SAW) believed the same as he did not correct Umar (RA) who swore the same in his (SAW) presence

Were Sahaba correct?

This proves that the Sahaba (RA) believed that Ibn Sayyad was the same Dajjal prophesized to come in the latter days as per many ahadith. This also proves that all the Sahaba (RA) and the Prophet (SAW) were wrong in this ijtihad (reasoning) because Ibn Sayyad wasn’t the Dajjal.

Thus, it is completely useless and contradictory for the non-Ahmadis to use the wrong ijtihad of the Sahaba (RA) to prove that the Dajjal is an actual person. It is like using the example of the rebellion of Ayesha (RA) against Ali (RA) to prove that rebellion against a Khalifa or a ruler is allowed. Especially when she herself accepted her mistake and repented from Allah.

Ibn Sayyad did not meet the descriptions of Dajjal

The second reason that the ahadith of Ibn Sayyad backfires on the non-Ahmadis is the fact that Ibn Sayyad did not show ANY characteristics of the Dajjal (Anti-Christ) that are mentioned in the ahadith. Yet, the Holy Prophet (SAW) and his companions (RA) still believed he was Ad-Dajjal.

• He did not have Kafir written on his forehead.
• He did not have a Paradise/Hell with him.
• He did not have a mountain of food and water with him.
• He did not travel to every city except Mecca or Medinah.
• He did not have a large donkey with him.
• He did not resurrect anyone from the dead.

On the contrary, he did indeed go to Medina or Mecca! We see Ibn Sayyad asking the same to the other Sahaba (RA):

Verily, Allah has prohibited him to enter Mecca whereas I have performed Pilgrimage…

[Sahih Muslim 2927a]

Moreover, as per the non-Ahmadis, the Dajjal will be born a Jew, yet Ibn Sayyad was a Muslim and died as one. This is the same question that Ibn Sayyad asks the Sahaba (RA).

O Companions of Muhammad, that you take me as Dajjal? Has Allah’s Apostle (ﷺ) not said that he would be a Jew whereas I am a Muslim…

[Sahih Muslim 2927b]

Muhammad (SAW) and Sahaba (RA) did not interpret the descriptions of Dajjal literally

Despite that Ibn Sayyad did not meet the physical descriptions of Ad-Dajjal, the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and Sahaba (RA) still believed that he was one. This is because ahadith about the Dajjal are not meant to be understood literally. They are dreams and visions of the Prophet (SAW) and are filled with metaphors. We have explained this in another article.

In short, prophecies are not meant to be fulfilled literally. Even though Ibn Sayyad did not fulfill the majority of the descriptions of the Dajjal, he was labeled as one just because of one similarity i.e his ability to deceive people in the past.

Prophecies are a test of faith

One of the main aspects of the prophecies is to test the faith of the people. This is why the Sahaba (RA) did not wait for Ibn Sayyad to meet all the descriptions of the Dajjal. The acceptance of prophecies requires faith.

This is how the Jews accepted Isa (AS) even though he did not fulfill the prophecies of the Messiah by establishing a kingdom of Jews, nor did he fight against the Romans, as mentioned in the prophecies.

This is how the Jews of the time accepted Prophet Muhammad (SAW) even though he also did not clearly fulfill the prophecies in Torah. The Jews were waiting for the Israelite prophet but he came from the Ishmaelites.

These ahadith prove the truthfulness of the Promised Messiah (AS)

Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (AS) is the same Messiah spoken of in the ahadith

When non-Ahmadis ask for the exact similarity between Isa (AS) and Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (AS), they are contradicting how the Sahaba (RA) understood prophecies. They claim since the Promised Messiah (AS) isn’t named Isa, nor his mother is Maryam, he cannot be the same person prophesized in the ahadith.

The Promised Messiah (AS) does not need to have the same mother i.e Maryam to be called Ibn Maryam. He does not need to be named Isa (AS) to be called Isa in the hadith.

For example, when a brave person is called a Lion, it doesn’t mean that he will have claws, teeth, and the rest of the body like an actual lion. Or that he will sound like a lion, live like one, walk like one, etc. The title of the lion is given only with a minor similarity i.e due to the courage, and bravery of the person.

Similarly, Promised Messiah (AS) was named Isa (AS) or Ibn Maryam due to the similarity in his mission, his character, and the time he was sent in. This is explained in detail here.

Every single event in the ahadith need not be fulfilled exactly how it is described

Non-Ahmadis also claim that as per a certain hadith, the Promised Messiah (AS) did not travel to a certain place, or that a certain army did not fight another army in a certain location e.t.c, thus, he is not the Messiah described in the ahadith.

Firstly, we have already proven that the ahadith of the coming of the Messiah and Dajjal in the latter days are a prophecy. Prophecies usually require interpretation and are a test of faith for the believers.

Secondly, those ahadith are dreams and visions of the Prophet (SAW). Dreams/visions require interpretation as well. Every non-Ahmadi agrees with it and this is explained in the other article.

Thirdly, not every single event or description in the hadith has to happen exactly as described for the prophecy to be true. This is understood from the example of the Sahaba (RA) and the Prophet (SAW) as described above. They believed that Ibn Sayyad was the Dajjal but he did not meet the majority of the clearest descriptions as described in the ahadith.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the argument of the non-Ahmadis that the Dajjal is a single person because the Sahaba (RA) believed the same is not only wrong, but it backfires on them. The Sahaba (RA) were incorrect about this and all the Muslims agree that it was just an interpretation mistake, which even prophets can do.

On the other hand, it proves the truthfulness of the Promised Messiah (AS) and refutes the common objections of the non-Ahmadis regarding whether he fulfilled the ahadith of the coming of the Messiah.

As per the prophecies in the ahadith, the Dajjal will have a donkey with him. This donkey will be extremely huge and will also be able to fly. Below are such Sahih ahadith regarding the donkey of Dajjal.

Hadith #1

دثنا محمد بن سابق حدثنا إبراهيم بن طهمان عن أبي الزبير عن جابر بن عبد الله أنه قال قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم 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 ومعه جبال من خبز والناس في جهد إلا من تبعه ومعه 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. He will have forty nights during which 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“

[Musnad Ahmad, vol. 3 pg. 367]

Authenticity of Hadith #1

• Sahih by Hamza Ahmed Al-Zein
• Sahih by Ibn Kathir and others

Hadith #2

حدثنا محمد بن محمد بن عبد الله الزمجاري ، ثنا أحمد بن معاذ السلمي ، ومحمد بن عصام ، قالا : ثنا حفص بن عبد الله السلمي ، ثنا إبراهيم بن طهمان ، عن أبي الزبير ، عن جابر رضي الله عنه ، عن النبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم ، قال : يخر الدجال في خفة من الدين ، وإدبار من العلم ، وله أربعون يوما يسيحها ، اليوم منها كالسنة ، واليوم كالشهر ، واليوم كالجمعة ، ثم سائر أيامه مثل أيامكم ، وله حمار يركبه عرض ما بين أذنيه أربعون ذراعا ، يأتي الناس فيقول : أنا ربكم وإن ربكم ليس بأعور ، مكتوب بين عينيه ك ف ر يقرأه كل مؤمن كاتب وغير كاتب ، يمر بكل ماء ومنهل إلا المدينة ومكة حرمهما الله عليه ، وقامت الملائكة بأبوابهما

هذا حديث صحيح الإسناد ، ولم يخرجاه

تلخيص المستدرك للذهبي  (٤/ ٥٣٠ ): على شرط مسلم

“…He will be riding a donkey which will have a span of 40 cubits between its two ears..”

[Mustadrak Hakim, vol. 4 pg. 530]

Authenticity of Hadith #2

• Sahih by Imam Hakim R.H
• Sahih by ‘Allamah Dhahabi R.H

Hadith #3

Mullah Ali Al-Qari RH records in Mirqat al-Mafatih Sharh Mishkat al-Masabih from Abu Hurairah (RA) that the Prophet SAW said the length of the donkey ear to ear will be 70 cubits.

[Mirqat al-Mafatih Sharh Mishkat al-Masabih]

Hadith #4

Imam Bukhari RH also narrates the Dajjals donkey will be white and 70 cubits ear to ear in his incredible work Tarikh Al Kabir:

عَنْ أَبِيهِ ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ : ” يَخْرُجُ الدَّجَّالُ عَلَى حِمَارٍ أَقْمَرَ ، مَا بَيْنَ أُذُنَيْهِ سَبْعُونَ بَاعًا ” ، قَالَهُ لِي إِسْمَاعِيلُ : عَنْ أَخِيهِ ، عَنْ سُلَيْمَانَ ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدٍ .

[At-Tarikh al-Kabir, vol 1, pg 198]

Authenticity of Hadith #4

• Isnad Sahih

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.

As per the Quran and the Ahadith, Dajjal is the manifestation of Satan at the time of the Messiah. This is explained in detail here.

One of the ways that Satan will manifest itself is through the Trinitarian Christians. This is explained throughout the Holy Quran and the ahadith. In this article, we will quote all such references and prove how the Dajjal was prophesied to emerge from among the Christians.

Explanation

1) Surah Kahf explains the identity of Dajjal

The Dajjal is the biggest fitnah since the creation of Adam (A.S) and to help us identify him, Muhammad (S.A.W) asked us to recite the first 10 and the last 10 verses of the Surah Al Kahf.

If anyone learns by heart the first ten verses of the Surah al-Kahf, he will be protected from the Dajjal.

[Sahih Muslim 809a]

From the last ten verses of Surat al-Kahf.

[Sahih Muslim 809b]

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]

2) Dajjal will be killed at the gate of Ludd (لُدٍّ); it points to the defeat of the Christians

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 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 which support the above meaning.

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 19:98]

3) قَوۡمًا لُّدًّا (Contentious people) are the Christians

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. This indicates that the Dajjal is the manifestation of Satan in the form of Trinitarian Christians at the time of the Messiah.

4) Dajjal was chained in the Church during the time of the Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W)

This explanation becomes even more clear when we read the Sahih Muslim hadith which relates that the Dajjal was chained up in a monastery (church) and will emerge from the east in the latter days.

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]

5) Dajjal is the biggest Fitnah – Heavens rent asunder

The ahadith describe Ad-Dajjal as the biggest fitnah since the creation of Adam (AS)¹ and that every prophet warned his people about it². When we turn to the Holy Quran, we see that the fitnah of Ad-Dajjal is so grave that even the heavens and the earth can be destroyed by it.

And they say, ‘the Gracious God has taken unto Himself a son.’

Assuredly, you have done a most hideous thing!

The heavens might well-nigh burst thereat, and the earth cleave asunder, and the mountains fall down in pieces,

Because they ascribe a son to the Gracious God,

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

There is none in the heavens and the earth but he shall come to the Gracious God as a bondman.

[Quran 19:88-93]

The Holy Quran warns us about many trials and tribulations but never does it single out any of them as it does for the fitnah of Ad-Dajjal i.e it can destroy the heavens and the earth.

6) Messiah will break the cross

The previous sections explain how Christians are the manifestations of Satan in the latter days (i.e Dajjal). This is the same reason that the Messiah will be sent in the latter days to not only kill Ad-Dajjal but also to break the cross, just as the ahadith explain. Breaking the Cross is exactly the same mission as killing Ad-Dajjal.

The great Dajjal would deify Jesus and would attribute salvation to the cross. To counter it, the Messiah will be sent to do the opposite.

Conclusion

In short, the Holy Quran and the ahadith of the Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) clearly prove that the Dajjal will emerge from the Church. Moreover, Dajjal’s fitnah will manifest itself by the Christians, who are described as the manifestation of Satan in the time of the Messiah.

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

References

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.

Introduction

Countless Non-Ahmadis today bring the following hadith to prove that Muhammad (S.A.W) prophesied that there will be 30 dajjal/liars who will falsely claim to be a prophet and thus Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (A.S) is one of those false prophets (Nauzubillah).

لاَ تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ حَتَّى يَنْبَعِثَ دَجَّالُونَ كَذَّابُونَ قَرِيبٌ مِنْ ثَلاَثِينَ كُلُّهُمْ يَزْعُمُ أَنَّهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ

“The Hour shall not be established until nearly thirty imposters, Dajja l(liars) appear, each of them claiming that he is the Messenger of Allah.”

[Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2218]

Refutation

Proves Prophethood Is Not Closed Forever

Firstly, this actually proves our position that prophethood is not forever closed. Muhammad (S.A.W) specifically gave a finite number (a number that has an end) instead of saying ALL claimants of prophethood after him will be false. This is because multiple Quranic verses and ahadith prove that prophets can appear in the future, specifically the latter-day Messiah. In this exact regard, Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad (RH), the 4th Khalifa of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’ah writes:

“Irrespective of the fact whether we have thirty or thirty million dajjals or impostors, the fact remains that the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) has called the Messiah of the latter days as a prophet of God. No one can change that.”

_{[True meaning of Khatme Nabuwat, pg 40-41]}

Muslim Scholars: Number of 30 Liars Has Long Been Reached

Secondly, the number of these 30 liars has long been reached before the death of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (A.S) as indicated by multiple scholars of Islam.

ʻIyāḍ Ibn-Mūsā al-Ubbi (d. 827 AH)

[Ikmal al-Mu ‘lim bi-Fawa’id, pg. 463]

Muhammad Bin Yusuf al-Sanusi al-Hasani

“It would be evident to every student of history of Islam that the truth of this Hadith has been fully established. The number of imposters from the time of the Holy Prophet (saw) till today has reached the count indicated by the Holy Prophet saw in his prophecy”

[Mukammil Ikmal al-Ikmal, pg. 372]

Alamah Qastalani

“Qadi ‘Ayad states the truth of this hadith has been established because if the number of the renowned false claimants of prophethood is counted from the time of the Holy Prophet saw to the present time, this number has been fulfilled”

[Al-Muwahib al-Ladunniyyah, v2, p.198] [Published at around 1500 A.D]

Nawab Siddique Hassan Khan

“The prophecy made by the Holy Prophet (saw) regarding the advent of Dajjal in this ummah has been fulfilled and their number as foretold has been completed.”

[Hijajul Kiramah, pg. 239] [Published in 1874 A.D before the claim of Ahmad (A.S) to Prophethood]

Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (AS) Explains

“Certain ignorant Maulavis raise the allegation upon me that our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) has given us the glad-tiding that thirty Anti-Christs would appear among you and each one would make a claim to prophethood. The answer to this is: O foolish ones! O unfortunate ones! Were thirty Anti-Christs the only thing written in your destiny and was there no truthful reformer decreed for you? A fifth of the 14th Century is about to reach its end and the moon of Caliphate has completed fourteen stages of its perfection to which the following verse of the Holy Qur’an is also alluding to: [ And for the moon we have appointed stages.] The world is at its end, but your Dajjals have not yet come to an end.Perhaps they would stay among you until death overtakes you. O foolish ones! That Dajjal which is known as satan is in fact within you;and therefore you do not recognize the time. You pay no attention to heavenly signs. But why should one lament upon you, for the one who appeared fourteen centuries after Moses(as) in my likeness was also named a dajjal by the wretched ones from among the Jews. Your hearts have also become similar. May Allah have mercy upon you.”

_{[A Review of the Debate between Batalvi and Chakrhalavi, pg 14-15]}

For the correct understanding of La Nabiyya Ba’adi, please refer to this article.
Instagram Post Link: https://www.instagram.com/p/DRlQzLmDI4G/?igsh=MWp5cm1zYXcxM3M3aw==

The non-Ahmadis always ask if Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (A.S) is the Messiah then where is the Dajjal and how has Ahmad (A.S) killed him? The purpose of this article is to:

1. Show why the Sunni/Shia understanding of Ad-Dajjal is contradictory to the Quran and Ahadith and their own understanding
2. Explain who the Dajjal is from the Ahmadiyya Muslim perspective

Description of Dajjal

Here are a few descriptions of Ad-Dajjal:

• “A young man with a ruddy complexion, short, with thick curly hair, a wide forehead, and broad upper chest, blind or defective (mamsuh) in the right eye. This eye will be neither prominent nor sunken, and will look like a floating grape”¹

• “Written between his eyes will be “Kaf fa ra (K-F-R)”, in separate (Arabic) letters, or “kafir”, with the letters joined. This will be read by every Muslim, literate or illiterate.”²
• He will do the most unimaginable miracles to deceive people. Biggest fitnah to ever exist.³
• He will have Hell and Heaven with him. But what seems like Heaven will be Hell, and what seems like Hell will be Heaven.⁴
  • Another hadith calls this hell and heaven “rivers of water and fire”⁵
• He will travel very fast through the earth (like clouds)⁶
• He will have mountains of bread and rivers of water with him. He will give to only those who support him and take it from those who oppose him.⁷
• He will command the sky to rain and it will rain.⁸
• He will cut a man in half and resurrect him miraculously.⁹
• He will make the land produce a high yield of crops and similarly make its cattle give a lot of milk and meat.¹⁰
• He will pass by barren lands and bring forth treasures from them.¹¹

Click here for the complete list of descriptions of Ad-Dajjal.

Contradictions in the understanding of non-Ahmadi Muslims

The non-Ahmadi Muslims understand these descriptions of Dajjal as literal. They believe that Dajjal has been described very clearly. Thus, we should interpret these ahadith literally. But there is a problem and contradiction between their understanding of the Dajjal.

The Dajjal has been called the biggest fitnah that mankind has ever faced. This is because of the number of people that he can deceive and stray away from the path of God. It is such a big fitnah that every prophet warned his people about it.

“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]

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

[Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2946]

Similarly, it is such a huge fitnah that Muhammad (S.A.W) feared that even with so much description of Dajjal, Muslims may still fail to recognize him.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: I have told you so much about the Dajjal (Antichrist) that I am afraid you may not understand.

[Sunan Abi Dawud 4320]

Keeping in mind these ahadith, non-Ahmadi Muslims have many contradictions within their understanding of the Dajjal.

Firstly, they claim that there cannot be any confusion about who Ad-Dajjal is. The description of Ad-Dajjal in these ahadith clearly points to someone unique and it is indeed true. There has not been a single person from the beginning of creation to whom these descriptions can apply.

How many men since the beginning of times are of short height, have curly hair, has kafir written on their forehead, travel as fast as clouds, have rivers of fire and water with them, can cut people in half, and bring them back to life in one piece, carries a mountain of bread and rivers of water e.t.c? How many people have done exactly all these things since humans were created?

Absolutely no one! Dajjal will be the first one to fulfill each of those ahadith. For example, if any of us sees a man cutting a human and then resurrecting them, we would immediately know it is Dajjal. We wouldn’t even need to look at all the other descriptions to make that conclusion.

Yet, Muhammad (S.A.W) feared that even with all these descriptions, Muslims will still not recognize Ad-Dajjal. He further says that Ad-Dajjal will be the biggest fitnah since the creation of Adam (AS). If it was so clear as the non-Ahmadi Muslims claim, then why would Muhammad (S.A.W) say that?

Secondly, how can Dajjal be the biggest fitnah when he is so clearly and literally described? If everyone will be able to easily recognize him as the non-Ahmadi Muslim claim, then where is the fitnah in it and how is Dajjal deceiving?

Thirdly, the non-Ahmadi Muslim claim that the kafir written on Dajjal’s forehead is literal and even an illiterate can read it. How can an illiterate read anything?

Fourthly, Dajjal is described as a short person while in other ahadith, he is described as a huge monster. How is this contradiction resolved?

We departed hastily until we were admitted into the monastery and found within it a huge man. We had never seen any creation more firmly imprisoned. His hands were tied to his neck and there were iron shackles between his two legs to his ankles…

The man said: Indeed, I will tell you about myself. I am the messiah. I will soon be permitted to emerge and thus I will go out and march across the land. I will not leave any town but that I will occupy it for forty nights, except for Mecca and Medina.

[Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2942]

Fifthly, not only is Dajjal described as a huge man but he also has a huge donkey with him.¹² He will travel as fast as clouds to every city on the earth, except Mecca and Medinah. It further poses a contradiction in the understanding of the non-Ahmadi Muslims as to how is it hard to recognize a man with a donkey of the size of an airplane which he flies to almost every city on the earth.

These are just a few of the many contradictions in the beliefs of non-Ahmadis. Unfortunately, non-Ahmadis are always quick in making fun of the Ahmadis for holding a belief different than theirs, instead of realizing the absurdities in their own beliefs.

Correct understanding of Ad-Dajjal

Ad-Dajjal was seen in dreams/visions

One of the main reasons that the descriptions of Ad-Dajjal are not literal is the fact that it was seen in dreams and visions of the Prophet (SAW). Dreams and visions are interpreted and this is common knowledge among Muslims.

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]

There are many such ahadith and can be read from this article. Similarly, even the Muslim scholars of the past and today, both agree on the same fact that Ad-Dajjal was shown in visions to the Prophet (SAW). Mulla ‘Ali al-Qari (RH) says the same, and so does the famous fatwa website, Islamqa. Both of these are cited in the article linked above.

Prophet (SAW) and the Sahaba (RA) understood the descriptions of Ad-Dajjal metaphorically

The Prophet (SAW) and the Sahaba (RA) also understood the descriptions regarding Ad-Dajjal to be metaphorical. This is the reason they labeled Ibn Sayyad as Ad-Dajjal during his lifetime even though he did not meet the majority of those descriptions. For example, he did not have kafir written on his forehead, he wasn’t a born Jew and had already converted to Islam. He had traveled to Mecca and Medinah, where Ad-Dajjal would not have been allowed to enter, and neither did he have mountains of food and water with him.

Ibn Sayyad himself asks the Sahaba (RA) the same question about why he is considered to be Ad-Dajjal in the absence of almost all the signs.

Ibn Sa’id said to me something for which I felt ashamed. He said: I can excuse others; but what has gone wrong with you, O Companions of Muhammad, that you take me as Dajjal? Has Allah’s Apostle (ﷺ) not said that he would be a Jew whereas I am a Muslim and he also said that he would not have children, whereas I have children, and he also said: verily, Allah has prohibited him to enter Mecca whereas I have performed Pilgrimage,

[Sahih Muslim 2927b]

This along with the previous section on dreams/visions proves that the ahadith about Ad-Dajjal cannot be understood literally. Read more about Ibn Sayyad here.

Ad-Dajjal is Satan

Although the Holy Quran does not mention Ad-Dajjal clearly by name, it does tell us who it is.

Satan – The Deceiver

Ad-Dajjal is the manifestation of Satan in the time of the Messiah. Dajjal means someone who deceives and lies. The Holy Quran calls Satan “The 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.

[Quran 35:5]

یٰۤاَیُّہَا النَّاسُ اتَّقُوۡا رَبَّکُمۡ وَاخۡشَوۡا یَوۡمًا لَّا یَجۡزِیۡ وَالِدٌ عَنۡ وَّلَدِہٖ ۫ وَلَا مَوۡلُوۡدٌ ہُوَ جَازٍ عَنۡ وَّالِدِہٖ شَیۡئًا ؕ اِنَّ وَعۡدَ اللّٰہِ حَقٌّ فَلَا تَغُرَّنَّکُمُ الۡحَیٰوۃُ الدُّنۡیَا ٝ وَلَا یَغُرَّنَّکُمۡ بِاللّٰہِ الۡغَرُوۡرُ

So let not worldly life beguile you, nor let the Deceiver deceive you concerning Allah.

[Quran 31:33]

Every prophet warned about Ad-Dajjal and Satan

Similarly, the Prophet (SAW) told us that there is not a single prophet who did not warn his nation about Ad-Dajjal. The Holy Quran expands on it and tells us that each prophet warns their people about Satan. This proves that Dajjal is actually Satan!

“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]

وَلَقَدۡ بَعَثۡنَا فِیۡ کُلِّ اُمَّۃٍ رَّسُوۡلًا اَنِ اعۡبُدُوا اللّٰہَ وَاجۡتَنِبُوا الطَّاغُوۡتَ ۚ فَمِنۡہُمۡ مَّنۡ ہَدَی اللّٰہُ وَمِنۡہُمۡ مَّنۡ حَقَّتۡ عَلَیۡہِ الضَّلٰلَۃُ ؕ فَسِیۡرُوۡا فِی الۡاَرۡضِ فَانۡظُرُوۡا کَیۡفَ کَانَ عَاقِبَۃُ الۡمُکَذِّبِیۡنَ

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

[Quran 16:36]

Satan – The biggest fitnah

Ahadith describe Ad-Dajjal as the greatest fitnah since the creation of Adam. Similarly, the Holy Quran warns us about the biggest fitnah for humans i.e Satan.

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]

‘And assuredly I will lead them astray and assuredly I will excite in them vain desires, and assuredly I will incite them and they will cut the ears of cattle; and assuredly I will incite them and they will alter Allah’s creation.’ And he who takes Satan for a friend beside Allah, has certainly suffered a manifest loss.

[Quran 4:119]

Satan beautifies sins

The ahadith tell us that Ad-Dajjal will deceive people by showing them Hell and Paradise. What seems like Hell, is actually a paradise, and what seems like Paradise. This act of making flipping good and evil is a tactic of Satan, which the Holy Quran even confirms.

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

“Dajjal is blind of left eye with thick hair and 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]

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]

Salaf – Ad Dajjal is Satan

The first 3 pious generations after the Prophet (SAW), Salaf-us-Saliheen, also believed that Ad-Dajjal is Satan.

Hafiz Nuaim ibn Hammâd (the Ustaad of Imam Bukhari) has recorded, through a sound chain, the view of four senior Tabi’een, viz. Jubeir ibn Nufeir, Shureih ibn Ubeid, Amr ibn Aswad and Khathir ibn Murrah, all of them saying:

ليس هو إنسان إنما هو شيطان “

[Dajjal] is not human, rather he is a Shaitan”.

[Kitab Al Fitan, Hadith #1498] Sahih by Al-Sisi
[Urdu Scan]

Surah Kahf describes Ad-Dajjal

The previous section proved that Ad-Dajjal is none other than Satan himself. Now one may ask how it helps us since it is common sense that Satan is responsible for every evil. In this section, we will prove what manifestation of Satan is described with the name of Ad-Dajjal.

The Prophet (SAW) told us to recite the first 10 and the last 10 verses of Surah Kahf to be saved from the fitnah of Ad-Dajjal. There is a reason he asked us to recite those specific verses. Just as a doctor recommends a medicine that is supposed to cure an ailment. Similarly, the Prophet (SAW) pointed toward those verses as they will tell us about the manifestation of Ad-Dajjal.

If anyone learns by heart the first ten verses of the Surah al-Kahf, he will be protected from the Dajjal.

[Sahih Muslim 809a]

From the last ten verses of Surat al-Kahf.

[Sahih Muslim 809b]

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]

This proves that Ad-Dajjal is the manifestation of Satan in the time of the Messiah and it will be in the form of Christian (Trinitarian) missionaries.

Ad-Dajjal will emerge from the Church

This section builds upon the previous one and explains that Ad-Dajjal will emerge in the East from within the Church. This is explained in a very popular hadith of Tamim Dari.

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]

The summary of this long hadith is that Tamim Dari, a Christian convert to Islam, narrates his dream to the Prophet (SAW) which corroborates his own vision in this matter. In the dream, he sees Ad-Dajjal chained on an island, inside a monastery (Church). Ad-Dajjal mentions how he will be let loose soon (i.e in the time of the Messiah) and spread his fitnah across the world.

This proves that the fitnah of Ad-Dajjal will emerge from the Church and will be carried out by the Trinitarian missionaries. This fitnah was chained during the time of the Prophet (SAW) and was unchained during the British colonial era when the missionaries were used as tools to convert people to Christianity and colonize them. Read more about this in the following article.

Ad-Dajjal will be killed via arguments

Another argument that proves that Ad-Dajjal is the manifestation of Satan in the form of Christian (Trinitarian) missionaries is the fact that ahadith describe that the Messiah will kill Ad-Dajjal with arguments and his speech. He will not be killed through wars and battles. This is detailed in the following article. For the sake of brevity, we will quote just a couple of arguments from it.

During the time of the Messiah, wars will be abolished as there will be no need for Jihad of the sword.

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 ‏.‏

Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “By Him in Whose Hands my soul is, surely 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.”

[Sahih al-Bukhari 3448]

Similarly, Ad-Dajjal will not be fought with the sword but with arguments and proof. The Prophet (SAW) says that if he emerges within his lifetime, he would debate him, and if he doesn’t, then each Muslim must do the same. This includes the Messiah as well.

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 the lexicons.¹³ Similarly, we have other ahadith which explain how the breath (speech) of the Messiah will kill Ad-Dajjal and that this breath will spread everywhere on Earth. This further proves that the Messiah will establish the proof of Islam in front of Ad-Dajjal and end its life.¹⁴

Conclusion

Firstly, non-Ahmadi Muslims have completely failed to understand who Ad-Dajjal is. Their view is not only contradictory to the Holy Quran and other ahadith but also their own understanding.

Secondly, the ahadith about Ad-Dajjal are filled with metaphors and must be interpreted accordingly. This is proven by the fact that Ad-Dajjal was seen in dreams/visions of the Prophet (SAW) and he himself did not understand such ahadith literally, along with the Sahaba (RA).

Thirdly, Ad-Dajjal is a manifestation of Satan in the form of Christian missionaries. This is confirmed by numerous verses of the Holy Quran and ahadith.

Fourthly, Ad-Dajjal will not be killed using the sword but through arguments and proof.

References