Ad-Dajjal (ٱلدَّجَّالُ) is an Arabic phrase which can be translated as “Deceitful.” In Islamic eschatology, Ad-Dajjal, or simply Dajjal, refers to an evil being who will pretend to be the “Messiah” near the end times. In this context, it is also referred to as “Al-Masih ad-Dajjal,” which means false Messiah. The Dajjal will replicate the acts or miracles that are associated with the Prophet Isa عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ (Jesus), such as giving life to the dead or curing the sick. It is also believed that many people will join him due to his deceitful acts, for which he would have the assistance of an army of devils. It is thought that the Dajjal will emerge from the East, probably somewhere between present-day Syria and Iraq.
The Dajjal will emerge near the end time and will exist for 40 years. Then he will be killed by the Prophet Isa عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ ُ. The Prophet Isa عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ would descend near Damascus, most probably near the Umayyad Masjid, though the exact location cannot be determined. The Prophet Isa عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ will kill the Dajjal and break the Christian Cross. He will also kill all the pigs and would establish peace in the entire world.
Description of the Dajjal in Hadith
Although the Dajjal is not mentioned in the Quran, there are several Hadiths where he is narrated with complete details. Hadith 7132 of Sahih Al-Bukhari narrates the Dajjal as under.
Translation
One day Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) narrated to us a long narration about Ad-Dajjal and among the things he narrated to us, was: “Ad-Dajjal will come, and he will be forbidden to enter the mountain passes of Medina. He will encamp in one of the salt areas neighboring Medina and there will appear to him a man who will be the best or one of the best of the people. He will say ‘I testify that you are Ad-Dajjal whose story Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) has told us.’ Ad-Dajjal will say (to his audience), ‘Look, if I kill this man and then give him life, will you have any doubt about my claim?’ They will reply, ‘No,’ Then Ad- Dajjal will kill that man and then will make him alive. The man will say, ‘By Allah, now I recognize you more than ever!’ Ad-Dajjal will then try to kill him (again) but he will not be given the power to do so.”
In another Hadith, as appearing in Serial 7131 of Sahih Al-Bukhari, it is narrated that Dajjal would be blind from one eye and that the believers would clearly see the word كافر (non-believer) written there on his eye:
Translation
Narrated Anas: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “No prophet was sent but that he warned his followers against the one-eyed liar (Ad-Dajjal). Beware! He is blind in one eye, and your Lord is not so, and there will be written between his (Ad-Dajjal’s) eyes (the word) Kafir (i.e., disbeliever).” (This Hadith is also quoted by Abu Huraira and Ibn `Abbas).
The emergence of the Dajjal is also associated with the “Day of Judgement.” The Dajjal would appear in the end time. Hadith 7121 of Sahih Al-Bukhari narrates various signs that would appear before the “Day of Judgement,” the emergence of the Dajjal being one of them:
Translation of the relevant part
Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “The Hour will not be established (1) till two big groups fight each other whereupon there will be a great number of casualties on both sides and they will be following one and the same religious doctrine, (2) till about thirty Dajjals (liars) appear, and each one of them will claim that he is Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ),
The Prophet Muhammad صَلَّى ٱللَّٰهُ عَلَيْهِۦ وَسَلَّمَ used to pray, seeking the refuge of Allah from the deception of the Dajjal, as narrated in Hadith 7129 of Sahih Al-Bukhari:
Translation
Narrated `Aisha: I heard Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) in his prayer, seeking refuge with Allah from the afflictions of Ad-Dajjal.
It is believed that the recitation of Surah Al-Kahf protects the Dajjal.
When a Sahabi Met with Dajjal
One of the companions of the Prophet Muhammad صَلَّى ٱللَّٰهُ عَلَيْهِۦ وَسَلَّمَ, namely Tamim Ibn Aws al-Dari (تميم بن أوس الداري) was once on a sea voyage along with a group of his companions. His ship was carried away by a strong storm and ultimately landed in an unknown and remote Island. Here, he encountered a strange and huge creature. The creature introduced itself as Al-Jassasah. Al-Jassasah then guided them to a monastery, where a human-like creature was bound with chains. The man in chains introduced himself as Dajjal. The Dajjal had a detailed chat with Tamim Al-Dari and asked various questions from him, to which Tamim responded.
So, Tamim al-Dari is the only companion (Sahabi) of the Prophet Muhammad صَلَّى ٱللَّٰهُ عَلَيْهِۦ وَسَلَّمَ who met and had a chat with the Dajjal. This entire event and the detailed conversation between Tamim al-Dari and the Dajjal is narrated in the Hadith 2942a of Sahih Al-Muslim, as narrated by Fatima, daughter of Qais:
Translation of the relevant part
I heard the voice of an announcer making an announcement that the prayer would be observed in the mosque (where) congregational prayer (is observed). So I set out towards that mosque and observed prayer along with Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) and I was in the row of the women which was near the row of men. When Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) had finished his prayer, he sat on the pulpit smiling and said: Every worshipper should keep sitting at his place. He then said: Do you know why I had asked you to assemble? They said: Allah and His Messenger know best. 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 (that chained person) said: Tell me about the date-palm trees of Baisan. We said: About what aspect of theirs do you seek information? He said: I ask you whether these trees bear fruit or not. We said: yes. Thereupon he said: I think these would not bear fruits. He said: Inform me about the lake of Tabariyya? 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 again said: Inform me about the spring of Zughar. They said: Which aspect of it you want to know? He (the chained person) said: Is there water in it and does it irrigate (the land)? We said to him: Yes, there is abundance of water in it and the inhabitants (of Medina) irrigate (land) with the help of it, 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).
Summary of the Conversation Between Tamim al-Dari and the Dajjal
The Dajjal asked different questions from the Sahabi Tamim al-Dari, to which he responded:
Dajjal: Tell me about the date palm trees of Baisan, whether they bear fruit or not.
Tamim: I think they will not bear fruits.
Dajjal: Inform me about the lake of Tabariyya, whether there is water in it?
Tamim: There is plenty of water in it.
Dajjal: I think soon it will get dry.
Dajjal: Tell me about the spring of Zughar. Is there water in it and does it still irrigate the lands?
Tamim: Yes, water is abundant and people use this water to irrigate their lands.
Dajjal: Tell me about the Prophet.
Tamim: The Prophet Muhammad صَلَّى ٱللَّٰهُ عَلَيْهِۦ وَسَلَّمَ has migrated from Mecca to Medina.
Dajjal: Are the Arabs fighting against him?
Tamim: Yes.
Dajjal: How did he deal with them?
Tamim: He had overcome them and they had submitted themselves before him.
Dajjal: If it is so that is better for them. They should show obedience to him. Now I tell you that I am Dajjal and would be soon permitted to get out 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 for me. 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.
