Who is Dajjal in Islam?
In Islamic eschatology, the Dajjal is an important figure who will appear as a false messiah before the end of time. His arrival is one of the most important signs of the Day of Judgement, and his deception is a test of faith for all believers.
The Dajjal is a one-eyed being who will emerge from the East and claim to be the Messiah. He will have superpowers and fool people with his charm and magic tricks. He will claim to be a prophet and try to create a new world order based on his ideology.
Meaning of the word Masih (Messiah)
The word Masih (Messiah) has received more than fifty scholarly remarks. They said this term refers to the True Messiah, also known as Jesus, and the deceitful liar, also known as the “antichrist” or Dajjal.
The True One, ‘Isa ibn Maryam (Jesus the son of Mary), the Messiah of guidance, raised the dead to life with Allah’s permission and healed people born blind and lepers.
Al-Masih al-Dajjal, the false messiah, is a liar who misleads people. He will attract people using his given signs, such as sending down rain, reviving the earth to produce vegetation, and other “miracles.”
Thus, Allah created two messiahs that are opposed to one another.
Why is the Dajjal called Masih?
According to scholars, the Dajjal’s one eye is mamsuh (lit. “wiped”; smooth or abraded, i.e., he would be blind or have a deficiency in one eye), which is why he is referred to as Masih (a “messiah”). Another explanation was that he would survey or travel the entire earth (yamsah) in forty days.
Meaning of the word Dajjal
The words “Dajjala al-ba’eer (he smeared the camel)” refers to when they covered it in tar. This is where the word “Dajjal” comes from.
Dajala is the basic word for mixing. The word “dajala” refers to someone who intentionally causes confusion, is unclear and ambiguous, speaks erratically, fabricates many lies, and deceives a great number of people.
The title “Dajjal” was applied to the liar and one-eyed false messiah. The Dajjal is so named because he will confuse, deceive, and lie to the people in order to hide his kufr from them.
Where the Dajjal will appear
The Dajjal will appear among the Jews of Isfahan and will come from Khurasan in the east. Apart from Makkah and Madinah, which he won’t be able to visit because angels protect them, he will travel the entire earth and enter every city he passes.
Places that the Dajjal will never enter
Because of the sahih ahadith given to that effect, it is forbidden for the Dajjal to enter Makkah or Madinah when he appears at the end of time. He will enter each location one at a time as far as the others are concerned.
Hadith about Dajjal(دجال)
Following are a few sahih ahadith that describe these attributes. The following ahadith are included in the evidence supporting the appearance of the Dajjal:
✅ From ‘Abd-Allah ibn’ Umar (رضي الله عنه), who said: “The Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said: ‘While I was sleeping, I saw myself performing Tawaf around the Kaaba when I saw a dark man with straight hair, standing between two other men, with water dripping from his head. I asked, “Who is this?” They said, “The son of Maryam.” Then I turned and saw a ruddy-complexioned man, well built, with curly hair, blind in his right eye, with his eye looking like a floating grape. I asked, “Who is this?” They said, “This is the Dajjal.” The person who looks most like him is Ibnu Qatan.'” (Narrated by al-Bukhari, no. 6508; Ibn Qatan was a man from Banu Mustalaq [ Narrated by al-Bukhari, no. 6508; Ibn Qatan was a man from Banu Mustalaq in Khuza’ah]
✅ It was also narrated from Ibn’ Umar (رضي الله عنه) that the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) mentioned the Dajjal to the people and said: “Allah is not one-eyed, but the false messiah (al-Masih al-Dajjal) is one-eyed, blind or defective in his right eye, with his eye looking like a floating grape.
[narrated by al-Bukhari, no. 3184]
✅The lengthy hadith narrated by al-Nawwas ibn Sam’an (رضي الله عنه) says: The Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) mentioned the Dajjal one morning. Sometimes he described him as insignificant, and sometimes he told us that he was so significant that we thought he was in the cluster of date palm trees.” One of the features of the Dajjal that he described was, “He will be a young man with very curly hair, with his eye floating. It is as if he looks like ‘Abd al-‘Uzza ibn Qatan.
[Narrated by Muslims, no. 5228]
✅ It was narrated from ‘Ubadah ibn al-Samit (رضي الله عنه) that the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said: “I have told you so much about the Dajjal that I fear you will not understand. The Dajjal will be a short man, pigeon-toed, with curly hair. He will be one-eyed, with his eye neither prominent nor sunken. If you become confused about him, remember that your Lord is not one-eyed.
[Narrated by Abu Dawud, no. 3763. This hadith is sahih – Sahih al-Jami al-Saghir, no. 2455]
✅ Abu Hurayrah (رضي الله عنه) said: “The Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said: ‘… as for the false messiah, he will be one-eyed, with a wide forehead and broad upper chest, and he will be hunchbacked.
[Narrated by Ahmad, no. 7564]
✅ Hudhayfah (رضي الله عنه) said: “The Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said: ‘The Dajjal will be one-eyed, blind or defective in his left eye, with thick hair. He will have with him a paradise and a hell, but his hell will be a paradise, and his paradise will be a hell.
[Narrated by Muslims, no. 5222]