The Dajjal: Islam’s Antichrist

The third primary character that dominates Islamic eschatology is a man whose full title is Al-Maseeh (The Messiah) Ad-Dajjal, (The Liar/Deceiver).  Usually just referred to as the Dajjal, he is a bizarre character whose description and story seem far more fantastic than either the Mahdi or the Muslim Jesus.  There are numerous hadith that contain descriptions of the Dajjal.  Here we will just touch on the most common of these traditions to give an overview of just who this mysterious and strange person is.

The Great Deceiver

The Dajjal is described as being a deceiver who will have miraculous powers and who will temporarily hold power over the whole earth:

The Prophet was warning us that in the last days there would be someone who would deceive all of humanity.  The Dajjal will possess power over this world.  Thus, Muslims must be careful not to have the love of the world in their hearts so they won’t leave their religion and follow him.  He will be able to heal the sick by wiping his hand on them, like Jesus did, but with this deceit the Dajjal will lead people down the path to hell.  Thus the Dajjal is the false Messiah, or Anti-Christ (Massih ad-Dajjal).  He will pretend to be the Messiah, and deceive people by showing them amazing powers. 1

He is One Eyed

Possibly the most frequently quoted reference to the Dajjal is that he is blind in one eye.  The Hadith however, are contradictory regarding which eye is blind:

Allah's Messenger made a mention of Dajjal in the presence of the people and said: Allah is not one-eyed and behold that Dajjal is blind of the right eye and his eye would be like a floating grape. 2

Allah's Messenger said: 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. 3

Infidel

The Dajjal is sometimes said to have the word “Infidel” (Kaafir) written in-between his eyes, possibly on his forehead.  But this word will only be perceptible to true Muslims, and no one else:

Allah's Messenger said: Dajjal is blind of one eye and there is written between his eyes the word "kaafir" (unbeliever/infidel). He then spelled the word as k. f. r., which every Muslim would be able to read. 4

Very Important is that; this word “Kafir” will be readable only by the believer, literate or illiterate.  Non-believer: let him be educated from “Oxford” or “Harvard” will not be able to read it. 5

A False Miracle Worker


Sheikh Kabbani describes some of the Dajjal’s miraculous powers:

The Dajjal will have powers of the devil.  He will terrorize the Muslims into following him, converting them into unbelief.  He will conceal the truth and bring forth falsehood.  The prophet said that the Dajjal will have the power to show the image of one’s dead ancestors on his hand, like a television screen.  The relative will say, “Oh my son! This man is correct.  I am in Paradise because I was good and I believed in him.”  In reality that relative is in hell.  If the relative says, “Believe in this man, I am in hell because I didn’t believe,” one must say to the Dajjal, “No, he is in Paradise.  This is false.” 6

The Prophet said: the Dajjal will say to a Bedouin Arab, “what will you think if I bring your father and mother back to life for you? Will you bear witness that I am your lord?  The Bedouin will say, “Yes.”  So two devils will assume the appearance of his father and mother, and say, “O my son, follow him for he is your lord…” 7

The Dajjal Will Claim To Be Jesus Christ And Will Claim To Be Divine

The above tradition shows that the Dajjal’s deceptive signs will be for the purpose of leading people into believing that the Dajjal is actually their “lord”. Muslim scholars universally have concluded that the Dajjal will claim to be divine.  According to the very well known Muslim scholar, Abu Ameenah Bilal Phillips, the Dajjal, “will claim to be God”. 8

While there are no specific traditions that state such directly, as a result of the fact that the Dajjal is, according to Islamic tradition, the false Jewish Messiah who claims to be God, most Muslims have deduced that the Dajjal will thus claim to be Jesus Christ by name.


The Dajjal And His Magic Mule

Muslim Scholar Muhammad Ali ibn Zubair Ali says of the Dajjal, “ He will travel at great speeds and his means of conveyance will be a giant mule… He will travel the entire world.” 9 As strange as this is, it also bears a faint resemblance to Jesus the Messiah who also rode a donkey as he entered Jerusalem during the final week of his ministry.
Cities Of Refuge

It is said that there are three cities that the Dajjal may not enter; Mecca, Medina and Damascus.  Muslims are encouraged to seek refuge from the Dajjal in one of these three cities:

The Prophet said, "Ad-Dajjal will come to Medina and find the angels guarding it. So Allah willing, neither Ad-Dajjal, nor plague will be able to come near it." 10

The coming of the Anti-Christ (Dajjal) must occur in the Last Days.  This dreadful event is approaching, and in that time only three cities will be safe: Makka, Madina, and Sham (Damascus).  If anyone wants safety in that time he will have to run to one of these three cities. 11

Apart from these three cities, it is said that the Dajjal will enter every single city, town and village in the world to test and possibly deceive every human alive. 12

A Surah Of Protection

Muslims believe that if they memorize a particular portion of the Quran that they will be protected from the Dajjal.  It is somewhat like a verbal amulet that protects one from the powers of evil:

If the Dajjal comes upon someone who has memorized the first ten verses of Surat al Kahf (Chapter of the Cave) he cannot harm him. And whoever memorizes the last verses of Surat al-Kahf will have light on the day of Judgement. 13

He will be Jewish And Will Be Followed by Jews and Women

Based on various Islamic traditions, Muslims believe that the Dajjal will be Jewish.  The title of a book by Muslim author Matloob Ahmed Qasmi, Emergence of the Dajjal, the Jewish King couldn’t make this point more clearly.  Imam Sheikh Ibrahim Madhi of the Palestinian Authority articulated the Islamic perspective regarding the expectation of the Jewish people quite well in one of his sermons:

The Jews await the false Jewish messiah, while we await, with Allah's help… the Mahdi and Jesus, peace be upon him.  Jesus's pure hands will murder the false Jewish messiah.  Where?  In the city of Lod, in Palestine. Palestine will be, as it was in the past, a graveyard for the invaders 14

Samuel Shahid, a Christian Arab scholar in his scholarly study of Islamic eschatology says of the Dajjal that he will be, “the embodiment of the Jewish hope and longing.  The bulk of his army is recruited from the Jews.”15

As mentioned in the last chapter, the followers of the Dajjal will primarily consist of Jews and women.  It is mentioned that women are very ignorant and as such are easily misled.  Veliankode states, “Meanwhile, women will also fall to the deviant line of the Antichrist because of their unawareness and ignorance of Islam.” 16

Slain By The Muslim Jesus

As mentioned in the last chapter, it will be the Muslim Jesus who will kill the Dajjal and his followers:

Allah's Messenger said: …the time of prayer shall come and then Jesus son of Mary would descend and would lead them in prayer. When the enemy of Allah (Dajjal) would see him… Allah would kill them by his (Jesus’) hand and he would show them their blood on his lance (the lance of Jesus Christ). 17

Notes:

1.      Shaykh Muhammad Hisham Kabbani, The Approach of Armageddon? An Islamic Perspective (Canada, Supreme Muslim Council of America, 2003), p. 223

2.      Sahih Muslim Book 041, Number 7005, reported by Ibn Umar

3.      Sahih Muslim Book 041, Number 7010, reported by Hudhalfa

4.      Sahih Muslim Book 041, Number 7009, reported by Anas b. Malik

5.      Kamran R’ad, Freemasons and Dajjal, (London, Islamic Academy, 2003), p. 173

6.      Kabbani 223-4

7.      Sunan Ibn Majah #4067, related by Abu Umamam Al-Bahili, quoted in Kabbani, p. 225

8.      Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips, Ph.D. Ad-Dajjal, The Antichrist, (Alexandria, Soundknowledge Audio Publishers, 2001)

9.      Mohammad Ali Ibn Zubair Ali, Signs Of Qiyama, (Abdul Naeem,New Delhi, 2004), p.17

10.  Sahih Bukhari, Volume 9, Book 88, Number 248, Narrated by Anas bin Malik:

11.  Kabbani, p. 226

12.  .Philips

13.  Suyuti, Durr al-Manthur, as quoted in Kabbani, p.227

14.  Excerpts from a Friday sermon delivered by Palestinian Authority Imam Sheikh Ibrahim Madhi at the Sheikh 'Ijlin Mosque in Gaza City, broadcast live on April 12, 2002 by Palestinian Authority television  http://memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page=archives&Area=sd&ID=SP37002

15.  Samuel Shahid, The Last Trumpet: A Comparative Study of Christian-Islamic Eschatology (US, Xulon, 2005), p. 254

16.  Sidheeque M.A. Veinakode, p. 312

17.  Sahih Muslim, Book 041, Number 6924, reported by Abu Huraira

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Harris J

Harris J's debut album is called Salam, Arabic for "peace."

Phil Scott/Awakening Records

If you saw him on the street, you might mistake him for a member of One Direction with his hair and his style — but his name is Harris J. The 19-year-old British singer scored a deal with Awakening Records, a UK company specializing in Islamic music, after winning a social media talent contest the label ran in 2013.

Along the way, J decided to step away from his dream of mainstream success to create music that expresses his Islamic faith. He says he is also using music as a tool to battle misrepresentations of that faith.

Harris J's debut album, Salam (Arabic for "peace") was released last month, and its single "Assalamu Alaikum," has reached more than three million views on YouTube. He spoke with weekends on All Things Considered about his musical journey; hear the conversation at the audio link.

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Interview Highlights

On turning away from mainstream pop

"I just wanted to do music that wasn't necessarily speaking about drugs and stuff like that, but speaking about things that are morally sound and things that people can get benefit from in their day-to-day life. I've always wanted to make a change within music that people, mostly teenagers, listen to nowadays."

On what Islam means to him

"It's something that I follow day to day in my life. I pray fives times a day. Everyone knows Islam can be portrayed as a religion that it's not. It's a religion purely and entirely about peace. Whenever I'm in trouble, when I have something to worry about I turn to my religion. It's a source of comfort for me. It's a very important factor in my life."

On what message he wants his music to bring listeners

"My message to the world is purely just to show the true hidden idealisms and beliefs of our religion. I'm trying to show them it's not what they see every day on the news. It's a religion of peace and love. I want to make a positive difference."

Facts About Islam

1) "Islam" means "surrender" or "submission". "Salam" (which means "peace") is the root word of "Islam". In a religious context the word "Islam" means "the surrendering of one's will (without compulsion) to the true will of God in an effort to achieve peace".

2) "Muslim" means "anyone or anything that surrenders itself to the true will of God". By this definition, everything in nature (trees, animals, planets, etc.) are "muslims" because they are in a state of surrender to God's will. In other words, they are fulfilling the purpose for which God created them.

3) Islam is not a new religion or cult. It is a universal way of life and civilization. Studies show that between 1.5 and 1.8 billion people in the world identify their religion as Islam. Along with Judaism and Christianity it traces its roots through Prophet Abraham and back to the first humans Adam and Eve.

4) There are five pillars of practice in Islam. These practices must be undertaken with the best of effort in order to be considered a true Muslim: A) Declaration of faith in One God and that Muhammad is a prophet of God. B) Formal prayer five times a day. C) Poor-due "tax" - 2.5% of one's excess wealth given to the needy once a year. D) Pilgrimage to Mecca at least once, if physically and financially able. E) Fasting during the daylight hours in the month of Ramadan.

5) There are six articles of faith in Islam. These are the basic beliefs that one must have in order to be considered a true Muslim. They are belief in: A) the One God. B) all of the true prophets of God. C) the original scriptures revealed to Moses, David, Jesus and Muhammad. D) the angels. E) the Day of Judgment and the Hereafter. F) destiny.

6) Islam is a complete way of life that governs all facets of life: moral, spiritual, physical, intellectual, social, economical, etc.

7) Islam is one of the fastest growing religions in the world. To become Muslim, a person of any race or culture must say a simple statement, the shahadah, that bears witness to the belief in the One God and that Muhammad is a prophet of God.

8) "Allah" is an Arabic word that means "God". Muslims also believe that "Allah" is the personal name of God.

9) Allah is not the God of Muslims only. He is the God of all people and all creation. Just because people refer to God using different terms does not mean there are different gods. Many Hispanics refer to God as "Dios" and many French refer to God as "Dieu" yet they mean the same God. Many Arab Jews and Arab Christians call God "Allah" and the word "Allah" (in Arabic script) appears on the walls of many Arab churches and on the pages of Arabic Bibles. Although the understanding of God may differ between the various faith groups, it does not change the fact that the One Lord and Creator of the Universe is the God of all people.

10) The Islamic concept of God is that He is loving, merciful and compassionate. Islam also teaches that He is all-knowing and the perfect judge of affairs, and will punish (or forgive) accordingly. However, Allah once said to Muhammad, “My mercy prevails over my wrath”. So Islam teaches a balance between fear and hope, protecting one from both complacency and despair.

11) Muslims believe that God has revealed 99 of His names, or attributes, in the Qur'an. It is through these names that one can come to know the Creator. A few of these names are the All-Merciful, the All-Knower, the Protector, the Provider, the Near, the First, the Last, the Hidden and the Source of All Peace.


12) The Christian concept of "vicarious atonement" (the idea that Jesus died for the sins of humanity) is alien to the Islamic concept of personal responsibility. Islam teaches that on the Day of Judgment every person will be resurrected and will be accountable to God for their every word and deed. Consequently, a practicing Muslim is always striving to be righteous while hoping and praying for God's acceptance and grace.

13) Muslims believe in all of the true prophets that preceded Muhammad, from Adam to Jesus. Muslims believe they brought the same message of voluntarily surrendering to God's will (islam, in a generic sense) to different peoples at different times. Muslims also believe they were "muslims" (again, in a generic sense) since they followed God's true guidance and surrendered their will to Him.

14) Muslims neither worship Muhammad nor pray through him. Muslims solely worship the Unseen and Omniscient Creator, Allah.

15) Muslims accept the original unaltered Torah (as revealed to Moses) and the original unaltered Bible (as revealed to Jesus) since they were revealed by God. But none of these scriptures exist today in their original form or in their entirety. Therefore, Muslims follow the subsequent, final and preserved revelation of God, the Qur'an.

16) The Qur'an was not authored by Muhammad. It was authored by God, revealed to Muhammad (through angel Gabriel) and written into physical form by his companions.

17) The original Arabic text of the Qur'an contains no flaws or contradictions, and has not been altered since its revelation.

18) Actual 7th century Qur'ans, complete and intact, are on display in museums in Turkey and other places around the world.

19) If all Qur'ans in the world today were destroyed, the original Arabic would still remain. This is because millions of Muslims, called "hafiz" (or "guardians") have memorized the text letter for letter from beginning to end, every word and every syllable. Also, chapters from the Qur'an are precisely recited from memory in each of the five formal prayers performed daily by hundreds of millions of Muslims throughout the world.

20) Some attribute the early and rapid spread of Islam to forced conversions by the sword. While it is accurate that the Muslim empire initially spread, for the most part, through battles and conquests (a common phenomenon for that time) the religion of Islam itself was never forced on anyone who found themselves living under Muslim rule. In fact, non-Muslims were afforded the right to worship as they pleased as long as a tax, called "jizyah", was paid. During the Dark Ages, Jews, Christians and others were given protection by the Muslims from religious persecutions happening in Europe. Islam teaches no compulsion in religion (Qur'an 2:256 and 10:99). For more, read "The Spread of Islam in the World" by Thomas Arnold.

21) Terrorism, unjustified violence and the killing of non-combatant civilians (or even intimidating, threatening or injuring them) are all absolutely forbidden in Islam. Islam is a way of life that is meant to bring peace to a society whether its people are Muslim or not. The extreme actions of those who claim to be Muslim may be a result of their ignorance, frustration, uncontrolled anger or political (not religious) ambitions. Anyone who condones or commits an act of terrorism in the name of Islam is simply not following Islam and is, in fact, violating its very tenets. These people are individuals with their own personal views and agendas. Fanatical Muslims are no more representative of the true teachings of Islam than fanatical Christians are of the true teachings of Christianity or fanatical Jews are of the true teachings of Judaism. The most prominent examples of such “religious” fanatics are Anders Behring Breivik, the 2011 Norwegian terrorist who claimed in his manifesto to be “100 percent Christian” and Baruch Goldstein, perpetrator of the 1994 Hebron massacre who is considered by some Jews to be a “hero” and a “saint”. Extremism and fanaticism are problems not exclusive to Muslims. Anyone who thinks that all Muslims are terrorists should note that terror groups like ISIS (or ISIL), Al-Qaeda and Boko Haram kill Muslims as well. Also, the former boxer Muhammad Ali, perhaps the most celebrated person of our era, is a practicing Muslim.

22) The word "jihad" does not mean "holy war". It actually means "to struggle" or "to strive". In a religious context it means the struggle to successfully surrender one's will to the will of God. Some Muslims may say they are going for "jihad" when fighting in a war to defend themselves or others, but they say this because they are conceding that it will be a tremendous struggle. But there are many other forms of jihad which are much more relevant to the everyday life of a Muslim such as the struggles against laziness, arrogance, stinginess, one's own ego, or the struggle against a tyrant ruler or against the temptations of Satan, etc. Regarding the so-called verses of "holy war" in the Qur'an, two points: A) The term "holy war" neither appears in the Arabic text of the Qur'an nor in any classical teachings of Islam. B) The vast majority of verses in the Qur'an pertaining to violence refer to wartime situations in which Muslims were permitted to defend themselves against violent aggression. Any rational, intellectual analysis of the context and historical circumstances surrounding such verses, often ignored by pundits or violent extremists, proves this to be true. Other verses of violence deal with stopping oppression, capital punishment and the like.

23) Women are not oppressed in Islam. Any Muslim man that oppresses a woman is not following Islam. Among the many teachings of Muhammad that protected the rights and dignity of women is his saying, "...the best among you are those who treat their wives well."

24) Islam grants women many rights in the home and in society. Among them are the right to earn money, to financial support, to own property, to an education, to an inheritance, to being treated kindly, to vote, to a bridal gift, to keep their maiden name, to worship in a mosque, to a divorce, and so on.

25) Muslim women wear the head-covering (hijab) in fulfillment of God's decree to dress modestly. This type of modest dress has been worn by religious women throughout time such as traditional Catholic nuns, Mother Teresa and the Virgin Mary.

26) Forced marriages, honor killings, female genital mutilation and the confinement of women to their homes are all forbidden in Islam. These practices stem from deeply entrenched cultural traditions and/or ignorance of the true Islamic teachings or how to apply them in society. Arranged marriages are allowed in Islam but are not required. In fact, one of the conditions for a valid Islamic marriage contract is the mutual consent of both parties to the marriage. And divorce is permissible provided the Islamic guidelines are followed which protect the rights of all affected parties, especially women and unborn children.

27) Islam and the Nation "of Islam" are two different religions. Islam is a religion for all races and enjoins the worship of the One Unseen God who never took human form. On the other hand "the Nation" is a movement geared towards non-whites that teaches God appeared as a man named Fard Muhammad and that Elijah Muhammad was a prophet. According to orthodox Islam these are blasphemous beliefs that contradict the basic theology defined throughout the Qur'an and other authentic texts. The followers of "the Nation" adhere to some Islamic principles that are mixed with other practices and beliefs completely alien to authentic Islamic teachings. To better understand the differences read about Malcolm X, his pilgrimage to Mecca and his subsequent comments to the media. Islam teaches equality amongst the races (Qur'an 49:13).

28) All Muslims are not Arab, Middle-Eastern or of African descent. Islam is a universal religion and way of life that includes followers from all races. There are Muslims in and from virtually every country in the world. Arabs only constitute about 20% of Muslims worldwide. The countries with the largest Muslim populations are not located in the Middle East. They are Indonesia (over 200 million Muslims) and Pakistan and India (over 350 million Muslims combined).

29) In the five daily prayers Muslims face the Kaaba in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is a cube-shaped stone structure that was built by Prophet Abraham and his son Ishmael on the same foundations where Prophet Adam is believed to have built a sanctuary for the worship of the One God. Muslims do not worship the Kaaba. It serves as a focal point for Muslims around the world, unifying them in worship and symbolizing their common belief, spiritual focus and direction. Interestingly the inside of the Kaaba is empty.

30) The hajj is an annual pilgrimage to the Kaaba made by about 3 million Muslims from all corners of the Earth. It is performed to fulfill one of the pillars of Islam. The rituals of hajj commemorate the struggles of Abraham, his wife Hagar and their son Ishmael in surrendering their wills to God.