Who is the Dajjal?

The Prophet ﷺ warned his ummah about him more than any previous prophet warned his people, and commanded us to seek refuge from his trial in every prayer.

Who he is

The scholars are clear that the Dajjal is not a symbol, a system, or a metaphor for modern civilisation. He is a specific human being. Shaykh Ibn Baz states that he is from the children of Adam and will speak Arabic, based on the apparent meaning of the narrations. Al-Albani, commenting on the hadith describing his eye, said the belief in him is obligatory.

The name itself explains his nature. Dajjal comes from dajl, meaning deception and confusion — he is the greatest deceiver, the most skilled at making falsehood appear as truth. Ibn Kathir summarised his career: he first appears as a king among tyrants, then claims prophethood, then claims divinity itself. The ignorant and the common people follow him; the believers reject him.

His description

The Prophet ﷺ described him in precise physical detail so that the believer would recognise him and not be deceived. The most famous description, narrated by Ibn Umar رضي الله عنهما and recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim, is that he is a red-complexioned, bulky man with curly hair, blind in his right eye, which looks like a protruding grape.

"The Dajjal is a red-complexioned, bulky man with curly hair, blind in his right eye, his eye looking like a protruding grape."— Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, from Ibn Umar

Shaykh Ibn Baz adds that he is one-eyed — blind in the right eye — and that between his eyes is written "kafir" (disbeliever), which every believer will be able to read, whether literate or not. Al-Nawawi, quoted by Ibn Hajar in Fath al-Bari, explained that this writing is real, placed by Allah as a decisive sign of his falsehood: Allah makes it visible to the believer and hides it from those He wills to be wretched.

Al-Albani records another description: his eye is green like glass.

His trial and his miracles

What makes the Dajjal so dangerous is not his appearance but the extraordinary things Allah allows to happen at his hands — as a test, not as proof of his truth. Ibn Baz explains that he will command the sky to rain and the earth to bring forth vegetation; he will kill a man and then bring him back to life. He will have with him what appears to be a river of fire and a river of paradise — but his "paradise" is fire and his "fire" is cool, sweet water. He will have mountains of bread and rivers of water.

Ibn Uthaymeen notes that he will remain on earth for forty days: the first day like a year, the second like a month, the third like a week, and the rest like ordinary days. When the Companions asked how to pray on a day like a year, the Prophet ﷺ said: "Estimate its measure."

His followers will be many — mostly from the Jews, the non-Arabs, and the Turks, along with a mixture of people, predominantly Bedouins and women. Anas رضي الله عنه narrated that seventy thousand Jews of Isfahan will follow him.

Where he appears and where he cannot enter

The narrations place his emergence in the east. Ibn Baz and al-Fawzan state he will come from the direction between Iraq and Syria, and al-Fawzan adds that al-Tirmidhi mentions Khurasan. He will traverse the earth, entering every land except four places: Makkah, Madinah, Masjid al-Aqsa, and Mount Sinai. The angels guard Makkah and Madinah, and when he approaches Madinah, it will shake three times, expelling every disbeliever and hypocrite to join him.

How he is killed

The Dajjal's end comes at the hands of Isa ibn Maryam عليه السلام. When the trial becomes unbearable, Allah will send Isa, who will descend and join the believers. He will pursue the Dajjal to the gate of Ludd in Palestine and kill him with his spear. Ibn Baz states that the Muslims with Isa will then fight the Jews, and the trees and stones will call out: "O Muslim, O servant of Allah, here is a Jew, come and kill him."

After the Dajjal is killed, Isa عليه السلام will rule by the shariah of Muhammad ﷺ, not by the Gospel. He will remain, then Allah will cause him to die as other prophets died.

Protection from his trial

The scholars emphasise that the believer is not helpless. The Prophet ﷺ gave specific means of protection:

• Seek refuge in every prayer: the well-known dua after the final tashahhud — "I seek refuge in Allah from the punishment of Hell, from the punishment of the grave, from the trial of life and death, and from the trial of the Masih al-Dajjal."
• Memorise the opening verses of Surah al-Kahf: whoever memorises ten verses from its beginning is protected from the Dajjal.
• Flee from him if you encounter him: the Prophet ﷺ commanded that whoever hears of him should distance himself, because a man may come to him thinking he is a believer and be led astray.
• Know his description: the believer who knows what the Prophet ﷺ said will recognise him and reject him.

Ibn Uthaymeen notes that the Prophet ﷺ said: "If he comes out while I am among you, I will be his adversary on your behalf; otherwise, each person must be his own adversary, and Allah is my successor over every Muslim."

Why the prophets warned about him

The prophets warned their peoples about the Dajjal even though he would not appear until the end of time. Ibn Uthaymeen explains the wisdom: Allah knew he would not emerge until the last era, but He commanded the messengers to warn their people so that the greatness and enormity of the trial would be understood. The warning itself is part of the preparation — the believer who has been forewarned is not caught off guard.

Key takeaways

• The Dajjal is a real human being, not a symbol, and belief in his coming is obligatory because the narrations about him are mutawatir.
• He will claim prophethood, then divinity, and will be followed by the ignorant and the weak in faith.
• His greatest danger lies in the supernatural events Allah permits at his hands as a test — not as evidence of his truth.
• He will be killed by Isa ibn Maryam عليه السلام at the gate of Ludd in Palestine.
• Protection lies in seeking refuge in every prayer, memorising the opening of Surah al-Kahf, knowing his description, and fleeing from him.

Further reading

• Majmu' Fatawa wa Maqalat al-Shaykh Ibn Baz
• Fath al-Bari by Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani
• al-Irshad ila Sahih al-I'tiqad by Shaykh Salih al-Fawzan

And Allah knows best.