CLASS 2
SIGNS BEFORE AD-DAJJAAL
Why study about Ad-Dajjaal
While all major signs of the Day of Judgment warrant close study, it is the Dajjaal, or False Messiah, the topics on this course will expound upon, using verses of the Quran, statements of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, and statements of the Salaf, all the while asking Allah for sincerity and correctness.
The greatest fitnah (trial, tribulation) on the face of the earth since the creation of Adam until the onset of the Hour will be the fitnah of the Dajjaal, as the Prophet ﷺ said. Hence there is no Prophet, from Nooh to Muhammad (may the blessings and peace of Allaah be upon them all), who did not warn his people about him, as an indication of have serious his fitnah will be. Although Allaah knows that he will not emerge until the end of time, nevertheless He commanded the Messengers to warn their people about him so that they would understand how serious the matter is.
Who is the Dajjaal?
Sheikh Ṣāliḥ al-‘Uthaymīn, explains in his explanation of the book Lum’ah al-‘Itiqad:
Linguistically the word دَجَّال (Dajjāl) is an Arabic hyperbole, a word form of intensiveness from the verb root دَجَلَ (dajala) which means to lie or deceive (the word Dajjāl then indicating excessive lying and deceit). As for the religious meaning, the Dajjāl is a man, a deceiver who will emerge toward the end of time claiming lordship.
His arrival is confirmed in the Sunnah and by the consensus of mainstream Muslims.5 And in his explanation of Riyāḍ al-Ṣālihin, Ibn al-‘Uthaymīn says, “We believe there will come a man toward the end of time known as the ‘Dajjāl’ due to his characteristics.”
We study about the Dajjāl, this habitual liar, because he will be the greatest trial of this life. The Prophet ﷺ said “There is no creation worse (in tribulation), from the time Adam was created until the final hour, than the Dajjāl”.
Although the information that has come from Allah and his messenger ﷺ about the Dajjāl and the phenomena that will occur at his hands is certainly amazing and yet terrifying, the point of learning about this False Messiah is not solely for amazement. Perhaps instead, such information should serve as a warning from which we prepare ourselves and our children in belief, statement, and action for the overwhelming day on which this deceiver will emerge. The prophet ﷺ said, mentioning the Dajjāl:
“Hasten to do good deeds before six things happen: the rising of the sun from the west, the smoke, the beast from the earth, the Dajjāl, the death of each of you individually, or the comprehensive event (the Day of Resurrection)”. (Muslim & Aḥmad)
“Three (signs), if they come no soul will benefit from its faith if it had not believed before: the Dajjāl, the beast, and the rising of the sun from the west”. (Tirmidhi, Classed as Sahih by Albani).
Special case of Dajjal compared to other Major Signs
As mentioned in the previous class, the major signs of the last day closely precede and indicate the Day of Resurrection is soon to follow. This particular sign, however – that of the Dajjal, or False Messiah – is distinguished from the others.
All of the other major signs make apparent to an individual the belief in his Lord. The sun’s rising from the west, for example, will be evident to every human; whoever sees it rising from the west will believe. Similarly, the beast that will speak to people, the coming of Jesus, the son of Mary, and the other major signs all call people to believe in their Lord when they happen.
Not so the Dajjāl. He will call people to disbelief. What tribulation, what ordeal is worse than a single creature claiming he is our Lord while Allah allows miraculous events to occur at his hands, events that will put specific people to trial? At the same time he emerges, people will be in dire circumstances: a sky that offers no rain, an earth that grows nothing, and extreme hunger and thirst. People will be desperate for a savior. Then comes this Dajjāl changing everything.
Though he is blind, he will also blind the hearts of people, deceiving them with his claims when they see rain fall and food in abundance at his command. What greater test than to witness everything you own of food and livestock die if you disbeliever in him? Or you witness the skies rain on the earth so that it produces vegetation and your livestock becomes healthy and fat if you believe in him?
So how do we protect ourselves? If Allah puts you to trial with this man, then stay firm on your disbelief in him and your denial of him. Save yourself and do not believe anything he says. Never forget: you will never see your Lord, Allah, until you die. So anyone who comes in this life claiming to be your Lord while you see him, he is a liar, a Dajjāl.
Do not forget that this Dajjāl you see is blind (in one or both eyes) and a deceiver, but your Lord is not like that. Allah is the true Lord, described only with the highest descriptions of perfection and greatness.
So beware of the Dajjāl so you may be saved from him. If the affair of this greatest tribulation is such, then knowing the Dajjal is essential. Know him through the statements of the last messenger of Allah, Muhammad ﷺ as he describes the Dajjāl. For no one truly knows, perhaps you or your children will meet him.
EMERGENCE OF AD-DAJJAAL
Signs before the Dajjaal Will Appear
The Arabs will be Few
Imām Muslim collected a ḥadīth from Umm Shurayk ( رضي الله عنها ) in which she heard the prophet ﷺ said: “People will flee from the Dajjāl into the mountains. Umm Shuraky asked, “Messenger of Allah, where will Arabs be at that time?” He ﷺ replied: They will be few”. (Muslim, Ahmad & Tirmidhi)
Severe Fighting & the Conquest of Constantinople
Allah’s messenger ﷺ said: “The construction of Bayt al-Maqdis* will lead to the destruction of Yathrib (Madina), the destruction of Yathrib will lead to severe fighting, severe fighting will lead to the conquest of Constantinople, and the conquest of Constantinople will lead to the arrival of the Dajjāl”. (Abū Dāwūd and Aḥmad; classed as hasan by al-Albānī)
*Interestingly, Jewish eschatology holds that a sign of their awaited Messiah (Hebrew: mashiah, mashiach) is the reconstruction of the Third Temple, or Ezekiel's Temple (Beit ha Mikdash) in Jerusalem. Today, the al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock sit on top of the Temple Mount. (Secrets of Jerusalem's Temple Mount, Kathleen Ritmeyer, 1998)
al-Munāwī explains in Fayḍ al-Qadīr, “The chosen one (Muhammad ﷺ) made each one of them (a sign) indicating what is to come after it.”
Several Conquests
The Prophet ﷺ said, “You will fight against the Arabian Peninsula and Allah will open it for you (allowing you to conquer it), then Persia and Allah will open it. Then you will fight against Rome and Allah will open it. Then you will fight the Dajjāl and Allah will allow you to conquer him.” (Muslim, Aḥmad, and Ibn Mājah)
Drought & Famine
The messenger of Allah ﷺ said in a long ḥadīth:
“…and before the Dajjāl arrives, there will be three years of hardship during which people will suffer extreme hunger. Allah will command the sky in the first year to withhold one-third of its rain, and he will command the earth to withhold one-third of its vegetation. Then he will command the sky in the second year and it will withhold two-thirds of its rain, and he will command the earth and it will withhold two-thirds of its vegetation. Allah will then command the sky and it will withhold all of its rain so that not a single drop will fall. And he will command the earth and it will withhold all of its vegetation and not a single green plant will grow. Any hoofed animal remaining at that time will die, except for what Allah wills otherwise”.
It was asked, “How will people live at such time?” He ﷺ answered: “al-Tahlīl, al-Takbīr, and al-Taḥmīd. Those will replace food for them”. (Ibn Majah, Ibn Khuzamah &Al Hakim; authenticated by Al-Albani)
al-Tahlīl: The saying of “Lā illāha illa-Allāh” (Nothing has the right to be worshipped except Allah.)
al-Takbīr: The saying of “Allāhu Akbar” (Allah is the greatest.)
al-Taḥmīd: The saying of “al-ḥamdulillāh” (All praise and thanks are for Allah.)
A lot of Deception
Anas ibn Malik reported: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Verily, preceding the False Messiah will be years of deception, in which the truthful are belied, the liars are believed, the trustworthy are discredited, the treacherous are trusted, and the disgraceful speak.” It was said, “Who are the disgraceful?” The Prophet ﷺ said, “Little wicked men who speak about the affairs of common people.” (Musnad Aḥmad).
The world changes in a way that it sort of sets the ground. It sets the stage for a Dajjal.
And what happens in those years of deception? The Prophet ﷺ, said, “That a truthful person is called a liar. And the liar is considered to be truthful”. Why? Because the liar is good at deceiving and covering his lie. Whereas the truthful, and this is something very profound, a person who is truthful will not resort to deception to prove their trustworthiness. Right? And so what's going to happen? They're just going to have to take it on the chin. That's how it's going to be. Because a kadhib (liar) will do whatever it takes to portray siddq. Whereas a sadiq (truthful) is comfortable, a truthful person is comfortable with just being a truthful person. Right? So that's what happens first. Then the Prophet ﷺ said, that the trustworthy people are discredited. People of amanah are considered to be discredited. And those who are treacherous are trusted. And the Prophet ﷺ said, “ that at that time the most disgraceful of people speak”. Their voices are projected. So people can't distinguish truth from falsehood anymore. They can't distinguish trustworthy people from dishonest people anymore. And because of that, who's going to take the stage? Right? And the Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wasallam, was asked, who are they? SubhanAllah, the way he described them, he said, al-fawaysiq, little fussaq, little men. Little men, subhanAllah, little people. Little wicked people. But at the same time, they speak about affairs, all types of affairs and all types of things they have no business talking about. And they cause all types of issues for people. This is what precedes a dajjal. So this is what's important to understand here.
SubhaanAllah Social media, AI & VR seem to have done this already. We see complete illiterates refuting or disrespecting scholars, we see deceit and false agendas being spread like wild fire. We see the truthful are being silent and the wicked ones are being loud and vocal.
May Allah protect us all.
Where the Dajjaal will appear
Allah’s messenger ﷺ said “The Dajjāl will appear from a land in the East said to be called: Khorasan*. There will follow him people with faces like hammered shields”. (al-Tirmidhī, Aḥmad, al-Ḥākim, and Ibn Mājah, and al-Albānī said it is authentic)
* Khorasan is “a historical region and realm comprising a vast territory now lying in northeastern Iran, southern Turkmenistan, and northern Afghanistan.”
Also, the prophet ﷺ said: “He is in the Sea of Sham or the Sea of Yemen. No, rather he is in the East, he is in the East, he is in the East”. And he gestured with his hand toward the East.” (Muslim)
Perhaps the first place news of him will become known, however, may be between al-Shām21 and Iraq, and Allah knows best. Imām Muslim collected a long ḥadīth from al-Nawwās Ibn Sam’ān R.A. in which the prophet ﷺ said: “…He comes from a path between al-Shām* and Iraq, wreaking havoc right and left. (Muslim)
* al-Sham includes parts of Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, and Jordan.
TIPS FOR THE TEST
Do not have to memorize the Ayahs & ahadeeth word for word but get a good understanding about what it means and the message in it.
Remember the signs.
ATTENDANCE/ASSIGNMENT
Please do this assignment before taking the test, there will be a question asked about the Assignment worth 10 marks in the test: -
I. Invite atleast 15 people to the course (can invite via WhatsApp, Facebook, Email, telegram or word of mouth) 3 Marks. (check the note below for exceptions)
Note:
Those who have already invited whether on Whatsapp, Email or FB, do not need to invite again.
It does not matter, whether people join or not, our job is to invite.
II. Talk to 5 people (friends or family) about any three topics from the course - (5 Marks)
III. Make Dua for the Muslims that are being oppressed around the world and also for those who are not to get their acts right and start helping the Ummah. (2 Marks)
Please take this assignment as a motivation to start talking about Islam and make it part of your regular day (even if you do not know too much, spread the little that you know, as the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said “Convey from me, even if it is one verse”, most of us are too shy to talk about Islam but are ok to talk about anything under the sky.
May Allah make us all amongst those who call others to good by spreading the Deen of Allah and help us in this noble path.
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