Al-Masih al-Dajjal (the False Messiah)

Who is al-Dajjal?

The Dajjal — fully, al-Masih al-Dajjal, "the false Messiah" — is a man whom Allah will send out at the end of time as the greatest trial (fitnah) ever faced by humanity. He will claim lordship and then divinity, perform astonishing acts that will lead many astray, and rule over much of the earth for a brief but terrible period. Then Allah will send down Isa son of Maryam, who will kill him. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ warned of him constantly and said: "Between the creation of Adam and the Hour there is no creation greater than the Dajjal" (Muslim 2946).

His Description in the Sunna

• He is one-eyed; his Lord is not one-eyed (Bukhari 7407, Muslim 169). His right eye is described as defective like a floating grape.
• The word "Kafir" (disbeliever) will be written between his eyes, read by every believer, literate or not (Bukhari 7131, Muslim 2933).
• He will travel the earth swiftly, like rain driven by the wind, entering every land except Makkah and Madinah, which the angels will guard (Bukhari 1881, Muslim 2943).
• He will bring with him what looks like a Paradise and a Hell; in reality his Hell is a Paradise and his Paradise a Hell (Muslim 2934).

His Period and End

The Prophet ﷺ said his stay will be "forty days: a day like a year, a day like a month, a day like a week, and the rest of his days like your days" (Muslim 2937). Then Isa son of Maryam will descend at the white minaret east of Damascus, pursue the Dajjal, and kill him at the gate of Ludd — the Dajjal melting before him "as salt melts in water" (Muslim 2937, Tirmidhi 2240). After this, an era of peace and justice will follow before the final coming of the Hour.

Protection from the Dajjal

The Sunnah teaches several means of protection:

• Reciting the first ten verses of Surah al-Kahf guards against him (Muslim 809).
• Seeking refuge from him at the end of every prayer, in the tashahhud, as the Prophet ﷺ taught (Bukhari 1377, Muslim 588).
• Living a life of true faith, knowledge, and sincere worship; the Dajjal's trial is greatest for those whose hearts are already inclined to falsehood.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is belief in the Dajjal obligatory?

Yes. The hadiths describing the Dajjal are abundant and reach the level of tawatur (mass transmission) in the view of many scholars, narrated by Bukhari, Muslim, and others. Belief in him is part of the believer's faith in the events of the end of time, and the Prophet ﷺ commanded his community to seek refuge from him in every prayer.

How can a Muslim be safe from the Dajjal's trial?

By cultivating real knowledge of Allah and His Messenger ﷺ, by reciting the prescribed protections (the first verses of al-Kahf and the prayer's seeking of refuge), and by avoiding the secondary "dajjals" of every age — those who claim what is not theirs and call to falsehood. The Prophet ﷺ said before the Dajjal there will be "about thirty liars (dajjals)" (Bukhari 3609), each a smaller test in the same shape.