Question:
Salam alaykum Sayyidi,
Is there any indication in the text sources that dajjal may be other than human, despite its “human” appearance – is it merely a mask or puppet for Iblis?
Also is there any mention of antichrist being called & sentenced on Judgement day – will it be in the Hellfire with men & jinn?
Or if not in the ahadith, have MSN or MSH spoken on this point?
May Allah protect us from fitnah, bless the staff of eshaykh & forgive me.
Salam
Answer:
wa `alaykum salam,
The Dajjal is a real person who appears in the last day of this world to turn people to the “dark side” and away from God. However, the many groups, ideologies and concepts that are Dajjalic in nature, i.e. their characteristic is to cover truth with falsehood, are precursors to the final arrival of the Antichrist, the man. Additionally, in order for the Dajjal to appear, a system and governance must be built on his false principles which will support him and provide him an army. His advent is thus preceded by many archetypes, all in his “form.” .
Thus the appearances of so many groups who are inherently false to the teachings of Allah and His Prophet, in the guise of religiosity, are signs Dajjal’s appearance is close. These groups are by design religious and outwardly appear pious, but their very core is rotten, resulting in the horrific events of this era, plagued by merciless killing and harm to common people and harm to the faith.
Prior to the physical advent of the Dajjal, this world will begin to change by taking on “reflections” of his forthcoming physical appearance, metaphorically reflecting the Dajjal’s characteristics. The 30 archetypes that will appear prior to the Dajjal are reflections of his evil power as described in many ahadith of the Prophet (s). In the hadith, Dajjal represents falsehood versus the truth carried by Prophet Muhammad (s) and Prophet Jesus (as). So these 30 will appear with Dajjalic falsehood, turning peace into war, security into fear, order into chaos and life into death and destruction. This can be likened to the smoke preceding a wildfire’s arrival, which carries portents and manifestations of the burning to come. Not only that, but the world (dunya) must take on Dajjal-like characteristics in preparation for his appearance and the reign of absolute falsehood that precedes the goodwill and peaceful power symbolized by the appearance of Jesus Christ (as), who ultimately slays Dajjal in the second to last final conflict between the forces of Truth and those of Falsehood.
In that conflict, the soldiers of the Merciful will confront the soldiers of the prince of darkness, Satan, of whom Dajjal represents his most evil protégé. Thus, these evil forces must be brought together to complete each other in order to support the advent of evil in the person of Dajjal, just as the forces of good must come together prior to his advent, in order to support Jesus Christ and Imam Mahdi, upon both be Allah’s peace, who are the righteous leaders who will face him.
فإذا قيل: انقضت تمادت يصبح الرجل فيها مؤمنا ويمسي كافرا حتى يصير الناس إلى فسطاطين: فسطاط إيمان لا نفاق فيه، وفسطاط نفاق لا إيمان فيه فإذا كان ذاكم فانتظروا الدجال من يومه أو غده.
Thus the Prophet (s) said:
At that time (referring to the Last Days), a man will rise a believer in the morning and will reach night a disbeliever. People will eventually take two sides either the rallying-place of belief which will contain no hypocrisy; or, the rallying-place of hypocrisy which will contain no belief. When you see this, expect the appearance of the Anti-Christ (Dajjal) from one day to the next.” (Abu Dawud.)
وما صنعت فتنة منذ كانت الدنيا صغيرة ولا كبيرة إلا لفتنة الدجال
The Prophet (s) said:
No fitna (dissension, trial, tribulation) was produced in the world whether small or large except for it is preparation for the fitna of Dajjal.”(Ahmad)
Commenting on this hadith, ad-Dasuqi said:
It means there was never a fitna that demons and devils produced in the earth since the time of the first man, (til the present) except as a preparation for the appearance of the fitna of the Dajjal…the meaning of this is that since the age of Nuh (as) the Dajjal was producing elements of fitna and wherefore even Nuh (as) warned his people about him and so did every messenger to his nation. (Ad-Dasuqi, Dr. Farouq Ahmad, Al-Qiyamat as-sughra `ala al-bab (The Lesser Judgment Day at the Door), Riyadh: Royal Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, p. 252.)
Shaykh Muhammad Hisham Kabbani