The Dajjaal- Pieces of The Puzzle lead To Shaam
There are many narrations which mention the Dajjaal. Due to their vast number, many of us may be confused with the actual sequence of events, and the relevance of places such as Madeenah, Jerusalem, and the regions of Khurasaan and Shaam. The following article describes the sequence of events, putting the pieces together chronologically in the form of a narrative with the references provided in footnotes.
From the collective texts we know that the emergence of Dajjaal will only occur once the Muslims defeat the Romans in the great battle of Syria known as the Malhamah (ref1). Once Dajjaal appears, he will be the greatest tribulation to inflict mankind and All Prophets warned their followers about him (ref2). We know Dajjaal is currently on the Earth, chained on a small Island within a sea or ocean (ref3) Although he is human (ref4), Allah has extended his life, just like Allah has extended the life of the Jinn Iblees. He will remain chained as long as Allah wills until the time when Allah will bring three harsh years of drought when the clouds will withhold their water and the earth will withhold its vegetation. After these three years, Dajjaal will only then emerge (ref5). He will be set free from the Island in the sea, emerging on land from the East, from a place called Khurasaan (ref6). Here, he will be followed by people with faces looking like flattened shields (ref7). The boundaries of Khurasaan lie within parts of Eastern Iran, Russia and Afghanistan today. This region is also referred to as greater Khurasaan. It is from here that Dajjaal will appear and his very first followers will be people from this region whose faces will be flattened like shields. In fact this facial characteristic is readily found amongst many people from this region today.
He will be a curly headed man who is young yet sterile (ref 8,9,10). He will be blind in one eye and the letters Kaaf, Faa and Raa for Kaafir will be inscribed on his forehead for all believers to see and recognise (ref 11,12). He will be huge in size with a large body (ref13).
He will wander the Earth freely for forty days, with the first day being like a year, the second day being like a month, the third day being like a week, and the remaining days being like regular days of our reckoning (ref14). During this time he will move with incredible speed, like the wind driving the clouds, and he will visit all the lands except Makkah and Madeenah (ref15).
People will follow him because of the miracles he will bring as a proof of his so called divinity, when in fact these miracles will be given to him by Allah as a test for the people. The Jews will follow him because of these miracles and the riches he will give them, and also because he will fit the description of their much awaited Messiah. In addition to the Jews, the majority of his followers will be women (ref16). Amongst the Jews, seventy thousand will be form Isbahaan. (ref17).
Allah will give him extraordinary powers such as commanding the sky to send down its rain and commanding the Earth to bring forth its vegetation, at a time when the people will have experienced three years of extreme drought and hardship (ref18). He will extract the Earths’ treasures from wastelands (ref19). People will believe in him and follow him because of these miracles. He will also have two rivers with him, with a river of water appearing as fire, and a river of fire appearing as water (ref20). He will be given the ability to kill a human being and bring him back to life by the leave of Allah (ref21). These are some of the miracles he will bring through which he will convince the ignorant people of his lordship.
Although many people will follow him, there will be some who will resist him and they will be left in barren lands (ref22). Others will flee from him in search of places of refuge in the mountains (ref23). Aside from a few scattered believers, the believers will be united as one Jamaa’ah under their Imaam, the Mehdi. They will be the last of the people to meet him (ref 24).
After wandering the Earth he will head towards Madeenah which will have seven gates at that time, with two angels guarding each gate (ref25). Both madeenah and Makkah will be safeguarded from him and he will never be allowed to enter (ref26). He will camp in a barren area outside of Madeenah (ref27) and during this time Madeenah will shake expelling its disbelievers and hypocrites who will follow him (ref28).
The Muslims in Madeenah will be few during this time, and the majority of Muslims will be gathered in the new Islamic Capital of Jerusalem, which will be thriving (ref29). Of the Muslims alive only a few will be Arabs (ref30), being led by their Imaam Mehdi who will belong to the family of our Prophet Muhammad (ref31). Some people from amongst the people of the book would have embraced Islam before he is let loose, including the seventy thousand children of Israel who conquered Constantinople after the fierce battle of the Malhamah (ref32). When Iblees falsely announces the arrival of Dajjaal in Shaam, they will leave Constantinople and journey to Shaam (ref33) until they unite with the Muslim body in Jerusalem, being led by their Imaam Mehdi in preparation for the fight with Dajjaal (ref34).
During this time Dajjaal will be returning from Uhud after the angels strike him and turn his face away towards Shaam (ref35). He will continue his journey until he appears on a path between Shaam and Iraaq (ref36). While Dajjaal is travelling through the area of Shaam and the Muslim Army has gathered in Jerusalem behind their Imaam, Allah will bring forth the spectacular sign of Isa bin Maryam, descending near the white minaret of Damascus Syria upon the wings of two angels (ref37). After Isa bin Maryam descends he will pursue Dajjaal through Shaam until they reach Jerusalem. Isa will enter Jerusalem when the Muslims will be gathered in prayer behind Imam Mehdi. The Mehdi will step back but Isa will instruct him to continue leading the prayer (ref38). He will say, 'your imaam is from you as an honour given by Allah to this ummah' (ref39). After the prayer is completed, Isa bin Maryam will take charge and instruct the Muslims to open the gate. There, Dajjaal will be standing, accompanied by seventy thousand Jews with green cloaks and decorated swords (ref 40). When Dajjaal will see Isa he will begin to melt for no disbeliever can survive the breath of Isa which reaches as far as he can see (ref 41). Isa will pursue Dajjaal as he begins to melt, until he catches up with him and kills him in Ludd which is a place in Israel today (ref42). He will kill Dajjaal using a spear and his blood will be shown to the people (ref43). The Jews will witness the death of Dajjaal who they considered their Messiah and panic will spread amongst them. Despite this, the Jews will not accept the truth of Islam, and the Muslims will go to war with them until the Muslims completely and uttering defeat them. (ref44) Thus Allah will bring an end to the Fitnah of Dajjaal through the hands of His beloved slave, Isa bin Maryam.
Written by Kamillah Khan
References:
1. muslim vol 2 no 2027 Arabic/English Summarised version
2. bukhaari vol 9 no 7127 Arabic/English version
3. muslim vol 2 no 2054 Arabic/English Summarised version
4. bukhaari vol 9 no 7128 Arabic/English version
5. ibn maajah vol 5 no 4077 Arabic/English version
6. ibn maajah vol 5 no 4072 Arabic/English version
7 ibid see ref 6
8. muslim vol 2 no 2047 Arabic/English Summarised version
9. muslim vol 2 no 2048 Arabic/English Summarised version
10. muslim vol 2 no 2041 Arabic/English Summarised version
11. bukhaari vol 9 no 7123 Arabic/English version
12. muslim vol 2 no 2046 Arabic/English Summarised version
13. ibid see ref 4
14. ibid see ref 9
15. ibid see ref 9
16. ahmad 4/216 Arabic version
17. muslim vol 2 no 2056 Arabic/English Summarised version
18. ibid see ref 9
19. ibid see ref 9
20. ibid see ref 12
21. idid see ref 9
22. ibid see ref 9
23. muslim vol 2 no 2057 Arabic/English Summarised version
24. ibid see ref 5
25. bukhaari vol 9 no 7125 Arabic/English version
26. muslim vol 2 no 2055 Arabic/English Summarised version
27. muslim vol 2 no 2049 Arabic/English Summarised version
28. ibid see ref 26
29. ibid see ref 5
30. ibid see ref 23
31. ibid see ref 5
32. muslim vol 2 no 2014 Arabic/English Summarised version
33. muslim vol 2 no 2029 Arabic/English Summarised version
34. ibid see ref 5
35. tirmidhi
36. ibid see ref 9
37. ibid see ref 9
38. ibid see ref 5
39. muslim vol 2 no 2061 Arabic/English Summarised version
40. ibid see ref 5
41. muslim vol 2 no 2029 Arabic/English Summarised version
42. ibid see ref 9
43. ibid see ref 40
44. ibid see ref 5
