Dajjal
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ad-Dajjal, sometimes spelled Dajal, (Arabic: الدّجّال, ad-Dajjāl, "the Deceiver", "the Impostor", "the Anti-Christ"), is an evil figure in Islamic eschatology. He is to appear at a time in the future, before Yawm al-Qiyamah (The Day of Resurrection, Judgement Day).
Dajjal (compare to "Devil") is a common Arabic word, used in the sense of "false prophet", but ad-Dajjal, with the definite article, refers to "the imposter", a specific end-of times deceiver. The term al-Masīḥ ad-Dajjāl (Arabic for "the false messiah") is a literal translation of the Syriac term Mšīḥā Daggālā, which had been in the common vocabulary of the Middle East and adapted into the Arabic language 400 years prior to the Qur'an via the Peshitta (which uses that term instead of the Greek "antichristos")
The belief is based around the events prior to the Day of Judgment around the Second Coming of The Christ, when ad-Dajjal who is blind in his right eye, shall gather an army of those he has deceived and lead them in a war against Jesus, who shall be accompanied by an army of the righteous.
He will appear somewhere between Syria and Iraq, at which time Jesus will return and defeat ad-Dajjal in Palestine. He will travel the whole world preaching his falsehood but will be unable to enter Mecca or Medina.
Linguistically, the reason for his name being al-Masīḥ ad-Dajjāl is simply because masih is a title given to one who travels extensively to increase their influence in the world. Jesus is also called masih because he will roam throughout the world to preach righteousness and virtue, whereas the Dajjal would travel around the world to do just the opposite. He would gain control over the whole world, which is the specific reason he is called masih. Essentially, Jesus is the masih of virtue and righteousness; Dajjal is the masih of evil.[1]
The Prophet Muhammad had given many signs of the appearance of the Dajjal and exhorted his followers to recite the first and the last ten verses of Sura Al-Kahf, as protection from the trials and mischief of the Dajjal
The word Dajjal has two connotations: First, it signifies a group which supports falsehood and works with cunning and deceit. Secondly, it is the name of the Satan who is the father of all falsehood and corruption [2].
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[edit] Islam's description
The Qur'an doesn't mention the Dajjal by name, like the Hadith. A couple of hadith describe the Dajjal as follows:
- The Prophet mentioned the Massiah Ad-Dajjal in front of the people saying, Allah is not one eyed while Al-Masih Ad-Dajjal is blind in the right eye and his eye looks like a bulging out grape. While sleeping near the Ka'ba last night, I saw in my dream a man of brown color the best one can see amongst brown color and his hair was long that it fell between his shoulders. His hair was lank and water was dribbling from his head and he was placing his hands on the shoulders of two men while circumambulating the Kaba. I asked, 'Who is this?' They replied, 'This is Jesus, son of Mary.' Behind him I saw a man who had very curly hair and was blind in the right eye, resembling Ibn Qatan (i.e. an infidel) in appearance. He was placing his hands on the shoulders of a person while performing Tawaf around the Ka'ba. I asked, 'Who is this? 'They replied, 'The Masih, Ad-Dajjal' "
- Once Allah's Apostle stood amongst the people, glorified and praised Allah as He deserved and then mentioned the Dajjal saying, "l warn you against him (i.e. the Dajjal) and there was no prophet but warned his nation against him. No doubt, Noah warned his nation against him but I tell you about him something of which no prophet told his nation before me. You should know that he is one-eyed, and Allah is not one-eyed " [3].
- Allah's Apostle said, "Shall I not tell you about the Dajjal a story of which no prophet told his nation? The Dajjal is one-eyed and will bring with him what will resemble Hell and Paradise, and what he will call Paradise will be actually Hell; so I warn you (against him) as Noah warned his nation against him"
[edit] Ahmadiyya view
Those of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community consider the powerful Christian nations, and particularly the extensive Christian missionary activity of the 18th through 21st centuries as being part of the Prophesied Dajjal. Those who employed new faster inventions used for travelling extensively around the world preaching their doctrines, which are seen as false, but did not enter Mecca or Madina. Being blind in the right eye is believed to be symbolic in that these nations will, by large be completely devoid of spiritual and religious insight and righteousness, but their material insight, attainments, scientific achievements and worldy knowledge will be great.
According to Ahmadiyya thought the fact that Muhammad exhorted the recitation of the first and last ten verses of Al-Kahf as protection from the mischief of the Dajjal clearly exposes his identity, the first verses speak of warning the Christians, those "who assign a son to God" and the last verses speak of those who spend their lives in pursuit of material comfort and worldy benefits, by making new invention and discoveries, those who are engrossed in their mechanistic inventions so much as to think that they can fathom even the secrets of creation, But the more they go on doing so the more they realise that their is no limit to the secrets of nature and no end to the works of God
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes
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