**
Warnings**
There are many Ahadith in which the Prophet (PBUH) warns us about the coming of Dajjal. He (PBUH) said : “No prophet was sent but that he warned his followers against the one-eyed liar (Ad-Dajjal). Beware! He is blind in one eye, and your Lord is not so, and there will be written between his eyes Kafir.” [Bukhari, 9.245) In another Hadith, the Prophet (PBUH) stated that the appearance of Dajjal is “the worst of all absent things that are expected”. (Tirmizi)
**Signs
**
The signs that lead up to the coming of Dajjal in the ahadith are many. Among them is the following hadith in which the Prophet (PBUH) stated, “There will be three hard years before the Dajjal (appears). During them, people will be stricken by a great famine. In the first year, Allah (swt) will command the sky to withhold a third of its rain, and the earth to withhold a third of its produce. In the second year, Allah (swt) will command the sky to withhold two thirds of its rain, and the earth to withhold two thirds of its produce. In the third year, Allah (swt) will command the sky to withhold all of its rain, and it will not rain a single drop of rain. He will command the earth to withhold all of its produce, and no plant will grow. All hoofed animals will perish, except that which Allah (swt) wills.” He (PBUH) was asked, ‘What
sustains people during that time?’ He said, “Tahlil, takbir and tahmid (Saying, la ilaha ill Allah, Allahu Akbar and al-hamdulillah). This will sustain them just as food does.” [Sahih Al-Jami` as-Saghir, no. 7875]
**Objective and Miracles
**
Dajjal’s primary objective will be to call people to his worship. He will convince them with miracles which he will have the power to perform. Many people will be awestruck by his representation and take him to be the lord. The Prophet (PBUH) explains, “Like cloud driven by the wind. He will come to the people and invite them; they will affirm their faith in him and respond to him. He will then give a command to the sky: there will be rainfall upon the Earth and it will grow crops. Then in the evening, their pasturing animals will come to them with their humps very high, their udders full of milk and their flanks distended. He will then come to another people and invite them. But they will reject him so he will go away from them; they will have a drought and nothing will be left with them in the form of wealth. He will then walk through the desert and say to it: Bring forth your treasures. The treasures will come out and gather before him like a swarm of bees. He will then call someone in the flush of youth, strike him with the sword, cut him into two pieces and (make these pieces lie at the distance which is generally between the archer and his target. He will then call (that young man) and he will come forward laughing with his face gleaming (with happiness).” (Sahih Muslim #7015) The Prophet (PBUH) is also reported to have said that: “He (Dajjal) would have water and fire with him: (what
would seem to be) fire, would be cold water and (what would seem to be) water, would be fire.” [Sahih Al- Bukhari, 9.244]
**Reign
**
The Prophet (PBUH) said : “There will be no town which Dajjal will not enter except Makkah and Madinah, and there will be no entrance (road) (of both Makkah and Madinah) but the angels will be standing in rows guarding it against him, and then Madinah will shake with its inhabitants thrice (i.e. three earthquakes will take place) and Allah will expel all the non-believers and the hypocrites from it.” [Sahih Al-Bukhari, 3.105] While mentioning Dajjal’s Reign in this world the Prophet (PBUH) said : “For forty days, one day like a year, one day like a month, one day like a week, and the rest of the days will be like your days.” [Sahih Muslim #7015)
**Death
**
Hadrat Abu Huraira relates that the Prophet (PBUH) after mentioning the exile of Dajjal said: “The Muslims will be preparing for war with Dajjal and they will be gathering in line in preparation for
offering Prayers and the Takbir will have been said for Prayers when in the meantime Isa (PBUH), son of Mary, will descend and lead Muslims in Prayer. The enemy of God, Dajjal, on seeing him will start melting like salt in water. If Isa (PBUH) would leave Dajjal alone, he would melt and die anyway, but Allah (swt) will cause Dajjal to be slain at the hand of Isa (PBUH) and Isa will display his spear strained with the blood of Dajjal to the Muslims.” (Mishkat)
Protection
The Prophet (PBUH) has advised us: “If anyone learns by heart the first ten verses of Surah Kahf, he will be protected from Dajjal” (Muslim 1766) The Prophet (PBUH) would often supplicate in the following words “O Allah! I seek refuge with you from the punishment in the grave and from the punishment in the Hell fire and from the afflictions of life and death, and the afflictions of Al-Masih Ad-Dajjal.” [Sahih Al-Bukhari, 2.459]