The concept of Dajjal “The Antichrist” in Islam other religions

On social media, Jewish, Christian and Islamic traditions of the coming Antichrist or Dajjal are discussed more frequently than ever. Now everyone is sharing traditions and prophecies about Dajjal. We thought why not get the background of this discussion.

Before knowing the historical references, opinions of scholars and experts on Dajjal, let’s take a look at where the story of Dajjal begins?

At the end of the 6th century BC, the Bani Israel (believers of the Jewish religion) were so disappointed by the defeat from the Babylonian ruler Nebuchadnezzar, the destruction of the Temple of Solomon and the exile that they began, believing that the God of the Bani Israel, Yahweh, had abandoned them. And the destruction of their holiest house of worship and leaving the Promised Land is the punishment.

In response to this concern, the thought arose within Bani Israel that Yahweh was not angry with the Israelites forever, but would restore them through a mighty King ‘Messiah’ after a time of punishment.

According to the Jewish faith, a great king will appear among the descendants of David, who will re-establish the rule of the Jews in the world, like the mighty king and prophet of the Israelites to whom the psalm was revealed.

This belief is based on a scripture attributed to Prophet Daniel, who came during the exile.

In the book of Daniel, included in the ‘Prophets’ (Nevim in Hebrew) section of the Old Testament of the present Bible, it is written: ‘I dreamed at night that there stood before me one who looked like a man. He was coming on the clouds of heaven. He came to the Ancient King (Jehovah God). He was brought before him. The person who looked like a human was entrusted with the kingdom, the kingdom and the whole region. All nations and all language groups will serve Him. His rule will last forever.

The belief of the resurrection of Jesus after his crucifixion is also found in the Gospels and the rest of the books of the New Testament.

According to the last book of the Bible, the ‘Revelation’ of John, it is written: From Jesus Christ who is the true witness and the first among the risen from the dead and the ruler over the kings of the world.

In this last book of the New Testament, it is written in another place: ‘The kingdom of the world will belong to our Lord and his Christ, and he will reign forever.’

Thus, the believers of these two religions are waiting for the era before the resurrection by naming it as the Messianic era.

Similarly, among the followers of Islam, there is also the concept of Jesus coming back to the world.

According to Naeem Ahmad Baloch, a researcher associated with the Ghamdi Center of Islamic Learning, Dallas, USA, a large majority of Muslim scholars believe that Jesus will return as a follower of Islam near the end of the world.

But, very few scholars, including Ibn Khaldun, are not convinced of the second coming of the Messiah.

What is the concept of the Antichrist?

The antichrist, the ultimate enemy of Christ, according to Christian tradition, will reign in terror in the period before the final judgement.

According to research by Professor Robert E. Lerner, the term Antichrist first appears in the Epistles of John, and the full story of the Antichrist’s life and reign is found in mediaeval texts.

“The Messianic concept of the Antichrist was derived from Jewish traditions, particularly from the book of Daniel in the Hebrew Bible.”

Written around 167 B.C., this book foretold the coming of the last persecutor who would ‘speak great words against the Highest and weaken those who believe in the Highest, and will change the times and laws.

Lerner says scholars agree that Daniel’s scriptures refer to Antiochus IV Epiphanes, the Hellenistic ruler of Palestine at the time, who tried to exterminate Judaism.

But since Antiochus was not named, later readers could apply the prophecy to any persecutor. Early Christians applied it to the Roman emperors who persecuted the church, especially Nero who ruled from 54 to 68 AD.

The early Christians emphasised the coming of a great antichrist. John’s Revelation refers to this figure as ‘the beast from Hades’ (11:7) and ‘the beast from the sea’ (13:1). He will come at a time of general apostasy, deceiving people with signs and wonders, will sit in the house of God and claim to be God himself. In the end, he will be defeated by Jesus, who will destroy him with ‘the breath’ and ‘the brightness of his coming’ (2:8)’.

The mediaeval view of the Antichrist was founded by Edso, Replin, and many other writers on the principle that he is the diametrical opposite of Christ in all things.

Lerner deduced from them that the antichrist would gain followers by his tricks. His reign will last for three and a half years. Like Christ, the Antichrist will come to Jerusalem, but, unlike Christ, the Jews will enthusiastically praise and worship him.

During his reign he will rebuild the temple and sit on Solomon’s throne. He will convert the rulers of the earth to his cause and will persecute Christians terribly. All those who resist his tricks will be tormented, and there will be great tribulations that have never happened since the beginning of the world.’

‘At the end of the allotted three and a half years, the Antichrist will be destroyed by the power of Christ, after which a very short interval, the final judgement and the end of the world will take place.’

Lerner says that later the concept of antichrist came to mean those who oppose Christ. And so did the illusion that credit cards and electronic barcodes were being used to mark innocent people as the Antichrist or Revelation 666.

Dajjal is mentioned in the Islamic traditions as part of the signs of the doomsday.

Islamic scholar and researcher Javed Ahmad Ghamdi writes in his book ‘Meezan’ that the word Dajjal is an adjective meaning a big deceiver and deceitful.

He is also mentioned under the name of Al-Masih al-Dajjal. The meaning of this is that before the Day of Judgment, someone will falsely claim to be the Messiah and will deceive the people with some of his miracles by taking advantage of the concept of the arrival of the Messiah in the minds of Jews, Christians and Muslims.

In some traditions, it is said that he will be blind in one eye and his deception will be so clear to the believers that they will see disbelief written on his forehead.

According to Islamic scholar Waheeduddin Khan, Dajjal refers to a deceiver who will create mental and intellectual errors and not a person with unique qualities who will cause temptation and corruption.

He writes in the monthly al-Risalah that Dajjal will not do this work by sword. Because “Beguile is by reason, not by the sword.” So, Dajjal will mislead people with the power of knowledge and arguments. He will lead people astray.

Dr. Muhammad Amir Ghazdar writes about Dajjal with reference to some hadiths of the Prophet of Islamﷺ in the context of ‘Signs of Resurrection’ that ‘There is no other creature that can dominate people more than Dajjal in his temptations. ‘

The Antichrist is a man with a broad forehead, curly hair, and one eyeless. The other eye is like a raised grape seed. He is broad-chested, has some ugliness in his personality, and would be a liar above all.’

And that ‘Dajjal will rise from the eastern region, which is called Khorasan (the ancient name for the vast region stretching from Iraq to the borders of India, including Isfahan). He will be followed by people whose faces are as broad as shields (of Gog and Magog).

The Antichrist will come from the east and his destination will be Madinah, until he will encamp behind the mountain of Uhud. Then the angels of God will turn his face towards Syria and he will perish there.

For this reason, Prophet of Islamﷺ used to seek refuge in God himself from the temptation of Christ the Dajjal and advised his ummah to seek refuge as well.

The summary of many traditions of Muslims is that when the Dajjal appears near the Day of Resurrection, Jesus will kill him. Thus, according to Muslims, this will be their victory over all divine religions.

According to the followers of Judaism, the system of the ‘pagan’ king will end.

The verses of the scripture Daniel are: ‘The judgement of God will decide what is to happen and this (pagan) king will be stripped of his government. His kingdom will be completely destroyed. Then the holy people of God will rule this kingdom.

“For Christians, the death of the antichrist will establish the supremacy of Christ forever and ever.”

Many Christian scholars consider the establishment of Israel and its dominance in the area to be a manifestation of the conditions that they see in their religious traditions. Muslims also take more or less the same meaning from these traditions.