The Holy Quran tells Muhammad is the Seal of the Prophets, anyone who claims to be a new prophet after him is a false prophet. All true Muslim scholars’ agree that coming of the Messiah does not mean coming of a new prophet, as the Islamic Messiah Jesus had already been an existing prophet, and will rule by the Qur’an and Sunnah of Muhammad, bringing no new revelation or prophecy. Thawban ibn Kaidad narrated that Prophet Muhammad (SallAllah-u-Alaihi-wa-Sallam) said; “There will be 30 dajjals among my Ummah. Each one will claim that he is a prophet; but I am the last of the Prophets (Seal of the Prophets), and there will be no Prophet after me.” (Related by Ahmad ibn Hanbal as a sound hâdith) Abu Hurairah narrated that Prophet Muhammad (SallAllah-u-Alaihi-wa-Sallam) said; “The Hour will not be established until two big groups fight each other whereupon there will be a great number of casualties on both sides and they will be following one and the same religious doctrine, until about 30 dajjals appear, and each of them will claim that he is Allah’s Apostle…” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 9, Book 88: Afflictions and the End of the World, Hâdith Number 237). Prophet Muhammad (SallAllah-u-Alaihi-wa-Sallam) also stated that the last of these Dajjals would be the False Messiah, al-Masih ad-Dajjal (Antichrist): Samra ibn Jundab reported once Muhammad (SallAllah-u-Alaihi-wa-Sallam) (while delivering a ceremonial speech at an occasion of a solar eclipse) said; “Verily by Allah, the Last Hour will not come until 30 dajjals will appear and the final one will be the One-eyed False Messiah.” (Related by Imam Ahmed and Imam Tabarani as a sound hâdith). Anas ibn Malik narrated that Muhammad (SallAllah-u-Alaihi-wa-Sallam) said; “There is never a prophet who has not warned the Ummah of that one-eyed liar; behold he is one-eyed and your Lord is not one-eyed.
Dajjal is blind of one eye, on his forehead are the letters k. f. r. (Kafir) between the eyes of the Dajjal which every Muslim would be able to read.” (Sahih Muslim, Book 41: The Book Pertaining to the Turmoil and Portents of the Last Hour, Chapter 7: The Turmoil Would Go Like The Mounting Waves of the Ocean, Ahâdith 7007-7009). Once Allah’s Messenger (SallAllah-u-Alaihi-wa-Sallam) had finished his prayer, he sat on the pulpit smiling and said: Every worshipper should keep sitting at his place. He then said: Do you know why I had asked you to assemble? They said: Allah and His Messenger know best. He said: By Allah. I have not made you assemble for exhortation or for a warning, but I have detained you here, for Tamim Dari, a Christian, who came and accepted Islam, told me something, which agrees with what I was-telling, you about the Dajjal. He narrated to me that he had sailed in a ship along with thirty men of Bani Lakhm and Bani Judham and had been tossed by waves in the ocean for a month. Then these (waves) took them (near) the land within the ocean (island) at the time of sunset. They sat in a small side boat and entered that Island.
There was a beast with long thick hair (and because of these) they could not distinguish his face from his back. They said: Woe to you, who can you be? Thereupon it said: I am al-Jassasa. They said: What is al-Jassasa? And it said: O people, go to this person in the monastery as he is very much eager to know about you. He (the narrator) said: When it named a person for us we were afraid of it lest it should be a Devil. Then we hurriedly went on till we came to that monastery and found a well-built person there with his hands tied to his neck and having iron shackles between his two legs up to the ankles. We said: Woe be upon thee, who are you? And he said: You would soon come to know about me, but tell me who are you. We said: We are people from Arabia and we embarked upon a boat but the sea-waves had been driving us for one month and they brought as near this island. We got into the side-boats and entered this island and here a beast met us with profusely thick hair and because of the thickness of his hair his face could not be distinguished from his back. We said: Woe be to thee, who are you? It said: I am al-Jassasa. We said: What is al-Jassasa? And it said: You go to this very person in the monastery for he is eagerly waiting for you to know about you.
So we came to you in hot haste fearing that that might be the Devil. He (that chained person) said: Tell me about the date-palm trees of Baisan. We said: About what aspect of theirs do you seek information? He said: I ask you whether these trees bear fruit or not. We said: Yes. Thereupon he said: I think these would not bear fruits. He said: Inform me about the lake of Tabariyya? We said: Which aspect of it do you want to know? He said: Is there water in it? They said: There is abundance of water in it. Thereupon he said: I think it would soon become dry. He again said: Inform me about the spring of Zughar. They said: Which aspect of it you want to know? He (the chained person) said: Is there water in it and does it irrigate (the land)? We said to him: Yes, there is abundance of water in it and the inhabitants (of Medina) irrigate (land) with the help of it. He said: Inform me about the unlettered Prophet; what has he done? We said: He has come out from Mecca and has settled In Yathrib (Medina). He said: Do the Arabs fight against him? We said: Yes. He said: How did he deal with him? We informed him that he had overcome those in his neighborhood and they had submitted themselves before him. Thereupon he said to us: Had it actually happened? We said: Yes. Thereupon he said: If it is so that is better for them that they should show obedience to him.
I am going to tell you about myself and I am Dajjal and would be soon permitted to get out and so I shall get out and travel in the land, and will not spare any town where I would not stay for forty nights except Mecca and Medina as these two (places) are prohibited (areas) for me and I would not make an attempt to enter any one of these two. An angel with a sword in his hand would confront me and would bar my way and there would be angels to guard every passage leading to it; Then Allah’s Messenger (SallAllah-u-Alaihi-wa-Sallam) striking the pulpit with the help of the end of his staff said: This implies Taiba meaning Medina. Have I not, told you an account (of the Dajjal) like this? The people said: Yes. Then Allah’s Messenger (SallAllah-u-Alaihi-wa-Sallam) said: and this account narrated by Tamim Dari was liked by me for it corroborates the account which I gave to you in regard to him (Dajjal) at Medina and Mecca. Behold he (Dajjal) is in the Syrian sea (Mediterranean) or the Yemen sea (Arabian Sea). Nay, on the contrary, he is in the east, he is in the east, he is in the east, and he pointed with his hand towards the east. [Sahih Muslim: Book 041, Number 7028] …When the enemy of Allah would see him, it would just as the salt dissolves itself in water and if he (Eisa Alaihi salam) were not to confront them at all, even then it would dissolve completely, but Allah would kill them by his hand and he would show them their blood on his lance. [Sahih Muslim: Book 041, Number 6924]. We notice few points: (1) Dajjal is a person who is chained, Tamim Dari saw him and spoke to him. If Tamim Dari was lying then Allah would have told the Prophet (SallAllah-u-Alaihi-wa-Sallam) and he would have refuted his claim. (2) Dajjal is in the east from Medina. (3) Dajjal would be killed by Eisa (Alaihi salam) by a lance, and his blood will be on the lance. From the above two hadiths it should be clear that Dajjal isn’t just a symbol or a system but a person in actual.
Now we mention qualities of Imam Mahdi. Some people today have start claiming that Imam Mahdi is present in Afghanistan; some claim that they are Imam Mahdi; some are awaiting Imam Mahdi to appear from the unknown. This issue is which in many people have gone astray and might go in the future, so we are writing some Hasan and Sahih hadiths regarding Imam Mahdi, so people can be aware of the false Mahdis. Holy Prophet Muhammad (SallAllah-u-Alaihi-Wa-Sallam) said: In the last of times there will be such a Khalifah who will distribute wealth without even counting it. [Sahih Muslim] Prophet Muhammad (SallAllah-u-Alaihi-Wa-Sallam) said: A person will come and will say ‘oh! Mahdi, give me give me’, Mahdi will fill with his clothes with such wealth that he wouldn’t have the strength to pick it up. [Tirmizi, Sanad: Hasan] Prophet Muhammad (SallAllah-u-Alaihi-Wa-Sallam) said: Near the end of the world there will be such a day which will Allah will make longer, Allah will place a person from my Ahle Bait, whose name will be as my name and his father s name will be as my father’s. [Abu Dawood, Tirmizi, Sanad: Sahih] Prophet Muhammad (SallAllah-u-Alaihi-Wa-Sallam) said: Mahdi will be from my family, meaning the family of Fatima (RadiAllahu Tala Anho). [Abu Dawood, Sanad: Hasan] Prophet Muhammad (SallAllah-u-Alaihi-Wa-Sallam) said: Mahdi will be from my Ahle Bait, his forehead will be big, nose thin and long, he will fill the land with justice and equity like the tyranny which was present before, he will govern the land for seven years. [Abu Dawood, Sanad: Hasan] Prophet Muhammad (SallAllah-u-Alaihi-Wa-Sallam) said: If you find that time, do his baiyah even if you have to crawl on your hands and knees to reach him, surely he would be Allah’s Khalifah and Mahdi.[Ibne Maja, Hakim, Sanad: Sahih].
The most unique quality found in Imam Mahdi which the false Mahdis don’t have is that he would distribute wealth, not ask for it for himself. Imam Mahdi, the redeemer according to Islam, will appear on Earth before the Day of Judgment. At the time of the Second Coming of Christ, the Prophet ‘Isa (Jesus Christ son of Mary) will kill al-Masih ad-Dajjal (The Antichrist). Muslims believe that both Jesus and Mahdi will rid the world of wrongdoing, injustice and tyranny, ensuring peace and tranquility. We mention few signs of Qiyamah: (1) Holy Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam said, The Hour will not come till the liars and dajjals, nearly thirty all of them, make their appearance each pretending that he is Allah’s messenger. Narrated by Ali (RadhiAllahu Anhu) Sahih Bukhari, Book 61, Number 577. (2) Holy Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam said, The Hour (Last Day) will not be established until (religious) knowledge will be taken away (by the death of religious learned men), earthquakes will be very frequent, time will pass quickly, afflictions will appear, murders will increase and money will overflow amongst you. Narrated by Abu Huraira (RadhiAllahu Anhu) Sahih Bukhari, Book 17, Number 146 (3) Holy Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said, The Hour will not come till the liars and dajjals, nearly thirty all of them, make their appearance each pretending that he is Allah’s messenger. Narrated by Abu Huraira (RadhiAllahu Anhu) Tirmidhi 2225 (4) Holy Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam said, It is from the conditions of the Last Hour that knowledge would be taken away and ignorance would prevail (upon the world), the liquor would be drunk, and adultery would become rainpant. Narrated by Anas (RadhiAllahu Anhu) Sahih Muslim – 6451 (5) Holy Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam said, Allah does not take away the knowledge, by taking it away from (the hearts of) the people, but takes it away by the death of the religious learned men till when none of the (religious learned men) remains, people will take as their leaders ignorant persons who when consulted will give their verdict without knowledge.
So they will go astray and will lead the people astray.” Narrated by Amr Bin As (RadhiAllahu Anhu) Sahih Bukhary – Book 3, Hadith 100 (6) Holy Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam said, The Hour will not come till tribes of my ummah join the polytheists and worship idols. And, in my ummah there will be thirty liars each of them assuming that he is a Prophet while I am the seal (or last) of the Prophets. There is no Prophet after me. Narrated by Thawban (RadhiAllahu Anhu) Tirmidhi 2226 (7) Holy Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam said, The Hour will not come till time draws near and a year becomes like a month, a month like a week, a week like a day and a day like an hour and on hour like a burning piece of wood. Narrated by Anas (RadhiAllahu Anhu) Tirmidhi 2339 (8) Holy Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam said, The Hour will not be established till a man passes by a grave of somebody and says, Would that I were in his place. Narrated by Abu Huraira (RadhiAllahu Anhu) Sahih Bukhary – Book 88, Hadith 231. It is concluded that maximum signs of Qiyamah we notice, war, destruction, leaders ignorant persons who when consulted give their verdict on payment without knowledge of Islam. May Allah give us hidayut and save us from the fitnah of Dajjal.
(The author an Associate Professor at S K University of Agriculture Sciences & Technology-SKUAST Srinagar writes on Islamic topics exclusively for “Kashmir Horizon”. Views are his own)