The concept of Al-Masih ad-Dajjal (Arabic: المسيح الدجّال), commonly known as “the False Messiah” or “the Antichrist” in Islamic eschatology, is a central feature in later Islamic traditions concerning the end times. To understand the figure of Dajjal within Islam, one must examine the historical origins of the teaching, its development in the Qur’an and Hadith, its parallels and divergences from biblical teaching, and the way Islamic scholars and sects have incorporated him into their eschatological systems. By analyzing this concept in detail, we can see both the theological significance it holds in Islam and the stark differences between the Islamic and biblical accounts of the Antichrist.

The Origin and Meaning of the Title “Al-Masih ad-Dajjal”

The title Al-Masih ad-Dajjal literally translates as “the False Messiah, the Deceiver.” The Arabic word dajjal is derived from a root that carries the sense of covering up, lying, or deceiving. This fits with the Islamic description of this eschatological figure as a deceiver who will claim divinity, mislead many, and perform apparent miracles in order to lead mankind astray. The title al-Masih (Messiah) is shared by Jesus (ʿIsa al-Masih in Islamic terminology), but Dajjal is presented as a counterfeit messiah who appears before the return of Jesus.

The parallels with the Christian biblical figure of “the man of lawlessness” (2 Thessalonians 2:3–4), “the antichrist” (1 John 2:18), and “the beast” (Revelation 13) are clear, though the Islamic narrative is filtered through later traditions rather than originating directly from the Qur’an itself.

The Qur’anic Silence on Dajjal

It is significant that the Qur’an, Islam’s central text, does not mention Dajjal by name or describe his role. The absence of this figure from the Qur’an demonstrates that the teaching about him was not part of the original message of Muhammad but developed in the later oral traditions of Islam, the Hadith literature. While the Qur’an does contain passages concerning the end times, the Day of Judgment, and false claims to divinity, it never introduces Dajjal as a character. Instead, Muslims rely on Hadith reports, many of which arose in the centuries following Muhammad’s death, to construct their understanding of this figure.

This fact has led to debates within Islamic scholarship itself. Some Muslim scholars emphasize Dajjal heavily as a real future deceiver, while others consider the Hadith traditions about him to be weak, allegorical, or symbolic. Nonetheless, among the majority of Sunnis and Shi’ites, Dajjal has become an entrenched figure in their eschatological expectations.

Hadith Accounts of Dajjal

The most detailed Islamic descriptions of Al-Masih ad-Dajjal come from the Hadith collections. According to these reports, Dajjal will be a human being, not a spirit or an angelic entity. He is said to be blind in one eye, with the other eye deformed or protruding like a floating grape. The Arabic word kafir (disbeliever) will be written on his forehead, recognizable by all true believers. His miraculous deceptions will include the ability to bring apparent rain, produce food, heal the sick, and even raise the dead—all through the power of deception allowed by Allah as a test.

Hadith traditions place Dajjal’s appearance shortly before the Day of Judgment. He will gather followers, particularly from among Jews and hypocrites, and will mislead the nations. His reign of deception will last forty days—though the first day will feel as long as a year, the second as a month, the third as a week, and the rest as normal days. During this time, he will spread chaos, claim to be divine, and demand worship.

Most Hadith agree that Dajjal will be killed by Jesus (ʿIsa), who will descend from heaven in his second coming. Jesus will slay Dajjal with his breath or with a spear, depending on the tradition, and then lead the true believers into a golden age before the final Day of Judgment. Thus, in Islamic eschatology, Dajjal serves as the counterfeit messiah whose defeat clears the way for the triumph of the true Messiah, Jesus.

Sunni and Shi’ite Perspectives

Both Sunni and Shi’ite Islam preserve belief in Dajjal, though with some variations. In Sunni Hadith, especially Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, the Dajjal narrative is highly developed and is treated as a major sign of the Last Hour. Sunnis stress vigilance, prayer, and memorization of certain passages of the Qur’an (particularly Surah al-Kahf) as protection against his deceptions.

Shi’ite traditions also acknowledge Dajjal but sometimes link his coming more directly with the return of the hidden Imam (the Mahdi). In Shi’ite eschatology, both the Mahdi and Jesus will confront Dajjal, establishing divine justice after his destruction. Thus, while Sunnis and Shi’ites differ in their broader end-time frameworks, they share the common element of the deceptive Antichrist-like figure.

Comparison with the Biblical Antichrist

The Islamic concept of Dajjal clearly reflects influences from Christian teaching on the Antichrist, but the two systems diverge in critical ways. In the Bible, the Antichrist is presented as a lawless one who sets himself against Christ, deceives the nations, and exalts himself as God. He is empowered by Satan and deceives through false miracles (2 Thessalonians 2:9–10). He is also described as the “beast” who receives global worship and persecutes the holy ones of God (Revelation 13:1–10).

Like Dajjal, the Antichrist claims divine authority and performs signs to mislead. Both figures are destroyed by the true Messiah, Jesus Christ. However, in Scripture, Jesus is not a mere prophet who corrects Dajjal, but the eternal Son of God who personally defeats the Antichrist and establishes His millennial reign. Furthermore, in Christianity, there is no suggestion that the Antichrist is physically deformed or marked with writing on his forehead; those details are unique to the Islamic narrative and are not found in biblical prophecy.

The most decisive difference lies in Christ Himself. Islam portrays Jesus as the servant of Allah, returning to break the cross, abolish Christian doctrine of His deity, and vindicate Islam as the true faith. The Bible, on the other hand, presents Jesus as Jehovah’s appointed King, who reigns over all nations, vindicating His own deity and the truth of His atoning sacrifice.

The Role of Dajjal in Islamic Piety

For many Muslims, the warnings about Dajjal serve as a call to vigilance against deception. Recitation of certain prayers, avoidance of temptation, and reliance on Allah are emphasized as safeguards against being misled. The narrative also reinforces the expectation of Jesus’ return, though this return is interpreted through Islamic theology rather than the biblical gospel. In effect, the doctrine of Dajjal functions as both a theological boundary marker against Christianity and a way of appropriating Christian eschatology into an Islamic framework.

Critical Evaluation

From a biblical and apologetic perspective, the figure of Al-Masih ad-Dajjal highlights both the continuity and distortion present in Islamic eschatology. The Qur’an’s silence on Dajjal suggests that the doctrine is a later borrowing, most likely influenced by contact with Christian communities in the Middle East. The Hadith traditions expanded upon this influence, reshaping the Antichrist figure into an Islamicized version that fit Muhammad’s claims.

The Christian, biblical Antichrist is not a one-eyed deceiver with literal writing on his forehead but a global tyrant energized by Satan, leading the nations to rebellion against Christ. The real contrast is not between two competing Messiahs, but between the true Jesus—the Son of God who died and rose again—and a false Islamic reinterpretation of Him. In this sense, Islam not only redefines Christ but also redefines His adversary, creating a system in which the biblical Jesus is replaced with a prophet and the biblical Antichrist is replaced with a figure slain by that prophet.

The testimony of Scripture is clear: the Antichrist will be destroyed by the breath of Jesus Christ at His coming (2 Thessalonians 2:8). He will be thrown into the lake of fire (Revelation 19:20). Christ Himself—not a prophet, not a Mahdi—will establish His kingdom and rule in righteousness. The Islamic portrayal of Dajjal, while reflecting echoes of biblical prophecy, is ultimately a counterfeit narrative that points away from the true gospel. Only the inspired Word of God provides the reliable description of the last days and the sure hope of Christ’s triumph.

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