Among the most sensational figures in Hadith literature is the Dajjāl—a one-eyed deceiver said to perform miracles, roam the earth before the end of time, and claim divinity. Accounts of his identity vary wildly, from a prepubescent child whom ʿUmar reportedly considered beheading, to more elaborate and fantastical depictions. Most famously, a story of his imprisonment on a remote island and his eventual rise has become central to Sunni eschatology, stirring both fascination and fear among Muslims.
Yet, there’s a glaring omission: the Quran never mentions the Dajjāl. Not once.
Despite being treated as a central figure in Islamic end-times narratives, the Dajjāl is completely absent from the only source God declares as complete and fully detailed (Quran 6:114–116). His features—supernatural powers, a grotesque eye, and confinement on a mysterious island—have no foundation in divine scripture.
So where did this figure come from?
It should come as no surprise that just as Jewish folklore entered the Hadith corpus through Isrā’īliyyāt, so too did Christian doctrine. The concept of an Antichrist—rooted in Christian and even pagan traditions—found its way into the Hadith literature in the form of vivid eschatological tales. And the most iconic of these, the Dajjāl on an island, bears a striking resemblance to Polyphemus, the one-eyed Cyclops in Homer’s Odyssey.
The Dajjāl According to Hadith
The most detailed account of this version of the Dajjāl comes from a report attributed to Fatimah bint Qays and narrated in Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim and Sunan Abī Dāwūd. In this story, a man named Tamīm al-Dārī, a former Christian who converted to Islam, recounts a strange sea voyage. He and a group of thirty men are said to have been lost at sea for a month before landing on a mysterious island.
There, they encounter a hairy beast named al-Jassāsah, who directs them to a monastery where they find a giant man—bound in chains, with his hands tied to his neck and his legs shackled. This figure questions them about events in the world: the fertility of a specific region’s date palms, the level of water in the Sea of Galilee, and the status of the “unlettered prophet.” He then declares:
“I am the Messiah. It is nearly time for me to be released. When I am, I will travel the earth, entering every town in forty nights—except Mecca and Medina, which are forbidden to me.”
The Prophet reportedly affirmed Tamīm’s story from the pulpit, stating that it confirmed what he had already told his companions about the Dajjāl. The narration ends with the Prophet repeatedly pointing to the East and saying: “There! That’s where he is.”
Other Hadith expand on the Dajjāl’s features:
- He is one-eyed, with “kāfir” (disbeliever) written on his forehead.
- He will appear with a false paradise and hell.
- He will perform miracles and deceive many.
- He will eventually be killed by Jesus (ʿĪsā), who returns to defeat him.
Taken together, these narrations paint a vivid picture—but one that reads more like folklore or apocalyptic fantasy than consistent theological doctrine. The entire story is carried through isolated isnāds (chains of narration), with no grounding in the Quran, no confirmation from God, and clear signs of mythic narrative structure.
The Quran’s Silence
Despite the elaborate tales found in Hadith, the Quran—God’s final, complete, and preserved revelation—makes no mention of the Dajjāl. Not once does it refer to a one-eyed deceiver, a false messiah, or a being chained on an island. This absence is not trivial.
The Quran speaks extensively about the end times: the resurrection, the Trumpet blast, Gog and Magog, the creature made of earth, and the fate of the disbelievers. Yet, nowhere in this divine roadmap do we find the Dajjāl. If this figure were truly the greatest trial humanity would ever face—as many Hadith claim—then his omission from the Quran is either an inexplicable oversight or a clear sign of fabrication.
God repeatedly tells us that the Quran is “fully detailed” (6:114), that He has left out nothing from the Book (6:38), and that it is the only revelation we are to follow (45:6). If the Dajjāl were a real divine warning, it would be in the Quran.
The Hadith literature, on the other hand, is filled with unverifiable eschatological tales, often conflicting and rooted in the cultural and theological anxieties of early Muslims—many of whom were converts from Christianity or Judaism. And just as Israʼiliyyat brought Jewish folklore into the religion, so too did Christian apocalyptic ideas find a home in Hadith—including the Antichrist-like figure of the Dajjāl.
Christian Influence and the Origins of the Antichrist
The concept of a powerful deceiver who appears before the end of the world is not unique to Islam. In fact, it predates Hadith literature entirely and is deeply rooted in Christian eschatology. The Antichrist—a false messiah who performs miracles, leads people astray, and is eventually defeated by Christ—is a well-established figure in Christian theology.
Yet, it’s important to note that Jesus himself never uses the term “Antichrist.” In the Gospels, he only warns of false prophets and false messiahs, not a singular apocalyptic figure.
“For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will lead many astray.”
—Matthew 24:5
“False messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.”
—Matthew 24:24
The figure of the Antichrist emerges not from Jesus’ words but from later Christian writings, particularly the Johannine epistles, where the term is introduced and developed.
“18 Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour.… 22 Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist—denying the Father and the Son. .”
—1 John 2:18, 22
These descriptions closely mirror the Dajjāl in Hadith: a man who claims divinity, performs wonders, deceives the world, and is ultimately slain by Jesus upon his return. The overlap is too significant to dismiss as coincidence.
It is also telling that the most elaborate Hadith about the Dajjāl—his imprisonment on an island and encounter with sailors—was narrated by Tamīm al-Dārī, a man who converted to Islam from Christianity. His familiarity with Christian apocalyptic themes likely shaped the narrative he transmitted.
Just as Isrā’īliyyāt introduced Jewish folklore into Islamic tradition, this story represents a Christian insertion—a theological transplant that evolved into folklore within Hadith literature. Over time, it was normalized, despite having no basis in the Quran.
Folklore and the Cyclops Parallel
The Hadith account of the Dajjāl’s imprisonment on an island reads less like theology and more like folklore. A ship lost at sea, a mysterious island, a hairy beast named al-Jassāsah, and a giant man chained in a monastery—these are the ingredients of myth, not revelation.
This entire narrative structure mirrors a famous episode from Homer’s Odyssey: the encounter between Odysseus and Polyphemus, the one-eyed Cyclops. In Book 9, Odysseus and his crew land on a remote island, enter a cave, and are trapped by a monstrous, man-eating giant. Like the Dajjāl, Polyphemus is isolated, enormous, and visually deformed, possessing a single eye in the middle of his forehead. He interrogates the strangers, threatens them, and ultimately must be escaped through trickery and fear.
The parallels are striking:
- One-eyed giants, feared and otherworldly
- Sailors shipwrecked on a remote island
- Monsters in caves or monasteries
- Prophetic or ominous questioning of the travelers
- A symbolic blindness—physical for Polyphemus, spiritual for the Dajjāl
Even the dramatic tone matches: suspense, supernatural danger, a foreboding sense that something ancient and evil is being confronted. These are the hallmarks of mythic storytelling, not divine instruction.
What we see in the Dajjāl hadith is not unique revelation—it’s a familiar narrative structure repackaged for a new audience, shaped by the cultural and religious environment of early Islam. A Christian convert’s tale of the Antichrist, fused with local Arabian folklore, and decorated with storytelling tropes that would feel perfectly at home in Homeric Greece.
Conclusion: Folklore Masquerading as Revelation
The story of the Dajjāl is not a footnote in Hadith—it is one of its most dramatic eschatological claims. And yet, this story—complete with an island, a hairy beast, and a chained giant—bears all the marks of folklore. It parallels the Cyclops myth in The Odyssey, mimics Christian Antichrist theology, and is delivered through a narrator who was himself a former Christian. Still, it is stamped “Ṣaḥīḥ”—authentic—by the most trusted Hadith compilers.
This should deeply concern anyone who considers Hadith a reliable source of truth. If such obvious myth-making has not only entered the Hadith corpus but has been elevated to the highest grade of authenticity, how can one trust the system that canonized it? If legends can be labeled as “Ṣaḥīḥ,” then the grading itself becomes meaningless.
The Quran warns us repeatedly against following conjecture, inherited tales, and unsanctioned sources in religion. It proclaims itself as the only source for religious law and our benchmark for truth, requiring no supplementary myths or borrowed theology. And it never mentions the Dajjāl—not once.
This isn’t just about one story. It exposes a structural problem: the Hadith corpus is not divine revelation. It is a man-made archive, vulnerable to the same cultural, religious, and literary influences as any other historical text. The Dajjāl narrative—vivid, theatrical, and utterly absent from the Quran—reveals just how far Hadith can drift from the purity of God’s word.
“These are God’s revelations—in truth. So in what Hadith after God and His revelations will they believe?”
—Quran 45:6
Appendix:
Sahih Muslim 2942a
Fatimah bint Qays, the sister of al-Dahhak ibn Qays and one of the early emigrant women, was asked by ʿAmir ibn Sharāḥīl al-Shaʿbī from the tribe of Hamdan:
“Tell me a hadith that you heard directly from the Messenger of God (ﷺ), not through anyone else.”
She said:
“If you like, I will do so.”
He said:
“Yes, please do.”
She said:
“I married Ibn al-Mughīrah—he was among the best young men of Quraysh at the time. He was martyred in the first battles alongside the Messenger of God. After I completed my waiting period (‘iddah), ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn ʿAwf and several other companions proposed to me. Then the Messenger of God also proposed to me on behalf of his freedman, Usāma ibn Zayd. I had heard the Messenger of God say: ‘Whoever loves me should love Usāma.’
So when the Prophet spoke to me, I said, ‘My affairs are in your hands. Marry me to whomever you wish.’ He said: ‘Move in with Umm Sharīk.’ Now, Umm Sharīk was a wealthy woman of the Anṣār who spent generously in God’s cause, and many guests used to stay at her home.
I said: ‘I will do so.’
He said: ‘No, don’t do that. Umm Sharīk receives many guests, and I fear that your scarf may fall, or your legs become exposed, and people might see something you dislike. Rather, move in with your cousin, ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAmr ibn Umm Maktūm—he is a blind man from the same clan as you (Banu Fihr, Quraysh).’
So I moved in with him. After my waiting period ended, I heard the caller of the Messenger of God announcing: ‘Prayer is to be gathered!’ I went to the mosque and prayed with the Prophet. I stood in the row of women closest to the men. After the Prophet finished, he sat on the pulpit laughing and said:
‘Let everyone remain in their place.’
Then he said: ‘Do you know why I gathered you?’
They said: ‘God and His Messenger know best.’
He said:
‘By God, I did not gather you out of fear or hope. Rather, I gathered you because Tamīm al-Dārī, who was a Christian, came, pledged allegiance, and accepted Islam. He told me something that matches what I’ve been telling you about the Antichrist (al-Masīḥ al-Dajjāl).’
He said that he sailed in a sea vessel with thirty men from the tribes of Lakhm and Juthām. The waves battered them at sea for a month, until they were cast ashore on an island at sunset. They rested on the side closest to the ship and entered the island.
There they encountered a beast—a hairy creature, so covered in hair they could not tell its front from its back.
They said: ‘Woe to you! What are you?’
It said: ‘I am al-Jassāsah.’
They said: ‘What is al-Jassāsah?’
It said: ‘Go to that man in the monastery—he is eager to hear your news.’
Tamīm said: ‘When it mentioned a man, we were afraid it might be a devil. So we quickly went to the monastery. There, we saw the largest man we had ever seen, massively built and chained. His hands were bound to his neck, and his legs were shackled with iron from the knees to the ankles.
We said: ‘Woe to you! Who are you?’
He said: ‘You have come to know about me—now tell me about yourselves.’
They said: ‘We are people from the Arabs. We set sail in a sea vessel, and the sea became wild. The waves played with us for a month. Then we reached this island, sat near it, and entered. There we met a beast covered in hair—we couldn’t tell its front from its back. When we asked what it was, it said: “I am al-Jassāsah.” We asked what that was, and it told us to come to you. So we rushed here, afraid it might be a devil.’
He asked: ‘Tell me about the palm trees of Baysan—do they still bear fruit?’
They said: ‘Yes.’
He said: ‘Soon they will stop bearing fruit.’
He said: ‘Tell me about the Lake of Tiberias (Sea of Galilee)—is there still water in it?’
They said: ‘Yes, it has plenty of water.’
He said: ‘Its water will soon dry up.’
He said: ‘Tell me about the spring of Zughar—does it still have water, and do the people still irrigate crops with it?’
They said: ‘Yes, it has a lot of water, and the people irrigate their fields from it.’
He said: ‘Tell me about the Prophet of the unlettered people—what has he done?’
They said: ‘He has left Mecca and settled in Yathrib (Medina).’
He said: ‘Did the Arabs fight him?’
They said: ‘Yes.’
He said: ‘How did he deal with them?’
They said: ‘He has prevailed over those near him, and they have obeyed him.’
He said: ‘Has that really happened?’
They said: ‘Yes.’
He said:
‘It is better for them to obey him. I will now tell you about myself: I am the Messiah (al-Masīḥ), and it is nearly time for me to be permitted to go forth. I will travel the earth, and I will not leave a town without entering it within forty nights—except for Mecca and Taybah (Medina). They are both forbidden to me. Whenever I try to enter one of them, an angel with a drawn sword will block me, and there are angels guarding every path into them.’
Then the Messenger of God struck the pulpit with his staff and said:
“This is Taybah, this is Taybah, this is Taybah!” (Meaning: Medina.)
He then said:
“Did I not tell you this before?”
They said: ‘Yes.’
He said:
*“Tamīm’s story pleased me because it confirms what I have been telling you about the Dajjāl and about Medina and Mecca. He is in the Sea of Syria or the Sea of Yemen—no, rather he is in the direction of the *East! What is it but the East! What is it but the East!” (And he pointed toward the East.)
Fatimah said:
“I memorized this from the Messenger of God.”
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَارِثِ بْنُ عَبْدِ الصَّمَدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْوَارِثِ، وَحَجَّاجُ بْنُ الشَّاعِرِ، كِلاَهُمَا عَنْ عَبْدِ الصَّمَدِ، – وَاللَّفْظُ لِعَبْدِ الْوَارِثِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الصَّمَدِ – حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي، عَنْ جَدِّي، عَنِ الْحُسَيْنِ، بْنِ ذَكْوَانَ حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ بُرَيْدَةَ، حَدَّثَنِي عَامِرُ بْنُ شَرَاحِيلَ الشَّعْبِيُّ، شَعْبُ هَمْدَانَ أَنَّهُ سَأَلَ فَاطِمَةَ بِنْتَ قَيْسٍ أُخْتَ الضَّحَّاكِ بْنِ قَيْسٍ وَكَانَتْ مِنَ الْمُهَاجِرَاتِ الأُوَلِ فَقَالَ حَدِّثِينِي حَدِيثًا سَمِعْتِيهِ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم لاَ تُسْنِدِيهِ إِلَى أَحَدٍ غَيْرِهِ فَقَالَتْ لَئِنْ شِئْتَ لأَفْعَلَنَّ فَقَالَ لَهَا أَجَلْ حَدِّثِينِي . فَقَالَتْ نَكَحْتُ ابْنَ الْمُغِيرَةِ وَهُوَ مِنْ خِيَارِ شَبَابِ قُرَيْشٍ يَوْمَئِذٍ فَأُصِيبَ فِي أَوَّلِ الْجِهَادِ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَلَمَّا تَأَيَّمْتُ خَطَبَنِي عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ عَوْفٍ فِي نَفَرٍ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَخَطَبَنِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَلَى مَوْلاَهُ أُسَامَةَ بْنِ زَيْدٍ وَكُنْتُ قَدْ حُدِّثْتُ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ” مَنْ أَحَبَّنِي فَلْيُحِبَّ أُسَامَةَ ” . فَلَمَّا كَلَّمَنِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قُلْتُ أَمْرِي بِيَدِكَ فَأَنْكِحْنِي مَنْ شِئْتَ فَقَالَ ” انْتَقِلِي إِلَى أُمِّ شَرِيكٍ ” . وَأُمُّ شَرِيكٍ امْرَأَةٌ غَنِيَّةٌ مِنَ الأَنْصَارِ عَظِيمَةُ النَّفَقَةِ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ يَنْزِلُ عَلَيْهَا الضِّيفَانُ فَقُلْتُ سَأَفْعَلُ فَقَالَ ” لاَ تَفْعَلِي إِنَّ أُمَّ شَرِيكٍ امْرَأَةٌ كَثِيرَةُ الضِّيفَانِ فَإِنِّي أَكْرَهُ أَنْ يَسْقُطَ عَنْكِ خِمَارُكِ أَوْ يَنْكَشِفَ الثَّوْبُ عَنْ سَاقَيْكِ فَيَرَى الْقَوْمُ مِنْكِ بَعْضَ مَا تَكْرَهِينَ وَلَكِنِ انْتَقِلِي إِلَى ابْنِ عَمِّكِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو ابْنِ أُمِّ مَكْتُومٍ ” . – وَهُوَ رَجُلٌ مِنْ بَنِي فِهْرٍ فِهْرِ قُرَيْشٍ وَهُوَ مِنَ الْبَطْنِ الَّذِي هِيَ مِنْهُ – فَانْتَقَلْتُ إِلَيْهِ فَلَمَّا انْقَضَتْ عِدَّتِي سَمِعْتُ نِدَاءَ الْمُنَادِي مُنَادِي رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يُنَادِي الصَّلاَةَ جَامِعَةً . فَخَرَجْتُ إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ فَصَلَّيْتُ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَكُنْتُ فِي صَفِّ النِّسَاءِ الَّتِي تَلِي ظُهُورَ الْقَوْمِ فَلَمَّا قَضَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم صَلاَتَهُ جَلَسَ عَلَى الْمِنْبَرِ وَهُوَ يَضْحَكُ فَقَالَ ” لِيَلْزَمْ كُلُّ إِنْسَانٍ مُصَلاَّهُ ” . ثُمَّ قَالَ ” أَتَدْرُونَ لِمَ جَمَعْتُكُمْ ” . قَالُوا اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ . قَالَ ” إِنِّي وَاللَّهِ مَا جَمَعْتُكُمْ لِرَغْبَةٍ وَلاَ لِرَهْبَةٍ وَلَكِنْ جَمَعْتُكُمْ لأَنَّ تَمِيمًا الدَّارِيَّ كَانَ رَجُلاً نَصْرَانِيًّا فَجَاءَ فَبَايَعَ وَأَسْلَمَ وَحَدَّثَنِي حَدِيثًا وَافَقَ الَّذِي كُنْتُ أُحَدِّثُكُمْ عَنْ مَسِيحِ الدَّجَّالِ حَدَّثَنِي أَنَّهُ رَكِبَ فِي سَفِينَةٍ بَحْرِيَّةٍ مَعَ ثَلاَثِينَ رَجُلاً مِنْ لَخْمٍ وَجُذَامَ فَلَعِبَ بِهِمُ الْمَوْجُ شَهْرًا فِي الْبَحْرِ ثُمَّ أَرْفَئُوا إِلَى جَزِيرَةٍ فِي الْبَحْرِ حَتَّى مَغْرِبِ الشَّمْسِ فَجَلَسُوا فِي أَقْرُبِ السَّفِينَةِ فَدَخَلُوا الْجَزِيرَةَ فَلَقِيَتْهُمْ دَابَّةٌ أَهْلَبُ كَثِيرُ الشَّعَرِ لاَ يَدْرُونَ مَا قُبُلُهُ مِنْ دُبُرِهِ مِنْ كَثْرَةِ الشَّعَرِ فَقَالُوا وَيْلَكِ مَا أَنْتِ فَقَالَتْ أَنَا الْجَسَّاسَةُ . قَالُوا وَمَا الْجَسَّاسَةُ قَالَتْ أَيُّهَا الْقَوْمُ انْطَلِقُوا إِلَى هَذَا الرَّجُلِ فِي الدَّيْرِ فَإِنَّهُ إِلَى خَبَرِكُمْ بِالأَشْوَاقِ . قَالَ لَمَّا سَمَّتْ لَنَا رَجُلاً فَرِقْنَا مِنْهَا أَنْ تَكُونَ شَيْطَانَةً – قَالَ – فَانْطَلَقْنَا سِرَاعًا حَتَّى دَخَلْنَا الدَّيْرَ فَإِذَا فِيهِ أَعْظَمُ إِنْسَانٍ رَأَيْنَاهُ قَطُّ خَلْقًا وَأَشَدُّهُ وِثَاقًا مَجْمُوعَةٌ يَدَاهُ إِلَى عُنُقِهِ مَا بَيْنَ رُكْبَتَيْهِ إِلَى كَعْبَيْهِ بِالْحَدِيدِ قُلْنَا وَيْلَكَ مَا أَنْتَ قَالَ قَدْ قَدَرْتُمْ عَلَى خَبَرِي فَأَخْبِرُونِي مَا أَنْتُمْ قَالُوا نَحْنُ أُنَاسٌ مِنَ الْعَرَبِ رَكِبْنَا فِي سَفِينَةٍ بَحْرِيَّةٍ فَصَادَفْنَا الْبَحْرَ حِينَ اغْتَلَمَ فَلَعِبَ بِنَا الْمَوْجُ شَهْرًا ثُمَّ أَرْفَأْنَا إِلَى جَزِيرَتِكَ هَذِهِ فَجَلَسْنَا فِي أَقْرُبِهَا فَدَخَلْنَا الْجَزِيرَةَ فَلَقِيَتْنَا دَابَّةٌ أَهْلَبُ كَثِيرُ الشَّعَرِ لاَ يُدْرَى مَا قُبُلُهُ مِنْ دُبُرِهِ مِنْ كَثْرَةِ الشَّعَرِ فَقُلْنَا وَيْلَكِ مَا أَنْتِ فَقَالَتْ أَنَا الْجَسَّاسَةُ . قُلْنَا وَمَا الْجَسَّاسَةُ قَالَتِ اعْمِدُوا إِلَى هَذَا الرَّجُلِ فِي الدَّيْرِ فَإِنَّهُ إِلَى خَبَرِكُمْ بِالأَشْوَاقِ فَأَقْبَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ سِرَاعًا وَفَزِعْنَا مِنْهَا وَلَمْ نَأْمَنْ أَنْ تَكُونَ شَيْطَانَةً فَقَالَ أَخْبِرُونِي عَنْ نَخْلِ بَيْسَانَ قُلْنَا عَنْ أَىِّ شَأْنِهَا تَسْتَخْبِرُ قَالَ أَسْأَلُكُمْ عَنْ نَخْلِهَا هَلْ يُثْمِرُ قُلْنَا لَهُ نَعَمْ . قَالَ أَمَا إِنَّهُ يُوشِكُ أَنْ لاَ تُثْمِرَ قَالَ أَخْبِرُونِي عَنْ بُحَيْرَةِ الطَّبَرِيَّةِ . قُلْنَا عَنْ أَىِّ شَأْنِهَا تَسْتَخْبِرُ قَالَ هَلْ فِيهَا مَاءٌ قَالُوا هِيَ كَثِيرَةُ الْمَاءِ . قَالَ أَمَا إِنَّ مَاءَهَا يُوشِكُ أَنْ يَذْهَبَ . قَالَ أَخْبِرُونِي عَنْ عَيْنِ زُغَرَ . قَالُوا عَنْ أَىِّ شَأْنِهَا تَسْتَخْبِرُ قَالَ هَلْ فِي الْعَيْنِ مَاءٌ وَهَلْ يَزْرَعُ أَهْلُهَا بِمَاءِ الْعَيْنِ قُلْنَا لَهُ نَعَمْ هِيَ كَثِيرَةُ الْمَاءِ وَأَهْلُهَا يَزْرَعُونَ مِنْ مَائِهَا . قَالَ أَخْبِرُونِي عَنْ نَبِيِّ الأُمِّيِّينَ مَا فَعَلَ قَالُوا قَدْ خَرَجَ مِنْ مَكَّةَ وَنَزَلَ يَثْرِبَ . قَالَ أَقَاتَلَهُ الْعَرَبُ قُلْنَا نَعَمْ . قَالَ كَيْفَ صَنَعَ بِهِمْ فَأَخْبَرْنَاهُ أَنَّهُ قَدْ ظَهَرَ عَلَى مَنْ يَلِيهِ مِنَ الْعَرَبِ وَأَطَاعُوهُ قَالَ لَهُمْ قَدْ كَانَ ذَلِكَ قُلْنَا نَعَمْ . قَالَ أَمَا إِنَّ ذَاكَ خَيْرٌ لَهُمْ أَنْ يُطِيعُوهُ وَإِنِّي مُخْبِرُكُمْ عَنِّي إِنِّي أَنَا الْمَسِيحُ وَإِنِّي أُوشِكُ أَنْ يُؤْذَنَ لِي فِي الْخُرُوجِ فَأَخْرُجَ فَأَسِيرَ فِي الأَرْضِ فَلاَ أَدَعَ قَرْيَةً إِلاَّ هَبَطْتُهَا فِي أَرْبَعِينَ لَيْلَةً غَيْرَ مَكَّةَ وَطَيْبَةَ فَهُمَا مُحَرَّمَتَانِ عَلَىَّ كِلْتَاهُمَا كُلَّمَا أَرَدْتُ أَنْ أَدْخُلَ وَاحِدَةً أَوْ وَاحِدًا مِنْهُمَا اسْتَقْبَلَنِي مَلَكٌ بِيَدِهِ السَّيْفُ صَلْتًا يَصُدُّنِي عَنْهَا وَإِنَّ عَلَى كُلِّ نَقْبٍ مِنْهَا مَلاَئِكَةً يَحْرُسُونَهَا قَالَتْ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَطَعَنَ بِمِخْصَرَتِهِ فِي الْمِنْبَرِ ” هَذِهِ طَيْبَةُ هَذِهِ طَيْبَةُ هَذِهِ طَيْبَةُ ” . يَعْنِي الْمَدِينَةَ ” أَلاَ هَلْ كُنْتُ حَدَّثْتُكُمْ ذَلِكَ ” . فَقَالَ النَّاسُ نَعَمْ ” فَإِنَّهُ أَعْجَبَنِي حَدِيثُ تَمِيمٍ أَنَّهُ وَافَقَ الَّذِي كُنْتُ أُحَدِّثُكُمْ عَنْهُ وَعَنِ الْمَدِينَةِ وَمَكَّةَ أَلاَ إِنَّهُ فِي بَحْرِ الشَّامِ أَوْ بَحْرِ الْيَمَنِ لاَ بَلْ مِنْ قِبَلِ الْمَشْرِقِ ما هُوَ مِنْ قِبَلِ الْمَشْرِقِ مَا هُوَ مِنْ قِبَلِ الْمَشْرِقِ مَا هُوَ ” . وَأَوْمَأَ بِيَدِهِ إِلَى الْمَشْرِقِ . قَالَتْ فَحَفِظْتُ هَذَا مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم .
Sahih Muslim 2942a
https://sunnah.com/muslim:2942a
Sunan Abi Dawud 4326
Narrated Fatimah bint Qays:
I heard the caller of the Messenger of God (ﷺ) announce: “The prayer is to be gathered.” So I went out and prayed with the Messenger of God (ﷺ). After he finished the prayer, he sat on the pulpit smiling, and said:
“Let everyone remain in their place of prayer.”
Then he said:
“Do you know why I have gathered you?”
They replied: “God and His Messenger know best.”
He said:
“I did not gather you out of fear or hope (i.e., for some emergency), but rather because Tamim al-Dari, who was formerly a Christian, came and pledged allegiance and embraced Islam. He told me something that agrees with what I’ve been telling you about the Dajjal (Antichrist).
He said he sailed in a sea vessel with thirty men from the tribes of Lakhm and Judham. They were tossed by the waves for a month at sea, until they landed on an island at sunset. They sat in the nearest boat and entered the island, where they were met by a beast covered in thick hair.
They said: ‘Woe to you! What are you?’
It said: ‘I am al-Jassasah (the Spy). Go to that man in the monastery, for he is eager to hear your news.’
Tamim said: ‘When it mentioned a man, we were afraid it was a devil. So we quickly went to the monastery and found there the largest man we had ever seen, strongly bound, his hands tied to his neck…’”
(The Prophet continued to narrate the story.)
Tamim said that the chained man asked them about the palm trees of Baysan, about the spring of Zughar, and about the unlettered prophet—and then declared:
“I am the Messiah (al-Masih), and it is nearly time for me to be allowed to go forth.”
The Prophet then said:
“Indeed, he is in the sea of Syria or the sea of Yemen. No! Rather, he is in the direction of the East! What is it but the East!” (He repeated this twice and pointed toward the East.)
Fatimah said: “I memorized this from the Messenger of God.”
حَدَّثَنَا حَجَّاجُ بْنُ أَبِي يَعْقُوبَ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الصَّمَدِ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي قَالَ، سَمِعْتُ حُسَيْنًا الْمُعَلِّمَ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ بُرَيْدَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا عَامِرُ بْنُ شَرَاحِيلَ الشَّعْبِيُّ، عَنْ فَاطِمَةَ بِنْتِ قَيْسٍ، قَالَتْ سَمِعْتُ مُنَادِيَ، رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يُنَادِي أَنَّ الصَّلاَةَ جَامِعَةٌ . فَخَرَجْتُ فَصَلَّيْتُ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَلَمَّا قَضَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم الصَّلاَةَ جَلَسَ عَلَى الْمِنْبَرِ وَهُوَ يَضْحَكُ قَالَ ” لِيَلْزَمْ كُلُّ إِنْسَانٍ مُصَلاَّهُ ” . ثُمَّ قَالَ ” هَلْ تَدْرُونَ لِمَ جَمَعْتُكُمْ ” . قَالُوا اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ . قَالَ ” إِنِّي مَا جَمَعْتُكُمْ لِرَهْبَةٍ وَلاَ رَغْبَةٍ وَلَكِنْ جَمَعْتُكُمْ أَنَّ تَمِيمًا الدَّارِيَّ كَانَ رَجُلاً نَصْرَانِيًّا فَجَاءَ فَبَايَعَ وَأَسْلَمَ وَحَدَّثَنِي حَدِيثًا وَافَقَ الَّذِي حَدَّثْتُكُمْ عَنِ الدَّجَّالِ حَدَّثَنِي أَنَّهُ رَكِبَ فِي سَفِينَةٍ بَحْرِيَّةٍ مَعَ ثَلاَثِينَ رَجُلاً مِنْ لَخْمٍ وَجُذَامٍ فَلَعِبَ بِهِمُ الْمَوْجُ شَهْرًا فِي الْبَحْرِ وَأَرْفَئُوا إِلَى جَزِيرَةٍ حِينَ مَغْرِبِ الشَّمْسِ فَجَلَسُوا فِي أَقْرَبِ السَّفِينَةِ فَدَخَلُوا الْجَزِيرَةَ فَلَقِيَتْهُمْ دَابَّةٌ أَهْلَبُ كَثِيرَةُ الشَّعْرِ قَالُوا وَيْلَكِ مَا أَنْتِ قَالَتْ أَنَا الْجَسَّاسَةُ انْطَلِقُوا إِلَى هَذَا الرَّجُلِ فِي هَذَا الدَّيْرِ فَإِنَّهُ إِلَى خَبَرِكُمْ بِالأَشْوَاقِ . قَالَ لَمَّا سَمَّتْ لَنَا رَجُلاً فَرِقْنَا مِنْهَا أَنْ تَكُونَ شَيْطَانَةً فَانْطَلَقْنَا سِرَاعًا حَتَّى دَخَلْنَا الدَّيْرَ فَإِذَا فِيهِ أَعْظَمُ إِنْسَانٍ رَأَيْنَاهُ قَطُّ خَلْقًا وَأَشَدُّهُ وَثَاقًا مَجْمُوعَةٌ يَدَاهُ إِلَى عُنُقِهِ ” . فَذَكَرَ الْحَدِيثَ وَسَأَلَهُمْ عَنْ نَخْلِ بَيْسَانَ وَعَنْ عَيْنِ زُغَرَ وَعَنِ النَّبِيِّ الأُمِّيِّ قَالَ إِنِّي أَنَا الْمَسِيحُ وَإِنَّهُ يُوشِكُ أَنْ يُؤْذَنَ لِي فِي الْخُرُوجِ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ” وَإِنَّهُ فِي بَحْرِ الشَّامِ أَوْ بَحْرِ الْيَمَنِ لاَ بَلْ مِنْ قِبَلِ الْمَشْرِقِ مَا هُوَ ” . مَرَّتَيْنِ وَأَوْمَأَ بِيَدِهِ قِبَلَ الْمَشْرِقِ قَالَتْ حَفِظْتُ هَذَا مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم . وَسَاقَ الْحَدِيثَ .
Sunan Abi Dawud 4326
https://sunnah.com/abudawud:4326
See also:
https://sunnah.com/tirmidhi:2253
https://sunnah.com/abudawud:4325
Dajjal is One-Eyed
It was narrated that Hudhaifah said: The Messenger of Allah said: ‘I know what the Dajjal will have with him. He will have two flowing rivers, one that appears to the eye to be clear water, and one that appears to the eye to be flaming fire. If anyone sees that, let him go to the river which he thinks is fire and close his eyes, then lower his head and drink from it, for it is cool water. The Dajjal has one blind eye, with a layer of thick skin over it, and between his eyes is written “disbeliever,” which every believer will read, whether he is literate or illiterate.’
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا يَزِيدُ بْنُ هَارُونَ، عَنْ أَبِي مَالِكٍ الأَشْجَعِيِّ، عَنْ رِبْعِيِّ بْنِ حِرَاشٍ، عَنْ حُذَيْفَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم “ لأَنَا أَعْلَمُ بِمَا مَعَ الدَّجَّالِ مِنْهُ مَعَهُ نَهْرَانِ يَجْرِيَانِ أَحَدُهُمَا رَأْىَ الْعَيْنِ مَاءٌ أَبْيَضُ وَالآخَرُ رَأْىَ الْعَيْنِ نَارٌ تَأَجَّجُ فَإِمَّا أَدْرَكَنَّ أَحَدٌ فَلْيَأْتِ النَّهْرَ الَّذِي يَرَاهُ نَارًا وَلْيُغَمِّضْ ثُمَّ لْيُطَأْطِئْ رَأْسَهُ فَيَشْرَبَ مِنْهُ فَإِنَّهُ مَاءٌ بَارِدٌ وَإِنَّ الدَّجَّالَ مَمْسُوحُ الْعَيْنِ عَلَيْهَا ظَفَرَةٌ غَلِيظَةٌ مَكْتُوبٌ بَيْنَ عَيْنَيْهِ كَافِرٌ يَقْرَؤُهُ كُلُّ مُؤْمِنٍ كَاتِبٍ وَغَيْرِ كَاتِبٍ ” .
Sahih Muslim 2934b
https://sunnah.com/muslim:2934b
Anas b. Malik reported that Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said: Dajjal is blind of one eye and there is written between his eyes the word” Kafir”. He then spelled the word as k. f. r., which every Muslim would be able to read.
وَحَدَّثَنِي زُهَيْرُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَفَّانُ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَارِثِ، عَنْ شُعَيْبِ بْنِ الْحَبْحَابِ، عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ” الدَّجَّالُ مَمْسُوحُ الْعَيْنِ مَكْتُوبٌ بَيْنَ عَيْنَيْهِ كَافِرٌ ” . ثُمَّ تَهَجَّاهَا ك ف ر ” يَقْرَؤُهُ كُلُّ مُسْلِمٍ ” .
Sahih Muslim 2933c
https://sunnah.com/muslim:2933c
Ibn Umar reported that Allah’s Messenger made a mention of Dajjal in the presence of the people and said: Allah is not one-eyed and behold that Dajjal is blind of the right eye and his eye would be like a floating grape.
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو أُسَامَةَ، وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بِشْرٍ، قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ، اللَّهِ عَنْ نَافِعٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ، ح وَحَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ نُمَيْرٍ، – وَاللَّفْظُ لَهُ – حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بِشْرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ، عَنْ نَافِعٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ذَكَرَ الدَّجَّالَ بَيْنَ ظَهْرَانَىِ النَّاسِ فَقَالَ “ إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى لَيْسَ بِأَعْوَرَ . أَلاَ وَإِنَّ الْمَسِيحَ الدَّجَّالَ أَعْوَرُ الْعَيْنِ الْيُمْنَى كَأَنَّ عَيْنَهُ عِنَبَةٌ طَافِئَةٌ ” .
Sahih Muslim 169e
https://sunnah.com/muslim:169e
Interestingly, the New Testament scholar Dennis MacDonald discovered a similar parallel in Mark 5, which mimics the same story as the one in the Odyssey.
| Odyssey 9–10 | Mark 5:1–20 | Verse(s) in Mark |
| Odysseus and his crew sailed to the land of the Cyclopes [and of Circe]. | Jesus and his disciples sailed to the region of the Gerasenes. | Mark 5:1 |
| On the mountains of the Cyclopes “innumerable goats” grazed. [Circe turned soldiers into swine.] | On the mountain “a large herd of swine” grazed. | Mark 5:11 |
| Odysseus and crew (of twelve chosen men) disembarked. | Jesus and his crew disembarked. | Mark 5:2 |
| They encountered a savage, lawless giant who lived in a cave. | They encountered a savage, lawless demoniac who lived among caves. | Mark 5:2–3 |
| Polyphemus usually was depicted as nude. | The demoniac was nude. | Mark 5:15 (implied from “clothed” after healing) |
| Circe recognized Odysseus and asked him not to harm her. The giant asked if Odysseus intended to harm him. | The demoniac recognized Jesus and asked him not to harm him. “I adjure you by God, do not torment me.” | Mark 5:6–7 |
| The giant asked Odysseus his name. | Jesus asked the demoniac his name. | Mark 5:9 |
| Odysseus answered, “Nobody is my name.” | The demoniac answered, “Legion is my name.” | Mark 5:9 |
| Odysseus subdued the giant with violence and trickery. [Circe’s magic turned Odysseus’ soldiers into swine.] | Jesus subdued about 2,000 demons with divine power and sent them into the swine and drove the swine into the lake. | Mark 5:10–13 |
| Polyphemus the shepherd called out to his neighbors. | The swineherds called on their neighbors. | Mark 5:14 |
| The Cyclopes came to the site asking about Polyphemus’ stolen sheep. | The Gerasenes came to the site to find out about their swine. | Mark 5:14–15 |
| Odysseus and crew embarked. | Jesus and his disciples embarked. | Mark 5:18 |
| Odysseus told the giant to proclaim that he had blinded him. | Jesus told the healed demoniac to proclaim what God had done for him. | Mark 5:19 |
| The giant asked Odysseus, now aboard ship, to come back. | The demoniac asked Jesus, now aboard ship, if he could be with him. | Mark 5:18 |
| Odysseus refused the request. | Jesus refused the request. | Mark 5:19 |
| Odysseus and his crew sailed away. | Jesus and his disciples sailed away. | Mark 5:21 |
| Odysseus awoke during a tempest in the episode following the story of the Cyclops. | Jesus awoke during a tempest and calmed the wind and sea just before exorcising the demoniac. | Mark 4:37–41 (preceding chapter) |
Here are MacDonald’s 6 criteria for literary mimesis:
- Accessibility: Homer was everywhere.
- Analogy: Others also copied Odyssey.
- Density: Many parallels, not just that they travelled by boat.
- Order/Sequence: Same order, scene-by-scene.
- Distinctiveness: common words, common rare details, e.g, swine, numbers, a nude cave-man.
- Interpretablity: Jesus outshines Odysseus.
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