Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah.
First: Why did the prophets warn against the Dajjal?
The trial of the Messiah, the Dajjal, is one of the greatest trials from the creation of Adam عليه السلام until the Day of Judgment. Therefore, all the prophets warned their peoples about him, from Noah عليه السلام to Muhammad ﷺ, even though Allah تعالى knew that he would appear at the end of time.
The wisdom behind this is to demonstrate the enormity of his trial and the severity of his danger, so that people would prepare themselves and beware of him. The Prophet ﷺ said:
“If he emerges while I am among you, I will be his opponent on your behalf. But if he emerges after I am gone, then each person must defend himself, and Allah is my successor over every Muslim.” Narrated by Muslim.
For this reason, the Prophet ﷺ taught his Companions to seek refuge from the trial of the Dajjal during prayer. A Muslim says:
“O Allah, I seek refuge in You from the punishment of Hell, from the punishment of the grave, from the trials of life and death, and from the trial of the Messiah, the Dajjal.”
The Dajjal was given this name from ad-dajal, meaning deception, falsehood, and confusion, because he will be the greatest of those who practice deception and cause trials.
Second: When will the Dajjal appear?
The emergence of the Dajjal is one of the major signs of the Hour, but the exact time of his emergence is unknown. The time of the Hour is known only to Allah, and likewise, we do not know exactly when the signs that have not yet occurred will take place.
Therefore, we believe in his emergence without specifying a particular time for it.
Third: Where will he emerge from?
The Dajjal will emerge from the direction of the East. A hadith states that the Prophet ﷺ pointed toward the East and said:
“The tribulation is there.”
The texts also mention his emergence from the region of Khurasan and his passing through Isfahan. He will then proceed toward various lands, and one of his greatest objectives will be Madinah, but it is forbidden to him. Angels will guard it, and he will be unable to enter it.
Many people will follow the Dajjal, including seventy thousand Jews from Isfahan, as authentically established in Sahih Muslim.
Therefore, the Prophet ﷺ warned against approaching him. He said:
“Whoever hears of the Dajjal should keep away from him, for by Allah, a man may come to him thinking that he is a believer, but then he follows him because of the doubts he brings.”
The danger of the Dajjal is therefore immense. A person may approach him believing that his faith is firm, only to be affected by his doubts and trials.
Conclusion: The prophets warned against the Dajjal even though he will appear at the end of time because of the enormity of his trial and the need to warn people about it. The time of his emergence is known only to Allah. He will emerge from the direction of the East, and his emergence will be one of the greatest signs and trials of the Hour.
A Muslim must remain steadfast in faith, seek refuge in Allah from the trial of the Messiah, the Dajjal, and not deliberately approach him or test himself against his trial.
And Allah knows best.