Al-Dajjal and its Fitnah

Assalamualaikum w.b.t (Peace be upon you),

(Tajuk gempak tak kak tek?hehehe..)

Jokes aside, I am sharing some of the material from the Signs of the Hour course last weekend.

From wikipedia:
Dajjāl is a common Arabic word (دجال) with the meaning "deceiving" or "the Placebo" or "impostor" Al-Masīḥ ad-Dajjāl, with the definite article al- ("the"), refers to "the deceiving Messiah", a specific end-of times deceiver.

of course from Google :)

Al-Dajjal a.k.a Pseudo Christ is one of the Major signs of the hour. When Al-Dajjal appears, it will be the start of 10 major signs and the end of days is near. It (al-Dajjal) will create a great deception in his effort to turn as many people away from Allah SWT by spreading its fitnah.

This fitnah is so dangerous that the Prophet (SAW) warned us over and over again about it. He (SAW) said:
There is no fitnah from the time of Adam till the end of time as serious as the fitnah of Dajjal (Muslim, 5239)

When will Dajjal emerge?
The Prophet (SAW) said. The Dajjal will not emerge until people (in general) become oblivious and do not mentioned him (Majma al Zawa’id. 7/338)

Types of fitnah
According to Ibn Qayyum, there are two types of fitnah:

The Fitnah of Shubuhaat (Doubts and Misunderstanding) 
Fitnah is of two types: the fitnah of ‘shubuhaat’ (doubts and misunderstandings), this one being the greater fitnah of the two. This is due to having a weak vision and a lack of knowledge. This is the kind of fitnah which leads to kufr and nifaaq (hypocrisy). This is the fitnah of the hypocrites and ahlul-bidah (the people of innovation), according to the degree of their bid’ah. Thus, the majority of them innovate because of the fitnah of shubuhaat (doubts and misunderstandings), whereby they confuse the truth with falsehood and guidance with misguidance.

The Fitnah of Shahawaat (Desires) 
Allah has indeed combined in the following ayah (verse) the description of those whom the two types of fitnah have befallen:
“Like those before you, they were mightier than you in power, and more abundant in wealth and children. They had enjoyed their portion awhile, so enjoy your portion awhile as those before you enjoyed their portion awhile; and you indulged in play and pastime (and in telling lies against Allaah and His Messenger Muhammad, sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) as they indulged in play and pastime. Such are they whose deeds are in vain in this world and in the Hereafter. Such are they who are the losers". [Surat- at Tawbah, 9:69]

So Allah is pointing out to us here what happens from the corruption of the hearts and the deen because of taking pleasures in their portion (of this world) and indulging in (speaking about) falsehood, (and this is so) because corrupting one’s deen occurs either by falsehood and engaging in it, or by doing deeds which contradict correct action.

As for the first one; it is bid’ah and what results from it. And the second one is sinful actions. The first one (bid’ah) is a consequence of shubuhaat (doubts), and the second (sinful actions) is an outcome of shahawaat (desires).

Fitnah of al Dajjal.
The hadith mentions that the fitnah of al-Dajjal is the greatest of all the fitnah that hit on earth. Al-Dajjal will come with apparent miracles that will shock people, causing them to react upon emotion and not use their God-given faculties of intellect to discern and judge what is happening.
Abu Hurayrah (RA) said:
I love Bani Tamim for three reason, the first that the Prophet (SAW) said they are the strongest people against al-Dajjal. (Mukmin, 2525)

The fitnah:

He will have a Heaven and a Hell	The Prophet (SAW) “Al-Dajjal will be one-eyed, blind in his left eye, and will have thick hair. He will have a jannah and a hell with him, but jannah will be a hell and his hell will be a jannah.” (Muslim, 5222)
Apparent control over natural elements	It is also reported that he will have rivers of water and mountains of bread. He will command the sky to send down rain, and it will rain, and he will command the earth to bring forth vegetation and it will do so. The Prophet (SAW) said: “I know what al-Dajjal will bring with him; he will have two flowing rivers. One will clearly look like water and the will clearly look like blazing fire. If anyone of you sees that, let him choose the river which looks like fire. Upon entering into it, let him close his eyes and lower his head and drink from it, for it will be cool water. ”(Muslim, 5223)
Treasures of the earth follow him and he travels like clouds driven by the wind	The Prophet (SAW) said in the hadith of al-Nawwas bin Sam’an about al-Dajjal, it is reported that: The Sahabah said: “O Messenger of Allah, how long he will stay on earth? ” He said, “Forty days : one day like a year, one day like a month, one day like a week and the rest of the days are like your days.” …. They said, “How fast he will travel through the earth? He said “Like the clouds when they are driven by the wind. He will come to some people and call them, and they will believe in him, and respond to him. Then he will command the sky to rain and the earth to bring forth vegetation, and their cattle will come back to them in the evening, with their humps very high, and their udders full of milk, and their flanks stretched. Then he will come to another people and will call them (to believe in him) but they will reject him. So he will leave them and they will be stricken with famine, with none of their wealth in their hands. He will pass by ruins and will say, ‘Bring forth your treasures!’ – and the treasurers will strike him with a sword and cut him in two, then (he will put the pieces apart from one another) the distance of an archer from his target. Then he will call him, and the young man will come forward smiling, with his face shining.” (Muslim, 5228)
He kills someone and brings him back to life	The Prophet (SAW) said: Abu Sa’id al-Khudri (RA) narrated that this man whom Al-Dajjal will kill is one of the best people, who goes to Al-Dajjal, “I bear witness that you are Al-Dajjal of whom the Messenger of Allah (SAW) told us about.” Al-Dajjal  will say (to the people) : “What do you think? If I kill this man and bring him back to life, would you have any doubts? ” They will say. “No.” So he kills him, then bring him back to life. Then, (the believing man) will say, “By Allah, I have never been surer about you than I am today.” Al-Dajjal will want to kill him but he will not be able to do so. (al-Bukhari, 6599)
He brings the parents of some people to life	The Prophet (SAW) said: “Part of his fitnah will be that he will say to a Bedouin, “Do you think if I resurrect your mother and father for you that you will testify that I am your lord?” He will say , “Yes”. So two devils will appear to him in the image of his father and mother saying, “O my son, follow him for he is your lord.” (Ibn Majah, 4067)

Why the fitnah of Al-Dajjal is so grave?
It combines both the elements of fitnah of shubuhat and fitnah of shahawaat and it will take a lot for people with average iman to resist the temptation to fall into the fitnah of Al-Dajjal. We should not be attached to anything in this world so dearly that it will opens up opportunity for Al-Dajjal to influence us with his fitnah.