part0017

The Islamic version of the Antichrist, the Dajjal, is, on the one hand, clearly an adaption of the biblical version of the Antichrist. However, many descriptions of the Dajjal’s characteristics and actions in Islamic tradition are not found in the Bible. I will attempt to show in this section that when the descriptions of the Dajjal differ from the biblical account, it is clear that the information is being adapted from the Christian psuedopigraphical material.

I will begin by showing that the physical descriptions of the Dajjal were borrowed from the Christian pseudopigripha. In the Bible there is very little if any discussion about what the Antichrist looks like; however, in the extra-biblical Christian psuedopigrapha, physical descriptions of the Antichrist became a very common theme. He is often described as having an odd complexion, thick hair, one blind eye, one deformed eye, and elongated physical features, as well as having three letters that mean “deny” or “reject” written on his forehead. Given what we have seen so far, it is not surprising that every one of these physical descriptions were later incorporated into the physical descriptions of the Dajjal found in the hadiths .

In both the Islamic and Christian traditions we see the theme of the Antichrist/Dajjal having two deformed eyes one of them is blind and the other is said to be like a star. These traditions vary slightly from source to source, but the basic characteristics are enough to suggest that the Islamic writers were borrowing from the Christian writers who preceded them. This will become more of a certainty as we see more instances of this type of borrowing.

In the Bible the Antichrist is said to cause his followers to receive a mark on their right hand or forehead. This mark is said to be the number 666. However, in the apocalyptic Christian literature as well as the Islamic hadiths , we see a significant variation of this teaching. They both claim it will be the Antichrist/Dajjal himself that has this mark, not necessarily his followers; and the mark is actually three letters, not numbers, that mean “reject” or “deny.” As in the previous case, the fact that this tradition cannot be found in the Bible and that both Islamic and Christian traditions share almost identical views of this non-biblical teaching show that Islamic borrowing from the earlier Christian pseudopigraphical material is very likely.

“And he [the Antichrist] also has upon his forehead three letters; A, K, T. And the A signifies: ‘I deny,’ the K: ‘And I completely reject,’ the T: ‘The befouled dragon.’” (The Apocalypse of Pseudo-Daniel )

“Anas b. Malik reported that Allah’s Messenger (SAW) 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.” [48]

At first glance the only similarities between the Christian and Islamic traditions about the mark of the beast is that it would be on the Antichrist/Dajjal’s forehead, as opposed to his followers’, and that it would be three letters as opposed to numbers. However the fact that these three letters are different (A.K.T. in the Christian tradition and K.F.R in the Islamic tradition) should not be seen as a true difference because both writers made the letters on the Antichrist’s forehead mean the same thing (i.e., to “deny” and “reject,”) despite the letters being different.

The writer of Pseudo-Daniel does not tell his readers why A.K.T should mean to “deny” and “reject.” He seems to suggest that there is a kind of secret meaning to the letters that is not able to be discovered by normal means. The writer of the hadith , however, changes the letters to K.F.R,. a reference to the Arabic word Kafir , which literally means “to deny or reject.” In other words, the three letters on the Antichrist/Dajjal’s forehead mean the same thing in both traditions, though the letters were changed in the Islamic version, possibly to avoid the need to interpret the letters in an esoteric way, as is the case in Pseudo-Daniel .

The last of the physical descriptions of the Antichrist and the Dajjal found in the extra-biblical traditions that I will discuss are those regarding his skin and hair.

From the Christian Pseudopigrapha :

From Islamic hadiths :

The emphasis that the Christian pseudopigrahical material puts on the coarseness of the Antichrist’s hair seems to be reflected in the hadith writers using the Arabic word Aja'd (coarse) to describe the Dajjal’s hair. The complexion of the Dajjal is variously described in the hadiths as reddish or sometimes fair. This variation on the skin color in the hadith may be related to the original Christian sources being somewhat vague, using the word “dusky” to describe the Antichrist’s skin.

A number of descriptions about the actions of the Antichrist are found in extra-biblical Christian traditions but cannot be found in the Bible. Here again we will see these non-biblical teachings showing up in Islamic traditions.

From the Christian Pseudopigrapha :

“Antichrist; he shall be exalted even to heaven, and shall be cast down even to Hades, making false displays. And then will I make the heaven brazen, so that it shall not give moisture upon the earth; and I will hide the clouds in secret places, so that they shall not bring moisture upon the earth… And again I said: Lord, and how many years will he do this upon the earth? And I heard a voice saying to me: Hear, righteous John. Three years shall those times be.” (Apocalypse of Psuedo-John )

From Islamic hadiths :

“There will be three hard years before the Dajjal. During them, people will be stricken by a great famine. In the first year, Allah will command the sky to withhold a third of its rain, and the earth to withhold a third of its produce. In the second year, Allah will command the sky to withhold two thirds of its rain, and the earth to withhold two thirds of its produce. In the third year, Allah will command the sky to withhold all of its rain, and it will not rain a single drop of rain.” [52]

In both the Christian and Islamic traditions God will withhold rain for three years because of the Antichrist. Though the Christian version is not specific on the matter, it seems to suggest that the three years of drought come during the reign of Antichrist, whereas the Islamic tradition says the drought precedes the appearance of the Dajjal. In addition the Islamic tradition suggests an incremental drought as opposed to the Christian version where the drought is total for the duration of the three years. Despite these slight differences the similarities are telling.

From Christian Pseudopigrapha :

From Islamic hadiths :

“Two angels resembling two Prophets, one on either side will accompany him [the Dajjal]. This will be to test mankind. Hence Dajjal will ask, ‘Am I not your lord? Do I not give life and death?’ One of the angels will reply, ‘You are a liar.’ However nobody will be able to hear this reply besides the other angel. The second angel addressing the first angel will say, ‘You are speaking the truth.’ Every body will hear what this second angel said and will think that an angel is testifying that the Dajjal is Allah though in reality this second angel was addressing the first and agreeing with his reply that you are speaking the truth that the Dajjal is certainly a liar.”

The Christian source here refers to “Enoch and Elijah,” the Old Testament prophets who many Christians, both then and now, believe will be the two witnesses of Revelation 11. Islamic tradition mentions “Two angels resembling two Prophets.” The description in the hadith is also slightly different in intent from the Christian text, but it is notable that both the Islamic and Christian traditions describe the two witnesses performing a test to prove the Antichrist/Dajjal is a “liar.”

There are many other similarities between the Antichrist in pseudopigraphical texts and Islamic hadiths and much more work needs to be done in comparing the two traditions. I will, however, assume that the reader has enough information to see the similarities for themselves by this point, and I will move on the commonalities between the Mahdi and the Last Roman Emperor.