One of the lesser known elements of Islam by non-Muslims is what Islam teaches about the last days. Islam has within its teachings concepts of the last days. A much better-suited term for last days would actually be the last age.
This last age would result in the culmination of history, when Issa (Jesus) would return and kill al-Massih ad-Dajjal (anti-Christ), establish his throne, and rule from Jerusalem. These concepts include prophecies or major and minor signs of the last days. When we see these signs then we know that the last days upon us.
Islam has within its teachings a warning against al-Massih Ad-Dajjal, or the anti-Christ. Muslims not only believe that there is an anti-Christ, but that there is a Dajjalic or anti-Christ system that will be put into place to prepare humanity for the Dajjal.
Muslims believe in the return of Jesus and the concept of the Mahdi, or the World Savior. Sunni and Shia Muslims have major differences in their concepts of the last days. This article is focused on the Sunni Islamic tradition.
Some of the signs might be seen as offensive to alternative lifestyles. The article is not meant to offend but to educate people on the true Islamic prophecies of the last days.
There will be major and minor signs of the last days. It is believed that once all of these signs have been fulfilled that the last major sign is when the Dajjal makes his appearance. Not only do the Muslims know that there is such a being as the Dajjal, but Muslims believe that they have been given physical descriptions of the Dajjal as well as where the Dajjal will come from.
The scholars have identified three types of signs: Signs that have already occurred; signs that have occurred and continue to intensify; signs that have not occurred. Some of the signs according to Muslims was the birth of the Prophet Muhammad. The deaths of Umar and Uthman were also seen as signs. Another sign was the fall of Constantinople which happened 800 years after it was said. These are all seen as signs that have occurred.
Some of the signs that have occurred and continue to intensify are: intoxicants would be widely used; nakedness, that people would continue to remove their clothes. It would get to the point that people would walk in the marketplaces with their thighs fully exposed.
Another sign is that people would have sexual intercourse in front of other people. It would get so bad that when people will be doing it in public places that the best people say, “Can’t you do that somewhere else?”
There would be speed in travel, great distances will be traversed in a very short time. People would hop between the clouds and the Earth. This is about flying in airplanes.
Music instruments would be everywhere. People would dance around with musical instruments on their head. This is viewed as being headphones. There would be an increase in psychological problems, people whispering to themselves. So there is an increase in mental illness.
There would be great liars deceiving people. Lies can be spread out instantly. The worst of the people are put into position of power. Men would dress like women. Homosexuality and lesbianism would become commonplace. Children born out of wedlock would be commonplace.
There would be an increase in the use of intoxicants. Intoxicants is now the biggest industry on Earth. Time would move swiftly—a year passing like a month—a month like a week—a week like a day. This is interesting because many people are saying that days seem like they are going by faster now.
Another sign is the prevalence of random killing, murder and violence that “a killer would not know why he is killing and the one who is killed would not know why he is being killed”, and “every age is followed by one which would be worse”. These are some of the minor signs.
Amongst the major signs, the one Muslims are watching for the most will be the appearance of al-Massih ad-Dajjal, the anti-Christ.
The word Dajjal comes from dajjala which is a pitch used by ancient Arabs to cover camels. They would cover mangy or scabied camels with the dajjala. So outwardly it was beautiful but inwardly it was diseased.
The word dajjala also means to lie, to conceal with falsehood, he will be a concealer of the truth. He will be an enchanter and will fascinate people. He will traverse the world and his mode of travel will be on an iron donkey that flies him through the air where the span between his ears is 40 cubits.
Dajjala also has the root, to confuse or to mix things. The Dajjal will have a system of deception, like the media to keep people confused about what is happening.
The Dajjal is known as the imposter-Christ when translated and this fits with the word anti in anti-Christ. The word anti in the Greek means instead of or in place of, it does not really mean against. This is a later meaning. So anti-Christ in the Western tradition would also mean an imposter-Christ. Now isn’t that interesting?
According to Islamic traditions, the Dajjal will come from Isfihan, Iran where he will appear with 40,000 followers wearing green. The Dajjal will be bow-legged, with extremely twisted hair. He will have the letters K-F-R in between his eyes which means Kafir or coverer of the truth, which any literate or illiterate Muslims can recognize. The Dajjal will also be blind in one eyed, so it is believed he is one-eyed. His right eye will be swollen like a grape. The one eye of the dollar bill is seen by many Muslims as the eye of the Dajjal. The Dajjal wants to implement a one world government.
Muslims believe that the Dajjal will perform many miracles, from the manipulation of weather, to creating food out of thin air, and healing people. People will be deceived by him. He will at first be seen as a world savior, but will later be seen as God.
He will establish his throne in Jerusalem where Imam Mahdi, the world savior will be fighting him.
Imam Mahdi and 1,200 followers will be in al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem and taking a last stand when Issa (Jesus) returns in the Grand Ummayad Mosque in Damascus and commands the people there to go with him to Jerusalem. He enters al-Aqsa Mosque before the Fajr (dawn) prayer. He is asked by the Mahdi to lead the prayer, which he refuses.
After the prayer, he will go outside and kill the Dajjal (Anti-Christ).
After this death, Issa will anoint his followers and tell them their place in heaven. He will then lead the Earth in a period of peace before Guj and Majuj, (Gog and Magog) are released. No army on Earth can fight them. It is at this time that Allah sends a bug to kill the Guj and Majuj army.
There is a lot more details to the Islamic belief of the last days, but as can be seen there are many similarities that Muslims hold with previous traditions such as Christianity. Also it can be viewed from the Islamic tradition that we are living in the Last Age. Are we ready for it?Z