Do Muslims believe in the Antichrist?

Who the Dajjal is

The word Dajjal means "great deceiver." He isn't named directly in the Quran, but the Prophet ﷺ described him in many authentic hadith. One of the best known says: "No prophet was sent but that he warned his followers against the one-eyed liar (Ad-Dajjal). Beware! He is blind in one eye, and your Lord is not so" (Sahih al-Bukhari 7131).

The same hadith says the word kafir (disbeliever) will be written between his eyes. Scholars explain that believers will recognise it, whatever their ability to read.

What he will do

In a long hadith, the Prophet ﷺ described the Dajjal's time on earth (Sahih Muslim 2937). Key details include:

• He will claim to be God and seem to perform wonders.
• He will stay on earth for forty days, with the first days being very long.
• Many people will be tempted to follow him out of fear or for worldly gain.
• Jesus, son of Mary, will descend near Damascus and catch and kill him at the gate of Ludd.

So in Islam, Jesus plays a central role in ending the Dajjal's trial, which is a striking overlap with Christian end-times beliefs, though the details differ.

How it compares to the Christian Antichrist

Both traditions describe a great deceiver before the end of time who is defeated by the true Messiah, Jesus. The difference is how Jesus is understood: in Islam he returns as a prophet and servant of God, following the final message, not as God. Muslims also don't connect the Dajjal to the number 666 or other symbols from the Book of Revelation.

How Muslims prepare

The Prophet ﷺ didn't want people to panic, but to be ready. He taught a few simple practices:

• A prayer of protection: he regularly asked God for refuge "from the afflictions of the imposter-Messiah" in his prayer (Sahih al-Bukhari 832). The same prayer also seeks refuge from the punishment of the grave. See What happens in the grave in Islam?
• Surah al-Kahf: "If anyone learns by heart the first ten verses of the Surah al-Kahf, he will be protected from the Dajjal" (Sahih Muslim 809).
• Strong, clear faith: knowing God is One and unlike any creature makes a false god easy to spot.

End-times content online can get scary or sensational. Avoid people who claim to know exact dates or name today's leaders as the Dajjal. Only God knows when the Hour will come. See Can I still read my horoscope after becoming Muslim?