Author: Dr Muhammad Saad
Saleem
The Number of Dajjal – 30 Communist
States
According to Hadith, there will be
approximately thirty Dajjals, which have been interpreted as
symbols of communist states.
This number roughly corresponds to the thirty former
communist countries in the world. In this context, the
Soviet Union is considered the central Dajjal. Some
communist states existed briefly and were later absorbed
into the former Soviet Union, while others had mixed
systems, which is why the Hadith mentions “approximately.”
All these states have either dissolved or changed their
ideologies through reforms.
Figure 2: This is a
map of all the states in history that have been influenced
by communism (countries shown in ‘red’ were official
communist states with a one-party system; other colours
represent countries where there was influence but a
multi-party system remained). This map illustrates the
global reach of communism.
The Journey of Dajjal Around the World
In the Hadith, Dajjal’s journey around
the world is likened to rain driven by the wind, symbolising
his speed and global impact.
Similarly, communism spread to every continent, but
eventually, like the rain, it ceased and ended.
There will be no greater trial than the
trial of Dajjal
In the Hadith, Dajjal’s trial is
described as the greatest.
At its peak, more than one-third of the world’s population
was under communist governments.
This was one of the most significant episodes of religious
oppression and violation of freedoms in human history,
affecting billions of people.
Muslims will seek refuge in the mountains
to protect themselves from the trials of the Dajjal
The Hadith describes a time when Muslims
retreat to remote places such as mountains and valleys to
safeguard their faith during severe trials, including the
emergence of the Dajjal.
Historically, those who sought to preserve their religious
beliefs by taking refuge included people from regions such
as the mountains of Abakan.
Recitation of Surah Al-Kahf for
protection from the Dajjal
The Hadith strongly emphasises the
recitation of Surah Al-Kahf, which strengthens believers’
faith, resolve, and insight during great trials such as the
tribulation of the Dajjal.
This guidance is similar to the event described about the
“Companions of the Cave”—who, during a period of religious
persecution and trial, migrated to remain steadfast in their
faith and sought refuge with Allah.
Events related to the Dajjal
The following events are described in the
Hadith in historical sequence:
Seventy thousand Jewish followers of the
Dajjal from Isfahan – Socialist tendencies among the Jews of
Vilna (early twentieth century)
According to the prophecy of the Prophet
Muhammad (peace be upon him), among the followers of the
Dajjal will be seventy thousand Jews from Isfahan, who will
be wearing cloaks (Tayalisah).
During the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon
him), Isfahan was a well-known centre of Jewish learning and
religion, where the Jewish community was considered
particularly influential in Talmudic knowledge, legal
insight, and religious leadership. Although there was still
a Jewish community in Isfahan at the beginning of the
twentieth century, it no longer held the same intellectual
and scholarly status for which it was renowned during the
time of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).
A similar intellectual tradition can be
observed in the early twentieth century in Vilna (Vilnius),
which was called the “Jerusalem of the North.” The Jewish
community there had become a centre of knowledge and culture
through a strong system of schools, libraries, and
intellectual gatherings. The Jews of seventh-century Isfahan
and those of early twentieth-century Vilna, though from
different eras and environments, shared a similar
tradition—namely, participation in knowledge and wisdom,
religious leadership, and intellectual activity. Both
periods and locations had a distinctive style of expressing
religious and cultural identity—through the wearing of
cloaks in Isfahan, and through the tradition of Yiddish
language and literature in Vilna. The “cloak” mentioned in
the Hadith is a symbolic reference to such traditions,
representing their cultural and religious affiliation.
The number “seventy thousand” mentioned
in the Hadith refers to the Jewish population in Vilna at
the beginning of the twentieth century, which was 63,000 in
1897 and increased to 76,000 in 1901. During this period,
the Jewish community of Vilna was actively involved in
socialist and Marxist revolutionary movements. Notably, the
establishment of the “General Jewish Labour Party” in Vilna
in 1897 and their participation in the failed Russian
Revolution of 1905 are significant, where the Jews of Vilna
clearly took part in revolutionary activities under a
socialist agenda.
Coming from the direction of the East and
appearing between Syria and Iraq — the emergence of the
Soviet Union as a new global power in opposition to the West
(1922)
In the time of the Messenger of Allah
(peace be upon him), the region between Syria and Iraq was a
disputed border area between the Byzantine and Sassanid
empires, where no single power had permanent and uncontested
dominance. The mention in Hadith of the Dajjal appearing in
this area carries two important symbolic meanings: first,
that the Dajjal will not be a continuation of any existing
power, but will emerge as a new and independent force;
second, that his appearance will be from the east of Medina.
Historically, most of the Soviet Union
was located to the east of Medina, and when it came into
existence in 1922, it was seen worldwide as a new power
rising from the east—not only geographically, but also
ideologically. Communism was presented as a revolutionary
system in contrast to the capitalist Western world,
introducing a new dimension to religion, society, and
politics. In this sense, the symbol of the Dajjal’s
emergence from the east and the establishment of the Soviet
Union share a profound symbolic similarity.
The Dajjal providing sustenance and
people believing in him – The artificial prosperity and
propaganda of the Soviet Union (1928–1932)
According to the Hadith, the Dajjal will
call people, and they will believe in him. The Dajjal will
command, the sky will send down rain, the earth will produce
crops, and livestock will be full of milk.
This scene symbolically reflects the
deception of the Dajjal during the early years of the Soviet
Union, especially during the first Five-Year Plan
(1928–1932)—people
accepted this system with a conviction akin to religious
faith, and the state seemingly produced miraculous results:
booming factories, abundant harvests, and an artificial
impression of prosperity. Initiatives like the “Stakhanovite
movement”
showed workers surpassing incredible targets, reinforcing
the notion that communism could control nature and bring
about unlimited progress, just as the Dajjal would impress
people by bringing rain and wealth.
The people rejecting the Dajjal’s
invitation, and the Dajjal subjecting them to famine and
destitution – The Holodomor famine (1932–1933)
According to the Hadith, the Dajjal will
go to those who reject his invitation, and they will suffer
famine, hunger, and loss of wealth, until nothing of their
possessions remains.
This scene resembles the Ukrainian
peasants who opposed communist collective agriculture. The
state confiscated food, cut off supplies, and crushed
resistance, resulting in the man-made famine known as the
Holodomor (1932–1933). Despite the absence of a natural
famine, policies left fields barren, livestock dead, and the
population starving. Just as the Dajjal abandons those who
reject him to destruction, so too did the state leave these
people in utter ruin, resulting in the deaths of 3.5 to 5
million people.
The Dajjal extracting treasures from a
desolate land – The Soviet Union extracting minerals from
remote regions (after 1933)
According to the Hadith, the Dajjal will
pass through a desolate land and say, “Bring out your
treasures,” and the treasures of the earth will come forth
and gather around him like swarms of bees.
This scene is reminiscent of the era when
the Soviet Union, after consolidating its ideological grip,
turned towards remote and desolate regions such as Siberia,
Central Asia, and the Urals, initiating a vast process of
extracting natural resources from there. Primarily during
the second five-year plan (1933–1937), gold, coal, oil, and
other minerals were obtained through forced labour and
state-run industry, and these valuable resources were
amassed at the centre as if, at a single command of the
Dajjal, treasures emerged from the earth and gathered around
him. This process was not limited to a single plan; in the
subsequent years, these resources continued to be the core
and axis of the Soviet economy.
The Dajjal’s Encampment Outside Medina –
The Failures of Soviet Influence in the Muslim World (Second
Half of the Twentieth Century)
The Hadith mentions that the Dajjal will
camp near Medina but will not be able to enter it, as angels
will protect it. Then, the angels will turn him towards
Syria, and there he will perish.
Here, “Medina” does not refer to just a
single city, but represents the entire Muslim community,
just as in the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon
him), Medina was the centre of the Muslim state. On the
other hand, Syria was the territory of the Byzantine
Christians, considered a symbol of the Christian world at
that time. This Hadith has been interpreted symbolically as
the Soviet Union, after failing to establish its foothold in
the Muslim world, turned toward the Christian West before
ultimately collapsing.
After the Second World War, the Soviet
Union emerged as a global power. It expanded its influence
worldwide, including efforts to incorporate Muslims into the
Soviet bloc and promote communism. However, the Soviet
government’s atheistic ideology was in sharp conflict with
the conservative and deeply religious environment of the
Muslim world. This ideological difference limited the
acceptance and influence of communism among Muslims, and
thus, the Dajjal could not enter Medina.
The Three Shocks in Medina – The Global
Political and Intellectual Crises Facing the Muslim Ummah
According to the Hadith, Medina will
tremble three times, after which every hypocrite and
disbeliever will leave Medina and join the Dajjal. This is
most likely interpreted as the following three historical
events described below:
·
The Establishment of Israel in 1948 and
the Nakba – After the establishment of Israel in 1948,
hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were displaced, an
event known as the Nakba (meaning catastrophe). Hundreds of
villages were destroyed, and Palestinians became refugees.
The Muslim world regarded this as a great injustice
perpetrated with the backing of Western powers. This tragedy
shook Arab societies and led many young people and
intellectuals to turn towards communist movements as a means
of resistance.
·
The Suez Crisis of 1956 – When Britain,
France, and Israel attacked the Suez Canal in 1956, Egypt
sought diplomatic and political assistance from the Soviet
Union against this aggression. This was the first
significant occasion when an Arab state openly relied on
Soviet power. This event promoted leftist ideologies in the
Middle East, resulting in the rise to power of nationalist
and socialist groups such as the Ba’ath Party in Iraq and
Syria, while a formal communist state was established in
South Yemen.
· The Six-Day
War of 1967 – Israel’s victory in the Six-Day War of 1967
dealt a severe blow to Arab nationalism, resulting in a new
wave of leftist ideologies. As a result, Marxist factions
emerged within Palestinian resistance movements, most
notably the PFLP (Popular Front for the Liberation of
Palestine), which openly adopted a Soviet-backed
revolutionary path.
Banu Tamim’s Resistance Against the
Dajjal – Āl al-Shaykh and Communism
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon
him) foretold the steadfastness of the Banu Tamim tribe
against the Dajjal.
This tribe, which has historically inhabited Saudi Arabia,
Iraq, and the Gulf states, later emerged as a symbol of
intellectual and social resistance against communism. Banu
Tamim promoted Islamic traditions, beliefs, and tribal
values, thereby rejecting the materialistic and atheistic
ideologies of communism. The significance of this prophecy
is further heightened by the fact that the Āl al-Shaykh—descendants
of Shaykh Muhammad ibn ʿAbd al-Wahhab—also belong to this
tribe.
In Saudi Arabia, under the intellectual influence of the Āl
al-Shaykh, communism was regarded not only as atheistic but
as an explicit adversary of Islam. For this reason, any form
of alliance with the Soviet Union was considered contrary to
faith and unacceptable.
The Dajjal’s killing and reviving of a
Muslim, and his inability to kill him again – The Soviet
Union and Afghanistan (1977–1992)
It is stated in the Hadith that a Muslim
who will leave Medina will be brought before the Dajjal, who
will kill him and then bring him back to life, but the
Dajjal will not be able to kill him again.
Another Hadith elaborates on this incident, stating that the
Dajjal will appear and a believer will confront him. The
Dajjal’s soldiers will stop the believer and question his
intentions. When he refuses to accept the Dajjal as his
Lord, they will say, “Kill him.” However, some among them
will say, “Did your master (the Dajjal) not forbid killing
anyone without his permission?” Then they will take him to
the Dajjal. Recognising him, the believer will exclaim,
“This is the Dajjal!” The Dajjal will order his execution,
and he will be sawn in half. Then the Dajjal will bring him
back to life. However, the believer will again reject the
Dajjal and expose his deception. When the Dajjal is unable
to kill him a second time, he will throw him aside, making
it appear as if he is being cast into Hell, but in reality,
he will enter Paradise. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said
that he will be the greatest martyr in the sight of Allah.
Here, “Medina” is not merely a city, but
represents the entire Muslim Ummah, just as Medina was the
centre of the Muslim state during the time of the Messenger
of Allah (peace be upon him). The “believer” symbolises
Afghanistan, while the “Dajjal” represents the Soviet Union,
and the Dajjal’s soldiers symbolise the communist factions (Parcham
and Khalq) present in Afghanistan. The “killing and
reviving” refers to the communist revolutions, which
dismantled old governmental and social structures to
establish new systems. “Reviving” points to the
reorganisation of society under a new communist order, often
achieved at significant human cost. This Hadith can be
understood as a symbolic interpretation of the rise of
communist factions in Afghanistan, Soviet intervention, and
the resistance against it:
·
The believer’s refusal to accept the
Dajjal as Lord – The expulsion of communist factions in
1977: In the 1970s, the Afghan government included the
communist “Parcham” faction. However, in 1977, President
Mohammad Daoud Khan discovered the communists’ plans for
rebellion and expelled them from the government. This event
corresponds to the Hadith’s account of the Dajjal’s guards
questioning the believer and the believer’s refusal to
accept the Dajjal as his Lord.
·
The Dajjal’s soldiers attempting to kill
the believer – The Khalq coup and oppression in 1978: In
1978, through the Saur Revolution, the Khalq faction seized
power by force, resulting in the assassination of President
Daoud Khan. This event symbolises the Dajjal’s soldiers’
attempt to kill the believer as described in the Hadith.
This was also surprising for the Soviet Union, as it sought
to avoid instability caused by unexpected coups. The Soviet
Union’s policy aligns with the Hadith’s statement: “Did your
master (the Dajjal) not forbid killing anyone without his
permission?”
· The Dajjal
killing and reviving the believer – Soviet intervention and
the purge of Khalq in 1979: In 1979, the Soviet Union
invaded Afghanistan, killed the Khalq leader Hafizullah Amin,
and installed the Parcham faction in power. This change was
made possible through Operation Storm-333, in which Soviet
forces killed the Khalq leadership, crushed resistance, and
carried out mass killings. This parallels the Hadith’s
account of the believer being tortured, killed, and revived,
as the Khalq faction was violently removed and the Parcham
faction imposed. Although the Khalq faction had previously
supported communist ideology, the Soviet Union’s actions
alienated many of its leaders, resulting in heavy losses for
them.
·
The Dajjal’s inability to kill the
believer again – The resistance of the Mujahidin and Soviet
failure: The Soviet Union tried to strengthen its grip on
Afghanistan, but the resistance of the Mujahidin continued
to grow. In the Hadith, the believer’s neck turning to
copper, making it impossible to kill him again, alludes to
the intensity and ultimate failure of Soviet military
operations. The withdrawal of Soviet troops in 1989
corresponds to the Dajjal casting the believer far away in
the Hadith.
· The martyrdom
of the believer – Intense civil war after the fall of the
communist government in 1992: The collapse of the communist
government in 1992 and the ensuing intense civil war
correspond to the martyrdom of the believer in the Hadith.
In this way, the believer’s entry into Paradise reflects the
sincerity of those Mujahidin who regarded their struggle
against the Soviet Union as a jihad against atheism and
oppression.
Questions about the Interpretation
The Meeting of Hadrat Tamim al-Dari (may
Allah be pleased with him) with the Dajjal
According to a Hadith, Hadrat Tamim
al-Dari (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated an incident
to the Noble Prophet.
He explained that he set out on a sea voyage with some
people and, due to a storm, they reached an island. There,
they encountered a strange and unusual creature called “al-Jassasah,”
who took them to a cave to meet a man. That man was bound in
chains and asked them several questions, then revealed to
them he was “al-Masih ad-Dajjal” and that the time of his
emergence was near. When Hadrat Tamim al-Dari (may Allah be
pleased with him) narrated this incident to the Noble
Prophet (peace be upon him), the Prophet affirmed its truth
before the people and said, “This incident is in accordance
with what I have been telling you about the Dajjal.”
This Hadith of Hadrat Tamim al-Dari (may
Allah be pleased with him) appears to be a vision, not a
physical, real-life encounter with the Dajjal. There are
three fundamental reasons for this:
There is no
separate narration or testimony from the other individuals
who travelled with Hadrat Tamim al-Dari (may Allah be
pleased with him) regarding this extraordinary incident,
which supports the view that this event was a vision.
According to
another Hadith, the Noble Prophet said: “All the people
present in my era will pass away within a hundred years.” If
the Dajjal had physically existed at that time, he would
have been included among them as well.
Just as the Noble
Prophet himself saw the Dajjal in a vision, similarly, the
incident of Tamim Hadrat Dari (may Allah be pleased with
him) was also a vision.
Ibn Sayyad, being the Dajjal
Some Hadiths indicate that Ibn Sayyad, a
boy living on the outskirts of Medina, could be the Dajjal.
However, the Noble Prophet said in a clear Hadith: “If the
Dajjal appears during my lifetime, I will confront him on
your behalf.”
This makes it clear that since Ibn Sayyad existed during the
Prophet’s time, he could not be the Dajjal.
Furthermore, the Noble Prophet (peace be
upon him) said that the Dajjal could not enter Mecca and
Medina.
In contrast, historical reports indicate that Ibn Sayyad
travelled from Medina to Mecca, further proving that he was
not the Dajjal.
The Noble Prophet and the Companions (may
Allah be pleased with them) considered the Dajjal to be a
human being
The Hadith literature makes it clear that
the Noble Prophet and his Companions (may Allah be pleased
with them) regarded the Dajjal as a human being. The
Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) saw the Dajjal in a
vision,
and since the visions of the Prophets are a form of
revelation, they describe exactly what they see in their
dreams, without adding any personal interpretation or
conjecture.
The interpretation of the dreams of the
Prophets is either directly granted by Allah Almighty to His
Prophet, or the reality of the dream becomes clear over
time. A clear example of this is the dream seen by Prophet
Yusuf (Joseph), peace be upon him, in his childhood—in which
the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were prostrating to him.
Years later, when his family appeared before him in Egypt,
Prophet Yusuf (peace be upon him) said: “O my father! This
is the interpretation of my dream I saw before; my Lord has
made it come true.”
In accordance with this principle, when
the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) saw the Dajjal as a
human in a vision,
he described it exactly as he saw it. The Companions (may
Allah be pleased with them) also understood it to be a
human, because the Prophet (peace be upon him) did not
present any interpretation of the vision. This indicates
that a complete understanding and interpretation of the
narrations concerning the Dajjal will only be possible at
the time of their occurrence. Before that, their true nature
could only be a matter of conjecture or scholarly reasoning.
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