13. Why did the Prophets warn their peoples against the Dajjal, when he will not appear until the end of time?

Question: Why did the Prophets warn their peoples against the Dajjal, when he will not appear until the end of time?Answer: The greatest trial on the face of the earth since the time of the creation of Adam until the establishment of the Hour is the trial of the Dajjal, as the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said. This is why there is none among the Prophets from Nuh to Muhammad (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon them all) who has not warned his people against him,[1] in order to emphasize the importance of the matter, and to warn against him.Allah knows that he will not appear until the end of time, but He commanded the Messengers to warn their peoples about him, so that the importance and seriousness of it might be apparent. This has been authentically reported from the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم): He said:“If he appears when I am among you, I will contend with him on your behalf, but if appears while I am not among you, a man must contend on his own behalf, and Allah will be my Khalifah (i.e. take care on my behalf of) every Muslim (and safeguard him against his evil).” [2]And our Lord, the Almighty, the All-Powerful is the best Khalifah.So, the matter of this Dajjal is very important, indeed, it is the greatest trial, as mentioned in the Hadith, from the creation of Adam until the establishment of the Hour. It was worthy of being selected among the trials of life for seeking refuge from it during the prayer:“I seek refuge with Allah from the punishment of the Hell-fire, from the punishment of the grave, from the trial of life and death and from the trial of Al-Maseeh Ad-Dajjal (the False Messiah).”As for the word, Dajjal, it is derived from the word Dajl, which means deception, because he is a deceiver, indeed, he is the greatest deceiver and the worst imposter among the people.[1] Reported by Al-Bukhari in the Book of Trials (Al-Fitan), in the Chapter: Mention of the Dajjal (7127)[2] Reported by Muslim in the Book of Trials (Al-Fitan), in the Chapter: Mention of the Dajjal, His Traits, and What is Related to Him (2937).Shaikh Muhammad bin Salih Al-’Uthaimeen[Taken from Fatawa Arkan-ul-Islam (Islamic Verdicts on the Pillars of Islaam, Volume 1 (Creed & Prayer), Darussalam pg.158-159]