Someone wrote to Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa and said that Huzooraa had described Dajjal as a metaphor instead of a physical person during one of his addresses at the Jalsa Salana Germany. However, they further said that they had come across a video in which a hadith from Sahih Muslim was mentioned, which described Dajjal as a physical human. Huzooraa was asked whether the hadith was authentic.
In a letter dated 20 February 2020, Huzooraa gave the following reply:
“As a matter of fact, among the afflictions and tribulations that Islam was to endure in the Latter Days, there is a special mention of Dajjal and Gog & Magog. Hence, we find that the Holy Quran mentions these tribulations from different angles and the Holy Prophetsa has also warned his ummah about these tribulations in different ways that are mentioned in many ahadith.
“One of them is a hadith of Sahih Muslim which you have mentioned. This hadith, like other ahadithrelated to this subject, is based on a vision [kashf] and metaphors. Had the narration of the events mentioned in this hadith been based on a physical occurrence, then numerous other people, besides the narrator [of the hadith], would have also seen ‘Jassasah’ [the beast] and the giant Dajjal mentioned in this hadith, with their naked eyes.
“Therefore, the statement of someone else in this hadith not to state his apparent observation about matters proves that it was a revelation. Therefore, the fact that none of the others narrated a physical observation of the events mentioned in the hadith, proves that it was a vision [kashf].
“As far as the reality of the Dajjal and Gog & Magog is concerned, they are different manifestations of the same tribulation [fitna]. Dajjal is the name of the religious aspect of this fitna. That means that this group was to corrupt people’s religious beliefs and ideas in the Latter Days.
“The group that was to destabilise the political situation and destroy the political peace and order in those days has been called Gog & Magog. Both refer to the worldly power of the Western Christian nations and their religious aspect.
“Nevertheless, alongside all this, Allah the Exalted has also informed us through His Beloved Prophetsa that when the tribulations of Dajjal and Gog & Magog would occur and Islam would become weak, Allah the Exalted would send the Promised Messiahas to safeguard Islam. At that time, Muslims would not have material power, but the Community of the Promised Messiahas would continue to work through prayers and preaching, thanks to which Allah the Exalted would Himself destroy these tribulations.”