Answer
Short Answer: Before delving into the details of the signs of the Day of Judgement, we should prepare ourselves for this day. Anas ibn Malik reported that a man asked the Prophet (peace be upon him) about the Hour (i.e. Day of Judgment) saying, “When will the Hour be?” The Prophet said, “What have you prepared for it?” (Al-Bukhari)
We have to get closer to Allah by performing good deeds and acts of worship in order to be safe on that day. We have to work hard to improve the conditions of our communities and the whole Muslim ummah. We have to give up the bad habits and bad things we do and offer a sincere repentance to Allah and promise Him not to err again.
………….
Salam dear questioner,
Thank you for your question.
Belief in the Unseen
First, let’s explain to you that we, as Muslims, believe in the unseen. This belief is an essential part of the Muslim faith and one of the characteristics of those whom Allah described as (conscious of Allah). We read in the Quran what means:
*{This is the Book about which there is no doubt, a guidance for those conscious of Allah – Who believe in the unseen, establish prayer, and spend out of what We have provided for them.}* (Quran 2:2-3)
We have to believe in what Allah told us in the Quran and what the Prophet (peace be upon him) told us in the authentic Sunnah (Prophetic traditions).
Sometimes asking about the details of a certain issue does not make a difference in what we believe. We read in the Quran what means:
*{O you who have believed, do not ask about things which, if they are shown to you, will distress you. But if you ask about them while the Qur’an is being revealed, they will be shown to you. Allah has pardoned that which is past; and Allah is Forgiving and Forbearing.}* (Quran 5:101)
But we have to be sure that there is a wisdom behind every matter of the unseen. Nothing happens without the knowledge of Allah and nothing happens in this universe without the permission of Allah. He is the controller of the whole universe. We read in the Quran what means:
*{So exalted is He in whose hand is the realm of all things, and to Him you will be returned.}* (Quran 36:83)
*{Say, “In whose hand is the realm of all things – and He protects while none can protect against Him – if you should know?”}* (Quran 23:88)
What Have You Prepared For It?
Before delving into the details of the signs of the Day of Judgement, we should prepare ourselves for this day.
Anas ibn Malik reported that a man asked the Prophet (peace be upon him) about the Hour (i.e. Day of Judgment) saying, “When will the Hour be?” The Prophet said, “What have you prepared for it?” (Al-Bukhari)
We have to get closer to Allah by performing good deeds and acts of worship in order to be safe on that day. We have to work hard to improve the conditions of our communities and the whole Muslim ummah. We have to give up the bad habits and bad things we do and offer a sincere repentance to Allah and promise Him not to err again.
Three Major Signs of the Day of Judgement?
Coming to the issue of the decent of Jesus, the appearance of the Anti-Christ and Yajuj and Majuj (Gog and Magog), these are three major signs of the Day of Judgement.
About Jesus’ being a sign of the Day of Judgement, we read in the Quran what means:
*{And indeed, Jesus will be [a sign for] knowledge of the Hour, so be not in doubt of it, and follow Me. This is a straight path.}* (Quran 43:61)
The following report narrates the details of the three signs of the Day of Judgement:
An-Nawwas ibn Sam`an reported that Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) made a mention of the Dajjal one day in the morning. He (peace be upon him) sometimes described him to be insignificant and sometimes described (his turmoil) as very significant (and we felt) as if he were in the cluster of the date-palm trees. When we went to him (to the Prophet) in the evening and he read (the signs of fear) in our faces, he ((peace be upon him)) said:
What is the matter with you? We said: Allah’s Messenger, you made a mention of the Dajjal in the morning (sometimes describing him) to be insignificant and sometimes very important, until we began to think as if he were present in some (near) part of the cluster of the date-palm trees. Thereupon he ((peace be upon him)) said: I harbor fear in regard to you in so many other things besides the Dajjal. If he comes forth while I am among you, I shall contend with him on your behalf, but if he comes forth while I am not amongst you, a man must contend on his own behalf and Allah would take care of every Muslim on my behalf (and safeguard him against his evil).
He (Dajjal) would be a young man with twisted, contracted hair, and a blind eye. I compare him to `Abd-ul-`Uzza ibn Qatan. He who amongst you would survive to see him should recite over him the opening verses of Surat Al-Kahf (Chapter No. 18). He would appear on the way between Syria and Iraq and would spread mischief right and left. O servant of Allah! adhere (to the path of Truth). We said: Allah’s Messenger, how long would he stay on the earth? He ((peace be upon him)) said: For forty days, one day like a year and one day like a month and one day like a week and the rest of the days would be like your days. We said: Allah’s Messenger, would one day’s prayer suffice for the prayers of day equal to one year? Thereupon he ((peace be upon him)) said: No, but you must make an estimate of time (and then observe prayer).
We said: Allah’s Messenger, how quickly would he walk upon the earth? Thereupon he ((peace be upon him)) said: Like cloud driven by the wind. He would come to the people and invite them (to a wrong religion) and they would affirm their faith in him and respond to him. He would then give command to the sky and there would be rainfall upon the earth and it would grow crops. Then in the evening, their pasturing animals would come to them with their humps very high and their udders full of milk and their flanks stretched.
He would then come to another people and invite them. But they would reject him and he would go away from them and there would be drought for them and nothing would be left with them in the form of wealth. He would then walk through the waste land and say to it: Bring forth your treasures, and the treasures would come out and collect (themselves) before him like the swarm of bees. He would then call a person brimming with youth and strike him with the sword and cut him into two pieces and (make these pieces lie at a distance which is generally) between the archer and his target.
He would then call (that young man) and he will come forward laughing with his face gleaming (with happiness) and it would be at this very time that Allah would send Jesus, son of Mary, and he will descend at the white minaret in the eastern side of Damascus wearing two garments lightly dyed with saffron and placing his hands on the wings of two Angels. When he would lower his head, there would fall beads of perspiration from his head, and when he would raise it up, beads like pearls would scatter from it. Every non-believer who would smell the odor of his self would die and his breath would reach as far as he would be able to see.
He would then search for him (Dajjal) until he would catch hold of him at the gate of Ludd and would kill him. Then a people whom Allah had protected would come to Jesus, son of Mary, and he would wipe their faces and would inform them of their ranks in Paradise and it would be under such conditions that Allah would reveal to Jesus these words: I have brought forth from amongst My servants such people against whom none would be able to fight; you take these people safely to Tur.
And then Allah would send Gog and Magog and they would swarm down from every slope. The first of them would pass the lake of Tiberias and drink out of it. And when the last of them would pass, he would say: There was once water there. Jesus and his companions would then be besieged here (at Tur, and they would be so much hard pressed) that the head of the ox would be dearer to them than one hundred dinars and Allah’s Messenger, Jesus, and his companions would supplicate Allah, Who would send to them insects (which would attack their necks) and in the morning they would perish like one single person.
Allah’s Messenger, Jesus, and his companions would then come down to the earth and they would not find in the earth as much space as a single span which is not filled with their putrefaction and stench. Allah’s Messenger, Jesus, and his companions would then again beseech Allah, Who would send birds whose necks would be like those of Bactrian camels and they would carry them and throw them where God would will.
Then Allah would send rain which no house of clay or (the tent of) camels’ hairs would keep out and it would wash away the earth until it could appear to be a mirror. Then the earth would be told to bring forth its fruit and restore its blessing and, as a result thereof, there would grow (such a big) pomegranate that a group of persons would be able to eat that, and seek shelter under its skin and milch cow would give so much milk that a whole party would be able to drink it. And the milch camel would give such (a large quantity of) milk that the whole tribe would be able to drink out of that and the milch sheep would give so much milk that the whole family would be able to drink out of that and at that time Allah would send a pleasant wind which would soothe (people) even under their armpits, and would take the life of every Muslim and only the wicked would survive who would commit adultery like asses and the Last Hour would come to them.” (Muslim)
From this tradition, it is clear that the Dajjal (Anti-Christ) will appear and Jesus (peace be upon him) will kill him.
According to this hadith, if the Dajjal comes forth while the Prophet Muhammad is not amongst us, everyone must contend on his own behalf and that Allah would take care of every Muslim on his behalf (and safeguard him against his evil).
How Will People Recognize the Dajjal?
According to another narration, the Messenger of Allah said,
“Dajjal is blind of one eye and there is written between his eyes the word “kafir“. He then spelled the word as k. f. r., which every Muslim would be able to read.” (Muslim)
Therefore, only the believers will recognize the Dajjal and will not follow him and they will be saved from him.
Where Will the Dajjal Appear?
According to a narration, the Dajjal will appear in every place except Makkah and Madinah.
Anas Ibn Malik reported that the Prophet said:
“There will be no land which would not be covered by the Dajjal but Makkah and Madinah, and there would be no passage out of the passages leading to them which would not be guarded by angels arranged in rows. Then he (the Dajjal) would appear in a barren place adjacent to Madinah and it would rock three times that every unbeliever and hypocrite would get out of it towards him.”(Muslim)
Who Will Follow the Dajjal?
The followers of the Dajjal will be from the Jews. The Prophet said:
“Dajjal (the Antichrist) will be followed by seventy thousand Jews of Isfahan and will be dressed in robes of green colored satin.” (Muslim)
How to Avoid the Fitna of the Dajjal?
Those who will witness the appearance of the Dajjal are highly recommended to recite the beginning of Surat Al-Kahf. The Prophet said:
“Those of you who live up to his time (the Dajjal) should recite over him the opening verses of Surat Al-Kahf, for they are your protection from his trial.” (Abu Dawud)
The Appearance of Gog and Magog
The above tradition gives some detail about the appearance of Gog and Magog who are two nations from the tribe of Adam that are currently in existence. The Prophet said:
“Today a hole has been opened in the barrier of Gog and Magog like this”, and he made a circle with his index finger and thumb. (Muslim)
After the decent of Jesus, Gog and Magog will be able to break the wall that Dhul-Qarnayn built a long time ago and they will cause vast danger in the world.
There will be a lack of food and water, millions of people would be killed. Prophet Jesus and his companions would ask Allah for help and Allah would listen to their supplications and would send some insects that will kill the entire tribe of Gog and Magog and peace would prevail again.
At the end, Allah would send a pleasant wind which would soothe (people) even under their armpits, and would take the life of every Muslim and only the wicked would survive who would commit adultery like asses and the Last Hour would come to them.
Again, we should busy ourselves with the good deeds that would save us from the punishment in the Hereafter. We have to believe in what Allah and the Prophet tell us in the Quran and the Sunnah and leave the details of the signs of the day of Judgement.
And Allah knows best.
I hope this helps.
Salam and please keep in touch.
Please continue feeding your curiosity, and find more info in the following links:
https://aboutislam.net/counseling/ask-about-islam/who-was-dhul-qarnayn/
https://aboutislam.net/counseling/ask-about-islam/will-the-dajjal-be-supported-by-a-jewish-army/
https://aboutislam.net/counseling/ask-about-islam/why-are-gog-and-magog-still-a-mystery/