Dajjaliyat (Deception) is no mysterious word. Rather, it is the name for a known fact. In the words of the Quran (6:43), dajjaliyat can be defined as ‘the beautification of wrong deeds’. Briefly, it is to express something in such a deceptive manner that the listeners are led to consider something that is wrong to be right. This art of excelling in beautifying wrong ideas or deeds is dajjaliyat.
For example, in the present-day, some Muslims are engaged in suicide-bombing. In order to seek to pass off this action as legitimate, they say that when the community is faced with great danger, suicide-bombing is permissible in order to save the community. They cite the instance of the Japanese, who resorted to suicide attacks against America during the Second World War. But this reasoning is based on a fallacy, because through harakiri, the Japanese nation could not be saved from their enemy. Rather, in the war, Japan suffered a miserable defeat. After this, the Japanese abandoned this method, and instead, adopted peaceful means for their community’s progress, which turned out to be very successful.
Dajjaliyat is to express something in such a deceptive manner that the listeners are led to consider something that is wrong to be right.
Likewise, in the present-day, some Muslims have adopted violent methods against their supposed enemies. Because of this, they are called terrorists. But they argue that what they are doing is not terrorism but, rather, terrorizing of “oppressors”. They claim that this is just the same as what the police in some countries do—to break the resolve of criminals, they sometimes terrorize them. And so, they argue, just as this method is considered to be proper for the police, it is proper for the Muslims, too. They also claim that people who call Muslims as terrorists are guilty of double-standards. If freedom fighters are not termed terrorists but heroes, in the same way, they insist, Muslims too, should not be called terrorists, but rather, crusaders for justice. This wrong logic is used by some Muslims to seek to justify suicidebombing. They claim that this action is impelled by the desire to seek martyrdom, or shahadat.
These arguments are all based on a great misunderstanding. Shahadat is an Islamic term. Nowhere in the Quran and Hadith is it said that the believers must kill themselves and become shaheeds, or martyrs. In Islam, there is no teaching that enjoins the believers to perform such acts so that they are labelled ‘martyrs’. Rather, if believers die while performing a lawful act they may be called ‘martyrs’.
Deception through beautification of wrong actions has always been present in this world. In a Hadith it is said that in later times, a great deceiver (Dajjal) will arise. This does not mean that the deceiver will be huge in the physical sense. Rather, it means that the deception of the deceiver will happen in an age that will offer the deceiver many tools on a large scale for the ease of his task.
For instance, in a Hadith of the Prophet, it is said that Dajjal will speak with a voice which will be heard between the East and the West. (Kanz al-Ummal). This does not mean that the Dajjal will be some giant personality. Rather, what it means is that those who will be engaged in deceiving people will appear in such a time when the age of global communications will have arrived and that they will use the means available in their time in order to make their ideas and thoughts reach far and wide.
In another Hadith, it is said the word kufr will be written on Dajjal’s forehead. (Sahih Muslim). This means that, although the Dajjal will present his misleading thoughts in a manner that make them seem fair, those who are firmly on the truth will be able to recognize the deception and will be saved from going astray.
