Who or what is the ‘Dajjāl’ and what is its significance in Islam? Is it mentioned in the Qur’ān? Please quote the sūrah and verse number.
The word ‘al-Dajjāl’ in Arabic is an adjective and means ‘The great deceiver’. It is not mentioned in the Qur’ān. It finds mention in a number of Ahādīth of the Prophet (sws) which state the signs of Qiyāmah. According to these Ahādīth, the appearance of al-Dajjāl, is one sign, among many others, which will signal the end of this world. Such prophecies are generally set in symbolic form and their real connotations only become clear when they actually appear.
The purpose of all these signs is to put people on constant vigil against indifference to a great event.