The Appearance of Dabbah Towards the End » The Glorious Prophet

The existence of a mysterious creature named dabbah It has been mentioned in the holy verses of the Qur’an as one of the great signs of the coming of the Day of Judgment. This creature is one of the creations of Allah Subḥānahu wa Taʿālā who will appear at the end of time, with certain predetermined tasks. In connection with this matter, Allah Subḥānahu wa Taʿālā said in Surah An-Naml verse 82 which reads:

And when the word reaches them, We will bring out for them a beast from the earth that can speak to them. Indeed, people do not believe in Our signs.

Meaning: “When the word (the term for the destruction of nature) has reached them, We will bring out from the earth moving creatures that will tell them that humans have not believed in Our signs.”

Further explanations about this creature can be found in various books and hadiths. In the book Defamation of the Dajjal & Gog and Magog by Lilik Agus Saputro, it is stated that the term dabbah refers to animals that walk on the surface of the earth. While Rasulullah Ṣallallāhu ʿAlaihi Wa Sallam referred to it as reptiles in his words.

A hadith from Hudzaifah bin Usaid al-Ghifari Raḍiyallāhu ʿAnhu relates:

“Rasulullah Ṣallallāhu ʿAlaihi Wa Sallam watched us from our room while we were discussing about the Day of Judgment. Then he said, ‘The Day of Judgment will not occur until you see ten signs: the rising of the sun from the west, a cloud of smoke, the appearance of animals (dabbah), the emergence of Gog and Magog, the descent of Isa bin Maryam, the appearance of Dajjal, and three landslides; landslides in the west, landslides in the east, and landslides in the Arabian Peninsula, and fire that comes out from under the earth ‘Adn which will lead people to their gathering places at night and during the day.’” (HR Ahmad)

In the the book An Nihayah Fitan wa Ahwal Akhir az Zaman written by Ibnu Katsir and translated by Anshori Umar Sitangan and Imron Hasan, it is explained that the main task dabbah is to give a sign to people—distinguishing between those who believe and those who disbelieve. Some scholars interpret that this mark will appear on each person’s forehead, as a form of clarity of their spiritual identity.

Then, when dabbah will appear? Ibnu Kathir said that this animal will emerge at a time when human moral decay reaches its nadir, where they no longer obey the commands of Allah Subḥānahu wa Taʿālā and even destroy straight religion. In such circumstances, Allah Subḥānahu wa Taʿālā will bring this creature out of the earth to speak to humans about their deeds which have deviated far from the truth. The scholars also stated that emergence dabbah occurred after the disappearance of Gog and Magog and the death of the Prophet ʿĪsā ʿAlaihissalām. During that time, slander became rampant again, and people became increasingly wicked and disbelieving. In the midst of these conditions, dabbah will carry out its duties, giving signs to believers and unbelievers, before finally disappearing after the sinners repent.

In the hadith history from Abdullah bin Amr Raḍiyallāhu ʿAnhu, the time of appearance is mentioned dabbah:

“I memorized from Rasulullah Ṣallallāhu ʿAlaihi Wa Sallam a hadith that I will never forget. I heard him say, ‘Indeed, the first signs are the rising of the sun from the west and the exit of animals (dabbah) to humans at the time of Dhuha.

Another explanation is mentioned in the book Defamation & End Times Disasters by Abu Fatiah Al Adnani. There, Ibn Hajar also reinforced that dabbah will appear on the day when the sun rises from the west—a great sign indicating that the world is nearing its end.

Regarding the location of appearance dabbahThe most famous opinion comes from the interpretation of Ibn Kathir’s Tafsir which states that this animal first appeared from the holy city of Mecca. Although there are also other views regarding the location of the appearance, the following hadith provides a fairly clear picture. From Buraidah Raḍiyallāhu ʿAnhu, it is narrated:

“I went out with Rasulullah Ṣallallāhu ʿAlaihi Wa Sallam to a place on the outskirts of the city of Makkah. When we arrived at dry, sandy land, he said, ‘A creeping animal will come out of this place, from the ground. The hole where it came out is only one inch long and wide.'”

God bless.

As Muslims, understand the signs of the apocalypse such as its appearance dabbah not only to broaden your knowledge, but also as a reminder to always maintain your faith and good deeds until the end of your life. Let’s make the best use of our time to get closer to Allah Subḥānahu wa Taʿālā, including by worshiping in the holy land.

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