INAMULLAH MASROOR, QADIAN
A few weeks ago, I watched a haunting documentary that shook me to my core. It showed how some nations hunted and slaughtered whales—not for food, not for survival—but for spermaceti. This rare waxy substance found in the head cavities of sperm whales was once used in lamps, but more disturbingly, it was used as a lubricative agent in intercontinental ballistic missiles—tools of mass destruction.
What was even more disturbing was the technology used to carry out this brutality. Explosive harpoons—massive mechanical guns weighing around 2.5 tonnes—are fired at whales. These harpoons would pierce deep into the whale’s body, and upon impact, the explosives attached to them would detonate like a bomb.[1] A majestic, peaceful creature torn apart ruthlessly, just to harvest oil that would later power the engines of death.
The idea that a magnificent creature, created with such beauty and grace, could be killed to fuel instruments designed to destroy humanity left me speechless. And a question screamed in my mind: Who could be a greater terrorist than those who destroy beauty to build weapons of annihilation?
This thought, though disturbing, opened the door to a deeper reflection—one that forced me to reinterpret many historical events and compelled me to view them from a perspective I had not fully considered before. When seen through this lens, especially in light of Prophetic warnings, these instances appeared not as isolated incidents but as part of a broader deception, carefully orchestrated yet hidden in plain sight.
Lies disguised as facts
One of the most effective tools employed by dominant global powers today is deception, strategically used to control narratives, suppress dissent, and tighten their grip over nations and peoples.
An evident example of this manipulation can be seen in the case of Africa. In recent times, Burkina Faso’s President, Ibrahim Traoré, has become a leading voice in exposing the false narratives used to justify Africa’s exploitation. He has repeatedly highlighted how Africa has long been the target of deceit, control, and exploitation under the guise of democracy and development. He calls for unity among African nations and a bold resistance to neocolonialism that hides behind media narratives, foreign aid, and economic manipulation.
Rather than being a mere political rhetoric, Traoré’s views reflect a cry against the system that enshrouds the world in deception, branding oppression as liberation and theft as aid.
All these compelled me to revisit the warnings of the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa about a mysterious force called Dajjal—a name often misunderstood and mystified.
Rethinking the Dajjal: Not a monster, but a system
Dajjal is generally perceived as a horrifying one-eyed creature believed to appear at the end of time. But what if this terrifying figure is a metaphor? What if Dajjal is not a person, but a system—one that already surrounds us, infiltrates our minds, and moulds our worldview without us realising it? To uncover this truth, we must first explore the roots of the word ‘dajjal’ itself.
The Arabic word دجال (dajjal) stems from the root د ج ل (D–J–L), a trio of letters. In Arabic morphology, such sets (typically composed of three letters and occasionally four) convey a distinct and foundational meaning. However, more interestingly, these sets also carry an underlying connotation, which is quite often—if not always—shared by the different permutations of the same letters.
Let us take the example of the word ‘dajjal’ itself and see how its base letters—when arranged in different sequences—maintain the meanings that are common to the concept of Dajjal:
دَجَل (dajala): To lie, deceive or obscure the truth.[2] This is the central essence of Dajjal. It refers to the act of coating a truth with falsehood, or to camouflage it with half-truths or appealing lies. It may also be noted that ‘dajjal’ is the hyperbolic participle of the root ‘dajal’, marking an increase or intensity in the meanings of falsehood and deception inherently contained in the word. Thus, ‘dajjal’ implies a being who is extremely untruthful and highly deceptive.
جَدَل (jadala): To debate or argue.[3] We clearly see how argumentation and the art of spinning narratives constitute the major tactics of the world powers. Think of global media, academic dominance, and ideological warfare.
جَلَد (jalada): To force or punish.[4] In the context of global power dynamics, it implies the imposition of authority through coercive means—military invasions, economic sanctions, and the use of sheer might to bend nations to their will.
In addition to this, yet another linguistic analysis of the word ‘dajjal’ makes this connection chillingly clearer. The English word ‘gold’ is transliterated to Arabic as جولد (jould), sharing the same root letters (J-L-D) as discussed above.
Two of the most respected Arabic lexicons, Al-Munjid and Lisan al-Arab, mention that the word ‘dajjal’ can symbolically refer to ذهب (zahab), the Arabic term for gold; and ماء الذهب (maa’ al-zahab),[5] meaning ‘liquid gold’—a reference often used for petroleum.
The Founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, has also pointed out this unique connection. He says:
“In English, the word for ‘sona’ is gold, which is written with the English letters ‘g’, ‘o’, ‘l’, and ‘d’. This is the Arabic word for Dajjal in an anagram. In Arabic, ‘dajjal’ means gold.”[6]
This clearly implies that Dajjal is not only a master of deception but also a symbol of extreme materialism and wealth-driven control, especially over precious resources like gold and oil.
Signs of Dajjal mentioned by Prophetsa
This understanding of Dajjal as a materialistic power characterised by sheer lying and deceiving tactics is further supported by the description of Dajjal provided by the Holy Prophetsa.
The Holy Prophetsa described Dajjal as an extreme liar.[7] The word کذّاب (kazzab) occurring here is, again, the hyperbolic participle of the root ‘kizb’ (untruth), hence intensifying its meaning. This is in addition to the inherent meaning of lying and deception contained in the word ‘dajjal’ as discussed earlier.
Another narration mentions that Dajjal would present water as fire and fire as water[8]—a clear metaphor for manipulating truth and twisting narratives, branding harm as benefit and vice versa.
Similarly, the materialistic greed of Dajjal has been accurately indicated by the Holy Prophetsa through another detail: the blindness of the right eye.[9] In Islamic symbolism, the right side is often associated with spiritual insight, righteousness, and divine guidance. Dajjal’s blindness on this side signifies a complete lack of spiritual and moral vision, while having an insatiable thirst for worldly provisions and power.
Moreover, the Holy Prophetsa advised reciting the first and last ten verses of the Quranic chapter Al-Kahf as a protection against Dajjal’s influence,[10] providing yet another significant insight regarding the concept. It may be noted that these verses refute the Trinitarian ideology, clearly implying that Dajjal would be associated with such doctrines. This closely aligns with the actions of modern Western powers, which promote Trinitarian Christianity, use religion to mask expansionism and material greed, and glorify secularism while attacking the foundations of true monotheism.
Connecting the dots: Deception, power, gold and petroleum
Bringing all the threads together, we get a very clear picture.
At its core, Dajjal operates through deception and obscuration of truth. It hides falsehood behind attractive slogans like liberty, progress, and democracy, while promoting spiritual death and moral chaos. It dominates and controls global narratives, framing every major debate—from climate change to politics—through a Western lens. It uses military and technological superiority—and likewise the real currencies of control such as gold and oil—to invade, control, and silence other nations.
This understanding paints Dajjal not as a mythical figure of the future, but as an ever-present system of deception disguised as modernity, progress, and freedom.
In other words, Dajjal is a worldview with a single, distorted lens that glorifies technology but forgets God; promotes material wealth but erodes morality; and preaches freedom while subtly enslaving minds to consumerism, lust, and spiritual emptiness.
One-eyed modernity: Understanding the deception and the way forward
Dajjal is not coming; it is already here. It does not knock on your door; it streams into your homes, fills your textbooks, dictates your economies, and shapes your desires. But once you see the deception, you begin to wake up.
This article is a call to that awakening; to recognise the beauty of faith, the clarity of truth, and the importance of spiritual resistance in a world where killing a whale for oil is justified in the name of progress, and destroying humanity for profit is called national defence.
Who then is the real terrorist?
The answer, perhaps, lies not in distant monsters, but in the systems we have been taught to admire.
Inamullah is a graduate of Jamia Ahmadiyya Qadian, the Ahmadiyya Institute of Languages and Theology. He currently serves in the national publications department of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.
END NOTES
[1] Whales Take up to Two Hours to Die After Being Harpooned, Icelandic Report Finds, 8 May 2023, The Guardian
[2] Lisan al-Arab
[3] Aqrab al-Mawarid
[4] Ibid
[5] Al-Munjid and Lisan al-Arab, discussed under ‘dajal’
[6] Malfuzat, v. 7, p. 212
[7] Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab at-Tawhid (Book on the Oneness of God)
[8] Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Fitan (Book on Afflictions and the End of the World)
[9] Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab at-Ta’beer (Book on the Interpretation of Dreams)
[10] Sahih Muslim, Kitab Salat al-Musafirin wa Qasriha (Book on the Prayers of Travellers and the shortening of Prayers)
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