First of all, we’d like to state that the arrival of the Dajjal is one of the greatest signs of the Day of Judgment. He will have a paradise and fire with him, but his paradise is hell and his hell is paradise. So, those who will follow him—and most of them will be from the Jews—will enter his paradise which is hell and those who will not believe him will enter his hell which is paradise. He will be accompanied by rivers of water and mountains of bread. He will order the skies to rain, and they will obey his orders. He will order the soil to sprout, and it will yield to his orders. He will have the treasures of the earth under his power, and he will move throughout the earth quickly, in addition to many other supernatural phenomena.
One can be protected against him by sincerely believing in Allah Almighty, by asking for Allah’s protection against the evil he will cause, by memorizing the beginning and end of surat Al-Kahf, and by avoiding the place in which he will exist.
All these procedures were mentioned in the sound hadiths. It was reported from Hudhaifah (may Allah be pleased with him) that Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “The Dajjal is one-eyed (cannot see with his left one). His hair is disheveled. He has a heaven and a hell with him; yet his hell is a heaven, and his heaven is a hell.” (Reported by Muslim)
Hudhaifah also reported that Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “I have more knowledge about what the Antichrist will have with him than he himself does. He has two flowing rivers with him. One of them is seen clearly by the eyes as
clear water and the other is seen as blazing fire. When a Muslim witnesses his time, he has to go to the river that he views as fire and close his eyes, lower his head and drink from it, for it is cold water.” (Reported by Muslim)
It was mentioned in the hadith reported by An-Nawwas ibn Sam`an (may Allah be pleased with him) concerning the Antichrist that the Companions said, “O Allah’s Messenger! How long will he stay on earth?” He answered, “Forty days, a day like a year and a day like a month and a day like a week and the rest of his days will be like your days.” They said, “How fast will he be on earth?” He said, “Like the rain when pushed forward by the wind. He will go to some people and ask them to follow him and they will believe in him and obey him. He will then order the heavens to rain and they will rain and order the land to produce plants and it will produce. Hence, their pastures will be more productive and the udders of the cattle will have plenty of milk and their flocks will multiply. Then he will go to other people and ask them to follow him, but they will reject him and refuse his talk; then he will leave them and they will wake up to find themselves ruined and possessing nothing of their money. He will pass by a ruin and say to it, ‘Get out your treasures.’ Then its treasures will follow him as male bees follow the females. He will ask for a bright man and he will strike him with the sword and cut him into two pieces. Then he will call him, and the man will come to him while his face will be cheerful and smiling.” (Reported by Muslim)
It was mentioned in the narration of Al-Bukhari from Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) that this man whom the Dajjal kills is one of the best people. He will go to confront the Dajjal from the city of Allah’s Messenger, Madinah, and say to the Dajjal, “I witness that you are the Dajjal whom Allah’s Messenger told us about.” the Dajjal will say, “What do you say if I killed that man and then brought him to life again? Do you suspect me then?” People will say, “No.” Then he will kill him and restore him back to life. The man will say, “I swear to Allah I have not been more certain about you than I am now.” The Dajjal will then try to kill him but fail.
Protection against the ordeals and temptations of the Dajjal
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) taught his Ummah about what will protect them against the fitnah (temptation or trial) of the Dajjal. He left his Ummah on a path that is clear, and no one deviates from it except the one who is doomed. He did not leave any good thing without pointing it out to his Ummah, or any evil thing without warning them against it. Among the things which he warned us against was the fitnah of the Dajjal, because it is the greatest fitnah that the Ummah will face until the Hour comes. In light of the Sunnah, the most important ways to protect us against the great fitnah of the Dajjal are:
1. Recognize the reality of the Dajjal with his claims to be a god and his feature as being one-eyed. And recognize that Allah Almighty is far above any defect. Sincere faith protects the believers against any trials, so there is nothing better than taking true belief in Allah as a protective weapon in addition to clinging to Allah’s strong bond.
2. Ask for Allah’s protection against the Dajjal, especially in the Prayers, as reported in many sound Hadiths. `A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said that Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) used to supplicate in his prayers, “Oh Allah! I seek Your protection against the torment of the grave and against the fitnah of the Dajjal.” (Reported by Al-Bukhari and Muslim.)
Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) said that Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “When anyone of you says Tashahhud in Prayers, may he ask for Allah’s protection against four things saying: ‘Oh my Lord! I seek Your protection against the torment of Hell, the torment of the grave, the trial of life and death, and from the evil of the trial of the Dajjal.’” (Reported by Muslim.)
3. Learn by heart and recite some verses of surat Al-Kahf. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asked us to recite the opening verses of surat Al-Kahf on the Dajjal and in some narrations it was mentioned that the last verses should be recited on him. Therefore, reading the first or last ten verses of Al-Kahf is recommended as a protection against the Dajjal. It was reported on the authority of An-Nawas ibn Sam`an At-Tawil that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “The one who witnesses him should read the opening verses of surat Al-Kahf on him.” (Reported by Muslim)
Abu Ad-Darda’ (may Allah be pleased with him) is reported to have said that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “The one who knows by heart ten verses of surat Al-Kahf will be protected against the Dajjal (against his trials).”
4. Flee from the Dajjal and keep far away from him when he emerges. The best way is to live in Makkah or Madinah, and the places which the Dajjal will not enter. When the Dajjal emerges, Muslims should keep far away from him because of the confusion he will cause and the mighty wonders that he will have with him, which Allah will cause to happen at his hands in order to test mankind. A man will come to him, thinking that he is a strong believer, then he will follow the Dajjal. We ask Allah to grant us and all the Muslims refuge from his fitnah.

`Imran ibn Husain (may Allah be pleased with him) is reported to have said that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Whoever hears of the Dajjal, let him keep far away from him, for a man will come to him and think that he is telling the truth because of the wonders that are sent with him.” (Reported by Ahmad, Abu Dawud and Al-Hakim)