We did not intend anything but good. Then he said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) told us: `The Dajjal will emerge from a land in the East called Khurasan and he will be followed by people with faces like hammered shields.”
Hadith Commentary: The Emergence of Dajjal
This narration from Musnad Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (ra) in Musnad Ahmad (Musnad Ahmad 33) describes the emergence of the False Messiah (Dajjal) from the eastern region of Khurasan, accompanied by followers with distinctive facial features resembling hammered shields.
Geographical Significance of Khurasan
Classical scholars identify Khurasan as the vast eastern Islamic territory encompassing parts of modern-day Iran, Afghanistan, and Central Asia. Its designation as the Dajjal's origin point signifies the emergence of major fitnah (tribulation) from the eastern frontiers of the Muslim world.
Ibn Kathir notes that many signs of the Hour will manifest from the East, with Khurasan serving as a specific locus for this momentous event in eschatological prophecy.
Description of Dajjal's Followers
The phrase "faces like hammered shields" (wujūhuhum kal-marāṣīʿ) indicates followers with broad, flattened, and hardened facial features. Al-Qurtubi explains this denotes people of coarse appearance and harsh countenances, reflecting their inner spiritual corruption and readiness for destruction.
Al-Tabari comments that the shield imagery suggests both physical distinctiveness and metaphorical hardness of heart—these followers will be numerous and fiercely committed to the Dajjal's false cause.
Spiritual Lessons and Warnings
This hadith serves as a divine warning to remain steadfast in faith and recognize the signs of ultimate deception. Scholars emphasize that knowledge of such prophecies strengthens believers' vigilance against fitan (trials).
Ibn Taymiyyah advises that understanding these signs should increase reliance on authentic Islamic teachings and protection through regular supplications against Dajjal's trial, particularly in prayers.