Nobody asked the Prophet (ﷺ) as many questions as I asked regarding Ad-Dajjal. The Prophet (ﷺ) said to me, "What worries you about him?" I said, "Because the people say that he will have a mountain of bread and a river of water with him (i.e. he will have abundance of food and water)" The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Nay, he is too mean to be allowed such a thing by Allah"' (but it is only to test mankind whether they believe in Allah or in Ad-Dajjal.)
Afflictions and the End of the World
Sahih al-Bukhari 7122
Hadith Commentary
This narration from the esteemed companion Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) reveals the profound concern the early Muslims had regarding the trials of Ad-Dajjal. The Prophet's response illuminates that Dajjal's apparent provisions are not blessings but divine tests.
Allah grants Ad-Dajjal these manifestations not as honor but as fitnah (trial) to distinguish the believers from the disbelievers. The true believer will recognize these as deception, while the weak in faith will be misled by superficial appearances.
The Prophet's clarification that Ad-Dajjal is "too mean" emphasizes that these apparent blessings are actually part of his punishment and a means to expose his falsehood. True sustenance comes only from Allah's mercy, not from the deceptions of false claimants to divinity.
Scholarly Insights
Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani comments in Fath al-Bari that this hadith demonstrates how worldly provisions can become trials when separated from proper spiritual understanding.
Al-Qurtubi notes that the abundance described represents the ultimate material temptation, testing whether people prioritize temporal comforts over eternal truth.
This teaching prepares believers to evaluate all blessings through the lens of divine purpose rather than mere material appearance.