As Salaamu Alaikum

I heard that there are some scholars who say that there might be some from the people of Ya’jooj and Majooj who are Muslims? Can you please explain this?

Jazaak Allahu Khairan

 

Wa Alaikum As Salaam,

It is clearly evident from the teachings of the Quran and Ahadith that Yajooj and Majooj were two unbelieving groups who lived at the time of Dhul Qarnain, and he built a barrier from iron and copper between two mountains to block them from the people. Allah mentions this incident in the Holy Quran and states in Surah Kahf:

 [18:93] Until, when he (Zul-Qarnain) reached (a tract) between two mountains, he found, beneath them, a people who scarcely understood a word. [18:94] They said: “O Zul-qarnain! the Gog and Magog (People) do great mischief on earth: shall we then render thee tribute in order that thou mightest erect a barrier between us and them? [18:95] He said: “(The power) in which my Lord has established me is better (than tribute): Help me therefore with strength (and labour): I will erect a strong barrier between you and them: [18:96] “Bring me blocks of iron.” At length, when he had filled up the space between the two steep mountain-sides, He said, “Blow (with your bellows)” Then, when he had made it (red) as fire, he said: “Bring me, that I may pour over it, molten lead.” [18:97] Thus were they made powerless to scale it or to dig through it. [18:98] He said: “This is a mercy from my Lord: But when the promise of my Lord comes to pass, He will make it into dust; and the promise of my Lord is true.” [18:99] On that day We shall leave them to surge like waves on one another: the trumpet will be blown, and We shall collect them all together’.

The above verses show that both these tribes (Gog and Magog) existed a long time ago, and were present at the time of Dhul Qarnain. They created great mischief on the land among people and were disbelievers in Allah and His prophets. On account of their evils, Dhul Qarnain erected a very strong wall between them and the people, so that the people would be safe and secured from their harms.

The above verses also mention that though the Yajooj and Majooj tribes/groups were blocked and made powerless (at that time) to scale the wall and dig through it, they will one day be able to break through the wall and come out from isolation.

It is about this the verse refers to when it states. ‘But when the promise of my lord comes, He shall level it down. And the promise of My lord is ever true. And on that Day (i.e the day Yajooj and Majooj will come out), we shall leave them to surge like waves on one another, and the Trumpet will be blown, and we shall collect them all together – (18-85-99)

The Ahadith have also spoken about the mischief and Fitnah that will be caused by the Yajooj and Majooj.

In this regard, it is narrated from Abu Saeed Al Khudri (R.A) that the Messenger of Allah said, ‘An opening will be made for Yajooj and Majooj and they will come out just as Allah says: ‘Travelling quickly through every mound’. The people will move, frighten and startled, betaking themselves away from them to their cities and fortresses. And they will bring their livestock along with them. The people of Yajooj and Majooj will wander and drink the water of the earth. One of them will pass by a river and say, ‘There used to be a time where there was water here’. When every single person will have sought refuge in a city or fortress, one from Yajooj and Majooj will say, ‘These are the inhabitants of the earth, and we have finished with them. There remain the inhabitants of the sky, ‘One of them will rock his spear and launch it towards the sky. It will return to them, dyed in blood, as a trial and test. While they are upon that state, Allah will send a disease in their necks, like Naghaf (a kind of worm) of Al Jaraad, which will go into their necks. They will all die, and not a sound will be heard from them. The Muslims will say, ‘Would that a man sells his soul (for paradise) and goes to see what the enemy has done. A man from them will take the task upon himself, seeking reward for his soul (i.e for dying) he thinks that he will indeed die. He will descend, finding them all to be dead, heaped on top of one another. He will call out, ‘O group of Muslims, Lo Rejoice! Indeed, Allah has saved you from your enemies. They will come out from their cities and fortress, and they will send their livestock to graze, but they will find no pasture except for their meat (i.e the meat of Yajooj and Majooj – meaning that their corpses will be covering every space of land). Their livestock will find nourishment from them, just as they found nourishment from the plants they reaped.’

(Ahmad; Ibn Majah related it from Younus Ibn Bukair from Muhammad Ibn Ishaaq in a chain that is good). (An Nihaya Fil Fitan wal Malahim – Ibn Katheer pages 155,156)

In a Hadith of An-Nawaas Ibn Sam’aan, after he mentioned that Isa (A.S) will kill the Dajjaal at the eastern door of Lud, the Prophet (S.A.W) said, ‘While he is upon that state, Allah will inspire Isa (A.S) that, ‘I indeed released slaves of mine, slaves that you do not have the ability to fight. So, gather my slaves and take them to the Mountain.’ Allah will then send Yajooj and Majooj and they are as Allah says: ‘travelling quickly through every mound’. Allah’s Prophet, Isa (A.S), and his companions will supplicate to Allah, and He will send to them (i.e to Yajooj and Majooj) An-Naghaf (worms that are in the noses of camels and sheep) in their necks, and then they will fall down dead like death of a single soul. Allah’s Prophet, Isa (A.S), and his companions will supplicate to Allah, and He will send birds, who have necks like Bukht (camels with long necks). They will carry them and throw them (the decaying corpses) wherever Allah wills – Ka’ab Al Ahbaar said: in a place called Al-Maihyal at the rising of the sun. Then Allah will send rain that neither a house of dry clay nor of Wabar (literally, hair) will prevent. It will continue for forty days on the earth, leaving it like Zalafah (mirror, indicating that the entire earth will be washed clean). Then it will be said to the earth, ‘grow your fruits and bring back your blessings.’ At the time, a group will eat from a single pomegranate and find shade in its shell, until the Prophet (S.A.W) said, ‘While they are upon that state, Allah will send a good wind, which will take them from underneath their armpits; it will take the soul of every Muslim, or he said, ‘every believer’. The most evil of people will remain, and they will engage in sexual intercourse out in the open as donkeys do, upon them the hour will arrive.’  (An Nihaya Fil Fitan wal Malahim (Ibn Katheer) pages 156-157)

From the above authentic narrations of the Prophet (S.A.W), it is evident that : –

  1. The tribes of Yajooj and Majooj who will emerge at the time of the Dajaal, will be so wicked, evil and cruel, that all the other people will run away from them.
  2. They will create great mischief on the earth and will kill all the other people, to the extent that they will say, ‘These are the inhabitants of the earth, and we have finished with them – that is, we have killed all of them’.
  3. They will then vow to kill the inhabitants of the sky and throw spears or shoot arrows towards the sky in order to destroy the creation of the sky.
  4. As a punishment, Allah will send a disease upon them and destroy all of them.
  5. As for the believers, they will be with Isa (A.S) on a mountain and will be protected from the evils and mischief of the Yajooj and Majooj.
  6. Both these tribes/groups will be totally annihilated and destroyed, and Allah will send large birds to pick up their decaying bodies and throw them into the sea.

All the above clearly indicate that the tribes/groups known as Yajooj and Majooj would all be unbelievers, and none from among them would be believers/Muslims.

And Allah Knows best

Mufti Waseem Khan

28/11/2024