Islam teaches that the Day of Judgement will be preceded by signs. The minor signs are moral and social changes, many of which have already appeared. The ten major signs, listed in Sahih Muslim 2901, are extraordinary events that come close to the end, including the Dajjal, the return of Jesus, Gog and Magog, and the sun rising from the west.
Online lists of the signs often mix authentic hadith with weak reports and confident predictions. This guide sets out what the Quran and the major hadith collections actually say, separates the signs that have happened from those that have not, and explains how Muslims are taught to relate to them. To see the greatest of these trials told scene by scene, open our interactive Dajjal journey.
Key takeaways
- The Quran says only God knows when the Hour will come, and that it will arrive "unexpectedly" (Quran 7:187).
- Sahih Muslim 2901 lists ten major signs: the smoke, the Dajjal, the beast, the sun rising from the west, the descent of Jesus, Gog and Magog, three great landslides, and a fire from Yemen.
- The Prophet Muhammad described his own coming as a sign, saying he and the Hour were sent "like these two" fingers (Sahih al-Bukhari 6504).
- Sahih al-Bukhari 7131 records that every prophet warned his people about the Dajjal, a one-eyed false messiah.
- Sahih Muslim 809 teaches that memorizing the first ten verses of Surah al-Kahf protects a person from the Dajjal.
What is the Hour in Islam?
The Hour (as-Sa'ah, الساعة) is the Quran's name for the end of the world and the start of the resurrection. It is also called the Day of Judgement (Yawm ad-Din) and the Day of Resurrection (Yawm al-Qiyamah). Belief in the Last Day is one of the six articles of faith explained in our guide to what Muslims believe.
The Quran is clear that no one, not even a prophet, knows its timing:
They ask you, [O Muhammad], about the Hour: when is its arrival? Say, "Its knowledge is only with my Lord. None will reveal its time except Him. It lays heavily upon the heavens and the earth. It will not come upon you except unexpectedly." They ask you as if you are familiar with it. Say, "Its knowledge is only with Allah, but most of the people do not know."
This verse rules out every attempt to set a date. Yet the Quran also says that "already there have come [some of] its indications" (Quran 47:18).
What are the minor signs of the Day of Judgement?
The minor signs (al-'alamat as-sughra) are events and trends that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said would appear before the Hour. Most are gradual changes in society. Scholars usually sort them into signs that have already happened and signs that are ongoing or still to come.
Signs that have happened
- The coming of the Prophet himself. Sahih al-Bukhari 6504 records him holding up two fingers and saying he and the Hour were sent like these two, meaning nothing separates them but a short gap.
- The splitting of the moon. The Quran says "The Hour has come near, and the moon has split [in two]" (Quran 54:1), which Muslims understand as a miracle in the Prophet's lifetime.
- Barefoot shepherds competing in tall buildings. In the famous hadith of Jibril, recorded in Sahih Muslim 8 and Sahih al-Bukhari 50, the angel asked about the signs of the Hour. The Prophet said a slave woman would give birth to her mistress, and that poor, barefoot herders of camels would compete in constructing tall buildings.
Signs that are ongoing
Sahih al-Bukhari 80 and 81 list signs such as religious knowledge being taken away as scholars die, ignorance spreading, alcohol being drunk openly and illicit relationships becoming common. Sahih al-Bukhari 7061 adds that time will seem to pass quickly, good deeds will decrease, miserliness will spread, and there will be much harj, which the Prophet explained as killing.
Signs still to come
Sahih al-Bukhari 7119 and Sahih Muslim 2894 report that the Euphrates will uncover a mountain of gold, and that people will fight over it. The Prophet warned anyone present not to take any of it.
Scholars caution against linking every news headline to a specific hadith. Many minor signs describe broad patterns seen in different eras.
What are the 10 major signs of the Day of Judgement?
The foundational text is a hadith narrated by Hudhayfah ibn Asid al-Ghifari in Sahih Muslim 2901. The companions were discussing the Hour when the Prophet told them it would not come until they saw ten signs.
| # | Major sign | Quran reference | Hadith source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The smoke (ad-dukhan) | Quran 44:10 | Sahih Muslim 2901 |
| 2 | The Dajjal, the false messiah | (not named) | Sahih Muslim 2901; Sahih al-Bukhari 7131 |
| 3 | The beast of the earth (ad-dabbah) | Quran 27:82 | Sahih Muslim 2901 |
| 4 | The sun rising from the west | Quran 6:158 | Sahih al-Bukhari 4635 |
| 5 | The descent of Jesus, son of Mary | Quran 43:61 | Sahih al-Bukhari 3448; Sahih Muslim 2937 |
| 6 | Gog and Magog (Ya'juj wa Ma'juj) | Quran 18:94-99, 21:96 | Sahih Muslim 2937 |
| 7 | A landslide in the east | (none) | Sahih Muslim 2901 |
| 8 | A landslide in the west | (none) | Sahih Muslim 2901 |
| 9 | A landslide in the Arabian Peninsula | (none) | Sahih Muslim 2901 |
| 10 | A fire from Yemen that drives people to their gathering place | (none) | Sahih Muslim 2901 |
The hadith does not give a strict order. Many scholars hold that the Dajjal, the descent of Jesus and Gog and Magog follow one another closely, as described in Sahih Muslim 2937, and that the final sign is the fire.
On the smoke, there is an early difference of opinion. The companion Ibn Mas'ud held that the "smoke" of Quran 44:10 referred to a famine that struck Makkah in the Prophet's time (Sahih al-Bukhari 4821). Other scholars, relying on the hadith of Hudhayfah, held that a future smoke is meant. Some combine the two views.
The sun rising from the west
Sahih al-Bukhari 4635 says that when the sun rises from the west, everyone alive will believe, but that will be the time when faith no longer benefits a soul that did not believe before. The Quran describes the same moment:
The Day that some of the signs of your Lord will come no soul will benefit from its faith as long as it had not believed before or had earned through its faith some good.
Scholars therefore describe it as the sign that closes the door of repentance.
Who is the Dajjal?
The Dajjal (al-Masih ad-Dajjal, المسيح الدجال), the false messiah, is the greatest trial the Prophet warned about. Sahih al-Bukhari 7131 records that no prophet was sent without warning his people about him, and that he is blind in one eye, "and your Lord is not so," with kafir (disbeliever) written between his eyes.
The longest description comes from an-Nawwas ibn Sam'an in Sahih Muslim 2937. It says the Dajjal will stay on earth for forty days, one like a year, one like a month, one like a week, and the rest like ordinary days. He will appear to command rain and crops for those who follow him and bring drought on those who refuse. His apparent miracles are a test, and his claim to divinity is a lie. Sahih al-Bukhari 1881 adds that he will enter every town except Makkah and Madinah, which angels will guard.
Follow the whole story in the Dajjal journey on Quran Universe, which traces the warning of every prophet, the forty days, the false rain and false fire, the two protected cities and the end of the Dajjal at the gate of Ludd, all through the hadith of Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim.
How do Muslims seek protection from the Dajjal?
The Prophet gave two practical protections. Sahih Muslim 809 reports that whoever memorizes the first ten verses of Surah al-Kahf will be protected from the Dajjal, which is why many Muslims recite the surah every Friday. Our guide to the benefits of Surah al-Kahf explains these narrations. Sahih Muslim 588 also teaches Muslims to seek refuge from the trial of the Dajjal at the end of every prayer.
The return of Jesus
Islam teaches that Jesus ('Isa) was not killed or crucified but raised to God, and that he will return before the Hour. The Quran calls him a sign of the Hour:
And indeed, Jesus will be [a sign for] knowledge of the Hour, so be not in doubt of it, and follow Me. This is a straight path.
Sahih Muslim 2937 says Jesus will descend at the white minaret on the eastern side of Damascus, with his hands resting on the wings of two angels, then pursue the Dajjal and kill him at the gate of Ludd. Sahih al-Bukhari 3448 adds that he will rule with justice, break the cross and abolish the jizyah tax. For the Quran's full account of his life, see our guide to Jesus in the Quran.
Gog and Magog
Gog and Magog (Ya'juj wa Ma'juj) are two destructive peoples held back by a barrier built by the righteous king Dhul-Qarnayn, whose story is told in Quran 18:94-99. The Quran says the barrier will be leveled "when the promise of my Lord comes," and that they will then pour down "from every elevation" (Quran 21:96).
According to Sahih Muslim 2937, they appear after Jesus has killed the Dajjal. Jesus and the believers take refuge on a mountain and pray, and God destroys Gog and Magog.
How many signs are left?
Most scholars hold that none of the ten major signs in Sahih Muslim 2901 has yet appeared, so all ten remain. Many minor signs have appeared, others are ongoing, and some, such as the mountain of gold in the Euphrates, are still to come. Lists that claim the world has "only a few signs left" usually rest on speculation rather than the texts.
The figure of the Mahdi, a just leader from the Prophet's family, is also widely believed in by Sunni Muslims based on narrations in collections such as Sunan Abi Dawud. He is not one of the ten signs in Sahih Muslim 2901, and scholars have warned for centuries against people claiming to be him.
How should Muslims relate to the signs?
When a man asked when the Hour would come, the Prophet asked him what he had prepared for it. The man said he had little beyond his love for God and His Messenger, and the Prophet told him, "You will be with those whom you love" (Sahih al-Bukhari 6171). The point of the signs is action, not fear or speculation.
Sahih Muslim 2947 records the Prophet urging believers to hurry to do good deeds before six things overtake them, including the sun rising from the west, the smoke and the Dajjal. A narration in al-Adab al-Mufrad 479 goes further: if the Hour arrives while one of you holds a sapling, and you are able to plant it, plant it. Even at the end of the world, a Muslim is meant to keep doing good.
The Quran reminds people that the Hour may be near (Quran 33:63), yet for each person, death comes first. For what Islam teaches about that journey, see what happens when you die in Islam. You can also explore the end of history on the Quran Universe timeline.
Read the verses about the Hour on Quran Universe
You can read the key passages on Quran Universe with Arabic text, word-by-word meaning and Tafsir Ibn Kathir: the story of Dhul-Qarnayn and Gog and Magog in Surah al-Kahf, the verse of the smoke in Surah ad-Dukhan, and the opening of Surah al-Qamar.
Frequently asked questions
What are the 10 major signs of the Day of Judgement?
According to Sahih Muslim 2901, the ten major signs are the smoke, the Dajjal, the beast of the earth, the sun rising from the west, the descent of Jesus son of Mary, Gog and Magog, three great landslides in the east, the west and Arabia, and a fire from Yemen that drives people to their place of gathering.
What are the minor signs of the Day of Judgement?
The minor signs are social and moral changes the Prophet foretold, such as knowledge decreasing, ignorance spreading, alcohol and illicit relationships becoming common, much killing, and barefoot shepherds competing in tall buildings. They are recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari 50, 80, 81 and 7061, and Sahih Muslim 8. Many have already appeared.
How many signs of the Day of Judgement are left?
Mainstream Sunni scholars hold that all ten major signs listed in Sahih Muslim 2901 are still to come. Many minor signs have appeared or are ongoing, while a few, such as the Euphrates uncovering a mountain of gold, have not. The Quran says only God knows when the Hour will come.
Which signs of the Day of Judgement have happened?
Signs scholars consider fulfilled include the coming of the Prophet Muhammad himself, the splitting of the moon mentioned in Quran 54:1, and barefoot herders competing in constructing tall buildings. Ongoing signs include the loss of religious knowledge and the spread of killing. None of the ten major signs has happened.
Who is the Dajjal in Islam?
The Dajjal is a false messiah who will appear before the Day of Judgement, claim divine power and deceive many people. Sahih al-Bukhari 7131 describes him as blind in one eye with "kafir" written between his eyes. Sahih Muslim 2937 says he will stay forty days and be killed by Jesus at the gate of Ludd.
Can anyone know when the Day of Judgement will come?
No. The Quran states in 7:187 that knowledge of the Hour is with God alone and that it will come unexpectedly. Islamic scholars therefore reject all date predictions. The signs are meant to encourage repentance and good deeds, not to calculate a date.