Era of Falsehood: Islamic Scholar Warns of the “Age of Deceit” Before Dajjal’s Arrival

In his Friday sermon at Jamia Masjid in Bhatkal, Islamic scholar Abdul Aleem Khateeb Nadwi continued his series on end-times tribulations, focusing on the profound moral and social decay that will precede the emergence of Dajjal (the False Messiah).

The scholar explained that before Dajjal himself appears, the world will experience an “Age of Deceit” (Sanawat Khadda’at), a period characterized by the complete inversion of truth and falsehood, as foretold in the Hadiths of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

“The Prophet said a time of great deception is coming,” stated Nadwi. “In it, the liar will be believed, and the truthful will be called liars. The traitor will be trusted, and the trustworthy will be accused of betrayal.”

He painted a stark picture of a society where every value is turned upside down: evil is presented as good, immorality is normalized and glamorized, and righteous people are slandered while corrupt individuals are celebrated as heroes. This, he explained, is the essence of “Dajjalism” – a systemic fraud that reshapes reality itself.

The sermon highlighted several specific signs of this era drawn from prophetic tradition:

• The Rise of the Incompetent: Foolish and ignorant people (Ruwaibida) will be elevated to positions of authority and influence, speaking on matters of public importance despite having no wisdom or understanding.
• The Disappearance of the Noble: Virtuous and knowledgeable people will be marginalized and disappear from public life, while the lowly and undeserving will become prominent.
• The Loss of Moral Discernment: Society will lose the ability to distinguish truth from falsehood. Even when people see the truth with their own eyes, they will lack the capacity or will to accept it.

Nadwi drew direct parallels to contemporary society, criticizing modern media as a “factory of falsehood” that manipulates language to legitimize vice and demonize virtue. He warned that when merit, integrity, and lineage are replaced by wealth, partisanship, and corruption as criteria for leadership, societal collapse becomes inevitable.

“This is the preamble to Dajjal’s arrival,” he cautioned. “If we do not pay attention now and strive to establish society on the foundations of truth and justice, it is not far that an era will come where ‘Dajjalism’ enters our society screaming and tearing through everything. May Allah protect us.”

The scholar concluded by urging the congregation to use this prophetic knowledge as a lens to critically examine society, steadfastly distinguish between right and wrong, and actively work to uphold truth before the final trial manifests in its full form.