are unfamiliar; for the Beast that speaks to people and distinguishes the believer from the unbeliever is something contrary to the established order.

As for the sun rising from the west, it will be an utterly astounding event and the first of the celestial signs.

As for the appearance of the False Messiah, the descent of Jesus son of Mary—peace be upon him—from heaven, and the emergence of Gog and Magog: although they will appear before the sun rises from the west and before the Beast emerges, they are nevertheless human beings, and seeing them and their like is among familiar occurrences. This is unlike the emergence of the Beast and the sun rising from the west, which are not familiar occurrences. (1)

What appears correct is that Ibn Hajar’s view should be relied upon. The mere emergence of the False Messiah as a human being is not itself the sign. Rather, the sign is his emergence in the extraordinary state in which he will appear: although human, he will command the sky to send down rain, and it will rain; he will command the earth to bring forth vegetation, and it will do so; and he will possess such-and-such other unfamiliar things, as will be discussed in the section on the False Messiah.

Thus, the False Messiah is in fact the first of the unfamiliar terrestrial signs.

Al-Tībī (2) said: