“Then I shall emerge and travel throughout the earth. Within forty nights, I shall leave no town without descending upon it, except Mecca and Taybah (1), both of which are forbidden to me. Whenever I seek to enter either one of them—the narration varies between the feminine and masculine forms of ‘one’—an angel will confront me with a drawn sword and bar me from it. At every pass leading into each city, there are angels guarding it” (2).

It is also established that the Dajjāl will not enter four mosques: the Sacred Mosque, the Mosque of Medina, the mosque at Mount Sinai, and al-Aqsa Mosque.

Imam Ahmad narrated from Junādah ibn Abī Umayyah al-Azdī, who said: “A man of the Ansar and I went to one of the Companions of the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—and said, ‘Tell us what you heard the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—say about the Dajjāl’ ...” He then related the hadith and said: “He will remain on earth for forty mornings, during which he will reach every watering place, but he will not approach four mosques: the Sacred Mosque, the Mosque of Medina, the mosque at Mount Sinai, and al-Aqsa Mosque” (3).

As for the report in the two Sahih collections (4) that the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—saw a curly-haired man,