This is an error on the part of all of them. He does not claim prophethood, such that the extraordinary things accompanying him might be taken as confirmation of his claim. Rather, he claims divinity, yet his claim is itself belied by his outward condition: the evident signs that he is a created being, his physical deformity, his inability to remove the defect in his eyes, and his inability to erase the testimony to his unbelief written between them.

Because of these and other signs, none but the rabble among the people will be deceived by him—driven by need and destitution, hoping merely to stave off starvation, acting out of self-protection, or fearing his harm. His trial will be so immense that it will overwhelm minds and bewilder intellects. Moreover, he will travel swiftly across the earth and will not remain long enough for the weak to reflect upon his condition and the signs of createdness and imperfection within him. It is under these circumstances that those who believe him will do so.

For this reason, all the prophets—may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon them—warned against his trial and drew attention to his imperfection and the proofs that invalidate his claim.

As for those whom Allah grants success, they will neither be deceived by him nor beguiled by what accompanies him, because of the proofs we have mentioned that belie him and because of their prior knowledge of his condition. Hence, the man whom he kills and then restores to life will say to him, ‘You have only increased my insight concerning you.’” (1)

Al-Hāfiz Ibn Kathīr—may Allah have mercy on him—said: “Allah will test His servants through the Dajjāl by means of the extraordinary, observable phenomena that He will create alongside him during his time. As stated previously, when someone responds to him, he will command the sky and it will rain upon them, and the earth will produce crops from which both they and their livestock will eat. Their livestock will return to them fat and full of milk. Those who do not respond to him and reject his command will be afflicted by drought, barrenness, famine, scarcity, the death of livestock, and loss of wealth