Indeed, Muslim and al-Tirmidhī narrated from Abū Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, who said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: “There are three things which, when they appear, no soul will benefit from its faith if it had not believed before or earned any good through its faith: the sun rising from the west, the Dajjāl, and the Beast of the earth” (1).
2 — The Quran mentions the descent of Jesus, peace be upon him, and Jesus is the one who will kill the Dajjāl. It therefore suffices to mention the Messiah of guidance without mentioning the messiah of misguidance. It is customary among the Arabs to mention one of two opposites and omit the other.
3 — He is mentioned in the words of Allah Most High:
“Surely the creation of the heavens and the earth is greater than the creation of humankind” [Ghāfir: 57].
What is meant by “humankind” here is the Dajjāl, with the whole being used to refer to one of its parts.
Abū al-Āliyah (2) said: “That is, it is greater than the creation of the Dajjāl, whom the Jews magnified” (3).
Ibn Hajar said: “If this is established, it is the best of the answers. It would then be among the matters that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, undertook to explain. Allah knows best” (4).