–his son Yazid, in an army that included Abu Ayyub al-Ansari. They were, however, unable to conquer it. Later, Maslamah ibn ʿAbd al-Malik ibn Marwan besieged the city during the Umayyad era, but it too was not taken; rather, he concluded a treaty with its people stipulating that a mosque be built there, as we have previously explained in detail. Allah, exalted is He, knows best.

[Report on the emergence of the Dajjal after the Roman Great Battle and the conquest of Constantinople]

Before addressing that event, let us present an introduction concerning the imposters and fabricators who precede him; they are like an advance guard before his appearance, and al-Masih al-Dajjal will be the last of them—may Allah disgrace him and them and make the blaze of Hell their destination and abode.

Muslim relates in his Ṣaḥīḥ, through the chain of Shuʿbah and others, from Simak, from Jabir ibn Samurah, who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say, “Ahead of the Hour there will be liars.” Jabir added, “So beware of them.” (1)

Imam Ahmad reported: Musa narrated to us; Ibn Lahiʿah narrated to us, from Abu al-Zubayr, from Jabir, who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say, “Ahead of the Hour there will be liars: among them the impostor of al-Yamamah, the impostor of Sanʿaʾ—the ʿAnsi—the impostor of Himyar, and among them the Dajjal, who is the greatest of them in trial.” Jabir said, “Some of my companions say: ‘Close to thirty liars.’” Ahmad alone recorded this report. (2)

It is also established in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhari—from Abu al-Yaman, from Shuʿayb, from Abu al-Zinad, from al-Aʿraj, from Abu Hurayrah—that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “The Hour will not be established until imposters, liars—nearly thirty—are sent forth, each of them claiming that he is the Messenger of Allah …,” and he mentioned the rest of the hadith in full. (3)

And in Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, through the transmission of Malik, from Abu al-Zinad, from al-Aʿraj, from Abu Hurayrah, from the Prophet ﷺ, who said: “The Hour will not come until imposters, liars—nearly thirty—are sent forth, each of them claiming that he is the Messenger of Allah.” Muḥammad ibn Rafiʿ narrated to us; ʿAbd al-Razzaq narrated to us; Maʿmar narrated to us, from Hammam ibn Munabbih, from Abu Hurayrah, from the Prophet ﷺ with the same wording, except that he said “shall arise (yanbaʿith).” (4)

Imam Ahmad also said: Muḥammad ibn Jaʿfar narrated to us; Shuʿbah narrated to us; I heard al-ʿAlaʾ ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥman relate, from his father, from Abu Hurayrah, from the Prophet ﷺ, that he said: “The Hour will not be established until thirty imposters appear, each of them claiming that he is the Messenger of Allah; wealth will overflow and become abundant, tribulations will appear, and killing (al-harj) will intensify.” He said: It was asked: