used to seek refuge during the prayer from the trial of the Dajjal, and he also instructed his community to do the same, saying:

“O Allah, we seek refuge in You from the punishment of Hell, from the torment of the grave, from the trials of life and death, and from the trial of the Messiah al-Dajjal.”

This supplication is related by Anas, Abu Hurayrah, ‘A’ishah, Ibn ‘Abbas, Sa‘d, ‘Amr ibn Shu‘ayb—from his father, from his grandfather—and others. (1)

Our teacher, the ḥadith master Abu ‘Abd Allah al-Dhahabi, said: “Seeking refuge from the Dajjal is mass-transmitted from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.”

Another protection is to memorize verses from Surah al-Kahf. Abu Dawud reported: “Hafs ibn ‘Umar narrated to us; Hammam related to us from Qatadah; Salim ibn Abi al-Ja‘d narrated from Ma‘dan, from Abu al-Darda’, conveying it from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, who said:

‘Whoever memorizes ten verses from the beginning of Surah al-Kahf will be safeguarded from the trial of the Dajjal.’”

Abu Dawud added: “Hisham al-Dastuwa’i reported the same from Qatadah but said, ‘Whoever memorizes from the closing passages of Surah al-Kahf’; and Shu‘bah narrated from Qatadah: ‘From the end of al-Kahf.’” (2)

Muslim likewise collected it through the chains of Hammam, Hisham, and Shu‘bah from Qatadah with varying wording. Al-Tirmidhi graded it ‘sound and authentic,’ and one of his versions reads: “the first three verses of Surah al-Kahf.”

Ahmad narrated it through Yazid ibn Harun, ‘Affan, and ‘Abd al-Samad from Hammam, from Qatadah, with the wording: “Whoever memorizes ten verses from the beginning of Surah al-Kahf will be protected from the Dajjal.” He also reported it through Rawh from Sa‘id, from Qatadah in similar terms, through Husayn from Shayban from Qatadah, and through Ghundar and Hajjaj from Shu‘bah from Qatadah, who said: “Whoever memorizes ten verses from the end of Surah al-Kahf will be safeguarded from the trial of the Dajjal.” (3)

Another safeguard is to keep away from him so as not to see him, for whoever sees him is at risk of temptation, as previously mentioned in the hadith of ‘Imran ibn Husayn: “Whoever hears of the Dajjal should keep his distance, for by Allah, a man may go to him thinking himself a believer, yet he will follow him because of the doubts he stirs up.” (4)

Among the protections against the Dajjal’s trial is to reside in the Prophet’s City and in Mecca—may Allah exalt them both. Al-Bukhari and Muslim narrated, through Imam Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) from Nu‘aym al-Mujmir