the seat of the heart; thus, the breast is used as a metonym for the heart because of their close proximity. “Nothing but arrogant ambition”: Ibn Abbas said: “What drives them to deny you is only the pride and self-importance within their hearts.” “Which they will never attain”: Mujahid said: “They will not attain what that arrogance demands, for Allah will humiliate them.”

Ibn Qutaybah said: “There is within their hearts nothing but arrogance toward Muhammad and the desire to overcome him (1), but they will never attain that.”

The exegetes said: This was revealed concerning the Jews. They said to the Prophet: “Our companion, the Messiah son of David”—meaning the Dajjal—“will emerge at the end of time; his dominion will extend over land and sea, and he will restore sovereignty to us” (2). Allah Most High said: “So seek refuge in Allah,” from the tribulation of the Dajjal. “Indeed, He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.”

“Surely the creation of the heavens and the earth is greater than the creation of humankind, but most people do not know.” (57)

“The creation of the heavens and the earth,” despite their immense magnitude, “is greater”—more tremendous in people’s estimation—“than the creation of humankind,” that is, than their resurrection after death. “But most people,” meaning the disbelievers, “do not know,” since they do not infer from this the oneness of their Creator. Others said that “greater” means greater (3) than the creation of the Dajjal. “But most people do not know,” meaning the Jews who dispute concerning the matter of the Dajjal.

It is narrated from Hisham ibn Amir that he said: I heard the Messenger of Allah say: “From the creation of Adam until the Hour is established, there is no created being greater than the Dajjal” (4).

Abu Sa'id Abdullah ibn Ahmad al-Tahiri informed us; my grandfather, Abd al-Samad ibn Abd al-Rahman al-Bazzar, informed us; [Muhammad ibn Zakariyya al-Udhafiri informed us; Ishaq ibn Ibrahim al-Dabari informed us; Abd al-Razzaq narrated to us] (5); Ma'mar narrated to us from Qatadah ⦗111a⦘ from Shahr ibn Hawshab, from Asma bint Yazid al-Ansariyyah, who said: The Messenger of Allah was in my house and mentioned the Dajjal. He said: “Before his appearance there will be three years: one year in which the sky will withhold one-third of its rain and the earth one-third of its vegetation; in the second, the sky will withhold two-thirds of its rain and the earth two-thirds of its vegetation; and in the third, the sky will withhold all its rain and the earth all its vegetation. Thus, no hoofed or fanged beast will remain but that it will perish. One of his most severe trials is that he will come to a Bedouin and say, ‘Tell me: if I were to bring your camels back to life, would you not know that I am your lord?’ He said:”