and was not alive in his time, according to the view considered strongest by scholars who have critically examined the matter. Hence Ibn al-ʿArabī said:

“I have heard someone say that the man whom the Dajjāl kills is al-Khidr. This is a claim for which there is no proof.”

The second report is from a man among the Companions of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. It was cited earlier (p. 71) and includes the words:

“He will indeed be given power over one person, whom he will kill and then bring back to life, but he will not be given such power over anyone else.”

The third report is from al-Nawwās ibn Samʿān. It was cited earlier (pp. 56–58) and includes the words:

“Then he will summon a man in the prime of youth and strike him with a sword, cutting him into two pieces a bowshot apart. Then he will call him, and the man will come forward laughing, his face radiant.”

The fourth report is from ʿAbd Allah ibn Mughnam. Its opening portion was cited earlier (p. 66), and the remainder reads:

“Then he will have a man brought forward—as it appears to them—and an order will be given for him to be killed. He will then cut his limbs apart, each one separately, and spread them out so that the people can see him. Then he will gather them together and strike with his staff, and there the man will be, standing. He will say, ‘I am Allah; I give life and cause death.’ All this is magic that deceives people’s eyes; he does not actually do any of it.”

I say: Its chain of transmission is weak, and this version of the report is rejected. Allah knows best.

The fifth report is from ʿAbd Allah ibn ʿAmr and will appear in the following section.