Chapter on the Dajjal: His Deceptions, the Descent of Isa (as), and Slaying Him at the Gate of Ludd

divinity (rububiyyah), whereas the self-evident proofs of his created, contingent nature dismantle and refute his claim; whereas a true prophet merely claims prophethood, which is not impossible for human beings, so when he presents an unassailable evidentiary proof, he is believed. As for Dajjal's question to the people: "Do you see that if I slay this man and then resurrect him, will you still doubt the matter?" and their reply: "No," this might pose a difficulty, because what the Dajjal displays holds no true indication of divinity due to the manifest imperfection upon him, the evidence of his createdness, bodily deformity, and the inscription of his disbelief and falsehood written between his eyes. The response is similar to what preceded at the beginning of the chapter: perhaps they said this out of fear and self-preservation (taqiyyah) rather than genuine belief. Alternatively, they may have intended: "we do not doubt your falsehood and disbelief," for whoever doubts his disbelief becomes an unbeliever, so they deceived him through this ambiguous phrasing (tawriyah) out of sheer dread. It is also possible that those who replied "we do not doubt" were his actual followers among the Jews and others for whom Allah decreed eternal wretchedness. As for the statement: "(Abu Ishaq said: It is said that this righteous man is al-Khidr (as))" - this Abu Ishaq is Ibrahim ibn Sufyan, the transmitter of the Sahih from Imam Muslim. Ma'mar likewise stated this in his Jami' following this hadith, as noted by Ibn Sufyan. This constitutes an explicit assertion from him regarding the life of al-Khidr (as), which is the correct position, as previously established in its chapter in Kitab al-Manaqib. "Al-Masalih" refers to armed sentinels stationed at military border outposts like guard patrols, named