Tamīm al-Dārī رضي الله عنه was a Christian sailor who later accepted Islam. Before embracing Islam, he once sailed with thirty men and their ship was tossed by the sea for a month until they reached an island. There, they met a strange hairy creature called al-Jassāsah, who directed them to a monastery.
Inside, they found a huge man chained in iron. He asked them about Baysān’s date palms, Lake Tiberias, the spring of Zughar, and the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. Then he revealed:
“I am al-Masīḥ ad-Dajjāl. I will soon be released, and I will travel the whole earth except Makkah and Madinah.”
He also said:
“Follow this Prophet, for obeying him is better for you.”
When Tamīm رضي الله عنه narrated this to Rasulullah ﷺ, the Prophet ﷺ confirmed it and told the Sahabah that it matches what he had told them about the Dajjāl.
Tamīm al-Dārī رضي الله عنه was a Christian sailor during the time of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. He later came to Madinah, accepted Islam, and narrated an extraordinary incident.
He said that he once set sail with thirty men from the tribes of Lakhm and Judhām. Their ship was tossed about by the waves for one month, until they reached an island in the sea.
When they landed, they encountered a strange creature called al-Jassāsah. It was covered in so much hair that they could not distinguish its front from its back.
They said:
“Woe to you! What are you?”
It replied:
“I am al-Jassāsah. Go to this monastery, for there is a man there who is eager to hear about you.”
Fearing it might be a devil, they hurried to the monastery. There, they found the biggest man they had ever seen, tightly bound in chains. His hands were tied to his neck and his legs were shackled from the knees to the ankles with iron restraints.
They said:
“Woe to you! Who are you?”
He began to question them. He asked them about:
The date-palm trees of Baysān — whether they still bear fruit
Lake Tiberias — whether it still has water
The spring of Zughar — whether it still flows
And about the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ — whether the Arabs have followed him
When they answered him, he said:
“Soon the date-palms of Baysān will stop bearing fruit. Soon Lake Tiberias will dry up. Soon the spring of Zughar will dry up.”
Then he said:
“I am al-Masīḥ ad-Dajjāl. I will soon be permitted to come out. I will travel throughout the earth in forty days, but Makkah and Madinah are forbidden for me.”
He also said:
“It is better for you to obey this Prophet.”
When Tamīm al-Dārī رضي الله عنه came to Madinah and narrated this story, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ gathered the people and said:
“This story agrees with what I have told you about the Dajjāl.”
✅ 3) Authentic Hadith Reference
Sahih Muslim
Book: كتاب الفتن وأشراط الساعة (Book of Tribulations and Signs of the Hour)
Hadith Number: 2942
Narrated by: Fatimah bint Qays رضي الله عنها from Tamīm al-Dārī رضي الله عنه
About Tamīm al-Dārī رضي الله عنه
He later became a great Sahabi and devoted worshipper
He passed away in Palestine, near Hebron (Bayt Jibrīn / Al-Khalil)
May Allah be pleased with him