The short answer
The Beast of the Earth is a creature that Allah will bring out near the Hour. The Quran says it will speak to people about their lack of certainty in Allah's signs, and the Prophet ﷺ counted it among the major signs after which new faith no longer benefits. The authentic texts say little about its appearance.
The Quran mentions it in Surat an-Naml: "when the word befalls them, We will bring forth for them a creature from the earth speaking to them, [saying] that the people were, of Our verses, not certain [in faith]" 1. Tafsir explains that this happens near the Final Hour, when the worst of people remain, and that the creature will speak to them in a way they understand 2.
The Prophet ﷺ named it as one of three signs after which faith "will not benefit one who has not previously believed": the rising of the sun in its place of setting, the Dajjal, and the beast of the earth 3. He also said that the sun rising from the west and the beast appearing to people "in the forenoon" come close together, one following soon after the other 4. It is counted among the ten signs before the Hour 5, and among the six things before which we are told to hurry to do good deeds 6.
That is essentially all the authentic sources tell us. Many detailed descriptions circulate about the beast's size, its shape, what it carries and exactly where it will come out. These come from weak reports or from stories of earlier peoples, not from the Quran or authentic hadith, so they should not be presented as certain. It is also not a symbol for any modern invention, group or technology; the texts call it a creature that Allah brings out.
The message is the same as with every major sign: the beast confirms what people refused to believe while belief still counted. The time to be certain of Allah's signs is now.
Allah will bring forth a creature from the earth that speaks to people about their lack of certainty.
۞وَإِذَا وَقَعَ ٱلۡقَوۡلُ عَلَيۡهِمۡ أَخۡرَجۡنَا لَهُمۡ دَآبَّةࣰ مِّنَ ٱلۡأَرۡضِ تُكَلِّمُهُمۡ أَنَّ ٱلنَّاسَ كَانُواْ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا لَا يُوقِنُونَ ٨٢
And when the word befalls them, We will bring forth for them a creature from the earth speaking to them, [saying] that the people were, of Our verses, not certain [in faith]
When the punishment becomes binding and established for them, due to their disbelief and sins, and the worst of people remain, I shall take out for them near to the Final Hour one of its greatest signs, which is a creature from the earth which will speak to them with what they understand that the people did not believe My verses which were revealed to My Prophet.
When three things appear (the sun rising in the west, the Dajjal and the beast), faith not held before does not benefit.
It is narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) observed:When three things appear faith will not benefit one who has not previously believed or has derived no good from his faith: the rising of the sun in its place of setting, the Dajjal, and the beast of the earth
وَحَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، وَزُهَيْرُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعٌ، ح وَحَدَّثَنِيهِ زُهَيْرُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، حَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ يُوسُفَ الأَزْرَقُ، جَمِيعًا عَنْ فُضَيْلِ بْنِ غَزْوَانَ، ح وَحَدَّثَنَا أَبُو كُرَيْبٍ، مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْعَلاَءِ - وَاللَّفْظُ لَهُ - حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ فُضَيْلٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ أَبِي حَازِمٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " ثَلاَثٌ إِذَا خَرَجْنَ لاَ يَنْفَعُ نَفْسًا إِيمَانُهَا لَمْ تَكُنْ آمَنَتْ مِنْ قَبْلُ أَوْ كَسَبَتْ فِي إِيمَانِهَا خَيْرًا طُلُوعُ الشَّمْسِ مِنْ مَغْرِبِهَا وَالدَّجَّالُ وَدَابَّةُ الأَرْضِ " .
The sun rising from the west and the beast appearing in the forenoon follow one another closely.
Abdullah b. `Amr reported:I committed to memory a hadith from Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and I did not forget it after I had heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: The first sign (out of the signs of the appearance of the Dajjal) would be the appearance of the sun from the west, the appearance of the beast before the people in the forenoon and which of the two happens first, the second one would follow immediately after that
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بِشْرٍ، عَنْ أَبِي حَيَّانَ، عَنْ أَبِي زُرْعَةَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو، قَالَ حَفِظْتُ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم حَدِيثًا لَمْ أَنْسَهُ بَعْدُ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ " إِنَّ أَوَّلَ الآيَاتِ خُرُوجًا طُلُوعُ الشَّمْسِ مِنْ مَغْرِبِهَا وَخُرُوجُ الدَّابَّةِ عَلَى النَّاسِ ضُحًى وَأَيُّهُمَا مَا كَانَتْ قَبْلَ صَاحِبَتِهَا فَالأُخْرَى عَلَى إِثْرِهَا قَرِيبًا " .
The beast is one of the ten signs before the Hour.
Hudhaifa b. Usaid al-Ghifari reported:Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) came to us all of a sudden as we were (busy in a discussion). He said: What do you discuss about? They (the Companions) said. We are discussing about the Last Hour. Thereupon he said: It will not come until you see ten signs before and (in this connection) he made a mention of the smoke, Dajjal, the beast, the rising of the sun from the west, the descent of Jesus son of Mary (Allah be pleased with him), the Gog and Magog, and land-slides in three places, one in the east, one in the west and one in Arabia at the end of which fire would burn forth from the Yemen, and would drive people to the place of their assembly
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو خَيْثَمَةَ، زُهَيْرُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ وَإِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَابْنُ أَبِي عُمَرَ الْمَكِّيُّ - وَاللَّفْظُ لِزُهَيْرٍ - قَالَ إِسْحَاقُ أَخْبَرَنَا وَقَالَ الآخَرَانِ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ بْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ، عَنْ فُرَاتٍ، الْقَزَّازِ عَنْ أَبِي الطُّفَيْلِ، عَنْ حُذَيْفَةَ بْنِ أَسِيدٍ الْغِفَارِيِّ، قَالَ اطَّلَعَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَلَيْنَا وَنَحْنُ نَتَذَاكَرُ فَقَالَ " مَا تَذَاكَرُونَ " . قَالُوا نَذْكُرُ السَّاعَةَ . قَالَ " إِنَّهَا لَنْ تَقُومَ حَتَّى تَرَوْنَ قَبْلَهَا عَشْرَ آيَاتٍ " . فَذَكَرَ الدُّخَانَ وَالدَّجَّالَ وَالدَّابَّةَ وَطُلُوعَ الشَّمْسِ مِنْ مَغْرِبِهَا وَنُزُولَ عِيسَى ابْنِ مَرْيَمَ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَيَأْجُوجَ وَمَأْجُوجَ وَثَلاَثَةَ خُسُوفٍ خَسْفٌ بِالْمَشْرِقِ وَخَسْفٌ بِالْمَغْرِبِ وَخَسْفٌ بِجَزِيرَةِ الْعَرَبِ وَآخِرُ ذَلِكَ نَارٌ تَخْرُجُ مِنَ الْيَمَنِ تَطْرُدُ النَّاسَ إِلَى مَحْشَرِهِمْ .
Hasten to do good deeds before six things, including the beast of the earth.
Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:Hasten in performing these good deeds (before these) six things (happen): (the appearance) of the Dajjal, the smoke, the beast of the earth, the rising of the sun from the west, the general turmoil (leading to large-scale massacre) and death of masses and individuals
حَدَّثَنَا أُمَيَّةُ بْنُ بِسْطَامَ الْعَيْشِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا يَزِيدُ بْنُ زُرَيْعٍ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ قَتَادَةَ، عَنِ الْحَسَنِ، عَنْ زِيَادِ بْنِ رِيَاحٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " بَادِرُوا بِالأَعْمَالِ سِتًّا الدَّجَّالَ وَالدُّخَانَ وَدَابَّةَ الأَرْضِ وَطُلُوعَ الشَّمْسِ مِنْ مَغْرِبِهَا وَأَمْرَ الْعَامَّةِ وَخُوَيِّصَةَ أَحَدِكُمْ " .
This answer was compiled with the help of AI, using only the verified texts shown here. Every reference links to its source. If you find a mistake, please report it. Updated 2026-09-24