What are the major signs of the Day of Judgment?

The short answer

The Prophet ﷺ said the Hour will not come until ten great signs appear: the smoke, the Dajjal, the beast of the earth, the sun rising from the west, the descent of Isa son of Maryam (AS), Ya'juj and Ma'juj, three great landslides (in the east, the west and Arabia), and a fire from Yemen that drives people to their gathering.

Evidence 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Explanation

The clearest text is a hadith narrated by Hudhayfah ibn Usayd. The Companions were discussing the Hour when the Prophet ﷺ told them it will not come until they see ten signs: the smoke, the Dajjal, the beast, the rising of the sun from the west, the descent of Jesus son of Mary, Gog and Magog (Ya'juj and Ma'juj), and three landslides, in the east, in the west and in Arabia, the last of them a fire from Yemen that will drive people to their place of assembly 1.

Several of these are also in the Quran. Allah speaks of a day when "some of the signs of your Lord" come and faith will no longer benefit a soul that had not believed before 2. The Prophet ﷺ named three signs after which late faith is of no use: the sun rising in its place of setting, the Dajjal and the beast of the earth 3. The Quran calls Isa (AS) a sign for knowledge of the Hour 4, describes Ya'juj and Ma'juj descending "from every elevation" 5, mentions a creature from the earth that will speak to people 6, and warns of a day when the sky brings a visible smoke covering the people 7.

These are not minor changes in society. They are unmistakable events that come close to the Hour itself, and once certain of them appear, the door of repentance closes for those who delayed 2 3.

That is why the Prophet ﷺ did not tell us to wait and watch for them, but to act: "Hasten to do good deeds before six things happen", naming the sun rising from the west, the smoke, the Dajjal, the beast, and a person's own death or a general calamity 8. Any one of us may meet death before seeing any of these signs.

The evidence

  1. 1
    Hadith Sahih Muslim 2901
    Sahih Muslim

    The Hour will not come until ten signs appear, which the Prophet ﷺ listed.

    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

    العربية

    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 ‏.‏

  2. 2
    Quran Al-An'aam · 6:158

    When some of the signs of your Lord come, faith will not benefit a soul that did not believe before.

    هَلۡ يَنظُرُونَ إِلَّآ أَن تَأۡتِيَهُمُ ٱلۡمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ أَوۡ يَأۡتِيَ رَبُّكَ أَوۡ يَأۡتِيَ بَعۡضُ ءَايَٰتِ رَبِّكَۗ يَوۡمَ يَأۡتِي بَعۡضُ ءَايَٰتِ رَبِّكَ لَا يَنفَعُ نَفۡسًا إِيمَٰنُهَا لَمۡ تَكُنۡ ءَامَنَتۡ مِن قَبۡلُ أَوۡ كَسَبَتۡ فِيٓ إِيمَٰنِهَا خَيۡرࣰ اۗ قُلِ ٱنتَظِرُوٓاْ إِنَّا مُنتَظِرُونَ ۝١٥٨

    Do they [then] wait for anything except that the angels should come to them or your Lord should come or that there come some of the signs of your Lord? The Day that some of the signs of your Lord will come no soul will benefit from its faith as long as it had not believed before or had earned through its faith some good. Say, "Wait. Indeed, we [also] are waiting

  3. 3
    Hadith Sahih Muslim 158
    Sahih Muslim

    Three signs after which new faith does not benefit - the sun rising from the west, the Dajjal and the beast.

    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

    العربية

    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 ‏"‏ ‏.‏

  4. 4
    Quran Az-Zukhruf · 43:61

    Isa (AS) is a sign for knowledge of the Hour.

    وَإِنَّهُۥ لَعِلۡمࣱ لِّلسَّاعَةِ فَلَا تَمۡتَرُنَّ بِهَا وَٱتَّبِعُونِۚ هَٰذَا صِرَٰطࣱ مُّسۡتَقِيمࣱ‏ ۝٦١

    And indeed, Jesus will be [a sign for] knowledge of the Hour, so be not in doubt of it, and follow Me. This is a straight path

  5. 5
    Quran Al-Anbiyaa · 21:96

    Ya'juj and Ma'juj will be released and descend from every elevation.

    حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا فُتِحَتۡ يَأۡجُوجُ وَمَأۡجُوجُ وَهُم مِّن كُلِّ حَدَبࣲ يَنسِلُونَ ۝٩٦

    Until when [the dam of] Gog and Magog has been opened and they, from every elevation, descend

  6. 6
    Quran An-Naml · 27:82

    A creature will be brought forth from the earth to speak to people.

    ۞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]

  7. 7
    Quran Ad-Dukhaan · 44:10–11

    A day when the sky brings a visible smoke covering the people.

    فَٱرۡتَقِبۡ يَوۡمَ تَأۡتِي ٱلسَّمَآءُ بِدُخَانࣲ مُّبِينࣲ‏ ۝١٠ يَغۡشَى ٱلنَّاسَۖ هَٰذَا عَذَابٌ أَلِيمࣱ‏ ۝١١

    10 Then watch for the Day when the sky will bring a visible smoke 11 Covering the people; this is a painful torment

  8. 8
    Hadith Sahih Muslim 2947
    Sahih Muslim

    Hasten to do good deeds before six things, including the sun rising from the west, the smoke, the Dajjal and the beast.

    Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) having said:Hasten to do good deeds before six things happen: the rising of the sun from the west, the smoke, the Dajjal, the beast and (the death) of one of you or the general turmoil

    العربية

    حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ أَيُّوبَ، وَقُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، وَابْنُ، حُجْرٍ قَالُوا حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ، - يَعْنُونَ ابْنَ جَعْفَرٍ - عَنِ الْعَلاَءِ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ "‏ بَادِرُوا بِالأَعْمَالِ سِتًّا طُلُوعَ الشَّمْسِ مِنْ مَغْرِبِهَا أَوِ الدُّخَانَ أَوِ الدَّجَّالَ أَوِ الدَّابَّةَ أَوْ خَاصَّةَ أَحَدِكُمْ أَوْ أَمْرَ الْعَامَّةِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

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

Report an issue

Tell us what is wrong. Every report is read.

What is the problem?