The short answer
Ya'juj and Ma'juj are two great nations from the descendants of Adam, described in the Quran as corrupters in the land. Dhul-Qarnayn built a barrier of iron and molten copper that holds them back until the time Allah has set, near the Hour, when it will be levelled and they will pour out. Their emergence is one of the major signs.
The Quran tells their story in Surat al-Kahf. Dhul-Qarnayn, a ruler whom Allah had established in the land, reached a pass between two mountains where a people complained: "Gog and Magog are [great] corrupters in the land," and asked him to build a barrier 1. He refused payment but asked for their labour, then filled the gap with sheets of iron, heated them until they glowed like fire, and poured molten copper over them, so that Ya'juj and Ma'juj could neither climb over it nor bore through it 2.
He did not claim the wall would last forever. "This is a mercy from my Lord; but when the promise of my Lord comes, He will make it level" 3. Tafsir explains that they are "two great nations from the children of Adam" and that the barrier will be levelled at the time Allah has appointed before the Final Hour 4. Another verse describes that moment: when their barrier is opened, "they, from every elevation, descend" 5.
The Prophet ﷺ once came to his wife Zaynab in fear, saying, "Woe unto the Arabs from a danger that has come near," and showed with his fingers that an opening had been made in their wall 6. He also taught that they are human and very numerous: when he said that 999 of every thousand would be sent to the Fire, he reassured his Companions that for every one of them there would be a thousand from Ya'juj and Ma'juj 7. Their coming is listed among the ten major signs before the Hour 8.
The texts do not tell us where the barrier stands today, and linking them to a modern nation or people is speculation. What the texts do tell us is that Allah's promise will come exactly as He said.
A people told Dhul-Qarnayn that Gog and Magog were corrupters in the land and asked for a barrier.
قَالُواْ يَٰذَا ٱلۡقَرۡنَيۡنِ إِنَّ يَأۡجُوجَ وَمَأۡجُوجَ مُفۡسِدُونَ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ فَهَلۡ نَجۡعَلُ لَكَ خَرۡجًا عَلَىٰٓ أَن تَجۡعَلَ بَيۡنَنَا وَبَيۡنَهُمۡ سَدࣰّ ا ٩٤
They said, "O Dhul-Qarnayn, indeed Gog and Magog are [great] corrupters in the land. So may we assign for you an expenditure that you might make between us and them a barrier
He built it of iron and molten copper, and they could neither pass over it nor penetrate it.
قَالَ مَا مَكَّنِّي فِيهِ رَبِّي خَيۡرࣱ فَأَعِينُونِي بِقُوَّةٍ أَجۡعَلۡ بَيۡنَكُمۡ وَبَيۡنَهُمۡ رَدۡمًا ٩٥ ءَاتُونِي زُبَرَ ٱلۡحَدِيدِۖ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا سَاوَىٰ بَيۡنَ ٱلصَّدَفَيۡنِ قَالَ ٱنفُخُواْۖ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا جَعَلَهُۥ نَارࣰ ا قَالَ ءَاتُونِيٓ أُفۡرِغۡ عَلَيۡهِ قِطۡرࣰ ا ٩٦ فَمَا ٱسۡطَٰعُوٓاْ أَن يَظۡهَرُوهُ وَمَا ٱسۡتَطَٰعُواْ لَهُۥ نَقۡبࣰ ا ٩٧
95 He said, "That in which my Lord has established me is better [than what you offer], but assist me with strength; I will make between you and them a dam 96 Bring me sheets of iron" - until, when he had leveled [them] between the two mountain walls, he said, "Blow [with bellows]," until when he had made it [like] fire, he said, "Bring me, that I may pour over it molten copper 97 So Gog and Magog were unable to pass over it, nor were they able [to effect] in it any penetration
When Allah's promise comes, He will level the barrier.
قَالَ هَٰذَا رَحۡمَةࣱ مِّن رَّبِّيۖ فَإِذَا جَآءَ وَعۡدُ رَبِّي جَعَلَهُۥ دَكَّآءَۖ وَكَانَ وَعۡدُ رَبِّي حَقࣰّ ا ٩٨
[Dhul-Qarnayn] said, "This is a mercy from my Lord; but when the promise of my Lord comes, He will make it level, and ever is the promise of my Lord true
They said: “O Dhu’l-Qarnayn, Gog and Magog (meaning two great nations from the children of Adam) are causing corruption on earth by killing and so forth, so can we give you some wealth so you can make a barrier between us and them?”
When the barrier of Gog and Magog is opened, they 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
The Prophet ﷺ warned that an opening had been made in the wall of Gog and Magog.
Narrated Zainab bint Jahsh:That the Prophet (ﷺ) once came to her in a state of fear and said, "None has the right to be worshipped but Allah. Woe unto the Arabs from a danger that has come near. An opening has been made in the wall of Gog and Magog like this," making a circle with his thumb and index finger. Zainab bint Jahsh said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Shall we be destroyed even though there are pious persons among us?" He said, "Yes, when the evil persons will increase
حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ بُكَيْرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا اللَّيْثُ، عَنْ عُقَيْلٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، عَنْ عُرْوَةَ بْنِ الزُّبَيْرِ، أَنَّ زَيْنَبَ ابْنَةَ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ، حَدَّثَتْهُ عَنْ أُمِّ حَبِيبَةَ بِنْتِ أَبِي سُفْيَانَ، عَنْ زَيْنَبَ ابْنَةِ جَحْشٍ ـ رضى الله عنهن أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم دَخَلَ عَلَيْهَا فَزِعًا يَقُولُ " لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ، وَيْلٌ لِلْعَرَبِ مِنْ شَرٍّ قَدِ اقْتَرَبَ فُتِحَ الْيَوْمَ مِنْ رَدْمِ يَأْجُوجَ وَمَأْجُوجَ مِثْلُ هَذِهِ ". وَحَلَّقَ بِإِصْبَعِهِ الإِبْهَامِ وَالَّتِي تَلِيهَا. قَالَتْ زَيْنَبُ ابْنَةُ جَحْشٍ فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَنَهْلِكُ وَفِينَا الصَّالِحُونَ قَالَ " نَعَمْ، إِذَا كَثُرَ الْخُبْثُ ".
Against every one person from this ummah, a thousand will be from Gog and Magog.
Narrated Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri:The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Allah will say (on the Day of Resurrection), 'O Adam.' Adam will reply, 'Labbaik wa Sa`daik', and all the good is in Your Hand.' Allah will say: 'Bring out the people of the fire.' Adam will say: 'O Allah! How many are the people of the Fire?' Allah will reply: 'From every one thousand, take out nine-hundred-and ninety-nine.' At that time children will become hoary headed, every pregnant female will have a miscarriage, and one will see mankind as drunken, yet they will not be drunken, but dreadful will be the Wrath of Allah." The companions of the Prophet (ﷺ) asked, "O Allah's Apostle! Who is that (excepted) one?" He said, "Rejoice with glad tidings; one person will be from you and one-thousand will be from Gog and Magog." The Prophet (ﷺ) further said, "By Him in Whose Hands my life is, I hope that you will be one-fourth of the people of Paradise." We shouted, "Allahu Akbar!" He added, "I hope that you will be one-third of the people of Paradise." We shouted, "Allahu Akbar!" He said, "I hope that you will be half of the people of Paradise." We shouted, "Allahu Akbar!" He further said, "You (Muslims) (compared with non Muslims) are like a black hair in the skin of a white ox or like a white hair in the skin of a black ox (i.e. your number is very small as compared with theirs)
حَدَّثَنِي إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ نَصْرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو أُسَامَةَ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو صَالِحٍ، عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " يَقُولُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى يَا آدَمُ. فَيَقُولُ لَبَّيْكَ وَسَعْدَيْكَ وَالْخَيْرُ فِي يَدَيْكَ. فَيَقُولُ أَخْرِجْ بَعْثَ النَّارِ. قَالَ وَمَا بَعْثُ النَّارِ قَالَ مِنْ كُلِّ أَلْفٍ تِسْعَمِائَةٍ وَتِسْعَةً وَتِسْعِينَ، فَعِنْدَهُ يَشِيبُ الصَّغِيرُ، وَتَضَعُ كُلُّ ذَاتِ حَمْلٍ حَمْلَهَا، وَتَرَى النَّاسَ سُكَارَى، وَمَا هُمْ بِسُكَارَى، وَلَكِنَّ عَذَابَ اللَّهِ شَدِيدٌ ". قَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَأَيُّنَا ذَلِكَ الْوَاحِدُ قَالَ " أَبْشِرُوا فَإِنَّ مِنْكُمْ رَجُلٌ، وَمِنْ يَأْجُوجَ وَمَأْجُوجَ أَلْفٌ ". ثُمَّ قَالَ " وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ، إِنِّي أَرْجُو أَنْ تَكُونُوا رُبُعَ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ ". فَكَبَّرْنَا. فَقَالَ " أَرْجُو أَنْ تَكُونُوا ثُلُثَ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ ". فَكَبَّرْنَا. فَقَالَ " أَرْجُو أَنْ تَكُونُوا نِصْفَ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ ". فَكَبَّرْنَا. فَقَالَ " مَا أَنْتُمْ فِي النَّاسِ إِلاَّ كَالشَّعَرَةِ السَّوْدَاءِ فِي جِلْدِ ثَوْرٍ أَبْيَضَ، أَوْ كَشَعَرَةٍ بَيْضَاءَ فِي جِلْدِ ثَوْرٍ أَسْوَدَ ".
Gog and Magog are 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 .
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