A preposterous assertion concerning the emergence of Gog and Magog.

In The Name of Allah, The Most Merciful The Bestower of Mercy.

Al-Allamah Hamud at-Tuwayjiri [may Allah have mercy upon him] quoted Tariq Suwaydan who stated: ”Despite many narrations, there is not to be found an authentic evidence with myself nor other than me regarding who Gog and Magog are precisely; but looking at the ahadith about them and their description, it has become clear to me-and Allah knows best- that they are the people of China”. Following this quotation, Al-Allamah Hamud articulated his response as follows:

This is the likes of which Tariq Suwaydaan stated that Gog and Magog are the people of China! This assertion contradicts the evidence found in the Qur’an and the Sunnah, and it is a mockery of the Creed of the pious predecessors. O noble reader! Before I refute this corrupt statement, let me first provide an overview of the Creed of Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jamaa’ah concerning Gog and Magog. Allah (Glorified be He and free is He from all imperfections) says:

حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا بَلَغَ بَيْنَ ٱلسَّدَّيْنِ وَجَدَ مِن دُونِهِمَا قَوْمًا لَّا يَكَادُونَ يَفْقَهُونَ قَوْلًا
قَالُوا۟ يَٰذَا ٱلْقَرْنَيْنِ إِنَّ يَأْجُوجَ وَمَأْجُوجَ مُفْسِدُونَ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ فَهَلْ نَجْعَلُ لَكَ خَرْجًا عَلَىٰٓ أَن تَجْعَلَ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَهُمْ سَدًّا
قَالَ مَا مَكَّنِّى فِيهِ رَبِّى خَيْرٌ فَأَعِينُونِى بِقُوَّةٍ أَجْعَلْ بَيْنَكُمْ وَبَيْنَهُمْ رَدْمًا
ءَاتُونِى زُبَرَ ٱلْحَدِيدِ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا سَاوَىٰ بَيْنَ ٱلصَّدَفَيْنِ قَالَ ٱنفُخُوا۟ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا جَعَلَهُۥ نَارًا قَالَ ءَاتُونِىٓ أُفْرِغْ عَلَيْهِ قِطْرًا
فَمَا ٱسْطَٰعُوٓا۟ أَن يَظْهَرُوهُ وَمَا ٱسْتَطَٰعُوا۟ لَهُۥ نَقْبًا
قَالَ هَٰذَا رَحْمَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّى فَإِذَا جَآءَ وَعْدُ رَبِّى جَعَلَهُۥ دَكَّآءَ وَكَانَ وَعْدُ رَبِّى حَقًّا
وَتَرَكْنَا بَعْضَهُمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ يَمُوجُ فِى بَعْضٍ وَنُفِخَ فِى ٱلصُّورِ فَجَمَعْنَٰهُمْ جَمْعًا

Until when he reached between two mountains, he found, before (near) them (those two mountains), a people who scarcely understood a word. They said: O Dhul-Qarnain! Verily Gog and Magog are doing great mischief in the land. Shall we then pay you a tribute so that you might erect a barrier between us and them? He said: That (wealth, authority, and power) in which my Lord established me is better (than your tribute). So help me with strength (of men), I will erect between you and them a barrier. Give me pieces of (blocks) of iron; then, when he had filled up the gap between the two mountain cliffs, he said: Blow; then when he had made them (red as) fire, he said: Bring me molten copper to pour over them. So they (Gog and Magog) could not scale it or dig through it. (Dhul-Qarnain) said: This is a mercy from my Lord, but when the Promise of my Lord comes, He shall level it down to the ground. And the Promise of my Lord is ever true. And on that day (i.e. the day Gog and Magog) will come out, We shall leave them to surge like waves on one another, and the Trumpet will be blown, and We shall collect them (the creatures) all together”. [Al-Kahf. Ayaat 93-99]

Allah [Glorified be He and free is He from all imperfections] also says:

حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا فُتِحَتْ يَأْجُوجُ وَمَأْجُوجُ وَهُم مِّن كُلِّ حَدَبٍ يَنسِلُونَ
وَٱقْتَرَبَ ٱلْوَعْدُ ٱلْحَقُّ فَإِذَا هِىَ شَٰخِصَةٌ أَبْصَٰرُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ يَٰوَيْلَنَا قَدْ كُنَّا فِى غَفْلَةٍ مِّنْ هَٰذَا بَلْ كُنَّا ظَٰلِمِينَ

Until when Gog and Magog are let loose (from their barrier), and they swoop down from every mound. And the true promise (Day of Resurrection) shall draw near (of fulfillment). Then (when mankind is resurrected from their graves), you shall see the eyes of the disbelievers fixedly staring in horror. (They will say): Woe to us! We were indeed heedless of this; nay, but we were (polytheists and wrong-doers)”. [Al-Anbiya. Ayaat 96-97]

These two passages in Allah’s Book [the Qur’an] provide clear proof of the emergence of Gog and Magog before the Day of Judgment, and their appearance serves as one of the signs signaling the approach of the Day of Judgment. The Sunnah also contains numerous narrations that clearly establish and elucidate this (fact). One of these evidences is the hadith narrated by Hudhaifah Bin Usayd Al Ghaffaaree [may Allah be pleased with him], which is (recorded in Sahih Muslim and Abu Dawood as follows): ”We were sitting in the shade of the chamber of the Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be upon him] discussing, so he said, ‘What are you discussing?’ They said, ‘We are talking about the Hour’. He said, ‘The Last Hour will not come until there appear ten signs before it: the Smoke, the appearance of Dajjal, the Beast, the rising of the sun in its place of setting, the coming forth of the descent of Isa, the son of Maryam, the appearance of Gog and Magog, and the three Subsidences, (one in the West, one in the East, and one in the Arabian Peninsula), and at the end a fire will issue forth from the Yemen and drive the people to their place of assembly'”. (1)

After citing a few more Ahadith, Al-Allamah Hamud asserted on page 12: Indeed, the assertion that Gog and Magog are the people of China contradicts what is well-established in texts that their emergence will occur only after the descent of Isa [peace be upon him] and the demise of Dajjal. Furthermore, it is established in the texts that they (Gog and Magog) will only live for a brief period after their appearance, whereas the people of China have remained in their current state for extended durations. The assertion that Gog and Magog are the Chinese people contradicts what Allah has stated regarding Dhul Qarnain, that Dhul Qarnain constructed a massive iron barrier between Gog and Magog and the people, and they will not be able to breach it until the approach of the Hour.

Furthermore, Tariq Suwaydaan’s assertion that Gog and Magog are the people of China contradicts the statement made by As-Saadiq Al Masdooq (a) that Gog and Magog dig every day until they are on the verge of seeing the sun’s rays, at which point the one in charge orders them to return, stating, “Go back; we’ll dig it tomorrow”. Afterward, Allah strengthens the barrier to its original state until the time when He intends to release them upon the people. At that point, they will continue digging until they can see the rays of the sun and the one in charge will then command them to return, saying, “Go back; we’ll dig it tomorrow if Allah’s will.” They will respond, “If Allah wills.” They will go back to the barrier and find it exactly as they left it. Then, they will dig and come out to the people and consume all the water, while the people fortify themselves in their forts from them. (2)

After citing this narration, Al-Allamah Hamud stated: “This is not what happens to the people of China, rather, they move whenever and wherever they wish. There is no barrier or blockage impeding (them). [An Excerpt from ”Idaaha Wal Bayaan Fee Akhtaa’i Tariq Suwaydaan”. pages 6-35]

[1] Abu Dawud 4311]

[a] As-Saadiq Al-Masdooq: [i.e. The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)]. He is As-Saadiq – the one who only utters wholesome – perfect – truth; and he is Al-Masdooq-the one who believed.

[2] Sahih Ibn Majah 3314