The Essence of Islam – Volume IV — Page 181
Propagation, Establishment of a Holy Jama'at, and Instructions 181. This means: [O Muslims] You are the best of people who have been raised to benefit mankind and to repel the mischief of all Dajjāls and of the Antichrist. . . . Every religious community is called upon to perform a particular service and has to contend against a particular enemy. It has been decreed that the Muslims would have to fight against the Antichrist. In a Ḥadīth related by Nāfe' bin ‘Utbah, which is set out in Muslim, it is stated that the Muslims will fight the. Antichrist and will be victorious over him. The Companions of the Holy Prophets did not fight the. Antichrist, but, according to the connotation of the verse 'And from amongst others. . . ' the Promised. Messiah and his Jama'at were declared Companions of the Holy Prophetsa. It is also worth observing that in this Hadith, the Holy Prophet sa specified that his. Companions are those who would fight the Antichrist and he did not say that the Hebrew Messiah would fight him. The word 'descent' is used for respect and honour and indicates in this context that as in that age of turmoil, faith will ascend to the Pleiades and all spiritual leadership, learning, and instruction will fall into decline, the God of heaven will send someone whom He will have trained Himself without the intervention of earthly means, just as rain descends from heaven without the intervention of any human agency. 97 Al-e-'Imran, 3:111 [Publisher]