3. Ya’jooj and Ma’jooj

Ya’jooj and Ma’jooj [Gog and Magog] are two tribes. Are they human beings, or are they a different creation? Are they sons of Adam? They are definitely sons of Adam. The evidence is in Bukhaari:

The Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said, “On the day of Resurrection Allah will say, ‘O Adam!’ Adam will reply, ‘Labbaik our Lord, and Sa’daik.’ Then there will be a loud call (saying), Allah orders you to take from among your offspring a mission for the (Hell) Fire.’ Adam will say, ‘O Lord! Who are the mission for the (Hell) Fire?’ Allah will say, ‘Out of each thousand, take out 999.’ At that time every pregnant female shall drop her load (have a miscarriage) and a child will have grey hair. And you shall see mankind as in a drunken state, yet not drunk, but severe will be the torment of Allah.” (22.2) (When the Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam mentioned this), the people were so distressed (and afraid) that their faces got changed (in colour) whereupon the Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said, “From Gog and Magog nine-hundred ninety-nine will be taken out and one from you. You Muslims (compared to the large number of other people) will be like a black hair on the side of a white ox, or a white hair on the side of a black ox, and I hope that you will be one-fourth of the people of Paradise.” On that, we said, “Allahu-Akbar!” Then he said, “(I hope that you will be) one-third of the people of Paradise.” We again said, “Allahu-Akbar!” Then he said, “(I hope that you will be) one-half of the people of Paradise.” So we said, “Allahu Akbar.”[Bukhaari, 6/60/265]

Ya’juj and Ma’juj multiply so much that there is a narration that when one of them dies, they leave behind 1,000 descendents. This is a narration and it could be weak. Anyways, they multiply so much. Allah has mentioned in the Qur’an: “And when ya’juj and ma’juj come out, they would pour from every direction.” Their numbers are huge.

Some other hadith that talk about ya’juj and ma’juj:

He ['Eesa] would then search for him (Dajjal) until he would catch hold of him at the gate of Ludd and would kill him. Then a people whom Allah had protected would come to Jesus, son of Mary, and he would wipe their faces and would inform them of their ranks in Paradise and it would be under such conditions that Allah would reveal to Jesus these words: “I have brought forth from amongst My servants such people against whom none would be able to fight; you take these people safely to Tur”, and then Allah would send Gog and Magog and they would swarm down from every slope. The first of them would pass the lake of Tibering and drink out of it. And when the last of them would pass, he would say: “There was once water there.” Jesus and his companions would then be besieged here (at Tur, and they would be so much hard pressed) that the head of an ox would be dearer to them than one hundred dinirs and Allah’s Apostle, Jesus, and his companions would supplicate Allah, Who would send to them insects (which would attack their necks) and in the morning they would perish like one single person. Allah’s Apostle, Jesus, and his companions would then come down to the earth and they would not find in the earth as much space as a single span which is not filled with their putrefaction and stench. Allah’s Apostle, Jesus, and his companions would then again beseech Allah, Who would send birds whose necks would be like those of bactrin camels and they would carry them and throw them where God would will.

Then Allah would send rain which no house of clay or (the tent of) camels’ hairs would keep out and it would wash away the earth until it could appear to be a mirror. … [Muslim B.41, #7015]

Qur’an tells us the story of dhul-Qarnayn. He was a king who lived thousands of years ago. He is not even in the books of history. These are very early times. Dhul Qarnayn is a king who ruled the inhabited part of the world at that time; that is how he has that name. Dhul Qarnayn means “two horns” and some mufassireen say that means he rules the east and the west. Allah tells us the story in the Qur’aan of when he visited three places: the east, the west, and an area between two mountains.

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! Ya’juj and Ma’juj (Gog and Magog) are doing great mischief in the land. Shall we then pay you a tribute in order that you might erect a barrier between us and them?” He said: “That (wealth, authority and power) in which my Lord had 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 (blocks) of iron,” Then, when he had filled up the gap between the two mountain-cliffs, he said: “Blow,” till when he had made it (red as) fire, he said: “Bring me molten copper to pour over it.” So they [Ya'juj and Ma'juj (Gog and Magog)] were made powerless to 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 Ya'juj and Ma'juj (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 all together. [18:93-99]

Some of the speaker’s commentary on this ayah: (About the material poured on top of the damn/barrier). He poured on it Qitra. Now qitra is explained as either lead or copper. If you mix steel with lead or copper, you get either brass or bronze and both of them are better than if he left it as steel alone.

Allah says that he didn’t only build the sadd (damn), but he build radam – something that seals off completely. A sadd is a horizontal barrier, so they could climb over. The people asked Dhul Qarnayn to build a sadd. Dhul Qarnayn went further – he did ihsaan (perfection). He built a radam that sealed them off completely. Therefore, we cannot really see them now. They are sealed off somewhere underground. They are somewhere in the east because RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam told us. Dhul Qarnayn did such a good job.

Dhul Qarnayn says that even though it was the best he could do, one day they would be torn down.

We’ll continue with the hadith: RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam says that every day ya’juj and ma’juj are piercing through this barrier. One night, when they have just a little bit left, their leader would say, “Let’s come back and finish it tomorrow.” They will come back to find out that it has been sealed again. So they will come back and dig it all the way until they’re almost there. They leave. The come the next day and they’ll find it sealed as if it’s new. RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam says, until when their term is appointed. They would dig through it and their leader would say, “Tomorrow we’re going to come back and inshaAllah we’re going to complete digging it.” So they will say inshaAllah and they will open up the seal the next day and come out.

During the time of RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, a small opening occured in that seal. Because RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam was smiling and suddenly his face changed. He said, “Today an opening was made in the seal of ya’juj and ma’juj.” Therefore, there’s already a small opening. One day, they will open it completely. [You can search it on the MSA site and you'll find loads of hadith talking about the small opening. Just search "gog and magog".]

RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam says, they will come out and drink the water of the earth. People will run away from then. Then, when ya’juj and ma’juj think that they have killed everyone, they would point their weapons towards the sky and they would shoot. Their arrows would come back with blood on them and they would say, “We have killed everyone on earth and now we have killed everyone in the heavens.” Look at their arrogance! Then Allah subhaana wa ta’aala would send on them worms that would kill them all. RasulAllah sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam says, the animals of the earth would eat so much from their bodies that they would be fat and grateful.

In terms of ya’juj and ma’juj’s location – we don’t know where they are. They are not any population on earth and they are people we do not know of. People like to label certain peoples as ya’juj and ma’juj.