First, we will discuss the coming out of Gog and Magog, who are mentioned in the Holy Qur’an. The Almighty Allah has said, in the story of Dhul Qarnayn that when he built the barrier to prevent Gog and Magog from coming out, He said:

قَالَ مَا مَكَّنِّي فِيهِ رَبِّي خَيْرٌ فَأَعِينُونِي بِقُوَّةٍ أَجْعَلْ بَيْنَكُمْ وَبَيْنَهُمْ رَدْمًا

“He said: That, in which my Lord has established me is better, therefore, you only help me with workers, I will make a fortified barrier between you and them” (18:95).

آتُونِي زُبَرَ الْحَدِيدِ حَتَّىٰ إِذَا سَاوَىٰ بَيْنَ الصَّدَفَيْنِ قَالَ انْفُخُوا حَتَّىٰ إِذَا جَعَلَهُ نَارًا قَالَ آتُونِي أُفْرِغْ عَلَيْهِ قِطْرًا

“Bring me blocks of iron; until when he had filled up the space between the two mountain sides, he said: Blow, until when he had made it (as) fire, he said: Bring me molten brass, which I may pour over it” (18:96).

فَمَا اسْطَاعُوا أَنْ يَظْهَرُوهُ وَمَا اسْتَطَاعُوا لَهُ نَقْبًا

“So they were not able to scale it nor could they make a hole in it” (18:97).

قَالَ هَٰذَا رَحْمَةٌ مِنْ رَبِّي فَإِذَا جَاءَ وَعْدُ رَبِّي جَعَلَهُ دَكَّاءَ وَكَانَ وَعْدُ رَبِّي حَقًّا

“He said: This is a mercy from my Lord, but when the promise of my Lord comes to pass, He will make it level with the ground, and the promise of my Lord is ever true” (18:98).

And at another place, He says:

حَتَّىٰ إِذَا فُتِحَتْ يَأْجُوجُ وَمَأْجُوجُ وَهُمْ مِنْ كُلِّ حَدَبٍ يَنْسِلُونَ

“Even when Gog and Magog are let loose, and they shall break forth from every elevated place” (21:96).

وَاقْتَرَبَ الْوَعْدُ الْحَقُّ فَإِذَا هِيَ شَاخِصَةٌ أَبْصَارُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا يَا وَيْلَنَا قَدْ كُنَّا فِي غَفْلَةٍ مِنْ هَٰذَا بَلْ كُنَّا ظَالِمِينَ

“And the true promise shall draw nigh, then lo! The eyes of those who disbelieved shall be fixedly open: O woe to us! Surely, we were in a state of heedlessness as to this; nay, we were unjust” (21:97).

Commentators have narrated from Huzaifah that the Messenger of Allah (S) said: Gog is a community and Magog is another community; each has four hundred tribes. None of them dies, till he has produced a thousand issues.

They are of three types: one is like tall trees; one type has same length and breadth and they are such that no mountain or iron can stay firm in their way; the third type is such that they spread one ear and cover themselves with the other. They do not pass by any elephant, lion or swine and all animals; but that they devour it; and they also consume whichever of them dies. Their vanguard will be in Syria and the main forces will be in Khorasan. It will cover all the rivers of the east and the Mazandaran River.

Since their description is not mentioned in reliable traditions, we have stated this much only. The conclusion is that it is necessary to have a general belief regarding their existence and advent just before Qiyamah. It is also necessary to believe in the barrier of Dhul Qarnayn explicitly mentioned in the Holy Qur’an. We must not be misguided by the views of heretics. It is also not necessary to delve deeper in investigating these matters.

The second is Dabbat al-Ardh mentioned previously in the chapter of Raj’ah.

Third is the rising of the sun from the west, as the Almighty Allah has said:

يَوْمَ يَأْتِي بَعْضُ آيَاتِ رَبِّكَ لَا يَنْفَعُ نَفْسًا إِيمَانُهَا لَمْ تَكُنْ آمَنَتْ مِنْ قَبْلُ أَوْ كَسَبَتْ فِي إِيمَانِهَا خَيْرًا

“On the day when some of the signs of your Lord shall come, its faith shall not profit a soul, which did not believe before, or earn good through its faith” (6:158).

Ahl Sunnah narrate from the Holy Prophet (S) that the signs of the Almighty Allah are: Rising of the sun from west, Dabbat al-Ardh, Dajjal, Dukhan, death and Qiyamah.

Ayyashi has narrated from Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (‘a) that the signs of the Almighty Allah are: Rising of the sun from west, Dabbat al-Ardh and Dukhan.

Al-Kulayni and Shaykh Tusi have narrated through authentic chains of narrators from the Imam that when the sun rises from west, all will bring faith, but their faith will be of no use to them.

‘Ali Ibn Ibrahim has narrated through authentic chains of narrators that when the sun rises from west, at that time whoever brings faith; it will be of no use to him.

Fourth is Dukhan or smoke, which is mentioned in the previous traditions as well; it is a hint to the statement of the Almighty Allah, in which He says:

يَوْمَ تَأْتِي السَّمَاءُ بِدُخَانٍ مُبِينٍ

“The day when the heaven shall bring an evident smoke” (44:10).

يَغْشَى النَّاسَ هَٰذَا عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ

“That shall overtake men; this is a painful punishment” (44:11).

رَبَّنَا اكْشِفْ عَنَّا الْعَذَابَ إِنَّا مُؤْمِنُونَ

“Our Lord! Remove from us the punishment; surely, we are believers” (44:12).

After that the Almighty Allah said:

إِنَّا كَاشِفُو الْعَذَابِ قَلِيلًا إِنَّكُمْ عَائِدُونَ

“Surely We will remove the punishment a little, (but) you will surely return (to evil)” (44:15).

Most commentators say that this Smoke is one of the signs of Qiyamah, which will envelope all, before Qiyamah. It will enter the ears of infidels and hypocrites and their heads would be like roasted shells. Every believer will experience a condition like that of a common cold. The earth will become like a place, in which fire is lighted. This smoke will continue for forty days and after that it will disappear, as narrated through Ibn Abbas and Hasan Basri etc.

But in the traditions of Ahl al-Bayt (‘a) this condition is mentioned only in brief and details are not present. One should have faith in this in the same way. What some have said that Smoke being a hint to that famine that occurred during the time of the Prophet is opposed to the authentic traditions of Shi’a and Sunni. It is mentioned in some traditions that this Dukhan will appear during Raj’ah.