Assalaamu alaykum. I want to ask whether it is true that the Dajjaal (Antichrist) is a trial for the Muslims only while Gog and Magog, on the other hand, do not have any purpose such as to reclaim the holy land, to help the Jews prevail etc., while Gog and Magog are always referred to in regards to the destruction. Is it true to say that Gog and Magog are a trial for humanity and peace, and not only for the Muslims only? Is it not so that they do not have any purpose except destruction?

All perfect praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.

The Dajjaal will call upon all people to believe in him; his call will not be exclusively for the Muslims. The Prophet, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said, "The Dajjaal will be followed by seventy thousand Jews of Isfahan dressed in robes of green satin." [Muslim]

It was narrated in the hadeeth of Tameem Ad-Daari, may Allah be pleased with him, about his story with the Jassaasah and the Dajjaal that the Dajjaal said, "I am the Dajjaal. Verily, I shall tread the whole earth except Makkah and Taybah (Madeenah)..." [Ahmad in Al-Musnad] The Dajjaal will travel the whole earth, and his trial will encompass all the lands, not just the lands of the Muslims. However, there is no doubt that the Muslims are the ones who fear the trial of the Dajjaal, because the non-Muslims are already disbelievers. Were they to believe the Dajjaal and follow him, they would still be disbelievers, moving from one type of disbelief to another. But if a Muslim follows the Dajjaal, he would be committing apostasy after Islam, and he would be moving from light to darkness and from guidance to falsehood. This is why the Prophet, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, warned the believers against the Dajjaal and commanded them to stay away from him. He, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said, "Whoever hears that the Dajjaal has come out should go far from him (and he repeated this three times), for I swear by Allah that a man will come to him thinking himself to be a believer but will continue to hear his allegations until he follows him." [Ahmad, Abu Dawood, and Al-Haakim]

The Prophet, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, also commanded those who will meet him in the future to recite the opening verses of Soorah Al-Kahf [Quran Chapter 18] over him. He said, "Those of you who live up to his time should recite the opening verses of Soorah Al-Kahf over him, for they are your protection from his trial." [Abu Daawood] Another version of the hadeeth reads, "Whoever sees him, let him recite the opening verses of Soorah Al-Kahf."

Moreover, the Prophet, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, urged the Muslims to adhere to steadfastness when faced with the Fitnah (temptation/tribulation) of the Dajjaal and to hold fast to the truth. He, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said, "He will appear on the way between Syria and Iraq and will spread mischief right and left, so slaves of Allah, remain steadfast." [Muslim]

We seek refuge with Allah, the Exalted, from the trial of the Dajjaal, and we ask Him to grant us and our Muslim brethren steadfastness.

Allah knows best.