Which fitnah is greater – the fitnah of the Dajjal or the fitnah of women?

Praise be to Allah.

It was narrated from Humayd ibn Hilal, from a group of people including Abu’d-Dahma’ and Abu Qatadah, who said: We used to pass by Hishaam ibn ‘Aamir on our way to ‘Imraan ibn Husayn. He said one day: You pass by me to go to some men who did not spend more time with the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) than me and they do not have more knowledge of his hadith than me. I heard the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) say: “Between the creation of Adam and the onset of the Hour there is no creation that has more impact than the Dajjaal. Narrated by Muslim (2946). According to another report narrated by him: “no matter greater than the Dajjaal.”

Al-Qadi ‘Iyad (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

“no matter greater than the Dajjaal” for he will have a great impact and cause a great deal of fitnah, not that he is physically large. This is the correct view, although it may be understood as meaning that he is great or large in physical size."(Ikmal al-Mu‘allim  8/504).

This does not contradict the hadith of Usamah ibn Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him), according to which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “I have not left behind me any fitnah (trial) that is more harmful to men than women.”

Ibn Battal (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

The hadith of Usamah indicates that the fitnah of women is the greatest fitnah to be feared for people, because the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) included all fitnahs in his words “I have not left behind me any fitnah (trial) that is more harmful to men than women.” The truth of this hadith is attested to in the verse in which Allah, may He be exalted, says:

{Beautified for people is the love of that which they desire - of women and sons …} [Al ‘Imran 3:14],

in which women are mentioned before all other desires.

It was narrated from one of the Mothers of the Believers that she said: Unfortunately, we were put at the forefront of desires.

The trial of women is the greatest of trials because of the great temptation they pose to men. And Allah has told us that in addition to that, some of them (women) are enemies to us, so the believer should seek refuge with Allah, turn to Him and ask Him to save him from their temptation and from their evil."(Sharh Sahih al-Bukhari  7/188).

It seems that the hadith of Usamah refers to the trials caused by desires with which a believer may constantly be faced in his life and his daily activities, and to which people were subject at the time of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him); they continued after he passed away, and they continued throughout all eras, as people are constantly infatuated with women, wealth, status and so on. The most serious of this type of trials is the fitnah of women.

As for the fitnah of the Dajjal, it is not included in this type of trial, because the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not leave it behind when he died, and it has not happened yet. So it is not the same as the trials of desires; rather it is a trial of confusion. Moreover, the hadith of Usamah speaks of a trial that is unique to men, and is not faced by women, whereas the fitnah of the Dajjal will be a trial that affects everyone.

And Allah knows best.