The end is nigh: 'Dajjal' trends on Twitter, starts Antichrist hysteria for January 2020

"Al-Masih al-Dajjal" - the name used to describe the Antichrist in the Islamic tradition - has been trending on Twitter since late Tuesday, leaving some unsure whether they would see the end of the week.

According to Muslim belief, the Dajjal - a one-eyed imposter - will appear at the end of times to misguide masses of people prior to the arrival of the true Messiah.

His appearing is considered by Muslims to be one of the major signs of the "Day of Judgement" nearing.

"Dajjal is trending my degree isnt important anymore im going to pray bye semua," wrote one Twitter user from Malaysia.

"Dajjal is a trending tweet rn so i think we need to get our prayer mats out," wrote another.

While some rushed to worship, others took the opportunity to offer religious advice to their fellow Twitter users.

"If anyone learns by heart the first ten verses of the Surah Al-Kahf, he will be protected from the Dajjal," wrote one Twitter user, referring to the 18th chapter of the Quran.

Screenshots of the chapter's first ten verses, which are considered to be protection from the Dajjal, were shared on Twitter by several users.

Muslims believe that the verses allow those who read them to identify the Antichrist and see through his deception.

Arriving in January...

The Twitter trend left many scratching their heads as to why so many people were talking about 'Dajjal', however it later emerged that the buzz began due to the upcoming release of 'Messiah' - a Netflix series about a miracle-performing man who claims to be a saviour sent by God.

The story follows a CIA agent Eva Geller (Michelle Monaghan) as she attempts to unravel the truth behind the mysterious man's claims.

Nonetheless, some saw the series' creation as a sign in itself of the Antichrist's impending arrival.

Messiah, created by Michael Petroni (The Book Thief), will drop on Netflix in January 2020 - keep an eye out.