The Call of Gabriel and the Call of Satan: Can They Be Distinguished?

In Shia Islamic eschatology, the Heavenly Call (Ṣayḥa) is one of the certain signs of the reappearance of Imam al‑Mahdi (peace be upon him). According to authentic narrations, in the blessed month of Ramadan there will be two distinct calls:

1. The Heavenly Call of Jibril (Gabriel) — announcing the truth.
2. The false call of Iblis (Satan) — aiming to mislead people.

Some followers of Ahmad al‑Basri claim that if both the Heavenly Call of Jibril and the call of Iblis occur in the material world, it would be impossible to distinguish between them. They argue that people have never heard the voices of Jibril or Iblis before, so they could not tell them apart. Based on this, they suggest that the Heavenly Call must occur in dreams.

Flaws in the Dream‑Only Argument

First, the same objection applies to dreams: true dreams, false dreams, and satanic dreams all occur during sleep — yet people claim to distinguish between them. Whatever answer they give for dreams can also be applied to the Heavenly Call in the physical world.

Second, Shia hadith clearly explain how to recognize the Heavenly Call of Jibril and distinguish it from the call of Iblis.

Hadith Evidence About the Heavenly Call

Imam al‑Ṣādiq (peace be upon him) said:

“At the start of the day, a caller from the sky will proclaim: ‘Indeed, the truth is with ʿAlī and his Shīʿa.’ At the end of the day, Iblis will call: ‘Indeed, the truth is with ʿUthmān and his supporters.’ At that time, the people of falsehood will fall into doubt.” (al‑Ghaybah by al‑Ṭūsī, vol. 1, p. 454)

Two Clear Differences in the Heavenly Call

1. Message Content — Jibril’s Heavenly cry invites to the wilayah of Imam ʿAlī (peace be upon him), while Iblis’s cry invites to the Umayyads.
2. Timing — Jibril’s Heavenly Call occurs in the morning; Iblis’s call occurs in the evening.

These differences make it easy for believers to distinguish between the two calls, even if both occur in the physical world.

Conclusion

The Heavenly Call is a clear, divinely guided sign, while the call of Iblis is a deceptive test. Shia narrations provide believers with both the content and timing to recognize the truth. The objection that they cannot be told apart in the material world is unfounded.