Does the mark of the Beast lead to salvation? Some hypotheses on the eschatological meaning of the mark of the Beast in Christianity and Islam

Abstract The anticipation of the Hour or Final Judgment represents a central concern within both Christian and Islamic traditions, each envisioning history culminating in a decisive eschatological event. A shared motif in these narratives is the Beast of the Earth, described in the Book of Revelation (chapter 13) and the Qurʾān ( sūra 27:82). In Islamic thought, the Beast ( Dābba ) is regarded as a divine sign endowed with two attributes associated with Solomon and Moses: the seal and the rod. These objects symbolize divine authority, enabling the Beast to distinguish between believers and unbelievers. According to tradition, it illuminates the faces of the faithful with the rod while marking the noses of the unbelievers with the seal. A parallel motif appears in Revelation, where the mark of the Beast is imposed upon the right hand or forehead of all individuals, regardless of social status. In both traditions, the mark serves as a sign of ultimate division: the faithful are identified for salvation, while the faithless are destined for destruction. This paper seeks to examine the theological and eschatological implications of the Beast’s mark, interrogating questions of authority, permanence, and consequence, and highlighting the interpretive resonance between Christian and Islamic perspectives.