The Return of Jesus (part 2 of 5)
- Categories: Comparative Religion -
Description: The prophecies and portents in
Islam of the descent of Jesus in the Quran and the prophetic
narrations.
By Jeremy Boulter (© 2006
IslamReligion.com) - Published on 12 Jun 2006 - Last modified on 01
Apr 2008
Christians believe that Jesus is alive today, and many
denominations believe him to be active. They also believe that he
has been resurrected already, and that he will never die again. The
Muslim position, however, is that he never died, and therefore is
still alive. It says in the Quran, that the Jews claim:
"We killed Jesus Christ, the son of Mary, Messenger of God."
{وَقَوْلِهِمْ إِنَّا قَتَلْنَا
الْمَسِيحَ عِيسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ رَسُولَ اللّهِ}
Transliteration: Wa Qawlihim 'Innā Qatalnā Al-Masīĥa `Īsá Abna
Maryama Rasūla Allāhi
However, God denies this, as the verse continues:
"But they killed him not, nor crucified him; It was only a likeness
shown to them: Most certainly they killed him not. Rather, God
lifted him up to Himself." [Quran 4:157-8].
{وَمَا قَتَلُوهُ وَمَا صَلَبُوهُ
وَلَـكِن شُبِّهَ لَهُمْ وَإِنَّ الَّذِينَ اخْتَلَفُواْ فِيهِ لَفِي
شَكٍّ مِّنْهُ مَا لَهُم بِهِ مِنْ عِلْمٍ إِلاَّ اتِّبَاعَ الظَّنِّ
وَمَا قَتَلُوهُ يَقِيناً (157) بَل رَّفَعَهُ اللّهُ
إِلَيْهِ}
Transliteration: Wa Mā Qatalūhu Wa Mā Şalabūhu Wa Lakin Shubbiha
Lahum Wa 'Inna Al-Ladhīna Akhtalafū Fīhi Lafī Shakkin Minhu Mā
Lahum Bihi Min `Ilmin 'Illā Attibā`a Až-Žanni Wa Mā Qatalūhu
Yaqīnāan, Bal Rafa`ahu Allāhu 'Ilayhi
This action of lifting is literally an upward movement, physically
being taken from the earth into heavens, just as he will be
physically brought back on the wings of angels from the heavens to
the earth when he returns. Christians estimate his age to be 31-33
years of age at ascension, because the synoptic Gospels are
considered to describe approximately 1 year of his life. The Gospel
of John purportedly describes 3 years of his life from the moment
he began preaching, of which Luke says:
"And Jesus himself began to be about 30 years of age, being (as was
supposed) the son of Joseph … and (he) was led by the spirit into
the wilderness." (Luke 3:23 and 4:1).
Muslim scholars agree. Hasan Basri
said: "Jesus was 34", while Sa'eed bin Mussayyib said: "He was
33" when he was lifted up to heaven.[1]
"And there is none of the People of the Book but will believe in
him before his death, and on the Day of Judgment, he will be a
witness against them." [Quran 4:159].
{وَإِن مِّنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ إِلاَّ
لَيُؤْمِنَنَّ بِهِ قَبْلَ مَوْتِهِ وَيَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ يَكُونُ
عَلَيْهِمْ شَهِيداً}
Transliteration: Wa 'In Min 'Ahli Al-Kitābi 'Illā Layu'uminanna
Bihi Qabla Mawtihi Wa Yawma Al-Qiyāmati Yakūnu `Alayhim
Shahīdāan
God, here, is talking about the 'People of the Book' believing in
Jesus before the latter dies well after he was lifted up into the
heavens. The implication is that he is not yet dead. In fact, he is
securely kept by God until he completes his appointed term. As God
says in the Quran:
"It is God Who takes away the souls at the time of their death, and
(the souls) of those that die not during their sleep. He keeps
those for which He has ordained death and sends the rest for a term
appointed." [Quran 39:42].
{اللَّهُ يَتَوَفَّى الْأَنفُسَ حِينَ
مَوْتِهَا وَالَّتِي لَمْ تَمُتْ فِي مَنَامِهَا فَيُمْسِكُ الَّتِي
قَضَى عَلَيْهَا الْمَوْتَ وَيُرْسِلُ الْأُخْرَى إِلَى أَجَلٍ
مُسَمًّى}
Transliteration: Allāhu Yatawaffá Al-'Anfusa Ĥīna Mawtihā Wa A-Atī
Lam Tamut Fī Manāmihā Fayumsiku Allatī Qađá `Alayhā Al-Mawta Wa
Yursilu Al-'Ukhrá 'Ilá 'Ajalin Musammáan
And:
"It is God Who takes away the souls at night, and has knowledge of
all that you have done by day, and raises you up again that a term
appointed be fulfilled; then will you be returned unto Him. Then He
will inform you of all that you used to do." [Quran 6:60].
{وَهُوَ الَّذِي يَتَوَفَّاكُم
بِاللَّيْلِ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا جَرَحْتُم بِالنَّهَارِ ثُمَّ
يَبْعَثُكُمْ فِيهِ لِيُقْضَى أَجَلٌ مُّسَمًّى ثُمَّ إِلَيْهِ
مَرْجِعُكُمْ ثُمَّ يُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا كُنتُمْ
تَعْمَلُونَ}
Transliteration: 'Alam Yaraw Kam 'Ahlaknā Min Qablihim Min Qarnin
Makkannāhum Fī Al-'Arđi Mā Lam Numakkin Lakum Wa 'Arsalnā As-Samā'a
`Alayhim Midrārāan Wa Ja`alnā Al-'Anhāra Tajrī Min Taĥtihim
Fa'ahlaknāhum Bidhunūbihim Wa 'Ansha'nā Min Ba`dihim Qarnāan
'Ākharīna
'The term appointed' denotes the numbered days of our lives,
already known and confirmed by God. The word "to take away" is a
promise made by God to Jesus which God will do when His messenger
is threatened by disbelief. The Quran informs us that He told
Jesus:
"Indeed I will take you (away) and lift you up to Myself and purify
you from those who disbelieve…" [Q3:55].
{إِذْ قَالَ اللّهُ يَا عِيسَى إِنِّي
مُتَوَفِّيكَ وَرَافِعُكَ إِلَيَّ وَمُطَهِّرُكَ مِنَ الَّذِينَ
كَفَرُواْ}
Transliteration: 'Idh Qāla Allāhu Yā `Īsá 'Innī Mutawaffīka Wa
Rāfi`uka 'Ilayya Wa Muţahhiruka Mina Al-Ladhīna Kafarū
Thus we have a promise of God fulfilled when he saved Jesus from
crucifixion, and another that will be fulfilled when He returns
Jesus to earth and he completes his life here - a promise confirmed
in the revelation given to Mary at the annunciation:
"God gives you tidings of a word from Him, whose name will be Jesus
Christ, son of Mary, held in honor in the world and in the
hereafter, and one of those who are nearest (to God). He shall
speak to the people in infancy and when middle-aged[2], and shall
be of the righteous." [uran 3:45-46].
{إِذْ قَالَتِ الْمَلآئِكَةُ يَا
مَرْيَمُ إِنَّ اللّهَ يُبَشِّرُكِ بِكَلِمَةٍ مِّنْهُ اسْمُهُ
الْمَسِيحُ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ وَجِيهاً فِي الدُّنْيَا
وَالآخِرَةِ وَمِنَ الْمُقَرَّبِينَ (45) وَيُكَلِّمُ النَّاسَ فِي
الْمَهْدِ وَكَهْلاً وَمِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ}
Transliteration: 'Idh Qālati Al-Malā'ikatu Yā Maryamu 'Inna Allāha
Yubashshiruki Bikalimatin Minhu Asmuhu Al-Masīĥu `Īsá Abnu Maryama
Wajīhāan Fī Ad-Dunyā Wa Al-'Ākhirati Wa Mina Al-Muqarrabīna, Wa
Yukallimu An-Nāsa Fī Al-Mahdi Wa Kahlāan Wa Mina Aş-Şāliĥīna
Since middle-aged is older than the early thirties, this prophecy
concerns his speaking to the people after his return. So this
second promise (that everyone will believe in him before he dies)
concerns his second mission when he descends to earth again. When
he arrives, he will be the same age as he left, and then he will
live for another forty years.[3] The Prophet, may the mercy and
blessings of God be upon him, said:
"There is no prophet between me and him (Jesus), and he shall
descend. He… will stay in the world for forty years; then he will
die and the Muslims will offer the funeral Prayer for him." (Abu
Dawood, Ahmed)
The return of Jesus will be close to the end of time. In fact, his
descent will be one of the major signs the final hour is due. The
Quran discloses that:
"He (the son of Mary) shall be a known sign of the Hour; so have no
doubt concerning it and follow Me." (Quran 43:61)
{وَإِنَّهُ لَعِلْمٌ لِّلسَّاعَةِ فَلَا
تَمْتَرُنَّ بِهَا وَاتَّبِعُونِ هَذَا صِرَاطٌ
مُّسْتَقِيمٌ}
Transliteration: Wa 'Innahu La`ilmun Lilssā`ati Falā Tamtarunna
Bihā Wa Attabi`ūnī Hādhā Şirāţun Mustaqīmun
His appearance will be followed by only two or three other
unmistakable portents. Among these are the appearance of the
beast[4], the wafting of the believers from the earth[5], leaving
only disbelievers behind, and the rising of the sun from the
west.[6]
The ten major signs, among which is the second coming of Jesus, are
summarized in one hadeeth:[7]
"The Hour will not come until you see ten signs: the smoke; the
False Messiah; the Beast; the sun rising from the West; the descent
of Jesus son of Mary; the Gog and Magog; and three tremors - one in
the East, one in the West, and one in Arabia, at the end of which
fire will burst forth from the direction of Aden and drive people
to the place of their final assembly." (Ahmed)
May God save us from disbelief and preserve us from being among
those who witness the final moments.
_______________________________________
Footnotes:
[1] Ibn Kathîr: Stories of the
Prophets; The Story of Jesus, Elevation or Crucifixion, p 541
[2] The word used in the Quran
is Kahl, which means 'middle-aged; elderly; rather old' (Al-Mawrid
al Waseet Concise Arabic-English Dictionary). According to Mokhtar
Al Sihhah Lexicon, it means above 35 and of grey hair
(sha'ib).
[3] Faslu'l-Maqaal fi Raf'i Isa
Hayyan wa Nuzoolihi wa 'Qatlihi'd-Dajjal, p. 20
[4] Prophesied in the Quran,
27.82: "And when the Word is fulfilled against them (the unjust),
We shall produce from the earth a Beast to (face) them: it will
speak to them."
[5] The Prophet said, 'At that
time God will send a pleasant wind which will waft (people) under
their armpits. He will take the life of every Muslim and only the
wicked will survive, who commit adultery like asses, and the Last
Hour would come to them.' (Saheeh Muslim)
[6] he Prophet said, 'The first
of the immediate signs (of the Hour) to appear will be the rising
of the sun from the west and the appearance of the Beast before the
people in the forenoon. Whichever of these events happens first,
the other will follow immediately.' (Saheeh Muslim).
[7] The signs in the narration
are listed in a different order than they will actually
occur..
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Jesus (part 3 of 5)
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