[Hi-LaL]

JESUS' LIFE

According to the historical sources, Mary was born at a time when the chaos mentioned earlier in the book was happening, when Roman oppression was real, and the Jews were impatiently awaiting the Messiah's arrival. She was a descendent of `Imran, whose family had been made superior by God (Qur'an, 3:33). God chose her from among them, purified her, and placed her above all other women, for as the Qur'an reveals:

And when the angels said: "Mary, God has chosen you and purified you. He has chosen you over all other women. Mary, obey your Lord and prostrate and bow with those who bow." (Qur'an, 3:42-43)

The family of `Imran was known to believe in God, to seek His good pleasure in whatever they do, and to always respect the limits that He has established. When Imran's wife learned of her pregnancy, she immediately turned to God in prayer and dedicated her unborn child to God. It is a sign of her true submission to God that she named her child Maryam (Mary in English), meaning "someone who is always worshipping God." This subject is revealed in the Qur'an:

Remember when the wife of 'Imran said: "My Lord, I have pledged to You what is in my womb, consecrated [for Your service]. Please accept my prayer. You are the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing." When she gave birth, she said: "My Lord! I have given birth to a girl"-and God knew very well what she had given birth to, male and female are not the same-"and I have named her Mary and placed her and her children in Your safekeeping from the accursed Satan." (Qur'an, 3:35-36)

God reveals that Mary's mother dedicated her to God, "consecrated for His service." The Arabic word used here, i.e., muharraran, means "one who is wholly preoccupied with the Hereafter, who has no business with the world, who worships God at all times, who is in the service of the House of God, who is sincere in his or her worship and, who has no worldly intentions in his or her worship." Imran's wife asked God to allow Mary to serve only Him, and for her to become totally devoted to His good pleasure rather than other people's.

When Mary was born, Imran's wife asked God to protect Mary and her descendents from the evil of Satan. God answered her sincere prayer and gave Mary a superior morality. The Qur'an reveals how carefully Mary was raised under God's protection:

Her Lord accepted her with approval and made her grow in health and beauty. And Zechariah became her guardian. (Qur'an, 3:37)

God states that Zechariah was a righteous servant who was favored over all beings, and one guided to a straight path as a Prophet. God praises him in the Qur'an and points out his impeccable character (Qur'an, 6:85-87). Zechariah, who took on the responsibility of caring for Mary and thus witnessed many of her miracles, realized that she was God's chosen one.

For instance, whenever Zechariah entered the presence of Mary, who always worshipped by herself, he found food with her. The Qur'an says:

Every time Zechariah visited her in the praying chamber, he found food with her. He said: "Mary, how did you come by this?" She said: "It is from God. God provides for whoever He wills without any reckoning." (Qur'an, 3:37)

Mary became well known in her community as a member of her family who was dedicated wholeheartedly to God. The Qur'an speaks of her chastity in particular, as follows:

And Mary, the daughter of 'Imran, who guarded her chastity-We breathed Our Spirit into her, and she confirmed the Words of her Lord and His Book and was one of the obedient. (Qur'an, 66:12)

Mary's Encounter with Gabriel

Mary's life was full of miracles, one of which was her encounter with Gabriel. At a particular stage in her life, Mary left her community and family and secluded herself somewhere in the east. There, the Qur'an mentions that Gabriel appeared to her in the form of a man:

Mention Mary in the Book, how she withdrew from her people to an eastern place and veiled herself from them. Then We sent Our Spirit to her, and it took on for her the form of a handsome, well-built man. She [Mary] said: "I seek refuge from you with the All-Merciful if you guard against evil." (Qur'an, 19:16-18)

At first, she did not know that the unknown person was Gabriel. Thus, she immediately sought refuge with God when he approached and said that she was a God-fearing believer. Her words make it clear that she was a God-fearing and chaste servant. Gabriel introduced himself by stating that he was sent by God to give her the following good news:

He said [to Mary]: "I ** only your Lord's messenger so that He can give you a pure boy." (Qur'an, 19:19)

When the angels said: "Mary, your Lord gives you good news of a Word from Him. His name is the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, of high esteem in this world and the Hereafter, one of those brought near." (Qur'an, 3:45)

Mary received this important news and asked Gabriel how she could have a child while she was still a virgin:

She said: "How can I have a boy when no man has touched me and I ** not an unchaste woman?" He said: "It will be so, for your Lord says: 'That is easy for Me. It is so that We can make him a Sign for mankind and a mercy from Us.' It is a matter already decreed." So she conceived him and withdrew with him to a distant place. (Qur'an, 19:20-22)

She said: "My Lord, how can I have a son when no man has yet touched me?" He said: "It will be so." God creates whatever He wills. When He decides on something, He just says to it "Be!" and it is. (Qur'an, 3:47)

Gabriel replied that God has the power to do anything and that He needs only to say "Be!" and it is. This is how Mary conceived Jesus-by the will of God and without ever being touched by a man. Her pregnancy was created independent of the worldly order in a miraculous way. As our Lord reveals, after receiving this good news, Mary withdrew to somewhere quiet. God supported her during that time in every way and provided all that a pregnant woman could wish for psychologically as well as materially. He made her withdraw from her people, who would not have been able to comprehend her situation, and thereby prevented the physical or spiritual damage that they could have caused her.

The oldest written portion of the New Testament ever found (125 CE). The New Testament was written in Greek, which was spoken in the eastern portion of the Roman Empire.



"The Healing of the Blind Man", a fresco by DUCCIO di Buoninsegna,
reknowned Italian painter

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Jesus' Birth

In the Qur'an, God draws the attention to the fact that Jesus was unique in every respect. First of all, he was born without a father. Through His angels, God revealed to Mary before Jesus' birth that her son would be the Messiah and have many other God-given qualities as well. In fact, Jesus had the honor of being called "God's Word":

The Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, was only the Messenger of God and His Word, which He cast into Mary, and a Spirit from Him. (Qur'an, 4:171)

When the angels said: "Mary, your Lord gives you good news of a Word from Him. His name is the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, of high esteem in this world and the Hereafter, and one of those brought near." (Qur'an, 3:45)

In the Qur'an, the expression "God's Word" is only used for Jesus. God revealed his name before his birth and named him "Messiah Jesus," as a Word from Him. This is another sign that Jesus' creation differs from that of all other people.

God sustained Mary in the best way during her pregnancy and Jesus' birth, and also guided her. He made the environmental conditions favorable for her, for since she had removed herself from her family and community, she was all alone. With the help of God, Mary managed this difficult situation by herself and gave birth to her son without any complications. God reveals His grace for Mary in the following verses:

The pains of labor drove her to the trunk of a date-palm. She exclaimed: "Oh if only I had died before this time and was something discarded and forgotten!" A voice called out to her from under her: "Do not grieve. Your Lord has placed a small stream at your feet. Shake the trunk of the palm toward you, and fresh, ripe dates will drop down to you. Eat and drink and delight your eyes. If you should see anyone at all, just say: 'I have made a vow of abstinence to the All-Merciful, and today I will not speak to any human being.'" (Qur'an, 19:23-26)

As the verses tell, God helped Mary with revelation and told her not to lose heart. He revealed to her everything that she needed to know, and ensured that she would have an easy birth. God's grace and protection for her are shown in this event.

When Mary returned to her people together with Jesus, her people slandered her with ugly accusations based on speculation, even though they knew her and her dedication, as well as that of her family, to God, and her chastity. The circumstances of Jesus' birth are, in reality, a miracle that God granted to Mary's people and proof of His existence. However, her people failed to understand this, and so made unfounded allegations against her and tried to make their slander stick:

She brought him to her people, carrying him. They exclaimed: "Mary! You have done an unthinkable thing! Sister of Aaron, your father was not an evil man nor was your mother an unchaste woman!" (Qur'an, 19:27-28)

In reality, Mary was being tried with these ugly allegations. For such a devout and chaste person to be slandered in this way is a test from God. When confronted this situation, she turned to God and placed her trust in Him, knowing that He would help her against her people's accusations. She sought only His help and support and received His favor and mercy.

God helped His chosen servant in her time of trouble with another miracle: He revealed to her that she should not speak when her people wanted her to, but to point to Jesus when they accuse her. The Qur'an reveals this order in the following way:

"If you should see anyone at all, just say: 'I have made a vow of abstinence to the All-Merciful, and today I will not speak to any human being'." (Qur'an, 19:26)

When God gave her the good news of Jesus' birth, He also revealed that Jesus would speak as a baby in the cradle. This miracle became a big help for Mary from the Lord:

"He will speak to people in the cradle, and also when fully grown, and will be one of the righteous." (Qur'an, 3:46)

In a miraculous way, God made Jesus give the explanation that was expected of Mary. By this miracle, He restored her good reputation and informed the Children of Israel of Jesus' appointment as His Messenger to them:

She pointed toward him. They asked: "How can a baby in the cradle speak?" He [Jesus] said: "I ** the servant of God. He has given me the Book and made me a Prophet. He has made me blessed wherever I **, [has] directed me to perform prayer and give alms as long as I live, and to show devotion to my mother. He has not made me insolent or arrogant. Peace be upon me the day I was born, the day I die, and the day I ** raised up again alive." (Qur'an, 19:29-33)

Jesus declares that he is God's servant, that he has been given revelation, that he is a Prophet expected to call to faith when he reaches adulthood, that he must perform the prescribed prayers (salat) and give alms (zakat), that he must respect his mother's word, and that he will die and be resurrected on the Day of Judgment.

This situation proved to the Children of Israel that they had encountered an extraordinary event: the birth of the Messiah for whom they had been waiting. God reveals:

... and she [Mary], who protected her chastity. We breathed into her some of Our Spirit and made her and her son a Sign for all the worlds. (Qur'an, 21:91)

The verses also reveal that those people who continue to slander Mary will be punished (Qur'an, 4:156-57).

According to the New Testament, Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Thus Christians consider it a holy town.

Jesus' Struggle

As we saw earlier, during Jesus' lifetime there were a number of Jewish sects, each of which interpreted religion in its own way. The Jews had strayed from the true religion brought by Moses, and therefore false beliefs and superstitious traditions had taken root. Furthermore, the pagan Hellenistic culture was being promoted and encouraged, and some Jewish sects had forsaken their monotheistic faith for the symbols and statues of this false belief.

Jesus was sent to his people as aguide, and so had to fight many groups to realize the ultimate goal of bringing his people back to God. We can deduce from the Qur'an that he was providing guidance to people who were engaged in disputes over religion. From the New Testament, we gather that he primarily called upon false priests, those who denied God by ascribing partners to Him and who misled people by religious pretence, to abandon their wrongdoing and believe wholeheartedly in God. The Pharisees and the Sadducees, who are often mentioned in the New Testament, are therefore of relevance in this respect. These two opposing sects agreed on one thing only: Their strong discontent with the revelation with which God had entrusted to Jesus for his people. According to Jesus' true religion, the Sadducees had gone astray because of their materialistic worldview, and the Pharisees were on the wrong path because they had lost their faith by getting bogged down in myths and pretence. These groups turned against Jesus as soon as they realized where they stood with him. God says in the Qur'an:

And when Jesus came with the Clear Signs, he said: "I have come to you with Wisdom and to clarify for you some of the things about which you have differed. Therefore, heed God and obey me."(Qur'an, 43:63)

As both the Pharisees and the Sadducees had a vested interest in the existing system, and so would not obey Jesus. They had great authority over the Jewish people and, as priests, enjoyed great respect among them. The false religion that they had created had become an institution that was making them rich. They had entered into a close working relationship with the Roman governor, and the Sadducees in particular sought to reduce the tensions between Rome and the people of Judea, and thus were granted many privileges in return. Bearing these circumstances in mind, it becomes quite understandable why Jesus' teachings caused these priests such discomfort: Jesus, like all other Prophets, targeted the wrongness of the established order, which considered all kinds of evil legitimate. He wanted people to abandon injustice, unfairness, immorality, and idolatrous religious beliefs and to replace them with a life dedicated to serving God. He advised people to fear and love God in equal measures, to submit to Him, to distance themselves from superstitious rules and dogmatic practices, to worship God alone, and to turn only to Him for success in their undertakings. The miracles he performed by God's will showed clearly that he was a valued Prophet chosen above all people by God, Who supported him with power and superior knowledge. His depth of faith, high morality, superior awareness, and explanations full of insight were greatly admired by the people.

According to the New Testament, Jesus was teaching and rekindling people's faith at the same time by saying that deliverance was nigh for the people and that God's rule was imminent. Meanwhile, the news of his descent from David spread among the people, and the belief that he was the Messiah began to spread like wildfire (Matthew 9:27-35). All of this was disturbing news for those who had adopted the pagan culture introduced by Rome and the priests, who had a vested interest in the established order.

The New Testament says that these circles never missed an opportunity to hinder Jesus' message, but that they were disappointed each time. The priests became increasingly irritated by his subtle answers, which invalidated their claims, and also by his insightful teachings. His statements about them were their biggest concern, and this became one of the decisive factors that led them to scheme against him. According the Gospel of Luke, Jesus exposed their frauds to the public:

"Beware of the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and love to be greeted in the marketplaces and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. They devour widows' houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. Such men will be punished most severely." (Luke 20:46-47)

Some Jewish priests in the past had altered Torah's commandments and added new ones to serve their own interest. Jesus invalidated these false commandments in his quest to eradicate the erroneous traditions, myths, and man-made rules and laws that had, in effect, caused Moses' commandments to be ignored. According to the Gospel of Mark, Jesus specifically mentioned this to the Pharisees:

He replied [to the Pharisees and the teachers of the law]: "...You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men. ...Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that." (Mark 7:6-13)

The Pharisees believed that they had to pledge one-tenth of their income to God and abided by this rule. But it had become a tradition, whereas before it had been an act of worship. The Gospel of Luke records Jesus' reprimand:

"Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone. Woe to you Pharisees, because you love the most important seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces. Woe to you, because you are like unmarked graves, which men walk over without knowing it." (Luke 11:42-44)

"... And you experts in the law, woe to you, because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them." (Luke 11:46)

"Woe to you experts in law, because you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you have hindered those who were entering." (Luke 11:52)

Such public warnings and the priests' public humiliation because of their immorality increased their hostility toward Jesus. According to Luke, the Pharisees and the religious scholars began to oppose him fiercely after Jesus said the words recorded above (Luke 11:53-54).

As the Qur'an also makes clear, Jesus called the Children of Israel to return to the Mosaic law and to believe in God wholeheartedly. The Gospel of Matthew and the Qur'an contain some strikingly similar words about the unbelievers, "They have hearts with which they do not understand. They have eyes with which they do not see. They have ears with which they do not hear" (Qur'an, 7:179). In the Gospel of Matthew, we read the following words that Jesus said about the Jews:

"You will be ever hearing but never understanding;you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people's heart has become calloused;they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them." (Matthew 13:14-15)

DUCCIO di Buoninsegna's wall painting depicting Jesus' lecture to the Diciples

Prophets fulfilled their God-given duty in the best possible way and used all of their resources and energy to invite their people to the path of guidance. Jesus displayed extraordinary patience in the face of all the conspiracies and attacks directed against him. He merely trusted in God and continued communicating His message and, even though he had only a few supporters, he defeated his opponents every time. He tried many things in order to return religion to its original purity, to rid it of all the myths and false practices that had entered it over time. Thanks to his God-given insight and superior understanding, he was a very effective public speaker and was able to give guiding examples.

Jesus called his people to worship God alone; brought the good news of the rule of religious morality; fought against false beliefs, myths, and idolatry; and explained that this worldly life is a test. He made every conceivable effort to correct his people's flawed sense of morality and was himself a role model of high character. However, these activities only made his enemies fiercer and led them to plot his death.

Jesus' Ministry

Jesus' life was full of miracles from the moment of his birth until the day he was raised to God's presence. The Qur'an reveals some of the miracles, all of which he performed by the will of God:

Remember when God said: "Jesus, son of Mary, remember My blessing to you and to your mother when I reinforced you with the Purest Spirit so that you could speak to people in the cradle and when you were fully grown; and when I taught you the Book and Wisdom, and the Torah and the Gospel." (Qur'an, 5:110)

As a Messenger to the Children of Israel, saying: "I have brought you a Sign from your Lord. I will create the shape of a bird out of clay for you and then breathe into it, and it will be a bird by God's permission. I will heal the blind and the leper, and bring the dead to life, by God's permission. I will tell you what you eat and what you store up in your homes. There is a Sign for you in that if you are believers." (Qur'an, 3:49)

The Qur'an reveals several of the miracles associated with Jesus: He was conceived without a father, spoke in the cradle, had full knowledge of God's holy books (the Torah, the Gospel, and the Qur'an), made a likeness of a bird out of mud and enabled it to fly away by breathing into it, healed the blind from birth and the leper, raised the dead, knew what people ate and what they saved, and foretold our Prophet by the name "Ahmad."

Despite these miracles and his efforts to teach God's revelation, most of his people continued to deny him. Like the other nations mentioned in the Qur'an, these unbelievers simply said that he was only doing magic tricks because he was no more than a magician:

And when Jesus son of Mary said: "O Children of Israel, I ** the Messenger of God to you, confirming the Torah that came before me and giving you the good news of a Messenger after me, whose name is Ahmad." When he brought them the Clear Signs, they said: "This is downright magic." (Qur'an, 61:6)

The Qur'an reveals that Jesus did not come to wipe out Judaism, but to affirm and purify religion of the myths that had crept in over the centuries and to return it to its original purity. God also sent him to resolve the issues disputed over by the various Jewish sects, which we examined earlier in the book. The Qur'an says:

[Jesus said:] "I come confirming the Torah I find already here, and to make lawful for you some of what was previously forbidden to you. I have brought you a Sign from your Lord. So have fear [and awe] of God and obey me." (Qur'an, 3:50)

And when Jesus came with the Clear Signs, he said: "I have come to you with Wisdom and to clarify for you some of the things about which you have differed. Therefore, heed God and obey me." (Qur'an, 43:63)

Jesus confirmed the matters of faith mentioned in the Torah and also brought the Gospel, God's last revelation to humanity, to guide and advise his people.

And We sent Jesus son of Mary following in their [the Prophets'] footsteps, confirming the Torah that came before him. We gave him the Gospel containing guidance and light, confirming the Torah that came before it, and as guidance and admonition for those who guard against evil. The people of the Gospel should judge by what God sent down in it. Those who do not judge by what God has sent down, such people are deviators. (Qur'an, 5:46-47)

Very few people answered Jesus' call at the beginning, for his call sought to abolish the privileges of the priestly class, which profited from the myths and traditions that had been established many years ago, and also those members of the ruling class who did not recognize God's sovereignty. The pressure they applied, when combined with their threats, scared the common people and prevented them from approaching Jesus. When Jesus' teachings began to spread and the number of his followers increased, the number of his opponents increased accordingly. More cowardly traps were prepared and more plans were made to discredit and defeat him. Such plots were nothing new, for all Prophets encountered such hostility. The Qur'an reveals the unbelievers' maliciousness toward the Messengers in the following terms:

Why then, whenever a Messenger came to you with something your lower selves did not desire, did you grow arrogant and deny some of them and murder others? (Qur'an, 2:87)

Society began to be divided by those who believed in Jesus and those who denied him, and the difference between the two groups became more and more apparent. On the one side was God's Messenger, who was teaching the true religion and calling people to believe in the one and only God, and on the other side was a group of people who had decided not to believe in him regardless of his miracles or proofs, even if they saw them with their own eyes. His enemies revealed themselves clearly. Probably there were people who were with him and heard him, but who later denied him. God reveals such a situation in the following verse: "The various factions among them differed..." (Qur'an, 43:65)

For this reason, Jesus chose his disciples from those believers whom he could really trust. The Qur'an reveals:

When Jesus sensed unbelief on their part, he asked: "Who will be my helpers for [the cause of] God?" The disciples said: "We are God's helpers. We believe in God. Bear witness that we are Muslims." (Qur'an, 3:52)

A fresco by DUCCIO di Buoninsegna depicting Jesus having dinner with the Diciples

The Qur'an reveals that the unbelievers devised a plot to take Jesus' life. According to some sources, a group of bigoted priests bribed Judas Iscariot, one of the disciples, to betray him, after which they would arrest Jesus and hand him over to the Romans. According to the same sources, the priests did not have the power to sentence someone to death and so had to make another plan to agitate the Roman regime. Thus, they portrayed Jesus as being hostile to the Roman leadership, for the Romans were highly sensitive and ruthless when confronted with dissidents. But these priests failed, for the Qur'an relates:

They [unbelievers] planned and God planned. But God is the best of planners. (Qur'an, 3:54)

As the verses reveal, they plotted and moved to kill Jesus. However, their plot failed and they ended up killing a look-alike. During this event, God raised Jesus up to His presence:

And [on account of] their saying: "We killed the Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, Messenger of God." They did not kill him and they did not crucify him, but it was made to seem so to them. Those who argue about him are in doubt about it. They have no real knowledge of it, just conjecture. But they certainly did not kill him. (Qur'an, 4:157)

Many people believe in the widespread hypothesis that the Romans crucified Jesus. The Roman soldiers and Jewish priests who arrested Jesus are said to have killed him on the cross. The majority of Christians believes this, as well as that he was resurrected three days later and, after several brief meetings with his disciples and others, ascended into the heavens.

The Qur'an, however, says otherwise. The reality revealed in the verses is clear. The Romans, abetted by Jewish agitation, attempted to kill Jesus but did not succeed. The expression "but it was made to seem so to them" reveals this fact. God showed them a look-alike and raised Jesus up to His presence. Our Lord also reveals that those who made that claim had no knowledge of the truth.

In the early years of Christianity, several views on Jesus' fate emerged. In the subsequent centuries and until the articles of faith were fully formulated at the Council of Nicea (325), these ideological differences continued to persist, and movements that claimed that Jesus had not been crucified were accused of heresy and its members were persecuted.

JESUS' SUPERIOR CHARACTER

The hadith literature reveals many important truths about Jesus. Some hadiths inform us that he was of medium height, had white skin with a hue of red, straight hair, and was very handsome. He had shoulder-length hair and wore a woolen cloak and sandals made of bark. He often removed himself from this world, had a strong desire for the Hereafter, and spent much time worshipping God.1 Other hadiths describe this astonishingly handsome and holy man as follows:

While I was asleep, I saw myself (in a dream) making tawaf (circling) around the Ka`bah. I saw a brown-skinned man with straight hair being supported by two men, and with water dripping from his head. I asked: "Who is this?" They said: "The son of Mary." (Sahih Bukhari)

When you see him, you will recognize him. He is of medium height, and his coloring is reddish-white. He will be wearing two garments, and his hair will look wet although no water will have wet it. (Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Musnad)

Like every chosen and sent Prophet, Jesus had the highest form of character. One of his most distinguishing features was his high standard of morals and noble personality, which had an immediate effect on people. In addition, he had a strong personality due to his complete trust, reliance, and faith in God; was decisive and courageous; and could not be manipulated by society. The following verses reveal his superiority:

This is the argument We gave to Abraham against his people. We raise in rank anyone We will. Your Lord is All-Wise, All-Knowing. We gave him Isaac and Jacob, each of whom We guided. And before him We had guided Noah. And among his descendants were David, Solomon, Job, Joseph, Moses, and Aaron. That is how We recompense the good-doers. And Zechariah, John, Jesus, and Elias. All of them were among the righteous. And Ishmael, Elisha, Jonah, and Lot. All of them We favored over all beings. And some of their forebears, descendants, and brothers; We chose them and guided them to a straight path. That is God's guidance. He guides by it those of His servants He wills ... (Qur'an, 6:83-88)

Jesus was also a just, modest, compassionate, sincere, honest, selfless person and a chosen Prophet. In one verse, God says the following about him:

These Messengers: We favored some of them over others. God spoke directly to some of them and raised up some of them in rank. We gave Clear Signs to Jesus, son of Mary, and reinforced him with the Purest Spirit. (Qur'an, 2:253)

When we look at Jesus' life, we can see his high morality. First of all, he was a discerning leader who taught the true religion to his people. He was the most obedient to God's commandments and recommendations, and was a guide who rid people of myths. The Qur'an reveals that Jesus was diligently fulfilling all of the requirements of worship and morality:

He [Jesus] said: "I ** the servant of God. He has given me the Book and made me a Prophet. He has made me blessed wherever I **, directed me to perform prayer and give alms as long as I live, and to show devotion to my mother." (Qur'an, 19:30-32)

Throughout his life, Jesus spoke wisely and effectively and knew right from wrong. He replied with insight and reason to all of his enemies' questions posed to catch him and defeated all of their attempts. He remained true to God, irrespective of his people's attitude toward him, drew strength from his strong faith and devotion, and explained God's existence in the most effective way.

Like all other Prophets, Jesus used plain, clear, and intelligible language when preaching. His allegories moved people's conscience, and encouraged them to reflect deeply and to behave according to God's good pleasure. Jesus' love for God, as well as his exuberant faith and diligence in following God's orders, is evident from his teachings. His method of preaching shows clearly that God chose him above all other people.

1- M. Asim Koksal, Peygamberler Tarihi (The History of Prophets), (Ankara:Koksal Yayincilik, 1990), pp. 334-35.

GOD'S PROMISE:
PROPHET JESUS (Pbuh)
WILL RETURN

The lives of God's chosen Messengers contain many messages and lessons for all people, especially when we study their encounters, their troubles, and their great struggles. The Qur'an cites Jesus as an example for people to follow, because of how he conducted his life and his struggle, and because of his great virtue.

Jesus' birth, life, and ascension to God's presence are all miracles that the Qur'an reveals in some detail. Although God reveals the narratives of many Prophets, Jesus, whom God supported with superior wisdom, is set apart from the others in several aspects, among them that he spoke even in the cradle, and that he was the vehicle for countless miracles while he was in this world. That his status is different also can be deduced from the fact that he was raised to God's presence and that the Qur'an indicates strongly his second coming.

The Qur'an reveals that the unbelievers devised a plot to take Jesus' life. According to some sources, a group of bigoted Jewish scribes and priests bribed Judas Iscariot, one of the disciples, to betray him, after which they would arrest Jesus and hand him over to the Romans. According to the same sources, the priests did not have the power to sentence someone to death and so had to make another plan to agitate the Roman regime. Thus, they portrayed Jesus as being hostile to the Roman leadership, for the Romans were highly sensitive and ruthless when confronted with dissidents. But these priests failed, for the Qur'an relates:

They [unbelievers] planned and God planned. But God is the best of planners. (Surah Al 'Imran, 3:54)

As the verses reveal, they plotted and moved to kill Jesus. However, their plot failed and they ended up killing a look-alike. During this event, God raised Jesus up to His presence:

And [on account of] their saying: "We killed the Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, Messenger of God." They did not kill him and they did not crucify him, but it was made to seem so to them. Those who argue about him are in doubt about it. They have no real knowledge of it, just conjecture. But they certainly did not kill him. God raised him to Himself. God is Almighty, All-Wise. (Surat An-Nisa', 4:157-158)

Many people believe in the widespread assumption that the Romans crucified Jesus. The Roman soldiers and Jewish priests who arrested Jesus are said to have killed him on the cross. Although some historical Christian sects such as Docetism have denied this, today, the world of Christianity completely believes it, as well as that he was resurrected three days later and, after several brief meetings with his disciples and others, ascended into the heavens.

The Qur'an, however, says otherwise. The reality revealed in the verses is clear. The Romans, abetted by some Jews' agitation, attempted to kill Jesus but did not succeed. The expression "but it was made to seem so to them" reveals this fact. God showed them a look-alike and raised Jesus up to His presence. Our Lord also reveals that those who made that claim had no knowledge of the truth.

In the early years of Christianity, several views on Jesus' fate emerged. In the subsequent centuries and until the articles of faith were fully formulated at the Council of Nicea (325), these ideological differences continued to persist, and movements that claimed that Jesus had not been crucified were accused of heresy and its members were persecuted.

The Qur'anic Account of Jesus' Ascent to God's Presence

Examining the words used in the narratives relating how the Prophets died and the verses dealing with Jesus' ascent to God's presence reveals an important fact: Jesus did not die like the other prophets did, nor was he murdered by the unbelievers. Rather, our Lord took him up to His presence. In this chapter, we will examine the Arabic words used to express how the Prophets died and how Jesus was raised up to God's presence, and investigate how the Qur'an uses them.

As we will see in greater detail later on, the Qur'an uses qataloohu (to kill), maata (to die), halaka (to perish), salaboohu (they crucified him), or some other special expressions to describe the death or murder of the Prophets. In the case of Jesus, the Qur'an clearly states that he was not killed in any of those ways, for: "They did not kill him [wa ma qataloohu] and did not crucify him [wa ma salaboohu]." God reveals that people were shown a look-alike and that Jesus was raised up to His presence, as follows:

When God said: "Jesus, I will take you back [mutawaffeeka] and raise you up [wa raafi`uka] to Me and purify you of those who are unbelievers. And I will place the people who follow you above those who are unbelievers until the Day of Rising..." (Surah Al 'Imran, 3: 55)

The following are the ways in which the words referring to death in the Qur'an and the word tawaffa in Surah Al `Imran are used:

(1)
Tawaffa: To Cause To Die, To Take in One's Sleep, or To Take Back

The word tawaffa used in Surah Al `Imran 3 and translated as "taking back" here and "causing to die" in some Qur'an translations, has various connotations. Examining the Arabic verses clearly reveals that these connotations of the word should be considered while applying it to Jesus' situation. The Qur'an describes his being taken back to God in the words that Jesus will say on the Day of Judgment:

[Jesus said], "I said to them nothing but what You ordered me to say: 'Worship God, my Lord and your Lord.' I was a witness against them as long as I remained among them, but when You took me back to You [tawaffa], You were the One watching over them. You are the Witness of all things." (Surat al-Ma'ida, 5:117)

In Arabic the word that is translated in some translations of this verse as "You have caused me to die" is tawaffa and comes from the root wafa - to fulfil. Tawaffa does not actually mean "death" but the act of "taking the self back" either in sleep, in death or as in the case of Jesus being taken back into the presence of God. From the Qur'an again, we understand that "taking the self back" does not necessarily mean death. For instance, it can mean "taking back the self while one is asleep," as indicated in the following verse:

It is He Who takes you back to Himself [yatawaffaakum] at night, while knowing the things you perpetrate by day, and then wakes you up again, so that a specified term may be fulfilled. (Surat al-An'**, 6:60)

The word used for "take back" in this verse is the same as the one used in Surah Al 'Imran 55. In other words, in the verse above, the word tawaffa is used and it is obvious that one does not die in one's sleep. Therefore, what is meant here is, again, "taking the self back." In the following verse, the same word is used like this:

God takes back people's selves [yatawaffaa] when their death [mawtihaa] arrives and those who have not yet died, while they are asleep [lam tamut]. He keeps hold of those whose death [mawt] has been decreed and sends the others back for a specified term. (Surat Az-Zumar, 39:42)

As this verse clarifies, God takes back the self of the one who is asleep, yet He sends back the selves of those whose deaths have yet not been decreed. In this context, in one's sleep one does not die, in the sense in which we perceive death. Only for a temporary period, the self leaves the body and remains in another dimension. When we wake up, the self returns to the body.1

Imam al-Qurtubi makes clear that there are three meanings to the term wafat which is from the same root as tawaffa:the wafat of death, the wafat of sleep, and last, the wafat of being raised up to God, as in the case of Jesus.

(2)
Qatala: To Kill

The Qur'an uses qatala to mean "to kill," as in the following verse:

Pharaoh said: "Let me kill [aqtulu] Moses and let him call upon his Lord! I ** afraid that he may change your religion and bring about corruption in the land." (Surah Ghafir, 40:26)

In Arabic, "let me kill Moses" is aqtulu Musa, a phrase that is derived from the verb qatala. In another verse, the same word is used in the following way:

... [That was because they] killed [yaqtuloona] the Prophets without any right to do so. (Surat al-Baqara, 2:61)

The expression yaqtuloona (they killed) is also derived from qatala. The translation is clearly "to kill."

The verses below speak of the deaths of the Prophets, and the usage of the verb qatala is marked. All words in brackets are derivatives of this verb.

We will write down what they said and their killing [wa qatlahum] of the Prophets without any right to do so. (Surah Al 'Imran, 3:181)

Say: "Why, then, if you are believers, did you previously kill [taqtuloona] the Prophets of God?" (Surat al-Baqara, 2:91)

As for those who reject God's Signs, and kill [yaqtuloona] the Prophets without any right to do so, and kill [yaqtuloona] those who command justice... (Surah Al 'Imran, 3:21)

"Kill [uqtuloo] Joseph or expel him to some land." (Surah Yusuf, 12:9)

..."Moses, the Council is conspiring to kill you [li yaqtulooka]." (Surat al-Qasas, 28:20)

The only answer of his [Abraham's] people was to say: "Kill [uqtuloohu] him or burn him!" (Surat al-'Ankabut, 29:24)

(3)
Halaka: To Perish

Another word used to denote the act of killing is halaka. It also is used to mean "to perish, to be destroyed, or to die," as in the verse given below:

... when he [Joseph] died [halaka], you said: "God will never send another Messenger after him."(Surah Ghafir, 40:34)

The phrase idha halaka is translated as "when he died." meaning "to die."

(4)
Mawt: Death

Another word used to relate a Prophet's death is mawt, a noun derived from the verb maata (to die), as follows:

Then when We decreed that he [Prophet Solomon] should die [mawt], nothing divulged his death [mawtihi] to them except the worm that ate his staff. (Surah Saba', 34:14)

In the following verse, another form of the verb is used:

Peace be upon him [Prophet John] the day he was born, the day he dies [yamootu], and the day he is raised up again alive. (Surah Maryam, 19:15)

The word yamootu is translated here as "they day he dies," and the same word is used (in the form of a noun) to relate Jacob's death:

Or were you present when death [mawt] came to Jacob? (Surat al-Baqara, 2:133)

In another verse, the verbs qatala (in the passive form qutila) and maata are used together:

Mohammed is only a Messenger, and he has been preceded by other Messengers. If he were to die [maata] or be killed [qutila], would you turn on your heels? (Surah Al 'Imran, 3:144)

Other forms of the verb are used in other verses to denote the death of Prophets:

She exclaimed: "Oh if only I had died [mittu] before this time and was something discarded and forgotten!" (Surah Maryam, 19:23)

We did not give any human being before you immortality [khuld]. And if you die [mitta], will they then be immortal? (Surat al-Anbiya', 21: 34)

"He Who will cause my death [yumeetunee], then give me life." (Surat ash-Shu'ara', 26: 81)

(5)
Khalid: Immortal

The word khalid means immortality, permanence, and continued existence, as in the following verse:

We did not give them bodies that did not eat food, nor were they immortal [khalideena]. (Surat al-Anbiya', 21:8)

( 6 )
Salaba: To Crucify

Another word used in the Qur'an to relate death is salaba (to crucify). This verb has various meanings (e.g., to hang, to crucify, to execute) and is used in the following ways:

They did not kill him and they did not crucify him [wa maa salaboohu].
(Surat An-Nisa', 4:157)

[Joseph said:] "One of you will serve his lord with wine, the other of you will be crucified [yuslabu]." (Surah Yusuf, 12:41)

They should be killed or crucified [yusallaboo]. (Surat al-Ma'ida, 5:33)

[Pharaoh said:] "I will cut off your alternate hands and feet, and then I will crucify [la usallibannakum] every one of you." (Surat al-A'raf, 7:124)

As the verses show, the words used to express Jesus' situation are altogether different to those used to describe the deaths of the other Prophets. God states that Jesus was neither killed nor crucified, that a look-alike was killed in his place, and that he was taken back (in other words that his soul was taken) and raised up to His presence. When talking of Jesus', the Qur'an uses tawaffa (to take the soul) whereas when talking of the other Prophets, it uses qataloohu or maata (and its derivatives) to mean "death" in the conventional sense. This information shows us yet again that Jesus' situation was extraordinary.

1. Yuce Kuran'in Cagdas Tefsiri (The Contemporary Tafsir of the Holy Qur'an) by Professor Suleyman Ates, Head of Department of Basic Islamic Sciences at Istanbul University's Faculty of Divinity, Vol. 2, 49-50.

JESUS' SECOND COMING
TO EARTH -1-

The subject of Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) second coming is clearly proclaimed in the Qur'an and our Prophet's (may God bless him and grant him peace) sayings. There are certain statements pertaining to this issue in many verses and hadiths.

Evidence from the Qur'an

"... I will place the people who follow you above those who are unbelievers until the Day of Resurrection..."

The first verse indicating Jesus' return is given below:

When God said: "Jesus, I will take you back and raise you up to Me, and purify you of those who are unbelievers. And I will place the people who follow you above those who are unbelievers until the Day of Resurrection. Then you will all return to Me, and I will judge between you regarding the things about which you differed. (Surah Al 'Imran, 3:55)

God mentions that a group of Jesus' true followers will dominate the unbelievers until the Day of Resurrection. Jesus did not have many followers during his tenure on Earth and, with his ascension, the religion that he had brought degenerated rapidly. Over the next two centuries, those who believed in Jesus were oppressed because they had no political power. Therefore, we cannot say that the early Christians dominated the unbelievers in the sense indicated by the verse given above.

At present, Christianity is so far removed from its original state that it no longer resembles the religion taught by Jesus. Christians have adopted the mistaken belief that Jesus is God's son (surely God is beyond all that which they falsely ascribe to Him) and incorporated the Trinity (viz., the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) into their religion centuries ago. Given this, we cannot acknowledge today's Christians as being true followers of Jesus. In the Qur'an, God states more than once that those who believe in the Trinity are, in fact, unbelievers:

Those who say that the Messiah, son of Mary, is the third of three are unbelievers. There is no god but the One God. (Surat al-Ma'ida, 5:73)

In this case, "And I will place the people who follow you above those who are unbelievers until the Day of Resurrection" carries a clear message: There has to be a group of Jesus' followers who will exist until the Last Day. Such a group will emerge after his second coming, and those who follow him at that time will dominate the unbelievers until the Last Day.

This aside, the expression, "Then you will all return to Me" at the verse's end is striking. After relating that those who follow Prophet Jesus (pbuh) will be superior to the unbelievers, God states that everyone, including Prophet Jesus (pbuh), will return to Him. Here, the expression is understood to mean their death. This may also be a sign that Prophet Jesus (pbuh) will die at a time close to Doomsday, after his second coming.

"There is not one of the People of the Book who will not believe in him
before he dies..."

In the Qur'an, we read that:

There is not one of the People of the Book who will not believe in him before he dies; and on the Day of Resurrection he [Jesus] will be a witness against them. (Surat An-Nisa', 4:159)

The phrase "there is not one of the People of the Book who will not believe in him before he dies" is very interesting. In Arabic, the sentence reads as follows: Wa-in min ahli al-kitaabi illaa la yu'minanna bihi qabla mawtihi.

Some scholars believe that the "him/it" in this verse refers to the Qur'an instead of Jesus, and so understand it to mean that the People of the Book will believe in the Qur'an before they die. However, it is beyond dispute that the same word in the preceding two verses refers to Jesus:

And [on account of] their saying: "We killed the Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, Messenger of God." They did not kill him and they did not crucify him, but it was made to seem so to them. Those who argue about him are in doubt about it. They have no real knowledge of it, just conjecture. But they certainly did not kill him. (Surat An-Nisa', 4:157)

God raised him [Jesus] up to Himself. God is Almighty, All-Wise. (Surat An-Nisa', 4:158)

The word "him," which is used in the verse straight after the above two, refers to Jesus, and there is no evidence to suggest otherwise.

There is not one of the People of the Book who will not believe in him before he dies; and on the Day of Resurrection he [Jesus] will be a witness against them. (Surat An-Nisa', 4:159)

The expression "and on the Day of Resurrection he will be a witness against them" is important. The Qur'an reveals that on that Day, people's tongues, hands, and feet (Surat An-Nur, 24:24, Surah Ya Sin, 36:65), as well as their eyes, ears, and skin (Surah Fussilat, 41:20-23), will testify against them. No verse indicates that the Qur'an will be the witness during this event. If the first part of the verse is taken to mean "the Qur'an" - even though there is no evidence in the syntax or the succession of verses for this - "him" or "it" in the second part also would refer to the Qur'an. To accept this, however, there should be an explicit verse confirming this view. However, the commentator Ibn Juzayy does not mention the possibility of the Qur'an being the "him" referred to, and Ibn Juzayy transmitted the views of all the major commentators in his work.

When we examine the Qur'an's verses, we see that when the same personal pronoun refers to the Qur'an, there is generally mention of the Qur'an before or after that specific verse as in the cases of 27:77 and 26:192-96. If the Qur'an is not mentioned before, after, or in the verse, saying that the pronoun refers to the Qur'an could be mistaken. The verse clearly speaks of the belief in Jesus and that he will be a witness for those who believe.

Another point we need to make here has to do with the interpretation of "before he dies." Some believe that this stands for the People of the Book "having faith in Jesus before their own death." According to this view, everyone from the People of the Book will definitely believe in Jesus before he or she dies. But at the time of Jesus, most of the Jews (who are members of the People of the Book) not only refused to believe in him, but also plotted his death. Then, believing him to be dead, they continued to deny him. In general, the same circumstances are true for the Jews of our own time, as they do not recognize Jesus as a Prophet. As a result, millions of the People of the Book have lived and died without ever believing in Jesus. Therefore, the verse does not speak of the death of this group, but rather of the death of Jesus. In the end, the reality revealed by the Qur'an is this: "Before Jesus dies, all People of the Book will believe in him."

When the verse is regarded in the light of its true meaning, several clear facts emerge. First, it becomes apparent that the verse refers to the future, because it speaks of Jesus' death. As explained earlier, he never died but was raised to God's presence. Jesus will return to Earth, where he will live and die like all other people. Second, it says that all People of the Book will believe in him. Obviously, this has not yet happened. And so, given the context, "before he dies" refers to Jesus. The People of the Book will see and recognize him, and then become Muslim followers of Jesus, as will be explained shortly. In turn, he will be their witness on the Last Day. (God knows best.)


"He is a Sign of the Hour..."

In Surat az-Zukhruf, we are informed of Jesus' return and some other facts, as follows:

When an example is made of the son of Mary [Jesus], your people laugh uproariously. They retort: "Who is better then, our gods or him?" They only say this to you for argument's sake. They are indeed a disputatious people. He is only a servant on whom We bestowed Our blessing and whom We made an example for the tribe of Israel. If We willed, We could appoint angels in exchange for you to succeed you on Earth. (Surat Az-Zukhruf, 43:57-60)

The next verse states that Jesus is a sign of the Day of Judgment:

He [Jesus] is a Sign of the Hour. Have no doubt about it. But follow me. This is a straight path. (Surat Az-Zukhruf, 43:61)

Ibn Juzayy says that the first meaning of this verse is that Jesus is a sign or precondition of the Last Hour. We can confidently say that this verse indicates his return at the End Times, because he lived six centuries before the Qur'an's revelation. Therefore we cannot consider his first life as a sign of the Day of Judgment. The verse says that Jesus will return toward the end of time or, in other words, during the last period of time before the Day of Judgment. In that context, his return is a sign of the Hour's imminent arrival. (God knows best.)

In Arabic, the expression "He is a Sign of the Hour" is Innahu la `ilmun li as-saa`ati.

Some say that the pronoun hu (he/it) in this expression refers to the Qur'an. However if this pronoun is used to denote the Qur'an, we would expect other words to be present, whether before, after, or in the verse, that speak of the Qur'an. The word hu cannot denote the Qur'an when the subject is altogether different. Furthermore, the preceding verse clearly refers to Jesus with the word hu:

He [Jesus] is only a servant on whom We bestowed Our blessing and whom We made an example for the tribe of Israel. (Surat Az-Zukhruf, 43:59)

Those who say that hu refers to the Qur'an rely on the expression "Have no doubt about it. But follow me," which continues the verse. However, since the preceding verses speak only of Jesus, it is far more realistic to accept that hu refers to him, as in the preceding verses. The great scholars of Islam interpret this pronoun as referring to Jesus, an opinion that they base on other Qur'anic verses and hadiths. In his commentary, Elmalili Muhammad Hamdi Yazir writes that:

No doubt he [Jesus] is a sign of the Hour, one that declares that the Hour will come, that the dead will be resurrected and stand up, because the miracle of Jesus' second coming and his miracle of resurrecting the dead, together with his revelation that the dead will rise, prove that the Day of Judgment is real. According to the hadiths, his arrival is a sign of the Last Day."1


"He will teach him the Book and Wisdom, and the Torah and the Gospel."

Other verses indicating Jesus' second coming is the following:

When the angels said: "Mary, your Lord gives you good news of a Word from Him. His name is the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, of high esteem in this world and the Hereafter, and one of those brought near [to God]. He will speak to people in the cradle, and also when fully grown, and will be one of the righteous." She asked: "My Lord! How can I have a son when no man has ever touched me?" He said: "It will be so. God creates whatever He wills. When He decides on something, He just says to it: 'Be!' and it is. He will teach him the Book and Wisdom, and the Torah and the Gospel." (Surah Al 'Imran, 3:45-48)

The last verse reveals that God will teach Jesus the "Book," the Torah, and the Gospel. Obviously, this book in question is very important. The same expression is also used in the verse given below:

Remember when God said: "Jesus, son of Mary, remember My blessing to you and to your mother when I reinforced you with the Purest Spirit so that you could speak to people in the cradle and when you were fully grown; and when I taught you the Book and Wisdom, and the Torah and the Gospel." (Surat al-Ma'ida, 5:110)

When we examine how "Book" is used here, we see that it refers to the Qur'an in both cases. The verses reveal that after the Torah, the Psalms and the Gospel, the Qur'an is the final divine book. Some other verses use "Book" to denote the Qur'an, after mentioning the Torah and the Gospel, such as the following:

God, there is no god but Him, the Living, the Self-Sustaining. He has sent down the Book to you with truth, confirming what was there before it. And He sent down the Torah and the Gospel previously. (Surah Al 'Imran, 3:2-4)

Other verses also call the Qur'an the "Book":

When a Book comes to them from God, confirming what is with them - even though before that they were praying for victory over the unbelievers - yet when what they recognize comes to them, they reject it. God's curse is on the unbelievers. (Surat al-Baqara, 2:89)

For this We sent a Messenger to you from among you to recite Our Signs to you, to purify you, to teach you the Book and Wisdom, and to teach you things you did not know before. (Surat al-Baqara, 2:151)

In this case, the Qur'an is the third book that Jesus will be taught. But this will be possible only when he returns to Earth, for he lived 600 years before the Qur'an's revelation. As we will see in great detail in the following chapters, the hadiths reveal that Jesus will rule with the Qur'an, not the Gospel, on his second coming. This corresponds with the verse's meaning.

JESUS' SECOND COMING
TO EARTH -2-

"The likeness of Jesus in God's sight is the same as Adam."

The verse above (Surah Al 'Imran, 3:59) could also indicate Jesus' return. Muslim scholars who have written Qur'anic commentaries point out that this verse indicates the fact that both Prophets did not have a father, for God created both of them with the command "Be!" However, the verse could also have another meaning: Just as Adam was sent down to Earth from God's presence, Jesus will be sent down to Earth from God's presence during the End Times.

As we have seen, the verses regarding Jesus' return are very clear. As the Qur'an does not use such expressions for any other Prophet, its meaning is fairly obvious.


"... The day I was born, the day I die, and the day I ** raised up again alive..."

Surah Maryam also mentions Jesus' death in the following verse:

[Jesus said,] "Peace be upon me the day I was born, the day I die, and the day I ** raised up again alive." (Surah Maryam, 19:33)

When this verse is considered in conjunction with Surah Al `Imran 55, an important reality emerges: While Surah Al `Imran states that Jesus was raised up to God's presence and does not mention that he died or was killed, Surah Maryam speaks of the day on which he will die. This second death can only be possible after he returns and lives on Earth for a period of time. (Only God knows for certain.)


"... You could speak to people in the cradle and when you were fully grown�"

Another piece of evidence for Jesus' return is the word kahlaan, used Surat al-Ma'ida 110 and Surah Al `Imran 46. These verses say:

Remember when God said: "Jesus, son of Mary, remember My blessing to you and to your mother when I reinforced you with the Purest Spirit so that you could speak to people in the cradle and when you were fully grown [kahlaan]�" (Surat al-Ma'ida, 5:110)

He will speak to people in the cradle, and also when fully grown [kahlaan], and will be one of the righteous. (Surah Al 'Imran, 3:46)

Kahlaan, which is used only in these two verses, only in reference to Jesus, and to express Jesus' adulthood means "someone between the age of 30 and 50, someone who is no longer young, someone who has reached the perfect age." Islamic scholars agree that it denotes the age of 35 or above. They base their views on a hadith reported by Ibn 'Abbas that Jesus was raised up to God's presence in his early 30s, and that he will live for 40 years when he comes again. Therefore, they suggest that this verse is evidence for Jesus' return, since his old age will occur following his second coming.2 (Only God knows for certain.)

Close study of the relevant verses easily shows how right Islamic scholars are on this question. For example, this expression is used only with regard to Jesus. Although all of the Prophets spoke with their people, invited them to religion, and communicated their message at a mature age, the Qur'an does not use such expressions when talking about them. Rather, they are used only to voice a miraculous situation, because the expressions "in the cradle" and "when fully grown," when used one after the other, refer to two miraculous events.

In The Commentary of at-Tabari, Imam at-Tabari gives the following explanation of these verses:

These statements [Surat al-Ma'ida 110] indicate that in order to complete his lifespan and speak to people when fully grown, Jesus will come down from heaven. That is because he was raised to heaven when still young. In this verse [Surah Al 'Imran 46], there is evidence that Jesus is living, and the Ahl al-Sunnah share that view. That is because in this verse it is stated that he will speak to people when fully grown. He will be able to grow fully only when he returns to Earth from heaven.3

The meanings of kahlaan, as well as the other information provided by the Qur'an, indicate Jesus' second coming in the End Times and that he will guide people to the true religion of Islam (only God knows for certain). No doubt, this is good news and a grace and gift of God for those who believe. The believers are responsible for supporting and defending him in the most appropriate way, and for living wholeheartedly the Qur'anic morality to which he calls them.

Comparable Events Mentioned in the Qur'an

The Qur'an mentions similar events, such as a person being resurrected after being dead for a long time and sleeping for hundreds of years that are comparable to Jesus' situation. Some of these are as follows:

The man resurrected after one hundred years

One of these examples is that of a man who had been dead for one hundred years:

Or [consider such example as] the one who passed by a town that had fallen into ruin. He asked: "How can God restore this to life when it has died?" So God caused him to die for a hundred years, and then brought him back to life. Then He asked: "How long have you been here?" He replied: "I have been here a day or part of a day." He said: "Not so! You have been here a hundred years. Look at your food and drink-it has not gone bad-and look at your donkey, so We can make you a Sign for all mankind. Look at the bones-how We raise them up and clothe them in flesh." When it had become clear to him, he said: "Now I know that God has power over all things."
(Qur'an, 2:259)

As we mentioned earlier, the Qur'an say that Jesus' soul was "taken back." In the above verse, on the other hand, true death (mawt) is revealed. Therefore, the Qur'an reveals that God willed the resurrection of someone who had truly died.

Awakening the "Companions of the Cave" after many years

Another example is the narrative of the "Companions of the Cave." God relates the story of a group of young people who sought refuge in the cave from their anti-religious ruler's despotism. Their awakening is described in the following terms:

When the young men took refuge in the cave and said: "Our Lord, give us mercy directly from You and open the way for us to right guidance in our situation." So We sealed their ears with sleep in the cave for a number of years. � You would have supposed them to be awake, whereas in fact they were asleep. We moved them to the right and to the left, and at the entrance, their dog stretched out its paws. If you had looked down and seen them, you would have turned from them and run and have been filled with terror at the sight of them. That was the situation when we woke them up so they could question one another. One of them asked: "How long have you been here?" They replied: "We have been here for a day or part of a day." They said: "Your Lord knows best how long have you been here. Send one of your number into the city with this silver you have, so he can see which food is purest and bring you some of it to eat. But he should go about with caution, so that no one is aware of you." (Qur'an, 18:10-11, 18-19)

The Qur'an does not reveal how long they remained in the cave. Instead, the duration of this period is implied by the words "for a number of years." People guessed that they stayed there for 309 years, for:

They stayed in their cave for three hundred years and added nine. Say: "God knows best how long they stayed. The Unseen of the heavens and Earth belongs to Him. How perfectly He sees, how well He hears! They have no protector apart from Him. Nor does He share His rule with anyone." (Qur'an, 18:25-26)

Obviously, the duration of their stay is not the point here. What this narrative reveals is that God took some people back from this life, either by making them sleep or by taking their lives, and then restored them to life, just as people wake up from sleep. Jesus is one such person. When the appointed time comes, he will live on Earth once again, fulfill the honorable responsibility given to him by God, and then die onEarth in the normal manner, for

He said: "On it you will live and on it you will die, and from it you will be brought forth."
(Qur'an, 7:25)

1. Elmalili Muhammad Hamdi Yazir, Kuran-i Kerim Tefsiri (Qur'an Tafsir); KUR'AN-I KERİM,ELMALILI TEFSİRİ: ZUHRUF SURESİ.
2. Muhammed Khalil Herras, Fasl al-Maqal fi raf`i `Isa hayyan wa nuzulihi wa qatlihi ad-Dajjal,
(Cairo: Makatabat as-Sunnah, 1990), 20.
3. Imam at-Tabari, The Commentary of at-Tabari, (Istanbul:Umit Yayincilik), 2:528; 1:247.

EVIDENCE FROM THE HADITH

The Prophet Mohammed (may God bless him and grant him peace) has revealed many important matters about Jesus' return, as well as some of the things that will happen before and after this event, in his hadiths. All of this information is from the "Unseen," and was given to him by God, as related in the following verse:

He [God] is the Knower of the Unseen, and does not divulge His Unseen to anyone - except a Messenger with whom He is well pleased, and then He posts sentinels before him and behind him. (Surat al-Jinn , 72:26-27)

Our Lord also reveals that He sent knowledge to Prophet Mohammed (may God bless him and grant him peace) in his dreams:

God has confirmed His Messenger's vision with truth: "You will enter the Sacred Mosque [Masjid al-Haram] in safety, God willing, shaving your heads and cutting your hair without any fear." He knew what you did not know and ordained, in place of this, an imminent victory. (Surat al-Fath , 48:27)

God gives such knowledge to our Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) in order to help and support both him as well as all of the faithful believers who were with him.

Some of this revealed information deals with the signs of the End Times. The most significant of these revelations concerns Jesus' second coming. The hadiths about the End Times can be found in sahih (accredited) hadith collections such as Imam Nawawi's Riyadh as-Salihin, Imam Malik's Al-Muwatta', Ibn Khuzayma's Sahih, Ibn Hibban's Sahih, Ibn Ahmad Hanbal's Musnad, and Abu Dawud al-Tayalisi's Musnad. From these sources, we learn that the Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) made many important revelations about Jesus, all of which are considered tawatur (reliable).

The Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) reveals in his hadiths that religious morality will dominate the world; that peace, justice, and prosperity will prevail; and that this will be achieved by Jesus, who will unite the Christian and Islamic worlds. At present, many societies are under the influence of anti-religious philosophies, and the resulting models are obvious. Such problems as immorality, drugs, terrorism, and famine demand that Christians and Muslims join together to fight these problems on an intellectual level. The world's current social structure makes an alliance between Islam and Christianity inevitable. Considering Christianity's influence over the West and its leaders, the influence that an alliance between Islam and Christianity would have is clear enough for all to see.

The Hadiths on Jesus Are "Tawatur"

The hadiths relating Jesus' second coming are reliable [tawatur]. Research shows that scholars share this view. Tawatur is defined as "a tradition which has been handed down by a number of different channels of transmitters or authorities, hence supposedly ruling out the possibility of its having been forged."1

Sayyid Sharif al-Jurjani, an Islamic scholar, explains the concept of tawatur hadith as follows:

News of mutawatir, are the news upon which so many transmitters agree; to such an extent that, according to the tradition, it is unlikely for so many transmitters to reach to a consensus on a lie. This being the situation, if statements and meanings agree with one another, then this is called mutawatir lafzi [verbal mutawatir]. If there is common meaning yet contradiction between statements [words], then it is called mutewatir-i manawi [mutawatir by meaning].2

In his Al-Tasrih fi ma Tawatara fi Nuzul al-Masih, the great hadith scholar Muhammad Anwar Shah Kashmiri writes that the hadiths about Jesus' second coming are all reliable, and quotes 75 hadiths and 25 works by companions of the Prophet and their disciples (tabi'un).

In the Sunni school of Islam, Imam Abu Hanifa is the greatest collector of hadiths on Jesus' second coming. In the final part of his Al-Fiqh al-Akbar, he states that:

The emergence of the Dajjal and of Gog and Magog is a reality; the rising of the sun in the West is a reality; the descent of Jesus, upon whom be peace, from the heavens is a reality; and all the other signs of the Day of Resurrection, as contained in authentic traditions, are also established realities.3

Jesus' second coming is one of the ten great signs of the Last Day, and many Islamic scholars have dealt with the subject in great detail. When all of these views are considered together, it becomes apparent that there is a consensus on this event.

For instance, in his work Lawaqi Al-Anwar Al-Bahiyah, Imam al-Safarini expresses that Islamic scholars agree upon this issue:

The entire ummah (Muslim community) has agreed on the issue that Prophet Jesus (pbuh), the son of Maryam, will return. There is no one from the people who follow Muslim laws who oppose this issue.4

In his commentary Ruh al-Ma`ani, the great Islamic scholar Sayyid Mahmud Alusi gives examples from the views of other Islamic scholars and explains that the Islamic community has reached to a consensus regarding Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) second coming5, that information regarding this issue is well-known to the extent of being mutawatir by meaning, and that it is essential to believe in Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) return to Earth.

Imam Kawthari also stated his views regarding Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) coming as follows:

The tawatur in the hadiths regarding Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) second coming is mutawatir-i manawi. Aside from the fact that each one of the sahih and hasan hadiths may indicate different meanings, they all agree upon Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) second coming. This is actually a fact which is impossible to deny for a person who is well acquainted with the knowledge of hadith... The hadiths related to the appearance of Mahdi and Dajjal and Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) second coming are tawatur; it is certainly not an issue that is considered doubtful by experts on the hadith literature. The reason why some who deal with Ilm al-Kalam (science of theology) agree that it is essential to have faith in the hadiths related to the signs of Doomsday yet have doubts about whether some of these hadiths are mutawatir or not, is their inadequate knowledge about hadiths.6

The great Islamic scholar Ibn Kathir states his views after commenting on the related verses and explaining the related hadiths:

These are narrated from the Messenger of God (saas) as mutawatir and in these hadiths, there are explanations regarding how and where Prophet Jesus (pbuh) will appear...The authentic and mutawatir hadiths about Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) return to Earth in his noble body is immune to any opposing interpretations. Consequently, everyone with the smallest speck of faith and fairness has to believe in Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) second coming; only those who oppose to God's Book, His Messenger and Ahl al-Sunnah may deny Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) second coming to Earth.7

Another explanation about the hadiths' reaching the level of tawatur is as folows:

Muhammad al-Shawkani said that he had collected 29 hadiths and, when he had recorded them all, he said: "Our hadiths have reached the level of tawatur (reliable), as you can see. With this, we reach the conclusion that the hadiths on the anticipated Mahdi, the Dajjal, and Jesus' second coming are mutawatir (genuine)."8

At-Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, al-Bazzaz, Ibn Majah, al-Hakim, al-Tabarani, and al-Musuli recorded many hadiths narrated by the Companions, such as `Ali, Ibn `Abbas, Ibn `Umar, Talha, Abu Hurayra, Anas, Abu Sa`id al-Khudri, Umm Habiba, Umm Salama, `Ali al-Hilali, and `Abd Allah ibn al-Harith ibn Jaz, upon whose narrations they based their collection on.9 For instance, Ibn Hajr Al-Haythami in the book Al-Sawa'iq Al-Muhriqa, al-Shablanji in his book Nur al-Absar, Ibn Sabbagh in his book Al-Fusul Al-Muhimma, Muhammad ibn 'Ali al-Sabban in his book Is`af ar-Raghibin fi Sirat al-Mustafa wa Fada'il Ahl Baytihi at-Tahirin, and Muhammad Amin Suwaidi in his book Saba'ik az-Zahab, wrote that the hadiths about Jesus' second coming are reliable.10

These hadiths are recorded by the Ahl as-Sunnah scholars and hadith experts in their own works. For instance, Abu Dawud, Ibn Ahmad Hanbal, at-Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah, al-Hakim, an-Nasa'i, al-Tabarani, al-Rawajini, Abu Nu`aym al-Isfahani, ad-Daylami, al-Baihaqi, as-Salabi, Hamawaini, Manawi, Ibn al-Jawzi, Muhammad ibn `Ali al-Sabban, al-Mawardi, al-Khanji al-Shafi, as-Samani, al-Khwarizmi, ash-Sharani, ad-Daraqutni, Ibn Sabbagh al-Maliki, Muhibbuddin at-Tabari, Ibn Hajr al-Haythami, Shaikh Mansur `Ali Nasif, Muhammad ibn Talha, Jalaluddin as-Suyuti, al-Qurtubi, al-Baghawi and many more deal with the subject in their books.

`Abd al-Fattah Abu Ghudda reveals that the hadiths about Jesus returning to Earth and killing the Dajjal have reached the degree of being mutawatir.11 In his Nazm al-Mutanathir min al-Hadith al-Mutawatir12, al-Kattani stated that "the descent of Jesus is established by the Sunnah, and Ijma al-Ummah (concensus of the Islamic community), and the hadiths on this issue and Dajjal and the Mahdi are mutawatir. In his commentary Al Bahru Al-Muhit, Ibn Atiyya al Garnati states that the Islamic community has the common belief that Prophet Jesus (pbuh) is alive, that he will come back at the End Times and that the hadiths about this issue are mutawatir.

Such books show the great number of hadiths that exist on this subject. Furthermore, the hadiths that reveal Jesus' second coming in the End Times as a sign of the Last Day are found in the main hadith source books, such as those by al-Bukhari and Muslim. Some of these are as follows:

By Him Whose Hand is my life, the son of Mary (Jesus) will certainly invoke the name of God for Hajj or for Umrah, or for both, in the valley of Rawha. (Sahih Muslim)

"It [the Day of Judgment] will not come until you see ten signs," and [in this connection] he mentioned the smoke, the Dajjal, the Beast, the rising of the Sun from the west, the descent of Jesus son of Mary� (Sahih Muslim)

By Him in Whose Hands my soul is, son of Mary [Jesus] will shortly descend amongst you people as a just ruler. (Sahih al-Bukhari)

Jesus son of Mary would then descend and their [Muslims'] commander will invite him to come and lead them in prayer, but he would say: No, some amongst you are commanders over some [amongst you]. This is the honor from God for this Ummah [nation]. (Sahih Muslim)

How will you be when the some of Mary (i.e. Jesus) descends amongst you and he will judge people by the Law of the Qur'an? (Sahih al-Bukhari)

1. Ruqaiyyah Waris Maqsood, A Basic Dictionary of Islam, (New Delhi: Goodword Books, 2000), 153.
2. Zafar al-Amani fi Sharh Mukhtasar al-Sayyid al-Sharif al-Jurjani fi Mustalah al-Hadith, p. 46
3. Imam Abu Hanifa, Al-Fiqh al-Akbar, Al-Fiqh Al-Akbar.
4. Levamiu'l Envaril Behiyye, es-Seffarini, 2/94-95; Nüzul-i Mesih Risalesi, Ahmet Mahmut Unlu, Ekmel Publishing, Istanbul, 1998, 169.
5. Ruhu'l Meani, Seyyid Alusi, 7/60; Nüzul-i Mesih Risalesi, Ahmet Mahmut Unlu, Ekmel Publishing, Istanbul, 1998, 168.
6. Imam Kawsari, Nazratun Abira, p.44-49; Nuzul-i Mesih Risalesi, Ahmet Mahmut Unlü, Ekmel Publishing, Istanbul, 1998, 167-168.
7. Ibn Kathir, 1/578-582; Avnu'l Mabud, 11/457-464.
8. Sunan Ibn Majah, (Istanbul:Kahraman Yayinlari, 1983), 10:338.
9. Ibn Khaldun, Mukaddime (The Muqaddimah), (Istanbul:MEB, 1970), 2:137-39.
10. http://www.ahl-ul-bayt.org/Turkish/B..._adlet/002.htm
11. Said Havva, vol. 9, no. 445.
12. Al-Kattani, Nazm al-Mutanathir min al-Hadith al-Mutawatir, p. 147.