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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.”
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)
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.
“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)
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)
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 60:60)
‘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…” (Quran 3:55)
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,
and shall be of the righteous.” (Quran 3:45-46)
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.
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)
His appearance will be followed by only two or
three other unmistakable portents. Among these are the appearance of the beast,
the wafting of the believers from the earth,
leaving only disbelievers behind, and the rising of the sun from the west.
The ten major
signs, among which is the second coming of Jesus, are summarized in one hadeeth:
“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.
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