Javed Ahmed Ghamidi considers the concept of the second coming of Jesus (PBUH) as one that requires contemplation and further investigation. This is due to certain questions of reason (aqal) and transmission (naqal) that hinder the acceptance of the concept. Among these questions, prominent are those that arise from contemplating the hadiths of the second coming of Jesus in light of the Qur’an. Besides these, there are also significant questions that arise from the established principles of the science of authenticating hadith reports and their textual criticism and create obstacles in accepting the commonly acknowledged interpretations of these narratives. The former type of concerns has been expressed by the esteemed scholar in his book Meezan. While discussing the belief in the Day of Judgment under the title ‘Signs of the Day of Judgment,’ he mentions the emergence of Gog and Magog and the Dajjal. At this point he expresses his reservations about the descent of Jesus. He writes:
…As far as the narratives which record the advent of Jesus (PBUH) are concerned, though the hadith scholars have generally accepted them; however, if they are analyzed in the light of the Qur’an, they too become dubious.
Firstly, the personality of Jesus (PBUH) has been discussed in the Qur’an from various aspects. The Qur’an has commented on his da‘wah mission and his personality at a lot of places. The cataclysm that will take place on the Day of Judgement is also a very frequently discussed topic of the Qur’an. The advent of a celebrated prophet of God from the heavens is no small an incident. In spite of the fact that there were many instances in which this incident could have been mentioned, we find that there is not a single place in which it is mentioned in the Qur’an. Can human knowledge and intellect be satisfied with this silence? One does find this hard to digest.
Secondly, the Qur’an has recorded a dialogue of God with Jesus (PBUH) which will take place on the Day of Judgement. During the course of this conversation, the Almighty will ask him about the real sphere in which the Christians had gone astray: the divinity of Jesus (PBUH) and Mary. He will ask Jesus (PBUH) if it was as per His instructions that he had told people to deify himself and his mother whilst leaving aside God. In response to this question, among other things, Jesus (PBUH) will say that he instructed his people in the very manner he was asked by God and that as long as he remained among them he watched over what they were doing, and that after his own demise he was not aware of what good or evil they did, and that after his death it was God who watched over them. In this dialogue, one can clearly feel that the last sentence is very inappropriate if Jesus (PBUH) had also come in this world a second time. In such a case, he should have responded by saying that he knew what happened with them and that a little earlier he had gone to warn them of their grievous faults…
Thirdly, in one verse of the Qur’an, the Almighty has disclosed what will happen to Jesus (PBUH) and his followers till the Day of Judgement. Sense and reason demand that here He should also have disclosed his second coming before the advent of this Day; however, we find no such mention. If Jesus (PBUH) had to come, why was silence maintained at this instance? One is unable to comprehend any reason for it. (Meezan, 182-183)
These are the objections of the esteemed scholar which arise from investigating the hadith narratives in the light of the Qur’an. As for the questions arising from the application of the principles of hadith that lead to doubts about the concept of the second coming of Jesus, these have been addressed by the scholar in the video series ‘Response to 23 Questions on Religious Opinions of Javed Ahmed Ghamidi,’ under the title ‘The Second Coming of Jesus.’ Details of both types of criticisms are provided here.
The Qur’an and the Second Coming of Jesus – Objections of Javed Ahmed Ghamidi
The Qur’an frequently mentions Prophet Jesus (PBUH). In 13 different Surahs, his reference appears at several places. These references discuss various aspects of his personality and different events of his life. They talk about his family, introduce his venerable mother Mary, describe events before his birth, detail his miraculous birth, summarize his entire life from birth to ascension, narrate his mission and the response of his audience, mention his great miracles, mention his death, describe the conduct of Jews and Christians after his death, and even include the conversation that he will have with Allah on the Day of Judgment, where he speaks about his role in the world. All these matters are clearly mentioned in the Qur’an, but the most significant event of his life and human history – that he will descend directly from the heavens centuries after his death and ascension – is not mentioned in the Qur’an. Some passages in the Qur’an, by their context and style, demand that if he is to descend, it should definitely be mentioned there. However, there is not even a slight hint. Javed Ahmed Ghamidi considers this silence of the Qur’an as a cause for concern and highlights the lack of conviction in the concept of the descent of Jesus.
First Objection: The Absence of Mention of the Second Coming of Jesus in the Qur’an Despite the Opportunities for Its Mention
The Qur’an mentions all significant events related to Prophet Jesus. These include events before his birth, during his birth, after his birth, at the time of his death, after his death, and events on the Day of Judgment. It is curious that these events are mentioned, but a very important event related to them is not. For understanding, a few representative passages are as follows:
i. In Surah Aale Imran (3:45-47), the most important aspects before the birth of Jesus are described. They indicate:
The verses are as follows:
اِذْ قَالَتِ الْمَلٰٓئِكَةُ يٰمَرْيَمُ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ يُبَشِّرُكِ بِكَلِمَةٍ مِّنْهُﵲ اسْمُهُ الْمَسِيْحُ عِيْسَي ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ وَجِيْهًا فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْاٰخِرَةِ وَمِنَ الْمُقَرَّبِيْنَ . وَيُكَلِّمُ النَّاسَ فِي الْمَهْدِ وَكَهْلًا وَّمِنَ الصّٰلِحِيْنَ . قَالَتْ رَبِّ اَنّٰي يَكُوْنُ لِيْ وَلَدٌ وَّلَمْ يَمْسَسْنِيْ بَشَرٌﵧ قَالَ كَذٰلِكِ اللّٰهُ يَخْلُقُ مَا يَشَآءُﵧ اِذَا قَضٰ٘ي اَمْرًا فَاِنَّمَا يَقُوْلُ لَهٗ كُنْ فَيَكُوْنُ .
Remind them when the angels said: ‘O Mary! God gives you glad tidings of a word from Him. His name will be Messiah, Jesus son of Mary. He shall be noble and among the favored ones both in this world and in that to come. He shall speak [in the capacity of a prophet] in his cradle and in elderly age too and shall be counted among the righteous.’ She said: ‘Lord! How can I bear a child when no man has even touched me?’ He replied: ‘In this manner, God creates what He wants.’ When He decrees a matter, He need only say to it: ‘Be,’ and it is. (3:45-47)
In the above discourse, there is ample scope for Allah to have mentioned the second coming of Jesus, if He had desired. This is an account of the circumstances before Jesus’s birth. It includes his miraculous birth and his success in this world and the hereafter.
ii. Verse 59 of Surah Aale Imran also states that the example of Jesus is like that of Adam. That is, just as Adam was created by Allah’s command ‘Be’, similarly, Jesus was born46. The purpose here is to clarify that if Adam, created from dust by Allah’s command, did not become an object of worship, then how can Jesus, born by His command, be worthy of worship! The verse states:
اِنَّ مَثَلَ عِيْسٰي عِنْدَ اللّٰهِ كَمَثَلِ اٰدَمَﵧ خَلَقَهٗ مِنْ تُرَابٍ ثُمَّ قَالَ لَهٗ كُنْ فَيَكُوْنُ
In the sight of God, Jesus is like Adam. God created him from clay; then commanded it: ‘Be,’ so it becomes. (3:59)
This verse essentially highlights the unique exception that two figures in human history, Adam and Jesus (peace be upon them), were granted. Both were created directly by Allah’s command. Adam (PBUH) came into existence through Allah’s word 'Kun' (Be), and Jesus (PBUH) was born through the same word being cast upon Mary (PBUH). Now, if Allah has mentioned this exceptional event, what is the reason for not mentioning another exceptional event of the same magnitude, according to which Jesus will descend directly from the heavens as a unique exception among all humanity?
iii. Verses 48-51 of Surah Aale Imran describes Jesus’s mission and Messengership prior to his birth. This section also mentions the miracles granted to him. It is stated:
The verses are as follows:
وَيُعَلِّمُهُ الْكِتٰبَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَالتَّوْرٰىةَ وَالْاِنْجِيْلَ . وَرَسُوْلًا اِلٰي بَنِيْ٘ اِسْرَآءِيْلَﵿ اَنِّيْ قَدْ جِئْتُكُمْ بِاٰيَةٍ مِّنْ رَّبِّكُمْﶈ اَنِّيْ٘ اَخْلُقُ لَكُمْ مِّنَ الطِّيْنِ كَهَيْـَٔةِ الطَّيْرِ فَاَنْفُخُ فِيْهِ فَيَكُوْنُ طَيْرًاۣبِاِذْنِ اللّٰهِﵐ وَاُبْرِئُ الْاَكْمَهَ وَالْاَبْرَصَ وَاُحْيِ الْمَوْتٰي بِاِذْنِ اللّٰهِﵐ وَاُنَبِّئُكُمْ بِمَا تَاْكُلُوْنَ وَمَا تَدَّخِرُوْنَﶈ فِيْ بُيُوْتِكُمْﵧ اِنَّ فِيْ ذٰلِكَ لَاٰيَةً لَّكُمْ اِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُّؤْمِنِيْنَ . وَمُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيَّ مِنَ التَّوْرٰىةِ وَلِاُحِلَّ لَكُمْ بَعْضَ الَّذِيْ حُرِّمَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَجِئْتُكُمْ بِاٰيَةٍ مِّنْ رَّبِّكُمْﵴ فَاتَّقُوا اللّٰهَ وَاَطِيْعُوْنِ . اِنَّ اللّٰهَ رَبِّيْ وَرَبُّكُمْ فَاعْبُدُوْهُﵧ هٰذَا صِرَاطٌ مُّسْتَقِيْمٌ.
[Consequently, it will happen thus] and God will instruct him in law and in wisdom i.e. teach him the Torah and the Gospel, and send him forth as a Messenger to the Israelites. [Consequently, this is what happened and he called upon the Israelites saying:] “I have come to you with a sign from your Lord: from clay I make for you the likeness of a bird, then I breathe into it; then by God’s directive it actually becomes a bird. And I heal the born-blind and the leper, and by God’s directive raise the dead to life. And I can tell you what you eat and what you stock in your houses. Surely in it is a great sign for you, if you are ones who believe. And I have come to confirm the Torah which preceded me and have come to make lawful for you some of the things forbidden to you and [look] I bring for you a sign from your Lord: therefore, fear God and obey me. Surely, God alone is my Lord and yours also; hence, serve Him only. This alone is the straight path. (3:48-51)
Here, all the matters that Jesus (PBUH) is to accomplish by the command of Allah are mentioned. These represent the duties assigned to him by Allah and the components of his worldly role. The event of the descent of Jesus is also a divine occurrence and a manifestation of certain significant decisions of Allah before the Day of Judgment. Its absence from this list raises a point of contention.
iv. The birth of Jesus (PBUH) from Mary without a father is a miraculous event. It occurred directly by the command of Allah. For this reason, Allah declared both Mary and her son, Jesus, as signs. This is stated in the Qur’an in Surah Al-Mu’minun:
وَجَعَلْنَا ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ وَاُمَّهٗ٘ اٰيَةً
And We similarly made the son of Mary and his mother also a great sign… (23:50)
In Surah Al-Anbiya, these two personalities (Mary and Jesus) are described as ‘a sign for the worlds’ (a miracle for all people). The verse states:
وَالَّتِيْ٘ اَحْصَنَتْ فَرْجَهَا فَنَفَخْنَا فِيْهَا مِنْ رُّوْحِنَا وَجَعَلْنٰهَا وَابْنَهَا٘ اٰيَةً لِّلْعٰلَمِيْنَ
And on that woman also who had kept herself chaste. So, We blew into her Our Spirit and made her and her son [Jesus] a sign for the people of the world. (21:91)
Therefore, it is clearly mentioned in Surah Maryam that the fatherless birth of Jesus was a miraculous event, which Allah presented as His sign. For this purpose, Allah deviated from the normal law of creation and directly commanded with His word ‘Be’, establishing the fetus in the womb, and breathed His spirit into it. This sign will remain prominent evidence for [God’s power] to create man [for the first time] and reenact the same act until the end of time. The verse says:
وَاذْكُرْ فِي الْكِتٰبِ مَرْيَمَ اِذِ انْتَبَذَتْ مِنْ اَهْلِهَا مَكَانًا شَرْقِيًّا . فَاتَّخَذَتْ مِنْ دُوْنِهِمْ حِجَابًاﵴ فَاَرْسَلْنَا٘ اِلَيْهَا رُوْحَنَا فَتَمَثَّلَ لَهَا بَشَرًا سَوِيًّا . قَالَتْ اِنِّيْ٘ اَعُوْذُ بِالرَّحْمٰنِ مِنْكَ اِنْ كُنْتَ تَقِيًّا . قَالَ اِنَّمَا٘ اَنَا رَسُوْلُ رَبِّكِﵲ لِاَهَبَ لَكِ غُلٰمًا زَكِيًّا . قَالَتْ اَنّٰي يَكُوْنُ لِيْ غُلٰمٌ وَّلَمْ يَمْسَسْنِيْ بَشَرٌ وَّلَمْ اَكُ بَغِيًّا . قَالَ كَذٰلِكِﵐ قَالَ رَبُّكِ هُوَ عَلَيَّ هَيِّنٌﵐ وَلِنَجْعَلَهٗ٘ اٰيَةً لِّلنَّاسِ وَرَحْمَةً مِّنَّاﵐ وَكَانَ اَمْرًا مَّقْضِيًّا .
Mention [now] in this Book the name of Mary, when she had left her family and had stationed herself in isolation on the eastern side [of the Temple], and had kept herself in seclusion from them. Then We sent to her Our angel and he appeared before her in the form of a full-grown man. [When] Mary [saw him,] she said: ‘I seek refuge from you with the Merciful God, if you fear him.’ He said: ‘I have been sent only by your Lord and have been sent that I grant you a noble son.’ Mary said: ‘How can a boy be born to me; neither has a man touched me nor have I ever been of loose character?’ He said: ‘This is what will happen. Your Lord says: ‘This is very easy for Me. We shall do this so that he be Our messenger and so that We make him a sign for people and a mercy from Us. And this has been decreed.’ (19:16-21)
The above passage clarifies that Jesus (PBUH) was a sign among the signs of Allah. His personality and qualities were made a symbol for people by Allah. The question arises: if the Qur’an has described all aspects of his being a divine sign, why did it not mention the extraordinary aspect of his second coming? In one way, this is a greater sign than his birth. His miraculous birth could be and has been denied due to slander, but the descent of an ancient person directly from the heavens, witnessed by people two thousand years later, is an event that cannot be denied.
Therefore, reason demands that the greatest evidence of Jesus (PBUH) being a sign from Allah should be mentioned along with the other evidence. If this is not mentioned, then it is also a rational requirement to question its occurrence.
v. Verses 32-33 of Surah Maryam details the birth of Jesus and his speaking from the cradle, both being highly unusual and unique events in human history. Surah Maryam narrates that by Allah’s command, Mary conceived and subsequently she left her community. When the time of childbirth came, Allah’s angel visited to comfort her and caused a spring to flow for her. She was instructed to return to her people with the newborn. If they questioned or objected, she was to indicate that she had vowed silence. Therefore, she returned to her community. On returning, when people questioned her chastity seeing the baby, she pointed to him. People wondered how they could speak to a newborn. Then, the baby began to speak. He told them that:
The Qur’an states:
فَحَمَلَتْهُ فَانْتَبَذَتْ بِهٖ مَكَانًا قَصِيًّا . فَاَجَآءَهَا الْمَخَاضُ اِلٰي جِذْعِ النَّخْلَةِﵐ قَالَتْ يٰلَيْتَنِيْ مِتُّ قَبْلَ هٰذَا وَكُنْتُ نَسْيًا مَّنْسِيًّا . فَنَادٰىهَا مِنْ تَحْتِهَا٘ اَلَّا تَحْزَنِيْ قَدْ جَعَلَ رَبُّكِ تَحْتَكِ سَرِيًّا . وَهُزِّيْ٘ اِلَيْكِبِجِذْعِ النَّخْلَةِ تُسٰقِطْ عَلَيْكِ رُطَبًا جَنِيًّا . فَكُلِيْ وَاشْرَبِيْ وَقَرِّيْ عَيْنًاﵐ فَاِمَّا تَرَيِنَّ مِنَ الْبَشَرِ اَحَدًاﶈ فَقُوْلِيْ٘ اِنِّيْ نَذَرْتُ لِلرَّحْمٰنِ صَوْمًا فَلَنْ اُكَلِّمَ الْيَوْمَ اِنْسِيًّا . فَاَتَتْ بِهٖ قَوْمَهَا تَحْمِلُهٗﵧ قَالُوْا يٰمَرْيَمُ لَقَدْ جِئْتِ شَيْـًٔا فَرِيًّا . يٰ٘اُخْتَ هٰرُوْنَ مَا كَانَ اَبُوْكِ امْرَاَ سَوْءٍ وَّمَا كَانَتْ اُمُّكِ بَغِيًّا . فَاَشَارَتْ اِلَيْهِۗ قَالُوْا كَيْفَ نُكَلِّمُ مَنْ كَانَ فِي الْمَهْدِ صَبِيًّا . قَالَ اِنِّيْ عَبْدُ اللّٰهِﵶ اٰتٰىنِيَ الْكِتٰبَ وَجَعَلَنِيْ نَبِيًّا . وَّجَعَلَنِيْ مُبٰرَكًا اَيْنَ مَا كُنْتُﵣ وَاَوْصٰنِيْ بِالصَّلٰوةِ وَالزَّكٰوةِ مَا دُمْتُ حَيًّا . وَّبَرًّاۣ بِوَالِدَتِيْﵟ وَلَمْ يَجْعَلْنِيْ جَبَّارًا شَقِيًّا . وَالسَّلٰمُ عَلَيَّ يَوْمَ وُلِدْتُّ وَيَوْمَ اَمُوْتُ وَيَوْمَ اُبْعَثُ حَيًّا .
So, Mary became pregnant with that child and [leaving the Temple] went away from everyone with what she bore to a distant place. Then [the time also arrived when] labor pains made her come to the trunk of the date-palm. [At that time, in utter helplessness] she said: ‘Alas! Would that I had died before this and had been totally forgotten.’ At this, an angel from below Mary called her and said: ‘Grieve not! Your Lord has made a stream to flow from below you. And shake the trunk of the date-palm towards yourself; fresh dates will drop on you. So, eat and drink and soothe your eyes [when you see the child]. Then if you see some person [who wants to ask you something], gesture to him: I have vowed to fast for the Merciful God; so, today I shall not converse with any human being.’ After that, she came over to her people with the child in her lap. [When they saw her,] they remarked: ‘Mary! You have done a very grave thing. O Sister of Aaron! Neither was your father an evil person nor was your mother a harlot.’ In reply, she gestured towards the child [that he will respond to them]. People said: ‘What should we say to him who is a mere child in the lap?’ The child spoke: ‘I am a servant of God. He has bestowed the Book on me and made me a prophet and made me a fountainhead of blessings wherever I be. He has directed me to be diligent in the prayer and in zakah as long as I am alive, and made me obedient to my mother; not someone who is rebellious and wretched. And [glad tidings of] peace are on me the day I was born and the day I shall die and the day I shall be raised to life.’ (19:22-33)
In these verses of Surah Maryam, the final part of Jesus’s speech as an infant is highly significant for our discussion. The Qur’an makes it clear that every individual of Adam's progeny, i.e., all of humanity, will undergo three stages: birth, death, and resurrection on the Day of Judgment. An exception to this, mentioned in the Qur’an, is the incident of Jesus reviving the dead. However, the details of this event are not elaborated in the Qur’an. If the narratives of Jesus’s second coming are correctly attributed to the Prophet Muhammad, Jesus holds a unique exception among all humanity. Instead of the usual three stages, he experiences five:
It is perplexing that if such a notable exception in human history is indeed true, it is conveyed through narratives of lesser certainty instead of being stated definitively.
Additionally, when Jesus spoke from the cradle and described all phases of his life up to the Day of Judgment, it is curious why he did not mention his return to Earth. Given the context and the nature of his speech, it would logically follow that such an event would be clearly stated if it were indeed to occur.
vi. In the verses 154-155 of Surah An-Nisa, Allah enumerates the crimes of the Israelites that rendered them deserving of His curse. The foremost among these was that they broke their covenant with Allah. Their second crime was to reject His signs. The third crime was unjust killing of His prophets, and the fourth crime was their disobedience and disbelief. The fifth crime was their slander against Mary, and the sixth was their false claim of having killed Jesus. The Qur’an specifically takes up the sixth crime and refutes it. Regarding this claim, Allah Almighty clarifies:
The verse reads:
…وَقَوْلِهِمْ اِنَّا قَتَلْنَا الْمَسِيْحَ عِيْسَي ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ رَسُوْلَ اللّٰهِﵐ وَمَا قَتَلُوْهُ وَمَا صَلَبُوْهُ وَلٰكِنْ شُبِّهَ لَهُمْﵧ وَاِنَّ الَّذِيْنَ اخْتَلَفُوْا فِيْهِ لَفِيْ شَكٍّ مِّنْهُﵧ مَا لَهُمْ بِهٖ مِنْ عِلْمٍ اِلَّا اتِّبَاعَ الظَّنِّﵐ وَمَا قَتَلُوْهُ يَقِيْنًا ۣ. بَلْ رَّفَعَهُ اللّٰهُ اِلَيْهِﵧ وَكَانَ اللّٰهُ عَزِيْزًا حَكِيْمًا.
… and because of their claim: ‘We have killed the Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, the Messenger of God.’ – even though neither did they kill him nor did they crucify him; in fact, the matter was muddled up for them. Those who are disagreeing in this are inflicted with doubts about it; they have no knowledge about it; they are only following conjectures. They certainly did not slay him; in fact, God had lifted him up to Him. And God is Mighty, very Wise. (4:157-158)
Here, the intent is to refute the claim made by the Jews that they succeeded in killing Prophet Jesus (PBUH). To counter this claim, if the ascension of Prophet Jesus (PBUH) was mentioned, then it would have been appropriate to also mention his second coming. That is, it would have been in line with the context of the discourse to state that their claim is false—namely, that they did not succeed in killing Prophet Jesus (PBUH). Instead, Allah raised him up, and before the Day of Judgment, He will send him back down. Upon his return, he will eradicate every one of them, purging the earth of their presence.
Second Objection: Conversation between Allah and Prophet Jesus on the Day of Judgment
The verses 116-119 of Surah Al-Maidah narrate a future conversation between Allah Almighty and Prophet Jesus (PBUH), which is to occur on the Day of Judgment. This future event has been described by Allah Almighty beforehand. It is stated:
The verses are as follows:
وَاِذْ قَالَ اللّٰهُ يٰعِيْسَي ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ ءَاَنْتَ قُلْتَ لِلنَّاسِ اتَّخِذُوْنِيْ وَاُمِّيَ اِلٰهَيْنِ مِنْ دُوْنِ اللّٰهِﵧ قَالَ سُبْحٰنَكَ مَا يَكُوْنُ لِيْ٘ اَنْ اَقُوْلَ مَا لَيْسَ لِيْﵯ بِحَقٍّﵫ اِنْ كُنْتُ قُلْتُهٗ فَقَدْ عَلِمْتَهٗﵧ تَعْلَمُ مَا فِيْ نَفْسِيْ وَلَا٘ اَعْلَمُ مَا فِيْ نَفْسِكَﵧ اِنَّكَ اَنْتَ عَلَّامُ الْغُيُوْبِ . مَا قُلْتُ لَهُمْ اِلَّا مَا٘ اَمَرْتَنِيْ بِهٖ٘ اَنِ اعْبُدُوا اللّٰهَ رَبِّيْ وَرَبَّكُمْﵐ وَكُنْتُ عَلَيْهِمْ شَهِيْدًا مَّا دُمْتُ فِيْهِمْﵐ فَلَمَّا تَوَفَّيْتَنِيْ كُنْتَ اَنْتَ الرَّقِيْبَ عَلَيْهِمْﵧ وَاَنْتَ عَلٰي كُلِّ شَيْءٍ شَهِيْدٌ . اِنْ تُعَذِّبْهُمْ فَاِنَّهُمْ عِبَادُكَﵐ وَاِنْ تَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ فَاِنَّكَ اَنْتَ الْعَزِيْزُ الْحَكِيْمُ . قَالَ اللّٰهُ هٰذَا يَوْمُ يَنْفَعُ الصّٰدِقِيْنَ صِدْقُهُمْﵧ لَهُمْ جَنّٰتٌ تَجْرِيْ مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الْاَنْهٰرُ خٰلِدِيْنَ فِيْهَا٘ اَبَدًاﵧ رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُمْ وَرَضُوْا عَنْهُﵧ ذٰلِكَ الْفَوْزُ الْعَظِيْمُ .
[Those who have concealed the evidence of God should keep in mind the day when this conversation takes place] and this also that when [after reminding people of it] God will ask: “Jesus son of Mary! Did you tell people: Regard me and my mother as gods besides God?’ He will reply: ‘Glory be to You! How was it befitting for me to say something which I have no right to say? If I had said this, it would have been in Your knowledge [because] You know what is in my heart and I do not know what is in Your heart. Only You are aware of all hidden things. I only said to them what You commanded me: ‘Worship God, who is my Lord and your Lord too.’ I watched over them as long as I remained among them. Then when You gave death to me, after that You have remained the Watcher over them and You are a witness to all things. If You now punish them, they are your servants, and if You forgive them, You only are Mighty, very Wise.’ God will say: ‘This is the day when the truthfulness of the truthful will be of benefit to them.’ For them shall be orchards below which streams are flowing; they shall dwell therein forever. God is pleased with them and they are pleased with God. This alone is great success. (5:116-119).
The following statement from these verses of Surah Al-Maidah is of utmost importance with respect to the subject under discussion:
وَ كنۡتُ عَلَيۡهمۡ شَهيۡدًا مَّا دُمۡتُ فِيۡهمۡ فَلَمَّا تَوَفَّيۡتَنِيۡ كنۡتَ اَنۡتَ الرَّقِيۡبَ عَلَيۡهم
I watched over them as long as I remained among them. Then when You gave death to me, after that You have remained the Watcher over them.
The intended meaning and implication of these statements point towards a negation of the concept of the descent of Jesus (PBUH). From them, two points become evident:
Firstly, the three phases of the life and death of Jesus are mentioned here:
From the above-mentioned verses, it is clear that there is a complete and perfect continuity between the three mentioned phases. The sequence of the narrative in the text testifies to this continuity. This means that there are only these three phases concerning the life and death of Prophet Jesus. If there were a fourth phase, it would either have been mentioned here, or there would not be continuity between these three phases, [rather these phases would be mentioned independently]. This argument can be understood from another place in the Holy Qur’an. In Surah Al-Kahf, it has been stated:
اَمْ حَسِبْتَ اَنَّ اَصْحٰبَ الْكَهْفِ وَالرَّقِيْمِﶈ كَانُوْا مِنْ اٰيٰتِنَا عَجَبًا . اِذْ اَوَي الْفِتْيَةُ اِلَي الْكَهْفِ فَقَالُوْا رَبَّنَا٘ اٰتِنَا مِنْ لَّدُ نْكَ رَحْمَةً وَّهَيِّئْ لَنَا مِنْ اَمْرِنَا رَشَدًا . فَضَرَبْنَا عَلٰ٘ي اٰذَانِهِمْ فِي الْكَهْفِ سِنِيْنَ عَدَدًا . ثُمَّ بَعَثْنٰهُمْ لِنَعْلَمَ اَيُّ الْحِزْبَيْنِ اَحْصٰي لِمَا لَبِثُوْ٘ا اَمَدًا .
Do you think that the people of the cave and raqīm were among a very strange sign from among Our signs. At the time when those youth took refuge in the cave; then prayed [to their Lord:] ‘Our Lord! Bless us with mercy specially from Yourself and in this matter of Ours provide us with guidance.’ At this, We lulled them to sleep for many years in the cave. Then We woke them up to see which of the two groups has correctly counted the period of their stay. (18:9-12)
These verses define three distinct phases in the life of the Companions of the Cave. The first phase is when they had not yet sought refuge in the cave, the second phase is when they took shelter in the cave and Allah put them to sleep, and the third phase is when they woke up from their sleep and came out of the cave. The text is very clear in that no fourth phase can be introduced. In other words, if someone claims that the Companions of the Cave did not wake up and come out of the cave just once, but twice, then it would be a deviation from the text, which would lack meaning.
Secondly, the words Falammā tawaffaytanī kunta anta ar-raqība ‘alayhim (Then when You gave death to me, after that You have remained the Watcher over them) clearly indicate that Prophet Jesus, upon his death (and being raised to Allah), had no knowledge of his followers' matters until the Day of Judgment. This means that he clarified in the presence of the Almighty that, while he had been a watcher over them before his death, he no longer held that role after his death; instead, Allah became watcher over them. Hence, he is not aware of any transgressions they might have committed after that. Only Allah knows those transgressions. If the descent of Jesus (peace be upon him) were to occur, this statement would no longer hold true. In such a scenario, Jesus (peace be upon him) would have to state that when You sent me back to the world, I became fully aware of all their deviations.47
Third Objection: Announcement of the Complete Divine Plan for Prophet Jesus Without the Mention of His Descent
Surah Aale Imran, verse 55, delineates the divine plan for Jesus (PBUH) and his followers, spanning from the beginning until the Day of Judgment. The following points are mentioned:
The verse says:
اِذْ قَالَ اللّٰهُ يٰعِيْسٰ٘ي اِنِّيْ مُتَوَفِّيْكَ وَرَافِعُكَ اِلَيَّ وَمُطَهِّرُكَ مِنَ الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوْا وَجَاعِلُ الَّذِيْنَ اتَّبَعُوْكَ فَوْقَ الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوْ٘ا اِلٰي يَوْمِ الْقِيٰمَةِﵐ ثُمَّ اِلَيَّ مَرْجِعُكُمْ فَاَحْكُمُ بَيْنَكُمْ فِيْمَا كُنْتُمْ فِيْهِ تَخْتَلِفُوْنَ
At that time when God said: Jesus, I have decided to give you death and lift you up to Myself and I shall purify you from these who have disbelieved in you and shall grant your followers supremacy over these disbelievers until the Day of Judgement. Then to Me finally you shall all have to return. So, at that time, I shall give verdict on what you have been differing in. (3:55)
If Prophet Jesus (PBUH) is to play a role again in the world after being raised to Allah, then the absence of mention of this in the plan of action is a subject to critical analysis. In this case, the sequence of the plan of action could possibly have been as follows:
Hadiths and the Descent of Jesus – Objections of Javed Ahmed Ghamidi
Before reviewing the hadiths of the Second Coming of Christ in the collection of hadiths, it is essential to understand the nature of the event of the Second Coming.
The first point in this regard is that it is a very specific, tangible, and observable event. In terms of its manifestation and impact, it is a bigger event than the staff turning into a snake, twelve springs gushing forth, a path being made in the sea, being born without a father, speaking from the cradle, waking up after sleeping for three hundred years, and the splitting of the moon48. This is because incomprehensible interpretations could be presented to create confusion about the aforementioned miraculous signs and people with limited insight could be persuaded to deny them49, but this event is so visible, solid, and enduring that not even a weak re-interpretation could be produced for its denial.
The second point is that the event is exceedingly supernatural and utterly bewildering. The phenomenon of a personality remaining hidden from the world for two thousand years and then descending publicly from the sky is a spectacle that has never happened before in human history, nor will it ever happen again.
The third point is that this is not the descent of an ordinary human, but the descent of a Prophet of Allah. This means that it is not related to the usual affairs of Allah’s power and will, but to the special matter of prophethood and messengership.
The fourth point is that this event is the greatest sign among the signs of the Day of Judgment. The hadiths mention several signs of the approach of the Day of Judgment. These include the appearance of smoke, the sinking of lands in the east and the west, the emergence of a beast from the earth, a fire that will herd people, the sun rising from the West, the appearance of the Dajjal, the emergence of Gog and Magog, and other such signs. A glance at this list makes it clear that the sign of the Second Coming of Christ is the most prominent among them.
The fifth point is that apparently, this event also brings into question the conclusiveness and finality of the decree of the end of prophethood mentioned in the Holy Qur’an and hadiths. This raises the question of how to interpret the idea that a prophet, who came before Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), returns again after the departure of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in light of the explicit texts of the Qur’an.50
These five points establish the extraordinary importance of the event of the Second Coming of Christ and raise the question of why the definitive means of the Holy Qur’an was not chosen to communicate this news, and why it was left to people’s discretion to either transmit it or not and to adopt any style they please in its narration?
However, setting aside this question, if we look only in the context of the hadiths, the above points necessarily demand the following evidence:
Now the question is whether these requirements are duly met in the narratives of the Second Coming of Christ? The answer is a clear negation. The details are as follows in the form of several issues.
First Objection: The Earliest Book of Hadith Does Not include the Narratives of the Second Coming of Jesus
Among the available hadith books, the earliest is As-Sahifah As-Sahiha, which is famously known as Sahifah Hammam ibn Munabbih. Hammam ibn Munabbih was a Follower of the Companions (Tabi‘i) and a disciple of Abu Huraira (RA). He compiled this document shortly before the year 58 H. It includes a total of 138 hadiths, all of which have been narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira (RA). These hadiths cover various subjects including beliefs, worship, mutual dealings, transactions, ethics, and manners51. Surprisingly, this document does not contain any tradition regarding the Second Coming of Jesus. This absence of the relative narratives in the earliest compilation proves intriguing from several aspects
Firstly, from the aspect of how such an extraordinary tradition could be overlooked.
Secondly, one needs to consider the fact that Abu Huraira (RA) is one of the narrators who transmitted the traditions about the Second Coming of Jesus. It is astonishing that he did not include this tradition when dictating hadiths to his direct student, even though he had mentioned it elsewhere.
Thirdly, from the aspect that this document does contain the following two narratives concerning Jesus:
وقال رسول اللّٰه صلى اللّٰه عليه وسلم: رأى عيسى ابن مريم رجلاً يسرق، فقال له عيسى: سرقت؟ فقال: كلا والذي لا إله إلا هو، فقال عيسى: آمنت باللّٰه وكذبت عيني.
The Prophet (PBUH), said: Jesus, the son of Mary, saw a man stealing. Jesus asked him: ‘Did you steal?’ He replied: ‘Certainly not, I swear by Him, besides whom there is no deity.’ Jesus said: ‘I believe in Allah and I deny my own eyes.’ (Sahifah Hammam ibn Munabbih, No. 41)
وقال رسول اللّٰه صلى اللّٰه عليه وسلم: أنا أولى الناس بعيسى ابن مريم في الأولى والآخرة قالوا: كيف يا رسول اللّٰه؟ قال: الأنبياء إخوة من علات وأمهاتهم شتى، ودينهم واحد، فليس بيننا نبي.
he Prophet (PBUH), said: 'In this world and in the Hereafter, I am the nearest of all the people to Jesus, the son of Mary. People asked: ‘O Messenger of Allah, how is that?' He replied: 'The prophets are paternal brothers; their mothers are different, but their religion is one, and there is no prophet between us.’ (Sahifah Hammam ibn Munabbih, No. 133)
Given that the tradition of the Second Coming of Jesus is obviously more significant and prominent in terms of content compared to these two traditions, the question arises: if these traditions are included, why is the more significant tradition not included?
Fourthly, from the aspect that this document also includes the following narrative concerning the Dajjal (the false Messiah):
وقال رسول اللّٰه صلى اللّٰه عليه وسلم: لا تقوم الساعة حتى ينبعث دجالون كذابون قريب من ثلاثين كلهم يزعم أنه رسول اللّٰه.
The Prophet (PBUH), said: ‘The Hour will not come until nearly thirty false Dajjals appear, each of whom will claim to be the messenger of Allah.’ (Sahifah Hammam ibn Munabbih, No. 24)
The question arises that if the tradition regarding Dajjal is included, then why is it not the most important tradition concerning Dajjal included, which mentions the killing of Dajjal at the hands of Prophet Jesus?
Fifthly, in Sahifah Hammam ibn Munabbih, five narratives related to the signs of the Day of Judgment have been conveyed. They describe that near the Day of Judgment, the sun will rise from the West, wealth will become abundant, knowledge will be taken away, the appearance of fitnah (tribulations) will increase, murder and mayhem will proliferate, there will be a major battle between two groups, and Muslims will fight a nation whose faces will be red, noses flat, and eyes small. These narratives are:
وقال رسول اللّٰه صلى اللّٰه عليه وسلم: لا تقوم الساعة حتى تطلع الشمس من مغربها فإذا طلعت ورآها الناس آمنوا أجمعون، وذلك حين لا ينفع نفساً إيمانها لم تكن آمنت من قبل أو كسبت في إيمانها خيرًا.
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: ‘The Hour (Day of Judgment) will not come until the sun rises from the West, and when it rises and people see it, they will all believe, but that will be the time when believing will not benefit no one. It is as if he (that is, such a believer) had not believed before or earned some good through his faith.’ (Sahifah Hammam bin Munabbih, No. 25)
وقال رسول اللّٰه صلى اللّٰه عليه وسلم: لا تقوم الساعة حتى يكثر فيكم المال فيفيض حتى يهم رب المال من يتقبل منه صدقته. قال: ويقبض العلم ويقترب الزمان وتظهر الفتن ويكثر الهرج، قالوا: الهرج اي هو يا رسول اللّٰه؟ قال القتل القتل.
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: ‘The Hour will not come until wealth increases amongst you, overflowing to the extent that the owner of wealth will be concerned about who will accept his obligatory charity’. He said: ‘Knowledge will be taken away, time will draw near, fitnah will appear, and Harj (chaos, murder) will increase in frequency.’ They asked: ‘What is Harj, O Messenger of Allah?’ He replied: ‘Killing, bloodshed.’ (Sahifah Hammam bin Munabbih, No. 22)
وقال رسول اللّٰه صلى اللّٰه عليه وسلم: لا تقوم الساعة حتى تقتتل فئتان عظيمتان تكون بينهما مقتلة عظيمة و دعواهما واحدة.
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: ‘The Hour will not come until two great groups fight each other, and there will be a great battle between them, and their cause will be the same.’ (Sahifah Hammam bin Munabbih, No. 23)
وقال رسول اللّٰه صلى اللّٰه عليه وسلم: لا تقوم الساعة حتى تقاتلوا جور كرمان، قوماً من الأعاجم حمر الوجوه فطس الأنوف، صغار الأعين، كأن وجوههم المجان المطرقة.
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: ‘The Hour will not come until you fight Joora Karman; a non-Arab people with red faces, squashed noses, and small eyes, as if their faces are like flattened shields.’ (Sahifah Hammam bin Munabbih, No. 125)
وقال رسول اللّٰه صلى اللّٰه عليه وسلم: لا تقوم الساعة حتى تقاتلوا قوماً نعالهم الشعر.
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: ‘The Hour will not come until you fight a people whose shoes are made of hair.’ (Sahifah Hammam bin Munabbih, No. 127)
The inclusion of these narratives related to the signs of the approaching Day of Judgment in the Sahifah of Hammam bin Munabbih and the non-inclusion of the most pivotal sign, the descent of Jesus, casts doubt on the traditions concerning the descent of Prophet Jesus.
Second Objection: The Earliest Collection of Hadith Does Not Include the Narratives of the Second Coming of Jesus
Muwatta is the first formal collection of hadith. It was compiled by Imam Malik ibn Anas ibn Malik after a strenuous effort of 40 years. It was compiled in around 140 AH on the behest of Caliph Mansur Abbasi. Apart from the narratives of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), it also includes sayings of the Companions and the Followers (Tabi’īn). Imam Malik spent his entire life in Madinah and composed his book in the environment of the city.52
He collected narrations from those who had continuously been in the company of the esteemed Companions (may Allah be pleased with them). This book became popular throughout the Islamic world during the lifetime of Imam Malik himself. After its compilation, Imam Malik lived for about forty more years, during which he kept reviewing and amending the book.53
The narrative on the descent of Jesus is not included in this collection of hadith.
One aspect of the objection is that the time of this collection's compilation is very close to the era of the Companions. The rest of the hadith collections were compiled nearly a hundred years later. It is the esteemed Companions who transmitted all the hadith narratives. What could be the reason that such an important narrative, which ought to be commonly known, was not transmitted to Imam Malik?
Second aspect is that this collection was compiled over a long period of forty years. Throughout this time, Imam Malik taught from it, refined it, and made revisions and additions. It is inconceivable that such a narration did not reach him over such an extended period of compilation. If it did not reach him, that too is a matter of objection, and if it did reach him but he did not accept it, that too is cause for objection.
The third aspect is that Imam Malik compiled this book at the very center of Islam, that is, the city of the Prophet (Madinah). This implies that this is the place where the esteemed Companions spent their lives, the majority of the Followers were also based around this area compared to the rest of the Islamic world, and even those Followers who lived in other regions used to come to this region to perform pilgrimage and visit the Prophet’s Mosque. It is apparently inconceivable that the narrative of Jesus’s descent, if there were any, did not reach Imam Malik.
The fourth aspect is that the region of Hejaz remained the center for the call, teaching, and training by the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).54 Several narrators of the traditions of Jesus’s Second Coming were from the land of Hejaz. Many of them were contemporaries of Imam Malik. It seems highly probable that Imam Malik would have met these individuals frequently. How is it possible that neither did these people discuss the narrations of Jesus’s Second Coming with Imam Malik nor did Imam Malik inquire about them from these people despite his research and compilation of hadiths?
The fifth aspect is that the earliest narrator of these narratives of Jesus’s Second Coming is Ma’amar ibn Rashid (a Follower), who was a contemporary of Imam Malik. Ma’amar was born in Basra in 95 AH and later settled in Yemen. The educational and teaching chain of Hammam ibn Munabbih, a disciple of Abu Huraira (RA), was ongoing in Yemen. Ma‘amar ibn Rashid became a student of Hammam. Apart from him, Ma‘amar also benefited from Qatadah and Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri.55 He died in 153 AH at the age of 58. The question is, given the contemporaneity of Ma‘amar ibn Rashid and Imam Malik, why did Imam Malik not take the narration of Jesus’s Second Coming from him?
The sixth aspect is that Imam Malik has accepted and [included in his compilations] narratives from some of the narrators of hadiths on Jesus’s Second Coming, while rejecting their narrations about the Second Coming itself. What could be the reason that he took other narrations from those narrators but left out the extraordinary narration of Jesus’s Second Coming? Some of the narrators of the reports on descent of Jesus were contemporaries of Imam Malik, and some lived in Madinah during his time, yet Imam Malik did not take a single narration from them. The biographical details of a few such narrators are as follows:
1. Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri (died 124 AH) is one such narrator who transmitted the narratives about the descent of Jesus. He lived in Madinah and was a contemporary of Imam Malik. Imam Malik narrated approximately 115 narrations on Zuhri’s authority but did not include his narrations about Jesus’s Second Coming.
2. Abd al-Rahman bin Hurmuz al-A‘raj (died 117 AH) is also a transmitter of the hadith about Second Coming of Jesus. He lived in Madinah. Imam Malik recorded about 61 narrations on his authority but did not accept the narrative about Jesus’s Second Coming.
3. Saleh bin Kaisan (died 140 AH) also narrated the hadith regarding the Second Coming of Jesus. He lived in Madinah and was a contemporary of Imam Malik. Imam Malik received three traditions from him, but did not include in his compilation the tradition about the Second Coming of Jesus.
4. Ziyad bin Saad al-Khurasani (died 150 AH) is a narrator of the hadith regarding the Second Coming of Jesus. He was a resident of Mecca and a contemporary of Imam Malik. Imam Malik reported three traditions from him, but not the one concerning the Second Coming of Jesus.
5. Muhammad bin Muslim bin Tadrus Abu Zubair (died 128 AH) is a narrator of the hadith regarding the Second Coming of Jesus. He resided in Mecca and was a contemporary of Imam Malik. Imam Malik did not accept any traditions from him.
6. Aswad bin Qais al-‘Abdi al-Kufi (died 140 AH) is a narrator of the hadith concerning the Second Coming of Jesus. He was from Kufa and lived during the time of Imam Malik. Imam Malik did not include any traditions transmitted by him.
7. Saeed bin Jamhan Abu Hafs (died 136 AH) is a narrator of the hadith regarding the Second Coming of Jesus. He lived in Basra and was a contemporary of Imam Malik. Imam Malik did not mention any narratives on his authority.
8. Abu Malik al-Ashja‘i (died 150 AH) is a narrator of the hadith regarding the Second Coming of Jesus. He resided in Kufa and was a contemporary of Imam Malik. Imam Malik did not narrate any narratives on his authority.
9. Ma‘amar bin Rashid (died 153 AH) is a narrator of the hadith regarding the Second Coming of Jesus. He lived in Basra and was a contemporary of Imam Malik. Imam Malik did not receive any narratives from him.
The seventh aspect is that Muwatta contains a chapter regarding Jesus and the Dajjal titled ‘Chapter on the Descriptions of Jesus, son of Mary, and the Dajjal.’ Under this chapter, the following single tradition is narrated:
عن عبد اللّٰه بن عمر، أن رسول اللّٰه صلى اللّٰه عليه وسلم قال: أراني الليلة عند الكعبة، فرأيت رجلاً آدم كأحسنِ ما أنت راء من أدم الرجال، له لمة كأحسن ما أنت راء من اللمم قد رجلها، فهي تقطر ماءً متكئًا على رجلين أو على عواتق رجلين يطوف بالكعبة، فسألت من هذا ؟ قيل: هذا المسيح ابن مريم، ثم إذا أنا برجل جعد قطط أعور العين اليمنى، كأنها عنبة طافية، فسألت: من هذا؟ فقيل لي هذا المسيح الدجال.
From Abdullah bin Umar, he said the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: ‘In the dream I had last night, I saw that I was near the Kaaba. There, I saw a handsome person with a wheatish complexion as beautiful as you ever see among the wheatish complexions, with lovely hair, as good as you ever see among the hair. He had his hair combed and it dampened with water. He was doing tawaf around the Kaaba while leaning on two men or on the shoulders of two men. I asked: Who is this? It was said: This is the Messiah son of Mary. Then suddenly I saw another man with very curly hair, blind in the right eye. His eye looked as if it was a bloated grape. I asked: Who is this? It was said to me: This is the Dajjal, the false Messiah.’ (Muwatta, No. 3405)
It is perplexing that while there is a separate chapter and therein is the hadith of Jesus and the Dajjal, the more prominent tradition of the Second Coming of Jesus is not mentioned. Even indirectly, there is no mention of it throughout the entire book.
Third Objection: Imam Bukhari Accepted Only a Few Narratives Concerning the Second Coming of Jesus
The number of Marfu‘56 hadiths regarding the Second Coming of Jesus is more than 80. These are recorded in almost all the books of hadith with the exception of Muwatta Imam Malik.
These narrations are reported from the following Companions (may Allah be pleased with all of them):
1. Abu Huraira
2. Jabir bin Abd Allah
3. Al-Nawwas bin Sam‘an
4. Abd Allah bin Amar
5. Hudhayfah bin Usaid al-Ghiffari
6. Thauban
7. Mujammi‘ bin Jariyah
8. Abu Umamah al-Bahili
9. Abd Allah bin Mas‘ud
10. Usman bin al-Aas
11. Samurah bin Jundub
12. Abd Allah bin Umar
13. Anas
14. Wathilah bin al-Asqa‘
15. Abd Allah bin Salam
16. Abd Allah bin Abbas
17. Aws bin Aws al-Thaqafi
18. Imran bin Husayn
19. Ummul Mu’minin Aishah bint Abu Bakr
20. Safinah, the freed slave of the Prophet
21. Hudhayfah bin al-Yaman
22. Abd Allah bin Mughaffal
23. Abdul-Rahman bin Samurah
24. Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri
25. Ammar bin Yasir
26. Kaysan bin Abd Allah bin Tariq
27. Salamah bin Nufayl al-Sakuni
28. Ummul Mu’minin Safiyyah (may Allah be pleased with her)
29. Nafi’ bin Kaysan
30. Abu Darda
31. Amr bin Awf al-Muzani
Out of the various and diverse narratives of the descent of Jesus, Imam Bukhari has selected the following three narrations:57
1. حدثنا إسحاق، أخبرنا يعقوب بن إبراهيم، حدثنا أبي، عن صالح، عنِ ابنِ شهاب أن سعيد بن المسيب، سمع أبا هريرة رضي اللّٰه عنه، قال: قال رسول اللّٰه صلى اللّٰه عليه وسلم : والذي نفسي بيده، ليوشكن أن ينزل فيكم ابن مريم حكماً عدلاً، فيكسر الصليب، ويقتل الخنزير، ويضع الجزية، ويفيض المال حتى لا يقبله أحد، حتى تكون السجدة الواحدة خيرًا من الدنيا وما فيها، ثم يقول أبو هريرة : واقرءوا إن شئتم : وإن من أهل الكتاب إلا ليؤمنن به قبل موته، ويوم القيامة يكون عليهم شهيدًا.
1. Ishaq narrated to us: Ya‘qub ibn Ibrahim informed us, who narrated from his father, from Salih, from Ibn Shihab, that Sa‘id ibn al-Musayyib heard Abu Huraira (RA) say: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: ‘By Him in Whose Hand is my soul, it is soon that the son of Mary will descend among you as a just ruler. He will break the cross, kill the swine, abolish the jizya, and wealth will flow in abundance until no one will accept it. A single prostration (sajda) will then be better than the entire world and everything in it.’ Then Abu Huraira said: Recite if you wish: ‘And there is none among the People of the Book but will believe in him before his death, and on the Day of Resurrection, he will be a witness against them.’ (Sahih Bukhari No. 3448)
2.حدثنا قتيبة بن سعيد، حدثنا الليث، عن ابن شهاب، عن ابن المسيب أنه سمع أبا هريرة رضي اللّٰه عنه، يقول : قال رسول اللّٰه صلى اللّٰه عليه وسلم : والذي نفسي بيده، ليوشكن أن ينزل فيكم ابن مريم حكماً مقسطاً، فيكسر الصليب، ويقتل الخنزير، ويضع الجزية، ويفيض المال حتى لا يقبله أحد.
2. Qutaybah ibn Sa‘id narrated to us: Al-Layth narrated from Ibn Shihab, from Ibn al-Musayyib, who heard Abu Huraira (RA) say: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: ‘By Him in Whose Hand is my soul, it is soon that the son of Mary will descend among you as a just ruler. He will break the cross, kill the swine, abolish the jizya, and wealth will flow in abundance until no one will accept it.’ (Bukhari, 2222)
3. حدثنا ابن بكير، حدثنا الليث، عن يونس، عن ابن شهاب، عن نافع، مولى أبي قتادة الأنصاري، أن أبا هريرة، قال : قال رسول اللّٰه صلى اللّٰه عليه وسلم : كيف أنتم إذا نزل ابن مريم فيكم، وإمامكم منكم.
3. Ibn Bukayr narrated to us: Al-Layth narrated from Yunus, from Ibn Shihab, from Nafi‘, the freed slave of Abu Qatadah al-Ansari, that Abu Huraira said: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: ‘What will your condition be when the son of Mary descends among you, and your leader (imam) will be from among you?’ (Bukhari, 3449)
From the study of these narrations, the following facts become clear:
This approach of Imam Bukhari gives the impression of his hesitation about all the narrations regarding the Second Coming of Jesus.
Fourth Objection: Time of Second Coming of Jesus Identified in the Narrative of Imam Muslim
The fourth objection is that some of the relevant parts of the event of Jesus’s Second Coming, as mentioned in the narratives, have apparently already taken place in the past. The question arises: if his descent has not occurred despite the occurrence of these events, then how can we maintain certainty about the authenticity of the incident? Before explaining this matter, it is essential to understand two things about the nature of the foretold incident.
Firstly, the narratives of Jesus’s Second Coming are accounts of a future event. As for their acceptance or rejection, there is a difference of opinion among Muslim scholars. The majority view is that their attribution to the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is reliable, therefore the Second Coming of Jesus is certain. In contrast, some scholars believe that the attribution of these narratives to the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is not reliable, hence it is incorrect to form the concept of Jesus’s Second Coming based on them.
This disagreement may persist until one of the following two scenarios occurs:
This means that if the matter of dispute relates to an observable event, the occurrence or non-occurrence of it serves as a decisive argument to resolve the dispute. If the event occurs, the argument of its proponents is substantiated; if the time passes and it does not occur, the argument of those disagreeing is substantiated. It means that no possibility of doubt or dispute remains thereafter.
Secondly, the event of Jesus’s Second Coming, as mentioned in the narratives, comprises of several partial incidents. When an event is described as such, it is essential for it to occur in its entirety. The parts that make it up should also occur, and in the same order, without distortion or omission, with regard to the time and sequence of occurrences, and also considering secondary details. It is not justifiable to connect multiple parts of an event from different eras to indicate that it has already occurred. Nor it is appropriate to overlook parts that are different from the description of the event or to derive some ambiguous or illogical interpretation for the missing links of the description. In other words, an event attributed to the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) must meet every standard of reason and tradition. This is because his word is the word of Allah, where there is no possibility of error or forgetfulness.
After this introduction, let us now examine the hadith that clearly determines the time of Jesus’s Second Coming. In Sahih Muslim, it is narrated:
عن أبي هريرة أن رسول اللّٰه صلى اللّٰه عليه وسلم، قال: لا تقوم الساعة حتى ينزل الروم بالأعماق أو بدابق، فيخرج إليهم جيش من المدينة، من خيار أهل الأرض يومئذ.
فإذا تصافوا، قالت الروم: خلوا بيننا وبين الذين سبوا منا نقاتلهم، فيقول المسلمون: لا، واللّٰه لا نخلي بينكم وبين إخواننا.
فيقاتلونهم، فينهزم ثلث لا يتوب اللّٰه عليهم أبدًا، ويقتل ثلثهم، أفضل الشهداء عند اللّٰه ويفتتح الثلث، لا يفتنون أبدًا .
فيفتتحون قسطنطينية، فبينما هم يقتسمون الغنائم، قد علقوا سيوفهم بالزيتون، إذ صاح فيهم الشيطان: إن المسيح قد خلفكم في أهليكم، فيخرجون، وذلك باطل.
فإذا جاءوا الشأم خرج، فبينما هم يعدون للقتال، يسوون الصفوف، إذ أقيمت الصلاة، فينزل عيسى ابن مريم صلى اللّٰه عليه وسلم، فأمهم فإذا رآه عدو اللّٰه، ذاب كما يذوب الملح في الماء، فلو تركه لانذاب حتى يهلك، ولكن يقتله اللّٰه بيده، فيريهم دمه في حربته.
It is narrated from Abu Huraira that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: ‘The Hour (Day of Judgement) will not occur until the Romans descend in al-A‘maq or in Dabiq. An army from Madinah made up of the best people on earth at that time will face them.
When both armies arrange themselves in ranks, the Romans would say: Do not stand between us and those (Muslims) who took prisoners from amongst us. Let us fight with them; and the Muslims would say: No, by Allah, we would never get aside from you and from our brethren that you may fight them.
They will then fight, and a third (part) of the army will flee from the battlefield, whom Allah will never forgive, a third (part of the army) which would be constituted of the best martyrs in the sight of Allah will be killed, and the remaining one-third of the army who would never be put to trail would win and conquer Constantinople. While they would be busy distributing the spoils of war after hanging their swords by the olive trees, the Satan would cry: the Dajjal has taken your place among your families. Upon hearing this news, Muslims will immediately return. However, this news will be false.
Then when they arrive in Syria, the Dajjal will come out. At that time, after preparing for the battle, when Muslims are lining up in rows for the Fajr prayer, Jesus, son of Mary (PBUH), will suddenly descend and lead them in prayer. When the enemy of Allah would see him, he would dissolve just as salt dissolves in water. If he had been left alone, he would still have dissolved and died eventually, but Allah would kill him through Jesus’s hand, and He would show his blood on Jesus’s spear. (Sahih Muslim, No. 7460)
From this hadith, the following points are understood:
The details of this hadith clarify that Prophet Jesus (PBUH) will descend when the Muslim army, having conquered Constantinople, will be returning. Please note that this narrative from Imam Muslim explicitly states that Prophet Jesus (PBUH) will descend at the precise moment when the Muslim army, after conquering Constantinople, hears of the Dajjal’s emergence and turns back towards Madinah.
The reality is that Constantinople was conquered on May 29, 1453, corresponding to the 20th of Jumada al-Awwal 857 AH. Since then, it has remained in the control of Muslims, even becoming the capital of the Islamic State of Turkey under the name Istanbul.58 Meaning, the time determined for the descent of Jesus, (PBUH) by the hadith in Imam Muslim has passed, immediately after the conquest of Constantinople in June/July 1453. Constantinople has been conquered, but the Dajjal has not appeared, nor has Prophet Jesus, (PBUH) descended.
If this is the reality, then we must either accept one of the two aspects of the narrative as correct and attribute the other to an error or addition by the narrator.
Either we must accept that the mention of the descent of Prophet Jesus (PBUH) is correct but the descriptions of the conquest of Constantinople and its victorious army are additional, having no connection to the descent of Prophet Jesus (PBUH). Or believe that the description of the conquest of Constantinople and its victorious army is correct, but the mention of the descent of Prophet Jesus (PBUH) is an addition.
The occurrence of both events simultaneously is unacceptable because one of these closely linked events has already taken place 570 years ago. However, the problem is that if we accept one event and deny the other, the entire narrative becomes questionable. This is because if the prophecy of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), has been correctly transmitted, it cannot undergo even the slightest alteration. It is a decree of the Almighty that unfolds exactly as uttered by the Prophet’s blessed tongue.
While trying to solve this issue, our scholars have not preferred one of the mentioned possibilities or abstained from the narrative; instead, they have presented another interpretation. They believe that the conquest of Constantinople that occurred in 1453 is not the one mentioned in the narration. They believe the conquest of Constantinople will occur again. At that time, Jesus (PBUH) will descend, and the events mentioned in the said hadith will transpire.
This interpretation, however, raises several rational objections.
The first objection is that given the extraordinary historical significance of Constantinople and the centuries-long persistent efforts of the Muslims to conquer it, and considering the prophecy and the glad tidings of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), a second conquest of Constantinople, if it does occur, cannot be as exceptional and monumental as the first.
To understand this objection, it is imperative to know basic information about the background of Constantinople and the efforts of the Muslims to conquer it.
Constantinople, the ancient name for Istanbul, was named after the Roman Emperor Constantine who adopted Christianity in the 3rd century CE and made this city his imperial capital. This city remained the capital of the Christian Byzantine Empire for 1100 years. In the 5th century CE, the Christian world was divided into two major empires: the western empire had Rome as its capital, and the eastern empire had its capital in Constantinople. The eastern empire included the Balkans, Greece, Asia Minor, Syria, Egypt, and Ethiopia among others. The head of the church in this empire was called the Patriarch, while the head of the western church was known as the Pope.59 Constantinople also had an extraordinary religious significance in the history of Christianity because one of the two central churches of Christianity was established there. Its name was Hagia Sophia. This church was one of the oldest and most sacred places of worship for Christians, who believed that it would never fall into the hands of non-Christians.
Constantinople’s extraordinary status was such that the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) had promised paradise to the Muslims who would fight to conquer it. It is reported in Sahih of Bukhari:
فحدثتنا أم حرام : أنها سمعت النبي صلى اللّٰه عليه وسلم، يقول : أول جيش من أمتي يغزون البحر قد أوجبوا، قالت: ام حرام، قلت: يا رسول اللّٰه انا فيهم، قال: انت فيهم ثم قال النبي صلى اللّٰه عليه وسلم: اول جيش من امتي يغزون مدينة قيصر مغفور لهم، فقلت: انا فيهم يا رسول اللّٰه، قال: لا.
Umm Haram narrated that she heard the Prophet (PBUH), say: ‘The first of my Ummah to undertake a naval expedition in Allah’s cause have made Allah’s mercy and forgiveness obligatory for themselves.’ Umm Haram added: ‘I said, O Messenger of Allah, will I be among them?’ He replied, ‘Yes, you are among them.’ Then the Prophet (PBUH) said, ‘The first of my Ummah to attack the city of Caesar (Constantinople) will be forgiven.’ I asked, ‘Will I be one of them, O Messenger of Allah?’ He said, ‘No.’ (Bukhari No. 2924)
It is reported in the Sahih of Muslim:
عن نافع بن عتبة، قال: كنا مع رسول اللّٰه صلى اللّٰه عليه وسلم في غزوة، قال: فاتى النبي صلى اللّٰه عليه وسلم قوم من قبل المغرب عليهم ثياب الصوف، فوافقوه عند اكمة، فإنهم لقيام ورسول اللّٰه صلى اللّٰه عليه وسلم قاعد.
قال: فقالت لي نفسي: ائتهم فقم بينهم وبينه لا يغتالونه، قال: ثم قلت: لعله نجي معهم.
فاتيتهم، فقمت بينهم وبينه، قال: فحفظت منه اربع كلمات اعدهن في يدي.
قال: تغزون جزيرة العرب، فيفتحها اللّٰه ثم فارس، فيفتحها اللّٰه ثم تغزون الروم فيفتحها اللّٰه، ثم تغزون الدجال فيفتحه اللّٰه.
قال: فقال نافع: يا جابر لا نرى الدجال يخرج حتى تفتح الروم.
Nafi‘ ibn Utba said, We were with the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) on an expedition when some people came from the direction of the west wearing woolen clothes. they met him by a hillock while they stood and the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, was seated.
Nafi says that a thought came to him that he should go to them and stand between them and him lest they try to assassinate him. Then he said to himself: Perhaps he is having a private conversation with them (and going there would be unsuitable). Anyway (giving preference to the first thought) I approached them and stood between them and the Prophet On this occasion, I remembered four things that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) conveyed to me, counting them on my hand.
He said: You will wage war in the Arabian Peninsula, and Allah will grant you victory, then you will attack Persia and Allah will grant you victory, then you will fight the Romans60 and Allah will grant you victory, then you will fight the Dajjal and Allah will grant you victory. Nafi' said: O Jabir bin ‘Amr, I think the Dajjal will not emerge until the Romans are conquered.61 (Muslim No. 7466)
The first Muslim expedition set out to conquer Constantinople during the caliphate of Uthman (RA) and was led by Muawiyah (RA). This army attacked Cyprus. Although Muslims did not gain control over Cyprus, they managed to sign a treaty with its people.
Later, during his reign, Muawiyah (RA) dispatched an army under the command of Yazid ibn Muawiyah. This army laid siege to Constantinople. After a prolonged siege, when victory was not achieved, the army returned.
Subsequently, various rulers launched multiple attacks on Constantinople, but victory could not be secured.62 These rulers include Umar ibn Abdul Aziz, Hisham bin Abdul Malik, Mahdi Abbasi, Harun Al-Rashid, Bayezid Yildirim, and his son Murad II.
The glory of the conquest of Constantinople is attributed to the grandson of Bayezid Yildirim, Mehmed II. He began the siege of Constantinople on the 26th of Rabi‘ al-Awwal 857 AH, corresponding to April 6, 1453. After an extraordinary and historic struggle, he successfully conquered Constantinople on the 20th of Jumada al-awwal 857 AH, corresponding to May 29, 1453, and hence he became famous in history as Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror.
This is the historical background of the conquest of Constantinople. If this is presented purely without any reference, everyone would believe that this extraordinary event could indeed be the fulfillment of the prophecy of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)63.
Now, consider this from another angle. So, for example, hypothetically, if Prophet Jesus descends, but neither is Constantinople conquered nor does the emergence of the Dajjal occur, would it be said that Prophet Jesus will descend again at a later occasion and other events will happen then, or would it be said that the descent negates the other events?
Similarly, if the emergence of the Dajjal happens, but neither does Jesus descend nor is Constantinople conquered, would it be said that the Dajjal would emerge again and the remaining two events would occur at that time, or would it be said that this event negates the other two events?
So, the question is, if from the aforementioned three events, the conquest of Constantinople has occurred, but the other two connected events have not happened, what is the basis to avoid negating the other events?64
It should be noted that the description of any past, present, or future event always includes certain relevant secondary events. To believe in the account of the event, one must believe in all its component events, their sequence, and their interconnection. It is not possible to exclude some components, change their sequence, or interpret them in such a way that the continuity is broken, or to imagine such a temporal distance between them that the narration of the event becomes doubtful.
It should also be clear that according to a hadith, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) has stated that the signs of the nearness of the Day of Judgment will be sequential events. That is, they would not face irrational or unusual delays or postponement. The words of the hadith are:
عن عبد اللّٰه بن عمرو، قال: قال رسول اللّٰه صلى اللّٰه عليه وسلم: الآيات خرزات منظومات في سلك، فإن يقطع السلك يتبع بعضها بعضا.
Abdullah bin Amr reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: ‘The signs (of the Day of Judgment) are like beads strung on a string; if the string breaks, they will come after one another.’ (Musnad Ahmed No. 7040)
عن أبي هريرة، عن النبي صلى اللّٰه عليه وسلم قال: خروج الآيات بعضها على إثر بعض، يتتابعن كما تتتابع الخرز في النظام .
Abu Huraira reported from the Prophet (PBUH) who said: ‘The appearance of the signs (of the Day of Judgment) will follow one after the other like pearls falling in succession when the string is cut.’ (Al-Mu‘jam Al-Awsat by Al-Tabarani No. 4271)
The second issue is that in order to accept this interpretation by scholars, we would need to turn back the wheel of civilization and culture. That is to say, it must be assumed that an era will return when wars will be fought with spears and swords instead of gunpowder, atomic, and chemical weapons. The system of maintaining a regular modern army, where soldiers are employees receiving salaries from the state, would come to an end, and the old method would resume, where soldiers would be allocated spoils of war after the victory.65
The third issue is to assume that Turkey's capital of Istanbul (formerly Constantinople) will return to the control of the Romans, and it will regain its extraordinary religious and political significance in the world that it held in the fifteenth century or earlier.
The fourth issue is that embracing this interpretation negates the status of the related narrative or other similar narratives as prophecies. This is because a prophecy is only considered as such when it informs us with a definite and time-bound event in the future. Therefore, if the occurrence represented by the conquest of Constantinople is not determined – meaning it is not decided how many times the Muslims will conquer Constantinople and which conquest will be followed by the descent of Prophet Jesus – then how can this narrative be considered a prophecy? Furthermore, if the meaning and occurrence of one event in the narrative, namely the conquest of Constantinople, is ambiguous, then how can the meanings and occurrences of the other events, namely the descent of Prophet Jesus and the emergence of the Dajjal, be considered unambiguous?
Fifth Objection: Difference in Two Chains of a Single Narration About the Second Coming of Jesus
In Muslim’s Kitab al-Fitan wa Ashrat as-Sa‘ah (The Book of Tribulations and the Signs of the Hour), in the chapter titled Bab fi al-Ayat allati takunu qabla as-Sa‘ah (Chapter: The Signs That Precede the Hour), these two narratives detail ten signs of the imminence of the Day of Judgment:
عن حذيفة بن اسيد الغفاري، قال: اطلع النبي صلى اللّٰه عليه وسلم علينا ونحن نتذاكر، فقال: ما تذاكرون؟ قالوا: نذكر الساعة، قال: إنها لن تقوم حتى ترون قبلها عشر آيات، فذكر الدخان، والدجال، والدابة، وطلوع الشمس من مغربها، ونزول عيسى ابن مريم صلى اللّٰه عليه وسلم، وياجوج وماجوج، وثلاثة خسوف خسف بالمشرق، وخسف بالمغرب، وخسف بجزيرة العرب، وآخر ذلك نار تخرج من اليمن تطرد الناس إلى محشرهم.
Hudhayfah ibn Asid al-Ghifari narrates: We were conversing when the Prophet (PBUH) appeared before us. He asked, ‘What are you discussing?’ They replied, ‘We are speaking of the Hour.’ He said, ‘Indeed, it will not come until you see before it ten signs,’ and he mentioned the smoke, the Dajjal, the Beast, the rising of the sun from the west, the descent of Jesus son of Mary (PBUH), Gog and Magog, three landslides: one in the east, one in the west, and one in the Arabian Peninsula, and last of them a fire that will emerge from Yemen that will drive people to their place of assembly.66 (Muslim No. 7285)
عن ابي سريحة حذيفة بن اسيد، قال: كان النبي صلى اللّٰه عليه وسلم في غرفة، ونحن اسفل منه، فاطلع إلينا، فقال: ما تذكرون؟ قلنا: الساعة، قال: إن الساعة لا تكون حتى تكون عشر آيات خسف بالمشرق، وخسف بالمغرب، وخسف في جزيرة العرب، والدخان، والدجال، ودابة الارض، وياجوج وماجوج، وطلوع الشمس من مغربها، ونار تخرج من قعرة عدن ترحل الناس.
قال شعبة: وحدثني عبدالعزيز بن رفيع، عن ابي الطفيل، عن ابي سريحة، مثل ذلك. لا يذكر النبي صلى اللّٰه عليه وسلم. وقال احدهما في العاشرة نزول عيسى ابن مريم صلى اللّٰه عليه وسلم، وقال الآخر: وريح تلقي الناس في البحر.
Abu Sarihah Hudhayfah bin Asid (RA) narrates that the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was in an upper room while we were sitting below. He came to us and asked, ‘What are you discussing?’ We replied, ‘We are discussing the Day of Judgment.’ The Prophet (PBUH) said, ‘The Day of Judgment will not come until ten signs appear: the land sinking in the east, the land sinking in the west, the land sinking in the Arabian Peninsula, smoke, the Dajjal, the beast of the earth, Gog and Magog, the sun rising from the west, a fire emerging from the edge of Aden that will drive people forward.’
Shu'bah says that Abdul Aziz bin Rafi‘ narrated to me from Abu Tufail, who received a similar narration from Abu Sarihah (RA). They did not mention the Prophet (PBUH) (meaning they narrated a Mawquf hadith), and one of my narrators (Furat and Abdul Aziz) mentioned the descent of Jesus, son of Mary (PBUH) as the tenth sign. The other narrator stated that the tenth sign would be a wind that will carry people off and throw them into the sea. (Muslim No. 7286)
This is a single hadith that has reached Imam Muslim through two chains:
1. Imam Muslim – Sufyan bin Uyainah – Furat al-Qazaz (tabi‘ al-tabi‘īn) – Abu Tufail (tabi‘ī) – Hudhayfah ibn Asid (Companion) – the Messenger of Allah (PBUH).
2. Imam Muslim – Ubaidullah bin Ma’d – Ma’d al-Anbari – Sha’bah – Furat al-Qazaz – Abu Tufail – Hudhayfah ibn Asid (Companion) – the Messenger of Allah (PBUH).
If we consider both chains, it becomes apparent that these are different versions of the same narrative. The evidence is that they recount the same subject of ten signs of the Day of Judgment, the same Companion Hudhayfah ibn Asid narrates, and the same Successor Abu Tufail transmits. Thereafter, different individuals report the narration further down the chain, meaning that it remains the same up to Abu Tufail, but diverse narrators have transmitted it beyond him. Furat and Sha’bah have relayed it further from Abu Tufail. Consequently, as Imam Muslim received this single hadith, it emerged through these two chains.
According to the report reaching through Sufyan bin Uyainah from Furat al-Qazaz, these ten signs of the Day of Judgment are recounted as follows:
1. The Smoke
2. The Dajjal’s appearance
3. The Beast of the Earth
4. The sun rising from the west
5. The Second Coming of Jesus
6. Gog and Magog
7. The earth sinking in the east
8. The earth sinking in the west
9. The earth sinking in the Arabian Peninsula
10. A fire that will emerge from Yemen driving people forward
In the report reaching through Sha‘bah from Furat al-Qazaz, nine signs are mentioned:
1. The Smoke
2. The Dajjal’s appearance
3. The Beast of the Earth
4. The sun rising from the west
5. Gog and Magog
6. The earth sinking in the east
7. The earth sinking in the west
8. The earth sinking in the Arabian Peninsula
9. A fire that will emerge from Yemen driving people forward
In the report reaching through Sha‘bah from Furat al-Qazaz, nine signs are mentioned and the Second Coming of Jesus is not included among them. Sha‘bah’s report concludes with the mention of these nine signs. However, given that the narration begins with the mention of ten signs, all ten should be accounted for. To address this, Sha‘bah quotes two different narrators conveying two distinct tenth signs:
The analysis of the hadith presents two issues:
First, if an event has ten signs and one of them is extraordinarily prominent, how is it possible for a narrator to mention the other nine and omit that one? Normally, it is the less significant details that tend to be forgotten or overlooked. It seems implausible that all other matters would be reported, yet the most critical sign would be disregarded. Moreover, when seeking to determine the tenth sign by consulting two other narrators, if one of them suggests a different sign rather than the vitally important one, it raises concerns. This exact issue arises in the narration where only nine signs are mentioned in the original report, and the notably significant sign of the Second Coming of Jesus is absent. When inquiring about the tenth sign, another narrator offers that a wind will appear, which will lift people and throw them into the sea.67
This same narration from Sufyan ibn Uyainah has also been reported by Imam Tirmidhi. It does not mention the descent of Jesus. That is, the narration from Sufyan bin Uyainah that reached Imam Muslim mentions the sign of the descent of Jesus, but the narration reported by Tirmidhi from the same Sufyan ibn Uyainah does not mention the Second Coming of Jesus. The narrative reads:
عن حذيفة بن اسيد، قال: اشرف علينا رسول اللّٰه صلى اللّٰه عليه وسلم من غرفة، ونحن نتذاكر الساعة فقال النبي صلى اللّٰه عليه وسلم: لا تقوم الساعة حتى تروا عشر آيات: طلوع الشمس من مغربها، وياجوج وماجوج، والدابة، وثلاثة خسوف: خسف بالمشرق، وخسف بالمغرب، وخسف بجزيرة العرب، ونار تخرج من قعر عدن تسوق الناس او تحشر الناس، فتبيت معهم حيث باتوا، وتقيل معهم حيث قالوا.
Hudhayfah bin Asid (RA) reported that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, turned towards us from his room. At that time, we were discussing the Day of Judgment. He said: The Day of Judgement will not be established until you witness ten signs. The sun rising from the west, Gog and Magog, the beast of the Earth, and the Earth sinking three times—once in the east, once in the west, and once in the Arabian Peninsula—a fire that will emerge from within Aden which will herd people together, lodging where they lodge and resting where they take their midday nap. (Hadith No. 2183)
Sixth Objection: Absence of Mention of Jesus’s Second Coming in Some Reports of the Signs of the Approaching Judgment Day
The reports clearly indicate that the event of Prophet Jesus’s second coming is one of the signs of the Judgment Day, which is also agreed upon by the scholars. Some of those reports, which mention the signs of the approaching Judgment Day, list these signs. Some mention three signs, some four, some six, and some ten. Collectively, these reports bring forward the following signs:
1. Smoke
2. The emergence of the Dajjal
3. The beast of the Earth
4. The sun rising from the west
5. The descent of Jesus
6. Gog and Magog
7. The Earth sinking in the east
8. The Earth sinking in the west
9. The Earth sinking in the Arabian Peninsula
10. A fire that will emerge from Yemen, driving people together
11. A wind that will lift people and throw them into the sea
12. Death
13. The emergence of thirty false Dajjals
14. A majority of the Romans will be Christians
When we consider these signs, the most extraordinary is the descent of Jesus. It is the most prominent among the others, extremely unusual, and explicit in its significance and explanation. Therefore, it is a natural requirement that while a few out of these fourteen or fifteen signs, narrators should certainly mention this most prominent sign. It goes against human reason and experience to omit the most prominent matter and discuss comparatively less important details instead. But the reality is that in several reports about the signs of Judgment Day, the sign of Prophet Jesus’s descent has not been mentioned.
In the following report mentioned in the Sahih Muslim, six signs of Judgment Day are mentioned, excluding the descent of Prophet Jesus:
عن ابي هريرة، ان رسول اللّٰه صلى اللّٰه عليه وسلم، قال: بادروا بالاعمال ستا طلوع الشمس من مغربها، او الدخان، او الدجال، او الدابة، او خاصة احدكم، او امر العامة
It is narrated from Abu Huraira (RA) that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: ‘Hasten to do good deeds before six things happen: First, before the coming of the Dajjal, second, the Smoke, third, the beast of the earth, fourth, the rising of the sun from the west, fifth, the Day of Judgment, and sixth, before your death.’ (Muslim no. 7584)
Similarly, the following report in Sahih Bukhari mentions eleven signs of Judgment Day, but it does not mention the descent of Jesus:
عن ابي هريرة، ان رسول اللّٰه صلى اللّٰه عليه وسلم، قال: لا تقوم الساعة حتى تقتتل فئتان عظيمتان يكون بينهما مقتلة عظيمة، دعوتهما واحدة، وحتى يبعث دجالون كذابون قريب من ثلاثين، كلهم يزعم انه رسول اللّٰه، وحتى يقبض العلم، وتكثر الزلازل، ويتقارب الزمان، وتظهر الفتن، ويكثر الهرج: وهو القتل، وحتى يكثر فيكم المال فيفيض حتى يهم رب المال من يقبل صدقته وحتى يعرضه عليه، فيقول الذي يعرضه عليه: لا ارب لي به، وحتى يتطاول الناس في البنيان، وحتى يمر الرجل بقبر الرجل، فيقول: يا ليتني مكانه، وحتى تطلع الشمس من مغربها، فإذا طلعت ورآها الناس، يعني آمنوا اجمعون، فذلك حين لا ينفع نفسا إيمانها لم تكن آمنت من قبل او كسبت في إيمانها خيرًا ولتقومن الساعة وقد نشر الرجلان ثوبهما بينهما، فلا يتبايعانه، ولا يطويانه، ولتقومن الساعة وقد انصرف الرجل بلبن لقحته فلا يطعمه، ولتقومن الساعة وهو يليط حوضه فلا يسقي فيه، ولتقومن الساعة وقد رفع اكلته إلى فيه فلا يطعمها.
Abu Huraira (RA) reported that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, stated: ‘The Day of Judgment will not be established until two great groups wage war. There will be a massive bloodshed between them, though their calls will be the same. And until nearly thirty fraudulent Dajjals are dispatched, each claiming he is the Messenger of Allah. This will go on until knowledge is lifted, earthquakes will be very frequent, time (of the Day of Judgement) will be near, tribulations will emerge, much killing will happen, wealth will proliferate so much it will overflow until the owner of wealth will worry about who will accept his charity. The situation will reach a point where a person will present his charity (sadaqah) to others, but those to whom he presents it will say that they do not need it. People will pride themselves on erecting tall buildings, competing in their construction. A man will pass by the grave of another, wishing to be in his place. The sun will rise from the west, and when it does rise that way and people see it, they will all believe, but that's when faith no longer benefits the soul that had not believed before or earned good in faith. Then, the Day of Judgement will swoop in unexpectedly so that two men would not manage to exchange or fold a garment between them; the Day of Judgement will arrive while a person returns with the milk of his she-camel and would not be able to drink it; the Day of Judgement will come while someone is mud plastering his trough and would not manage to fill water in it; and the Day of Judgement will come while he’s bringing the morsel to his mouth and yet won’t get to eat it.’ (Bukhari No. 7121)
It should be noted that the sign of the Dajjal is mentioned among these eleven signs, but the most crucial sign of the descent of Jesus is not mentioned.
1. War between two great armies
2. The appearance of many Dajjals
3. Claims of prophethood by three individuals
4. The disappearance of knowledge
5. Increase in murders and anarchy
6. Abundance of wealth
7. Shortage of people willing to accept charity
8. Pride over large buildings
9. Competition in the construction of buildings
10. A desire for death among people
11. The sun rising from the west and people coming to faith upon seeing it
Similarly, a hadith in Tirmidhi mentions three signs, but it does not include the sign of the Second Coming of Jesus.
عن ابي هريرة، عن النبي صلى اللّٰه عليه وسلم، قال: ثلاث إذا خرجن لَا يَنْفَعُ نَفْسًا اِيْمَانُهَا لَمْ تَكُنْ اٰمَنَتْ مِنْ قَبْلُ68، الدجال، والدابة، وطلوع الشمس من المغرب او من مغربها.
Abu Huraira reported the Prophet (PBUH) to have said: ‘Three things, when they appear, one’s faith will not benefit them if they had not believed before: the Dajjal, the beast, and the sun rising from the west.’ (Tirmidhi No. 3072)
In a narrative of Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal, there are six signs of the apocalypse described, but they do not include the sign of the descent of Jesus.
عن عوف بن مالك الأشجعي قال: أتيت النبي صلى اللّٰه عليه وسلم وهو في خدر له، فقلت: أدخل ؟ فقال: ادخل قلت : أكلي؟ قال: كلك فلما جلست قال: أمسك ستاً تكون قبل الساعة، أولهن وفاة نبيكم. قال: فبكيت، قال هشيم: ولا أدري بأيها بدأ ؟ ثم فتح بيت المقدس، وفتنة تدخل بيت كل شعر ومدر، وأن يفيض المال فيكم حتى يعطى الرجل مائة دينار فيتسخطها، وموتان يكون في الناس كقعاص الغنم قال: وهدنة تكون بينكم وبين بني الأصفر، فيغدرون بكم فيسيرون إليكم في ثمانين غاية، (وقال يعلى: في ستين غاية)، تحت كل غاية اثنا عشر ألفاً.
Auf bin Malik narrates: ‘Once I sought permission to enter the house of the Prophet (PBUH) and asked whether I should come in or stay at the door. The Prophet (PBUH) said, ‘Come in.’ So I did. The Prophet (PBUH) was performing ablution in the best manner and then he said to me, ‘Auf bin Malik, count six things before the Day of Judgment: first, your Prophet will pass away, then Jerusalem will be conquered, then there will be a plague among humans like the plague among sheep, then there will be emergence of tribulations, then there will be such an abundance of wealth among you that if a man were given a hundred dinars, he would get angry , then with an army consisting of eighty banners (and Ya‘la said sixty banners) and each banner having twelve thousand soldiers, the Romans will come to fight you.’ (Musnad Ahmad No. 23996)
There are other narratives regarding the signs of the Day of Judgement recorded in the books of hadith. The purpose here is only to present the issue that in many narratives about the signs of the Day of Judgment, there is no mention of the descent of Jesus. This casts doubt on the concept of the descent of Jesus, and as a result, it cannot be accepted as coming from the Prophet, peace be upon him.
Seventh Objection: A Few Contradictions between Narratives about the Second Coming of Jesus and Other Narratives
There can be no contradictions or inconsistencies in the words of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him. Whatever he says concerning religion is from Allah and therefore is free from any errors, forgetfulness, contradictions, or inconsistencies. This is both a recognized fact and an established principle in hadith methodology. Thus, if a situation arises where two contradictory narrations are encountered, our scholarly tradition gives preference to the narration that aligns more closely with the Qur’an, the Sunnah, and the principles of reason and knowledge. If such preference is not possible, an approach of reconciliation is adopted, considering the context, era, and audience. If even this proves difficult, a position of suspension (tawaqquf) is taken concerning both narrations, avoiding their use as evidence or argumentation.
Some details in the narratives concerning the Second Coming of Jesus – both internal and external – seem to present contradictions and inconsistencies. One prominent example of this phenomenon is as follows:
It is clear from the narratives about the descent of Jesus that this event is linked to the end times and that his descent will be a sign of the Day of Judgment. According to these narratives, after descending, Jesus will first kill the Dajjal and eliminate Christians and Jews from all over the world. Hence, the Day of Judgment will occur only when there are only Muslims left in the world.
Now, the following narrative in the Sahih of Imam Muslim presents a different picture, according to which the Day of Judgment will occur when Christians are in majority:
عن المستورد القرشي، قال: سمعت رسول اللّٰه صلى اللّٰه عليه وسلم، يقول: تقوم الساعة والروم اكثر الناس، قال: فبلغ ذلك عمرو بن العاص، فقال: ما هذه الاحاديث التي تذكر عنك انك تقولها عن رسول اللّٰه صلى اللّٰه عليه وسلم؟ فقال له المستورد: قلت الذي سمعت من رسول اللّٰه صلى اللّٰه عليه وسلم قال، فقال عمرو: لئن، قلت: ذلك إنهم لاحلم الناس عند فتنة، واجبر الناس عند مصيبة، وخير الناس لمساكينهم وضعفائهم.
Mustawrid Qurashi reported that he heard the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) saying, ‘The Day of Judgement will be established when Romans will outnumber all other nations.’ When this report reached Amr bin Al-As, he said: ‘What are these narrations that you mention claiming to have heard from the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him?’ Mustawrid said: I only narrate what I heard from the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him. Amr said: If you have said this, (then it is true), for Christians are the most patient in the face of turmoil, are the quickest to recover from a calamity, and they are the best among people in dealing with the impoverished and the weak. (Muslim No. 2898)
- Addressed with clarity in Surah Aale-Imran (3:48).
- It should be noted that the concept of Jesus’ divinity gradually developed among his followers, a long time after his death. According to Encyclopedia Britannica, this concept was officially recognized as part of the creed in the year 325 CE. Prior to that, his followers considered him to be human, a servant of God, and a messenger. The same applies to the concept of the divinity of Mary.
- These are the extraordinary signs of Allah mentioned in the Qur’an. Some of them were manifested directly by Allah, while others were shown through His prophets.
- For example, regarding the splitting of the moon, it is often asked why this event was not observed worldwide or why scientific knowledge does not provide evidence for it.
- Thus, this question has continued to arise before scholars, and they have provided answers to it based on their understanding.
- This entire book, in its original arrangement, is included in Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal. The compilation of Musnad Ahmad occurred between 220 AH and 237 AH. This means that works such as Muwatta Imam Malik (179 AH), Musnad Abu Dawood al-Tayalisi (204 AH), Musannaf Abdul Razzaq (211 AH), Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah (235 AH), and some other collections predate Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal. However, all the books of the Sahih Sittah (The Six Canonical Books of Hadith) were published afterward, with their compilation dates ranging approximately from 250 AH to 303 AH. As part of Musnad Ahmad, this collection did not originally hold the status of being the earliest available compilation of hadith. Fortunately, in modern times, its manuscript was discovered. The eminent scholar of Seerah and history, Dr. Hamidullah, found it in a library in Berlin and had it published in 1955 from India. Following this discovery, it is now unanimously regarded as the earliest compilation of hadith. The most likely scenario is that it was compiled before the death of Hammam ibn Munabbih’s teacher, Abu Huraira (RA), in 58 AH. However, even if it was compiled after this, its status as the earliest compilation of hadith remains unaffected, as Hammam ibn Munabbih’s year of death is recorded as 131 AH.
- The first to arrive in Madinah from Imam Malik’s family was his great-grandfather, Abu Amir, who embraced Islam. At that time, the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) had already left this world, and hence Abu Amir could not attain the honor of being a Companion. He married into the Tamim tribe and settled permanently in Madinah. Imam Malik’s father, Malik, and his uncle, Abu Suhail Nafi, narrated Hadiths from Abu Amir. Abu Suhail Nafi was a great Hadith scholar and was among the teachers of Imam Zuhri. Imam Malik’s elder brother, Nadar, was also a scholar of Hadith. From these details, it is clear that his family resided in Madinah and had a special passion for the knowledge of Hadith.
- The majority of scholars have ranked Muwatta of Imam Malik among the foremost category of books of Hadith. Imam Shafi’i has been quoted as saying that after the Book of Allah, he has not seen any book on the face of the earth more authentic than Muwatta of Imam Malik. Imam Shah Waliullah is of the opinion that there is no book more sound in jurisprudence than Muwatta of Imam Malik.
- This includes the regions of Makkah, Madinah, Taif, and others.
- Ma‘amar ibn Rashid acquired knowledge from teachers whose names are: Thabit al-Bunani, Qatadah, Zuhri, Asim al-Ahwal Ayyub, Abu Usman Al-Ja’d, Zaid ibn Aslam, Saleh ibn Kaysan, Abdullah ibn Tawus, Ja‘far ibn Barqan, Al-Hakam ibn Aban, Ash‘ath ibn Abdullah al-Hadani, Ismail ibn Umayyah, Thumamah ibn Abdullah ibn Anas, Bahz ibn Hakim, Samaak ibn al-Fadl, Abdullah ibn Uthman ibn Khuthaym, Abdullah ibn Umar al-Umari, Yahya ibn Abi Katheer, Hammam ibn Munabbih, Hisham ibn Urwah, Muhammad ibn al-Munkadir, Amr ibn Dinar, Ata al-Khurasani, Abdul Kareem al-Jazari.
- Marfu refers to a narration attributed to the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), meaning its chain of transmission reaches back to the Prophet. If the chain of transmission reaches a Companion, it is called Mawquf, and if it only goes up to a Successor (Tabi‘ī), it is termed Maqtu.
- The translations of these narrations are also referenced in Chapter 1
- This is the modern name of Constantinople.
- The Roman Empire, at the height of its power, was the world’s greatest superpower, exerting political and cultural dominance over much of the world.
- This refers to Constantinople, which was the capital of the Roman Empire.
- These narrations convey two glad tidings from the Messenger of Allah (PBUH). The first is that a Muslim army will embark on a naval expedition for jihad, and in that army, Umm Haram (RA) will be included. The second is that the first Muslim army to wage jihad against the city of Caesar — Constantinople — will be deserving of Allah’s forgiveness. The first prophecy was fulfilled during the caliphate of Uthman (RA) when Mu‘awiyah (RA) launched an attack on Cyprus, utilizing naval forces for the campaign. This was the first naval expedition in the history of Islam. Among those who participated were ‘Ubadah ibn Samit (RA) and his wife, Umm Haram (RA). The second prophecy came to pass during the caliphate of Mu‘awiyah (RA), when he dispatched an army under the leadership of his son, Yazid, to conquer Constantinople. This army laid siege to the city but ultimately returned without achieving victory. Among the participants was the notable Companion Abu Ayyub al-Ansari (RA), who passed away during the siege and was buried near the city walls.
- Mufti Taqi Usmani has described the notable reasons for the city’s invincibility in his travelogue Jahan-e-Deeda in the following words:
- For this very spectacular background, Allama Iqbal has declared this city a culmination of the achievement of centuries of bloodshed. He writes:
- The only answer to this is that the prohibiting factor here is that Imam Muslim has accepted the Hadith as attributed to the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). If this is the answer, then the question arises why scholars and Hadith experts critique narrations attributed to the Prophet (PBUH) from the perspectives of narration and understanding, and why they reject them if there is any doubt, and why they sometimes differ from one another in their decisions of rejection and acceptance?
- Such a regression in civilization and culture appears incompatible with the structure of the universe upon which Allah has created it.
- A place in Yemen
- Javed Ahmed Ghamidi, writes concerning the narration of Rīhun tulqī an-nāsa fī al-bahr (the wind that will throw people into the sea):
- Surah Al-An’am 6:158