EPIGRAPH: Qur’an (4:157-158):
“…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 afflicted 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.”
The Qur'an in Surah
Maryam (Chapter 19) first details the miraculous birth of Prophet Yahya (John,
peace be upon him) and concludes the passage in verse 15 with
the divine proclamation:
"And peace be upon him the day he was born, and the day he dies, and
the day he is raised alive."
Immediately
following, the chapter narrates the birth and speech of Prophet Isa
(Jesus, peace be upon him), culminating in verse 33, where
Jesus himself echoes the same divine pattern:
"And peace is upon me the day I was born, the day I die, and the day
I shall be raised alive."
The
identical linguistic structure used for both prophets indicates that both are
being described in terms of their complete, divinely ordained life spans — from
birth to death to resurrection. If one were to assert a return for Jesus (Isa),
one would also need to propose a similar return for Yahya (John), who,
according to Islamic tradition, has no prophesied second advent. The verse,
therefore, suggests a completeness and finality in
the life cycle of Jesus, as affirmed by the Qur'an.
Further,
in Surah al-Maida (5:116-117), the Qur'an recounts a conversation
between God and Jesus in the Hereafter, where God asks:
“Did you say to the people, ‘Take me and my mother as
gods besides Allah?’”
To which Jesus responds:
“Never did I say to them anything except what You commanded me to — worship
Allah, my Lord and your Lord. And I was a witness over them while I dwelt among
them; but when You took me up, You were the Watcher over them, and You are
Witness to all things.”
This
passage clearly shows that Jesus denies knowledge of events that
occurred after he was “taken up” indicating that he did not return to
earth following his ascension. If he were to return before the end time, he
would logically be aware of the people’s misattribution of divinity to him,
which contradicts his statement.
God
mentions in the Qur’an (3:55) that He shall protect Jesus from any harm and
will lift him to Him after giving him death:
“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.”
Moreover,
regarding the anticipated figure of al-Dajjal, Islamic tradition
describes him as the "False Messiah" or "The Great
Deceiver." The word Dajjal means a “Deceiver”, “Impostor”,
or “One who covers the truth with falsehood.” The Root Word comes from
the Arabic root word: د-ج-ل (D-J-L). The verb dajala means: “To
smear,” “to cover,” or “to coat with gold or varnish,” especially to cover
something false with an appearance of truth.
In
classical Arabic, dajl was used to describe someone who falsifies,
tricks, or covers reality with lies. For example, a camel might
be called mudajjal if its skin is covered with tar to conceal defects.
So,
"al-Masiḥ al-Dajjal" literally means: “The False Messiah
who deceives or obscures the truth.” This linguistic root ties perfectly
into the Islamic portrayal of Dajjal as someone who pretends to be divine, performs
false miracles, and misleads people into believing he is the true
messiah.
Narrated Abu Hurayrah:
The Prophet (may peace be upon him)
said:
"The Last Hour will not come
until ten signs appear: a landslide in the East, a landslide in the West, and a
landslide in the Arabian Peninsula; the Smoke; the Dajjal; the Beast of the
Earth; Gog and Magog; the rising of the sun from the west; and a fire that will
emerge from the depths of Aden, driving people to their place of
assembly."
(Sahih Muslim, Hadith 7286)
This is an adjective meaning “a great deceiver”. It has also been referred to as al-mash al-dajjal. The implication is that before the Day of Judgement, a person will falsely claim to be Jesus (sws) and, while making use of the notion of the return of Jesus (sws) found in Muslims, Jews and Christians, will deceive people through some of his magical powers. It is mentioned in some narratives that he would be blind in one eye and his deception would be so evident to the believers that it would be as if they would see disbelief written on his forehead. I am quoting this Hadith both from Sahih Al Bukhari and Sahih Al Muslim:
Narrated Anas:
The Prophet (may peace be upon him) said:
"No prophet was sent but that he warned his followers against the one-eyed
liar (Ad-Dajjal). Beware! He is blind in one eye, and your Lord is not so, and
there will be written between his (Ad-Dajjal's) eyes (the word) Kafir (i.e.,
disbeliever)."
(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 7131)
Narrated Hudhaifa ibn al-Yaman:
The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said:
"The Dajjal will be blind in one eye, and between his eyes will be written
'Kafir' (disbeliever), which every believer will be able to read, whether
literate or illiterate."
(Sahih Muslim, Hadith 7375)
The
Qur'an, however, does not mention Dajjal directly. These
narratives arise from Hadith literature. As students of the Qur'an,
it is crucial to approach such texts critically and always in light of
the Qur’an, which is described by Allah as the Furqan (the criterion
between right and wrong), the Meezan (the scale of justice), and the Muhaimin
(the guardian and protector of all other revelations).
The Qur'an
talks about the personality of Jesus (peace be upon him) from many angles. It
mentions his mission of preaching and gives details about his life in several
places. The Qur'an also often speaks about the major events of the Day of
Judgment. The return of such an important prophet from the heavens would be a
huge event. Yet, despite many chances to mention it, the Qur'an does not refer
to this event even once. This silence raises an important question: can human
understanding be truly satisfied with such an omission? It’s difficult to
accept.
Thus, any
external source — Hadith or otherwise — must be subordinate to the
Qur'an and measured against its clear directives. The Qur'an remains
the supreme authority in all religious matters.
Lastly,
there is a pressing need for introspection among the Muslim ummah. Our current
decline — morally, socially, and politically — cannot be rectified by speculative
eschatological hopes alone. The romanticization of an apocalyptic
triumph through the emergence of al-Mahdi, the return of Jesus, or a decisive
war is not only theologically ungrounded but also reflects a form of escapism.
Islam calls for moral action, conscious faith,
and personal accountability, here and now.
The Qur'an
repeatedly reminds us that salvation lies in our conscious relationship
with God, not in identity, sect, or ancestral legacy.
Aamir Yazdani
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