In the name of Allāh,
the Beneficent, the Merciful.
Peace and Blessings of Allāh on Mohammad.
DEDICATED TO
Allāh–the Glorious and the High,
Lord of the worlds
AND TO
Mohammad–who brought the world
to our feet and eternity to our arms.
*
Jesus’ Return/Second Coming
Christians are not only wandering in “darkness and misunderstanding” and confusion as to who Jesus Christ was and his mission, Christians are also living in confusion as to Jesus’ supposed “return” and to whom.
Whereas some Christians are yet scanning Jerusalem’s sky for Jesus’ descent, Jehovah’s Witnesses infer that Jesus already came. (Shown later).
Christians claim that Jesus will soon return to rule the world; but the Bible had foretold that Jesus “shall rule my people Israel”–(Matthew 2:6).
As Jesus did NOT rule his people in his first coming, then he can only do so in his alleged “second coming;” and, significantly, the “people of Israel,” as stated in the quote, is NOT the whole world.
(It is doubtful Jews would accept Jesus in his supposed coming, seeing that they do not believe in him, and are also expecting their own Messiah to come; instead, they might want to kill him again. They might even use the Christian/ American-made ‘patriot” missile to stop him in mid-air).
According to the Bible, Jesus says: “That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel”–(Matt. 19:28; also Rev. 7:4-8; 14:3-4).
Jesus sitting upon the “throne of glory” is not to be taken to mean that Jesus will be judging the world while his followers will be judging the twelve tribes of Israel –Jesus sitting on his throne of “glory” only means that he will be honored above the Jews. As already noted in Jesus-only for Jews, Jesus’ mission was restricted to the Jews.
All prophets will be sitting on “the throne of glory” on the Day of Judgment when each one will be giving witness against his people as to the teaching he gave them compared to what they followed after his departure from the earth, as Allāh informs us in His Qur’an:
“And on the day when We raise up in every people a witness against them, from among themselves, and bring thee (Mohammad) as a witness against these (Muslims);” “And when Allāh will say: O Jesus, son of Mary, didst thou say to men, Take me and my mother for two gods besides Allāh? He will say: Glory be to Thee! It was not for me to say what I had no right to say…I said to them naught save as Thou didst command me: Serve Allāh, my Lord and your Lord (comp. Mark 12:29); and I was a witness of them so long as I was among them, but when Thou didst cause me to die Thou wast the Watcher over them. And Thou art witness of all things”–(Qur’an 16:89; 5:116-117).
Which Qur’anic words finds consonance in Jesus’ fore-warnings to his followers:
“Many will say to me in that day (Day of Judgment), Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? And in thy name done many wonderful works? And then I will profess unto them, I never knew you; depart from me, ye that work iniquity”–(Matt. 7:22-23).
That this “judging” by Jesus is in reference to the Hereafter is supported by Jesus’ saying: “My kingdom is not of this world”–(John 18:36. As per his own declaration, Jesus could not be judging the material world when his kingdom is not of the material world.
That prophets will be giving evidence in matters relating to their respective people on the Day of Judgment is further noted in the Bible where a “stone” will give evidence:
“And Joshua said unto all the people, Behold, this stone shall be a witness unto us; for it hath heard all the words of the Lord which he spake unto us: it shall be therefore a witness unto you, lest ye deny your God”–(Joshua 24: 27).
Is Jesus really coming or did he already come?
Buddha, who preceded Jesus by five hundred years, also said that he will return to earth “to restore the world to order and happiness.”1 And Buddha, as far as is known, did not view non-Orientals as “dogs” and “swine” or spoke in parables so these non-Orientals would not understand and be forgiven; as Jesus considered non-Jews “dogs” and “swine” and spoke in parables so they would not understand and be forgiven–(see Jesus-only for Jews).
It would seem hypocritical for Jesus to return to save those he considered “dogs” and “swine”and tried to keep out of heaven by speaking in parables–(Matt. 7:6; 15:26; Mark 4:9-12). (If Buddha and Jesus were to return to lord the world the two might have to battle for supremacy).
Further, Lord Krishna, who also precedes Jesus, says in the Bhagavad-Gita (4:6-8): “I still appear in every millennium…. Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice ….To deliver the pious.”
And considering that their doctrines are contradictory –Krishna teaching karma and reincarnation, and Jesus teaching resur-rection and judgment– they may have their own Armageddon for the souls of the people.
Regarding Jesus’ dubious return to earth Jehovah’s Witnesses infer in their book Mankind’s Search For God, (p. 353-354) that Jesus came in 1914 though his coming was an “invisible presence;” they wrote:
“In the investigation of God’s Word, those Bible students were keenly interested in the prophecies of the Christian Greek Scriptures related to “the end of the world” and to Christ’s “coming.” (Matthew 24:3, KJ). By turning to the Greek text, they discovered that Christ’s “coming” was, in fact, a ‘pa.rou.si’a,’ or invisible presence. Therefore, Christ had given his disciples information about the evidence of his invisible presence in the time of the end, not a future visible coming. Along with this study, those students had a keen desire to understand the Bible’s chronology in relation to Christ’s presence. Without understanding all the details, Russell (founder of the JW) and his associates realized that 1914 would be a crucial date in human history ….There was a sense of urgency to the activity of those Bible students prior to 1914. They believed that their preaching activity would culminate in that year, and therefore they felt they should expend every effort to help others to know “this good news of the kingdom.””
(If Christ came in 1914 he really brought “sword” and “fire” rather than “peace”: “Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword;”“I am come to send fire on the earth;” “Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division”–(Matt. 10:34; Luke 12:49, 51. World War I produced a holocaust of carnage; not to mention World War II, and other wars on to this day).
Contrary to the Jehovah’s Witnesses “invisible” presence of Christ, Christ said: “Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom’–(Matt.16:28. Jesus here contradicts himself when he said, “I go to my Father, and ye see me no more”–John 16:10. Why then are Christians scanning the Jerusalem sky for Jesus?).
Unless “Son of man” in the above verse is some other than Jesus, these people would not be able to “see” Jesus if his “coming” would be “invisible.”
Also, Jesus is here speaking to people in his own lifetime –standing “here.” It must be the “miracle of the ages” that for two thousand years since Jesus’ departure these “some standing” people are yet living, waiting for Jesus; and would “see” him though he would be “invisible.”
Jesus had no knowledge if he was going to heaven. Jesus says “If I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me”–(John 12:32). For the man who is confident he is going to heaven it is queer Jesus should say “If” I be lifted up instead of ‘after’ I be lifted up or ‘when’ I be lifted up.
Jesus told one of the thieves being crucified: “Verily I say unto thee, TODAY shalt thou be with me in paradise,”–(Luke 23:43). But not only was Jesus not killed/crucified as proven in Jesus-inherited sin to ascension, Jesus did not go to paradise “To day”: at least eight days after his alleged resurrection he was with his disciples–(John 20:26); the Acts said Jesus ascended FORTY DAYS AFTER the “resurrection”–(Acts 1:3, 9).
Thus, Jesus (the Christians’ God and son of God) not only did not know “if” he was going to heaven he did not even know when he will be going. (Poor thief!)
In fact, not only did Jesus not know “if” and “when” he will be going to heaven, but by his own pronouncement seems he was “in danger of hell fire;” he says: “whoever shall say Thou fool shall be in danger of hell fire”–(Matt. 5:22); yet he calls the Jews “fools”–(Matt. 23:17, 19; Luke 24:25).
Jesus says: “I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself”–(John 14:2-3). Here again, Jesus, like his uncertainty in going to heaven, is not certain “if” he is going to prepare a place for his followers. And as Jesus has not yet returned, all those Christians who died and will die before his alleged return will not get taken.
As to Jesus saying that if he be lifted up that he “will draw all men unto” him. It is clear that in the two thousand years since Jesus is alleged to have gone to heaven and is sitting “on the right hand of God”* that he has not drawn “all men” unto him; there are tens of millions of atheists and non-Christians the world over who have died or are still living who do not believe in him, or accept him as God or son of God or vicarious atoner. This would seem to suggest that, either Jesus did not utter those words or his words are not true or that he was not “lifted up from the earth.”
*(Since Buddha is also believed to have ascended to heaven as well as Enoch and Elijah, then there are at least four individuals in heaven and possibly sitting “on the right hand of God”–Mark 16:19. Christian’s Heaven is BORING, anyway –reading past-time stories and watching the lion eats grass like the cow).
Incidentally. In contrast to Jesus’ uncertainty as to whether he is going to heaven and prepare a place for his followers and coming back.
The Prophet Mohammad tells us clearly that Allāh has already prepared Gardens and mansions for us. All we need do is believe in Allāh and do good deeds and Paradise is ours –as easy and simple as that; no uncertain trip to heaven and back and no vague promises. And the promise of Allāh is ever true–(Qur’an 19:60-61; 31:8-9; 39:20; 61:12).
Muslims have assurance of heaven–(Qur’an 4:124; 33:35; 36:56; 41:8; 43:70; 46:15-16; 52:17; 64:9).
Moreover, apart from Jesus’ uncertainty as to whether he is going to heaven and prepare a place for his followers and coming back. God did not send Jesus to the Black and the White and the Brown and the Yellow and the Red.
Jesus was a messenger sent by God wholly and solely only for Jews. And Jesus completed his mission as he declared:
“I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do–(John 17:4).
As Jesus “finished” his work there is no need for him to return.
(Jesus’ return is the imagination of the Church/Christians based on ancient “Iranian mythology.” See Jesus-1000-year rule).
JESUS’ RETURN IN THE QUR’AN:
“When the angels said: O Mary,
surely Allah gives thee good news
with a word from Him (of one)
whose name is the Messiah, Jesus,
son of Mary…..
And He (Allāh) will teach him the Book
and the Wisdom and the Torah and
the Gospel:
And (make him) a messenger to
the Children of Israel”
(Qur’an 3:45-49)
“And when Jesus, son of Mary, said:
O Children of Israel, surely I am the
messenger of Allah to you, verifying
that which is before me of the Torah
and giving the good news of a
Messenger who will come after me, his
name being Ähmad”
(Qur’an 61:6)
Who is greater Allāh or Jews?
Since Allah is greater, and since Allāh sent Jesus to minister onto the Jews, no one can prevent Jesus from fulfilling this mission. And since Jesus completed his mission why must Jesus return to earth?
Regarding Jesus’ second coming, there are three verses of the Qur’an that seem to give rise to this belief–Qur’an 4:158 and 159; and 43:61. And in which there are differences in translation between translators; these differences are shown in bold type; and those in agreement, in italics:
First, Qur’an 43:61
(Yusuf Ali) “And (Jesus) shall be a sign (for the coming of) the Hour (of Judgment): Therefore have no doubt about the (Hour), but follow ye Me: this is a Straight Way”
(Muhammad Ali): And this (revelation) is surely knowledge of the Hour, so have no doubt about it and follow me. This is the right path.”
(Malik Ghulam Farid): “But, verily, he was a sign of the Hour. So entertain no it doubt about it, but follow me. This is the right path.
Which is the correct translation? Ghulam Farid states that “the pronoun “hu” in “inna hu” (of the Arabic text) may refer either to Jesus or to the Qur’an.” But how to know which one the Qur’an is referring to? To know what the verse is referring to, we have to investigate the subject matter of this section (section 6).
Section 6 of chapter 43 begins with the verse: “When (Jesus) the son of Mary is held up as an example, behold, thy people raise a clamour thereat (in ridicule)!” (Qur’an 43:57).
(Yusuf Ali. Ghulam Farid and Muhammad Ali are in agreement; except that the verse begins with “And” –“And when Jesus….is held up”).
While Jesus seems to be the subject of this section he is not the subject. He is only used as an example, as noted in the verse.
For, as the people opposed Jesus, similarly the Prophet Mohammad is opposed. And that the prophecies that Jesus made regarding the coming of another Comforter/Ahmad–(John 14:16; Qur’an 61:6)–and that the kingdom of God shall be taken from the Jews and given to another nation–(Matt. 21:43)–were now being manifested with the advent of the Prophet Mohammad and the Qur’an; (that this was the Hour marking the end of prophethood to the Jews, so “follow me,(Mohammad), this is a straight way”–43:61).
The topic of this section is about the Qur’anic revelation as noted by the italicized words in the above verse (43:61) in which the Prophet is commissioned to tell the disbelievers, “follow ye me; this is a straight way.”
(a) In Yusuf Ali’s translation there is no correlation between ‘Jesus shall be a Sign of the coming of the Hour’ and “follow ye me; this is a straight way’.
That “Jesus SHALL BE a Sign” is speaking about the future, whereas “follow ye me; THIS IS a straight way” is speaking about the present. People cannot be expected to follow me (Mohammad) using a future event (the return of Jesus) as proof of his mission.
(b) But in Muhammad Ali’s translation there is agreement between the statements that “THIS REVELATION is surely knowledge of the Hour” (when prophethood to the Jews would end, and which is now ended) so “follow me. THIS IS the right path.”
(c) And also in Ghulam Farid’s translation there is agreement between the statements that “he (Jesus) WAS a sign” (ending prophethood to the Jews) and “follow me THIS IS the right path.”
Secondly, Qur’an 4:157-158
Qur’an 4:157 speaks about the Jews boasting of having killed Jesus. But Allah says “they killed him not, nor crucified him, But so it was made to appear to them. ….”.
Ghulam Farid states:
“Two different views prevailed among the Jews regarding Jesus’ alleged death by Crucifixion. Some of them held that he was first killed and then his dead body was hung on the cross, while others are of the view that he was put to death by being fixed to the cross. The former view is reflected in The Acts 5:30…The Qur’an refutes both these views by saying, they slew him not, nor did they bring about his death on the cross. The Qur’an rejects the slaying of Jesus in any form, and then proceeds to deny the particular way of killing by hanging on the cross. It does not deny that Jesus was hung on the cross; it only denies his death on it.”–(Comm. 699).
And Muhammad Ali notes:
“The words ma salabu-hu (of the Arabic text) do not negative Jesus’ being nailed to the cross; they negative his having expired on the cross as a result of being nailed to it. Salb is a well-known way of killing (T, LA). Salabu-hu means he put him to death in a certain well-known manner (LL).”–(Comm. 645).
To restate, Qur’an 4:157 speaks about the Jews boasting of having killed Jesus. But Allah says “they killed him not, nor crucified him, But so it was made to appear to them. ….”.
And verse 158 says: “God RAISED him up unto Himself; and God is Exalted in Power, Wise”–(Yusuf Ali translation).
Yusuf Ali translated the verse as: “God RAISED him up unto Himself; and God is Exalted in Power, Wise.”
Ghulam Farid translated the verse as: “Allah EXALTED him to Himself. And Allah is Mighty, Wise.”
Muhammad Ali translated it as: “Allah EXALTED him in His presence. And Allah is ever Mighty, Wise.”
Does Allah being “Mighty, Wise” in reference to Him raising up Jesus bodily to Himself, or is it in reference to Him frustrating the plan of the Jews to kill/crucify Jesus? And is Allah raising up Jesus a physical elevation or a spiritual elevation?
Ghulam Farid in his commentary on this verse states:
“The Jews exultingly claimed to have killed Jesus on the cross and thus to have proved that his claim to be a Divine Prophet was not true. The verse along with the preceding one contains a strong refutation of the charge and clears him of the insinuated blemish and speaks of his spiritual elevation and of his having been honoured in the presence of God. There is absolutely no reference in the verse to his physical ascension to heaven. It only says God exalted him towards Himself which clearly signifies a spiritual exaltation, because no fixed abode can be assigned to God.” (Comm. 700. Emphasis added).
That Allah exalted Jesus in “His presence” does not mean that Allah made Jesus equal with Him in power or in position, but that instead of him being made into a “curse” Allah conferred honor onto him.
If Allah raised Jesus physically to “Himself” then Allah must be on a heaven lower than Abraham; for, the Prophet Mohammad, on his Mi’raj, is said to have met Jesus on a lower heaven than Abraham, who was said to be “on the sixth heaven”–(Bokhari Vol. 1, # 345. And Bokhari Vol. 4, # 640 notes that Jesus was on the third heaven. This would seem to mean, if Allāh raised Jesus literally to Himself, that Allah is on the third heaven. Unless He sent Jesus lower).
Thirdly, Qur’an 4:159
Qur’an 4:159 states: “And there is none of the People of the Book but MUST believe in HIM before HIS death; and on the day of Judgment he (Jesus) WILL be a witness AGAINST them (the People of the Book)” (Yusuf Ali translation).
Muhammad Ali translated the verse as: “And there is none of the People of the Book but will believe in THIS (that Jesus was crucified/accursed was divine/of illegitimate birth) before HIS death; and on the day of Resurrection HE (Jesus) Will be a witness AGAINST them [the People of the Book].”
(a) The first question is, who is the “HIS” referring to in the statement “before HIS death”–is it referring to Jesus’ death or the death of the People of the Book?
(b) The second question is, which is the correct translation, is it that they “must believe in HIM (Jesus)”, or that they “will believe in THIS (that Jesus was either crucified for inherited sin or died the death of an accursed, or that he was divine as Christians believe or of illegitimate birth as Jews believe)?
Regarding the first question, (a). If the People of the Book (Jews and Christians) MUST believe in Jesus (as him being only a messenger of God) before HIS death, whether it be Jesus’ death or their own, Jesus could not be a “WITNESS AGAINST THEM” seeing that they would have believed in him. Jesus cannot be a witness AGAINST those who believe in him. If anything Jesus has to be a witness “FOR” them.
And if the “emphatic form “must believe”” (in Jesus) “denotes more a question of duty than of fact,” it cannot be said that “AND” Jesus will be a witness “AGAINST” them; it should say “OR” Jesus will be a witness against –meaning that they must believe in Jesus OR he will be a witness against them.
In Qur’an 5:116-117 Allah says that when He will ask Jesus if he taught people to take him and his mother as gods, Jesus will answer that he had no right to teach what he was not instructed to; “and I was a witness of them so long as I was among them, but when Thou didst cause me to die Thou wast the Watcher over them.”
This statement by Jesus could not refer to Jesus’ death after his alleged Second coming. If the Jews and Christians would have to accept him as only a messenger of Allāh after this alleged second coming there would be no question of Allah being a Watcher over the Jews and Christians after Jesus’ death–they would already be believers. Moreover, if this statement refers to Jesus’ second coming it would imply that the Jews and the Christians would have reverted to their false beliefs a second time, even after Jesus returned to them and taught them the truth about himself, as being only a messenger.
Regarding the second question (b) as to which is the correct translation. It would seem that Muhammad Ali’s translation is the correct one. For, both the Christians and the Jews believe in “THIS” –that Jesus was either crucified, or “is an accursed of God” because he died from hanging–(Deut 21:23); or that he is divine or of illegitimate birth.
And as Allāh, God, tells us that both these views are false beliefs, then and only then can Jesus be “WITNESS AGAINST THEM” (the Jews and the Christians for their false beliefs –the former going to one extreme of making him divine and the latter going the opposite extreme and making him illegitimate).
That Jesus would return to “break the cross, kill the pig and abolish the Jizya tax”–(Bokhari Vol. 3, # 656. And then what –all will become believers and there would be no more evil? So Allāh will send His prophet to be a pig-killer (?).
The pig is a scavenger; and if Jesus kill the pigs then the earth would have one less “cleaner.” Would Jesus be able to kill all the pigs in every place? If killing the pig is a metaphor then “cross” and “jizya” in the hadith would also be metaphorical. What is metaphorical “jizya” and how is it abolished?
If killing the pig and breaking the cross are metaphors (meaning to expose uncleanness and falsehood in religion), the Prophet Mohammad did this 1400 years ago.
Regarding Jesus abolishing the “Jizya,” the explanatory note to this saying of the Prophet–(Bokhari Vol. 3, # 656)–says:
“The Jizya (which) is a tax imposed on non-Muslims who would keep their own religion rather than embrace Islam, will not be accepted by Jesus (peace be on him), but all people will be required to embrace Islam and there will be no other alternative.”
If “all people will be required to embrace Islam and there will be no other alternative,” this would be compulsion. But Allah says that there is no compulsion in religion–(Qur’an 2:256; 6:107; 9:6; 10:99-100; 17:7; 18: 6, 29; 42:15; 50:45; 76:3; 109:1-6); and in 10:99 He says: “And if thy Lord had pleased, all those who are in the earth would have believed. Wilt thou then force men till they are believers?”
Jesus can not abolish the jizya, which is a law of Allah, when there might be those among the Jews and Christians in a Muslim state who would not believe him to be Jesus. The Qur’anic law is for all time.
Malik Ghulam Farid notes in his Qur’anic comm. 424: “The fact cannot be denied that Jesus is dead. The Holy Prophet is reported to have said, “Had Moses and Jesus now been alive, they would have found themselves forced to follow me” (Kathir). He even fixed the age of Jesus at 120 years (‘Ummal). The Qur’an, in as many as 30 verses, has completely demolished the absurd belief of the physical ascension of Jesus to, and his supposed life in, heaven.”
Equally significant, the Prophet Mohammad is reported to have said in his Sermon on the Mount that after him NO prophet will come.
Whether from the Bible or Qur’an, there is NO return or second coming of Jesus.
Mohammad is the only world Prophet!
Mohammad having brought “all truth” which will abide with us “forever,” no prophet, old or new, is needed. After Mohammad there is the Resurrection and Judgment!
Even if Jesus was to return yet this would not make him Divine or vicarious atoner.
(For Jesus being like Adam; God breathing of His Spirit into Mary; Jesus and Mary as signs of Allāh; Jesus living to an old age; Jesus’ Crucifixion; Jesus’ death; Jesus’ ascension; see Jesus-birth miracle or mechanix?).
NOTES
1. In his book The Sources of Christianity, Khwaja Kamal-ud-Din notes 48 similarities between Buddha and Jesus, including their both being of Virgin-birth; birth announced by a star; visited by wise men; life threatened by a king; temptation; transfiguration; return to earth; Alpha and Omega; etc; pp.62-70.