Epigraph:
And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. (1 Corinthians 15:14)
By Zia H Shah MD, Chief Editor of the Muslim Times
Happy Easter to all our Christian readers, as it is being celebrated by over 2 billion people today, April 20th, 2014, as the calendars of the Western and the Eastern churches coincide this year.
May you all have a peaceful and a blessed day.
We have covered many of the celebrations of Easter in the Muslim Times, in different parts of the world including Jerusalem and a post describing, 7 things Pope Francis wants you to know about Jesus’ Ascension.
Another post describes, how a restaurant owner in Toronto, wants to give away a thousand meals, free to the needy, on the day of Easter.
Another gift that we want to offer, if you will reciprocate the indulgence that we are offering to all humans of different race, religion and nationality, a free, open and friendly dialogue in our Global Village, on issues of common concern, is some food for thought:
My dear Christians, OK, you have been long indoctrinated in the Christian dogma for generations, so you do not immediately understand the swoon hypothesis, the theory that Jesus went into a swoon on the cross and may have been just resuscitated and not resurrected.
But consider this, if he was resurrected, was he given a physical body or a spiritual body? This should not be difficult to answer, after a life time of professing belief in resurrection!
Apostle Thomas examining chest wounds of Jesus, as he also shows his hand wound: Is it a physical body or a spiritual one?
If Jesus was given a spiritual body then how could Thomas poke it and feel Jesus’ wounds, why did his fingers not go through the phantom of a spiritual body?
If it was a spiritual body why did it eat, as mentioned in the New Testament? Additionally, if it was a spiritual body, why was Jesus trying to hide and be secretive. All right you understand the issue now; it must have been a physical body. Not so fast!
If it were a physical body, how would we explain that it walked through walls? Also remember what St. Paul was trying to weave, a story of a spiritual body, to build his theology of vicarious atonement? Additionally, if it was a spiritual resurrection, what happened to Jesus’ corpse?
So, you see my point that even on such a fundamental issue, we do not have a clear answer, whether it was a physical resurrection or a spiritual one.
Is it possible that there is no resurrection, the whole story is made up and that is why it is contradictory?
Read on and in the words of Sir Francis Bacon, “Read not to contradict … but to weigh and consider.”
Let me now build the details of St. Paul’s preachings about a spiritual body.
Ascension1408 (Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow) by Andrei Rublev (1360-1430) the greatest medieval Russian painter of Orthodox icons and frescoes.
Prof. Mark W. Muesse is Associate Professor of Religious Studies at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee. A native of Waco, Texas, he completed his graduate work at Harvard University, where he received a Masters of Theological Studies from the Divinity School and the A.M. and Ph.D. in the Study of Religion from the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. He writes about Paul’s understanding of Jesus resurrection, may peace be on him:
The apostle Paul, writing before the gospels were written, called the resurrected form a ‘spiritual body’ and distinguished it from a ‘flesh-and-blood’ body. The idea of a spiritual body is almost oxymoronic, and it is not immediately evident what Paul intended by it. But it is clear that this concept was distinct from the traditional Greek view of the immortality of the soul. The early Christians believed that resurrection entailed a raised body, but body that had been transformed in some substantial manner. It was no longer the identical body that belonged to the individual prior to death.
However, we might understand what ‘really’ happened on Easter Sunday, it is significant that Jesus’ followers referred to the event as a ‘resurrection.’ Whether or not there was such a reality as resurrection was a matter of considerable debate during Jesus’ time. The Pharisees and Sadducees argued about it. The issue at stake was whether human beings collectively would be raised from the dead at the end of time. Neither the Pharisees nor the Sadducees seemed to think that ‘resurrection’ was an individual person brought back to life during the normal routine of history. The general resurrection of humanity at Judgment Day would have been the predominant understanding of the concept in Jesus’ time. The fact that the early Christians used the term resurrection suggests that they considered what happened to Jesus as an eschatological event, that is to say, as an occurrence associated with the end of days. The apostle Paul seems to have construed Jesus’ post-Easter appearances in just this manner. He called the resurrection of Jesus the ‘first fruits of those who have died,’ indicating that god’s raising of Jesus was the inauguration of events that would culminate in the resurrection of all the dead and the final establishment of the kingdom of god. Paul’s view was consistent with the early Christian belief that Jesus would return from heaven shortly and that god’s reign would bring an end to all suffering and want and destroy humanity’s ultimate enemy, death itself. As Paul writes in his first letter to the Corinthians:
What I am saying, brothers and sisters, is this: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Listen, I will tell you a mystery! We will not all die [before the kingdom comes], but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For this perishable body must put on imperishability, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When this perishable body puts on imperishability, and this mortal body puts on immortality, then the saying that is written will be fulfilled:
Death has been swallowed up in victory.’
Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?’
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.[1]
In the alleged spiritual resurrection of Jesus, St. Paul is seeing spiritual resurrection of the whole of humanity, all of us.
Most of the paintings on this subject, suggest a spiritual resurrection and link it to the empty tomb, with a flash or flashes of light:
The painting represents that force of spiritual resurrection has not only moved the stone but shattered the stony entrance!
Let me include two additional pictures or paintings here. The contrast of the picture with Thomas and other apostles and those of empty tomb, give away the open secret that accounts of resurrection are contradictory!
However, the above picture including Thomas, stresses physical resurrection. Only reasonable way to resolve this conflict is to agree that it was not a case of resurrection but of resuscitation:
Note the shroud and empty tomb — Light represents spiritual resurrection!
The pictures by helping us focus on the issue make it easy to see the contradiction, which may not be easily apparent to those who have spent a life time obsessing over the person of Jesus, may peace be on him. Our mind does play strange tricks on us and makes us think that familiar is true and correct. Even the best minds find it hard to rise above this limitation easily. But, the hope is that a collection of pictures, videos and other proofs will help my Christian readers to objectively examine the issue.
Again empty tomb with a better bed and light representing, alleged spiritual resurrection!
Revival of a decaying body after three days
The scenario of Jesus’ revival from the dead presents many problems. Some of them have already been discussed in the previous chapter. Now we turn to other elements and complexities.What we have in view is the nature of the ‘mind’ of Jesus, prior to the Crucifixion and after his revival from the dead. His mind was brought to life again, after a loss of function for three days and nights. The question is, what actually happens to the brain at the time of death? On one point at least there is a consensus among both the Christian and the non-Christian medical experts: if the brain remains dead for more than a few minutes, it is dead and gone forever. As soon as the blood supply ceases, it begins to disintegrate.If Jesus died during the Crucifixion it can only mean that his heart ceased functioning and stopped supplying blood to his brain, and that his brain died soon after. So his entire life support system must have stopped to operate or he could not have been declared dead. That being so we are faced with a very intriguing problem in relation to the understanding of the life and death of Jesus Christ.The death of Jesus Christ, as has been demonstrated, would mean a final departure of his astral body, or soul as we may call it, from the physical cage of his human body. If so, his revival would have to mean the return of the same astral body to the same physical body that it had left behind three days earlier. Such a return of the soul would restart the clock of physical life and set it ticking once again. For such a thing to happen, the disintegrated and dead brain cells would have come to life suddenly and the chemical processes of rapid decay would have been reversed entirely. This involves an enormous problem and will ever remain a challenge for the Christian biochemists to resolve. Describing the reversal of the entire chemical processes of decay within the central nervous system is beyond the reach of the farthest stretches of scientist’s imagination. If it ever happened it would be a miracle indeed, defying science and making a mockery of the laws made by God Himself, but a miracle that would still fail to solve the problem at hand.Such a revival would mean not just the revival of the cells of the central nervous system, but actually their synthesis. Even if the same cells were reconstructed and brought to life exactly as they were before, they would, in fact, be a new set of cells devoid of any previous memory. They would have to be re-manufactured, complete with all the data relevant to the life of Jesus that was wiped out of his brain after the death of his mind.Life, as we know it, comprises of a consciousness that is filled with information held by billions of neurons within the brain. That information is then subdivided into far more complicated and interrelated bits of computerized information received from each of the five senses. If that data is wiped out, life itself would be wiped out. Therefore, the revival of the brain of Jesus would mean the construction and the manufacture of a new brain computer with a completely new set of software. This complexity also relates to the chemistry of the rest of the body of Jesus Christ. To revive the body, a colossal chemical reconstruction process will have to be put into operation after retrieving all the material lost in the process of decay. With such a great miracle having taken place the question would arise as to who is revived and with what effect? Is it the man in Jesus or is it the god in him? This is why we are emphasizing the importance of understanding the person of Jesus.
St. Paul at odds with the writers of the Gospels
Whereas, St Paul talks about spiritual resurrection in his letters as that is what he experienced on the road to Damascus, the gospels talk about a physical body of Jesus, after crucifixion, with flesh and bones that the disciples could touch. How did this contradiction arise, between St. Paul and writers of the gospels? As Paul did not read any gospels, those had not been written yet, he only had oral traditions and he was talking from his visionary experience, which was intangible.
His letters reveal that he had very little knowledge about the living Jesus, he merely reveals an obsession with the dead Jesus, to satisfy his theory of vicarious atonement.
Ahmad Deedat, a legendary, Islam versus Christianity debator, explains how St Paul got in this trap and eventual contradictions with the description in gospel, in this debate with Prof. Floyd E Clark, on the topic, Was Jesus Crucified, between 1.15 and 1.50 hour, by describing the story of the Prophet Jonah and more:
Subsequent Ascension of Jesus
Recently Pope Francis explained Jesus’ mysterious Ascension into heaven. Here are 7 things he wants you to know about it.
Does this painting of ascension of Jesus represent a historical fact or fiction? Did he ascend with his physical body or leave it behind? As is usually the case the four canonical gospels are at odds with each other on this subject also and the issue of ascension just like all the other details about the final days of Jesus, may peace be on him, raises more questions than it answers. Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad explains in his book Christianity a Journey from Fact to Fiction:
The subject of the Ascension of Jesus Christ is untouched by St. Matthew and St. John in their Gospels. The lack of mention of such an important event leaves one wondering as to why.The only two synoptic Gospels which mention the Ascension are Mark and Luke. However, recent scientific and scholarly investigations have proved that the accounts contained in both these Gospels are later interpolations. These verses were non-existent in the original texts.Codex Siniaticus dates from the 4th century and remains the oldest near complete text of the Old and New Testament. It stands witness to the fact that the said verses in both Mark and Luke were not included in the authentic original versions but were certainly added by some scribe on his own initiative much later. In the Codex Siniaticus the Gospel of Mark ends at chapter 16 verse 8. This fact is now acknowledged in some modern Bible editions as well. Also, the Gospel of Luke (24:15) in Codex Siniaticus, does not contain the words ‘Carried up to heaven.’According to the textual critic C.S.C. Williams, if these omissions in the Codex Siniaticus are correct, there is no reference at all, to the Ascension in the original text of the Gospels.Even Jehovah’s Witnesses who are some of the most vehement proponents of Jesus’ ‘Sonship’ and his ascent to God the Father, had to admit ultimately that the verses in Mark and Luke are additions without a foundation in the original texts.What Happened to Jesus’ Body?A closer critical examination from the point of view of common sense and logic reveals further absurdities inherent in the episodes of the Crucifixion and Ascension as presented by the Christians of today. As far as the question of Jesus’ return to his human body is concerned, enough has been said. We only want to add to the issue of what might have happened to that body when Jesus finally ascended, if he ever did.When confronted by the question as to what happened to the body of Jesus Christ, it is suggested by some Christians that as he ascended to his heavenly Father his carnal body disintegrated and disappeared in a glow. This raises a fundamental question. If the departure of Jesus from the human body was to result in such an explosive event, why did it not happen at the instant of his first reported death? The only reference we have in the Bible to Jesus’ death is when he was still hanging on the cross and in the words of St. Matthew ‘he gave up the ghost’. Apparently nothing else happened other than a smooth departure of the soul from the body. Are we to assume that he did not die upon the cross after all, because if he had left the body, it should have exploded in a similar fashion even then? Why did it only happen the second time Jesus left his body? Under the circumstances only two avenues are open to proceed further. That the person of Jesus did not remain eternally confined to the human body after his soul returned to it and that during his ascent he cast away his human body and ascended purely as a spirit of God.This is neither supported by facts nor is it conceivable because that would lead into a blind alley of believing that Jesus died twice. The first time on the cross and the second time on Ascension.That he remained confined within the human shell eternally.This cannot be accepted because it is utterly repulsive and inconsistent with the dignity and majesty of the image of God.On the other hand, we have a point of view of common sense; ‘It would be a mistake to understand Jesus’ ascension as a sort of ancient space trip, and heaven as a place beyond the sun, moon and the galaxies.’ The truth is neither here nor there. The concoction of such a bizarre story, therefore, could only have been motivated by the insoluble dilemma that the Christians faced during the nascent period of Christianity. When Jesus disappeared from view, naturally the question would have been raised as to what happened to him. The early Christians could not have resolved the quandary by openly professing that as he had never died so there was no question of a body being left behind and that his body had in fact gone along with him during the course of his migration. In this way the problem of the disappearance of the body could have been easily resolved. But this confession was impossible to make. Those who would have dared to admit that Jesus was seen alive and gradually moving away from Judea faced the peril of being condemned by the Roman Law as an accessory to the crime of escape from justice.To seek refuge in the concoction of a story like the ascent of Jesus to heaven offered a safer option, however bizarre the idea. Yet of course it would involve indulgence in falsehood. We must pay our tribute to the integrity of the early disciples who despite this predicament did not seek refuge in a false statement. All writers of the Gospels chose to remain silent on this issue rather than take refuge behind a smoke screen of misstatements. No doubt they must have suffered the jeering of their adversaries but they chose to suffer in silence. Mysterious silence on the part of those who knew the inside story must have been largely responsible for sowing the seeds of doubt in the minds of Christians of later generations. They must have wondered: why, after the soul of Jesus Christ had departed, was there no mention of his body being left behind? Where had it gone and what had happened to it? Why did the soul of Christ return to the same body if it ever did? These vital but unanswered questions could have given birth to other questions. If revival meant returning to the same body, what must have happened to Jesus Christ after the second term of his imprisonment in the carnal human frame? Did he eternally remain locked up in that body, never to be released again?
For the rest of the story about ascension go to: Christianity a Journey from Fact to Fiction.
When you are ready to understand what really happened to Jesus after a few hours of being on the cross, go to our other posts in the Muslim Times:
Jesus did not die on the cross
If Jesus did not die upon the cross: A study in evidence
And what does ascension imply in scientific terms, if you believe in Einstein and E = mc2, read another of my articles, William Lane Craig makes false claims about swoon hypothesis!
The Trinitarians are preceded by the Jews and the Unitarian Christians and followed by the Muslims. With these three groups jealously guarding pure and unadulterated Monotheism, the Trinitarianism does not stand a chance!
We should still celebrate and enjoy Easter, but, it may be a story of resuscitation rather than resurrection.
Happy Easter!
References
- Prof. Mark W Muesse. Confucius, Buddha, Jesus and Muhammad. The Great Courses transcript book, 2010. Page 325-327.
We have saved the above video in the Muslim Times as well:
Categories: CHRISTIANITY, Easter, Highlight, Islam, Religion
Logical thinking would have it that the believe among Muslims that Jesus went physically ‘up to heaven’ (where-ever that could be in a physical form…) definitely was not in existence during the time of the Holy Prophet (peace be on him). The reason I am thinking this is that – if it was so – then when the Holy Prophet died (peace be on him) all Muslims would have cried out ‘how can it be that Jesus did not need to die and the Master of all Prophets died?’ We know that this did NOT happen.
Consequently I feel that this ‘belief’ or rather ‘mis-belief’ crept into the Islamic Ummah may be when Egypt with its plenty of Christians was converted to Islam.
(No, I do not have any scientific evidence of this, just logical thinking. May be some of our scholars can elaborate with more concrete evidence?)
Brother Rafiq, I think you are exactly right and with a little reading we should be able to document this idea from the writings of the Messiah, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani as well.
Resurrection is based on the eye-witness’ accounts but that is based on forgery
Half of New Testament forged, Bible scholar says:
By John Blake, CNN
A frail man sits in chains inside a dank, cold prison cell. He has escaped death before but now realizes that his execution is drawing near.
“I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come,” the man –the Apostle Paul – says in the Bible’s 2 Timothy. “I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith.”
The passage is one of the most dramatic scenes in the New Testament. Paul, the most prolific New Testament author, is saying goodbye from a Roman prison cell before being beheaded. His goodbye veers from loneliness to defiance and, finally, to joy.
There’s one just one problem – Paul didn’t write those words. In fact, virtually half the New Testament was written by impostors taking on the names of apostles like Paul. At least according to Bart D. Ehrman, a renowned biblical scholar, who makes the charges in his new book “Forged.”
“There were a lot of people in the ancient world who thought that lying could serve a greater good,” says Ehrman, an expert on ancient biblical manuscripts.In “Forged,” Ehrman claims that:
* At least 11 of the 27 New Testament books are forgeries.
* The New Testament books attributed to Jesus’ disciples could not have been written by them because they were illiterate.
* Many of the New Testament’s forgeries were manufactured by early Christian leaders trying to settle theological feuds.
http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2011/05/13/half-of-new-testament-forged-bible-scholar-says/?
The so called facts about resurrection are merely contradictory hearsay
Christian apologists try to use the label of ‘facts,’ to create credibility for the hearsay evidence that they present for resurrection. But, the facts of one apologist differ in some ways from the facts of another apologist and in this comparison we can see that all the evidence mounts to no more than hearsay.
The first apologist that I want to bring here as a witness is Michael Licona. He debated Prof. Bart Ehrman and was trying to prove the historic validity of resurrection, he had the first opening statement. He suggested three (so called) facts to make the sum total of his thesis:
1. Jesus’ death by crucifixion.
2. Sighting of Jesus by the Apostles after Crucifixion.
3. Sighting by Paul.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyHA3K_6H0g&w=420&h=315%5D
It turned out that the first fact was a red herring and had no relevance to the debate, as Ehrman simply mentioned that Jesus did not have to be crucified but could have been drowned or died of cholera and could have been raised from the dead. So the first fact goes away fairly quickly and the other two facts are in fact only one fact as these imply witnessing by certain people including Paul. So much for the three facts of Licona. We will return to his only remaining fact some other time but let us move to the facts of William Lane Craig and address one of his facts in this comment. He makes a big deal out of the so called fact of the empty tomb and its relevance to resurrection. His fact is easily negated by a little quote from the chief apologist, Pope Benedict XVI:
“Jesus traveled the path of death right to the bitter and seemingly hopeless end in the tomb. Jesus’ tomb was evidently known. And here the question naturally arises: Did he remain in the tomb? Or was it empty after he had risen?
In modern theology this question has been extensively debated. Most commentators come to the conclusion that an empty tomb would not be enough to prove the Resurrection. If the tomb were indeed empty, there could be some other explanation for it. On this basis, the commentators conclude that the question of the empty tomb is immaterial and can therefore be ignored, which tends also to mean that it probably was not empty anyway, so at least a dispute with modern science over the possibility of bodily resurrection can be avoided. But at the basis of all this lies a distorted way of posing the question.
Naturally, the empty tomb as such does not prove the Resurrection. Mary Magdalene, in John’s account, found it empty and assumed that someone must have taken Jesus’ body away. The empty tomb is no proof of the Resurrection, that much is undeniable. Conversely, though, one might ask: Is the Resurrection compatible with the body remaining in the tomb? Can Jesus be risen if he is still lying in the tomb? What kind of resurrection would that be? Today, notions of resurrection have been developed for which the fate of the corpse is inconsequential. Yet the content of the Resurrection becomes so vague in the process that one must ask with what kind of reality we are dealing in this form of Christianity.
Be that as it may: Thomas Soding, Ulrich Wilckens, and others rightly point out that in Jerusalem at the time, the proclamation of the Resurrection would have been completely impossible if anyone had been able to point to a body lying in the tomb. To this extent, for the sake of posing the question correctly, we have to say that the empty tomb as such, while it cannot prove the Resurrection, is nevertheless a necessary condition for Resurrection faith, which was specifically concerned with the body and, consequently, with the whole of the person.”
So, the punch line is that the empty tomb does not prove resurrection hypothesis but may be necessary for considering such a hypothesis.
Ref: Pope Benedict XVI. Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week: From the Entrance Into Jerusalem To The Resurrection. Ignatius Press, 2011. Pages 253-254.
Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence, but none provided by the Pope
The scientific case against resurrection is pretty straightforward: once dead you stay dead — that’s just the way it works. Coming back to life after having been dead (I mean really dead) would constitute a violation of natural law — a miracle — and miracles just don’t happen. Fair enough. But in his recent book on the last days of Jesus (Jesus of Nazareth Holy Week: From the Entrance Into Jerusalem to the Resurrection), Joseph Ratzinger (aka Pope Benedict XVI) argues that reckoning Resurrection as resuscitation of a corpse is to misunderstand its true significance. Jesus’ Resurrection, he contends, was an utterly singular event, straining the very limits of human understanding:
“Anyone approaching the Resurrection accounts in the belief that he knows what rising from the dead means will inevitably misunderstand those accounts and will then dismiss them as meaningless” (p. 243).
In fact, if Jesus’ Resurrection were “merely” coming back to life in any way that we might comprehend, then it would be of little significance.
“Now it must be acknowledged that if in Jesus’ Resurrection we were dealing simply with the miracle of a resuscitated corpse, it would ultimately be of no concern to us” (p. 243).
So what then does Resurrection mean? For Benedict it represents a new dimension of reality breaking through into human experience. It is not a violation of the old; it is the manifestation of something new.
“Jesus had not returned to a normal human life in this world like Lazarus and the others whom Jesus raised from the dead. He has entered upon a different life, a new life — he has entered the vast breadth of God himself…” (p. 244).
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/matt-j-rossano/does-resurrection-contrad_b_848577.html
In short Pope’s writing is a hotch potch of details to appeal to the naive and already converted and for non-Christians has little to offer, nothing more than myths or legends of old polytheistic societies!
The good news, however, is that the Pope at least is trying to explain the swoon hypothesis, as in the past they would just adamantly deny it and just insist on their paradigm, however irrational!
Did Jesus Rise From The Dead – Bart Ehrman Vs William Lane Craig?
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhT4IENSwac&w=420&h=315%5D
One Strong Point of View is that,In fact Jesus was Resuscitated during the darkness of storm by its companions hiding there in the near bushes around.After He saved and Treated at a secret place so that the enemies can not locate him.Then He migrated.When after darkness of storm became clear and no dead body was found. Then a big question arose WHERE DID JESUS GO? It was necessary for His companions to say that he is gone to God and will come back when God will send him back.
This was the compulsion to keep his migration a secret forever so that enemies do not chase him.
In the same vein, in Sikhism, under similar compulsions, some are keeping Baba Grunanak Alive. Baba Guru Nanak, the Founder of Sikh Religion in India was a holy Person and his believers were both Hindus and Muslims, as He was a Sufi. Now after his death a serious issue arises as Hindus claim the Baba was a Hindu. So, his dead body should be burnt as Hindus do. But the Muslims believers claimed that Baba was a true Muslim as his dress had verses from the Holy Quran stitched on it. The Baba at the time of death was a guest of a Muslim believer, who gave suggestion that let every body go to there home and keep the body for night, and Pray to God of Baba so that He guides us what burial option should be opted.
As body was in the house of a Muslim believer, so he along with other Muslim brothers decided to bury the body exactly according to the Muslims tradition, to save dead body of Baba to be burned by his Hindu believers.
But, here arises the compulsion this time, if grave was revealed, the body of Baba will be burned by his Hindu believers so it was Said that BABA HAS GONE TO GOD
and is alive in sky and will come back. So It Was the under compulsion OF THE TIME that RESURRECTED both Jesus and Baba Guru Nanak and their believers are looking towards sky and waiting, waiting and waiting. …
Did Jesus (as) physically Ascend to Allah ???
Subject: Did Jesus (as) physically Ascend to Allah?
http://www.youtube.com/daielallah#p/u/5/BJBvN5coL7A
The more I read The Muslim Times, the more I find it not to be one of understanding and acceptance of other faiths and those the adhere to those faiths, but one that endeavors to disprove, or attempt to convince others e.g. Christians, that what they believe is wrong and attempts to steer them to Islam. This recent emphasis, particularly during this holy Christian time, is telling of the true purpose of the site and I find to be inconsiderate. It’s Muslim evangelism. I’m not saying that is wrong, mind you, if it’s readily apparent and stated as its intent upfront. What I am saying that it was my initial impression that the site was to promote peace, understanding and acceptance of other faiths. Stating what you believe is fine, but to make your case by saying others are wrong is not acceptance.
Dear Robert Adams, we highly respect all believers in any religion, as we believe that all religions come from the same Creator. But, yes, as the last religion we believe that Islam is the final revealed religion.
As increasingly the conflict is between ‘believers’ and ‘non-believers’ in any religion we hope to maintain the best possible relations with you all!!!
Dear Robert Adams
The central idea of the Muslim Times is friendly communication. Mutual respect does not mean that all claims to truth are equally valid and that we have to see eye to eye all the time. But, we do respect Christians’ beliefs and their right to uphold these and preach the same in every corner of the world. However, where ever we differ with them, we like to point out our reasons politely.
As long as we coin our differences in friendly and reasonable terminology, I do not see a reason to be upset.
Another way of looking at dialogue would be that if indeed Christian beliefs are perfectly true and valid, you should find our commentary, simply silly and irrelevant and not something to be offended by.
Best Regards.
Well – I’m a Christian and I’m not only NOT offended, but like to see Muslims debate about Jesus (Isa). As a Christian I DO believe in the divinity of Jesus and His rising from the dead.
I respect your views about Jesus and find them interesting, even during Easter. I have read parts of the Koran and am open to learning about other faiths in the name of peaceful understanding. I don’t find your views “silly and stupid” at all and I’m interested in what Muslims have to say on other topics.
Thank you Erin for your openness to a friendly dialogue.
Please consider reading some of the articles especially meant for the Christians in our website, Islam for the West. Feel free to comment and ask questions.
Best Regards!
@ MNA Khan:
I feel the same situation operates in the disappearance of Mohammad Al Mahdi the 12th Imam of Shiites who is believed to be with God and will return at a later time. Imam AlMahdi was born in such circumstance that even his birth was kept in utmost secrecy. In the middle of very hostile opponents he became Imam at the age of 5 and soon after disappeared. Imam Moahammad Al Mahdi is different from Jesus. In fact Jesus is believed to be a follower of Imam AlMahdi in later days.
What I observed Muslim Times is to provide us a forum to discuss politely and openly different matters.Every positive mind want to know THE TRUTH.If We all discuss any matter with open mind then We will reach on a same point of view.I mean when We all searching one thing that is nothing but THE TRUTH.Then if We all discuss with open mind then We can find THE TRUTH.The main point is that if we are on a mission of finding TRUTH then we should try to find THE TRUTH.We should also own THE TRUTH where ever we find it.SO my dear human-being let us find THE TRUTH by positive and polite discussions to make our lives PURE and TRUE.
At last I thanks to The Muslim Times for providing us ( all Human-beings)a forum to find THE TRUTH. THANKS.
Amtul Q Farhat Sahiba, most sects of Mulims believe that Immam Al-Mehdi was due to come in the Umah and as you said in the later days.The question is are these later days was identified or specified by the Ahadees or Mujad-E-Dins of Umah on diffrent times.Answer is Yes.The time was agreed as the start of 14th Islamic Century ( Choudhvien Sadi )The only Holly Muslim Person ( With in Umah )claimed at the fixed time ,The awaited Immam Al-Mehdi who presented all proofs in his favor by Quran and Ahadees.Although in the start only few peoples entered in his Organization(Jammat)but He told loudly that no one will come after him and He is that awaited Al-Mehdi and Messiah-E-Maud according to Hadees ( Lall Messiah Illa Mahdi ). The passed 130 years witnessed his claim that no body came with required proofs after him and according to his saying his organization( Jammat ) became so strong and spread in Hundreds of Millions by the help of God ( Allah-Al-Mighty)that sun never set on Jammat-E-Ahmadiyya The true Islam having a system ( Khilafat Alla-Minhaj-E-Nabwa ). In this way all the Ahadees about Imam Al-Mahdi and Messiah proved true. It means saying of Muhammad about Immam Al-Mehdi and Messiah-E-Muhammadi was exactly true.
All other stories about Immam Ghaib or not but Ghaib, not proved by the time and facts.
Jesus Rose from the dead and appeared to the Apostles especially the Doubting Thomas who put his hands in Jesus side………………
There are no doubts in my mind Jesus rose from the dead………….
It seems to be the one pillar platform that the Muslim times seems to get very excited about. Thanks for getting excited about Jesus …………2 Billion Christians get excited as well …………..It is a worthy subject to catch peoples attention. Jesus is the central figure and all religions point to His existence as the Son of God he is indeed worthy Easter is a time of celebration amen alleluia
Zia,
Two things: first, in your opening paragraph you sent a hypocritical goodwill message to “OVER 2 BILLION CHRISTIANS-“. Not too long ago, you called me a liar for saying that they were more than two billion Christians in the world who follow JESUS. According to you, my figure was preposterous because it included Bart Erhman, an avowed atheist or agnostic and others in the EU and America where Christianity is on the “decline”. I had to publish the percentage of Christians in every European country.
But you had to shut up when I proved to you that the figure I gave was far below what was circulated on the internet in 2013.
The second issue with your position is the claim that half the New Testament is a forgery without naming that particular half. Yet the quran says that the same New Testament was “revealed”. Who is more authoritative, the writer of the quran or yourself?
Even if we were to restrict ourselves to the four Gospels, it is there that the bodily resurrection of the Lord is recorded.
I have said it on numerous occasions that the mission statement of TMT is a smokescreen to whitewash the muhammadan evil while pouring tar on Christianity.
From the foregoing, I do not see anything that makes your article an interesting piece.
2 Billion Christians? How many of them. went to Church this week? Or Year?
Namelee you have said every thing else, but, can you tell us:
Did Jesus rise in a physical body or a spiritual one?
I wonder who is white-washing and resorting to rhetoric and shying away from reality?
I have not claimed that half of the New Testament is forgery. In fact, Prof. Bart Ehrman has written a scholarly book, to demonstrate that.
Here is a short review of a bookForged: Writing in the Name of God–Why the Bible’s Authors Are Not Who We Think They Are, from Amazon:
To buy the book in Amazon, please click here
Zia,
I see that everything about you revolves around Bart Erhman. Can you ever think independently. Sometime ago you wrote saying that you would not be relying on the so-called experts.
Rafiq,
The actual figure as at 2013 was 2,385,000,000. So it is about 2.4 billion today.
Going to or absenting from Church attendance does not make or unmake one a Christian. Can you guarantee that every muhammadan attends the mosque?
Namelee. Among Europeans I did not meet many who are ‘real Christians’. Most of them do not know their own belief. Even some priests do not believe it and say ‘it is just a job’. Even among Arab Christians (although the percentage is ‘better’ than in Europe) some of them do not really believe in their own religion. I do not know what ‘Muhammadan’ you refer to. The attendance of members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in the mosques is definitely high.
Namelee you continue to talk about every thing else, but, can you tell us:
Did Jesus rise in a physical body or a spiritual one?
After all that is the very foundation of your religion. Remember someone said, “If Christ has not risen from the dead, our faith is in vain.”
The reason why I am quoting Prof. Bart Ehrman, is because he has presented a truck load of irrefutable evidence, to shatter the conventional Christian ideas about the New Testament and “divinity,” of Jesus Christ, in his books.
Only an insane or an arrogant can believe Christians beliefs.
Al Hasan Al Basri said; “Allah raised and lifted up Jesus alive with his body and soul.” [Tafsir Ibn Abi Hatim on Quran 3:55]
Hasan (RA) narrated: “The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said to the Jews, ‘Jesus the son of Mary has not died, he will return to earth before the Doomsday.'” (Al-Tabari H.7133)
“When Allah said: .O Isa , I am to take you in full and to raise you towards Myself and to purify you of those who disbelieve, and to place those who follow you above those who disbelieve up to the Day of Doom. Then to Me is your return, whereupon I shall judge between you in that over which you have differed.” [3:55]
The above verse is mentioning the physical ascension and purification of the messiah. No deviant Jews were close to the spiritual level to the Messiah.
Just as مُطَهِّرُكَ (cleanse you) and اتَّبَعُوكَ (follow you) refer to the whole person, body as well as soul, رَافِعُكَ (raise you) also refers to both body and soul. There is no basis to maintain the difference between reference of pronouns of مُطَهِّرُكَ ,اتَّبَعُوكَ and رَافِعُكَ. And as body is a corporeal thing so in the light of actual meaning of the word it most certainly denotes its displacement. This also leads us to the True Islamic belief that even مُتَوَفِّيكَ (take you) refers to the whole person, body as well as soul and not merely the soul.
Regarding the word Raf’a when used in salah then obviously that is completely different sitaution. There is no link between the verses [3:55 and 4:158] with salah since salah is ibadah (spiritual act), but the verses [4:157-158] on the contrary mentions about the Jews who were trying to do a physical act of killing; thus Isa (as) was raised up alive since its impossible for the messiah to be cursed or spiritually low.
If the use of the word rafa’a in Qur’an 4:158 referred solely to the “raising of the soul,” this would not cancel out Jesus’ (pbuh) killing and the wisdom revealed in the verse would not apply. For example, if the Jews had killed Jesus (pbuh), his soul would, in any case, have been spiritually raised to God. Indeed, we know that the souls of all prophets and believers ascend to God after they die. There is no difference in this regard between Jesus (pbuh) and all other people. Therefore, there is a special feature in this verse: the raising of Jesus (pbuh), while still alive, in both body and soul. At the same time, when we look at the end of this verse, we see that it manifests God’s glory and wisdom.
Contrary to what some people maintain, the ascension is not a spiritual one or one of degree. God reveals that He foiled the trap set for Jesus (pbuh). Thus, given the fact that Jesus (pbuh) did not die, the information revealed in the verse shows that Jesus (pbuh) was raised to God with body and soul, and not merely spiritually. The plotters were confounded by Jesus’ (pbuh) ascension to God. (God knows best.) The scholar Zahid al-Kawthari expounds on this by giving the following example:
One verse regarding Prophet Muhammad (may God bless him and grant him peace) states: “… God will protect you from people…” (Qur’an, 5:67). There can be no doubt that the verse means something other than: “He raises your station before people.” Our Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) was attacked physically, and so God placed him under His physical protection. This also applies to Jesus (pbuh), who was physically attacked as well. Therefore, it is impossible for the ascension referred to in the verse [4:158] to have been merely a spiritual one. [Al-Kawthari, Nazra ‘Abira, 94]
Well, does it seem to the readers that it is only the members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at who believe that Mohammad (peace be on him) was the best and highest prophet? I sincerely believe that at the time of his death the above mentioned ‘story’ by Parvez was not a belief of the Muslims at the time, otherwise they would not have so easily accepted that the Master of all prophets (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) had died. How could the superior prophet die when a minor one did not?
“And when Allah said: O Isa, I am going to take you and cause you to ascend unto Me and purify you of those who disbelieve…” [3:55]
The above verse is extremely clear and lucid that it reveals Allah’s statement of physically raising and purifying the messiah Isa (as).
‘Cleanse you’ in verse [3:55] refers to Eisa’ (A.S.) departure from the evil company of the Jews. The very fact the verse reads ‘cleanse you of those who disbelieve’ shows it was physical separation and not spiritual for disbelievers could have never been close to the Mighty Prophet Isa (A.S.) in spiritual sense. This cannot be a reference to his being relieved from the false accusations of Jews and Christians because context has nothing to do with it. It refers to the evil plot of the Jews (verse 54) and Allah’s plan to save him from their dirty trick. Same is evident in light of the scholarly opinions see e.g. Tafsir Kabir of Al-Raazi and Tafsir Kashshaf of Zamakhshari. Al-Raazi has been recognized as Mujaddid of the 4th century.
The root of mutahhiruka is tahara, meaning “being clean.” Islamic scholars regard this word as one proof that Jesus (pbuh) was raised alive to God. According to them, the interpretation of the verse is: “I am taking you, raising you to Me, and removing you from this environment polluted by unbelievers and sinners.”
Thus, God purified Jesus (pbuh) from the unbelievers, the unbelievers’ plot to kill him was foiled and they failed to achieve their goal. (God knows best.)
Moreover, this verse also shows that Jesus (pbuh) was purified by his physical separation from an environment containing unbelievers. (God knows best.) Thus, the assertion that Jesus (pbuh) died and that only his soul was raised to God is proven false. A spirit-only ascent would mean that he was not purified.
In order for Jesus (pbuh) to have been purified in the manner revealed in the verse, he would have to have departed from his surrounding environment in both body and soul. Furthermore, a spirit-only purification cannot apply to a prophet with superior moral values, one who is honored in God’s presence and has deep faith, such as Jesus (pbuh).
As a devout believer and a messenger of God, Jesus’ (pbuh) soul is immaculate. However, his environment was not immaculate, due to the unbelievers’ irreligious behavior and corrupt moral values.
Therefore, purifying Jesus (pbuh) means his physical removal from their presence. Thus, God physically purified and protected him by physically raising Jesus (pbuh) to Himself.
According to Zamakhsharī,“When God informed Jesus that He would raise him to heaven alive and purify him [ch 3 vs 55] from the followers of the Jews, he said to his companions: ‘Who would like to have my likeness cast on him, to be killed and crucified,and to enter paradise?’ One of them said, ‘I would’. [Jesus’] likeness was cast on him and he was killed and martyred.” [Zamakhsharī, Al-Kashfʿan haqā’iq ghawāmid al-tanzīl, ed. Muhammad Husayn Ahmad (Cairo: Matbaat al-Istiqāma, 1365/1946), 1:586–7, on ch 4 vs 153–9]
Similarly in Qur’an 4:157-158;
وَقَوْلِهِمْ إِنَّا قَتَلْنَا الْمَسِيحَ عِيسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَمَا قَتَلُوهُ وَمَا صَلَبُوهُ وَلَكِنْ شُبِّهَ لَهُمْ وَإِنَّ الَّذِينَ اخْتَلَفُوا فِيهِ لَفِي شَكٍّ مِنْهُ مَا لَهُمْ بِهِ مِنْ عِلْمٍ إِلَّا اتِّبَاعَ الظَّنِّ وَمَا قَتَلُوهُ يَقِينًا () بَلْ رَفَعَهُ اللَّهُ إِلَيْهِ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ عَزِيزًا حَكِيمً
“And for their saying, .We have certainly killed the Masih Eisa the son of Maryam, the Messenger of Allah., while in fact they did neither kill him, nor crucify him, but they were deluded by resemblance. Those who disputed in this matter are certainly in doubt about it. They have no knowledge of it, but they follow whims. It is absolutely certain that they did not kill him. But Allah lifted him towards Himself. Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise.” [4: 157-158]
Here again just as وَمَا قَتَلُوهُ (and they killed him not), وَمَا صَلَبُوهُ (nor crucify him) and وَمَا قَتَلُوهُ يَقِينًا (and for a surety they killed him not) refers to the body of Eisa (A.S.); رَفَعَهُ اللَّهُ (Allah lifted him) also refers to the body of Eisa (A.S.) and not just his soul. Again there is no reason to drop body from رَفَعَهُ اللَّهُ (Allah lifted him).
Another important proof of this event is the Arabic word bal, which appears in Qur’an, 4:158, and has the literal translation of “on the contrary.” The features of its meaning and use in Arabic linguistics indicate a very important fact: According to the rules of Arabic linguistics, the sentence that comes after it must have a meaning that is completely opposite to the preceding statement. That being the case, it is likely that the verses referring to Jesus (pbuh) “… They did not kill him,” (Qur’an, 4:157) “on the contrary [bal] God raised him up to Himself…” (Qur’an, 4:158) refer to the state of being alive, rather than the state of being dead. (God knows best.) Sheikh al-Islam Mustafa Sabri offered the following interpretation:
If the term bal, which appears in Qur’an 4:158 and which I have translated as “on the contrary,” comes after a sentence expressing a negativity, then, according to the rules of Arabic linguistics, the sentence following it must mean the exact opposite of the one preceding it. The opposite of death is life. This is a requirement of the rules of linguistics. If we say that “the ascension here is a spiritual one” and “Jesus (pbuh) died in the normal sense,” then we are violating that rule. In that case, the ascension following the expression “on the contrary” would not represent the opposite to the verbs of “killing” and “crucifying” in the negative sentence preceding it. That is because it may be possible for a person to be killed and for his or her soul to rise to the skies. Otherwise, this term would be meaningless, and there are no meaningless terms in the Qur’an … According to those who support the thesis that the ascension is only one of the soul, the meaning of the verse is this: “They did not kill him and did not crucify him … on the contrary, God raised his station.” There is no particular oratory here, let alone succinctness.
Nothing is clear about the word ‘ascend’. It is a common way of speaking that ‘he has gone up to Allah or to heaven’ as people try to avoid the word ‘death’. You say it many times for relatives who have ‘passed on’ (but not died?).
‘This was agreed upon by the early Muslims’. I do not believe that the very early Muslims believed that. See my above comment. This believe probably ‘slipped into Muslim believe’ during the time when lots of Christians converted to Islam in Egypt and some Christian influences crept into the belief of Muslims (just like Hindu influences crept into Pakistani/Indian Muslim’s habits).
2nd Century: Imam Abu ʿAbdullah Muhammad ibn Idris al-Shafi‘i (767/150 – 820/204 CE/AH)
“In the same way that the Prophet ‘Isa عليه السلام ascended to the heavens at Allah’s command, he will also return to Earth at Allah’s command and will enforce Islamic justice. People whose faith is weak may not regard this as possible. But it is an easy matter after recognizing the might of Allah.” (The Great Book of Scholarship of Shafi’i, Halil Günenç, expanded 2nd edition, p. 23)
3rd Century: Abū Al-Hasan Alī Ibn Ismā’īl Al-Ash’arī (874/260 – 936/324 CE/AH)
“There is a consensus among the community of the faithful [ijma’ ummat] that Jesus عليه السلام was raised alive to the heavens.” (Al-Ash’ari, Al-Ash’ari’s al-Ibana ‘an Usul al-Diyana, (Cairo: 1986), 2:115)
4th Century: Abu Abd-Allah Muhammad ibn Abd-Allah al-Hakim al-Nishaburi (933/321 – 1012/403 CE/AH)
[He is the author of the ahadith collection Al-Mustadrak in which he states that] “…Ibn Abbas رضي الله عنه said about the verse of the Holy Qur’an (4:159): “This verse is proof that Jesus عليه السلام, son of Mary, will appear… All of the People of the Book will believe in him before his death.”” (Al-Hakim, Al-Mustadrak, 2:309)
5th Century: Abū Hāmed Muhammad Ibn Muhammad Ghazālī (1058 CE – 1111/505 CE/AH)
“…then the Qur’an would be erased from hearts and not a word of it would be remembered; and the people would return to the poetry, songs, and tales of the pre-Islamic period; then the Anti-Christ would go forth and ‘Isa, the blessings and peace of God upon him, would descend to kill him. The hour when all this occurs would be like the pregnant woman in travail, waiting for the moment of her delivery.” (The Secrets of Pilgrimage, p.17)
“Out of the Prophets, Jesus Christ عليه السلام did not marry but he will marry after his second advent.” (The Revival of the Religious Sciences, Ihya Ulum Uddin, Secret of Marriages, p.21)
6th Century: ‘Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani (1077 – 1166 CE)
“Jesus عليه السلام did not marry; he never took a wife. At the end of time, Allah (Exalted is He) will send him back down to the earth, and He will then marry him to a young woman of Quraish, who will bear him a son.” (Utterances of Shaikh ‘Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani (Malfuzat): Collected Sayings from the Crown of Saints, translated by Muthar Holland, p.58)
7th Century: Ahmad Ibn Taymiyyah (1263 – 1328 CE)
“The verse [4:158] “He raised him to His Presence” … explains that Jesus عليه السلام was raised in both body and soul.” (Imam Ibn Taymiyya, Majmu’ Fatawa, trans. by Abdurrahman ibn Muhammad ibn Qasim al-Asimi an-Najdi, 4:323)
8th Century: Ibn Hajar Al-Asqalani (1372/773 – 1448/852 CE/AH)
“The Mahdi is of this Ummah, and that Jesus عليه السلام will come down and pray behind him.” (Fath al-Baari, v.5, p.362)
“…there was no Prophet between Jesus عليه السلام and our Prophet [Muhammad], on whom peace and blessings of Allah and Jesus عليه السلام has no grave.” (Fath al-Baari 2/160, Kitabul Salaah)
9th Century: Jalaluddin Al-Suyuti (1445/849 – 1505/911 CE/AH)
“As-Suyuti says Jerusalem is specially honoured by Muslims… It was at Jerusalem that the prophets sacrificed; that Jesus was born and spoke in his cradle; and it was from Jerusalem that Jesus ascended to heaven; and it will be there that he will again descend.” (A Moslem Seeker After God, Samuel M. Zwemer, p.115)
In his commentary, al-Suyuti said, based on reliable hadith, that the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) did not die, and then continued: “In that case, Jesus عليه السلام was raised to the skies and will return before the Day of Judgment.” (Durr al-Manthur, 2:225-27)
Another proof of the literall ascension of jesus is found in The incident of the delegation of the Christians of Nejran coming to the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم) and their mutual dialogue is recorded in a number of Tafsir (Commentaries of the Holy Quran). Normally if one wishes to quote it, he would certainly quote it from a much better and widely known Tafsir and the one which gives the complete chain of narratfors for the narration.
Al-Wahidi gives the particular sentence in the narration of both Al-Tabari and Ibn Abi Hatim the wording is:
ألستم تعلمون أن ربَّنا حيّ لا يموت، وأنّ عيسى يأتي عليه الفناء؟
“Do you not know that Our Lord (Allah) is ever living but death will come to Jesus?”
(Tafsir Al-Tabari 6/154 Narration. 6544, Ibn Abi Hatim 9/408. Both have brought it under verse 1 of Surah 3)
Moreover Nizamuddin Qumi quoted the same narration in his Tafsir Gharaib Al-Qurān generally known as Tafsir Nishapuri, with reference to Wahidi, he says;
قال الواحدي : نقل المفسرون أنه قدم على رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وفد نجران
‘Wahidi said: Mufassirin have recorded that a delegation from Nejran came to the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم)‘
And quoting the discussion on the authority of Al-Wahidi he writes;
قال : ألستم تعلمون أنه حي لا يموت وأن عيسى يأتي عليه الفناء؟
‘He (the prophet) said: ‘Do you not know that He (Allah) is Ever-living, the Eternal and death will come to Jesus?’
(Tafsir Nishapuri 2/199 under surah 3 ayah 1)
And as matter of fact even in Suyuti’s Durr Manthur (2/276) and Tafsir Kabir of Al-Raazi (4/93) exactly the same wording is quoted i.e. word يأتي (future tense) is used and not أتى (past tense).
Not to forget both Al-Suyuti and Al-Raazi have been recognized as Mujaddids.
When the Christians came for delegation from najran, Muhammad (saw) preached monotheism and that Jesus escaped death on the cross, that instead God raised him body and soul to heaven, and that God will send him back to earth in the end times. [Seerah ibn ishaq]
To summarize; Al-Tabari (d. 310 A.H.) and others quoted it with complete chain and the wording they give uses the future tense. Nizamuddin Qumi (d. 728 A.H.) who quoted it from Wahidi (d. 468 A.H.) also gives the wording with future tense. Suyuti and Razi quote it and they also use the word يأتي (future tense). Thus Isa Ibn Maryam (as) is still alive since his death will be in the future when he returns to earth.
Hadith literature and the works of Muslim scholars prove that Jesus was raised up alive and he will return. Ibn hazm states that the reports of the physical ascension and return of Jesus are reliable. [Ibn Hazm – ilm al qalam]
Abu Ja’far Al tahawi declared that the Muslims unanimously agreed that Isa (as) was raised up alive and that he will return to earth as himself before the Last Day. [Aqeedah – Al Tahawi]
Qurtubi stated that the hadith are clear that Jesus will return from the sky with his body and soul. “The belief of Muslims is this: Jesus (pbuh) was neither crucified nor killed, but was raised alive in body and soul to the heavens. He will continue to live in the heavens for as long as God so wills…” [Tafsir qurtubi]
Al-Qurtubi: “The interpretation of the verse [3:55] is: ‘I shall raise you to Myself without you dying, cleanse you from the blasphemers, and give you death after your descent from the heavens.'”[Al-Qurtubi, al-Jami‘ li Ahkam il-Qur’an, (Cairo : 1967)]
Muhammad Ash Shanqiti (the reformer of 14th century) state that both the Quran and authentic hadith are proofs that Isa (as) is alive at the moment and he will descend before the last Day. [Al Bayaan Al Quran]
“And indeed, Jesus will be a sign of the Hour, so be not in doubt of it, and follow Me. This is a straight path.” [43:61]
Ibn Abbas, Abu Huraira, Qatada and Ibn Mas’ud (ra) said regarding the above verse; “Isa (as) second coming is a sign of the Hour.” [Ibn Qutayba, Tafsir Tabari, Shawkani]
When one looks at the verses in Surat az-Zukhruf, one can see that the Qur’an is not being referred to in either the verses immediately preceding or following the reference to “a Sign of the Hour.” The verses are referring to the Prophet Jesus (pbuh). Therefore, the pronoun in question also refers to the Prophet Jesus (pbuh). In fact, based on both the verses and on reliable hadith, great Islamic scholars state that in this case, hu does refer to the Prophet Jesus (pbuh). Abu Hurayra, Ibn `Abbas, Qatada, Malik ibn Dinar, Thabit ibn al-Dahhak, Abu Razin, Abu `Ali `Abd al-Rahman, Humayd, and Ibn al-Muhaysin say that the Prophet Jesus’ (pbuh) second coming is a sign of the Day of Judgment. [Al-Sa’ani, Tafsir ‘Abdul-Raziq, 2:163; Ibn Qutayba, Gharib al-Qur’an, 400]
Many commentators, such as al-‘Alusi, al-Shawkani, al-Sabuni, al-Ghumari, Omar Nasuhi Bilmen, Sayyid Qutb, and Hasan Basri Cantay interpreted the verse thus in their commentaries:
“The appearance of Jesus (pbuh) is a sign of the approach of the Day of Judgment because his appearance is a sign of the Last Day. His descent to Earth is proof that the end of the world has come, and of the beginning of the Hereafter.” [Al- ‘Alusi, Ruh al-Ma’ani fi Tafsir al-Qur’an, 25:95; Mohammad al-Shawkani, Fath al-Qadir, 4:562 (In the Shade of the Qur’an)]
The meaning of this verse [43:61] is that Jesus (pbuh) is a sign of the Day of Judgment. We can confidently say that this verse indicates his return, because he lived six centuries before the Qur’an’s revelation. Therefore, we cannot consider his first life as a sign of the Day of Judgment because the berse states it in future tense. The verse indicates that he will return toward the End Times or, in other words, right before the Day of Judgment. In that context, his return is a sign of the Hour’s imminent arrival. (God knows best.)
Some say that the pronoun hu (he/it) in this expression refers to the Qur’an. However, when one looks at other verses, it appears that whenever hu stands for the Qur’an, the Book is inevitably referred to in either the preceding or following verse. Alternatively, other expressions show that the Qur’an is the subject.
When one looks at the verses in Qur’an 43, one can see that the Qur’an is not being referred to in either the verses immediately preceding or following the reference to “a Sign of the Hour.” The verses are referring to Jesus (pbuh). Therefore, the pronoun in question also refers to Jesus (pbuh). (God knows best.) In fact, based on both the verses and on reliable hadith, great Islamic scholars state that in this case, hu does refer to Jesus (pbuh). Abu Hurayra, Ibn `Abbas, Qatada, Malik ibn Dinar, Thabit ibn al-Dahhak, Abu Razin, Abu `Ali `Abd al-Rahman, Humayd, and Ibn al-Muhaysin say that Jesus’ (pbuh) second coming is a sign of the Day of Judgment. [Al-Sa‘ani, Tafsir ‘Abdul-Raziq, 2:163; Ibn Qutayba, Gharib al-Qur’an, 400]
Ibn Kathir said: “There are reliable hadith of our Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) that Jesus (pbuh) will descend to Earth before the Day of Judgment as a just head of state and just ruler,” thus depicting the verse [43:61] as evidence for Jesus’ (pbuh) second coming.
Many hadith regard Jesus’ (pbuh) descent to Earth prior to the Day of Judgment. Indeed, the verse, “He is a Sign of the Hour” also indicates this. In other words, Jesus (pbuh) will descend to Earth at a time close to the Day of Judgment. In a second style of reading, the verse reads “wa innahu la ‘ilmun li al-saa’ati.” In other words, his descent is a sign, a sign of the Day of Judgment. Both styles of reading express the same meaning. His descent from the skies is a news of the Unseen World, spoken of by the right-speaking and trustworthy Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) and indicated in the glorious Qur’an.
Qatadah stated about Qur’an 43:61 thus: “The appearance of Jesus (pbuh) is an indication of the Day of Judgment.” [Al-Suyuti, Durr al-Manthur]
Al-Hasan al-Basri made the following comment: “I swear to God that Jesus (pbuh) is at this moment alive in God’s presence, and that everyone will believe in him when he returns.” With regard to Qur’an 4:159, he said: “God raised Jesus (pbuh) to His presence. He will send him before the Day of Judgment as a holder of rank. Good and bad, all will believe in him.” [Al-Suyuti, Durr al-Manthur]
Hasan also made a similar comment regarding Qur’an 43:61, saying that the meaning of the verse was that Jesus (pbuh) would return to Earth. [Al-Suyuti, Durr al-Manthur]
Ibn ‘Abbas said: “In Qur’an 43:61, God indicates that Jesus (pbuh) will appear before the Day of Judgment.” [Khasmiri, al-Tasrih and Ibn Hazm, ‘Ilm al-Qalam]
Parvez did you ever think, what is the advantage of bringing a 2000 years old man to contemporary world, who cannot speak any of the languages, which are spoken in this world?
@ zia
why do you believe in a person who claimed that God is made of ivory and that he alleged that he saw God as a human in his dream?!
Revelations are mystical and the Holy Prophet Muhammad, may peace be on him, experienced the climax in the form of Miraj.
But, a 2000 year old man, who is mute and cannot speak the language of people he is sent to, is certainly hilarious and definitely against the teachings of Islam and the Holy Quran:
@ Zia
ironically even the Mirza Ghulam Ahmad accepted that Isa (AS) was raised up alive but then later Mr. mirza changed his thought when he received …
Zia,
You claim that the ultimate form of revelation was what Muhammad experienced during the miraj or mirage.
In other words you are saying that Muhammad did not physically ascend to ‘heaven’. He only did so in his dream.
What is the proof that he even had such a dream because when asked to explain what he saw in Jerusalem which he had just ‘returned’ from, he failed to and broke into a tantrum as a cover?
If prophethood is based on dreams, then I am also a prophet and in my dreams I confirm that muhammadanism is a huge hoax.
It seems like jumping all over from one point to another without relavance.
Extremely Confusing !!
When you believe, there should be standards for accepting or rejecting human guidance; Don’t you know there exist standards for Hadith also?
Then why do you INSIST TO ABROGATED ALL HADITH?
Do you want to abrogate only the Islamic Hadith or all Hadith (sayings and traditions) from all the earlier prophets, as well?
You have your own philosophy – OK
You have described it – Fine
What is the good point with you in compelling people to accept your philosophies ?
Rafiq,
There are many muhammadans who pretend to keep to the faith because stating apostasy openly is fraught with dangerous consequences.
I have no intention of ever going to Saudi Arabia. But I have heard from those who have been there that the Saudis are crude and have little regard for Muhammad who they feel only transmitted the ‘message’. While outsiders piously perform the hajj, the ordinary Saudis go about being mischievous.
They are renegades everywhere.
…
Zia,
You said that I have not answered the question whether the Lord Jesus ascended in a physical body.
I answer in the affirmative. He rose from the dead and ascended bodily into heaven, where, according to the quran, He is stationed near to God. Why is Muhammad not so stationed?
I have not read the posts by Parvez, but I think he has said much of what I would have said. I will, however, add that Muhammad himself confirmed the corporeal ascension of the Lord. In one of your hadiths, he is quoted as telling his followers that they would live to see the coming of the Messiah, the Son of Mary. He went on to give a description that would enable his companions identify Jesus.
When he did that, was he considering a spiritual appearance? Was he expecting that his companions would be spirits or the living dead?
The way some of you try to be smart by twisting the teachings of your religion strips it of anything that could have remotely raised one’s curiosity to find out more about it(count me out of that) and renders it unreasonable.
How do you go about contradicting your fundamental teachings in the name of wanting to be seen as a scholar? You end up being a destroyer instead of a defender of the faith.
Quite laughable is the painting of the empty tomb with the light shining into it. The caption says that the spirit of the Lord had ascended. Juxtapose that with your belief that the Lord swooned and later revived and you will see the utter absurdity of such a position. Could any human being live while his spirit has left him?
If Jesus lived out HIS life in Kashmir while HIS Spirit was in heaven, then HE could only be GOD.
Zia, you argued against Parvez that a 2000 year old man is unreliable. Given that the same 2000 year old man was a highly regarded scholar of muhamadanism, rejecting his scholarship means that muhammadan scholarship, like the creed itself, is very much seasonal. That raises the question of reliability.
I see Bart Erhman as a noise maker who craves attention. He may have written tons of trash, which you find useful, but as far as I know he has not contradicted the Bible in any way. Just assuming that he has, who would be more credible, Bart Erhman or the quran which says that the Bible is an earlier ‘revelation’? Again, you contradict your religion all in the name of ‘scholarship’.
It is not necessary to abrogate the Hadith. The Hadith is far better than the New testament i.e. biography of Jesus a.s.
Pervez is trying to keep Jesus alive. Jesus never believed in Muhammad s.a.w.s. He gave good news about the coming of a comforter and about the coming of Ahmad after himself. Jesus a.s. never said that he will come again after Ahmad a.s.
Jesus a.s. has died a natural peaceful death 2000 years ago. Any one who dies does not come back in this life. Jesus has been raised to a high status with Allah just like all other prophets. Pervez should stop his sermons which are anti-Islamic.
The four promises mentioned in Quran Ch.3, given to Jesus a.s. are well known and very famous. The first of those promises was a peaceful, natural death (not a death on Cross). The promise for lifting him comes after the promise of peaceful death. Pervez is copy pasting and even interpolating his own words (ideas) and showing one side of the story.
Why does Pervez not tell that Imam Malik rz.a. said “Isa died”? Ibne Abbas Rz.a. also said “Died.” Imam Ibne Hazm also said that Isa has died.
The promised Masiha a.s. had the same idea as was generally known and mis-spread in the Ummah that Isa a.s. was alive in the heavens. When Allah told the promised Mesiha a.s. that he was the promised Masiha who was to appear, he was surprised and approached Allah for guidance. Allah told him to see the Quran where everything is mentioned. Then the promised Mesiah a.s. checked the Quran and the peaceful passing away of Jesus a.s. was described all over in the Quran.
One such verse is; Jesus is nothing but a messenger of Allah and messengers before him have passed away….
Another verse says, Muhammad is but a messenger and messengers before him have passed away. That means Jesus who was before Muhammad s.a.w.s. has also passed away.
There are two other clear verses in the Quran which state that Jesus has passed away peacefully.
Pervez is on some agenda to spread wrong notions, quite un-natural beliefs, copy/pasting. Jesus a.s. had never believed in Muhammad s.a.w.s. Now only those prophets can appear who believe in Muhammad s.a.w.s. and Jesus is not one of them. Wassalam.
Do not say of those who are slain in the way of Allah that they are dead. Instead, they are alive, but you do not perceive. QS 2; (154)
To use this verse in connection with a discussion whether Jesus died or not is very appropriate. All martyrs are, as shown is this verse, alive in heaven. So is Jesus. Discussion closed.
Atheist Richard Carrier smahes Michael Licona like a pumpkin in this god debate
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDGoeEU_lJU&w=560&h=315%5D
Richard Carrier nicely illustrates that according to Paul, Jesus rose in a spiritual body, while the writers of 4 Gospels present a physical resurrection.