Presented by Zia H Shah MD

Ibn ʿArabī accepts the traditional Islamic belief that Jesus (ʿĪsā) will literally return in the last days, and he does not treat the Second Coming as a mere metaphor or allegory. In his writings, Ibn ʿArabī frequently cites the eschatological ḥadīth about Jesus’s descent to confront the False Messiah (al-Dajjāl). For example, he recounts a Prophetic narration that when the Antichrist emerges in Jerusalem with his army, “Jesus will look at al-Dajjāl, and he will melt like salt in water, and then Jesus will slay him”ibnarabisociety.org. Ibn ʿArabī integrated such reports matter-of-factly into his cosmology of the End Times, indicating he anticipated a real, bodily return of Jesus. Scholars note that there is no hint Ibn ʿArabī saw Jesus’s Second Advent as symbolic only – rather, it is a concrete event within God’s plan, “a sign unto humanity” as the Qur’an puts itmaypoleofwisdom.com. Indeed, Ibn ʿArabī describes Jesus as a “trans-historical figure” whose influence spans from his historical life into the events of the apocalypseglutenfreedairyfreewithasideofpsychosis.wordpress.com. His acceptance of Jesus’s literal return is further shown by his detailed discussions of end-time trials and the roles Jesus will play, drawn from Qur’an and ḥadīthibnarabisociety.orgmaypoleofwisdom.com. In short, Ibn ʿArabī upheld the orthodox view that Jesus will physically descend in the last era – while of course infusing that event with rich spiritual significance in his writings (for instance, linking Jesus’s return to profound truths about the Spirit and cosmic cycles). There is no evidence that he reduced the Second Coming to an inner metaphor; rather, he sees it as a pivotal outward event that also reflects inward realities in the spiritual world.

Prophet or Saint? Ibn ʿArabī’s View of Jesus’s Eschatological Role

While Ibn ʿArabī affirms that Jesus will return, he reinterprets Jesus’s role in light of Islamic finality of prophethood. In Islamic doctrine, Prophet Muḥammad is Khātam al-Anbiyāʾ (the Seal of the Prophets), meaning no new prophet or revealed law will follow him. Ibn ʿArabī emphatically upholds this finality: he states that “legislative prophethood (nubuwwat al-tashrīʿ) and messengerhood indeed terminated with Muḥammad… there can be no prophet after him”reddit.com. However, Ibn ʿArabī makes a crucial distinction between prophethood (nubuwwa), which ended with Muḥammad, and sainthood (walāya), which continues perpetually among the faithfulreddit.comglutenfreedairyfreewithasideofpsychosis.wordpress.com. In his view, sainthood is the “hidden, enduring face” of prophecy – an inheritance of spiritual authority and intimacy with God that remains open even after the close of formal prophethoodglutenfreedairyfreewithasideofpsychosis.wordpress.com. This doctrinal backdrop explains how Jesus can return without contravening Muḥammad’s unique status as final prophet: Jesus will not return as a law-giving prophet with a new scripture, but as a saint (walī) within the dispensation of Muḥammad. Ibn ʿArabī explicitly writes that at the End of Time Jesus “will come down as a saint (walī) and scholar, not as a prophet”, and he will be counted “a member of the community (ummah) of Muḥammad”ibnarabisociety.orgquestionsonislam.com. In other words, Jesus’s second coming is understood to be in humble servitude to Muḥammad’s Sharīʿa, reaffirming Islam rather than abrogating it.

Ibn ʿArabī goes so far as to give Jesus an exalted title in the hierarchy of saints: the “Universal Seal of Sanctity” (khātam al-walāya)maypoleofwisdom.com. He teaches that Jesus holds “two seals” of spiritual authority: first, Jesus was the seal of the bygone prophetic tradition (the last major prophet sent before Muḥammad, thus “sealing” the era from Adam up to himself), and second, Jesus is destined to seal universal sainthood by returning as the final great saint at the end of timeglutenfreedairyfreewithasideofpsychosis.wordpress.com. “Jesus is the possessor of two seals… He seals the sainthood of the prophets and envoys from Adam until his own time… Secondly, he seals the sainthood of the (later) saints… when he will come down as a saint at the end of time”glutenfreedairyfreewithasideofpsychosis.wordpress.com. In Ibn ʿArabī’s eschatology, no saint after Jesus will surpass him – “Jesus is the highest in rank among the saints, and there is no saint after him except from among his followers”ibnarabisociety.org. This means Jesus’s return marks the culmination of walāya: he will be the supreme saintly guide for the final epoch, leading humanity in purity and truth but without introducing any new prophetic lawibnarabisociety.orgmaypoleofwisdom.com. Ibn ʿArabī even asserts that Jesus will undergo two resurrections on the Day of Judgment – “one resurrection with the prophets as a prophet, and another resurrection with the community of Muḥammad as a saint”ibnarabisociety.org – highlighting that Jesus straddles both roles, but in the latter days he functions primarily as a saintly figure. Major scholars of Ibn ʿArabī’s school have echoed this point: for instance, Michel Chodkiewicz explains that Ibn ʿArabī regards Jesus as the “Seal of general sainthood”, the final friend of God who embodies sanctity at the end of time, whereas Muḥammad remains the Seal of Prophethoodmaypoleofwisdom.com. William Chittick and James Morris likewise emphasize that in Ibn ʿArabī’s doctrine the door of walāya (intimate friendship with God) remains open after Muḥammad, allowing for Jesus’s return in a non-prophetic capacity – as a perfected saint who upholds the Muhammadan truthreddit.comibnarabisociety.org.

In summary, Ibn ʿArabī believed that Jesus’s second coming will be a real, bodily return at the end of time, not merely a symbolic event. However, he carefully reframes Jesus’s role as that of a walī (saint) rather than a nabī (prophet). Jesus will physically descend in the latter days – Ibn ʿArabī accepts this literally – but Jesus will do so as a follower of Prophet Muḥammad, reviving justice and spirituality within the framework of Islamibnarabisociety.orgquestionsonislam.com. Ibn ʿArabī’s own writings and their later commentators make clear that this view preserves Muḥammad’s finality while still according Jesus a place of highest honor in the cosmic drama. As the Seal of the Saints, Jesus’s return fulfills a spiritual function (culminating the cycle of sanctity) rather than introducing any new prophecy or scriptureglutenfreedairyfreewithasideofpsychosis.wordpress.commaypoleofwisdom.com. Thus, in Ibn ʿArabī’s vision, Jesus comes again “in the station of sanctity” – a divinely guided saint-king under Muḥammad’s banner – not as an independent prophet with a new law. This nuanced understanding allows Ibn ʿArabī to fully affirm the Second Coming and Jesus’s lofty status, while upholding the Islamic doctrine that Muḥammad is the final prophet and ultimate lawgiverreddit.comibnarabisociety.org.

Sources: Ibn ʿArabī, al-Futūḥāt al-Makkiyya (Meccan Openings) III:175–76 (Othman ed., on Jesus’s rank among saints)ibnarabisociety.org; Fuṣūṣ al-Ḥikam (Bezels of Wisdom), Chapter “Wisdom of Prophecy in the Word of Jesus” (on Jesus as Spirit and his eschatological mission)glutenfreedairyfreewithasideofpsychosis.wordpress.com. Souad Hakim, “The Spirit and the Son of the Spirit – A Reading of Jesus according to Ibn ʿArabī” (JMIAS XXXI, 2002) – analysis of Jesus as Seal of Walāyaibnarabisociety.orgibnarabisociety.org. Michel Chodkiewicz, Seal of the Saints: Prophethood and Sainthood in the Doctrine of Ibn ʿArabī (trans. 1993) – on the “Three Seals” (Muhammad’s final prophethood, Jesus’s sanctity, etc.)maypoleofwisdom.com. William Chittick (trans.), The Meccan Revelationsibnarabisociety.org and The Sufi Path of Knowledge – highlighting Ibn ʿArabī’s view that walāya endures after the seal of nubuwwareddit.com. James Morris, “Ibn ʿArabī’s Eschatology” – noting that Jesus returns as Muhammadan heir, not as a new prophet. These sources collectively illustrate Ibn ʿArabī’s literal-yet-spiritual interpretation of Jesus’s return: a physical descent of Jesus at the end of time, manifesting as a saintly leader within the Muhammadan Ummah, rather than a new prophet with a new religionquestionsonislam.comglutenfreedairyfreewithasideofpsychosis.wordpress.com.