Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Jesus is NOT dead and will come again - part 2

This article is to clarify some misunderstanding regarding second coming of Jesus. I wrote the article: "Jesus is NOT dead and will come again". It can be found http://khurshidimam.blogspot.in/2012/06/jesus-dead-or-alive.html

A sister posed some questions in response to my article - below is her question and my answer. It should be clear beyond doubt to all those who believe in Quran that Jesus is NOT dead and will come again.

Question 1.
O 'Îsa (Jesus)! I will take you and raise you to Myself and clear you of those who disbelieve, and I will make those who follow you superior to those who disbelieve till the Day of Resurrection. Then you will return to Me and I will judge between you in the matters in which you used to dispute." Quran, Surah Al-Imran 3:55

"raise you to Myself" - we believe that Allah is beyond space and time. not in the sky literally. then how can we take that 'raise' as a physical raise?
nay, God exalted him unto Himself - and God is indeed almighty, wise. -Quran 4:158
God exalted him unto Himself in the above verse denotes the elevation of Jesus to the realm of God's special grace - a blessing in which all prophets partake, as is evident from 19:57, where the verb rafa nahu ("We exalted him") is used with regard to the Prophet Idris
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Answer:
A. Re-reading 3:55 with correct translation- And (remember) when Allah said: "O 'Îsa (Jesus)! I will give you wafaat and raise you to myself and clear you of those who disbelieve, and I will make those who follow you superior to those who disbelieve till the Day of Resurrection. Then you will return to me and I will judge between you in the matters in which you used to dispute." Quran, Surah Al-Imran 3:55

No one is meaning here the Hindu concept of merging of AATMA into PARMAATMA. Of course Allah is beyond time and space but where this ayah is contradicting it? When Allah says he raised jesus unto him then does it mean Jesus MERGED into Allah!!! No. Jesus was taken - at least - out of this planet earth - so simple.

Let me give am example: Very often muslims say "Inna lillahe wa inna ilaihe rajeoun" (Quran 2:156) What does it means? Its simple translation is "'Surely we belong to God and to Him shall we return'"

Now with the phrase - "we belong to God and to Him shall we return" what does one mean? Can i say "We shall return to Allah; How can we PHYSICALLY go near to to or INTO Allah? How can we return to ALLAH when he is beyond time and space?" One will laugh at my argument. All we understand is that Allah sent us to this world and Allah took us away from this world. No one think that "to him we shall return" means actually, physically going unto Allah.

"Raise you to myself" means taking Jesus away - at least - from this world.

Now is u ask me "tell me where EXACTLY at what location Jesus was taken"; then i will humbly tell you " I don't know".

B. Also u forgot to point out another "mistake" in this ayah- This ayah 3:55 also says - "ilayya marjiʿukum" i.e "To me is your return". Here also can u say that "To me is your return" is referring to PHYSICALLY going to Allah when Allah is beyond time and space!!!!!!! See the irony. One part is saying "raising to Allah" and another part is saying "returning to Allah" but objection is only on first part!!!!! :)

None of two parts are telling that Returning or raising to Allah means PHYSICALLY going unto Allah.

C. The arabic word "warafiAAuka" does mean to RAISE. Most of the times it will be physical raising, like when Quran quotes Abraham and his son RAISING the kaba there also word RAFA is used. Similarly we use the word RAFIADAIN raising both hands in namaz. How and where Allah raised to Jesus we don't know. But for sure he raised him, its exact nature we may not know today. Just like we don’t know exactly how Jesus took birth without any male intervention. So if one cannot prove HOW Jesus could take birth without a father can one deny Jesus birth in a manner mentioned in Quran??????

D. This ayah is giving EXACT sequence of events believed by muslims for century and which is more logical and factual. Look at the chronological order of events:

O 'Îsa (Jesus)! I will give you wafaat and raise you to myself and clear you of those who disbelieve, and I will make those who follow you superior to those who disbelieve till the Day of Resurrection. Then you will return to me and I will judge between you in the matters in which you used to dispute. Quran 3:55. Look at the each term

1. O 'Îsa (Jesus)! I will give you wafaat - This happened around 2000 years back
2. raise you to myself - Happened immediately after event 1. He was raised - exactly how? We don't know.
3. clear you of those who disbelieve - Second coming of Jesus. He will clear his correct position, his correct teachings.He Will proclaim that he did not ask people to worship him.
4. I will make those who follow you superior to those who disbelieve till the Day of Resurrection - his followers will dominate TILL resurrection, he and his followers will defeat dajjal. Then Qiyamah will come.
5. Then you will return to me - everyone will be returned to Allah. Everyone will be raised up again.
6. I will judge between you in the matters in which you used to dispute - On judgement day Allah will make clear to everyone what was right and what was wrong. Those Christians who worshipped him will realize that they were wrong in faith.

Does not above chronological events sound logical and factual?

E. Last but not least - If u look at the universe then our earth is just a negligible spherical entity.
Anything that is going outside this earth - will be referred as RAISING
Anything that is going inside or towards this Earth - will be referred as FALLING or GOING DOWN
So when Jesus is going out of this earth (at any place in this immense universe or if he is being converted into energy outside this earth - Allah knows the best) then obviously word "RAISED UP" is the most appropriate. Alhamdulillah Quran uses the terms that puzzle us!!!!!!

So Jesus was raised up means he was taken away from this earth.
Remember - his coming to earth and going away from earth - both are miracles. Though you agree with the first part but deny second part.
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Question 2. Jesus was not killed or crucified as planned by the Jews. i wonder if there's any muslim who claims otherwise....i.e. that jews had killed him??
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Answer: U r right - no muslim believe that Jesus was KILLED by Jews. But Christians DO believe in this. Actually ur words answer ur many questions. This is 4:157 and if u read 4:157-159 then we get everything crystal clear.
Answer to this question will be clearer in next argument.

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Question 3. And there is none of the People of the Scripture, but surely he believes in him, before his death. And on the Day of Resurrection, he will be a witness against them (Quran, Surah Nisa 4:159)

In your words 'It means that there will be no Jews / Christians left before the death of Jesus who will NOT believe in him, his real status, and his real teachings. In simple words all Christians will accept the real faith regarding Jesus i.e. real teachings of Jesus which is nothing but islam."
If ppl believed in 'Jesus' why should be a witness AGAINST them? Is jesus AGAINST muslims?!
the earlier verses are talking about crucifixion, so the 'bihi' which you translated as 'him', should be 'IT'. meaning crucifixion.....and we know that Christians and Jews do believe in death by crucifixion.
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Answer
A> Explaining the meaning of the word "bihi" a site says - "The seventh word of verse (4:159) is divided into 2 morphological segments. A preposition and personal pronoun. The prefixed preposition bi is usually translated as "with" or "by". The personal pronoun is third person masculine singular. Together the segments form a preposition phrase known as jār wa majrūr (جار ومجرور). bihi - in him " So the word "BIHI" means IN HIM and not in it.

B> Just read 4:157-159 everything is clear.
4:157 - Allah makes clear that Jesus was not killed or crucified.

This information is meant MORE for those Christians who believe in otherwise. Those jews thought that they had killed Jesus. Today’s Christians also believe that Jesus died on the cross. This disbelief will continue till...... 4:159 answers

4:158 - He was RAISED up by Allah.
Precisely when he was raised? I don't know!! How EXACTLY he was raised? I don’t know!!
To which location he was raised? I don't know!!

Look at the last 4 words at the end of this ayah."wakāna l-lahu ʿazīzan ḥakīman" - And Allah is Almighty All wise. Probably these 4 arabic words also refer to the truth of Jesus-being-raised-up. Allah is telling that he is almighty. You may think it is difficult to raise Jesus - but Allah is Almighty. You may wonder why he raised jesus - Allah is all wise. Subhan Allah!!!! After telling that jesus was raised up - IMMEDIATELY ALLAH tells that Allah is Almighty and All wise.

4:159 - And there is none of the People of the Scripture, but surely he believes in him, before his death. And on the Day of Resurrection, he will be a witness against them.
Before death of Jesus no ahle kitab will be left who will not believe in Jesus - his real teachings.
On the day of resurrection jesus will be a witness against those JEWS and CHRISTIANS who believed in his death-at-cross (refer to 4:157)

Reading IN CONTEXT we refer 4:157-159 and it is clear that Jesus will be witness against those Christians and Jews who will have wrong belief regarding him. What was the wrong belief? This is answered in 4:157 that "Jesus was killed'.

4:157 is saying that this is wrong belief that Jesus was killed. 4:159 is saying that Jesus will be a witness against those people. Problem is that with the word "them" you are meaning those ahle kitab who will be his follower.

C> Probably none of scholars described "layu'minanna" as "believe in crucifixion" as u r pointing here. I believe u have taken this meaning from a particular site which is supporter of Jesus-is-dead theory. Just to prove its theory that site has given the WRONG meaning of "bihi". All scholars have taken the meaning of "layu'minanna" in reference to either as "believe in jesus before death of jesus" OR "believe in Jesus before death of ahle kitab".

Imam Ibn Jarir al-Tabari (d. 310) said in his Tafsir (6:18-21): "Commentators differ on the meaning of this verse (4:159), some saying that it means 'believe in `Isa before `Isa's death'." opinions:
1. It means before death of Jesus- Abd al-Razzaq (d. 211) in his Tafsir (1:177-178) cites reports from al-Kalbi, Qatada, and al-Hasan stating that it means "believe in `Isa before `Isa's death,". Ibn `Abbas, al-Hasan, Qatada, Abu Malik, and others Sufyan al-Thawri, Tafsir (p. 98) and al-Tabari in his Tafsir Ibn Kathir (d. 774) in his Tafsir (1:367):
2. It means before death of jew/christian- a report from Shahr ibn Hawshab that it means "believe in `Isa before the death of the Jew or Christian. Ubay, Mujahid (Tafsir 1:180-181), `Ikrima, al-Dahhak, al-Hasan, Muhammad ibn Sirin. al-Suyuti in al-Durr al-Manthur (2:733).
3. believe in Muhammad - blessings and peace upon him - before the death of the Jew or Christian- Ikrima

To say that "layu'minanna" refers to believe in crucifixion is absolutely absurd and falsehood having no basis at all. Meaning given by you is grammatically incorrect.

D> There are hadees that describes a prophet and people being witness against people of a Prophet. Does it mean being witness against ALL people??? Obviously NOT. "Witness against those people" means people who will reject him; people who were wrongdoers. For example - refer to Sahih bukhari (Book #55, Hadith #555). Not going into detail of the hadees now.

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Question 4. O `Isa, son of Maryam! Did you say unto men: `Worship me and my mother as two gods besides Allah''' He will say: "Glory be to You! It was not for me to say what I had no right (to say). Had I said such a thing, You would surely have known it. You know what is in my inner self though I do not know what is in Yours, truly, You, only You, are the Knower of all that is hidden and unseen.''. "Never did I say to them ought except what You (Allah) did command me to say: `Worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord.' And I was a witness over them while I dwelled amongst them, but when You took me up , You were the Watcher over them, and you are a Witness to all things. Quran, Surah Maidah 5:116-117
According to you, "For centuries Jesus will be worshipped by Christians and only when he will come second time that they will stop worshipping me." but Quran doesn't say that :)
jesus says 'but when You took me up , You were the Watcher over them'. he should have completed the answer as "...but when i came down again, i saw them worshipping me, but i stopped that".
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Answer: Sister - again u r making the same mistake. Just tell me one simple thing - cannot Jesus be a witness against those people who worshipped him considering him God? Why he cannot be witness against those people. Don't you know that on qiyamah everyone will be held accountable for his deeds? Then why those Christians - who will worship Jesus as God (living on th earth between departure and second coming of jesus) - will not be told about their crime???

I think this answer u have borrowed from javed ghamdi sahab video :)))

5:116-117 is clearly referring to those Christians who worshipped him considering him to be God. Now how does this meaning contradict with the second coming of Jesus???
a. Jesus took birth on the earth. He preached islam. few followed him.
b. He departed from this world NOT died.
c. St.paul and Church made Jesus as divine and son of god. Those people who believed in this were on wrong path.
d. Jesus will appear again before the end of world and clear wrong concepts. Ahle kitab will believe in him

On the qiyamah, people described in point C will be referred as mentioned in 5:116-117

You quoted: jesus says 'but when You took me up , You were the Watcher over them'. he should have completed the answer as "...but when i came down again, i saw them worshipping me, but i stopped that".

Jesus will not say what u said because Jesus was not present with those Christians who worshipped him for centuries or may be for lakh of years. He would clarify his real status to ONLY those Christians who would be dwelling on the earth that time. How he will speak to dead Christians who had passed away? Do u means those Christians who worshipped him will not be held accountable?? :)

You quoted: according to you, "For centuries Jesus will be worshipped by Christians and only when he will come second time that they will stop worshipping me." but Quran doesn't say that :)
Please read 4:159 with the exact arabic word and u will find my statement true. If u r referring to wrong arabic meaning then i cannot help. :)
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Question 5. Soon will we SHOW THEM our Signs in the (furthest) regions (of the earth), and in their own souls (plural of NAFS), until it becomes manifest to them that this is the Truth. Is it not enough that thy Lord doth witness all things?" Quran, Surah Fusilat, 41:53
We will show them" or "make them see.....make them fully understand....i didn’t understand how u r connecting it to Jesus' second coming?
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Answer: Sister: This ayah i quoted to show that Sign of Allah will be presented to human being so much so that they believe that Allah is truth and so his teachings. it is not particular for jesus issue. You misunderstood. Today Quran is a sign of Allah. Everything around us is sign of Allah. Birth of jesus was sign of Allah and coming of Jesus will be sign of Allah.

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