FAQ in the category of Prophet Jesus

1 Why did the Quran not state clearly that Hz. Isa (Jesus) would come at the end of time?

It is clearly stated in many verses in the Quran that Hz. Isa will be sent down to the earth again before Doomsday.  

Evidences from the Quran

Evidence I

"... I will make those who follow thee superior to those who reject faith, to the Day of Resurrection..."

The first verse containing signs that Hz. Isa will come down to the earth again is verse 55 of the chapter of  Aal-i Imran:

"Behold! Allah said: "O Jesus! I will take thee and raise thee to Myself and clear thee (of the falsehoods) of those who blaspheme; I will make those who follow thee superior to those who reject faith, to the Day of Resurrection: Then shall ye all return unto me, and I will judge between you of the matters wherein ye dispute." (Aal-i Imran, 3/55)

Allah mentions the existence of a group that will be superior to deniers up to the Day of Resurrection and that really follows Hz. Isa. When Hz. Isa was alive, the number of his followers were very few. After he was raised to the presence of Allah, a quick degeneration started in the religion. Those who believed in Hz. Isa underwent severe oppression for two centuries after his death. Besides, they did not have any political power. Therefore, we cannot say that the Christians that lived in the past were superior to deniers and that this verse is related to them.   

We see that Christianity moved away from its essence today and that it was transformed into a religion different from the true religion that Hz. Isa conveyed. Most of the Christians adopted the wrong belief that Hz. Isa was Allah's son and accepted the doctrine of trinity (Father, Son, Holy Spirit). In that case, we cannot accept today’s Christians, who moved away from the origin of the religion very much, as those who follow Hz. Isa because Allah states in many verses in the Quran that those who believe in "trinity" are in denial:

"They do blaspheme who say: Allah is one of three in a Trinity: for there is no god except One Allah..." (al-Maida, 5/73)

In that case, the statement "I will make those who follow thee superior to those who reject faith, to the Day of Resurrection" has a clear sign. There must be a group that follows Hz. Isa and that will live to the Day of Resurrection. Such a group will definitely emerge when Hz. Isa comes down to the earth. Those who follow this blessed person when he comes to the world again will be superior to deniers up to the Day of Resurrection.

Besides, the statement "...Then shall ye all return unto me..." at the end of the verse is also remarkable. After stating that He will make those who follow superior to deniers up to the Day of Resurrection, Allah states that all of them including Hz. Isa will return to Him. "Their returning to Allah" is understood as their death. It can be a sign that Hz. Isa will die after he comes down to the earth before Doomsday.

Evidence II

"... There is none but must believe in him before his death..."

Allah states the following in verse 159 of the chapter of an-Nisa coming after verses 156-158.

"And there is none of the People of the Book but must believe in him before his death; and on the Day of Judgment he will be a witness against them." (an-Nisa, 4/159)

The statement "And there is none but must believe in him before his death" in the verse above is quite remarkable. The Arabic original of the statement is as follows: "... Wa in min ahlil kitabi illa layu'minanne bihi qable mawtihi"

Some tafsir scholars think the pronoun "hu (hi)" in the verse refers to the Quran instead of Hz. Isa and interpret it as the People of the Book will believe in the Quran before their death. However, in the two verses before this verse, the pronoun "hu" is definitely used for Hz. Isa:

An-Nisa, verse 157:

"That they said (in boast), "We killed Christ Jesus the son of Mary, the Messenger of Allah";- but they killed him not, nor crucified him, but so it was made to appear to them, and those who differ therein are full of doubts, with no (certain) knowledge, but only conjecture to follow, for of a surety they killed him not:-."

An-Nisa, verse 158:

"Nay, Allah raised him up unto Himself; and Allah is Exalted in Power, Wise."

There is no evidence showing that the pronoun "hu" used in the verse that comes immediately after them refers to a being other than Hz. Isa.

An-Nisa, verse 159:

"And there is none of the People of the Book but must believe in him before his death; and on the Day of Judgment he will be a witness against them."

On the other hand, the statement "and on the Day of Judgment he will be a witness against them" is also quite important. It is stated in the Quran that on the Day of Judgment, the tongue, hands and feet of man (an-Nur, 24, Yasin, 65), his sense of hearing and seeing, and his skin, (Fussilat, 20-23) will be witnesses against him. There is no verse about the witnessing of the Quran. If it is accepted that the first sentence – though there is no evidence in terms of the sentence structure and the verses coming one after another – indicates the Quran, it will be claimed that the pronoun "hu" used in the second sentence refers to the Quran. However, Allah does not give us any information regarding the issue in the Quran. (Allah knows best.)

When we look at the verses of the Quran, we see that when the same pronoun refers to the Quran (at-Tariq Suresi, 13; at-Takwir, 19; an-Naml, 77 and ash-Shuara, 192-196), we see that the Quran is definitely mentioned before or after the verse. It can be wrong to say that this verse describes the Quran if the Quran is not mentioned in the verse, before the verse or after the verse. The verse clearly mentions belief in Hz. Isa and the witnessing of those who believe in him.

The second point we will mention about the meaning of the verse is related to the interpretation of the phrase “before his death”. Some scholars think this phrase means belief by "the People of the Book before their death". According to this interpretation, everybody from the People of the Book will believe in Hz. Isa before their death. The Jews, who are included in the definition of the People of the Book, did not believe in him during his lifetime; in addition, they set a trap to kill him. Then, they thought they killed him and continued their denial. The same thing is valid for the Jews today because they do not accept Hz. Isa as a prophet; millions of Jews, who are from the People of the Book, lived and died without believing in Hz. Isa. Therefore, what is indicated in the verse is the death of Hz. Isa, the People of the Book. In conclusion, the truth that the verses show us is as follows: "All of the People of the Book will believe in Hz. Isa before his death."

When the verse is considered in its real sense, we see clear facts: Firstly, it is clear that the future is meant by the verse because the death of Hz. Isa is in question. However, he did not die and was raised to the presence of Allah. Hz. Isa will come to the world again, and live and die like everybody. Secondly, all of the People of the Book are to believe in Hz. Isa. It is something that is stated to take place definitely. Therefore, the person indicated by the phrase "before his death" is Hz. Isa. The People of the Book will see and know him, obey him as Muslims and Hz. Isa will witness about their state in the hereafter. (Allah knows best.)

Evidence III

"And (Jesus) shall be a Sign (for the coming of) the Hour (of Judgment)..."

Another verse about Hz. Isa's returning to the earth is verse 61 of the chapter of az-Zukhruf. Hz. Isa is mentioned beginning from verse 57 of this chapter:

"When (Jesus) the son of Mary is held up as an example, behold, thy people raise a clamour thereat (in ridicule)! And they say, "Are our gods best, or he?" This they set forth to thee, only by way of disputation: yea, they are a contentious people. He was no more than a servant: We granted Our favour to him, and We made him an example to the Children of Israel. And if it were Our Will, We could make angels from amongst you, succeeding each other on the earth." (az-Zukhruf, 43/57-60)

Verse 61, which comes immediately after those verses, states that Hz. Isa a sign (knowledge) for the Hour (Doomsday):

"And (Jesus) shall be a Sign (for the coming of) the Hour (of Judgment): therefore have no doubt about the (Hour), but follow ye Me: this is a Straight Way." (az-Zukhruf, 43/61)

We can say that this verse has a clear sign of Hz. Isa’s return to the earth because Hz. Isa lived about six centuries before the Quran was sent down. Therefore, we cannot understand this first life as a “Sign (for the coming of) the Hour (of Judgment)”. The meaning the verse indicates that Hz. Isa will return to the earth at the end of time, that is, the last time period before Doomsday and the it will be a sign of Doomsday. (Allah knows best.)

The original Arabic form of the phrase "And (Jesus) shall be a Sign (for the coming of) the Hour (of Judgment)" in the verse is as follows: "Innahu la ilmun lissaati."

Some scholars say the pronoun "hu" in the verse indicate the Quran. However, as it is mentioned above, when the pronoun "hu", that is, "it", is used for the Quran, there are definitely other statements mentioning the Quran before, after or in the verse. The Quran is not indicated with the pronoun "hu" while mentioning something else. Besides, when the verse before it is viewed, it will be seen clearly that the pronoun hu is used for Hz. Isa:

"He was no more than a servant: We granted Our favour to him, and We made him an example to the Children of Israel." (az-Zukhruf, 43/59)

Those who say this pronoun refers to the Quran show the phrase "therefore have no doubt about the (Hour), but follow ye Me" that follows in the verse as evidence. However, the verses before this statement mention Hz. Isa. Therefore, it is more appropriate for the pronoun "hu" to refer to the previous verses. As a matter of fact, great Islamic scholars explain this pronoun as Hz. Isa based on verses and sound hadiths. The issue is explained as follows in the tafsir of Elmalılı Hamdi Yazır:

"It is definite that he is a sign for the hour – an evidence and sign stating that the hour will come and that the dead will revive and stand. For, Hz. Isa is an evidence for Doomsday in terms of his emergence, his miracle of reviving the dead and informing about the revival of the dead; and he is a sign of Doomsday as it is mentioned in hadiths." 2

Evidence IV

"...And Allah will teach him the Book and Wisdom, the Law and the Gospel..."

Other verses indicating the second coming of Hz. Isa are as follows:  

"Behold! the angels said: "O Mary! Allah giveth thee glad tidings of a Word from Him: his name will be Christ Jesus, the son of Mary, held in honour in this world and the Hereafter and of (the company of) those nearest to Allah; "He shall speak to the people in childhood and in maturity. And he shall be (of the company) of the righteous." She said: "O my Lord! How shall I have a son when no man hath touched me?" He said: "Even so: Allah createth what He willeth: When He hath decreed a plan, He but saith to it, ´Be,´ and it is! "And Allah will teach him the Book and Wisdom, the Law and the Gospel." (Aal-i Imran, 3/45-48)

It is stated in the verse that Allah will teach Hz. Isa the Book and Wisdom, the Law and the Gospel. It is definitely important what is meant by the Book. The same expression exists in verse 110 of the chapter of al-Maida too:

"Then will Allah say: "O Jesus the son of Mary! Recount My favour to thee and to thy mother. Behold! I strengthened thee with the holy spirit, so that thou didst speak to the people in childhood and in maturity. Behold! I taught thee the Book and Wisdom, the Law and the Gospel and behold..." (al-Maida, 5/110)

When we analyze the phrase "the Book" mentioned in both verses, we will see that it indicates the Quran. It is stated in the verses that the last true book sent down other than the Torah and the Gospel is the Quran. (The Psalms sent down to Hz. Dawud are included in the Old Testament.) In addition, the phrase "the Book" is used in order to indicate the Quran along with the words the Gospel and the Torah in other verses of the Quran:

"Allah! There is no god but He,-the Living, the Self-Subsisting, Eternal. It is He Who sent down to thee (step by step), in truth, the Book, confirming what went before it; and He sent down the Law (of Moses) and the Gospel (of Jesus) before this..." (Aal-i Imran, 3/2-3)

The other verses in which the word the Book indicates the Quran are as follows:

"And when there comes to them a Book from Allah, confirming what is with them,- although from of old they had prayed for victory against those without Faith,- when there comes to them that which they (should) have recognized, they refuse to believe in it but the curse of Allah is on those without Faith." (al-Baqara, 2/89)

"A similar (favour have ye already received) in that We have sent among you a Messenger of your own, rehearsing to you Our Signs, and sanctifying you, and instructing you in Scripture and Wisdom, and in new knowledge." (al-Baqara, 2/151)

In that case, we can think that the third “Book” to be taught to Hz. Isa is the Quran and it can be possible only when Hz. Isa returns to the world at the end of time. For, Hz. Isa lived 600 years before the Quran was sent down. As we will see in detail soon, it is stated in the hadiths of the Prophet (pbuh) that when Hz. Isa comes to the world second time, he will decree by the Quran, not the Gospel. This complies with the meaning in the verse. (Allah definitely knows best.)

Evidence V

" The similitude of Jesus before Allah is as that of Adam..."

"The similitude of Jesus before Allah is as that of Adam..." (Aal-i Imran, 3/59)

The verse above might indicate the return of Hz. Isa. Tafsir scholars generally attract attention to the fact that this verse indicates the characteristic that both prophets were fatherless, that Hz. Adam was created upon Allah's order "Be" from soil and that Hz. Isa was born without a father with His order "Be". However, the verse might also indicate something else. Hz. Isa will be sent down to the earth from the presence of Allah at the end of time as Hz. Adam was sent down to the earth from Paradise. (Allah knows best.)

Evidence VI

"... So peace is on me the day I was born, the day that I die..."

Another verse expressing the death of Hz. Isa is included in the chapter of Maryam:  

"So peace is on me the day I was born, the day that I die, and the day that I shall be raised up to life (again)" (Maryam, 19/33)

When this verse is analyzed together with verse 55 of the chapter of Aal-i Imran, it will be seen that it indicates a very important fact. It is stated in the verse in the chapter of Aal-i Imran that Hz. Isa was raised to the presence of Allah. No information is given in this verse about dying or being killed. This second death can only be possible after Hz. Isa’s coming to the world for the second time and dying after living for a while. (Allah knows best.)

Evidence VII

"... thou didst speak to the people in childhood and in maturity..."

Another evidence about Hz. Isa’s coming to the world again is the word "kahlan (in maturity)" mentioned in verse 110 of the chapter of al-Maida and verse 46 of the chapter of Aal-i Imran. The verses are as follows:

"Then will Allah say: ‘O Jesus the son of Mary! Recount My favor to thee and to thy mother. Behold! I strengthened thee with the holy spirit, so that thou didst speak to the people in childhood and in maturity.’" (al-Maida, 5/110)

"He shall speak to the people in childhood and in maturity. And he shall be (of the company) of the righteous." (Aal-i Imran, 3/46)

This word is used only in two places in the Quran and only for Hz. Isa. The meaning of the word "kahlan" used in order to describe the maturity of Hz. Isa means "between the ages of thirty and fifty, having finished the period of youth and about to enter old-age; a person who has reached maturity" This word is unanimously translated as "after the age of 35 " by Islamic scholars.

Acting upon the hadith narrated from Ibn Abbas stating that Hz. Isa was raised to the sky at a young age, at the beginning of thirties and that he will stay on the earth for forty years after he is sent down to the earth again, Islamic scholars say Hz. Isa’s period of maturity will be after his second coming and hence this word is an evidence about Hz. Isa's coming down to the earth. 3 (Allah knows best.)

When the verses mentioned above are analyzed carefully, it is easily understood that this interpretation of the Islamic scholars is appropriate. When the verses of the Quran are viewed, it will be seen that this expression is used only for Hz. Isa. All prophets talked to people and called them to the religion. They all fulfilled the duty of conveying the message at a mature age. However, this expression is not used for any other prophet in the Quran. This expression is used only for Hz. Isa in order to expresses his miraculous state. For, the phrases "fil mahdi (in the cradle)" and "kahlan (in maturity)" following each other in the verses attract attention to two miraculous times.

As a matter of fact, Imam Tabari explains the expressions mentioned in those verses as follows: 

"Those expressions (al-Maida, 110) indicate that Hz. Isa will come down from the sky in order to complete his life and talk to people in the period of his maturity. For, he was raised to the sky at a young age. In this verse (Aal-i Imran, 46), there is evidence that Hz. Isa is alive and Ahl as-Sunnah holds this view. For, it is stated in the verse that he will talk to people when he gets old. He will get old only when he comes down to the earth from the sky." 7

The explanations of the word "kahlan" indicates Hz. Isa’s coming to the world again like the other information in the Quran does. (Allah knows best.)

All of those explanations show that Hz. Isa will come down to the earth again at the end of time and lead people to Islam, the true religion. This is definitely a great glad tiding, mercy and boon of Allah to believers. The responsibility of believers is to defend and support Hz. Isa and to practice the ethics of the Quran, to which he calls people, in the best way.

Evidences from Hadiths

The Prophet (pbuh) gave very important information about Hz. Isa’s return to the earth and the incidents that will take place before and after he returns in hadiths. The information the Prophet (pbuh) gave about the future is news of "ghayb (the unseen/unknown)". Allah states in the verses that He will give news about ghayb to His messengers that He wishes:

"He (alone) knows the Unseen, nor does He make any one acquainted with His Mysteries,- "Except a messenger whom He has chosen: and then He makes a band of watchers march before him and behind him." (Jinn, 72/26-27)

Our Lord states in the chapter of al-Fath that He gave Hz. Muhammad information through his dreams:

"Truly did Allah fulfil the vision for His Messenger: ye shall enter the Sacred Mosque, if Allah wills, with minds secure, heads shaved, hair cut short, and without fear. For He knew what ye knew not, and He granted, besides this, a speedy victory." (al-Fath, 48/27)

As it is seen in the verse, our Lord gave the Prophet (pbuh) various news about ghayb. This news is a great support and help of Allah to the Prophet (pbuh) and the righteous believers with him.
The Prophet (pbuh) gave a lot of news about the signs of Doomsday acting upon what Allah informed him. Hz. Isa’s coming to the world for the second time at the end of time has an important place in the news about the future given by the Prophet (pbuh). Narrations about the end of time are included in the most reliable hadith resources like all of Kutub as-Sitta books, which are resources of sound hadiths, Imam Malik's Muwatta, Ibn Huzayma and Ibn Hibban's Sahihs, and Ibn Hanbal and Tayalisi's Musnads. According to what we learn from these resources, the Prophet (pbuh) made special explanations about Hz. Isa. The issue of Hz. Isa’s second coming is included in the science of hadith as an issue in the level of "tawatur" (strong news).

The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) states in his hadiths that the ethics of the religion will be dominant over the whole world and that peace, justice and welfare will prevail all over the world at the end of time. The Prophet (pbuh) gives us the glad tiding that this domination will be realized by Hz. Isa, who will unite the Christian world and the Islamic world. Today, the state of the communities caused by the practices of anti-religious philosophy is obvious. Many problems like immorality, drugs, terror and famine make it necessary for the Christian world and the Islamic world to unite. The current social structure of the world makes it obligatory to establish an Islamic-Christian alliance. If the effect of the Christianity on the developed countries of the world at the level of leaders is considered, the effectiveness of an Islamic-Christian alliance to be formed in near future will be seen clearly.  

The hadiths reported about the advent of Hz. Isa (Jesus) are at the level of tawatur

The hadiths reported about the advent of Jesus are at the level of tawatur. Many researchers report that our scholars hold this view. The definition of tawatur in the dictionary is as follows:

Tawatur: Strong news: strong news which has no possibility of containing lies and which is reported by a group.5

Islamic scholar Sayyid Sharif Jurjani explains the concept of tawatur hadith as follows:

Khabar mutawatir is news that is reported by so many people that it is impossible for all of them to agree on a wrong piece of news. If both the words and the meaning of the news are the same, it is called "mutawatir lafzi" (words). if the meaning is the same but there are some differences among the words, it is called "mutawatir manawi" (meaning).6

Writing a special book called at Tasrih bi-ma Tawatara fi Nuzuli'l Masih regarding hadiths stating the advent of Jesus in the form of tawatur, Sheikh Muhammad Anwar al Kashmiri, the great hadith scholar, included seventy-five hadiths and twenty-five works of the Companions and those who saw the Companions.

One of the most important scholars mentioning that Jesus will come is Abu Hanifa. Abu Hanifa, writes the following at the end of his book called al-Fiqh al-Akbar:

"The emergence of Dajjal (Anti-Christ), Yajuj (Gog) , Majuj (Magog) , the descent of Jesus and other signs of Doomsday are true as they are mentioned in sound hadiths and they will take place."7

The issue of Jesus descending on the earth is one of the ten major signs of Doomsday; many Islamic scholars dealt with the issue in detail in their books. When the explanations regarding the issue are evaluated in detail, it will clearly be seen that there is unanimity among Islamic scholars about the second advent of Jesus. For instance, as-Saffarini states in his book called Lawami that Islamic scholars unanimously agree on the issue as follows:

"The whole ummah agrees that Jesus, son of Mary, will descend. No people of sharia disagree about it."8

Sayyid Alusi, the great Islamic scholar, gives examples from the views of the other Islamic scholars and states that they unanimously agree that the news about the descent of Jesus is at the level of tawatur manawi in his tafsir called Ruhu'l Maani and that it is wajib to believe in the descent of Jesus.9

Imam Kawthari states his views on the descent of Jesus as follows:

"The tawatur regarding the descent of Jesus in hadiths is "tawatur manawi." Each one of the sahih (sound) and hasan (nice) hadiths indicate different meanings but all of them unanimously agree that Jesus will descend on the earth; it is a reality that cannot be denied by anyone who is interested in the science of hadith. That the hadiths regarding the emergence of Dajjal and the descent of Jesus are at the level of tawatur is not something that is doubted by the people of the science of hadith. Some scholars of kalam (belief) accept that it is wajib to believe in the hadiths related to the signs of Doomsday but they have some doubts whether some of those hadiths are mutawatir or not; this originates from having insufficient knowledge related to the science of hadith."10

After interpreting the relevant verses and explaining the hadiths, the scholar Ibn Kathir expresses his thought as follows:

"They were reported from the Messenger of Allah as mutawatir;  it is explained in those hadiths how and where Jesus will descend. The sound and mutawatir hadiths regarding the descent of Jesus with his body are not suitable for interpreting differently. Therefore, anyone who has a little belief and conscience needs to believe that Jesus will descend on the earth. Only those who are opposite the sharia, the book of Allah, the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah and the consensus of Ahl as-Sunnah can deny it."11

Another explanation that those hadiths are mutawatir is as follows:

Shawkani says the number of hadiths stating that Jesus will descend amounts to twenty nine and he reports all of them one by one Then, he says,

"As it is seen, the hadiths we have reported have reached the level of tawatur. With this statement, it can be concluded that the hadiths related to the expected Mahdi, Dajjal and the descent of Jesus are mutawatir."12

Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, Bazzaz, Ibn Majah, Hakim, Tabarani and Abu Ya'la Musuli report hadiths from various Companions regarding the issue; they attributed them to Ali, Ibn Abbas, Ibn Umar, Talha, Ibn Mas'ud Abu Hurayara, Anas, Abu Sa'id Khudri, Umm Habiba, Umm Salama, Thawban, Qurra bin Iyas, Ali Hilali and Abdullah bin Harith bin Juza through some chains.13 Along with them, Ibn Hajar Haythami writes in his book called as-Sawaiq-ul Muhriqa, Shablanji in his book Nur-ul Absar, Ibn Sabbagh in al-Fusul-ul Muhimma, Muhammad as-Sabban in Is'af-ur Raghibin,  Ghanji ash-Shafii in al-Bayan, Sheikh Mansur Ali in Ghayat-ul Ma'mul, Suwaydi in Sabaiq-udh Dhahab that the hadiths regarding the advent of Jesus are mutawatir.

Hadith scholars of Ahl as-Sunnah wrote those hadiths in their books. For instance, Abu Dawud, Ahmad, Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah, Hakim, Nasai, Tabarani, Rawyani, Abu Nuaym Isfahani, Daylami, Bayhaqi, Tha'labi, Hamawayni, Manawi, Ibn Maghazili, Ibn Jawzi, Muhammad-us Sabban, Mawardi, Ghanji ash-Shafii, Sam'ani, Kharazmi, Sha'rani, Daraqutni, Ibni Sabbagh Maliki, Shablanji, Muhibbuddin Tabari, Ibn Hajar Haythami, Sheikh Mansur Ali Nasif, Muhammad b. Talha, Jalaladdin Suyuti, Sheikh Sulayman Hanafi, Qurtubi, Baghawi and other scholars included this issue in their books.

Sheikh Abdulfattah Abu Ghudda, states that hadiths mentioning that Jesus will descend and kill Dajjal are mutawatir.14 In his book called Nazmu'l-Mutanasır 15, hadith scholar Kattani writes, "The descent of Jesus is definite by the Book, Sunnah and the consensus of the ummah; the hadiths about Dajjal and Mahdi are mutawatir." In his tafsir book called al Bahru'l Muhit, tafsir scholar Ibn Atiyya al Ghirnadi al Andulusi writes, "The ummah has consensus that Jesus is alive and that he will descend on the earth at the end of time; the hadiths regarding the issue are mutawatir."

It is understood from the narrations of the writers who have books regarding the issue that hadith resources are very rich. Besides, the hadiths stating that the descent of Jesus is one of the signs of Doomsday that will appear at the end of time are present in major hadith resources like Bukhari and Muslim. Some of them are as follows:

"Doomsday will not strike unless you see ten signs. One of them is the descent of Jesus..." (Muslim, Kitabu-l Fitan: 39)

"By Allah, Maryam's (Mary's) son (Jesus) will descend in order to perform hajj or umrah or both of them." (Muslim, Hajj: 216, 1252)

"Doomsday will not strike unless ten signs are seen: Smoke, Dajjal, Dabbatu'l Ard, the sun rising in the west; Jesus descending on earth  ..." (Rudani, Büyük Hadis Külliyatı, Volume 5 p. 362)

"I swear by Allah in whose hand is my soul that Jesus, son of Mary, will descend as the owner of justice soon..." [Bukhari, Kitabu'l-Buyu': 102, Mazalim: 31, Anbiya 49; Muslim, İman: 242 (155); Abu Dawud, Malahim: 14 (4324); Tirmidhi, Fitan: 54 (2234)]

"Jesus will descend; their leader will say to him, 'Come and lead the prayer.' He will say, 'Some of you are leaders for some of you. This is Allah's grace and generosity for this ummah. " (Rudani, Büyük Hadis Külliyatı, Volume 5 p. 380)

"By Allah, Maryam's (Mary's) son (Jesus) will descend as a fair judge and sultan..." (Sahih Muslim bi Sharhin-Nawawi, Wolume 2, p.192; Kanzul Ummal, Kitabul-Iman, Bab Nuzulu Isa Ibn Maryam, 14/332)

"When Maryam's son will descend on you while you have a leader among you, what will you be like?" (Bukhari, Anbiya 50, 3265, 3/1272; Muslim, Iman: 71, 155, 1/136; Bayhaqi, Asma wa Sifat: 3265, 2/166)

Islamic scholars regard the issue of the descent of Jesus as an issue of creed.

In almost of Ahl as-Sunnah books that explain belief issues, it is stated that Jesus will descend on the earth before Doomsday, that he will struggle against Dajjal and kill him and that he will make religious ethics dominant in the world. Evaluating the evidence in the Quran and the news in the hadiths together, Islamic scholars regarded belief in the second advent of Jesus as an important principle of belief. They explain the issue as follows:

1. Allah states the following in verse 157 of the chapter of an-Nisa: "... but they killed him not, nor crucified him, but so it was made to appear to them..." Along with this verse, in several other verses of the Quran, it is stated that Jesus is alive in the presence of Allah and it is indicated that he will come to the world for the second time. Islamic scholars unanimously say that it is not possible to claim the opposite. For instance, while interpreting this verse, Ibn Khazm says, "A person who says Jesus was killed will be regarded as a person who has exited the religion of Islam or who has become an unbeliever. " 16

2. It is very important evidence for Muslims that the hadiths related to the second advent of Jesus are at the level of tawatur and that they are very clear without giving rise to any doubts. Besides, there is not even one hadith that can be used against the hadiths regarding the issue, that is, stating that Jesus will not come for the second time.

3. The following hadith reported by Jabir Ibn Abdullah is other evidence used by Islamic scholars: "A person who denies the advent of Mahdi definitely denies what has been sent down to Muhammad (pbuh). A person who denies the descent of Jesus, son of Mary, definitely becomes an unbeliever. A person who does not accept that Dajjal will emerge is definitely an unbeliever." This hadith is included in famous Islamic resource books like Faslul Khitab by Sheikh Hajah Muhammad Parisa, Maanil Ahbar by Sheikh Abu Bakr al Kalabazi', ar-Rawdul Unuf by Imam Suhayli and al-Arful Wardi fi Akhbaril Mahdi by Imam Suyuti. Besides, Sheikh Abu Bakr mentions the chain of this hadith: "It was reported to us by Muhammad Ibn Hasan, to him by Abu Abdillah al-Husayn Ibn Muhammad, to him by Ismail Ibn Uways, to him by Malik Ibn Anas, to him by Muhammad Ibn Munkadir and to him by Jabir Ibn Abdillah."

4. Islamic scholars attract attention to the multitude and reliability of the narrators of those hadiths. Some of the narrators are as follows: Abu'l Ashas as-Sanani, Abu Rafi, Abul Aliya, Abu Umama al-Bahili, Abud Darda, Abu Hurayra, Abu Malik al-Khudri, Jabir Ibn Abdillah, Huzayfa Ibn Adis, Safina, Qatada, Uthman Ibnul As, Nafi Ibn Kaysani, Walid Ibn Muslim, Ammar Ibn Yasir, Abdullah Ibn Abbas...

In conclusion, Islamic scholars regard belief in the descent of Jesus and that he will make the real religious ethics dominant in the world as one of the important principles of belief.

References:

1. Osmanlıca-Türkçe Ansiklopedik Büyük Lügat, Türdav, İstanbul, 2000, 3003
2. Mukhtasar Sayyid Sharif, p. 46
3. al-Fiqh al-Akbar, Abu Hanifa, Nu'man b. Thabit (150/767), Trnsl by: H. Basri Çantay, Ankara, 1982
4. Lawamiu'l Anwaril Bahiyya, as-Saffarini, 2/94-95; Nüzul-i Mesih Risalesi, Ahmet Mahmut Ünlü, Ekmel Yayıncılık, İstanbul, 1998, p.169
5. Ruhu'l Maani, Sayyid Alusi, 7/60; Nüzul-i Mesih Risalesi, Ahmet Mahmut Ünlü, Ekmel Yayıncılık, İstanbul, 1998, p. 168
6. Imam Kawthari, Nazratun Abira, p.44-49; Nüzul-i Mesih Risalesi, Ahmet Mahmut Ünlü, Ekmel Yayıncılık, İstanbul, 1998, p. 167-168
7. Ibn Kathir, 1/578-582; Awnu'l Mabud, 11/457-464
8. Sunan Ibn Majah, 10/338
9. Muqaddima, Ibn Khaldun, MEB Şark Islam Klasikleri, Volume 2 p. 137-139
10. Said Hawwa, 9: 445
11. Nazmu'l-mutanasir fi'l-hadithi'l-mutawatir, al-Kattani Abu'l-Fayd Muhammad b. Ja'far al-Hasani, Aleppo, p.147; İslam İnancı Açısından Nüzul-i İsa Meselesi, Dr. Zeki Sarıtoprak, Çağlayan Yayınları, İzmir, 1997, p.108
12. Ilmu'l-Kalam, Ibn Khazm, p. 56-57; İslam İnancı Açısından Nüzul-i İsa Meselesi, Dr. Zeki Sarıtoprak, Çağlayan Yayınları, İzmir, 1997, p.53
13. Muqaddima, Ibn Khaldun, MEB Şark Islam Klasikleri, Volume 2, p. 137-139
14. Said Hawwa, 9: 445
15. Nazmu'l-mutanasir fi'l-hadithi'l-mutawatir, al-Kattani Abu'l-Fayd Muhammad b. Ja'far al-Hasani, Aleppo, p.147; İslam İnancı Açısından Nüzul-i İsa Meselesi, Dr. Zeki Sarıtoprak, Çağlayan Yayınları, İzmir, 1997, p.108
16. Ilmu'l-Kalam, Ibn Khazm, p. 56-57; İslam İnancı Açısından Nüzul-i İsa Meselesi, Dr. Zeki Sarıtoprak, Çağlayan Yayınları, İzmir, 1997, p.53

2 What is the Divine decree of calling Jesus Christ (PBUH) or any other persons “God”?

We wish to indicate that today those who have this belief are few. Thinkers and many religious scholars in Christendom tend to the creed of the Unity of God Almighty. A great majority of people has chosen to live without a faith because of the dissatisfaction they experience with this kind of presentations; or those who look for the truth have found it in Islam.

In Europe and especially in America, the number of those who have chosen Islam each day is reaching hundreds and even thousands. But considering the fact that there might be this kind of people thinking like this, we need to answer your question briefly. Islam is a religion of Unity. It has been based upon the principle of there is no god but God (SWT). According to Islam, every creed contrasting with this principle is unbelief. This kind of belief means covering up the truth. According to Islam if any person dies on this false belief, they are not going to be forgiven and will eternally stay in hell in the hereafter.

Allah Almighty declares in Surah Al-Maidah as follows:

"In blasphemy indeed are those that say that Allah is Al-Masih the son of Miriam. Say, "Who then hath the least power against Allah, if His Will were to destroy Al-Masih the son of Miriam, his mother, and all, everyone that is on the earth? For to Allah belonged the dominion of the heavens and the earth, and all that is between. He created what He pleased. For Allah hath power over all things."

As is clearly seen from the verse, God is the Creator and Possessor of heavens and the earth, and all that is between. However, heaven and its content, and the earth and those on it came into existence from nothingness only through His will and power; at that moment He wishes to destroy them, none of them is as powerful as to resist this divine disposal.

When God (SWT) created heavens and the earth, the beings to whom divinity has been attributed had not yet come into the field of existence. These impotent beings, who were created afterwards, who reached the honor of being human with the bestowal of God, who were exposed to a number of needs such as sleeping-awakening, eating-drinking, have, of course, no involvement and have no share in the creation of the cosmos, in the arrangement of the earth and heaven, in the invention of plants and animals. Before they were created, whoever had conducted this universe with His power and will, knowledge and wisdom; it is again Him under whose control all these works are conducted.

How can those, who attribute partnership to Jesus (PBUH) or any other servant, explain infinite works carried out at any moment in this world? In other words, do Jesus Christ (PBUH) and his mother are involved in the invention of trees out of seeds, in the creation of human beings and animals from drops of sperms and from eggs, in it’s raining, in wind’s blowing, in the rotation of day and night, in the change of seasons?

God Almighty decrees this verse as a confirmation in Surah At-Taubah :

“The Jews call “'Uzair a son of Allah”, and the Christians call “Al-Masih the son of Allah.” That is a saying from their mouth; (in this) they but imitate what the Unbelievers of old used to say. Allah's curse be on them: how they are deluded away from the Truth!”

As is understood from the verse that whether Jews or Christians, these words of the People of The Book are the same as those of idolaters who attribute partnership to God, of fire-worshippers and of other polytheists. They all attribute partnership to God and becoming worthy of curse of God (SWT).

The whole of the Holy Qur’an, besides rejecting polytheism through proving the unity of God (SWT), also clearly mentions polytheism as a superstition. The Surah Al-Ikhlas announces “Say: He is Allah, the One and Only; Allah, the Eternal, Absolute; He begetteth not, nor is He begotten; and there is none like unto Him.”

The verse, which reads as “He begetteth not, nor is He begotten,” clearly announces that those who beget and who are begotten cannot be god; and condemns every kind of polytheism. Just as man is a creature, so those they are born from and those they give birth to are also creatures. But God is the Creator, every being is His creature.

God announces in Surah An-Nisaa, 3:116:

“Allah forgave not (the sin of) joining other gods with Him; but He forgave whom He pleased other sins than this: one who joins other gods with Allah, hath strayed far, far away (from the Right).”

As seen, attributing gods to Allah is an aberration, which keeps man away from God’s mercy and forgiveness for good and a crime whose forgiveness is impossible. It is a great slander and ingratitude to God (SWT). Each sin stains and blackens human soul in proportion to its greatness. As for polytheism, which is the greatest sin, it blackens human soul and deteriorate its nature so much so that there is seen no sign of clarity in soul.

In another Qur’anic verse, it has been informed that getting rid of polytheism must be through divine unity:

Say: "O People of the Book! Come to common terms as between us and you: that we worship none but Allah; that we associate no partners with Him; that we erect not, from among ourselves, Lords, and patrons other than Allah." (Al-i-Imran Surah, 3:64)

Both Jesus Christ (PBUH) and Uzair (PBUH) are only servants. They also, like us, cannot be free of needs, diseases, and deaths. Like us, they also need mercy and protection from Allah (SWT) in order to have their needs met and get rid of troubles.

3 Christians say that Jesus (PBUH) will come back. How will that come true? Who will be he?
4 How would you respond the claim Christians make “We mention Jesus (PBUH) the son of god to mean they both are of the same essence. I do not believe but I am afraid of being mistaken about it. Besides, I would be glad if you could recommend a book to

First, this claim is not compatible with the faith of Allah. Those who say some creature is of the same essence as Allah (SWT) consider Him to be a creature. They do not believe in Allah (SWT), but rather in some creature, that is the production of their own imagination. For example, when it is said that both the Earth and Mercury come from the same source and they both came off from the sun; it means; it is accepted that they both are planets. To say, “Allah (SWT) and Jesus (SWT) are from the same source” is also a superstition and nonsense.

“O People of the Book! Do not exaggerate in your religion nor utter aught concerning Allah save the truth. The Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, was only a messenger of Allah, and His word, which He conveyed unto Mary, and a spirit from Him. So believe in Allah and His messengers, and say not "Three" - Cease! (It is) better for you! - Allah is only One God. Far is it removed from His transcendent majesty that He should have a son. His is all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth. And Allah is sufficient as Defender.” (An-Nisaa Surah, 4:171)

First, this claim is not compatible with the faith of Allah. Those who say some creature is of the same essence as Allah (SWT) consider Him to be a creature. They do not believe in Allah (SWT), but rather in some creature, that is the production of their own imagination. For example, when it is said that both the Earth and Mercury come from the same source and they both came off from the sun; it means; it is accepted that they both are planets.

To say, “Allah (SWT) and Jesus (SWT) are from the same source” is also a superstition and nonsense. There is no eternal being but Him. If eternity is meant by essence, there can be thought no other being that possesses this essence but Allah (SWT). Allah is Enduring One, He is free of space, His attributes are infinite, and His existence is imperative. None of them can be thought for a creature. Every creature has a beginning and an end, their qualities are limited. Jesus (PBUH) is not excluded from this rule. For Jesus, the Holy Qur’an says “the son of Mary.” He is a son and a servant. He also was given a spirit in his mother’s womb like all creatures. Yet this spirit was given by Gabriel (PBUH) whose one of the names is “The Spirit.”

What is essential for man is spirit. The body is like a dress and a residence for it. Intended to be a test for man, the body of Jesus (PBUH) was created not through parent’s participation but created directly in his mother’s womb. It is such a fallacy for those to call Jesus (PBUH) god who is created without a father, although they know that Adam (PBUH) was created having neither father nor mother!

In the Holy Quran, Jesus is mentioned as “The Spirit of Allah.” We would like to mention this since it is mostly misinterpreted. The right of speech is given to those who are experts on the field in question. As far as this question is concerned, we must convey the views of the scholars of interpretation. These scholars say that the concept “The Spirit of Allah” is a compliment to the spirit. That is, just as Kaaba’s being called the House of Allah is a compliment for the first mosque on earth, in the same way, the Jesus’ (PBUH) being called “the Spirit of Allah” is a compliment for him.

Another meaning is that just as body is animated with spirit, with his guidance, the dead hearts are animated and got refreshed.

For more information refer to the interpretations of the Surah An-Nisa 171.

5 How did the Bible change?

None of the divine books that had been revealed before the Qur’an and that are present today are the original copies that Allah revealed to His prophets. The original copies of those books had been lost in the course of time and had been rewritten by people. For this reason, some superstitions and wrong beliefs had been added to them. For example, it is among the historical facts that, the Torah, could not be protected by Jews, who had a captivity life along the centuries, and who also had fallen into idolatry by losing their faith after Hazrat Moses (peace be upon him); and the copy that is present today had been written by some clergymen long after Hazrat Moses; yet, it was accepted as a book of religion again as if it was the original copy of the Torah,. It is apparent that a book which had been appeared after such a long and complex era cannot be the original copy that had been revealed to Hazrat Moses. Therefore, the present copy includes some accusations and slanders to the prophets which are not suitable for a prophet and judgments which are contrary to the spirit of the religion of oneness (tawhid).

The Psalms (Zabur) which had been revealed to Hazrath Davud (peace be upon him), underwent the same process as the Torah, too.

As for the Gospel, Hazrat Eesa (Jesus) (peace be upon him) had not dictated the verses that had been revealed to him because he became a prophet when he was 30 years old, and his task of prophethood ended when he was 33. During that short period of time, he tried to guide the people by wandering from one village to another and from one city to another. And during his last days, he was constantly being followed by Roman rulers because of the provocations of the Jews. Under those circumstances, he could find neither enough time to dictate the Gospel, nor a possibility for it. Thus, the Gospels which are present today are called by their writers’ name (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John) and they look like siyar (a book in which the lives of prophets are told) books which include sermons and talks that Hazrat Eesa had given his apostles. Besides, those who had written them were not the first believers who were the apostles of Hazrat Eesa, but they were those who had seen the apostles and (from them) listened to the divine words that had been revealed to Hazrat Eesa.

There are some differences in terms of content and narration in the present Gospels. As a matter of fact, those Gospels had been accepted by a clerical consul, consisting of one thousand people, which had gathered in Iznik in 325 B.C. That consul had searched hundreds of Bibles, and with the agreement of 318 members, they accepted the 4 Gospels in which it is claimed that Hazrat Eesa has the aspect of godhead. And they annihilated others by burning them.

As it is seen, the principle that Hazrat Eesa was the son of God (God forbid) was accepted by a consul decision years after Hazrat Eesa raised to the heavens.. Some Christian churches did not even obey that decision. So, from this point of view, it is not possible to say that the present 4 Gospels are in accordance with the original Gospel which was revealed to Hazrat Eesa.

The divine books which are divine verses are far away from any kind of contradiction and controversy. And the books which had been given to the messengers who had been sent are the words of God. The fact that the original Gospel had been distorted is understood clearly from the contradictions and different information given in the 4 Gospels.

The aim of the Gospel of Matthew is about the life, death and resurrection of Hazrat Eesa. Mark’s Gospel is the shortest one and he mentions about the interests that people had shown to Hazrat Eesa and mentions a lot about his life. And Luke sets forward his aim clearly at the beginning, that he will narrate the life of Eesa (peace be upon him) truly and comprehensively. The fact that Luke expresses that he addressed that book to Theophilos (Luke: 1/3) shows that this book does not belong to Hazrat Eesa.  And John says that he has written that Gospel himself by expressing that “You will be attain life with his name.” (20/30-31).

The divine revelation is nothing but the remark, word and the declaration of God. It includes the laws, commands and the prohibitions that God arranged for the prophets and their communities. It informs about previous prophets and the hereafter.

As it will be seen, those mentioned Gospels were written after Hazrat Eesa and are about his life. The divine copies were mixed, and the original Gospel that had been revealed to Hazrat Eesa was distorted. When it is searched and when one thinks with good sense, that truth can be seen clearly.

The Gospels were written around a hundred years after Hazrat Eesa (peace be upon him), and they were been written in the language of Hazrat Eesa. According to the New Testament, the writers of the Gospel were nothing but the reporters of the first Christian community who had recorded the verbal rumors. Every one of the Gospel writers established a kind of bond between the rumors they got from their surroundings and the stories according to their own styles, their own personalities and religious concerns.

In the Gospel of Matthew, the names that are given as the fathers of Hazrat Eesa (peace be upon him), up to Hazrat Abraham (Hazrat Abraham (peace be upon him) is included) are totally 40 (1/1-17). And in the Gospel of Luke, the total number of the given names including Hazrat Abraham is 55.

When the Gospel of Luke, (for Hazrat Eesa) establishes a relationship with Matthat (3/23-38), the Gospel of Matthew establishes a relationship with carpenter Joseph (1/16).

When the Gospel of Matthew informs that Hazrat Yahya (John - peace be upon him) came without eating and drinking (11/18); the Gospel of Marcos says that Yahya ate a grasshopper and wild honey (1/6). As it is seen, these two pieces of information disprove each other.

According to Matthew (27/60), Mark (15/46), Luke (23/53); the corpse was taken and put in a grave which was carved in a rock. However, according to Johanna (John), the corpse of Hazrat Eesa was put in a grave which was in a garden (19/41). In the Gospel of Matthew, while it is stated that a man came to Hazrat Eesa in order to save his epilectic son (17/15); the Gospel of Mark says that he brought his dumb son to Hazrat Eesa (9/17). And Luke, when narrating the same story, says that the man says to Hazrat Eesa that “O Master, I beg you, cure my child.”

The Gospels were written in Greek. In the New Testament, some terms which were maimtained in their original forms are not written in Greek but in Hebrew language. It is also a proof that it had been distorted because the language that Hazrat Eesa spoke was Hebrew (Aramaic).

According to what the Gospel of Matthew informs us, Hazrat Eesa states that he did not come to break the shariah (religious law) of Hazrat Moses (peace be upon him), but to restore it (Matthew: 5/17-18).

However, today’s New Testament teaches that the shariah of Hazrat Moses (peace be upon him) was abolished completely by Hazrat Eesa (peace be upon him). So, it is a contradiction.

The verse which is about the trinity, the basis of Christianity, was as follows: The number of those who testify in the heaven is three: the Father, the word and the Holy Sprit and those three are one and those who testify are three. Sprit, water and blood are in agreement that it is one (John’s Letter: 5/7-8).

The first part was removed from the corrected copy published in 1881 and it is not present in today’s new impressions.

That example shows us that there had been distortions on the holy book of Christianity and those distortions went on.

There is a contradiction between the statements of Matthew “Do not counteract against an evil act; and whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other cheek, too; if one goes to a court to get your jacket, leave him your gabardine as well.” (5/39-40)  and (Matthew: 10/34) “Do not think that I came to bring salvation to the earth; I came not for salvation but for sword.”

According to Matthew, the number of the blind people who came to Eesa of Jericho in order to get a cure is two; but according to Mark, the number is one.

According to the Gospel of Matthew (10/9), Hazrat Eesa does not let his Apostles even take a stick with them.

However, according to the statement of the Gospel of Mark, he advised them to take a stick with them (6/8).

When Matthew (25/15) shows the number of the servants as three, Luke shows this number as ten (19/33).

According to the Gospel of Matthew (18/1), the person who asked the question “Who is the greatest in the universe?” is the student of Hazrat Eesa (peace be upon him).

However, in the Gospel of Mark (9/33-34), it is Hazrat Eesa.

Somewhere in the Gospel of Mark (1/1) it is said that “It is the Gospel of Jesus.”, in another place (1/14) it is said that “It is the Gospel of God.”.

In the Gospel of Luke, in one place (Luke: 1: 47) it is said “My savior is God”; in another place it is said “My savior is Jesus.” (2: 11).

For Hazrat Eesa, the expressions of “the son of God”, “the son of Joseph”, “the son of David” and “the son of Adam” are often used.

Which of those is true? There can never be such big contradictions in a divine religion. Those expressions show that there are plenty distortions in the Gospel.

It is often said as an annotation in the Gospels (Matthew: 17/20-21, 18/10-11 - Mark: 7/15-16, 11/25-28, Luke: 8/45, 9-56) “Those statements are mentioned in many old texts.”

In Mark’s Gospel (16/20), it is said that the verses from 9 to 20 of this part are not mentioned in the old texts.

The openness that shows this distortion is present in the Gospel of John (7/53-8/11).
There cannot be such kind of contradiction and incoherence in a book that is attributed to God. On the other hand, a prophet who is a servant and messenger of God cannot put himself in place of God and make people worship him.

Thus, it is understood that the Gospel that was revealed to Hazrat Eesa (peace be upon him) was written, later on, by people and was distorted.

The Qur’an informs that the Gospel was distorted as follows:

“There is among them a section who distort the Book with their tongues: (As they read) you would think it is a part of the Book, but it is no part of the Book; and they say, "That is from God," but it is not from God. It is they who tell a lie against God, and (well) they know it!” (The Qur’an, Al-Imran, 3/78).

Since the divine books except for the Qur’an were distorted, how can one believe in them?

We, Muslims believe that divine books were revealed to Hazrat Moses, Hazrat David and Hazrat Eesa (peace be upon them) which are named as the Torah, the Psalms and (the Gospel); and those divine books did not have any judgment contrary to the truth and to the religion of oneness (tawhid). However, those books could be maintained and their original copies were distorted.

We cannot say that there are not any verses revealed to the prophets in the books that Jews and Christians have today. However, it is a fact that, there are superstitious beliefs included in them. For this reason, we deal with those books with caution. We regard the decrees suitable to the Qur’an as a revelation. We regard the decrees which are contrary to the Qur’an as verses that had been added later to those books. And we keep silent when there is no contrary or convenient information to the Qur’an. We neither accept nor deny them because they may just as well be a revelation or superstition.

Abu Hurayra (may God be pleased with him) said the following regarding the issue: “The People of the Book used to read the Torah in Hebrew (text) and interpret it in Arabic for Muslims. The Messenger of God (peace be upon him) said to his companions the following about it:

Say ye: "We believe in God, and the revelation given to us, and to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes, and that given to Moses and Jesus, and that given to (all) prophets from their Lord: We make no difference between one and another of them: And we submit to God (in Islam).’” (the Qur’an, Al-Baqarah, 136)

6 Why was Jesus (pbuh) raised to the sky although some prophets were allowed to be killed why conveying the religion to people? Furthermore, one tooth of our Prophet was broken during a battle. From which property of Jesus does this incident originate?

Not all of the things that God creates on earth are the same. He creates some of them based on some causes and He creates others without any causes or means. For instance, almost all people are born out of a father and a mother but He created Adam (pbuh) without a father or mother, Jesus (pbuh) without a father and Eve without a mother. That is, He sometimes acts contrary to universal laws.

Fire burns; the moon cannot be split into two; a tree does not walk; a staff (walking stick) does not turn to snake; they are valid and true according to universal laws. However, the fire did not burn Abraham (pbuh); the moon was split into two; a tree walked upon the order of the Prophet (pbuh); the staff of Moses was turned to a snake. Some changes took place in them by the permission and will of God.   

Some prophets were killed by the people to whom they were sent. However, God protected some of His prophets like Moses (pbuh), Abraham (pbuh) and Muhammad (pbuh).

The same situation is valid for Jesus (pbuh), too. While the laws imposed by God were in effect for the other prophets, He did not allow Jesus (pbuh) to be killed. God, who did not allow the fire to burn Abraham (pbuh) and protected him, did not allow Jesus (pbuh) to be killed; He raised him to the sky.  

Jesus (pbuh) will return to the world not as a prophet but as a saint.

Jesus (pbuh) invited people to the truth, asked them to believe in the existence of God and to become slaves of God like all the other prophets. He never showed any hesitation, fear or worry while performing his duty. He was persistent and loyal to his duty. As Jesus continued to fulfill his duty without making any concessions, the envy and grudge of Jews increased. In the end, they made a plan and attempted to kill him; they started to apply the plan. They sent a hypocrite called Tatyanos to Jesus (pbuh). They surrounded his house with a group of four thousand people. When Tatyanos entered the house, he could not find Jesus (pbuh). When he went out to tell them about the situation, God Almighty made his face resemble the face of Jesus (pbuh). As soon as Jews saw him, they caught him thinking that he was Jesus (pbuh). Although he cried, "I am not Jesus", they did not heed him; in the end, they killed him by crucifying him.

Yes, Jesus (pbuh) is still alive. Many hadiths mention that he will come down to the earth at the end of time. The hadith reported by Jabir bin Abdullah in the Sahih of Muslim is as follows:

A section of my people will not cease fighting for the truth and will prevail till the Day of Resurrection. He said: Jesus son of Mary would then descend and the commander of Muslims would invite him to come and lead them in prayer, but he would say: No, some amongst you are commanders over some (amongst you). This is the honor from God for this ummah. (1)

Badiuzzaman Said Nursi, who interprets and explains this hadith and similar ones in his book called ‘Mektubat’ (Letters), attracts the attention to the following issues: At a time when the current of irreligiousness seems to be very strong, Christianity will approach its essence, that is, the oneness; it will be freed from superstitions and distortions and be united with Islam. In a sense, Christianity will be transformed into Islam somehow. When the real Christianity becomes subject to Islam, the true religion will be stronger; Islam and Christianity, which were defeated by the currents of irreligiousness when they were separate, will defeat it when they unite and have a great power. There is a great deal of praise about the Christians of the end of time that will realize this alliance in the sound hadith resources.

As for the issue of Jesus (pbuh) coming down to the earth bodily, let us read it from Mektubat:

...Then the person of Jesus (pbuh), who is present with his human body in the world of the heavens, will come to lead the current of true religion, as, relying on the promise of One Powerful Over All Things, the Bringer of Sure News has said. Since he has told of it, it is true, and since the One Powerful Over All Things has promised it, He will certainly bring it about. Indeed, it is not far from the wisdom of an All-Wise One of Glory Who all the time sends the angels to the earth from the heavens, sometimes sends them in human form (like Gabriel appearing in the form of Dihya), and sends spirit beings from the Spirit World making them appear in human form, and even sends the spirits of most of the dead saints to the world with similitudes of their bodies, it would not be far from His Wisdom - even if he was not alive and present with his body in the skies of the world, and had truly died and departed for the furthest corner of the Hereafter - to clothe Jesus (Upon whom be peace) in his body and send him to the world, so to bring the religion of Jesus to a good conclusion; for such a momentous result. Indeed He promised it because His wisdom required it to be thus, and since He promised it, He will most certainly send him. When Jesus (pbuh) comes, it is not necessary that everyone should know him to be the true Jesus. His elect and those close to him will recognize him through the light of belief. It will not be self-evident so that everyone will recognize him.

7 Who died instead of Jesus?

Chapter an-Nisa, verse 157:

"That they said (in boast), "We killed Christ Jesus the son of Mary, the Messenger of Allah";― but they killed him not, nor crucified him, but so it was made to appear to them and those who differ therein are full of doubts, with no (certain) knowledge, but only conjecture to follow, for of a surety they killed him not.

According to the Gospel of Barnabas and some Christians, Jesus was not killed by crucifixion. Allah made someone, probably Judas, who informed against him, resemble Jesus; and the Jews crucified him.   (Najjar, Qisasu'l-Anbiya, p. 403,448 ff.; Ibn Ashur, V, 22)

The Gospel of Barnabas, which contains one of the most important resources containing the knowledge about the issue, belongs to Saint Barnabas, the cousin of Mark, one of the disciples of Jesus. This gospel was forbidden because it was contrary to the official Christianity formed by councils and affected by St Paul; it was kept secretly by some priests of high rank and was given to Vienna Library in 1738; then, it was translated into several languages.

According to the explicit and definite expression of the Quran, Jesus is a prophet (4/171); and he was not killed by crucifixion by his enemies. Allah protected His prophet from them; He removed Jesus and raised him to His presence. One of the meanings of the expression "so it was made to appear to them and those who differ therein are full of doubts" in verse 157 of the chapter of an-Nisa is to make them doubt.

According to the first meaning, the informer was made to appear to them as Jesus and was killed by crucifixion. According to the second meaning, they did not kill Jesus by crucifixion; they themselves disagreed about it and doubted whether they killed him or not. It is possible two understand the expression "for of a surety they killed him not" at the end of verse 157 of the chapter of an-Nisa in two ways:

1. "Those who claimed to have killed him do not have definite information regarding the issue." This meaning confirms the second meaning of the simile.

2,"It is certain that they could not kill him." This meaning confirms the meaning of the simile as"to resemble, to mistake somebody for somebody."

(See Diyanet Tefsiri, Kur’an Yolu, Diyanet İşleri Başkanlığı Yayınları: II/136-137)

8 What is the wisdom behind the creation of Jesus (pbuh) without a father?

Man has not seen his creation, which is the most interesting event in the history of mankind. Nobody saw the first man, who was created without a mother or father. When so many centuries passed after this event, the wisdom of God willed to display another extraordinary event with the creation of Jesus (pbuh) without a father. This birth is contrary to the rules of reproduction, which have been valid on earth since the creation of man.   

The aim is to make man witness this wonder and to make it exist in the history of man as a remarkable event. God wanted to show man, who was not able to concentrate on the first miracle of creation, a miracle that would never be deleted from his memory.    

According to the law of God that enables the maintenance of the species, all of the species, without any exceptions, reproduce through the insemination of the female by the male. In the living species in which the gender cannot be discerned clearly, we see that there are even cells of both masculinity and femininity together in the same individual. Due to the operation of this law for centuries, man believed that it was the only way of reproduction. Believing like that, man forgot the first creation, the creation out of nothing. For, this event was contrary to the rigid perceptions of the minds. Therefore, God wanted to show man the example of Jesus (pbuh). Through this example, God wanted to show the limitlessness of His power, the freedom of His will and that this power and will cannot be limited with the natural laws that operate based on His own reference.   

Another example like the birth of Jesus (pbuh) was not seen after that because what is normal is the operation of the laws imposed by God and the natural laws preferred by God. This unique incident, whose aim is to prove actually that the freedom of the divine will is not restricted to the natural laws, was seen sufficient as a manifest example that will always be in front of the eyes of people. As a matter of fact, God states the following about the wisdom behind the creation of Jesus (pbuh) without a father:  

He said: ‘So (it will be)’: thy Lord saith `That is easy for Me: and (We wish) to appoint him as a Sign unto men and a Mercy from Us': it is a matter (so) decreed. (Maryam, 19/21)

Since the incident was very astonishing and extraordinary, some people could not understand it as it was and could not perceive the wisdom behind it. Therefore, they attributed some qualities of divinity to Jesus and they invented various superstitions and tales regarding his death. Thus, they reversed the wisdom behind his incredible creation without a father. The wisdom behind his creation without a father was, as we have mentioned above, to prove the limitlessness of the divine power. The people who attributed divinity to him reversed this wisdom and damaged the belief in the oneness of God.

This striking and extraordinary incident is narrated in the verses 16-34 of the chapter of Maryam in the Quran.

9 Since the Quran calls Hz. Isa "kalam (speech/word)", can it be said that Hz. Isa is not a makhluq (a being that was created later)?

Hz. Isa was created by Allah's order “Kun (Be)” as a miracle without a father; therefore, he was given the name “Kalimatullah” as an honor. In addition, the phrase Safiyyullah is used for Hz. Adam, Kalimullah for Hz. Musa, Khalilullah for Hz. Ibrahim and Habibullah for the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).

In the Quran, it is stated in three places that Hz. Isa is "a Word from Allah". (Aal-i Imran 3/39, 45; an-Nisa 4/171) Elmalılı Muhammed Hamdi states that along with meaningful sounds and writings, certain beings that indicate a partial or general meaning by affecting the brain with the sense of seeing when one looks at the realm can be called kalima (word) and that it is necessary to understand Hz. Isa's being a word like that. On the other hand, Elmalılı attracts attention to the fact that the use of the word (kalima) with an indefinite article in the phrase "bikalimetin minhu" indicates the strangeness in the creation of Hz. Isa, a difference that is contrary to the style of creation that is known and hence his creation of without a father in a miraculous way. According to Elmalılı, that kalima is named as Maryam’s son Masih Isa emphasizes that Hz. Isa is Maryam’s son, not Allah’s son, as it is the case in the trinity belief of Christians therefore, he states that Isa needs to be attributed to Allah as a word and to Maryam as a son. (see Hak Dini, the interpretation of Aal-i Imran verse 45)

Hz. Isa stated the following in order to remind those who wanted to give him any attributes other than being a human: “I am indeed a servant of Allah.” (Maryam, 19/30) He did not say to them, “Accept me as a deity.” On the contrary, he gave them the following advice: “Verily Allah is my Lord and your Lord: Him therefore serve ye: this is a Way that is straight.” (Maryam, 19/36)

- Allah’s speech is evaluated in two ways: the one that is pre-eternal, the one that is a makhluq.

The speech that is pre-eternal is its aspect that is regarded as Allah’s attribute. Allah’s names and attributes are pre-eternal just like His being. His attribute of speech is pre-eternal, not makhluq, just like His attributes of knowledge, power and will. For instance, the Quran is not makhluq since it comes from Allah’s attribute of speech as revelation; it is “Kalam qadim”. However, the letters and words written in Mushaf, which are like the copies of that kalam, are makhluq; they were written afterwards. To claim the opposite of it is not based on any evidence. It is known by everybody that Hz. Isa was created thousands of years ago. If a person said Hz. Isa existed three thousand years ago, let alone being a pre-eternal being, his words would be regarded as insane delusions.   

- It is necessary to consider a concept that is regarded as Allah’s speech in two ways:

Firstly: The Quran and the other heavenly books that are the products of revelation, which come from Allah’s attribute of kalam (speech) and that are evaluated as kalam / words that we know.   

Secondly: The embodied/material kalam and words that come from His attribute of power and that are written with the ink of power.

To sum up, all of the beings except the revelations coming from Allah’s attribute of speech and the book of the universe, which consists of them, are an embodied book consisting of embodied words. All of the sentences and words of that book are makhluq; they were created afterwards. The reason why Hz. Isa is called “Allah’s word” in the Quran is his creation without a father. So to speak, though there was no father’s sperm, which is an ink of divine power, he was created based on a verbal command, being produced in the factory of “kun-fa yakun”. That is, Allah said “be” and he came into being. Since the order was verbal, Hz. Isa was given the name “Allah’s word” because he was the product of that order.

- There is nobody denying that Hz. Maryam was born afterwards. It is impossible to claim that a child who was produced in the womb of his mother, who was created afterwards, and who gave birth to him, is pre-eternal and it is illogical and irrational. (To view the issue closely, see Aal-i Imran, 3/35-60; Maryam, 19/16-36)

The Quran informs us that Hz. Isa is a slave. It is necessary for those who bring evidence from the Quran to take this into consideration first:

“‘They say: "(Allah) Most Gracious has begotten a son!" Indeed ye have put forth a thing most monstrous! At it the skies are ready to burst, the earth to split asunder, and the mountains to fall down in utter ruin, That they should invoke a son for (Allah) Most Gracious. For it is not consonant with the majesty of (Allah) Most Gracious that He should beget a son.” (Maryam, 19/88-92)

“…But said Christ: "O Children of Israel! Worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord." Whoever joins other gods with Allah,- Allah will forbid him the garden, and the Fire will be his abode. There will for the wrong-doers be no one to help.” (al-Maida, 5/72)

“…I am indeed a servant of Allah: He hath given me revelation and made me a prophet.” (Maryam, 19/30)

“They do blaspheme who say, "Allah is Christ the son of Mary."...They do blaspheme who say, ‘Allah is one of three in a Trinity.’…” (al-Maida, 5/72, 73)

“…Many were the messengers that passed away before him. His mother was a woman of truth. They had both to eat their (daily) food…” (al-Maida, 5/75)

“O People of the Book! Commit no excesses in your religion: Nor say of Allah aught but the truth. Christ Jesus the son of Mary was (no more than) a messenger of Allah, and His Word, which He bestowed on Mary, and a spirit proceeding from Him: so believe in Allah and His messengers. Say not "Trinity" : desist: it will be better for you: for Allah is one Allah: Glory be to Him: (far exalted is He) above hawing a son. To Him belong all things in the heavens and on earth. And enough is Allah as a Disposer of affairs.” (an-Nisa, 4/171)

* * *

We advise you to read the following article “The meanings of Kalimatullah in the Quran” written by Prof. Dr. Veli Ulutürk:

When I read the Quran, the statement "yet would not the words of Allah be exhausted" would attract my attention. What could Kalimatullah be? I wanted to search this concept for a long time. As a matter of fact, Fakhruddin ar-Razi (606/1210), the great tafsir scholar, says, "There are ambiguous, deep and high aspects related to the issue of Kalimatullah." (1) This statement shows how right I am in my curiosity. God Almighty provided me the opportunity and I made a research on kalimatullah, which is a Quranic concept, in the resources of lexicology and tafsir. You will see some of the things I have determined. However, Allah knows the best about everything. If this research is of any use to anybody, I will thank Allah and feel fortunate.

First, let us deal with the lexical meaning of "kalima":

The root KLM has two basic meanings: 1. Narrative, expressive speech. 2. Wounding. Then, this root expanded one single word, story, ode, even if it is long, were also called kalima. Its plural forms are kalimat and kalim.2 A poet states the following in a line in which he uses both meanings: "True words are influential like the deepest wound." Another poet states the following "A wound made by the tongue is like a wound made by the hand. 3 They say, "The wound caused by the tongue is more severe than the wound caused by the hand." That is, one of them has a material and the other a spiritual effect.

Kalima is used for a single noun, verb or letter as well as a sentence and speech. 4 When we say kalima ash-shahada, we mean the sentence that includes two statements of witnessing.

As it will be seen in the explanations to come, we can translate the word kalima as “word” in the most comprehensive sense. It can be said that word is enough for the meaning of kalima in most verses. As a matter of fact, Allah states in the Quran that Hz. Adam, who was expelled from Paradise, took some words from Allah through revelation in order to repent: "Then learnt Adam from his Lord words of inspiration, and his Lord Turned towards him; for He is Oft-Returning, Most Merciful." (al-Baqara, 2/37)- The word kalimat used in that verse means words. Hz. Adam repented with those words taught to him and God Almighty accepted his repentance. Some tafsir scholars state that the words of repentance that Hz. Adam took from Allah are as follows: “They said: ‘Our Lord! We have wronged our own souls: If thou forgive us not and bestow not upon us Thy Mercy, we shall certainly be lost.’” (al-A'raf, 7/23) 5

It is also stated in the Quran that Hz. Ibrahim was tested through some words: “And remember that Abraham was tried by his Lord with certain commands, which he fulfilled: He said: ‘I will make thee an Imam to the Nations.’ He pleaded: ‘And also (Imams) from my offspring!’ He answered: ‘But My Promise is not within the reach of evil-doers.’” (al-Baqara, 2/124). There are various explanations about the words that Hz. Ibrahim was tested through in tafsir books. They are the orders that God Almighty held Hz. Ibrahim responsible for. 6 Asking him to sacrifice his son Ismail might be one of them. That is, those words are certainly Allah's words that tested Hz. Ibrahim. 7 Doubtlessly, Allah knows the best about everything.

Allah's Word is Complete/Full.

"The word of thy Lord doth find its fulfilment in truth and in justice: None can change His words: for He is the one who heareth and knoweth all." (al-An'am, 6/115). Tabari (310/923) says the word of your Lord mentioned in the verse is the Quran. As a matter of fact, the Quran is called kalamullah and Arabs call even an ode of a poet kalima. 8 Fakhruddin ar-Razi states that the phrase "your Lord" in the verse is something like promise, threat, reward and penalty, that Allah's words occurred in the pre-eternity and that nothing will occur after that. He says, "The things that are in the Quran are of two types: News and offer. If it is of news, Allah's word is complete in terms of trueness. If it is of offer, it is complete in terms of justice." 9 “The word of thy Lord doth find its fulfilment in truth and in justice” Allah’s verses like "This day have I perfected your religion for you…" (al-Maida, 5/3) 10 might mean your Lord’s decrees and religion were completed. It means Allah's book is the Quran and nobody can distort it. 11 These complete words of Allah remind us the following prayer of the Prophet (pbuh): "I take refuge in Allah’s complete words from all kinds of devils, poisonous insects and evil eyes that affect people." 12

Allah Shows the Truth with Words

"Behold! Allah promised you one of the two (enemy) parties, that it should be yours: Ye wished that the one unarmed should be yours, but Allah willed to justify the Truth according to His words and to cut off the roots of the Unbelievers;- That He might justify Truth and prove Falsehood false, distasteful though it be to those in guilt." (al-Anfal, 8/7-8). The meaning of justifying the truth mentioned in the verse is showing and strengthening the truth 13, which can be done by making the truth dominant. Our Sublime Lord will realize, strengthen and explain the truth and Islam with His words, that is, evidences. 14 Allah wants to realize the statement Lailaha illallah through His words, that is, His order, by ordering jihad, not directly by creating. For, crime and sin, or degrees and pardoning occur in the things that are done as a result of Allah’s words and orders and man’s will and obedience. 15 And Allah by His words doth prove and establish His truth, however much the sinners may hate it! (Yunus), 10/82). "(…And Allah blots out Vanity, and proves the Truth by His Words. For He knows well the secrets of all hearts." (ash-Shura, 42/ 24). According to an explanation, Allah realizes the truth with His orders, decrees and Book. 16

Kalimatullah is High

"If ye help not (your leader), (it is no matter): for Allah did indeed help him, when the Unbelievers drove him out: he had no more than one companion; they two were in the cave, and he said to his companion, "Have no fear, for Allah is with us": then Allah sent down His peace upon him, and strengthened him with forces which ye saw not, and humbled to the depths the word of the Unbelievers. But the word of Allah is exalted to the heights: for Allah is Exalted in might, wise." (at-Tawba, 9/40)

According to the narration from Ibn Abbas, the word unbelief mentioned in the verse above means associating partners with Allah and the word of Allah is kalima at-tawhid, that is, “La ilaha illallah”. Allah damned, defeated, destroyed and annulled unbelief. Allah made kalimatullah, which is His religion and oneness, dominant and exalted. 17 There are tafsir scholars who think that the word unbelief is the implication of the words of the polytheists to catch and kill the Prophet in Dar an-Nadwa during the migration or that it is polytheism and that kalimatullah is Allah’s making their plans fail or kalima at-tawhid or calling to Islam.18 It is also stated that it means the evidence and decrees of Allah are superior and high. 19

Kalimatullah is Allah's Promise and Predestination

In some verses, word of Allah means Allah's promise of victory to believers or His word and predestination that He would not punish deniers in this world but in the hereafter. "Rejected were the messengers before thee: with patience and constancy they bore their rejection and their wrongs, until Our aid did reach them: there is none that can alter the words (and decrees) of Allah. Already hast thou received some account of those messengers." (al-An'am, 6/34). That is, the previous prophets were also denied and their followers were tortured but kalimatullah, Allah’s help and victory, came to them in the end. "Already has Our Word been passed before (this) to our Servants sent (by Us), That they would certainly be assisted, And that Our forces,- they surely must conquer. So turn thou away from them for a little while." (as-Saaffat, 37/171-174) "Allah has decreed: "It is I and My messengers who must prevail": For Allah is One full of strength, able to enforce His will." (al-Mujadala, 58/21). It is interesting that it is stated in the verse that the victory of the prophets is a predestination and decree of Allah. This promise of help by Allah to prophets and believers is kalimatullah 20; and the following threat to deniers and rebels is also a word, that is, a law and predestination of Allah: "…And the Word of thy Lord shall be fulfilled: "I will fill Hell with jinn and men all together." (Hud, 11/119). Allah states like that because He knew and pre-ordained this state with his pre-eternal knowledge. For, they will deserve Hell with their denial and rebellion. 21 As a matter of fact, He states the following in the Quran: "Thus is the word of thy Lord proved true against those who rebel: Verily they will not believe." (Yunus, 10/33) "Those against whom the word of thy Lord hath been verified would not believe-Even if every Sign was brought unto them,- until they see (for themselves) the penalty grievous." (Yunus, 10/96-97)

The phrase “the word of your Lord” in the verses above is sometimes expressed very clearly as “decree of punishment” in some other verses: "Is, then, one against whom the decree of Punishment is justly due (equal to one who eschews Evil)? Wouldst thou, then, deliver one (who is) in the Fire?" (az-Zumar, 39/19). "...The answer will be: "True: but the Decree of Punishment has been proved true against the Unbelievers" (az-Zumar, 39/71). However, God Almighty will realize it in the hereafter. Those who are people of Hell deserve it in this world. Despite this, Allah leaves the majority of their punishment to the hereafter but for a few exceptions since He states that He will punish them there. "…Had it not been for a Word that went forth before from thy Lord, (tending) to a Term appointed, the matter would have been settled between them..." (ash-Shura, 42/14) "Mankind was but one nation, but differed (later). Had it not been for a word that went forth before from thy Lord, their differences would have been settled between them." (Yunus, 10/19). Tabari states the following in the interpretation of the verse above: "If Allah had not said He would destroy a nation only after their time was due, the matter would have been settled and the decree would have been made so that the people of unbelief among them would be destroyed and the believers would be saved." 22 The postponement of this punishment to the hereafter expresses that it is a boon for the rebels, that the offer is still valid for them and that Muslims should show patience in the face of the bad deeds from unbelievers and oppressors. It is said that the following sacred hadith is an expression of it: "My mercy has prevailed over My wrath." Since Allah’s mercy prevails, it becomes necessary for the mercy that prevails to lengthen the veil on the ignorant people and give them respite until the time of meeting. 23 It also expresses that Allah will not punish anybody without evidence and that everybody will live and see those evidences in their lives until death when the test ends. 24 That is, God Almighty gives people respite up to a certain time. Since He is a being that does not break His promise, He pays attention to that respite and His pre-destination and decree. 25 "What! Have they partners (in godhead), who have established for them some religion without the permission of Allah? Had it not been for the Decree of Judgment, the matter would have been decided between them (at once). But verily the Wrong-doers will have a grievous Penalty." (ash-Shura, 42/21) 26 Besides, some tafsir scholars claim that the postponement of the destructive penalty for this ummah is also in question when they go astray. The reason for this is Hz. Muhammad: "But Allah was not going to send them a penalty whilst thou wast amongst them…" (al-Anfal, 8/33); or, because believers and people with righteous goods will come from their descendants. Or, it is because of a wisdom that Allah knows and we do not know. 27

The Word of Allah Does not Change

The word of Allah about His promise of help and victory to prophets and believers and related to other issues does not change and cannot be changed. 28 The statement "None can change His words" is repeated in several verses. 29 Various explanations similar to one another have been made for this statement of the Quran. Kalimatullah means Allah's book. No prophet or book that will abrogate it will come. It means nobody will be able to distort and change it. For, the polytheists said, "Bring us a reading other than this, or change this." (Yunus, 10/15) 30

There is nobody that will be able to change Allah's words means there is no body that can make a decree opposite to His decree or nobody that can reverse His decree in the world or the hereafter. 31 There is nobody that can change Allah's decrees. They cannot be changed or eliminated since they are pre-eternal and post-eternal. The words of Allah might be Allah’s things that do not change like His promise, threat, reward and penalty. It is like the knowledge mentioned in the verse "The Word changes not before Me" and the Prophet’s hadith "Everything was written about the things to happen up to the Day of Judgment and the pen (ink) dried", that is, the decree was made irreversibly. It means Allah's decree occurred in the pre-eternity; nothing else will take place after that. 32 It also means there is nobody that can change the occurrence of the things that He states in His book or the time when they will occur. 33 It also means Allah's words cannot be changed and that He does not break His promise. 34 For, The following is stated in the Quran:"…For Allah never fails in His promise." (Aal-i Imran, 3/9) "Our Lord! Grant us what Thou didst promise unto us through Thine messengers, and save us from shame on the Day of Judgment: For Thou never breakest Thy promise." (Aal-i Imran, 3/194). "For them are glad tidings, in the life of the present and in the Hereafter; no change can there be in the words of Allah. This is indeed the supreme felicity." (Yunus, 10/ 64). In that case, the news, decrees and words given by Allah reached the end. There is nobody that can change them since they are the truest and fairest. 35

Kalimatullah is Hz. Isa

The majority of tafsir scholars agrees that Allah’s word mentioned in Aal-i Imran, 39, 45 and an-Nisa 171 is Hz. Isa. 36 For, the verses are clear. “While he (Zakariyya) was standing in prayer in the chamber, the angels called unto him: ‘Allah doth give thee glad tidings of Yahya, witnessing the truth of a Word from Allah, and (be besides) noble, chaste, and a prophet,- of the (goodly) company of the righteous.’” (Aal-i Imran. 3/39) "Behold! The angels said: ‘O Mary! Allah giveth thee glad tidings of a Word from Him: his name will be Christ Jesus, the son of Mary, held in honor in this world and the Hereafter and of (the company of) those nearest to Allah.’" (Aal-i Imran, 3/45) "O People of the Book! Commit no excesses in your religion: Nor say of Allah aught but the truth. Christ Jesus the son of Mary was (no more than) a messenger of Allah, and His Word, which He bestowed on Mary, and a spirit proceeding from Him: so believe in Allah and His messengers. Say not "Trinity" : desist: it will be better for you: for Allah is one Allah: Glory be to Him: (far exalted is He) above hawing a son. To Him belong all things in the heavens and on earth. And enough is Allah as a Disposer of affairs." (an-Nisa, 4/171) It is clearly stated in those verses that Hz. Isa is a word of Allah. Tafsir scholars explain Hz. Isa's being a word of Allah as follows:

God Almighty created Hz. Isa without a father with His order, that is, His word "be"; therefore, Allah calls him His word. 37 As a matter of fact, Allah created Adam from soil without a mother and father. "The similitude of Jesus before Allah is as that of Adam; He created him from dust, then said to him: "Be". And he was." (Aal-i Imran, 3/59)

The phrase “bikalimatin minhu” (with a word from Him) means a prophethood from Allah and "a piece of news from Him". That is, the angels gave Maryam the glad tiding of Isa by Allah and His word, with which He ordered prophethood to be placed into her; that is, they gave her the glad tiding that Allah would create a child from her without a father. 38 It is also stated that kalima means glad tiding. Abu Ubayda states that the word is the book and what is meant by it is the Gospel. As a matter of fact, Gospel means glad tiding. 39

Hz. Isa spoke when he was a baby. Allah gave him the book when he was a baby. He became a preacher that spoke at that age and an adult proclaimer. (Maryam, 19/30)

A word includes meanings and facts. Hz. Isa may have been given this name because he teaches people divine secrets and facts. Allah guides people through Hz. Isa himself and his word. He may have been called kalimatullah because of it. 40

Hz. Isa's glad tiding existed in the books of the prophets before him. When he emerged, they may have said "This is that word." When a person gives some news and when it comes true, he says, "That is it. My word has come."

Since Hz. Isa caused the word of Allah to appear and the doubts and distortions to be eliminated, it will not be wrong to call him kalimatullah (a word of Allah) instead of the spokesman of Allah. As a matter of fact, a person who is very generous is sometimes called the embodiment of generosity. It is known that Hz Isa conveyed divine truths to people with an eloquent and effective style. 41

It is reported from Azhari (980/1572) that kalima also means a child. Kalimatullah also means Allah's power and will. 42 The fact that kalima, which means Hz. Isa in verses 39  and 45 of the chapter of Aal-i Imran, is used without a definite article expresses that it is an odd word, a verb and effect, a meaningful work, an unusual creation and a right. 43

Finally, according to the narration from Ibn Abbas, people name Allah's creatures as they wish; similarly, Allah named Hz. Isa as kalima (word); kalima means Isa. 44

Hz. Isa is also called ruhullah along with kalimatullah. Tafsir scholars explain it as follows:

Allah revives man with spirit; the divine truths brought by Hz. Isa revive man spiritually; therefore, he is called ruhullah (spirit of Allah). 45

People customarily use the word spirit for very clean things. Hz. Isa was created from Jibril’s breath, not from a drop of sperm. It definitely deserves to be described as spirit. He may have been called spirit because he became a means for the religious lives of people. As a matter of fact, Allah states the following about the attributes of the Quran: "And thus have We, by Our Command, sent inspiration to thee: thou knewest not (before) what was Revelation, and what was Faith..." (ash-Shura, 42/52)

Spirit (ruh) also means mercy. Hz. Isa became mercy for the people, guiding them both in their religion and in the world. Besides, ruh also means blowing in Arabic. Hz. Isa may mean a blowing (breath) of Jibril. For, Hz. Isa came into being when Jibril blew into the collar of Maryam upon the order of Allah. 46

Spirit may also be a sacred command and a divine secret that Allah sends to His slaves in the way that He wishes. Hz Isa’s being called ruhullah may also be an exaggeration. 47

Allah's Words will Never be Exhausted

"If the ocean were ink (wherewith to write out) the words of my Lord, sooner would the ocean be exhausted than would the words of my Lord, even if we added another ocean like it, for its aid." (al-Kahf, 18/109). "And if all the trees on earth were pens and the ocean (were ink), with seven oceans behind it to add to its (supply), yet would not the words of Allah be exhausted (in the writing): for Allah is Exalted in Power, full of wisdom." (Luqman, 31/27)

Allah’s endless words mentioned in the verses above were explained as our Lord’s knowledge, wisdom and information. Seas are finite no matter how big and vast they are imagined. Allah’s knowledge is infinite. No matter how abundant finite beings are, they cannot be enough for and catch up with what is infinite. 48 When a finite being is added to or multiplied by another finite being, the product is always finite. All of the waters of the seas cannot be even a droplet compared to the knowledge of Allah. 49

Qatada (118/736), a Tabiun tafsir scholar, states that the polytheists said for the Quran, "It is only a word that is about to be exhausted." Thereupon, Allah sent down verse 27 of the chapter of Luqman. That is, if all the trees on earth were pens and the ocean (were ink), with seven oceans behind it to add to its (supply), yet would not the words of Allah be exhausted. It is also narrated that this verse was sent down as an answer to the Jewish scholars. According to what Ibn Abbas narrates through Ibn Ishaq from Ikrima, the Jewish scholars said, "O Muhammad! Do you mean us or your own nation with the verse "…The Spirit (cometh) by command of my Lord: of knowledge it is only a little that is communicated to you"? (al-Isra, 17/ 85) The Prophet said, "Both." They said, "Do you not read in the Quran that the Torah, which includes explanations for everything, was sent down to us?" The Prophet (pbuh) said, "The Torah is little compared to Allah’s knowledge. In your opinion, it has what is enough for you." Thereupon, Allah sent down that verse related to the question they asked. 50

Allah's words will not be exhausted means the wonders of His art will not be exhausted. Then, the word kalima in those verses means wonder. The explanation for it is that wonders occur based on Allah’s order "Be". It is permissible to use the thing that causes for the thing that is caused. For instance, people say for a drug to a patient, "This is your cure"; similarly, the reason why Hz. Isa is called a word is that his being born without a father is something that astonishes people and a wonderful art. 51

The strongest sign for the existence of a being is its speech. Hearing a person’s word proves the existence of a person like seeing him. Therefore, Allah’s divine speech, that is the Quran, which consists of His words, proves and shows the existence of God Almighty. It is not possible to count the words of the pre-eternal speech, which is also the source of the Quran. Seas and trees will not be enough to do it. 

As it is known, sounds spread in space through sound waves. The devices that enter the frequency receive them. God Almighty’s speech and the words of that sacred speech are reproduced as many times as the number of humans, jinn, angels, the ears of all conscious beings on earth and in the sky and even sound waves. Neither seas nor trees can be enough to catch up with the words of the divine speech reproduced as many times as the number of sound waves.

Almighty Allah virtually speaks to His slaves through the holy book He sent. This speech is like a general speech with humans but He also speaks to them privately through the heart telephones of His slaves with true inspirations with which He makes His existence felt by them. This speech is in the form of private inspirations, which are a kind of means of information, to every creature based on their special talents. Those inspirations are a kind of divine words and speech since they include private information. As it is stated in the sentence "Ways going to Allah are as many as the breaths of His creatures", neither seas nor trees can be enough to catch up with those private words.

There are two kinds of tongues; one of them is the tongue of speech and the other is the tongue of disposition. The words of the tongue of speech are words and the words of the tongue of disposition are various states. As a poet puts it, “Wa fi kulli shay’in lahu ayatun; tadullu ala annahu wahidun (There is a sign in everything showing His oneness)”. This great universe is like a big book according to that state. This universe and everything created in it are words of disposition showing the loftiness of the Sublime Creator. Suppose that trees and seas are enough for the words of disposition that exist in the book of beings, other trees and seas will be necessary to write them again since the drops of the seas and the atoms of the trees are words of disposition, which will continue like and endless chain. Then, the words of God Almighty will not end; that is, the words of disposition that indicate His magnificence and loftiness will not end. This shows that there is no exaggeration whatsoever in the meanings of verse 109 of the chapter of al-Kahf and verse 27 of the chapter of Luqman.

There are words in which God Almighty’s attribute of kalam becomes manifest along with embodied words in which God Almighty’s attribute of power becomes manifest. His attribute of knowledge also has words related to qadar. They are all beings. Every small creature that has life is a divine word each. They indicate Allah, who is a pre-eternal Speaker, more strongly than the words in the form of speech because they are not mere words but actions. When all of the invisible beings are taken into consideration, it will be seen that even if the seas were ink and trees were pens, they would not end His words. 52

Since divinity has all of the divine names and dominical attributes, how can they be known when one does not know the realm of beings, where they are seen and they appear? 53

Muhyiddin Ibn Arabi (623/1240) states the following: "The Quran states that creation took place with the command "Be" at once and that all creatures are divine words: "For to anything which We have willed, We but say the word, "Be", and it is." (an-Nahl, 16/40); "Nun. By the Pen and the (Record) which (men) write..." (al-Qalam, 1) Therefore, everything in the realm of beings is like a letter in reality in divine knowledge. (...). Then, those letters assumed the attribute of visibility, came together and formed those realms and beings. 54

Since the beings were created from Allah’s command of creation “Be” as it is understood from the clear expression of the verse, all beings are like the words of the great book of the universe. Every being, from an atom to the globe, is a word of Allah. Those words are the translators of the Quran, which is the verbal speech of Allah. Those two groups of divine words – we call both of them books – approve and explain each other verbally and actually. For, both of them are manifestations of the names and attributes of the same Lofty Being. As the great tafsir scholar Imam Fakhruddin ar-Razi (606/1210) puts it, Allah's creation and His wonders in the beings that He created, that is, His astonishing creation and the facts of divine arts in those beings will never end. 55 Neither trees nor seas will suffice to write those visible and invisible beings and the divine arts and facts in those beings. Seas and trees will be exhausted but the words of my Lord will not be exhausted.

Kalimetullah, which we determined to have been mentioned forty-two times in the Quran as a singular word, plural word and in compounds/phrases, opens such horizons in man’s treasure of knowledge. Our words, which are limited, have been exhausted regarding the issue but the words of our Lord, which are divine truths, will never be exhausted. He is the one that knows the inside of everything and He knows best the truth behind words.

"I glorify Allah, who astonishes people’s minds with His art and works
I glorify Allah, who paralyzes understandings with His power."(Ziya Paşa)

FOOTNOTES:

1) Imam Fakhruddin ar-Razi, at-Tafsirul-Kabir, XVIII. 144, Egypt, 1357/1938.
2) Abul-Hasan Ahmad bin Faris, Mu'jamu Maqayisil-Lugha, V, 131, 2nd impression, Mustafa al-Babi al-Halabi edition, Egypt, 1392/1972.
3) Abul - Qasim Husayn bin Muhammad ar-Raghib al-Isfahani, al-Mufradat fi Gharibil-Kur'an, p. 439, Beirut, nd.
4) M. Murtaza az-Zabidi, Tajul-Arus min Jawahiril-Qamus, IW, 49, Beirut, nd; Ibn Manzur, Lisanul-Arab, XII, 523-525, 1388/1968, Beirut; Abul-Fida Ismail Ibn Kathir, Tafsirul-Qur'anil-Azim, I, 371, Beirut, 1388/1969.
5) Abu Ja'far Muhammad Ibn Jarir at-Tabari, Jami'ul-Bayan'an Ta'wili Ayil-Qur'an, I,234-245, Darul-Fikr, Beirut, 1408/1988; Abul-Barakat Abdullah an-Nasafi, Madarikut-Tanzil wa Haqaiqut-Ta'wil, I,43, Istanbul, 1984; Kadi al-Baydawi, Anwarut-Tanzil wa Asrarut-Ta'wil wa Tafsirul-Jalalayn in its indented notes , I,50, al-Halabi, Egypt, 1388/1969.
6) Ibn Kathir, I, 165-166.
7) Baydawi, I,80; Jalalayn, the same page.
8) Jami'ul-Bayan, VIII, 9.
9) Tafsiru Kabir, XIII, 161-162; See. Shihabuddin Mahmud al-Alusi, Ruhul-Ma'ani., XV, 257, Beirut, 1405/1985.
10) Raghib al-Isfahani, p. 440.
11) Alusi, VIII, 10.
12) Bukhari, Anbiya, 10; For a different version, see Muslim, Dhikr. 54-55.
13) Razi, XVII, 144.
14) Ibn Kathir, IV, 114; IV, 126.
15) Elmalılı Muhammed Hamdi Yazır, Hak Dini Kur'ân Dili, IV. 2371; Tabari. IX, 188; XI, 149.
16) Baydawi, I,455; Nasafi. II, 169; III, 106, 284; Alusi, XI, 166.
17) Tabari, X, 137; Ibn Kathir, II, 358; Razi. XVIII, 69.
18) Baydawi, 1.452; Nasafi, II, 127; Alusi, X, 98-99.
19) Alusi, VIII, 10.
20) Alusi, V, 137.
21) Tabari, XII, 144; Ibn Kathir, II, 465.
22) XI, 98, 114: Nasafi, II. 157; Alusi, XI, 90.
23) Razi, XVII, 63.
24) Ibn Kathir, II, 411; 170.
25) Tabari, XXV. 16; XXIV. 129; XV, 21; XII, 123.
26) See also the following verses: Hud, 116110; Taha, 20/129: al-Mu'min, 40/6; Fussilat, 41/45.
27) Alusi, XVI, 280
28) Alusi. XV. 257; Tabari XV, 233.
29) See Al-An'am, 6/64,115: Yunus, 10/64; al-Kahf, 18/27.
30) Raghib al-Isfahani, p.440; Tabari, VIII, 9; Ibn Kathir, III, 80; Baydawi, I, 328.
31) Ibn Kathir, 11,508.
32) Razi. XIII, 161-162.
33) Tabari, VIII, 9.
34) Nasafi, II, 169; II, 10, 30.
35) Baydawi. I, 328.
36) See. Tabari, III. 252-253, 269; Ibn Kathir, I, 361; Razi, VIII, 38, 50; Nasafi, I. 156, 158; 265; Alusi, III, 160; VI, 25; Elmalılı, II, 1095, 1101-1102; III, 1536.
37) Raghib al-Islahani, p.439-440.
38) Tabari, III, 269.
39) Alusi. III, 147.
40) Alusi, III, 160; Raghib al-Isfahani. p. 439-440; Nasafi, I, 265.
41) Razi, VIII, 38, 50: Alusi, III, 160.
42) Zabidi, IX, 49.
43) Elmalılı, II, 1101-1102.
44) Tabari, III, 269.
45) Razi, VIII. 38.
46) Razi, XVIII, 38; XI, 115-116; Alusi, VI, 25.
47) Alusi, VI, 25.
48) Baydawi, II, 27; Nasafi, III, 27; Razi, XXI, 179; Alusi, XVI, 51; Elmalılı, V, 3296.
49) Ibn Kathir. III, 108.
50) Ibn Kathir. III, 451; Alusi, XXI, 100-101: Abul-Hasan Ali bin Ahmad al-Wahidi, Asbabun-Nuzul, p. 245, 288, Beirut, 1410/1990
51) Razi, XXV, 156-157; Alusi, XXI, 100-101.
52) A committee headed by Hekimoğlu İsmail, Yeni Ansikolpedi, Kelime, Kelimat and İlhâm items, II, 675, (Osmanlıca Lem'alar, p. 898) II, 551 (Şualar, p. 128 Mektûbat, p. 448); 11,674 (İşâratu'l-İ'câz, quoted from p. 157). Timaş yayınları. İstanbul, 1989.
53) Mehmed Ali Ayni, Muhyiddîn İbn Arabî Şeyh-i Ekberi Niçin Severim, p. 81, Evkâf-ı İslâmiye Printing House, Istanbul, 1339-1341.
54) M. Ali Ayni, p. 19.
55) Tafsiru Kabir, XXV, 156-157.

10 Hz. Isa spoke when he was in the cradle. Did he continue speaking after that incident or did he return to normal?

The information we have shows that Hz. Isa (Jesus) stopped talking after that incident and he acted like other babies. (see Razi, at-Tafsirul-Kabir, XXI/194; Qurtubi, XI/103).

According to what we learn from the Quran, Hz. Maryam received divine mercy and prosperity under the date tree. Her fear and sadness disappeared. Although it was winter, the date tree yielded fruit and the dates on the branch fell in front of Hz. Maryam. Meanwhile, Hz. Isa was born. She held her child with excitement and joy. However, the distress in her heart did not end. She had a baby without getting married. How would she tell her tribe about it? They would not believe in her no matter what she did or said. The Lord of the Realms said to her,

"So eat and drink and cool (thine) eye. And if thou dost see any man, say, ´I have vowed a fast to (Allah) Most Gracious, and this day will I enter into not talk with any human being." (1)

Some extraordinary incidents took place when Hz. Isa was born. We will mention some of them here. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) stated the following in a hadith:  

"There is none born among the off-spring of Adam, but Satan touches it. A child therefore, cries loudly at the time of birth because of the touch of Satan, except Isa (Jesus), the son of Mary." (2)

It is narrated that when Hz. Isa was about to be born, a group of devils saw this. They tried to approach him but they could not. They informed Iblis, their leader, about it. After listening to the devils, Iblis thought there was something special about it and he himself went there. When he went there, he saw that there was a mother and her son protected by an army of angels. This incident is indicated in the hadith above.

The following is stated in another narration: Some people who set out to look for Hz. Maryam met a shepherd on the way. When they asked him if he had seen Hz. Maryam, the shepherd said,

"I have not seen the person you have mentioned. However, something I had never experienced before happened last night. All of my cows turned toward that valley you see and prostrated."

In another narration, the shepherd pointed at the valley and said he saw a luminous light descend there. (3)

After the birth, Yusuf (Joseph), Maryam’s cousin, took her to a cave and she stayed there until her puerperal period ended. After forty days passed, she took him on her lap and set off toward the city.

As Maryam approached the city, her excitement increased. The news that Maryam was coming to the city with a baby reached the city. When the mischief-makers heard the news, they took action. A large group of people met Maryam. They asked her,

"O Maryam! Who is the baby on your lap?"

Hz. Maryam, who was performing a fast of silence, did not answer. Thereupon, the people started to ask different questions. This incident is narrated as follows in the Quran:   

"At length she brought the (babe) to her people, carrying him (in her arms). They said: "O Mary! Truly an amazing thing hast thou brought!" (4)

Hz. Maryam did not answer the questions and showed patience. They started to harass her verbally:

"O sister of Aaron! Thy father was not a man of evil, nor thy mother a woman unchaste." (5)

There are various views about who the Harun mentioned in the verse was. One of them is that Maryam’s ancestor Harun was meant. According to another view, that person was a man called Harun who was known for his immorality. They mentioned him as Maryam’s brother in order to insult her. According to another narration, Harun was a person among the relatives of Maryam’s father who was famous for his honor and chastity. Allah definitely knows best.

Maryam could not put up with the verbal harassments any longer and pointed to the child on her lap. She wanted to say, "Do not ask me; ask the baby; he will answer you." This incident is narrated as follows in the Quran:

"But she pointed to the babe. They said: ‘How can we talk to one who is a child in the cradle?’" (6)

This attitude of Maryam’s increased the tension among the crowd. How could they talk to a baby? They though Maryam overstepped the limit and she made fun of them in addition to her immorality. They said,

"Her making fun of us is worse than her fornication."

According to a narration, Hz. Isa was sucking at that time. When he heard it, he stopped sucking, turned his face toward them, leaned to the left and made a gesture with his index finger. It is said that Hz. Isa talked to them when he was in the cradle and that he did not talk to them again until he reached the usual age of talking. Meanwhile, Hz. Zakariyya heard about the incident and arrived there. He addressed Hz. Isa, who was on his mother’s lap as follows:

"Speak if you have been ordered to speak."

Meanwhile, something astonishing took place. It is narrated as follows in the Quran:

"He (the baby) said: ‘I am indeed a servant of Allah: He hath given me revelation and made me a prophet.’" (7)

When the crowd saw that the baby spoke, they were terrified. They had never seen or heard something like that before. The baby continued speaking:

"And He hath made me blessed wheresoever I be, and hath enjoined on me Prayer and Charity as long as I live; "(He) hath made me kind to my mother, and not overbearing or miserable; "So peace is on me the day I was born, the day that I die, and the day that I shall be raised up to life (again)." (8)

Those who witnessed this incident could not say anything. They left quietly.

Footnotes:

1. Maryam, 26
2. Bukhari, Anbiya 44, Bad'ul-Khalq 11, Tafsir, Aal-i Imran 2; Muslim, Fadail 147, (2366)
3. Ibn Kathir, Hadislerle Kur'an-ı Kerîm Tefsiri, translated by Bekir Karlığa - Bedrettin Çetiner, Vol. 10, p. 5135
4. Maryam, 27
5. Maryam, 28
6. Maryam, 29
7. Maryam, 30
8. Maryam, 31-33;

(Peygamberler Tarihi, Osmanlı Yayınevi, I/275)

11 Will you give information about Hz. Maryam's birth? They say Maryam has an interesting creation like the miraculous creation of Hz. Isa, her son. Where was Hz. Maryam born? How long did she live?

According to what Muhammad b. Ishaq and others write, Maryam’s mother could not become pregnant for a long time. Once, she saw a bird giving food to the mouth of her young and desired to have a baby. She vowed that she would settle her child in Masjid al-Aqsa if she became pregnant and devote her child to the mosque. According to what is written, she became pregnant after that vow.  

"When she was delivered, she said: "O my Lord! Behold! I am delivered of a female child!"- and Allah knew best what she brought forth And no wise is the male like the female..."»

That is, women are not as skilled as men in terms of serving Masjid al-Aqsa. At that time, people devoted their children to serve Masjid al-Aqsa. (Tafsiru Tabari, III, 157)

It is not known how old Hanna was when she became pregnant with Hz. Maryam (Mary).

According to Islamic resources, Hz. Maryam's father is Imran. Imran comes from a family that reaches Hz. Ibrahim with an honorable chain. Hz. Maryam's mother is Hanna, the daughter of Faduqa. Hanna's sister (or according to another narration Maryam's sister) Iysha was Hz. Zakariyya's wife and Hz. Yahya's mother. The Prophet Muhammad said, "Yahya (John) and Isa (Christ) were cousins (their mothers were sisters)."

The following is stated in the Quran:

"Behold! A woman of ´Imran said: ‘O my Lord! I do dedicate unto Thee what is in my womb for Thy special service: So accept this of me: For Thou hearest and knowest all things.’ When she was delivered, she said: ‘O my Lord! Behold! I am delivered of a female child!’- and Allah knew best what she brought forth- ‘And no wise is the male Like the female. I have named her Mary, and I commend her and her offspring to Thy protection from the Evil One, the Rejected.’ Right graciously did her Lord accept her: He made her grow in purity and beauty: To the care of Zakariyya was she assigned. Every time that he entered (Her) chamber to see her, He found her supplied with sustenance. He said: ‘O Mary! Whence (comes) this to you?’ She said: ‘From Allah: for Allah Provides sustenance to whom He pleases without measure.’" (Aal-i Imran, 3:35-37)

Maryam means servant in the Assyrian language.

 

HZ. MARYAM

She is the mother of Hz. Isa, who was one of the greatest (ulul-azm) prophets. She is the daughter of Imran, one of the notables and scholars of Sons of Israel and a descendant of Hz. Dawud. Allah shows believers Maryam, daughter of Imran, as an example of those who guard their chastity (at-Tahrim, 66/12). Maryam means "a religious woman". She is also called "Batul", which means chaste, avoiding men.  Imran's wife, Hanna, was an infertile woman who did not have any children. Once, she was sitting in the shade of a tree and saw a bird trying to feed her young; this increased her desire to have a baby. (Ibnul-Athir, al-Kamil fit-Tarikh, Beirut 1979, I, 298). She asked Allah to give her a child and she said she would devote her child as a servant to Bayt al-Maqdis: "Behold! A woman of ´Imran said: "O my Lord! I do dedicate unto Thee what is in my womb for Thy special service: So accept this of me…" (Aal-u Imran, 3/35). When Hanna made this vow, she did not think that the child could be a girl. How could a girl serve in Bayt al-Maqdis. The menstruation of women did not allow it; besides, it was impossible according to the rules.  Therefore, “When she was delivered, she said: ‘O my Lord! Behold! I am delivered of a female child!’- and Allah knew best what she brought forth- ‘And no wise is the male Like the female. I have named her Mary, and I commend her and her offspring to Thy protection from the Evil One, the Rejected.’” (Aal-u Imran, 3/36). Maryam’s father Imran died before she was born.

Hanna swaddled the baby and took her to the authorities in Bayt al-Maqdis. Hz. Zakariyya, Hz. Yahya’s father, undertook the duty of taking care of the baby. For, his wife was Maryam’s maternal aunt or sister. (Ibnul-Athir, ibid, I, 299; Ali Sabuni, an-Nubuwwa wal-Anbiya, Damascus 1985, 201)

Thus, Hz. Maryam was raised under the protection of a prophet. Hz. Zakariyya allocated a special place for her in the mosque. She spent her time worshipping and praying there. Only Hz. Zakariyya was allowed to enter that place. Whenever Hz. Zakariyya went to her to give her some food, he saw some food there. There were summer fruits in winter and winter fruits in summer. Allah sent sustenance to this honorable woman, who would be the mother of a prophet. This incidence is narrated as follows in the Quran:

"Right graciously did her Lord accept her: He made her grow in purity and beauty: To the care of Zakariya was she assigned. Every time that he entered (Her) chamber to see her, He found her supplied with sustenance. He said: ‘O Mary! Whence (comes) this to you?’ She said: ‘From Allah: for Allah Provides sustenance to whom He pleases without measure.’" (Aal-u Imran, 3/37)

Maryam was raised in a chaste and honorable manner in that clean environment. Angels frequently visited Hz. Maryam, who spent her life in and around Bayt al-Maqdis under the protection of Allah; they informed her about her rank in the eye of Allah and gave her the glad tiding that Allah chose her among women as a mother of a prophet.   

"Behold! The angels said: ‘O Mary! Allah giveth thee glad tidings of a Word from Him: his name will be Christ Jesus, the son of Mary, held in honor in this world and the Hereafter and of (the company of) those nearest to Allah; "He shall speak to the people in childhood and in maturity. And he shall be (of the company) of the righteous.’" (Aal-u Imran, 3/45, 46)

Hz. Maryam was astonished by this news given to her. Her state is expressed as follows: in the Quran: She said: "O my Lord! How shall I have a son when no man hath touched me?" He said: "Even so: Allah createth what He willeth: When He hath decreed a plan, He but saith to it, ´Be,´ and it is!’ (Aal-u Imran, 3/47)

Once, Allah sent Hz. Jibril (Gabriel) in the form of a young and handsome man with a bright face: "Relate in the Book (the story of) Mary, when she withdrew from her family to a place in the East. She placed a screen (to screen herself) from them; then We sent her our angel, and he appeared before her as a man in all respects." (Maryam, 19/17) Hz. Maryam was astonished because she thought that he was a man and that he could harm her. There was nobody around whom she could ask help. She had nothing to do but to take refuge in Allah. She said, "I seek refuge from thee to (Allah) Most Gracious: (come not near) if thou dost fear Allah." (Maryam, 19/18)

If Jibril had come in the form of an angel not a man, she would have been terrified and escaped from him; she would not have been able to listen to what he would say. In order to eliminate her fear and to tell her about the reason why he had come, Jibril    said: "Nay, I am only a messenger from thy Lord, (to announce) to thee the gift of a holy son." (Maryam, 19/19)

When Hz. Maryam realized that he was Jibril, she calmed down; although she had already been informed about the news he gave her (Aal-u Imran, 3/45, 46), she could not help expressing her astonishment and wanted to find an answer about how it could happen. She said, "How shall I have a son, seeing that no man has touched me, and I am not unchaste?" (Maryam, 19/20)

Hz. Jibril answered her as follows: He said: "So (it will be): Thy Lord saith, ´that is easy for Me: and (We wish) to appoint him as a Sign unto men and a Mercy from Us´:It is a matter (so) decreed." (Maryam, 19/21)

Since Allah predestined that Isa would be born without a father, He created him by breathing into her from His spirit in order to make him come to the world in a miraculous way. Allah explains how Maryam became pregnant as follows: So she conceived him, and she retired with him to a remote place. Finally, the order of Allah was fulfilled. Maryam became pregnant with Isa." (Maryam, 19/22); And (remember) her who guarded her chastity: We breathed into her of Our spirit, and We made her and her son a sign for all peoples." (al-Enbiya, 21/91) "…And We breathed into (her body) of Our spirit; and she testified to the truth of the words of her Lord and of His Revelations, and was one of the devout (servants)." (at-Tahrim, 66/12)

When Hz. Maryam became pregnant, she went to a place where there were no people and started to wait there alone: "She retired with him to a remote place." She retreated to a remote place in order to be saved from the doubtful and accusing looks of people. Besides, she was in trouble and did not know what to do since he did not know how she would explain this great incident to people.

There are different views regarding the period of the pregnancy of Maryam. Some scholars say it was one hour or nine hours while others say was eight months. (Sabuni, ibid, 202). According to the sound view of the majority of the scholars, she was pregnant as long as an ordinary woman would be and gave birth to her baby in the same way. (Ibn Kathir, Tafsir, Istanbul 1985, V, 216)

When her labor pains started, she had to go under a palm tree in the remote place where she had retreated. The following verse expresses clearly what a great depression she had then due to what people would accuse her of: And the pains of childbirth drove her to the trunk of a palm-tree: She cried (in her anguish): "Ah! Would that I had died before this! Would that I had been a thing forgotten and out of sight!" (Maryam, 19/23)

Hz. Maryam was addressed as follows in order to eliminate her mental depression and to console her by reminding her that she was under the protection of Allah: "But (a voice) cried to her from beneath the (palm-tree): "Grieve not! For thy Lord hath provided a rivulet beneath thee; "And shake towards thyself the trunk of the palm-tree: It will let fall fresh ripe dates upon thee." (Maryam, 19/24, 25)

Tafsir scholars hold different views about who addressed Hz. Maryam. Some of them say Jibril addressed her. He addressed her from the valley below. According to this view, Hz. Isa did not talk until her mother took him to her tribe. Some other scholars say the one who addressed her was Hz. Isa. (see Ibn Kathir, ibid, V, 218)

Hz. Maryam gave birth to her child. However, how could she return to her tribe, whose state of mischief she knew? They would accuse her of unchastity though she did not deserve it. How could she persuade them about the real nature of the incident? While she was thinking like that, the voice that addressed her told her to eat and drink easily and what to do when she went to her tribe as follows: So eat and drink and cool (thine) eye. And if thou dost see any man, say, ´I have vowed a fast to (Allah) Most Gracious, and this day will I enter into not talk with any human being. (Maryam, 19/26)

Ibn Zayd states the following: When Hz. Isa said to his mother, "do not worry", she said, "How should I not worry when I have you with me? I do not have a husband and I am not a slave of anybody. What kind of an excuse can I tell people? I wish I had died and been forgotten before this happened to me. Hz. Isa said to her, "I am enough for you to speak. If they ask you anything, say, "I have vowed a fast to (Allah) Most Gracious, and this day will I enter into not talk with any human being." Ibn Zayd states that those words were told her by Hz. Isa. (Ibn Kathir, ibid, V, 220)

Hz. Maryam attained peace given to her by the realization that her Creator guarded her and that He would not embarrass her in the presence of her tribe when she saw the miracles of her Lord. For, there was an absolute evidence with her and it was easy for Allah to prove that miraculous incident.

With this belief, she took Hz. Isa and went to her tribe. This was not an easy situation to solve for her tribe. When they saw the pure, chaste virgin, who had been devoted to the mosque before she was born and who had been worshipping there, with a baby, they were terrified and astounded. 

Hz. Maryam' carrying her baby in her arms, going to her tribe like that and the reaction of her tribe are expressed as follows: in the Quran: At length she (Mary) brought the (babe) to her people, carrying him (in her arms). They said: "O Mary! Truly an amazing thing hast thou brought! "O sister of Aaron! Thy father was not a man of evil, nor thy mother a woman unchaste!" (Maryam, 19/27-28)

The Aaron (Harun) mentioned in the verse is Hz. Harun, the brother of Hz. Musa (Moses), from whose descendants Hz. Maryam comes. Her tribe addressed her like that because they wanted to show how strange what she had done was by  emphasizing the great contradiction between the deed they thought she had done and the lifestyle of Hz. Harun. According to what Ibn Jarir states, Harun was a sinner among them and they wanted to despise Maryam when they accused her by calling her a brother of a bad person. (Ibn Kathir, ibid, V, 221)

In the face of their accusations, Hz. Maryam showed the baby to those who blamed her as if she was mocking them and wanted them to ask him about the incident. However, they got angry and asked in astonishment how a child in the cradle talk: But she pointed to the babe. They said: "How can we talk to one who is a child in the cradle?" (Maryam, 19/29). Thereupon, the divine miracle that acquitted Hz. Maryam  took place and Hz. Isa started to talk. He said: "I am indeed a servant of Allah: He hath given me revelation and made me a prophet; "And He hath made me blessed wheresoever I be, and hath enjoined on me Prayer and Charity as long as I live; "(He) hath made me kind to my mother, and not overbearing or miserable; "So peace is on me the day I was born, the day that I die, and the day that I shall be raised up to life (again)." (Maryam, 19/30-33)

However, it is understood that they preferred to deny him despite miracles like the nations of the other prophets. For, when the reasons for the damnation of Sons of Israel are stated in the Quran, their slander against Hz. Maryam is also mentioned: "That they rejected Faith; that they uttered against Mary a grave false charge; That they said (in boast), ‘We killed Christ Jesus the son of Mary, the Messenger of Allah’..." (an-Nisa, 4/156-157)

According to the information given in the Bible, Hz. Maryam took her son, Isa, and went to Egypt with Yusuf Najjar. According to the information in the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Barnabas, the reason why they went to Egypt was the fact that when Herod, who was a cruel king in Quds (Jerusalem), was informed by his soothsayers that a boy that was born in Bayt al-Lahm would dominate all Jews, he ordered all of the boys that were born in Bayt al-Lahm to be killed. Thereupon, Yusuf Najjar was ordered in his dream to go to Egypt with Hz. Maryam and the boy. (Sabuni, ibid, 206)

However, this narration and similar ones reported in the Gospels related to the return to Jerusalem cannot be true because Hz. Maryam was under the protection of Hz. Zakariyya. Since he acted based on the instructions of Jibril, why should he need the instructions that Yusuf an-Najjar, who is mentioned in Christian resources, received in his dream?  

The incidents from the birth of Hz. Maryam to her giving birth to Hz. Isa in a miraculous way are included in the Quran in detail. The reason why the issue is dealt with in detail is to clarify the basic issue, which was deviated by Jews and Christians. After mentioning the birth of Hz. Isa and his introducing himself to his nation in the cradle, Allah states the following: "Such (was) Jesus the son of Mary: (it is) a statement of truth, about which they (vainly) dispute." (Maryam,19/34)

Allah likens the state of Hz. Isa to that of Hz. Adam: The similitude of Jesus before Allah is as that of Adam; He created him from dust, then said to him: "Be". And he was."(Aal-u Imran, 3/59) Hz. Adam’s creation from soil is something related to belief; similarly, Hz. Maryam's giving birth to Hz. Isa without a father is related to belief. Those who have mischief in their hearts fall into doubt about his state like Jews and Christians. The hearts that surrender to Allah accept the incident as it is mentioned in the verses and approve it. Allah warns all believers by addressing His messenger as follows: "The Truth (comes) from Allah alone; so be not of those who doubt." (Aal-u Imran, 3/60).

Hz. Maryam, Hz. Asiye, Khadija and Hz. Fatima are the most superior women of Paradise. (Ahmad b. Hanbal, Musnad, III, 135)

There is no information about Hz. Maryam’s death and grave in the Quran and hadith resources. The details regarding the issue are generally based on Christian resources and historical resources.

It is not included in the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew-Mark-Luke); it is stated in the Gospel of John’s Bible that Hz. Maryam took part in the Cana miracle (N. Testament, John 2:1-11) and the incident of Cross (John 19:25-27) and that she prayed together with the disciples after Hz. Isa was ascended to the sky (N. Testament, Acts 1:14); there is no information about the rest of her life, her death, age and physical appearance in the Gospels.

It is estimated that Hz. Maryam was about fifty years old when Hz. Isa left the world and that she died at the age of fifty-six, seventy or seventy-two; there are also views that she lived much longer; it is debatable where and how she died, where her grave is and whether she died or was raised to the sky.

According to the Islamic sources, when Allah wanted to raise Hz. Isa into the heavens, He asked the disciples Sham'un as-Safa and John to take care of Maryam. These two apostles went to the Roman Emperor Nero with Hz. Maryam, but Peter and Taddeus, who was one of the disciples, were killed. Hz. Maryam and John escaped; when they were about to be captured, the earth was split and they were lost. Hz. Maryam lived for six years after Hz. Isa. (see Tha'labi, Araisul-Majalis, p. 308)

According to the information reported by Hakim, Hz. Maryam was 13 years old when she became pregnant with Hz. Isa.  Hz. Isa was raised to the sky at the age of 32 (33). After his ascension to the sky, Hz. Maryam lived for 6 years. Accordingly, she died at the age of 56. (see Hakim II, 596) However, this determination is not true. For, the sum of 13 + 32 + 6 is not 56 but 51. For this reason, after giving the same information given by Hakim, Tabari made the following statement: “Accordingly, Hz. Maryam died when she was fifty odd years old. (see Tabari, Tarikh-Shamila, 1/345)

Ömer TELLİOĞLU

12 Can you provide me the ahadees regarding Prophet Jesus coming back to earth again issue?

Here is the detailed answer;

Are the hadiths about Hz. Isa (pbuh) (Jesus) mutawatir?

The hadiths reported about the advent of Jesus are at the level of tawatur. Many researchers report that our scholars hold this view. The definition of tawatur in the dictionary is as follows:

Tawatur: Strong news: strong news which has no possibility of containing lies and which is reported by a group.1

Islamic scholar Sayyid Sharif Jurjani explains the concept of tawatur hadith as follows:

Khabar mutawatir is news that is reported by so many people that it is impossible for all of them to agree on a wrong piece of news. If both the words and the meaning of the news are the same, it is called "mutawatir lafzi" (words). if the meaning is the same but there are some differences among the words, it is called "mutawatir manawi" (meaning).2

Writing a special book called at Tasrih bi-ma Tawatara fi Nuzuli'l Masih regarding hadiths stating the advent of Jesus in the form of tawatur, Sheikh Muhammad Anwar al Kashmiri, the great hadith scholar, included seventy-five hadiths and twenty-five works of the Companions and those who saw the Companions. 

One of the most important scholars mentioning that Jesus will come is Abu Hanifa. Abu Hanifa, writes the following at the end of his book called al-Fiqh al-Akbar:

"The emergence of Dajjal (Anti-Christ), Yajuj (Gog) , Majuj (Magog) , the descent of Jesus and other signs of Doomsday are true as they are mentioned in sound hadiths and they will take place."3

The issue of Jesus descending on the earth is one of the ten major signs of Doomsday; many Islamic scholars dealt with the issue in detail in their books. When the explanations regarding the issue are evaluated in detail, it will clearly be seen that there is unanimity among Islamic scholars about the second advent of Jesus. For instance, as-Saffarini states in his book called Lawami that Islamic scholars unanimously agree on the issue as follows:

"The whole ummah agrees that Jesus, son of Mary, will descend. No people of sharia disagree about it."4

Sayyid Alusi, the great Islamic scholar, gives examples from the views of the other Islamic scholars and states that they unanimously agree that the news about the descent of Jesus is at the level of tawatur manawi in his tafsir called Ruhu'l Maani and that it is wajib to believe in the descent of Jesus.5

Imam Kawthari states his views on the descent of Jesus as follows:

The tawatur regarding the descent of Jesus in hadiths is tawatur manawi." Each one of the sahih (sound) and hasan (nice) hadiths indicate different meanings but all of them unanimously agree that Jesus will descend on the earth; it is a reality that cannot be denied by anyone who is interested in the science of hadith. That the hadiths regarding the emergence of Dajjal and the descent of Jesus are at the level of tawatur is not something that is doubted by the people of the science of hadith. Some scholars of kalam (belief) accept that it is wajib to believe in the hadiths related to the signs of Doomsday but they have some doubts whether some of those hadiths are mutawatir or not; this originates from having insufficient knowledge related to the science of hadith.6

After interpreting the relevant verses and explaining the hadiths, the scholar Ibn Kathir expresses his thought as follows:

They were reported from the Messenger of Allah as mutawatir;  it is explained in those hadiths how and where Jesus will descend. The sound and mutawatir hadiths regarding the descent of Jesus with his body are not suitable for interpreting differently. Therefore, anyone who has a little belief and conscience needs to believe that Jesus will descend on the earth. Only those who are opposite the sharia, the book of Allah, the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah and the consensus of Ahl as-Sunnah can deny it.7

Another explanation that those hadiths are mutawatir is as follows:

Shawkani says the number of hadiths stating that Jesus will descend amounts to twenty nine and he reports all of them one by one Then, he says,  "As it is seen, the hadiths we have reported have reached the level of tawatur. With this statement, it can be concluded that the hadiths related to the expected Mahdi, Dajjal and the descent of Jesus are mutawatir.8

Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, Bazzaz, Ibn Majah, Hakim, Tabarani and Abu Ya'la Musuli report hadiths from various Companions regarding the issue; they attributed them to Ali, Ibn Abbas, Ibn Umar, Talha, Ibn Mas'ud Abu Hurayara, Anas, Abu Sa'id Khudri, Umm Habiba, Umm Salama, Thawban, Qurra bin Iyas, Ali Hilali and Abdullah bin Harith bin Juza through some chains.9 Along with them, Ibn Hajar Haythami writes in his book called as-Sawaiq-ul Muhriqa, Shablanji in his book Nur-ul Absar, Ibn Sabbagh in al-Fusul-ul Muhimma, Muhammad as-Sabban in Is'af-ur Raghibin,  Ghanji ash-Shafii in al-Bayan, Sheikh Mansur Ali in Ghayat-ul Ma'mul, Suwaydi in Sabaiq-udh Dhahab that the hadiths regarding the advent of Jesus are mutawatir.

Hadith scholars of Ahl as-Sunnah wrote those hadiths in their books. For instance, Abu Dawud, Ahmad, Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah, Hakim, Nasai, Tabarani, Rawyani, Abu Nuaym Isfahani, Daylami, Bayhaqi, Tha'labi, Hamawayni, Manawi, Ibn Maghazili, Ibn Jawzi, Muhammad-us Sabban, Mawardi, Ghanji ash-Shafii, Sam'ani, Kharazmi, Sha'rani, Daraqutni, Ibni Sabbagh Maliki, Shablanji, Muhibbuddin Tabari, Ibn Hajar Haythami, Sheikh Mansur Ali Nasif, Muhammad b. Talha, Jalaladdin Suyuti, Sheikh Sulayman Hanafi, Qurtubi, Baghawi and other scholars included this issue in their books.

Sheikh Abdulfattah Abu Ghudda, states that hadiths mentioning that Jesus will descend and kill Dajjal are mutawatir.10 In his book called Nazmu'l-Mutanasır 11, hadith scholar Kattani writes, " The descent of Jesus is definite by the Book, Sunnah and the consensus of the ummah; the hadiths about Dajjal and Mahdi are mutawatir." In his tafsir book called al Bahru'l Muhit, tafsir scholar Ibn Atiyya al Ghirnadi al Andulusi writes,"The ummah has consensus that Jesus is alive and that he will descend on the earth at the end of time; the hadiths regarding the issue are mutawatir."

It is understood from the narrations of the writers who have books regarding the issue that hadith resources are very rich. Besides, the hadiths stating that the descent of Jesus is one of the signs of Doomsday that will appear at the end of time are present in major hadith resources like Bukhari and Muslim. Some of them are as follows:

"Doomsday will not strike unless you see ten signs. One of them is the descent of Jesus..." (Muslim, Kitabu-l Fitan: 39)

"By Allah, Maryam's (Mary's) son (Jesus) will descend in order to perform hajj or umrah or both of them." (Muslim, Hajj: 216, 1252)

" Doomsday will not strike unless ten signs are seen: Smoke, Dajjal, Dabbatu'l Ard, the sun rising in the west; Jesus descending on earth  ..." (Rudani, Büyük Hadis Külliyatı, Volume 5 p. 362)

"I swear by Allah in whose hand is my soul that Jesus, son of Mary, will descend as the owner of justice soon..." [Bukhari, Kitabu'l-Buyu': 102, Mazalim: 31, Anbiya 49; Muslim, İman: 242 (155); Abu Dawud, Malahim: 14 (4324); Tirmidhi, Fitan: 54 (2234)]

"Jesus will descend; their leader will say to him, 'Come and lead the prayer.' He will say, 'Some of you are leaders for some of you. This is Allah's grace and generosity for this ummah. " (Rudani, Büyük Hadis Külliyatı, Volume 5 p. 380)

"By Allah, Maryam's (Mary's) son (Jesus) will descend as a fair judge and sultan..."(Sahih Muslim bi Sharhin-Nawawi, Wolume 2, p.192; Kanzul Ummal, Kitabul-Iman, Bab Nuzulu Isa Ibn Maryam, 14/332)

"When Maryam's son will descend on you while you have a leader among you, what will you be like?" (Bukhari, Anbiya 50, 3265, 3/1272; Muslim, Iman: 71, 155, 1/136; Bayhaqi, Asma wa Sifat: 3265, 2/166)

Islamic scholars regard the issue of the descent of Jesus as an issue of creed.  

In almost of Ahl as-Sunnah books that explain belief issues, it is stated that Jesus will descend on the earth before Doomsday, that he will struggle against Dajjal and kill him and that he will make religious ethics dominant in the world. Evaluating the evidence in the Quran and the news in the hadiths together, Islamic scholars regarded belief in the second advent of Jesus as an important principle of belief. They explain the issue as follows:

1. Allah states the following in verse 157 of the chapter of an-Nisa: "... but they killed him not, nor crucified him, but so it was made to appear to them..." Along with this verse, in several other verses of the Quran, it is stated that Jesus is alive in the presence of Allah and it is indicated that he will come to the world for the second time. Islamic scholars unanimously say that it is not possible to claim the opposite. For instance, while interpreting this verse, Ibn Khazm says, "A person who says Jesus was killed will be regarded as a person who has exited the religion of Islam or who has become an unbeliever. " 12

2. It is very important evidence for Muslims that the hadiths related to the second advent of Jesus are at the level of tawatur and that they are very clear without giving rise to any doubts. Besides, there is not even one hadith that can be used against the hadiths regarding the issue, that is, stating that Jesus will not come for the second time.

3. The following hadith reported by Jabir Ibn Abdullah is other evidence used by Islamic scholars: "A person who denies the advent of Mahdi definitely denies what has been sent down to Muhammad (pbuh). A person who denies the descent of Jesus, son of Mary, definitely becomes an unbeliever. A person who does not accept that Dajjal will emerge is definitely an unbeliever." This hadith is included in famous Islamic resource books like Faslul Khitab by Sheikh Hajah Muhammad Parisa, Maanil Ahbar by Sheikh Abu Bakr al Kalabazi', ar-Rawdul Unuf by Imam Suhayli and al-Arful Wardi fi Akhbaril Mahdi by Imam Suyuti. Besides, Sheikh Abu Bakr mentions the chain of this hadith: "It was reported to us by Muhammad Ibn Hasan, to him by Abu Abdillah al-Husayn Ibn Muhammad, to him by Ismail Ibn Uways, to him by Malik Ibn Anas, to him by Muhammad Ibn Munkadir and to him by Jabir Ibn Abdillah."

4. Islamic scholars attract attention to the multitude and reliability of the narrators of those hadiths. Some of the narrators are as follows: Abu'l Ashas as-Sanani, Abu Rafi, Abul Aliya, Abu Umama al-Bahili, Abud Darda, Abu Hurayra, Abu Malik al-Khudri, Jabir Ibn Abdillah, Huzayfa Ibn Adis, Safina, Qatada, Uthman Ibnul As, Nafi Ibn Kaysani, Walid Ibn Muslim, Ammar Ibn Yasir, Abdullah Ibn Abbas...

In conclusion, Islamic scholars regard belief in the descent of Jesus and that he will make the real religious ethics dominant in the world as one of the important principles of belief. 

References:

1. Osmanlıca-Türkçe Ansiklopedik Büyük Lügat, Türdav, İstanbul, 2000, 3003
2. Mukhtasar Sayyid Sharif, p. 46
3. al-Fiqh al-Akbar, Abu Hanifa, Nu'man b. Thabit (150/767), Trnsl by: H. Basri Çantay, Ankara, 1982
4. Lawamiu'l Anwaril Bahiyya, as-Saffarini, 2/94-95; Nüzul-i Mesih Risalesi, Ahmet Mahmut Ünlü, Ekmel Yayıncılık, İstanbul, 1998, p.169
5. Ruhu'l Maani, Sayyid Alusi, 7/60; Nüzul-i Mesih Risalesi, Ahmet Mahmut Ünlü, Ekmel Yayıncılık, İstanbul, 1998, p. 168
6. Imam Kawthari, Nazratun Abira, p.44-49; Nüzul-i Mesih Risalesi, Ahmet Mahmut Ünlü, Ekmel Yayıncılık, İstanbul, 1998, p. 167-168
7. Ibn Kathir, 1/578-582; Awnu'l Mabud, 11/457-464
8. Sunan Ibn Majah, 10/338
9. Muqaddima, Ibn Khaldun, MEB Şark Islam Klasikleri, Volume 2 p. 137-139
10. Said Havva, 9: 445
11. Nazmu'l-mutanasir fi'l-hadithi'l-mutawatir, al-Kattani Abu'l-Fayd Muhammad b. Ja'far al-Hasani, Aleppo, p.147; İslam İnancı Açısından Nüzul-i İsa Meselesi, Dr. Zeki Sarıtoprak, Çağlayan Yayınları, İzmir, 1997, p.108
12. Ilmu'l-Kalam, Ibn Khazm, p. 56-57; İslam İnancı Açısından Nüzul-i İsa Meselesi, Dr. Zeki Sarıtoprak, Çağlayan Yayınları, İzmir, 1997, p.53

13 Who is the person who said, I wish I would live long enough to belong to the ummah of Muhammad (pbuh)?

The ummah of Muhammad is a nation that is praised in terms of several aspects. They are praised in both the Quran and other divine books.

When Hz. Isa (Christ) saw the praised attributes of this ummah in the Gospel, he prayed to Allah to be among them and his prayer was accepted. This is one of the wisdoms behind his being sent down to the world as a mujaddid in the future. (Canan İbrahim, Kütüb-i Sitte Tercüme ve Şerhi, Feza Gazetecilik, 1996, 14/74)

In addition, a Yemeni king called Tubba’ mentioned in the Quran said, “I witness that Ahmad (pbuh) is a true prophet of Allah. If I lived in his age, I would be his prime minister and his cousin (like Ali).” (see Ibn Kathir, al-Bidaya, 2:166; Qadi Iyad, ash-Shifa, 1:363).

The Negus, the king of Abyssinia, said, “I wish I were a servant of Muhammad (pbuh) instead of having this sultanate.” (Qadi Iyad, ash-Shifa, 1/365; Nabhani, Hujjatullah, 115; Bayhaqi, Dalail, 2/285)

14 If Masih (Messiah) means savior and since Hz. Isa (Jesus) is mentioned as "Masih" in the Quran, is Hz. Isa really the savior?

a. The word "masih", which is one of the names given to Hz. Isa (Jesus), is derived from the root "MSH". According to Ibn Abbas, Hz. Isa wiped his hand over ill people suffering from various diseases and cured them with the permission of Allah; therefore, he was given this nickname. (see al-Qurtubi, IV/89)

"I heal those born blind, and the lepers, and I quicken the dead, by Allah´s leave..."

The statement above in verse 49 of the chapter of Aal-i Imran supports this determination of Ibn Abbas.

b. According to some linguists, this word is derived from the Hebrew word "meshiha", which means nice creation, blessed face and personality. (see al-Qurtubi, IV/89) The following statements of Hz. Isa in verses 30-33 of the chapter of Maryam evoke that meaning:

"I am indeed a servant of Allah: He hath given me revelation and made me a prophet; And He hath made me blessed wheresoever I be, and hath enjoined on me Prayer and Charity as long as I live; He) hath made me kind to my mother, and not overbearing or miserable; So peace is on me the day I was born, the day that I die, and the day that I shall be raised up to life (again)."

c. Some scholars say that the word "masih" means very clean/pure and that it expresses that Hz. Isa is a person purified of sins. (see at-Tabari, IV/35.) The expression in verse 19 of the chapter of Maryam evokes that meaning:

"He (the angel) said: ‘Nay, I am only a messenger from thy Lord, (to announce) to thee the gift of a holy son.’"

d. There are also some scholars who say that this word is derived from musamaha and means tolerance. If it is considered that Hz. Isa Masih alleviated some harsh decrees and rendered some haram deeds halal (see az-Zamakhshari, I/365), this meaning of the word will become more significant.

As a matter of fact, Badiuzzaman Said Nursi attracts attention to the fact that both Dajjal (Antichrist) and Hz. Isa were given the same nickname, Masih, and states the following:

Just as in some narrations, Jesus (Peace be upon him) is called “the Messiah” (al-Masih), so are both Dajjals called Messiah, and in all the narrations it says: “مِنْ فِتْنَةِ الْمَسِيحِ الدَّجَّالِ.. مِنْ فِتْنَةِ الْمَسِيحِ الدَّجَّالِ... from the dissension of the Messiah Antichrist (al-Masih al-Dajjal) ... from the dissension of the Messiah Antichrist (al-Masih al-Dajjal)” (Bukhari, Adhan: 149; Janaiz: 88; Tirmidhi, Dua: 70, 76, 132; Musnad: 2:185, 186, 414, 416), what is the wisdom and meaning of this?

The Answer: God knows best, the wisdom in it is this: just as at the Divine command, Jesus (Peace be upon him) abrogated some of the burdensome ordinances of the Mosaic Law, making lawful some things agreeable to the appetites like wine, so too at the command of Satan and due to his temptations, the Great Dajjal will abrogate the injunctions of the Christian Law, and destroying the bonds in accordance with which the life of Christian society is administered, he will prepare the ground for anarchy and Gog and Magog. Similarly, the Sufyan, the Islamic Dajjal, due to the devices of Satan and the evil-commanding soul, will try to abrogate some of the eternal injunctions of the Shari‘a of Muhammad (PBUH), and destroying the material and spiritual bonds of human life, and leaving headstrong, drunken, giddy souls without restriction, he will unfasten the luminous chains of respect and compassion. By giving people a freedom which is pure despotism so they fall on one another in a swamp of putrid lust, he will open up the way to a terrible anarchy. There will then be no way those people can be kept under control other than by the most repressive despotism. (Şualar, Beşinci Şua, İkinci Makam)

Thus, Hz. Isa is called "Masih" in narrations; so are both Dajjals. The wisdom behind it is as follows: Hz. Isa abrogated some burdensome ordinances in the Torah based on the order of Allah; similarly, the Great Dajjal will abrogate the decrees in the religion of Hz. Isa with the suggestions of Satan, and destroying the bonds in accordance with which the life of Christian society is administered, he will prepare the ground for anarchy and “Gog and Magog (Yajuj and Majuj)”. The Sufyan, the Islamic Dajjal, will try to abrogate some of the eternal Islamic injunctions introduced by the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) with the devices of Satan and the evil-commanding soul, and to destroy the material and spiritual bonds of human life, leaving headstrong, drunken, giddy souls without restriction and hence causing a terrible anarchy. He will eliminate the bonds of respect and love, which are the basic dynamics of social life, and open up the way to such a terrible anarchy by giving people a freedom that is pure despotism that it will be very difficult to restore peace and security.

We should also state that all prophets are saviors; they will save the ummahs that believe in them from Hell. The attribute "savior" Christians use for Hz. Isa evokes a meaning that indicate their creed of trinity. That is definitely a wrong approach.

15 Christians interpret Ruhul-Quds as Allah's spirit. Is Hz. Isa (Jesus) Allah's spirit?

The angel of revelation, Holy Spirit, (Ruhul-Quds) is made up of the combination of the words "ruh" and "quds". Both of those words are Arabic. The word "ruh" is used in the sense of life, the source of understanding and movement, the opposite of matter, spiritual being, revelation, word of Allah, the Quran, power, the angel of revelation, Jibril (Gabriel), feeling, emotion, etc. (Raghib al-Isfahani, al-Mufradat fi Gharibil-Qur'an, Egypt 1961, "ruh" item)

However, nobody but Allah can know the real meaning of “ruh”. For, Allah states the following regarding the issue:

"They ask thee concerning the Spirit (of inspiration). Say: ‘The Spirit (cometh) by command of my Lord: of knowledge it is only a little that is communicated to you, (O men!)’." (al-Isra, 17/85)

The word "quds" means holy, blessed and purified from all kinds of evil. The phrase "ruhul-quds", which is a combination of those two words, means holy and clean spirit that cannot be stained by any blemish, the angel of revelation, Jibril. (Elmalılı Hamdi Yazır, Hak Dini Kur'ân Dili, V, 3125).

The word ruh is mentioned in several places in the Quran in various senses. Ruhul-Quds is mentioned only in four places. Scholars have different interpretations about the meaning of it in the verses in which it is mentioned. However, according to the majority of the scholars, it means Jibril, the angel of revelation. The translation of the one of the verses in which the phrase ruhul-quds is mentioned is as follows:

"We gave Moses the Book and followed him up with a succession of messengers; We gave Jesus the son of Mary Clear (Signs) and strengthened him with the holy spirit." (al-Baqara, 2/87)

The different views of the scholars related to ruhul-quds is mentioned in this verse is as follows:

1. Ruhul-Quds is one of the names of Allah Almighty.

2. It means the holy book, the Quran, or, according to another view, the Gospel.

3. Ruhul-Quds means Allah's spirit.

4. It means Jibril, the angel of revelation. That is the view of the majority of the scholars because it is used in this sense in various hadiths and poems of poets. (at-Tabari, Jamiul-Bayan, Egypt 1954, I, 404 ff; al-Qurtubi, al-Jamiu li Ahkamil-Qur'an, Egypt 1967, II, 24; ar-Razi, at-Tafsirul-Kabir, III, 177).

According to the scholars who hold that view, Ruhul-Quds mentioned in the following verses means Jibril:

"Those messengers We endowed with gifts, some above others: To one of them Allah spoke; others He raised to degrees (of honor); to Jesus the son of Mary We gave clear (Signs), and strengthened him with the holy spirit." (al-Baqara, 2/253);

"Then will Allah say: "O Jesus the son of Mary! Recount My favor to thee and to thy mother. Behold! I strengthened thee with the holy spirit." (al-Maida, 5/110);

"Say, the Holy Spirit has brought the revelation from thy Lord in Truth, in order to strengthen those who believe, and as a Guide and Glad Tidings to Muslims." (an-Nahl, 16/102).

Ruhul-Amin is synonymous with Ruhul-Quds. That is, it means Jibril too. It is mentioned only in one verse in the Quran:

"With it came down the spirit of Faith and Truth." (ash-Shuara, 26/ 193)

When those words belonging to the language of the Quran are considered, it is understood that Ruhul-Quds is Jibril. However, in that case, the following question can come to mind:

"What is the meaning of the pronoun’s being attributed to Hz. Isa only, even excluding Hz. Musa, in the divine statement 'and strengthened him with the holy spirit', though Jibril was also sent to the prophets other than Hz. Isa too? Is it not understood from that statement that Ruhul-Quds is a special spirit other than Jibril?"

According to the explanation of tafsir scholars, the answer is "No!" The meaning of the attribution is as follows: Jibril has a special relation with Hz. Isa, which is not in question with other prophets because it is Jibril that gave Hz. Maryam (Mary) the glad tiding about his birth. Hz. Isa was born with his breathing, grew up with his education and support; He went everywhere with Hz. Isa. As a matter of fact, the following is stated in the chapter of Maryam:

"Then We sent her our angel, and he appeared before her as a man in all respects." (Maryam, 19/17)

The word "ruhana" (Our spirit) mentioned in the verse is ruhullah, Ruhul-Quds, Jibril.

In addition, as it is known, Sons of Israel uttered some words that were contrary to the innocence and chastity of Hz. Isa and his mother Maryam and that were contrary to their holiness; the real addressee of the verse was Jews; therefore, this verse about Hz. Isa was not sent for attribution but to purify and to support him in the face of those accusations and slanders of Jews. Therefore, the name "Ruhul-Quds", which means cleanliness, purification, was preferred.

It is necessary to remind here that Hz. Isa was strengthened with "Ruhul-Quds" but he is not the only one to be strengthened with Ruhul-Quds.

"Say, the Holy Spirit has brought the revelation from thy Lord in Truth." (an-Nahl, 16/102)

As it is stated in the verse above, the one that brought the Quran to the Prophet (pbuh) is Ruhul-Quds. It is a known fact the one that brought the Quran to him is Jibril. So, Ruhul-Quds is Jibril. It is Jibril in terms of power and strength, Ruhul-Quds in terms of innocence and purity.

According to what the poet Hassan narrates, the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) prayed for him and said,  

"O Lord! Strengthen Hassan with Ruhul-Quds." When Hassan narrated it, he showed Abu Hurayra as his witness. (Bukhari, Salah, 68; Muslim, Fadailus-Sahaba, 151, 152; Nasai, Masajid, 24. See also Jibril item)

As it is known, some verses of the Quran are muhkam (clear; decisive) and some are mutashabih (allegorical; ambiguous). For instance, the following verses are muhkam:

“He begetteth not, nor is He begotten.” (al-Ikhlas, 112/3),

“It is not befitting to (the majesty of) Allah that He should beget a son.” (Maryam, 19/35),

“There is nothing whatever like unto Him.” (ash-Shura, 42/11)

That is, they include definite decrees; they cannot be interpreted differently. The verse below is mutashabih:

“Christ Jesus the son of Mary was (no more than) a messenger of Allah, and His Word, which He bestowed on Mary, and a spirit proceeding from Him.” (an-Nisa, 4/171)

Hz. Isa’s being a word of Allah was interpreted as his being created without a father based on the order “Kun: Be”; similarly, “being a spirit proceeding from Him” was interpreted as honor, that is, Allah’s compliment to the spirit. As a matter of fact, the following is stated in the chapter of al-Anbiya:

"We breathed into her (Mary) of Our spirit, and We made her and her son a sign for all peoples."

A kind of honoring and complimenting is in question in the phrase ‘of Our spirit’ mentioned in the verse. If God Almighty had said, ‘I granted you fish from My sea, fruits from My soil and light from My sun’, we would have understood each of them as a compliment to the sea, soil and sun. The phrase of Our spirit will be understood as “of Our creature called spirit”.

16 Where is the tomb of the crucified person? Why is there no such record?

“That they said (in boast), ‘We killed Christ Jesus the son of Mary, the Messenger of Allah’- but they killed him not, nor crucified him, but so it was made to appear to them, and those who differ therein are full of doubts, with no (certain) knowledge, but only conjecture to follow, for of a surety they killed him not.” (an-Nisa, 4/157)

It is indicated in the verse above that Jesus was not crucified, that the person they killed was a person who was mistaken for him, that those who claim it have no definite knowledge about the issue they discuss, and that all they knew was due to a misconception.

The phrase “with no (certain) knowledge, but only conjecture to follow...” in the verse is related to the murder of Jesus but it can also be considered an indication of who the murdered person was and where he was buried in general.

It is stated in tafsir books that - so to speak - the people who were there during the crucifixion said, “Well, if this is Jesus who was killed, where is our friend (who was mistaken for him); if this is our friend who was killed, where is Jesus?” Thus, they investigated the issue. (see Razi, Maraghi, Ibn Ashur, the interpretation of the verse in question)

However, we could not find any information showing that answers to those questions were found.

We have no means of determining this reported information, which we cannot find in the Quran and hadith sources, through the mind.

17 Are there any verses of the Quran and hadiths about the chastity of Hz. Maryam (Mary)?

The concept of chastity in terms of the time period when Hz. Maryam (Mary) lived did not suit any woman so much as it did Hz. Maryam. This concept of chastity looks as if it is her a title, is identical with her and is an indispensable characteristic of her. It is as if the name “Maryam” is meaningless and incomplete without that concept. She is our chaste mother, Virgin Mary. In fact, she is also the mother of all Abrahamic religions.

Chastity (iffah) lexically means staying away from harams, avoiding words and deeds are not halal and good, honor, cleanliness, preventing one’s soul from animal tendencies, consenting to halals and avoiding harams.

The most important witnesses to the chastity of our mother Mary are the Quran and hadiths, and her exemplary spiritual life of 50-60 years, in which she lived in chastity.

Allah states the following for our mother Mary in verse 91 of the chapter of al-Anbiya: allati ahsanat farjaha, that is, she who guarded her chastity.

In the verses of the chapter of Maryam, Maryam says to Jibril (Gabriel), who appeared in human form, “I seek refuge from thee to (Allah) Most Gracious: (Come not near) if thou dost fear Allah.” When Jibril says, “Nay, I am only a messenger from thy Lord, (to announce) to thee the gift of a holy son”, Mother Mary says, “How shall I have a son, seeing that no man has touched me, and I am not unchaste?” (Maryam, 19/16-33)

The following is stated in verse 59 of the chapter of Aal-i Imran: “The similitude of Jesus before Allah is as that of Adam; He created him from dust, then said to him: “Be”. And he was.” Thus, it is stated that our father Adam was created without a father and a mother and that Hz. Isa (Jesus) was created without a father.

The Prophet (pbuh) said, “The best of women of Paradise are Khuwaylid’s daughter Khadija, Muhammad’s daughter Fatima, Imran’s daughter, Maryam, and Muzahim’s daughter (Pharaoh’s wife) Asiya.” Thus, he stated that Hz. Maryam was one of the four most virtuous women in the past and in the future. (see Haythami, Zawaid, 9/223; Tirmidhi, Manaqib, 61; Ahmad b. Hanbal, 1/293, 316, 322)

Thus, both Allah and His Messenger Muhammad (pbuh) state that Hz. Maryam was chaste and honorable.

18 Is Jesus the son of God according to Christianity?

In Christianity, Jesus Christ is as important theologically as he is historically because the fundamental teachings of this religion are about Jesus.

According to Christian faith, Jesus is the embodied word of God and hence God. God’s eternal message, which is uncreated, is embodied and lives among human beings as Jesus (incarnation).

Therefore, Christians give Jesus the titles “Son of God, Lord, Messiah”.

Various passages in the Gospels in which God refers to him as “My son” and he refers to God as “my father” are cited as evidence for the divinity of Jesus.

On the other hand, those who argue that he is not a deity also refer the Gospels. (Mark, 10/17-18; John, 5/19; 14/28; 17/3)

Arius, who caused the Council of Nicaea to be convened, tried to show that Jesus was not a deity with counter-arguments he found in the Gospels.

The issue of Jesus’ nature, that is, whether he was a human being or a deity, or both a human being and a deity, was debated for centuries, and with the decisions taken at the councils of 325 Nicaea, 431 Ephesus and 451 Chalcedon, it was officially confirmed and declared that he had two natures, human and divine, but only one personality, and that he constituted an element of trinity as the son of God. (Catechisme de l’église catholique, pp. 96-106; Michel, Hristiyan Tanrıbilimine Giriş, İstanbul 1992, pp. 56-61, 99-102)

According to the Quran, Jesus is a human being and a servant despite all his superior qualities (an-Nisa 4/172; al-Maida 5/17, 75; Maryam 19/30; az-Zukhruf 43/59) 

Jesus never said that he should be made a god; he preached servitude to Allah alone. (al-Maida 5/116-117)

The Quran explicitly rejects trinity and sets forth tawhid (oneness) as the basic principle. (an-Nisa 4/171)

Jesus is also mentioned in hadiths:

It is stated that the devil touches everybody who is born but that he touched Jesus only behind a veil, that Jesus was one of the three people who spoke in the cradle, that the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) met him on the night of the Ascension (Miraj) in the second layer of the sky, and that on the Day of Judgment, Jesus will send those who come to him for intercession to the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).

It is also explained in the hadiths that whoever believes that there is no god but Allah, that Muhammad (pbuh) is His servant and Messenger, that Jesus is Allah’s servant and messenger, and that Jesus is the word of Allah that He breathed into Mary and a spirit from Allah will enter Paradise, and that the closest person to Jesus is the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).

Moreover, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) forbade Muslims praising him like Christians praised Jesus. (See Bukhari, Salah, 1, Anbiya, 5, 24, 43, 47, 48, Badul-Khalq, 6, Manaqibul-Ansar, 7, 11, 42, 53, Tafsir, 2/1, 17/5, Tawhid, 19, Riqaq, 51, Hudud, 31, Tabirur-Ruya, 32, Fitan, 26)

19 Some Christians believe that Muslims regard Hz. Isa (Jesus Christ) as a bad person. How can we tell them that this belief of theirs is wrong?

Hz. Isa (Jesus Christ), who was created from Hz. Maryam without a father as a miracle, is one of the four great prophets. When he became thirty years old, he was given the duty of prophethood. Three years later, he was ascended to the sky by Allah by being saved from the assassination of Jews.

According to Islamic belief, Hz. Isa is a prophet and a person who does not accept his prophethood is not regarded to have a valid belief. Hz. Isa is praised in the Quran as it can be seen in the following verses:

"Say ye: ‘We believe in Allah, and the revelation given to us, and to Abraham, Isma´il, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes, and that given to Moses and Jesus, and that given to (all) prophets from their Lord: We make no difference between one and another of them: And we bow to Allah (in Islam).’" (al-Baqara, 2/136)

"…To Jesus the son of Mary We gave clear (Signs), and strengthened him with the holy spirit..." (al-Baqara, 2/253)

"We gave Moses the Book and followed him up with a succession of messengers; We gave Jesus the son of Mary Clear (Signs) and strengthened him with the holy spirit. Is it that whenever there comes to you a messenger with what ye yourselves desire not, ye are puffed up with pride?- Some ye called impostors, and others ye slay!" (al-Baqara, 2/87)

"Say: ‘We believe in Allah, and in what has been revealed to us and what was revealed to Abraham, Isma´il, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes, and in (the Books) given to Moses, Jesus, and the prophets, from their Lord: We make no distinction between one and another among them, and to Allah do we bow our will (in Islam).’" (Aal-i Imran, 3/84)

"Behold! The angels said: ‘O Mary! Allah giveth thee glad tidings of a Word from Him: his name will be Christ Jesus, the son of Mary, held in honor in this world and the Hereafter and of (the company of) those nearest to Allah; "He shall speak to the people in childhood and in maturity. And he shall be (of the company) of the righteous.’ She said: ‘O my Lord! How shall I have a son when no man hath touched me?’ He said: ‘Even so: Allah createth what He willeth: When He hath decreed a plan, He but saith to it, ´Be,´ and it is! ‘ And Allah will teach him the Book and Wisdom, the Law and the Gospel, And (appoint him) a messenger to the Children of Israel, (with this message): ´I have come to you, with a Sign from your Lord, in that I make for you out of clay, as it were, the figure of a bird, and breathe into it, and it becomes a bird by Allah´s leave: And I heal those born blind, and the lepers, and I quicken the dead, by Allah´s leave; and I declare to you what ye eat, and what ye store in your houses. Surely therein is a Sign for you if ye did believe; (I have come to you), to attest the Law which was before me. And to make lawful to you part of what was (Before) forbidden to you; I have come to you with a Sign from your Lord. So fear Allah, and obey me. It is Allah Who is my Lord and your Lord; then worship Him. This is a Way that is straight.’ When Jesus found Unbelief on their part He said: ‘Who will be My helpers to (the work of) Allah?’ Said the disciples: ‘We are Allah´s helpers: We believe in Allah, and do thou bear witness that we are Muslims. Our Lord! We believe in what Thou hast revealed, and we follow the Messenger; then write us down among those who bear witness.’ And (the unbelievers) plotted and planned, and Allah too planned, and the best of planners is Allah. Behold! Allah said: ‘O Jesus! I will take thee and raise thee to Myself and clear thee (of the falsehoods) of those who blaspheme; I will make those who follow thee superior to those who reject faith, to the Day of Resurrection: Then shall ye all return unto me, and I will judge between you of the matters wherein ye dispute.’" (Aal-i Imran, 3/45-55)

"The similitude of Jesus before Allah is as that of Adam; He created him from dust, then said to him: ‘Be’. And he was. The Truth (comes) from Allah alone; so be not of those who doubt." (Aal-i Imran, 3/59-60)

"We have sent thee inspiration, as We sent it to Noah and the Messengers after him: we sent inspiration to Abraham, Isma´il, Isaac, Jacob and the Tribes, to Jesus, Job, Jonah, Aaron, and Solomon, and to David We gave the Psalms." (an-Nisa, 4/163)

"(They have incurred divine displeasure): In that they broke their covenant; that they rejected the signs of Allah; that they slew the Messengers in defiance of right; that they said, ‘Our hearts are the wrappings (which preserve Allah´s Word; We need no more)’;- Nay, Allah hath set the seal on their hearts for their blasphemy, and little is it they believe;- That they rejected Faith; that they uttered against Mary a grave false charge; That they said (in boast), ‘We killed Christ Jesus the son of Mary, the Messenger of Allah’;- but they killed him not, nor crucified him, but so it was made to appear to them, and those who differ therein are full of doubts, with no (certain) knowledge, but only conjecture to follow, for of a surety they killed him not:- Nay, Allah raised him up unto Himself; and Allah is Exalted in Power, Wise;- And there is none of the People of the Book but must believe in him before his death; and on the Day of Judgment he will be a witness against them." (an-Nisa, 4/155-159)

"O People of the Book! Commit no excesses in your religion: Nor say of Allah aught but the truth. Christ Jesus the son of Mary was (no more than) a messenger of Allah, and His Word, which He bestowed on Mary, and a spirit proceeding from Him: so believe in Allah and His messengers. Say not ‘Trinity’: desist: it will be better for you: for Allah is one Allah: Glory be to Him: (far exalted is He) above having a son. To Him belong all things in the heavens and on earth. And enough is Allah as a Disposer of affairs. Christ disdaineth nor to serve and worship Allah, nor do the angels, those nearest (to Allah): those who disdain His worship and are arrogant,-He will gather them all together unto Himself to (answer)." (an-Nisa, 4/171-172)

"In blasphemy indeed are those that say that Allah is Christ the son of Mary. Say: ‘Who then hath the least power against Allah, if His will were to destroy Christ the son of Mary, his mother, and all every - one that is on the earth? For to Allah belongeth the dominion of the heavens and the earth, and all that is between. He createth what He pleaseth. For Allah hath power over all things.’" (al-Maida, 5/17)

"And in their footsteps We sent Jesus the son of Mary, confirming the Law that had come before him: We sent him the Gospel: therein was guidance and light, and confirmation of the Law that had come before him: a guidance and an admonition to those who fear Allah." (al-Maida, 5/46)

"They do blaspheme who say: ‘Allah is Christ the son of Mary.’ But said Christ: ‘O Children of Israel! Worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord. Whoever joins other gods with Allah,- Allah will forbid him the garden, and the Fire will be his abode. There will for the wrong-doers be no one to help. They do blaspheme who say: ‘Allah is one of three in a Trinity’: for there is no god except One Allah. If they desist not from their word (of blasphemy), verily a grievous penalty will befall the blasphemers among them. Why turn they not to Allah, and seek His forgiveness? For Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful. Christ the son of Mary was no more than a messenger; many were the messengers that passed away before him. His mother was a woman of truth. They had both to eat their (daily) food. See how Allah doth make His signs clear to them; yet see in what ways they are deluded away from the truth!" (al-Maida, 5/72-75)

"Curses were pronounced on those among the Children of Israel who rejected Faith, by the tongue of David and of Jesus the son of Mary: because they disobeyed and persisted in excesses." (al-Maida, 5/78)

"Then will Allah say: ‘O Jesus the son of Mary! Recount My favor to thee and to thy mother. Behold! I strengthened thee with the holy spirit, so that thou didst speak to the people in childhood and in maturity. Behold! I taught thee the Book and Wisdom, the Law and the Gospel and behold! Thou makest out of clay, as it were, the figure of a bird, by My leave, and thou breathest into it and it becometh a bird by My leave, and thou healest those born blind, and the lepers, by My leave. And behold! Thou bringest forth the dead by My leave. And behold! I did restrain the Children of Israel from (violence to) thee when thou didst show them the clear Signs, and the unbelievers among them said: ´This is nothing but evident magic.´ And behold! I inspired the disciples to have faith in Me and Mine Messenger: they said, ´We have faith, and do thou bear witness that we bow to Allah as Muslims´". Behold! The disciples, said: ‘O Jesus the son of Mary! Can thy Lord send down to us a table set (with viands) from heaven?’ Said Jesus: ‘Fear Allah, if ye have faith.’ They said: ‘We only wish to eat thereof and satisfy our hearts, and to know that thou hast indeed told us the truth; and that we ourselves may be witnesses to the miracle.’ Said Jesus the son of Mary: ‘O Allah our Lord! Send us from heaven a table set (with viands), that there may be for us - for the first and the last of us - a solemn festival and a sign from thee; and provide for our sustenance, for thou art the best Sustainer (of our needs).’ Allah said: ‘I will send it down unto you: But if any of you after that resisteth faith, I will punish him with a penalty such as I have not inflicted on any one among all the peoples.’ And behold! Allah will say: ‘O Jesus the son of Mary! Didst thou say unto men, worship me and my mother as gods in derogation of Allah?’ He will say: ‘Glory to Thee! Never could I say what I had no right (to say). Had I said such a thing, thou wouldst indeed have known it. Thou knowest what is in my heart, Thou I know not what is in Thine. For Thou knowest in full all that is hidden. Never said I to them aught except what Thou didst command me to say, to wit, ´worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord´; and I was a witness over them whilst I dwelt amongst them; when Thou didst take me up Thou wast the Watcher over them, and Thou art a witness to all things. If Thou dost punish them, they are Thy servant: If Thou dost forgive them, Thou art the Exalted in power, the Wise.’" (al-Maida, 5/110-118)

"And Zakariya and John, and Jesus and Elias: all in the ranks of the righteous." (al-An'am, 6/85)

"The Jews call ´Uzair a son of Allah, and the Christians call Christ the son of Allah. That is a saying from their mouth; (in this) they but imitate what the unbelievers of old used to say. Allah´s curse be on them: how they are deluded away from the Truth! They take their priests and their anchorites to be their lords in derogation of Allah, and (they take as their Lord) Christ the son of Mary; yet they were commanded to worship but One Allah: there is no god but He. Praise and glory to Him: (Far is He) from having the partners they associate (with Him)." (at-Tawba, 9/30-31)

"Relate in the Book (the story of) Mary, when she withdrew from her family to a place in the East. She placed a screen (to screen herself) from them; then We sent her our angel, and he appeared before her as a man in all respects. She said: ‘I seek refuge from thee to (Allah) Most Gracious: (come not near) if thou dost fear Allah.’ He said: ‘Nay, I am only a messenger from thy Lord, (to announce) to thee the gift of a holy son.’ She said: ‘How shall I have a son, seeing that no man has touched me, and I am not unchaste?’ He said: ‘So (it will be):’ Thy Lord saith, ´that is easy for Me: and (We wish) to appoint him as a Sign unto men and a Mercy from Us´: It is a matter (so) decreed.’ So she conceived him, and she retired with him to a remote place. And the pains of childbirth drove her to the trunk of a palm-tree: She cried (in her anguish): ‘Ah! Would that I had died before this! Would that I had been a thing forgotten and out of sight!’ But (a voice) cried to her from beneath the (palm-tree): ‘Grieve not! For thy Lord hath provided a rivulet beneath thee; And shake towards thyself the trunk of the palm-tree: It will let fall fresh ripe dates upon thee. So eat and drink and cool (thine) eye. And if thou dost see any man, say, ´I have vowed a fast to (Allah) Most Gracious, and this day will I enter into not talk with any human being.´’ At length she brought the (babe) to her people, carrying him (in her arms). They said: ‘O Mary! Truly an amazing thing hast thou brought! O sister of Aaron! Thy father was not a man of evil, nor thy mother a woman unchaste!’ But she pointed to the babe. They said: ‘How can we talk to one who is a child in the cradle?’ He said: ‘I am indeed a servant of Allah: He hath given me revelation and made me a prophet; And He hath made me blessed wheresoever I be, and hath enjoined on me Prayer and Charity as long as I live; (He) hath made me kind to my mother, and not overbearing or miserable; So peace is on me the day I was born, the day that I die, and the day that I shall be raised up to life (again)’! Such (was) Jesus the son of Mary: (it is) a statement of truth, about which they (vainly) dispute. It is not befitting to (the majesty of) Allah that He should beget a son. Glory be to Him! When He determines a matter, He only says to it, ‘Be’, and it is." (Maryam, 19/16-35)

"And We made the son of Mary and his mother as a Sign: We gave them both shelter on high ground, affording rest and security and furnished with springs." (al-Mu'minun, 23/50)

"And remember We took from the prophets their covenant: As (We did) from thee: from Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus the son of Mary: We took from them a solemn covenant." (al-Ahzab, 33/7)

"The same religion has He established for you as that which He enjoined on Noah - the which We have sent by inspiration to thee - and that which We enjoined on Abraham, Moses, and Jesus: Namely, that ye should remain steadfast in religion, and make no divisions therein: to those who worship other things than Allah, hard is the (way) to which thou callest them. Allah chooses to Himself those whom He pleases, and guides to Himself those who turn (to Him)." (ash-Shura, 42/13)

"When (Jesus) the son of Mary is held up as an example, behold, thy people raise a clamor thereat (in ridicule)! And they say, ‘Are our gods best, or he?’ This they set forth to thee, only by way of disputation: yea, they are a contentious people. He was no more than a servant: We granted Our favor to him, and We made him an example to the Children of Israel. And if it were Our Will, We could make angels from amongst you, succeeding each other on the earth. And (Jesus) shall be a Sign (for the coming of) the Hour (of Judgment): therefore have no doubt about the (Hour), but follow ye Me: this is a Straight Way. Let not the Evil One hinder you: for he is to you an enemy avowed. When Jesus came with Clear Signs, he said: ‘Now have I come to you with Wisdom, and in order to make clear to you some of the (points) on which ye dispute: therefore fear Allah and obey me. For Allah, He is my Lord and your Lord: so worship ye Him: this is a Straight Way.’ But sects from among themselves fell into disagreement: then woe to the wrong-doers, from the Penalty of a Grievous Day!" (az-Zukhruf, 43/57-65)

"Then, in their wake, We followed them up with (others of) Our messengers: We sent after them Jesus the son of Mary, and bestowed on him the Gospel; and We ordained in the hearts of those who followed him Compassion and Mercy. But the Monasticism which they invented for themselves, We did not prescribe for them: (We commanded) only the seeking for the Good Pleasure of Allah; but that they did not foster as they should have done. Yet We bestowed, on those among them who believed, their (due) reward, but many of them are rebellious transgressors." (al-Hadid, 57/27)

"And remember, Jesus, the son of Mary, said: ‘O Children of Israel! I am the messenger of Allah (sent) to you, confirming the Law (which came) before me, and giving Glad Tidings of a Messenger to come after me, whose name shall be Ahmad.’ But when he came to them with Clear Signs, they said, ‘this is evident sorcery!’" (as-Saff, 61/6)

"O ye who believe! Be ye helpers of Allah: As said Jesus the son of Mary to the Disciples, ‘Who will be my helpers to (the work of) Allah?’ Said the disciples, ‘We are Allah´s helpers!’ Then a portion of the Children of Israel believed, and a portion disbelieved: But We gave power to those who believed, against their enemies, and they became the ones that prevailed." (as-Saff, 61/14)

The Quranic verses above are enough to explain the respect shown to Hz. Isa (Christ) in Islamic belief.

20 Why do some people claim they have encountered miraculous events of Jesus?

Those people either make it up themselves or utter them by mixing their interpretations; or, they fall into the trap of the devil; there is no other explanation for it because spiritual discoveries are made available only to saints (awliya). To think that those who see it are saints means to give credit to those wrong thoughts knowingly.

What is really meant by the scholars who say, “It is not permissible to act based on dreams” is such dreams that are contrary to the spirit of Islam. There can be no bigger lie and slander in the world than calling Jesus “God”.

There is a famous anecdote related to Abdulqadir Ghaylani one of the great saints:

He saw a light, a light in the spiritual world, and at that moment, a voice came from that side: “O my servant! You no longer have any religious responsibility; obligatory deeds such as prayer and fasting have been removed from you.”

Sheikh Abdulqadir Ghaylani said without hesitating even for a second, “Damn you! O Satan!”

Satan said: “You are now indebted to the sciences of shari’ah originating from the Quran and sunnah. I have had many saints fall into this filthy pit.”

Then those who listened to this anecdote asked him, “How did you know that he was Satan?” His answer was significant: “I saw that extraordinary states were not worth a fig; so, I applied to the sciences of sharia, and I saw that it was out of the question for anyone to be freed of obligatory deeds. If there was such a thing, the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) would have been freed of them. Therefore, I realized that it was Satan who was talking to me.”

Similarly, if thousands of saints whose extraordinary discoveries and deeds were known by people all around the world said, “We saw that Jesus was God”, we would reject their slander, which they called an extraordinary deed, to their faces.

Such a thought is a clear unbelief according to the religion of Islam.

We will quote a few verses regarding the issue so as not to lengthen it:

O People of the Book! Commit no excesses in your religion: Nor say of Allah aught but the truth. Christ Jesus the son of Mary was (no more than) an apostle of Allah, and His Word, which He bestowed on Mary, and a spirit proceeding from Him: so believe in Allah and His apostles. Say not "Trinity" : desist: it will be better for you: for Allah is one Allah. Glory be to Him: (far exalted is He) above having a son. To Him belong all things in the heavens and on earth. And enough is Allah as a Disposer of affairs. (an-Nisa, 4/171) 

In blasphemy indeed are those that say that Allah is Christ the son of Mary. Say: ‘Who then hath the least power against Allah, if His will were to destroy Christ the son of Mary, his mother, and all every - one that is on the earth? For to Allah belongeth the dominion of the heavens and the earth, and all that is between. He createth what He pleaseth. For Allah hath power over all things.’” (al-Maida, 5/17)

“They do blaspheme who say: ‘(Allah) is Christ the son of Mary.’ But said Christ: ‘O Children of Israel! Worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord." Whoever joins other gods with Allah,- Allah will forbid him the garden, and the Fire will be his abode. There will for the wrong-doers be no one to help. They do blaspheme who say: Allah is one of three in a Trinity: for there is no god except One Allah. If they desist not from their word (of blasphemy), verily a grievous penalty will befall the blasphemers among them. Why turn they not to Allah, and seek His forgiveness? For Allah is Oft- forgiving, Most Merciful. Christ the son of Mary was no more than an apostle; many were the apostles that passed away before him. His mother was a woman of truth. They had both to eat their (daily) food. See how Allah doth make His signs clear to them; yet see in what ways they are deluded away from the truth! (al-Maida, 5/72-75)

The expressions in the verses above are very clear. However, it will be useful to explain the following statement a bit: “They had both to eat their (daily) food.”

It is stated in the verse that Mary and the Prophet Jesus got hungry and ate like other people. It is the most obvious characteristic of humans. Those who eat have stomachs, intestines... They need front and back channels to send out what they eat and drink. Can there be anything as irrational and ugly as thinking that a being who has to go to the toilet is a god? Besides, Mary is a mother and Jesus is a son. Like every child - even though he did not have a father - Jesus remained in his mother’s womb for a certain period of time and was born later. Can there be such a funny thought as to claim that a being remaining in a woman’s womb is a god?”

What can be a worse idea, a funnier thought, and a more ignorant belief than perceiving Jesus as “God” despite those obvious facts?  It should not be forgotten that “The truth is exalted, and may not by sacrificed for anything.” Sacrificing very bright truths for the nonsensical words of a few people is a form of insanity, blindness, and fanaticism based on prejudice.

21 What is the wisdom behind Hz. Isa’s being sent at the end of time? Why does Hz. Muhammad (pbuh), who is the last prophet, not come and spread Islam again?

There are some wisdoms behind it.

1. Hz. Isa will come to the world again with sainthood, not with prophethood.  

2. Hz. Isa wanted to be among the ummah of Hz. Muhammad (pbuh) because he received a lot of revelation about him and because he was told that Hz. Muhammad (pbuh) would come as a prophet after him. He will be sent to the earth again at the end of time as a result of his prayer.     

3. In addition, it can be considered as a grace of Allah for Christianity to be transformed into its pure state, that is, the belief of oneness, through Hz. Isa.

4. We will quote from Mektubat written by Badiuzzaman Said Nursi related to the issue of Hz. Isa’s coming down to the earth with his human body:

“...Then the person of Jesus (Upon whom be peace), who is present with his human body in the world of the heavens, will come to lead the current of true religion, as, relying on the promise of One Powerful Over All Things, the Bringer of Sure News has said.1 Since he has told of it, it is true, and since the One Powerful Over All Things has promised it, He will certainly bring it about. Indeed, it is not far from the wisdom of the All-Wise One of Glory who all the time sends the angels to the earth from the heavens, sometimes in human form – like Gabriel appearing in the form of Dihya – and sends spirit beings from the Spirit World making them appear in human form, and even sends the spirits of most of the dead saints to the world with similitudes of their bodies, it would not be far from His Wisdom – even if he were not alive and present with his body in the skies of the world and had truly died and departed for the furthest corner of the hereafter – to clothe Jesus (Upon whom be peace) in his body and send him to the world, so to bring the religion of Jesus to a fitting conclusion; for such a momentous result. Indeed He promised it because His wisdom required it to be thus, and since He promised it, He will most certainly send him. When Jesus (Upon whom be peace) comes, not everyone will know him to be the true Jesus. His elect and those close to him will recognize him through the light of belief. It will not be self-evident so that everyone will recognize him.”

22 How can we respond to those who say Jesus is the son of God?

- The Christians claimed that Jesus (pbuh) was the son of God and the polytheists claimed that the angels were the daughters of God. Our Lord condemns both groups in the Quran. As a matter of fact, the expression at the end of the verse clearly shows it:

If Allah had wanted to adopt children, He could have chosen anyone He willed from among His creatures. However, He did not wish it and He did not adopt children. He is exalted and glorified. He is the sole ruler.

The need for a son is a sign of incompleteness and incapacity. Mortal beings want offspring because they need to perpetuate their names and generations after death. Allah is free from all this. Had He wanted to adopt children, He would have adopted them from those in the heavens, from the angels, before humans and other creatures on earth. However, such a thing did not happen.

There are many proofs in the Holy Quran showing that the Prophet Isa (Jesus) was the servant and prophet of Allah and that he was not crucified but ascended to the sky:

“He begetteth not, nor is He begotten.” (al-Ikhlas, 112/3)
“It is not befitting to (the majesty of) Allah that He should beget a son.” (Maryam, 19/35)
“There is nothing whatever like unto Him.” (ash-Shura, 42/11)

The verses above are definite and clear; there is no place for interpretation.

“Christ Jesus the son of Mary was (no more than) an apostle of Allah, and His Word, which He bestowed on Mary, and a spirit proceeding from Him.” (an-Nisa, 4/171)

The following two verses exists in the Quran about Jesus being killed:

“…But they killed him not, nor crucified him, but so it was made to appear to them… Nay, Allah raised him up unto Himself…” (an-Nisa, 4/157-158)

“Behold! Allah said: “O Jesus! I will take thee and raise thee to Myself and clear thee (of the falsehoods) of those who blaspheme.” (Aal-i Imran, 3/55)

We will express the conclusion of the different interpretations of those two verses by tafsir scholars:

In the first verse, it is clearly stated that the person whom the Jews crucified to death was not Jesus (pbuh), but another person whom they mixed up with him. The majority of tafsir scholars has stated that Jesus (pbuh) lived with his body in the fourth layer of the heaven based on the fact that “he was not killed but raised to Allah”.

23 How can we respond to the Christians who say that Jesus will send Muhammad?

The following is stated in the Bible we have, in John 16:7:

“Nevertheless, I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him to you.”

The phrase “The comforter will not come unto you” exists in the first sentence “For if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him to you.”

This phrase is in compliance with the characteristic of our Prophet, Muhammad (pbuh), described as “a mercy to the worlds”. In addition, the verb “will not come” is used instead of “will not be sent”. It indicates that it is not question for Jesus to send him.

On the other hand, it is necessary to understand the phrase “but if I depart, I will send him to you” in the second sentence accordingly so that there will be no contradiction. That is, it necessary to consider it in the form of an expression of confirmation: “My departure will be a means for him to come; it is such a powerful means that it is as if I send him.”

As a matter of fact, the expression “But now I am going to the one who sent me” in John 16:5 states that it is Allah who sent Jesus and that he was Allah’s messenger.

That is, Jesus is not a god, but a messenger and servant of Allah.

This expression is in compliance with the following verse of the Quran telling what Jesus said when he spoke for the first time as a baby:

 “I am indeed a servant of Allah. He hath given me revelation and made me a prophet.” (Maryam, 19/30)

That is, it is Allah who sent both Jesus (pbuh) and Muhammad (pbuh) as prophets; both of them are messengers of Allah.

24 Is there no other prophet who received mercy than the Prophet Isa (Jesus)?

The verses in question are as follows:

”She (Mary) said: “How shall I have a son, seeing that no man has touched me, and I am not unchaste?” He said: “So (it will be): Thy Lord saith, ‘that is easy for Me: and (We wish) to appoint him as a Sign unto men and a Mercy from Us’: It is a matter (so) decreed.” (Maryam, 19/20-21)

- In the last verse, there is no mention of an eternal decision unique to the Prophet Jesus. It is stated that Jesus is a guide for Allah’s mercy and guidance to reach people like all prophets.

- The expression of mercy emphasized in the verse above, “We sent thee not, but as a Mercy for all creatures”, addressing the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is much stronger than the expression of mercy about the Prophet Jesus. Moreover, there are many other prophets and verses associated with mercy in the Quran. (For example, see al-Anam, 154, 157; al-Araf, 154; Hud, 17)

- Anyone who doubts that the Prophet Jesus is a distinguished person both in this world and in the hereafter is not regarded as a Muslim. However, it is not possible to say that this issue of being distinguished is unique to the Prophet Jesus.

“Behold! The angels said: ‘O Mary! Allah giveth thee glad tidings of a Word from Him: his name will be Christ Jesus, the son of Mary, held in honor in this world and the Hereafter and of (the company of) those nearest to Allah.’” (Aal-i Imran, 3/45) According to the statement in the verse above, there is no doubt that the Prophet Jesus came into being as “the word of Allah”, that is, not according to the law of reproduction like other people, but by Allah’s command “kun fa yakun” (“Be and it is“). However, the issue of “being close to Allah” is not unique to him; he is one of the thousands of prophets. As a matter of fact, the phrase “minal-muqarrabin” used in the verse emphasizes that he was “one of those who were made close”.

“Thus, then, if he be of those Nearest to Allah; (There is for him) Rest and Satisfaction, and a Garden of Delights.” (al-Waqia, 56/88-89)

The verses above indicate that being close to Allah is in question for hundreds of thousands of people.

- It is highly probable that the owner of the information in the question is an ignorant Christian (who believes that Jesus is the son of God, but clearly refrains from this statement and believes that he will go straight to heaven by believing it).

More things can be said regarding the issue but we regard the information above as sufficient.