Jesus was no more than a Messenger of Allah


Question:

This question includes Ayahs (Qur’anic verses) which the Qadianis (a deviant sect) quote as evidence for their opinion. They say that ‘Isa (Jesus) is dead and buried. I hope you will explain these Ayahs (Quranic verses) and refute their claims :

Answer:

The First Ayah

In the first Ayah is the saying of Allah (Exalted be He):

“The Messiah [‘Isâ (Jesus)], son of Maryam (Mary), was no more than a Messenger; many were the Messengers that passed away before him. His mother [Maryam (Mary)] was a Siddîqah [i.e. she believed in the Words of Allâh and His Books (see Verse 66:12)]. They both used to eat food (as any other human being, while Allâh does not eat).” [Qur’an, Al-Maidah: 75]

Explanation:

The wisdom behind this Ayah is refuting the claims of those who say, as in the Qur’an: “Surely, in disbelief are they who say that Allâh is the Messiah” [Qur’an, Al-Maidah: 17] and: “Allâh is the third of the three (in a Trinity).” [Qur’an, Al-Maidah: 73].

It also refutes the Saying of those who claim that ‘Isa is the son of Allah. It explains that the Christ ‘Isa (Jesus - peace be upon him) is not a lord or a god. In fact it proves that he is a mere Messenger whom Allah honored with this Message. He is like all the Messengers who were sent before him. He had a limited life span.

This Ayah, however, does not say when he will die. Other evidence from the Qur’an and the Sunnah explains that ‘Isa was raised alive to Allah and that he (peace be upon him) will descend and judge justly among the people, then he will die at the end of time. Allah says that `Isa and his mother Mary (peace be upon them both) used to eat food. This indicates that they were not gods because they were in need of food to stay alive.

But Allah (Exalted be He) is the Self-sufficient One with Absolute Might. All other beings need Him and He is not in need of any of them. The meaning of this Ayah is explained by the preceding and succeeding Ayahs, as mentioned previously.

This Ayah is preceded by Allah’s saying: “Surely, in disbelief are they who say that Allâh is the Messiah, son of Maryam (Mary).” [Qur’an, Al-Maidah: 17] And: “Surely, disbelievers are those who said: “Allâh is the third of the three (in a Trinity).” [Qur’an, Al-Maidah: 73] After these Ayahs, some Ayahs follow prohibiting exaggeration in religious matters, denying worship of anything other than Allah, cursing whoever worships anyone other than Allah and whoever accepts this without denying it.

Also the following Ayah from Surah (Qur’anic chapter) Al-An`am explains this: ”Say (O Muhammad (peace be upon him)): “Shall I take as a Walî (Helper, Protector, Lord or God) any other than Allâh, the Creator of the heavens and the earth? And it is He Who feeds but is not fed.”” [Qur’an, Al-An’am: 14]

The Second Ayah

The second Ayah is the saying of Allah (Exalted be He):

“And We never sent before you (O Muhammad (peace be upon him)) any of the Messengers but verily, they ate food and walked in the markets.” [Qur’an, Al-Furqan: 20]

Explanation:

The wisdom behind this Ayah is refuting the claims of those who deny the message of Muhammad (peace be upon him) saying that a Messenger should be an angel not a human being. Allah refutes their claim explaining that He (Exalted be He) selects Messengers from among humans. They eat food and walk in the markets just like other humans. The Ayah, however, does not say anything about the lifespan of ‘Isa (Jesus - peace be upon him). Other Ayahs and Hadiths state that Allah raised `Isa alive. They also state that he will descend at the end of time, judge among people and then die as we have mentioned before.

The Third Ayah

The third Ayah is the saying of Allah (Exalted be He):

“And We did not create them (the Messengers, with) bodies that ate not food, nor were they immortals.” [Qur’an, Al-Anbiya: 8]

Explanation:

There is nothing in this Ayah that says ‘Isa (peace be upon him) died as a result of the conspiracies of the Jews to kill and crucify him. In fact, this Ayah explains that prophets and messengers including ‘Isa are ordinary humans who eat food like other humans. It also indicates that they do not live eternally in worldly life. This is the belief of Ahl-us-Sunnah (those adhering to the Sunnah), for ‘Isa, like other Messengers, will die. But the Qur’an and Sunnah explain that he will die after his descent from heaven and after he judges justly among people, breaks the cross, and kills the swine, as we mentioned previously.

The Fourth Ayah

The fourth Ayah is the saying of Allah (Exalted be He):

“…and you will not find any change in the Way of Allâh.” [Qur’an, Al-Ahzab: 62]

Explanation:

Even though this Ayah is general in meaning, it has some exceptions. Allah provided His Messengers with signs and miracles to prove to their nations that their Messages were true. Such miracles include (Moses) Musa’s parting the sea into twelve dry paths by a simple strike of his staff, and ‘Isa’s curing those born blind, those suffering from leprosy, and bringing to life those who were dead by Allah’s will. Allah’s raising `Isa (peace be upon him) alive to Him, keeping him alive for centuries and making him descend later on, are similar exceptions for the general laws of nature. The same applies to other miracles by which Allah supports His Messengers. This is nothing strange.

The Fifth Ayah

The fifth Ayah is the saying of Allah (Exalted be He):

“He [‘Isâ (Jesus)] was not more than a slave. We granted Our Favour to him, and We made him an example for the Children of Israel (i.e. his creation without a father).” [Qur’an, Al-Zukhruf: 59]

Explanation:

This Ayah (Qur’anic verse) proves that ‘Isa (peace be upon him) is a servant to Allah, and that Allah blessed him with the Message and that he is not a lord or a god. This Ayah is a sign that indicates Allah’s perfect might. ‘Isa is an ideal to be followed in doing good and seeking guidance. This Ayah, however, is similar to the first Ayah and does not say anything about the life span of ‘Isa (peace be upon him). In fact, other religious texts speak about this as we have mentioned previously.

The Sixth Ayah

The sixth Ayah is the saying of Allah (Exalted be He):

“Say (O Muhammad (peace be upon him)): “Who then has the least power against Allâh, if He were to destroy the Messiah, son of Maryam (Mary), his mother, and all those who are on the earth together?”” [Qur’an, Al-Maidah: 17]

Explanation:

The beginning of this Ayah reads: “Surely, in disbelief are they who say that Allâh is the Messiah, son of Maryam (Mary).” [Qur’an, Al-Maidah: 17] So, the saying of Allah (Exalted be He): “Say (O Muhammad (peace be upon him)): “Who then has the least power against Allâh” [Qur’an, Al-Maidah: 17] refutes the claim of those who say that ‘Isa ( peace be upon him) is a god. The Ayah explains that ‘Isa and his mother are merely two weak Servants of Allah like any of the other beings that Allah has created. Allah could destroy ‘Isa, his mother, and all the creation on earth together, were it His will to destroy them.

However, He did not make them all perish at the same time. In fact He predestined them to perish at specific times according to His Wisdom. So, His Wisdom required that ‘Isa stay alive when the Jews conspired against him, and after He raised him up till the moment when he descends to judge among people according to the Shari`ah of Muhammad (peace be upon him) and then dies, as we mentioned previously.

The Seventh Ayah

The seventh Ayah is the saying of Allah (Exalted be He):

“And We made the son of Maryam (Mary) and his mother as a sign, and We gave them refuge on high ground, a place of rest, security and flowing streams.” [Qur’an, Al-Mu’minun: 50]

Explanation:

Maryam (Mary)’s pregnancy of ‘Isa (Jesus) which is contrary to the laws of nature, is one of the clear signs that confirm the Perfect Might of Allah (Exalted be He). Allah provided them with shelter on high fertile ground where there was much water and they felt stability. This happened in Jerusalem in Palestine as Mercy from Allah to both of them and a favor upon them both. This was in Palestine and not in Pakistan.

This happened more than five hundred years before our Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was born, not twelve centuries after the Hijrah (Prophet’s migration to Madinah). Whoever considers that the high ground is a place in Pakistan or that the son of Mary means Ghulam Ahmad, misinterprets the meaning of the Ayah and ascribes falsely to Allah what He does not say and fabricates historical facts.

The Eighth Ayah

The eighth Ayah is the saying of Allah (Exalted be He):

“And (remember) when Allâh said: “O ‘Isâ (Jesus)! I will take you and raise you to Myself and clear you [of the forged statement that ‘Isâ (Jesus) is Allâh’s son] of those who disbelieve, and I will make those who follow you (Monotheists, who worship none but Allâh) superior to those who disbelieve [in the Oneness of Allâh, or disbelieve in some of His Messengers, e.g. Muhammad, ‘Isâ (Jesus), Mûsâ (Moses), etc., or in His Holy Books, e.g. The Taurât (Torah), the Injeel (Gospel), the Qur’ân]” [Qur’an, Aal Imran: 55]

Explanation:

The Qadyanis take this Ayah as evidence of the death of ‘Isa (Jesus, peace be upon him) because they interpret ‘Isa’s sleeping as death! This is contrary to the authentic interpretations of the Salaf (righteous predecessors) who said that Allah took His Messenger ‘Isa alive from earth and raised him to Him. Allah thus saved him from those who disbelieved.

In addition, other religious texts from the Qur’an and the authentic Sunnah indicate that ‘Isa was raised alive, and that he will descend at the end of time, and that people of the Scriptures and others will all believe in him when he descends. As to what is reported from Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that ‘Isa’s sleeping in the Ayah is interpreted as his death, it is not an authentic narration because its Sanad (chain of narrations) is disconnected. It is reported by ‘Ali ibn Abu Talhah from Ibn ‘Abbas. However, ‘Ali did not hear from or see Ibn ‘Abbas.

Also what it is reported from Wahb ibn Munabbih Al-Yamany that ‘Isa’s sleeping is interpreted as his death, is not an authentic narration, because it is reported by Muhammad ibn Is-haq from unspecified narrators from Wahb ibn Munabbih and Ibn Is-haq is Mudallis (a narrator who provides misleading information about his shaykh or the chain of narration). Besides, the chain of narrators includes an unknown narrator. This interpretation is no more than a possible meaning of Mutawafik which is interpreted differently. It is interpreted as Allah took ‘Isa from earth with his body and soul then raised him to Him alive. It is also interpreted as Allah made ‘Isa sleep, raised him and that `Isa will die after his descent at the end of time. The word “and” in the Ayah “I will make you sleep and raise you…” does not mean sleeping and raising will happen in order.

In fact, it only means both of them will happen to one person. Usually when we have different views on an Ayah, we opt for the view which agrees with the surface meanings of other pieces of evidence, to reconcile such pieces of evidence and to accept the Muhkam (clearly decided Qur’anic verses) and refuse the Mutashabih (Qur’anic verses whose meanings are not clear or not completely agreed upon). This is the habit of firmly grounded scholars not those in whose hearts there is deviation (from the Truth). The latter follow the Ayahs that are not entirely clear, seeking Fitnah (polytheism and trials, etc.), and seeking their hidden meanings. May Allah protect us from them.

The Ninth Ayah

The ninth Ayah is the saying of Allah (Exalted be He):

“And I was a witness over them while I dwelt amongst them, but when You took me up, You were the Watcher over them” [Qur’an, Al-Maidah: 117]

Explanation:

Taking this Ayah as evidence of the death of ‘Isa (peace be upon him) before being raised to heaven or before his descent at the end of time, is based on interpreting ‘Isa’s sleeping as death. We mentioned this when speaking about the eighth Ayah. We also mentioned that this interpretation is wrong and contrary to the interpretation of the Salaf (righteous predecessors) who combine the authentic pieces of evidence from the Qur’an and the Sunnah.

The Tenth Ayah

The tenth Ayah is the saying of Allah (Exalted be He):

“And He has made me blessed wheresoever I be, and has enjoined on me Salât (prayer), and Zakât, as long as I live.” [Qur’an, Maryam: 31]

Explanation:

In this Ayah Allah (Exalted be He) reports the speech of ‘Isa (peace be upon him) while he was in the cradle. This explains that Allah enjoined `Isa to devote Salah (prayer), Zakah (obligatory charity) to Allah as long as he is alive. It is not about ‘Isa’s life span or when he will die. The previous evidence indicates this meaning. General religious texts should be reconciled with detailed religious texts. Evidence should not be used out of context. We should not seek the Mutashabih (Qur’anic verses whose meanings are not clear or not completely agreed upon). All these pieces of evidence are from Allah and they explain and bear one another out.

The Eleventh Ayah

The eleventh Ayah is the saying of Allah (Exalted be He):

“And Salâm (peace) be upon me the day I was born, and the day I die, and the day I shall be raised alive!” [Qur’an, Maryam: 33]

Explanation:

Like the previous Ayah, this Ayah confirms that Allah will grant `Isa peace and safety in all cases. It does not speak about his life span or the time when he will die. So, it is incumbent upon us to refer to the other texts which explain this as mentioned previously.

The Twelfth Ayah

The twelfth Ayah is the saying of Allah (Exalted be He):

“Those whom they (Al-Mushrikûn) invoke besides Allâh have not created anything, but are themselves created. (They are) dead, not alive” [Qur’an, An-Nahl: 20-21]

Explanation:

Allah revealed this Ayah to refute the belief of those who worship people other than Him, such as angels, ‘Uzair, ‘Isa, Lat, ‘Uzza, and Manat. This Ayah explains that these beings cannot create anything even a small insect. In fact, they are all creatures whose Lord is Allah. They die and do not live eternally. But the other evidence indicates that ‘Isa (peace be upon him) is alive. He will descend one day to judge among people according to the Islamic Shari`ah brought by Muhammad (peace be upon him) and then he will die.

The Thirteenth Ayah

The thirteenth Ayah is the saying of Allah (Exalted be He):

“Say (O Muslims), “We believe in Allâh and that which has been sent down to us and that which has been sent down to Ibrâhîm (Abraham), Ismâ‘îl (Ishmael), Ishâq (Isaac), Ya‘qûb (Jacob), and to Al-Asbât [the offspring of the twelve sons of Ya‘qûb (Jacob)], and that which has been given to Mûsâ (Moses) and ‘Isâ (Jesus), and that which has been given to the Prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and to Him we have submitted (in Islâm).”” [Qur’an, Al-Baqarah: 136]

Explanation:

In this Ayah, Allah commands mankind to believe in all the prophets, and all that has been revealed to them. Allah (Exalted be He) explains that He does not make any distinction between the necessity of believing in all prophets and all that has been revealed to them. Also this Ayah is a refutation of the sayings of the Jews and the Christians who said: “Be Jews or Christians [so] you will be guided.” Allah refutes their sayings by addressing Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) saying: “Say (to them O Muhammad), “Nay, (we follow) only the religion of Ibrâhîm (Abraham), Hanîfa [Islâmic Monotheism, i.e. to worship none but Allâh (Alone)], and he was not of Al-Mushrikûn (those who worshipped others along with Allâh - see V.2:105).” [Qur’an, Al-Baqarah: 135] This means that Allah does not make distinction between prophets in matters of life and death as the context of the Ayahs does not imply this.

In fact, the Ayahs confirm what we have mentioned. Besides, the Messengers did not call people to otherwise. To suggest that the Ayah means otherwise is twisting the meaning of the Ayah. Even if we say that the meaning of this Ayah: “We make no distinction between any of them” [Qur’an, Al-Baqarah: 136] is general and applies to the life and death of prophets, hard evidence in reality and religious texts explain that there is difference between prophets in their lives and deaths, the time and place of their lives and deaths, the span of their lives, and so on.

Therefore, ‘Isa’s life span, the place where he lived, and his death are one of the issues in which Allah made him distinct compared to his brother prophets according to previous texts.

The Fourteenth

The fourteenth Ayah is the saying of Allah (Exalted be He):

“That was a nation who has passed away. They shall receive the reward of what they earned and you of what you earn. And you will not be asked of what they used to do.” [Qur’an, Al-Baqarah: 134]

Explanation:

This Ayah means that every human being will be judged according to his deeds not others’ deeds and that other people will not be held responsible for his deeds as Allah (Exalted be He) says: “Every person is a pledge for that which he has earned.” [Qur’an, At-Tur: 21] And: “…and no bearer of burdens shall bear the burden of another.” [Qur’an, Al-An’am: 124] So, a human has to do their best in doing good deeds and avoiding evil ones. In addition, they should not depend on others to boast about them or to be safe from torture in Doomsday whether by drawing closer to them or glorifying them in life.

Even if ‘Isa (peace be upon him) is one of the past nations, he is distinct in being raised to heaven and staying alive then descending at the end of time, according to evidence from the Qur’an and Sunnah as we mentioned previously. One of the basic principles in Islamic Shari`ah is that particular texts limit general texts and this applies to these texts at hand.

The Fifteenth & Sixteenth Ayahs

The fifteenth and sixteenth Ayah is the saying of Allah (Exalted be He):

“For surely; they killed him not [i.e. ‘Isâ (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary) عليهما السلام]: But Allâh raised him [‘Isâ (Jesus)] up (with his body and soul) unto Himself (and he عليه السلام is in the heavens). And Allâh is Ever All-Powerful, All-Wise.” [Qur’an, An-Nisa: 157-158]

“And there is none of the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) but must believe in him [‘Isâ (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary), as only a Messenger of Allâh and a human being] before his [‘Isâ (Jesus) عليه السلام) or a Jew’s or a Christian’s] death (at the time of the appearance of the angel of death). And on the Day of Resurrection, he [‘Isâ (Jesus)] will be a witness against them.” [Qur’an, An-Nisa: 159]

Explanation:

We have spoken about these two Ayahs previously when we discussed the first, second, third and fourth Ayahs. Generally, to conform their claim that `Isa (peace be upon him) is dead and buried, the Qadianis depend on the following:

  • General Ayahs where the general meaning is limited by particular Ayahs and Hadiths that confirm Isa’s being raised alive to heaven and staying alive there till he descends at the end of time to judge among people according to the law of the Qur’an. The Qadyanis accept the general meaning of Ayahs even if this meaning is limited by other evidence, and this is totally wrong. This contradicts the rules and basic Islamic principles.
  • General Ayahs explained by other religious texts that must be considered. However, the Qadyanis accept these Ayahs’ general meaning just to confirm the false views they hold regardless of Muhkam (clearly decided Qur’anic verses, mostly concerning legal rulings) that explain them. This is the habit of those in whose hearts there is deviation (from the Truth) and hypocrisy and those who follow only evidence that is not entirely clear from the Qur’an and Sunnah, seeking Fitnah (polytheism and trials, etc.), and seeking their hidden meanings that confirm their own purposes.
  • Sayings which are falsely ascribed to the Salaf (righteous predecessors). We explained this when discussing the eighth Ayah which reads: “And (remember) when Allâh said: “O ‘Isâ (Jesus)! I will take you and raise you to Myself” [Qur’an, Aal Imran: 55]

Those Qadianis prefer these sayings as they confirm their own false views. Through these sayings, they delude ignorant people. They do not examine the Isnad (chain of narration) of these sayings either out of their ignorance or out of a desire to misrepresent and deceive people and spread false views. Their goal is only to spread Fitnah (polytheism and trials, etc.) as Allah (Exalted be He) says: “It is He Who has sent down to you (Muhammad) the Book (this Qur’ân). In it are Verses that are entirely clear, they are the foundations of the Book [and those are the Verses of Al-Ahkâm (commandments), Al-Fara’id (obligatory duties) and Al-Hudud (legal laws for the punishment of thieves, adulterers)]; and others not entirely clear. So as for those in whose hearts there is a deviation (from the truth) they follow that which is not entirely clear thereof, seeking Al-Fitnah (polytheism and trials), and seeking for its hidden meanings, but none knows its hidden meanings save Allâh. And those who are firmly grounded in knowledge say: “We believe in it; the whole of it (clear and unclear Verses) are from our Lord.” And none receive admonition except men of understanding. (Tafsir At-Tabarî).” [Qur’an, Aal Imran: 7]

Also Al-Bukhari and others narrated on the authority of ‘Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that she said: “Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) recited the Ayah: “It is He Who has sent down to you (Muhammad) the Book (this Qur’ân). In it are Verses that are entirely clear, they are the foundations of the Book [and those are the Verses of Al-Ahkâm (commandments), Al-Fara’id (obligatory duties) and Al-Hudud (legal laws for the punishment of thieves, adulterers)]; and others not entirely clear. So as for those in whose hearts there is a deviation (from the truth) they follow that which is not entirely clear thereof, seeking Al-Fitnah (polytheism and trials), and seeking for its hidden meanings, but none knows its hidden meanings save Allâh.” [Qur’an, Aal Imran: 7] Till Allah’s saying: “…men of understanding” [Qur’an, Aal Imran: 7] Then she said that Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said: If you see those who follow thereof that is not entirely clear, then they are those whom Allah has named [as having deviation (from the Truth)]. So, beware of them.” 1

From all this it becomes clear to the person asking these questions that he should refer to the previously explained Ayahs to understand the rest of the similar Ayahs. May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.

  1. Al-Bukhari, Sahih, Book on Tafsir, no. 4547; Muslim, Sahih, Book on knowledge, no. 2665; Al-Tirmidhy, Sunan, Book on Tafsir, no. 2994; Abu Dawud, Sunan, Book on Al-Sunnah, no. 4598; Ibn Majah, Sunan, Introduction, no. 47; Ahmad, Musnad, vol. 6, p. 48; and Al-Darimy, Sunan Introduction, no. 145. ↩

Muftis
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  • Source :
    Fatawa Al-Lajnah Ad-Da'imah no. 1621, question 7
  • Prophets   Sects   Fatwas
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