I have been told that Prophet Jesus did not die like other people die, and that he will return to this world before the Day of Judgement to complete his mission. I am also told that he will ultimately die and will be buried next to Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, in Madinah. Is there any reference to this in the Qur’an, or Hadith?
With regard to the special circumstances and the particular events surrounding the death of Prophet Jesus Christ, peace be upon him, and the end of his term in this life, we cannot say anything without clear evidence from Qur’an and Sunnah. Anyone who ventures any opinion without supporting it with such evidence indulges in an exercise which can be highly censured.
To start with, we believe that Prophet Jesus, or Issa, as he is called in the Qur'an, was born to his chaste and virgin mother, Marium. This is clearly stated in the Qur'an, in the Surah which has her name as its title. An angel came to Marium in the shape of a man and told her that he was sent as a messenger to her from her Lord with the specific task of giving her a son. When she exclaimed how could she give birth when no man had ever touched her, the angel told her that this was easy for our Lord to accomplish. God wanted the future son of Marium to be a proof of His mercy to Mankind and a sign, which helps people to believe in Him.
The conversation between Marium and the angel is reported in verses 17-21 of Surah No. 19 in the Qur’an. This Surah goes on to describe how Marium continued her pregnancy and how she gave birth to her child who was able to speak to his people when he was still in the cradle, on the very first day of his birth. Marium was told not to utter a word that day. When her people expressed surprise at her having a baby when she was a virgin, it was Issa, the newborn child who answered them in the words reported in Verses 30-33 of the said Surah.
“He said: Behold, I am a servant of God. He has vouchsafed to me revelation and made me a prophet, and made me blessed wherever I may be. And he has enjoined upon me prayer and charity as long as I live, and He has endowed me with piety toward my mother. And He has not made me haughty or bereft of grace. Hence, peace was upon me when I was born, and will be upon me on the day of my death, and on the day when I shall be raised to life again.”
Although these words are given in the past tense, Issa, the newborn child, outlined to them his future mission, as if he was saying to them that has decreed that he was to fulfill this role in his future days.
With such clear evidence in the Qur’an, Muslims of all schools of thought and all generations, ever since the advent of Islam, believe in the virgin birth of Issa. No one questions it because each such question entails raising doubts about something, which the Qur’an states clearly. No believer in Islam may do that.
The Qur’an is also clear in denying that Issa was ever crucified or killed. After reporting that the Jews used to boast that they had slain Issa, son of Mary, the Qur’an states: “They did not slay him, and neither did they crucify him, but it was made to look so to them.” (4: 157) This long verse of Surah entitled “An-Nisa’ ” or “Women” ends with a repeated denial that Issa was ever killed. “ For, of a certainty, they did not slay him: nay God raised him up to Himself.” (4: 158-159) There are clear statements denying that Issa was crucified or killed. We know specifically what happened to him: “raised him to Himself.”
How did this “raising” of Jesus take place, we do not know. Nor do we know how a woman may get pregnant without having any relationship with a man; she is still a virgin. What we know is that God is able to accomplish His purpose the way He likes. His ability does not only take the shape of the natural phenomena, which are familiar to us. There are in our own world certain phenomena, which are not that familiar to us. Moreover, we know only what happens in our own world. What happens elsewhere in the universe may take other forms, which are bound to seem to us supernatural. That is because we consider only what we know to be natural. As far as God and His laws are concerned, everything is natural, since it is within His power.
As for the Second Coming of Issa, we have authentic Hadiths, which speak of this very clearly. Abu Hurairah quotes the Prophet, peace be upon him, as saying: “By Him Who holds my soul in His hand, the son of Mary is about to come down among you as a just arbiter. He will break the cross, kill the pig and abolish the protection tax (i.e. Jaziyah). Money will be so abundant that no one will take it. One prostration to God is better for a human being that the whole world with all that it contains.” Related by Al-Bukhari and Muslim). As you realize, a Hadith related by Al-Bukhari and Muslim is highly authentic. The import of Hadith is that Jesus Christ, in his Second Coming, will preach message of Islam since it is the final and complete version of God’s message preached by all prophets. This is what is indicated by the Prophet’s statement that Issa will break the cross, meaning that he will not accept the doctrine of trinity. His killing of the pig means that he will re-establish divine law in its purity. The abolishment of the protection tax means that people will have no choice other than to follow the message of Islam or to be enemies of it. One act of worship, done in perfect sincerity, is better than the whole world. That is the very concept of Islam, or submission to God. ~
How did Mary, Jesus’ mother, escape punishment when she was accused of adultery? How did she react when people started to call her son, Jesus, son of God?
Mary was never accused of adultery and she was never guilty of any such offense. As we read the story of Jesus’ birth in the Qur'an, it is clear that when Mary, the pure and blessed virgin, carried her child and went to her people, they were shocked. However, she did as she was commanded: she indicated to them that she had made a vow not to speak, and allowed her child to speak. As God enabled him to speak clearly right from the moment of his birth, he clearly stated his position and his mother’s position. When people saw such a newborn speaking so eloquently, they realized that his conception and birth was through a special act of God and his mother was free of blame.
As for the other point, Christians did not start to call Jesus Son of God until three centuries later, when Constantine embraced Christianity and forced this belief on it. He killed all bishops who refused to follow his line. By this time, Mary was long dead.
What is the technical definition of Jihad for Allah’s cause (i.e. armed struggle in defense of Islam?) What are the conditions or pre-requisites of its valid declaration? In our modern times, who is authorized or qualified to declare Jihad, which is binding and obligatory upon all Muslims? When can we correctly say that struggle for independence of a Muslim minority in a non-Muslim country is Jihad?
Jihad is derived from the word Juhd, which means “effort”. The verb Jahida means to be tried as a result of exerting an effort. As Muslims we are expected to exert sustained effort to serve the cause of Islam. That effort, whatever its future, falls within the meaning of the term “Jihad for the cause of God”. Moreover, the term presupposes that such an effort will be made against resistance. Its aim is to preserve Islam, provide protection to Muslims and make sure that its message continues to be conveyed to people in its true form so that they may accept it freely. The term “Jihad” then has much wider significance than a military campaign and open warfare.
Over the years, Jihad has come to be thought by many people, as synonymous with a religious war, due to the fact that a war of Jihad is the ultimate and most demanding form it can take. It is for this reason that Jihad is often translated as “holy war”. This is an erroneous translation, because we do not have in Islam two types of wars: one holy and another unholy. If a war is just for the Islamic point of view, it is a war of Jihad. Moreover, in Islam we do not use the term “holy” except in association with God, even the Prophet, or the Qur’an is not described as “holy” in Islamic terminology. Because of its broad implication, the term Jihad may be better translated as “struggle” for the cause of God. This struggle can take the form of war at times, while at other times it may be undertaken with only peaceful means.
I note that you have given the meaning of Jihad as “armed struggle in defense of Islam”. What worries me in this definition is the use of the word “defense”. It has been the practice of some scholars and writers about Islam in modern times to describe Jihad as a defensive war. This is again not correct. Islam does not wait for others to launch a war against it or against the Muslim nation before it resorts to arms. It takes a highly positive attitude towards every situation. At the same time, Islam does not impose itself on others. All it seeks to have is freedom of expression so that it makes itself known to people in all societies, and therefore feel free to accept it if they wish. When impediments are put in its way, and people are prevented from listening to the message of Islam as it is presented to them, then it takes the necessary action to remove those impediments. It then uses the means necessary for their removal, not excluding at any time the option of resorting to arms. Yet it does not approve the use of arms when peaceful means are adequate to face a particular situation.
The aim of Jihad is that God’s word should be supreme. That does not mean that it should be forced on people to accept it. Islam believes that faith cannot be accepted by force. Hence, it declares unequivocally: “There is no compulsion in matters of faith.” (2: 256)
What this means is that Muslims should have the freedom to implement God’s law in their land, and others should be free to accept the faith of Islam if they so wish. Whenever the struggle of Muslims, armed or unarmed, is directed towards these goals, that struggle is Jihad. If any other goal or objective is associated with this one, then their campaign is not one of Jihad. The Prophet, peace be upon him, was asked about people fighting because they are brave, or in honor of a certain loyalty, or to show-off: which of them fight for the cause of God? His answer was absolutely clear: “He who struggles so that God’s word is supreme serves the cause of God.”
Jihad is an Islamic duty. Furthermore, it can be personal duty binding on every Muslim. This happens when the enemies of Islam attack a land of Muslims where they enjoy the supremacy. Such an attack can only be intended to undermine the authority of Muslims. Hence, to defend that authority becomes a personal duty binding on everyone. Even women should share in such a campaign to repel the enemy’s aggression. When this happens, women need not to wait for anyone, not even their husbands in order to join the army of Jihad. In order to appreciate this, we have to remember that the Prophet, peace be upon him, has mentioned that women’s Jihad does not normally include fighting. Their Jihad is only “pilgrimage and Umrah”.
In other conditions and situations, Jihad is a collective duty. This means that if a section of the community undertakes it, the others are exempted from it. It is up to the ruler of the Muslim State to decide what section of the community takes part and to determine the strength of the army, which goes on any particular campaign of Jihad.
If the Muslims live in a country of their own, and they have their recognized leader who works for the implementation of Islam, it is he who calls on the Muslim community to launch a war within the terms of Jihad. When this happens, Jihad becomes obligatory within the meaning, which we have just explained. It is either obligatory on the individual or on the community as a whole. If they do not have such a ruler, but they have the necessary power to clearly indicate that they will have the upper hand in any Jihad campaign and someone from their numbers calls on them to launch such a campaign, then that person is deemed to act in place of the Imam or ruler. In such a situation, however, the position must be considered very carefully. They should know that person very well and be certain of his motives, intentions and sound judgement. Moreover, they should be certain of their own strength.
In modern times, where countries and states are divided on the basis of a variety of factors such as race, language or historical and geographical factors, Muslim communities in various places have made calls for Jihad. Sometimes, such a call may be rash and counter productive. What is important to remember is that every situation must be considered carefully, and the pros and cons of armed struggle must be evaluated and well considered. There may be a situation where a Muslim country is being attacked by an un-Islamic power with the aim of imposing a certain type of rule, philosophy and government on the Muslim community. In such a situation Jihad is compulsory and binding. The Muslims must not allow this to happen and they must fight back with all the means available to them. [A case in mind may be the attack on Afghanistan by the Soviet Union].
In a situation where the Muslims are in a minority, Jihad may be confined, by necessity, to non-military means. We have to remember that the Prophet, peace be upon him, and the Muslim community with him lived for 13 years in Makkah when they were not allowed to fight back, although they were subjected to all sorts of persecution. This was due to several factors; most important of which was that they did not have enough power to ensure their victory. When a Muslim minority faces a non-Muslim majority, which is determined not to give way, armed struggle may result in highly damaging and far-reaching effects which could set the cause of Islam back for generations.
Some time back we heard of a certain government setting siege to a city, which was closely associated with a campaign of Jihad against a regime, which did not even try to hide its hostility to Islam. Half of that city was systematically leveled down and population was subjected to atrocities of the most horrible kind. Something like 30,000 of the population of that city was killed as a result of that operation, which was intended as a final showdown. When we consider that such an outcome may happen as a result of a rash decision to bring people in an open warfare against a well-entrenched authority, which would not hesitate to fight back, then we cannot overemphasize the need to caution before we suggest that Jihad becomes due on the Muslim population. It is only when we are certain of victory that Jihad may be undertaken. ~