Will Jesus Return? For What?

by Dr. Aslam Abdullah

There is a statement attributed to Prophet Muhammad by Jabir ibn 'Abdullah: "He who denies the appearance of the Mahdi is inevitably blaspheming against what was revealed to the Prophet. He who denies the appearance of Jesus, the son of Mary, has become an unbeliever. Someone who denies that the Antichrist will appear is also inevitably an unbeliever." This statement is also reported in Muhammad Parisa's Fusul-i Sitta, Ibn Ishaq's Kitab al-Ta`aruf li Madhhab Ahl al-Tasawwuf, Imam Suhayli's al-Rawd al-Unuf, and Imam Suyuti's Alamat al-Mahdi. 

Based on these reports, the website http://al-shia.org/html/eng/history/others/01/11.htm  concludes: “Given this, Islamic scholars regard belief in Jesus' second coming and his causing true religious moral values to prevail as major articles of faith.” There are many other scholars from Sunni, shias, Zaydis, Ibadi sects who consider the idea of second coming of Jesus as part of Iman.  

The Quran described faith or Iman differently as it focuses on five fixed articles. “It is not righteousness that ye turn your faces towards east or West; but it is righteousness- to believe in Allah and the Last Day, and the Angels, and the Book, and the Messengers.” (2:177). The Quran does not make the acceptance of Mahdi or the second coming Jesus as articles of faith. Iman is defined by none other than Allah and even a prophet is not given the permission to edit the articles of faith as defined by Allah. It is He alone who has the prerogative to define Iman. Addressing the Prophet, Allah says:   “And thus, too, [O Muhammad,] have We revealed unto you a life-giving message, [coming] at Our behest. [before this message came unto you,] you did not know what revelation is, or what faith [implies]: but [now] We have caused this [message] to be a light, whereby We guide whom We will of Our ser­vants: and, verily, [on the strength thereof] you, too, shall guide [men] onto the straight way. the way that leads to God, to whom all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth belongs. Oh, verily, with God is the beginning and the end of all things!” (42:52-53) Obviously, mattes of Iman are not left to speculations and the Quran has specified them clearly.

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