Tuesday 10 May 2011

The Return Of Jesus Isa سيدنا عيسى (Peace Be Upon Him)


This is the true account on the return of Jesus (pbuh).  The following is the view of the Sunni Muslims and is indeed the belief of the mainstream muslims.


The Quran States the following verses:
004.157
YUSUFALI: 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:-

004.158
YUSUFALI: Nay, Allah raised him up unto Himself; and Allah is Exalted in Power, Wise;-

004.159
YUSUFALI: 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;-

Note:  "before his death", meaning he hasn't died yet and every person only dies once in this life, "for of a surety they killed him not", therefore "Allah raised him up unto Himself" (Alive).  This is just simple and clear logic.  Then Jesus PBUH descends for his second coming (Alive as he already was).  


Imam Mahdi will know about the return of Jesus but he himself will not have the power against the Dajaal (Anti Christ) this will be reserved for the return of Jesus (pbuh).  Eventually Imam Mahdi will be in Jerusalem with a Muslim army behind him, then the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) will suddenly descend Fajr or Asr time (differences as to when exactly) on the eastern minaret of mosque, great mosque of Damascus.  The mosque did not exist in the time of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).

The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said, at the time Damascus was not even conquered by the muslims, Romans were in rule.  He said:  The Prophet Jesus will descend and when he will bow his head it will be as if he has just taken a bath, drops of water will fall from his forehead, he will have clothing of yellowish colour and will come to the eastern minaret of the mosque in Damascus.

At present this eastern minaret in the mosque of Damascus is closed to the public.  When the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) descends, the Muslims, Christians and Jews will gather for his arrival.  When the prayer time for Salaat Asr comes, each religious group will use their call to prayer - Azaan by Muslims, Bells by Christians and the Horn by Jews.  It will be the Muslims who will be chosen, the Christians will immediately recognise Jesus (pbuh), he will come as a ummati of the Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh).  The Prophet Jesus (pbuh) will destroy the cross, kill the swine (pig) and when the Christians see this and recognise him and he will tell them the truth and they will all convert to his religion - ISLAM.

The Jews however will fight alongside with the Dajaal (Anti Christ), but after Dajaal has been killed they will then too follow Jesus (Pbuh).   Before this, Jesus (pbuh) will go to Jerusalem  in pursuit of the Dajaal as he will be told of his arrival.  He will follow him up to Lud, when he will come to Masjid Al-Aqsa - Imam Mahdi will be getting ready for prayer, after ikahmat, he will be told that the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) is here and he asks him to lead the prayer, and would want to move back himself but Jesus (pbuh) will say no the call to prayer has been given for you to lead it, so you lead it.  After prayers, Jesus (pbuh) will continue his pursuit for Dajaal, when he sees him for the first time he will try to confuse Jesus (pbuh) by telling him to get ready for prayer but he will see everything he is saying is a lie from a distant and eventually KILL him.

Another fitna that will begin which is Yajooj and Majooj, they will come from everywhere.  Jesus (pbuh) will not be given powers to deal with this directly, he will make a Dua with Muslims at Mount Toour - Allah will then send down destruction to them.  One of the mains reasons for this will be so those who would think Jesus is god himself for killing Dajaal, will see he himself is making Dua to the Lord of the worlds, Allah swt for help and success.



References:
Volume 4, Book 55, Number 657:
Narrated Abu Huraira:
Allah's Apostle said, "By Him in Whose Hands my soul is, surely (Jesus,) the son of Mary will soon descend amongst you and will judge mankind justly (as a Just Ruler); he will break the Cross and kill the pigs and there will be no Jizya (i.e. taxation taken from non Muslims). Money will be in abundance so that nobody will accept it, and a single prostration to Allah (in prayer) will be better than the whole world and whatever is in it." Abu Huraira added "If you wish, you can recite (this verse of the Holy Book): -- 'And there is none Of the people of the Scriptures (Jews and Christians) But must believe in him (i.e Jesus as an Apostle of Allah and a human being) Before his death. And on the Day of Judgment He will be a witness Against them." (4.159) (See Fateh Al Bari, Page 302 Vol 7)

Volume 4, Book 55, Number 658:
Narrated Abu Huraira:
Allah's Apostle said "How will you be when the son of Mary (i.e. Jesus) descends amongst you and he will judge people by the Law of the Quran and not by the law of Gospel (Fateh-ul Bari page 304 and 305 Vol 7


Jesus, the son of Mary, peace be upon him, said, "Do not speak much without remembering God, for by doing so, you harden your hearts. Surely a hard heart is distant from God though you are unaware. Do not, like lords, look at the faults of others. Rather, like servants, look at your own faults. In truth, humanity is comprised of only two types, the afflicted and the sound. So show mercy to the afflicted, and praise God for well-being." - excerpted from Walk on Water, a forthcoming book by Hamza Yusuf

"We know that Moses and Jesus are Prophets only because our Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) told us so. Had he told us otherwise,
we would have had to believe him." - Shaykh al-Yaqoubi 



RECOMMENDED READING: 

Muhammad: His Life Based on the Earliest Sources (Martin Lings)


Thursday 5 May 2011

Intermediary In Islam : Is It Permissible? Shirk or Kufr?

Many people falter in their understanding of the reality of intermediaries, and haphazardly rush to the judgement that any intermediary is Shirk, and that he who takes an intermediary, whatever the fashion, has associated partners with Allah, and that his state in this affair is that of the polytheists, who said ‘we do not worship them except that they might bring us near to Allah’ (Surat al-Zumar, 3). 


This statement is incorrect, and the attempt to use this Ayah as an evidence is here misplaced. This is because this noble verse is clear in its severe condemnation of the polytheists for their worship of idols as gods besides Allah, the Exalted, and their association of them with Him, claiming that their worship of these idols is nothing more than a means of drawing closer to Allah. The kufr and shirk of their action stems from their worship of these idols, and their belief that they are lords besides Allah.



This is also apparent from Allah’s words ‘And if you were to ask them who created the heavens and the earth, they would surely say “Allah!”’ (Surat al-‘Ankabut, 61). If the polytheists had truly believed that Allah the Exalted is the only Creator, and that their idols had not created anything, they would have worshipped Allah instead of their idols, or at the very least their reverence towards Allah would have been greater than their reverence towards their stones and statues. Is this consistent with their utter vilification of Allah, the Mighty, the Magnificent, out of vigilance for their own idols against Him? It is abundantly clear that it is not consistent in the slightest. Furthermore, the Ayah that we are considering is not the only evidence that Allah was lower in the esteem of the polytheists; rather it has many counterparts. Of them is the statement of Allah the Exalted: ‘They assign to Allah a portion of the crops and cattle which He created, and they say “this is for Allah”, in their imagination, “and this for (His) partners in regards to us.” Thus, that which they apportion for His partners in them does not reach Allah, and that which they apportion to Allah goes to their partners. Evil is their ordinance’ (Surat al-An’am, 137.) If they did not hold Allah in lesser esteem than their idols, they would not have weighed against Him this bias, which as related in the Ayah merited the judgment of Allah upon them: ‘Evil is their ordinance.’
Further evidence is the call of Abu Sufyan (may Allah be pleased with him), before he entered Islam, ‘Hubal, be though exalted!’ as was related by Bukhari, calling upon the idol named ‘Hubal’, in order that he might, in that moment of conflict[1], overwhelm the Lord of the Heavens and the Earth and His army of Believers, who desired to overwhelm their idols. This is a clear measure of the state of the polytheists, and how they viewed their idols in relation to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds.
It is essential that this be understood with true comprehension, for too many people build their arguments upon it without any understanding.
Do you not see that when Allah ordered the Muslims to face the Ka’aba in their prayers, they turned towards it when they worshipped, and took it as a direction of prayer (Qiblah)? The worship was not directed to the Ka’aba, and nor is the kissing of the Black Stone anything other than the worship of Allah the Exalted, and the imitation of the Prophet (may the Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him and his family and companions). Were any of the Muslims to intend to worship to either of them, he would be a polytheist, like those who worship idols.

To worship Allah by means of intermediaries is essential, and cannot be termed shirk, and it cannot be said that everyone who takes an intermediary between him and his Lord is a mushrik; if it were otherwise, then every single human being would be a polytheist, for all of our affairs require intermediaries. The Prophet (may Allah bless him and give him peace) received the Qur’an through the intermediation of Jibril, and so Jibril is the intermediary of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and give him peace), and he was the greatest intermediary to the Sahaba (may Allah be pleased with them), for they would rush to him in times of crisis, and complain of their needs to him, and seek his intercession and Du’a. In these times, the Prophet (may Allah bless him and give him peace), never said to them ‘you have committed shirk and kufr! It is not permissible to complain to me, nor to seek anything from me; rather you must go and supplicate and ask Allah yourselves, for verily Allah is closer to you than I am!’ Rather he would stand and supplicate for them, although they knew full well that the Bestower in reality is Allah, and that the Preventer, and the Expender, and the Provider is Allah alone, and they knew also that the Prophet (may Allah bless him and give him peace) would not avail them anything save with the permission of Allah, and through His Bounty. The Prophet himself (may Allah bless him and give him peace) said I am nothing but an apportioner; Allah is the one who bestows.’[2]

Therefore, it becomes evident that it is permissible and correct to describe any ordinary person as one who delivers from distress, and satisfies needs; that is, that he is an intermediary for them, so what of the Noble Master and Eminent Prophet, the Most Illustrious of Mankind and Jinn, the Undisputed Best of Creation? Did the Prophet (may Allah bless him and give him peace) not say ‘he who delivers a Muslim from distress, Allah delivers him from the distress of the Day of Resurrection[3]’? So the Believer is a deliverer from distress and crisis.

Did he not say (may Allah bless him and give him peace) ‘he who fulfils the need of his brother, I will stand at his balance (on the Day of Judgement), and if (his good deeds) do not outweigh (his bad), I will intercede for him.[4]’? So the Believer is a fulfiller of needs.

Did he (may Allah bless him and give him peace) not say ‘he who shelters a Muslim, Allah will shelter him on the Day of Resurrection[5]’?

Did he (may Allah bless him and give him peace) not say ‘verily, Allah has among His creation those who are sought for in times of need[6]’?

Did he (may Allah bless him and give him peace) not say ‘Allah is engaged in the aid of his servant as long as the servant is engaged in the aid of his brother[7]’?

Did he (may Allah bless him and give him peace) not say ‘he who comes to the aid of someone in need, Allah writes for him ninety-three good deeds[8]’?

So the Believer relieves hardships, aids, protects, fulfils needs, and is sought out in times of trial, although in reality it is Allah, Exalted and Magnificent, who aids, fulfils, and protects. However, as the Believer is the intermediary in all of this, attributing the actions to him is entirely appropriate.

Many Hadiths have been related from the Prophet (may Allah bless him and give him peace) which illustrate that Allah, Sublime and Exalted, alleviates punishment from all who dwell on the earth by means of those who seek His forgiveness, and those who maintain His mosques, and that by their means He provides the masses with sustenance and support, and protects them from trials and perils.

Tabrani related in ‘al-Mu’jam al-Kabeer,’ and Bayhaqi in ‘al-Sunan’ from Mani’ al-Daylmi  (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (may Allah bless him and give him peace) said ‘Were it not for the sake of certain servants of Allah whom He makes bow to Him, and certain infants whom He makes suckle, and certain cattle whom He makes graze, He would unleash His punishment upon you all, and would destroy you utterly.’

Bukhari related from Sa’ad ibn Abi Waqqas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (may Allah bless him and give him peace) said ‘are you given victory and sustenance except by means of those of you who are weak?

Tirmidhi related from Anas (may Allah be pleased with him), that the Prophet (may Allah bless him and give him peace) said ‘it may be that you are provided with sustenance by means of him.[9]’ Al-Hakim declared this Hadith to be Sahih.

Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrated that the Prophet (may Allah bless him and give him peace) said: ‘Verily, Allah has men whom he created for the needs of the people, who rush to them in times of crisis. They are those who are safe from the punishment of Allah the Exalted[10].’

Jabir ibn Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (may Allah bless him and give him peace) said: ‘Truly, Allah confers righteousness upon a Muslim’s child, and his grandchild, and his family, and the families of his neighbours, by means of that Muslim’s piety and righteousness, and they are in the protection of Allah as long as he is amongst them.[11]

Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrated that the Prophet (may Allah bless him and give him peace) said: ‘Verily Allah, by the means of a pious Muslim, protects one hundred of his neighbours from hardship and strife.’

Ibn Umar then recited the Ayah ‘And had Allah not repelled some people by means of others, the earth would have been corrupted’ (Surat al-Baqarah, 251).[12] A Hadith is related from Thawban[13] which states ‘There will remain among you seven men by whom you will be given victory, rain and sustenance until the Affair of Allah arrives (the Day of Judgement).

‘Ubada ibn al-Samit narrated that the Prophet (may Allah bless him and give him peace) said ‘The Adbal[14] of my community are thirty, by means of them you are all provided with sustenance, rain and victory.’ Ubada said ‘I hope al-Hasan[15] to be one of them [16].’

The four preceding Hadiths were mentioned by al-Hafidh ibn Katheer in his Tafseer of the above Qur’anic Ayah ‘And had Allah not repelled some people…’ and they are appropriate to be used as proofs, indeed by their body the content becomes Sahih (rigorously authenticated).

Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (may Allah bless him and give him peace) said: ‘The earth will never be deprived of forty men of the like of the Intimate friend (khalil) of Allah,[17] by means of them you are given water and succour. Each time one of them dies, Allah substitutes another in their stead[18].’

The Greatest Intermediary
On the Day of Resurrection, the Day of Tawheed, the Day of Iman, the Day in which the Throne will appear, the benefit of the greatest intermediary will come to light: that of the possessor of the Praiseworthy Station (al-Maqam al-Mahmoud), he whose intercession is never rejected, and whose surety is never dispelled by He who promised never to disappoint him, or debase him, or dismay him, or grieve him on account of his community, when all of creation seek him out and plead for his intercession, and he stands before his Lord and does not return except with the height of nobility and honour revealed to us by the words of Allah to him: ‘O Muhammad! Raise your head, and intercede, your intercession will be met; and ask, you shall be given!’

May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and upon his family, companions, and all those who follow them until the Day of Judgement.


NOTES
[1]     At the Battle of Uhud.
[2]     Related by Bukhari from Mu’awiyah (may Allah be pleased with him)
[3]     Related by Bukhari and Muslim from ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both)
[4]     Related by Abu Na’eem from ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both)
[5]     Related by Bukhari and Muslim from ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both)
[6]     See below for the reference for this Hadith
[7]     Related by Muslim and Abu Dawud and others from Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him)
[8]     Related by Abu Ya’la and al-Bazar and Bayhaqi
[9]     Full text of the Hadith : ‘There were two brothers at the time of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and give him peace), of whom one would come to the Prophet (may Allah bless him and give him peace) to seek knowledge, and the other would work to provide for them both. The worker felt that the situation to be unfair and complained about his brother to the Prophet (may Allah bless him and give him peace), who replied: ‘it may be that you are provided with sustenance by means of him.’
[10]  Related by Tabrani and Abu Na’eem and al’Qada’i with a good (hasan) chain
[11]  Related by ibn Jareer, and by Tabari in his Tafseer
[12]  Related by Tabrani
[13]  A servant of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and give him peace)
[14]  The Substitutes. Explanation of their status is to be found in the Hadith below related by Anas ibn Malik, Insha Allah.
[15]  Al-Hasan al-Basri, one of the Tabi’een.
[16]  Related by Tabrani
[17]  The Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him)
[18]  Related by Tabrani. These are the Abdal (Substitutes).