Ibn Majah

Benefits and Issues:
➊ At present, the Islamic law is that Jews or Christians can remain upon their religion under an Islamic government, provided that they accept the authority of the Islamic government and pay the jizyah (tax). This hadith makes it clear that this ruling is valid until the descent of ‘Isa (alayhis salam). After the descent of the Messiah, the law will be that Jews or Christians must either accept Islam or fight and be prepared to die.

➋ This hadith is a clear refutation of the claim of Mirza Ahmad Qadiani to be the Messiah, because none of the signs of the Messiah who is to descend are found in him. His name is ‘Isa (alayhis salam); Mirza’s name was Ghulam Ahmad. His mother’s name is Sayyidah Maryam (alayha salam); Mirza’s mother’s name was Chiragh Bibi. He will descend from the heavens; Mirza was born in Qadian. He will judge among the people with justice; Mirza sought justice from the courts of Christian Englishmen. He will be a ruler; Mirza promised in the court of the Christian judge F. Dowie that he would not make predictions about the death of his opponents. He will be just; Mirza promised to write a book in fifty parts, took advance payment, and published only five parts of Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya. Even those so-called five parts are in reality only two parts. He will break the cross; the foundation of Mirza’s religion is obedience to the “ulu al-amr” (non-Muslim English rulers). He will distribute wealth; Mirza used to live off the donations collected from his followers. He will kill the Dajjal; Mirza interpreted Dajjal to mean the English nation and declared obedience to them as obligatory. ‘Isa (alayhis salam) will be the imam in prayer; Mirza appointed another person as imam in his mosque and himself prayed behind him. He will descend at the mosque in Damascus; Mirza never even saw Damascus.

In short, none of the signs of ‘Isa ibn Maryam (alayhima salam) are present in Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani; rather, his character and his predictions are sufficient to prove his falsehood.

Hadith Commentary:
The meaning of the verse is that near the Day of Judgment, the Jews and Christians who will be present, and when Isa (alayhis salam) will descend in those times, then the People of the Book of that era will come to him.
This is also narrated from Abdullah ibn Abbas (radi Allahu anhu).

Hadith Commentary:
1.
The meaning of the noble verse is that near the Day of Judgment, the Jews and Christians who will be present at that time will witness the descent of Prophet Isa (alayhis salam) during their era. At that time, all the People of the Book will bring faith in him. The breaking of the cross refers to the abolishment of Christianity. Throughout the world, only one religion, that is, Islam, will be established. Prophet Isa (alayhis salam) will not accept any religion other than Islam. Before his descent, jizya (tax) will remain, because we are in need of wealth, whereas after his descent, there will be such abundance of wealth that there will be absolutely no need for jizya and the like. Therefore, it will be abolished; furthermore, when the People of the Book become Muslims, then from whom would jizya be taken? Due to justice and fairness, blessings will descend and there will be showers of charity. At that time, the earth will bring forth all its treasures. Because at that time, no one will pay attention to wealth and riches, in that era, nearness to Allah will not be attained by spending wealth, but rather through bodily acts of worship, to the extent that a single prostration will be greater than the world and all that is in it.

2.
In any case, there is consensus (ijma‘) of the Muslim ummah on the descent of Prophet Isa (alayhis salam) from the heavens near the Day of Judgment, and in this regard, the ahadith have reached the level of tawatur (mass transmission), which we will mention ahead.

Hadith Commentary:
This is an extremely authentic and connected hadith, and all of its narrators are trustworthy and leading scholars (imams).
In clear words, it is mentioned in this hadith that near the Day of Judgment, Isa (alayhis salam) will descend to the world.
From this, it is clearly understood that Isa (alayhis salam) is alive in the heavens, and Allah, the Exalted, has raised him alive towards the heavens, just as is mentioned in the Noble Qur’an.
The cross and the doctrine of the Trinity are religious symbols of the Christians.
Isa (alayhis salam), in the last era, will come down from the heavens to the world and will act upon the religion of Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), and will abolish non-Islamic symbols.
The purpose of Imam Bukhari (rahimahullah) in establishing this chapter and bringing this hadith here is that if someone breaks the cross or kills the swine, there will be no liability (guarantee) upon him.
Qastallani (rahimahullah) has said that this is the case when it is the property of those at war (harbis); if it is the property of a dhimmi who has not violated his conditions and remains upon his covenant, then doing so is not permissible, because Islam has upheld the religious rights of the dhimmis, and has given full guarantee for the protection of their wealth, lives, and religion.

Hadith Commentary:
(1)
The cross is the emblem and religious symbol of the Christians.
When Prophet Isa (alayhis salam) will appear, he will act upon the religion of Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) and will abolish non-Islamic symbols.
In such circumstances, if anyone breaks the cross or kills a swine, there will be no indemnity (liability) upon him.
At that time, all Christians and Jews will be in conflict with the Muslims.
When, along with the Islamic Caliphate, other nations take up arms and strive to harm them, such treatment towards belligerent nations is permissible.
If they are Christians, the same will apply to them as well.
Islam has granted complete freedom to the lives, wealth, honor, dignity, and religion of peace-loving non-Muslim nations and dhimmis (protected non-Muslim citizens).

(2)
Although in Islam, jizyah (tax) is accepted from the People of the Book and they are not forced to accept Islam, this ruling will end at the time of the descent of Prophet Isa (alayhis salam).
The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) has stated this.
And Allah knows best.

� Lexical Explanation:
«لَيُوْشِكَنَّ» Very soon it will happen.
«حَكَماً» That is, a ruler who will judge according to the Shariah of Muhammad, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. It is understood from this that if any prophet comes after the Noble Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, he will have to follow your Shariah. So then, what status does the statement of any imam or elder have in comparison to your statement?
«اَلْمُقْسِطْ» One who acts justly.
«يَكْسِرُ الصَّلِيْبَ» He will break the cross, meaning he will actually break the cross and thereby refute the beliefs of the Christians.
«يَضَعُ الْجِزْيَةَ» He will abolish the jizyah, meaning that the disbelievers will only be given the option to accept Islam, and if anyone does not accept Islam, he will be fought against.
«يُفِيْضُ الْمَال» Wealth will become abundant, because the end of oppression and the establishment of justice and fairness will become a cause for the descent of goodness and blessings among the people.

Hadith Commentary:
From this hadith, Imam Bukhari rahimahullah deduced that the pig is inherently impure (najis al-‘ayn), and its sale is not permissible; otherwise, why would ‘Isa alayhis salam kill and destroy it?
The purpose of abolishing the jizya is that ‘Isa alayhis salam will declare: either accept Islam or be killed; he will not accept jizya.
From this hadith, it is clearly established that ‘Isa alayhis salam will descend near the Day of Judgment, will rule, will break the cross, and will abolish the jizya—all these matters are proven.
And it is astonishing at the intellect of the person who considers the Qadiani Mirza to be the Promised Messiah.
Allahumma thabbitna ‘ala al-haqq wa jannibna min al-fitan ma dhahara minha wa ma batana (Wahidi).
The meaning of killing the pig is that he will order its extermination, as an emphatic prohibition of eating it, and in this is a severe rebuke for the Christians who claim to follow ‘Isa, then consider eating pig lawful and are excessive in their love for it.
That is, ‘Isa alayhis salam, during his rule, will issue an order to eradicate the species of pig.
In this is an emphatic statement regarding the prohibition of eating it, and in this is a great rebuke for those Christians who claim to be followers of ‘Isa alayhis salam, yet consider eating pig lawful and are excessive in their love for it.
Based on the Qur’anic verses and authentic ahadith, the consensus of all Muslims from the earliest generations to the later ones has been that ‘Isa ibn Maryam alayhis salam is alive in the heavens and that he will descend to the earth near the Day of Judgment and will be a follower of the Shari‘ah of Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and will rule under it.
In the aforementioned hadith, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam has stated under oath that he will certainly descend. Since nowadays the Qadiani sect has spread much deception regarding this matter and has poisoned the minds of some youth,
therefore, a few proofs from the Book and the Sunnah are presented here, which will suffice for the reassurance of the believers.
The noble verse of the Qur’an is a definitive text, by which the life of ‘Isa alayhis salam is as clear as daylight:
﴿وَإِنْ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ إِلَّا لَيُؤْمِنَنَّ بِهِ قَبْلَ مَوْتِهِ وَيَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ يَكُونُ عَلَيْهِمْ شَهِيدًا﴾ (an-Nisa: 159)
That is, when ‘Isa alayhis salam will descend from the heavens, there will not remain any of the People of the Book—Jew or Christian—except that he will believe in him, and on the Day of Judgment he (‘Isa) will be a witness against them.
This verse is definitive evidence for the life of ‘Isa, that he will descend near the Day of Judgment and all the People of the Book will believe in him.
The second verse is:
﴿وَمَا قَتَلُوهُ وَمَا صَلَبُوهُ وَلَكِنْ شُبِّهَ لَهُمْ وَمَا قَتَلُوهُ يَقِينًا﴾ (157)
﴿بَلْ رَفَعَهُ اللَّهُ إِلَيْهِ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ عَزِيزًا حَكِيمًا﴾ (an-Nisa: 158-157)
That is, the Jews neither killed ‘Isa alayhis salam nor crucified him; certainly, this did not happen.
Rather, Allah raised him up to Himself.
And Allah is Mighty, Wise.
The meaning of “raising” (raf‘) is raising with the body, i.e., body and soul together; Allah raised him to the heavens and he is alive there now.
This verse too is definitive evidence for the life of ‘Isa.
The third verse is:
﴿إِذْ قَالَ اللَّهُ يَاعِيسَى إِنِّي مُتَوَفِّيكَ وَرَافِعُكَ إِلَيَّ وَمُطَهِّرُكَ مِنَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا وَجَاعِلُ الَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوكَ فَوْقَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ ثُمَّ إِلَيَّ مَرْجِعُكُمْ فَأَحْكُمُ بَيْنَكُمْ فِيمَا كُنْتُمْ فِيهِ تَخْتَلِفُونَ﴾ (Aal ‘Imran: 55)
That is, when Allah said, “O ‘Isa, indeed I will take you and raise you to Myself and purify you from those who disbelieved, and will make those who follow you above those who disbelieved until the Day of Judgment.”
This is the translation of Shah ‘Abdul Qadir rahimahullah.
He further writes in the commentary that the Jewish scholars incited the king of that time, saying that this person is a heretic and opposes the commands of the Torah. The king sent people to arrest him; when they arrived, the companions of ‘Isa alayhis salam dispersed.
In this confusion, Allah the Exalted raised ‘Isa alayhis salam to the heavens.
And a likeness of him remained.
They seized that likeness and crucified it.
The original and real meaning of “tawaffa” is “to take something in full,” as written by Baydawi, Qastallani, Razi, and others.
And “death” is a metaphorical meaning of “tawaffa,” not the real one; therefore, without the presence of an indicator, it is not used in the sense of death, and here there is no such indicator, so the original and real meaning, i.e., “to take something in full,” will be intended.
And taking a human being in full means taking him with body and soul.
And this is what is required.
Therefore, this verse too is definitive evidence for the life of ‘Isa.
The fourth verse:
﴿وَإِنَّهُ لَعِلْمٌ لِلسَّاعَةِ فَلَا تَمْتَرُنَّ بِهَا وَاتَّبِعُونِ هَذَا صِرَاطٌ مُسْتَقِيمٌ﴾ (az-Zukhruf: 61)
And indeed, he (‘Isa) is a sign of the Hour.
So do not doubt it, and follow Me; this is a straight path.
In the commentary of this verse in Tafsir Ibn Kathir, it is stated:
The intent by this is his (‘Isa’s) descent before the Day of Judgment. Mujahid said: “And indeed, he is a sign of the Hour,” meaning a sign of the Hour is the coming of ‘Isa ibn Maryam before the Day of Judgment. And thus it is narrated from Abu Hurayrah, Ibn ‘Abbas, Abu al-‘Aliyah, Abu Malik, ‘Ikrimah, Hasan, Qatadah, Dahhak, and others. And the ahadith from the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam regarding the descent of ‘Isa ibn Maryam alayhis salam before the Day of Judgment as a just leader and fair judge are mutawatir (mass-transmitted). (Ibn Kathir)
That is, the intent here is ‘Isa alayhis salam.
He will descend near the Day of Judgment.
Mujahid said that he will be a sign of the Hour.
That is, the sign of the Hour is the descent of ‘Isa alayhis salam from the heavens before the Day of Judgment, and this has been stated by Abu Hurayrah radi Allahu anhu, Ibn ‘Abbas radi Allahu anhu, Abu al-‘Aliyah, Abu Malik, ‘Ikrimah, Hasan, Qatadah, Dahhak, and others, and there are mutawatir authentic ahadith from the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam on this matter, that ‘Isa alayhis salam will descend near the Day of Judgment as a just leader and fair judge.
Apart from the Qur’anic verses, a whole volume would be needed for all the authentic ahadith on this subject.
Among them is this hadith of Bukhari which is mentioned here.
Thus, the belief in the life of ‘Isa is the belief of all Muslims, and it is established from the Book of Allah and the ahadith of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam; whoever denies it is a denier of the Qur’an and the ahadith.
One should never pay attention to the nonsense of such deniers.
For details, there are many books available on this subject.
There is no room for further lengthening.
For the people of faith, this much is sufficient.

Hadith Commentary:
(1)
Imam Bukhari rahimahullah has mentioned this hadith in the Book of Sales (Kitab al-Buyu‘) because anything that is unlawful (haram) and whose sale is not permissible, it is permissible to kill it. The sale of swine has been declared unlawful by the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam; in this regard, it is permissible to kill it. However, it is not permissible to kill the swine belonging to dhimmis (non-Muslims who reside under Muslim rule), because, according to them, it is considered property, and we have been prohibited from destroying their property.

(2)
Sayyiduna ‘Isa alayhis salam will kill swine absolutely, because in his time there will be no dhimmis; rather, all the People of the Book will become Muslims. This is also the reason why he will break the cross. Hafiz Ibn Hajar rahimahullah writes: What is meant by the killing of swine is that he will issue a command in his era for the extermination of swine; in this is an emphatic statement regarding the prohibition of eating it, and a severe warning for the Christians who claim to follow ‘Isa alayhis salam but consider eating swine lawful and are excessive in their love for it. (Fath al-Bari: 4/522)

(3)
Based on numerous Qur’anic verses and noble hadiths, it is the unanimous belief of all Muslims that ‘Isa alayhis salam is alive in the heavens, and near the end of times he will descend and implement the Shari‘ah of Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.

(4)
According to the aforementioned hadith, the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam stated under oath that he will certainly descend. However, Amin Ahsan Islahi, even on this occasion, has resorted to deception and written that this narrative of the Christians has also come to us... Nowhere in the Qur’an is it stated that the Messiah alayhis salam will return. Such a major belief should have been in the Qur’an; we cannot establish a belief based on solitary reports (akhbar ahad). (Tadabbur Hadith: 1/509) Islahi has also discussed the chain of this hadith, writing that one of the narrators is Ibn Shihab, about whom I have been expressing my opinion. The second narrator is Sa‘id ibn al-Musayyib. Previously, I had a very good opinion of him, that he was among the distinguished scholars of Madinah. I used to praise him for his high status in jurisprudence, but when I read the opinions of the Imams of al-Jarh wa al-Ta‘dil about him, I found that he is a Shi‘a with the Shi‘a and a Sunni with the Sunnis, so I became very disappointed. (Tadabbur Hadith: 1/507) In our view, there is no greater lie than what this "Imam" has written. To our knowledge, none of the Imams of al-Jarh wa al-Ta‘dil have written such a thing about Sa‘id ibn al-Musayyib. Regarding the belief in the descent (nuzul), we will present our remarks under the Book of Prophets, Chapter on the Descent of ‘Isa ibn Maryam, insha’Allah.

Descent of ‘Isa (alayhis salam): As a Member of the Ummah or as a Prophet?

«عن أبى هريرة أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم كان يقول ”والذي نفسي بيده ليو شكن أن ينزل فيكم ابن مريم حكماً مقسطاً. يكسر الصليب ويقتل الخنزير ويضع الجزية ويفيض المال حتى لا يقبله أحد“ .»

“It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah radi Allahu anhu that indeed the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam used to say: By Him in Whose hand is my soul, soon ‘Isa alayhis salam will descend among you as a just ruler, he will break the cross, kill the swine, and abolish the jizyah. Wealth will become so abundant that no one will accept it.” (There will be no one left to take charity.)

[تخريج: رواه البخاري 2222، و مسلم 155، والترمذي وابن ماجه، واحمد 240/2]

Whereas in another narration, it is as follows:

«عن أبى هريرة قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم الأنبياء اخواة لعلات أمهاتهم شتٰى ودينهم واحد وأنا أولى الناس بعيسى ابن مريم لانه لم يكن بيني وبينه نبي وهو خليفتي على أمتى وهو نازل .... الخ»

“It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah radi Allahu anhu that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: The Prophets are paternal brothers; their mothers are different, but their religion is one. I am the closest of all people to ‘Isa ibn Maryam because there is no prophet between me and him, and he will descend as my khalifah (successor) over my ummah.”

[تاريخ دمشق جلد 50 صفحه 258، فتوىٰ حديثیه صفحه 28-29]

An objection is raised regarding this narration: When ‘Isa alayhis salam will descend as a member of the ummah, how will he abolish the jizyah? For it is not permissible for a member of the ummah to add to or subtract from the Shari‘ah. Whereas in the first narration, the abolition of jizyah is mentioned.

Reconciliation:

➊ Firstly, at the time of the descent of Sayyiduna ‘Isa alayhis salam, people will be extremely wealthy, to the extent that they will have no need for wealth. Poverty, destitution, and all those categories of zakat recipients which Allah Ta‘ala has mentioned in [سورۃ توبه آيت: 60] will cease to exist. Thus, there will be no one deserving of zakat, and in such a situation, the obligation of zakat will also be lifted. Similarly, Allah Ta‘ala has prescribed jizyah upon the ahl al-dhimmah so that it may be spent on jihad and the needy, etc. When these too will no longer exist, the obligation of jizyah will also be abrogated.

➋ The second answer is as follows: For example, if I say to my guest who is staying with me, “My brother will drop you at your house.” After saying this, I take leave from my guest and depart. After a while, my brother comes and drops my guest at his desired location. Reflect: I did not command my brother to take the guest to his destination, but my brother understood very well from my manner of speaking that he was being instructed to do so. Dear readers! This is an example that occurs frequently in our daily lives.

In the same way, when the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said that ‘Isa alayhis salam will abolish the jizyah, from this statement of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, ‘Isa alayhis salam is being taught to abolish the jizyah, just as in the above example the brother received the instruction. Furthermore, in the narration of Abu Hurayrah radi Allahu anhu, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: He will be my khalifah.

A khalifah is one who carries forward the Shari‘ah of his predecessor and cannot alter it. In a lengthy hadith, the Noble Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: «عليكـم بـسـنـتـي وسـنـة الـخـلفاء الراشدين المهديين تمسكوا بها وعضوا عليها بالنو اجد.» It is incumbent upon you to adhere to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the rightly guided caliphs who are upon guidance. Hold fast to it and cling to it with your molar teeth...

[رواه احمد، وابو داؤد، والترمذي، وابن ماجه، بحواله مشكاة المصابيح كتاب الايمان باب الاعتصام بالكتاب والسنة، ح: 165 وقال الاستاذ حافظ زبير على زئي حفظه الله تعالى، حديث صحيح رواه احمد 126/4، 127، ح: 17275، وابوداؤد 4607، الترمذى 2676، وقال حسن صحيح، وابن ماجه 43 من حديث العرباضي بن سارية رضى الله عنه، وصححه ابن حبان: موارد 102، والحاكم 96,95/1، وقال هذا حديث صحيح ليس له علة ووافقة الذهبي]

It is thus clear that following the Sunnah of the rightly guided caliphs is also obligatory and necessary, and their following is in reality following the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, because the rightly guided caliphs only follow the Sunnah of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. Sayyiduna ‘Isa alayhis salam will also be a rightly guided khalifah, therefore, following him will be obligatory and necessary for every Muslim.

Hadith Commentary: Vocabulary of the Hadith:

(1)
Qilāsun:
Plural of qaluṣ,
young camels.

(2)
Lā yus‘ā ‘alayhā:
No labor or hardship will be exerted upon them,
due to abundance of wealth and people’s detachment and lack of desire for worldly things,
and because of concern for the Hereafter, people’s attention will be directed towards the Hereafter,
there will remain no one to accept zakat,
everyone will be concerned about the Hereafter,
therefore, people will not make use of the camels.

(3)
Ash-shaḥnā’:
Enmity and hostility,
and malice and rancor.

(4)
Tabāghuḍ:
Mutual malice.

(5)
Taḥāsud:
Envy and rancor towards one another.

Explanation:
1:
The scholars state that, apart from other prophets, the wisdom concealed in the descent of ‘Isa (alayhis salam) is that through this descent, the claim of the Jews that they killed ‘Isa will be invalidated. Thus, with the descent of ‘Isa, the falsehood of their claim will be exposed.

Benefit:
In this hadith, the condemnation of images (tasweer) has been mentioned. By "image" is meant every kind of depiction that is called a tasweer, whether it is made by hand, by camera, or from clay. In the present era, images have become a great tribulation; everywhere there are such indecent pictures of girls that are tantamount to an assault on faith. There is a great need to work extensively against the tribulation of images. It is also proven from this that upon seeing an image, it should be torn up. Furthermore, this hadith establishes a severe condemnation of the photographer, who, without any fear, continues to make images of people day and night.

Benefit:
In this hadith, there is a prophecy regarding Sayyiduna Isa (Jesus) alayhis salam that he will descend near the end of times, will establish justice, will wage jihad against the Christians, and will break the cross.
From this, it is also proven that the present-day Christians are liars; that is why they will wage war against Isa alayhis salam. From here, it is also established that killing the swine is permissible.
Isa alayhis salam will abolish the tax (jizya), and wealth and riches will become so widespread that there will be no one left to accept charity.
We have faith in all these matters. It should be remembered that when Isa alayhis salam descends, he will descend as a follower (ummah) of Sayyiduna Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, and will live according to the Qur’an and Hadith, and will propagate only the Qur’an and Hadith. We also have faith that Isa alayhis salam was raised alive to the heavens, and he is alive in the heavens, and we also have faith that Isa alayhis salam will descend near the white minaret to the east of Damascus. ([الـمـعـجم الكبير طبراني : 1/217 حديث : 590] Hafiz al-Haythami said: “Its narrators are trustworthy.” (Majma‘ al-Zawa’id: 8/205))
And we also have faith that Isa alayhis salam will kill the Dajjal at the gate of the city of Lod in Palestine, and after that, he will remain for forty (years, or months, or days) as a just Imam and fair ruler. [مسند أحمدحديث : 24971 سنده حسن]
Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu said that whoever meets Isa ibn Maryam alayhis salam should convey my salam to him. [مصنف ابن ابي شيبه]