Surah An-Nisaa (4) — Ayah 158

(Ayah 158) {بَلْ رَّفَعَهُ اللّٰهُ اِلَيْهِ وَ كَانَ اللّٰهُ عَزِيْزًا حَكِيْمًا:} This is a clear and explicit proof that Allah, with His perfect power, raised Isa (Jesus) عليه السلام alive to the heavens. This is also established by authentic (Sahih) ahadith. These ahadith are found in most books of hadith, including Bukhari and Muslim. [ دیکھیے بخاری، أحادیث الأنبیاء، باب نزول عیسی ابن مریم علیھما السلام : ۳۴۴۸۔ مسلم : ۱۵۵ ] In these ahadith, besides being raised to the heavens, there is mention of his descent near the Day of Judgment and many other matters. Ibn Kathir رحمه الله, after mentioning all these narrations, writes at the end that these ahadith are mutawatir from the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم. Among their narrators are Abu Hurairah, Abdullah bin Mas’ud, Uthman bin Abi al-As, Abu Umamah, Nawas bin Sam’an, Abdullah bin Amr bin al-As, Majma’ bin Jariyah, Abu Sarihah, and Hudhayfah bin Asid رضي الله عنهم. These ahadith mention the manner and place of his descent. He will descend near the eastern minaret in Damascus at the time when the iqamah for Fajr prayer is being given. He will kill the swine, break the cross, abolish the jizyah, and in his era, all will become Muslims. The killing of Dajjal will also be at his hands, and the emergence and corruption of Gog and Magog (Ya’juj and Ma’juj) will also occur during his presence, and ultimately, by his prayer against them, their destruction will take place. The bodily ascension of Masih عليه السلام, his being alive there, his return to the world and living for several years, and after killing Dajjal, dying a natural death, is the unanimous belief of the Muslim Ummah, which is based on the explicit statements of the Qur’an and the details mentioned in the ahadith. Hafiz Ibn Hajar رحمه الله says: [اِتَّفَقَ أَصْحَابُ الْأَخْبَارِ وَالتَّفْسِيْرِ عَلٰي أَنَّ عِيْسٰي رُفِعَ بِبَدَنِهٖ] [التلخیص الحبیر ] “All the scholars of tafsir and the imams of hadith are agreed that Isa عليه السلام was raised alive to the heavens with his body.” Therefore, denial of the life of Masih necessitates denial of the Qur’an and Hadith, which is utter misguidance. The word {”عَزِيْزًا حَكِيْمًا“} also indicates that the ascension of Masih عليه السلام to the heavens was not like the ordinary death of others.