Life of Our Master Messiah, peace be upon him
The investigation and details of the ascension of the guide, Our Master Jesus, peace be upon him, to the heavens with a physical body and his descent to the earth near the Day of Judgment.
The Established Belief of the Muslim Ummah
One of the fundamental beliefs of the Muslim Ummah is the established belief that Allah Almighty raised Our Master Jesus, peace be upon him, alive with a physical body to the heavens. He is present in this state and condition on the fourth heaven. Before the Day of Judgment, when Allah Almighty wills, he will descend to the earth as a just ruler.
Background
To understand the reason for the ascension of Our Master Jesus, peace be upon him, to the heavens, we need to briefly review his life so that the entire matter can be well remembered.
Brief Account
Our Master Jesus, peace be upon him, is among the noble and resolute messengers of Allah Almighty. Just as our Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is the Seal of the Prophets for all humanity, similarly, Our Master Jesus, peace be upon him, is the Seal of the Prophets of the Children of Israel, that is, the last prophet.
Characteristic
One of your characteristics is that Allah Almighty, by His perfect power, miraculously created you from the womb of your mother without a father.
Blessed Adornment
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said that during the Mi’raj, I met Jesus, peace be upon him. He was of medium height and had a reddish-white complexion. His body was so clean and radiant that it seemed he had just finished bathing. His hair reached down to his shoulders.
Dedication to the Propagation and Spread of Religion
You neither married nor established a household. Traveling from village to village, town to town, you spread the religion of Allah and carried out the duty of inviting and preaching the true religion. Wherever night fell, you would spend it without any comfort or provisions.
Since the noble person brought physical and spiritual healing to Allah’s creation, wherever you went, crowds of people would gather with devotion, ready to be devoted to you with passionate love.
Hostility and Conspiracy of the Jews
The opposition to this invitation of truth, which was rooted in enmity, viewed your growing popularity with extreme jealousy and as a serious threat. When their distorted hearts could no longer tolerate it in any way, their leaders and religious chiefs began conspiracies against you. It was decided that success must be achieved against you by any means possible. The plan was to incite the king of the time against you and have you hanged on the gallows.
Accordingly, they complained to the king, saying: Your Excellency! This person is not only a danger to our religion but also to your government and authority. They fabricated many things and persuaded the king to arrest Jesus, peace be upon him, and present him as a criminal in the royal court.
Now they waited for a suitable opportunity to arrest him in a secluded and private moment so that no public unrest would arise. Meanwhile, Sayyid Nasi (Jesus), peace be upon him, became aware of the opposition and intrigues of the Jews and became certain that the disbelief, enmity, and opposition of Bani Israel had intensified to the extent that they were after his murder. So he gathered his disciples in a house, explained the entire situation to them, and told them that the time of trial was near. It was a time of severe testing. The conspiracies to erase the truth were at their peak. It seemed that he would not remain among them for much longer.
Therefore, after him, the responsibility of steadfastness in the true religion, its propagation, and support would be entrusted to them. He asked who among them would be loyal helpers in the way of Allah. All the disciples responded with faith, zeal, and sincerity that they were all loyal supporters of Allah’s religion. They sincerely believed in Allah and bore witness to their faithfulness, and after saying this, they did not stop there but also prayed to Allah: O Allah! Grant us steadfastness in what we say and include us among the helpers of Your religion. The following verses of the Holy Quran refer to these circumstances:
فَلَمَّآ أَحَسَّ عِيسَىٰ مِنْهُمُ ٱلْكُفْرَ قَالَ مَنْ أَنصَارِىٓ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ قَالَ ٱلْحَوَارِيُّونَ نَحْنُ أَنصَارُ ٱللَّهِ ءَامَنَّا بِٱللَّهِ وَٱشْهَدْ بِأَنَّا مُسْلِمُونَ (52) رَبَّنَآ ءَامَنَّا بِمَآ أَنزَلْتَ وَٱتَّبَعْنَا ٱلرَّسُولَ فَٱكْتُبْنَا مَعَ ٱلشَّٰهِدِينَ
When Jesus, peace be upon him, realized that Bani Israel were ready for disbelief and denial, he said: Who will be my helper in the way of Allah? The disciples replied: We are the helpers of Allah’s religion. We believe in Allah. Bear witness that we submit to Allah. O our Lord! You revealed the command, and we accepted it and followed the Messenger. Record us among the witnesses.
Nizar Shad says:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُونُوا أَنصَارَ اللَّهِ كَمَا قَالَ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ لِلْحَوَارِيِّينَ مَنْ أَنصَارِي إِلَى اللَّهِ ۖ قَالَ الْحَوَارِيُّونَ نَحْنُ أَنصَارُ اللَّهِ ۖ فَآمَنَت طَّائِفَةٌ مِّن بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ وَكَفَرَت طَّائِفَةٌ ۖ فَأَيَّدْنَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا عَلَىٰ عَدُوِّهِمْ فَأَصْبَحُوا ظَاهِرِينَآ
Translation: O you who believe! Be helpers of Allah’s religion just as Jesus son of Mary said to his disciples: Who will be my helper in calling to Allah? The disciples replied: We are the helpers of Allah’s religion. A group of Bani Israel believed, and another group disbelieved. Then We helped those who believed against their enemy, and they prevailed.
Allah Almighty made it clear that while these people were busy with their secret plots, We also decisively resolved by Our power that none of the opponents’ plans against Jesus, peace be upon him, would succeed.
As it is stated:
وَمَكَرُوا۟ وَمَكَرَ ٱللَّهُ وَٱللَّهُ خَيْرُ ٱلْمَٰكِرِينَ
And Bani Israel plotted against Jesus, peace be upon him. But Allah also planned, and Allah is the best of planners.
Eventually, the priests and leaders of Bani Israel besieged Jesus, peace be upon him, in a closed house. At that moment, Allah Almighty gave glad tidings to Jesus, peace be upon him, that there was no need to worry; He would fully protect him. He would live his full life, and these people would not be able to kill him. Allah would protect him from the evil of the disbelievers (Bani Israel) and grant his followers victory over his enemies and opponents until the Day of Judgment. Then all would return to Allah, who would judge all the disputes they had.
As it is stated:
إِذْ قَالَ ٱللَّهُ يَٰعِيسَىٰٓ إِنِّى مُتَوَفِّيكَ وَرَافِعُكَ إِلَىَّ وَمُطَهِّرُكَ مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ وَجَاعِلُ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّبَعُوكَ فَوْقَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوٓا۟ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ ٱلْقِيَٰمَةِ ثُمَّ إِلَىَّ مَرْجِعُكُمْ فَأَحْكُمُ بَيْنَكُمْ فِيمَا كُنتُمْ فِيهِ تَخْتَلِفُونَ
And when Allah said: O Jesus! I will take you fully under My protection and raise you to Myself, and I will cleanse you of those who disbelieved and their filthy environment. I will grant your followers dominance over those who disbelieved until the Day of Resurrection. Then all of you will return to Me, and I will judge between you concerning that in which you differed.
The disciples of Jesus, peace be upon him, are called those followers who believed in him and became his companions and helpers. Their number is stated to be twelve.
The Conspiracy of the Jews, Its Failure, and Allah Almighty’s Secret Protective Measure
When Syedna Isa (Jesus) عليه السلام learned of the Jews’ conspiracy, he gathered his disciples, whose number was either 12 or 17, and said, “Is there anyone among you willing to be killed in my place so that Allah Almighty may make his appearance like mine?” A young man volunteered for this. Consequently, Isa عليه السلام was taken away from there. Later, the Jews came and took that young man who resembled Isa عليه السلام and crucified him.
The Jews continued to believe that they had crucified Isa عليه السلام, whereas Isa عليه السلام was not present there at all. He was raised to the heavens with a physical body.
The Holy Quran states:
وَقَوْلِهِمْ إِنَّا قَتَلْنَا ٱلْمَسِيحَ عِيسَى ٱبْنَ مَرْيَمَ رَسُولَ ٱللَّهِ وَمَا قَتَلُوهُ وَمَا صَلَبُوهُ وَلَٰكِن شُبِّهَ لَهُمْ وَإِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱخْتَلَفُوا۟ فِيهِ لَفِى شَكٍّ مِّنْهُ مَا لَهُم بِهِۦ مِنْ عِلْمٍ إِلَّا ٱتِّبَاعَ ٱلظَّنِّ وَمَا قَتَلُوهُ يَقِينَۢا ﴿١٥٧﴾ بَل رَّفَعَهُ ٱللَّهُ إِلَيْهِ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ عَزِيزًا حَكِيمًا ﴿١٥٨﴾ وَإِن مِّنْ أَهْلِ ٱلْكِتَٰبِ إِلَّا لَيُؤْمِنَنَّ بِهِۦ قَبْلَ مَوْتِهِۦ وَيَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَٰمَةِ يَكُونُ عَلَيْهِمْ شَهِيدًا
(And because) they said, “We have killed the Messiah, Jesus, the Messenger of Allah, son of Mary.” But they did not kill him nor crucify him; rather, it was made to appear so to them. And those who differ concerning it are in doubt about it. They have no knowledge of it except following conjecture. Certainly, they did not kill him, but Allah raised him up to Himself. Allah is Almighty, All-Wise. And none from the People of the Book will believe in him before his death, and he will be a witness against them on the Day of Resurrection.
Maulana Maududi Sahib writes:
That in these verses, the ones who differ are meant to be the Christians. Among them, there is no unanimously agreed opinion about the crucifixion of Isa عليه السلام; rather, there are dozens of opinions. The abundance of these opinions indicates that the actual reality remained doubtful for them.
Some say that the one crucified was not Isa but someone else who resembled Isa, whom the Jews and Roman soldiers crucified in disgrace while Isa stood somewhere laughing at their foolishness.
Some say that Isa was indeed crucified, but he did not die on the cross; rather, after being taken down from the cross, he was still alive.
Some say that he died on the cross but then resurrected and met with his various disciples about ten times.
Some say that the death on the cross happened to Isa’s body, and he was buried, but the divine spirit within him was raised.
Some say that after death, Isa عليه السلام was resurrected bodily and was raised bodily.
Obviously, if they had knowledge of the truth, such diverse opinions would not have been prevalent among them.
Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf حفظه الله writes:
After killing the one who resembled Isa عليه السلام, one group continued to say that Isa عليه السلام was killed, while another group, as if realizing that the crucified person was not Isa but someone else, denied his killing and crucifixion.
Some say they even saw Isa عليه السلام ascending.
Some say that this difference refers to the dispute made by the Nestorian sect of Christians, who said that Isa عليه السلام was crucified in terms of his body but not in terms of his divinity.
The Melkites said that this killing and crucifixion happened both in terms of his humanity (Nasoot) and divinity (Lahoot). (Fath al-Qadeer) In any case, these people remained in disagreement, hesitation, and confusion.
From this entire explanation, it becomes clear that the Jews were not successful in killing or crucifying Isa عليه السلام.
These verses are explicit texts that Allah Almighty, by His perfect power, raised Isa عليه السلام alive to the heavens.
Abu Raja رحمه الله narrates that Hasan رحمه الله said in the interpretation of:
وَإِن مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ إِلا لَیؤْمِننَ بہ الخ
that before the death of Isa عليه السلام, all the People of the Book will believe in him, and he is alive with Allah (in the heavens). When he descends to the earth, all people will believe in him.
A person asked Hasan Basri رحمه الله about the interpretation of:
وإِن مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ اإِلا لَیؤْمِننَ بہ الخ
He replied that Allah Almighty raised Isa عليه السلام to Himself and will send him to the earth before the Day of Judgment, and then all believers and sinners will believe in him.
Abdullah bin Abbas رضي الله عنه said that if a Jew is struck by a sword, his soul will not leave him until he believes.
Also, mentioning the favors Allah Almighty bestowed upon Syedna Isa عليه السلام, Allah says:
وَيُكَلِّمُ النَّاسَ فِي الْمَهْدِ وَكَهْلًا
He spoke to people even in the cradle and when he reached maturity.
Speaking in the cradle was a miracle and extraordinary, but speaking at an old age is not surprising. Isa عليه السلام speaking to people at an old age could only be considered different if he came after a long time and spoke to people.
Among the favors upon Isa عليه السلام, Allah will also say on the Day of Judgment:
وَإِذْ كَفَفْتُ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ عَنكَ إِذْ جِئْتَهُم بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ فَقَالَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِنْهُمْ إِنْ هَٰذَا إِلَّا سِحْرٌ مُّبِينٌ
And remember when I saved you from the evil of the Children of Israel when you came to them with clear proofs, but the deniers among them said, “This is nothing but magic.”
In summary, from this entire explanation, it is understood that when the Jews planned to kill Allah’s noble Messenger, the Spirit of Allah, the Messiah Isa bin Maryam عليهما السلام, Allah Almighty, by His perfect power, saved His Messenger by raising him alive with a physical body to the heavens, and his enemies were unsuccessful and frustrated. The following verses related to Isa عليه السلام are noteworthy:
مكرواومکراللہ People plotted against him, but Allah also planned secretly.
انی المتوفیک O Isa, I will protect you completely.
ورافعک الی And I will raise you to Myself.
والمطہرُكَ مِنَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُو And I will cleanse you from those who disbelieve and their filth.
وَقَوْلِهِمْ إِنَّا قَتَلْنَا الْمَسِيحَ عِيسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَمَا قَتَلُوهُ وَمَا صَلَبُوهُ وَلَٰكِن شُبِّهَ لَهُمْ
(And because) they said, “We have killed the Messiah, Jesus, the Messenger of Allah, son of Mary.” But they did not kill him nor crucify him; rather, it was made to appear so to them.
وَمَا قَتَلُوهُ يَقِينًا ٭ بَل رَّفَعَهُ اللَّهُ إِلَيْهِ ۚ
They certainly did not kill him, but Allah raised him to Himself.
وکان الله عَزِيزاً حكيماً
And Allah is Almighty, All-Wise.
Mentioning these words after narrating the incident of Isa عليه السلام is clear evidence that this event manifested Allah’s overwhelming power and supreme wisdom.
إِن مِّنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ إِلَّا لَيُؤْمِنَنَّ بِهِ قَبْلَ مَوْتِهِ – الخ
And all the People of the Book will believe in him before his death.
تكلم الناس في المَهْدَ وکھلا
He spoke to people even in the cradle and when he reached maturity.
إِذْ كَفَفْتُ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ عَنكَ
And remember when I saved you from the evil of the Children of Israel.
Also, the Holy Quran states:
وَإِنَّهُ لَعِلْمٌ لِّلسَّاعَةِ فَلَا تَمْتَرُنَّ بِهَا وَاتَّبِعُونِ ۚ هَٰذَا صِرَاطٌ مُّسْتَقِيمٌ (61)
And indeed, Isa عليه السلام‘s descent is among the signs of the Hour; do not doubt it and follow Me. This is the straight path.
According to most commentators, this means that near the Day of Judgment, Isa عليه السلام will descend from the heavens, as established by authentic and mutawatir hadiths. His descent will be a sign that the Hour is near.
All these verses of the Holy Quran are explicit texts that Allah Almighty raised Syedna Isa عليه السلام alive to the heavens.
The Correspondence and Similarity between Syed Nisa (Jesus) AS and Muhammad ﷺ
(1) The people of Jesus AS opposed and denied him.
(2) The opponents of Jesus AS conspired to kill him and besieged the house.
(3) Allah Almighty protected Jesus AS from the evil of the enemy.
(4) Jesus AS migrated from the earth to the heavens by the command of Allah Almighty.
(5) Jesus AS had already conveyed his message to the world. Therefore, he experienced a heavenly migration instead of an earthly migration.
(6) Jesus AS will kill the false Messiah (Dajjal) of his time.
(7) The descent of Jesus AS will be in the same city of Damascus from where, due to the conspiracies of his people, he experienced the heavenly migration.
Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ
(1) The people of Muhammad ﷺ also denied him and left no stone unturned in opposition.
(2) The exact same situation occurred with Muhammad ﷺ.
(3) Allah Almighty also provided complete protection to Muhammad in his mission.
(4) Muhammad ﷺ migrated from Makkah Mukarramah to Madinah Munawwarah by the command of Allah.
(5) Your ﷺ mission was universal. Your work in spreading the religion was still pending, and your presence on earth was necessary; therefore, you migrated to Madinah Munawwarah.
(6) You ﷺ struck your opponent Umayyah bin Khalaf with your spear and sent him to Hell.
(7) Muhammad ﷺ was also granted control and dominance over his homeland in the form of the conquest of Makkah after migration.
The Descent of Jesus (peace be upon him), in the light of Hadiths:
(1) Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه narrates that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
By the One in Whose hand is my soul, soon Jesus son of Mary (peace be upon him) will descend among you as a just ruler. He will break the cross (abolish it), kill the pig, abolish the Jizya (tax), and there will be such an abundance of wealth that no one will be willing to accept it.
Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه said: If you wish, you may read this verse:
إِن مِّنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ إِلَّا لَيُؤْمِنَنَّ بِهِ قَبْلَ مَوْتِهِ ۖ وَيَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ يَكُونُ عَلَيْهِمْ شَهِيدًا
And none from among the People of the Book will believe in him before his death, and he will be a witness against them on the Day of Resurrection.
(2) Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه narrates that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“By Allah, Jesus son of Mary will come as a just ruler. He will break the cross and abolish it, kill the pig, abolish the Jizya. The use of camels will become obsolete; they will neither be ridden nor used for carrying loads. Anger, resentment, hatred, and enmity among people will completely disappear. When he calls people towards wealth, no one will be willing to take it due to its abundance.”
(3) Sayyiduna Hudhaifah bin Asid Ghifari رضي الله عنه narrates that one day we were discussing the Day of Judgment when the Prophet ﷺ came and asked: What discussion is going on? We replied that we were talking about the Day of Judgment. He said: The Day of Judgment will not occur until you see ten major signs before it. Among these signs, he mentioned the “Descent of Jesus son of Mary (peace be upon them).”
(4) Sayyiduna Nawas ibn Sam’an رضي الله عنه narrates a long hadith that the trial of the Dajjal will have appeared, and he will be misleading people by showing magic tricks and leading them into disbelief. At that time, Allah Almighty will send Jesus son of Mary (peace be upon him). He will descend near the white minaret east of Damascus, dressed in two yellow garments, with both hands resting on the shoulders of two angels. When he lowers his head, drops of water will fall; when he raises his head, clear water drops will appear like white pearls. Wherever his breath reaches, the disbelievers will die, and his breath will reach as far as his sight. He will chase the Dajjal and catch him near the ” باب لد ” of the Damascus city wall and kill him.
(5) Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Amr bin Al-As رضي الله عنه narrates that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said that before the Day of Judgment, the Dajjal will appear. He will stay for forty (years/months/days, the exact period is not specified). After that, Allah will send Jesus (peace be upon him). His appearance will be like that of Urwah bin Mas’ud رضي الله عنه. He (Jesus) will chase and kill the Dajjal. After that, people will live for seven years in such happiness that there will be no enmity or hatred between two people.
(6) Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه narrates that the Prophet ﷺ said: By the One in Whose hand is my soul, Jesus son of Mary (peace be upon them) will perform Hajj (or Umrah, i.e., Hajj Tamattu’) at the place called “Fajj al-Ruhah.”
Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه narrates that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: How will you be when Jesus son of Mary descends among you (from the sky), and your Imam will be one of you (i.e., a member of this Ummah).
(8) Sayyiduna Jabir bin Abdullah رضي الله عنه narrates that he heard the Prophet ﷺ say: There will remain among my Ummah until the Day of Judgment a group who will fight for the truth and remain victorious until Jesus son of Mary (peace be upon him) descends from the sky. Then the leader of the Muslims (Imam Mahdi) will say to him to lead the prayer. He will say no, one of you will be the Imam over the people. This will be an honor granted by Allah to this Ummah.
(9) Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه narrates in a long hadith that before the Day of Judgment, there will come a time when people will be arranging the rows for prayer, and the call for prayer (Iqamah) will be made. At that time, Jesus son of Mary (peace be upon him) will descend from the sky. Then a member of the Muhammadan Ummah (Imam Mahdi) will lead the prayer, and Jesus son of Mary will lead the Ummah. Around the same time, the Dajjal will appear. When Allah’s enemy (the Dajjal) sees him, he will melt away like salt dissolving in water. Even if Jesus leaves him alone, he will perish. However, Allah will cause Jesus to kill the Dajjal.
(10) Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Amr رضي الله عنهما narrates that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said that Jesus son of Mary (peace be upon him) will descend to earth, marry, have children, live for forty-five years, then die. He will be buried with me in my grave. On the Day of Judgment, Jesus and I will rise from the same grave between Abu Bakr and Umar رضي الله عنهما.
(11) Umm al-Mu’minin Sayyidah Aisha Siddiqah رضي الله عنها narrates that she asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ: O Messenger of Allah! I fear that I will live for some time after you; do you permit me to be buried beside you? He said: How can I permit you? There will be the graves of me, Abu Bakr, Umar, and Jesus son of Mary (peace be upon him) there.
(12) Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Salam رضي الله عنه narrates that in the Torah, among the descriptions of Muhammad ﷺ, it is also written that Jesus son of Mary (peace be upon them) will be buried near him.
Abu Mudood (narrator) said that the place of a grave still remains in the house of Aisha رضي الله عنها.
(13) Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه narrates that the Prophet ﷺ said: Prophets are like brothers whose fathers are different but their religion is one. I am closer to Jesus son of Mary (peace be upon them) than the rest because there is no prophet between us. He will come again to the world. You will recognize him as soon as you see him. His height will be medium, his complexion reddish-white, he will be dressed in yellow clothes, and it will seem as if water drops are falling from his head though it will not be wet. He will break the cross, kill the pig, abolish the Jizya, and call people to the true religion of Islam. Allah will end the Dajjal through him. There will be complete peace and tranquility on earth, so much so that lions and camels, cheetahs and cows, sheep and goats will graze together without fear, and children will play with snakes without harm. Jesus (peace be upon him) will live on earth for forty years, then he will die. Muslims will perform his funeral prayer and bury him.
Summary:
One of the major signs of the Day of Judgment is the descent of the guided Messiah, Sayyiduna Jesus Christ (peace be upon him), from the highest heaven. The details are as follows:
A fierce battle will erupt between Muslims and Christians. The leadership and Imamate of the Muslims will be in the hands of a person named Muhammad bin Abdullah from the Prophet’s ﷺ Ummah, whose title will be (Mahdi). During this conflict, the false Messiah (Dajjal) will emerge. He will be Jewish by lineage and will have one eye. By the power of God, the word “Kafir” (disbeliever) will be written on his forehead, which the believers will read with their faith and be cautious of his deception. Initially, he will claim divinity and attract people by showing magic tricks, but when this fails, he will claim to be the guided Messiah (Jesus). Seeing this, many Jews will follow him because they have denied the true Messiah Jesus (peace be upon him) and claimed his killing, and they await the arrival of the Messiah. At that time, one day in the mosque of Damascus, Muslims will gather for prayer at dawn. The call for prayer (Iqamah) will be made, and the awaited Imam Mahdi will be on the prayer mat to lead the prayer when suddenly a voice will attract everyone’s attention. Muslims will see a white cloud covering the sky, and Jesus (peace be upon him), dressed in two yellow garments and supported by angels’ arms, will descend from the highest heaven. The angels will place him on the eastern minaret of the mosque and then leave. Jesus (peace be upon him) will establish his connection with the earth again. He will ask for stairs to descend from the minaret to the mosque courtyard, which will be provided, and he will stand in the row with the Muslims.
The Muslim Imam (Mahdi) will respectfully step back and request Jesus to lead the prayer. Jesus will say that the Iqamah was called for you, so you lead the prayer. After this, the political leadership of the Muslims will be in the hands of Jesus Christ (peace be upon him), who will take up arms and chase the false Messiah (Dajjal). They will confront him at the gate of the city wall of Damascus (Bab al-Ludd). The Dajjal will realize that his time has come and will melt away like salt dissolving in water due to fear. Jesus (peace be upon him) will advance and kill him. Then, the Jews who survived the Dajjal’s companionship and killing will accept Islam and stand alongside Muslims, following the true Messiah (Jesus). This will also affect the polytheist groups, and thus no religion other than Islam will remain on earth. After some time, the emergence of Gog and Magog will occur, and according to Allah’s guidance, Jesus (peace be upon him) will protect the Muslims from this trial. The reign of the Messiah will last forty years. Sahih Muslim mentions that his reign will last seven years. Hafiz Ibn Kathir رحمه الله reconciled these two narrations by explaining that Jesus was raised to the heavens at the age of 33 and after descending, he will live for seven more years, making his total age on earth forty years. واللہ اعلم. During this time, he will live a married life, and his reign will be marked by prosperity, justice, and blessings so that goats and lions will drink water together without fear. After completing the forty-year period, Jesus (peace be upon him) will depart from this world and be buried beside the Prophet ﷺ.
