Written by: Mawlānā Muhammad Afzal Muhammadi, Madrasah Taʿlīm al-Qur’ān wa al-Ḥadīth, Hyderabad◈ Summary of the Argument
- Some object to the belief in the return of ʿĪsā (علیہ السلام), claiming it contradicts the finality of Prophethood.
- However, authentic Hadith in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī and Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim affirm both the finality of Prophethood and the return of ʿĪsā (علیہ السلام).
- The correct understanding is: ʿĪsā (A.S.) will return as a follower of the Shari‘ah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, not to bring a new Shari‘ah or establish his own Prophethood anew.
◈ Clarification from Hadith and Scholars
❝ وَإِمَامُكُمْ مِنْكُمْ ❞(Saḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 3248, 3349) – This indicates that ʿĪsā (A.S.) will follow an Imām from among the Muslims, thus affirming the continuity and supremacy of the Shari‘ah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ until the Day of Judgment.
Ibn Ḥajar, Ibn al-Tīn, and Ibn al-Jawzī have all explained that this confirms:- No new divine law will be introduced.
- ʿĪsā (A.S.) will come under the Shari‘ah of the Prophet ﷺ.
- Finality of Prophethood remains intact.
◈ Addressing the Misconception of "Losing Prophethood"
- A Prophet’s Shari‘ah being abrogated does not mean the Prophet loses Prophethood.
- All previous Shari‘ahs were abrogated by the Shari‘ah of Muhammad ﷺ, but this does not nullify the Prophethood of any previous messenger.
- Belief in all Prophets is a core part of Islamic faith.
◈ Īsā (A.S.)'s Life: Two Phases
- His first life ended with his ascension to the heavens, considered his natural death phase.
- His return will be a miraculous phase, outside the norms of life and death.
- Thus, the abrogation of his Shari‘ah occurred after the end of his first earthly life.
◈ Qur'anic Evidence Supporting This Understanding
Surah Āl-ʿImrān: 81 – Emphasizes that previous Prophets were commanded to believe in and support a future Prophet, even during their own lifetimes.Tafsīr Aḥsan al-Bayān (by Ḥāfiẓ Ṣalāḥuddīn Yūsuf) explains:
- A Prophet can come during the lifetime of another, and it's obligatory for the first to follow the second if commanded by Allah.
◈ Conclusion
There is no contradiction between the belief in Khatm-e-Nubuwwah (Finality of Prophethood) and the return of ʿĪsā (A.S.).✔ ʿĪsā (A.S.) will return as a Prophet,
✔ But he will follow the Shari‘ah of Muhammad ﷺ,
✔ And his return does not violate the finality of Prophethood.
