NATURAL DEATH OF HADHRAT JESUSAS, SON OF MARY:
The greatest hurdle for the non-Ahmadi Muslims in accepting Hazrat Mirza Ghulam AhmadAS, the Founder of Ahmadiyya Movement in Islam, as the Promised Messiah and Mahdi is their belief regarding Hazrat Eisa (peace be on him); that as soon as the Jews resolved to lay hold on him, God raised Hazrat EisaAS to Heaven, and in place of him, caught hold of one of his enemies and, making him in the same appearance as Hazrat EisaAS, had this enemy of JesusAS put on the Cross instead of JesusAS himself. They further believe that he is still in Heaven since his ascent, without undergoing any change, and this very Hazrat EisaAS will descend for the reformation of the Muslims, and to make Islam dominate over all other religions.
This concept of the non-Ahmadies is entirely against the Holy Quran, the Traditions of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of God be on him) and the consensus of the early scholars of Islam, as shall be explained later. Insha Allah.
THE HOLY QURAN:
In the last section of the Fifth Chapter of the Quran, on questioning from God, whether he taught Trinity to his people, Hazrat JesusAS' denial is mentioned in clear words. It is further stated by him that he is not even aware of their associating him with God. Then continuing his exoneration from the blame, he says:
"I said nothing to them except that which Thou didst command me-- `Worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord' and I was a witness over them as long as I remained among them, but since Thou didst cause me to die, Thou hast been the Watcher over them, and Thou art Witness over all things." (5:118)
The corruption of the Christians has been categorically stated in the Holy Quran:
"Indeed they are disbelievers who say, `Surely Allah is none but the Messiah, son of Mary'." (5:73) "They are surely disbelievers who say', `Allah is the third of three; `there is no God but the One God." (5:74)
As God in the name of Hazrat JesusAS declares that Christians became corrupt after the death of Hazrat JesusAS, how can we think that Hazrat JesusAS is not dead but alive in heaven?
Imam Bukhari in his book, Sahih Bukhari--the most authentic book after the Book of God, has quoted the saying of Hazrat Ibn Abbasra under the commentary of Verse 5:118: "Qaala Ibno Abbasin Mutawaffeeka Mumeetoka", i.e., Hazrat Ibn Abbasra said, the meaning of Tawafee is death.
Imam Bukhari has named a Bab (Chapter)--Babo Tawaffiyo Rasool-ullahi Sallallaho Alaihi Wa Sallam, in which the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of God be on him) has connoted the meaning of Hazrat Jesus'AS Tawaffee as that of his own Tawaffee. The Holy ProphetSAW said:
"On the day of Qiyamat some people of my Ummat would be taken towards Hell. Then I shall say, `O my Lord! these are my companions', Then it would be said! `thou don't know what they innovated after thee'. Then, I shall say as the righteous servant said: `I was a witness over them as long as I remained among them, but since Thou didst cause me to die, Thou hast been the Watcher over them.'" (Bukhari Kitabul Tafseer, Vol. 3, p. 79, Vol. II, p. 159)
Again, we also read in the Holy Quran:
"O Jesus! indeed I will cause thee to die and exalt thee to Myself, and will clear thee of (the charges of) those who disbelieve, and will place those who follow thee above those who deny thee, until the Day of Resurrection." (3:56)
Hadhrat JesusAS was exalted (or raised) to God after his death like all other righteous servants of God. The words `exalt thee' or `raise thee' come after the words `cause to die'. We have no right to change the order of the Holy Quran. It is reported that the Holy ProphetSAW was asked, whether he would make the circuit of Safa first or that of the Marwa. He replied, Abdao Bima Bada-Allaho--I shall start with what Allah has started. Hence, we have to keep the order of the Quran. The meaning of Tawaffee has already been given.
Another verse of the Holy Quran runs thus:
"And Muhammad is only a Messenger. Verily, (all) Messengers have passed away before him. If then he die or be slain, will you turn your back on your heels?" (3:145)
In this verse of the Holy Quran the passing away of all the Messengers who came before the Holy ProphetSAW has been pronounced; and the passing away has been adjudged only in two ways--either by death or through assassination. Had there been any third way of passing away (like that of ascending to heaven) it should have been mentioned by God. As a matter of fact this verse (3:145) has been revealed specifically to declare the death of Hadhrat JesusAS, as the passing away of other Messengers had already been mentioned in 5:76 wherein Allah says:
"The Messiah, son of Mary, was only a Messenger; surely Messengers like unto him had indeed passed away before him. And his mother was a truthful woman. They both used to eat food."
It is an admitted fact that the ceasing of Mary's eating was due to her death, hence, on the same analogy, the ceasing of Hadhrat Jesus'AS eating too was due to his death, as both have been mentioned equally.
Regarding the above quoted verse (3:145), it should be noted that when the Holy ProphetSAW died, the companions became stupefied with grief. Hadhrat Umarra, of all persons, was so afflicted by grief that he unsheathed his sword and declared that whosoever said the Holy ProphetSAW was dead would lose his head. He began to say that the Holy ProphetSAW had disappeared temporarily from their midst, even as Hadhrat MosesAS had disappeared on a call from God. Hadhrat MosesAS returned to his people after forty days, so would the Holy ProphetSAW. None of the companions dared to resist and deny what he said. Imam Bukhari reports:
"Abdullah Bin Abbas narrated that Abu Bakr came out while Umar was conversing with the people. He said to Umar to sit but he refused to comply with. So, the people turned towards him (Abu Bakr) and left Umar. Then Abu Bakr said: Whoever amongst you worshipped Muhammad, let him know that Muhammad is dead, and whoever amongst you worshipped Allah, let him know that Allah is Living, there is no death for Him. Allah has said, `And Muhammad is only a Messenger. Verily, all Messengers have passed away before him...' The narrator says, by God, the people did not know that God had sent down this verse until Abu Bakr has recited it. So, the people in their entirety learnt it from him; then, whosoever amongst the people heard it recited it. Then Saeed Bin Musayyeb has told me, that Umar swearing by God said, did not know of this verse till he heard it from Abu Bakr, and consequently his legs could not support him, he staggered and fell down in an outburst of grief." (Bukhari Kitabun Nabiyye Ila Kisra Wa Qaisara, Musnad Imam Abu Hanifa, p. 188, Hamamul Islamiyya, p. 54, Bukhari, Vol. 2, Manaqib Abu Bakr)
Now, if the companions present on this occasion thought that Hadhrat JesusAS had been alive in Heaven for 600 years, they would have stood up and pointed out to Hadhrat Abu Bakrra, that it was wrong to say that all the earlier prophets had died. If Hadhrat JesusAS could remain alive, why not the Holy ProphetSAW? All the companions who heard this verse (3:145) and heard Hadhrat Abu Bakrra's argument based upon the verse, not only remained silent but began to rejoice over it and went about the town reciting it. This proves beyond doubt that the companions agreed with Hadhrat Abu Bakr'sAS interpretation of the verse that all prophets before the Holy ProphetSAW had died.
Another verse of the Holy Quran which proves the death of Hadhrat JesusAS is:
"We granted not abiding life to any human being before thee. If then thou shouldst die, shall they have abiding life?" (21:35)
God loves the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of God be on him) more than He loves anyone else. He was the purpose for all creation as Hadith says: "Had I not created thee I would have created neither heaven nor earth."
Hence, if any man deserved to remain alive and ascend to heaven, it was our Holy ProphetSAW. If he has died in the usual way, other prophets have died in the same way. We know too well that the deniers of the Holy ProphetSAW challenged him and asked him if he could perform the miracle of ascent to Heaven? They said:
"We will not believe except if you ascend to Heaven. And we will not believe in your ascent unless you bring to us from Heaven a Book which we may then read." (17:94)
In reply to this challenge, God did not empower the Holy ProphetSAW to show the miracle which the Holy Prophet'sSAW deniers asked him to show. Instead, God made the Prophet say: "Holy is my Lord! I am not but a man sent as Messenger." (17:94) Knowing this, how can we think the Holy ProphetSAW should rise to Heaven, but die in the normal way and be buried here in this earth, and Hadhrat JesusAS should go to Heaven and remain alive for these two thousand years?
"And those on whom they call beside Allah create not anything, but they are themselves created. They are dead, not living; and they know not when they will be raised." (16:21,22)
Hadhrat JesusAS is also among those to whom they call beside Allah (5:73), hence, he is dead.
THE TRADITIONS:
The Holy ProphetSAW said:
"If Moses and Jesus had been alive, they would have had to believe in me and follow me." (Zurqani, Vol. VI, p. 54, Tibrani Kabeer,Alyawaqeet Wal Jawahir, Vol. II, p. 23)
During his last illness, the Holy ProphetSAW said to his daughter Hadhrat Fatimara:
"Once in every year, Gabriel recited the Quran to me. This year he recited twice. He also told me that every succeeding prophet has lived to half the age of his predecessor. He told me that Jesus, son of Mary, lived to 120 years. Therefore, I think, I may live to about 60 years." (Mawahib-ud-Duniya by Qastalani, Vol. I, p. 42, Kanzul Ummal Vol. 6, p. 160)
THE SCHOLARS:
Imam Malik said Hazrat Jesus had died. (Majma Biharul Anwar, Vol. I, p. 286) The opinions of Imam Bukhari, Ibn Abbas, and the companions of the Holy Prophet have already been indicated.
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