Daniyal Kahlon, Missionary, MTA Social Media
Non-Ahmadi Muslims often ask where and in which book it is mentioned that the promise of the second advent of Isa ibn Maryamas (Jesus) refers to a figurative advent rather than a literal one.
This question has been raised ever since Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas of Qadian claimed to be the Promised Messiah. In response, the Promised Messiahas beautifully answered this question in his treatise entitled Izala-e-Auham (Part I, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 3, pp. 277-279). Below is a humble effort to provide this answer in English based on the Promised Messiah’s own answer.
The Holy Quran testifies to the death of Jesusas
The first and most important point to remember is that an answer to this question is not given by just an ordinary book; rather, the Holy Quran itself testifies to a figurative advent by proving the death of the Messiah, Isa ibn Maryamas.
God Almighty states:
وَمَا مُحَمَّدٌ اِلَّا رَسُوۡلٌ قَدۡ خَلَتۡ مِنۡ قَبۡلِهِ الرُّسُلُ ۚ اَفَا۠ئِنۡ مَّاتَ اَوۡ قُتِلَ انۡقَلَبۡتُمۡ عَلٰۤي اَعۡقٰبِكُمۡ
“And Muhammad is only a Messenger. Verily, [all] Messengers have passed away before him. If then he die or be slain, will you turn back on your heels? And he who turns back on his heels shall not harm Allah at all. And Allah will certainly reward the grateful.” (Surah Al-e-Imran, Ch.3: V.145)
This verse stood as a testimony to any doubts regarding the inevitable demise of the Holy Prophetsa. It was even recited by Hazrat Abu Bakrra al-Siddiq at a delicate time for the Muslim Ummah, when our beloved Prophetsa had just passed away and many companions, including the likes of Hazrat Umarra al-Farooq, could not come to terms with his demise. However, on hearing this verse being read out by Hazrat Abu Bakrra, to prove all prophets had died and this is the natural order of Allah, all doubts were removed and the companions unanimously accepted that the Holy Prophetsa had passed away like all prophets before him. (Sahih al-Bukhari, book 62, hadith 19)
However, this verse would (God forbid) be completely meaningless if Hazrat Isa ibn Maryamas was literally alive in his physical body because if this was the case, then this verse doesn’t provide substantial evidence that the Holy Prophetsa was destined to pass away; in fact, one might allege that if Hazrat Isa ibn Maryamas is still alive then why wasn’t the Holy Prophetsa kept alive by God Almighty?
The next verse presented by the Promised Messiahas from the Holy Quran is:
وَمَا جَعَلۡنَا لِبَشَرٍ مِّنۡ قَبۡلِكَ الۡخُلۡدَ
“We granted not everlasting life to any human being before thee.” (Surah al-Anbiya, Ch.21: V.35)
In this verse, the Holy Prophetsa is being addressed with the fact that no person before him was given immortality. This verse shows, without a doubt, Hazrat Isa ibn Maryamas could not be alive, otherwise his being alive contradicts this verse of the Holy Quran.
The next verse presented by Huzooras is:
وَمَا جَعَلۡنٰهُمۡ جَسَدًا لَّا يَاۡكُلُوۡنَ الطَّعَامَ وَمَا كَانُوۡا خٰلِدِيۡنَ
“And We did not give them bodies that ate no food, nor were they to live forever.” (Surah al-Anbiya, Ch.21: V.9)
Again, this verse doesn’t require much explanation due to the fact that anyone ought to be able to understand that if Allah the Almighty has stated in His Holy Book that no physical body can survive without food, then this naturally proves that to believe Hazrat Isa ibn Maryamas is alive in the second heaven with his physical body is in direct confrontation to this verse.
The only solution to this contradiction would be to either accept that he is not in fact physically alive with his human body (rather he has passed away and his soul resides in the second heaven), or that there is a contradiction in God’s Holy Word (God forbid).
These arguments presented by the Promised Messiahas from the Holy Quran are straightforward and very easy to comprehend – they prove Hazrat Isa ibn Maryamas of the Bani Israil has undoubtedly passed away.
In part II, I will, insha-Allah, show why the prophecy of the second coming of Isa Ibn Maryamas (Jesus) was a metaphor and it meant someone would come in the same disposition as Jesussa, not that Jesusas was to come down literally.