IS ISA (JESUS) COMING AGAIN? (PART 2)

IS ISA (JESUS) COMING AGAIN? (PART 2) The word "masih" occurs in the Qur'an eleven times (3:45; 4:157; 4:171; 4:172; twice in 5:19; twice in 5:72; 5:75; 9:30) and on no occasion does it convey the idea of a saviour or expected deliverer. 5:19 in particular emphatically denies this type of power for the Masih as Allah asks rhetorically: "Who has the least power to prevent Allah if He wishes to destroy (yuhlik) the Masih son of Maryam (himself) or his mother as well as those on earth? Verily those who call the Masih God have committed disbelief (laqad kafara)." Muhammad Fu'ad 'Abd al-Baqi listed this verse as 5:17 instead of 5:19. this is capable of misleading researchers who regard his work as the Qur'an's directory or concordance. There is ijma' (concensus) among mufasirun that 'Isa is called "Masih" because of the power in his touch (a power acknowledged in the Qur'an 5:113). For example, Al-Baydawi, ash-Shawkani and Yusuf 'Ali agree that 'Isa's title of "Masih" means 'the blessed' "because Jibril gave him a blessed touch" or because, according to an-Nasafi: "With 'Isa's touch lepers were healed, the blind saw, the deaf heard and the dumb spoke." We call attention at this juncture to another Israiliyyah. 'Isa or Jesus to Christians is Christ with all the implications of an expected Messiah, saviour and redeemer. But this is not so to Muslims. 'Isa is not a saviour (expected or accomplished). The Qur'an refers to the Masih as a mere apostle like others before him (5:75) and to Allah as the deliverer (6:63-64), the protector (2:257; 3:150; 22:78) and the One that suffices (3:173; 8:64; 39:36; 65:3). The interpretation of the title "Masih" as 'Christ' conveys the misleading notion that Islam also accepts Christ, not Allah alone, as one capable of saving humanity. It is however correct to interpret the name 'Isa as 'Jesus' because this concerns the historical personality of a prophet sent by Allah to the Israelites. This will fall into the same category of Muslim-Christian versions of names like Yahya and John the Baptist, Ibrahim and Abraham, Ishaq and Isaac. There does not seem to be disagreement concerning these personalities and what they represent in religious history. The fact that their historicity cannot be doubted shows that Muslim and Christian apostles are from the same Allah or God. It is the titles "Masih" and 'Christ' which are different because they connote different beliefs in two different religions. The names 'Isa and Jesus may have historical significance only whereas their titles imply differences in the beliefs of their followers. 'Isa is therefore Masih and not Christ. It must be noted that ad-Dajjjal is also called Masih because, according to both Imam Malik and Muhammad Assad, he performs 'miracles' with his touch. This further cements our opinion that the titles Christ or Messiah and Masih are not synonymous. For if ad-Dajjal is Masih, is he also a saviour or Messiah? Commenting on the verse in which this title appears and which happens to be the second verse cited by protagonists of nuzul, many mufasirun posit the theory of crucifixion by substitution. Among these are al-Baydawi, Sayyid Qutb, ash-Shawkani and an-Nasafi. This theory explains 'Isa's miraculous escape from the attempted crucifixion implied in the words ma qataluhu wa ma salabuhu wa lakin shubiha lahun (4:157 i.e. they neither killed nor crucified him but it was made to appear so to them). 'Isa invoked Allah's wrath on a group of Jews who abused him and his mother. These Jews were transformed into monkeys and pigs. Other Jews gathered to kill him but a traitor among 'Isa's disciples (hawariyun 3:52; 5:112; 61:14; 5:111) whose face was changed into that of Isa was crucified instead. The argument is that 'Isa's escape from crucifixion as well as from the resultant death is proof that he is alive in heaven. The Jewish conspiracy to kill him is also cited as proof of the interruption of his life and mission. But this may not necessarily be so. Though the verse mentions 'Isa's escape it says nothing about a possible nuzul (i.e. descent). The third verse relevant to our discussion occurs in 4:159: "All the People of the Book must believe in him before his death." Commentators differ greatly about this verse. Two opinions however emerge most popular. The first is that of ash-Shawkani and Ibn Jarir. They hold that the pronouns 'him' and 'his' in the verse are for 'Isa. This implies that both Jews and Christians would believe in 'Isa (him) before 'Isa's (his) death, but since this was not possible before the attempt to crucify him, it will have to be on 'Isa's second coming. This interpretation thus supports nuzul. In the second opinion, commentators like as-Zamakhshari and Sayyid Qutb contend that the first pronoun 'him' (in 'believe in him') is for 'Isa while the second 'his' (in 'his death') is for the Jew or the Christian. This implies that all Jews and Christians would believe in 'Isa (in the trully Islamic sense, as a messenger of Allah and not as a son of God 9:30; 5:19; 5:75) before they die. This presupposes that 'Isa's purported nuzul is a farce. The pronoun 'he' (in "innahu" i.e. 'he is') is the bone of contention in the fourth verse (43:61) which reads "And he is a sign of as-Sa'ah." Who or what does the pronoun here refer to? Is it Muhammad, the Qur'an or 'Isa? Mahmud Shaltut, Sayyid Qutb, al-Baydawi and Yusuf 'Ali are of the opinion that 'Isa is referred to here. In spite of our surprise at this marriage of convenience between both camps, one is inclined to agree with them based on the implication of preceding verses (from 57 to 60) which refer to 'Isa. Verse 57 for instance begins with the words "When 'Isa the son of Maryam is cited as an example" and the trend continues like that up till verse 61, "And he is a sign of as-Sa'ah," i.e. 'Isa is a sign of as-Sa'ah.. Professor Is-haq Akintola,  Lagos State University, P.O. Box 10211, LASU Post Office, HO 102 101, Ojo, Lagos, Nigeria. Tel. 234-803-346-4974        234-818-211-9714 Website: www.ishaqakintola.com Blog: drishaqakintola.blogspot.com Facebook: facebook.com/ishaqakintola Twitter: ishaqakintola   I remain oppressed untill the hungry are fed, the naked clothed, the sick healed and the homeless sheltered