IS ISA (JESUS) COMING AGAIN? (PART 3)

IS ISA (JESUS) COMING AGAIN? (PART 3) We do not agree with Yusuf 'Ali's interpretation of this verse because it has a futuristic implication. Yusuf 'Ali interpretes "Innahu" as 'he shall be'. This has the tendency of being read as implying 'Isa's nuzul whereas if the Qur'an had the future in mind it would have used the future tense (al-fi'l al-mudari'). Thus "innahu" would probably have been replaced with "yakuunu" or "sayakuunu."   It is noteworthy that the Qur'an adopts this future tense in verses indicating the speaking of the earth beast (tukalimuhun" 27:82) and the surging forth of Ya'juj and Ma'juj ("yansilun" 21-96). Also, "innahu" is used in the sense of the present tense (al-fi'l al-haadir) in several verses of the Qur'an (e.g. 21:110; 46:33; 35:44). Commenting on this fourth verse, Yusuf 'Ali writes: "This is understood to refer to the second coming of Jesus in the Last Days just before the Resurrection, when he will destroy the false doctrines that pass under his name, and prepare the way for the universal acceptance of Islam." Here then lies Yusuf 'Ali's motive behind his deliberate interpretation of the word "innahu" in this vital verse to connote a future idea. We reject any reading of a future impression in this verse. The idea that it refers to the nuzul of 'Isa is far-fetched, assuming and highly doubtful. We are only told in this verse that 'Isa is a sign of as-Sa'ah ('ilmun li as-Sa'ah). We are inclined to interpret this as 'Isa's messengership just as Muhammad's messengership is a sign of as-Sa'ah according to the hadith. We also regard this messengership or sign as having been realized because 'Isa has actually come as a prophet (3:49-51; 5:59) and has delivered his message (5:113; 19:30-33; 5:119-121). There is no need therefore for us to expect another actualization of this sign in future. Having examined the four verses most relevant to this issue, we shall now consider the stand of the hadith on the same question. The possible reappearance of 'Isa occurs in some ahadith (plural of hadith). The word used in Bukhari are "imamukun minkun" (i.e. your Imam or leader from among you). Ibn Majah has some ahadith on the nuzul of 'Isa being one of the conditions (ashraat) which must be fulfilled before as-Sa'ah (Doomsday or end of the world) can occur; another related by Abu Rafi' describes the scene of nuzul in the Holy mosque in Jerusalem during a prayer. As-Suyyuti records another hadith related by 'Aishah suggesting that 'Isa would kill ad-Dajjal, that 'Isa would spend forty years after his nuzul,die and be buried by Muslims while al-Sayyid Sabiq records another related by Abu Hurayrah outlining Isa's mission on his nuzul:"By Allah they would doubt the coming of the son of Maryam who will establish justice, break the cross, kill the pig and forbid land-tax." These ahadith, at first glance, seem to confirm nuzul and they must have encouraged those who interprete Qur'an 43:61 as a confirmation of same. We observe, however, that these ahadith are uncommon ones technically known as "ahadithun ahad." They are also too few (qhayr mutawatirah) to compel faith. These and the fact that the idea of nuzul contradicts certain fundamental principles which will be discussed below compels us to take a second look at the above ahadith with a view to finding suitable symbolic interpretations for them. This re-interpretation also becomes necessary in view of the Qur'an's authentication of the Prophet's pronouncements as "divine inspiration" (53:4; 18:110) and that he said nothing out of his own desire (53:3). Could the Prophet therefore have deliberately made prognostications capable of prejudicing Islam's basic principles? This question cannot be answered in the affirmative because this will amount to accusing the Prophet of double standard, mischief and of misleading his followers. But the Qur'an describes him as a "favour" to the Mu'minun (3:164; 4:170), a mercy to them (9:61), a man of beautiful pattern of conduct ('Uswatun hassanah 33:21) and as guiding aright from darkness to light instead of misleading (65:11). Metaphorically, therefore, we may see the prophecy concerning the re-appearance of 'Isa on earth as the Prophet's attempt to kindle in men the fire of hope in the eventual ascendancy of virtue on earth. 'Isa was known as a righteous apostle (6:85) and therefore represents goodness. As a symbol of virtue, therefore, his name is used in the hadith.  The intention may be idiomatic, implying the re-emergence of goodness on a wide scale after the present moral decadence. Furthermore, this figurative reading may imply the final victory of virtue over evil as well as the establishment and reign of justice.   The cross which 'Isa is supposed to break arouses our curiosity. We are tempted to ask "which cross?" Though the obvious one is that on which 'Isa would have been killed (4:157) and which Christians now display as the one on which he actually died. But how many of such crosses will he break if he returns to earth? It must involve trillions since all churches display it (and there are more than one in many of them). What of those in private homes, inside motor-cars, around people's necks, those displayed for sale in shops, etc.? The logical interpretation, to us, is that the misrepresentation of his escape from crucifixion will be cleared before the end of Time. People will come to realize that the cross really meant nothing to 'Isa. The prophet's words "break the cross" may therefore mean 'break the myth of the cross'. 'Isa's "killing of the pig" may also be interpreted as the eventual victory of Islam as a religion because pigs are traditionally forbidden in Islam (5:4). The forbidding of land tax implies the abolition of all forms of oppression, persecution and exploitation... And Allah knows best. (To be continued) 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 Twitter:  ishaqakintola Facebook: facebook.com/ishaqakintola Twitter: ishaqakintola   I remain oppressed untill the hungry are fed, the naked clothed, the sick healed and the homeless sheltered