By God — Page 8
8 Preface It is a common belief of the Muslims that in the later days, Jesus as , son of Mary as will descend from heaven in his physical body and the Promised Messiah as will appear in the Muslim world and they both together will propagate Islam. Thus, two spiritual reformers are awaited by the Muslims in this later age. However, it is evident from the Holy Quran and the six authentic books of tradition that Jesus as , َ رَسُول ً إِل َ بَن ِ إِسْرَائِیْل who was a prophet unto the children of Israel died about 2000 years ago as did all other prophets. Neither did he ascend to heaven with his material body, nor is he alive there, nor will he ever physically descend on earth. However, it is evident from the traditions of the Holy Prophet sa that for the revival of faith and the reformation of the Muslim world a person will appear from within the fold of Islam, who in Islamic terminology is called Imam Mahdi (The Promised Mahdi) and he will spiritually and metaphorically be Jesus as , son of Mary as. Thus, it is reported in the traditions of Prophet Muhammad sa : ( 1 ) ل َ الْمَھْدی ُّ اِل َّ عِیْسٰی ابْن ُ مَرْیَم There will be no Mahdi but Jesus as son of Mary as (Ibn-e-Majah 1 Kitab-ul-Fitn, Chapter Shiddat-uz-zamaan) 1 One of the six authentic compilations of the sayings of the Holy Prophet sa