The Promised Messiah and Mahdi — Page 48
THE PROMISED MESSIAH AND MAHDI occasion Hadhrat Abu Bakr addressed the companions and recited above verse of the Holy Quran and drew attention to the fact that the. Holy Prophet being human had died like all prophets and human beings before him. . There is a well known saying of the Holy Prophet, "Had. Moses and Jesus been alive, they would have no choice but to follow me". This indicates that the Holy Prophet regarded Jesus to be dead like Moses. . In one Hadith (sayings of prophet) the Holy Prophet is reported to have said "What will be your condition when Son of Mary will appear among you and he will be your Imam (leader) from among yourselves" (Bukhari, Kitabul Anbiya). This Hadith makes it clear that the Promised Messiah will be a person from among Muslims and will not be the same Jesus who is supposed to descend from heaven. He has been called 'Jesus Son of Mary', or 'Messiah Son of Mary' as a metaphorical name as he were to resemble him and was to be called Messiah. . This view of the natural death of Jesus was propounded by. Hadhrat Ahmad so successfully that today it is hard to find an enlightened Muslim scholar who adheres to the old views. Orthodox. Muslims in general are now averse to discussing the physical life of. Jesus in heaven. Thus it is obvious that in Hadith (sayings of prophet) wherever the Holy Prophet had prophesied about descent or appearance of Jesus, Son of Mary, in the later days, the usage was metaphorical and had meant that a follower of the Prophet will be raised to the status of Messiah as he will come in the spirit of Jesus whom he will resemble. Just as Jesus was a reformer and a Messiah for the Jewish nation, the Promised Messiah is a reformer and a. Messiah for Muslims. Messiah means blessed or anointed one. . Furthermore, the Promised Messiah has been called 'Messiah' as he was to remove misunderstanding about the death of Jesus on the cross and reform and convert Christians who have gone astray. . Those Muslims who take offence that Ahmad, the Promised. Messiah, considered his spiritual status as that of a follower prophet, are reminded that the Holy Prophet Mohammad, peace be on him, has 48