Where Did Jesus Die? — Page 207
Chapter Fourteen—A Paramount Prophecy 207 ‘Do you know that there were divine prophets in the past?’ They replied in the affirmative. He then said: ‘Are you only surmising or do you know it?’ They answered, ‘We indeed know it?’ ‘Could you tell me then,’ he continued, ‘what happened to them?’ They replied, ‘They died. ’ He said: ‘Muhammad died also as they died, and bear witness that there is none worthy to be worshipped but Allah and Muhammad is His messenger. ’ Following his example, they also said the same, and hailed Jarud their chief. 1 Thus, they were convinced and became steadfast in Islam. We can see, therefore, that on the death of the Holy Prophet, Muslims understood there was nothing unusual in his death, as prophets before him had also passed away. Thus, the death of Jesus Christ was an undisputed fact accepted by all the companions of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing of God be upon him). But as time passed, thousands upon thousands of Christians of various countries entered the fold of Islam. Unfortunately, not having adequate knowledge of the Holy Quran and Islamic teach- ings, these converts still clung to their old traditions and Christian ideas of Jesus Christ which they spread among the Muslims. The latter, relying upon them as co-religionists, took their reports for granted and began to explain the Quranic verses according to these legends. Consequently, the natural death of Jesus upon which all the companions of the Holy Prophet had agreed, was rejected by the Muslims and the belief that Jesus ascended to Heaven in his physical body and that he would descend from Heaven in the 1. Tarikh-ur-Rusul wal-Mulook , Abu Jafar Muhammad Ibn Jarir at-Tabari.