The Essence of Islam – Volume III — Page 183
The Messiah and his Second Coming 183 Almighty, which is clearly set out repeatedly in all holy books?. . . The disbelievers of Mecca had demanded from the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) that he should ascend to heaven and descend there- from while they watched, and he was instructed to say: قُلْ سُبْحَانَ رَبِّي 150 This means that the wisdom of God Almighty does not permit the exhibition of such extraordinary signs in this world, since such exhibition would destroy the reality of faith in the unseen. How can that which was not permissible in the case of the Holy Prophets, who was the best of Prophets (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), be permissible in the case of Jesus? It would be the height of disrespect to hold that a situation was not permissible in the case of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and yet accept it as permissible in the case of Jesus. No true Muslim can be guilty of such impertinence. . . . Our lord and master, the Seal of Prophets, has distin- guished between the first Messiah and the second Mes- siah by declaring not only that the second Messiah would be a Muslim who is bound by the commandments of the Holy Qur'an, such as prayer and fasting etc. , but he would be born in a Muslim home, would be the Imam of Muslims, would bring no new religion, would not claim any Prophethood apart from the Prophethood of the Holy Prophets, but also has described the differences in fea- tures between the first and the second Messiah. The fea- tures of the first Messiah as observed by the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) on 150 Banī Isrā'īl, 17:94 [Publisher]