Haqiqatul-Wahi (The Philosophy of Divine Revelation) — Page 54
54 HAQIQATUL-WAHI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION إِنَّ مَثَلَ عِيسَى عِنْدَ اللهِ كَمَثَلِ آدَمَ خَلَقَهُ مِنْ تُرَابٍ ثُمَّ قَالَ لَهُ كُنْ فَيَكُونُ . 1 Thus, if Hadrat ‘Īsā had indeed ascended to Heaven with his mortal body and is then to descend again, this would be a distinction far more misleading than his fatherless birth. So pray tell, where has the Holy Quran refuted this by citing a precedent? Was God incapable of refut- ing this distinction? Let me reiterate that the belief on which the Companions, Allah be pleased with them, had ijmā‘[consensus] was the fact that all Prophets, peace be upon them, had passed away, and none [of them] was alive. All of the Companions held fast to this belief until their last breaths. This belief was in agreement with the explicit text of the Holy Quran. There can be no lie greater than to claim that, at some time, after the Companionsra had passed away, this ummah had ijmā 2 on the issue of Hadrat Īsā being alive with his mortal body in Heaven. The following words of Imam Ahmad bin Hańbal aptly apply to such a person: 'Anyone who claims ijmāʻupon any issue after the time of the Companions is a great liar. ' The truth of the matter is that after the passage of the first three centuries, the blessed ummah split into seventy-three sects and hundreds of mutually contradictory beliefs took root among them to 1. Surely, the case of Jesus with Allah is like the case of Adam. He created him out of dust, then He said to him, 'Be!', and he was (Surah Al-e-Imran, 3:60). [Publisher] 2. It should be kept in mind that there is neither a single unequivocal verse [of the Holy Quran] nor any şahih [authentic], marfū' [for which the chain of narrators reaches all the way up to the Holy Prophet, may peace and bless- ings of Allah be upon him], muttaşil [that is, there is no interruption in the chain of reporters] hadith which substantiates that Hadrat 'Isā was, in fact, physically raised to Heaven. Hence, it is wishful thinking to expect the return of someone whose ascension is not substantiated. First prove 'Isa's ascen- sion to Heaven from either an explicit verse [of the Holy Quran] or a șahih, marfū', muttaşil hadith; otherwise your unjustified opposition is an attitude far removed from righteousness. (Author)