The Belief in Jesus in Islam: A Prophet, Messenger, and the Messiah
In Islam, Jesus is one of the greatest Prophets and Messengers of God along with Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Muhammad, peace be upon them all. He delivered God’s message to the Children of Israel that they should only worship one God, follow God’s law, and establish justice. The Quran also refers to Jesus as the Messiah. Muslims believe that Jesus was never actually crucified, but rather he was saved by God. Therefore, Jesus did not die, but was raised to the heavens.
The Return of Jesus: The Messiah and the False Messiah in Islamic Beliefs
Prior to the Day of Judgment, Jesus, peace be upon him, will return to earth at a time of great confusion to destroy falsehood and establish justice. The term Messiah, however, is not limited to Jesus, peace be upon him. It is also used to describe the false Messiah (Maseeh al-Dajjal in Arabic, which means someone who deceives others). According to the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him, the false Messiah, or anti-Christ, appears before the second coming of Jesus, peace be upon him.
Who is The False Messiah?
The details of the anti-Christ are found in the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him. The anti-Christ is an individual who will appear during the age of injustice preceding the end of the world, causing corruption and oppression to sweep over the earth for a period of either forty days or forty years. His appearance is one of the major signs of the Day of Judgment. He will deceive many people with false miracles and teachings. He will first claim to be Jesus then will later declare himself to be God. He will travel the world requesting people to follow him and will tempt them with food, riches, and promises to end their suffering.
The Miraculous Abilities and Deceptive Claims of a False Prophet
He will be given the ability to perform miracles by God as a test to humans. He will raise the dead. He will chop people in two halves, walk in between the two halves and then order those parts to come together to become alive again. He will have the ability to bring out the earth’s riches, have plenty of food and sustenance to tempt people to follow him. A clear sign that he is not actually God is that despite all these miracles which will be given to him, he will not be able to fix his own bodily deformities. He will send his army to fight anyone who does not believe in him.
False Messiah vs. Jesus
Each of these Messiahs is the opposite of the other. Jesus, peace be upon him, is truthful and has miracles from God. The false Messiah is a liar who misguides people. He tempts them with some limited abilities he has such as controlling rain, reviving parts of the earth that has no vegetation, and in a few instances, even bringing the dead back to life. Despite his limited “miracles,” the false Messiah has one characteristic that is well established in Islamic teachings: he is blind in one eye. His eye will be covered with a thick piece of flesh growing at its edge. The authentic compilation of prophetic traditions by the scholar Muslim includes the following saying of the Prophet, peace be upon him: “The Dajjal will be blind (mamsuh) in one eye, and between his eyes will be written ‘kaafir’.” The word “kaafir” means disbeliever. This along with his blindness from one eye are clear markers that despite his claims, the Dajjal is not God. This description of the Dajjal has been mentioned in many statements of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. Most Muslims are aware of these descriptions of the false Messiah and therefore they will know him but will not follow him.
Unveiling The Mysteries of The Son of Mary and The Dajjaal
In another prophetic tradition as found in the authentic compilation by the scholar Bukhari, the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: “While I was sleeping, I saw myself circling around the Ka’bah (the holy mosque in Mecca), when I saw a dark man with straight hair, standing between two other men, with water dripping from his head. I asked, ‘Who is this?’ They said, ‘The son of Mary.’ Then I turned and saw a ruddy-complexioned man, well-built, with curly hair, blind in his right eye, with his eye looking like a floating grape. I asked, “Who is this?” They said, “This is the Dajjaal.”.
The Return of Jesus
Finally, Jesus, the true Messiah, will descend from heaven and arrive near Damascus Syria with his arms resting on two angels by his sides. He will then travel to Jerusalem and join in the morning prayer. At the time, the anti-Christ would have reached the outskirts of Jerusalem. When he is informed that Jesus, peace be upon him, returned to earth he will try to flee. However, Jesus, peace be upon him, will chase him and kill him right outside Jerusalem. Jesus, peace be upon him, will also defeat the followers of the anti-Christ. After this, battles will cease and the world will have an age of peace, justice, and prosperity.
Ultimately, Jesus, peace be upon him, will deny being the son of God. He will leave no doubt that there is only one God and confirm that he is God’s servant and messenger. Have more questions? Call 877-WhyIslam, you deserve to know!
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