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HOW CAN WE RECOGNIZE PROPHET JESUS?
Who Will Be Able to Recognize Jesus (pbuh)?
Another subject that has received
a great deal of attention is how Jesus will be
recognized or by what features we will know him.
As a person who was created superior in terms
of knowledge, intelligence, physical appearance,
and character, he will have the facial expression
of a Prophet. His God-fearing nature and deepest
faith will shine on his face so much so that people
will instantly realize that they are looking upon
someone quite superior.
God revealed that Jesus is
"of high esteem in this world and the Hereafter,
and one of those brought near" (Qur'an, 3:45).
Like all Prophets, he will be known to those people
surrounding him as an embodiment of God's Word,
as well as his respectability, distinction, and
dignity. Those who meet him will recognize him
instantaneously, and no doubts will cloud their
hearts. And those who rejected his arrival will
realize their error.
It will be possible to identify
him by a Prophet's attributes, which are described
in the Qur'an. Other circumstances also will cause
people to recognize him. One of the most important
ones will be that he will be solitary: He will
have no family or relatives, and no one will have
known him from before. This is because all of
the people who knew him lived and died 2,000 years
ago. His mother Mary, Zachariah, the disciples
who spent years with him, the Jewish leadership,
and everyone who heard him preach are all dead.
Therefore, when he comes again no one will have
witnessed his birth, childhood, youth, and adulthood,
and no one will know anything about him. There
will be no childhood photos of him, and no one
will have any memories of him.
No doubt, this situation does
away with the nuisance of "false messiahs." When
Jesus returns, there will be nothing to cast any
doubt on his identity. Nobody will find any cause
to deny who he is, because Jesus will return just
as he was before God raised him to His presence,
including his garments, and will have superior
qualities that no human being could imitate.
The Qur'an, either in the verses
or in particular stories, provides us various
explanations regarding the past prophets. Many
common attributes of the prophets and of the true
believers are mentioned in the Qur'an. Furthermore,
it is also possible to find all the attributes
of the believers in the verses. In this context,
the superior attributes of Jesus (as) related
to faith are also discernible in the Qur'an. Accordingly,
referring to the Qur'an, sincere believers can
assess these superior attributes observable on
him and accordingly recognise him.
At this point, one has to keep
in mind that recognising Jesus (as) may not be
possible for everyone. Bediuzzaman Said Nursi
states the following about this subject:
When Jesus (Upon
whom be peace) comes, it is not necessary that
everyone should know him to be the true Jesus.
His elect and those close to him will recognize
him through the light of belief. It will not be
self-evident so that everyone will recognize him.1
As Beduuzzaman also agrees, during
the early years of his second coming, the people
knowing Jesus (as) will be limited to the small
group of people who are close to him. Furthermore,
this will only be possible by "the light
of belief". Of course this phrase needs further
explanation: "The light of belief" is
the comprehension granted by Allah to those who
believe in the existence and unity of Allah and
who observe the commands of the Qur'an. With such
comprehension, believers can evaluate situations
precisely and grasp the details of the events
with no difficulty. As the Qur'an informs us,
believers are those people who ponder upon everything
surrounding them and thus never miss the details
or subtle aspects of things. Indeed, Allah informs
man that He will grant discrimination (to judge
between right and wrong) to those who reflect
upon each thing in an endeavour to comprehend
the greatness and might of Allah and to those
who have fear for Him:
You who believe!
If you have taqwa of (heed) Allah, He will give
you discrimination and erase your bad actions
from you and forgive you. Allah's favour is indeed
immense. (Surat al-Anfal: 29)
Thus, those who will recognise
Jesus (as) during his second coming and adhere
to him will actually be the ones who believe in
Allah and the Qur'an, and think deeply over things.
Bediuzzaman Said Nursi, too, draws attention to
this issue:
In fact, although
when Jesus (Peace be upon him) comes he himself
will know he is Jesus, not everyone will know.2
Which Attributes of Jesus (as) Make Him Recognisable?
As mentioned above, referring
to the Qur'an in search of finding answers to
these questions, we should first look for the
attributes common to all the prophets related
in the Qur'an. Thus, the way to recognise Jesus
(as) would be to examine the attributes of the
prophets. Surely, there are hundreds of them.
However, in this section we will emphasise the
most apparent attributes that are immediately
evident.
1. He is different from other people because of
his exceptional moral values
Like all other prophets chosen
by Allah to proclaim His message to mankind, Jesus
(as) is known for his excellent moral values.
The most distinctive attribute of Jesus (as) is
his exemplary person, immediately discernible
in the society he lives in. He, indeed, has an
exemplary character, unprecedented in nature and
striking to anyone at first sight. An extremely
committed, courageous and strong person, a manifestation
of the trust he puts in Allah and his pure faith
in Him. With such traits, he has a profound influence
on everyone. This superiority, a shared attribute
of all prophets, is related in the verse:
This is the argument We gave
to Ibrahim (Abraham) against his people. We raise
in rank anyone We will. Your Lord is All-Wise,
All-Knowing. We gave him Ishaq (Isaac) and Ya'qub
(Jacob), each of whom We guided. And before him
We had guided Nuh (Noah). And among his descendants
were Dawud (David) and Sulayman (Solomon), and
Ayyub (Job), Yusuf (Joseph), Musa (Moses) and
Harun (Aaron). That is how We recompense the good-doers.
And Zakarriyya (Zachariah), Yahya (John), ‘Isa
(Jesus) and Ilyas (Elijah). All of them were among
the righteous. And Isma’il (Ishmael), al-Yasa’
(Elisha), Yunus (Jonah) and Lut (Lot). All of
them We favoured over all beings. And some of
their forebears, descendants and brothers; We
chose them and guided them to a straight path.
(Surat al-An’am: 83-87 )
That Allah granted superior attributes
to the prophets is expressed precisely in the
verse above. There are many other examples narrated
in the Qur'an. The statements below inform us
of the superior traits granted to the prophets:
Ibrahim was a community
in himself. (Surat an-Nahl: 120)
And remember Our slaves Ibrahim, Ishaq and Ya'qub,
men of true strength and inner sight. (Surah Sad:
45)
In Our eyes they are among the best of chosen
men. (Surah Sad: 47)
We gave knowledge to Dawud and Sulayman who said,
‘Praise be to Allah who has favoured us over many
of His slaves who are believers…’ (Surat an-Naml:
15)
Jesus (as) is also
one of the chosen prophets of Allah. Allah states
the following about him:
These Messengers: We favoured
some of them over others. Allah spoke directly
to some of them and raised up some of them in
rank. We gave clear Signs to ‘Isa, son of Maryam,
and reinforced him with the Purest Spirit. (Surat
al-Baqarah: 253)
2. He will be recognised by the expression on
his face which is only seen in Prophets
Allah informs us in the Qur'an
that the superiority of those whom He has chosen
can be in terms of their knowledge and as well
as that in terms of physical strength:
...He said, "Allah
has chosen him over you and favoured him greatly
in knowledge and physical strength. Allah gives
kingship to anyone He wills. Allah is All Encompassing,
All-Knowing.
(Surat al-Baqarah: 247)
Granted with wisdom, physical
strength, knowledge and perfection of character,
Jesus (as) will have a facial expression only
seen in prophets. His strong fear of Allah and
the light of his steadfast faith will all be apparent
in his face. This expression on his face will
at once distinguish him from others and people
who see him will immediately notice that they
are meeting someone quite superior. Surely, not
everyone will agree with this. Out of rage and
pride, it is likely that some people will disregard
this superiority. Despite feeling it deep inside,
they may feign ignorance, perceiving his presence
as a threat to their existence. Only those having
sincere faith will comprehend this superiority
and have an appreciation of it.
Allah informs us that Jesus (as)
is "of high esteem
in the world and the hereafter, and one of those
brought near…" (Surah Al ‘Imran: 45)
Thus, Jesus (as) will be known to those people
surrounding him for the honour and excellence
only seen in those chosen by Allah.
3. He has an outstanding wisdom and decisive speech
That is Allah's guidance. He
guides by it those of His slaves He wills… (Surat
al-An’am: 89)
Throughout history, Allah communicated
His messages and revelations by His messengers.
He also granted wisdom to these messengers: a
decisive and highly pertinent style in speaking,
exemplary manners in enjoining right actions and
in forbidding evil, are all attributes common
to the prophets. In the Qur'an, Allah also draws
attention to the wisdom granted to each prophet.
For instance, for the prophet Dawud (as), Allah
states: "…We gave him
wisdom and decisive speech." (Surah Sad:
20) It is similar for the prophet Yahya
(as): "Yahya, …We gave
him judgement while still a child." (Surah
Maryam: 12) About Musa, Allah informs us:
"And when he reached
his full strength and maturity, We gave him judgement
and knowledge." (Surat al-Qasas: 14)
Another relevant verse follows: "We
gave Luqman wisdom: 'Give thanks to Allah.' (Surah
Luqman: 12). Similarly, Allah relates:
"We gave the family
of Ibrahim the Book and Wisdom..." (Surat
an-Nisa: 54)
In accordance with the verse,
"He gives wisdom to
whomever He wills and whoever has been given wisdom
has been given great good," (Surat al-Baqarah:
269), Allah rewarded all the prophets.
This reward also holds true for Jesus (as) as
we learn from the Qur'an:
Remember when Allah
said, ‘‘‘Isa, son of Maryam, remember My blessing
to you and to your mother when I reinforced you
with the Purest Spirit so that you could speak
to people in the cradle and when you were fully
grown; and when I taught you the Book and Wisdom,
and the Torah and the Injil. (Surat al-Ma’idah:
110)
And when ‘Isa came with the Clear Signs, he said,
"I have come to you with Wisdom and to clarify
for you some of the things about which you have
differed. Therefore have taqwa of (heed) Allah
and obey me." (Surat as-Zukhruf: 63)
In the light of these verses,
we can conclude that a particular attribute of
Jesus (as), which will enable us to recognise
him, will be his decisive, highly pertinent and
striking speech. As in all other issues, a decisive
manner of speaking is a striking attribute common
to the prophets. Believers who adhere to the Qur'an
as a guide to the truth grasp that the speech
of Jesus (as) has "the
power granted" (Surat al-Kahf: 91)
exclusive to messengers chosen by Allah. The wisdom
he displays, the flawless diagnoses he makes,
the intelligent solutions he brings will be the
clear signs of a special gift granted by Allah.
Nobody around him will be able to display such
excellence, which will make his superiority even
more evident.
4. He is very reliable
Each messenger introduced himself
to the community to whom they were sent by saying:
"I am a faithful Messenger
to you." (Surat ash-Shua'ra: 107)
This reliability of the messengers is an outcome
of their strict adherence to the Book and religion
of Allah and to the obligations set by Him. They
meticulously observe the boundaries of Allah and
never deviate from His righteous path. Only intending
to attain the good pleasure of Allah, they never
submit to anyone. In the Qur'an, Allah draws our
attention to this attribute of the prophets. For
instance, Musa (as) introduced himself to the
community among whom he lived as follows:
Before them We put Pharaoh’s
people to the test when a noble Messenger came
to them, saying, "Hand over to me the slaves
of Allah. I am a trustworthy Messenger to you."
(Surat ad-Dukhan: 17-18)
No doubt, the communities generally
failed to appreciate this important attribute
of the messengers. Furthermore, declining to abandon
the ignorant way of living in which they indulged
and refusing to live by the true religion to which
the messengers summoned them, they usually showed
intolerance towards them. Only after some time
did they conceive the messengers to be trustworthy.
The prophet Yusuf (as) is a good example. He was
tested with difficulties for an extended period;
first he was sold as a slave and then imprisoned
for a long time. By the will of Allah, when the
due time arrived, however, he was recognised as
a trustworthy person by people, and the king put
him in charge of the state treasury:
The King said, "Bring him
to me straight away! So I may draw him very close
to me." When he had spoken with him, he declared,
"Today you are trusted, established in our
sight!" (Surah Yusuf: 54)
These attributes of the prophets
mentioned in the Qur'an will also be observable
in Jesus (as). On his second coming to the earth,
as a never-changing law of Allah, he will be known
for his trustworthiness. Allah will provide His
help to him, as He did to all the other prophets
and his trustworthiness will be made manifest
in due course.
5. He is under the protection of Allah
Our Word was given before to
Our slaves, the Messengers, that they would certainly
be helped. It is Our army which will be victorious.
(Surat as-Saffat: 171-173)
Allah granted superiority to
His messengers over other people. He gave them
the might to defeat their enemies and protected
them against all their plots. Be it at the stage
of taking a decision or putting a plan into practice,
Allah always supported them.
Another sign for believers who
are waiting for Jesus (as), the Messenger of Allah,
is his gift of making everything he does a success.
His judgements, for instance, or the methods he
employs, all bring remarkable results for himself
as well as to the people around him. Truly, some
events appearing to be against the good of the
public will soon prove to be just the contrary.
Such occurrences will indicate the pertinence
of his judgements. That is because Allah assured
his Messengers that, under all circumstances,
they will prevail. So this second coming of Jesus
(as) will be very different from the first, since
the second will be under the victorious banner
of Islam. This promise ensures the overall success
Jesus (as) will attain in his mission.
Indeed, this will be so clear
that it will inevitably attract the attention
of the believers following him. Meanwhile, his
enemies will notice the extraordinary nature of
this situation as well. However, they will fail
to recognise that this is the clear guidance of
Allah. That his progress always brings good will
remain a mystery for them. That is simply because
their main objective in life is to overcome this
distinguished person whom they see as "an
ordinary human being like themselves." However,
as stated in the verse, "Then
We will rescue Our Messengers and those who have
faith as well. It is incumbent upon Us to rescue
the believers." (Surah Yunus: 103)
Allah will render all their efforts useless and
help His messenger. The plots made or the struggles
waged against him will never succeed.
6. He does not ask for any reward in return for
his services
All the prophets referred to
in the Qur'an rendered their services in the way
of Allah without asking for any reward in return.
The only gain they asked was the good pleasure
of Allah. No worldly gain, no benefit did they
request from anyone. One of the verses extolling
this virtue of the Messengers is as follows:
My people! I do not ask for a
wage for it. My wage is the responsibility of
Him who brought me into being. So will you not
use your intellect? (Surah Hud: 51)
This virtue common to all the
messengers will also be apparent in Jesus (as).
In his second coming, he will call people all
over the world to the true religion of Allah.
Yet, he will aim at no worldly gain in return.
Like all other messengers referred in the Qur'an,
he will pursue Allah's good pleasure desiring
to be rewarded by Him. This trait of his will
earn him a reputation in society. Yet, one should
also keep in mind that, as in all other aspects,
only the believers will recognise and treasure
this trait of his. Furthermore, although his enemies
recognise him, it is completely possible that
they may spread slanders about him, which is a
repetition of what other prophets experienced
in the past. Most probably, these slanders may
include "that he is trying to pursue his
own personal benefit." Still, Allah will
prove the groundless nature of these slanders
and help him, just as He guides him in all his
deeds.
7. He is compassionate and full of mercy towards
the believers
Another attribute peculiar to
the messengers is their "compassionate and
merciful" nature towards the believers. Being
gentle and merciful to the believers following
them, all the messengers strove to improve the
characters of the believers for their well-being
both in this world and the next. The most distinctive
attribute of Jesus (as) will be his mercy towards
the believers. Allah relates this attribute as
exemplified in the Last of the Messengers Muhammad
(saas), but which is common to all messengers,
as follows:
A Messenger has come to you from
among yourselves. Your suffering is distressing
to him; he is deeply concerned for you; he is
gentle and merciful to the believers. (Surat at-Tawbah:
128)
Jesus (as) will also have "deep
concern" for the believers surrounding him.
This extreme sincerity inherent in his being will
provide one of the concrete evidences that he
is the real Jesus (as).
He Will Have No Relatives, Family or Acquaintances
on Earth
Jesus (as) will be recognisable
by the attributes mentioned in the Qur'an. However,
there will be other factors disclosing his identity.
No doubt, one of them will be the fact that he
will have no relatives, family or acquaintances
on earth. Indeed, no one will know him when he
comes to earth for the second time. Not a single
person will come out and say "I have known
him for a long time, I saw him when…" simply
because the people who knew him lived and died
2,000 years ago. Thus, no one will have witnessed
his birth, childhood, youth or adulthood. Nobody
will know a single word about him.
As explained in earlier sections
of the book, Jesus (as) came into existence by
the command of Allah, the command "Be!"
After millennia, it is very natural that he will
have no relatives on earth. Allah draws an analogy
between his situation and that of Adam when He
states:
The likeness of ‘Isa in Allah's
sight is the same as Adam. He created him from
earth and then He said to Him: "Be!"
and he was. (Surah Al ‘Imran: 59)
As mentioned in the verse, Allah
gave the command "Be!" to Adam and he
was accordingly created. The way Jesus (as) came
into existence for the first time also occurred
in the same way although he had a mother. Adam
had no parents and neither will Jesus (as) at
his second coming.
CONCLUSION
In the history of mankind, that
Jesus (as) will be sent back to earth for a second
time by Allah is surely a divine favour to all
humanity. Only a minority of people will enjoy
this occasion. He will then be a blessed "saviour"
sent to all mankind. Indeed, in times when violence
and disorder were increasingly experienced in
the world, human beings begged a "helper"
from Allah. Accordingly, Allah responded to their
plea:
What reason could you have for
not fighting in the Way of Allah – for those men,
women and children who are oppressed and say,
"Our Lord, take us out of this city whose
inhabitants are wrongdoers! Give us a protector
from You! Give us a helper from You!"? (Surat
an-Nisa: 75)
As mentioned earlier, the "saviour"
in our time is the penetration of the Qur'anic
values to our souls and society. Upon his second
coming, Jesus (as) will wholeheartedly adhere
to these revealed values favoured by Allah and
strive purely to spread them to people all over
the world.
The knowledge of unseen and future
events is something only known to Allah. Yet,
it is certain that those who expect this blessed
period and this person must at that time undertake
important obligations. Just as Jesus (as) will
protect and guide all believers, the believers
will also have to give wholehearted support to
Jesus (as) and help him in the services he renders
for the sake of Allah. This time, in other words,
during his second coming, believers should never
make him ask again, "Who
will be my helpers to Allah?" (Surah Al ‘Imran:
52) Otherwise, one will feel deep regret
and torment both in this world and hereafter.
Allah clearly threatens those who are ungrateful:
Then we sent our Messengers one
after another, at intervals. Each time its Messenger
came to a community they called him a liar so
We made them follow one another too and turned
them into myths and legends. Away with the people
who have no faith! (Surat al-Muminun: 44)
On the other hand, those who
follow him, who provide him sincere support and
adopt the revealed values brought by him may well
hope to earn the good pleasure, mercy and eternal
paradise of Allah. This is a definite promise
and good tidings given by Allah:
Allah has sent down
a reminder to you, a Messenger reciting Allah's
Clear Signs to you to bring those who have faith
and do right actions out of the dark - ness into
the Light. Whoever has faith in Allah and acts
rightly, We will admit him into Gardens with rivers
flowing under them remaining in them time - lessly,
for ever and ever. Allah has provided for him
excellently!
(Surat at-Talaq: 11)
We are grateful to Allah, the
Almighty, Who will honour such of His slaves as
He wills on such a great occasion as the second
coming of Jesus (as) and grant them this important
opportunity to gain merit for their lives in the
hereafter.
And peace be upon the Messengers.
And praise be to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds!
(Surat as-Saffat: 181-182)
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1. Said-i Nursi, The Letters,
The Fifteenth Letter, p.54
2. Said-i Nursi, The Rays, The
Fifth ray, p. 487)
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