HOW CAN WE RECOGNISE JESUS
(AS)?
Who Will Be Able to Recognise Jesus (as)?
In earlier sections, that Jesus (as) did not die
and was raised up to the presence of Allah and that he will
come back to earth are explained in the light of the verses
from the Qur'an. After everything that has been said so far,
the following question occurs to one's mind: "How will we
recognise Jesus (as) when he comes back to the world and which
of his attributes will make him recognisable?" At this stage,
the unique sources we can refer to are, the Qur'an and the
authentic Sunnah.
The Qur'an, either in the verses or in particular
stories, provides us various explanations regarding the 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. (Said-i Nursi, The Letters,
The Fifteenth Letter)
As Bediuzzaman 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 as follows:
In fact, although when Jesus
(Peace be upon him) comes he himself will know he is Jesus,
not everyone will know. (Said-i Nursi, The Rays, The Fifth
ray)
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 Jesuscame 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. Thus, his
superiority will be 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, in
the Qur'an 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. Not one person will recognize his physical features,
face or voice. 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
…, his family and relations are so-and-so" simply because
the people who knew him lived and died 2,000 years ago. His
mother Maryam, the Prophet Zaccariah, the disciples who spent
years at his side, prominent jews of the time and even those
people who heard Jesus' revelations are all dead.Thus, in
his second coming to earth 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 Jesusin 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.
There is no doubt that this resolves the danger
of the 'false Messiah' that crops up from time to time. When
Jesus returns to earth there will be no doubt as to his true
identity. Nobody will have any reason to say. 'This person
cannot be Jesus.' That is because Jesus will be instantly
recognizable with this single feature, that can distinguish
him from everyone else on earth, even if not one person actually
recognizes his faith.
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 darkness 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 timelessly, 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) |
