Muslims honor ‘Eesa (Jesus), may Allaah exalt his mention

Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {The Messenger has believed in what was revealed to him from his Lord, and [so have] the believers. All of them have believed in Allaah and His Angels and His Books and His Messengers, [saying], "We make no distinction between any of His Messengers." And they say, "We hear and we obey. [We seek] Your forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the [final] destination."} [Quran 2:285]



Muslims believe in ‘Eesa as:
An honorable Prophet of Allaah The Exalted and one of the five messengers with firm resolution
A human being who was born like any other creation and he passed through the normal stages of life like other human beings.
A human being whose life has a beginning and must have an end. His life started when Allaah The Exalted decreed and it will end when he dies. Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {And peace is on me the day I was born and the day I will die and the day I am raised alive.} [Quran 19:33]

Some Christians wonder how Muslims could say that ‘Eesa did not die while the verse in the Quran reads (what means): {[Mention] when Allaah Said, "O Jesus, indeed I will take you and raise you to Myself and purify you from those who disbelieve and make those who follow you [in submission to Allaah alone] superior to those who disbelieve until the Day of Resurrection…”} [Quran 3:55

According to their argument, they criticize what is mentioned in the verse arguing that:
The Quran says that ‘Eesa died and the one who dies does not come back, so how do Muslims say that he will return at the end of time [of the world]?
The verse states that the followers of ‘Eesa are the best people in terms of religion and status. They claim that they are his followers who are meant in the verse.

To refute their first argument, the word ‘take you’ that was used does not mean death, rather, it means taking him, and I shall provide two lucid pieces of evidence from the Noble Quran to prove my argument.

1- Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {And it is He Who akes your souls by night and knows what you have committed by day. Then He revives you therein that a specified term may be fulfilled.}[Quran 6:60]

This verse means that when we sleep, Allaah The Almighty takes our souls and He Knows all that we did during the day. Al-Qurtubi said, “Taking our souls in the verse does not mean real death; rather, it means our souls are taken to Allaah The Almighty at night and then come back again as soon as we wake up.” Moreover, Ibn ‘Abbaas both, said, “Taking our souls in the verse means that Allaah The Almighty takes our souls when we are asleep.”

2- Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {Allaah takes the souls at the time of their death, and those that do not die [He takes] during their sleep. Then He keeps those for which He has decreed death and releases the others for a specified term. Indeed in that are signs for a people who give thought.}[Quran 39:42]

The souls that Allaah The Exalted takes can be classified into two categories: The first category is the souls of those people whose life term has come to an end and so they die; whereas, the second category includes the souls of those whose life term has not yet come to an end; hence, their souls come back to them until the exact time on which Allaah The Almighty has decreed their death.

Therefore, ‘I will take you and raise you to Myself and purify you from those who disbelieve’ was only addressed to ‘Eesa among all human beings and this proves that he did not die and that he will come back at the end of time and this would be one of the signs of the Hour.

Moreover, Allaah The Almighty confirms this fact in the verse that reads (what means): {And [for] their saying, "Indeed, we have killed the Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary, the Messenger of Allaah." And they did not kill him, nor did they crucify him; but [another] was made to resemble him to them. And indeed, those who differ over it are in doubt about it. They have no knowledge of it except the following of assumption. And they did not kill him, for certain. Rather, Allaah raised him to Himself. And ever is Allaah Exalted in Might and Wise ...} [Quran 4:157-159]

Allaah The Almighty also Says (what means): {And indeed, Jesus will be [a sign for] knowledge of the Hour, so be not in doubt of it, and follow Me. This is a straight path.} [Quran 43:61]
So, the descent of ‘Eesa to earth again marks the approach of the Hour.

As for the refutation of their second claim, the true followers of ‘Eesa are those who have believed that he is the Prophet and Messenger of Allaah The Exalted and His slave; those who believed that ‘Eesa is a human being and not a god.

In fact, ‘Eesa himself said as was mentioned in the verse that reads (what means): {[Jesus] said, "Indeed, I am the servant of Allaah. He has given me the Scripture and made me a prophet. And He has made me blessed wherever I am and has enjoined upon me prayer and Zakaah (purifying alms) as long as I remain alive. And [made me] dutiful to my mother, and He has not made me a wretched tyrant...}[Quran 19:30-32]

In fact, the Christians base their argument on the fact that ‘Eesa is the only one who had no father and that he was created from the Soul of Allaah The Almighty. In fact, they further claim that he is the son of Allaah The Exalted, we seek refuge in Allaah The Almighty from that. Undeniably, Allaah The Almighty does not have a partner or a son.

The refutation of this argument is that there are numerous verses in the Noble Quran proving that Allaah The Exalted had breathed into Aadam of His Soul. Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {And when I have proportioned him and breathed into him of My [created] soul, then fall down to him in prostration.} [Quran 15:29]

Allaah The Almighty also Says (what means): {Then He proportioned him and breathed into him from His [created] soul and made for you hearing and vision and hearts; little are you grateful.}[Quran 32:9]

According to these verses, our souls are all from the Soul of Allaah The Almighty, so are we all His children? Of course not, we are His sincere and obedient servants while they (the polytheists) are His slaves, and what a great difference there is between a slave and a sincere and obedient servant!

Furthermore, those who wonder how ‘Eesa had no father have failed to meditate on the fact that Aadam had neither father nor mother. Indeed, the creation of Aadam is a greater miracle. Indeed, Allaah The Almighty Is All-Powerful; when He intends a thing to happen, He simply Says to it: "Be" and it is. Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {Indeed, the example of Jesus to Allaah is like that of Aadam. He created Him from dust; then He Said to him, "Be," and he was...} [Quran 3:59]