finality of prophethood, and as derogatory to the dignity of the last prophet of the world, as would the appearance of a new prophet. The words of the prophecy are so clear that, if due attention had been paid to them, there could never have been a misconception. The son of Mary spoken of in the prophecy is clearly called “your Imām from among yourselves,” and therefore the Israelite Prophet Jesus Christ, who was from among the Israelites, could not be meant.
The prophecy relating to the appearance of the Messiah among the Muslims is on all fours with the prophecy relating to the second advent of Elias (Elijah) among the Israelites. In fact, there is a strange coincidence between the cases of Elijah and Jesus Christ. Of Elijah it is said in the Bible: “Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven” (II kings 2 :11). On the strength of this inspired evidence, the Jews believed that Elijah was alive in heaven. Then there was the prophecy: “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord” (Mal. 4:5), which showed that he would return to this earth before the Messiah appeared. Yet these hopes based on such strong evidence were not fulfilled. Jesus Christ was confronted with this difficulty: “And his disciples asked him saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come? (Mt. 17:10). Jesus’ reply is recorded in the following words: “Elias truly shall first come … But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed … Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist” (Mt. 17:11-13). And John the Baptist was called Elias in prophecy because it had been said of him: “ And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias” (Lk. 1:17).
Now of Jesus Christ it is nowhere said in the Holy Qur’ān that he went up into heaven. On the other hand, it is plainly stated that he died a natural death.49 Therefore there is not the least ground for supposing that Jesus Christ is alive in heaven. Again, the Bible states that Elijah will be sent, but the Ḥadīth prophecy about the advent of the Messiah adds the clear words that “he will be your Imām from among yourselves.” Even if Jesus had been alive and the words quoted above had not made clear the true significance of the prophecy, the analogy of the prophecy of Elijah’s advent would have been sufficient to eradicate all misconceptions regarding the re-appearance of Jesus
49 “O Jesus! I will cause thee to die and exalt thee in My presence and clear thee of those who disbelieve and make those who follow thee above those who disbelieve to the Day of Resurrection” (3:55).
“And when Allāh will say: O Jesus , son of Mary! Didst thou say to men, Take me and my mother for two gods besides Allāh, He will say … I said to them naught save as Thou didst command me: Serve Allāh, my Lord and your Lord; and I was a witness of them so long as I was among them, but when Thou didst cause me to die, Thou wast the watcher over them, and Thou art witness of all things” (5:116, 117).
The words mutawaffi-ka and tawaffaita-nī, which have been translated as I will cause thee to die and Thou didst cause me to die carry exactly this significance and nothing else. I’Ab says the significance of the former is mumītu-ka (i.e., I will cause you to die.). According to LA “you say tawaffā-hu-llāhu when you mean Allāh took his soul or caused him to die”. And according to LL it signifies, “God took his soul (S.Q.) … or caused him to die” (Msb). Thus no other significance can be attached to these words when thus used.
Pickthall translates the first verse as ‘I am gathering thee’ and this is the Biblical idiom for causing to die. ‘Abdullāh Yūsuf ‘Alī, in the first edition of English Translation of the Holy Qur’ān, translated the words as I will cause thee to die, but in the second edition he changed it to I will take thee.
In the first verse the raf‘ of Jesus Christ to Allāh is spoken of. Raf‘ means raising or elevating and also exalting and making honourable (T.,LL.). But wherever the raf‘ of a man to God is spoken of in the Holy Qur’ān or in the religious literature of Islām, it is always in the latter sense, for raising a man in his body to Himself would mean that the Divine Being is limited to a place. This is also evident by the prayer every Muslim repeats several times daily in his prayers in the sitting position between the two prostrations; wa-rfa‘-nī, meaning and exalt me. Commenting on this verse Rz. Says: this shows that raf‘ here is the exalting in degree and in praise, not in place and direction.