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Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American musician, dancer, and entertainer. Referred to as the King of Pop, he is the most commercially successful and one of the most influential entertainers of all time. His unique contributions to music, dance, and fashion,[1] along with a highly publicized personal life, made him a prominent figure in popular culture for over four decades.
Alongside his brothers, he made his debut in 1964 as lead singer and youngest member of The Jackson 5, and later began a successful solo career in 1971. His 1982 album Thriller remains the best-selling album of all time, with Off the Wall (1979), Bad (1987), Dangerous (1991), and HIStory (1995) also among the world's best selling albums. He is widely credited with having transformed the music video from a promotional tool into an art form. Videos for his songs "Billie Jean", "Beat It" and "Thriller" made him the first African American artist to amass a strong crossover following on MTV. With stage performances and music videos, Jackson popularized a number of physically complicated dance techniques, such as the robot and the moonwalk. His distinctive musical sound, vocal style and choreography inspired numerous pop, rock, R&B and hip hop artists breaking down cultural, racial, and generational barriers.
One of the few artists to have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice, his other achievements feature multiple Guinness World Records—including the "Most Successful Entertainer of All Time"—13 Grammy Awards, 26 American Music Awards (24 only as a solo artist, including one for "Artist of the Century")—more than any artist—, 17 number one singles in the US (including the four as a member of the Jackson 5), and estimated sales between 350 million and 750 million records worldwide making him one of the best selling artists in history.[2] He was also a notable philanthropist and humanitarian who donated and raised over 300 million dollars through support of 39 charities and his own Heal the World Foundation.[3][4][5]
Jackson's personal relationships and life generated controversy for years. His changing appearance was noticed from the late 1970s onwards, with changes to his nose and to the color of his skin drawing media publicity. He was accused of child sexual abuse in 1993 though no charges were brought, and in 2005 he was tried and acquitted of further allegations. He married twice, first in 1994 and again in 1996, and brought up three children, one born to a surrogate mother. While preparing for the This Is It concert tour in 2009, Jackson died at the age of 50 after suffering from cardiac arrest. He reportedly had been administered drugs such as propofol and lorazepam, and his death was ruled a homicide by the Los Angeles County coroner. His death triggered an outpouring of grief from around the world with his globally live broadcast memorial service attracting an audience of up to one billion people.[6]
Life and career
Early life and The Jackson 5 (1958–1975)
2300 Jackson Street (shown here after Michael's death) was Michael's birthplace, residing in Gary, Indiana.
Michael Jackson was born the eighth of ten children on August 29, 1958 in Gary, Indiana, an industrial suburb of Chicago, to an African American working-class family. His mother, Katherine Esther Scruse, was a devout Jehovah's Witness, and his father, Joseph Walter "Joe" Jackson, a steel mill worker who performed with an R&B band called The Falcons. Jackson had three sisters: Rebbie, La Toya, and Janet, and six brothers: Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon, Brandon (Marlon's twin brother, who died shortly after birth)[7] and Randy.[8]
Jackson had a troubled relationship with his father. He stated that he was physically and emotionally abused during incessant rehearsals, whippings, and name-calling, though he credited his father's discipline for his success.[9] In one altercation recalled by Marlon, Joseph held Michael upside down by one leg and "pummeled him over and over again with his hand, hitting him on his back and buttocks".[10] Joseph would also trip or push his sons into walls. One night while Michael was asleep, Joseph climbed into his room through the bedroom window, wearing a fright mask and screaming. He said he wanted to teach the children not to leave the window open when they went to sleep. For years afterward, Jackson said he suffered nightmares about being kidnapped from his bedroom.[10] Joseph acknowledged in 2003 that he regularly whipped Jackson as a child.[11]
Jackson first spoke openly about his childhood abuse in an interview with Oprah Winfrey broadcast on February 10, 1993. He said that he had often cried from loneliness and would sometimes vomit when he saw his father. In an interview with Martin Bashir, later included in the 2003 broadcast of Living with Michael Jackson, Jackson acknowledged that his father hurt him when he was a child, but was nonetheless a "genius." When Bashir dismissed the positive remark and continued asking about beatings, Jackson put his hand over his face and objected to the questions. He recalled that Joseph sat in a chair with a belt in his hand as he and his siblings rehearsed, and that "if you didn't do it the right way, he would tear you up, really get you".[12][13]
He showed talent early in his life, performing in front of classmates during a Christmas recital in kindergarten. In 1964, he and Marlon joined the Jackson Brothers—a band formed by brothers Jackie, Tito, and Jermaine—as backup musicians playing congas and tambourine. Jackson later began performing backup vocals and dancing; at the age of eight, he and Jermaine assumed lead vocals, and the group's name was changed to The Jackson 5.[8] The band toured the Midwest extensively from 1966 to 1968, frequently performing at a string of black clubs known as the "chitlin' circuit", where they often opened stripteases and other adult acts. In 1966, they won a major local talent show with renditions of Motown hits and James Brown's "I Got You (I Feel Good)", led by Michael.[14]
The Jackson 5 recorded several songs, including "Big Boy", for the local record label Steeltown in 1967, and signed with Motown Records in 1968.[8] Rolling Stone magazine later described the young Michael as "a prodigy" with "overwhelming musical gifts," writing that he "quickly emerged as the main draw and lead singer."[15] The group set a chart record when its first four singles ("I Want You Back", "ABC", "The Love You Save," and "I'll Be There") peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100.[8]
Between 1972 and 1975, Jackson released four solo studio albums with Motown, among them Got to Be There and Ben, released as part of the Jackson 5 franchise, and producing successful singles such as "Got to Be There", "Ben", and a remake of Bobby Day's "Rockin' Robin". The group's sales began declining in 1973, and the band members chafed under Motown's strict refusal to allow them creative control or input. Although they scored several top 40 hits, including the top 5 disco single "Dancing Machine" and the top 20 hit "I Am Love", the Jackson 5 left Motown in 1975.[16]
Move to Epic and Off the Wall (1975–1981)
The Jackson 5 signed a new contract with CBS Records in June 1975, joining the Philadelphia International Records division, later Epic Records,[16] and renaming themselves The Jacksons.[17] They continued to tour internationally, releasing six more albums between 1976 and 1984, during which Jackson was the lead songwriter, writing hits such as "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)", "This Place Hotel," and "Can You Feel It".[14]
In 1978, he starred as the scarecrow in the musical, The Wiz,[18] and it was here that he teamed up with Quincy Jones, who was arranging the film's musical score. Jones agreed to produce Jackson's next solo album, Off the Wall.[19] In 1979, Jackson broke his nose during a complex dance routine. His subsequent rhinoplasty was not a complete success; he complained of breathing difficulties that would affect his career. He was referred to Dr. Steven Hoefflin, who performed Jackson's second rhinoplasty and subsequent operations.[20]
Jones and Jackson produced the Off the Wall album together. At the album's pre-release party, Michael, himself, stated that Little Richard had a "huge influence" on him.[21] Songwriters for the album included Jackson, Heatwave's Rod Temperton, Stevie Wonder, and Paul McCartney. Released in 1979, it was the first album to generate four U.S. top 10 hits, including the chart-topping singles "Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough" and "Rock with You".[22] It reached number three on the Billboard 200 and eventually sold over 20 million copies worldwide.[23] In 1980, Jackson won three awards at the American Music Awards for his solo efforts: Favorite Soul/R&B Album, Favorite Male Soul/R&B Artist, and Favorite Soul/R&B Single for "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough". That year, he also won Billboard Music Awards for Top Black Artist and Top Black Album and a Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance, also for "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough".[22] Despite its commercial success, Jackson felt Off the Wall should have made a much bigger impact, and was determined to exceed expectations with his next release.[24] In 1980, he secured the highest royalty rate in the music industry: 37 percent of wholesale album profit.[25]
Thriller and Motown 25 (1982–83)
In 1982, Jackson contributed the song "Someone In the Dark" to the storybook for the film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial; the record won a Grammy for Best Album for Children.[26] That same year Jackson issued his second Epic album, Thriller, which became the most commercially successful album of all time. The album remained in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 for 80 consecutive weeks and 37 of those weeks at the peak position. It was the first album to have seven Billboard Hot 100 top 10 singles, including "Billie Jean", "Beat It," and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'."[27] Thriller was certified for 29 million shipments by the RIAA, giving it Double Diamond status in the United States. It is the best-selling album of all time in the United States.[28] It was, and currently remains, the best-selling album of all time, with 110 million copies worldwide.[29] Jackson's attorney John Branca noted that Jackson had the highest royalty rate in the music industry at that point: approximately $2 for every album sold. He was also making record-breaking profits from sales of CDs and The Making of Michael Jackson's Thriller, a documentary produced by Jackson and John Landis. Funded by MTV, the documentary sold over 350,000 copies in a few months. The era saw the arrival of novelties like dolls modeled after Michael Jackson, which appeared in stores in May 1984 at a price of $12.[30] Biographer J. Randy Taraborrelli writes that, "Thriller stopped selling like a leisure item — like a magazine, a toy, tickets to a hit movie — and started selling like a household staple."[31]
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Jackson debuts the moonwalk during his performance on Motown 25
Time described Jackson's influence at that point as "Star of records, radio, rock video. A one-man rescue team for the music business. A songwriter who sets the beat for a decade. A dancer with the fanciest feet on the street. A singer who cuts across all boundaries of taste and style and color too".[30] The New York Times wrote that, "in the world of pop music, there is Michael Jackson and there is everybody else".[32]
Jackson's popularity would soar further. On March 25, 1983, he performed live on the Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever television special, both with The Jackson 5 and on his own singing "Billie Jean". Wearing a distinctive sequined glove, he debuted his signature dance move, the moonwalk, which former Soul Train dancer and Shalamar member, Jeffrey Daniel had taught him 3 years before. His performances during the event were seen by 47 million viewers, and drew comparisons to Elvis Presley's and the The Beatles' appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show.[33] Anna Kisselgoff of the The New York Times said, "The moonwalk that he made famous is an apt metaphor for his dance style. How does he do it? As a technician, he is a great illusionist, a genuine mime. His ability to keep one leg straight as he glides while the other bends and seems to walk requires perfect timing."[34] Ian Inglis, author of Performance and Popular Music: History, Place and Time (2006) noted Jackson had created a pivotal turning point in the history of popular music "in that [his performance] marked the shift of emphasis from musical performance to visual presentation. In stark contrast to the other, live, performances of Motown 25, Jackson performed to a pre-recorded soundtrack, lip-syncing to his multi-layered pre-recorded voice, thus indicating that the visual reenactment of music video imagery had become an integral, and perhaps dominant, part of live performance."[35] From this performance emerged the origin of music video as the primary source through which artists promote popular music.
Pepsi, "We Are the World" and business career (1984–85)
On January 27, 1984, Michael and other members of the Jacksons filmed a Pepsi Cola commercial, overseen by executive Philip Dusenberry,[36] at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. In front of a full house of fans during a simulated concert, pyrotechnics accidentally set Jackson's hair on fire. He suffered second-degree burns to his scalp. Jackson underwent treatment to hide the scars on his scalp, and he also had his third rhinoplasty shortly thereafter.[20] Jackson never recovered from this injury. Pepsi settled out of court, and Jackson donated his $1.5 million settlement to the Brotman Medical Center in Culver City, California, which now has a "Michael Jackson Burn Center" in honor of his donation.[37]
Jackson at the White House South Portico with President Ronald Reagan and first lady Nancy Reagan, 1984
On May 14, 1984, Jackson was invited to the White House to receive an award from President Ronald Reagan for his support of charities that helped people overcome alcohol and drug abuse.[38] Jackson won eight awards during the Grammys that year.
Unlike later albums, Thriller did not have an official tour to promote it, but the 1984 Victory Tour, headlined by The Jacksons, showcased much of Jackson's new solo material to more than two million Americans. He donated his $5 million share from the Victory Tour to charity.[39] He also co-wrote the charity single "We Are the World" in 1985 with Lionel Richie, which was released worldwide to aid the poor in the U.S. and Africa. It became one of the best-selling singles of all time, with nearly 20 million copies sold and millions of dollars donated to famine relief.[40]
In 1985, ATV Music, a music publishing company owning thousands of music copyrights, including the Northern Songs catalogue that contained the majority of the Lennon/McCartney compositions recorded by The Beatles, was put up for sale.[41][42] Jackson had become interested in owning music catalogs after working with Paul McCartney in the early 1980s: Jackson had learned McCartney made approximately $40 million a year from other people's songs. McCartney's attorney assured Jackson's attorney that McCartney was not interested in bidding on ATV: McCartney reportedly said "It's too pricey". However, McCartney later changed his mind and tried to persuade John Lennon's widow Yoko Ono to join him in a joint bid. Ono declined, and McCartney pulled out. Jackson eventually beat the rest of the competition in negotiations that lasted 10 months, purchasing the catalog for $47.5 million.[41][43]
Appearance, tabloids, Bad, autobiography and films (1986–87)
See also: Michael Jackson's health and appearance
Jackson's skin had been a medium-brown color for the entire duration of his youth, but starting in the mid 1980s, it gradually grew paler. The change gained widespread media coverage, including rumors that he was bleaching his skin.[44] According to J. Randy Taraborrelli's biography, in 1986, Jackson was diagnosed with vitiligo and lupus; the vitiligo partially lightened his skin, and the lupus was in remission; both illnesses made him sensitive to sunlight. (His long-term dermatologist Dr. Arnold Klein confirmed this on Larry King Live, after his death.) The treatments he used for his condition further lightened his skin tone, and, with the application of pancake makeup to even out blotches, he could appear very pale.[45] The structure of his face had also changed: several surgeons speculated that he had undergone multiple nasal surgeries, a forehead lift, thinned lips, and cheekbone surgery.[46]
Jackson lost weight in the early 1980s because of a change in diet and a desire for "a dancer's body".[47] Witnesses reported that he was often dizzy and speculated that he was suffering from anorexia nervosa; periods of weight loss would become a recurring problem later in life.[48] Some medical professionals have further speculated that he was suffering from body dysmorphic disorder, a psychological condition whereby the sufferer dislikes his appearance and has no concept of how he is viewed by others.[45] Jackson claimed that he had only two rhinoplasties and no other surgery on his face, although at one point he mentioned having a dimple created in his chin.[47]
Jackson two years after he was diagnosed with vitiligo, here in the early stages of the disease
He became the subject of increasingly sensational reports. In 1986, the tabloids ran a story claiming that Jackson slept in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber to slow the aging process; he was pictured lying down in a glass box. Although the claim was untrue, Jackson had disseminated the fabricated story himself.[49][50] When Jackson bought a chimpanzee called Bubbles from a laboratory, it was reported as an example of increasing detachment from reality.[51] It was reported that Jackson had offered to buy the bones of Joseph Merrick (the "elephant man") and although untrue, Jackson did not deny the story.[49][50] Although initially he saw these stories as publicity, he stopped leaking untruths to the press as they became more sensational, so the media began making up their own stories.[50][52][53]
These reports became embedded in the public consciousness, inspiring the nickname "Wacko Jacko," which Jackson came to despise.[54] Responding to the gossip, Jackson remarked to a reporter:
Why not just tell people I'm an alien from Mars. Tell them I eat live chickens and do a voodoo dance at midnight. They'll believe anything you say, because you're a reporter. But if I, Michael Jackson, were to say, "I'm an alien from Mars and I eat live chickens and do a voodoo dance at midnight," people would say, "Oh, man, that Michael Jackson is nuts. He's cracked up. You can't believe a damn word that comes out of his mouth."[55]
Jackson wore a gold-plated military style jacket with belt in the Bad era
Jackson starred in the 3-D film Captain EO, directed by Francis Ford Coppola. It was the most expensive film produced on a per-minute basis at the time, and was later hosted in Disney theme parks. Disneyland featured the film in its Tomorrowland area for nearly 11 years, while Walt Disney World screened the film in its EPCOT theme park from 1986 to 1994.[56] With the industry expecting another major hit, Jackson's first album in five years, Bad (1987), was highly anticipated.[57] It had lower sales than Thriller, but was still a substantial commercial success, spawning seven hit singles in the U.S., five of which ("I Just Can't Stop Loving You", "Bad", "The Way You Make Me Feel", "Man in the Mirror" and "Dirty Diana") reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 charts, more than any other album.[58] As of 2008, the album had sold 30 million copies worldwide.[59]
In 1987, Jackson disassociated himself from the Jehovah's Witnesses, in response to their disapproval of the Thriller video.[60] The Bad World Tour began on September 12 that year, finishing on January 14, 1989.[61] In Japan alone, the tour had 14 sellouts and drew 570,000 people, nearly tripling the previous record of 200,000 in a single tour.[62] He broke a Guinness World Record when 504,000 people attended seven sold-out shows at Wembley Stadium. He performed a total of 123 concerts to an audience of 4.4 million people, and gained a further Guinness World Record when the tour grossed him $125 million. During the trip he invited underprivileged children to watch for free, and gave donations to hospitals, orphanages, and other charities.[61]
Autobiography, changing appearance and Neverland (1988–1990)
Jackson performing "The Way You Make Me Feel."
In 1988, Jackson released his first autobiography, Moon Walk, which took four years to complete and sold 200,000 copies.[63] Jackson wrote about his childhood, The Jackson 5, and the abuse he had suffered.[64] He also wrote about his facial appearance, saying he had had two rhinoplastic surgeries and dimple created in his chin.[47] He attributed much of the change in the structure of his face to puberty, weight loss, a strict vegetarian diet, a change in hair style, and stage lighting.[47] Moon Walk reached the top position on The New York Times best sellers' list.[65] The musician then released a film called Moonwalker, which featured live footage and music videos that starred Jackson and Joe Pesci. It debuted atop the Billboard Top Music Video Cassette chart, staying there for 22 weeks. It was eventually knocked off the top spot by Michael Jackson: The Legend Continues.[66]
In March 1988, Jackson purchased land near Santa Ynez, California to build Neverland Ranch at a cost of $17 million. He installed Ferris wheels, a menagerie, and a movie theater on the 2,700-acre (11 km2) property. A security staff of 40 patrolled the grounds. In 2003, it was valued at approximately $100 million.[15][67] In 1989, his annual earnings from album sales, endorsements, and concerts was estimated at $125 million for that year alone.[68] Shortly afterwards, he became the first Westerner to appear in a television ad in the Soviet Union.[66]
His success resulted in him being dubbed the "King of Pop."[69][70][71][72] The nickname was popularized by Elizabeth Taylor when she presented him with the Soul Train Heritage Award in 1989, proclaiming him "the true king of pop, rock and soul."[73] President George H. W. Bush presented him with The White House's special "Artist of the Decade."[74] From 1985 to 1990, he donated $500,000 to the United Negro College Fund, and all of the profits from his single "Man in the Mirror" went to charity.[75][76] Jackson's live rendition of "You Were There" at Sammy Davis Jr.'s 60th birthday celebration received an Emmy nomination.[66]
Dangerous, Heal the World Foundation and Super Bowl XXVII (1991–93)
In March 1991, Jackson renewed his contract with Sony for $65 million, a record-breaking deal at the time, displacing Neil Diamond's renewal contract with Columbia Records.[67] He released his eighth album Dangerous in 1991. As of 2008, Dangerous had shipped seven million copies in the U.S. and had sold 32 million copies worldwide; it is the most successful new jack swing album of all time.[77][78][79] In the United States, the album's first single "Black or White" was its biggest hit, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and remaining there for seven weeks, with similar chart performances worldwide.[80] The album's second single "Remember the Time" spent eight weeks in the top five in the United States, peaking at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.[81] In 1993, Jackson performed the song at the Soul Train Awards in a chair, saying he had suffered an injury in rehearsals.[82] In the UK and other parts of Europe, "Heal the World" was the biggest hit from the album; it sold 450,000 copies in the UK and spent five weeks at number two in 1992.[81]
Jackson founded the "Heal the World Foundation" in 1992. The charity organization brought underprivileged children to Jackson's ranch to enjoy theme park rides that Jackson had built on the property. The foundation also sent millions of dollars around the globe to help children threatened by war, poverty, and disease. The Dangerous World Tour began on June 27, 1992, and finished on November 11, 1993. Jackson performed to 3.5 million people in 67 concerts. All profits from the concerts went to the "Heal the World Foundation", raising millions of dollars in relief.[81][83] He sold the broadcast rights to his Dangerous world tour to HBO for $20 million, a record-breaking deal that still stands.[84] Following the illness and death of Ryan White, Jackson helped draw public attention to HIV/AIDS, something that was still controversial at the time. He publicly pleaded with the Clinton Administration at Bill Clinton's Inaugural Gala to give more money to HIV/AIDS charities and research.[85][86]
In a high-profile visit to Africa, Jackson visited several countries, among them Gabon and Egypt.[87] His first stop to Gabon was greeted with a sizable and enthusiastic reception of more than 100,000 people, some of them carrying signs that read, "Welcome Home Michael."[87] In his trip to Côte d'Ivoire, Jackson was crowned "King Sani" by a tribal chief.[87] He then thanked the dignitaries in French and English, signed official documents formalizing his kingship and sat on a golden throne while presiding over ceremonial dances.[87]
One of Jackson's most acclaimed performances came during the halftime show at Super Bowl XXVII. As the performances began, Jackson was catapulted onto the stage as fireworks went off behind him. As he landed on the canvas, he maintained a motionless "clenched fist, standing statue stance", dressed in a gold and black military outfit and sunglasses; he remained completely motionless for several minutes while the crowd cheered. He then slowly removed his sunglasses, threw them away and began to sing and dance. His routine included four songs: "Jam", "Billie Jean", "Black or White" and "Heal the World". It was the first Super Bowl where the audience figures increased during the half-time show, and was viewed by 135 million Americans alone; Jackson's Dangerous album rose 90 places up the album chart.[44]
Jackson was given the "Living Legend Award" at the 35th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. "Black or White" was Grammy nominated for best vocal performance. "Jam" gained two nominations: Best R&B Vocal Performance and Best R&B Song.[81]
First child sexual abuse allegations (1993)
Main article: 1993 child sexual abuse accusations against Michael Jackson
Jackson gave a 90-minute interview to Oprah Winfrey in February 1993, his second television interview since 1979. He grimaced when speaking of his childhood abuse at the hands of his father; he believed he had missed out on much of his childhood years, admitting that he often cried from loneliness. He denied tabloid rumors that he had bought the bones of the Elephant Man, slept in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber, or bleached his skin, stating for the first time that he had vitiligo. The interview was watched by an American audience of 90 million, becoming the fourth most-viewed non-sport program in U.S. history. It also increased awareness of vitiligo, a relatively unknown condition. Dangerous re-entered the album chart in the top 10, more than a year after its original release.[13][44][81]
Once labeled a "Truth Serum", sodium amytal is now considered a mind-altering sedative.
In the summer of 1993, Jackson was accused of child sexual abuse by a 13-year-old boy named Jordan Chandler and his father, Evan Chandler, a dentist.[88] A year after Jackson met the boy, Evan administered sodium amytal to Jordan, a controversial sedative. Jordan told his father that Jackson had touched his penis.[89][90] Jackson initially refused to pay the Chandlers, but due to deteriorating health he could not endure a long trial 'like O.J.'. Evan Chandler and Jackson engaged in unsuccessful negotiations to reach a financial settlement. The negotiations were initiated by Chandler but Jackson did make several counter offers. Jordan told a psychiatrist and later police that he and Jackson had engaged in acts of kissing, masturbation and oral sex, as well as giving a detailed description of what he alleged were the singer's genitals.[91]
The father was tape-recorded discussing his intention to pursue charges, where he said, "If I go through with this, I win big-time. There's no way I lose. I will get everything I want and they will be destroyed forever ... Michael's career will be over". In the same conversation, when asked how this would affect his son, Chandler replied, "That's irrelevant to me...It will be a massacre if I don't get what I want. It's going to be bigger than all us put together...This man [Jackson] is going to be humiliated beyond belief...He will not sell one more record".[90] The recorded conversation was a critical aspect of Jackson's defense against the upcoming allegation made against him. He and his supporters argue that he was the victim of a jealous father whose only goal was to extort money from the singer.[90]
An official investigation began, with Jordan's mother adamant that there was no wrongdoing on Jackson's part. Neverland Ranch was searched; and multiple children and family members denied that Jackson was a pedophile,[91] though his image took a further hit when his older sister, La Toya, accused him of being a pedophile, a statement she later retracted.[92] Jackson agreed to a 25-minute strip search, conducted by police and doctors at his ranch, required to see if a description provided by Jordan of Jackson's genitals was accurate. Doctors concluded there were strong similarities, but it was not a definitive match.[92] His friends said he never recovered from the humiliation. He described the search in an emotional public statement, and proclaimed his innocence.[88]
The tabloids painted him in an extremely unfavorable light.[93] Complaints about them included bias against Jackson, paying for stories about alleged criminal activity, and buying leaked confidential material from the police investigation.[94] On January 1, 1994, Jackson's insurance company settled with the Chandlers out of court for $22 million, after which Jordan stopped co-operating regarding criminal proceedings.[95] Jackson was never charged, and the state closed its criminal investigation, citing lack of evidence.[96]
First marriage (1994)
Jackson married Lisa Marie Presley (pictured here at Daytona International Speedway in 2005) on May 26, 1994.
In May 1994, Jackson married singer-songwriter Lisa Marie Presley, the daughter of Elvis Presley. They had first met in 1975, during one of Jackson's family engagements at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino, and were reconnected through a mutual friend in early 1993.[93] They stayed in contact every day over the telephone. As the child molestation accusations became public, Jackson became dependent on Presley for emotional support; she was concerned about his faltering health and addiction to drugs.[97] Presley explained, "I believed he didn't do anything wrong and that he was wrongly accused and yes I started falling for him. I wanted to save him. I felt that I could do it."[98] In a phone call he made to her, she described him as high, incoherent and delusional.[97] Shortly afterwards, she persuaded him to settle the allegations out of court and go into rehabilitation to recover.[97] Jackson proposed to Presley over the telephone towards the fall of 1993, saying, "If I asked you to marry me, would you do it?"[97] They married in the Dominican Republic in secrecy, denying it for nearly two months afterwards.[99] The marriage was, in her words, "a married couple's life ... that was sexually active".[100] At the time, the tabloid media speculated that the wedding was a ploy to prop up Jackson's public image.[99] Jackson and Presley divorced less than two years later, remaining friendly.[101]
HIStory (1995–97)
In 1995, Jackson merged his ATV Music catalog with Sony's publishing division creating Sony/ATV Music Publishing. Jackson retained half-ownership of the company, earned $95 million upfront as well as the rights to even more songs.[42][102] He then released the double album HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I. The first disc, HIStory Begins, was a 15-track greatest hits album, and was later reissued as Greatest Hits – HIStory Vol. I in 2001, while the second disc, HIStory Continues, contained 15 new songs. The album debuted at number one on the charts and has been certified for seven million shipments in the US.[103] It is the best-selling multiple-disc album of all-time, with 20 million copies (40 million units) sold worldwide.[80][104] HIStory received a Grammy nomination for best album.[105]
One of many identical statues, positioned throughout Europe to promote HIStory. The statue illustrates the singer's flamboyant clothing and hair style, influenced by military imagery.
The first single released from the album was the double A-side "Scream/Childhood". "Scream" was a duet, performed with Jackson's youngest sister Janet. The single had the highest debut on the Billboard Hot 100 at number five, and received a Grammy nomination for "Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals".[105] "You Are Not Alone" was the second single released from HIStory; it holds the Guinness World Record for the first song ever to debut at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.[68] It was seen as a major artistic and commercial success, receiving a Grammy nomination for "Best Pop Vocal Performance".[105] In late 1995, Jackson was rushed to a hospital after collapsing during rehearsals for a televised performance; the incident was caused by a stress related panic attack.[106] "Earth Song" was the third single released from HIStory, and topped the UK singles chart for six weeks over Christmas 1995; it sold a million copies, making it Jackson's most successful single in the UK.[105] The HIStory World Tour began on September 7, 1996, and finished on October 15, 1997. Jackson performed 82 concerts in 58 cities to over 4.5 million fans. The show, which visited five continents and 35 countries, became Jackson's most successful in terms of audience figures.[61]
Second marriage and fatherhood (1996–99)
During the Australian leg of the HIStory World Tour, Jackson married dermatology nurse Deborah Jeanne Rowe on November 14, 1996 in an impromptu ceremony close to his Sydney hotel room. She gave birth to Michael's first two children: a son named Michael Joseph Jr (commonly known as Prince), and a daughter, Paris-Michael Katherine.[101][107] Rowe and Jackson first met in the mid-1980s, when Jackson was diagnosed with vitiligo. She spent many years treating his illness as well as providing emotional support. They built a strong friendship, then became romantically involved.[108] Originally, there were no plans to marry, but following Rowe's first pregnancy, Jackson's mother intervened and persuaded them to do so.[109] The couple divorced in 1999 but remained friends, and Rowe gave full custody of the children to Jackson.[110]
In 1997, Jackson released Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix, which contained remixes of hit singles from HIStory and five new songs. Worldwide sales stand at 6 million copies as of 2007, making it the best selling remix album ever released. It reached number one in the UK, as did the title track.[111][112] In the US, the album was certified platinum, but only reached number 24.[77][105] Forbes placed his annual income at $35 million in 1996 and $20 million in 1997.[67]
Throughout June 1999, Jackson was involved in a number of charitable events. He joined Luciano Pavarotti for a benefit concert in Modena, Italy. The show was in support of the non-profit organization War Child, and raised a million dollars for the refugees of Kosovo, as well as additional funds for the children of Guatemala.[113] Later that month, Jackson organized a set of "Michael Jackson & Friends" benefit concerts in Germany and Korea. Other artists involved included Slash, The Scorpions, Boyz II Men, Luther Vandross, Mariah Carey, A. R. Rahman, Prabhu Deva Sundaram, Shobana Chandrakumar, Andrea Bocelli and Luciano Pavarotti. The proceeds went to the "Nelson Mandela Children's Fund", the Red Cross and UNESCO.[114]
Label dispute, Invincible and third child (2000–03)
In October 2001, Jackson released Invincible. This was his first full-length album in six years, and it turned out to be the last album of new material he released while still alive. The release of the album was preceded by a dispute between Jackson and his record label, Sony Music Entertainment.
Jackson had expected the licenses to the masters of his albums to revert to him sometime in the early 2000s. Once he had the licenses, he would be able to promote the material however he pleased and he would also be able to keep all the profits. However, due to various clauses in the contract, the revert date turned out to be many years away. Jackson discovered that the attorney who represented him in the deal was also representing Sony, creating a conflict of interest.[112] Jackson was also concerned about another conflict of interest. For a number of years, Sony had been pushing to buy all of Jackson's share in their music catalog venture. Jackson feared that Sony might have something to gain from Jackson's career failing, since if his career did fail he would have to sell his share of the catalog.[115]
These conflicts were utilized by the entertainer to leverage an early exit to his contract.[112] Just before the release of Invincible, Jackson informed the head of Sony Music Entertainment, Tommy Mottola, that he was leaving Sony.[112] As a result, all singles releases, video shootings and promotions concerning the Invincible album were canceled.
In spite of the uproar preceding its release, Invincible came out in October 2001 to much anticipation. Just before the album's release, a special 30th Anniversary celebration at Madison Square Garden occurred in September 2001 to mark the singer's 30th year as a solo artist. Jackson appeared onstage alongside his brothers for the first time since 1984.[116] The show also featured performances by Mýa, Usher, Whitney Houston, 'N Sync, Destiny's Child, Monica, Luther Vandross, and Slash, among other artists.[117] In the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks, Jackson helped organize the United We Stand: What More Can I Give benefit concert at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. The concert was aired on October 21, 2001, and included performances from dozens of major artists, including Jackson, who performed his song "What More Can I Give" as the finale.[115]
Invincible proved to be a hit, debuting atop the charts in 13 countries and going on to sell approximately 13 million copies worldwide. It received double-platinum certification in the US.[77][80][118] However, the sales for Invincible were lower than those of his previous releases, due in part to a lack of promotion, no supporting world tour and the label dispute. The album also came out at a bad time for the music industry in general.[115] The album cost $30 million to record, not including promotional expenditures.[119]
Invincible spawned three singles, "You Rock My World", "Cry" and "Butterflies", the latter without a music video.
Jackson alleged in July 2002 that Mottola was a "devil" and a "racist" who did not support his African-American artists, using them merely for his own personal gain.[115] He charged that Mottola had called his colleague Irv Gotti a "fat nigger".[120] Sony refused to renew Jackson's contract, and claimed that a $25 million promotional campaign had failed because Jackson refused to tour in the United States.[119]
Jackson's third child, Prince Michael Jackson II (nicknamed "Blanket") was born in 2002.[121] The mother's identity is unknown, but Jackson has said the child was the result of artificial insemination from a surrogate mother and his own sperm cells.[110] In November of that year, Jackson brought his newborn son onto the balcony of his room at the Hotel Adlon in Berlin, as fans stood below, holding him in his right arm, with a cloth loosely draped over the baby's face. The baby was briefly extended over a railing, four stories above ground level, causing widespread criticism in the media. Jackson later apologized for the incident, calling it "a terrible mistake".[122] Sony released a compilation of Jackson's hits on CD and DVD. In the US, the album was certified platinum by the RIAA; in the UK it was certified for shipments of at least 1.2 million units.[77][123]
Second child sexual abuse allegations (2003–05)
Further information: Living with Michael Jackson and People v. Jackson
In a series of interviews with Martin Bashir, broadcast in 2003, as Living with Michael Jackson, Jackson was seen holding hands and discussing sleeping arrangements with Gavin Arvizo, 13, who later accused him of sexual abuse.[124] Shortly after the documentary aired, Jackson was charged with seven counts of child molestation and two counts of administering an intoxicating agent in relation to Arvizo.[124] Jackson denied the allegations, saying the sleepovers were not sexual in nature.
During the two years between the charges and the trial, Jackson reportedly became dependent on pethidine (Demerol), and lost a lot of weight. The People v. Jackson began on January 31, 2005, in Santa Maria, California, and lasted five months, until the end of May. On June 13, 2005, Jackson was acquitted on all counts.[125][126][127] After the trial, he relocated to the Persian Gulf island of Bahrain, as a guest of Sheikh Abdullah.[128] A media circus surrounded the event.
Final years (2006–09)
Jackson with his children in Disneyland Paris, 2006
Reports of financial problems for Jackson became frequent in 2006, after the closure of the main house on the Neverland Ranch as a cost-cutting measure.[129] One prominent financial issue concerned a $270 million loan secured against his music publishing holdings. After delayed repayments on the loan, a refinancing package shifted the loans from Bank of America to debt specialists Fortress Investments. A new package proposed by Sony would have had Jackson borrow an additional $300 million and reduce the interest rate payable on the loan, while giving Sony the future option to buy half of Jackson's stake in their jointly owned publishing company (leaving Jackson with a 25% stake).[102] Jackson agreed to a Sony-backed refinancing deal, although details were not made public.[130] Despite these loans, according to Forbes, Jackson was still making as much as $75 million a year from his publishing partnership with Sony alone.[131]
Jackson was awarded the Diamond Award on November 15, 2006, for selling over 100 million albums, at the World Music Awards.[80] Following the death of James Brown, Jackson returned to the U.S. to pay tribute during Brown's public funeral on December 30, 2006.[132] In late 2006, he agreed to share joint custody of his first two children with ex-wife Debbie Rowe.[133] Jackson and Sony bought Famous Music LLC from Viacom in 2007. This deal gave him the rights to songs by Eminem, Shakira and Beck, among others.[134]
I've been in the entertainment industry since I was six-years-old... As Charles Dickens says, "It's been the best of times, the worst of times." But I would not change my career... While some have made deliberate attempts to hurt me, I take it in stride because I have a loving family, a strong faith and wonderful friends and fans who have, and continue, to support me.[135]
—Michael Jackson
The 25th anniversary of Thriller was marked by the release of Thriller 25, recorded in Ireland,[136] it featured the previously unreleased song "For All Time" and re-mixes. Two remixes were released as singles to moderate success: "The Girl Is Mine 2008" and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' 2008". Thriller 25 sold well as a re-issue, peaking at number one in eight countries and Europe.[137][138][139] In 12 weeks Thriller 25 sold over three million copies worldwide.[140] To celebrate Jackson's 50th birthday, Sony BMG released a series of compilation albums called King of Pop.[141][142] King of Pop did reach the top 10 in most countries where it was issued, and also sold well as an import in other countries.[143][144]
Fortress Investments threatened to foreclose on Neverland Ranch, which Jackson used as collateral for loans running into many tens of millions of dollars. However, Fortress opted to sell Jackson's debts to Colony Capital LLC. In November, Jackson transferred Neverland Ranch's title to Sycamore Valley Ranch Company LLC, which was a joint venture between Jackson and Colony Capital LLC. This deal cleared Jackson's debt, and he reportedly even gained an extra $35 million from the venture. At the time of his death, Jackson still owned a stake in Neverland/Sycamore Valley, but it is unknown how large that stake was.[145][146][147]
In September 2008, financial concerns prompted Jackson to enter negotiations with Julien's Auction House to display and auction a large collection of memorabilia amounting to approximately 1390 lots. The auction was scheduled to take place between April 22 and April 25.[148] Though an exhibition of the lots opened on 9900 Wilshire Blvd between April 14 and 25, the auction was eventually cancelled at Jackson's request.[149]
Jackson at the Staples Center days before his death.
In March 2009, Jackson announced in a press conference at London's O2 arena that he would perform there in major comeback concerts titled This Is It. The shows were to be Jackson's first major series of concerts since the HIStory World Tour finished in 1997, and had been cited as one of the year's most important musical events with over one million people attending in total. Jackson suggested possible retirement after the shows; in his own words it would be his "final curtain call". Although initially a 10 date concert, it was increased to 50 dates after record breaking ticket sales. Jackson rehearsed in Los Angeles in the weeks leading up to the tour under the direction of choreographer/director Kenny Ortega.[150] The concerts would have commenced on July 13, 2009 and finished on March 6, 2010. Less than three weeks before the first show was due to begin in London and with all concerts being sold out, Jackson died of a cardiac arrest.[151]
AEG Live, the concert promoters, released a promotional video that took up an entire commercial break, setting a record for ITV. According to Jackson's website, ticket sales for the concerts broke several records.[152] Randy Phillips, president and chief executive of AEG Live, stated that the first 10 dates alone would have earned the singer approximately £50 million.[153] Columbia Pictures made a feature documentary concert-film from the rehearsal and pre-recorded footage.[154][155] The contract for the film stipulated that a cut of the film must be screened for Jackson's estate, which stands to receive 90 percent of the profits. A final cut was done on October 28, 2009, for a limited 2 week run in theatres worldwide.[156]
A new single titled "This Is It" was released on October 12, 2009, with a new album of the same name, This Is It which was released worldwide on October 26, 2009, and in North America on October 27, 2009, the day before the Michael Jackson's This Is It documentary film, which became the highest grossing documentary ever (more than $226 million worldwide). Two versions of the new song appear on the second "This Is It" album's first disc, which also features original masters of Michael Jackson's hits in the order in which they appear in the movie. The album's second disc features previously unreleased versions of more Jackson hits, as well as a previously unheard spoken word poem entitled "Planet Earth."[157]
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WASHINGTON - Weekly World News has impose on the surprising discovery about one of the primitive that was called Mole People living 20 rock underground, using the tunnel to enter secret United States! This discovery has been made not by experts examine the ancient, but by the NASA scientists who dug deep into the Earth - and they cuba kewujudan hide this from the knowledge of the lay .. A worker who does not want NASA has recognized exert exclusive pictures and information about the 'man cave' this.
"This story must be told," the source said. "He was too big for highlighted". Sources that have large secret exert some of the Mole People. "They like the looked the gentle", he said, "But they are very primitive. We try communicate with them, but he was one of hard work they do not know look language of Indonesia ". "Mole People, as we call, have excessive love for the face of the Earth (surface world)", said the source.
"Thus, President Bush control of this situation with caution. "Erroneously step may result in this being a war with the human declared above. We're not sure how many they are. We just saw one this extent airport, with the 2000 budget there high Mole. "But there are those states that may be millions and millions of people living Mole average evenly in the ports of the underground, under the face of the Earth".
The creature has some similarities with humans - and also little distinction. "Like us, they walk on two legs, but they are much higher than ordinary human beings - as high as 8 to 10 feet high. Their fingers like claws. And their hands as well as duck feet (webbed), cooked-to explore, not like a nail mole '
"Their skin is very strong. He is to hold heat as well go too far and the extreme circumstances under the Earth ". "Wordpress is found to transport and interaction between people with these creatures once before - they speak in a language similar to Old Navajo dialect.
Source also states that the Mole has a system of muscles very large, making them able to act fierce. "If one of the experts that light up the expedition, the Mole took that as a threat and continue to attack him".
"They scratched and attacked him like a jungle cat, almost dropped him with a cigarette. He is very fortunate to live safely and from the incident ". The Mole is very interested in the world the face of the Earth - clothing, tools, equipment and food in particular. They were very interested in fresh fruit.
"I buy them some wine, and they continue to celebrate and rejoice", follow the source said. "Quite clearly they are not allowed to plant their fruits of their own lives look under 20 stone face of the Earth". NASA is very interested to assess the Mole. "We Want to know everything about them - what they ate, how they lived and the most crucial, whether their communications with the people".
"We asked if they had nothing to do with human beings in aspects certain. Do they the ancestors of modern humans today are genetic? "
Experts say there are various speculations about the Mole.
"They may be anything from Yetis (Bigfoot), an alien from space or the saki survivor tray of Lost Atlantis dealer. Experts also said this discovery has caused some question marks.
Is there an enemy creature and warlike or sociable and able to work together? And what about the oil and mineral deposits below the Earth? Who has them: the Mole, or us? How to NASA where mission originally was to explore space - have encountered people who lived under the face of the Earth? NASA does not deny the interpreter agreed or report. After receiving great pressure from reporters, the White House promising interpreter information confirmed by the White House for distribution. He has but warn "may not be to the nearest period". According to sources, the encounter of NASA's underground in the months when he was running August confidential project which named Operation Mole Hole - an initiative which the reporter now believes he may be to peek China, using the "underground technology". This extent NASA has found excessive confidential door to the underworld in the area around Washington State's Mount Shasta, Mammoth Cave in Kentucky and also caves around scattered southwest U.S. to follow the source said.Centuries old man has been told about being under earth thing.
Now, for the first time, speculation has been proven validity. But whether these creatures friend or your opponent is still unknown.
"This story must be told," the source said. "He was too big for highlighted". Sources that have large secret exert some of the Mole People. "They like the looked the gentle", he said, "But they are very primitive. We try communicate with them, but he was one of hard work they do not know look language of Indonesia ". "Mole People, as we call, have excessive love for the face of the Earth (surface world)", said the source.
"Thus, President Bush control of this situation with caution. "Erroneously step may result in this being a war with the human declared above. We're not sure how many they are. We just saw one this extent airport, with the 2000 budget there high Mole. "But there are those states that may be millions and millions of people living Mole average evenly in the ports of the underground, under the face of the Earth".
The creature has some similarities with humans - and also little distinction. "Like us, they walk on two legs, but they are much higher than ordinary human beings - as high as 8 to 10 feet high. Their fingers like claws. And their hands as well as duck feet (webbed), cooked-to explore, not like a nail mole '
"Their skin is very strong. He is to hold heat as well go too far and the extreme circumstances under the Earth ". "Wordpress is found to transport and interaction between people with these creatures once before - they speak in a language similar to Old Navajo dialect.
Source also states that the Mole has a system of muscles very large, making them able to act fierce. "If one of the experts that light up the expedition, the Mole took that as a threat and continue to attack him".
"They scratched and attacked him like a jungle cat, almost dropped him with a cigarette. He is very fortunate to live safely and from the incident ". The Mole is very interested in the world the face of the Earth - clothing, tools, equipment and food in particular. They were very interested in fresh fruit.
"I buy them some wine, and they continue to celebrate and rejoice", follow the source said. "Quite clearly they are not allowed to plant their fruits of their own lives look under 20 stone face of the Earth". NASA is very interested to assess the Mole. "We Want to know everything about them - what they ate, how they lived and the most crucial, whether their communications with the people".
"We asked if they had nothing to do with human beings in aspects certain. Do they the ancestors of modern humans today are genetic? "
Experts say there are various speculations about the Mole.
"They may be anything from Yetis (Bigfoot), an alien from space or the saki survivor tray of Lost Atlantis dealer. Experts also said this discovery has caused some question marks.
Is there an enemy creature and warlike or sociable and able to work together? And what about the oil and mineral deposits below the Earth? Who has them: the Mole, or us? How to NASA where mission originally was to explore space - have encountered people who lived under the face of the Earth? NASA does not deny the interpreter agreed or report. After receiving great pressure from reporters, the White House promising interpreter information confirmed by the White House for distribution. He has but warn "may not be to the nearest period". According to sources, the encounter of NASA's underground in the months when he was running August confidential project which named Operation Mole Hole - an initiative which the reporter now believes he may be to peek China, using the "underground technology". This extent NASA has found excessive confidential door to the underworld in the area around Washington State's Mount Shasta, Mammoth Cave in Kentucky and also caves around scattered southwest U.S. to follow the source said.Centuries old man has been told about being under earth thing.
Now, for the first time, speculation has been proven validity. But whether these creatures friend or your opponent is still unknown.
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Ad-Dabbah (Animals Earth)
by: Izzudin Karimi
Among the sign-kubro Hour after repentance door closed with the rising sun from the west-out animal is a world away from the usual, where he could talk to people and what sort where believers and unbelievers to complement the purpose of closing the door of repentance. The appearance of these signs with signs other is based on the Qur'an and Sunnah.
Word of God, "And when the Word falls on them, we remove the reptile kind of earth that would say to them, that people really were not sure to Our Signs." (An-Naml: 82).
Muslim, Abu Dawood and At-Tirmidhi narrated from Abu Zur'ah said, There are three Muslim men who sat on the side of Marwan ibn al-Hakam, they hear it, while he mentioned the signs of Doomsday, states that the Antichrist is the first sign that appears . Then Abdullah ibn 'Amr said, "Marwan did not say anything, I've memorized a hadith of the Prophet which I did not forget after I heard it from him, he said,' sign, which first appeared is the rising of the sun from the west and the emergence of the beast of the earth to humans in time Duha. Did any of them ahead of others so that others followed shortly afterwards'. "
عن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: بادروا بالأعمال ستا الدجال, والدخان, ودابة الأرض, وطلوع الشمس من مغربها, وأمر العامة, وخويصة أحدكم.
From Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah said, "hasten to do good before the arrival of six cases: the Antichrist, Dukhan, the beast of the earth, the rising sun from the west, Resurrection and the death of any one of you." (Narrated by Muslim)
From Hudzaefah bin Al-Ghifari Usaid said, the Messenger of Allah passed us, while we were chatting. He asked, "What are you talking about?" We replied, "Rapture." He said, "The Rapture did not come, so you see ten signs before: Dukhan, the Antichrist, the beast of the earth, the rising sun from the west, the decline in Isa ibn Maryam, Yes' juj and Ma'jooj, three immersion: immersion in the east, west and immersion in the immersion in the Arabian peninsula, and the last is the fire that lead people into the field Mahsyar. "(Narrated by Muslim, Abu Dawud, and at-Tirmidhi).
The nature of this beast
Among the animal's behavior is made by God as a sign of the Resurrection and the actions of others than usual, he can talk and dialogue with people and he gives stamp of faith or Kufr to them.
As the information is in the hadeeth of Abu Umamah that he said, "Beast of the earth that he gave out to people stamp on their faces. Then their numbers increased so that someone bought the camel he was asked, 'From whom you buy a camel that?' He replied, 'From one who branded her face ....' "(Narrated by Ahmad, dishahihkan by al-Albani in as-ash-Lineage Saheehah number 322).
Keterangann more than this about the nature and characteristics of these animals perkakataan he was certain people who have proven with a saheeh hadeeth from the Messenger of Allah, if not then the hadeeth is sufficient as a communicant, the rest of Allaah knows best.
Animal is this? Lots of opinions about where the other one at odds. The followers of trying to deflect the passions in the direction of the texts in accordance with the creed and their passions, it was said that this animal was Ali ibn Abi Talib, that he would return to the world with nature. Some say he is a snake that was in the well of Mecca. Some say he is in Jassasah sea Qalzam. Some say that he is the son of a camel of the Prophet Salih, was killed when he fled the parent then there is the open stone and then he goes into it, then he closed the back of this camel boy was there until he was out in the form of this animal. Some say that it is germs. And many more different opinions but that is not based to the back of a saheeh nor even dhaif.
Shaykh Ahmad Muhammad Shakir in tahqiq Musnad Imam Ahmad said, "Ayat Al-Qur'an clearly says in Arabic that he was" دابة ", and the meaning is clear and known in Arabic, is not required ta'wil. Hadith have explained his actions. And a lot of hadiths are saheeh or whether other states Resurrection marks the arrival of this (animal world) and that he was out at the end of time. And there atsar-atsar which explains its nature but he was not ascribed to the Prophet as a transmitter of the Lord and explanation of the verses of his book, then it's okay when we left. Take a look as an example-Tafsir Ibn Kathir (6/305-310).
But some people in this age of menisbatkan themselves to Islam, in which words are unjust and corrupt mind control them, they do not want to believe in things unseen, they just want to believe in something real that has been outlined by the teachers and their example from among the heathen of Europe, the followers of permissive schools, which remove all religion and morality, they could not believe what we are pious, they also can not deny they are clearly losing control, confusion, and to pretend. Then they menta'wilkannya, distort the original meaning of words from the truth based on the Arabic language, they change the formula (the puzzle), it was because the denial is entrenched in their souls.
More than that most of them from a menukil ta'wil from India are known from the group menisbatkan himself to Islam, and he is the main enemy of Islam and an accomplice of the invaders, the enemies of Islam. Look at people like this, from what source they bragging? And based on what they do? Where the hell else do they belong? All because they did not believe in the revelations of Allah. "
by: Izzudin Karimi
Among the sign-kubro Hour after repentance door closed with the rising sun from the west-out animal is a world away from the usual, where he could talk to people and what sort where believers and unbelievers to complement the purpose of closing the door of repentance. The appearance of these signs with signs other is based on the Qur'an and Sunnah.
Word of God, "And when the Word falls on them, we remove the reptile kind of earth that would say to them, that people really were not sure to Our Signs." (An-Naml: 82).
Muslim, Abu Dawood and At-Tirmidhi narrated from Abu Zur'ah said, There are three Muslim men who sat on the side of Marwan ibn al-Hakam, they hear it, while he mentioned the signs of Doomsday, states that the Antichrist is the first sign that appears . Then Abdullah ibn 'Amr said, "Marwan did not say anything, I've memorized a hadith of the Prophet which I did not forget after I heard it from him, he said,' sign, which first appeared is the rising of the sun from the west and the emergence of the beast of the earth to humans in time Duha. Did any of them ahead of others so that others followed shortly afterwards'. "
عن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: بادروا بالأعمال ستا الدجال, والدخان, ودابة الأرض, وطلوع الشمس من مغربها, وأمر العامة, وخويصة أحدكم.
From Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah said, "hasten to do good before the arrival of six cases: the Antichrist, Dukhan, the beast of the earth, the rising sun from the west, Resurrection and the death of any one of you." (Narrated by Muslim)
From Hudzaefah bin Al-Ghifari Usaid said, the Messenger of Allah passed us, while we were chatting. He asked, "What are you talking about?" We replied, "Rapture." He said, "The Rapture did not come, so you see ten signs before: Dukhan, the Antichrist, the beast of the earth, the rising sun from the west, the decline in Isa ibn Maryam, Yes' juj and Ma'jooj, three immersion: immersion in the east, west and immersion in the immersion in the Arabian peninsula, and the last is the fire that lead people into the field Mahsyar. "(Narrated by Muslim, Abu Dawud, and at-Tirmidhi).
The nature of this beast
Among the animal's behavior is made by God as a sign of the Resurrection and the actions of others than usual, he can talk and dialogue with people and he gives stamp of faith or Kufr to them.
As the information is in the hadeeth of Abu Umamah that he said, "Beast of the earth that he gave out to people stamp on their faces. Then their numbers increased so that someone bought the camel he was asked, 'From whom you buy a camel that?' He replied, 'From one who branded her face ....' "(Narrated by Ahmad, dishahihkan by al-Albani in as-ash-Lineage Saheehah number 322).
Keterangann more than this about the nature and characteristics of these animals perkakataan he was certain people who have proven with a saheeh hadeeth from the Messenger of Allah, if not then the hadeeth is sufficient as a communicant, the rest of Allaah knows best.
Animal is this? Lots of opinions about where the other one at odds. The followers of trying to deflect the passions in the direction of the texts in accordance with the creed and their passions, it was said that this animal was Ali ibn Abi Talib, that he would return to the world with nature. Some say he is a snake that was in the well of Mecca. Some say he is in Jassasah sea Qalzam. Some say that he is the son of a camel of the Prophet Salih, was killed when he fled the parent then there is the open stone and then he goes into it, then he closed the back of this camel boy was there until he was out in the form of this animal. Some say that it is germs. And many more different opinions but that is not based to the back of a saheeh nor even dhaif.
Shaykh Ahmad Muhammad Shakir in tahqiq Musnad Imam Ahmad said, "Ayat Al-Qur'an clearly says in Arabic that he was" دابة ", and the meaning is clear and known in Arabic, is not required ta'wil. Hadith have explained his actions. And a lot of hadiths are saheeh or whether other states Resurrection marks the arrival of this (animal world) and that he was out at the end of time. And there atsar-atsar which explains its nature but he was not ascribed to the Prophet as a transmitter of the Lord and explanation of the verses of his book, then it's okay when we left. Take a look as an example-Tafsir Ibn Kathir (6/305-310).
But some people in this age of menisbatkan themselves to Islam, in which words are unjust and corrupt mind control them, they do not want to believe in things unseen, they just want to believe in something real that has been outlined by the teachers and their example from among the heathen of Europe, the followers of permissive schools, which remove all religion and morality, they could not believe what we are pious, they also can not deny they are clearly losing control, confusion, and to pretend. Then they menta'wilkannya, distort the original meaning of words from the truth based on the Arabic language, they change the formula (the puzzle), it was because the denial is entrenched in their souls.
More than that most of them from a menukil ta'wil from India are known from the group menisbatkan himself to Islam, and he is the main enemy of Islam and an accomplice of the invaders, the enemies of Islam. Look at people like this, from what source they bragging? And based on what they do? Where the hell else do they belong? All because they did not believe in the revelations of Allah. "
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Results of research, the threat of comet Swift-Tuttle is calculated to hit Earth in 2126, was not expected to happen. When the threat of comet Swift-Tuttle was a reality then there will be a second Tunguska event or the end of time.
"It was at that time (in 1996) have estimated the comet Swift-Tuttle might hit Earth. But the last analysis it was not too threatening, "said Main Researcher LAPAN Astronomy-Astrophysics (Institute of Aeronautics and Space), Thomas Djamaluddin, to VIVAnews, Friday, October 16, 2009.
According Djamaluddin, predicted changes were considering the development of the effects of the planets around the Earth, including the sun. Large planets is that Jupiter, Saturn, and Uranis.
"The effects of this large planet can not be accurately estimated, because the distance is too far away. If the sun might be, "he said.
The closer to the time the predicted event, the data and calculations will be a lot more. As a result, more precise calculations will again.
"Rough estimate, the error range is likely to hit Earth. but after more thoroughly calculated, is likely to miss and far from Earth, "said Knopf.
Celestial grateful Swift-Tuttle comet was predicted to miss the Earth. Because according to him, and the effects of the explosion would be like the events in the interior of Siberia, Tunguska, in 1908. "If it hit the Earth, it is roughly like the Tunguska impact," he said.
A little about Tunguska explosion. Extraordinary explosion 100 years ago in the river Tunguska, Central Siberia, Russia, at 07.17 o'clock in the morning it was still a mystery.
Mahadahsyat explosion that destroys 80 million trees covering 830 square miles. It is also mentioned as many as 80 million trees on fire.
The impact of the so-called explosion of 30 megatons was also said to cause turmoil in the earth's surface until it reaches the 5.0 Richter scale (SR). Not only that, a moment later a blast wave extends for 40 kilometers, ravaged all life.
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Jesus will return
Assalamulaikom
I was reading this yesterday, and I will post only a part of the book. I found it very interesting indeed.
The Return of Jesus (as) To Earth
Jesus (as) Did Not Die
An examination of the verses about Jesus (as) in the Qur'an indicates that Jesus (as) neither died nor was killed, but he was raised to the presence of Allah: As mentioned earlier, in Surat an-Nisa, it is related that Jesus (as) was not killed but raised to the presence of Allah. The related verse follows:
And (on account of) their saying, "We killed the Messiah, ‘Isa son of Maryam, Messenger of Allah." They did not kill him and they did not crucify him but it was made to seem so to them. Those who argue about him are in doubt about it. They have no real knowledge of it, just conjecture. But they certainly did not kill him. Allah raised him up to Himself. Allah is Almighty, All-Wise. (Surat an-Nisa: 157-158)
In some English translations, we see that some other verses are translated to give the sense that the Prophet Jesus (as) died before he was raised to the Allah’s presence. These verses are as follows:
God said: "O ‘Isa (as)! Verily, I shall cause you to die (tawaffa), and shall exalt you unto Me…" (Surah Al ‘Imran: 55)
In the 117th verse of Surat al-Ma’idah, the event narrated in the Prophet Jesus' (as)’ words is also translated so as to suggest that he died:
"Nothing did I tell them beyond what You did bid me to say: ‘Worship God, who is my Sustainer as well as your Sustainer’ And I bore witness to what they did as long as I dwelt in their midst: but since You have caused me to die (tawaffa), You alone have been their keeper: for You are witness unto everything. (Surat al-Ma’idah: 117)
However, the Arabic meanings of the verses above show that the Prophet Jesus (as) did not die in the sense we know. In Arabic the word which is translated in these verses as "to die" is "tawaffa" and comes from the root "wafa – to fulfill". Tawaffa does not actually mean "death" but the act of "taking the self back" either in sleep or in death. From the Qur'an again, we understand that "taking the self back" does not necessarily mean death. For instance in a verse in which the word "tawaffa" is used, it is not the death of a human being that is meant but "taking back his self in his sleep":
It is He Who takes you back to Himself (yatawaffakum) at night, while knowing the things you perpetrate by day, and then wakes you up again, so that a specified term may be fulfilled. Then you will return to Him. Then He will inform you about what you did. (Surat al-An’am: 60)
The word used for "take back" in this verse is the same as the one used in Surah Al ‘Imran 55. In other words, in both verses, the word "tawaffa" is used and it is obvious that one does not die in one’s sleep. Therefore, what is meant here is, again, "taking the self back.” The same is also true for the following verse:
Allah takes back people’s selves (tawaffa) when their death arrives and those who have not yet died, while they are asleep. He keeps hold of those whose death has been decreed and sends the others back for a specified term. There are certainly Signs in that for people who reflect. (Surat az-Zumar: 42)
As these verses suggest, Allah takes back the self of the one who is asleep, yet He sends the selves of those whose deaths have yet not been decreed. In this context, in one's sleep one does not die, in the sense in which we perceive death. Only for a temporary period, the self leaves the body and remains in another dimension. When we wake up, the self returns to the body.
Imam al-Qurtubi makes clear that there are three meanings to the term ‘wafat’: the wafat of death, the wafat of sleep, and last, the wafat of being raised up to Allah, as in the case of Sayyiduna ‘Isa (as).To conclude, we can say that Jesus (as) may have been in a special state, raised up to the presence of Allah. What he actually experienced was not death in the sense with which we are familiar, but merely a departure from this dimension. Surely, Allah knows best.
Jesus (as) Will Come Back to Earth
From what has been related so far, it is clear that Jesus (as) did not die but was raised to the presence of Allah. However, there is one more point that is underlined by the Qur'an: Jesus (as) will come back to earth. The Qur'an explicitly declares the return of Jesus (as) to earth.
Surah Al ‘Imran 55 is one of the verses indicating that Jesus (as) will come back:
When Allah said, "‘Isa, I will take you back and raise you up to Me and purify you of those who are disbelievers. And I will place the people who follow you above those who are disbelievers until the Day of Rising. Then you will all return to Me, and I will judge between you regarding the things about which you differed. (Surah Al ‘Imran: 55)
The statement in the verse, "And I will place the people who follow you above those who are disbelievers until the Day of Rising" is important. Here, there is reference to a group strictly adhering to Jesus (as) and who will be kept above the disbelievers until the Day of Judgment. Well, who are these adherents, then? Are they the disciples who lived in the time of Jesus or are they the Christians of today? During his lifetime the followers of Jesus (as) were few. After his death, the essence of the religion degenerated rapidly. Furthermore, the people known as the disciples faced serious pressure throughout their lives. During the succeeding two centuries, having no political power, those Christians having faith in Jesus (as) were also oppressed. In this case, it is not possible to say that early Christians or their successors during these periods were physically superior to the disbelievers in the world. We might logically think that this verse does not refer to them.
When we look at the Christians of today, on the other hand, we notice that the essence of Christianity has changed a lot and it is quite different from what Jesus (as) originally brought to mankind. Christians embraced the perverted belief that suggests that Jesus (as) is the son of God and similarly held the doctrine of the trinity (The Father, Son and the Holy Spirit). In this case, it is flawed to accept the Christians of today as the adherents of Jesus (as). In many verses of the Qur'an Allah states that those having faith in the trinity certainly are disbelievers:
Those who say that the Messiah, son of Maryam, is the third of three are disbelievers. There is no god but One God. (Surat al-Ma’idah: 73)
In this case, the commentary of the statement, "And I will place the people who follow you above those who are disbelievers until the Day of Rising" is as follows: first, it is said that these people are the Muslims who are the only true followers of the authentic teachings of Jesus (as); second, it is said that these people are the Christians, whether or not they hold idolatrous beliefs, and that could be seen to be confirmed by the dominant position that nominal Christians hold on the earth today. However, both positions will be unified by the arrival of Jesus (as), since he will abolish the jizyah, meaning that he will not accept that Christians and Jews live with any other religion than Islam, and so will unite all the believers as Muslims. The Prophet and last Messenger of Allah (saas), has also given the glad tidings of the return of Jesus (as). The scholars of ahadith (reports on the sayings and the traditions of Prophet Mohammad) say that the ahadith on this subject, in which Allah’s Messenger (saas) said that the Prophet Jesus (as) will descend amongst people as a leader before the Day of Judgment have reached the status of mutawatir. That means that they have been narrated by so many people from each generation from such a large group of the Companions that there can be no possible doubt of their authenticity.
For example:
Abu Hurairah (ra) narrated that Allah's Messenger, peace be upon him, said, "By the One in Whose hand is my self, definitely the son of Maryam will soon descend among you as a just judge, and he will break the cross, kill the pig and abolish the jizyah, and wealth will be so abundant that no one will accept it, until a single prostration will be better than the world and everything in it. (Sahih al-Bukhari)
Jabir ibn 'Abdullah said, "I heard the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, saying, 'A party of my ummah will never stop fighting for the truth victoriously until the Day of Rising.' He said, 'Then ‘Isa ibn Maryam, peace be upon him, will descend and their amir will say, "Come and lead us in prayer," but he will say, "No! some of you are amirs over others," as Allah's showing honor to this ummah.'" (Sahih Muslim)
Abu Hurairah (ra) narrated, "The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: ‘There is no prophet between me and him, that is, ‘Isa, peace be upon him. He will descend (to the earth). When you see him, recognize him: a man of medium height, reddish fair, wearing two light yellow garments, looking as if drops were falling down from his head though it will not be wet. He will fight the people for the cause of Islam. He will break the cross, kill the pig, and abolish the jizyah. Allah will cause to perish all religions except Islam. He will destroy the Dajjal and will live on the earth for forty years and then he will die. The Muslims will pray over him.’" (Abu Dawud)
Earlier in this section, we analyzed the verses 157-158 of Surat an-Nisa'. Just after these verses Allah states the following in Surat an Nisa 159:
There is not one of the People of the Book who will not believe in him before he dies; and on the Day of Rising he will be a witness against them. (Surat an Nisa: 159)
The statement above "who will not believe in him before he dies" is important. Some scholars stated that the "him" in this verse is used for the Qur'an and thus made the following interpretation: There will be no one from the people of the Book who will not have faith in the Qur'an before he (a person from the people of the Book) dies. Nevertheless, in verses 157 and 158, which are the two verses preceding this verse, the same "him" is undoubtedly used for Jesus (as). Surat an-Nisa' 157:
And (on account of) their saying, "We killed the Messiah, ‘Isa son of Maryam, Messenger of Allah." They did not kill him and they did not crucify him but it was made to seem so to them. Those who argue about him are in doubt about it. They have no real knowledge of it, just conjecture. But they certainly did not kill him.
Surat an-Nisa' 158: Allah raised him up to Himself. Allah is Almighty, All-Wise.
Just after these verses in Surat an-Nisa 159, there is no evidence indicating that "him" is used to imply someone other than Jesus (as). Surat an-Nisa' 159:
There is not one of the People of the Book who will not believe in him before he dies; and on the Day of Rising he will be a witness against them. (Surat an-Nisa: 159)
In the Qur'an, Allah informs us that on the Day of Judgment, the "tongues and hands and feet will testify against them about what they were doing" (Surat an-Nur: 24 and Surah Yasin: 65). From Surah Fussilat 20-23, we learn that "hearing, sight and skin will testify against us." In none of the verses however, is there reference to "the Qur'an as a witness". If we accept that the "him" or "it" in the first sentence refers to the Qur'an - though grammatically or logically we have no evidence whatsoever - then we should also accept that the "he" in the second statement also refers to the Qur'an. To accept this however, there should be an explicit verse confirming this view.
However, the commentator Ibn Juzayy does not mention the possibility of the Qur’an being the "him" referred to, and Ibn Juzayy transmitted the views of all the major commentators in his work. When we refer to the Qur'an, we see that when the same personal pronoun is used for the Qur'an, there is generally mention of the Qur'an before and after that specific verse as in the cases of Surat an-Naml: 77 and Surat ash-Shu'ara: 192-196. The verse straightforwardly defines that People of the Book will have faith in Jesus (as) and that he (Jesus (as)) will be a witness against them. The second point is about the interpretation of the expression "before he dies." Some think this is "having faith in Jesus (as) before their own death." According to this interpretation everyone from the people of the Book will definitely believe in Jesus (as) before he/she faces their own death. In Jesus' time however, Jews who are defined as the people of the Book not only did not have faith in Jesus but also attempted to kill him. On the other hand, it would be unreasonable to say that Jews and Christians who lived and died after the time of Jesus had faith - the type of faith described in the Qur'an - in him. To conclude, when we make a sound evaluation of the verse, we arrive to the following conclusion: Before Jesus' (as) death, all the People of the Book will have faith in him.2In its real sense, the verse reveals plain facts, which are:
Firstly, it is evident that the verse refers to the future because there is mention of the death of Jesus (as). Yet, Jesus (as) did not die but was raised up to the presence of Allah. Jesus (as) will come to earth again, he will live for a specified time and then die.
Secondly, all the people of the Book will have faith in him. This is an event which has yet not occurred, but which will definitely happen in the future. Consequently, by the expression "before he dies", there is a reference to Jesus (as). The People of the Book will see him, know him and obey him while he is alive. Meanwhile, Jesus (as) will bear witness against them on the Last Day. Allah surely knows best.
That Jesus (as) will come back to earth towards the end of time is related in another verse in Surat az-Zukhruf 61.Starting from az-Zukhruf 57, there is reference to Jesus (as):
When an example is made of the son of Maryam (‘Isa) your people laugh uproariously. They retort, "Who is better then, our gods or him?" They only say this to you for argument's sake. They are indeed a disputatious people.
He is only a slave on whom We bestowed Our blessing and whom We made an example for the tribe of Israel.
If We wished, We could appoint angels in exchange for you to succeed you on the earth. (Surat az-Zukhruf: 57-60)
Just after these verses, Allah declares that Jesus (as) is a sign of the Day of Judgment.
He is a Sign of the Hour. Have no doubt about it. But follow me. This is a straight path. (Surat az-Zukhruf: 61)
Ibn Juzayy says that the first meaning of this verse is that Jesus (as) is a sign or a precondition of the Last Hour. We can say that this verse is a clear indication that Jesus (as) will come back to earth at the end times. That is because Jesus (as) lived six centuries before the revelation of the Qur'an. Consequently, we cannot interpret his first coming as a sign of the Day of Judgment. What this verse actually indicates is that Jesus (as) will come back to earth towards the end of time, that is to say, during the last period of time before the Day of Judgment and this will be a sign for the Day of Judgment. Allah surely knows the best. The Arabic of the verse "He is a Sign of the Hour" is "Innahu la ‘ilmun li’s-sa’ati…" Some people interpret the pronoun "hu" (he) in this verse as the Qur'an.
However, the preceding verses explicitly indicate that Jesus (as) is mentioned in the verse: "He is only a slave on whom We bestowed Our blessing and whom We made an example for the tribe of Israel"3 In Sahih Muslim, it is also stated that the ahadith in which it is said that the Prophet Jesus (as) will descend amongst people at the end of time have reached the degree of being mutawatir, i.e. narrated by so many people in each generation that it is not possible to have any doubt of their authenticity, and that it is counted as one of the major signs of the Day of Rising. (Sahih Muslim, 2/58)
Hudhayfah ibn Usayd al-Ghifari said, "The Messenger of Allah (saas) came to us all of a sudden as we were (busy in a discussion). He said: ‘What are you discussing?’ We said: ‘We are discussing the Last Hour.’ Thereupon he said: ‘It will not come until you see ten signs before it’ – and (in this connection) he made mention of the smoke, the Dajjal, the beast, the rising of the sun from the west, the descent of ‘Isa the son of Maryam (as), Yajuj and Majuj, and landslides in three places, one in the east, one in the west and one in Arabia at the end of which fire will burn forth from the Yemen, and drive people to the place of their assembly." (Sahih Muslim)
(4) Another verse indicating the second coming of the Jesus (as) is the following;
When the angels said, "Maryam, your Lord gives you good news of a Word from Him. His name is the Messiah, ‘Isa, son of Maryam of high esteem in this world and the hereafter, and one of those brought near. He will speak to people in the cradle, and also when fully grown, and will be one of the righteous," she said, "My Lord! How can I have a son when no man has ever touched me?"
He said, "It will be so. Allah creates whatever He wills. When He decides on something He just says to it, ‘Be!’ and it is. He will teach him the Book and Wisdom, and the Torah and the Injil…" (Surah Al ‘Imran: 45-48)
In the verse, it is heralded that Allah would instruct Jesus (as) about the Injil, the Torah and the "Book." No doubt, this book in question is very important. We come across the same expression in the Surat al-Ma'idah 110:
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; and when you created a bird-shape out of clay by My permission…" (Surat al-Ma'idah: 110)
When we analyze the "Book" in both of the verses, we see that it may indicate the Qur'an. Primarily, there is only one known divine book on the earth apart from the Torah, the Zabur and the Injil. Besides, in another verse in the Qur'an, next to the Torah and the Injil, the word "Book" is used to indicate the Qur'an.
Allah, there is no god but Him, the Living, the Self-Sustaining. He has sent down the Book to you with truth, confirming what has there before it. And He sent down the Torah and the Injil, previously, as guidance for mankind, and He has sent down the Furqan (the Criterion of judgment between right and wrong). (Surah Al ‘Imran: 2-4)
In this case, we may well consider that the third book which will be taught to Jesus (as) will be the Qur'an and we could assume that this will be possible only if he comes to earth at the end of time. Jesus (as) lived 600 years before the revelation of the Qur'an and it is unlikely that he knew the Qur'an before it was revealed. In this case, that he will learn the Qur'an during his second sojourn on earth could be a reasonable explanation. This is also explained in a hadith(singular of ahadith):
Abu Hurairah (ra) narrated that Allah's Messenger, peace be upon him, said, "By the One in Whose hand is my self, definitely the son of Maryam will soon descend among you as a just judge, and he will break the cross, kill the pig and abolish the jizyah, and wealth will be so abundant that no one will accept it, until a single prostration will be better than the world and everything in it. (Sahih al-Bukhari)
The ‘ulama (Islamic scholars) say that the meaning in this hadith of his acting as a just judge/ruler is that he will judge by the shari’ah of Islam, i.e. by the judgments in the Book of Allah, the Qur’an, and in the Sunnah of the Last Messenger of Allah, Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Allah surely knows best. As seen, verses on Jesus' (as) return to the earth are very explicit and remarkable. No similar statements are made for any other prophet mentioned in the Qur'an. Furthermore, no other prophet is referred to as "a Sign of the Hour" and no statement used for any other prophet in the Qur'an includes any connotation implying their return to the earth. However, all these statements are used for Jesus (as). The meaning of this is very clear.
There are Other Examples of People in the Qur'an Who Left the World and Then Returned After Hundreds of Years
A man who was resurrected after a century
One of these people is a man who remained dead for a century. This is related in Surat al-Baqarah:
Or the one who passed by a town which had fallen into ruin? He asked, "How can Allah restore this to life when it has died?" Allah caused him to die a hundred years then brought him back to life. Then He asked, "How long have you been here?" He replied, "I have been here a day or part of a day." He said, "Not so! You have been here a hundred years. Look at your food and drink - it has not gone bad - and look at your donkey so We can make you a Sign for all mankind. Look at the bones – how We raise them up and clothe them in flesh." When it had become clear to him, he said, "Now I know that Allah has power over all things." (Surat al-Baqarah: 259)
In the verses given in the previous pages, there is mention of the fact that Jesus (as) did not die but was "taken back." In the verse above, the man, however, definitely died. Consequently, even a dead person can rise again by the will of Allah. This is explicitly related in the Qur'an. There are similar other examples in the Qur'an.
Companions of the Cave awoke after years
Another example is related in the story of the "Companions of the Cave" related in Surat al-Kahf. Allah relates the story of young men who were compelled to take refuge from the cruel tyranny of the emperor of the time in a cave. It is related that they fell asleep and were woken up after years of sleep. The related verses follow:
When the young men took refuge in the cave and said, "Our Lord, give us mercy directly from You and open the way for us to right guidance in our situation." So We sealed their ears with sleep in the cave for a number of years. (Surat al-Kahf: 10-11)
You would have supposed them to be awake whereas in fact they were asleep. We moved them to the right and to the left, and at the entrance, their dog stretched out its paws. If you had looked down and seen them, you would have turned from them and run and have been filled with terror at the sight of them.
That was the situation when we woke them up so they could question one another. One of them asked, "How long have you been here?" They replied "We have been here for a day or part of a day." They said, "Your Lord knows best how long have you been here. Send one of your number into the city with this silver you have, so he can see which food is purest and bring you some of it to eat. But he should go about with caution so that no one is aware of you." (Surat al-Kahf: 18-19)
The Qur'an does not explain exactly how much time the young men spent in the cave. Instead, the duration of this period is implied by the words "for a number of years." People’s guess at this period however was rather high: 309 years. Allah says:
They stayed in their Cave for three hundred years and added nine.
Say: "Allah knows best how long they stayed. The Unseen of the heavens and the earth belongs to Him. How perfectly He sees, how well He hears! They have no protector apart from Him. Nor does He share His rule with anyone." (Surat al-Kahf: 25-26)
Surely, what matters here is not whether this period is short or long. The point is, Allah takes some people back, either by making them sleep, or simply making them die from this life for a particular period and then revives them. Just like people waking from a dream, Allah gives them life again. Jesus (as) is one of these people and, at due time, he will live again in this world. After fulfilling his task, he will die just like any other human being in accordance with the commandment of the verse in which He said: "On it you will live and on it you will die and from it you will be brought forth." (Surat al-A’raf: 25)
Jesus(as) In the Risale-i Nur Collection
In the Risale-I Nur collection, a Qur'anic commentary written by Said Nursi, also known as Bediuzzaman (the Wonder of the Age), one of the greatest Islamic scholars of the 20th century, there is extensive reference to the end of time and the second coming of Jesus (as).
It is a fact that today Muslim communities embrace different thoughts. However, a great number of Muslims from various cultures agree that Bediuzzaman was one of the greatest scholars of the 13th century (Muslim Calendar). That is why the detailed descriptions of the end of time by Bediuzzaman are of great importance for all Muslims.
In his explanations regarding the end of time, Bediuzzaman states that two philosophical movements, described as serious endeavors to establish disbelief, would cause disorder on earth. The first one will be a covert threat to Islam while the second class of movements will openly reject the existence of Allah. The second current is materialist and naturalist understandings that affirm that matter is an absolute being, which has existed since eternity and which will exist until eternity. The two movements further hold that living beings accidentally came into existence from non-living matter. (Naturalism is known as the philosophical dimension of Darwin's theory of evolution.)
This definition surely provides the basis of all ideologies denying the existence of Allah. Since early times, materialists opposed all religions revealed by Allah, fought against their supporters, oppressed people, waged wars and opened the way to every sort of degeneration in society.
Jesus (as), too, in his second coming to earth, will struggle against these materialist and naturalist movements and, by the will of Allah, will gain victory over them. Bediuzzaman draws attention in his books to the materialist movement:
The Second Current: A tyrannical current born of Naturalist and Materialist philosophy will gradually become strong and spread at the end of time by means of materialist philosophy, reaching such a degree that it denies God. (Mektubat, p.53)
Bediuzzaman heralds that Jesus (as) will come to earth at such a period when disbelief will dominate the earth. As stated in the following words of Bediuzzaman, in his second coming to earth, Jesus (as) will rule with the Qur'an and eliminate all bigotry in Christianity. Uniting against disbelief, Christians who have embraced Islam and Muslims will prevail over the disbelieving ideologies by the guidance of the Qur'an. The related section in the Risale-i Nur follows:
At that point when the current appears to be very strong, the religion of true Christianity, which comprises the collective personality of Jesus (Upon whom be peace), will emerge. That is, it will descend from the skies of Divine Mercy. Present Christianity will be purified in the face of that reality; it will cast off superstition and distortion, and unite with the truths of Islam. Christianity will in effect be transformed into a sort of Islam. Following the Qur’an, the collective personality of Christianity will be in the rank of follower, and Islam, in that of leader. True religion will become a mighty force as a result of its joining it. Although defeated before the atheistic current while separate, Christianity and Islam will have the capability to defeat and rout it as a result of their union. Then the person of Jesus (Upon whom be peace), who is present with his human body in the world of the heavens, will come to lead the current of true religion, as, relying on the promise of One Powerful Over All Things, the Bringer of Sure News has said. Since he has told of it, it is true, and since the One Powerful Over All Things has promised it, He will certainly bring it about. (Mektubat, p. 53-54)
In all his descriptions of the second coming, Bediuzzaman indicates that Jesus (as) will remove all the systems of disbelievers in that period. He further adds that he will receive great support from Muslims. Jesus (as) will act as a Muslim and pray behind the imam of the Muslims, and work together with the right-acting people from the Islamic world, and will assume leadership in spreading the Qur'an and its teachings, and remove the ongoing violence of the system of the disbelievers:
It will be the truly pious followers of Jesus who will kill the gigantic collective personality of materialism and irreligion which the Dajjal will form —for the Dajjal will be killed by Jesus’ (PUH) sword— and destroy his ideas and disbelief, which are atheistic. Those truly pious Christians will blend the essence of true Christianity with the essence of Islam and rout the Dajjal with their combined strength, in effect killing him. The narration: "Jesus (Peace be upon him) will come and will perform the obligatory prayers behind the Mahdi and follow him," alludes to this union, and to the sovereignty of the Qur’an and its being followed.(ªualar, p.493)
)How Can We Recognize Jesus (as)?
Who Will Be Able to Recognise Jesus (as)?
In earlier chapters, 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 recognize Jesus (as) when he comes back to the world and which of his attributes will make him recognizable?" At this stage, the unique sources we can refer to are, again, the Qur'an and the authentic Sunnah.
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 recognize him.
At this point, one has to keep in mind that recognizing 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. (Mektubat, p.54)
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 endeavor 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 favor is indeed immense. (Surat al-Anfal: 29)
Thus, those who will recognize 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. (ªualar, p.487)
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 recognize Jesus (as) would be to examine the attributes of the prophets. Surely, there are hundreds of them. However, in this section we will emphasize 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 favored 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 favored 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 recognized 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 favored 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 honor 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 judgment while still a child." (Surah Maryam: 12) About Musa, Allah informs us: "And when he reached his full strength and maturity, We gave him judgment 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 recognize 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 recognized 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 judgments, 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 judgments. 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 recognize 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 recognize and treasure this trait of his. Furthermore, although his enemies recognize 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 recognizable 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.
Chapter 7
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 favor to all humanity. Only a minority of people will enjoy this occasion. He will then be a blessed "savior" 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 "savior" 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 favored 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 honor 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)
I was reading this yesterday, and I will post only a part of the book. I found it very interesting indeed.
The Return of Jesus (as) To Earth
Jesus (as) Did Not Die
An examination of the verses about Jesus (as) in the Qur'an indicates that Jesus (as) neither died nor was killed, but he was raised to the presence of Allah: As mentioned earlier, in Surat an-Nisa, it is related that Jesus (as) was not killed but raised to the presence of Allah. The related verse follows:
And (on account of) their saying, "We killed the Messiah, ‘Isa son of Maryam, Messenger of Allah." They did not kill him and they did not crucify him but it was made to seem so to them. Those who argue about him are in doubt about it. They have no real knowledge of it, just conjecture. But they certainly did not kill him. Allah raised him up to Himself. Allah is Almighty, All-Wise. (Surat an-Nisa: 157-158)
In some English translations, we see that some other verses are translated to give the sense that the Prophet Jesus (as) died before he was raised to the Allah’s presence. These verses are as follows:
God said: "O ‘Isa (as)! Verily, I shall cause you to die (tawaffa), and shall exalt you unto Me…" (Surah Al ‘Imran: 55)
In the 117th verse of Surat al-Ma’idah, the event narrated in the Prophet Jesus' (as)’ words is also translated so as to suggest that he died:
"Nothing did I tell them beyond what You did bid me to say: ‘Worship God, who is my Sustainer as well as your Sustainer’ And I bore witness to what they did as long as I dwelt in their midst: but since You have caused me to die (tawaffa), You alone have been their keeper: for You are witness unto everything. (Surat al-Ma’idah: 117)
However, the Arabic meanings of the verses above show that the Prophet Jesus (as) did not die in the sense we know. In Arabic the word which is translated in these verses as "to die" is "tawaffa" and comes from the root "wafa – to fulfill". Tawaffa does not actually mean "death" but the act of "taking the self back" either in sleep or in death. From the Qur'an again, we understand that "taking the self back" does not necessarily mean death. For instance in a verse in which the word "tawaffa" is used, it is not the death of a human being that is meant but "taking back his self in his sleep":
It is He Who takes you back to Himself (yatawaffakum) at night, while knowing the things you perpetrate by day, and then wakes you up again, so that a specified term may be fulfilled. Then you will return to Him. Then He will inform you about what you did. (Surat al-An’am: 60)
The word used for "take back" in this verse is the same as the one used in Surah Al ‘Imran 55. In other words, in both verses, the word "tawaffa" is used and it is obvious that one does not die in one’s sleep. Therefore, what is meant here is, again, "taking the self back.” The same is also true for the following verse:
Allah takes back people’s selves (tawaffa) when their death arrives and those who have not yet died, while they are asleep. He keeps hold of those whose death has been decreed and sends the others back for a specified term. There are certainly Signs in that for people who reflect. (Surat az-Zumar: 42)
As these verses suggest, Allah takes back the self of the one who is asleep, yet He sends the selves of those whose deaths have yet not been decreed. In this context, in one's sleep one does not die, in the sense in which we perceive death. Only for a temporary period, the self leaves the body and remains in another dimension. When we wake up, the self returns to the body.
Imam al-Qurtubi makes clear that there are three meanings to the term ‘wafat’: the wafat of death, the wafat of sleep, and last, the wafat of being raised up to Allah, as in the case of Sayyiduna ‘Isa (as).To conclude, we can say that Jesus (as) may have been in a special state, raised up to the presence of Allah. What he actually experienced was not death in the sense with which we are familiar, but merely a departure from this dimension. Surely, Allah knows best.
Jesus (as) Will Come Back to Earth
From what has been related so far, it is clear that Jesus (as) did not die but was raised to the presence of Allah. However, there is one more point that is underlined by the Qur'an: Jesus (as) will come back to earth. The Qur'an explicitly declares the return of Jesus (as) to earth.
Surah Al ‘Imran 55 is one of the verses indicating that Jesus (as) will come back:
When Allah said, "‘Isa, I will take you back and raise you up to Me and purify you of those who are disbelievers. And I will place the people who follow you above those who are disbelievers until the Day of Rising. Then you will all return to Me, and I will judge between you regarding the things about which you differed. (Surah Al ‘Imran: 55)
The statement in the verse, "And I will place the people who follow you above those who are disbelievers until the Day of Rising" is important. Here, there is reference to a group strictly adhering to Jesus (as) and who will be kept above the disbelievers until the Day of Judgment. Well, who are these adherents, then? Are they the disciples who lived in the time of Jesus or are they the Christians of today? During his lifetime the followers of Jesus (as) were few. After his death, the essence of the religion degenerated rapidly. Furthermore, the people known as the disciples faced serious pressure throughout their lives. During the succeeding two centuries, having no political power, those Christians having faith in Jesus (as) were also oppressed. In this case, it is not possible to say that early Christians or their successors during these periods were physically superior to the disbelievers in the world. We might logically think that this verse does not refer to them.
When we look at the Christians of today, on the other hand, we notice that the essence of Christianity has changed a lot and it is quite different from what Jesus (as) originally brought to mankind. Christians embraced the perverted belief that suggests that Jesus (as) is the son of God and similarly held the doctrine of the trinity (The Father, Son and the Holy Spirit). In this case, it is flawed to accept the Christians of today as the adherents of Jesus (as). In many verses of the Qur'an Allah states that those having faith in the trinity certainly are disbelievers:
Those who say that the Messiah, son of Maryam, is the third of three are disbelievers. There is no god but One God. (Surat al-Ma’idah: 73)
In this case, the commentary of the statement, "And I will place the people who follow you above those who are disbelievers until the Day of Rising" is as follows: first, it is said that these people are the Muslims who are the only true followers of the authentic teachings of Jesus (as); second, it is said that these people are the Christians, whether or not they hold idolatrous beliefs, and that could be seen to be confirmed by the dominant position that nominal Christians hold on the earth today. However, both positions will be unified by the arrival of Jesus (as), since he will abolish the jizyah, meaning that he will not accept that Christians and Jews live with any other religion than Islam, and so will unite all the believers as Muslims. The Prophet and last Messenger of Allah (saas), has also given the glad tidings of the return of Jesus (as). The scholars of ahadith (reports on the sayings and the traditions of Prophet Mohammad) say that the ahadith on this subject, in which Allah’s Messenger (saas) said that the Prophet Jesus (as) will descend amongst people as a leader before the Day of Judgment have reached the status of mutawatir. That means that they have been narrated by so many people from each generation from such a large group of the Companions that there can be no possible doubt of their authenticity.
For example:
Abu Hurairah (ra) narrated that Allah's Messenger, peace be upon him, said, "By the One in Whose hand is my self, definitely the son of Maryam will soon descend among you as a just judge, and he will break the cross, kill the pig and abolish the jizyah, and wealth will be so abundant that no one will accept it, until a single prostration will be better than the world and everything in it. (Sahih al-Bukhari)
Jabir ibn 'Abdullah said, "I heard the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, saying, 'A party of my ummah will never stop fighting for the truth victoriously until the Day of Rising.' He said, 'Then ‘Isa ibn Maryam, peace be upon him, will descend and their amir will say, "Come and lead us in prayer," but he will say, "No! some of you are amirs over others," as Allah's showing honor to this ummah.'" (Sahih Muslim)
Abu Hurairah (ra) narrated, "The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: ‘There is no prophet between me and him, that is, ‘Isa, peace be upon him. He will descend (to the earth). When you see him, recognize him: a man of medium height, reddish fair, wearing two light yellow garments, looking as if drops were falling down from his head though it will not be wet. He will fight the people for the cause of Islam. He will break the cross, kill the pig, and abolish the jizyah. Allah will cause to perish all religions except Islam. He will destroy the Dajjal and will live on the earth for forty years and then he will die. The Muslims will pray over him.’" (Abu Dawud)
Earlier in this section, we analyzed the verses 157-158 of Surat an-Nisa'. Just after these verses Allah states the following in Surat an Nisa 159:
There is not one of the People of the Book who will not believe in him before he dies; and on the Day of Rising he will be a witness against them. (Surat an Nisa: 159)
The statement above "who will not believe in him before he dies" is important. Some scholars stated that the "him" in this verse is used for the Qur'an and thus made the following interpretation: There will be no one from the people of the Book who will not have faith in the Qur'an before he (a person from the people of the Book) dies. Nevertheless, in verses 157 and 158, which are the two verses preceding this verse, the same "him" is undoubtedly used for Jesus (as). Surat an-Nisa' 157:
And (on account of) their saying, "We killed the Messiah, ‘Isa son of Maryam, Messenger of Allah." They did not kill him and they did not crucify him but it was made to seem so to them. Those who argue about him are in doubt about it. They have no real knowledge of it, just conjecture. But they certainly did not kill him.
Surat an-Nisa' 158: Allah raised him up to Himself. Allah is Almighty, All-Wise.
Just after these verses in Surat an-Nisa 159, there is no evidence indicating that "him" is used to imply someone other than Jesus (as). Surat an-Nisa' 159:
There is not one of the People of the Book who will not believe in him before he dies; and on the Day of Rising he will be a witness against them. (Surat an-Nisa: 159)
In the Qur'an, Allah informs us that on the Day of Judgment, the "tongues and hands and feet will testify against them about what they were doing" (Surat an-Nur: 24 and Surah Yasin: 65). From Surah Fussilat 20-23, we learn that "hearing, sight and skin will testify against us." In none of the verses however, is there reference to "the Qur'an as a witness". If we accept that the "him" or "it" in the first sentence refers to the Qur'an - though grammatically or logically we have no evidence whatsoever - then we should also accept that the "he" in the second statement also refers to the Qur'an. To accept this however, there should be an explicit verse confirming this view.
However, the commentator Ibn Juzayy does not mention the possibility of the Qur’an being the "him" referred to, and Ibn Juzayy transmitted the views of all the major commentators in his work. When we refer to the Qur'an, we see that when the same personal pronoun is used for the Qur'an, there is generally mention of the Qur'an before and after that specific verse as in the cases of Surat an-Naml: 77 and Surat ash-Shu'ara: 192-196. The verse straightforwardly defines that People of the Book will have faith in Jesus (as) and that he (Jesus (as)) will be a witness against them. The second point is about the interpretation of the expression "before he dies." Some think this is "having faith in Jesus (as) before their own death." According to this interpretation everyone from the people of the Book will definitely believe in Jesus (as) before he/she faces their own death. In Jesus' time however, Jews who are defined as the people of the Book not only did not have faith in Jesus but also attempted to kill him. On the other hand, it would be unreasonable to say that Jews and Christians who lived and died after the time of Jesus had faith - the type of faith described in the Qur'an - in him. To conclude, when we make a sound evaluation of the verse, we arrive to the following conclusion: Before Jesus' (as) death, all the People of the Book will have faith in him.2In its real sense, the verse reveals plain facts, which are:
Firstly, it is evident that the verse refers to the future because there is mention of the death of Jesus (as). Yet, Jesus (as) did not die but was raised up to the presence of Allah. Jesus (as) will come to earth again, he will live for a specified time and then die.
Secondly, all the people of the Book will have faith in him. This is an event which has yet not occurred, but which will definitely happen in the future. Consequently, by the expression "before he dies", there is a reference to Jesus (as). The People of the Book will see him, know him and obey him while he is alive. Meanwhile, Jesus (as) will bear witness against them on the Last Day. Allah surely knows best.
That Jesus (as) will come back to earth towards the end of time is related in another verse in Surat az-Zukhruf 61.Starting from az-Zukhruf 57, there is reference to Jesus (as):
When an example is made of the son of Maryam (‘Isa) your people laugh uproariously. They retort, "Who is better then, our gods or him?" They only say this to you for argument's sake. They are indeed a disputatious people.
He is only a slave on whom We bestowed Our blessing and whom We made an example for the tribe of Israel.
If We wished, We could appoint angels in exchange for you to succeed you on the earth. (Surat az-Zukhruf: 57-60)
Just after these verses, Allah declares that Jesus (as) is a sign of the Day of Judgment.
He is a Sign of the Hour. Have no doubt about it. But follow me. This is a straight path. (Surat az-Zukhruf: 61)
Ibn Juzayy says that the first meaning of this verse is that Jesus (as) is a sign or a precondition of the Last Hour. We can say that this verse is a clear indication that Jesus (as) will come back to earth at the end times. That is because Jesus (as) lived six centuries before the revelation of the Qur'an. Consequently, we cannot interpret his first coming as a sign of the Day of Judgment. What this verse actually indicates is that Jesus (as) will come back to earth towards the end of time, that is to say, during the last period of time before the Day of Judgment and this will be a sign for the Day of Judgment. Allah surely knows the best. The Arabic of the verse "He is a Sign of the Hour" is "Innahu la ‘ilmun li’s-sa’ati…" Some people interpret the pronoun "hu" (he) in this verse as the Qur'an.
However, the preceding verses explicitly indicate that Jesus (as) is mentioned in the verse: "He is only a slave on whom We bestowed Our blessing and whom We made an example for the tribe of Israel"3 In Sahih Muslim, it is also stated that the ahadith in which it is said that the Prophet Jesus (as) will descend amongst people at the end of time have reached the degree of being mutawatir, i.e. narrated by so many people in each generation that it is not possible to have any doubt of their authenticity, and that it is counted as one of the major signs of the Day of Rising. (Sahih Muslim, 2/58)
Hudhayfah ibn Usayd al-Ghifari said, "The Messenger of Allah (saas) came to us all of a sudden as we were (busy in a discussion). He said: ‘What are you discussing?’ We said: ‘We are discussing the Last Hour.’ Thereupon he said: ‘It will not come until you see ten signs before it’ – and (in this connection) he made mention of the smoke, the Dajjal, the beast, the rising of the sun from the west, the descent of ‘Isa the son of Maryam (as), Yajuj and Majuj, and landslides in three places, one in the east, one in the west and one in Arabia at the end of which fire will burn forth from the Yemen, and drive people to the place of their assembly." (Sahih Muslim)
(4) Another verse indicating the second coming of the Jesus (as) is the following;
When the angels said, "Maryam, your Lord gives you good news of a Word from Him. His name is the Messiah, ‘Isa, son of Maryam of high esteem in this world and the hereafter, and one of those brought near. He will speak to people in the cradle, and also when fully grown, and will be one of the righteous," she said, "My Lord! How can I have a son when no man has ever touched me?"
He said, "It will be so. Allah creates whatever He wills. When He decides on something He just says to it, ‘Be!’ and it is. He will teach him the Book and Wisdom, and the Torah and the Injil…" (Surah Al ‘Imran: 45-48)
In the verse, it is heralded that Allah would instruct Jesus (as) about the Injil, the Torah and the "Book." No doubt, this book in question is very important. We come across the same expression in the Surat al-Ma'idah 110:
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; and when you created a bird-shape out of clay by My permission…" (Surat al-Ma'idah: 110)
When we analyze the "Book" in both of the verses, we see that it may indicate the Qur'an. Primarily, there is only one known divine book on the earth apart from the Torah, the Zabur and the Injil. Besides, in another verse in the Qur'an, next to the Torah and the Injil, the word "Book" is used to indicate the Qur'an.
Allah, there is no god but Him, the Living, the Self-Sustaining. He has sent down the Book to you with truth, confirming what has there before it. And He sent down the Torah and the Injil, previously, as guidance for mankind, and He has sent down the Furqan (the Criterion of judgment between right and wrong). (Surah Al ‘Imran: 2-4)
In this case, we may well consider that the third book which will be taught to Jesus (as) will be the Qur'an and we could assume that this will be possible only if he comes to earth at the end of time. Jesus (as) lived 600 years before the revelation of the Qur'an and it is unlikely that he knew the Qur'an before it was revealed. In this case, that he will learn the Qur'an during his second sojourn on earth could be a reasonable explanation. This is also explained in a hadith(singular of ahadith):
Abu Hurairah (ra) narrated that Allah's Messenger, peace be upon him, said, "By the One in Whose hand is my self, definitely the son of Maryam will soon descend among you as a just judge, and he will break the cross, kill the pig and abolish the jizyah, and wealth will be so abundant that no one will accept it, until a single prostration will be better than the world and everything in it. (Sahih al-Bukhari)
The ‘ulama (Islamic scholars) say that the meaning in this hadith of his acting as a just judge/ruler is that he will judge by the shari’ah of Islam, i.e. by the judgments in the Book of Allah, the Qur’an, and in the Sunnah of the Last Messenger of Allah, Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Allah surely knows best. As seen, verses on Jesus' (as) return to the earth are very explicit and remarkable. No similar statements are made for any other prophet mentioned in the Qur'an. Furthermore, no other prophet is referred to as "a Sign of the Hour" and no statement used for any other prophet in the Qur'an includes any connotation implying their return to the earth. However, all these statements are used for Jesus (as). The meaning of this is very clear.
There are Other Examples of People in the Qur'an Who Left the World and Then Returned After Hundreds of Years
A man who was resurrected after a century
One of these people is a man who remained dead for a century. This is related in Surat al-Baqarah:
Or the one who passed by a town which had fallen into ruin? He asked, "How can Allah restore this to life when it has died?" Allah caused him to die a hundred years then brought him back to life. Then He asked, "How long have you been here?" He replied, "I have been here a day or part of a day." He said, "Not so! You have been here a hundred years. Look at your food and drink - it has not gone bad - and look at your donkey so We can make you a Sign for all mankind. Look at the bones – how We raise them up and clothe them in flesh." When it had become clear to him, he said, "Now I know that Allah has power over all things." (Surat al-Baqarah: 259)
In the verses given in the previous pages, there is mention of the fact that Jesus (as) did not die but was "taken back." In the verse above, the man, however, definitely died. Consequently, even a dead person can rise again by the will of Allah. This is explicitly related in the Qur'an. There are similar other examples in the Qur'an.
Companions of the Cave awoke after years
Another example is related in the story of the "Companions of the Cave" related in Surat al-Kahf. Allah relates the story of young men who were compelled to take refuge from the cruel tyranny of the emperor of the time in a cave. It is related that they fell asleep and were woken up after years of sleep. The related verses follow:
When the young men took refuge in the cave and said, "Our Lord, give us mercy directly from You and open the way for us to right guidance in our situation." So We sealed their ears with sleep in the cave for a number of years. (Surat al-Kahf: 10-11)
You would have supposed them to be awake whereas in fact they were asleep. We moved them to the right and to the left, and at the entrance, their dog stretched out its paws. If you had looked down and seen them, you would have turned from them and run and have been filled with terror at the sight of them.
That was the situation when we woke them up so they could question one another. One of them asked, "How long have you been here?" They replied "We have been here for a day or part of a day." They said, "Your Lord knows best how long have you been here. Send one of your number into the city with this silver you have, so he can see which food is purest and bring you some of it to eat. But he should go about with caution so that no one is aware of you." (Surat al-Kahf: 18-19)
The Qur'an does not explain exactly how much time the young men spent in the cave. Instead, the duration of this period is implied by the words "for a number of years." People’s guess at this period however was rather high: 309 years. Allah says:
They stayed in their Cave for three hundred years and added nine.
Say: "Allah knows best how long they stayed. The Unseen of the heavens and the earth belongs to Him. How perfectly He sees, how well He hears! They have no protector apart from Him. Nor does He share His rule with anyone." (Surat al-Kahf: 25-26)
Surely, what matters here is not whether this period is short or long. The point is, Allah takes some people back, either by making them sleep, or simply making them die from this life for a particular period and then revives them. Just like people waking from a dream, Allah gives them life again. Jesus (as) is one of these people and, at due time, he will live again in this world. After fulfilling his task, he will die just like any other human being in accordance with the commandment of the verse in which He said: "On it you will live and on it you will die and from it you will be brought forth." (Surat al-A’raf: 25)
Jesus(as) In the Risale-i Nur Collection
In the Risale-I Nur collection, a Qur'anic commentary written by Said Nursi, also known as Bediuzzaman (the Wonder of the Age), one of the greatest Islamic scholars of the 20th century, there is extensive reference to the end of time and the second coming of Jesus (as).
It is a fact that today Muslim communities embrace different thoughts. However, a great number of Muslims from various cultures agree that Bediuzzaman was one of the greatest scholars of the 13th century (Muslim Calendar). That is why the detailed descriptions of the end of time by Bediuzzaman are of great importance for all Muslims.
In his explanations regarding the end of time, Bediuzzaman states that two philosophical movements, described as serious endeavors to establish disbelief, would cause disorder on earth. The first one will be a covert threat to Islam while the second class of movements will openly reject the existence of Allah. The second current is materialist and naturalist understandings that affirm that matter is an absolute being, which has existed since eternity and which will exist until eternity. The two movements further hold that living beings accidentally came into existence from non-living matter. (Naturalism is known as the philosophical dimension of Darwin's theory of evolution.)
This definition surely provides the basis of all ideologies denying the existence of Allah. Since early times, materialists opposed all religions revealed by Allah, fought against their supporters, oppressed people, waged wars and opened the way to every sort of degeneration in society.
Jesus (as), too, in his second coming to earth, will struggle against these materialist and naturalist movements and, by the will of Allah, will gain victory over them. Bediuzzaman draws attention in his books to the materialist movement:
The Second Current: A tyrannical current born of Naturalist and Materialist philosophy will gradually become strong and spread at the end of time by means of materialist philosophy, reaching such a degree that it denies God. (Mektubat, p.53)
Bediuzzaman heralds that Jesus (as) will come to earth at such a period when disbelief will dominate the earth. As stated in the following words of Bediuzzaman, in his second coming to earth, Jesus (as) will rule with the Qur'an and eliminate all bigotry in Christianity. Uniting against disbelief, Christians who have embraced Islam and Muslims will prevail over the disbelieving ideologies by the guidance of the Qur'an. The related section in the Risale-i Nur follows:
At that point when the current appears to be very strong, the religion of true Christianity, which comprises the collective personality of Jesus (Upon whom be peace), will emerge. That is, it will descend from the skies of Divine Mercy. Present Christianity will be purified in the face of that reality; it will cast off superstition and distortion, and unite with the truths of Islam. Christianity will in effect be transformed into a sort of Islam. Following the Qur’an, the collective personality of Christianity will be in the rank of follower, and Islam, in that of leader. True religion will become a mighty force as a result of its joining it. Although defeated before the atheistic current while separate, Christianity and Islam will have the capability to defeat and rout it as a result of their union. Then the person of Jesus (Upon whom be peace), who is present with his human body in the world of the heavens, will come to lead the current of true religion, as, relying on the promise of One Powerful Over All Things, the Bringer of Sure News has said. Since he has told of it, it is true, and since the One Powerful Over All Things has promised it, He will certainly bring it about. (Mektubat, p. 53-54)
In all his descriptions of the second coming, Bediuzzaman indicates that Jesus (as) will remove all the systems of disbelievers in that period. He further adds that he will receive great support from Muslims. Jesus (as) will act as a Muslim and pray behind the imam of the Muslims, and work together with the right-acting people from the Islamic world, and will assume leadership in spreading the Qur'an and its teachings, and remove the ongoing violence of the system of the disbelievers:
It will be the truly pious followers of Jesus who will kill the gigantic collective personality of materialism and irreligion which the Dajjal will form —for the Dajjal will be killed by Jesus’ (PUH) sword— and destroy his ideas and disbelief, which are atheistic. Those truly pious Christians will blend the essence of true Christianity with the essence of Islam and rout the Dajjal with their combined strength, in effect killing him. The narration: "Jesus (Peace be upon him) will come and will perform the obligatory prayers behind the Mahdi and follow him," alludes to this union, and to the sovereignty of the Qur’an and its being followed.(ªualar, p.493)
)How Can We Recognize Jesus (as)?
Who Will Be Able to Recognise Jesus (as)?
In earlier chapters, 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 recognize Jesus (as) when he comes back to the world and which of his attributes will make him recognizable?" At this stage, the unique sources we can refer to are, again, the Qur'an and the authentic Sunnah.
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 recognize him.
At this point, one has to keep in mind that recognizing 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. (Mektubat, p.54)
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 endeavor 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 favor is indeed immense. (Surat al-Anfal: 29)
Thus, those who will recognize 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. (ªualar, p.487)
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 recognize Jesus (as) would be to examine the attributes of the prophets. Surely, there are hundreds of them. However, in this section we will emphasize 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 favored 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 favored 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 recognized 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 favored 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 honor 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 judgment while still a child." (Surah Maryam: 12) About Musa, Allah informs us: "And when he reached his full strength and maturity, We gave him judgment 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 recognize 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 recognized 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 judgments, 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 judgments. 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 recognize 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 recognize and treasure this trait of his. Furthermore, although his enemies recognize 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 recognizable 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.
Chapter 7
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 favor to all humanity. Only a minority of people will enjoy this occasion. He will then be a blessed "savior" 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 "savior" 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 favored 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 honor 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)