3:55
Behold! Allah said: “O Jesus! I will take thee and raise thee to Myself and clear thee (of the falsehoods) of those who blaspheme; I will make those who follow thee superior to those who reject faith, to the Day of Resurrection: Then shall ye all return unto me, and I will judge between you of the matters wherein ye dispute.
The raising of ʿĪsā (Jesus) to the heavens is interpreted by some exegetes as a form of hijrah (divinely guided migration), reflecting a broader prophetic pattern in which messengers remain among their people as long as there is hope for acceptance of their message. According to this understanding, once opposition escalates to the point of attempted assassination, the prophet departs by Allah’s permission, separating from a corrupt society and joining the company of the righteous. This departure is portrayed as a turning point: believers migrate and establish a morally renewed community, while those who reject the message gradually decline and face humiliation. Classical scholars note that the Qurʾānic statement “and purify you from those who disbelieve” signifies both spiritual elevation and physical separation from hostile opponents. Following this event, Jesus is described as receiving divine assurance that his true followers would be granted distinction until the Day of Resurrection and that ultimate judgment would belong to Allah. Some interpretations also connect this stage of his mission with Gospel passages, such as John 16:7–14, which speak of a future messenger who would guide people toward truth. Within this framework, the ascension of Jesus is viewed not merely as a miraculous event but as part of the recurring prophetic cycle of migration, trial, and eventual vindication
If Mohammed was the last Prophet, why will Jesus return?
The Second Coming of Jesus: Qur’an, Hadith, and Biblical Prophecies
Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is the final prophet, and the Qur’an is the last revelation from Allah. No new prophet or scripture will ever come after him, and Islam is the complete religion until the Day of Judgment. The Qur’an itself does not explicitly mention the return of Jesus (ʿĪsā ملاسلا هيلع), but it does hint at it. Allah says: “There is none of the People of the Book but will surely believe in him before his death, and on the Day of Resurrection he will be a witness against them” (Qur’an 4:159). Also: “And indeed, he [Jesus] will be a sign for the Hour” (Qur’an 43:61). Muslims rely not only on the Qur’an but also on the authentic sayings of the Prophet ﷺ (Hadith), which clearly describe the return of Jesus. The Prophet ﷺ said: “There is no prophet between me and him, that is, Jesus. He will descend. When you see him, recognize him…” (Sunan Abi Dawud 4324; Sahih Muslim 155). The Bible also records prophecies: in the Old Testament, “For to us a child is born… and the government will be on his shoulders” (Isaiah 9:6– 7), and “Behold, with the clouds of heaven came one like a son of man… and his dominion is an everlasting dominion” (Daniel 7:13– 14). Jesus himself foretold in the New Testament: “For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels” (Matthew 16:27). When Jesus returns, he will not come as a new prophet with new revelation, but as a follower of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. The Hadith explain: “By the One in Whose hand is my soul, the son of Mary will soon descend among you as a just judge. He will break the cross, kill the pigs, and abolish the jizya, and wealth will be so abundant that no one will accept it” (Sahih al-Bukhari 2222; Sahih Muslim 155). Another Hadith says: “How will you be when the son of Mary descends among you and your imam is from among you?” (Sahih al-Bukhari 3448; Sahih Muslim 156). This proves he comes as a follower of Muhammad ﷺ, not as an independent prophet. Similarly, the Bible mentions his glorious return: “Immediately after the distress of those days… they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory” (Matthew 24:29–30), and “Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him” (Revelation 1:7). The Old Testament prophesies his just rule: “He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares” (Isaiah 2:4). The reason Jesus must return is to fulfill the promises of Allah and the prophecies about the Messiah. The Jews rejected Jesus as the Messiah because they expected a king who would establish God’s law on earth. Christians claimed he was crucified, but Islam clarifies: “They did not kill him, nor did they crucify him, but it was made to appear so to them… rather, Allah raised him up to Himself” (Qur’an 4:157–158). Because Jesus was raised alive, he must return to complete his mission. He will rule for forty years as a just leader, establishing Tawḥīd worldwide (Sunan Abi Dawud 4324). The Qur’an confirms God’s promise: “Our Lord, surely You will gather the people for a Day about which there is no doubt. Indeed, Allah does not fail in His promise” (Qur’an 3:9). The New Testament echoes this mission: “They will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And he will send out the angels and gather his elect” (Mark 13:26–27). The Old Testament also speaks of God’s eternal kingdom: “In the days of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed… it will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever” (Daniel 2:44). These combined prophecies confirm that Jesus’ return is necessary to fulfill God’s word and establish His justice on earth. Muslims believe in the second coming of Prophet ʿĪsā (Jesus, peace be upon him) because it is clearly mentioned in the Qur’an and Sunnah. While all prophets were eventually accepted by their followers as messengers of God, ʿĪsā (peace be upon him) was different—many of his followers mistakenly believed he claimed divinity or was the “Son of God.” The Qur’an explains that on the Day of Judgment, ʿĪsā (peace be upon him) will testify that he never told people to worship him or his mother, but only to worship Allah, his Lord and their Lord. This shows that his return is not to bring a new religion or message, but to correct this misunderstanding and confirm that he was a servant and messenger of Allah, not divine himself. The Qur’an also makes it clear that Islam is the final religion and Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the last messenger, so no new laws will be revealed. Instead, when ʿĪsā (peace be upon him) returns, he will live as a follower of Prophet Muhammad’s message, showing Christians and others that he never taught people to worship him. His return will expose false beliefs, “break the cross” (end false claims about his divinity), and lead people back to worshiping Allah alone. Even in the Bible, there is a reference to this in Matthew 7:21–23, where Jesus says that on the Day of Judgment many will say, “Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name? … and done many wonderful works?” but he will reply, “I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.” The Prophecy: Here Jesus says that on the Day of Judgment many will claim they prophesied, cast out demons, and did mighty works in his name, but he will declare to them: “I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.” This prophecy points to his second coming, when he will reject those who wrongly worshiped him instead of God. Therefore, the logic and need for his return is to establish truth, remove false beliefs, and confirm his true role as a prophet and messenger of Allah.
In Islamic teachings, the end times include the emergence of the Dajjāl (the Antichrist), a false messiah who will spread corruption, deception, and misguidance across the earth. He will perform extraordinary feats to confuse people, claiming divinity and leading many astray. At this critical moment, Allah will send back Prophet ʿĪsā (Jesus, peace be upon him), who never died but was raised up and will return before the Day of Judgment. Allah says: “Rather, Allah raised him up to Himself. And Allah is Exalted in Might and Wise” (Qur’an 4:158). He also says: “There is none of the People of the Book but will surely believe in him before his death, and on the Day of Resurrection he will be a witness against them” (Qur’an 4:159), and: “And indeed, he [Jesus] will be a sign for the Hour” (Qur’an 43:61). Jesus will descend near a white minaret in Damascus, wearing garments dyed with saffron, and will pray behind the Mahdī to show his humility. The Prophet ﷺ said: “There is no prophet between me and him, that is, Jesus. He will descend. When you see him, recognize him: a man of medium height, reddish fair, wearing two garments dyed with saffron, with his head looking as if it is dripping though it is not wet. He will fight the people for Islam, break the cross, kill the swine, abolish the jizya (false religious dominance), and Allah will cause all religions to perish except Islam. He will destroy the Dajjāl and will live on earth for forty years, then die, and the Muslims will pray over him” (Sunan Abi Dawud 4324; Sahih al-Bukhari 3448; Sahih Muslim 155). Most importantly, he will confront the Dajjāl and kill him at the gate of Ludd (near present-day Lod in Palestine) as mentioned in Sahih Muslim (Hadith 2937). Afterward, Jesus will rule with peace and justice, uniting humanity under the worship of the One God until the end approaches. Why Jesus Will Kill the Dajjāl – Context of the Jews One of the key reasons why Jesus himself, and not another prophet or leader, will be the one to kill the Dajjāl, is because much of the Dajjāl’s deception will center on claiming to be the awaited Messiah of the Jews. According to authentic hadith, the Dajjāl will appear among the Jews and many of them will follow him, believing he is their promised savior. The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Seventy thousand Jews from Isfahan, wearing Persian shawls, will follow the Dajjāl” (Sahih Muslim, Hadith 2944). This shows the false messianic claim of the Dajjāl: he will attempt to fulfill the expectations of the Jews who rejected Jesus as the Messiah. For this reason, Allah decreed that the true Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, must return and personally kill him, thereby proving once and for all that Jesus was indeed the true Messiah, not divine, and certainly the one the Jews denied. The Qur’an also highlights how some of the Children of Israel rejected and disbelieved in Jesus, even plotting against him:
“And [for] their saying, ‘Indeed, we have killed the Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary, the Messenger of Allah.’ And they did not kill him, nor did they crucify him; but it was made to appear so to them…” (Qur’an 4:157). Because they rejected him in life, Allah will send him back to vindicate the truth and remove the deception of the false messiah. When Jesus kills the Dajjāl, the truth will become undeniable, and as the Qur’an says: “There is none of the People of the Book but will surely believe in him before his death” (Qur’an 4:159).
Thus, Jesus’ killing of the Dajjāl serves a divine purpose:
- To expose the Dajjāl’s false messianic claim.
- To make the Jews (and Christians who deified him) realize the true status of Jesus as a Messenger of Allah and the real Messiah.
- To unite humanity under pure monotheism before the final Hour
3:56-59
3:56
“As to those who reject faith, I will punish them with terrible agony in this world and in the Hereafter, nor will they have anyone to help.”
3:57
“As to those who believe and work righteousness, Allah will pay them (in full) their reward; but Allah loveth not those who do wrong.”
3:58
“This is what we rehearse unto thee of the Signs and the Message of Wisdom.”
3:59
Islamic interpretation of the phrase ’Son of God’ as applied to Jesus (peace be upon him)
The similitude of Jesus before Allah is as that of Adam; He created him from dust, then said him:
“Be”. And he was.
The following excerpt is my personal opinion, and no one is obliged to follow:
In the Quran and Bible both, Jesus (peace be upon him) is described as:
(1) ’the word of Allah’:
when the angels said, “O Mary, indeed Allah gives you good tidings of a word
from Him, whose name will be the Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary – distinguished in this world and the Hereafter and among those brought near. (Quran 3:45)
And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. (The Bible, John 1:14, New Revised Standard Version)’
According to these references, Jesus (peace be upon him) was created miraculously without a father and the reasoning
behind such a miracle is described by Allah as ’a word (command) of Allah’).’
This concept is further explained in the following two verses:
Verily, in the sight of God, the nature of Jesus is as the nature of Adam, whom He created out of dust
and then said unto him, “Be” – and he is (Quran 3:59)
Muhammad Asad, explaining this verse, writes:
Lit., “The parable of Jesus is as the parable of Adam…”, etc. The expression mathal (rendered above as “nature”) is often metaphorically employed to denote the state or condition (of a person or a thing), and is in this sense – as the commentators have pointed out – synonymous with sifah (the “quality” or “nature” of a thing). As is evident from the sequence, the above passage is part of an argument against the Christian doctrine of the divinity of Jesus. The Qur’an stresses here, as in many other places, the fact that Jesus, like Adam – by which name, in this context, the whole human race is meant – was only a mortal “created out of dust”, i.e., out of substances, both organic and inorganic, which are found in their elementary forms on and in the earth. Cf. also 18:37, 22:5, 30:20, 35:11, 40:67, where the Qur’an speaks of all human beings as “created out of dust”. That “Adam” stands here for the human race is clearly implied in the use of the present tense in the last word of this sentence.
Quran 3:47:
She said, “My Lord, how will I have a child when no man has touched me?” said,
“Such is Allah; He creates what He wills. When He decrees a matter, He only says to it, ‘Be, ‘and it is.
The following commentary of this verse is taken from “Exposition of the Quran” by Ghulam Ahmad
Pervez pg. 117:
‘Mary was surprised to hear this tiding about the birth of a son and said, “How can I have a son
when no man has touched me?” The answer was the same that had been given to Zachariah (3:39),
namely that the child would be born in accordance with Allah’s law of
creation. Moreover, when He takes a decision about something, the initiation of the process starts
forthwith.’
(2) ’the spirit of Allah’:
O People of the Scripture, do not commit excess in your religion or say about Allah except thetruth. The
Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary, was but a messenger of Allah and His word whichHe directed to Mary
and a soul from Him. So believe in Allah and His messengers. And do not say, “Three”; desist – it is better for you. Indeed, Allah is but one God. Exalted is He above having a son. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. And sufficient is Allah as Disposer of affairs. (Quran 4:171)
And Mary the daughter of ’Imran, who guarded her chastity; and We breathed into (her body) of Our spirit; and she testified to the truth of the words of her Lord and of His Revelations, and was one of the devout (servants). (Quran 66:12)
And (remember) her who guarded her chastity: We breathed into her of Our spirit, and We made her and her son a sign for all peoples. (Quran 21:91)
A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots. The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. (The Bible, Isaiah 11:1-3, New Revised Standard Version)
According to Islam for Christians,
’As for Jesus being a spirit from Allah, the Arabic word “Ruh” has various interpretations. According to the Muslim exegetes, it may be interpreted as a breath let out by Angel Gabriel within the womb of Mary. According to this interpretation, this breath is called “Ruh” for a breath is nothing but a “Rih” (wind). According to a second interpretation, “Ruh” stand for life.
According to a third interpretation, “Ruh” refers to mercy. According to a fourth interpretation, “Ruh” means a soul. According to a fifth interpretation, “spirit” refers to AngelGabriel
rather than Jesus. Accordingly, the following verse: “The Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary, was but a messenger of Allah and His word which He directed to Mary and a spirit from Him” means that Jesus was a word directed to Mary by Allah and then by Angel Gabriel as the Holy Spirit.’
“Thus, according to the above references, Jesus (peace be upon him) was ’the word of Allah ‘and ’the spirit of Allah’; in other words, he was created by God miraculously without a father. Itis in this sense that the Bible refers to Jesus as ’the Son of God’, the idea being metaphorical and Jesus thus being ’the metaphorical Son of God’ as he was created without a father.”
In the Bible, in Romans 8:14 it is mentioned:
For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God (Romans 8:14, New International Version)
In the Quran, in Surah 112 Verse 3, it is mentioned:
He begetteth not, nor is He begotten (The Holy Quran, 112:3)
Yahiya Emerick comments,
“Jesus often prayed to God, Whom he affectionately called his ‘Father.’ Jesus never said in his own words that he was the biological son of God, and the Bible is replete with metaphorical references to God as a ‘Father’ in the Old Testament. The Jews never took it to mean that God was their father. Acts 2:22 clearly states, from the pen of an early Christian, that the disciples understood Jesus to be a man chosen by God. John 11:41-42 attests to Jesus’ appreciation for God answering his prayers. (Luke 3:38 even calls Adam the son of God!) Finally, just by pure logic, if any of the disciples really believed that Jesus was God in the flesh, God, the Creator of the stars, planets and sun, the giver of life and death and holder of Paradise, the dread Lord of Moses and Abraham, then none of them would have done anything else than flatten their faces on the ground and await their god’s good pleasure and command. They wouldn’t have caroused with him, laughed with him, questioned him, doubted him, passed bread around with him or disobeyed him in any command. Verse 5:75 of the Qur’an clearly makes the case by mentioning that Jesus and his mother had to eat every day. They were human beings, very special ones, but certainly not a god and his mother.” (The Holy Quran in Today’s English, p. 829)
As for the statement in the Bible:
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16, King James Version)”
The word ’begotten’ in this verse is not found in many manuscripts of the New Testament. In fact, the authors of the New Revised Standard Version have not even included this word in their translation. They translate this verse as follows:
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
Quran 19:34-35:
That is Jesus, the son of Mary – the word of truth about which they are in dispute. It is not for Allah to take a son; exalted is He! When He decrees an affair, He only says to it,
“Be,” and it is.
Quran 2:117:
Originator of the heavens and the earth. When He decrees a matter, He only says to it, “Be, “and it is.
3:60-64
3:60
The Truth (comes) from Allah alone; so be not of those who doubt.
3:61
If anyone disputes in this matter with thee, now after (full) knowledge Hath come to thee, say: “Come! let us gather together, – our sons and your sons, our women and your women, ourselves and yourselves: Then let us earnestly pray and invoke the curse of Allah on those who lie!”
3:62
This is the true account: There is no god except Allah; and Allah-He is indeed the Exalted in Power, the Wise.
3:63
But if they turn back, Allah hath full knowledge of those who do mischief.
3:64
Say: “O People of the Book! come to common terms as between us and you: That we worship none but Allah: that we associate no partners with him; that we erect not, from among ourselves, Lords and patrons other than Allah.” If then they turn back, say ye: “Bear witness that we (at least) are Muslims (bowing to Allah’s Will).
According to Tafsir Ibn Abbas,
After this, Allah invited them to accept Allah’s divine Oneness, saying: (Say: O People of the Scripture. Come to an agreement) the agreement is: there is no god except Allah (between us and you: that we shall worship none but Allah) we shall declare Allah as the only One God, (and that we shall ascribe no partners unto Him) from among created beings, (and that none of us shall take others for lords beside Allah) that none of us shall obey another person in that which involves a transgression against Allah. (And if they turn away) and refuse to accept Allah’s divine Oneness, (then say: Bear witness) know (that we are they who have surrendered (unto Him)) and acknowledge His divine Oneness and worship Him
References:
Abbas Ibn Abdullah. (2007). (p. 62.).
Asad, Muhammad (1980). (pg. 21). The Message of the Quran.
Emerick, Yahiya. The Meaning of the Holy Qur’an in Today’s English (p. 829). Unknown. Kindle
Edition.
Islahi, Amin Ahsan. Pondering Over The Qur’an: Surah Ali Imran (pp. 136-137). Islamic BookTrust. Kindle Edition.
Islam for Christians. (2020).
Perkins, Pheme. The New Oxford Annotated Bible with Apocrypha: New Revised Standard Version (Page 1886). Oxford University Press. Kindle Edition.
Pervez, Ahmad (2010). Exposition of the Quran. (p. 117).