THE SIGNS OF JESUS (Pbuh) SECOND COMING

Introduction

He (Jesus) is a Sign of the Hour... (Qur'an, 43:61)
A world of peace and security in which abundance will replace poverty and justice will prevail instead of cruelty, conflict, and tension - this is the longing of humanity. Due to all of the twentieth century's misery and pain, not to mention the ongoing problems all over the world today, this longing has become even more intense. A great majority of people desperately hope for a helping hand and wait for a savior who will save them from this misery, a person who will eliminate the negativite elements of the current system; ensure justice, peace, and security; and guide people to the truth and all that is good.
Everyone is waiting for this salvation: the needy who wait for an extended hand; the well-off who are in pain because of spiritual distress; and those who long for justice, order, peace, and moral excellence. By God's Will, this event may be very near. The developments that we see all around us today are the signs indicating the closeness of this salvation.
The great event that will be a means of humanity's salvation is the second coming of Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him). His return to Earth, a belief held by both Christians and Muslims, will end this world's all-pervasive cruelty and injustice and transform it into a place of peace, abundance, and justice.
According to the Qur'an, approximately 2,000 years ago God thwarted the unbelievers' plots to murder Prophet Jesus (pbuh) by raising him up to Himself. The Qur'an and the related hadiths (sayings of the Prophet Mohammed (may God bless him and grant him peace) tell us that he will come back to Earth again in the End Times, the times preceding the Day of Judgment.
In this book, we will examine the signs of Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) second coming from the Islamic sources and how the signs that they provide have come true one by one. People witnessing these signs may, by God's Will, hope that his return is close.
But before this, we need to emphasize that the world is also getting sociologically prepared for such a great event. As we mentioned earlier, the chain of events through which humanity has passed during the last two centuries has, both covertly and overtly, raised the expectation of a savior in the minds of people all over the world. People have increasingly seen that materialistic ideologies and lifestyles cannot save humanity; rather, they lead humanity closer to disaster and emptiness. This situation has caused many people to turn to the morality of religion.
Meanwhile, some secular researchers, scholars, or historians who analyze these developments also think that the world is searching for a Messiah and that this pursuit will deliver substantial results. For instance, Michael Baigent, Richard Leigh, and Henry Lincoln, the British researchers who have received worldwide attention with their book Holy Blood, Holy Grail (Dell: 1983), wrote another book, The Messianic Legacy (Dell: 1989), in which they examined Prophet Jesus (pbuh) and this expectation. In their book, they make the following comment:
Different as our modern world may be from the world of two thousand years ago, it is astonishing how much our own epoch has in common with what Jesus and his contemporaries regarded as the Last Times. We may, today, be technologically more adept and endowed with considerably more knowledge. But, regrettably, we do not appear to be any wiser, any more intelligent… We are once again living through an acute crisis of meaning, an uncertainty about our direction and our goals. The various systems, programmes and ideologies which, less than a century ago, seemed to promise so much have all, to one degree or another, proved hollow. As in Jesus's time, there is a pervasive awareness that something is disastrously wrong. Each new terrorist outrage, each new air crash, each new natural disaster produces a frisson of panic. The profound and rapid changes in our civilisation, the dissatisfaction with our systems of government, the increase use of indiscriminate murder and terrorism as a means of political protest - all have fostered a sense of general collapse, a wholesale disintegration of values. Society feels itself 'held to ransom'… And, disillusioned by materialism's failure to answer the question, we seek, as in Jesus's time, a response in another dimension - a spiritual one.1
The authors add the following:
As in Jesus's time, we live, quite palpably, in the shadow of an impending apocalyptic event… We are all helpless hostages to a reality we no longer fully control… And beneath the general anxiety, the maddening sense of impotence, the disillusionment with inept or irresponsible politicians, there is a profound longing for a genuine spiritual leader… who will understand, will take charge and - without of course violating established democratic freedoms - assume the role of guide, conferring meaning once again on lives which have grown increasingly empty.2
These authors, who make this important social analysis, arrive at a conclusion for the twenty-first century: The return of Prophet Jesus (pbuh) is also being prepared for in the sociological sense.
And yet our age appears determined to embrace on another form of Messianic myth in order to obtain a sense of meaning.3
It is no coincidence that this sociological infrastructure has been established at a time when the signs of Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) second coming appear one after another. The hadith literature provides us with a detailed account of these signs. In addition, the signs of this event as revealed in the New Testament have parallels with those stated in the hadiths. The great majority of these signs have come true in our day, one after other and within the same period. That so many signs have come true in such a manner indicate the closeness of Jesus' second coming. While reading this book, you will also begin to realize this fact.
Keep in mind that, every portent examined in this book is a reminder that we are living in a blessed period. This historical good news, for which people have been waiting for centuries, is, by God's Will, about to come true. This is a great source of zeal and excitement for all believers.
God promises to the people of sincere faith "to make them successors in the land, as He made those before them successors." This promise is related as follows:
God has promised those of you who believe and do right actions that He will make them successors in the land, as He made those before them successors; will firmly establish for them their religion, with which He is pleased; and give them, in place of their fear, security. "They worship Me, not associating anything with Me." Any who disbelieve after that, such people are deviators. (Surat an-Nur, 24:55)
By God's Will, Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) return will cause religion's morality to pervade all over the world and all sincere believers to attain security. Along with all other believers, we hope that our Lord will honor us by letting us meet this blessed visitor and enable us to make the best preparations to meet him.

GOD'S PROMISE : PROPHET JESUS (Pbuh) WILL RETURN

God's Promise: Prophet Jesus (Pbuh) Will Return

The lives of God's chosen Messengers contain many messages and lessons for all people, especially when we study their encounters, their troubles, and their great struggles. The Qur'an cites Jesus as an example for people to follow, because of how he conducted his life and his struggle, and because of his great virtue.
Jesus' birth, life, and ascension to God's presence are all miracles that the Qur'an reveals in some detail. Although God reveals the narratives of many Prophets, Jesus, whom God supported with superior wisdom, is set apart from the others in several aspects, among them that he spoke even in the cradle, and that he was the vehicle for countless miracles while he was in this world. That his status is different also can be deduced from the fact that he was raised to God's presence and that the Qur'an indicates strongly his second coming.
The Qur'an reveals that the unbelievers devised a plot to take Jesus' life. According to some sources, a group of bigoted Jewish scribes and priests bribed Judas Iscariot, one of the disciples, to betray him, after which they would arrest Jesus and hand him over to the Romans. According to the same sources, the priests did not have the power to sentence someone to death and so had to make another plan to agitate the Roman regime. Thus, they portrayed Jesus as being hostile to the Roman leadership, for the Romans were highly sensitive and ruthless when confronted with dissidents. But these priests failed, for the Qur'an relates:
They [unbelievers] planned and God planned. But God is the best of planners. (Surah Al 'Imran, 3:54)
As the verses reveal, they plotted and moved to kill Jesus. However, their plot failed and they ended up killing a look-alike. During this event, God raised Jesus up to His presence:
And [on account of] their saying: "We killed the Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, Messenger of God." 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. God raised him to Himself. God is Almighty, All-Wise. (Surat An-Nisa', 4:157-158)
Many people believe in the widespread assumption that the Romans crucified Jesus. The Roman soldiers and Jewish priests who arrested Jesus are said to have killed him on the cross. Although some historical Christian sects such as Docetism have denied this, today, the world of Christianity completely believes it, as well as that he was resurrected three days later and, after several brief meetings with his disciples and others, ascended into the heavens.
The Qur'an, however, says otherwise. The reality revealed in the verses is clear. The Romans, abetted by some Jews' agitation, attempted to kill Jesus but did not succeed. The expression "but it was made to seem so to them" reveals this fact. God showed them a look-alike and raised Jesus up to His presence. Our Lord also reveals that those who made that claim had no knowledge of the truth.
In the early years of Christianity, several views on Jesus' fate emerged. In the subsequent centuries and until the articles of faith were fully formulated at the Council of Nicea (325), these ideological differences continued to persist, and movements that claimed that Jesus had not been crucified were accused of heresy and its members were persecuted.
The Qur'anic Account of Jesus' Ascent to God's Presence
Examining the words used in the narratives relating how the Prophets died and the verses dealing with Jesus' ascent to God's presence reveals an important fact: Jesus did not die like the other prophets did, nor was he murdered by the unbelievers. Rather, our Lord took him up to His presence. In this chapter, we will examine the Arabic words used to express how the Prophets died and how Jesus was raised up to God's presence, and investigate how the Qur'an uses them.
As we will see in greater detail later on, the Qur'an uses qataloohu (to kill), maata (to die), halaka (to perish), salaboohu (they crucified him), or some other special expressions to describe the death or murder of the Prophets. In the case of Jesus, the Qur'an clearly states that he was not killed in any of those ways, for: "They did not kill him [wa ma qataloohu] and did not crucify him [wa ma salaboohu]." God reveals that people were shown a look-alike and that Jesus was raised up to His presence, as follows:
When God said: "Jesus, I will take you back [mutawaffeeka] and raise you up [wa raafi`uka] to Me and purify you of those who are unbelievers. And I will place the people who follow you above those who are unbelievers until the Day of Rising..." (Surah Al 'Imran, 3: 55)
The following are the ways in which the words referring to death in the Qur'an and the word tawaffa in Surah Al `Imran are used:
1) Tawaffa: To Cause To Die, To Take in One's Sleep, or To Take Back
The word tawaffa used in Surah Al `Imran 3 and translated as "taking back" here and "causing to die" in some Qur'an translations, has various connotations. Examining the Arabic verses clearly reveals that these connotations of the word should be considered while applying it to Jesus' situation. The Qur'an describes his being taken back to God in the words that Jesus will say on the Day of Judgment:
[Jesus said], "I said to them nothing but what You ordered me to say: 'Worship God, my Lord and your Lord.' I was a witness against them as long as I remained among them, but when You took me back to You [tawaffa], You were the One watching over them. You are the Witness of all things." (Surat al-Ma'ida, 5:117)
In Arabic the word that is translated in some translations of this verse as "You have caused me to die" is tawaffa and comes from the root wafa - to fulfil. Tawaffa does not actually mean "death" but the act of "taking the self back" either in sleep, in death or as in the case of Jesus being taken back into the presence of God. From the Qur'an again, we understand that "taking the self back" does not necessarily mean death. For instance, it can mean "taking back the self while one is asleep," as indicated in the following verse:
It is He Who takes you back to Himself [yatawaffaakum] at night, while knowing the things you perpetrate by day, and then wakes you up again, so that a specified term may be fulfilled. (Surat al-An'am, 6:60)
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 the verse above, 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." In the following verse, the same word is used like this:
God takes back people's selves [yatawaffaa] when their death [mawtihaa] arrives and those who have not yet died, while they are asleep [lam tamut]. He keeps hold of those whose death [mawt] has been decreed and sends the others back for a specified term. (Surat Az-Zumar, 39:42)
As this verse clarifies, God takes back the self of the one who is asleep, yet He sends back 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.4
Imam al-Qurtubi makes clear that there are three meanings to the term wafat which is from the same root as tawaffa:the wafat of death, the wafat of sleep, and last, the wafat of being raised up to God, as in the case of Jesus.
2) Qatala: To Kill
The Qur'an uses qatala to mean "to kill," as in the following verse:
Pharaoh said: "Let me kill [aqtulu] Moses and let him call upon his Lord! I am afraid that he may change your religion and bring about corruption in the land." (Surah Ghafir, 40:26)
In Arabic, "let me kill Moses" is aqtulu Musa, a phrase that is derived from the verb qatala. In another verse, the same word is used in the following way:
... [That was because they] killed [yaqtuloona] the Prophets without any right to do so. (Surat al-Baqara, 2:61)
The expression yaqtuloona (they killed) is also derived from qatala. The translation is clearly "to kill."
The verses below speak of the deaths of the Prophets, and the usage of the verb qatala is marked. All words in brackets are derivatives of this verb.
We will write down what they said and their killing [wa qatlahum] of the Prophets without any right to do so. (Surah Al 'Imran, 3:181)
Say: "Why, then, if you are believers, did you previously kill [taqtuloona] the Prophets of God?" (Surat al-Baqara, 2:91)
As for those who reject God's Signs, and kill [yaqtuloona] the Prophets without any right to do so, and kill [yaqtuloona] those who command justice... (Surah Al 'Imran, 3:21)
"Kill [uqtuloo] Joseph or expel him to some land." (Surah Yusuf, 12:9)
..."Moses, the Council is conspiring to kill you [li yaqtulooka]." (Surat al-Qasas, 28:20)
The only answer of his [Abraham's] people was to say: "Kill [uqtuloohu] him or burn him!" (Surat al-'Ankabut, 29:24)
3) Halaka: To Perish
Another word used to denote the act of killing is halaka. It also is used to mean "to perish, to be destroyed, or to die," as in the verse given below:
... when he [Joseph] died [halaka], you said: "God will never send another Messenger after him."(Surah Ghafir, 40:34)
The phrase idha halaka is translated as "when he died." meaning "to die."
4) Mawt: Death
Another word used to relate a Prophet's death is mawt, a noun derived from the verb maata (to die), as follows:
Then when We decreed that he [Prophet Solomon] should die [mawt], nothing divulged his death [mawtihi] to them except the worm that ate his staff. (Surah Saba', 34:14)
In the following verse, another form of the verb is used:
Peace be upon him [Prophet John] the day he was born, the day he dies [yamootu], and the day he is raised up again alive. (Surah Maryam, 19:15)
The word yamootu is translated here as "they day he dies," and the same word is used (in the form of a noun) to relate Jacob's death:
Or were you present when death [mawt] came to Jacob? (Surat al-Baqara, 2:133)
In another verse, the verbs qatala (in the passive form qutila) and maata are used together:
Mohammed is only a Messenger, and he has been preceded by other Messengers. If he were to die [maata] or be killed [qutila], would you turn on your heels? (Surah Al 'Imran, 3:144)
Other forms of the verb are used in other verses to denote the death of Prophets:
She exclaimed: "Oh if only I had died [mittu] before this time and was something discarded and forgotten!" (Surah Maryam, 19:23)
We did not give any human being before you immortality [khuld]. And if you die [mitta], will they then be immortal? (Surat al-Anbiya', 21: 34)
"He Who will cause my death [yumeetunee], then give me life." (Surat ash-Shu'ara', 26: 81)
5) Khalid: Immortal
The word khalid means immortality, permanence, and continued existence, as in the following verse:
We did not give them bodies that did not eat food, nor were they immortal [khalideena]. (Surat al-Anbiya', 21:8)
6) Salaba: To Crucify
Another word used in the Qur'an to relate death is salaba (to crucify). This verb has various meanings (e.g., to hang, to crucify, to execute) and is used in the following ways:
They did not kill him and they did not crucify him [wa maa salaboohu]. (Surat An-Nisa', 4:157)
[Joseph said:] "One of you will serve his lord with wine, the other of you will be crucified [yuslabu]." (Surah Yusuf, 12:41)
They should be killed or crucified [yusallaboo]. (Surat al-Ma'ida, 5:33)
[Pharaoh said:] "I will cut off your alternate hands and feet, and then I will crucify [la usallibannakum] every one of you." (Surat al-A'raf, 7:124)
As the verses show, the words used to express Jesus' situation are altogether different to those used to describe the deaths of the other Prophets. God states that Jesus was neither killed nor crucified, that a look-alike was killed in his place, and that he was taken back (in other words that his soul was taken) and raised up to His presence. When talking of Jesus', the Qur'an uses tawaffa (to take the soul) whereas when talking of the other Prophets, it uses qataloohu or maata (and its derivatives) to mean "death" in the conventional sense. This information shows us yet again that Jesus' situation was extraordinary.
Jesus' Second Coming to Earth
The subject of Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) second coming is clearly proclaimed in the Qur'an and our Prophet's (may God bless him and grant him peace) sayings. There are certain statements pertaining to this issue in many verses and hadiths.
Evidence from the Qur'an "... I will place the people who follow you above those who are unbelievers until the Day of Resurrection..."
The first verse indicating Jesus' return is given below:
When God said: "Jesus, I will take you back and raise you up to Me, and purify you of those who are unbelievers. And I will place the people who follow you above those who are unbelievers until the Day of Resurrection. Then you will all return to Me, and I will judge between you regarding the things about which you differed. (Surah Al 'Imran, 3:55)

We gave Moses the book and sent a succession of Messengers after him. We gave Jesus, son of Mary, the Clear Signs and reinforced him with the Purest Spirit… (Surat al-Baqara, 2:87)
God mentions that a group of Jesus' true followers will dominate the unbelievers until the Day of Resurrection. Jesus did not have many followers during his tenure on Earth and, with his ascension, the religion that he had brought degenerated rapidly. Over the next two centuries, those who believed in Jesus were oppressed because they had no political power. Therefore, we cannot say that the early Christians dominated the unbelievers in the sense indicated by the verse given above.
At present, Christianity is so far removed from its original state that it no longer resembles the religion taught by Jesus. Christians have adopted the mistaken belief that Jesus is God's son (surely God is beyond all that which they falsely ascribe to Him) and incorporated the Trinity (viz., the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) into their religion centuries ago. Given this, we cannot acknowledge today's Christians as being true followers of Jesus. In the Qur'an, God states more than once that those who believe in the Trinity are, in fact, unbelievers:
Those who say that the Messiah, son of Mary, is the third of three are unbelievers. There is no god but the One God. (Surat al-Ma'ida, 5:73)
In this case, "And I will place the people who follow you above those who are unbelievers until the Day of Resurrection" carries a clear message: There has to be a group of Jesus' followers who will exist until the Last Day. Such a group will emerge after his second coming, and those who follow him at that time will dominate the unbelievers until the Last Day.
This aside, the expression, "Then you will all return to Me" at the verse's end is striking. After relating that those who follow Prophet Jesus (pbuh) will be superior to the unbelievers, God states that everyone, including Prophet Jesus (pbuh), will return to Him. Here, the expression is understood to mean their death. This may also be a sign that Prophet Jesus (pbuh) will die at a time close to Doomsday, after his second coming.
"There is not one of the People of the Book who will not believe in him before he dies..."
In the Qur'an, we read that:
There is not one of the People of the Book who will not believe in him before he dies; and on the Day of Resurrection he [Jesus] will be a witness against them. (Surat An-Nisa', 4:159)
The phrase "there is not one of the People of the Book who will not believe in him before he dies" is very interesting. In Arabic, the sentence reads as follows: Wa-in min ahli al-kitaabi illaa la yu'minanna bihi qabla mawtihi.
Some scholars believe that the "him/it" in this verse refers to the Qur'an instead of Jesus, and so understand it to mean that the People of the Book will believe in the Qur'an before they die. However, it is beyond dispute that the same word in the preceding two verses refers to Jesus:
And [on account of] their saying: "We killed the Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, Messenger of God." 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', 4:157)
God raised him [Jesus] up to Himself. God is Almighty, All-Wise. (Surat An-Nisa', 4:158)
The word "him," which is used in the verse straight after the above two, refers to Jesus, and there is no evidence to suggest otherwise.
There is not one of the People of the Book who will not believe in him before he dies; and on the Day of Resurrection he [Jesus] will be a witness against them. (Surat An-Nisa', 4:159)
The expression "and on the Day of Resurrection he will be a witness against them" is important. The Qur'an reveals that on that Day, people's tongues, hands, and feet (Surat An-Nur, 24:24, Surah Ya Sin, 36:65), as well as their eyes, ears, and skin (Surah Fussilat, 41:20-23), will testify against them. No verse indicates that the Qur'an will be the witness during this event. If the first part of the verse is taken to mean "the Qur'an" - even though there is no evidence in the syntax or the succession of verses for this - "him" or "it" in the second part also would refer 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 examine the Qur'an's verses, we see that when the same personal pronoun refers to the Qur'an, there is generally mention of the Qur'an before or after that specific verse as in the cases of 27:77 and 26:192-96. If the Qur'an is not mentioned before, after, or in the verse, saying that the pronoun refers to the Qur'an could be mistaken. The verse clearly speaks of the belief in Jesus and that he will be a witness for those who believe.
Another point we need to make here has to do with the interpretation of "before he dies." Some believe that this stands for the People of the Book "having faith in Jesus before their own death." According to this view, everyone from the People of the Book will definitely believe in Jesus before he or she dies. But at the time of Jesus, most of the Jews (who are members of the People of the Book) not only refused to believe in him, but also plotted his death. Then, believing him to be dead, they continued to deny him. In general, the same circumstances are true for the Jews of our own time, as they do not recognize Jesus as a Prophet. As a result, millions of the People of the Book have lived and died without ever believing in Jesus. Therefore, the verse does not speak of the death of this group, but rather of the death of Jesus. In the end, the reality revealed by the Qur'an is this: "Before Jesus dies, all People of the Book will believe in him."
When the verse is regarded in the light of its true meaning, several clear facts emerge. First, it becomes apparent that the verse refers to the future, because it speaks of Jesus' death. As explained earlier, he never died but was raised to God's presence. Jesus will return to Earth, where he will live and die like all other people. Second, it says that all People of the Book will believe in him. Obviously, this has not yet happened. And so, given the context, "before he dies" refers to Jesus. The People of the Book will see and recognize him, and then become Muslim followers of Jesus, as will be explained shortly. In turn, he will be their witness on the Last Day. (God knows best.)
"He is a Sign of the Hour..."

When the angels said: “Mary, your Lord gives you good news of a Word from Him. His name is the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, of high esteem in this world and the Hereafter, and one of those brought near.” (Surah Al ‘Imran, 3:45)
In Surat az-Zukhruf, we are informed of Jesus' return and some other facts, as follows:
When an example is made of the son of Mary [Jesus], 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 servant on whom We bestowed Our blessing and whom We made an example for the tribe of Israel. If We willed, We could appoint angels in exchange for you to succeed you on Earth. (Surat Az-Zukhruf, 43:57-60)
The next verse states that Jesus is a sign of the Day of Judgment:
He [Jesus] is a Sign of the Hour. Have no doubt about it. But follow me. This is a straight path. (Surat Az-Zukhruf, 43:61)
Ibn Juzayy says that the first meaning of this verse is that Jesus is a sign or precondition of the Last Hour. We can confidently say that this verse indicates his return at the End Times, because he lived six centuries before the Qur'an's revelation. Therefore we cannot consider his first life as a sign of the Day of Judgment. The verse says that Jesus will return toward the end of time or, in other words, during the last period of time before the Day of Judgment. In that context, his return is a sign of the Hour's imminent arrival. (God knows best.)
In Arabic, the expression "He is a Sign of the Hour" is Innahu la `ilmun li as-saa`ati.
Some say that the pronoun hu (he/it) in this expression refers to the Qur'an. However if this pronoun is used to denote the Qur'an, we would expect other words to be present, whether before, after, or in the verse, that speak of the Qur'an. The word hu cannot denote the Qur'an when the subject is altogether different. Furthermore, the preceding verse clearly refers to Jesus with the word hu:
He [Jesus] is only a servant on whom We bestowed Our blessing and whom We made an example for the tribe of Israel. (Surat Az-Zukhruf, 43:59)
Those who say that hu refers to the Qur'an rely on the expression "Have no doubt about it. But follow me," which continues the verse. However, since the preceding verses speak only of Jesus, it is far more realistic to accept that hu refers to him, as in the preceding verses. The great scholars of Islam interpret this pronoun as referring to Jesus, an opinion that they base on other Qur'anic verses and hadiths. In his commentary, Elmalili Muhammad Hamdi Yazir writes that:
No doubt he [Jesus] is a sign of the Hour, one that declares that the Hour will come, that the dead will be resurrected and stand up, because the miracle of Jesus' second coming and his miracle of resurrecting the dead, together with his revelation that the dead will rise, prove that the Day of Judgment is real. According to the hadiths, his arrival is a sign of the Last Day."5
"He will teach him the Book and Wisdom, and the Torah and the Gospel."
Other verses indicating Jesus' second coming is the following:
When the angels said: "Mary, your Lord gives you good news of a Word from Him. His name is the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, of high esteem in this world and the Hereafter, and one of those brought near [to God]. He will speak to people in the cradle, and also when fully grown, and will be one of the righteous." She asked: "My Lord! How can I have a son when no man has ever touched me?" He said: "It will be so. God 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 Gospel." (Surah Al 'Imran, 3:45-48)
The last verse reveals that God will teach Jesus the "Book," the Torah, and the Gospel. Obviously, this book in question is very important. The same expression is also used in the verse given below:
Remember when God said: "Jesus, son of Mary, 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 Gospel." (Surat al-Ma'ida, 5:110)
When we examine how "Book" is used here, we see that it refers to the Qur'an in both cases. The verses reveal that after the Torah, the Psalms and the Gospel, the Qur'an is the final divine book. Some other verses use "Book" to denote the Qur'an, after mentioning the Torah and the Gospel, such as the following:
God, there is no god but Him, the Living, the Self-Sustaining. He has sent down the Book to you with truth, confirming what was there before it. And He sent down the Torah and the Gospel previously. (Surah Al 'Imran, 3:2-4)
Other verses also call the Qur'an the "Book":
When a Book comes to them from God, confirming what is with them - even though before that they were praying for victory over the unbelievers - yet when what they recognize comes to them, they reject it. God's curse is on the unbelievers. (Surat al-Baqara, 2:89)
For this We sent a Messenger to you from among you to recite Our Signs to you, to purify you, to teach you the Book and Wisdom, and to teach you things you did not know before. (Surat al-Baqara, 2:151)
In this case, the Qur'an is the third book that Jesus will be taught. But this will be possible only when he returns to Earth, for he lived 600 years before the Qur'an's revelation. As we will see in great detail in the following chapters, the hadiths reveal that Jesus will rule with the Qur'an, not the Gospel, on his second coming. This corresponds with the verse's meaning.

And We sent Jesus, son of Mary, Following in their footsteps, confirming the Torah that came before him. We gave him the Gospel, containing guidance and light, confirming the Torah that came before it, and as guidance and admonition for those who guard againts evil. (Surat al-Ma’ida, 5:46)
"The likeness of Jesus in God's sight is the same as Adam."
The verse above (Surah Al 'Imran, 3:59) could also indicate Jesus' return. Muslim scholars who have written Qur'anic commentaries point out that this verse indicates the fact that both Prophets did not have a father, for God created both of them with the command "Be!" However, the verse could also have another meaning: Just as Adam was sent down to Earth from God's presence, Jesus will be sent down to Earth from God's presence during the End Times.
As we have seen, the verses regarding Jesus' return are very clear. As the Qur'an does not use such expressions for any other Prophet, its meaning is fairly obvious.
"... The day I was born, the day I die, and the day I am raised up again alive..."
Surah Maryam also mentions Jesus' death in the following verse:
[Jesus said,] "Peace be upon me the day I was born, the day I die, and the day I am raised up again alive." (Surah Maryam, 19:33)
When this verse is considered in conjunction with Surah Al `Imran 55, an important reality emerges: While Surah Al `Imran states that Jesus was raised up to God's presence and does not mention that he died or was killed, Surah Maryam speaks of the day on which he will die. This second death can only be possible after he returns and lives on Earth for a period of time. (Only God knows for certain.)
"... You could speak to people in the cradle and when you were fully grown…"
Another piece of evidence for Jesus' return is the word kahlaan, used Surat al-Ma'ida 110 and Surah Al `Imran 46. These verses say:
Remember when God said: "Jesus, son of Mary, 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 [kahlaan]…" (Surat al-Ma'ida, 5:110)
He will speak to people in the cradle, and also when fully grown [kahlaan], and will be one of the righteous. (Surah Al 'Imran, 3:46)
Kahlaan, which is used only in these two verses, only in reference to Jesus, and to express Jesus' adulthood means "someone between the age of 30 and 50, someone who is no longer young, someone who has reached the perfect age." Islamic scholars agree that it denotes the age of 35 or above. They base their views on a hadith reported by Ibn 'Abbas that Jesus was raised up to God's presence in his early 30s, and that he will live for 40 years when he comes again. Therefore, they suggest that this verse is evidence for Jesus' return, since his old age will occur following his second coming.6 (Only God knows for certain.)
Close study of the relevant verses easily shows how right Islamic scholars are on this question. For example, this expression is used only with regard to Jesus. Although all of the Prophets spoke with their people, invited them to religion, and communicated their message at a mature age, the Qur'an does not use such expressions when talking about them. Rather, they are used only to voice a miraculous situation, because the expressions "in the cradle" and "when fully grown," when used one after the other, refer to two miraculous events.
In The Commentary of at-Tabari, Imam at-Tabari gives the following explanation of these verses:
These statements [Surat al-Ma'ida 110] indicate that in order to complete his lifespan and speak to people when fully grown, Jesus will come down from heaven. That is because he was raised to heaven when still young. In this verse [Surah Al 'Imran 46], there is evidence that Jesus is living, and the Ahl al-Sunnah share that view. That is because in this verse it is stated that he will speak to people when fully grown. He will be able to grow fully only when he returns to Earth from heaven.7
The meanings of kahlaan, as well as the other information provided by the Qur'an, indicate Jesus' second coming in the End Times and that he will guide people to the true religion of Islam (only God knows for certain). No doubt, this is good news and a grace and gift of God for those who believe. The believers are responsible for supporting and defending him in the most appropriate way, and for living wholeheartedly the Qur'anic morality to which he calls them.
Evidence from the Hadith

This is some of the news of the Unseen that We reveal to you. Neither you nor your people knew it before this time. So be steadfast. The best end result is for those who guard against evil. (Surah Hud, 11:49)
The Prophet Mohammed (may God bless him and grant him peace) has revealed many important matters about Jesus' return, as well as some of the things that will happen before and after this event, in his hadiths. All of this information is from the "Unseen," and was given to him by God, as related in the following verse:
He [God] is the Knower of the Unseen, and does not divulge His Unseen to anyone - except a Messenger with whom He is well pleased, and then He posts sentinels before him and behind him. (Surat al-Jinn , 72:26-27)
Our Lord also reveals that He sent knowledge to Prophet Mohammed (may God bless him and grant him peace) in his dreams:
God has confirmed His Messenger's vision with truth: "You will enter the Sacred Mosque [Masjid al-Haram] in safety, God willing, shaving your heads and cutting your hair without any fear." He knew what you did not know and ordained, in place of this, an imminent victory. (Surat al-Fath , 48:27)
God gives such knowledge to our Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) in order to help and support both him as well as all of the faithful believers who were with him.
Some of this revealed information deals with the signs of the End Times. The most significant of these revelations concerns Jesus' second coming. The hadiths about the End Times can be found in sahih (accredited) hadith collections such as Imam Nawawi's Riyadh as-Salihin, Imam Malik's Al-Muwatta', Ibn Khuzayma's Sahih, Ibn Hibban's Sahih, Ibn Ahmad Hanbal's Musnad, and Abu Dawud al-Tayalisi's Musnad. From these sources, we learn that the Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) made many important revelations about Jesus, all of which are considered tawatur (reliable).
The Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) reveals in his hadiths that religious morality will dominate the world; that peace, justice, and prosperity will prevail; and that this will be achieved by Jesus, who will unite the Christian and Islamic worlds. At present, many societies are under the influence of anti-religious philosophies, and the resulting models are obvious. Such problems as immorality, drugs, terrorism, and famine demand that Christians and Muslims join together to fight these problems on an intellectual level. The world's current social structure makes an alliance between Islam and Christianity inevitable. Considering Christianity's influence over the West and its leaders, the influence that an alliance between Islam and Christianity would have is clear enough for all to see.

Remember when God said: “Jesus, son of Mary, 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 Gospel…” (Surat al-Ma’ida, 5:110)
The Hadiths on Jesus Are "Tawatur"
The hadiths relating Jesus' second coming are reliable [tawatur]. Research shows that scholars share this view. Tawatur is defined as "a tradition which has been handed down by a number of different channels of transmitters or authorities, hence supposedly ruling out the possibility of its having been forged."8
Sayyid Sharif al-Jurjani, an Islamic scholar, explains the concept of tawatur hadith as follows:
News of mutawatir, are the news upon which so many transmitters agree; to such an extent that, according to the tradition, it is unlikely for so many transmitters to reach to a consensus on a lie. This being the situation, if statements and meanings agree with one another, then this is called mutawatir lafzi [verbal mutawatir]. If there is common meaning yet contradiction between statements [words], then it is called mutewatir-i manawi [mutawatir by meaning].9
In his Al-Tasrih fi ma Tawatara fi Nuzul al-Masih, the great hadith scholar Muhammad Anwar Shah Kashmiri writes that the hadiths about Jesus' second coming are all reliable, and quotes 75 hadiths and 25 works by companions of the Prophet and their disciples (tabi'un).
In the Sunni school of Islam, Imam Abu Hanifa is the greatest collector of hadiths on Jesus' second coming. In the final part of his Al-Fiqh al-Akbar, he states that:
The emergence of the Dajjal and of Gog and Magog is a reality; the rising of the sun in the West is a reality; the descent of Jesus, upon whom be peace, from the heavens is a reality; and all the other signs of the Day of Resurrection, as contained in authentic traditions, are also established realities.10
Jesus' second coming is one of the ten great signs of the Last Day, and many Islamic scholars have dealt with the subject in great detail. When all of these views are considered together, it becomes apparent that there is a consensus on this event.
For instance, in his work Lawaqi Al-Anwar Al-Bahiyah, Imam al-Safarini expresses that Islamic scholars agree upon this issue:
The entire ummah (Muslim community) has agreed on the issue that Prophet Jesus (pbuh), the son of Maryam, will return. There is no one from the people who follow Muslim laws who oppose this issue.11
In his commentary Ruh al-Ma`ani, the great Islamic scholar Sayyid Mahmud Alusi gives examples from the views of other Islamic scholars and explains that the Islamic community has reached to a consensus regarding Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) second coming12, that information regarding this issue is well-known to the extent of being mutawatir by meaning, and that it is essential to believe in Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) return to Earth.
Imam Kawthari also stated his views regarding Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) coming as follows:
The tawatur in the hadiths regarding Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) second coming is mutawatir-i manawi. Aside from the fact that each one of the sahih and hasan hadiths may indicate different meanings, they all agree upon Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) second coming. This is actually a fact which is impossible to deny for a person who is well acquainted with the knowledge of hadith... The hadiths related to the appearance of Mahdi and Dajjal and Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) second coming are tawatur; it is certainly not an issue that is considered doubtful by experts on the hadith literature. The reason why some who deal with Ilm al-Kalam (science of theology) agree that it is essential to have faith in the hadiths related to the signs of Doomsday yet have doubts about whether some of these hadiths are mutawatir or not, is their inadequate knowledge about hadiths.13
The great Islamic scholar Ibn Kathir states his views after commenting on the related verses and explaining the related hadiths:
These are narrated from the Messenger of God (saas) as mutawatir and in these hadiths, there are explanations regarding how and where Prophet Jesus (pbuh) will appear...The authentic and mutawatir hadiths about Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) return to Earth in his noble body is immune to any opposing interpretations. Consequently, everyone with the smallest speck of faith and fairness has to believe in Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) second coming; only those who oppose to God's Book, His Messenger and Ahl al-Sunnah may deny Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) second coming to Earth.14
Another explanation about the hadiths' reaching the level of tawatur is as folows:
Muhammad al-Shawkani said that he had collected 29 hadiths and, when he had recorded them all, he said: "Our hadiths have reached the level of tawatur (reliable), as you can see. With this, we reach the conclusion that the hadiths on the anticipated Mahdi, the Dajjal, and Jesus' second coming are mutawatir (genuine)."15
At-Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, al-Bazzaz, Ibn Majah, al-Hakim, al-Tabarani, and al-Musuli recorded many hadiths narrated by the Companions, such as `Ali, Ibn `Abbas, Ibn `Umar, Talha, Abu Hurayra, Anas, Abu Sa`id al-Khudri, Umm Habiba, Umm Salama, `Ali al-Hilali, and `Abd Allah ibn al-Harith ibn Jaz, upon whose narrations they based their collection on.16 For instance, Ibn Hajr Al-Haythami in the book Al-Sawa'iq Al-Muhriqa, al-Shablanji in his book Nur al-Absar, Ibn Sabbagh in his book Al-Fusul Al-Muhimma, Muhammad ibn 'Ali al-Sabban in his book Is`af ar-Raghibin fi Sirat al-Mustafa wa Fada'il Ahl Baytihi at-Tahirin, and Muhammad Amin Suwaidi in his book Saba'ik az-Zahab, wrote that the hadiths about Jesus' second coming are reliable.17
These hadiths are recorded by the Ahl as-Sunnah scholars and hadith experts in their own works. For instance, Abu Dawud, Ibn Ahmad Hanbal, at-Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah, al-Hakim, an-Nasa'i, al-Tabarani, al-Rawajini, Abu Nu`aym al-Isfahani, ad-Daylami, al-Baihaqi, as-Salabi, Hamawaini, Manawi, Ibn al-Jawzi, Muhammad ibn `Ali al-Sabban, al-Mawardi, al-Khanji al-Shafi, as-Samani, al-Khwarizmi, ash-Sharani, ad-Daraqutni, Ibn Sabbagh al-Maliki, Muhibbuddin at-Tabari, Ibn Hajr al-Haythami, Shaikh Mansur `Ali Nasif, Muhammad ibn Talha, Jalaluddin as-Suyuti, al-Qurtubi, al-Baghawi and many more deal with the subject in their books.
`Abd al-Fattah Abu Ghudda reveals that the hadiths about Jesus returning to Earth and killing the Dajjal have reached the degree of being mutawatir.18 In his Nazm al-Mutanathir min al-Hadith al-Mutawatir19, al-Kattani stated that "the descent of Jesus is established by the Sunnah, and Ijma al-Ummah (concensus of the Islamic community), and the hadiths on this issue and Dajjal and the Mahdi are mutawatir. In his commentary Al Bahru Al-Muhit, Ibn Atiyya al Garnati states that the Islamic community has the common belief that Prophet Jesus (pbuh) is alive, that he will come back at the End Times and that the hadiths about this issue are mutawatir.

And when God asks: “Jesus, son of Mary. Did you say to people: ‘Take me and my mother as gods besides God?” he will say: “Glory be to You! It is not for me to say what I have no right to say! If I had said it, then You would have known it. You know what is in my self, but I do not know what is in Your Self. You are the Knower of all unseen things. I said to them nothing but what You ordered me to say: “Worship God, my Lord and your Lord…” (Surat al-Mai’da, 5:116-117)
Such books show the great number of hadiths that exist on this subject. Furthermore, the hadiths that reveal Jesus' second coming in the End Times as a sign of the Last Day are found in the main hadith source books, such as those by al-Bukhari and Muslim. Some of these are as follows:
By Him Whose Hand is my life, the son of Mary (Jesus) will certainly invoke the name of God for Hajj or for Umrah, or for both, in the valley of Rawha. (Sahih Muslim)
"It [the Day of Judgment] will not come until you see ten signs," and [in this connection] he mentioned the smoke, the Dajjal, the Beast, the rising of the Sun from the west, the descent of Jesus son of Mary… (Sahih Muslim)
By Him in Whose Hands my soul is, son of Mary [Jesus] will shortly descend amongst you people as a just ruler. (Sahih al-Bukhari)
Jesus son of Mary would then descend and their [Muslims'] commander will invite him to come and lead them in prayer, but he would say: No, some amongst you are commanders over some [amongst you]. This is the honor from God for this Ummah [nation]. (Sahih Muslim)
How will you be when the some of Mary (i.e. Jesus) descends amongst you and he will judge people by the Law of the Qur'an? (Sahih al-Bukhari)
Islamic Scholars Consider Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) Coming as a Matter of Aqidah (Faith)
In almost all works that dwell on the essence of faith of the followers of Sunnah, there is reference to Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) coming to Earth before the Last Day, his struggle against Dajjal and his killing him, and the pervasion of the morality of true religion over the Earth. Assessing the evidence from the Qur'an and the news provided by hadiths altogether, Islamic scholars have adopted faith in Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) return as an important tenet of faith. The related explanations are as follows:
1. In verse 157 of the Surat an-Nisa', God commands, "...They did not kill him and they did not crucify him but it was made to seem so to them...." This verse, together with many others, reveal that Prophet Jesus (pbuh) is alive in God's sight and indicates that he will come to Earth for a second time. Reaching to consensus on this issue, Islamic scholars state that advocating a contrary suggestion is by no means possible. For instance in his commentary of this verse, Ibn Hazm stresses that someone who says Prophet Jesus (pbuh) is murdered would revert back from Islam or become a disbeliever.
2. The fact that the hadiths pertaining to Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) second coming are mutawatir, that is, so clear as to be immune to any doubts, is a great evidence for Muslims. Furthermore, there exists not a single different hadith that maintains otherwise - that is, any hadith that suggests that Prophet Jesus (pbuh) will not return.
3. Another evidence used by Islamic scholars is the hadith narrated by Jabir Ibn Abdullah which says, "Anyone who denies Mahdi's coming has denied what was revealed to Prophet Mohammed (may God bless him and grant him peace). Anyone who rejects Prophet Jesus' (pbuh), son of Maryam, coming has become a disbeliever. Anyone who does not accept Dajjal's appearance has also become a disbeliever."
There is reference to this hadith in very important Islamic resources such as, Fasl al-Khitab by Khwaja Parsa Bukhari, Maani al-Akhbar by Muhammed ibn Ibrahim Kalabadhi, Al-Rawd Al-Unuf by Suhayl, Arf-ul-wardi-fi Akhbar Mahdi by Jalaluddin Suyuti. This aside, Sheikh Abu Bakr has explained the chain of people who narrated this hadith. It is as follows (from the last person to the first): Muhammad Ibn Hasan, Abu Abdullah al-Hussein Ibn Muhammad, Isma'il Ibn Abi Uways, Malik Ibn Abas, Muhammad Ibn Munkadir, Jabir Ibn Abdullah.20
4. The abundance of narrators who reported the hadiths related to Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) coming and their trustworthiness is another issue to which Islamic scholars draw attention. Some of the narrators who reported these hadiths are: Abu'l Asas as-Sanani, Abu Rafi, Abul Aliyya, Abu Umama al-Bahili, Abu'd Darda', Abu Hurayra, Abu Malik al-Hudri, Jabir Ibn Abdullah, Hudhayfa Ibn Adis, Safina, Abu Qatada, Uthman Ibnul 'Aas, Nafi' Ibn Kaysani, Al Walid Ibn Muslim, Ammar Ibn Yathir, Abdullah Ibni Abbas...
As a result of all this information, Islamic scholars have considered faith in Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) return to Earth and the pervasion of the morality of the true religion as an important essence of faith.

PORTENTS OF JESUS'(Pbuh) SECOND COMING

Portents Of Jesus' (Pbuh) Second Coming

Many portents revealed in the Qur'an and the Prophetic hadiths, as well as various statements made by Islamic scholars, indicate that Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) return is drawing nigh. In addition, the Bible contains information about the period before Doomsday and Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) second coming. All of the events related in these sources indicate this blessed event's nearness.
Signs of the Last Day
What are they awaiting but for the Hour to come upon them suddenly? Its Signs have already come. What good will their Reminder be to them when it does arrive? (Surah Muhammad, 47:18)
As the above verse indicates, God has revealed some of Doomsday's signs in the Qur'an. In Surat az-Zukhruf 43:61, God informs us that "He [Jesus] is a Sign of the Hour. Have no doubt about it…" In a hadith, our Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) said:
Doomsday will not take place until Jesus son of Mary (pbuh) comes as a fair ruler and a just imam. (Sunan Ibn Majah)
As both the Qur'an and the hadiths relate that Jesus' (pbuh) second coming is a sign of Doomsday's approach, other portents need to be regarded as signs indicating that his second coming is drawing nigh.
Therefore, the following pages will analyze these portents, as mentioned in the Qur'an and the prophetic hadiths, as signs of his second coming. As we examine these portents, we will see that many of them have taken place consecutively.
Mutually Supported Messengers
Then We sent Our Messengers following in their footsteps and sent Jesus, son of Mary after them, giving him the Gspel. We put compassion and mercy in the hearts of those who followed him…(Surat al-Hadid, 57:27)
When we look at what the Qur'an says about previous prophets, we see that God supported many of them with other prophets, or at least with His servants possessed of knowledge.
Prophet Moses (pbuh) sought help from God, Who replied to him:
He [God] said: "We will reinforce you with your brother [Harun] and by Our Signs. We will give you both authority, so that they will not be able to lay a hand on you. You and those who follow you will be the victors." (Surat al-Qasas, 28:35)
When we look at his life, we see that God also supported Prophet Moses (pbuh) with other servants. For example:
Remember when Moses said to his young servant: "I will not give up until I reach the meeting-place of the two seas, even if I must press on for many years." (Surat al-Kahf, 18:60)
They found a servant of Ours to whom We had granted mercy from Us, and to whom We had also given knowledge direct from Us. Moses said to him: "May I follow you on the condition that you teach me some of the right guidance you have been taught?" (Surat al-Kahf, 18:65-66)
God also supported Prophet Abraham (pbuh) with Prophet Lot (pbuh), who came to believe in Prophet Abraham's (pbuh) message:
He [Abraham] said: "You have adopted idols apart from God as tokens of mutual affection in this world. But on the Day of Rising, you will reject one another and curse one another. The Fire will be your shelter. You will have no helpers." And Lot believed in him. He said: "I am leaving this place to follow the pleasure of my Lord. He is the Almighty, the All Wise." (Surat al-`Ankabut, 29:25-26)
We can see another example in Prophet Mohammed's (may God bless him and grant him peace) life:
If you do not help him [it does not matter, for] God helped him when the unbelievers drove him out and there were two of them in the cave. He said to his companion: "Do not be despondent. God is with us." Then God sent down His serenity upon him and reinforced him with troops whom you could not see. He made the word of unbelief the lowest … (Surat at-Tawba, 9:40)
God also supported Prophet David (pbuh) with a servant. The Qur'an tells us about Prophet David (pbuh) and Saul, who was sent as a king, in the following verses:
Their Prophet said to them [the Children of Israel]: "God has appointed Saul to be your king." They said: "How can he have kingship over us when we have much more right to kingship than he does? He does not even have much wealth!" He said: "God has chosen him over you and favored him greatly in knowledge and physical strength. God gives kingship to anyone He wills. God is All-Encompassing, All-Knowing." (Surat al-Baqara, 2:247)
When Saul marched out with the army, he said: "God will test you with a river. Anyone who drinks from it is not with me. But anyone who does not taste it is with me - except for him who merely scoops up a little in his hand." But they drank from it - except for a few of them. Then when he and those who believed with him had crossed it, they said: "We do not have the strength to face Goliath and his troops today." But those who were sure that they were going to meet God said: "How many a small force has triumphed over a much greater one by God's permission! God is with the steadfast." When they came out against Goliath and his troops, they said: "Our Lord, pour down steadfastness upon us, make our feet firm, and help us against this unbelieving people." And with God's permission, they routed them. David killed Goliath, and God gave him kingship and wisdom and taught him whatever He willed… (Surat al-Baqara, 2:249-51)
In other verses, our Lord relates that He gave knowledge to Prophet David (pbuh) and Prophet Solomon (pbuh), and that Prophet Solomon (pbuh) became Prophet David's (pbuh) heir:
We gave knowledge to David and Solomon, who said: "Praise be to God, Who has favored us over many of His servants who are believers." Solomon was David's heir. He said: "O humanity, we have been taught the speech of birds and we have been given everything. This is indeed clear favor." (Surat an-Naml, 27:15-16)
As we have seen thus far, God has, from time to time, supported His Messengers with others. Our Lord will also support Prophet Jesus (pbuh) with a holy individual. According to the prophetic hadiths, this person will be the Mahdi.
The word "Mahdi" means "he who leads to the truth." Our Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) states that God will send a servant to do away with the chaos that will emerge during the End Times and to lead people to salvation. The prophetic hadiths tell us when and where he will appear, what he will do, and that he will act together with Prophet Jesus (pbuh).
There are a number of prophetic hadiths about this, some of which read as follows:
"What will you do when the son of Mary (pbuh) descends among you and leads as one amongst you?" (Sahih Muslim)
A section of my people will not cease fighting for the truth and will prevail until the Day of Resurrection. He said: "Jesus son of Mary will then descend and their [the Muslims'] commander will invite him to come and lead them in prayer. But he will say: 'No, some among you are commanders over some [among you.]'" (Sahih Muslim)
Some Muslim scholars have written detailed expositions saying, in effect, that the Mahdi and Prophet Jesus (pbuh) will act together. Some of these read as follows:
Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Rasul Barzanji:
The existence of the Mahdi and his appearance during the End Times, and his being of the family of our Prophet and of the sons of Fatima, has been stated in hadiths that have the status of mutawatir, and it is meaningless to reject these hadiths… (Al-Isha'ah li Ashrat al-Sa'ah, p. 192)
This is the truth: Jesus will not take dominion from the Mahdi, because the leaders are from the Quraysh. Since these two will be among men, Jesus will be his governor [vizier], not his leader [amir]. This is why he will pray behind the Mahdi and join with him. (Al-Isha'ah li Ashrat al-Sa'ah, p. 185)
Imam Rabbani:
In another hadith, our Prophet spoke thus: "The Companions of the Cave will be the helpmates of Jesus." Jesus will descend to Earth at the time of the Mahdi. The Mahdi will join with Jesus to destroy the Antichrist (Dajjal). During the time of his rule, the Sun will be eclipsed on the fourteenth day of Ramadan, and during the first part of that day, the Moon will grow dark. These occurrences will be contrary to custom and the astrologers' calculations." (Maktubat [Letters of Rabbani], vol. 2, p. 380; Maktubat [Letters of Rabbani], pp. 1162-63)
"A thousand years later, the coming of the Mahdi is for this. Our Prophet gave the glad tidings of his holy coming. Jesus will appear after a thousand years have passed." (Maktubat [Letters of Rabbani], vol. 1, p. 209; Maktubat [Letters of Rabbani], p. 440)
The Mahdi will appear shortly before Prophet Jesus (pbuh) and wage an intellectual struggle within the Islamic world. He will bring those Muslims who have strayed from Islam's essence back to true faith and moral values. According to the Hadith literature, Prophet Jesus (pbuh) will primarily address the Christians and the Jews, free them from their superstitions, and call them to live by the Qur'an. As Christians abide by Prophet Jesus (pbuh), the Muslim and Christian worlds will come together in a single faith. As a result, the world will enjoy a period of peace, security, happiness, and well-being known as the "Golden Age."
Ibn Hajar al-Haythami also states that the Mahdi will appear shortly before Prophet Jesus (pbuh):
The Mahdi will be the middle of this community, and Prophet Jesus (pbuh) the end. The reference to the middle means that the Mahdi will come shortly before Prophet Jesus (pbuh). Prophet Jesus (pbuh) is described as the end because he will come immediately after. (Ibn Hajar Haythami, Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar fi `Alamat al-Mahdi al-Muntazar, p. 24)
Therefore, all of these demonstrate that the portents regarding the Mahdi's coming also indicate the second coming of Prophet Jesus' (pbuh). In the following sections, we will examine how the Mahdi's appearance portends the good news of Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) second coming.
Those Who Oppose The Messengers
In the Qur'an, God revealed the following: "In this way, We have assigned to every Prophet an enemy from among the evildoers …" (Surat al-Furqan, 25:31). Thus, given that God's Messengers have always been opposed, Prophet Jesus (pbuh) also will face enemies when he comes again. At the head of those enemies, of course, will be the one who leads the deniers and "plots evil actions" (Surat an-Nah, 16:45).
The prophetic hadiths describe that individual as the Dajjal (Antichrist), a word that in Arabic means "liar; fraud; one who confuses hearts and minds, good with evil, divine religion with superstition; who conceals the true face of things; and a trouble-maker and accursed person who wanders everywhere." The Dajjal, the name given to a great negative power, will appear in the End Times. The hadiths usually portray the Dajjal as a person; however, it may also refer to an ideology that tends toward violence and oppression and that has devilish characteristics.
In the end times, when extraordinary events will take place, the Dajjal - one of the fiercest deniers of all time - will be the enemy of God's Messenger and will seek to install a satanic system. In fact, our Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) has described the enormity of the tribulation caused by the Dajjal in these terms:
"Since the birth of Adam (pbuh) until the advent of the Last Hour, there is no fitna [tribulation] much greater than that of the Dajjal." (Sahih Muslim)
Other prophetic hadiths refer to the Dajjal as one of the major portents of Doomsday:
"It [Doomsday] will not come until you see ten signs before," and [in this connection] he mentioned the smoke, the Dajjal, the Beast [Dabbat al-Ard], the Sun's rising in the west, the descent of Jesus son of Mary… (Sahih Muslim)
Great Muslim scholars have reported as a certain fact that the Dajjal will come to Earth before Doomsday. Abu Hanifa, for instance, states:
The appearance of the Dajjal, Gog and Magog, the Sun rising in the west, the descent of Prophet Jesus (pbuh) from the sky, and other portents of Doomsday are true and inevitable as sahih [authentic] news. (Abu Hanifa, Al-Fiqh Al-Akbar)

And when Jesus, son of Mary, said: “O Tribe of Israel, I am the Messenger of God to you, confirming the Torah that came before me and giving you the good news of a Messenger after me whose name is Ahmad .“ When he brought them the Clear Signs, they said: “This is downright magic.” Who could do greater wrong than someone who invents a lie against God when he has been called to Islam? God does not guide wrong doing people. They desire to extinguish God’s Light with their mouths, but God will perfect His light, though the unbelievers hate it. (Surat as-Saff, 61:6-8)
God will use Prophet Jesus (pbuh) to defeat the Dajjal, who will appear at the same time as the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) and the Mahdi. As our Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) has informed us, Prophet Jesus (pbuh) will kill the Dajjal and thereby usher in a holy period during which Islam's moral values will hold sway over the Earth. One hadith regarding the slaying of the Dajjal says:
When the Dajjal faces him [Jesus], he [the Dajjal] will begin to dissolve like salt in water. He [Jesus] will say to him:"I have to deal you a blow;you cannot escape." So Jesus will kill him with his spear at the gate of Ludd, and he will die there. (Sunan Ibn Majah)
In his works, the great Muslim scholar Bediuzzaman Said Nursi devotes considerable space to the End Times and Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) return. He stresses the fact that when Prophet Jesus (pbuh) returns, he will wage a great struggle with the Dajjal, the representative of atheism, and defeat him. Some of Bediuzzaman's statements on this subject read:
Moreover, in the world of humanity, with the intention of denying the Godhead, the secret society of the Antichrist (Dajjal) will overturn civilization and subvert all of mankind's sacred matters. A zealous and self-sacrificing community, known as a Christian community but worthy of being called "Muslim Christians," will work to unite the true religion of Jesus (pbuh) with the reality of Islam, and will kill and rout that society of the Antichrist, thus saving humanity from atheism. (Bediuzzaman, Risale-i Nur Collection, The Letters, 29th Letter)
… "He will be so powerful and long-lived that only Jesus (pbuh) will be able to kill him (the Antichrist); nothing else will be able to." That is, it will only be a revealed, elevated, pure religion that will be able to overturn his way and rapacious regime, and eliminate them. Such a religion will emerge among the true followers of Jesus (pbuh), and it will follow the Qur'an and become united with it. On the coming of Jesus (pbuh) and the emergence of the true Christian religion, the Antichrist's irreligious way will be wiped out and will cease. The Antichrist's person could otherwise be killed by a mere germ or by influenza. (Bediuzzaman, Risale-i Nur Collection, The Rays, Fifth ray, Fifth point)
What Bediuzzaman calls the "true Christian religion" is none other than Islam. This becomes more apparent when his other explanations are considered. Indeed, the hadiths also inform us that Prophet Jesus (pbuh) will rule with the Qur'an, eliminate the superstitious beliefs of Christianity, and gather humanity under a single religion: the morality of Islam.
As can be seen from all of these statements, Prophet Jesus (pbuh) and the Dajjal will be on the Earth at the same time. For that reason, just as with the portents of Doomsday and the Mahdi's coming, the portents regarding the Dajjal also foretell Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) second coming. In the following sections, we shall study the portents of the Dajjal in some detail, as they also indicate that Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) return is close at hand.
Statements in the Torah and the Bible
So far, we have only looked at the Islamic sources, which contain a great deal of information about the End Times. No matter how corrupted their texts may be, however, the Torah and the Bible still contain some good news about Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) return. Even if we cannot be completely sure of their accuracy, it is useful to bear in mind those that are compatible with the Qur'an and the prophetic hadiths, for there is a strong likelihood that all such statements that are compatible with those in the Islamic sources have kept their original form.
The name of Prophet Jesus (pbuh) does not appear in the Old Testament, although we are told that a savior, a Messiah, will come from the line of Prophet David (pbuh). The Jews refused to accept that Prophet Jesus (pbuh) was sent to the Children of Israel, and so rejected him. Thus, they are still waiting for their "Messiah-savior" to come. Moreover, the Old Testament also contains some references to the End Times.
The New Testament, on the other hand, contains a great many statements on these subjects, especially of the second coming of Prophet Jesus (pbuh) and its signs. These statements describe the natural events that will mark the times before and after his second coming. Most of the portents are set out in some detail in the prophetic hadiths as coming about in our day in a more striking manner than in any earlier time. It is important to realize that not just one or two of the signs are appearing in our day, but that just about all of them, one after the other, are doing so. Thus we can say, based particularly on Islamic sources but also on the Old Testament and the New Testament, that we are living in the End Times.
The following sections contain extracts from the Old and New Testaments, both of which refer to the End Times and point to Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) second coming.

PROTENTS OF THE MESSIAH'S RETURN IN THE BIBLE

Portents of the Messiah's Return in the Bible

The second coming of Prophet Jesus (pbuh), a fundamental Christian belief, is revealed in the Bible. Moreover, the Bible states that true Christian believers must prepare for it in the best possible manner. For example:
After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight… "Men of Galilee," they [the angels] said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven." (Acts 1:9,11)
While we wait for the blessed hope - the glorious appearing of our savior, Jesus Christ. (Titus 2:13)
… This will happen when Jesus is revealed from heaven … He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of Jesus. (2 Thessalonians 1:7-8)
… and he will appear a second time … to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him. (Hebrews 9:28)
Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him … (Revelation 1:7)
In addition to mentioning the portents of this event, Jesus (pbuh) is depicted as telling his disciples about these portents in the following terms:
As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. "Tell us," they said, "when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?" Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many." (Matthew 24:3-5)
"I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am He." (John 13:19)
The expectation of a savior Messiah is also a fundamental Jewish belief. This person will fill the world with justice, silence all wicked people, and follow behind all nations. He will be known as "Yahab" or "Shahab" (the "Bringer of New Order").
Some old Testament books, among them the Torah (the first five books), the Book of Psalms, and those that relate to the Israeli prophets, provide some information as well.
While examining what the Bible says about these portents, it becomes clear that the Messiah will come only after moral and social degeneration, great wars, terrible disasters, extraordinary events in the sky, the abandonment of religion's moral values, spreading injustice, the oppression of true believers, and the replacement of peace and security by chaos and anxiety.
In this chapter, we shall look at the Biblical portents of the Messiah's coming.
122. The Emergence of False Messiahs
Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many." (Matthew 24:4-5)
At that time, if anyone says to you: "Look, here is the Christ!" or, "There he is!" do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will appear… (Matthew 24:23-24)
… and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. (Matthew 24:11)
He [Jesus] replied: "Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am he,' and, 'The time is near.' Do not follow them. (Luke 21:8)
123. Some People Lose Hope in Messiah's Coming
First of all, you must understand that in the Last Days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will ask: "Where is this 'coming' he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation." (2 Peter 3:3-4)
So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. (Matthew 24:44)
124. A Rise in the Number of Earthquakes
As for what you see here, the time will come when not one stone will be left on another… (Luke 21:6)
… But see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains. (Matthew 24:6-8)
There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from Heaven. (Luke 21:11)
125. Famine
… There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains. (Matthew 24:7-8)
There will be great… famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from Heaven. (Luke 21:11)

126. Major Wars Break Out
You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom… (Matthew 24:6-7)
When you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away. Then he said to them: "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom." (Luke 21:9-10)
127. Love Is Diminished, and Anger and Hatred Increase
At that time, many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other… Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold. (Matthew 24:10, 12)
People will be ...without love, unforgiving, slanderous; without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good; treacherous, rash, conceited; lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God - having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them. (2 Timothy 3:2-5)
128. People Move away from the Religion's Moral Values
For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth, and turn aside to myths. (2 Timothy 4:3-4)
The Spirit clearly says that in the latter times some will abandon the faith… (1 Timothy 4:1)
People will be … lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God - having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them. (2 Timothy 3:2-5)
129. Disasters Inflict Terrible Suffering
Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world… (Luke 21:26)
… all nations of Earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. (Matthew 24:30)
130. The Spread of Epidemics
There will be great earthquakes, famines, and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from Heaven. (Luke 21:11)
131. People Who Exploit the Religion for Their Personal Interests
For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth, and turn aside to myths. (2 Timothy 4:3-4)
... having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them. (2 Timothy 3:5)
132. The Appearance of Portents in the Sun and Moon
There will be signs in the Sun, Moon, and stars. On Earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. (Luke 21:25-26)
Immediately after the distress of those days, the Sun will be darkened, and the Moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken. (Matthew 24:29)
… For the day of the Lord is near… The Sun and Moon will be darkened, and the stars [will] no longer shine… (Joel 3:14-15)
The stars of Heaven and their constellations will not show their light. The rising Sun will be darkened, and the Moon will not give its light. (Isaiah 13:10)
133. Extraordinary Events Take Place in the Sky
There will be great earthquakes, famines, and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from Heaven. (Luke 21:11)
At that time, the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of Earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. (Matthew 24:30)
… The heavens will disappear with a roar, the elements will be destroyed by fire, and Earth and everything in it will be laid bare. (2 Peter 3:10)
134. Moral Degeneration
People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy; without love, unforgiving, slanderous; without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good; treacherous, rash, conceited; lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God - having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them. (2 Timothy 3:2-5)
… In the latter times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. (1 Timothy 4:1-2)
135. The Oppression of True Believers
… You will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name… You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends, and they will put some of you to death… By standing firm you will gain life. (Luke 21:12, 16, 19)
136. The Emergence of Corruption That True Believers Should Avoid
So when you see standing in the holy place "the abomination that causes desolation," spoken of through Prophet Daniel, then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains… For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now - and never to be equaled again. (Matthew 24:15-16, 21)
Let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out, and let those in the country not enter the city. (Luke 21:21)
On that day, no one who is on the roof of his house with his goods inside should go down to get them. Likewise, no one in the field should go back for anything. (Luke 17:31)

137. Events That Inflict Pain and Suffering
At that time, the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of Earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. (Matthew 24:30)
For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now - and never to be equaled again. If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive. But for the sake of the elect, those days will be shortened. (Matthew 24:21-22)
How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! There will be great distress in the land and wrath against this people. (Luke 21:23)
… Those will be days of distress unequaled from the beginning, when God created the world, until now - and never to be equaled again. (Mark 13:19)
… The great Day of the Lord is near - near and coming quickly… That day will be a day of wrath, a day of distress and anguish, a day of trouble and ruin, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness … (Zephaniah 1:14-15)
138. The Coming of the Dajjal
Don't let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God's temple, proclaiming himself to be God. (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4)

THE TIME OF PROPHET JESUS'(Pbuh) SECOND COMING

The Time Of Prophet Jesus' (Pbuh) Second Coming

We have never destroyed a city without giving it prior warning as a reminder. We were never unjust. (Surat ash-Shu’ara’, 26:208-09)
Earlier, we examined the signs of Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) second coming and saw that they appeared one after another, just as the hadiths and the Bible said they would. Their consecutive appearance led us to conclude that we are now living in the period when all people will witness God's good news. Apart from these signs, the explanations of our Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) and great Islamic scholars provide us with certain dates.
As we will see in the following pages the fifteenth Islamic century is an extraordinary period when, by God's Will, great events will occur, such as the Mahdi's appearance, Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) second coming, the appearance of the Dajjal and his defeat by Prophet Jesus (pbuh), and people entering God's religion in droves.
In the following pages we will explain the related information one by one.
1. God sends a "Mujaddid" (Renovator of the Religion) Every Century
The Arabic word mujaddid means someone who "revives and renovates the religion." In his hadiths, our Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) states that at the beginning of every century, God sends a blessed person from his lineage to explain the facts of the religion according to the necessities of the time.
God will raise for this community at the end of every hundred years the one who will renovate its religion for it. (Sunan Abu Dawud)
On this issue, the great Islamic scholar Imam Rabbani states the following:
At the head of each century, God sends a mujaddid among the ulama of this community who revives the Shariah. (Imam Rabbani)
About the same subject, Bediuzzaman said:
"In every century, God sends a mujaddid." (Bediuzzaman Said Nursi, Risale-i Nur Collection, Barla Letters, 119)
Bediuzzaman states that the mujaddid of the twelfth century was Mevlana Halid. (Barla Letters, 120)
Say: “We believe in God and what has been sent down to us; what was sent down to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacop, and the Tribes; what Moses and Jesus were given; and what all of the Prophets were given by their Lord. We do not differentiate between any of them. We are muslims submitted to Him.” (Surat al-Baqara, 2:136)
If their faith is the same as yours, then they are guided. But if they turn away, they are entrenched in hostility. God will be enough for you against them. He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing. (Surat al-Baqara, 2:137)
In the fourteenth Islamic century, the Risale-i Nur (Bediuzzaman's collected works) served this purpose, as follows:
"Exactly after a century, the cures of the Risale-i Nur appear all around and serve to the very same purpose… With the meaning fortified by the clear expression of the hadith, it is our conviction that, in terms of reviving the religion, the Risale-i Nur is in the position of a mujaddid." (Barla Letters, 121)
Bediuzzaman gives the good news that the mujaddid of the fifteenth century will be the Mahdi:
"Now most of the situations among the Muslims that are opposed to the light of the Qur'an are the grave outcomes of those evil intents and the cruel covenants such as the Treaty of Sèvres. If the letter "mim" bearing the gemination mark is counted as one, like the letter "lam" bearing the gemination mark, it would be 1284 [Hijri]. The European unbelievers who aimed to extinguish the light of the State of Islam at that time provoked the Russians ten years later and curtained the bright light of the Islamic world with a temporary cloud by means of the Russia's gloomy War of 93 [1877-1878 The Ottoman-Russian War]. However, since these oppressions of cloud were dissolved by the disciples of Mevlana Halid-i Bagdadi and not by the disciples of Risale-i Nur, from this point of view this verse symbolically points to them.
It now occurs to mind that if each of the letters "mim" and "lam" bearing the gemination mark are counted as two, the people who will dissolve the oppressions a century later may be the disciples of the Mahdi." (Bediuzzaman, Risale-i Nur Collection, First Ray, p. 85)
As this explanation reveals, Bediuzzaman states that the cruelty found within the Islamic world can be removed only "one century later" by the Mahdi. He explained that during the fifteenth Islamic century, the works of the Mahdi will save people from great trouble and make them attain deliverance.
2. The Mahdi and Prophet Jesus (pbuh) will come in 2000s
And when Jesus 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, be aware of God and obey me. God is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him. This is a straight path.” (Surat az-Zukhruf, 43:63-64)
Imam Rabbani states that the Mahdi will come 1,000 years after our Prophet's (may God bless him and grant him peace) death, within 2000s:
"It is expected that, after 1,000 years, this secret administration will be renovated. It will be granted with superiority... This way, genuine virtue will emerge and cover the degradation… And it is expected that the Mahdi, the supporter, will come. May God be pleased with him." (Imam Rabbani, Letters of Rabbani, vol. 1, p. 569)
The confirmation of the religious law, the renovation of people takes place in this second thousand. The just witnesses of the truthfulness of this cause are the existence of Prophet Jesus [pbuh] and Mahdi in this period (the second thousand years). (Imam Rabbani, Letters of Rabbani, vol. 1, p. 611)
Those among the nation of Allah's Messenger (may God bless him and grant him peace) are highly perfected in faith. It does not matter whether they are few in number, even a thousand years passes after the death of our Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace). Their being perfected in faith serves to the following end: strenghtening the Islamic law in its true sense.
The coming of the Mahdi after 1,000 years serves this purpose. Our Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace), the last Messenger, gave the glad tidings of his coming. Prophet Jesus (pbuh), on the other hand, will come down after 1,000 years. (Imam Rabbani, Letters of Rabbani, vol. 1, p. 440)
A little more than 1,000 years pass over the passing of God's Messenger (may God bless him and grant him peace) from this life, a time comes and the true Islam rises from its own ranks and unites with the truth of the Ka`bah. Then, on behalf of the true Islam, the name of truth of Ahmad emerges… From the two names comes a name into effect; and the place of true Islam is left unoccupied until the coming of Prophet Jesus [pbuh]. Ultimately, Prophet Jesus [pbuh] comes and performs his religious duties in conformity with the religious laws of Islam. Then, true Christianity rises from its own ranks and rules in the realms of true Islam. (Imam Rabbani, Letters of Rabbani, vol. 1, p. 470)
A thousand years after the death of our Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace), people will enter the second millennium. According to Imam Rabbani, quoted above, the Mahdi and Prophet Jesus (pbuh) will come during that time.
Jalal ad-Din as-Suyuti wrote that:
The life of this community will exceed 1,000 years, yet be limited to 1,500 years. (Muhammad ibn `Abd ar-Rasul Barzanji, Al-Isha`ah li Ashrat as-Sa`ah, p. 299)
Thus, as-Suyuti draws attention to Hijri 1000-1500, during which some glad tidings (e.g., the Mahdi's appearance, Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) second coming, and the prevalence of Islam's morality) will come true. We are now in the fifteenth Islamic century. Thus Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) return is very near. (God knows best)
Bediuzzaman Said Nursi also confirms this glad tiding and calls attention to the events that will take place until Hijri 1506:
"The first statement, with reference to 1500, indicates the last times of those who struggle for religion in the End Times; the second statement, with reference to 1506 calls attention to the date of the victorious struggle. (…) until this date (1506), it hints that it will, evidently and clearly, continue in a victorious manner." (Sikke-i Tasdik-i Gayb, p. 46)
3. Our Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) Indicated That the Mahdi Will Come during the Fifteenth Islamic Century
In one of his hadiths, our Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) draws attention to the significance of a new century's beginning, as follows:
Since the world came into existence, at the beginning of every century an important event occurred. At the beginning of one century, the Dajjal will emerge and Jesus [pbuh], the son of Mary will ascend and kill him. (Ibn Abi Hatem)
As the above hadith states, Prophet Jesus (pbuh) will appear at the beginning of the century. This aside, giving the date 1400, our Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) made the date of this event clear. One of these hadiths is as follows:
People will gather around the Mahdi in 1400. (Risalat al-Khuruj al-Mahdi, p. 108)
In another hadith, the Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) said:
Count two or three decades after the decades of Hijri 1400. At that time, the Mahdi emerges… (Asmal Masalik Lieyyam Mahdiyy Maliki Li Kull-id Dunya Biemrillah-il Malik, Qalda bin Zayd, p. 216)

We made them leaders, guiding by Our command, and revealed to them how to do good actions, perform prayer, and give alms. And they worshipped Us. (Surat al-Anbiya’, 21:73)
As seen earlier, our Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) has provided a lot information about the signs of the End Times, especially aboutwhat will happen before the Mahdi and Prophet Jesus (pbuh) come. The related hadiths transmitted from Sahih Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, Umar ibn al-Khattab, and Hudhayfa, Ibn Ahmad Hanbal, and Muslim Abu Zayd ibn Amr ibn Ahtab al-Ansari are as follows:
"The Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace)… informed us about the events that will happen from then on, and he taught them to us and made us memorize them."(Sahih Bukhari, Sahih Muslim)
On this subject, Hudhayfa ibn al-Yaman said the following:
Hudhayfa reported: The Messenger of God took a stand among us in which he did not omit anything that will occur in that place of his up to the occurrence of the Hour without narrating it. Whose got it to memory remembered it, and whose did not remember it forgot it. These companions of mine learnt it, and there will occur something there from which I forgot. When it was shown to me I remembered it just as a man remembers the face of a man when he remains absent from him, and when afterwards he sees him, he remembers him. (Mishkat-ul-Masabih, vol.4, p.3)
Given that these eventstake place one after another and that they are currently continuing to occur means that we are living in the End Times. (God knows best.) Indeed, our Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) reconfirms this by giving us the year Hijri 1400 as the date of the Mahdi's advent. This being the case, Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) second coming is, by God's Will, very close.

4. According to Bediuzzaman, the Mahdi Will Be on Duty during the Fifteenth Islamic Century
In his explanations, Bediuzzaman pointed to the beginning of the fifteenth Islamic century as the time of Mahdi's advent. In one of his explanations, Bediuzzaman relates that Mahdi will come 1,400 years after the Blessed Period.
"Why did the Companions of the Prophet with their vigilant hearts and keen sight, who had been taught all the details of the hereafter, suppose a fact that would occur one thousand four hundred years later to be close to their century, as though their ideas had deviated a thousand years from the truth?" (The Words, 'The Twenty-fourth Word: Third Branch)
As Bediuzzaman stated: "one thousand four hundred years later to be close to their century" is the beginning of the fifteenth century, that is, the years 1979-1980 (of the Gregorian calendar).
In his address to 10,000 people in a mosque in Damascus (Hijri 1327), Bediuzzaman explained the future of the Islamic world after Hijri 1371. In this address, he gave some dates about the End Times and called attention to the Mahdi's struggle. Bediuzzaman gives the following dates regarding Mahdi's taking up his task and defeating the disbelieving mentality ideologically:
The facts revealed in the address of Damascus that glance at the destiny of the Islamic world after the Hijri 1371… may be not now but 30-40 years later, in order to fully equip science and, knowledge acquired through arts, science and skills, the goodness of civilization and those three forces, and to overcome the nine obstacles, he sent inclination for investigating the truth, moderation and love for human beings to the fronts of those nine foes. By God's Will, he will demolish them after half a century. ("The Damascus Sermon," p. 25)
In this speech, Bediuzzaman draws attention to developments that will take place after Hijri 1371, and informs us that the Mahdi will launch his efforts 30-40 years after this date. This date is the period between Hijri 1401-11 (Gregorian calendar: 1980-90).

He is the Knower of the Unseen to anyone – except to a Messanger with whom he is well pleased, and then he Posts sentinels before him and behind him. (Surat al-jinn, 72:26-27)
In the latter part of his speech, Bediuzzaman said that the Mahdi will silence the ideology of disbelief via the benefits of science and civilization. The date of this ideological superiority will be half a century later: Hijri 1421. (Gregorian calendar: 2001)
"Maybe not now (1371), but 30-40 years later…"
By God's Will, he will demolish them after half a century.
1371 + 50 = 1421 (Gregorian calendar: 2001)
Bediuzzaman calls attention to Hijri 1400 as the beginning of Mahdi's ideological struggle against disbelieving philosophies. He further points out that between the years 1401-11 (1981-91), he will unite the benefits of science, skills, and the goodness of civilization to be used in his struggle, and discloses Hijri 1421 (Gregorian calendar: 2001) as the date when the Mahdi will ideologically destroy the disbelieving philosophies.
Another of his explanations related to the End Times is as follows:
"In [13]71, the Sun began to rise or will rise. Even if this is only the initial redness in the horizon, in 30-40 years the second enlightenment will appear." ("The Damascus Sermon," p. 23)
1371 + 30 = 1401 = 1981 1371 + 40 = 1411 = 1991
Bediuzzaman likens the rise of the Sun to the prevalence of Islam's moral values in the world. Just as the Sun rises again after it sets, he indicates that Islam's moral values also will rise and shine again. The expressions of "initial redness" and "second enlightenment" indicate the beginning years of this time.
Accordingly, he points to 1981-91 as the time when the Mahdi begins to disperse atheism and materialist philosophy, as well as the unjust ideologies that oppose the true religion. He also calls attention to 2001 as the year when these ideologies will be totally silenced and dispersed. (God knows best.)
In this period there are such prevalent movements so that may the expected person who is due to come after a century emerge… (Kastamonu Letters, p. 57)
In this statement, the phrase "the expected person who is due to come after a century" means that the Mahdi had not come yet in his time, that he had been awaited by Muslims, and that he is due to come after a century - in the fifteenth Islamic century.

For this We sent a Messenger to you from among you to recite Our Signs to you, purify you and teach you the Book and Wisdom, and teach you things you did not know before. (Surat al-Baqara, 2:151)
In his Risale-i Nur Collection, Bediuzzaman provided related evidence regarding the Mahdi's period of struggle and his dominance:
"They desire to extinguish God's Light with their mouths. But God refuses to do other than perfect His Light, even though the unbelievers detest it." (Surat at-Tawba, 9:32)
Writing about "But God refuses to do other than perfect His Light," Bediuzzaman makes the following comment:
"It now occurs to [my] mind that if each of the letters "mim" and "lam" bearing the gemination mark are counted as two, the people who will dissolve the oppressions a century later may be the disciples of the Mahdi." (First Ray, p. 85)
The abjad (numeration of the verse by alphabetical Arabic letters) is Hijri 1424 and 2004 (Gregorian calandar). Bediuzzaman points to the prevalence of Islamic morality in the Mahdi's leadership.
In the verse "But those who disbelieve have tagut as protectors" (Surat al-Baqara, 2:257), Bediuzzaman calls attention to the numeration of tagut (the ideology opposing the true religion) by alphabetical Arabic letters. This is 1417 (1997 Gregorian calendar), the date when tagut will experience a collapse within itself.

5. Other Information Related to the End Times from the Qur'an
The Qur'an, in which God's commands have been preserved intact, is a matchless Book sent by God to guide humanity in all aspects of life. One of its greatest miracles is that since its revelation, Muslims of all ages have witnessed that it addresses all of their needs and solves all of their problems, regardless of time and place.
Some verses, especially those relating the biographies of the prophets, point to the End Times. Very important secrets might be found in these verses when one ponders upon them, especially since God encourages us to pay attention to them, as follows:
There is instruction in their stories for people of intelligence. This is not a narration that has been invented, but a confirmation of all that came before, a clarification of everything, and a guidance and a mercy for people who believe. (Surah Yusuf, 12:111)
Many verses of the Qur'an may have more than one meaning. They contain signs informing us of events that took place in our Prophet's (may God bless him and grant him peace) time, and indicate events that will take place in the End Times. The struggle carried out by the Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) and his Companions, as well as their just practices and lives, also provide invaluable recommendations. Each verse abounds with multiple meanings for those who read with attention, for they contain all of the information that the people need.
In one verse, God draws attention to this feature: "We have sent down the Book to you making all things clear and as guidance and mercy and good news for the Muslims" (Surat an-Nahl, 16:89). In many other verses, God recommends that we ponder over the examples related in the Qur'an and learn from them, as follows:
We have given throughout this Qur'an all kinds of examples for people, but most people spurn anything but unbelief. (Surat al-Isra', 17:89)
We have given all kinds of examples to people in this Qur'an, so that hopefully they will pay heed. (Surat az-Zumar, 39:27)
The prevalence of Islamic morality is one of the most important signs of the End Times.
In the previous sections, we dwelled upon the evidence from the Qur'an related to Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) second coming. Apart from this obvious evidence, many Qur'anic verses point to the End Times, the Mahdi, and the prevalence of the Qur'an's morality. For example:
God has promised those of you who believe and do right actions that He will make them successors in the land, as He made those before them successors; and will firmly establish for them their religion with which He is pleased; and give them, in place of their fear, security. "They worship Me, not associating anything with Me." Any who disbelieve after that, such people are deviators. (Surat an-Nur, 24:55)
Our Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) also reveals that some Qur'anic verses point to the End Times:
The Mahdi, just as Dhu'l-Qarnayn and Solomon, will rule the world. (Ibn Hajar Haythami, Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar fi `Aalamat al-Mahdi al-Muntazar, p. 29)
This hadith advises us to examine the stories of Dhu'l-Qarnayn and Prophet Solomon (pbuh) in relation to the Mahdi.
In the hadiths below, our Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) relates that the stories of the Companions of the Cave and Saul hold very important signs for the End Times. That our Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) related his hadiths about the End Times and the Mahdi, especially by relating them to the stories of the Qur'an, is a strong evidence for this subject. Our Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) said:
"The Companions of the Cave will be the Mahdi's helpers." (Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi `Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir az-Zaman, p. 59)
"The number of the Mahdi's helpers will be as many as the number of those who crossed the river with Saul." (Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi `Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir az-Zaman, p. 57)
When examined from this perspective, we find many verses indicating a period when Islam's morality will pervade worldwide. (For further information on this subject, please refer to Harun Yahya, The End Times and the Mahdi, Khatoons, 2003) Apart from the signs related in the verses, there are also signs related to their dates.
These dates are determined by various calculation methods, the foremost of which is the numeration of verses by alphabetical Arabic letters (abjad). This method is very ancient and predates the Qur'anic revelation. Since ancient times, all events have been recorded in letters with numerical values. These dates are the sum of each letter employed while recording that event.
Some Islamic scholars of the past estimated the date of many future events through this method. Today, when looking at some Qur'anic verses, we see that the meaning conveyed match with certain dates. When we see that those events actually occurred on the calculated dates, we understand that the verses in question may conceal a hidden meaning about that event. (God knows best.)
In the next pages, we will provide abjad of the related part of some verses. When we look at their meanings, we will recognize that they hold significant signs relating to certain dates.
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', 4:159)
"There is not one of the People of the Book who will not believe in him before he dies"
Hijri: 1439 Gregorian: 2017
The above verse relates that before Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) death, all of the People of the Book will believe in him. At the beginning of the book, we discussed that this event will take place in the End Times, when Prophet Jesus (pbuh) will return to Earth. The abjad value of the particular part of the verse above gives the date 2017. It is possible that this numerical value gives the date of Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) return or the time when he will be present on Earth. (God knows best.) Similarly, the abjad values below probably give the dates when Prophet Jesus (pbuh) will be on Earth.
He [Jesus] is a Sign of the Hour. Have no doubt about it. But follow me. This is a straight path. (Surat az-Zukhruf, 43:61)
"He [Prophet Jesus (pbuh)] is a Sign of the Hour. Have no doubt about it."
Hijri: 1440 Gregorian: 2018
"Or are you astonished that a reminder should come to you from your Lord by way of a man among you, to warn you and make you guard against evil so that hopefully you will gain mercy?" (Surat al-A`raf, 7:63)
"a man among you, to warn you"
Hijri: 1433 Gregorian: 2011
These abjad-derived dates indicate almost the same period. As we have related throghout this book, these dates belong to the period in which all of these End Time signs proclaimed by our Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) occurred one after another. Considering the facts revealed in these verses, we may well think that our Lord heralds some signs related to the events that will happen in the Hereafter.
God calls to the Abode of Peace, and He guides whom He wills to a straight path. (Surah Yunus, 10:25)
"He guides whom He wills to a straight path"
Hijri: 1422 Gregorian: 2001

Their Prophet said to them: "God has appointed Saul to be your king." They said: "How can he have kingship over us when we have much more right to kingship than he does? He has not even got much wealth!" He said: "God has chosen him over you and favored him greatly in knowledge and physical strength. God gives kingship to anyone He wills. God is All-Encompassing, All-Knowing." (Surat al-Baqara, 2:247)
"God has appointed Saul to be your king"
Hijri: 1420 Gregorian: 1999
God showed great kindness to the believers when He sent a Messenger to them from among themselves to recite His Signs to them, and purify them, and teach them the Book and Wisdom, even though before that they were clearly misguided. (Surah Al `Imran, 3:164)
"before that they were clearly misguided"
Hijri: 1434 Gregorian: 2012
It is He Who raised up among the unlettered people a Messenger from them to recite His Signs to them, and purify them and teach them the Book and Wisdom, even though before that they were clearly misguided. (Surat al-Jumu`a, 62:2)
"even though before that they were clearly misguided."
Hijri: 1434 Gregorian: 2012

O Children of Adam! If Messengers come to you from among yourselves, recounting My Signs to you, those who guard against evil and put things right will feel no fear and will know no sorrow. (Surat al-A’raf, 7:35)
It is He Who sent His Messenger with guidance and the Religion of Truth to exalt it over every other religion, though the idolaters hate it. (Surat as-Saff, 61:9)
"to exalt it over every other religion"
Hijri: 1410 Gregorian: 1989
God is the Light of the Heavens and Earth. The metaphor of His Light is that of a niche in which is a lamp, the lamp inside a glass, the glass like a brilliant star, lit from a blessed tree, an olive, neither of the east nor of the west, its oil all but giving off light even if no fire touches it. Light upon Light. God guides to His Light whoever He wills, and God makes metaphors for mankind, and God has knowledge of all things. (Surat an-Nur, 24:35)
"Light upon Light. God guides to His Light whoever He wills"
Hijri: 1410 Gregorian: 1989
God has promised those of you who believe and do right actions that He will make them successors in the land, as He made those before them successors; will firmly establish for them their religion, with which He is pleased; and give them, in place of their fear, security. "They worship Me, not associating anything with Me." Any who disbelieve after that, such people are deviators. (Surat an-Nur, 24:55)
"those of you who… do right actions that He will make them successors in the land"
Hijri: 1434 Gregorian: 2013
As we related earlier, it is possible that this verse indicates a time when the Qur'an's morality will prevail worldwide in the End Times. That the abjad value of a related part of this same verse gives a similar date can be considered a good news that this promise of God is close.
Moses said to his people: "Seek help in God and be steadfast. Earth belongs to God. He bequeaths it to any of His servants He wills. The successful outcome is for those who guard against evil." (Surat al-A`raf, 7:128)
"Moses said to his people: 'Seek help in God and be steadfast.'"
Hijri: 1400 Gregorian: 1979
O you who believe! Obey God and obey the Messenger and those in command among you. If you have a dispute about something, refer it back to God and the Messenger, if you believe in God and the Last Day. That is the best thing to do and gives the best result. (Surat an-Nisa', 4:59)
"O you who believe! Obey God and obey the Messenger and those in command among you"
Hijri: 1405 Gregorian: 1985
[People of intelligence are] those who are steadfast in seeking the face of their Lord, and perform prayer, and give from the provision We have given them, secretly and openly, and stave off evil with good. It is they who will have the Ultimate Abode. (Surat ar-Ra`d, 13:22)
"perform prayer and give from the provision We have given them"
Hijri: 1429 Gregorian: 2008
Your Lord will soon give to you, and you will be satisfied. (Surat ad-Duha, 93:5)
"Your Lord will soon give to you, and you will be satisfied."
Hijri: 1427 Gregorian: 2007
Those who recite the Book of God and perform prayer and give of what We have provided for them, secretly and openly, hope for a transaction that will not prove profitless. (Surah Fatir, 35:29)
"perform prayer and give of what We have provided for them"
Hijri: 1429 Gregorian: 2008
We placed between them and the cities We had blessed other clearly conspicuous cities, making them measured stages on the way: "Travel between them in safety by night and day." (Surat as-Saba', 34:18)
"making them measured stages on the way: 'Travel between them in safety by night and day."
Hijri: 1422 Gregorian: 2001
That is your reward. God always confounds the schemes of the disbelievers. (Surat al-Anfal, 8:18)
"That is your reward. God always confounds the schemes of the disbelievers.'"
Hijri: 1440 Gregorian: 2018
Know that the Messenger of God is among you. If he were to obey you in many things, you would suffer for it. However, God has given you love of faith and made it pleasing to your hearts, and has made disbelief, deviance, and disobedience hateful to you. People such as these are rightly guided. (Surat al-Hujurat, 49:7)
"However, God has given you love of faith and made it pleasing to your hearts, and has made disbelief, deviance, and disobedience hateful to you."
Hijri: 1408 Gregorian: 1988
"Accordingly your Lord will pick you out and teach you the true meaning of events and perfectly fulfill His blessing on you, as well as on the family of Jacob, as He fulfilled it perfectly before upon your forebears, Abraham and Isaac. Most certainly your Lord is Knowing, Wise." (Surah Yusuf, 12:6)
"Accordingly your Lord will pick you out"
Hijri: 1443, Gregorian: 2021 (without shadda)
It is He Who sent His Messenger with guidance and the Religion of Truth to exalt it over every other religion, even though the idolaters detest it. (Surat at-Tawba, 9:33)
"It is He Who sent His Messenger with guidance"
Hijri: 1426 Gregorian: 2005
And thus We established Joseph in the land so he could live in any place he pleased. We grant Our grace to anyone We will, and We do not allow to go to waste the wage of any people who do good. (Surah Yusuf, 12:56)
"We give established power to Joseph in the land"
Hijri: 1419 Gregorian: 1998 (without shadda)
Solomon's troops, made up of jinn and men and birds, were assembled for him, paraded in tight ranks. (Surat an-Naml, 27:17)
"Solomon's troops, made up of jinn and men and birds, were assembled for him"
Hijri: 1433 Gregorian: 2011 (with shadda)

We gave him [Dhu'l-Qarnayn] power and authority on Earth, and granted him a way to everything. (Surat al-Kahf, 18:84)
"We gave him power and authority on Earth"
Hijri: 1440 Gregorian: 2018 (with shadda)
[Abraham said:] "Our Lord, raise up among them a Messenger from them to recite Your Signs to them, and teach them the Book and Wisdom, and purify them. You are the Almighty, the All-Wise." (Surat al-Baqara, 2:129)
"raise up among them a Messenger"
Hijri: 1400 Gregorian: 1979
So do not obey the disbelievers, but use this [the Qur'an] to battle against them with all your might. (Surat al-Furqan, 25:52)
"So do not obey the disbelievers, but use this to battle against them with all your might."
Hijri: 1400 Gregorian: 1979 (Tanwin signs are also counted)
And other things you love: support from God and imminent victory. Give good news to the believers! (Surat as-Saff, 61:13)
"And other things you love: support from God and imminent victory."
Hijri: 1402 Gregorian: 1981 (Tanwin signs are also counted)
These verses indicate the importance of opposing all ideologies of unbelief and of our Lord's help to His true servants during this struggle. The dates revealed by the abjad calculations, on the other hand, may be a sign for the beginning of this ideological struggle. Indeed, that the beginning date of the events related so far as being among the signs of the Hereafter is Hijri 1400, strengthens the possibility of such a sign's existence. In the verse below, there may be a sign for a period when Muslims live in difficulty. Earlier, we discussed the suffering endured by countless people up to and during the 1980s and the world's chaotic situation. We also gave the good news that this painful period is the first stage of the End Times, Prophet Jesus's (pbuh) return will end this period, and that the Golden Age, a period of peace, happiness, bounty, and beauty will replace it.
Remember when We rescued you from the people of Pharaoh. They were inflicting an evil punishment on you - slaughtering your sons and letting your women live. In that was a terrible trial for you from your Lord. (Surat al-Baqara, 2:49)
"In that was a terrible trial for you from your Lord."
Hijri: 1406 Gregorian: 1985