Messiah Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! ==Islam== {{Eschatology|expanded=Islamic}} {{Main article|Mahdi|Muhammad al-Mahdi|Jesus in Islam|Masih (title)}} [[File:End times.svg|thumb|263x263px|Timeline of Jesus in Islamic eschatology]] The [[Islam|Islamic faith]] uses the Arabic term {{transliteration|ar|al-Masīḥ}} ({{lang-ar|المسيح|label=none}}, {{IPA-ar|maˈsiːħ|pron}}) to refer to Jesus. However the meaning is different from that found in [[Messiah in Christianity|Christianity]] and [[Messiah in Judaism|Judaism]]: <blockquote>Though Islam shares many of the beliefs and characteristics of the two Semitic/Abrahamic/monotheistic religions which preceded it, the idea of messianism, which is of central importance in Judaism and Christianity, is alien to Islam as represented by the Qur'an.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last=Hassan|first=Riffat|date=Spring 1985|title=Messianism and Islam|url=http://soerenkern.com/pdfs/islam/MessianismAndIslamHassan.pdf|journal=Journal of Ecumenical Studies|volume=22|issue=2 |pages=263}}</ref></blockquote> Unlike the Christian view of the [[Death of Jesus]], most Muslims believe Jesus was raised to Heaven without being put on the cross and God created a resemblance to appear exactly like Jesus who was crucified instead of Jesus, and he ascended bodily to Heaven, there to remain until his [[Second Coming of Christ|Second Coming]] in the [[Eschatology|End days]].<ref name="Reynolds 2009">{{cite journal |last=Reynolds |first=Gabriel S. |author-link=Gabriel Said Reynolds |date=May 2009 |title=The Muslim Jesus: Dead or Alive? |url=https://www3.nd.edu/~reynolds/index_files/jesus%20dead%20or%20alive.pdf |journal=Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies (University of London) |location=[[Cambridge]] |publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]] |volume=72 |issue=2 |pages=237–258 |doi=10.1017/S0041977X09000500 |jstor=40379003 |s2cid=27268737 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120617010816/https://www3.nd.edu/~reynolds/index_files/jesus%20dead%20or%20alive.pdf |archive-date=17 June 2012 |url-status=live |access-date=24 October 2020}}</ref> The [[Quran]] states that [[Jesus in Islam|Jesus]] (''Isa''), the son of [[Mary in Islam|Maryam]] (''Isa ibn Maryam''), is the messiah (''al-masih'') and prophet sent to the [[Children of Israel]].<ref>{{qref|3|45|b=yl}}</ref> According to [[Al-Qadi al-Nu'man|Qadi al-Nu'man]], a famous [[Muslims|Muslim]] jurist of the [[Fatimid Caliphate|Fatimid period]], the Quran identifies Jesus as the messiah because he was sent to the people who responded to him in order to remove (''masaha'') their impurities, the ailments of their faith, whether apparent ([[Zahir (Islam)|{{transliteration|ar|zāhir}}]]) or hidden ([[Batin (Islam)|{{transliteration|ar|bātin}}]]).<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Virani|first=Shafique|title=Hierohistory in Qāḍī l-Nuʿmān's Foundation of Symbolic Interpretation (Asās al-Taʾwīl): The Birth of Jesus|url=https://www.academia.edu/41992496|journal=Studies in Islamic Historiography|date=January 2019|page=147|language=en}}</ref> Jesus is one of the most important prophets in the Islamic tradition, along with [[Noah in Islam|Noah]], [[Abraham in Islam|Abraham]], [[Moses in Islam|Moses]], and [[Muhammad in Islam|Muhammad]].<ref>{{qref|33|7|b=y}}{{qref|42|13-14|b=y}}{{qref|57|26|b=y}}</ref><ref name="thesis">{{cite thesis |last=Albert|first=Alexander|title=Orientating, Developing, and Promoting an Islamic Christology |date=2010 |type=MA thesis |publisher=Florida International University |url=http://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1226&context=etd|access-date=1 May 2014|doi=10.25148/etd.FI10041628|doi-access=free}}</ref> Unlike Christians, Muslims see Jesus as a prophet, but not as God himself or the [[Son of God (Christianity)|son of God]]. This is because prophecy in human form does not represent the true powers of God, contrary to the popular depiction of Jesus in Christianity.<ref name=":2">{{Cite book|last=Siddiqui|first=Mona|url=https://archive.org/details/christiansmuslim0000sidd/page/12|title=Christians, Muslims, and Jesus|publisher=Yale University Press|year=2013|isbn=978-0-300-16970-6|pages=[https://archive.org/details/christiansmuslim0000sidd/page/12 12]}}</ref> Thus, like all other [[Prophets and messengers in Islam|Islamic prophets]], Jesus is one of the grand prophets who receives revelations from God.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Wensick|first=A.J.|date=2012|title=al- Masih|url=http://referenceworks.brillonline.com/entries/encyclopaedia-of-islam-2/al-masih-SIM_5012|website=Encyclopedia of Islam}}</ref> According to religious scholar [[Mona Siddiqui]], in Islam, "[p]rophecy allows God to remain veiled and there is no suggestion in the Qur'an that God wishes to reveal of himself just yet. Prophets guarantee interpretation of revelation and that God's message will be understood."<ref name=":2" /> In [[Maryam (surah)|Sura 19]], the Quran describes the birth of Isa,<ref>{{qref|19|1-33|b=y}}</ref> and [[Sura 4]] explicitly states Isa as the Son of Maryam.<ref>{{qref|4|171|b=y}}</ref> [[Sunni Islam|Sunni Muslims]] believe Isa is alive in [[Heaven in Islam|Heaven]] and did not die in the crucifixion. Sura 4, verses 157–158, also states that:{{blockquote|But they neither killed nor crucified him—it was only made to appear so.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Kendal|first=Elizabeth|title=After Saturday Comes Sunday: Understanding the Christian Crisis in the Middle East|publisher=Resource Publications|year=2016|isbn=9781498239882|location=Eugene, OR|pages=29}}</ref>}} According to religious scholar [[Mahmoud M. Ayoub|Mahmoud Ayoub]], "Jesus' close proximity or nearness (qurb) to God is affirmed in the Qur'anic insistence that Jesus did not die, but was taken up to God and remains with God."<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":1" /> While the Quran does not state that he will come back,<ref name="thesis" /> Islamic tradition nevertheless believes that Jesus will return at the [[Islamic eschatology|end of times]], shortly preceding ''[[Mahdi]]'', and exercise his power of healing.<ref name="MC_1" /><ref>{{Cite book|last=Khalidi|first=Tarif|url=https://archive.org/details/muslimjesussayin00/page/25|title=Muslim Jesus|publisher=President and Fellows of Harvard College|year=2001|isbn=0-674-00477-9|pages=[https://archive.org/details/muslimjesussayin00/page/25 25]|url-access=registration}}</ref> He will forever destroy the falsehood embodied in ''[[al-Masih ad-Dajjal]]'' (the false Messiah), the great falsifier, a figure similar to the [[Antichrist]] in Christianity, who will emerge shortly before ''[[Day of Resurrection|Yawm al-Qiyāmah]]'' ('the Day of Resurrection').<ref name="MC_1" /><ref name=":1">{{Cite book|title=A Muslim View of Christianity: Essays on Dialogue|last=Ayoub|first=Mahmoud|publisher=Orbis Books|year=2007|isbn=978-1-57075-690-0|location=Maryknoll, NY|pages=115}}</ref> After he has destroyed ad-Dajjal, his final task will be to become leader of the Muslims. Isa will unify the Muslim ''[[Ummah]]'' (the followers of Islam) under the common purpose of worshipping God alone in pure Islam, thereby ending divisions and deviations by adherents. Mainstream Muslims believe that at that time, Isa will dispel Christian and Jewish claims about him. A ''[[hadith]]'' in [[Abu Dawood|Abu Dawud]] says: {{Blockquote|text=The Prophet said: There is no prophet between me and him, that is, Isa. He will descend (to the earth). When you see him, recognise him: a man of medium height, reddish fair, wearing two light yellow garments, looking as if drops were falling down from his head though it will not be wet. He will fight the people for the cause of Islam. He will break the cross, kill swine, and abolish [[jizyah]]. Allah will perish all religions except Islam. He will destroy the Antichrist and will live on the earth for forty years and then he will die. The Muslims will pray over him.|title=|source=Hadith<ref>{{Hadithref|abudawud|4324|b=yl}}</ref>}} Both Sunni<ref name="thesis"/> and [[Shia Islam|Shia Muslims]] agree<ref>{{cite web |title=Sunni and Shi'a|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/islam/subdivisions/sunnishia_1.shtml|publisher=BBC|access-date=1 May 2014}}</ref> that al-Mahdi will arrive first, and after him, Isa. Isa will proclaim al-Mahdi as the Islamic community leader. A war will be fought—the Dajjal against al-Mahdi and Isa. This war will mark the approach of the coming of the Last Day. After Isa slays al-Dajjāl at the Gate of [[Lod|Lud]], he will bear witness and reveal that Islam is indeed the true and last word from God to humanity as [[Abdullah Yusuf Ali|Yusuf Ali]]'s translation reads: {{blockquote|And there is none of the People of the Book but must believe in him before his death; and on the Day of Judgment he will be a witness against them.<ref>{{qref|4|159|b=yl}}</ref>}} A ''hadith'' in [[Sahih Bukhari]]<ref>{{Hadithref|bukhari|3449|b=yl}}</ref> says: {{blockquote|Allah's Apostle said, "How will you be when the son of Mariam descends among you and your Imam is from among you?"}} The Quran denies the crucifixion of Jesus,<ref name=thesis/> claiming that he was neither killed nor crucified.<ref>{{Qref|4|157|b=yl}}</ref> The Quran also emphasizes the difference between God and the Messiah:<ref>{{qref|5|72-77|b=y}}</ref><blockquote>Those who say that Allah is the Messiah, son of Mary, are unbelievers. The Messiah said: "O Children of Israel, worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord... unbelievers too are those who have said that Allah is the third of three... the Messiah, son of Mary, was only a Messenger before whom other Messengers had gone.</blockquote> ===Shia Islam=== The [[Twelver]] branch of [[Shia Islam|Shia (or Shi'i) Islam]], which significantly values and revolves around [[the Twelve Imams]] (spiritual leaders), differs significantly from the beliefs of [[Sunni Islam]]. Unlike Sunni Islam, "Messianism is an essential part of religious belief and practice for almost all Shi'a Muslims."<ref name=":0" /> Shi'i Islam believes that the last Imam will return again, with the return of Jesus. According to religious scholar [[Mona Siddiqui]], "Shi'is are acutely aware of the existence everywhere of the twelfth Imam, who disappeared in 874."<ref name=":2" /> Shi'i [[piety]] teaches that the hidden Imam will return with Jesus Christ to set up the messianic kingdom before the final Judgement Day, when all humanity will stand before God. There is some controversy as to the identity of this imam. There are sources that underscore how the Shia sect agrees with the Jews and Christians that [[Imam Mehdi]] (''al-Mahdi'') is another name for Elijah, whose return prior to the arrival of the Messiah was prophesied in the Old Testament.<ref name=":4">{{Cite book|title=Israel: The History and How Jews, Christians and Muslims Can Achieve Peace|last=Abbas|first=Muhammad|publisher=iUniverse|year=2007|isbn=9780595426195|location=New York}}</ref> The Imams and Fatima will have a direct impact on the judgements rendered that day, representing the ultimate [[Intercession in Islam|intercession]].<ref>{{Cite book|title=Roman Catholics and Shi'i Muslims|last1=Bill|first1=James|last2=Williams|first2=John Alden|publisher=The University of North Carolina Press|year=2002|isbn=0-8078-2689-8|pages=[https://archive.org/details/romancatholicssh0000bill/page/57 57–58]|url=https://archive.org/details/romancatholicssh0000bill/page/57}}</ref> There is debate on whether Shi'i Muslims should accept the death of Jesus. Religious scholar [[Mahmoud M. Ayoub|Mahmoud Ayoub]] argues "Modern Shi'i thinkers have allowed the possibility that Jesus died and only his spirit was taken up to heaven."<ref name=":1" /> Conversely, Siddiqui argues that Shi'i thinkers believe Jesus was "neither crucified nor slain."<ref name=":2" /> She also argues that Shi'i Muslims believe that the twelfth imam did not die, but "was taken to God to return in God's time," and "will return at the end of history to establish the kingdom of God on earth as the expected Mahdi."<ref name=":2" /> ===Ahmadiyya=== [[File:Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (c. 1897).jpg|thumb|Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, founder of the Ahmadiyya Movement in Islam, considered by [[Ahmadis]] to be the Promised Messiah of the latter days.]] In the theology of [[Ahmadiyya]], the terms ''Messiah'' and ''[[Mahdi]]'' are synonymous terms for one and the same person.<ref name="rororg">{{cite web| url = http://www.reviewofreligions.org/1599/my%E2%80%88claim-to-promised-messiahship/| title = Messiah and Mahdi - Review of Religions| date = January 2009}}</ref> The term ''Mahdi'' means 'guided [by God]', thus implying a direct ordainment by God of a divinely chosen individual.<ref>{{cite web|title="Mahdi" in a Special Meaning and Technical Usage|url=http://www.al-islam.org/discussions-concerning-al-mahdi-gulpaygani/"mahdi"-special-meaning-and-technical-usage|publisher=Ahlul Bayt Digital Islamic Library Project|access-date=30 April 2014}}{{Dead link|date=August 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> According to Ahmadi thought, Messiahship is a phenomenon through which a special emphasis is given on the transformation of a people by way of offering to suffer for the sake of God instead of giving suffering (i.e. refraining from revenge).{{Citation needed|date=May 2010}} Ahmadis believe that this special emphasis was given through the person of Jesus and [[Mirza Ghulam Ahmad]] (1835–1908)<ref name="askislamorg">{{cite web| url = http://www.askislam.org/concepts/prophecy_and_prophethood/question_577.html| title = Ask Islam: What is the different between a messiah and a prophet? (audio)}}</ref> among others. Ahmadis hold that the prophesied eschatological figures of Christianity and Islam, the Messiah and Mahdi, were, in fact, to be fulfilled in one person who was to represent all previous prophets.<ref name=":3">{{cite web |url=http://www.alislam.org/quran/tafseer/?page=2739®ion=E1&CR= |title=The Holy Quran |publisher=Alislam.org |access-date=9 November 2012}}</ref> Numerous [[hadith]] are presented by the Ahmadis in support of their view, such as one from [[Sunan Ibn Majah]], which says, "There is No Mahdi other than Jesus son of Mary."<ref>Ibn Majah, Bab, Shahadatu-Zaman</ref> Ahmadis believe that the prophecies concerning the Mahdi and the second coming of Jesus have been fulfilled in Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (1835–1908), the founder of the Ahmadiyya Movement. Unlike mainstream Muslims, the Ahmadis do not believe that Jesus is alive in heaven, but that he survived the crucifixion and migrated towards the east where he died a natural death and that Ghulam Ahmad was only the promised spiritual second coming and likeness of Jesus, the promised Messiah and Mahdi.<ref>{{cite web |title=Jesus: A humble prophet of God|url=http://www.alislam.org/topics/jesus/|publisher=Ahmadiyya Muslim Community|access-date=30 April 2014}}</ref> He also claimed to have appeared in the likeness of [[Krishna]] and that his advent fulfilled certain prophecies found in Hindu scriptures.<ref>{{cite book |author=Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian |date=2007 |title=Lecture Sialkot |url=http://www.alislam.org/library/books/LectureSialkot.pdf |location=Tilford, Surrey, United Kingdom |publisher=Islam International Publications Ltd. |pages=39–40 }}</ref> He stated that the founder of [[Sikhism]] was a Muslim saint, who was a reflection of the religious challenges he perceived to be occurring.<ref name="honor">{{cite journal|last=Robinson|first=Francis|title=Prophets without honour? Ahmad and the Ahmadiyya|journal=History Today|volume=40|issue=June|page=46}}</ref> Ghulam Ahmad wrote ''[[Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya]]'', in 1880, which incorporated Indian, Sufi, Islamic and Western aspects in order to give life to Islam in the face of the [[British Raj]], Protestant Christianity, and rising Hinduism. He later declared himself the Promised Messiah and the Mahdi following Divine revelations in 1891. Ghulam Ahmad argued that Jesus had appeared 1300 years after the formation of the Muslim community and stressed the need for a current Messiah, in turn claiming that he himself embodied both the Mahdi and the Messiah. Ghulam Ahmad was supported by Muslims who especially felt oppressed by Christian and Hindu missionaries.<ref name=honor/> Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here. 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