What is the proof from sahih hadith and Qur'an that Jesus will return before judgment day ? Does it make any difference if he is dead now or alive?
All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.
1 - Allah Says (what means): {And [for] their saying, "Indeed, we have killed the Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary, the messenger of Allah." And they did not kill him, nor did they crucify him; but [another] was made to resemble him to them. And indeed, those who differ over it are in doubt about it. They have no knowledge of it except the following of assumption. And they did not kill him, for certain. Rather, Allah raised him to Himself. And ever is Allah Exalted in Might and Wise. And there is none from the People of the Scripture but that he will surely believe in Jesus before his death. And on the Day of Resurrection he will be against them a witness.} [Quran 4:157-159]
2 – Jesus's return before the Day of Judgement has ample evidence in the Sunnah. Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Prophet said: “(I swear) By him in whose hands my soul is, son of Mary (Jesus) will shortly descend amongst you people (Muslims) as a just ruler and will break the Cross and kill the pig and abolish the Jizyah (a tax taken from the non-Muslims, who are in the protection of the Muslim government), then there will be abundance of money and nobody will accept charitable gifts.” [Al-Bukhari]
Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Prophet said: “(I swear) By him in whose hand is my life, Ibn Maryam would certainly pronounce the Talbiyah for Hajj or for ‘Umrah or for both in the valley of Rawhaa.” These texts clearly indicate that ‘Eesa (Jesus) would descend on earth, and he would implement the Islamic rulings, and he will fight against the present Idolatrous Christianity. The most correct evidence shows that he is still alive, has not yet died, after Almighty Allah rescued him from the guilty Jews, such as in a Hadeeth, reported by Imams Ahmad, Ibn Abu Shaybah, Abu Daawood, Ibn Jareer and Ibn Hibbaan. Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Prophet said: “He will stay forty years on earth, then he will die and Muslims will pray on him, and they will bury him beside our Messenger Muhammad .” [Ahmad and Muslim]
Dear brother, you may note a point in all these Ahadeeth that the Prophet said: “He will descend”, he did not say “He will rise from death”; that means that he is still alive and not dead.
For more benefit that Jesus was not crucified, please refer to Fataawa was not crucified ">89547, 87468, 88424, 85366, 87642, 84001 and 87745.
Allah knows best.
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