Page 59 - The Prophet Jesus (as) will Return

57
HARUN YAHYA (ADNAN OKTAR)
The statement in the verse, "And I will place the people
who follow you above those who are disbelievers until the
Day of Resurrection" is important. Here, there is reference to a
group strictly adhering to the Prophet Jesus (as) and who will be
kept above the disbelievers until the Day of Judgement. Who are
these adherents, then? Are they the disciples who lived in the
time of the Prophet Jesus (as) or are they the Christians of today?
Before he was raised up to Allah, the followers of the
Prophet Jesus (as) were few. After his ascension, the essence of
Christianity degenerated rapidly. Furthermore, the disciples
faced serious pressure throughout their lives. During the suc-
ceeding two centuries, having no political power, those Chris-
tians having faith in the Prophet Jesus (as) were also oppressed.
In this case, it is not possible to say that early Christians or their
successors during these periods were physically superior to the
disbelievers in the world. We might logically think that this
verse does not refer to them.
When we look at the Christians of today, on the other hand,
we notice that the essence of Christianity has changed signifi-
cantly and it is markedly different from what the Prophet Jesus
(as) originally brought to mankind. Christians embraced the per-
verted belief that suggests that the Prophet Jesus (as) is the son of
God and similarly held the doctrine of the Trinity (the Father,
Son and the Holy Spirit). (Surely Allah is beyond that.) In this
case, it is flawed to accept the Christians of today as the adher-
ents of the true religion revealed to the Prophet Jesus (as). In
many verses of the Qur'an Allah states that the belief of the Trin-
ity is a perverted one:

Those who say that the Messiah, son of Maryam, is the
third of three are disbelievers. There is no god but One
God. (Surat al-Ma'ida: 73)