Page 98 - The Prophet Jesus (as) will Return

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THE PROPHET JESUS (AS) WILL RETURN
lective personality. Bediuzzaman is expressing that reality here
and reminds us that the Prophet Jesus (as) will be "AN INDI-
VIDUAL" at the head of a community that follows him and the
way he shows to them, in other words, his collective personality.
It is a great honour desired by all Muslims to live at the
same time as the Prophet Jesus (as), to follow this blessed indi-
vidual and be his helpers in the way of Allah, just like his disci-

ples. As stated in the hadith and by Bediuzzaman, Allah will
permit Hazrat Mahdi (as) and the people around him to stand in
the same ranks during the intellectual struggle as the Prophet
Jesus (as) and those few believers who follow him.
In his works Bediuzzaman says that this intellectual strug-
gle for the truth will take place immediately after his own time
and, thus that the coming of the Prophet Jesus (as) and Hazrat
Mahdi (as) had not yet taken place in his own day.

The Spiritual Community of Those Struggling in
Allah's Cause:
In this passage, Bediuzzaman refers to a community made
up of people who support and believe in the Prophet Jesus (as)

and who follow the way he shows to them.
This community represents the collective personality of the
Prophet Jesus (as). But it will also have the Prophet Jesus (as) in
person as its leader, an individual who represents this collective
personality. Bediuzzaman is emphasizing here that the person of
the Prophet Jesus (as) and his collective personality are two dis-
tinct concepts.
Understanding the lofty spirituality of the Prophet Jesus
(as) is something that will only be bestowed on those who pos-
sess sufficient spirituality to perceive this blessed individual.