Page 73 - Mary: An Exemplary Muslim Woman

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would believe in Prophet Jesus (pbuh) before he or she dies. But Arabic
linguistics shows that this claim is not correct. The plural suffix hum is
used in all those verses of the Qur'an that refer to the People of the

Book (as in Surat al-Bayyina 1 and 6, Surat al-Hadid 29, and Surat al-
Hashr 2). Yet the singular suffix hu is employed in this verse. This
means that the verse reports that the People of the Book will believe
in Prophet Jesus (pbuh) before his death – in other words, before
his biological death at his second coming. (And Allah knows the
truth.)
Besides during the Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) lifetime, the
vast majority of the region's Jews refused to believe in him,
and some of them even attempted to martyr him. As for
those Jews and Christians who lived after the Prophet Jesus
(pbuh) was raised to His Presence, they cannot be called his
followers for they do not meet the Qur'anic definition of
faith and belief.
The expression on the Day of Resurrection he will be

a witness against them, indicates again that the
Prophet Jesus (pbuh) will come again.
These verses conclusively indicate that
all People of the Book will believe
before the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) dies.
The verse refers to the future, be-
cause it speaks of the Prophet Jesus'
(pbuh) death. Then it mentions that
all People of the Book
will believe in him,
something that
has not happened
yet.