Page 140 - The Glad Tidings of the Messiah

138 The Glad Tidings of the Messiah (pbuh)

(pbuh) before he or she dies. But at the time of the Prophet Jesus
(pbuh), some of the Jews (who are members of the People of the
Book) not only refused to believe in him, but also plotted his death.
Then, believing him to be dead, they continued to deny him. In
general, the same circumstances are true for the Jews of our own
time, as they do not recognize the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) as a
Prophet. As a result, millions of the People of the Book have lived
and died without ever believing in the Prophet Jesus (pbuh).
Therefore, the verse does not speak of the death of this group, but
rather of the death of the Prophet Jesus (pbuh). In the end, the real-
ity revealed by the Qur'an is this: "Before Jesus dies, all People of
the Book will believe in him."
When the verse is regarded in the light of its true meaning,
several clear facts emerge. First, it becomes apparent that the verse
refers to the future, because it speaks of the Prophet Jesus' (pbuh)
death. As explained earlier, he never died but was raised to Allah's
Presence. The Prophet Jesus (pbuh) will return to Earth, where he
will live and die like all other people. Second, it says that all People
of the Book will believe in him. Obviously, this has not yet hap-
pened. And so, given the context, "before he dies" refers to the
Prophet Jesus (pbuh). The People of the Book will see and recog-
nize him, and then become Muslim followers of the Prophet Jesus
(pbuh), as will be explained shortly. In turn, he will be their wit-
ness on the Last Day.
The majority of the Islamic scholars are also of the same con-
viction. Abu Huraira and Ibn Abbas, who were among the com-
panions of our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him
peace), expressed that this verse is an evidence for the Prophet
Jesus' (pbuh) second coming. Al-Qurtubi comments on the verse
as follows: