Page 65 - The Prophet Jesus (pbuh) Did Not Die

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HARUN YAHYA

ness. He called on his people to believe in Allah, avoid sin
and evil, and do good works. He also reminded them of the

transitory nature of this world's life and the closeness of
death, and called upon them to worship, fear, and respect
only Him.
At the time of the Prophet Jesus (pbuh), the Mediter-
ranean region and the surrounding area was ruled by
Rome. Roman religion, in common with the surrounding
religions, was polytheistic and superstitious. The imaginary
deities of Greek mythology also appeared in Roman
mythology, but under different names. The Jews living in
Palestine were a small minority in the Roman Empire.
However, Rome interfered very little in their beliefs and in-
ternal affairs. But beginning with the second century B.C.E.,
the Jews entered a period of internal fragmentation. With
the Torah and Judaic tradition being interpreted in different
ways by various groups, several sects emerged and serious
disputes began to occur. These disputes gave rise to uncer-
tainties and discontent in Jewish society, and the ensuing
disorder could not be eliminated. As a result, Judaism

moved away from the divine religion that Allah had re-
vealed to the Prophet Moses (pbuh) and was corrupted by
the addition of some superstitious beliefs and laws.
The Prophet Jesus (pbuh) was sent to resolve these dif-
ferences, by teaching them once again about the divine reli-
gion, from whose essence they had departed, and to elimi-
nate their superstitions: