Welcoming the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) in the Best Possible Way

So far, this book has explored the Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) second coming in light of the Qur'an, our Prophet's hadiths, and excerpts from the Torah and the Gospel. Allah reveals in the Qur'an the Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) ascent into the heavens and the signs accompanying his second coming. Many hadiths, such as: "By the One in Whose hand is my self, definitely the son of Mary will soon descend among you as a just judge," also provide many examples of what the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) will do and the prevailing conditions at that time. These revelations are so clear that there is no room for doubt. Moreover, they coincide even in the details with what we see in our own day. For centuries, many scholars expressed their valuable opinions on the Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) second coming and informed people about the conditions that he will face. The Gospel also contains much clear evidence about his second coming. For example the Gospel says: "... This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into Heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven." (Acts 1:11)

Given the above evidence as well as humanity's current condition, there may be only 15 or 20 years until the Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) return. Or, perhaps he has already returned. This news is a source of encouragement, happiness, and motivation for all people.

The Importance of Preparing for the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) in Joy, Excitement, and Exuberance

The Prophet Jesus (pbuh) is a blessed Messenger whom Allah graced with a miraculous life and honored by being chosen as a Prophet. Allah revealed that the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) is "of high esteem in this world and the Hereafter, and one of those brought near [to My Presence]" (Surah Al 'Imran, 45), and that he will be rewarded with Paradise. For this reason, all people must welcome him in the nicest possible way when he returns. Even a poor person prepares his or her house days in advance for an expected guest, and strives to be proper and worthy. On the other hand, given that the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) is a most valued guest as well as a Prophet with superior qualities, everyone must welcome his return to Earth in the nicest way possible.

The Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) second coming is a very great gift of Allah for all humanity, and it is an equally great gift to meet with this valued Prophet. When he comes, he will draw everyone's attention with his innocent, pure, and bright face, and will capture humanity's attention with his accurate, wise, and insightful speech. For the first time ever in their lives, all people alive at that time will see a Prophet of superior human qualities. Allah willing, his second life will be as full of miracles as was his first life. All people will admire him for his virtue and unrivalled wisdom. His every word will be inspired by Allah, and his every decision will be accurate.

All people, especially believing Christians and Muslims, must prepare in excitement, vigor, and great exuberance for his arrival. Those who do not do so are committing a great error, for it is a grave act of disrespect to be lazy or unconcerned about the arrival of such an important guest. Those who believe Allah's words must ponder the developments in the world and be aware of the signs of the End Times in order to prepare for this most important guest's arrival. They cannot say "I believe in the Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) second coming" and then think along the lines of "but I will prepare later or make up for it later." Which conscientious, genuine Christian could say, when the appointed time has come: "We were expecting the Prophet Jesus (pbuh), but didn't consider it necessary to prepare for it"? If they say so because they believe that this event might be another 15-20 years away, they are mistaken, because they will see that 15-20 years can pass just like 15-20 days. As a result, they will suffer great remorse for their indifference. No one should forget that people in the 1970s thought of the 1980s or 1990s as the distant future. However, time passed quickly and brought the new millennium. Likewise, the day of our meeting with the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) will arrive soon, Allah willing.

The Appearance of False Messiahs Is a Sign of the Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) Imminent Arrival

Some people might want to induce indifference in those believers who want to prepare for the arrival of Allah's blessed messenger. They might try to "prove" that all such preparations are unnecessary. One such method will be the appearance of false Messiahs. In the past, some insane or greedy people have claimed to be the Prophet Jesus (pbuh). Some circles have tried to use these ignorant people to their advantage by making statements to the effect that "the belief in the Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) second coming inevitably creates false Messiahs." In this way, they sought to slow down or even stop the preparations for his arrival. However, no one can delay the arrival of this celebrated time promised by Allah, because they just cannot comprehend the fact that the emergence of false Messiahs is a sign of the Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) imminent arrival. Many Bible verses refer to this, such as:

The true believers will recognize the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) immediately by his signs. His every move will be full of wisdom and unique, and so distinguish him from all other people that he will be recognizable without any need for proof. The false Messiahs' desperate efforts to prove themselves will only expose them as frauds.

In addition, the Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) deeds will be his proof. He will deal a deadly blow to those atheist movements that seek to spread irreligion and immorality. Since he will be guided by revelation, he will foil the unbelievers' traps with great ease, curb the efforts of irreligion, and spread Allah's true religion. Through his miracles, he will prove that Allah's religion is true and that the believers will succeed. Our Lord reveals in the Qur'an:

They desire to extinguish Allah's Light with their mouths, but Allah will perfect His Light, though the unbelievers hate it. It is He Who sent His Messenger with guidance and the Religion of Truth to exalt it over every other religion, though the idolaters hate it. (Sureat as-Saff, 8-9)

The Prophet Jesus (pbuh) Will Be Recognized by the Fact That He Will Have No Relatives and That No One Will Know Him

One of the most important factors that will distinguish the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) from false messiahs will be his lack of parents, relatives, friends, and acquaintances.

As revealed in the previous chapters, the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) was born by Allah's command "Be!" and without a father. Allah likens this situation to that of Adam's creation:

The likeness of Jesus in Allah's Sight is the same as Adam. He created him from earth and then He said to him: "Be!" and he was. (Surah Al 'Imran, 59)

Both Adam and the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) were created by Allah's command: "Be!" Adam had no parents, and the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) had just his mother Mary. But on his return, he will have no mother either. Given that he first lived centuries ago, he also will have no relatives.

On his second coming, there will be no suspicion as to whether or not he is the Prophet Jesus (pbuh). Those who falsely claim to be the Messiah (pbuh) will easily be exposed as liars, for people will have known them during their youth. People will have photos of them, and many more people will have known them from their childhood onward. So, it will be a great error on their part to make such a claim.

The Whole World Will Unite Behind the Prophet Jesus (pbuh)

The Qur'an and the hadiths reveal the nature of the necessary preparations, as do the great opinions of such scholars as Bediuzzaman Said Nursi. The most important phase is the ideological battle with the world's anti-religious movements. As Bediuzzaman says, all believers must unite in the ideological battle against atheist movements that guide people away from religious morality, such as Darwinism and materialism, and fully eradicate them. For this reason, they must use all of their resources to prepare before the Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) war on irreligion begins. As Bediuzzaman says, the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) will move with "the sword of heavenly revelation" at hand, meaning that he will be guided by Allah's revelations. Therefore, every choice he makes will be right, and he will do away with all irreligious systems.

To begin to form this Christian-Muslim unity is a very good way to prepare for the Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) arrival. However, first Christians must resolve their internal differences, unite behind the Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) word, and become a rank as solid as a "well-built wall" (Surat as-Saff, 4). And, Muslims must remove their own internal sources of disparity and work to create unity and solidarity. All Muslims must move closer to Allah, cooperate to serve His religion even better, and achieve Islamic unity. Following the creation of these two unions, the pact between Muslims and Christians will form a massive power and represent a barrier to all evil movements that deny Allah. These preparations will form the basis for the alliance that will exist when the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) returns.

However, at the present time, no Christians or Muslims are making any serious preparations; rather, they seem to be very indifferent to this valued guest's arrival. Such people will be ashamed when the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) comes, for then they will realize that it is too late to make amends.

Another danger for Christans is that of coming under the influence of those who are disturbed by the prospect of the Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) arrival. People who do not prepare for this event, due to their pride, weak faith, ignorance, and lack of comprehension, might seek to influence conscientious Christians in a negative manner. Still, however, one wonders why those Christians who love the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) and believe in the Bible pretend not to see this great truth. The time has come for all Christians to commit themselves to morality and the path of the Prophet Jesus (pbuh). All Christians must show their sincerity and their wholehearted dedication to Allah, as defined in the Bible, and be tolerant, loving, peaceful, devoted, and work to spread Allah's religion. The Bible's clear statements on the Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) second coming must move the conscience of Christians, for contrary behavior or not making the necessary preparations could become a source of great shame and embarrassment for them. The Prophet Jesus (pbuh) has given the good news of his second coming to all Christians, and says clearly in the Gospel: "I myself will come soon" (Philippians 2:24)

Similarly, Muslims must also abide by Allah's morality, as revealed in the Qur'an and the hadiths, and work for the Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) arrival with excitement, joy, and exuberance. Otherwise, how can they claim to believe in this coming event?

The Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) second coming will not be a localized affair affecting just one area; rather, it will be a miraculous and metaphysical event powerful enough to affect the whole world, engender fundamental social and political change on a global scale, and cause people to unite behind the Prophet Jesus (pbuh). For this reason, all Christians and Muslims must work together and do their utmost to prepare the nicest welcome ever for him. For those Christians and Muslims who believe in the one and only Allah, strive to earn His good pleasure, have submitted to Him wholeheartedly, are devoted to Him and praise him, and defend the same core values, it is most proper that they move in unison. The need for mutual tolerance, sympathy, understanding, and peace is obvious. It is time to end the centuries-old disputes, prejudices, and misunderstandings, because there is no time to be lost.

In this book, we have shared the good news of the Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) second coming with everyone from the perspective of the Qur'an and the hadiths. We have seen Bediuzzaman's insightful views and read the Bible's clear statements. We also have called on everyone to make the necessary preparations. In short, we want to make it impossible for people to say that they would have prepared for this event if they had known that it was coming. We have stressed that the signs are clearly there for all to see, and that there can no longer be any doubt that the Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) second coming is imminent. Our Lord says: