'Eesa, may Allaah exalt his mention, will descend as a just ruler
Fatwa No: 226030

Question

One well established fact in our aqeeda is the descent of Issa(as). Some people deny his descent and say it contradicts khatm alnubuwat). Our response is that he doesn't come with a new message. One thing about which I wanted clarification is that I have read people claiming that Issa (as) will still receive revelation and that Allah has revealed to him all the true authentic opinions of fiqh and authentic ahadith. Doesn't that imply a contradiction of khatm alnubuwat since it is religious revelation and since it implies that Issa (as) will teach us the true opinion on matters in which we had differences of opinion. Something we could never have been sure without his wahy.

Answer

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

The revealed texts about the descent of ‘Eesa (Jesus) and what he will do after his descent are confirmed texts which are known to the scholars, and we have mentioned some of them in Fatwa 87745.

‘Eesa will rule – Allaah willing – with the Islamic Law and not with any other law when he descends. Imaam An-Nawawi said in his commentary on Saheeh Muslim: "They claimed that these Ahaadeeth should be rejected because Allaah says (what means): {… and seal [i.e. last] of the prophets.} [Quran 33:40], and because the Prophet said: “There will be no Prophet after me;” and the consensus of the Muslims that there is no prophet after our Prophet Muhammad and that his law will remain until the Day of Judgment and will not be abrogated. Indeed, this is an invalid inference, because the descent of ‘Eesa does not mean that he is to descend with a law that will abrogate our law. These Ahaadeeth and others do never state or mean this…Rather, it is confirmed that he will descend as a just ruler, and he will judge by our law and revive what people will have deserted from it."

As regards the claim that he will receive revelations and that Allaah will reveal to him which opinions of Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) are correct and which Ahaadeeth are authentic, then this is a false, unfounded statement, so it is not permissible to believe it.

Allaah Knows best.

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