29. A DESCRIPTION OF ‘EESA (PBUH) HIS CHARACTER AND HIS VIRTUES
Allah, Most High, says, {‘Eesa, son of Maryam, was no more than a Messenger; many were the Messengers that passed away before him. His mother (Maryam) was a Siddiqah (i.e. she believed in the Words of Allah and His Books [see Verse 66:12])} (Soorah Al-Ma’idah 5:75)
It was said that he was named Al-Maseeh (the Messiah) because of his mash of the earth, i.e. his traveling in it and his flight with his Religion from the trials of that time caused by the Jews’ denial of him and the lies they invented against him and his mother (peace be upon them both). It was also said that he was called Al-Maseeh because his feet were anointed.
Allah, Most High, says, {And in their footsteps, We sent ‘Eesa (‘Eesa), son of Maryam, confirming the Tawrah that had come before him, and We gave him the Injeel (Gospel), in which was guidance and light} (Soorah Al-Ma’idah 5:46). And He, Most High, says, {And indeed, We gave Moosa the Book and followed him up with a succession of Messengers. And We gave ‘Eesa (‘Eesa), the son of Maryam, clear signs and supported him with Rooh ul-Quds (Jibra’eel).} (Soorah Al-Baqarah 2:87). And the Verses regarding this are extremely numerous. We have mentioned previously the hadeeth confirmed in the Saheehain: “There is no child born except that Shaitan stabs its side when it is delivered, causing it to cry out. The only exceptions to this are Maryam and her son; he went to stab him, but the stab struck a barrier protecting him.”
We have already related the hadeeth of ‘Umair ibn Hani’, on the authority of Junadah, who reported on the authority of ‘Ubadah (May Allah be pleased with him), who reported from the Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) that he said, “Whoever bore witness that ‘La Ilaha ill-Allahu Wahdahu la Shareeka Lahu wa Anna Muhammadan ‘Abduhu wa Rasooluhu wa Anna ‘Eesa ‘Abdullahi wa Rasooluhu wa Kalimatuhul-Latee Alqaha Ila Maryama wa Roohun Minhu wal-Jannatu Haqqun, wan-None haqqun (who testify that none has the right to be worshipped except Allah, Alone, without partners and Muhammad is His slave and His Messenger, and ‘Eesa is Allah’s slave and His Messenger and His Word, which He cast into Maryam and a Spirit from Him, and that Paradise is true, and the Fire is true),’ Allah will admit him to Paradise, according to his deeds.” (Narrated by Al-Bukhari (and this is his wording) and Muslim.
And Al-Bukhari and Muslim narrated on the authority of Abu Moosa (May Allah be pleased with him) that he said, “The Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) said, ‘If a person teaches his slave girl good manners, educates her properly, and then manumits and marries her, he will get a double reward. And if a man believes in ‘Eesa and then believes in me, he will get a double reward. And if a slave fears his Lord (i.e. Allah) and obeys his masters, he too will get a double reward.’
And ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (May Allah be pleased with him) said, “The Prophet mentioned Al-Maseeh Ad-Dajjal in front of the people saying, Allah is not one-eyed while Al-Maseeh Ad-Dajjal is blind in the right eye and his eye looks like a bulging grape. While sleeping near the Ka‘bah last night, I saw in my dream a man of brown color, the best one can see amongst brown color and his hair was so long that it fell between his shoulders. His hair was lank and water was dribbling from his head and he was placing his hands on the shoulders of two men while circumambulating the Ka‘bah. I asked, “Who is this?” They replied, “This is ‘Eesa, son of Maryam.” Behind him I saw a man who had very curly hair and was blind in the right eye, resembling Ibn Qatan (a pagan Arab) in appearance. He was placing his hands on the shoulders of a person while performing tawaf around the Ka‘bah. I asked, “Who is this?” They replied, “Al-Maseeh Ad-Dajjal.”
And it is reported on the authority of ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas (May Allah be pleased with him) that he said, “The Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “You will be gathered barefoot, naked and uncircumcised.” He then recited: {…as We began the first creation, We shall repeat it, (it is) a promise binding upon Us. Truly, We shall do it.} (Soorah Al-Anbiya’ 21:104) He added, “The first to be dressed on the Day of Resurrection, will be Ibraheem, and some of my companions will be taken toward the left side (i.e. to the Hellfire), and I will say, “My Companions! My Companions!” It will be said, “They reneged against Islam after you left them.” Then I will say as the pious slave of Allah (i.e. ‘Eesa) said: {“And I was a witness over them while I dwelt amongst them, but when You took me up, You were the Watcher over them, and You are a Witness to all things. (This is a great admonition and warning to the Christians of the whole world). If You punish them, they are Your slaves, and if You forgive them, verily, You, only You are the Almighty, the Most Wise.”} (Soorah Al-Ma’idah 5:117,118)
And Al-Bukhari narrated on the authority of Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) from the Prophet (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) that he said, “None spoke in cradle but three: (The first was) ‘Eesa, (the second was) a man from Banu Isra’eel called Juraij. While he was offering his prayers, his mother came and called him. He said (to himself), “Shall I answer her or keep on praying?” (He went on praying) and did not answer her, his mother said, “O, Allah! Do not let him die till he sees the faces of prostitutes.” So while he was in his hermitage, a lady came and sought to seduce him, but he refused. So she went to a shepherd and presented herself to him to commit illegal sexual intercourse with her and then later she gave birth to a child and claimed that it belonged to Juraij. The people therefore came to him and dismantled his hermitage and expelled him out of it and abused him. Juraij performed the ablution and offered prayer, and then came to the child and said, “O, child! Who is your father?” The child replied, “The shepherd.” (After hearing this) the people said, “We shall rebuild your hermitage of gold,” but he said, “No, of nothing but mud.” (The third was the hero of the following story:) A lady from Banu Isra’eel was nursing her child at her breast when a handsome rider passed by her. She said, “O, Allah ! Make my child like him.” On that, the child left her breast, and facing the rider said, “O, Allah! Do not make me like him.” The child then started to suck her breast again. (Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) further said, it is as if I were now looking at the Prophet (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) sucking his finger [by way of demonstration].”) After a while the people passed by, with a slave girl and she (i.e. the child’s mother) said, “O, Allah! Do not make my child like this (slave girl)!” On that, the child left her breast and said, “O, Allah! Make me like her.” When she asked why, the child replied, “The rider is one of the tyrants while this slave girl is falsely accused of theft and illegal sexual intercourse.”
And Al-Bukhari narrated on the authority of Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) that he said, “I heard the Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) say, “I am the nearest of all the people to the son of Maryam, and all the Prophets are paternal brothers, and there has been no Prophet between me and him (i.e. ‘Eesa).”
And it is reported on the authority of Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) from the Prophet (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) that he said, “The Prophets are paternal brothers; their Religion is one, but their mothers are different. I am the nearest of all the people to ‘Eesa, son of Maryam, because there was no Prophet between me and him and he will descend, so if you see him acknowledge him, for he is a well-built man, whose complexion is somewhere between red and white. He will descend while wearing two long, light yellow garments. His head appears to be dripping water, even though no moisture touched it. He will break the cross, kill the pig, and abolish the jizyah and will call the people to Islam. During his time, Allah will destroy all religions except Islam and Allah will destroy Al-Maseeh Ad-Dajjal. Safety will then fill the earth, so much so that the lions will mingle with camels, tigers with cattle and wolves with sheep. Children will play with snakes, and they will not harm them. ‘Eesa (‘Eesa) will remain for forty years and then he will die and the Muslims will offer the funeral prayer over him and bury him.”
And Hisham ibn ‘Urwah narrated on the authority of Saleh, the freed slave of Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “He will remain in the world for forty years.” And details of his descent at the end of time will be given later, insha’Allah, in the Book of Battles; we have also explained it in the Tafseer, in the explanation of the Words of Allah, Most High, in Soorah An-Nisa‘: {And there is none of the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians), but must believe in him (‘Eesa, son of Maryam, as only a Messenger of Allah and a human being), before his (‘Eesa’s or a Jew’s or a Christian’s) death (at the time of the appearance of the Angel of Death). And on the Day of Resurrection, he (‘Eesa) will be a witness against them.”} (Soorah An-Nisa‘ 4:159) and His Words: {And he (‘Eesa, son of Maryam) shall be a known sign for (the coming of) the Hour (Day of Resurrection) (i.e. ‘Eesa’s descent to the earth)} (Soorah Az-Zukhruf 43:61) and we have explained how he will descend on the White Minaret in Damascus, after the iqamah for the Fajr prayer will be called, and the Imam of the Muslims will say to him, “Advance, O, Spirit of Allah!” But he will reply, “No. Some amongst you are commanders over others. This is the honor from Allah for this Ummah (Nation).
By Ibn Katheer
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