101. The message conveyed in the phrase ‘Many have passed away earlier’.
This verse (3:144) of the Quran stresses the fact, though Prophet Muhammad is the only leader and guide for the entire Muslims all over the world, still he remains a messenger of Allah and not God himself.
This verse also says when Prophet Muhammad passes away from this world, Muslims should not turn away from his teachings and remain in the religion of Islam to continue not for the sake him (Prophet Muhammad) but in fear of God’s punishment and expectations of His rewards.
We come to understand this verse was revealed to convey the above message.
Nevertheless, people who believe Prophet Isa is dead provide this verse as evidence to drive home their point of view.
This verse says messengers before Prophet Muhammad passed away. These people argue based on this verse they consider Prophet Isa as dead.
They point out since messengers earlier to Prophet Muhammad are dead so will he, and say this reinforces their argument about Prophet Isa.
Majority of the comrades of Prophet Muhammad at that time did not accept the fact that Prophet Muhammad was dead. It was Abubakr Siddique who quoted this verse to bring the comrades back to their senses.
We can see this history recorded in the (Hadith Book Bukhari: 1242,) and various other hadith books. They make use of these hadiths to strengthen their argument.
They argue if Prophet Isa is not dead, the comrades at that time wouldn’t have accepted Abubakr’s contention. And say the comrades at that time could have posed a counter, as why can’t Prophet Muhammad remain alive like Prophet Isa. A superficial look at this argument seems to be competent enough to contest the verse cited by Abubakr. But if we approach the Quran in the right manner, it can be understood their argument is totally false. We cannot come to a conclusion about a certain matter by analyzing just one verse of the Quran; it is not the appropriate way to do it.
We must look out for other verses regarding the same matter, whether there is an exception or additional information regarding the same and collate and then conclude.
The exclusive grace of the Quran is we will find exceptions to its verses already revealed elsewhere.
Generally, it goes without saying that man is created from a drop of sperm, but in other verses we find the first human Adam (AS) was created from clay, being an exception.
Likewise, we see an exception in the creation of Adam’s (AS) female partner.
In the same manner we see the exception in the birth of Prophet Isa.
Similarly, we see an exception in various other verses to the phrase ‘Messengers have passed away earlier to Prophet Muhammad’ though it includes Prophet Isa.
Verse 43:61 of the Quran says Prophet Isa stands as a sign of the advent of the last day.
When it is pointed out (Prophet Isa) stands as a sign of the coming of the last day of the world means he is not dead and cannot allude to any other meaning. Please refer to explanation point No;342 of this compilation.
Verse 4:159 of the Quran says the ‘People of the Book’ will come to believe in Prophet Isa before his death.
If Prophet Isa is already dead such a proclamation would not have been made in the Quran that they will believe in him before he is dead. We have explained this verse in point No;134.
Both these verses convey Prophet Isa is not dead.
Hence it must be concluded (in conjunction with the two verses and the phrase ‘prophets earlier have passed away’) except Prophet Isa the rest have passed away.
Concluding this does not refute any verse of the Quran and at the same time brings out a collective message conveyed by these verses.
Similar to verse 3:144 of the Quran that says ‘Messengers earlier to Prophet Muhammad have passed away’ verse 5:75 also uses the same phrase to quote about Prophet Isa as, ‘son of Mariam Masih Isa is but a Prophet’, and messengers earlier to him have passed, his (Prophet Isa’s) mother was more pious, and the two of them were like any other mortals who ate and drank. Take note of how we present evidence and how they are being misguided. (The Holy Quran 5:75).
In the same way verse 3:144 states about messengers earlier to Prophet Isa passing away, verse (5:75) talks about messengers earlier to Prophet Isa. When keenly observed this verse does not convey the death of Prophet Isa.
If for argument’s sake we take Prophet Isa as dead, it would be simply said he is dead and gone, and not be mentioned as many passed away earlier to him. The Quran does not say he is dead but ‘many earlier to him went dead’.
When it is quoted as ‘many before him went dead’ necessarily means this person is not dead.
When this phrase ‘Many messengers passed away before Prophet Muhammad’ was revealed, it is very well understood Prophet Muhammad was alive.
Similarly, we need to understand that Prophet Isa was alive when the verse ‘Messengers earlier to Prophet Isa passed away’ was revealed.
Conceptualizing different meanings for phrases of two similar situations is not acceptable.
Moreover, we need to understand the objective with which this verse about Prophet Isa was delivered. It was done to refute the status of ‘God’ being given to them (Maryam A.S, and Prophet Isa) by pinpointing both were mortals, who ate and drank like others to prove they did not possess any attributes of God.
Though the evidence of ‘need to eat’ like other mortals by them is significant to refute possession of any attributes of God, much stronger is the claim that he is dead, totally refuting the concept of God.
Prophet Isa is a messenger, and he is dead can be the right answer, and not ‘Isa is God, he is dead.’
How can a belief ‘God is dead’ could be entertained?
Had Prophet Isa been dead, this would be the place where it must be pointed out. Look at the words God uses to refute the people who believed Prophet Isa as God.
Allah says Isa is a messenger, and many have passed away earlier to him.
Allah the wisest and the most intelligent, the most immaculate would never use inappropriate words. Had Prophet Isa been dead He would never convey a message contradicting it.
When Prophet Isa is dead would any wise person refrain from divulging it, and talk about people who have passed away earlier to him?
While quoting messengers earlier to him (Prophet Isa) having passed away, Allah cites of him eating like other mortals while in this world and refutes any attributes of God in him. If he was dead Allah could cite it as evidence to refute him as God.
Hence evidence put forth by people to prove Prophet Isa as dead only goes against them to strengthen that he is not yet dead.
It is improper for them to draw a parallel with the behavior of some comrades of Prophet Muhammad at his death saying Prophet Muhammad could never die. There are several hadiths cited by comrades of Prophet Muhammad regarding the return of Prophet Isa in the last days. They also knew about verses 43:61, 4:159 of the Quran, and undoubtedly believed that Prophet Isa is alive and not dead.
They believed that Prophet Muhammad also enjoyed a similar exception, and argued that Prophet Muhammad was not dead, and once it was clarified by Abubakr (RA) there is no such exception they accepted and changed their stance.
No one would cite an universally known exception as evidence.
Hence verse 3:144 does not talk about the death of Prophet Isa and similarly verse 5:75 talks about the exception that Prophet Isa is not yet dead.
Please refer to explanation point Nos 93, 133, 134, 151, 278, 342, 456 to know more about whether Prophet Isa is dead, or raised above alive, or will descend in the last days on to earth and then pass away.
