What Will Jesus Do When He Returns?

Sahih al-Bukhari 3448Sahih al-Bukhari 3448 · Muhammad Muhsin KhanNarrated Abu Huraira: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "By Him in Whose Hands my soul is, surely (Jesus,) the son of Mary will soon descend amongst you and will judge mankind justly (as a Just Ruler); he will break the Cross and kill the pigs and there will be no Jizya (i.e. taxation taken from non Muslims). Money will be in abundance so that nobody will accept it, and a single prostration to Allah (in prayer) will be better than the whole world and whatever is in it." Abu Huraira added "If you wish, you can recite (this verse of the Holy Book): -- 'And there is none Of the people of the Scriptures (Jews and Christians) But must believe in him (i.e Jesus as an Apostle of Allah and a human being) Before his death. And on the Day of Judgment He will be a witness Against them." (4.159) (See Fath-ul-Bari, Page 302 Vol 7)Sahih al-Bukhari 3448 · Muhammad Muhsin KhanOpen source (1) says Jesus, the son of Mary, will soon descend, judge mankind justly, break the cross, and kill the pigs, and that there will be no jizya. The Gospel says the same Jesus who was crucified and taken up will return, and that every eye will see him, including those who pierced him. Jesus is God. He does not return to undo the cross.

Key Points

• Sahih al-Bukhari 3448Sahih al-Bukhari 3448 · Muhammad Muhsin KhanNarrated Abu Huraira: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "By Him in Whose Hands my soul is, surely (Jesus,) the son of Mary will soon descend amongst you and will judge mankind justly (as a Just Ruler); he will break the Cross and kill the pigs and there will be no Jizya (i.e. taxation taken from non Muslims). Money will be in abundance so that nobody will accept it, and a single prostration to Allah (in prayer) will be better than the whole world and whatever is in it." Abu Huraira added "If you wish, you can recite (this verse of the Holy Book): -- 'And there is none Of the people of the Scriptures (Jews and Christians) But must believe in him (i.e Jesus as an Apostle of Allah and a human being) Before his death. And on the Day of Judgment He will be a witness Against them." (4.159) (See Fath-ul-Bari, Page 302 Vol 7)Sahih al-Bukhari 3448 · Muhammad Muhsin KhanOpen source (1), Muhammad Muhsin Khan, reports Abu Huraira: Jesus will descend, judge as a just ruler, break the cross, kill the pigs, and the jizya will end. Money will be so abundant that nobody will accept it.
• The same report points the reader to Qur’an 4:159Qur’an 4:159 · Saheeh InternationalAnd there is none from the People of the Scripture but that he will surely believe in him [i.e., Jesus] before his death. And on the Day of Resurrection he will be against them a witness.Qur’an 4:159 · Saheeh InternationalOpen source (2): none of the People of the Scripture but will believe in him before his death, and on the Day of Resurrection he will be a witness against them.
• Qur’an 43:61Qur’an 43:61 · Saheeh InternationalAnd indeed, he [i.e., Jesus] will be [a sign for] knowledge of the Hour, so be not in doubt of it, and follow Me. This is a straight path.Qur’an 43:61 · Saheeh InternationalOpen source (2) says he will be a sign for knowledge of the Hour. It does not say he will break the cross. That sentence is the hadith.
• Qur’an 4:157Qur’an 4:157 · Saheeh InternationalAnd [for] their saying, "Indeed, we have killed the Messiah, Jesus the son of Mary, the messenger of Allāh." And they did not kill him, nor did they crucify him; but [another] was made to resemble him to them. And indeed, those who differ over it are in doubt about it. They have no knowledge of it except the following of assumption. And they did not kill him, for certain.Qur’an 4:157 · Saheeh InternationalOpen source (2) is the usual reading that he was not crucified. The hadith’s “break the Cross” assumes a cross Christians hold, and treats it as something to be broken.
• Acts 1:11Acts 1:11 · King James VersionWhich also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.Acts 1:11 · King James VersionOpen source (5) says this same Jesus, taken up into heaven, shall come in like manner. Revelation 1:7Revelation 1:7 · King James VersionBehold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.Revelation 1:7 · King James VersionOpen source (6) says every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him.
• Matthew 25:31–32Matthew 25:31–32 · King James Version^25:31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: ^25:32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:Matthew 25:31–32 · King James VersionOpen source (4) says the Son of Man will come in glory and sit on the throne, and all nations will be gathered before him. Revelation 19:16Revelation 19:16 · King James VersionAnd he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.Revelation 19:16 · King James VersionOpen source (6) names him King of kings and Lord of lords.

Does Islam Say That Jesus Will Return?

Yes, in this hadith, and in the way Qur’an 43:61Qur’an 43:61 · Saheeh InternationalAnd indeed, he [i.e., Jesus] will be [a sign for] knowledge of the Hour, so be not in doubt of it, and follow Me. This is a straight path.Qur’an 43:61 · Saheeh InternationalOpen source (2) ties him to the Hour. Saheeh International’s brackets identify the pronoun as Jesus and call him a sign for knowledge of the Hour. Ibn Kathir’s abridgment says the miracles at his hands, such as raising the dead and healing the sick, are sufficient as signs of the approach of the Hour. (3) That reading is about signs already given, not about a later descent. The descent, the broken cross, and the killed pigs are Sahih al-Bukhari 3448Sahih al-Bukhari 3448 · Muhammad Muhsin KhanNarrated Abu Huraira: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "By Him in Whose Hands my soul is, surely (Jesus,) the son of Mary will soon descend amongst you and will judge mankind justly (as a Just Ruler); he will break the Cross and kill the pigs and there will be no Jizya (i.e. taxation taken from non Muslims). Money will be in abundance so that nobody will accept it, and a single prostration to Allah (in prayer) will be better than the whole world and whatever is in it." Abu Huraira added "If you wish, you can recite (this verse of the Holy Book): -- 'And there is none Of the people of the Scriptures (Jews and Christians) But must believe in him (i.e Jesus as an Apostle of Allah and a human being) Before his death. And on the Day of Judgment He will be a witness Against them." (4.159) (See Fath-ul-Bari, Page 302 Vol 7)Sahih al-Bukhari 3448 · Muhammad Muhsin KhanOpen source (1).

The report is Sunni hadith. Which Muslims Accept Which Hadith? A Shia reader who does not take Bukhari as proof still has 43:61 in the shared book, and does not have the “break the Cross” sentence from the Qur’an.

Break the Cross, Kill the Pigs, and End the Jizya

Sahih al-Bukhari 3448Sahih al-Bukhari 3448 · Muhammad Muhsin KhanNarrated Abu Huraira: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "By Him in Whose Hands my soul is, surely (Jesus,) the son of Mary will soon descend amongst you and will judge mankind justly (as a Just Ruler); he will break the Cross and kill the pigs and there will be no Jizya (i.e. taxation taken from non Muslims). Money will be in abundance so that nobody will accept it, and a single prostration to Allah (in prayer) will be better than the whole world and whatever is in it." Abu Huraira added "If you wish, you can recite (this verse of the Holy Book): -- 'And there is none Of the people of the Scriptures (Jews and Christians) But must believe in him (i.e Jesus as an Apostle of Allah and a human being) Before his death. And on the Day of Judgment He will be a witness Against them." (4.159) (See Fath-ul-Bari, Page 302 Vol 7)Sahih al-Bukhari 3448 · Muhammad Muhsin KhanOpen source (1), Muhammad Muhsin Khan:

Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “By Him in Whose Hands my soul is, surely (Jesus,) the son of Mary will soon descend amongst you and will judge mankind justly (as a Just Ruler); he will break the Cross and kill the pigs and there will be no Jizya (i.e. taxation taken from non Muslims). Money will be in abundance so that nobody will accept it, and a single prostration to Allah (in prayer) will be better than the whole world and whatever is in it.”

Sahih al-Bukhari 3448 · Muhammad Muhsin Khan

Sunni hadith

Abu Huraira adds a pointer to Qur’an 4:159, which the Khan note reads as belief in Jesus as an apostle of Allah and a human being before his death. The Qur’an verse itself, in Saheeh International, says there is none from the People of the Scripture but that he will surely believe in him before his death, and on the Day of Resurrection he will be against them a witness. (2) The hadith’s parenthesis is the translator’s identification of that belief.

Qur’an 5:3Qur’an 5:3 · Saheeh InternationalProhibited to you are dead animals, blood, the flesh of swine, and that which has been dedicated to other than Allāh, and [those animals] killed by strangling or by a violent blow or by a head-long fall or by the goring of horns, and those from which a wild animal has eaten, except what you [are able to] slaughter [before its death], and those which are sacrificed on stone altars, and [prohibited is] that you seek decision through divining arrows. That is grave disobedience. This day those who disbelieve have despaired of [defeating] your religion; so fear them not, but fear Me. This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you and have approved for you Islām as religion. But whoever is forced by severe hunger with no inclination to sin - then indeed, Allāh is Forgiving and Merciful.Qur’an 5:3 · Saheeh InternationalOpen source (2) already prohibits the flesh of swine. The hadith’s “kill the pigs” is a future act, not that food law. What Is the Jizya? is the poll tax the hadith says will end. The hadith does not quote a verse that names the jizya’s end. It states the end as what Jesus will bring.

The words “break the Cross” are a judgment on the Christian confession of the crucifixion. Did Jesus Die on the Cross? is Qur’an 4:157Qur’an 4:157 · Saheeh InternationalAnd [for] their saying, "Indeed, we have killed the Messiah, Jesus the son of Mary, the messenger of Allāh." And they did not kill him, nor did they crucify him; but [another] was made to resemble him to them. And indeed, those who differ over it are in doubt about it. They have no knowledge of it except the following of assumption. And they did not kill him, for certain.Qur’an 4:157 · Saheeh InternationalOpen source (2). The hadith does not say the cross never happened. It says the returning Jesus will break it.

What Does Qur’an 3:55 Say About Jesus?

Qur’an 3:55Qur’an 3:55 · Saheeh International[Mention] when Allāh said, "O Jesus, indeed I will take you and raise you to Myself and purify [i.e., free] you from those who disbelieve and make those who follow you [in submission to Allāh alone] superior to those who disbelieve until the Day of Resurrection. Then to Me is your return, and I will judge between you concerning that in which you used to differ.Qur’an 3:55 · Saheeh InternationalOpen source (2), Saheeh International, says Allah will take Jesus, raise him to himself, and purify him from those who disbelieve, and make those who follow him superior until the Day of Resurrection. Then to Allah is their return, and he will judge between them. The verse says Jesus is taken and raised. It does not say he descends to break a cross, kill pigs, or end the jizya. Those clauses are the hadith.

Qur’an 3:19Qur’an 3:19 · Saheeh InternationalIndeed, the religion in the sight of Allāh is Islām. And those who were given the Scripture did not differ except after knowledge had come to them - out of jealous animosity between themselves. And whoever disbelieves in the verses of Allāh, then indeed, Allāh is swift in [taking] account.Qur’an 3:19 · Saheeh InternationalOpen source (2) says the religion in the sight of Allah is Islam. It is the opening claim of the surah, not a description of the return. The verse in this surah that speaks of Jesus being taken is 3:55.

Why Do Muslims Believe Jesus Will Return and Not Muhammad?

Qur’an 33:40Qur’an 33:40 · Saheeh InternationalMuḥammad is not the father of [any] one of your men, but [he is] the Messenger of Allāh and seal [i.e., last] of the prophets. And ever is Allāh, of all things, Knowing.Qur’an 33:40 · Saheeh InternationalOpen source (2) calls Muhammad the seal of the prophets. The Qur’an does not say Muhammad will descend at the end. It says, at Qur’an 3:144Qur’an 3:144 · Saheeh InternationalMuḥammad is not but a messenger. [Other] messengers have passed on before him. So if he was to die or be killed, would you turn back on your heels [to unbelief]? And he who turns back on his heels will never harm Allāh at all; but Allāh will reward the grateful.Qur’an 3:144 · Saheeh InternationalOpen source (2), that Muhammad is a messenger and messengers pass on, and it asks what the hearers will do if he dies or is killed. How Did Muhammad Die? is that death in the hadith. Jesus, in 3:55 and 43:61, is the one taken up and tied to the Hour. Bukhari 3448 is the Sunni account of what he does when he comes down. Was Jesus a Muslim? is the claim that the returning judge is a Muslim prophet. The hadith’s just judgment, broken cross, and ended jizya are that picture. The Gospel’s picture is the crucified Lord.

What the Gospel Says He Will Do

Acts 1:11Acts 1:11 · King James VersionWhich also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.Acts 1:11 · King James VersionOpen source (5) says this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as you have seen him go into heaven. “this same Jesus” is the one the chapter has just described as taken up after the crucifixion and the resurrection appearances. The return is not a different Jesus who cancels the cross.

Revelation 1:7Revelation 1:7 · King James VersionBehold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.Revelation 1:7 · King James VersionOpen source (6) says he comes with clouds, and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him. The piercing stays in the sentence. Matthew 25:31–32Matthew 25:31–32 · King James Version^25:31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: ^25:32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:Matthew 25:31–32 · King James VersionOpen source (4) says when the Son of Man comes in his glory, with the holy angels, he sits on the throne of his glory, and before him are gathered all nations. He separates them as a shepherd divides sheep from goats. Revelation 19:11–16Revelation 19:11–16 · King James Version^19:11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. ^19:12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. ^19:13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. ^19:14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. ^19:15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. ^19:16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.Revelation 19:11–16 · King James VersionOpen source (6) says heaven opens, and the rider is called Faithful and True, and he judges and makes war. His name is the Word of God. On his vesture and on his thigh a name is written, King of kings, and Lord of lords.

John 20:28John 20:28 · King James VersionAnd Thomas answered and said unto him, My LORD and my God.John 20:28 · King James VersionOpen source (7) is Thomas to the risen Jesus: “My LORD and my God.” The one who returns in Matthew 25 and Revelation 19 is that Lord. Jesus is God. Breaking the cross would be breaking the death Philippians 2:8Philippians 2:8 · King James VersionAnd being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.Philippians 2:8 · King James VersionOpen source (8) says he obeyed. The Resurrection of Jesus

Bukhari 3448 is not a list of seven signs. It names a descent, just judgment, a broken cross, killed pigs, the end of the jizya, abundant money, and a prostration worth more than the world. Those are the items in the report. A longer list of signs is a different text.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Religion Was Jesus in Islam?

The Qur’an calls him a prophet and the Messiah, and it denies that he is the Son of God. Was Jesus a Muslim? walks through that claim. Bukhari 3448 has him descend as the judge who breaks the cross. The Gospels call him Lord and God, and they say he was crucified.

Who Was Crucified Instead of Jesus in Islam?

Qur’an 4:157Qur’an 4:157 · Saheeh InternationalAnd [for] their saying, "Indeed, we have killed the Messiah, Jesus the son of Mary, the messenger of Allāh." And they did not kill him, nor did they crucify him; but [another] was made to resemble him to them. And indeed, those who differ over it are in doubt about it. They have no knowledge of it except the following of assumption. And they did not kill him, for certain.Qur’an 4:157 · Saheeh InternationalOpen source (2) says they did not kill him or crucify him, that it was made to appear so, and that those who differ are in doubt. The verse does not name a substitute. Did Jesus Die on the Cross?

What Are the Biggest Sins in Islam?

Qur’an 4:48Qur’an 4:48 · Saheeh InternationalIndeed, Allāh does not forgive association with Him, but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills. And he who associates others with Allāh has certainly fabricated a tremendous sin.Qur’an 4:48 · Saheeh InternationalOpen source (2) says Allah does not forgive association with him, and he forgives what is less than that for whom he wills. The verse does not print a numbered list of three. Are Muslims Seeing Dreams and Visions of Jesus? quotes that verse beside the Gospel’s word on blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.

Keep Reading

• Did Jesus Die on the Cross?
• Was Jesus a Muslim?
• Jesus in the Qur’an and the Gospels
• What Is the Jizya?
• Jesus and Muhammad Compared
• The Resurrection of Jesus
• Is Jesus God?