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Indiana University Bloomington-IUB

Indiana Lincoln Town short "IU Bloomington" and informally referred to as "IU" or just "Indiana" is a national research university settled in Town, Indiana, United States. With over 40,000 students, IU Bloomington is the flagship organization of the Indiana Lincoln scheme and its maximal lincoln.

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Trends of Pakistani English Fiction from Partition to 1970s

Munnzza Riaz

ABSTRACT: Trend of Pakistani English Fiction Since Partition to 1970; is a multidimensional effort to not only to highlight the prevalent themes and trends of the fiction , but also to bring into limelight those legends of Pakistani English Fiction, who can be considered the founders of English fiction in Pakistan. The phenomenon includes a lot of names, which are now completely forgotten or are taken for granted by the modern generation of Pakistani English Fiction readers. These themes and trends of the fiction of the time also witness the sociopolitical and cultural conditions of the times in Pakistan. However the primary focus of this piece of writing is on the trends and themes of Pakistani English Fiction from partition to 1970s, as it was the time when Pakistani English fiction started developing itself as an independent genre. 

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INTRODUCTION 

Pakistani English Literature is the name of a fully developed and independent literature. It was started emerging most probably after 1940; right when the freedom movement reached at its peak. We can find the traces of rebellion and quest for identity as a separate nation in the pieces of writings, which were written during the era by the hands of the prominent literary figures of the time, including Ahmad Ali, Mumtaz Shahnawaz and Shahid Soharwardi. Investigation of the themes of that time and categorization of those themes are not that simple, as fiction of the time is filled with a beautifully complex combination of mature and immature expressions. The purpose behind the selection of the topic to work on is to study the initial stages and the early themes of Pakistani English writings. Another important reason for working on the English fiction of 1947 to 1970s is that: no one has ever attempted to highlight the names of those legends of 1950s and 60s; whose hands nourished the Infant Pakistani English fiction immediately after independence. It was the time when everywhere in the new born state there was chaos and a general tendency of hatred towards the language of British Colonizers. To probe deep into the phenomenon of Pakistani English Fiction; it is necessary to have a slight glance on its background. Basically our pre-partition and early post-partition fiction both in English and Urdu is plumped with the tragic tale highlighting untold and unbearable miseries Inflicted by the ruthlessness of the rulers of British Raj on the people of subcontinent. The fiction, thus made its appearance during the freedom movement, highlights the saga of partition. There are themes of extreme nationalism based on religious sentiments & social set-up, quest for freedom and protection of cultural & traditional heritage narrated with rigorous reasoning. However, the postpartition literature deals with the socio-political, ideological and ethnic problems of Pakistani society. The prominent writers of pre partition (from 1940) and post partition (1950s) had sketched and painted a dark picture of deserted values, unceasing warfare and themes of extreme nationalism. The first and most prominent Muslim writer, who recorded the treacherous acts of British Raj in subcontinent with a particular sense of despair and dejection, was Ahmad Ali. He in 1940, wrote the gem of Postcolonial fiction „Twilight in Delhi‟, which was set in 1911, in a Muslim Neighborhood at Delhi. The entire work grossly provided a portrayal; where despair over the downfall of the Mughals and the rise of the British government had represented with a heart throbbing description of events. Other prominent Muslim contemporaries of Ahmed Ali were Feroze Khan Noon, Mumtaz Shahnawaz and Khwaja Ahmed Abbas, who also painted the pathetic picture of Pre-partitioned Subcontinent. Feroz Khan earned a great fame for his autobiography, „From Memory‟ (1966) and from the only novel „Scented Dust‟(1941); highlighting the sociological aspects of life in sub-continent i.e. the laws of social and religious life in both Muslim and Hindu Community. Khawja Ahmad Abbas, who was a socialist and

Mumtaz Shahnawaz, 

(1912-1948) who was a political activist, published her famous political novel „The Heart Divided‟ which she wrote in between 1943 and 1948. It sketched the creation of Pakistan in Indian Muslims‟ point of view. She died in 1948; leaving behind the first draft, which her family later published unedited after 11 years. The novel was basically designed with the theme of renunciation of the idea of Hindu-Muslim Unity and the acceptance of the idea of creating a separate state for the Muslims called Pakistan. This theme was expressed through the plot which consisted of the issue of changing relationship of a Hindu and a Muslim Families. It was also a realistic and honest treatment of the politics of India. The lack of distortion of the truth redeemed this novel from the charge of being boring at places. An extreme sense of self-consciousness is the major theme of all the early fictional English works of Pakistan. Pakistani literature soon after independence was affected by the two major ideologies; on one hand there was Russian Totalitarian socialism and on the other hand there was Islamic fundamentalism. In 1950 the fiction and prose both were strongly in the hold of the dominant religious movement Jamat-e-Islami by Molana Modudi. Mostly the literature aimed to serve the people on religious and didactic grounds. „PEN‟ by Ahmad Ali was a great portal for Pakistani English Literature to grow. Ahmad Ali and Shahid Soharwardy contributed in the growth of a standardized English fiction with their efforts on „PEN‟. It had played a role as „Scrutiny‟ of F.R. Levies played in standardizing the fiction and poetry during Victorian era. With all the pressure of religious fundamentalism, it continued its efforts diligently. While quoting Mr. Shahid Soharwardi‟s proclamation in an unambiguous language, Dr.Tariq Rehman wrote as:“Literature today in my review has thus struck a retrogressive and unlikely path. It has reverted to didacticism…”(Rehman,1991) Comparatively speaking, those who were writing in English on that time remained liberal and unorthodox in their approach. One of the dominant names of the time included the name of Ahmad Ali, worked on his short stories during the time. He tried his best to detach himself from the other orthodox trends of literary writings. Another important name, which is now almost forgotten is the name of Elsa Kazi. Elsa Kazi, was the German wife of I.I Kazi. I.I. Kazi was a sindhi intellectual and remained the Vice Chancellor of Sindh University. Elsa Kazi‟s novel: „Old English Garden Symphony‟ was published in 1952. This was an extensive novel, narrating the story of a musician Eric. The entire work of fiction was divided into two parts. It was written in Victorian style. It was full of emotions and romance, that‟s why it could not achieve fame among the conservative social trends of the time. The second prominent literary figure of the time was Mrs. Zaib-un-Nisa Hamidullah. The themes of her literary works were a combination of traditional and absurd existential in their approach. She was tended to focus her artistic skills more on writing short stories and poetry than fiction. The third prominent literary figure of the time was Mr. Zahir. H . Frooqi. Farooqi was a civil servant by profession. Due to the job requirements he had to visit different countries. He stayed several years at Italy and Rome during his service. His first novel was “Love in Ruins”. It was written in 1950s but was published in 1960s. This novel was written during his stay at Italy. It was a romantic novel. The plot of this novel consisted on a love story of a boy Fred and girl Stella. Fred was represented as a married man having wife and a child. But the love of Fred and Stella ended on Fred‟s death. After that Stella once found a boy, very much like Fred, he was actually cubby (Fred‟s son). He too started attracting towards Stella, but Stella did not want to ruin his life, that‟s why she disappeared at the end. Over all it contained a pessimistic ending. According to Dr. Tariq Rehman: “The novel‟s theme and settings are the results of the enigmatic impacts of Italy on Farooqi‟s mind, as Italy once considered a symbol of emotional liberty.”(Rehman, 1991) The novel seemed like one of the novels of D. H. Lawrence‟s; „The Lost Girl‟. Farooqi‟s influence of his eastern psyche made him to give a different end to his work. Farooqi‟s eastern Trends of Pakistani English Fiction from Partition to 1970s www.ijhssi.org 3 | P a g e tendencies did not let him break any family in the novel. 

Other prominent Muslim contemporaries of Ahmed Ali were Feroze Khan Noon, Mumtaz Shahnawaz and Khwaja Ahmed Abbas, who also painted the pathetic picture of Pre-partitioned Subcontinent. Feroz Khan earned a great fame for his autobiography, „From Memory‟ (1966) and from the only novel „Scented Dust‟(1941); highlighting the sociological aspects of life in sub-continent i.e. the laws of social and religious life in both Muslim and Hindu Community. Khawja Ahmad Abbas, who was a socialist and Trends of Pakistani English Fiction from Partition to 1970s www.ijhssi.org 2 | P a g e nationalist, wrote two novels, a novelette, a drama, and two collections of short stories, two travelogues and one account of journalism. His famous literary works are “Tomorrow is ours (novel), Blood and Stones (novelette), The Umbrella, Flowers for Her Feet, Twelve Hours, Saffron Blossom and Reflection in Mirror (Short Stories). The major themes in his works had pertained to socialist and secular nationalistic movements. Themes of courtesan and prostitution, Hindu-Muslim controversies and atrocities in sub-continent had remained the dominant themes of his works. 

Jellyfish

The word “jellyfish” is a popular term defining what marine biologists call gelatinous macrozooplankton. The word “gelatinous” refers to the general consistency of these animals: their body is mostly made of extracellular matrix (often called mesoglea), i.e. the matrix that holds cells together and that is present in all animals, including us, but that, in these organisms, is the greatest portion of the whole body. Jelly refers just to gelatine. This body architecture is shared by animals that are very far from each other, in terms of evolutionary history. The fossil record tells us that true jellyfish are the oldest animals among those that are still living today, being represented in fossils that date back to the Pre-Cambrian. They are referred to the phylum Cnidaria (Cartwright et al., 2007). Vertebrates, including us, are referred to the phylum Chordata, and some chordates, namely the Tunicata, are also members of gelatinous macrozooplankton, with the Thaliacea and the Appendicularia. Gelatinous macrozooplankton, furthermore, comprises also the Ctenophora, or comb jellyfish. The representatives of these three phyla are the bulk of gelatinous macrozooplankton and, together, make up what we call “jellyfish” (Boero et al., 2008). The following paragraphs contain a textbook-knowledge account of the three phyla, summarizing the information that is relevant for the scopes of this report.

Cnidaria 

The true jellyfish are the planktonic stages of three cnidarian classes: the Hydrozoa, the Scyphozoa, and the Cubozoa. Most Scyphozoa and all Cubozoa fall within the category of macro- and even megazooplankton, since they are large enough, as adults, to be perceived by the naked eye, ranging from 2 mm (e.g. some small medusae) to 2 m in bell diameter, and several metres of tentacle length, of the largest medusae. Some Hydrozoa are macroplankters too, but many species belong to the mesozooplankton, being smaller than 2 mm. Gelatinous mesozooplankton is usually not perceived by a casual observer, unless when its representatives reach high densities. Jellyfish move by jet propulsion, contracting their bells, or umbrellas. The umbrella usually carries tentacles on its margin and has a manubrium hanging in its cavity. The mouth is at the end of the manubrium. The tentacles catch the prey and bring it to the manubrium. Cnidarians do have stinging cells, i.e. cells armed with cnidocysts, little capsules containing an inverted filament that can be everted to inject a venom into their victims (either preys or predators or... us). With very few exceptions, cnidarian jellyfish are carnivores, and use their cnidocysts to kill their prey that, according to the species, can be either other jellyfish, or crustaceans, or fish eggs and larvae, or anything reaching a viable size for the predator. Some, however, are microphagous or even contain zooxanthellae. Cnidarian jellyfish, also called medusae, have complex life cycles that often involve a benthic stage: the polyp. Jellyfish life histories often involve larval amplification. The adult medusae reproduce sexually, and each fertilization leads to the formation of a planula larva (Fig. 1).

The larva settles and leads to a colony that can become quite large, feeding on other animals. A single colony, through asexual reproduction, can produce thousands of small medusae that, then, will grow to maturity. “Amplification” means that each fertilization event does not lead to a single adult but, instead, to many adults, due to asexual reproduction in the polyp stage. The sexually competent medusa is the adult, whereas the polyp stage, where the amplification occurs, is a larva. Hence: larval amplification. Many Hydrozoan species have suppressed the medusa stage and are sexually mature as polyps. Whereas some Hydrozoans and Scyphozoans do not have a polyp stage, and spend their whole life as medusae. The Hydrozoa produce medusae by lateral budding, the Scyphozoa by strobilation, and the Cubozoa by complete metamorphosis of a polyp into a medusa. Besides medusae, the Cnidaria can contribute to gelatinous macrozooplankton as floating or swimming colonies, such as the hydroids Velella and Porpita, or siphonophores like Physalia. 

1.1.2. Ctenophora Gelatinous macrozooplankton is usually equated to stinging jellyfish, and its presence causes major concern about own safety in non-marine biologists, due to fear of potential stings. Many members of gelatinous zooplankton, however, are not Cnidaria, and do not sting. The Ctenophores (Fig. 2) do not have a bell and a manubrium, and do not move by pulsations, they just share a gelatinous appearance with the Cnidaria. Ctenophores move by ciliary propulsion, through what zoologists call “ctenes” or combs. Hence the popular name: comb jellies. They 3 can be a few centimetres, or even 50 or more centimetres, being globular, or similar to a dirigible, or ribbon like. Ribbon like ones, of the genus Cestum, can move also by snake like movements, but the other members of the group usually glide, appearing motionless and, in spite of that, moving. Their bodies are characterized by iridescent glows that are caused just by the flapping combs, the propulsors of the animal. Ctenophores have two tentacles armed with colloblasts, cell organelles that, instead of containing a venom, as the cnidocytes of Cnidaria, contain a glue that holds on their victims. Like cnidarian jellyfish, they also feed on other gelatinous plankters, on crustaceans, or on fish eggs and larvae, being comparable to true jellyfish in their feeding habits. Ctenophores have no impact on human health, and cannot cause any direct harm to us. Ctenophores are holoplanktonic (some are benthic, but will not be considered in the present account), there whole life cycle taking place in the water column. 1.1.3. Chordata Pelagic tunicates (Fig. 3) are members of the phylum Chordata; they comprise the Thaliacea and the Larvacea, or appendicularians. The Larvacea are of small size, but can be present in very high quantities. The Thaliacea, namely salps, doliolids and pyrosomes, are of much larger size, pyrosome colonies and salp chains reaching several metres in length. Pelagic tunicates are much different from both Cnidaria and Ctenophora in their feeding habits, they are filter feeders upon protists (usually phytoplankton), bacteria and even viruses. Their life cycles are holoplanktonic and involve both sexual and asexual reproduction, with the possibility of high biomass increases due to formation of large colonies. Apparently, just as for Ctenophora, the pelagic tunicates do not have benthic stages. Figure 2. A ctenophore: Leucothoea (art by A. Gennari). Figure 3. A pelagic tunicate: Salpa (art by A. Gennari). 4 1.2. The blooms The whole functioning of marine ecosystems is based on blooms, i.e. on pulses of primary and secondary production due to the sudden increase in the population size of some key species. The spring bloom of phytoplankton, in temperate seas like the Mediterranean and the Black Seas, is determined by a peak of primary production of planktonic protists (the phytoplankton) that are usually diatoms or flagellates. The phytoplankton pulse is followed by a zooplankton pulse that takes advantage of the phytoplankton. Crustaceans, especially copepods, are the main representatives of herbivorous zooplankton. The zooplankton peak sustains the rest of the food web, being predated upon by carnivorous plankters. Among these, fish larvae and juveniles are prominent, eventually to become the well-known representatives of nekton: the fish. The pathway phytoplankton → herbivorous crustacean zooplankton → carnivorous zooplankton → fish (Fig. 4) is the backbone of marine production and sustains also our exploitation of marine resources, through fisheries. The species forming the nodes of this pathway are part of a system that functions due to production pulses (the blooms). If the pathway is sustained, the ecosystem produces fish that, in their turn, realize complex pathways within the fish universe. Small fish are fed upon by larger fish, and most of the nekton seems to be self-sufficient. But this is just an impression. Primary production must be at the base of food webs, and primary production is mainly the phytoplankton pulses. The impression of self-sufficiency of the fish domain reveals its weakness if we consider fish as life cycles, and not just as the adults we feed upon. Fish larvae and juveniles are often carnivorous, but they feed on preys that are herbivorous: the copepods and other crustaceans that rely on the phytoplankton pulses. An ecosystem cannot function with carnivores only! Figure 4. The pathway phytoplankton → herbivorous crustacean plankton → carnivorouszooplankton → fish (art by A. Gennari, graphics by F. Tresca). 5 1.3. Ecosystem “malfunctioning” The term “malfunctioning” is obviously anthropocentric. All ecosystems do function, otherwise they would cease to exist. If they function so as to satisfy our expectations, they are considered as functioning well, whereas if they cease to do so, then they are labeled as functioning in a bad way (malfunction means just this: bad functioning). Jellyfish are the oldest animals, among the ones that are currently present on the planet. They were present since the Pre-Cambrian and are not so different from their ancestors. Having passed through more than 500 millions of years of natural selection, with no big changes in their body organization, these animals are simply perfect! Simple and perfect. They also express their populations in pulses, like most of the representatives of marine systems. Jellyfish blooms, thus, are a quite normal phenomenon. The evolution of highly efficient animals, such as fish, however, probably posed a limit to their prevalence in the oceanic realm, with the triumph of the phytoplankton → herbivorous crustacean zooplankton → fish pathway that we like so much. A system based on pulses, however, is almost reset at each seasonal cycle. Such systems have been called “lottery systems” (see Boero, 1994; Fraschetti et al., 2003 for reviews). There is a “prize”, represented by the primary production pulse, and the winners are those who better utilize it, channeling its energy into their representatives, so as to build another pulse. For the fish to be the winners, their larvae and juveniles must tap from the secondary production of crustaceans. Jellyfish compete with the fish larvae and juveniles for the use of this resource. Furthermore, they can also feed on the eggs and larvae of the fish. We have seen that jellyfish have life cycles with larval amplification (Fig. 1). They can be produced in great quantities, so as to rapidly build huge populations. Hence: jellyfish blooms. The lottery game in marine systems is based on the match or mismatch of the secondary or tertiary producers with the pulses that are at the base of marine ecosystems (Cushing, 1990). If the jellyfish produce a pulse with a good match with the pulse of crustaceans, and the fish do not, then the jellyfish can take over, and their bloom is reinforced. The bloom of jellyfish will compete with the fish larvae and juveniles and limit their growth, but it can also impact directly on the fish, since the blooming jellyfish will predate also on their eggs and larvae (Moller, 1984). When this happens, the phytoplankton → herbivorous crustacean zooplankton → fish pathway is disrupted, with the onset of the phytoplankton → herbivorous crustacean zooplankton → jellyfish pathway (Fig. 5). Figure 5. The pathway phytoplankton → crustacean plankton → jellyfish (art by A. Gennari, graphics by F. Tresca). 6 The fish, however, can rely on their “internal” pathways and most of them can stand the failure of one cohort, since they are long lived and can spawn for several years. The loss of one cohort can be buffered by the adult individuals that, usually, are invulnerable to jellyfish or that even feed upon them. Jellyfish, instead, are short lived and the individuals that make up a single pulse cannot persist and must reproduce successfully, starting from scratch, to produce another pulse in the subsequent favorable season. Fish, instead, can “hold their breath” and try again a year later. When systems work in this way, jellyfish blooms are “accidents” that do not disrupt in a radical way the functioning of the phytoplankton → herbivorous crustacean zooplankton → fish pathway. Hence they can be disregarded, as they have been so far by fisheries biologists. They have an impact, of course, but of limited entity. The “jellyfish” considered here are the carnivorous ones, namely Cnidaria and Ctenophora. The same pattern can be present also for herbivorous jellyfish, namely the Chordata. They feed directly on the phytoplankton and when they are particularly abundant they compete with the copepods, depleting the phytoplankton → herbivorous crustacean zooplankton → fish pathway, with the production of a short circuit in it: the phytoplankton → herbivorous gelatinous zooplankton pathway (Fig. 6). At the end of their peak, pelagic tunicates usually contribute to what we call marine snow and fall to the benthos, almost skipping the pelagic trophic pathways (besides the bacteria that feed on them while they are falling towards the bottom). Figure 6. The pathway phytoplankton → herbivorous gelatinous zooplankton (art by A. Gennari, graphics by F. Tresca). 7 1.4. The grand picture Marine ecosystems functioning, thus, takes place through three main pelagic pathways: the phytoplankton → herbivorous crustacean zooplankton → carnivorous zooplankton → fish pathway, the phytoplankton → herbivorous crustacean zooplankton → carnivorous gelatinous zooplankton pathway, and the phytoplankton → herbivorous gelatinous zooplankton pathway (Fig. 7). These pathways are not mutually exclusive, but one can prevail over the others. Usually, the first one (ending up with fish) prevails and determines what we consider as a “normal” situation (Fig. 4). The other two pathways, one ending up with carnivorous gelatinous zooplankton (Fig. 5) and the other with herbivorous gelatinous zooplankton (Fig. 6), from time to time can go through episodic success that, normally, cannot disrupt the prevailing pathway, ending up with fish. These blooms might even enhance the diversity in the nekton, as hypothesized above. The scientific literature is replenished of records of “anomalous” blooms of gelatinous plankton that, traditionally, have been considered as freaks in the functioning of marine systems. As a matter of fact, they are not freaks, they are part of the manifold possibilities in which marine ecosystems work. The evolutionary lineages interacting in these systems coexist since millions of years and can cope with each other. Figure 7. The three main pathways determining marine ecosystem functioning (art by A. Gennari, graphics by F. Tresca). 8 1.5. The impact of gelatinous plankton on fish populations Summarizing, the impact of gelatinous zooplankton on fish populations can be: i) positive, due to a keystone effect that prevents the monopolization of overly successful fish species at the expenses of others, so maintaining fish biodiversity high. This effect occurs when fish and jellyfish coevolved in the same environmental context and if the jellyfish are abundant just for short periods; ii) negative, due to predation on and competition with fish larvae and juveniles (predation occurs also on fish eggs) if the jellyfish are not coevolved with the resident fish or if the fish populations are not “healthy”, due to overfishing, and the jellyfish blooms are abnormally large and long-lasting. A different kind of competition might be exerted by thaliaceans, since they overexploit the phytoplankton and deplete resources for the crustacean grazers that are fed upon by fish larvae and juveniles. 1.6. Measures and estimates of predation impacts of gelatinous plankton on fish The species of gelatinous plankton are in the thousands, and most of them are Hydromedusae (see Bouillon et al., 2004; Bouillon et al., 2006), followed by the Scypozoa and Cubozoa (see Arai, 1997), the Tunicata (see Bone, 1998), and the Ctenophora (see Harbison et al., 1978). In comparison to the very high diversity of this compartment of plankton, the number of species whose biology and ecology have been investigated is exceedingly small. For most of them we barely know that they exist, and often even their life cycles are unknown. These predators, furthermore, are very opportunistic since they are equipped with tentacles armed with cnidocysts or colloblasts that can catch almost anything, from unicellular organisms to much larger prey. Some are very specialized in their diets, but most of them feed on anything they can find. The study of the trophic role of gelatinous plankton, and especially the carnivorous one, is made in two ways. The simplest one consists in collecting animals in the field and inspecting their gut, listing all the food items they contain. Feeding rates are measured in the laboratory, offering food to the animals and evaluating their clearing rates from a given volume of water and the time of digestion of the offered prey. These studies have been made on few species and at specific places (Tab I and II for Aurelia aurita). If a jellyfish species lives both in the North Sea and in the Mediterranean Sea, as is the case of Pelagia noctiluca (Tab. III), the study of its diet in the North Sea does not necessarily reflect its diet in the Mediterranean Sea, since the available food items might be very different. So, what has been found at one place cannot be automatically extended to all the places where a given species occurs. 

Seed Parts

The seeds for new life are found inside fruit. They contain everything necessary for the growth and development of a new plant. The three primary parts of a seed are the embryo, endosperm, and seed coat. The embryo is the young multicellular organism before it emerges from the seed. The endosperm is a source of stored food, consisting primarily of starches. The seed coat consists of one or more protective layers that encase the seed.

A seed begins to form an embryo following fertilization and the start of a zygote. The initial division of the zygote results in two cells. The bottom cell develops into a multicellular structure, called the suspensor. It is involved in nutrient uptake from the endosperm and anchors the embryo. The top cell develops into the embryo. The first cell divisions from this top cell create a chain of cells called the proembryo. As the cell divisions continue, a globular embryo takes shape. At this point of development, cells begin to differentiate. Cotyledons begin to form in the shape a heart, in the case of dicotyledon plants. This stage of development is aptly named the heart stage. The cotyledons grow and elongate in the torpedo stage. As the embryo matures, the pressure of the expanding embryo crushes the suspensor. The mature embryo consists of an embryonic root known as the radicle, an embryonic shoot, and one or two cotyledons. The embryonic shoot, known as the plumule, has two main parts, the epicotyl and the hypocotyl. The epicotyl is the portion of the embryonic stem above the point at which the stem is attached to the cotyledon(s). The hypocotyl is the portion below the point of attachment. The hypocotyl is connected to the radicle. The cotyledon is described as a seed leaf that stores food in the form of starch and protein for use by the embryo. An embryo of a monocotyledon (monocot) plant has one cotyledon, while that of a dicotyledon (dicot) plant has two cotyledons. A monocot stores the bulk of its energy in the endosperm. A dicot stores its food in the two cotyledons.

Seeds contain everything necessary for the growth and development of a new plant. The three primary parts of a seed are the embryo, endosperm, and seed coat. The embryo is the young multicellular organism before it emerges from the seed. The endosperm is a source of stored food, consisting primarily of starches. The seed coat consists of one or more protective layers that encase the seed. The mature embryo consists of an embryonic root known as the radicle, an embryonic shoot, or plumule, and one or two cotyledons. The cotyledon is described as a seed leaf that stores food in the form of starch and protein for use by the embryo. An embryo of a monocotyledon (monocot) plant has one cotyledon, while that of a dicotyledon (dicot) plant has two cotyledons.

Vocabulary and Spelling

Often the final section of a chapter is a game activity. There are puzzles and word games to expand student vocabulary and to focus attention on accurate spelling. In this section, as well as in the grammar section, attention is given to the spelling and usage of inflectional and derivational affixes. These sections are intended to bring some fun to the drudgery of spelling work. They should be done in class in pairs or even in teams. At the end of a unit, the teacher may want to reward the class by arranging a competitive game, in which two teams try to be the first to complete a puzzle. xi Below are two possible time schedules for a typical chapter in the book

Controlled Composition

The purpose of these exercises is to give practice in writing student­generated short paragraphs, letters, dialogs, and other units longer than a single sentence. Some of the exercises are suitable for homework, and some can be best done in class. Another way to handle these compositions is to hold a writing lab within the classroom. In this procedure, each student works independently; the teacher walks around the room, commenting on the papers and x helping students one by one. Especially good compositions can be read aloud at the end of the lab period. A few composition exercises are of the highly controlled variety, in which the students’ task is basically to copy a given text and to make cer tain required changes of tense, pronoun usage, or similar changes. These occur primarily in the first half of the book, when the students’ grammatical repertoire is still fairly limited. Dicto-comps are used in almost every chapter to form a bridge between grammar work and free writing. They resemble dictations in that the content has been predetermined. However, as the directions indicate, the students are not asked to write a word-for-word copy of the original. Rather, they are to listen three times before writing, and then to compose a paragraph from memory, as close to the wording of the origi nal as possible. Partly completed compositions with large blanks are a kind of con - trolled composition that calls for more student input. These assignments provide the students with choices that are varied enough to allow an op portunity for expression, but controlled enough to make incorrect combi nations rather unlikely. By completing each sentence appropriately, stu dents can practice writing paragraphs, letters, and memos in their own words, conforming to a standard form. Some composition assignments are almost entirely free, stimulated by a list of questions or a picture. When this kind of assignment is given, there has been a previous text in the chapter which can serve as a model. In the second half of the book there are exercises that treat the pro - cess of composition as a problem of arranging and ordering ideas. In these assignments, sentences are given to the students, but they are out of order. The students’ task is to rewrite the composition in a logical order.

Sentence Construction

Exercises under this heading introduce elements of free choice in writing. The students are given some sentence parts, but they must put the sentence together in their own way. Often there is more than one correct response to each problem. These exercises may be done in class or as homework. Since these exercises involve the beginning of some original thought, students often like to see each other’s work. Sentences can be written on the board, corrected, and discussed. The incomplete dialogs in chapters 3, 6, 7, 12, and 17 should provide enjoyment if the students read them aloud in pairs. One type of sentence construction exercise, the game of Concentration, must be done in class with a partner.

GRAMMAR

 Many types of structures are included under this heading. Essentially everything that is rule­based is included here: question transformations, negation, tenses, and sentence combining. One particularly important goal of the book is to give practice in the use of articles. Rules for article use are introduced very gradually and drilled repeatedly. An index to grammatical information is given in the appendices in the back of the book. The teacher will want to discuss the rule briefly before the students do an exercise, and the class should do one or two problems together so the teacher is sure that they understand. Many grammar exercises can be done orally first, and this strengthens the students’ listening and speaking skills. Oral work is appropriate for sentence combining, word order exercises, question transformations, negations, and tense work. It may be especially useful to read the article exercises aloud, to help the students develop a sense of correctness with English articles. When the students write out the problems, they may work individually or in pairs. Work should always be collected, corrected, and returned for the students to see.

Mechanics

This section helps to reinforce the new vocabulary, ideas, and structures in the text. To present the section, the teacher should explain the rule of punctuation or capitalization to the class, and write the example or the first problem on the board. Then the students can do the remaining problems. One effective method for checking the students’ work is to divide the chalkboard into sections and ask each student to write one answer in a section. Several students can do this at once, to save class time. Then the class as a whole can read and correct the boardwork. This selfix correction builds awareness of the mechanical rules of English and should encourage careful writing                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

INTRODUCTION TO THE TEACHER

The goal of this book is to take the student from the mechanics of basic sentence writing to the ability to construct a simple paragraph. The vocabulary and the structures have been planned chapter by chapter, from simple to more complex, and the lessons build on each other. For this reason, the students will probably benefit the most if they do the exercises in each chapter in the order they are presented. The same is true of the order of the chapters: information presented early in the book will be helpful for the writing tasks in the later chapters. The amount of time needed to work through a chapter depends on the level of the students, the length of the class period, and the teacher’s decision about homework. Some groups may finish a chapter in two hours, with two hours of outside work. Other groups may do all the exercises in class in four or five hours. Two sample lesson plans are suggested at the end of this section, one with homework assignments and one without homework. Each chapter includes some of the following exercises: 1. Text The text is a reading selection that contains the model structures upon which the chapter is based. There is a variety of styles and registers of English. Some of the texts are descriptions; some are narratives; some are newspaper articles; some are dialogs; and some are letters. The teacher may read the text out loud, or he may ask the students to read it silently. The texts in dialog form (chapters 3,10 and 20) are suitable for dramatic reading in pairs. After the first reading, the teacher may want to clarify new vocabulary words and ask a few comprehension questions.

The Life of Isa in Islam

The Life of Isa in Islam: 

Written by: Ahmad Musa Jibril 

The life of the Prophet Isa alayhe salam has been a topical issue of late in the media as well as in popular culture. There is a new awareness and heightened curiosity worldwide regarding the amazing life and miracles of Isa alayhe salam. His personality has impacted the three major religions of this world, namely Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Given the importance of his time on earth, it is critical for mankind to fully understand his pivotal role in shaping history as well as the final days. The importance of Isa alayhe salam is apparent in the status that is assigned to him in Islam. He was the last messenger and prophet before the Prophet Muhammad salla allahu alayhe wasalam, as well as the last messenger of Bani Israel. Allah has bestowed a special favor on the family of Isa alayhe salam by mentioning his name 25 times, and his mother‟s 31 times in the Quran. Isa‟s name is mentioned in the Quran even more than the Prophet Muhammad‟s name. Prophet Isa‟s mention is noted in ten different situations in the Quran. There is even an entire chapter (surah) named after Isa‟s mother, Maryam alayha salam, as well as his grandparents, Al-Imran alayhum asalam, who were chosen over all of mankind. This surah, Surat Al-Imran, also reveals the story of Maryam alayha salam. It outlines a description of her lineage and upbringing. It also relates the pure conception and birth of Isa alayhe salam. The fact that Isa‟s story is mentioned in the Quran, highlights his importance. There are incidents mentioned related to him or his mother in one part, and then completed in another. This adds to the reader‟s curiosity concerning his status and keeps one interested in his story, and his revered status in Islam. At the crux of the Isa story is how he is caught between two groups. On the one hand, there are the Jews, who in their hatred claim that he is not a messenger and want nothing less than his crucifixion. On the other hand, there are the Christians, who raised him to a level of extreme glorification, claiming he is the son of God and God‟s incarnate. There were among the children of Israel many pious people, and from them was the family of Imran alayhum asalam, as stated in the Quran. ِإ َطي َطؼ اَط ْص َط َط َطآ ِإػ ْص َط َطا َطػ َط ا ْص َط ِإا ي ِإ َط َطآ َط َط ُن ًحد َّنا َّن َط ْصا َط َط َطآ ِإ ٍض َط َّن ذ ُن َطص ِإ ٌعغ َطػ ِإ ٌعي َط ْصؼ ُن َط ِإ ْصي َط ْصؼ ِّر َّن ًح Allah chose Adam, Noah, the family of Abraham and the family of Imran above the Alaamin (mankind and jinns) (of their times). Offspring, one of the other, and Allah is the All-Hearer, All-Knower. 3:33-34 Imran alayhe salam was a pious, adherent, worshiping man whose family chain linked back to Dawud alayhe salam. It was due to the piety of Al-Imran family that Allah saved their generation from mischief and evil. However, Imran‟s wife, Hannah bint Fakood alayha salam, was unable to give birth to children. One day after having seen a mother bird care for its young by regurgitating food into their mouths, it was 2 then Hannah desired children for herself. This, however, was not conceivable since she was beyond the child-bearing age, and was not even able to do so during those years. She prayed to Allah for a child, and He who responds to his servant by “Kun Fayakun”, answered her prayer. As soon as she felt the child‟s movements in her womb, she promised to dedicate the child to the service of Allah, as gratitude to Allah. (Remember) when the wife of Imran said, “Oh my Lord! I have vowed to You what (the child that) is in my womb to be dedicated for Your services (free from all worldly work; to serve Your place of worship), so accept this, from me. Verily, You are the All-Hearer, the All-Knowing. 3:35 َطؼ ِإ ُني ْص َط ا َّنض ِإ ُنغ ا ْص َط َط ِإ َّن ْص ِإ ُن َطذ َّن ًح َط َط َط َّن ْص ِإ ِّر َط َط ِإ َط ِإ ِّر َط َط ْص ُن اَط ِإػ ْص َط َطا َط ِّر ُن َط ِإ ْص َط َط اَط ِإذْص She wanted a male child to give to the maintenance of Beit AlMaqdis, a place of worship in Jerusalem, since that was the tradition of the time. There were many reasons for having a male in this position. The main reason was due to the predominately male atmosphere which preferentially required men to be the family delegate in the social setting. Another reason was when a woman is on her period, she would be unable to attend to the place of worship‟s needs, which is a day-to-day responsibility. Finally, the caretaker of Beit AlMaqdis would have to reside there or in its proximity, potentially compromising the security of a female caretaker. Finally, Hannah gave birth to a girl: Then when she delivered her (child Mary), she said: “Oh my Lord! I have delivered a female child,”-and Allah knew better what she delivered- “And the male is not like the female, and I have named her Mary, and I seek refuge with you (Allah) for her and for her offspring from Satan, the outcast.” 3:36 ِإ ِّر َط َط َط ْص َطي ِإ ِّر َطص َّن ْص ُن َط ثَط َط ْص َطك ُن َطك ْصْلُن ْص َطش ا َّن َط َطض َطؼ ْص َط اَط ِإ َط ُني ْصػ َط َط ثَط َط َّن ُن ْص ُن ِإ ِّر َط َطض ْصؼ ُن َط َط َطض َطؼ ْص َط َط اَط ْص َط ِّر َّن َط َط ِإي ِإا ا َّن ِإ ِّر َّن َط َط ِإ َطي ا َّنلْص َط َط َط ذُن ِإ ِإػ ُناَط ُن Despite Hannah‟s disappointment, Allah knew ultimately what was best. He had planned for Maryam alayha asalam to be the first female caretaker of Beit AlMaqdis. Allah had bestowed upon Maryam alayha salam many blessings. The Prophet Muhammad salla allahu alayhe wasalam said she is of the best of women. She is among the four women that are guaranteed heaven. The others being Khadija, the wife of the Prophet, Asiya, the wife of Fir‟aun, and Fatima, the daughter of Prophet Muhammad. Maryam was the only woman whose son is attributed to her, rather than the father. She was the only woman to have been chosen for the pure birth of a prophet. She was also honored as being the mother of one of the most important figures in history. 3 ِإي ِإا ا َّن ِإ ِّر َّن َط َط ِإ َطي ا َّنلْص َط َط َط ذُن ِإ ِإػ ُناَط ُن ِإ ِّر َط “And I seek refuge with you (Allah) for her and for her offspring from Satan, the outcast.” 3:36 In Bukhari, the Prophet said, “There is no newborn except the Shaytan pokes him in his side, thereby coming out crying, except Maryam and her son.” Abu Huraira then ِّر َّن َط َط ” ,recited َط َط ذُن ِإ ِإػ ُناَط ُن ِإ ِّر َط This hadith is evidence that Hannah‟s dua to seek refuge in Allah for her progeny from the devil was answered. In fact, this dua was answered fully since Maryam alayha salam and Isa alayhe salam did not have the effect of the devil on them. This would have been true for any offspring that followed. However, her lineage ended with Isa. ِإ َّن َط َط َطز َطك َط َطك َّن َط َط َط َط َط تًح َطد َطض ًح َط ْص ِإ َط ُن ٍضآ َطد َطض ٍضي َط تَط َطف َّن َط َط َط ُّ َط “So her Lord (Allah) accepted her with goodly acceptance. He made her grow in good manner and put her under the care of Zakariya.” 3:37 “Fataqaballaha” meaning Allah accepted Hannah‟s pledge and desire to give Maryam to the service of Beit AlMaqdis. Allah gave her an outer appearance of peace and tranquility. Hannah alayha salam then took Maryam alayha salam to reside among the pious, so that she would learn and worship with them. ِإ ُن َطا ْص َط َط ِإذْص ِإ ْصي َط ْص َط اَط َط َط َط ُنك ْص ُن َط ْص َطي ْص ُن ُّ ُن ْصي َط َط َط َط ُن ْصي ْص َط ُن َطا ْص ُن ِإذْص ِإ ْصي َط ْص َط اَط ْص َط َط َط ُنك ْص اَط ِإ َط ْص ِإ ُن ِإد ِإي ْص َط ِإا ا ْص َط َطذاِإ َط ِإ ْصي "This is part of the news of the Ghaib (unseen) which We inspire you with (Oh Muhammad). You were not with them, when they cast lots with their pens as to which of them should be charged with the care of Mary; nor were you with them when they disputed. 3:44 A crowd gathered as Hannah alayha salam carried Maryam alayha salam to Beit AlMaqdis. Hannah addressed them and said she had given an oath to Allah that her offspring would be dedicated to the service of Beit AlMaqdis. She was unable to enter the masjid due to her menstrual cycle, and refused to take Maryam back home because of the oath she had given. Hannah needed someone to take care of and watch over Maryam by giving her food, water, and clothing. Zakariya alayhe salam, who was also a messenger, stepped forward for her care. He volunteered to take care of Maryam alayha salam, since his wife was Maryam‟s aunt (her mother‟s sister), or his wife was Maryam‟s sister (depending on the conflicting narrations; however, it is probable that he was Maryam‟s brother-in-law). However, others also wanted the honor of caring for Maryam alayha salam. The dispute continued and the decision was made to draw lots, kur‟ah.1 There are two 1 Kur’ah was narrated to us as being performed by messengers in three different situations. The first example was with Prophet Younis, alayse salam. Prophet Younis, along with other people, were on a ship when it started to sink. The people on the ship stated the reason the ship was sinking was due to someone who had disobeyed his master. 4 different narrations as to how the dispute was settled. The first narration states that pens that were used for writing the Tawrah were cast into the river. A young child who had not reached the age of puberty would select a pen and the owner of it would be the one responsible for the care of Maryam alayha salam. This was done three times, and each time Zakariya‟s pen was chosen. The second narration states that several pens were cast out. The owner of the pen that went against the current would be responsible for Maryam‟s care. This was done three times, and each time Zakariya‟s pen was chosen. Allah chose Zakariya alayhe salam to be Maryam‟s caretaker since he was the best among the people of that time. He was a messenger of Allah with the most knowledge and fiqh and could convey it to Maryam alayha salam. In addition, Allah wanted to inspire Zakariya alayhe salam through miracles Maryam alayha salam received. َّنا َّن َط َط ْص ُنز ُنق ِإ ِإ َّن ِإ َط ِإ ْصي ِإػ ْص َط َط اَط ْص اُن ِإ اَط َّن اَط َط َط ْص َط ُني َط َطآ َط ْصز ًح ِإ َط اَط ِإ ْصذ َط َط َط َط َط ِإػ ْص ْص َّن ا ِإ ْص َط َطز َطك َط َطآ َطخ َط َطػ َط َّن ُنك ِإ َط ْص ِإ َطل ُنا َط ْصي َط Every time that he entered (her) chamber to see her, he found her supplied with sustenance. He said: "O Maryam! From where have you got this?” She said, “From Allah.” Verily, Allah provides sustenance to whom He wills, without limit.”3:37 Every time Zakariya, who was the only person to enter upon Maryam, came into the mihrab2 (chamber), he found with Maryam sustenance that was out of season. ِإ ا َط َّن اَط َط "O Maryam! From where have you got this?"3:37 ِإ َط ْص ِإ َطل ُنا َّنا َّن َط َط ْص ُنز ُنق َط ْصي َط ِإ ِإ َّن ِإ َط ِإ ْصي ِإػ ْص َط اَط ْص اُن She said: “From Allah.” Verily, Allah provides sustenance to whom He wills, without limit.”3:37 This sustenance was not from a creation, but rather from Allah, the one who provides without limits. Allah made Zakariya alayhe salam notice that Maryam alayha salam was truly blessed and because of the miracles he witnessed, Zakariya asked Allah for a child in order to further carry on the message of Allah. Instantly, his dua was answered. َط َطص ِإ ُنغ اُّ َطػ ِإا ِإ َّن ِّر َّن ًح َط ِّر َط ًح َط ذُن َّن َط َّنيُن َط َطآ َط ِّر اَط ْص اِإ ِإ ْصي اَط ُن ْص ِإ اُن َط اِإ َط َطآ َطػ َطز َطك They decided to do kur’ah, draw lots, to see who was the cause of the ship to sink. They placed all the names into a jar, and Younis’s name was pulled out. Therefore, they threw him overboard where Allah commanded a whale to swallow him. The second example was with Zakariya, which is mentioned above. The third is of Prophet Muhammad, sallahu alayhe wasalam, where if he needed to make a decision as to which wife to take with him on a trip, he would place all the names in a jar. The name that was chosen would be the wife that would accompany him on his trip. 2 It should be noted the mihrab was an upper level room in or atop a place of worship that was solely used for worship. This is unlike today’s understanding of what a mihrab is--the place where the Imam prays and leads the prayer. 5 ًح ِإ َط َط َط َطد ُن ًح َط ٍض ِإ َطي َّن ِإ َط َطص ِّر ًح َط ِإ ِإ َط ْصذ َط ُن َط ِّر ًح ِإ ِّرل ُن َطك َّنا َّن َط ُن َط َط ِإ ْصذ َط ِإ ْص ِّر ِإ ا َط َط ئِإٌعي ُن َط َط اُن َط ُن َط َط ئِإ ْص َط َط َطآتْصيُن ا ِإ َطي ا َّن اِإ ِإذ َطي 3:38-39 “At that time Zakariya invoked his Lord, saying: “O my Lord! Grant me from You, a good offspring. You are indeed the All-Hearer of invocation.” 3:38 “Then the angels called him, while he was standing in prayer in al-Mihrab (a praying place) (saying): “Allah gives you glad tidings of Yahya (John) confirming (believing in) the Word from Allah (i.e. creation of Jesus the word from Allah “Be! And he was!), noble, keeping away from sexual relations with women, a Prophet, from among the righteous.” 3:39 He said: “Oh my Lord! Make a sign for me.” Allah said: “Your sign is that you shall not speak to mankind for three days except with signals. And remember your Lord much (by praising Him again and again), and glorify (Him), in the afternoon and in the morning.” 3:40 In another verse Allah mentions that Zakariya alayhe salam used to praise him. Though seemingly contradictory, Zakariya alayhe salam refrained from engaging in worldly matters, but continued to utter the praise of Allah. From this example, Allah shows us his supremacy in his provision whether or not the means are available. This is specifically illustrated in three ways. The first being where the means are provided and one receives the offspring. In this case, a male and female are healthy and are able to conceive children. The second is a situation where the means are available but one is unable to conceive, as was the case with Zakariya alayhe salam. Finally, a situation where the means are not available and yet one is able to conceive. Isa and Adam are two examples of the latter situation. That is why depending entirely on the means is shirk. Allah teaches us through the story of Maryam alayha salam that his powers are limitless and he reigns supreme over all things. Therefore, our trust should be placed with Him. As Maryam alayha salam was praying the angels came to her and said: َط ِإك َط ْصا َط َط ِإك َطػ َط ِإ َطض ِإا َّنا َّن َط ْصا َط َط ِإك َط َط َّن ِإ َط ْص َط ُني َط َط ُن َط َط ئِإ ْص ِإ ا َط اَط ِإذْص َط And (remember) when the angels said: “Oh Mary! Verily, Allah has chosen you, purified you (from polytheism and disbelief), and chosen you above the women of the Alamin (mankind and jinns).” 3:42 In one verse Allah, subhana watala has shown Maryam alayha salam his favor twice by choosing her over the rest of the women of creation. The story and Maryam alayha salam and Isa alayhe salam is revealed in Surat Maryam. َط َط ًح َطش ْص ِإ ًح ْصا ِإ َط َط َط ْص ِإ ْصي َط َط ِإ ِإذ ْص َط ِإ َط ِإ َط ْص َطي ْص ُنك ْص ِإ ا َط ذْص 6 And mention in the Book (the Quran, O Muhammad, the story of) Mary, when she withdrew in seclusion from her family to a place facing east. 19:16 Maryam alayha salam left the mihrab towards the east of Jerusalem.3 There are three narrations as to why she left the mihrab. One states she needed to relieve herself. Another one states that because she was on her menstrual cycle she was unable to stay in the mihrab. The third narration states she wanted to worship alone in seclusion. There is not one narration that is stronger than the other. However, the emphasis is on her desire to stay apart from society, which is indicative of her nature. ًح ِإ َطل ًح َطص َط اَط َط َط َّن َط ث ْص َط ُن َطد َط َط َط اَط ِإ َط ْص ْص َطص َط َط َط ْص ِإ ْصي ُنآ ِإ ِإ ْصي ِإد َطج ًح َطأ َط تَّن She placed a screen (to screen herself) from them; then We sent to her our Ruh (Angel Jibril), and he appeared before her in the form of a man in all respects. 19:17 In this aya, Maryam screens herself with a hijab, which means a physical barrier or piece of clothing, which prevents her from being seen. ْص َط ُن َطد َط اَط ِإ َط ْص ْص َطص َط َطأ “We sent to her Our angel” 19:17 In the Quran, Allah uses the word “rooh”, or soul, which refers to Angel Jibril. Angel Jibril is called the soul for three reasons. He is the soul of human kind and delivers what is needed for salvation, as well as what fuels the spirit. Second, the term “ya roohy” is like a term of endearment, expressed to the most beloved creation of Allah. Finally, Angel Jibril is a spiritual being that exudes all things good and pure, without being tainted by evil. Angel Jibril has appeared in different forms, depending who the message was being carried to. When he came to the Prophet Muhammad salla allahu alayhe wasalam, he came in his original form. When he asked Prophet Muhammad salla allahu alayhe wasalam to recite he lifted one wing which covered the horizon. The Prophet was so terrified that he went running back in fear to his wife and cried to her, cover me, cover me. However, when he appeared to Maryam alayha salam, he revealed himself as a man. ًح ِإ َطل ًح َطص َط اَط َط َط َّن َط ث َط َط 19:17 means in a beautiful handsome male figure. Based on the premise that Angel Jibril revealed himself to her, can one say that Maryam was a prophet or messenger? There are two opinions on this issue. The former being that few scholars adopt the opinion that she was a prophet since Angel 3 Ibn Abbas once commented regarding this verse (S.19:16) stating, “Wallahi, I know why the Christians take the east as their qiblah (direction). This is because Maryam went towards the east.” 7 Jibril came to her. Though, a vast majority say she was not a prophet and is actually a waliya, or one who is close to Allah. One who receives revelation is not necessarily a prophet. An aya in the Quran in Surat Al-Nahl states, “Wawha rabuka ila al-nahl”16:68, Allah gave revelation to the bees. This supports the fact that mere reception of revelation does not mean prophethood. Another reason that supports her being a waliya is that a female messenger would be required to travel, which would be unsafe for her. It would also be difficult for a female prophet to convey the message of Allah due to menstruation, pregnancy, or childbirth. The most decisive proof is the aya in surah 5, verse 75 which states, “Wa Ummuhu sideeqa”, his (Jesus) mother was a woman of truth (high ranked believer). The term “sawia” (19:17) in this verse describes Angel Jibril. This word implies he has no deficiency in his character, nor is he a horrible sight. All angels come in this form. In order not to frighten Maryam alayha salam, Angel Jibril appeared to her as a handsome man. Due to her lack of contact with men, and Angel Jibril‟s actual alarming form, it was important that he appeared to her as a handsome man. َط تَط ِإ ًح ْصا ُنك ْص ِإ َط ا َّن ْصد َط ِإي ِإ ْص ِإ ُنػ ذُن َط ِإ ِّر َط اَط ْص She said: “Verily! I seek refuge with the Most Beneficent (Allah) from you, if you do fear Allah.” 19:18 When Angel Jibril came to Maryam alayha salam, she was horrified and speechless, but her response was that of a pious woman. Her warning to stay away would apply only to one who fears Allah. It would be useless to make such a statement for those who do not have any fear from Allah. Of all the possible names and attributes of Allah, Maryam alayha salam referred to Him as ArRahman, the merciful, rather than the Vengeful or the Mighty. She appealed to His having mercy on her weakness, on being female, on being alone. ِإ ُنغَط ًح َطز ِإك ًح َط َط ُنص ُنآ َط ِّر ِإ ِإْلَطاَط َط اَط َط َط ِإ َّن َط َطآ (The angel) said: “I am only a Messenger from your Lord, (to announce) to you the gift of a righteous son.” 19:19 Angel Jibril comforted her and tried to calm her by saying he was a messenger from Allah. She believed him because she saw in him purity, or some say that Allah inspired her to believe in him. ِإ ِإْلَطاَط َط اَط Here the verse says to grant you (it refers to granting something with nothing expected in return). Angel Jibril was sent to grant Maryam a baby boy by the will of Allah. ُنغَط ًح َطز ِإك ًح One of the attributes of that boy is zaky, meaning that he is pure and not an illegitimate child. 8 ُنك َط ِإ ًح َط ْصي َطل ٌع َط اَط ْصي َط ْص َطض ْصض ِإ َط ُن ُنا اِإ ُنغَط ٌع َط اَط َّن َط َط َط اَط ْص She said: "How shall I have a son, seeing that no man has touched me, nor am I unchaste?” 19:20 Maryam alayha salam was appalled to hear that she would bear a child when she was not married nor had been touched by a man. Her modesty and honor would be compromised. َط ِإ ًح The term “baghiyya” (19:20) implies someone who prostitutes and desires men. Maryam adamantly exclaims that she is not one who follows such desires. ِإ ًح َط ْص ْص ًح َط َط َطك َطا ِإ َّن ِإس َط َط ْصد َط ًح اِإ َّن َّن اَط ِّر ٌعي َط اِإ َط ْصج َطؼ َطيُن َط ًح َط َطػ َط ِإ اُن َط َطآ َطكَط اِإ ِإ َط َطآ َط ُّ He said: “So (it will be), your Lord said: „That is easy for Me (Allah): and (We wish) to appoint him as a sign to mankind and a mercy from Us (Allah), and it is a matter (already) decreed, (by Allah).‟ ” 19:21 Jibril informs Maryam alayha salam that Allah‟s commands are effortless and He wills it and so it happens. Just as Allah granted Zakirya a child, he is capable of doing the same for Maryam alayha salam.4 ِإس َط َط ْصد َط اِإ َّن اَط ِّر ٌعي َط اِإ َط ْصج َطؼ َطيُن َط ًح He (Jesus) was a miracle who brought miracles to mankind. ِإ َّن َط َط ْصد َط ًح He also was a mercy to humanity and a beacon of salvation through the teachings Allah revealed to him. َط ِإ ًح َط ْص ْص ًح َط َطك َطا Angel Jibril conveyed to Maryam alayha salam this was something destined by Allah. The question of Isa‟s conception was answered in three different ways.5 4 There are four ways in which to conceive a child. The first way is without a father nor a mother, which is the example of Adam alayse salam. The second is without having a father, like Isa alayhe salam. The third way is by a man alone, like Hawa’a was created from the rib of Adam. Finally, from both parents, a father and a mother. 5 From this example, we learn that one question can be answered in many different ways. The answer is dependent on the one who asks and their reasoning for asking. Ibn Abbas was once sitting in a gathering with some of the companions. A man came to him and asked him if someone kills can the person repent. Ibn Abbas replied that he can not. In the same setting, some time after, another man approached and asked the same question. Ibn Abbas replied that he could. The companions were taken aback by the difference in answers. Ibn Abbas replied to them that the first man hadn’t killed and if he had replied yes to him, he would have killed and then repented. So based on that, Ibn Abbas stopped him by telling him no that he could not repent. Whereas, the second man had killed and came to ask if he could repent. This time he replied yes to give him the opportunity to repent, rather than having him doomed to hellfire and cause more mischief on this planet. 9 There are those whose iman overrides their thinking, and this would be the pinnacle of belief, like Abu Bakr and Maryam alayha salam. Abu Bakr was told the Prophet salla allahu alayhe wasalam went from Mecca to Jerusalem and from Jerusalem to the seven skies and returned, all the while his bed was still warm. When questioned by the Kuffar as to if he believed the Prophet salla allahu alayhe wasalam, he replied without hesitation that if he had said it, it was the truth. Another example is the story of Maryam alayha salam. She was told she would conceive and she questioned the manner of how that would be possible. After Jibril explained “kathalik”, she immediately accepted the supreme power of Allah. The second group of people are those whose thinking governs their iman. They question everything that is told to them. An example of this group is the mu‟atazilah. Anything that is presented to them, they use their thinking and rationale to accept or reject it. Another example of this category is the story of Yousef Al-Najjar, who was Maryam‟s cousin and caretaker of Beit Al-Maqdis. He asked Maryam alayha salam concerning her unique pregnancy. He had seen her during her pregnancy and was unable to overlook her condition. He approached her hesitantly, knowing that she is a pious believer. He wished to receive an explanation to satisfy the questions in his mind about her pregnancy. Maryam alayha salam permitted him to ask, emphasizing that he be understanding and kind. He asked her if trees, grass, and plants grow without water. She replied yes, explaining that the One who was able to create it the first time from nothing, can make it grow with and without water. She then asked him who made water before it was water. He replied that Allah did. He asked her can a baby be conceived without a husband. She answered him by saying the One who created Adam without a father or a mother can create a baby without a father. Then he responded by saying “Inna Allah „ala kulli shay‟in qadeer, Allahu Akbar”, Allah has the power over all things, Allah is great, and he believed. Finally, the third group is one who has no iman and no proper thinking, at times even rejecting concrete or tangible proof. An example of such a people would be the Jews, who repeatedly denied the truth because of their lack of faith and lack of thinking. They had reached a conclusion before hearing an explanation from Maryam alayha salam, due to their stubbornness and arrogance. We can deduce that the best way to deal with such people is through silence. Even after they were shown another miracle, which was Isa alayhe salam speaking as an infant, they still denied Allah‟s power. Maryam alayha salam was ordered to remain silent so the infant Isa alayhe salam could speak. This was ordained so Allah could show mankind that he can put words into the mouth of a breast-feeding infant, just as He can create a child in the womb without a father. Yet they do not see, so it is best for one to remain silent. Jibril blew into the opening at the neck of Maryam‟s garment and his breath traveled down to her womb and Isa alayhe salam was conceived. She gave birth to Isa alayhe salam, yet remained a virgin. This serves as a lesson to those that try to fathom the power of Allah. One cannot comprehend his power since our intellect is limited, in comprehension. Who is it that created the earth and formed within it the oceans and grew from it the trees? Who created the wheat and enveloped within it that which preserves it? 10 The creation of Isa alayhe salam is akin to the creation of Adam alayhe salam. A healthy couple who is unable to bear children compared to another that is blessed with offspring; one must ask who is the provider for one and not the other. Without a doubt, it would be Allah. According to Ibn Kathir, Maryam alayha salam and her sister, Um Yahya alayha salam, who is also Zakariya‟s wife, were pregnant at the same time. When Um Yahya was near Maryam, the child in her womb would bow to the child in Maryam‟s, since at that time sujood was permissible. Um Yahya alayha salam and her unborn baby also felt most comfortable and at peace when they were around Maryam alayha salam. Indeed it was miraculous for the two messengers to communicate before their actual birth. Isa alayhe salam would even speak to his mother while in her womb. If he is not speaking to her, she hears his constant praise and tasbeeh to Allah. َط َط َط 22:19َ طذ َط َط ْصيُن َط ْص َط ي َط And she conceived him, and she withdrew with him to a far place. 19:22 She was aware of the type of society that surrounded her and what their reaction would be. She did not want to submit herself to their accusations, as well as to the agony and anguish of childbirth. It was then she decided to withdraw and seclude herself in a faraway place. Some narrations say she was pregnant for seven or eight months, however the most authentic narration states that she was pregnant for nine. At the time of childbirth, she traveled to Beit Lahem, which is present day Bethlehem. َط ُنك ْص ُن َط ْصض ًح َط ْص َط ِإ ِإ ُّ َط ْص َط اَط ِإ َط اَط ْص َط اَط ا َّن ْص َط ِإ اَط ِإ ْصع ِإ َط َط ُنض ْص َطااَط ا َط َط َطأ And the pains of childbirth drove her to the trunk of a palm-tree. She said: “Would that I had died before this, and had been forgotten and out of sight!”19:23 Usually one holds the hand of a husband or a mother during this trying time, however, with no one around her, Maryam alayha salam grasped onto the branch of a tree. The Quran does not explicitly describe Maryam‟s childbirth and seems to skip over that fact since it is obvious and apparent, and to maintain the eloquence of the Quran. َط ُنك ْص ُن َط ْصض ًح َط ْص َط ِإ ِإ ُّ َط ْص َط اَط َط اَط She said: “Would that I had died before this, and had been forgotten and out of sight!” 19:23 َط ُنك ْص ُن َط ْصض ًح ى ض During this time of hardship, Maryam alayha salam wished she was “nasiya mansiya”, something forgotten or trivial. From these ayat, one might surmise she questioned Allah‟s destiny for her, due to a couple of reasons. The first being Maryam alayha salam did not want to be a cause of fitnah for her people. She knew Isa‟s birth 11 would be a cause of people either believing or disbelieving in the oneness of Allah. She did not want her unique situation to be the cause of others going to hell. Maryam‟s conception of Isa alayhe salam without a father, would lead to the claim that Isa was the son of God, therefore implying she is the wife of God. Another reason was Maryam alayha salam knew her honor would be attacked, and that was difficult for a woman of piety. Finally, some sects claim Maryam alayha salam raised her head to the sky after giving birth and witnessed Allah‟s Looh AlMahfooth, the book where everything is written. She was shown that she would be worshipped by some instead of Allah. However, the latter opinion is false. Based on Maryam‟s example, if one was faced with an insurmountable tribulation, it is permissible to ask Allah to take their soul. There are two examples from the time of the Prophet salla allahu alayhe wasalam that illustrate this. It was narrated the Prophet asked Allah that if he was to test his slaves with a fitnah (a major test in their faith), to take his soul prior to it. Umar was also quoted as saying on one occasion, he wished his mother had not given birth to him. ًح ِإ ِإ َطص ِإ تَط ْصذ َط َطَّنَّل تَط ْصذ َطز ِإ َط ْص َط َطؼ َط َط ُّ َط َط َطآ اَط ِإ ْصي تَط ْصذ ِإ َط Then (the babe Jesus or Jibril) cried unto her from in front of her, saying: “Grieve not! Your Lord has provided a water stream in front of you.” 19:24 Maryam heard a call from in front of6 her telling her not to grieve, and there are 2 narrations as to who the call was from. One narration states it was Angel Jibril, while the other states it was Isa. َطَّنَّل تَط ْصذ َطزا ِإ She should not distress about her dishonor or worry about being unable to fulfill the responsibility that Allah endowed upon her. ًح ِإ ِإ َطص ِإ تَط ْصذ َط َط ْص َط َطؼ َط َط ُّ “Sariya” refers to a spring of water from an elevation. ْص ِإ ُن َط ًح َط ِإ ًح ْصط َطػ َط َطض ِإ ِإ تُن ا َّن ْص َط ِإ ِإ ِإج ْصع ْص ِإ اَط ِإ َط اُن ِّرز “And shake the trunk of palm-tree towards you, it will let fall fresh ripe-dates upon you.” 19:25 Allah orders Maryam alayha salam to shake the trunk of the palm-tree towards her, causing the dates to fall as sustenance for her. From this, one can learn that it is imperative for one to put in the effort and then place their trust in Allah. In Tirmidhi, it is stated a man entered the masjid without tying his camel. The Prophet inquired as to why he had not tied it, and he replied he depended on Allah. The 6 It should be noted the words “taht” and “fawq” in Arabic mean in back of and in front of, as well their original meaning of under and above, respectively. In this case, “taht” implies in front of Maryam. 12 Prophet responded by saying that he should tie it, and then depend on Allah. One should do what is in their power, and then leave the rest to Allah. ِإض ًح ِإ ْص َط َط ْص ْص ا َط ي ِّر َطك ُن ِإ ِّر َط َط ْص ُن اِإ َّن ْصد َط ِإي َطا ْص ًح َط َط ْصي َطدًح َط ُن اِإ َط ِإ َطل َط ْص َّني ِإ َطي ا ِإ َط ِإ َّن تَط ِّر َطػْص ًح َطإ ِإ َط َط َط ُن ِإ َط ْصش َط “So eat and drink and be glad, and if you see any human being, say: „Verily! I have vowed a fast unto the Most Beneficient (Allah) so I shall not speak to any human being this day.” 19:26 Maryam shook the tree and “balah”, dates in their ripe stage, fell upon her. (Dates in their ripe stages have been proven medically to be healthy and ease the process of birth upon a women.) She ate from them, drank water, and was told to be happy after seeing her beautiful baby. َطدًح َط ِإ َطل َط ْص َّني ِإ َطي ا ِإ َط ِإ َّن تَط ِإ ِّر َط َط ْص ُن اِإ َّن ْصد َط ِإي َطإ َطا ْص ًح َط ُن اِإ Then Allah revealed to Maryam alayha salam if she was to see anyone, not to answer, and to fast from talk. In the past, people would fast from talking, and this was part of their belief. In Islam, however, it is prohibited to abstain completely from speaking. This is apparent when Abu Bakr deterred his family from fasting from talk, stating it was haram. Another example is when Ibn Masood was talking to two men, one who was refraining from talking. When asked why he did not want to talk, his friend answered he was fasting from talk. Ibn Masood said to fast from talk only applied to Maryam and her situation, and it is not from our religion, and he ordered the man to speak. 27:19 أت ى يى ىتذ ي Then she brought him (the baby) to her people, carrying him. 19:27 While Maryam alayha salam was away, her townspeople had gone looking for her. According to most narrations she was away for 40 days. She approached her people with Isa alayhe salam in her arms. ًح ِإ ا ي ا ئ َطشْص ئًح َط They said: “O Maryam! Indeed you have brought a thing Fariyya (an unheard mighty thing). 19:27 They saw her coming from far away, and expressed their shock at the sight of the baby in her arms. “Fariyya” refers to something unlike any other, and completely unbelievable. خ ىا اى ىك اى كى ئ “O sister of Harun! Your father was not a man who used to commit adultery, nor your mother was an unchaste woman.” 19:28 In a hadith, Mugherah bin Shubah went to debate the people of Najran who were Christians. They asked him does the Quran state that Maryam is Harun‟s sister, when 13 in fact, Harun and Musa preceded them by hundreds of years. The Prophet salla allahu alayhe wasalam said people used to be named in honor of the messengers. There are three opinions to clarify this reference. The first is that Maryam alayha salam actually had a brother whose name was Harun, who was named after the messenger Harun. Another opinion was that Maryam had the characteristics of Prophet Harun, being vigilant and pious. Finally, there might have been a pious man at the time of Maryam, named Harun they attributed her prior characteristics to. The people accused her indirectly of being unchaste and ordered her to speak up. When she refused, they assumed her guilty. Allah chose silence for her, because in certain circumstances silence is better. She pointed to Isa alayhe salam, and they understood that to mean that he would respond. They were bewildered as to how they could speak to one who was still in the cradle. ا ىك فى يى يىك اى ى ا ىا They said: How can we talk to one who is in the cradle, a young boy? 19:29 This is where the miracle begins. The Prophet said three people spoke as infants, and Isa alayhe salam was one of them.7 آى ىػ Isa alayhe salam answered them by saying, “I am the servant of Allah.” 19:30 This verse is what made Al-Najashy cry and say this is what Isa alayhe salam said. This statement by Isa alayhe salam was clearly denying the status that people would later attribute to him. By stating he was the servant of Allah, he not only negates the curse to Allah and clarifies his status, but also acquits his mother of any lewd behavior. 7 Narrated Abu Hurairah, radiullahu anhu: The Prophet sallahu alayhe wasalam said, “None spoke in the cradle but three: (the first was) Jesus, (the second child was): There was a man from Bani Israel called Juraij. While he was offering prayer, 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, “Oh Allah! Do not let him die until 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 ablution and offered prayer, and then came to the child and said: “Oh 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 Bani Israel was nursing her child at her breast when a handsome rider passed by her. She said, “Oh Allah! Make my child like him.” On that, the child left her breast and facing the rider said, “Oh Allah! Do not make me like him.” The child then started to such her breast again. (Abu Hurairah further said, “As if I were now looking at the Prophte salla allahu alayhe wasalam sucking his finger (in way of demonstration.”)) After a while they (some people) passed by, with a lady slave and she (i.e. the child’s mother) said, “Oh Allah! Do not make my child like this (slave-girl)!” On that the child left her breast, and said, “Oh 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 accuse of theft and illegal sexual intercourse.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith number 3436). 14 The term “abd Allah” is an honorable name, which is the highest of human ranks. When one is a slave to Allah, no one else can become his master. When Allah wants to favor his prophets, he gives them the name “abd Allah.” ت ى ا Isa alayhe salam, while only a few days old, told the people he has received the scripture. He did not actually receive it at that moment, but rather he knew Allah had chosen him as a messenger and would receive it. Knowing it‟s something surely going to happen in the future, he words it as though it has happened. ؼ ى The verse states Isa alayhe salam is a prophet, that he would receive revelation and a scripture from Allah. Again, he was in his crib describing himself as a messenger, although it did not happen. He used such terms because it‟s surely to take place. ؼ ى ك ى ىك Allah blessed Isa alayhe salam because he guided people to the path of righteousness and ordained virtue and forbade evil. He also had the unique ability to cure the ill and bring the dead back to life by the will of Allah as he repeatedly stated. ا ى ا ى ازك ى ىآ ىد And he has enjoined on me prayer, and Zakat, as long as I live. 19:31 ى ا ت And dutiful to my mother, and made me not arrogant, unblest. 19:32 اض ىػ ى ى ا ى ى ى ى ؼثىد Peace on me the day I was born, and the day I die, and the day I shall be raised alive!8 19:33 There were some who believed that she was speaking the truth. Others and most, however, believed she was using black magic and was attempting to deceive them. They were not convinced and continued to believe her as being unchaste and questioned the manner in which Isa alayhe salam was conceived. ذا ىػ ض ى يى ي 8 Sufyan bin U’uaynah (a scholar) said, “A person is a stranger, and needs others comfort and peace the most in three points in his life. The first is when one is born and needs his mother to take care of him. The second is when one dies and is in his grave alone. The third is when one is resurrected and stands before Allah.” 15 34:19 ىك اىهللى اى ى يى ا Such was Jesus, son of Mary. It befits not (the Majesty of) Allah that He should beget a son. 19:34 Isa alayhe salam, in the Quran, is referred by four different attributes. The first one is “rooh Allah”. This is not to say he is the soul of Allah literally, but rather it is a phrase used to honor Isa alayhe salam and to show his endearment to Allah. The second phrase is “rooh minh”, meaning a soul from Allah. He is not a part of Allah physically, instead he is a soul from His creation.9 Next, Isa alayhe salam is referred to as “kalimat Allah”, a word of Allah. This means he was created by words from Allah, “kun fa yakun”, be and it is.10 Finally, he is called “maseeh” which means that he is “mamsooh al-khilqa”, or very handsome to look at, or from the word, “masaha” (to wipe), that he was able to cure illness with a mere touch. Allah showered many miracles and blessings on Isa alayhe salam, including his very birth. The townspeople witnessed light from where Maryam alayha salam gave birth to him. They were drawn to the brightness of the light, but were stopped from entering the area since it was protected by angels. Right after Isa‟s birth, astrologers and fortune tellers informed the king of Persia that a messenger had been born. He sent a letter to the king of Damascus inquiring about any important births. The king of Damascus then sent a letter to Beit Al-Maqdis again wanting to know of any recent notable births. The people in Beit AlMaqdis replied that someone had been born of a miraculous birth. This child was born without a father. The king of Persia demanded he be killed. So Maryam alayha salam took her son to Egypt for their protection and she later returned. ؼ ى يى يى ا ى ىذ ى ى ؼ ي In Egypt, Maryam alayha salam and her son, Isa alayhe salam, stayed in a house of a wealthy and pious worshipper. He took them in and spent on them. He had a house for charity for the elderly, sick, and weak. He fed them and tended to all their needs. He had gold hidden near one of the walls of the house. One day, he 9 There was a khalifah in the past that was debating Christians. The Christians told him they would embrace Islam if he would explain why in the Quran Jesus is referred to as a soul of Allah (rooh min). The khalifah was unable to answer so he referred the question to the scholars around him. The scholars replied by saying in the Quran Allah says the universe is of Him (from Him). Does that imply the universe is part of Allah? They answered no. So the scholars said the same way that Allah uses the universe to mean is of Him (from Him), he says that Jesus is of Him, from Him. It does not mean that Jesus and the universe is part of Allah, but rather from Allah (created by Allah). 10 Volume 4, Book 55, Number 644: Narrated 'Ubada: The Prophet said, "If anyone testifies that None has the right to be worshipped but Allah Alone Who has no partners, and that Muhammad is His Slave and His Apostle, and that Jesus is Allah's Slave and His Apostle and His Word which He bestowed on Mary and a Spirit created by Him, and that Paradise is true, and Hell is true, Allah will admit him into Paradise with the deeds which he had done even if those deeds were few." (Junada, the sub-narrator said, " 'Ubada added, 'Such a person can enter Paradise through any of its eight gates he likes.") 16 discovered it had been stolen. He gathered in his house and asked who had taken the gold. He insisted everyone be apprehended until his gold had been recovered. Isa alayhe salam, who was just a little boy, revealed that a blind man and another one who was paralyzed had conspired together to take the gold. He had confronted the two men and asserted that they return the gold or great evil would befall them. They were amazed as to how a child would have such knowledge and conviction. They asked him how he knew, and Isa alayhe salam replied that Allah had revealed it to him. The gold was returned immediately to the owner. Isa alayhe salam received the revelation at the age of 30 and was sent to Bani Israel. At that time, they were living in the Al-Sham area, which is present day Syria, Palestine, Lebanon, and Jordan. He began to spread the word of God, and revealed he was his messenger. When Isa alayhe salam began calling his people to Allah‟s way, they asked him for miracles, since they were practicing magic and medicine at that time. ِإج ْص ْصْلِإ َط ْص َط َط َط ا َّن ِإذ ْص َط َط ْص ِإ َط َط َط ا ْص ُن يُن ا ِّر َط ُن َطؼ َط ُن ُنا ُن ُنخ ِإ ِإي َط َط ْص َط َطأ ِإ ْص ِإ ا َّن ِإي َطك َط ْص ئَط ُنق اَط ُن ْصي ِإ َطي ا ِّر ُن َط ْصخ ِّر َط ُن ْصي آ َط ٍض ِإ ْصي َط ِّر ِإ ُن ُن ْصي ِّر َط ْص ِإ ئْص َط ْصص َط ئِإ َط ِإ اَط َط ِإ ِإ َط َط ُنص ًحَّل َّنا ِإ ُن ْصي ُن َطا َط َط تَط َّن ِإخ ُن َطا ِإ ُن ُن تِإ ُنك ْص ِإ َط تَطأ َط ِّرئُن ُن ْصي ُن ِإا َّن ِإ َط ِإذْص إ ِإ َط ْص تَط ْص ِإ ا ْصد ُن ْص َط َطص َط ْصْلَط ْصْلَط ْصكَط يَط َط ُنئ ِإ ْص ُن ِإا َّن ِإ َط ِإذْص إ ِإ ْص ًح َط ْصي ُن ْص ِإ ِإ َطي ُن ْصا ُنك ْص ِإ اَط ُن ْصي ِإ َطذاِإ َط َط َط ًح And He (Allah) will teach him (Jesus) the Book and Al-Hikmah (wisdom), and the Torah and the Gospel. 3:48 And will make him (Jesus) a Messenger to the Children of Israel (saying): “I have come to you with a sign from your Lord, that I design for you out of clay, as it were, the figure of a bird, and breathe into it, and it becomes a bird by Allah‟s leave; and I heal him who has born blind, and the leper, and I bring the dead to life by Allah‟s leave. And I inform you of what you eat, and what you store in your houses. Surely, therein is a sign for you, if you believe.” 3:49 These verses state that one of the miracles was that Isa alayhe salam was given the book and wisdom, law, and gospel. This, however, was not enough for them. He made a figure of a bird from clay and breathed life into it, by the will of Allah. The bird flew away and again this was not enough for them. At the time of Isa alayhe salam, medical knowledge was at its height, yet they were not able to cure blindness. The miracles from Allah is always given to the messenger to coincide with that which is popular of their time. Isa alayhe salam was given the miracle of restoring sight to the blind, by the will of Allah. Even though his people were advanced medically, they understood that his ability to cure blindness was indeed a true miracle. He also was able to cure leprosy and gave life to the dead. Bani Israel took Isa alayhe salam to a graveyard where they asked him to give life to a man that had died. Isa alayhe salam brought that man back to life, by the will of Allah. He emerged from his grave with his clothes on and questioned why he had been brought back to life. He asked Isa alayhe salam to return him back to his grave since that abode was a better place for 17 him. Isa alayhe salam then made dua and the man died once again. Even after this miracle, Bani Israel still were skeptical. On another occasion, Isa alayhe salam was once passing by a graveyard when he noticed a woman crying over a grave. He asked her who had been buried there. The woman stated it was her daughter and swore she would not leave her because of her love for her. In her grief, she wished to die with her daughter or her daughter be brought back to life. Isa alayhe salam proposed to her that if he brought her back to life again, would the woman then believe in his message. The woman agreed and Isa alayhe salam proceeded to command three times that the dead girl rise from her grave. The girl then was brought out of her grave. Isa alayhe salam questioned why it had taken so long for the girl to rise from her grave. She said that once she heard the first calling, Allah recreated her physical form. At his second command, an angel appeared over her head. Finally, her soul returned to her. As her soul returned to her body, the girl‟s hair turned to white from the horror that it might be the judgment day. The girl was appalled at the idea of experiencing the agony of death again and asked Isa alayhe salam to return her to her grave. At this point, the mother is silent and astonished at what she saw. Isa alayhe salam maked dua to Allah to return the girl to her grave and to ease her plight. His prayer was granted. Bani Israel were still unconvinced of Isa alayhe salam and his message. They asked him what food sustained them and what they had stored in their houses. He responded correctly and yet they still did not believe. Isa alayhe salam informed them that he was sent to confirm the Tawrah and to make permissible what was previously forbidden. They continued to bring him the sick, blind, and infirmed - those that are paralyzed or with terminal illnesses. With Allah‟s permission, he was able to cure them all. During his lifetime, Isa alayhe salam was a humble servant to the word of Allah. He slept without a covering and wore wool. When he was reminded of the afterlife, he would scream and weep like a child. Before he began to preach the word of Allah, he was a handsome, young man. After spreading the message of Allah, he was often yellow from hunger with dry lips from thirst. He continued preaching of the oneness of Allah and of the Injeel.11 Isa‟s followers were from the poor and weak of the Bani Israel. He delivered numerous messages, one of which was the coming of a later messenger by the name of Ahmad.12 Even with all miracles Isa alayhe salam was given by Allah, Bani Israel continued to disbelieve and stated that it was just black magic. ٌعي ِإ ِإص ْصذ ٌع ُّ ِإَّلَّن ْصا اَط َط ِإ 11 The Prophet said the books were all revealed in Ramadan. The pages of Musa was revealed on the first day of Ramdan. The Tawrah on the sixth, Injil on the ninth, Zaboor on the 18th, and the Quran on the 27th day of Ramadan. 12 Isa preached to his people that a messenger would follow him whose name was Ahmad. “And (remember) when Isa, son of Maryam, said: “Oh children of Israel! I am the Messenger of Allah unto you, confirming the Tawrah (which came) before me, and giving glad tidings of a Messenger to come after me, whose name is Ahmad. But when Ahmad (i.e. Muhammad) came to them with clear proofs, they said: “This is plain magic!” (Surat 61:6). 18 He traveled to Al-Nasirah in Palestine which was for him like Ta‟if was for Prophet Muhammad salla allahu alayhe wasalam. However, in reality Al-Nasirah turned out to be like Madina was for the Prophet. He, too, called on the people for their support for a victory much like Muhammad salla allahu alayhe wasalam did in Ta‟if. Isa alayhe salam gained a firm amount of following in Al-Nasirah, unlike the reaction of the people of Ta‟if for Muhammad salla allahu alayhe wasalam. The disciples answered to his call by confirming they were Allah‟s helpers.13 They proclaimed their belief and affirmed they were Muslims. ُن ْصض ِإ ُن َطا َّن َط أ ِإ ْص هللِإ َط ْصش َط ِإ َط َّن َط ُن ِإ َط ُّ َطا َط ْصذ ُني ِإ َطذ َط ْص َط َطآ ا “We are the helpers of Allah; we believe in Allah, and bear witness that we are Muslims (we submit to Allah).” 3:52 Others, however, disbelieved and were arrogant of the message. ئِإ َط ٌع َط َّن ْصص َط ئِإ َط َط َطك َط ِإ ِّر ي َط ِإ ئِإ َط ٌع َط َط َّن َطآَط “Then a group of the Children of Israel believed and a group disbelieved.” 61:14 The Hawiryoon were true worshippers, like the Muhajireen and Ansar, who gave commitment to our Prophet Muhammad salla allahu alayhe wasalam. There were twelve disciples, and among the disciples were those that insisted on proof and were not willing to follow blindly. They presented Isa alayhe salam with challenges and demanded that he ask Allah for a feast from heaven as a miracle. Isa alayhe salam replied that they should fear Allah if they were believers because should such a miracle be granted - and they still do not believe – doom would befall them. They insisted on the firmness of their belief, but wanted this miracle only to further strengthen it. Isa alayhe salam then invoked Allah for food to be sent to them and to those that followed until the Day of Judgment. ِإا ْص َط ِّر َطي ا َّنض َط ا َط َطآ تَّن ُن َط آئِإ َط ًح ْص َط َطا ُن َط ِّرز َطآ َطػ َط ِإ ُنغ َط ُّ َط َط اَط ْص َط ْصض َط ُّ َطا َط ِإػ َطض ْص َطي َط ْص َطي ِإ َطذ َط ْص َط َطآ ا ِإذْص ُنك ُني (112ْ ُّ(ص ِإ ِإ َطي (Remember) when al-Hawiryoon (the disciples) said: “Oh Isa, son of Maryam! Can your Lord send down to us a table spread (with food) from heaven?” Isa said, “Fear Allah, if you are indeed believers.” 5:112 ْص َط ِإ َطي ا َّنل ِإا ِإ َطي َط َط ُن َطا َطػ َط َط َط َطا َط ْص َطاَط ْص َط َط َط ْصؼ َطي ُن ُن َط َّني ُن ْص َط ئِإ َط تَط ُنك َط ِإ ْص َط ْص أ َطا َّن ُن ِإ ُن ْص ُن َط ا They said: “We wish to eat thereof and to satisfy our hearts (to be stronger in faith), and to know what you have indeed told us the truth and that we ourselves be its witnesses.” 5:113 13 That is why Christians are called Al-Nasara in Arabic. This is due to either of two reasons. The first is because they are attributed to the town of Al-Nasirah, which is where the great majority of his followers were from (that town). This is the opinion of most scholars. The other reason is when Jesus gave the speech in the town of AlNasirah he asked the people, “Man ansari ila Allah”, who are my helpers to (the work of) Allah? The disciples answered his call to give him victory and help. 19 َط ِّر َط َط ْص ُنز ْص َط َط ًح َط ِإ َط ِإخ َّن اِإ َط ًح ِّرْلَط ِّر َطي ا َّنض َط ا تَط ُن ُنا اَط َط ِإػ َط آئِإ َط ًح ْص َط ْصآ َطػ َط ِإ ز َط ُن َّني َط َّن َط َّن ا َط َط َطآ ِإػ َطض ْص ُني َط ْص َطي ِإ َطي ِإ َط َطخْص ُن ا َّن ز َط َط Isa, son of Maryam, said: “Oh Allah, our Lord! Send us from that heaven a table spread (with food) that there may be for us - for the first and the last of us - a festival and a sign from You; and provide us with sustenance, for You are the best of sustainers. 5:114 ِإ َطي َطؼ اَط ْص ِّر َطي ا َطدًح َط ُنيُن َطػ ِّر ُن ُنيُن َطػَط ًح َّلَّن َطػ ِّر ُن ِإ ِّر ْص َط ْصؼُن ِإ ُن ْصي َطإ ْص ُن َط ي َط ْص ُن ْصي َط ُن َط َطػ َط ِإ ِّر ُن َط ِّرزا َط َطآ ُن Allah said: “I am going to send it down unto you, but if any of you after that disbelieves, then I will punish him with a torment such as I have not inflicted on anyone among (all) the „Alamin (mankind and jinn).” 5:115 Allah granted this miracle and on their table was meat, olives, seafood, fruit, and bread. Then angels, in the form of humans, brought the food down for them. The disciples were afraid to eat from it. Isa alayhe salam brought the poor and needy to the table, and so the disciples began to eat as well. Some began to steal of Allah‟s blessings and so He transformed them into apes and swine. The only restrictions Isa alayhe salam placed were that one should not deceive in their consumption, steal, or horde the food. As they ate, the food continued to increase in quantity. However, it is disputed by some, if the feast actually came down, but most narrations confirm its authenticity. The Prophet salla allahu alayhe wasalam stated the two that will receive the most severe punishment; they will be the people of Fir‟aun and al-Ma‟ida, those that disbelieved in the feast and the other miracles of Isa alayhe salam. Those that held knowledge and rank wanted to kill the weak, worshippers, and believers in Isa alayhe salam. The oppressed wanted to raise arms, but Isa alayhe salam appeased them by saying that he had come with miracles and proof from Allah. He advised them that if one was slapped on the left cheek, then to offer the offender the right as well. He assured them that Allah is the granter of victory. After going to Al-Nasirah, Isa‟s followers grew in numbers. The Jews went to the Romans and all the local kings that had taken over Palestine. They instigated fear and hatred for Isa alayhe salam, claiming that if he was not killed, he would take over their kingdoms. The King of Egypt called on the King of Beit Al-Maqdis and asked how long they planned to leave Isa alayhe salam. He cited imminent danger for them, since Isa alayhe salam called for piety, sincerity, and the resistance of temptations. They feared he would destroy their world as it was, so they decided to crucify him. Allah had revealed this outcome to Isa alayhe salam through Angel Jibril.14 He was told that a conspiracy calling for Isa‟s death was in the works. He entered upon 14 This story of how Isa found out about the plan to kill him was narrated by Ibn Abbas, that can be found in Ibn Katheer and Hakim. It should be noted that when one hears a story narrated by a sahaba, it is one of two things. It is either mawqoof or marfoo’. Mawqoof means that the companion narrated something from himself. When a sahaba narrates something the Rasul sallahu alayhe wasalam said, then it is called marfoo’. However, when it is mawqoof, we sometimes take that saying as if the Prophet sallahu alayhe wasalam said it himself. In matters where there is no difference in opinion or guesses (for example, fiqh, the unseen, faith), and it is something only Allah and 20 his disciples after having bathed and revealed Jibril‟s news. Isa alayhe salam asked his disciples who would sacrifice, and have their features altered to look like Isa alayhe salam. They would then take his place and be crucified. This person was promised a place in heaven with Isa alayhe salam. An adolescent volunteered by saying he would willingly take his place. Isa alayhe salam told him to sit and dismissed his zeal. He posed the question to the group, and again the boy was the only one to offer to sacrifice himself. Yet again, Isa alayhe salam disregarded him. Isa alayhe salam asked a third time, and the same boy spoke up. This time Prophet Isa alayhe salam wiped his head and gave him words of inspiration, as well as made dua for him. He cautioned the youth that Romans and Jews would enter and find him with Isa‟s physical features. He furthered continued to explain that he would be taken and killed. Throughout, they would not see Isa alayhe salam, since he would have ascended to the heavens.15 The Jews and Romans discovered where Isa alayhe salam and his followers were. According to a weak narration, they found where Isa alayhe salam was, through one of the disciples who was tortured and admitted, under pressure, where Isa alayhe salam had been hiding. The Romans and Jews entered upon the young boy, thinking he was Isa alayhe salam, and began to torture him. The boy, who was made to look like Isa alayhe salam, was taken and on his head they placed a crown of thorns. They nailed his feet and hands to a cross and he was crucified. ِإ ِإي ْص ِإ َطي ْصخ َط َط ُن َّن َّنا ا ِإ ِإ ي ُنش ِّريَط اَط ُن ْصي َط ُن هُن َط َط َطا َط ُن هُن َط اَط َط َط ُنص َطآ ِإ َط َط َط َط َط ِإض َطخ ِإػ َطض ْص َطي َط ْص َطي ْص َط ا ْص َط َط ِإ َّن ْص اِإ ِإ ْصي َط َط ُن هُن َط ِإ ًح ِّري َط َط َط َط تِّر َط َطع اظَّن ِإَّلَّن ٍضي ْص ِإ ِإي ِإ ْصي ِإػ َط اَط ُني اَط ِإ َطش ٍّ ِّر ْصيُن And because of their saying (in boast), “We killed Messiah Isa, son of Maryam, the Messenger of Allah,” – but they killed him not, nor crucified him, but the resemblance of Isa was put over another man (and they killed that man), and those who differ therein are full of doubts.16 They have no (certain) knowledge, they follow nothing but conjecture. For surely; they killed him not, Isa, son of Maryam. 4:157 The Jews not only bragged about killing a human being, but a messenger – a messenger from among ulu al‟azm, and the best of messengers. his messenger know, then we take it as if the Rasul said it, even if a companion has narrated it. There is no way that Ibn Abbas could have made this story up; he must have heard it from the Rasul at one time. 15 It is said in another narration that a man by the name of Yahuda al-Askhayooty, a disciple, was the one who deceived Isa alayhe salam and told the Romans and Jews where Isa was. Then in retaliation, Allah made him look like Isa and therefore, it was him who was crucified. This narration is weak and the one previously mentioned is the stronger one. 16 “And those who differ therein are full of doubts.” The reason for this was due to the number of disciples there were. It is known that Isa had 12 disciples, which makes 13 including him. After crucifying who they thought to be Isa, there should have been 12 people. When the disciples were counted, only 11 were present. As Muslims, we believe that Isa had ascended and the 13th was crucified. This is why there was a discrepancy and they (Jews and Romans) were full of doubts. 21 َطي ِإ َط ِإك ْص َط َط َط َط ُن َط ُن َطخْص ُن ا ْص َط َط َط ُن And they (disbelievers) plotted (to kill Isa), and Allah planned too. And Allah is the best of those who plot. 3:54 After Isa‟s mother heard the news of the crucifixion, she was in a state of shock. She cried hysterically until she met a man who she knew to be Angel Jibril. He assured her that they did not kill her son, but someone who was made to look like him. She insisted that he had been crucified, but Angel Jibril revealed that Isa alayhe salam had ascended to the heavens. A core belief of Islam is Isa‟s ascension to heaven and that he is living and will return. The details of his ascension and his existence in the heavens are not known, as Allah knows best. Prior to his ascension, he had been in a state of sleep for three days. Allah said: ذى آى ى ػ ض ى ى ى ؼ ى ا ى كى يى ا يىك And (remember) when Allah said: “Oh Isa! I will take you and raise you to Myself and clear you (of the forged statement that Jesus is Allah‟s son) of those who disbelieve.” 3:55 The term “wafat” that is used means sleep or death. Allah says: ى ى َّل شىد يى ت ى ا ىايىت ى ى In these verses, however, to be asleep is implied. The Prophet said that sleep is akin to death. Sleep is like a short death, just as the Prophet taught us to say after awaking, “Alhamdulilah alathy ahyana ba‟ada amatna”, Praise be to Allah, the One that gave us life after our death. The term “wafat” here, according to Ibn Abbas, signifies that Allah cast sleep upon him, possibly for three days. يى ا سى ى ا ى ك "He shall speak to the people in childhood and in maturity. And he shall be (of the company) of the righteous." 3:46 Another term used is “kahlan”, meaning the height of youth. One attains maturity between the ages of 35-45. This period is called “kahlan”. When Isa escalated to the heavens, he was 33 years old and will return as the same age. The miracle lies in his return to earth to complete his mission. After Isa‟s ascension, the disciples began to spread the message and continued to follow a righteous path. They were abused, oppressed, and tortured by the Jews of their time. So much so, that none remained alive. People dispersed in all directions. Some claimed that Isa alayhe salam was God. Others claimed he was the son of God. Yet, others said that he is one of three parts - the Trinity. Confusion continued until the arrival of the promised messenger – Muhammad salla allahu alayhe wasalam. He came to confirm the word of Allah and to clarify the position of Isa alayhe salam. 22 َط َط ِإض َطخ ْص َطي َط ْص َطي ْص ْصا ُن ْص ِإ َط ا َط َط َطآ َط ْصا ِإ َطشْص ئًح ُن ِإ َطي َّن ِإ َط ْصي َط ْص ِإ ْص َط َط ُن َط ِإض ُنخ ْص ُني َط ْص َطي ْص َط ا َّنا َّن َط اُن ِإ ُن ِإ َطي َط ا َّن َط ا اَط َط ْص َطك َط ِإ ٌع َطل ُنا َط َّن ُن َطػ َط ُنك ِّر َطش ْص ٍضا َط ُنق َط َط ُن ْص َط َط ِإض َط َط َط ْص َط ُن ْص ْصْلَط َط ِإ َط ُن ا َّنض َط ْص ِإ ُن َط ِإهللَّن ِإض َط ِإ ًحؼ ْص ْصْلَط َط َط ْصي ِإ َّن يُن ُن َط Surely, in disbelief are they who say that Allah is the Mesiah, son of Maryam. Say: “Who then has the least power against Allah, if He were to destroy the Messiah, sone of Maryam, his mother, and all those who are on the earth together?” And to Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth, and all that is between them. He creates what He wills. And Allah is Able to do all things. 5:17 َط ْصي ِإ َّنيُن َّن َط َط ِّر َط َط َّن ُن ْصي ْصص َط ئِإ َط ْصػ ُن ُن ِإ َط ِإض ُنخ َط َط ِإ ْص َط َط َط َطآ ا َط ِإض ُنخ ْص ُني َط ْص َطي ْص َط ا َّنا َّن َط اُن ِإ ُن ِإ َطي َط ا َّن َط ا اَط َط ْص َطك َط اِإ ِإ َطي ِإ ي ُن َط َط اِإ ظَّن َط هُن ا َّن ْص َط َط أ َطج َّن َط ْص ْص ِإي ا َّن ُن َطػ َط َط َّنهللِإ َط َط ْص َطد َّن ِإ ْصك ِإ ُن ى ْصل Surely, they have disbelieved who say: “Allah is the Messiah, son of Maryam.” But the Messiah (Isa) said: “O Children of Israel! Worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord.” Verily whosoever sets up partners (in worship) with Allah, then Allah has forbidden Paradise to him, and the fire will be his abode. And for the wrongdoers there are no helpers. 5:72 ُن ِإ َطي َطك َط َّن َط َّنض َّني ا ُن َطا اَط َط َط ُن َطػ َّن َط ُن ا ْصي َط ْص ْصا اَط ِإ َط ِإدٌع َط اَطيٌع ِإ َّنَّل ِإ ٍضي اَط ِإ ٍض َط َط ِإ ْصي ُنث ثَط َط ثَط َّنا َّن َط ثَط اِإ ِإ ُن ِإ َطي َط ا َّن َط ا اَط َط ْص َطك َط اِإ ٌعي َط ِإ ْص ُن ْصي َطػَط ٌع They do Kuffar/infidels who say: Allah is one of three in a Trinity: for there is no god except One God. If they desist not from their word (of blasphemy), verily a grievous penalty will befall the blasphemers among them. 5:73 َط ُنيُن َط َط ُنص ُنآ َّن ِإ َط َطك ِإ َط ِإض ُنخ ِإػ َطض ْص ُني َط ْص َطي ْص َط ا ِإ َّن َطذ َّنق ْص َّنَّل ا ِإ ُن َطػ َط َّن ِإ ُن ْصي َط َطَّل تَط ُن ا ُن ِإ ِإآ ِإ ِإ َط ِإ َطَّل تَط ْص ْص ْصا َط ا َط َط ْصا َط َط ِإدٌع ُنصْص َطذ َطيُن اَطيٌع ِإ َّن ُن َط ِإ َّن َط ُن َطخْص ًح اَط ُن ْصي ْص ُن ثَط َط ثَط ٌع َّنهللِإ َط ُن ُنص ِإ ِإي َط َطَّل تَط ُن ا ِإ َط َط ُن ٌعح ِإ ْصيُن َطآ ِإ ُن اَط َط ْص َطي ِإ َط اَط ْص ا َط َّنهللِإ ِإ ِإض َط َطك َط ْص ْصْلَط َط ِإ َط َط ِإ َط ِإ ا َّنض َط َط اَطٌع اَطيُن َط ى ك ُن َطا اَطيُن O People of the Book! commit no excesses in your religion: nor say of Allah aught but the truth. Al-Masih 'Isa the son of Maryam was (no more than) A Messenger of Allah, and His Word, which He bestowed on Maryam, and a Spirit proceeding from Him: so believe in Allah and His Messengers. Say not "Trinity": desist: it will be better for you: for Allah is One God: glory be to Him: (far Exalted is He) above having a son. To Him belong all things in the heavens and on earth. And enough is Allah as a Disposer of affairs. 4:171 ُن ِإ َطي َطك َط َّن ْص َطآ ا َط ِإا ِإ ْصي ُن َط ِإائُن َطا َط ْص َط أ ِإ ُن ُن ْصي ْص ا َطذاِإ َط َط َط ِإض ُنخ ْص ُني َّن ِإ ْص َط َط ى ا ِإ ا َّن َط ُن ُنآ ُنػ َطزْص ٌع ْص ُني َّن ِإ َط َط اَط ْص ِإ ا َط َط اَط َّن ُن ْص َط ُن َطا َط ُني َّن ُن ِإ ْصي َط ْص ُن َط تَط َط ُن The Jews call 'Uzair a son of Allah, and the Christians call Al-Masih the son of Allah. That is a saying from their mouth; (in this) they but imitate what the Unbelievers of old used to say. Allah's curse be on them: how they are deluded away from the Truth! 9:30 23 The return of Isa alayhe salam is a well-anticipated event for Jews, Christians, and Muslims. Many years after Isa‟s ascension, Prophet Muhammad salla allahu alayhe wasalam met him during Isra and Al-Ma‟araj, where he saw him walking around the Ka‟abah in the second heaven. Prophet Muhammad salla allahu alayhe wasalam also described him in another hadith, narrated by Abu Dawood, so that one would be able to recognize him upon his return. He had a fair complexion with a ruddiness to his skin. His complexion was pure and radiant, as if glowing with beads of water. Isa alayhe salam was neither tall nor short. His hair was described as neither curly nor straight, with a soft texture. It was long and reached half-way down his back, glistening as if it were wet or oiled. His physical frame was well built with broad chest and shoulders. Though he was full figured, he was neither fat nor thin. Since his escalation to the heavens, it was apparent that it was not an actual death – just the end of his existence on earth for a given time. Therefore, he must return again once more to complete his mission and die. His return will discredit the claims the Jews and Christians made regarding his crucifixion. The world will be shown that the mission of Isa alayhe salam was Islamic since he will rule with the sharia‟ legislation upon his return. Isa‟s return is an actual sign of the advent of the Judgment Day. He will return in the east near Damascus. He will come down near a white minaret with each hand on a wing of an angel. His head will be bowed down to Allah and from it will fall beads of sweat, dripping as though they were pearls or diamonds. He will descend upon Palestine heading for Beit Al-Maqdis during the time of iqama for the prayer of Fajr or Asr. The imam will have immediately recognized his presence and will ask him to lead the prayer. Isa alayhe salam will decline stating that the iqama was for the Muslims, and they are to lead one another. This implies that he has not returned with a new message, but rather as a follower of the message of Prophet Muhammad salla allahu alayhe wasalam, since all prophets came with the message of Islam. After the prayer, Isa alayhe salam orders the door of Beit Al-Maqdis be opened and that is when they see Dajjal with 70,000 Jewish soldiers. Dajjal will melt as salt dissolves in water, at the sight of Isa – his fear of Isa alayhe salam will be so great! This will be Isa‟s first task to eliminate the Dajjal, who will attempt to run, but Isa alayhe salam along with the help of the Muslims will strike him down at Bab Al-Lid (door). He will end the evil reign of the Dajjal. Another important task Isa alayhe salam will carry out upon his arrival will be to break the cross. This action will illustrate the incorrect belief that it has come to signify. He will then continue to slaughter all the pigs of the world, since it was revealed in the Bible to abstain from eating pork. However, since this revelation was tampered with, people continued in their consumption of this unclean animal. This action will illustrate the incorrect detailed belief of the Christians after their tamper. Lastly, we will also call people to tawheed, or the oneness of Allah. It is described in one hadith that Isa alayhe salam will live on earth for 40 years, while another states he will live for seven. This has been a cause of confusion, though the matter is relatively simple, meaning that his life on earth will total 40 years (his ascension at the age of 33 plus the seven upon his return). He will die at the age of 24 40 and the Muslims will perform janazah prayer upon him, and according to scholars he will be buried in Medina next to the prophet Muhammad salla allahu alayhe wasalam. During the seven years, Islamic rule will have been established as the supreme religion. Peace and tranquility will have been spread on the earth and iman (faith) will have been instilled in the hearts of mankind. Allah reveals to Isa alayhe salam during this time that there are people called Gog and Magog will attack mankind. At that point in time, they established their dominance on earth and will then wish to reign what is in the skies. As they spread their rule, they will eat all crops and drink an equivalent of an ocean. They destroy pillage and ravage all that comes in their path. It is said that as the first of them pass by a body of water, the last of them will say there once was water here. Their mischief and oppression was limitless and Allah ordered Isa alayhe salam and his followers to seek refuge in the mountain of Al-Tur. There they plead with Allah and made dua for Him to destroy them. The oppressor is always destroyed by the most innocuous means to illustrate the insignificance of their existence. Therefore Allah brought about their destruction through worms in their neck which killed each one. After Gog and Magog are killed, Isa alayhe salam and his followers leave Al-Tur and find the earth full of their rotting corpses. Their smell and the froth that will come from their mouths will be so potent that it will corrupt the world and make it unlivable. Again Isa alayhe salam and his believers will make dua to Allah to remove their bodies. Allah will answer their prayers and will send birds with long necks like those of a camel to do away with their bodies. The stench of the bodies will still be prevalent so Allah will send wind and rain which will leave the earth clean and pure. Allah then will order the earth to bring forth its blessings and all evil will be eliminated and the inhabitants of the earth will reside in peace.17 Finally, Isa alayhe salam will perform Hajj, travel to Madina, and will pass away there. The Muslims pray upon him, and he will be buried next to the Prophet Muhammad salla allahu alayhe wasalam and Abu Bakr. Soon after all the good people of the earth will die by a breeze, leaving only the evil ones behind who will hear the final trumpet. The evil will reach a point where there will be open lewdness and rampant transgression. This will indicate the end of time and the beginning of the judgment. The final days will be trying times for all. The return of Isa alayhe salam will be a blessing for the righteous and an eradication of all evil and wrong doers. Allah‟s supreme plan for mankind and his messenger‟s (Isa) role on earth will be fulfilled. The story of Isa alayhe salam is one that brings hope and comfort for believers during the most dire times in the history of the world. All things will perish before the Day 17 There will be so much peace and blessing on the earth, so much so that even humans will be able to cohabit with animals without fear of harm. A lion and camel eat together, cow and a tiger, sheep and a wolf will graze with each other in harmony. A wolf will be the servant of a sheep. A young boy will pass by a lion unharmed, like a young girl will pass by a snake. There will be peace and prosperity throughout the universe without oppression, because of the baraka that Isa will be given, as he said “Allah made me a blessing wherever I am.” There will be so much baraka (blessing) in food, that it is described in a hadith that a pomegranate will feed a large group of people. They will be able to use its skin as a tent, implying its abundance. Allah will place his blessings in wealth and food. For example, a cow will feed a large population, a calf will be enough for a town, a lamb will suffice for a tribe. (Hadith can be found in Muslim). 25 of Judgment and all things destined will have been accomplished. So the role of Isa alayhe salam is one of the most critical one‟s in Allah‟s plan. May He strengthen the hearts of the believers and have mercy on them during those desperate times. May He hold our hearts steadfast to the religion of truth and not allow them to digress (stray) from it. He alone we ask, He alone we seek for our strength, and He alone we ask to accept our doings. Allahumma Ameen. Allah burdens not a person beyond his scope. He gets reward for that (good) which he has earned, and he is punished for that (evil) which he has earned. “Our Lord! Punish us not if we forget or fall into error, Our Lord! Lay not on us a burden like that which You did lay on those before us; our Lord! Put not on us a burden greater than we have strength to bear. Pardon us and grant us Forgiveness. Have mercy on us. You are our Maula and give us victory over the disbelieving people.” (Surat Al-Baqara: 286) 26 References: Holy Koran Sunan Alhakem Sunan Abu Dawood Saheeh Al Bukhary Saheeh Muslim Tafseer Ibn Jareer Al-Tabary Tafseer Alkoran Alatheem - Ibn Katheer Albidayah Walnihayah – Ibn Katheer Kisas Al-Anbiyaa‟ – Ibn Katheer Vol. 2 Alhuda Wal-Nur – Munkith Al-Sakkar Fateh Albary Sharh Saheeh Albkuhary – Ibn Hajar Al-Askalany Sunan Alnisae‟y Sunan Ibn Majah Sunan Altirmithy Musnad Ahmad Tafseer Alkurtuby Tayseer Alkareem Al manna Fe Tafseer Al Rahman –Abdrahman Bin Naser AlSa‟dy Adwa‟ Al bayan fe Edah AlKoran BilKoran – Alshankeety Aldurar Almanthoor fe altafseer bil ma‟thoor - Alsuyooty Ethar Al Hak - Alhindy