Question 2

Question: In the name of the Father: How do you say that the prophet Jesus appears at the end of time, and prays behind the person whom you say is not a prophet, and is called Muhammad Al-Mahdi, is this not strange?!!! How is a prophet praying behind a man who is not a prophet?

Rita George

A Christian Woman (2005)

Answer: Sister, the praying of the prophet of Allah, Jesus son of Mary pbuh, behind Imam Al-Mahdi pbuh allows for two matters.

First: that Imam Al-Mahdi pbuh is better than the prophet of Allah, Jesus pbuh. And of course, Imam Al-Mahdi pbuh is not better unless he has the rank of prophecy, and in this situation there is no place for the problem which you mentioned.

And even if I did believe in the aforementioned, I will mention the second possibility and respond to it.

Second: that Jesus pbuh is better than Al-Mahdi pbuh and in this case, the problem which you have mentioned will arise in the area of seeking truth and righteousness.

The answer is present in the Torah and Gospel, or the Old and New Testaments, and it is also present in the Quran.

From the Torah (or the Old Testament), I choose for you the story of Saul (or Taloot) and David pbut. David pbuh is a prophet from the prophets of Allah and is better than Taloot. However, at the beginning, David was a soldier in the army of Taloot pbuh, and he worked by Taloot’s command, and was a follower of his because Taloot pbuh (or Saul) was a king assigned by the command of Allah swt.

So David pbuh killed Jaloot (or Goliath) (Allah curse him) during the time in which David pbuh was a soldier from Taloot’s soldiers. Read 1st Samuel Chapter 17 in the Torah, and the story of Taloot in the Holy Quran.

As for the Gospel (or the New Testament), I choose for you the story of Jesus pbuh and Yahya pbuh (or John). Jesus pbuh is better than John pbuh; however, Jesus pbuh came to be baptized by John pbuh, even though this matter represents sanctification, purification, and chastening. And in this rank, John pbuh represented the proof (hujja) of Allah upon Jesus pbuh.

Chapter three of the Gospel of Matthew states, [¹³Jesus left Galilee and went to the River of Jordan to be baptized by John. ¹⁴But John stopped him saying, “I ought to be baptized by you. Why have you come to me?” ¹⁵Jesus answered, “For now this is how it should be, because we must do all that God wants us to do.” Then John agreed. ¹⁶So Jesus was baptized. And as soon as he came out of the water, the sky opened, and he saw the Spirit of God coming down on him like a dove … ]^[1]

In both cases, David and Jesus pbut were better than John and Saul pbut. And praise be to Allah alone.

Ahmad Al-Hassan

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