Islam Guidance

Verse159

(159) وَإِن مِّنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ إِلاَّ لَيُؤْمِنَنَّ بِهِ قَبْلَ مَوْتِهِ وَيَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ يَكُونُ عَلَيْهِمْ شَهِيدًا

159. " And there is not any one of the People of the Book but surely believes in him (Jesus) before his death, and on the Day of Resurrection, he (a.s.) will be a witness over them."
Commentary:
There are two probabilities in commenting on this verse, each of which is considerable for some views.
1- The verse says:
" And there is not any one of the People of the Book but surely believes in him (Jesus) before his death, ..."
The above mentioned time is when a person is going to die and his connection with the world becomes weak while it becomes more serious with the world after death. The curtains will be removed from before his eyes and he will see many things of the reality. It is at this time that his inward eye of seeing the truth will see Jesus (a.s.) and he will surrender before him (a.s.).

Those who denied him will believe in him, and those who considered him God, will recognize their error. But it is too late and this belief is of no vail for them. Then, it is better for them to believe just now, when belief is useful for them.
2- The purpose of the verse is that all the People of the Book will believe in Jesus (a.s.) before death. The Jews will accept him for his messengership, and the Christians will leave out the Godship of Jesus. This circumstance will happen, according to the Islamic literature, when Jesus (a.s.) comes down from heaven at the time of the reappearance of Hadrat Mahdi (may Allah hasten his glad advent) and establishes prayer at the back of him. The Jews and Christians will see him and will believe in both him (a.s.) and Imam Mahdi (May Allah hasten his glad advent). So, it is clear that, at this time, Jesus, whose religion relates to the former times, has to follow the present creed, i.e. Islam, the excecutor of which is Mahdi(May Allah hasten his glad advent).
Basing on the recorded Islamic traditions, at the time of Mahdi's rightful government, the security will be so much so that wolf and sheep, lion and cow, and other savage animals will graze in the same pasture. The security of life, wealth and honour in the world thoroughly. There will be no cruelty and transgression anywhere, and justice will cover the whole world of existence.
However, at the end of the verse, it says :
"... and on the Day of Resurrection, he (a.s.) will be a witness over them.
The objectic meaning of the 'witness of Jesus against them ' is that he (a.s.) will bear witness that he has preached the messengership but he has never in vited them to his own divinity and godship. On the contrary, he has invited them to the Divinity of Allah.(1)

(1)Al-Tafsir-ul-Burhan, vol. 1, p. 426; & Al-Tafsir-us-Safi, vol.1, p.480

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