Jamal Badawi: There have been two basic opinions that have been given about the meaning of that verse. I begin with the weaker opinion, not a very strong one. It seems that "it" could be a reference to the Qur'an, that the Qur'an, or the coming of the Qur'an, is a sign that the hour is getting close. And of course, close does not mean the next day but in terms of the age of the earth, comparatively, the hour is close. Or he, if we took he instead of it, could refer to Muhammad, that is the coming of the Prophet Muhammad, the seal of all of the Prophets, is a sign that the hour is now close. I agree with Sheik Shatur that his is not a particularly strong opinion , if one checks the context of this passage that is in the Qur'an, probably it is interpreting that to be a reference to the Prophet Jesus. This would be more clear if one reviews verses between for example 57 and 67, that is in Sura 43. Rather than taking too much time reciting these verses. I would just give the essence of what it talks about from passage 57 we find that the Qur'an describes it from what the Qur'an itself praised and mentioned Jesus, the pagan Arabs and the prophet at that time claim that their own gods or goddesses were better than Jesus and the Qur'an and indicated that Jesus was a favorite person or a servant who was favored by Allah and was sent him as a good example to the Israelites it says that if Allah wanted to send angel's instead of human beings he could've done that and then it says in verse 61 and he is a knowledge or a sign for the hour and after that it keeps talking about how the mission of Jesus was and how people differed about the nature of this mission. But we are saying here is the basic mission of that particular verse passage 61 and Sura 43 can be more reasonably interpreted to refer to Jesus as a sign for the hour.

Jamal Badawi: You mean the other one that we mentioned in the previous program there is another passage also which is not a conclusion or direct reference that Jesus coming again or descending again the can be interpreted to refer to that and that is in Sura 4:159 that the cause some problems because it can be interpreted in two different ways using the words but it says and there is none of the people of the book I stop here to clarify that the term people of the book in Qur'an specifically refers to Jews and Christians there is none of the people of the book that must believe in him again him is Jesus before his death and on the day of judgment will be worthless against him.

Jamal Badawi: Well the second coming of the Prophet Jesus has been mentioned in 70 sayings attributed to Muhammad and it is related to a large number of companions some of the sayings mind you to a considered less authentic than others. Some of them are authentic but are still in question being very briefly for the purpose of understanding what we mean by that is that this is a Hadith which is acceptable in those terms in both transmission and in the chain of transmission. We do not find a large group of people narrating the same thing in other words the change narration is someone muted put it does not mean that he should be rejected this means that is sound but it is comparatively less authentic that some of the sayings of the profits related by large number of people and their many chains dealing basically with the same tradition according to the sheik Abu Zara and Sheik Zutuk. They say that even the sayings of a prophet like that even a strong one cannot compulsive for Muslims in other words in other words can say that these are outside the boundaries of Islam. if you have this type of saying of the prophet we have so many similar words but meanings and the Hadith has been repeated from so many sources then than it will be accepted as a source of beliefs Commission and observation here that the second coming of Jesus is really about the knowledge of what will, in other words will happen for example there is no doubt among Muslims that Jesus was a great prophet and messenger but we do reject things said about Jesus that are outside of the bounds of Islam.

Jamal Badawi: OK of course some people were saying that he will come on such and such a day but we really can't answer that question because of nothing like that in the Qur'an there is no specific date but there are some indications about the approximate time that this would take place. The first indication and several of the Hadith but I am giving you just the gist of what is contained there the Jesus will be sent again for the final judgment because the sayings of the prophet indicate he is will live for a certain period of time and that he will die just like any other prophet before him shortly after that the hour will come the second indicator is that he will come down when there's a great deal of turbulence and corruption on earth and ungodliness spread by the Antichrist and another term for the Antichrist is the false Messiah he will come at a time when Muslims will be the main people standing up to the ungodliness and fighting the Antichrist and his agents. Some examples can be found in Muslim as a prediction

I then asked: What will come next? He said: The Last Hour will come.
Sunan Abu Dawud, Book 35, Number 4232

Jamal Badawi: there are some sayings of the prophet which are related by different people like Muslim Abu Dawod but all these are saying is a prophetic sayings especially in some chapters like the first Messiah people descended eastern part of Damascus which is now the capital of Syria one saying says that he will come down on a white tower even specifies a an area where he comes down any even goes on that he will be dressed in linen garments as some other savings of the prophet in Abu Dawod there is even a description of Jesus it says that he will be of medium height ruddy to fair complexion that is reddish and fair that the hair of his head will appear as if water could trickle down from it even though it is not wet.

Jamal Badawi: we find mention in more than one saying about the specify that is why we cannot discount this in Muslim for example tradition or Hadith we find a description that he will be coming down at dawn at the time when Muslims perform the first prayer and it says that he will descend in the midst of the Muslim crowd which is getting ready to fight the false Messiah and his legion. With the description that says specifically that the Muslim armies behind leaders are lining up to begin their first congregation of prayer the fight Jesus is coming into their midst and that it says that the Leader of the Muslim army as a courtesy will step back and invite Jesus to lead a prayer according to the narration in this Hadith it says that Jesus will decline to leave the prayer and pray behind them and say that your leader should be among you at this is very important because that is also a symbol of him saying that I'm not coming is a new prophet I'm not coming to supersede the last messenger completed to the prophet Muhammad I am a follower of Islam like Muhammad and all the other profits that is by accepting to pray according to the last revelation this passage is supported in another sign to which the profit says I was quick to translation the prophet was telling his companions have honoring you will they when Jesus will descend from heaven among the you and the want to lead the congregation's will be from Allah to you be a great honor for those who called a last days but even Jesus the messenger of Allah will ask the Muslim leader to lead the prayer.

Jamal Badawi: In the same saying as well as in others also perhaps it says that Jesus will join the Muslim army fighting the Antichrist or false Messiah, it says that when the Antichrist, the false Messiah Interesting enough is that one of the sayings it says that when the Antichrist sees Jesus, he will start to dissolve like the salt as it dissolves in the water and Jesus will ... towards him and he slays him and the army that continues to support the false Messiah will perish and none will be left from his army or legions. In fact there are some that say and you will be surprised, it specifies the place where Jesus will overtake the Antichrist and his army he will overtake him at the place called Leeft, which is presently about 13km south east of Tel Aviv, occupied Palestine which is also the site of major airports in occupied Palestine. And in one tradition, one says that Jesus will go to the Kabah, the holy shrine that was built by the Prophet Abraham, perhaps on his way to Medina in a place called Rafat, he encamps there, but continues to Mecca where he goes around the Kabah.

Jamal Badawi: There are more than one saying of the prophet indicates that when Jesus comes down that there will be an abundance of wealth at that time. Once saying interesting enough is that he will break the cross and kill the pig. Why break the cross and kill the pig? In my understanding, it says that since the cross has been adopted as a symbol of something that Jesus did not teach according to the Qur'an, the Israelites take the cross as a symbol of ignominious and sinfulness and death because according the book of Deuteronomy that a false prophet is supposed to be killed so they take the cross as a symbol to prove. On the other hand, there are people who deified Jesus actually it was a symbol of what later on took on the sins of the world and that was related somehow to Jesus forgetting that he repeated my Lord and your Lord. The symbolism here is that he was only a prophet a messenger of Allah and they deified him against his will. Killing the pig, and I think about that also is symbol once again about the deviation from the law and I cannot destroy the prophets that is another thing he was against the legalism and formalism but also they destroyed the prophets and their eating the pig meat was forbidden in the Torah and Jesus never said you could eat it to his disciples. Apparently it is a reference to restore the original teaching and revelation that came before him and that he was sent to confirm.