The discovery in 1945 from the hillside near Nag Hammadi, by an Egyptian villager named Muhammad Ali of a sealed six-foot tall jar containing dozens of CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURES ("Good News of Jesus" - the Gnostic Gospels) that remained buried in the ground for some sixteen centuries has turned the page of history for Christ. These Gospels were written by none other than James the Just (a step brother of Jesus; Simon Peter, the Rock upon which Jesus intended to build his Church; Thomas, the contender who doubted the story of Resurrection; Judas, who was not a traitor but an intimate disciple to whom Jesus confided his plan of fulfilling the prophecy; Phillip, one of the earliest disciple of Jesus; Mary Magdalene, whom the mother of Jesus took along to witness the nailing of her son to the cross, while all other male disciples had gone into hiding; and others who met or knew Jesus personally.

 

 

These first and second century documents that were handwritten written on the pages of parchments and leather bound were the "Holy Writ" for the early disciples of Jesus until the fourth century when the Church authority under the Roman Emperors declared them as heresy and promoted the false doctrine of "Jesus the only Saviour, who will come any moment from Heaven".

Recently, those two dozen or so "LOST GOSPELS" discovered from Egypt have found their way into the history books of "HISTORICAL JESUS". The emerging true image of JESUS is now gradually taking the centre stage. That has worried the Vatican as never before. Today, one would find more Christians, rather than Muslims, who are ready to believe JESUS WAS MARRIED AND HAD OFFSPRING, although the Qur'an reveals that the Messengers who before Muhammad were married and had offspring...
 

These Lost "Good News" of Jesus tell us that Jesus - a Law abiding Jew, was married, had offspring and lived a long life. Furthermore, that was foretold in the Old Testament by one of the major Prophets of Judaism named Isaiah, some seven centuries before the birth of Jesus, see Book of Isaiah chapter 53 verses 7 onwards. That same Historical Truth concerning 'Isa (a.s) [Jesus Christ], is also revealed by Allah (s.w.t.) to His Prophet Muhammad (s.a.s.) {see the Qur'an verses 5: 110; 13: 38}. The sad story is that the readers of these verses have been mislead in the past and even to this day, by the community Leaders; "JESUS WAS AN EXCEPTION TO THESE REVEALED VERSES - OR, JESUS WILL LIVE A LONG LIFE AND HAVE OFFSPRING WHEN HE WILL RETURN FROM THE HEAVEN".

 THERE IS NOT A SINGLE VERSE IN THE QUR'AN TO UPHOLD JESUS WAS AN EXCEPTION TO WHAT ALLAH HAD REVEALED OR ANYONE WILL COME FROM THE HEAVEN.

I APPEAL TO THE CONTENDERS OF THE QUR'AN; EITHER PRODUCE EVIDENCES FROM THE QUR'AN OR ACCEPT WITH FULL FAITH "REVEALED TRUTH".

 

Note: The literal translation of an Arabic text for the opening passage of verse 43: 61 must read: "And, this (Book) has the information about the (final) Hour." Translator Abdullah Yusuf Ali's interpretation after adding and inserting name of Jesus reads: "And (Jesus) shall be a Sign (for the coming of) the Hour (of Judgment)." 

 

In the year 2006, the image of "Historical Jesus who was married and had offspring" was projected in over 100,000 cinema screens the world over by Sony Pictures in their Mega Movie released in May entitled 'THE DA VINCI CODE'. The Christian Church that had revised the Biblical Texts was unable to re-paint the masterpiece of art THE LAST SUPPER painted by Leonardo Da Vinci in 1498 on the walls of a Church named Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan, Italy,  showing Mary Magdalene sitting on the right hand of Jesus

THE LAST SUPPER by Leonardo Da Vinci

THIS IS AN IMPORTANT PERIOD IN ISLAMIC HISTORY... We Muslims have to EXAMINE the Qur'an with the same frame of mind and heart with which we always end the recitation of Qur'an; "ALLAH HAS REVEALED THE TRUTH".

DO NOT HIDE THE REVEALED TRUTH BUT PROCLAIM ALLAH'S TRUTH, TO MANKIND...

 

 

EXAMINING 2 IDENTICAL ARABIC TEXTS:

 

CAN THE QUR'AN REVEAL;

PROPHET YAHYA [JOHN] IS "NOT ALIVE" AND IS "DEAD"

AND A FEW VERSES LATER, USING THE IDENTICAL ARABIC TEXT, WOULD REVEAL;

PROPHET JESUS IS "ALIVE" AND "WILL" DIE IN THE FUTURE?

THE ANSWER IS NO... 

The SECOND interpretation OF THE IDENTICAL ARABIC TEXT is a DELIBRATE misconception to justify "Inherited Traditional Beliefs" from re-narrated reports attributed to the Prophet, three centuries after he had passed away...

 

Below is an Arabic Text of Verse 15 from Chapter 19: 

وَسَلاَمٌ عَلَيْهِ يَوْمَ وُلِدَ وَيَوْمَ يَمُوتُ وَيَوْمَ يُبْعَثُ حَيّا

 

Translation by Yusuf Ali:

So Peace on him the day he was born the day that he dies and the day that he will be raised up to life (again)! The commentary No. 2469 refers to the Day Judgment.

 

Translation by M. Asad:

Hence, [God's] peace was upon him on the day when he was born, and on the day of his death, and will be [upon him] on the day when he shall be raised to life [again].  No commentary.

 

THE ABOVE VERSE NO. 15 IS FOR PROPHET YAHYA [JOHN].

Below is an Arabic Text of Verse 33 from Chapter 19: 

وَالسَّلاَمُ عَلَيَّ يَوْمَ وُلِدْتُ وَيَوْمَ أَمُوتُ وَيَوْمَ أُبْعَثُ حَيّا

 

Translation by Yusuf Ali:

"So Peace is on me the day I was born the day that I die and the Day that I shall be raised up to life (again)!" The commentary No. 2485 in the earliest version tells readers to ponder over this verse. The edited version reads; Christ was not crucified (iv 157).

Translation by M. Asad:

"Hence, peace was upon me on the day when I was born, and [will be upon me] on the day of my death, and on the day when I shall be raised to life;! [again]!"  No commentary.

 

THE ABOVE VERSE NO. 33 IS FOR PROPHET 'ISAA [JESUS].

 

Note: The true intended comprehensible meaning of the Arabic text, that can be applied uniformly to BOTH THE PROPHETS conveys: Prophet Yahya (John) and Jesus,  both were born, both died and both will be raised (again) on the Day of Judgment. Those who CLAIM Jesus has NOT DIED have to also uphold Yahya (John) has NOT DIED.

 

THE GLORIOUS QUR'AN IS A DIVINE COMPOSITION AND IT'S REVEALED VERSES ARE INTENDED TO MAKE THE THINGS CLEARER FOR THE READERS (see Qur'an 15: 1).

 

To CHANGE and/or DEVIATE from the clear and apparent meaning, and produce TWO CONTRADICTORY MESSAGES FROM AN IDENTICAL ARABIC TEXT IS; MAN MADE MISCONCEPTION leading to DISCORDS...

EXAMINING THE USE OF WORD rafa'a 

IN THE QUR'AN

 

Verse 158 of Chapter 4:.

بَلْ رَفَعَهُ اللَّهُ إِلَيْهِ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ عَزِيزاً حَكِيما

 

Translation by Yusuf Ali: Nay Allah raised him up unto Himself; and Allah is Exalted in Power Wise.  

Commentary number 664 by Yusuf Ali to the above verse, as it appears in the original unrevised edition printed from Lahore, in 1977: 
There is difference of opinion as to the exact interpretation of this verse.

The words are: The Jews did not kill Jesus, but God raised him up (rafa'u) to Himself. One school holds that  Jesus did not die the usual human death, but still lives in the body in heaven; another holds that he did die (v. 120) but not when he was supposed to have to be crucified, and that his being "raised up" unto God means that instead of being disgraced as a malefactor, as the Jews intended, he was on the contrary honored by God as His Apostle; see also next verse.

Translation by M. Asad: Nay, God exalted him unto Himself - and God is indeed almighty, wise.

Commentary Number 172 by M. Asad to the above verse reads: 
Cf. 3:55, where God says to Jesus, "Verily, I shall cause thee to die, and shall exalt thee to Me." The verb rafa'ahu (lit., "he raised him" or "elevated him") has always, whenever the act of raf' ("elevating") of  human being is attributed to God, the meaning of "honoring" or "exalting". Nowhere in the Qur’an is there any warrant  for the popular belief that God has "taken up" Jesus bodily, in his lifetime, into heaven. The expression "God exalted him unto Himself" in the above verse denotes the elevation of Jesus to the realm of God's special grace - a blessing in which all prophets partake, as it is evident from 19:57, where the verb rafa'nahu ("We exalted him") is used with regard to the Prophet Idris, (See also Muhammad Abduh in Manar III, 316 f., and VI, 20f.) The "nay" (bal) at the beginning of the sentence is meant to stress the contrast between belief of the Jesus that they had put Jesus to a shameful death on the cross and the fact of God's having "exalted him unto Himself."

Here is the text of verse 19: 57 for comparison:
And We raised him to a lofty station.

Verse 55 of Chapter 3:

قَالَ اللَّهُ يَاعِيسَى إِنِّي مُتَوَفِّيكَ وَرَافِعُكَ إِلَيَّ وَمُطَهِّرُكَ مِنَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُو

Translation by Yusuf Ali: 
Behold! Allah said: "O Jesus! I will take thee and raise thee to Myself and clear thee (of the falsehoods) of those who blaspheme; 

Translation by M. Asad: 
Lo! God said: "O Jesus! Verily, I shall cause thee to die, and shall exalt thee unto Me, and cleanse thee of [the presence of] those who are bent on denying the truth;

Verse 253 of Chapter 2:

تِلْكَ الرُّسُلُ فَضَّلْنَا بَعْضَهُمْ عَلَى بَعْض ٍ مِنْهُمْ مَنْ كَلَّمَ اللَّهُ وَرَفَعَ بَعْضَهُمْ دَرَجَات

Translation by Yusuf Ali: 
Those apostles We endowed with gifts some above others: to one of them Allah spoke; others He raised to degrees (of honor)...

Translation by M. Asad: 
Some of these apostles have We endowed more highly than others, among them were such as were spoken to by God [Himself], and some He has raised yet higher...

Note: Let us for the sake of an argument opt for the popular belief that God has "taken up" Jesus bodily, in his lifetime, into heaven. The next important questions are: Does the Qur'an reveal; Where is Jesus in the heaven with his physical body? Why is he there? What is he doing? When and how will he descend from the "heaven" with his physical body, after such a long period? Most importantly what will he accomplish on this earth for us - the mankind? The answer to ALL these questions is;

               The Qur'an is totally silent... 

 

Whereas, many of the above questions are ANSWERED WITH SPECIFIC DETAILS (Jesus will come riding a flying horse with a spear in his hand at the specific time of the day) within the UNPROTECTED Hadeeth Literature (attributed to the Prophet), compiled centuries after he had passed away.  None of the 3rd century compiler has quoted those texts or statements from the earlier published documents??? And, that conveys a lot...  

 

BEFORE ONE CAN PLACE FULL FAITH IN THESE ORALLY TRANSMITTED, UNPROTECTED, RE-REPORTED NARRATIONS, ONE HAS BUT TO REJECT SEVERAL VERSES THAT TELL US THE PROPHET HAD NO KNOWLEDGE OF FUTURE...

 

قُلْ مَا كُنْتُ بِدْعا ً مِنَ الرُّسُلِ وَمَا أَدْرِي مَا يُفْعَلُ بِي وَلاَ بِكُمْ إِنْ أَتَّبِعُ إِلاَّ مَا يُوحَى إِلَيَّ وَمَا أَنَا إِلاَّ نَذِير ٌ مُبِين

 

 Say: I am not the first of the apostles, and I do not know what will be done with me or with you: I do not follow anything but that which is revealed to me, and I am nothing but a plain Warner. Qur'an 46: 9.

 

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A Recent Criticism: (May 21, 2006).

A surfer quoted the verse 3: 48 and alluded that upon the Return of 'Isa (a.s.), he will be taught the "Book" meaning The Qur'an, by Allah:

He will teach him ('Isa) the Book and Wisdom, and the Torah and the Gospel. (Surah Al ‘Imran: 48).        

              To understand the reference to the “Book” mentioned in this verse, we must look at other verses in the Qur’an that are relevant to this subject: if the Book is stated in one verse together with the Torah and the Gospel, then it must mean the Qur’an. The third verse of Surah Al ‘Imran serves as such an example.

My Response:

Please read verse 87: 19. It refers to The Books of Abraham and Moses. Verse 4:163 refers to Book given to David (also called Book of Wisdom).

Hence the verse 3: 48 quoted above means:
HE (Allah) will teach him ('Isa) the Book (of Abraham) and Wisdom (Book of David), and the Torah (Book of Moses) and the Gospel (Injeel sent to Jesus). Please note the sequence.

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An Important Addition:

وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا قَبْلَكَ إِلاَّ رِجَالا ً نُوحِي إِلَيْهِمْ فَاسْأَلُوا أَهْلَ الذِّكْرِ إِنْ كُنتُمْ لاَ تَعْلَمُونَ   And We did not send (messengers) before you other than men to whom We sent revelation, so ask the followers of the reminder if you do not (know this).

 وَمَا جَعَلْنَاهُمْ جَسَدا ً لاَ يَأْكُلُونَ الطَّعَامَ وَمَا كَانُوا خَالِدِينَ 

And We gave them not bodies that would not eat the food, and nor were they exempt from death. Qur'an 21: 7 and 8.
 

Allah alone has the knowledge of the unseen...

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