Response: It has been presented time and again in these columns that the Qur’ān is silent about the coming of Prophet Jesus (sws). But I somehow disagree. In fact, the Qur’ān does tell us about his coming:
And [Jesus] shall be a sign [for the coming of] the Hour [of Judgement]. Therefore, have no doubt about the [Hour] but follow Me: this is a straight way. (43:61)
I would like your comments on this.
Comment: I am afraid that the translation of the verse you have quoted is not correct. One cannot translate the first sentence in the future tense and the second one in the present tense, if the linguistic principles of the Arabic language are taken into consideration. Since a noun-sentence is copulated with a verb sentence, the period of the noun-sentence must be the same as that of the verb-sentence. Hence, the noun-sentence in these verses must be translated in the present tense. The correct translation is:
And [Jesus] is a sign [for the coming of] the Hour [of Judgement]; Therefore, have no doubt about the [Hour] but follow Me: this is a straight way. (43:61)
Moreover, one must realize that the addressees of this verse are the Quraysh. This is evident from the context of this verse. A preceding verse (43:57) says that when the example of the Prophet Jesus (sws) is mentioned before the nation of the Prophet (sws), they get upset and start screaming.
Furthermore, if one reflects at the behaviour and beliefs of the Quraysh, it becomes evident that there are certain factors which make Jesus (sws), a great sign for the Day of Judgement for the Quraysh, who knew him very well through the Qur’ān and the Bible:
1. He was created in a manner which is against normal practice. He was created without a father merely at the behest of the Almighty. The Idolaters of the Quraysh, as quoted by the Qur’ān, expressed wonder at being created a second time even after their bodies would disintegrate into dust. The Qur’ān’s reply to them was that birth and death are not governed by material causes; it is the Almighty’s will and power which is responsible for them. An example of this is His creation of Jesus (sws). His birth shows that the real thing is Allah’s will and power. Therefore, whenever He wills, He has the power to create a person a second time. As such the birth of Jesus (sws) is a great sign for the resurrection.
2. He was given certain miracles like giving life to the dead and creating living birds from clay by blowing the spirit into them. These miracles were meant to stir people to belief in the Day of Judgement – a belief they had completely forsaken.
3. His sermons in the Bible remind us of the Day of Judgement. They are so effective and moving and have so much power behind them that if given heed to remind every heedful person of this great reality.