Assalamu Alaikum (Peace be with you) All,
No Muslim during the lifetime of the Holy Prophet believed in the so called ascension of Jesus(a.s). The deniers of his (i.e. the Holy Prophet's) mission challenged him to prove his Prophethood by ascending to heaven (Q17:93). Did Allah empower the Holy Prophet to show this miracle? No, instead the Prophet had to say: "I am but a mortal sent as a messenger" (Q17:93). The question arises: was not Jesus(a.s) a mortal? How could he ascend when the Holy Prophet could not? The only conclusion is that Jesus(a.s) must have died a natural death on this earth. If Jesus(a.s) had ascended, why did no one refer to his ascension to refute the Prophet's argument that he was only a mortal and a messenger?
The fact that Jesus(a.s) has died is further apparent from verse 144 of Surah Al-Imran: "And Muhammad is only an apostle, all of the (other) apostles have passed away before him: if, then, he dies or is slain, will you turn about on your heels" (Q3:144 )? It is clearly indicated in this verse that: (i) the Holy Prophet Muhammad was mortal; (ii) all the Prophets before him (including Jesus) were mortals and (iii) all the Prophets before the Holy Prophet had died. Hadrat Abu-Bakr (r.a) argued on the basis of this verse about the death of the Holy Prophet when some of his companions thought that the Prophet was not dead and could not die. The Muslims accepted his arguments. If the people had believed that Jesus (a.s) or some other Prophets were alive, Hadrat Abu-Bakr's arguments could not have satisfied the doubters in the Prophet's death. No one referred to any living Prophet. None of them mentioned anything about the ascension of Jesus (a.s). The only logical conclusion is that they did not believe that Jesus(a.s) had ascended to heaven or was alive.
You can go to the following link to read more about the Ahmadiyya Muslim point of view.
http://www.alislam.org
Wassalam (and peace be with you)
No Muslim during the lifetime of the Holy Prophet believed in the so called ascension of Jesus(a.s). The deniers of his (i.e. the Holy Prophet's) mission challenged him to prove his Prophethood by ascending to heaven (Q17:93). Did Allah empower the Holy Prophet to show this miracle? No, instead the Prophet had to say: "I am but a mortal sent as a messenger" (Q17:93). The question arises: was not Jesus(a.s) a mortal? How could he ascend when the Holy Prophet could not? The only conclusion is that Jesus(a.s) must have died a natural death on this earth. If Jesus(a.s) had ascended, why did no one refer to his ascension to refute the Prophet's argument that he was only a mortal and a messenger?
The fact that Jesus(a.s) has died is further apparent from verse 144 of Surah Al-Imran: "And Muhammad is only an apostle, all of the (other) apostles have passed away before him: if, then, he dies or is slain, will you turn about on your heels" (Q3:144 )? It is clearly indicated in this verse that: (i) the Holy Prophet Muhammad was mortal; (ii) all the Prophets before him (including Jesus) were mortals and (iii) all the Prophets before the Holy Prophet had died. Hadrat Abu-Bakr (r.a) argued on the basis of this verse about the death of the Holy Prophet when some of his companions thought that the Prophet was not dead and could not die. The Muslims accepted his arguments. If the people had believed that Jesus (a.s) or some other Prophets were alive, Hadrat Abu-Bakr's arguments could not have satisfied the doubters in the Prophet's death. No one referred to any living Prophet. None of them mentioned anything about the ascension of Jesus (a.s). The only logical conclusion is that they did not believe that Jesus(a.s) had ascended to heaven or was alive.
You can go to the following link to read more about the Ahmadiyya Muslim point of view.
http://www.alislam.org
Wassalam (and peace be with you)
