Our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) Gave the Glad Tidings That Muslims Will Be the Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) Helpers

The Qur'an, the hadith, and the works of great Islamic scholars reveal that the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) was raised to Allah's Presence and will return to Earth. His second coming is widely described in al-Hafiz ibn al-Dayba' al-Shaybani's Taysir al-Usul ila Jami` al-Usul,and such esteemed hadith collections as Imam Malik's Al-Muwatta',the Sahihs of Ibn Khuzayma and Ibn Hibban, and the Musnads of Ahmad ibn Hanbal and Abu Dawud al-Tayalisi. Some of these hadith are as follows:

By Him in Whose Hands my soul is, the son of Maryam (Jesus [pbuh]) will shortly descend among you people as a just ruler.3

Jesus (pbuh), son of Maryam, will definitely descend as a just judge and a just ruler.4

Some members of my community will be reunited with Jesus (pbuh), son of Maryam, and will witness his intellectual struggle against the antichrist.5

Islamic scholars consider this miraculous event to be tawatur (unanimously agreed upon), and the relevant hadith are considered to be of indisputable veracity. All hadith scholars agree that those who transmitted these hadith are completely reliable, are not to be doubted, and that no completely reliable hadith is to be questioned.6 In due course, we shall examine, with detailed examples, the great Islamic and hadith scholars' opinions that "there is no doubt about the return of the Prophet Jesus (pbuh)." However, we now need to briefly mention what the Hanafi legal school says about this event, as its founder, Imam Abu Hanifa, heads the list of those who discuss it. In the final chapter of his book Al-Fiqh al-Akbar, Abu Hanifa states:

The emergence of the antichrist and of Gog and Magog is a reality; the rising of the Sun in the west is a reality; the descent of Jesus, upon whom be peace, from the heavens is a reality; and all of the other signs of the Day of Resurrection, as contained in the authentic traditions, are established realities.7

In his hadith, our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) informed us of such matters as the Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) descent, his struggle, and what the world will be like at that time. Each of these reports is good news for all Muslims. For example, Prophet Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said that when the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) returns to Earth, Muslims will enjoy the honor of being his valuable helpers:

... I swear to Allah, Who sent me as a true prophet, that of course Jesus (pbuh), son of Maryam, will find in my community people to replace his disciples [when he returns close to the period of the End Times].8 

Jesus, the son of Maryam, will soon descend among you as a just judge…
(Sahih Muslim)

Of course, being his helpers is both a very good piece of news and a major responsibility for true believers. All believers will sincerely wish to achieve such an honorable position.

At a time when the signs of the second coming are becoming clear, we need to think about the importance of the Prophet's (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) words. The fact that some people behave almost as if the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) will not return, a grave mistake, must not be allowed to deceive others or lead them to make concessions on the subject. On the contrary, Muslims who realize that this event is a manifest truth revealed in the Qur'an and the hadith must experience the excitement of this extraordinary situation and make great efforts to welcome this blessed guest with the appropriate amount of love and enthusiasm. There is no time to waste on groundless doubts and apprehensions. Believers must prepare both themselves and those around them for this miraculous event and use the opportunities afforded by living in such a time to gain Allah's good approval.

When the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) returns in the End Times, he may ask:"Who are my helpers?" Those who aspire to be among his helpers must use this valuable period in which we are living to renounce and, from that point on, abandon all behavior and immorality that might be a source of shame when the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) returns. The most important attitude to be avoided, and which might constitute the greatest source of shame, is a lack of enthusiasm in this area. Given this reality, believers should constantly raise the issue of what an extraordinary event the second coming will be. Explaining the proofs that the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) was raised alive to Allah's Presence and will return, along with describing all aspects of this event's signs, will enable those who are still unconvinced to overcome their doubts. Moreover, constantly raising this issue will make it impossible for people to claim later on: "But we did not know. If we had known, we surely would have made the most suitable preparations." Thus, believers should use all available means to join together in order to prepare for this event.