7. ‘Descent of Jesus’ Meaning ‘Descent of the Guidance of Jesus’

According to Javed Ahmed Ghamidi, the metaphorical expression ‘Descent of Jesus’ signifies ‘Descent of the guidance of Jesus.’ This raises a pertinent question: If the guidance of Prophet Jesus had already arrived two thousand years ago, what is the nature of its return, and why is there a need for it now?

The answer lies in the concept of the renewal and revival of his guidance. It suggests a second manifestation of his guidance, necessitated by its complete erasure from the beliefs and practices of his followers. A religion has been adopted that is entirely contrary to his original guidance, and what is worse, it is misrepresented as his true teachings. History attests that such a profound misrepresentation has not occurred with the guidance of any other Messenger.

Three extraordinary aspects highlight this tragic incident:

First, the guidance of Jesus has been deprived of the foundation of monotheism. It is an immense tragedy of human history that that a Messenger who upheld divine monotheism has been turned into an emblem of polytheism. People have been made to believe – God forbid – that he is the son of God and the physical manifestation of God Himself.

Secondly, the established law that Jesus sought to uphold has been entirely abrogated. A Messenger who claimed to reinforce the laws of the Torah is now associated with the belief that the Torah is only relevant to the Israelites and that Christians are exempt from any divine law.

Thirdly, the belief that Jesus was crucified to atone for the sins of all humanity has undermined fundamental religious concepts such as trial, sin and virtue, and reward and punishment.

These significant deviations have become the defining identity of Christians. Despite their numerous sectarian differences, all Christian sects are united in these transgressions.^[97] For this reason, the Qur’ān uses the term Daal (astray) to describe them.^[98]

In this context, Javed Ahmed Ghamidi hypothesizes that before the Day of Judgment, Jesus’s original guidance will be restored. The likely scenario is the emergence of a movement within Christianity that abandons the religion formulated by Saint Paul and re-establish the original teachings of Jesus.^[99] This would essentially be a second manifestation of his preaching and guidance.

Now, if you examine the contents of the narratives from this perspective, several points seem to align with this theory. For example:

• The cross will be broken. The cross is a symbol of the Trinity and the most significant emblem of polytheism. If Jesus’s guidance were to reappear, it would imply that the cross, along with all its associated notions, would be shattered.
• The pig will be killed. The pig essentially symbolizes the prohibitions of the Shariah. When Jesus enforced the law of the Torah, all the laws that were ordained for the Israelites became obligatory for Christians as well. However, Saint Paul declared them specific to the Israelites and freed Christians from adhering to these laws. As a result, the prohibition of pork and other Shariah laws became null and void. In other words, all prohibitions were made lawful. Now, if the original law is restored in the form of the revival of guidance, it will necessarily entail deeming the pig as forbidden again. This is referred to as the 'killing' of the pig.
• The enmity between Christians and Muslims will come to an end. It is a natural outcome of the specified phenomenon. If Christians return to the original guidance and convert from the belief in Trinity back to monotheism, the foundation for conflict between them and Muslims will be eradicated. Subsequently, their united front against the Dajjal and his Jewish supporters and allies is understandable.

The remaining prophecies in the traditions can also be interpreted accordingly.