The verses 116-119 of Surah Al-Maidah narrate a future conversation between Allah Almighty and Prophet Jesus (PBUH), which is to occur on the Day of Judgment. This future event has been described by Allah Almighty beforehand. It is stated:
The verses are as follows:
وَاِذْ قَالَ اللّٰهُ يٰعِيْسَي ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ ءَاَنْتَ قُلْتَ لِلنَّاسِ اتَّخِذُوْنِيْ وَاُمِّيَ اِلٰهَيْنِ مِنْ دُوْنِ اللّٰهِ قَالَ سُبْحٰنَكَ مَا يَكُوْنُ لِيْ٘ اَنْ اَقُوْلَ مَا لَيْسَ لِيْﵯ بِحَقٍّ اِنْ كُنْتُ قُلْتُهٗ فَقَدْ عَلِمْتَهٗﵧ تَعْلَمُ مَا فِيْ نَفْسِيْ وَلَا٘ اَعْلَمُ مَا فِيْ نَفْسِكَ اِنَّكَ اَنْتَ عَلَّامُ الْغُيُوْبِ . مَا قُلْتُ لَهُمْ اِلَّا مَا٘ اَمَرْتَنِيْ بِهٖ٘ اَنِ اعْبُدُوا اللّٰهَ رَبِّيْ وَرَبَّكُمْﵐ وَكُنْتُ عَلَيْهِمْ شَهِيْدًا مَّا دُمْتُ فِيْهِمْﵐ فَلَمَّا تَوَفَّيْتَنِيْ كُنْتَ اَنْتَ الرَّقِيْبَ عَلَيْهِمْ وَاَنْتَ عَلٰي كُلِّ شَيْءٍ شَهِيْدٌ . اِنْ تُعَذِّبْهُمْ فَاِنَّهُمْ عِبَادُكَ وَاِنْ تَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ فَاِنَّكَ اَنْتَ الْعَزِيْزُ الْحَكِيْمُ . قَالَ اللّٰهُ هٰذَا يَوْمُ يَنْفَعُ الصّٰدِقِيْنَ صِدْقُهُمْ لَهُمْ جَنّٰتٌ تَجْرِيْ مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الْاَنْهٰرُ خٰلِدِيْنَ فِيْهَا٘ اَبَدًا رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُمْ وَرَضُوْا عَنْهُ ذٰلِكَ الْفَوْزُ الْعَظِيْمُ .
[Those who have concealed the evidence of God should keep in mind the day when this conversation takes place] and this also that when [after reminding people of it] God will ask: “Jesus son of Mary! Did you tell people: Regard me and my mother as gods besides God?’ He will reply: ‘Glory be to You! How was it befitting for me to say something which I have no right to say? If I had said this, it would have been in Your knowledge [because] You know what is in my heart and I do not know what is in Your heart. Only You are aware of all hidden things. I only said to them what You commanded me: ‘Worship God, who is my Lord and your Lord too.’ I watched over them as long as I remained among them. Then when You gave death to me, after that You have remained the Watcher over them and You are a witness to all things. If You now punish them, they are your servants, and if You forgive them, You only are Mighty, very Wise.’ God will say: ‘This is the day when the truthfulness of the truthful will be of benefit to them.’ For them shall be orchards below which streams are flowing; they shall dwell therein forever. God is pleased with them and they are pleased with God. This alone is great success. (5:116-119).
The following statement from these verses of Surah Al-Maidah is of utmost importance with respect to the subject under discussion:
وَ كنۡتُ عَلَيۡهمۡ شَهيۡدًا مَّا دُمۡتُ فِيۡهمۡ فَلَمَّا تَوَفَّيۡتَنِيۡ كنۡتَ اَنۡتَ الرَّقِيۡبَ عَلَيۡهم
I watched over them as long as I remained among them. Then when You gave death to me, after that You have remained the Watcher over them.
The intended meaning and implication of these statements point towards a negation of the concept of the descent of Jesus (PBUH). From them, two points become evident:
Firstly, the three phases of the life and death of Jesus are mentioned here:
From the above-mentioned verses, it is clear that there is a complete and perfect continuity between the three mentioned phases. The sequence of the narrative in the text testifies to this continuity. This means that there are only these three phases concerning the life and death of Prophet Jesus. If there were a fourth phase, it would either have been mentioned here, or there would not be continuity between these three phases, [rather these phases would be mentioned independently]. This argument can be understood from another place in the Holy Qur’an. In Surah Al-Kahf, it has been stated:
اَمْ حَسِبْتَ اَنَّ اَصْحٰبَ الْكَهْفِ وَالرَّقِيْمِﶈ كَانُوْا مِنْ اٰيٰتِنَا عَجَبًا . اِذْ اَوَي الْفِتْيَةُ اِلَي الْكَهْفِ فَقَالُوْا رَبَّنَا٘ اٰتِنَا مِنْ لَّدُ نْكَ رَحْمَةً وَّهَيِّئْ لَنَا مِنْ اَمْرِنَا رَشَدًا . فَضَرَبْنَا عَلٰ٘ي اٰذَانِهِمْ فِي الْكَهْفِ سِنِيْنَ عَدَدًا . ثُمَّ بَعَثْنٰهُمْ لِنَعْلَمَ اَيُّ الْحِزْبَيْنِ اَحْصٰي لِمَا لَبِثُوْ٘ا اَمَدًا .
Do you think that the people of the cave and raqīm were among a very strange sign from among Our signs. At the time when those youth took refuge in the cave; then prayed [to their Lord:] ‘Our Lord! Bless us with mercy specially from Yourself and in this matter of Ours provide us with guidance.’ At this, We lulled them to sleep for many years in the cave. Then We woke them up to see which of the two groups has correctly counted the period of their stay. (18:9-12)
These verses define three distinct phases in the life of the Companions of the Cave. The first phase is when they had not yet sought refuge in the cave, the second phase is when they took shelter in the cave and Allah put them to sleep, and the third phase is when they woke up from their sleep and came out of the cave. The text is very clear in that no fourth phase can be introduced. In other words, if someone claims that the Companions of the Cave did not wake up and come out of the cave just once, but twice, then it would be a deviation from the text, which would lack meaning.
Secondly, the words Falammā tawaffaytanī kunta anta ar-raqība ‘alayhim (Then when You gave death to me, after that You have remained the Watcher over them) clearly indicate that Prophet Jesus, upon his death (and being raised to Allah), had no knowledge of his followers' matters until the Day of Judgment. This means that he clarified in the presence of the Almighty that, while he had been a watcher over them before his death, he no longer held that role after his death; instead, Allah became watcher over them. Hence, he is not aware of any transgressions they might have committed after that. Only Allah knows those transgressions. If the descent of Jesus (peace be upon him) were to occur, this statement would no longer hold true. In such a scenario, Jesus (peace be upon him) would have to state that when You sent me back to the world, I became fully aware of all their deviations.