The second coming of Jesus (PBUH) will occur after the departure of the last Prophet, Muhammad (PBUH), from this world. Therefore, the concept of the descent of Jesus seemingly contradicts the notion of the finality of prophethood. Naturally, the question arises: how do we reconcile this with the explicit texts of the Qur’an and hadith, such as Mā kāna Muhammadun abā ahadin min rijālikum wa lākin rasūlallāhi wa khātam an-nabiyyīn. (Muhammad is the father of no male among you; in fact, he is the Messenger of God and the seal of the prophets) and Wa anā khātam an-nabiyyīn, wa innahu la nabiya ba‘dī (I am the seal of the prophets, and there will be no prophet after me)?
Scholars explain that after his descent, Jesus (PBUH) will not receive new revelation nor will he follow his previous Mosaic law. He will descend as a follower of Muhammad (PBUH) and his shariah. Jesus’s (PBUH) arrival will be for specific tasks, and after completing them, he will die. Since he will not have the two fundamental attributes of prophethood—revelation and establishing a new law—his coming will not alter the reality of the finality of prophethood [of Muhammad (PBUH)].
Al-Allamah Taftazani in Sharh Al-Aqa'id Al-Nasafiyya writes:
ثبت انه اٰخرالانبياء ... فان قيل قد روي في الحديث نزول عيسي عليه السلام بعده قلنا نعم لكنه يتابع محمد عليه السلام لان شريعة قد نسخت لا يكون اليه وحي ولا نصب احكام بل يكون خليفة رسول اللّٰه عليه السلام.
It is established that Muhammad is the last of the prophets... If it is said that the hadith mentions the descent of Jesus after him, we say yes, but he will follow Muhammad, for his (Jesus’s) Shariah has been abrogated, so there will be no revelation or new laws for him, but he will be a deputy of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH). (135)
Allama Al-Alusi writes in his commentary Ruh al-Ma'ani that when Jesus (PBUH) descends, his prophethood will not be separated from him. However, he will adhere to the principles and detailed laws of the shariah of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH).
ثم انه عليه السلام حين ينزل باق علي نبوته السابقة لم يعزل عنها بحال لكنه لا يتعبد بها لنسخها ني حقه وحق غيره وتكليفه باحكام هذا الشريعة اصلاً وفرعاً فلا يكون اليه عليه السلام وحي ولا نصب احكام بل يكون خليفة لرسول اللّٰه صلي اللّٰه عيه و سلم وحاكمًا من حكام ملته بين امته.
Moreover, when Jesus (PBUH) descends, he will retain his previous prophethood; he will not be excluded from it in any way. However, he will not follow the previous Shariah, as that law has been abrogated for him and for others. Therefore, he will be obliged to adhere to the principles and branches of this [Muhammadan] Shariah. Hence, there will be no new revelation for him, nor will he have the authority to legislate new laws. Instead, he will work as a deputy of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and as one of the rulers from among the leaders of the Muslim Ummah. (22/290)
Imam Razi states that the era of Prophethood concluded with the Messenger of Allah (PBUH). Therefore, Jesus (PBUH) will be a prophet following the last Prophet’s shariah. This is mentioned in the Tafsir Kabir:
انتهاء الانبياء الي مبعث محمد صلي اللّٰه عليه و سلم فعند مبعثه انتهت تلك المدة، فلا يبعد ان يصير (اي عيسي ابن مريم) بعد نزوله تبعاً لمحمد عليه الصلاة والسلام.
The era of prophethood extends to the advent of Muhammad (PBUH). With his prophetic mission, ends the Prophetic era. Therefore, it is not implausible that Jesus (son of Mary), after his descent, will be a follower of Muhammad (PBUH). (11/83)
Syed Abul A‘la Maududi has reproduced this view of the esteemed scholars in his work Tafheem-ul-Qur’an:
Jesus, son of Mary will not come again as a newly appointed prophet. He will not bring any new revelation or laws, nor will he add or deduct anything from the Islamic Shariah. He will not come to renew the religion or invite people to believe in him, nor will he form a separate Ummah of his followers.
He will come for a specific purpose: to eliminate the fitnah of Dajjal. His descent will be in such a manner that Muslims witnessing it will have no doubt that he is indeed Jesus, son of Mary, who has descended at the proper time just as prophesied by Muhammad (PBUH). He will join the Muslim community, pray behind whoever is their Imam at the time, and recognize the authority of their leader, making it clear that he has not returned in his former capacity as a prophet. Clearly, if a prophet of God is present in a community, then no one else can be the imam or the head of that community. So, when Jesus joins the Muslim community merely as a member, it will inherently declare that he has not returned in the capacity of a prophet. Therefore, his return will not at all raise the question of breaking the seal of prophethood.
Though no exact comparison is intended here, his coming will be as if a former leader of a nation comes during the tenure of the current leader to serve under him. … His arrival will not create a new issue of having faith or rejecting him among Muslims. Denying his previous prophethood today constitutes disbelief, as Muhammad (PBUH) believed in his prophethood and his Ummah believes in it since the inception of Islam. This belief will remain the same at his second coming. Muslims will not believe in a new prophethood but continue to believe in his previous one, as they do today. This neither contradicts the finality of prophethood today nor will it when Jesus will arrive. (4/163-164)