Ahmadiyya views of Jesus

Ahmadiyya Muslims believe that Jesus of Nazareth did not die on the cross, neither did he physically ascend to heaven, but instead, that he survived the crucifixion and migrated towards the east and died a natural death in Kashmir.

Biblical references

Ahmadis attest that Jesus survived the crucifixion based upon Biblical and historical accounts: [ [http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Delphi/1340/jesus_in_india.htm Jesus in India ] ]

* Jesus had prophesied that his fate would be like that of Jonah (the story of Jonah is one of survival after 3 days)
* Jesus was placed on the cross for only a few hours (John 19:14). Death on the cross, which usually takes several days could not have occurred. While he was placed on the cross his legs were left intact. This would have prevented death by respiratory distress. Also as blood and water were reported to have 'gushed' from the spear wound, this was sign of a beating heart
* Jesus prayed to be rescued from death on the cross (Matthew 21:22)
* Pilate, having sympathy for Jesus, conspired a plan to save him
* The Gospel of John records that Nicodemus brought myrrh and aloes (John 19:39). These plants, particularly aloe plants, are considered medicinal and applied to wounds
* After he had awoken from swoon, Jesus bared his wounds to Thomas (John 20:25-27), showing he did not have a supernatural body, but a patient's body. After his wounds had sufficiently healed Jesus left the tomb and met some of his disciples and had his food with them and walked on foot from Jerusalem to Galilee (Luke 24:50). He was also seen in the flesh a large number of his followers, baring the same wounds that he had suffered from his ordeal on the Cross
* Jesus had prophesied that he would go to seek out the Lost Ten Tribes of Israel (John 10:16). The Jews in Jesus's time believed that the Lost tribes of Israel had become dispersed in different lands (John 7:34-35)
* Being a Divine Prophet Jesus could not have died on the Cross because according to the Bible "He that is hanged is accursed of God" (Deut. 21:23)
* There is not to be found in all the Gospels a single recorded eye-witness statement that Jesus was dead when he was taken down from the Cross or when he was placed in the tomb

After surviving crucifixion, Jesus fled Palestine along with a few disciples and migrated eastwards in order to preach to the Lost tribes of Israel (John 10:16) that had scattered as far as northern India, Afghanistan and eventually settled down in Kashmir where he died a natural death at an old age - under the name Yuz Asaf (meaning "Leader of the Healed").

Rejection of Orthodox Islamic interpretations

The Quran verses in Al-Nisa (4:157-158) describe Jesus that the Jews did not kill Jesus on the Cross (or by any other means) and that God "raised/exalted" Jesus to Himself.

Based upon the interpretation of these verses, Orthodox clerics postulate that:

* God rescued Jesus by raising him up bodily to somewhere in the heavens. As such Orthodox Muslims believe that Jesus is presently alive living somewhere in space in the same physical form that he possessed prior to his attempted crucifixion and he is expected to return in the same physical form.

* That the person who was crucified was not Jesus but someone else (i.e an impostor/lookalike)

Ahmadis reject both these traditional Orthodox interpretations due to the lack of any scriptural evidence or clear evidence based upon the traditions (Hadith) of the Prophet Muhammed in support of these theories. Rather, Ahmadis interpret the Quranic verses to mean that Jesus did not die on the Cross (was not crucified) but that he survived and God elevated ("exalted") his status, gave Jesus nearness unto Himself and later caused him to die a natural death, as opposed to being accursed is being bestowed nearness to God having been blessed by Him. However, these views are considered heretical by the majority of Orthodox Muslims clerics.

Tomb of Jesus

Ahmadis believe the tomb of Jesus is presently located in the Srinagar region of Kashmir.

Although the local people in this town are not affiliated with Ahmadis, many of them also hold a traditional belief that Yuz Asaf was a Prophet who had come from Palestine and who had miraculous healing powers. DNA studies have indicated a link with the people of Kashmir as having descending from Israel. [ [http://www.tombofjesus.com/2007/core/founders/ahmad/index.html The Tomb of Jesus Website ] ]

Jesus Buried in Galilee

In 1891 Mirza Ghulam Ahmad wrote a huge volume, Izala Auham, which ran up to 948 pages. In the second volume of this book, he wrote a detailed explanation to prove that Jesus was not taken physically to heavens (as the Mainstream Muslims believe), but that he was taken down from the cross, went to his native place, Al-Khalil, died and buried there. [http://alislam.org/urdu/rk/rk-3-8.pdf, Izala-e-Auham, Roohani Khazain vol.3 p.353-354]

"This is true that Maseeh went to his native place, and died there, but this is not true that the same body which was buried, became alive again..... verse 3 chapter I of Acts is a testimony about the natural death of Jesus that took place in Al-Khaleeli. After this death, Maseeh was visible to his students as KASHF (vision) for 40 days."

Jesus buried in Syria

In 1894, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad wrote in Ittemam-ul-Hujjat (Roohani Khazain volume 8) that Jesus was buried in Syria. As evidence, he gave the testimony of one of his Arab Disciple, Molvi Mohammed Al-Saeedi Trabilisi Al-Shaami. [http://alislam.org/urdu/rk/rk-8-23.pdf, Ittemam-ul-Hujjat, Page: 18-19, Roohani Khazain vol.8 p.296-297, dated 1894]

"This has to be admitted that Hazrat Eisa is also dead, and interestingly enough the grave of Hazrat Eisa is also in Syria and for further clarity, in the footnote, I include the testimony of My brother, My lover in Allah, Molvi Mohammad Al-Saeedi Trablisi. He is a resident of Tripoli, in the Country of Syria and in his area is the Grave of Hazrat Essa AS (Jesus). If you say that Grave is a fake, then you must provide the proof of this fake, and prove that when this fraud took place. And in this event we will not be sure about the graves of any prophet and trust will be lost, and we will have to say that all those burial places are fake."

The letter of Molvi Mohammed Al-Saeedi Trabiliss was also publicised by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad in Ittemam-ul-Hujjat. [http://alislam.org/urdu/rk/rk-8-23.pdf, Atmam-ul-Hujjat, Roohani Khazain vol.8 p.299]

"O Hazrat Maulana & My Imam. Assalamo alaikum wa rehmatullah wa barakaatohu. I pray that may Allah give you cure (I received this letter of Shaami Saheb during my illness) Whatever you have asked about the Grave of Eisa alaihe assalam and other events, thus I am writing to you in detail, and that is this: Hazrat Eisa alaih assalam was born in Bait-ul-Lehm and between Bait-ul-Lehm and Quds there is a distance of thirty miles and the Grave of Hazrat Eisa alaihe assalam is in the Country of Quds, and is present till now, and there is a Church built on it, and that church is the largest church of all churches, and inside it is the Grave of Hazrat Eisa and in the same church is the Grave of Maryam, the truthful. And both graves are separate."

Jesus buried in Srinagar, India

In 1902 Mirza Ghulam Ahmad claimed that Jesus was buried in Kashmir. [http://alislam.org/urdu/rk/rk-18-61.pdf, Roohani Khazain vol 18 p.360, 361]

"It is proved with certainty that Essa (Jesus) peace be upon him migrated to Kashmir. After this Allah liberated him with his blessing and he kept on living there for a long time until he died and was included among the deads. And his burial place is still in the city of Srinagar"

Second coming

Ahmadis hold the view that the references concerning the second coming of Jesus are allegorical and interpret it to mean a return in a spiritual sense (i.e. one coming in the likeness of Jesus) The prophecy of the second coming was fulfilled in the personality of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the founder of the movement whom Ahmadis regard as the Imam Mahdi (Promised Messiah). [ [http://www.alislam.org/library/books/promisedmessiah/index.htm?page=63 "A Prophet Like Unto Moses"] , The Promised Mehdi and Messiha, by Dr. Aziz Ahmad Chaudhry, Islam International Publications Limited] [ [http://www.aaiil.org/text/acus/mga/mirzaghulamahmadnotprophet.shtml "Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Sahib of Qadian never Claimed Prophethood (in the light of his own writings)"] , The Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement]

References

External links

* [http://www.tombofjesus.com/2007/home.html The Tomb of Jesus Website] Ahmadiyya Muslims Community
* [http://www.alislam.org Official Website of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community]

Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement for the Propagation of Islam
* [http://www.aaiil.org/index.shtml Official Website of the Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement for the Propagation of Islam – Ahmadiyya Anjuman Ishaat-e-Islam Lahore]

Other links
* [http://thepersecution.org/ Persecution of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community]

Other sites with works critical of the Ahmadiyya Movement
* [http://www.servantsofallah.org/ahmadism.htm Allama Iqbal on Ahmadism] - ServantsofAllah.org
* [http://geocities.com/islam.ahmadiyya/Truth Truth about Mirza Ghulam Ahmad]
* [http://www.khatm-e-nubuwwat.org/ Khatm-e-Nubuwwat]
* [http://www.khatm-e-nubuwwat.org/english/qadiyaniat/15.htm Qadiyanis the blasphemous of Christ]