The Hadith Evidence
The descent of ‘Isa is described in mutawatir hadith (reports transmitted through so many chains they cannot be doubted) — among the most widely transmitted of the major eschatological signs.
The key narrations:
“By the One in Whose hand is my soul, the son of Mary will descend among you as a just ruler. He will break the cross, kill the pig, and abolish the jizya. Wealth will be so abundant that no one will accept it, until one prostration will be better than the world and what it contains.” (Bukhari, Muslim)
“How will you be when the son of Mary descends among you and your imam is one of you?” (Bukhari, Muslim — the imam who leads the prayer is understood to be the Mahdi)
Detailed description from Abu Hurayra in Muslim: ‘Isa descends near the white eastern minaret of Damascus, places his hands on the wings of two angels, when he bows his head water drips from it, when he raises it beads like pearls fall from it. Every kafir who encounters his breath will die, and his breath reaches as far as his sight.
His Mission at Descent
According to the hadith:
1. Prayer behind the Imam (Mahdi): ‘Isa will pray behind the Mahdi — significant because it shows that despite his elevated rank among the prophets, he will follow the law of Islam as it exists in this ummah rather than his own previous Sharia.
2. Killing the Dajjal: The great impostor (Dajjal — the Islamic eschatological figure of deception) will be killed by ‘Isa at the Ludd gate in Palestine.
3. Breaking the Cross, Killing the Pig: These symbolic acts are understood to mean the abolition of the distorted doctrines that developed after ‘Isa — the cross as the symbol of the mistaken belief in his crucifixion (which Islam denies), and the pig as a reference to the laws that were changed.
4. Abolishing Jizya: When ‘Isa descends and Islam is the universal reality, the jizya (the tax collected from non-Muslim citizens of an Islamic state in exchange for protection) is no longer relevant.
5. Establishing universal peace: Under ‘Isa’s rule, the world will experience peace, material abundance, and the elimination of hatred. Wolves and sheep will coexist. The earth will produce its blessings abundantly.
6. His life and death: He will remain on earth for forty years (some narrations say forty years; a few scholars reconcile this with the total of his mission before and after). He will marry, have children, perform Hajj, and then die a natural death. He will be buried beside the Prophet (SAW) in Medina.
Theological Questions
Was ‘Isa Raised Alive?
The Quran says: “But they did not kill him, nor did they crucify him… Rather, Allah raised him to Himself.” (4:157-158) — The Islamic position: ‘Isa was not crucified; he was raised to Allah alive and will return alive. This is different from the Christian belief that he died, was buried, and resurrected.
Does This Mean Jesus Is Still Alive?
In Islamic theology: yes, in the sense of being with Allah in a state beyond our normal understanding — similar to the barzakh (intermediary state) but for a living person. The Prophet (SAW) and the prophets are also described as alive in a special sense. ‘Isa’s return is unique because he is coming back bodily to the earthly realm.
The Mahdi and ‘Isa — Two Distinct Figures
A common misunderstanding: in Sunni eschatology, the Mahdi (the rightly-guided leader who unifies the Muslims) and ‘Isa (Jesus) are two distinct people. ‘Isa is greater in prophethood; the Mahdi is the Muslim leader of the time. ‘Isa prays behind the Mahdi as a sign of the completeness of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW)‘s Sharia.
Scholarly Notes on Interpretation
Allegorical interpretation: A minority of classical scholars and some modernists read the “descent of ‘Isa” as an allegorical description of the revival of true Christian values or the spread of justice — not a literal bodily return. This view is held by Ahmadiyya Muslims but rejected by the vast majority of Sunni scholars as contradicting mutawatir hadith.
Mainstream position: The physical, literal descent of ‘Isa ibn Maryam is affirmed by the overwhelming majority of classical and contemporary Sunni scholars, on the basis of the hadith evidence.
See also: Isa In Islam, Maryam, Signs Of Qiyamah, Barzakh, Jannah Paradise, Prophets In Islam, Dajjal