Translation: The Meaning of the Verse: “O ‘Isa, I will take you and raise you to Myself…”
As for the verse where Allah says: “…O ‘Isa, I am taking you and raising you to Myself, and purifying you from those who disbelieved, and I will make those who follow you above those who disbelieved until the Day of Resurrection…” (Al ‘Imran: 55)—
This is true, just as Allah informed. Whoever followed the Messiah (peace be upon him), Allah made them superior to the disbelievers until the Day of Resurrection. Those who followed him upon his unchanged religion were placed by Allah above the Jews. Also, the Christians are above the Jews who disbelieved in him until the Day of Resurrection.
As for the Muslims, they believe in him and do not disbelieve in him. When the Christians altered his religion, Allah sent Muhammad (peace be upon him) with the religion of Allah—the same religion He sent with the Messiah and other prophets—so Allah made Muhammad and his ummah superior to the Christians until the Day of Resurrection. This is as found in the two Sahihs from Abu Hurayrah, from the Prophet (peace be upon him), that he said: “We, the community of prophets, our religion is one. The person most worthy of ‘Isa ibn Maryam is me, for there is no prophet between me and him.” (Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim)
The Unity of the Prophets’ In The Deen
And Allah said: “He has legislated for you in the religion what He enjoined upon Nuh, and what We have revealed to you, and what We enjoined upon Ibrahim, Musa, and ‘Isa: Establish the religion and do not divide within it…” (ash-Shura: 13)
“O messengers, eat from the good things and do righteous deeds. Indeed, I am Knowing of what you do.” (al-Mu’minun: 51)
“Indeed, this your nation is one nation, and I am your Lord, so fear Me. But they divided their affair among themselves into sects—each party rejoicing in what they have.” (al-Mu’minun: 52–53)
So whoever has more complete faith in Allah and His messengers is more deserving of Allah’s support. Allah says in His Book: “Indeed, We support Our messengers and those who believe in the life of this world and on the Day when the witnesses will stand.” (Ghafir: 51)
And He said in His Book: “And Our Word has already preceded for Our servants, the messengers: Indeed, they will surely be supported. And indeed, Our army—they will surely be the victorious ones.” (as-Saffat: 171–173)
The Jews’ Disbelief in the Prophets and the Superiority of the Muslims
The Jews denied both the Messiah and Muhammad (peace be upon them), just as Allah said about them: “Wretched is that for which they sold themselves—that they disbelieve in what Allah has sent down, out of envy that Allah would send down His bounty upon whom He wills of His servants. So they incurred wrath upon wrath…” (al-Baqara: 90) (The first wrath was for their denial of the Messiah, and the second for their denial of Muhammad, peace be upon them.)
The Christians did not deny the Messiah, so they were given victory over the Jews. And the Muslims are victorious over both the Jews and the Christians, because they believed in all the Books of Allah and His messengers.
They did not deny any of His Books or messengers, but followed what Allah commanded them, where He said: “Say, ‘We believe in Allah and what was sent down to us and what was sent down to Ibrahim, Isma‘il, Ishaq, Ya‘qub, and the Tribes, and what was given to Musa and ‘Isa and what was given to the prophets from their Lord. We do not differentiate between any of them, and to Him we submit.’” (al-Baqara: 136)
And Allah said: “The Messenger has believed in what was sent down to him from his Lord, and so have the believers. All have believed in Allah, His angels, His Books, and His messengers. We make no distinction between any of His messengers. And they say, ‘We hear and we obey. Grant us Your forgiveness, our Lord; to You is the destination.’” (al-Baqara: 285)
Muslims are the True Followers of All Prophets
Since the Muslims are the followers of all the messengers of Allah—the Messiah and others—and since Allah promised to support His messengers and their followers, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said in the authentic hadith: “A group from my ummah will always remain clear upon the truth. Those who oppose them and those who abandon them will not harm them until the Hour is established.” (Sahih Muslim)
And he also said: “I asked my Lord not to give power to an enemy from outside them who would wipe them out completely—and He granted me that.” (The full hadith is found in Sahih Muslim.)
So what the Christians used as a proof is actually a proof against them, not for them.
Jawab Al Sahih (2/178-180)
