As referring to belief in Isa ibn Maryam عليه السلام before his own death, at the time of his descent and the killing of the Dajjal, when all religions will become one religion, the religion of Islam, the upright religion, the religion of Ibrahim عليه السلام. (Tafsir al Tabari 7/664)

Ibn Abbas said regarding the verse that its meaning is “before the death of Isa ibn Maryam عليه السلام.” This was transmitted through Sufyan al Thawri (d. 161 AH) from Abu Husayn al Asadi from Saʿid ibn Jubayr (d. 95 AH). (Tafsir Sufyan p. 98; al Hakim al Nishapuri (d. 405 AH) 2/309, who judged it authentic upon the condition of al Bukhari and Muslim, and al Dhahabi (d. 748 AH) agreed.).

The same wording “before the death of Isa” is also reported from Ibn Abbas through another route from Sufyan via Ibn Abi Hatim (d. 327 AH) and Ibn Asakir (d. 571 AH). (Tafsir Ibn Abi Hatim 4/1114 no. 6254; Ibn Asakir, Tarikh Dimashq 14/101 manuscript)

Abu Malik al Ashjaʿi (d. after 100 AH) explained the phrase “except that he will surely believe in him before his death” by saying that this will be at the descent of Isa ibn Maryam عليه السلام and that no one from the People of the Book will remain except that he believes in him. This was transmitted through Muhsin ibn Bukayr (d. 177 AH) from Hishim ibn Bashir (d. 183 AH) from Yaʿqub ibn Ibrahim (d. 252 AH). (Tafsir al Tabari 7/665)

Al Hasan al Basri (d. 110 AH) said about the words “before his death” that they mean “before Isa dies.” This is narrated from him via Thumamah ibn Abdullah ibn Anas Abu Umar (d. after 110 AH) from Hammad ibn Salamah ibn Dinar Abu Salamah (d. 167 AH), from al Hajjaj ibn al Minhal al Anmati Abu Muhammad (d. 217 AH), from al Muthanna (d. 252 AH). (Tafsir al Tabari 7/665).

Another report from al Hasan al Basri, through Abu Rajaʾ al ʿUtaridi Imran ibn Milhan (d. 105 AH) from Ibn Ulayyah Ismaʿil ibn Ibrahim (d. 193 AH) from Yaʿqub ibn Ibrahim (d. 252 AH), explains the verse as “before the death of Isa عليه السلام” and adds, “By Allah, he is now alive with Allah. However, when he descends, they will all believe in him.” (Tafsir al Tabari 7/665)

Qatada ibn Diʿamah (d. 117 AH), through his students such as Saʿid ibn Abi Arubah (d. 156 AH) and Yazid ibn Zurayʿ (d. 182 AH) as transmitted by Bishr ibn Muʿadh (d. 245 AH), said regarding the verse that its meaning is “before the death of Isa عليه السلام.” (Tafsir al Tabari 7/666)

Another route from Qatada, through Maʿmar ibn Rashid (d. 153 AH) from Abd al Razzaq ibn Hammam (d. 211 AH) from al Hasan ibn Yahya (d. 249 AH), adds that when Isa descends “all the religions will believe in him.” (Al Suyuti, al Durr al Manthur 2/241; Ibn Kathir, Tafsir 2/404; Tafsir Abd al Razzaq 1/177)

Al Hasan al Basri (d. 110 AH) is also reported as saying “before the death of Isa” via al Rabiʿ ibn Anas (d. after 140 AH) from Abu Jaʿfar al Razi (d. 160 AH) from Wakiʿ ibn al Jarrah (d. 197 AH) from Ibn Wakiʿ (d. 306 AH).

This report is mentioned twice in the copy marked M, the first time abbreviated to this statement. (Tafsir Abd al Razzaq 1/177; Tafsir al Tabari 7/666)

Another report from al Hasan al Basri, via ʿAwf ibn Abi Jamilah al Aʿrabi (d. 146 AH) from Abu Usamah Hamad ibn Usamah (d. 201 AH) from Ibn Wakiʿ (d. 306 AH), explains the phrase “except that he will surely believe in him before his death” as referring to Isa and adds “and he has not died yet.” (Tafsir al Tabari 7/666)

Abu Malik al Ashjaʿi (d. after 100 AH) is also reported, through Husayn ibn Abd al Rahman al Sulami (d. 136 AH) from Imran ibn Uyaynah (d. after 200 AH) from Ibn Wakiʿ (d. 306 AH), as saying that none of the People of the Book will be spared at the descent of Isa except that he believes in him, and through another chain from Wakiʿ ibn al Jarrah (d. 197 AH) from Sufyan al Thawri (d. 161 AH) from Husayn ibn Abd al Rahman (d. 136 AH) that the phrase means “before the death of Isa.” (Tafsir al Tabari 7/666)

ʿAbd al Rahman ibn Zayd ibn Aslam (d. 182 AH) said concerning the verse that when Isa ibn Maryam descends and kills the Dajjal, no Jew will remain concealed on earth except that he believes in him, but that will be a time when faith will no longer benefit them. This was reported by Abd Allah ibn Wahb (d. 197 AH) from Yunus ibn Abd al Aʿla (d. 264 AH). (Tafsir al Tabari 7/666)

Another narration from Ibn Abbas, through Atiyyah ibn Saʿd al Awfi (d. 111 AH) from his father al Hasan ibn Atiyyah (d. after 120 AH) from al Husayn ibn al Hasan (d. 191 AH) from Saʿd ibn Muhammad (d. 176 AH) from Muhammad ibn Saʿd (d. 230 AH), explains the verse to mean that some people from the People of the Book will live to reach the time when Isa is sent forth and they will believe in him, and on the Day of Resurrection he will be a witness over them, as indicated by the verse

وَيَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ يَكُونُ عَلَيْهِمْ شَهِيدًا

“And on the Day of Resurrection he will be a witness over them.” (Tafsir al Tabari 7/667)

Al Hasan al Basri (d. 110 AH) also said about the verse, as narrated by Shuʿbah ibn al Hajjaj (d. 160 AH) from Mansur ibn Zadhan (d. 128 AH) from Muhammad ibn Jaʿfar (d. 193 AH) from Muhammad ibn al Muthanna (d. 252 AH), “I think so myself. When Isa comes out, the Jews will believe in him.” (Tafsir Ibn Abi Hatim 4/1113 no. 6253; al Durr al Manthur 2/241; Ibn Kathir, Tafsir 2/404)

Tabari’s preference for the meaning “before the death of Isa ibn Maryam عليه السلام” & his refutation of the view it is referring to the death of the People of the Book

Abu Jaʿfar at Tabari (d. 310 AH) considered the most correct of the explanations to be that the meaning of the verse is

وَإِنْ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ إِلَّا لَيُؤْمِنَنَّ بِعِيسَى قَبْلَ مَوْتِ عِيسَى

“And there is none from the People of the Book except that he will surely believe in Isa before the death of Isa.” (Tafsir al Tabari 7/668)

He preferred this because faith in Isa عليه السلام in the true sense means faith in Muhammad ﷺ and in all the messengers, since Isa came with the confirmation of Muhammad ﷺ and all the prophets.

At Tabari replied that if every person from the People of the Book truly believed in Isa عليه السلام before his own death, then it would necessarily follow that none of them would die except as believers in Muhammad ﷺ and in all the messengers, because Isa came confirming Muhammad ﷺ and the other prophets. In that case, the rulings of Islam would apply to them at the time of their death: no one who dies in such a state would be inherited from except according to the rulings of inheritance for the people of faith; his young and adult Muslim children would inherit, his estate would be treated like the estate of a Muslim who dies leaving no heir if he has no Muslim child, and he would be washed, prayed over and buried as a Muslim. It is not permissible to describe one who denies Muhammad ﷺ as a believer in Isa عليه السلام. (Tafsir al Tabari 7/668)

He also pointed out that some might think that the “faith” mentioned in the verse is only the mere acknowledgement that Isa is a prophet without accepting everything he brought from Allah.

At Tabari said that such an understanding is false, because a person cannot be described as acknowledging the prophethood of a prophet while rejecting some of what that prophet brought from revelation and sending down. The prophets came to their nations calling to one religion and to belief in all the messengers, so whoever denies some of the prophets in some of what they brought is in truth a denier of all of them in what they called to from the religion of Allah. (Tafsir al Tabari 7/669)

From this, and from the agreement of the people of Islam that every person from the People of the Book who dies before acknowledging Muhammad ﷺ and what he brought is judged according to the religion he was upon in his life regarding his own self, his wealth and his children, at Tabari concluded that the verse must refer to a particular group from the People of the Book intended at a specific time, namely those present at the descent of Isa عليه السلام, when they will believe in him before his death. (Tafsir al Tabari 7/669)

He supported this understanding with the hadith of the descent of Isa ibn Maryam عليه السلام reported from Abu Hurayrah, that the Prophet ﷺ said that the prophets are paternal brothers whose mothers differ and whose religion is one, that he ﷺ is the nearest of the people to Isa, and that Isa will certainly descend, break the cross, kill the swine, abolish the jizyah, cause wealth to pour forth, fight the people upon Islam until Allah destroys in his time all religions except Islam, kills the Dajjal, then remains on earth for the period Allah wills, perhaps forty years, before dying and being prayed over and buried by the Muslims. (Tafsir al Tabari 7/670)

The meaning of His saying: “And there is none from the People of the Book except that he will surely believe in him before his death”

Abu Jaʿfar said: The people of interpretation differed about the meaning of this. Some of them said: Its meaning is His saying:

وَإِنْ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ إِلَّا لَيُؤْمِنَنَّ بِهِ قَبْلَ مَوْتِهِ

“And there is none from the People of the Book except that he will surely believe in him before his death.”

That is: by “him” it means ʿIsa, and “before his death” means before the death of ʿIsa. They direct the meaning to the view that they will all affirm him when he descends to kill the Dajjal, so that all the religions become one religion, and that is the religion of Islam, the upright religion, the religion of Ibrahim عليه السلام.

Reports Of The Imams That Said It Means Before The Death of ʿIsa ibn Maryam عليه السلام With The Chains

We were told by Ibn Bashar (d. 252 AH), who said: ʿAbd al-Rahman ibn Mahdi (d. 198 AH) told us, who said: Sufyan al-Thawri (d. 161 AH) told us, from Abu Husayn al-Asadi (d. 132 AH), from Saʿid ibn Jubayr (d. 95 AH), from Ibn ʿAbbas, regarding His saying:

وَإِنْ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ إِلَّا لَيُؤْمِنَنَّ بِهِ قَبْلَ مَوْتِهِ

“And there is none from the People of the Book except that he will surely believe in him before his death.”

He said: “Before the death of ʿIsa ibn Maryam عليه السلام.” (Tafsir Sufyan p. 98, and al Hakim recorded it 2/309 through the way of Sufyan with the wording: the coming forth of ʿIsa ibn Maryam, may the prayers of Allah be upon him, and he said: a hadith authentic upon the condition of the two shaykhs and they did not record it, and al Dhahabi agreed.)

We were told by Ibn Wakiʿ, who said: My father told us, from Sufyan, from Abu Husayn, from Saʿid ibn Jubayr, from Ibn Abbas, regarding His saying:

وَإِنْ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ إِلَّا لَيُؤْمِنَنَّ بِهِ قَبْلَ مَوْتِهِ

“And there is none from the People of the Book except that he will surely believe in him before his death.”

He said: “Before the death of ʿIsa.” (Ibn Abi Hatim recorded it in his Tafsir 4/1114, no. 6254, and Ibn Asakir in Tarikh Dimashq 14/101 manuscript, through routes from Sufyan with it.)

Yaʿqub ibn Ibrahim (d. 252 AH) told me, who said: Hishim ibn Bashir (d. 183 AH) told us, who said: Muhsin ibn Bukayr (d. 177 AH) informed us, from Abu Malik al-Ashjaʿi (d. after 100 AH), regarding His saying:

إِلَّا لَيُؤْمِنَنَّ بِهِ قَبْلَ مَوْتِهِ

“Except that he will surely believe in him before his death.”

He said: “That will be at the descent of ʿIsa ibn Maryam عليه السلام. No one from the People of the Book will remain except that he believes in him.”

Al-Muthanna (d. 252 AH) told me, who said: al-Hajjaj ibn al-Minhal al-Anmati Abu Muhammad (d. 217 AH) told us, he said: Hammad ibn Salamah ibn Dinar Abu Salamah (d. 167 AH) told us, from Thumamah ibn ʿAbdullah ibn Anas ibn Malik Abu ʿUmar (d. after 110 AH), from al-Hasan ibn Abi al-Hasan al-Basri (d. 110 AH), regarding the saying of Allah:

قَبْلَ مَوْتِهِ

He said: Before ʿIsa عليه السلام dies.

Yaʿqub ibn Ibrahim al-Dawraqi (d. 252 AH) said: Ibn ʿUlayyah, Ismaʿil ibn Ibrahim (d. 193 AH), told us, from Abu Rajaʾ al-ʿUtaridi, ʿImran ibn Milhan (d. 105 AH), from al-Hasan ibn Abi al-Hasan al-Basri (d. 110 AH), regarding His saying:

وَإِنْ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ إِلَّا لَيُؤْمِنَنَّ بِهِ قَبْلَ مَوْتِهِ

“And there is none from the People of the Book except that he will surely believe in him before his death.”

He said: “Before the death of ʿIsa عليه السلام. And by Allah, he is now alive with Allah. However, when he descends, they will all believe in him.”

Bishr ibn Muʿadh (d. 245 AH) told us, who said: Yazid ibn Zurayʿ (d. 182 AH) told us, who said: Saʿid ibn Abi ʿArubah (d. 156 AH), from Qatada ibn Diʿamah (d. 117 AH), regarding His saying:

وَإِنْ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ إِلَّا لَيُؤْمِنَنَّ بِهِ قَبْلَ مَوْتِهِ

“And there is none from the People of the Book except that he will surely believe in him before his death.”

He said: “Before the death of ʿIsa عليه السلام.”

Al-Hasan ibn Yahya (d. 249 AH) told us, who said: ʿAbd al-Razzaq ibn Hammam (d. 211 AH) informed us, who said: Maʿmar ibn Rashid (d. 153 AH) informed us, from Qatada ibn Diʿamah (d. 117 AH) regarding His saying:

وَإِنْ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ إِلَّا لَيُؤْمِنَنَّ بِهِ قَبْلَ مَوْتِهِ

“And there is none from the People of the Book except that he will surely believe in him before his death.”

He said: “Before the death of ʿIsa. When he descends all the religions will believe in him.” (Al Suyuti attributed it in al Durr al Manthur 2/241 to the author, and Ibn Kathir mentioned it in his Tafsir 2/404.)

We were told by Ibn Wakiʿ (d. 306 AH), who said: my father Wakiʿ ibn al-Jarrah (d. 197 AH) told us, from Abu Jaʿfar al-Razi (d. 160 AH), from al-Rabiʿ ibn Anas (d. after 140 AH), from al-Hasan ibn Abi al-Hasan al-Basri (d. 110 AH), who said: “Before the death of ʿIsa.”

This report is mentioned twice in M, and in the first time he shortened it up to his saying: “Before the death of ʿIsa.” (It is in Tafsir ʿAbd al Razzaq 1/177)

We were told by Ibn Wakiʿ (d. 306 AH), who said: Abu Usamah Hamad ibn Usamah (d. 201 AH) told us, from ʿAwf ibn Abi Jamilah al-Aʿrabi (d. 146 AH), from al-Hasan ibn Abi al-Hasan al-Basri (d. 110 AH) regarding His saying:

إِلَّا لَيُؤْمِنَنَّ بِهِ قَبْلَ مَوْتِهِ

“Except that he will surely believe in him before his death.”

He said: “It means ʿIsa, and he has not died yet.”

We were told by Ibn Wakiʿ (d. 306 AH), who said: ʿImran ibn ʿUyaynah (d. after 200 AH) told us, from Husayn ibn ʿAbd al-Rahman al-Sulami (d. 136 AH), from Abu Malik al-Ashjaʿi (d. after 100 AH), who said: “None of them will be spared at the descent of ʿIsa except that he believes in him.”

We were told by Ibn Wakiʿ (d. 306 AH), who said: my father Wakiʿ ibn al-Jarrah (d. 197 AH) told us, from Sufyan al-Thawri (d. 161 AH), from Husayn ibn ʿAbd al-Rahman al-Sulami (d. 136 AH), from Abu Malik al-Ashjaʿi (d. after 100 AH) who said: “Before the death of ʿIsa.”

Yunus ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿla (d. 264 AH) told me, who said: ʿAbd Allah ibn Wahb (d. 197 AH) informed us, who said: ʿAbd al-Rahman ibn Zayd ibn Aslam (d. 182 AH) said regarding His saying:

وَإِنْ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ إِلَّا لَيُؤْمِنَنَّ بِهِ قَبْلَ مَوْتِهِ

“And there is none from the People of the Book except that he will surely believe in him before his death.”

He said: “When ʿIsa ibn Maryam descends and kills the Dajjal, no Jew will be concealed in the earth except that he believes in him. That is the time when their faith will not benefit them.”

Muhammad ibn Saʿd (d. 230 AH) told me, who said: my father Saʿd ibn Muhammad (d. 176 AH) told me, who said: my uncle al-Husayn ibn al-Hasan (d. 191 AH) told me, who said: my father al-Hasan ibn ʿAtiyyah (d. after 120 AH) told me, from his father ʿAtiyyah ibn Saʿd al-ʿAwfi (d. 111 AH), from Ibn ʿAbbas regarding His saying:

وَإِنْ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ إِلَّا لَيُؤْمِنَنَّ بِهِ قَبْلَ مَوْتِهِ

“And there is none from the People of the Book except that he will surely believe in him before his death.”

He said: “It means that some people from the People of the Book will live to reach the time when ʿIsa is sent forth, and they will believe in him, and on the Day of Resurrection he will be a witness over them.”

وَيَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ يَكُونُ عَلَيْهِمْ شَهِيدًا

“And on the Day of Resurrection he will be a witness over them.”

We were told by Muhammad ibn al-Muthanna (d. 252 AH), who said: Muhammad ibn Jaʿfar (d. 193 AH) told us, who said: Shuʿbah ibn al-Hajjaj (d. 160 AH) told us, from Mansur ibn Zadhan (d. 128 AH), from al-Hasan ibn Abi al-Hasan al-Basri (d. 110 AH) that he said regarding this verse:

وَإِنْ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ إِلَّا لَيُؤْمِنَنَّ بِهِ قَبْلَ مَوْتِهِ

“And there is none from the People of the Book except that he will surely believe in him before his death.”

He said: “I think so myself.” He said: “When ʿIsa comes out, the Jews will believe in him.” (Ibn Abi Hatim recorded it in his Tafsir 4/1113, no. 6253, through the way of Husayn with it. Al Suyuti attributed it in al Durr al Manthur 2/241 to the author, and Ibn Kathir mentioned it in his Tafsir 2/404. In the original it is: believers, and in the copy marked M: so they will believe. Al Suyuti attributed it in al Durr al Manthur 2/241 to the author.)

The second saying about the verse

Others said: Its meaning is that there is none from the People of the Book except that he will surely believe in ʿIsa before the death of the person from the People of the Book.

They direct that to the view that when he witnesses the truth clearly, distinguishing it from falsehood, then that occurs, because everyone upon whom death descends, his soul does not leave him until the truth in his religion becomes clear to him from falsehood.

The preferred meaning according to Abu Jaʿfar (At Tabari)

The most correct of these sayings in my view is the saying of the one who said: The interpretation of that is:

وَإِنْ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ إِلَّا لَيُؤْمِنَنَّ بِهِ قَبْلَ مَوْتِهِ

“And there is none from the People of the Book except that he will surely believe in him before his death.”

Meaning: that he will surely believe in ʿIsa before the death of ʿIsa.

We say that this is more deserving of being correct than the other sayings, because Allah, Mighty and Majestic, has given every person who believes in Muhammad ﷺ the ruling of the people of faith in the matter of inheritance, the funeral Prayer over him, and attaching his young children to his ruling in the religion.

So if every person from the People of the Book were to believe in ʿIsa before his own death, it would be necessary that no person from the People of the Book who dies upon his religion be inherited from except by his young children, or by those among them who are of age from the people of Islam if he has a young child or an adult Muslim child.

And if he has no young child and no adult Muslim child, his inheritance would have to be directed to whom the wealth of a Muslim who dies without a heir is directed. His ruling would have to be the ruling of the Muslims in the funeral Prayer over him, washing him and burying him, because whoever dies as a believer in ʿIsa has died as a believer in Muhammad and in all the messengers.

That is because ʿIsa عليه السلام came with the confirmation of Muhammad and all the messengers, peace be upon them. So the one who affirms ʿIsa and believes in him is a confirmer of Muhammad and of all the prophets and messengers of Allah, just as the one who believes in Muhammad is a believer in ʿIsa and in all the prophets and messengers of Allah. It is not permissible that one who denies Muhammad be considered a believer in ʿIsa.

If someone were to think that the meaning of the faith of the Jew in ʿIsa, which Allah mentioned in His saying:

وَإِنْ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ إِلَّا لَيُؤْمِنَنَّ بِهِ قَبْلَ مَوْتِهِ

“And there is none from the People of the Book except that he will surely believe in him before his death.”

is nothing more than his acknowledgement that he is a prophet who has been sent, without affirming all that he brought from Allah, then such a person has thought wrongly.

That is because it is not permissible that someone be attributed to acknowledging the prophethood of a prophet while he denies him in some of what he brought from the revelation and sending down of Allah.

Rather, it is not permissible that he be attributed to acknowledging the prophethood of any one of the prophets of Allah, because the prophets came to the nations with the affirmation of all the prophets and messengers of Allah. So whoever denies some of the prophets of Allah in some of what he brought to his people from Allah is a denier of all the prophets of Allah in what they called to from the religion of Allah.

And since the matter is like that, and all the people of Islam are agreed that every person from the People of the Book who dies before acknowledging Muhammad ﷺ and what he brought from Allah is judged for him with the ruling of the religion he was upon during his life, and none of his rulings concerning himself, his wealth and his children, the young among them and the adults, is transferred by his death away from what it was upon in his life, that is the clearest proof that the meaning of His saying:

وَإِنْ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ إِلَّا لَيُؤْمِنَنَّ بِهِ قَبْلَ مَوْتِهِ

“And there is none from the People of the Book except that he will surely believe in him before his death.”

is only that “he will surely believe in ʿIsa before the death of ʿIsa”, and that this is about a particular group from the People of the Book, intended by it are the people of a certain time among them and not all the times that were after ʿIsa, and that this will take place at his descent.

This is like what Bishr ibn Muʿadh told us, who said: Yazid told us, who said: Saʿid told us, from Qatada, from ʿAbd al Rahman ibn Adam, from Abu Hurayrah, that the Prophet ﷺ said:

“The prophets are paternal brothers; their mothers are different and their religion is one. I am the nearest of the people to ʿIsa ibn Maryam, for there was no prophet between me and him. He will certainly descend. When you see him, recognise him.

He is a man of medium height, with a built body, between red and white in colour, with straight hair, as if his head is dripping though it is not touched by moisture, between two garments dyed with saffron. He will break the cross, kill the swine, abolish the jizyah, wealth will pour forth, and he will fight the people upon Islam until Allah destroys in his time all religions other than Islam.

Allah will destroy in his time the false messiah, the liar, the Dajjal. Security will fall upon the earth in his time so that lions will graze with camels, leopards with cattle, and wolves with sheep. Boys and girls will play with snakes, and none of them will harm the other.

Then he will remain in the earth for as long as Allah wills, and he may have said: forty years. Then he will die, and the Muslims will pray over him and bury him.”

Refutation of the saying that “before his death” means before the death of each person or the death of Muhammad ﷺ

As for the one who said that what is meant by His saying:

لَيُؤْمِنَنَّ بِهِ قَبْلَ مَوْتِهِ

“He will surely believe in him before his death”

is that “he will surely believe in Muhammad before the death of the person from the People of the Book”, then this is a saying whose meaning has no clarity. It is corrupt, apart from the corruption of the saying of the one who said that what is meant is that he will surely believe in ʿIsa before the death of the person from the People of the Book, from the aspect by which we have already shown the unsoundness of that saying.

Its corruption is also shown by the fact that the mention in the verses before this did not include the name of Muhammad ﷺ, so that it could be permissible to direct the pronoun “his” in His saying “before his death” back to him. Rather, His saying “he will surely believe in him before his death” is in the context of the mention of ʿIsa, his mother and the Jews.

It is not permissible to turn the speech away from the one who is being mentioned in its context to someone else, except with a proof that must be accepted, whether it is an indication from the clear wording of the revelation, or a report from the Messenger that establishes a proof.

As for mere claims, they are not difficult for anyone.

So the interpretation of the verse, since the matter is as I have described, is:

وَمَا مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ إِلَّا لَيُؤْمِنَنَّ بِعِيسَى قَبْلَ مَوْتِ عِيسَى

“And there is none from the People of the Book except that he will surely believe in ʿIsa before the death of ʿIsa.”

The word “what” is omitted before “from” because of the indication of the speech to it, so it dispenses with making it explicit, as in the other similar expressions that have preceded, whose explanation we have already given.

Tafsir At Tabari (7/664-675)

Author

ISHAQ. K

Will Ahlul Kitab Believe In Isa عليه السلام Before They Die Individually Or Before Isa’s Death? (Surah An Nisa: 159)

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Imams who explained that “before his death” means before the death of Isa ibn Maryam عليه السلام