It is indicated in the Qur’an that when the Prophet Jesus (as) was first on Earth the numbers of his followers was very small. According to accounts, only a very few disciples believed in the Prophet Jesus (as), and nobody else supported this holy prophet. The situation is described thus in the Qur’an:
You who believe! Be helpers of Allah as Jesus son of Mary said to the disciples, “Who will be my helpers to Allah?” The disciples said, “We will be the helpers of Allah.” One faction of the tribe of Israel believed and the other disbelieved. So We supported those who believed against their enemy and they became victorious. (Surat as-Saff, 14)
On his second coming, the number of those who believe in and support the Prophet Jesus (as) will again be very small. Bediuzzaman also tells us of this situation that will be encountered during the return of the Prophet Jesus (as) in the End Times:
... “The antichrist will have a colossal form, he will be extraordinarily big and taller than a minaret, while the Prophet Jesus (as) will be very small in comparison.” None knows the Unseen save Allah, one interpretation must be as follows: it is an allusion and sign that quantitively the spiritual community of mujahiden who will recognize the Prophet Jesus (as) and follow him, will be very few and small comparatively to the scientific, physical armies of the antichrist. (Bediuzzaman Said Nursi, Rays, p. 495)
In another extract Bediuzzaman describes this state of affairs indicated in the hadiths of our Prophet (saas):
There is an account that says that in the time of his struggle with the antichrist, the Prophet Jesus (as) will leap 10 yards in the air but only be able to plunge his sword into the antichrist’s knee, so tall is he. This means that the antichrist must be 10 or perhaps 20 times taller than the Prophet Jesus (as)…
First Point: If the community of Christian clergy who believes in the essence of Christianity and the community that begins to impose godlessness in opposition to them assume substance and physical form they can be no more than a child beside a man the height of a minaret. (Bediuzzaman Said Nursi, Kastamonu Addendum, p. 75)
Bediuzzaman is making it clear that, like the material and spiritual power the antichrist will possess, the number of those around him will be very large, but that the community of the Prophet Jesus (as) will consist of very few people in comparison with that of the antichrist. As a result of the propaganda the antichrist will engage in with the wide means and mass of people at his disposal, the Prophet Jesus (as) will not be recognized by the vast majority of society. (Allah knows the truth.)
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