The Prophet Jesus (pbuh) Will Come Again

Contrary to what is written in the Bible, the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) was neither crucified nor the sufferer of a Roman and Jewish conspiracy. Our Lord foiled their traps by sending a look-alike to be crucified in his place so that He could raise the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) up to His Presence.

The Biblical and Qur'anic accounts of what happened to the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) are quite different. However, there are some similarities, such as the belief that he was raised to Allah's Presence and that he will return before the Last Day to establish the true religion. The Qur'an and our Prophet's hadiths confirm this. We present the relevant evidence below.

1. Proof

"... I will place the people who follow you above those who are unbelievers until the Day of Resurrection..."

The first verse indicating the Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) return is given below:

When Allah said: "Jesus, I will take you back and raise you up to Me, and purify you of those who are unbelievers. And I will place the people who follow you above those who are unbelievers until the Day of Resurrection. Then you will all return to Me, and I will judge between you regarding the things about which you differed. (Surah Al 'Imran, 55)

Allah mentions that a group of the Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) true followers will dominate the unbelievers until the Day of Resurrection. the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) did not have many followers during his tenure on Earth and, with his ascension; the religion that he had brought degenerated rapidly. Over the next two centuries, those who believed in the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) were oppressed because they had no political power. Therefore, we cannot say that the early Christians dominated the unbelievers in the sense indicated by the verse given above.

At present, Christianity is so far removed from its original state that it no longer resembles the religion taught by the Prophet Jesus (pbuh). Christians have adopted the mistaken belief that the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) is Allah's son (surely Allah is beyond all that which they falsely ascribe to Him) and incorporated the trinity (viz., the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) into their religion centuries ago. Given this, we cannot acknowledge today's Christians as being true followers of the Prophet Jesus (pbuh). In the Qur'an, Allah states more than once that those who believe in the trinity are, in fact, unbelievers:

Those who say that the Messiah, son of Mary, is the third of three are unbelievers. There is no God but the One Allah. (Surat al-Ma'ida, 73)

In this case, "And I will place the people who follow you above those who are unbelievers until the Day of Resurrection" carries a clear message: There has to be a group of the Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) followers who will exist until the Last Day. Such a group will emerge after his second coming, and those who follow him at that time will dominate the unbelievers until the Last Day.

He [Jesus] is only a servant on whom We bestowed Our blessing and whom We made an example for the tribe of Israel.
(Surat az-Zukhruf, 59)

This information is reinforced also in verse 14 of Surat as-Saff:

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 had faith and the other were unbelievers. So We supported those who had faith against their enemy and they became victorious. (Surat as-Saff, 14)

From the verse above we understand that during the period when the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) lived, some people believed while others did not. The command related at the last part of the verse, "So We supported those who had faith against their enemy and they became victorious" heralds a period during which those believed in the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) will prevail.

It is probable that this period is the one, before the Day of Judgment, the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) will come for the second time to the Earth. In this period the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) will make the moral values of the real deen prevail the Earth and by Allah's Will, believers will prevail unbelievers. With these words it is stated that in the End Times believers will prevail unbelievers.

2. Proof

In the Qur'an, we read that:

There is not one of the People of the Book who will not believe in him before he dies; and on the Day of Resurrection he [Jesus] will be a witness against them. (Surat al-Ma'ida, 159)

The phrase "there is not one of the People of the Book who will not believe in him before he dies" is very interesting. In Arabic, the sentence reads as follows: Wa-in min ahli al-kitaabi illaa la yu'minanna bihi qabla mawtihi.

Some scholars believe that the "him/it" in this verse refers to the Qur'an instead of the Prophet Jesus (pbuh), and so understand it to mean that the People of the Book will believe in the Qur'an before they die. However, it is beyond dispute that the same word in the preceding two verses refers to the Prophet Jesus (pbuh):

And [on account of] their saying: "We killed the Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, Messenger of Allah." They did not kill him and they did not crucify him, but it was made to seem so to them. Those who argue about him are in doubt about it. They have no real knowledge of it, just conjecture. But they certainly did not kill him. (Surat an-Nisa', 157)

Allah raised him [Jesus] up to Himself. Allah is Almighty, All-Wise. (Surat an-Nisa', 158)

The word "him," which is used in the verse straight after the above two, refers to the Prophet Jesus (pbuh), and there is no evidence to suggest otherwise.

There is not one of the People of the Book who will not believe in him before he dies; and on the Day of Resurrection he [Jesus] will be a witness against them. (Surat an-Nisa', 159)

The expression "and on the Day of Resurrection he will be a witness against them" is important. Allah reveals in the Qur'an that on that Day, people's tongues, hands, and feet (Surat an-Nur, 24, Surah Ya Sin, 65), as well as their eyes, ears, and skin (Surah Fussilat, 20-23), will testify against them. No verse indicates that the Qur'an will be the witness during this event. If the first part of the verse is taken to mean "the Qur'an"—even though there is no evidence in the syntax or the succession of verses for this—"him" or "it" in the second part also would refer to the Qur'an. To accept this, however, there should be an explicit verse confirming this view. However, the commentator Ibn Juzayy does not mention the possibility of the Qur'an being the "him" referred to, and Ibn Juzayy transmitted the views of all the major commentators in his work.

When we examine the Qur'an's verses, we see that when the same personal pronoun refers to the Qur'an, there is generally mention of the Qur'an before or after that specific verse as in the cases of Surat an-Naml, 77 and Surat ash-Shu'ara', 192-96. If the Qur'an is not mentioned before, after, or in the verse, saying that the pronoun refers to the Qur'an could be mistaken. The verse clearly speaks of the belief in the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) and that he will be a witness for those who believe.

Another point we need to make here has to do with the interpretation of "before he dies." Some believe that this stands for the People of the Book "having faith in the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) before their own death." According to this view, everyone from the People of the Book will definitely believe in the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) before he or she dies. But at the time of the Prophet Jesus (pbuh), some of the Jews (who are members of the People of the Book) not only refused to believe in him, but also plotted his death. Then, believing him to be dead, they continued to deny him. In general, the same circumstances are true for the Jews of our own time, as they do not recognize the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) as a Prophet. As a result, millions of the People of the Book have lived and died without ever believing in the Prophet Jesus (pbuh). Therefore, the verse does not speak of the death of this group, but rather of the death of the Prophet Jesus (pbuh). In the end, the reality revealed by the Qur'an is this: "Before Jesus dies, all People of the Book will believe in him."

When the verse is regarded in the light of its true meaning, several clear facts emerge. First, it becomes apparent that the verse refers to the future, because it speaks of the Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) death. As explained earlier, he never died but was raised to Allah's Presence. The Prophet Jesus (pbuh) will return to Earth, where he will live and die like all other people. Second, it says that all People of the Book will believe in him. Obviously, this has not yet happened. And so, given the context, "before he dies" refers to the Prophet Jesus (pbuh). The People of the Book will see and recognize him, and then become Muslim followers of the Prophet Jesus (pbuh), as will be explained shortly. In turn, he will be their witness on the Last Day.

The majority of the Islamic scholars are also of the same conviction. Abu Huraira and Ibn Abbas, who were among the companions of our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), expressed that this verse is an evidence for the Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) second coming. Al-Qurtubi comments on the verse as follows:

"When the portents of the Day of Judgment approaches, everyone from the People of the Book who are alive will believe in the Prophet Jesus (pbuh), when he descends to Earth. There will remain only a nation of Islam. (Qurtubi, Al-Jami al-Ahkhami al-Quran, volume VI, p. 10-11)

Tabari interpreted the verse in question as follows:

Every member of the People of the Book will have faith in the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) before he dies, during the time he will come to Earth to make the dajjal ineffective. (Tabari, Jami' al-Bayan, Volume IV, p. 18)

In his explanation Halil Harras stated that Tabari's interpretation is genuine and added that verse 159 of Surat an-Nisa' is an evidence of the Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) second coming to Earth thus:

"The pronoun 'he' here refers to the Prophet Jesus (pbuh). When he comes for the second time, the People of the Book living in this time will have faith in him, confirm him and adolpt Islam as a religion for themselves…When the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) will come for the second time, the People of the Book will believe in him…

3. Proof

"He is a Sign of the Hour..."

And when Jesus son of Mary said: "O Children of Israel, I am the Messenger of Allah to you, confirming the Torah that came before me and giving you the good news of a Messenger after me, whose name is Ahmad." When he brought them the Clear Signs, they said: "This is downright magic." (Surat as-Saff, 6)

In Surat az-Zukhruf, we are informed of the Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) return and some other facts, as follows:

When an example is made of the son of Mary [Jesus], your people laugh uproariously. They retort: "Who is better then, our gods or him?" They only say this to you for argument's sake. They are indeed a disputatious people. He is only a servant on whom We bestowed Our blessing and whom We made an example for the tribe of Israel. If We willed, We could appoint angels in exchange for you to succeed you on Earth. (Surat az-Zukhruf, 57-60)

The next verse states that the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) is a sign of the Day of Judgment:

He [Jesus] is a Sign of the Hour. Have no doubt about it. But follow me. This is a straight path. (Surat az-Zukhruf, 61)

Ibn Juzayy says that the first meaning of this verse is that the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) is a sign or precondition of the Last Hour. We can confidently say that this verse indicates his return at the End Times, because he lived six centuries before the Qur'an's revelation. Therefore we cannot consider his first life as a sign of the Day of Judgment. Allah reveals in the Qur'an that the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) will return toward the end of time or, in other words, during the last period of time before the Day of Judgment. In that context, his return is a sign of the Hour's imminent arrival.

In Arabic, the expression "He is a Sign of the Hour" is Innahu la 'ilmun li as-saa'ati.

Some say that the pronoun hu (he/it) in this expression refers to the Qur'an. However if this pronoun is used to denote the Qur'an, we would expect other words to be present, whether before, after, or in the verse, that speak of the Qur'an. The word hu cannot denote the Qur'an when the subject is altogether different. Furthermore, the preceding verse clearly refers to the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) with the word hu:

He [Jesus] is only a servant on whom We bestowed Our blessing and whom We made an example for the tribe of Israel. (Surat az-Zukhruf, 59)

Those who say that hu refers to the Qur'an rely on the expression "Have no doubt about it. But follow me," which continues the verse. However, since the preceding verses speak only of the Prophet Jesus (pbuh), it is far more realistic to accept that hu refers to him, as in the preceding verses. The great scholars of Islam interpret this pronoun as referring to the Prophet Jesus (pbuh), an opinion that they base on other Qur'anic verses and hadiths. In his commentary, Elmalili Muhammad Hamdi Yazir writes that:

"No doubt he [the Prophet Jesus] is a sign of the Hour, one that declares that the Hour will come, that the dead will be resurrected and stand up, because the miracle of Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) second coming and his miracle of resurrecting the dead, together with his revelation that the dead will rise, prove that the Day of Judgment is real. According to the hadiths, his arrival is a sign of the Last Day" 5

Sayyid Qutb, a contemporary Islamic scholar, notes that this verse is one of the important evidences that the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) will return to Earth. In Qutb's interpretation this is related thus:

There are many hadiths relating that the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) will come to Earth before the Day of Judgment. Indeed it is also referred to in this verse: "He is a Sign of the Hour." In other words, it is known that the Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) coming to Earth and the Day of Judgment are close in time. A second read of the verse is as follows: “Wa-innahu laailmun lilsaati." That is, his coming is a portent of the Day of Judgment. Both of the ways the verse is read delivers the same meaning. The Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) coming is knowledge of the unseen that our reliable Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), who always told the truth, referred to and that is indicated in the Qur'an. There can be no words that can be said by another person apart from the information originating from these two sources that will remain unchanged until the Day of Judgment. (Sayyid Qutb, Fi Zilal al-Qur'an [In the Shade of the Qur'an])

Even in his oldest books Al-Kavsari states that this verse is an evidence for the Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) second coming (Al-Kavsari, Nazrat al-Abira, p.105). Omer Nasuhi Bilmen explains this in his commentary as follows:

Allah states in the verse that the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) is a portent for the closeness of the Day of Judgment and that there can be no doubt about the Day of Judgment… The Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) descent to Earth is considered within the laws of the Day of Judgment… (Omer Nasuhi Bilmen, Interpretation of the Qur'an, Volume VII, 3292)

It should also be mentioned that in the Qur'an no other prophet is referred to as a sign for the Day of Judgment. Along with the lives of the Prophet Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), the Prophets Abraham, Noah, Moses, Solomon, Joseph, David and Jacob (peace be upon them), the lives of many prophets are related in the Qur'an in detail. However, in none of these accounts we can see this expression. By Allah's Will, this refers to a different attribute of the Prophet Jesus (pbuh): that he will be resent to Earth after his ascension to the Sight of Allah. (Allah knows the truth).

4. Proof

"He will teach him the Book and Wisdom, and the Torah and the Gospel."

For this We sent a Messenger to you from among you to recite Our Signs to you, to purify you, to teach you the Book and Wisdom, and to teach you things you did not know before. (Surat al-Baqara, 151)

Other verses indicating the Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) second coming are as follows:

When the angels said: "Mary, your Lord gives you good news of a Word from Him. His name is the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, of high esteem in this world and the Hereafter, and one of those brought near [to Allah]. He will speak to people in the cradle, and also when fully grown, and will be one of the righteous." She asked: "My Lord! How can I have a son when no man has ever touched me?" He said: "It will be so. Allah creates whatever He wills. When He decides on something, He just says to it: 'Be!' and it is. He will teach him the Book and Wisdom, and the Torah and the Gospel." (Surah Al 'Imran, 45-48)

The last verse reveals that Allah will teach the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) the "Book," the Torah, and the Gospel. Obviously, this book in question is very important. The same expression is also used in the verse given below:

Remember when Allah said: "Jesus, son of Mary, remember My blessing to you and to your mother when I reinforced you with the Purest Spirit so that you could speak to people in the cradle and when you were fully grown; and when I taught you the Book and Wisdom, and the Torah and the Gospel." (Surat al-Ma'ida, 110)

When we examine how "Book" is used here, we see that it refers to the Qur'an in both cases. Allah reveals in the verses that after the Torah, the Psalms and the Gospel, the Qur'an is the final Divine book. In another verse the word "Book" is used to denote the Qur'an, after the Torah and the Gospel are mentioned:

Allah, there is no god but Him, the Living, the Self-Sustaining. He has sent down the Book to you with truth, confirming what was there before it. And He sent down the Torah and the Gospel previously. (Surah Al 'Imran, 2-3)

The Qur'an is called the "Book" also in other verses:

When a Book comes to them from Allah, confirming what is with them—even though before that they were praying for victory over the unbelievers—yet when what they recognize comes to them, they reject it. Allah's curse is on the unbelievers. (Surat al-Baqara, 89)

For this We sent a Messenger to you from among you to recite Our Signs to you, to purify you, to teach you the Book and Wisdom, and to teach you things you did not know before. (Surat al-Baqara, 151)

In this case, the Qur'an is the third book that the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) will be taught. But this will be possible only when he returns to Earth, for he lived 600 years before the Qur'an's revelation. As we will see in great detail in the following chapters, the hadiths reveal that the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) will rule with the Qur'an, not the Gospel, on his second coming. This corresponds with the verse's meaning.

5. Proof

"The likeness of Jesus (pbuh) in Allah's Sight is the same as Adam."

The verse above (Surah Al 'Imran, 59) could also indicate the Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) return. Muslim scholars who have written Qur'anic commentaries point out that this verse indicates the fact that both Prophets did not have a father, for Allah created both of them with the command "Be!" However, the verse could also have another meaning: Just as Adam was sent down to Earth from Allah's Presence, the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) will be sent down to Earth from Allah's Presence during the End Times.

As we have seen, the verses regarding the Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) return are very clear. As the Qur'an does not use such expressions for any other Prophet, its meaning is fairly obvious.

6. Proof

"...The day I was born, the day I die, and the day I am raised up again alive..."

Surah Maryam also mentions the Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) death in the following verse:

[Jesus said,] "Peace be upon me the day I was born, the day I die, and the day I am raised up again alive." (Surah Maryam, 33)

...Onlar, sana indirilene, senden önce indirilenlere iman ederler ve ahirete de kesin bir bilgiyle inanırlar. (Bakara Suresi, 4)

When this verse is considered in conjunction with Surah Al 'Imran 55, an important reality emerges: While Surah Al 'Imran states that the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) was raised up to Allah's Presence and does not mention that he died or was killed, Surah Maryam speaks of the day on which he will die. This second death can only be possible after he returns and lives on Earth for a period of time.

7. Proof

"... You could speak to people in the cradle and when you were fully grown…"

Another piece of evidence for the Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) return is the word kahlaan, used Surat al-Ma'ida 110 and Surah Al 'Imran 46. Allah reveals in the Qur'an:

Remember when Allah said: "Jesus, son of Mary, remember My blessing to you and to your mother when I reinforced you with the Purest Spirit so that you could speak to people in the cradle and when you were fully grown (kahlaan)…" (Surat al-Ma'ida, 110)

He will speak to people in the cradle, and also when fully grown (kahlaan), and will be one of the righteous. (Surah Al 'Imran, 46)

Kahlaan, which is used only in these two verses, only in reference to the Prophet Jesus (pbuh), and to express the Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) adulthood means "someone between the age of 30 and 50, someone who is no longer young, someone who has reached the perfect age." Islamic scholars agree that it denotes the age of 35 or above. They base their views on a hadith reported by Ibn 'Abbas that the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) was raised up to Allah's Presence in his early 30s, and that he will live for 40 years when he comes again. Therefore, they suggest that this verse is evidence for the Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) return, since his old age will occur following his second coming.6

These Messengers: We favored some of them over others. Allah spoke directly to some of them and raised up some of them in rank. We gave Clear Signs to Jesus, son of Mary, and reinforced him with the Purest Spirit. (Surat al-Baqara, 253)

Close study of the relevant verses easily shows how right Islamic scholars are on this question. For example, this expression is used only with regard to the Prophet Jesus (pbuh). Although all of the Prophets spoke with their people, invited them to religion, and communicated their message at a mature age, the Qur'an does not use such expressions when talking about them. Rather, they are used only to voice a miraculous situation, because the expressions "in the cradle" and "when fully grown," when used one after the other, refer to two miraculous events.

In The Commentary of Tabari, Imam at-Tabari gives the following explanation of these verses:

These statements [Surat al-Ma'ida 110] indicate that in order to complete his lifespan and speak to people when fully grown, The Prophet Jesus (pbuh) will come down from Heaven. That is because he was raised to Heaven when still young. In this verse [Surah Al 'Imran 46], there is evidence that Prophet Jesus (pbuh) is living, and the Ahl al-Sunnah share that view. That is because in this verse it is stated that he will speak to people when fully grown. He will be able to grow fully only when he returns to Earth from Heaven."7

The meanings of kahlaan, as well as the other information provided by the Qur'an, indicate the Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) second coming in the End Times and that he will guide people to the true religion of Islam. No doubt, this is good news and a grace and gift of Allah for those who believe. The believers are responsible for supporting and defending him in the most appropriate way, and for living wholeheartedly the Qur'anic morality to which he calls them.

You would have supposed them to be awake, whereas in fact they were asleep. We moved them to the right and to the left, and, at the entrance, their dog stretched out its paws… (Surat al-Kahf, 18)

Everyone Will Recognize the Prophet Jesus (pbuh)

Another subject that has received a great deal of attention is how the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) will be recognized or by what features we will know him. As a person who was created superior in terms of knowledge, intelligence, physical appearance, and character, he will have the facial expression of a Prophet. His Allah-fearing nature and deepest faith will shine on his face so much so that people will instantly realize that they are looking upon someone quite superior.

Allah revealed that the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) is "of high esteem in this world and the Hereafter, and one of those brought near" (Surah Al 'Imran, 45). Like all Prophets, he will be known to those people surrounding him as an embodiment of Allah's Word, as well as his respectability, distinction, and dignity. Those who meet him will recognize him instantaneously, and no doubts will cloud their hearts. And those who rejected his arrival will realize their error.

It will be possible to identify him by a Prophet's attributes, which are described in the Qur'an. Other circumstances also will cause people to recognize him. One of the most important ones will be that he will be solitary: He will have no family or relatives, and no one will have known him from before. This is because all of the people who knew him lived and died 2,000 years ago. His mother Mary, Zachariah, the disciples who spent years with him, the Jewish leadership, and everyone who heard him preach are all dead. Therefore, when he comes again no one will have witnessed his birth, childhood, youth, and adulthood, and no one will know anything about him. There will be no childhood photos of him, and no one will have any memories of him.

No doubt, this situation does away with the nuisance of "false messiahs." When the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) returns, there will be nothing to cast any doubt on his identity. Nobody will find any cause to deny who he is, because the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) will return just as he was before Allah raised him to His Presence, including his garments, and will have superior qualities that no human being could imitate.

Comparable Events Mentioned in the Qur'an

The Qur'an mentions similar events, such as a person being resurrected after being dead for a long time and sleeping for hundreds of years that are comparable to the Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) situation. Some of these are as follows:

The man resurrected after one hundred years

One of these examples is that of a man who had been dead for one hundred years:

Or [consider such example as] the one who passed by a town that had fallen into ruin. He asked: "How can Allah restore this to life when it has died?" So Allah caused him to die for a hundred years, and then brought him back to life. Then He asked: "How long have you been here?" He replied: "I have been here a day or part of a day." He said: "Not so! You have been here a hundred years. Look at your food and drink—it has not gone bad—and look at your donkey, so We can make you a Sign for all mankind. Look at the bones—how We raise them up and clothe them in flesh." When it had become clear to him, he said: "Now I know that Allah has power over all things." (Surat al-Baqara, 259)

As we mentioned earlier, Allah reveals in the Qur’an that the Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) soul was "taken back." In the above verse, on the other hand, true death (mawt) is revealed. Therefore, Allah reveals in the Qur'an that Allah willed the resurrection of someone who had truly died.

Awakening the "Companions of the Cave" after many years

Another example is the narrative of the "Companions of the Cave." Allah relates the story of a group of young people who sought refuge in the cave from their anti-religious ruler's despotism. Their awakening is described in the following terms:

When the young men took refuge in the cave and said: "Our Lord, give us mercy directly from You and open the way for us to right guidance in our situation." So We sealed their ears with sleep in the cave for a number of years. … You would have supposed them to be awake, whereas in fact they were asleep. We moved them to the right and to the left, and at the entrance, their dog stretched out its paws. If you had looked down and seen them, you would have turned from them and run and have been filled with terror at the sight of them. That was the situation when we woke them up so they could question one another. One of them asked: "How long have you been here?" They replied: "We have been here for a day or part of a day." They said: "Your Lord knows best how long have you been here. Send one of your number into the city with this silver you have, so he can see which food is purest and bring you some of it to eat. But he should go about with caution, so that no one is aware of you." (Surat al-Kahf, 10-11, 18-19)

Allah does not reveal in the Qur'an how long they remained in the cave. Instead, the duration of this period is implied by the words "for a number of years." People guessed that they stayed there for 309 years, for:

They stayed in their cave for three hundred years and added nine. Say: "Allah knows best how long they stayed. The Unseen of the heavens and Earth belongs to Him. How perfectly He sees, how well He hears! They have no protector apart from Him. Nor does He share His rule with anyone." (Surat al-Kahf, 25-26)

The Originator of the heavens and Earth. When He decides on something, He just says to it: "Be!" and it is. (Surat al- Kahf, 117)

What this narrative reveals is that Allah took some people back from this life, either by making them sleep or by taking their lives, and then restored them to life, just as people wake up from sleep. the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) is one such person. When the appointed time comes, he will live on Earth once again, fulfill the honorable responsibility given to him by Allah, and then die onEarth in the normal manner, for

He said: "On it you will live and on it you will die, and from it you will be brought forth." (Surat al-A'raf, 25)