# Does 'before his death' in Quran 4:159 refer to the return of Jesus?

*'Before his death' in 4:159: whose death, and Ubayy's reading 'before their death'*

- URL: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/icr0sv2urcu/s/4/
- Date: 2018-03-15 · Kind: lesson · Transcript tier: machine · Recording: A response to Shadee Elmasry - Mufti Abu Layth al-Maliki (7:51–10:26)
- Status: general teaching
- Watch from the start of the segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCr0sV2UrcU&t=471s
- Recording page: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/icr0sv2urcu/

**Topics:** The second coming of Jesus; Tafsir and verse study; Preservation and variant readings

**Summary (not a quotation; machine-made, unchecked):** No: Mufti Abu Layth says early authorities including Ibn Abbas, Mujahid and al-Dahhak read the pronoun as the Christian who realises the truth at death, and Ubayy ibn Ka'b's recitation has 'before their death'. Referring it to Jesus's return would exclude every Christian who died over two thousand years.

**Checked position (checked by two independent reviews, not by the channel):** Mufti Abu Layth holds that 'before his death' in 4:159 refers to the death of each Christian, not to Jesus, following Ibn Abbas, Mujahid and al-Dahhak and the plural reading of Ubayy ibn Ka'b, and that the second-coming reading makes no sense of the Christians who have already died.

**Evidence, his words at 10:10:** “so the true understanding here was that upon death they will realize that this was not the truth” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCr0sV2UrcU&t=610s)

## Longer summary

Mufti Abu Layth takes the verse that there is none of the People of the Book but will believe in him before his death, which the critics call clear. He says the commentators disagree about the pronoun: some refer it to the Christian himself, who realises on dying that what he followed was false; some to Jesus; some to the Prophet Muhammad. He says that even on the second-coming reading, Ibn Abbas is reported, by a transmission he says Ibn Kathir calls sahih, to have taken it as the Christian, as did Mujahid, al-Dahhak and other early authorities whom he names indistinctly. He adds that the recitation of Ubayy ibn Ka'b reads 'before their death', in the plural, which cannot refer to Jesus. He argues that the second-coming reading makes no sense: if every Christian were to believe in Jesus before Jesus's death at his return, the Christians who have lived and died over two thousand years would be excluded, so the true meaning is that each realises the truth upon death. He then says the critics bring another verse.

## Sources and names cited

- Isa (Jesus)
- Quran 4:159 (none of the People of the Book but will believe in him before his death): https://quran.com/4/159
- Ibn Abbas
- Ibn Kathir [?]
- Mujahid ibn Jabr
- al-Dahhak [?]
- Ubayy ibn Ka'b
- qira'at

## Transcript (machine tier, 7:51–10:26)

[7:36] back India his second coming before him nobody said that this wasn't how they understood the Quran for Dino Rossi these people themselves are saying look we believe Jesus reached Kahuna in this in this earth so look what so this is why it's discipline now you see what I'm up against you know it's amazing and they say these clear verses in the Quran things like look the verse of the Quran that says over the one what I mean alec is happy illallah you mean under be problem all

[8:14] t-yong that there is none from the the people of the book except he will believe in it or him before his death now they disagree on who these eight or him or whatever is going back to so some people say is going back to the the Christian himself so meaning that before that Christian or dies as he's dying he will realize that you know what I was on was false and other people said he's going back to Jesus some people probably said he brings the opinion is going back to the Prophet Muhammad SAW Omaha you sent them now even if you take this to mean

[8:52] Second Coming first of all who said it doesn't mean to say it means the Christian if not a bar said that it's transmitted from him this is if McCarthy says is Asahi transmission Mujahid said that she heard him the whole ship said that Muhammad have no idea you had a fear said that many the hawk said that all these anima said that no is talking about the Christian right to say Jesus doesn't make sense in fact the recitation of oh babe niqab reads problem ot him before their death and him is plural it's not English him

[9:31] home in our week were read here as him is them in Arabic so is Jesus ain't them Jesus is talking about the Christians because it doesn't make sense look what a metallic there is no Christian no Christian except let's take their reading for a moment there is no Christian except he will believe in it before Jesus is death when he comes back but that doesn't make sense because when Jesus comes back most Christians that have lived and died have already died over the 2000 years so it doesn't make any sense that means only the Christians that read Jesus in his second coming but not all these for

[10:10] two thousand years all of these would have already died so the true understanding here was that upon death they will realize that this was not the truth okay then they bring this other verse of the Quran to say or alive speaking about Jesus and then follows on by saying that were in a hula I'll Melissa and it is a the knowledge of the hour they say oh this means and Jesus is the sign of the hour so when Jesus comes again he will be the second first of all allies and said that one of them verse 18 say Hasan al-basri said that it is talking about the quran the quran is a sign of the hour once again if nigiri the pub or a brings that some people believed it's

## Cite

Mufti Abu Layth Archive, segment iCr0sV2UrcU/s/4. https://muftiabulayth.org/r/icr0sv2urcu/s/4/

Not a fatwa: these answers were given to specific people at specific times. Ask a qualified scholar about your own situation.