# Does Quran 43:61 say Jesus is the sign of the hour?

*'Knowledge of the hour' in 43:61, and the critics' inconsistency over what is mutawatir*

- URL: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/icr0sv2urcu/s/5/
- Date: 2018-03-15 · Kind: lesson · Transcript tier: machine · Recording: A response to Shadee Elmasry - Mufti Abu Layth al-Maliki (10:26–13:02)
- Status: general teaching
- Watch from the start of the segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCr0sV2UrcU&t=626s
- Recording page: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/icr0sv2urcu/

**Topics:** The second coming of Jesus; Mutawatir and certainty; Dajjal, Mahdi and the signs

**Summary (not a quotation; machine-made, unchecked):** No: Hasan al-Basri read 'knowledge of the hour' as the Quran, others as the Prophet, and the verse says knowledge, not sign, so the critics must interpret it too. Mufti Abu Layth adds that the Mahdi was also called mutawatir by Ibn Hajar, al-Shawkani and others yet is absent from al-Tahawi's creed.

**Checked position (checked by two independent reviews, not by the channel):** Mufti Abu Layth holds that 43:61 does not state that Jesus is the sign of the hour, that the critics contradict themselves by invoking mutawatir and consensus claims they reject elsewhere, and that the second-coming narrative reads exactly from the Gospels.

**Evidence, his words at 12:47:** “I wanted people to understand where I'm coming from why I feel this is because it reads exactly from the Gospels” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCr0sV2UrcU&t=767s)

## Longer summary

Mufti Abu Layth takes the verse 'and he is knowledge of the hour', which the critics read as Jesus being the sign of the hour at his return. He answers that Hasan al-Basri said it refers to the Quran, that others said it refers to the Prophet Muhammad, and that even on their reading the verse says 'ilm, knowledge, not sign, so they themselves must interpret it, which contradicts their claim that God stated the matter clearly. He summarises that the critics contradict themselves: they quote claims of mutawatir transmission and of consensus that scholars reject and that they disagree over among themselves. He points out that the Mahdi was also called mutawatir, by Ibn Hajar, by al-Shawkani who brings fifty hadith for the Mahdi against fewer for Jesus, and by al-Haytami, al-Sakhawi, al-Safarini and al-Barzanji, yet the Mahdi is not in al-Tahawi's creed nor in the early books of Ash'ari creed, which he calls a big problem for their standard. He says he has given this backdrop because the matter caused such discussion online and because he feels the narrative reads exactly from the Gospels.

## Sources and names cited

- Isa (Jesus)
- Quran 43:61 (and he is knowledge of the hour): https://quran.com/43/61
- Hasan al-Basri
- mutawatir
- Mahdi
- Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani
- al-Shawkani
- Ibn Hajar al-Haytami
- al-Sakhawi
- al-Safarini
- al-Barzanji
- al-Aqidah al-Tahawiyya
- ijma

## Transcript (machine tier, 10:26–13:02)

[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

[10:50] muhammed sallalahu I leave Salem second okay thirdly let's go with your interpretation let's just go with your yo-yo tape this is Jesus that he is referring to Jesus but let's go with it as it's red what in who that I'm Jesus is the knowledge of the hour doesn't say sign then say la alum says la alum Elmen lisa is the knowledge so what Jesus has knowledge about the end of time is that what I mean they give us a yeah but knowledge here means it's the sign it's the mean whoa what's all this interpretation I thought you said God is

[11:28] so clearly said this in the Quran so look this people is my summary of saying look these people quoting all these things have contradictions them quoting this being motivated doesn't make sense because they reject themselves so many motivated alleged claims them saying each man that scholars reject this and they disagree amongst themselves I'm saying this is in the books of Ikeda is interesting because what about the Maddie do you know who said the Maddie was motivated even a Hodja said he was motivated show candy brings more hadith for the mackney then he does for Jesus he brings 50 hadith regarding the Maddie

[12:08] if Dajjal Haytham me a Sahar we a safari me Albers mg all these people say the Maddie is motor water yet it's not into Howie you know your sacred the Howie if you reject the line of the Howie it's not in the early books of a theta of a shoddy Creed oh this one big problem so this is the so the point is looked I gave all this backdrop to and I really

[12:47] went on today about this because I felt it created such a discussion on line I wanted people to understand where I'm coming from why I feel this is because it reads exactly from the Gospels and then the detail of this because the big question is why is he actually coming because then it looks like Muslims have tried too hard to find a reason for his coming oh because he's gonna kill the job but then the gel just died straight away as soon as he yeah I mean you know if that was all healers why not the Madi just kill him or why not the Muslims just get together and kill him

## Cite

Mufti Abu Layth Archive, segment iCr0sV2UrcU/s/5. https://muftiabulayth.org/r/icr0sv2urcu/s/5/

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