Vision of the Coming Messiah

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

اللهم صلى على محمد وآل محمد

The Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم met the Messiah of Nazareth على نبينا وعليه السلام in the Heavens during the incident of the Mi’raj—the spiritual ascension. While this was an event that occurred in the spirit realm and was not a corporal ascension, the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم saw various other Prophets and was able to inform us of some of their physical descriptions. Regarding the Messiah of Nazareth على نبينا وعليه السلام he صلى الله عليه وسلم said:

فَأَمَّا عِيسَى فَأَحْمَرُ جَعْدٌ عَرِيضُ الصَّدْرِ

As for Jesus he was reddish [complexion], curly haired and broad chested

(Sahih al-Bukhari)

However, in a separate vision, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم saw himself circulating the Ka’ba and in that state he beheld Jesus, and described him:

فَإِذَا رَجُلٌ آدَمُ كَأَحْسَنِ مَا يُرَى مِنْ أُدْمِ الرِّجَالِ تَضْرِبُ لِمَّتُهُ بَيْنَ مَنْكِبَيْهِ رَجِلُ الشَّعَرِ يَقْطُرُ رَأْسُهُ مَاءً وَاضِعًا يَدَيْهِ عَلَى مَنْكِبَىْ رَجُلَيْنِ وَهْوَ يَطُوفُ بِالْبَيْتِ‏ فَقُلْتُ مَنْ هَذَا فَقَالُوا هَذَا الْمَسِيحُ ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ‏

I saw a brown men like the best of brown men you can see. His hair touched down to between his shoulders and was straight with water dripping from his head. He placed his hands upon the shoulders of two men while circulating the House [Ka’ba]. I said ‘Who is this?’ They answered: ‘the Messiah, Son of Mary’

فَإِذَا رَجُلٌ آدَمُ سَبْطُ الشَّعَرِ يُهَادَى بَيْنَ رَجُلَيْنِ يَنْطِفُ رَأْسُهُ مَاءً أَوْ يُهَرَاقُ رَأْسُهُ مَاءً فَقُلْتُ مَنْ هَذَا قَالُوا ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ

I saw a man of brownish [complexion] with straight hair, walking between two men, water was dripping from his head. So I asked ‘Who is this?’ and they replied: ‘the Son of Mary’

(Sahih al-Bukhari)

What explains this apparent and major discrepancy in the physical appearance of Jesus son of Mary from two separate visions of the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم? The simple and likely explanation is that in the vision of the Mi’raj the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم beheld the original Jesus son of Mary—that ancient Israelite Prophet. While in his vision of circulating the Ka’ba the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم beheld the coming Messiah of the future who is called ‘Son of Mary’ due to resemblance and fulfilling the prophecy of the Second Advent. This is indicated by the fact that in the same vision the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم beheld the Antichrist, described as a reddish man, burly, curly-haired, and with a deformity in his right eye resembling a floating grape. Seeing Jesus son of Mary with his hands placed on the shoulders of two men is indicative of the Prophet Muhammad’s prophecy:

وَاضِعًا كَفَّيْهِ عَلَى أَجْنِحَةِ مَلَكَيْنِ

Placing his palms upon the wings of two Angels

(Sahih Muslim)

In the vision the two Angels are beheld as two men and their wings are their shoulders upon which the Messiah places his hands.