The Mahdi Times October 2011 | Page 40

Enlightenment about the First Mahdi And the Crucified Look-Alike of Jesus a.s by: Yousef McGowen Bismillah HirRahman, NirRaheem.  Alhamdulillah Rub 'alamin.  Allahuma salle ala Muhammad, wa ala Muhammad, al A'Emma, wal Madiyeen wa salam Tasleema Katheera.   I pray you are all in good faith, and that God Almighty opens up many new doors of understandings and blessings into your life, and protects you from all that is evil in this world. We would like to help our Christian brothers and sisters become more aware that Muslims and Christians are much closer than they may think.  One of the main differences between Muslims and Christians is that Christians either believe Jesus (as) is the son of God or some believe that he is God himself manifested in the physical form.  Whereas Muslims believe that Jesus (as) is the son of Mary and the Prophet of God in his time, the Messiah to return in the end of times to destroy the ad-Dajjal, the imposter, or  as christians know him as the antichrist.   Another very important difference between Christians and Muslims, is that Christians believe Jesus was crucified on the cross for our sins, whereas Muslims believe that Jesus (as)  was truly not crucified on the cross, rather a look-a-like descended down to take his place. This is backed up from many hadith from the Ahlul Bayt (as), and this is what this presentation is going to focus on GodWilling, and I pray that after this presentation, many Christians will recognize the truth in this matter. Many Christians know from the Old and New Testaments, that on the night Judas met with the Jewish Rabbis to turn Jesus in, Jesus (as) made several supplications to God, asking to be spared from the plots of the Jews.  One account says, […And he went forward a little, and fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him.  And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me…][21] One thing made clear by this verse, is that Jesus (as) desperately sought God's help in supplication, seeking for the hour to pass from him, and that God would take this cup from him, or the coming torment and crucifixion, and we know that God Almighty does not waste or reject the supplications of His messengers (as). In the Holy Qur'an Allah (swt) says, {And their saying, ‘We did kill the Messiah, Jesus (Isa), son of Mary, the Messenger of Allah; whereas they slew him not, nor crucified him, but he appeared to them so (like Isa); and those who differ therein are certainly in a state of doubt about it; they have no definite knowledge thereof, but only follow a conjecture; and they killed him not for sure.}[7] In the Qur'an, God makes it clear that