Doubting the Return of Jesus (upon whom be peace)
Question: If someone doubts whether or not Jesus (upon whom be peace) will return, are they still a believer?
Answer:
Wa alaykum assalam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,
Dear questioner,
Thank you for your important question.
Short answer:
The return of Jesus is a point of faith. Please see:
https://seekersguidance.org/answers/islamic-belief/where-is-jesus/
https://seekersguidance.org/answers/islamic-belief/jesus/
https://seekersguidance.org/articles/knowledge/seekersnotes-crucifixion-of-christ-by-dr-umar-faruq-abd-allah/
Like any other fundamental point of faith, disbelief in or doubt regarding it would mean disbelief (kufr).
Ignorance as an excuse
That said, it is very important to understand that all this assumes that one is not simply ignorant of the discussion, such as a Muslim who simply hasn’t read the Qur’an or Sunna and just doesn’t know about the details.
For example, if someone was new to Islam and didn’t even know that Jesus or Moses (upon whom be peace) were even mentioned in the Qur’an, they would not be a disbeliever for not believing in them. They simply didn’t know that the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) had spoken about them. Such a person is still a believer because they believe in Allah and all His messengers and prophets, it is just that they don’t know the specifics of who the messengers and prophets are.
Weird beliefs vs Clear Disbelief
Another very, very important condition, is that the person doubting the point of creed not have some alternative interpretation of the Qur’an and Sunna, even if it is invalid or far fetched.
An example of this would be someone who thinks that there is no such thing as a hijab in Islam. They read the Qur’an in English, for example, and made a cursory study of the hadith literature and came to the incorrect and invalid conclusion that Islam does not require women to wear the hijab. Now, such a person is wrong and sinful for speaking on behalf of Allah with improper learning, but at the end of the day, they do believe in Allah and His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him).
Now in the recent past, there were many things that were obvious to everyday lay Muslims. The basic ideas of Islam were clear, and rejecting them was tantamount to rejecting the Qur’an and the teachings of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Nowadays, many of these basic things are now changing. For someone to leave Islam by rejecting something “necessarily known about Islam” (malum min al din bi al darura) in our times is very different from the past.
So, in summary, if someone doubts whether or not the Qur’an and the teachings of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) are true, such a person is simply not a believer. But if they interpret the Qur’an and the teachings of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in a really odd way, and come to the conclusion, for example, that Jesus (upon whom be peace) is dead and will never return, then they are a believer, albeit a sinful one.
Disbelief is very, very simple: the person flat out denies that the Qur’an and the teachings of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) are true. Anything else, even if it is invalid, incorrect, or sinful, is still considered a belief in Islam.
Please also see:
https://seekersguidance.org/answers/islamic-belief/universal-validity-of-religions-and-the-issue-of-takfir/
I pray this helps.
[Ustadh] Farid
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Ustadh Farid Dingle has completed extensive years of study in the sciences of the Arabic language and the various Islamic Sciences. During his studies, he also earned a CIFE Certificate in Islamic Finance. Over the years he has developed a masterful ability to craft lessons that help non-Arabic speakers gain a deep understanding of the language. He currently teaches courses in the Arabic Language
