Islam and Christianity, two of the world’s largest religions, have long shared overlapping narratives while diverging sharply on key theological points. Among the most contentious is the doctrine of the Trinity—the Christian belief in one God existing in three persons: the Father, the Son (Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit. Within Islamic theology, this concept is rejected outright as shirk (associating partners with God), an unforgivable sin if maintained until death. Intriguingly, Islamic eschatology portrays Jesus (‘Isa in Arabic) as a central figure who will return to rectify theological errors, including the doctrines attributed to Paul and Trinitarian Christianity. This article explores how Islam envisions Jesus’s second coming as the ultimate dismantling of Pauline Trinitarian Christianity.
The Islamic View of Jesus
In Islam, Jesus is revered as one of the mightiest messengers of God, born miraculously to the Virgin Mary (Maryam) without a father. The Qur’an ascribes to Jesus extraordinary miracles, such as healing the sick and raising the dead, all by God’s permission. However, Islam draws a firm line against his deification. The Qur’an explicitly denies that Jesus claimed divinity, stating:
“They have certainly disbelieved who say, ‘God is the Messiah, the son of Mary’… Say, ‘He is but one God; exalted is He above having a son…” (Qur’an 4:171)
The Islamic Jesus is a servant and prophet of God, whose teachings were corrupted after his ascension. According to Islam, the true monotheistic message of Jesus was overshadowed by later theological developments, particularly those associated with Paul of Tarsus.
Paul: The Architect of Trinitarian Christianity
Paul of Tarsus, a Pharisee-turned-Christian missionary, is often credited as the most influential figure in shaping Christianity as it is known today. His epistles constitute a significant portion of the New Testament and emphasize doctrines such as justification by faith, the sacrificial atonement of Jesus’s death, and his divine nature. Critics argue that Paul diverged from the teachings of Jesus, introducing Hellenistic and Roman philosophical elements that transformed a Jewish prophetic tradition into a universalized, Trinitarian religion.
Islam views Paul’s influence as a corruption of Jesus’s original message. From an Islamic perspective, Jesus preached pure monotheism (tawhid) and submission to God’s will, akin to the core tenets of Islam. The transformation of Jesus into a divine figure and the incorporation of the Trinity are seen as deviations orchestrated not by Jesus himself but by those who came after him, particularly Paul.
The Second Coming of Jesus in Islam
Islamic eschatology holds that Jesus will return at the end of times, a belief shared with Christianity but differing in purpose and outcome. While Christians anticipate Jesus’s return to establish God’s kingdom and judge humanity, Muslims believe his return will serve specific functions aligned with Islamic theology.
According to hadith (sayings of the Prophet Muhammad), Jesus will descend to Earth, signaling the approach of the Day of Judgment. Among his key roles will be:
Correcting Theological Misconceptions: Jesus will clarify his true nature and mission, repudiating claims of his divinity and the concept of the Trinity. He will declare himself a servant of God, affirming Islam’s monotheistic creed. A famous hadith states:
“By Him in Whose Hands my soul is, the son of Mary will shortly descend among you as a just ruler… He will break the cross, kill the swine, and abolish the jizya (tax).” (Sahih Bukhari)
Breaking the cross symbolizes the rejection of Christian doctrines that deify Jesus, while abolishing the jizya indicates the end of religious division under his rule.
Defeating the Antichrist (Dajjal): Jesus will confront and defeat the Dajjal, a false messiah who will spread deception and chaos. This victory will affirm Jesus’s role as a savior and reestablish divine order.
Uniting Humanity Under Islam: Jesus will lead humanity back to pure monotheism, establishing justice and peace. The entire world will embrace Islam, fulfilling its vision as the final and universal religion.
Pauline Christianity Under Jesus’s Rule
Under Jesus’s leadership, Islamic theology predicts the end of Pauline Trinitarian Christianity. This is not envisioned as a violent eradication but a transformation through the force of truth. Jesus’s return will expose the theological errors in doctrines such as the Trinity, original sin, and vicarious atonement. The Qur’an anticipates this moment:
“And there is none from the People of the Scripture but that he will surely believe in him before his death. And on the Day of Resurrection he will be against them a witness.” (Qur’an 4:159)
This verse is often interpreted to mean that all Jews and Christians alive at the time of Jesus’s return will acknowledge him as a prophet of Islam and abandon their previous theological stances.
Theological Implications
The Islamic narrative of Jesus’s return challenges the foundational beliefs of Pauline Christianity. It asserts that Christianity as practiced today is a deviation from the true teachings of Jesus, distorted by human innovation. The repudiation of the Trinity and other doctrines poses profound questions for interfaith dialogue:
The Role of Paul: If Paul’s teachings are viewed as a distortion, then Christianity’s theological core requires reexamination. This challenges the legitimacy of centuries of Christian tradition and raises questions about the historical Jesus versus the Christ of faith.
The Universality of Islam: Jesus’s return in Islamic eschatology affirms Islam as the final, universal religion. This claim, if accepted, would necessitate a reorientation of Christian and Jewish eschatological expectations.
Interfaith Reconciliation: While Islamic eschatology predicts the end of Christian doctrines, it also envisions a unified humanity under monotheism. This could be a starting point for deeper interfaith discussions on shared values and the pursuit of truth.
Conclusion
Islamic theology envisions Jesus’s second coming as a moment of profound transformation, dismantling Pauline Trinitarian Christianity and restoring the monotheistic purity of his original message. From an Islamic perspective, Jesus will expose the theological deviations that arose after his ascension, reaffirming God’s oneness and leading humanity into an era of justice and peace.
While this narrative directly challenges Christian theological constructs, it also highlights the shared reverence for Jesus in both Islam and Christianity. For Muslims, Jesus’s return is not merely a rejection of erroneous doctrines but a reaffirmation of divine truth and the ultimate victory of monotheism. Engaging with these eschatological themes provides a window into the profound theological intersections and divergences between Islam and Christianity, offering opportunities for both reflection and dialogue.
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