Jamal Badawi: It affects it quit significantly because the word, like I said before, the Qur'an used the term that Jesus "maata" which could only mean died, but of course in the context of the Qur'an it does not say that he died on the cross because the Qur'an negated that. The term "mutawaffeeka" if you take the lexicon, it means to recall from a mission, the term means to finish something and in that sense it could mean that Allah is addressing Jesus, once again using "mutawaffeeka", that I am going to finish your mission on earth, your mission among the Israelites. It does not necessarily imply that he died on the cross in the Qur'an, nor does it even imply that he died shortly afterwards. If you take the metaphoric meaning of the term it means to finish your life or to take away your soul causing you to die. Obviously it does not mean to die on the cross because it explicitly negates that in the Qur'an in Sura 4 in the Qur'an. But it may be that Allah said that you are completing your terms and I am letting you die but not let your enemies kill you. It could also mean causing you to die latter, it could imply a possible latter death on the cross but it cannot be on the cross according to other verses of the Qur'an.

Jamal Badawi: OK that has two meanings and one has to be honest again distinguish between what the Qur'an is specifically saying and what people try to understand from the Qur'an. As far as the Qur'an is concerned, there is no indication as far as interpretations, some said that Jesus was saved from the crucifixion Allah took him to some safe place and like every other human being, he died. So that means maybe in a few months or years. However, I cannot find any conclusive evidence of that interpretation in the Qur'an, I am not saying that it has no validity at all but I am simply saying that is an interpretation, but not something that you can base on conclusive evidence.

Now, the question here of raising, what does it mean to say raising you? Now, the interpretation, or understanding of the word raise in the context of the Qur'an and the Qur'an's usage. In the Qur'an, we find that the same term raise is used to raising the good deeds, for example in Sura 35 it talks about how Allah raises the good deeds, it doesn't mean physical lifting.

The wording here is very decisive because it is a physical raising not a wording that can be interpreted as the raising of the soul or status. It is interesting to note that in the Gospel of John 3: 13 he speaks as if he is not aware of that quotation because he says that nobody else was raised to heaven even though the Old Testament is quit clear on that.

Jamal Badawi: On the surface there may be some inconsistency. In earlier programs we said he was the last Prophet but here is another Prophet. The fact of Muhammad being the seal or the last of all Prophets means no human being will come after him in the capacity of being a new Prophet as a new messenger with a new message receiving a new revelation a new holy book to replace the previous revelation. According to Muslim belief, the second coming of Jesus is not in the capacity of a new Prophet really, nor superceding the Qur'an, the last revelation which has been preserved fully and perfectly nor as a substituted for Islam as he is superceded the Torah for example in his time, but as a follower of Islam in its complete form. As we mentioned before, Islam means the religion and divine revelations of all of the Prophets from Adam to Muhammad taught, and that he will be coming under the leadership of the greatest of all of these messengers, the Prophet Muhammad, that he will become a Muslim as other Prophets were Muslims before him. I think that the problem will become more clear when we talk about the nature of the second coming and what will take place, but as far as his coming, it will not supercede the last revelation, it is part of it.

Jamal Badawi: I do not wish to approach this question neither with undue optimism or pessimism, I think being used to doing this program and I hope that the viewers appreciate this that one would like to discuss things with a more open heart and open mind, with even handidness and honesty. On one hand I would like to say that there is one possible area of agreement between Muslims and their Christian brethren, and that is at least the acceptance that Jesus is coming again. Secondly, his coming will be close to the coming of the end of the days on this earth. Three, that his coming will be very significant and very useful it will bring a great deal of peace to the conflicts of humanity and the human race. However, there are differences some of which are quit essential. The basic point relates to his capacity, in what capacity is he coming back what is the nature of his second coming? In my humble understanding of the Christian theology is that Jesus second coming is in the capacity of God or as a divine being and judge and this will be the final judgement, he will judge those who are dead and alive and that is the end of it. That understanding is based on some other common aspects of the Christian theology, that is the issue of Trinity, or the divinity of Jesus as God in human form it has been explained. As far as Muslim understanding, there is a major difference there because Muslims believe that Jesus in his second coming is not coming as God because he is not God and never claimed to be God but he is coming as one of the greatest Prophets of Allah it has nothing to do with the notion of God incarnate. Of course, that in turn is very much consistent with the understanding about the nature of Jesus about the attributes of the deity of Allah the creator of all and the fact there is no such consequence, some of God in the word has been used to attribute divinity to Jesus.

In other words take the translation now, and can perhaps leave it at that, he [Jesus] poured it [and we talked about what it could mean] is a knowledge or sign of what is possible sign for the hour, therefore have no doubt about it and follow me [that is the Prophet Muhammad] this is a straight path. That needs some explanation and in what context was this verse revealed to perhaps we can catch up on that later.