Ahmad 7269

Its isnad is sahih. Bukhari related it in 5:86, from Ibn Madini, from Sufyan bin Uyayna, with this same isnad. Muslim likewise related it in 1:54 through chains from the narration of Ibn Uyayna, but he did not give its wording in full, referring instead to what preceded it. Bukhari also related it in 4:343, and Muslim as well, through the route of Layth from Zuhri. It will come again repeatedly, at length and in brief, including at 7665, 7891, and 10957. See also what has already passed in Musnad Ibn Masud 3556, and in Musnad Abdullah bin Amr bin As 6555.The modernists, or reformers, in our present age in which we live, have toyed with these hadiths that clearly indicate the descent of Isa bin Maryam ﷺ at the end of time, before the life of this world comes to an end, sometimes through interpretation that carries denial within it, and other times through outright denial. This is because, in the reality of their situation, they do not believe in the unseen, or scarcely believe in it. These are hadiths that are mutawatir in meaning taken all together, and the substance of what they establish concerning the religion is known as a matter of necessity, so neither denial nor interpretation avails them anything.Hafiz bin Kathir mentioned a good and abundant group of the sahih hadiths reported on this matter, in his tafsir, 3:15-23, then said, "These are hadiths that are mutawatir from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, narrated by Abu Hurairah, Ibn Masud, Uthman bin Abu As, Abu Umama, Nawas bin Saman, Abdullah bin Amr bin As, Mujammi bin Jariya, and Huzaifa bin Usayd. They indicate the manner of his descent and its location, namely that it will be in Syria, indeed in Damascus, at the eastern minaret, and that this will occur at the time the dawn prayer is being established.In these later ages, in the year 742, seven hundred forty-one, a white minaret of carved stone was built for the Umayyad Mosque, replacing the minaret that had been destroyed by the fire attributed to the doing of the Christians, upon whom be the successive curses of Allah until the Day of Resurrection, most of its construction having been funded from their wealth. The conjecture grew strong that this is the very minaret upon which the Messiah Isa bin Maryam will descend, whereupon he will kill the pig, break the cross, and abolish the jizya, so that nothing will be accepted except Islam, as has already been stated in the Sahihayn. This is a report from the Prophet about that, and an affirmation, a legislation, and a sanctioning of it for that time, when it will become incumbent upon them, and their doubts about themselves will be lifted. For this reason, all of them will enter into the religion of Islam, following Isa, and at his hands.This is why Allah Almighty said, "There is none among the People of the Book but will believe in him before his death" [Nisa 4:159], to the end of the verse."See also Fath al-Bari 6:355-358, where Bukhari related this hadith through another route, at length.