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wa-ʾin min ʾahli l-kitābi ʾillā la-yuʾminanna bihī qabla mawtihī wa-yawma l-qiyāmati yakūnu ʿalayhim shahīdan
There is none among the People of the Book but will surely believe in him before his death; and on the Day of Resurrection, he will be a witness against them.
— Ali Quli Qarai
Surah An-Nisa', Verse 159
159. "And there is not anyone of the People of the Book but surely believes in him (Jesus) before his death, and on the Day of Resurrection, he will be a witness over them."
There are two probabilities in commenting on this verse, each of which is considerable for, some views.
1. The verse says:
The above-mentioned time is when a person is going to die and his connection with the world becomes weak while it becomes more serious with the world after death. The curtains will be removed from before his eyes and he will see many things of the reality. It is at this time that his inward eye of seeing the truth will see Jesus (as) and he will surrender before him (as).Those who denied him will believe in him, and those who considered him God, will recognize their error. But it is too late and this belief is of no vail for them. Then, it is better for them to believe just now, when belief is useful for them.
2. The purpose of the verse is that all the People of the Book will believe in Jesus (as) before death. The Jews will accept him for his messenger ship, and the Christians will leave out the god ship of Jesus.
This circumstance will happen, according to the Islamic literature, when Jesus (as) comes down from heaven at the time of the reappearance of Hadrat Mahdi (may Allah hasten his glad advent) and establishes prayer at the back of him. The Jews and Christians will see him and will believe both in him (as) and Imam Mahdi (May Allah hasten his glad advent). So, it is clear that, at this time, Jesus, whose religion relate to the former times has to follow the present creed, i.e. Islam, the executor of which is Mahdi (May Allah hasten his glad advent).
Basing on the recorded Islamic traditions, at the time of Mahdi's rightful government, the security will be so much so that wolf and sheep, lion and cow, and other savage animals will graze in the same pasture. The security of life, wealth and honour will be found in the world thoroughly. There will be no cruelty and transgression anywhere, and justice will cover the whole world of existence. However, at the end of the verse, it says:
The objective meaning of the 'witness of Jesus against them' is that he (as) will bear witness that he has preached the messenger ship but he has never invited them to his own divinity and god ship. On the contrary, he has invited them to the Divinity of Allah. 2
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