`Isa physically raised alive to heaven

A new translation of the meaning of the Qur'an named "The Holy Qur'an" by Allamah Nooruddin is being sold in Islamic book stores in America.On page 62-B of the glossary, while explaining the arabic word rafa'a, the translator says that "Of course, no one supposes that in these places raf'a means raising the body to the heavens. In fact when the raf'a of a person is spoken of as being to or toward God the meaning is invariably his spiritual elevation. (Lisan al Arab by Ibn Manzur, Taj al Arus by murtadza Husaini, Murfadat fi Gharaib al Qur'an, Sahih Al-Bukhari). Jesus himself has denied the possibility of his rising physically to heaven. Says he, "And no man has ascended up to heaven but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven." What is the view of the 'ulama of ahl-as-sunnah wal-jama'ah on the raising up of Isa (as)? Was it physical or was it spiritual? Is there any difference of opinion on this?

Wa `alaykum as-Salam:

1. There is no difference of opinion among the Ulema of reports and of Tafsir that `Isa, upon him peace, was raised to heaven with his material body as narrated from Ibn `Abbas by al-Tabari and from Qatada by Ibn  Sa`d and is now alive with his body in the first heaven just as Idris is now alive with his body in the fourth although there is divergence concerning the latter,  upon our Prophet and them blessings and peace.

 Since it matters to "Christian Muslims,"(*) we may add that the physical ascension of `Isa is also the belief of Christians in the near-totality or totality of their sects, and they know no grave nor claim any grave for him anywhere, upon him peace, other than the so-called Holy Sepulcher which they say he vacated after three days.

(*) "Christian Muslims": Purported Muslims who attempt to re-formulate Islam according to Christian beliefs and methodology.

References:

 

Ibn Sa`d, Tabaqat (1:53).

Al-Tabari, Tarikh (1:495).

Al-Baghawi, Tafsir (3:200).

Ibn Taymiyya, Fatawa (4:322-323).

Ibn Kathir, Bidaya (6:291).

Ibn Hajar, Fath al-Bari (7:209), Talkhis al-Habir (3:214).

`Azim Abadi, `Awn al-Ma`bud (11:307, 11:311-313).

2. Further, it is mass-transmitted (mutawatir) that `Isa will descend again from the heaven both body and soul, and this can only be after he had been raised there body and soul, upon him peace. In fact, the hadith of his  descent in the two Sahihs mentions that his head will be dripping with water. This is a reference to (a) the  presence of a physical body and (b) the suspension of time for him since his head was dripping with water just before he was raised up, as narrated from Ibn `Abbas by al-Tabari, Ibn Abi Hatim, al-Nasa'i, and Ibn Abi Shayba with a chain meeting the criterion of Imam Muslim  according to Ibn Kathir.

References:

 

Ibn Abi Shayba (6:339).

Al-Nasa'i, al-Sunan al-Kubra (6:489).

Al-Tabari, Tafsir (28:92).

Abu Ghudda in Anwar Shah Kashmiri, al-Tasrih (p. 116-117).

Ibn Kathir, Bidaya (2:92), Tafsir (1:366, 1:574-575, 4:363).

Ibn Taymiyya, Fatawa (4:322-323).

Al-Ghumari, `Aqidat Ahl al-Islam (p. 25-37).

As for those that say "Of course, no one supposes that in these places [of the Qur'an] rafa`a means raising the body to the heavens" - if they mean `Isa, upon him be peace, then they are people of ignorance upon innovation upon corruption. This is confirmed by the fact that they not only dare reject mutawatir Islamic  doctrine but do so on an Israelite basis. Islam is not so poor that it need rely on abrogated and corrupted scriptures when it has the Furqan.

Was-Salam.
Hajj Gibril