Isa, The Descent

Down the wings of two angels at Fajr in Damascus: the story left open in Surah an-Nisa closes at Ludd.

The account

He was not killed and not crucified; "Allah raised him to Himself" (4:157-158), and the story so suspended resumes at the appointed minute: Fajr, the white minaret east of Damascus, iqamah already called. He descends in two saffron garments, hands on the wings of two angels; when he lowers his head it drips, when he raises it, pearls fall (Muslim 2937). He declines the Mahdi's mihrab with the sentence that honors this ummah forever: your imam is from among you.

His agenda is the dismantling of his own deification and the deceiver who borrowed his name: he breaks the cross, ends the swine, abolishes the jizyah, and hunts the Dajjal to the gate of Ludd, where the false masih dissolves like salt in water and dies on a true spear. Then the earth's sabbath: security so complete the lion lies with the camel; a pomegranate shading a company; rancor lifted. Yajuj and Majuj interrupt; he shelters the believers and heaven ends the hordes. He remains forty years, performs Hajj at the ancient House, marries, dies, and the Muslims pray over him: the ultimate janazah of tawhid. His full node stands at the Descent; his instruction for whoever lives to see him is on record: give him my salam ﷺ.

The facts

DescentWhite minaret, at Fajr
First actPrays behind this ummah
DajjalEnds him at Ludd
Stay40 years, then janazah

The Qur'an on it

وَإِنَّهُ لَعِلْمٌ لِّلسَّاعَةِ فَلَا تَمْتَرُنَّ بِهَا

Indeed, he is a sign of the Hour, so do not doubt it.

Qur'an 43:61

The narrations

By the One in whose hand is my soul, the son of Maryam is about to descend among you as a just judge.

Bukhari 2222 · Muslim 155

Read beside it

The words

On the Path

People beside it

Places

BeforeYajuj and Majuj AfterAl-Mahdi

On the Characters page The Path