A Research-Based Comparative Study of the Views and Perspectives of Ghulam Ahmad Parwez, Javed Ahmad Ghamidi, and Wahiduddin Khan on the Doctrine of the Descent of Jesus

عقیدۂ نزولِ عیسیٰ سے متعلق غلام احمد پرویز، جاوید احمد غامدی اور وحید الدین خان کے افکار ونظریات کا تحقیقی وتقابلی مطالعہ

Abstract

The doctrine of the descent of Prophet ʿĪsā (Jesus, peace be upon him) has long held an important place in Muslim eschatological thought. This study examines how three prominent South Asian Muslim scholars—Ghulam Ahmad Parwez, Javed Ahmad Ghamidi, and Wahiduddin Khan—understand this doctrine and how their views differ from the position generally accepted in classical Sunni scholarship. The study follows a comparative and critical approach, focusing on their interpretation of the relevant Qur’anic verses, Prophetic traditions, and theological arguments. The analysis shows that all three scholars question, reinterpret, or reject the traditional belief in the bodily ascent and future physical return of Prophet ʿĪsā, although they do so on different grounds. Parwez approaches the issue through a rationalist and strongly Qur’an-centred method and tends to interpret eschatological accounts in a symbolic sense. Ghamidi argues that the Qur’an does not clearly establish the bodily ascent or future descent of Prophet ʿĪsā and assesses the related Hadith reports according to his own principles of interpretation. Wahiduddin Khan also adopts a rational and reform-oriented approach and does not accept the traditional understanding of a literal return in its commonly held form. These views are critically evaluated in the light of classical Qur’anic exegesis, Hadith literature, and Sunni theological writings. The study finds that the traditional doctrine rests on a broad body of transmitted evidence and has been consistently upheld by mainstream Muslim scholars. According to this position, Prophet ʿĪsā was neither killed nor crucified but was raised by Allah and will return before the end of time, defeat the Dajjāl, establish justice, and later die a natural death. The study concludes that the interpretations of Parwez, Ghamidi, and Khan reflect modern rationalist and reformist concerns, but they remain difficult to reconcile with the dominant understanding of the Qur’an, Sunnah, and the established Sunni theological tradition.