All Messemgers Before Muhammad(saw) Have Passed Away
And Muhammad is only a Messenger. Verily, all Messengers have passed away before him. If then he die or be slain, will you turn back on your heels? And he who turns back on his heels shall not harm Allah at all. And Allah will certainly reward the grateful. (Chapter 3 verse 145)

This verse clearly states that Hazrat Isa(As) has already died a natural death. The verse shows us that messengers are nowhere close to God nor are immortal like Allah, rather are just like other human beings. Allah here states:

قَدْخَلَتْمِنْقَبْلِهِالرُّسُلُ

All Messengers have passed away before him

الرُّسُلُ is used with the implantation of the messengers before Muhammad(saw) which shows that one cannot remove any messenger from the definite article of al referring to the messengers before Muhammad(saw). This verse is referring to The Holy Prophet Muhammad(saw) and Allah is showing us that he is just a human being and would pass away also, and to show this he tells us that ALL have passed away. Now one may try saying Isa(as) is an exception but that would go directly in contradiction with why Allah revealed this verse. If even one messenger is alive that shows that Muhammad(saw) did not have to die during his lifetime and could have lived on for a much longer life as non Ahmadi Muslims claim Isa(as) did. If there was a single messenger who was not given death in his lifetime and was risen to heavens, it would have surely been the greatest prophet, Muhammad(saw). But Allah has made this the rule of life clear. You are born here, you die here and are raised forth from here

You Die On Earth



He said, ‘Therein shall you live, and therein shall you die, and therefrom shall you be brought forth.’(Chapter 7 Verse 26)

Allah is telling us Muhammad(saw) is just a messenger, and that all of the messengers before him have passed away. Even if one messenger is taken out from this statement then the entire verse fails in logic, which we know cannot happen with the words of Allah.

Non Ahmadi translations either say many or other messengers have passed away while ours says all, but there translation makes no sense. First of all the Arabic itself only says “messengers before him have passed away”. Second of all, if all is replaced with some or many then the verse is saying that the Holy Prophet(saw) is sure to die because only some prophets before him have died, which clearly voids what Allah is trying to tell us here.

Some  claim that the verse is just trying to state that Muhammad(saw) would also die. This is true, however the next statement clearly proves that the messengers before Muhammad(saw) have died, which shows that yes he would have to die as well just like all of the messengers before him. The key proof that it refers to all messengers in this ayah is the context. Secondly Allah has used the words “messengers before”. Can one exclude Isa(as) alone from the messengers before? Of course not. What clearly proves to us that it does indeed refer to all messengers, is the context, and Allah stating Messengers before Muhammad(saw). One cannot choose to exclude Isa(as) from the messengers before Muhammad(saw). The non Ahmadi Muslims try to quote some ayahs which use the definite article of al. For example Chapter 3 verse 43 where Allah states:

“And Mention when the Angels said” The words used are al-malaaikah. Now the plural number here signifies that , as God intented to bring about, through Mary’s son, a great change in the world affecting various spheres of life, He commanded all of the different angels connected with the relevant spheres to take part in the conveying of this message. Over here al-malaaikah are not restricted to a specific time period so it does not necessarily have to mean all and nor is the context suggesting it to mean all. One has to keep the context of Chapter 3 verse 145 in their mind. They also quote more ayahs like Chapter 11 verse 120 which states that Allah will fill the Hellfire with Jinn and men all together. When we look at the context of this ayah its clear that this does not refer to all and nor is a time frame mentioned. This ayah in context is clearly referring to the wicked and disobedient jinn and men.

The challenge we put fourth where the non Ahmadis fail to ever respond is show such a context where Allah is showing us something has to happen and He uses al and gives us a time frame as well, and it excludes one person alone. Can they bring such a verse?

Now the Arabic they suggest, excludes only one rasul from al rusul even though the time frame is mentioned. According to this logic,

“But the word of your Lord is to be fulfilled that,”I will surely fill Hell with jinn and men all together.” according to their Arabic all Jinns are included except one, and all men except one.

 O Mary, indeed Allah has chosen you and purified you and chosen you above the women of the worlds.” Their Arabic states that it was all angels except one. You are really making yourself look ignorant at the moment.
All messengers is the only translation that would make sense, or messengers alone, which also includes all in the words messengers. If only some died then on that basis why would Allah tell us so will Holy Prophet (saw) die. Replacing all with some will only make sense if the argument was saying that Muhammad(saw) may or may not pass way, but this is clearly not what Allah is telling us, as we further prove our point by the ijmaa of the sahaba on this topic of death of prophets before The greatest prophet, Muhammad(Saw).

It is also interesting to note that Allah Has Used the same exact Arabic for Isa(as) in Chapter 5 Verse 76 where He States:

jesus used to eat food

The Messiah, son of Mary, was only a Messenger; surely, Messengers like unto him had indeed passed away before him. And his mother was a truthful woman. They both used to eat food. See how We explain the Signs for their good, and see how they are turned away. (Chapter 5 verse 76)

Now I ask the non Ahmadis when messengers is stated here, why do they include all? Do they take anyone to be alive before Isa(as)? Do they not agree that al rasul means all messengers here? They have only translated it as many or other in the other ayah above to exclude Isa(as). However, according to the Arabic it clear includes all messengers.

Here is a famous hadith of Bukhari, which is obviously not the saying of Muhammad(Saw) but an incident which took place on his death and proves the ijmaa of the sahaba was that all of the messengers before the Holy Prophet (saw) have already died.

حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ بُكَيْرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا اللَّيْثُ، عَنْ عُقَيْلٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي أَبُو سَلَمَةَ، أَنَّ عَائِشَةَ، أَخْبَرَتْهُ أَنَّ أَبَا بَكْرٍ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ أَقْبَلَ عَلَى فَرَسٍ مِنْ مَسْكَنِهِ بِالسُّنْحِ حَتَّى نَزَلَ، فَدَخَلَ الْمَسْجِدَ فَلَمْ يُكَلِّمِ النَّاسَ حَتَّى دَخَلَ عَلَى عَائِشَةَ، فَتَيَمَّمَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَهْوَ مُغَشًّى بِثَوْبِ حِبَرَةٍ، فَكَشَفَ عَنْ وَجْهِهِ ثُمَّ أَكَبَّ عَلَيْهِ فَقَبَّلَهُ وَبَكَى‏.‏ ثُمَّ قَالَ بِأَبِي أَنْتَ وَأُمِّي، وَاللَّهِ لاَ يَجْمَعُ اللَّهُ عَلَيْكَ مَوْتَتَيْنِ، أَمَّا الْمَوْتَةُ الَّتِي كُتِبَتْ عَلَيْكَ فَقَدْ مُتَّهَا‏.‏ قَالَ الزُّهْرِيُّ وَحَدَّثَنِي أَبُو سَلَمَةَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، أَنَّ أَبَا بَكْرٍ، خَرَجَ وَعُمَرُ يُكَلِّمُ النَّاسَ فَقَالَ اجْلِسْ يَا عُمَرُ، فَأَبَى عُمَرُ أَنْ يَجْلِسَ‏.‏ فَأَقْبَلَ النَّاسُ إِلَيْهِ وَتَرَكُوا عُمَرَ، فَقَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ أَمَّا بَعْدُ مَنْ كَانَ مِنْكُمْ يَعْبُدُ مُحَمَّدًا صلى الله عليه وسلم فَإِنَّ مُحَمَّدًا قَدْ مَاتَ، وَمَنْ كَانَ مِنْكُمْ يَعْبُدُ اللَّهَ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ حَىٌّ لاَ يَمُوتُ، قَالَ اللَّهُ ‏{‏وَمَا مُحَمَّدٌ إِلاَّ رَسُولٌ قَدْ خَلَتْ مِنْ قَبْلِهِ الرُّسُلُ‏}‏ إِلَى قَوْلِهِ ‏{‏الشَّاكِرِينَ‏}‏ وَقَالَ وَاللَّهِ لَكَأَنَّ النَّاسَ لَمْ يَعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ أَنْزَلَ هَذِهِ الآيَةَ حَتَّى تَلاَهَا أَبُو بَكْرٍ، فَتَلَقَّاهَا مِنْهُ النَّاسُ كُلُّهُمْ فَمَا أَسْمَعُ بَشَرًا مِنَ النَّاسِ إِلاَّ يَتْلُوهَا‏.‏ فَأَخْبَرَنِي سَعِيدُ بْنُ الْمُسَيَّبِ أَنَّ عُمَرَ قَالَ وَاللَّهِ مَا هُوَ إِلاَّ أَنْ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا بَكْرٍ تَلاَهَا فَعَقِرْتُ حَتَّى مَا تُقِلُّنِي رِجْلاَىَ، وَحَتَّى أَهْوَيْتُ إِلَى الأَرْضِ حِينَ سَمِعْتُهُ تَلاَهَا أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَدْ مَاتَ‏.‏

Narrated `Aisha:

Abu Bakr came from his house at As-Sunh on a horse. He dismounted and entered the Mosque, but did not speak to the people till he entered upon `Aisha and went straight to Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) who was covered with Hibra cloth (i.e. a kind of Yemenite cloth). He then uncovered the Prophet’s face and bowed over him and kissed him and wept, saying, “Let my father and mother be sacrificed for you. By Allah, Allah will never cause you to die twice. As for the death which was written for you, has come upon you.”

Narrated Ibn `Abbas: Abu Bakr went out while `Umar bin Al-Khattab was talking to the people. Abu Bakr said, “Sit down, O `Umar!” But `Umar refused to sit down. So the people came to Abu Bakr and left `Umar. Abu Bakr said, “To proceed, if anyone amongst you used to worship Muhammad, then Muhammad is dead, but if (anyone of) you used to worship Allah, then Allah is Alive and shall never die. Allah said:–“Muhammad is no more than a messenger, and indeed messengers have passed away before him..(till the end of the Verse )……Allah will reward to those who are thankful.” (3.144) By Allah, it was as if the people never knew that Allah had revealed this Verse before till Abu Bakr recited it and all the people received it from him, and I heard everybody reciting it (then). Narrated Az-Zuhri: Sa`id bin Al-Musaiyab told me that `Umar said, “By Allah, when I heard Abu Bakr reciting it, my legs could not support me and I fell down at the very moment of hearing him reciting it, declaring that the Prophet (ﷺ) had died.”(Sahih Bukhari  Volume 5, Book 59, Hadith 733)

When Abu Bakr(ra) narrated this Hadith, all of the companions were relieved. Hazrat Umar(ra) states that he himself who was at one point ready to kill anyone who says the prophet(Saw) had died said:

state of umar



 “I became afraid. Both my legs began to tremble, so much so that when I heard that the Holy Prophet Muhammad(saw) had passed away, I fell to the ground” (Musnad Ahmad)

No one mentioned Isa(as) nor does any authentic narration state that anyone even thought about Isa(as). Some have alleged that it is because of the condition of the sahaba that they did not mention Isa(as). I ask them why Moses(as) was then mentioned?

It is said in some narrations that Umar(ra) said Muhammad(Saw) went to Allah for forty days and forty nights like Moses(as), no one even thought of Isa(As) at this time. It is narrated that Umar(ra) said:

“Some of the hypocrites allege that the Messenger of God is dead. By God, he is not dead but has gone to his Lord as Moses b. Imran went and remained hidden from his people for forty days. Moses returned after it was said that he had died. By God, the Messenger of God will [also] return and will cut off the hands and feet of those who allege that he is dead” (Tabari Volume 9 p 184)

This incident is such a huge incident in the history of Islam, and it is quite sad that even after this, many Muslims carry the belief that Isa(as) is alive but the greatest prophet Muhammad(saw) is dead, even though Quran says both have died. After this verse was said by Abu Bakr(ra) during this incident all sahaba understood the clear message that only Allah lives forever, and now even Muhammad(saw) has died but do not worry he was just a messenger and had to die just like all of the messengers before him who have also died, but follow Islam and Allah, because Allah will never die and is eternal.