Question:
A hadith reported in Musnad Abu Ya‘la which says that Isa will descend as a just ruler, a fair judge, and a righteous leader. He will break the cross, kill the pig, and establish justice among people. Breaking the cross means rejecting the belief associated with it, not literally destroying wooden crosses. The cross represents the belief that Jesus was crucified. But when Jesus returns alive, it proves that he was not crucified, so that belief collapses. The narration also says he will forbid the eating of pork, because it was originally prohibited.
However, at the end of that narration there is a strange statement. It says that when Isa descends, he will come to the grave of the Prophetﷺ ﷺ and say: “O Muhammad.” Then the Prophetﷺ ﷺ will respond to him
Is the above narration Authentic?
Answer:
Weakness in the Chain of Narration
The chain of narration contains a narrator named Ahmad ibn Isa. Scholars strongly criticized him. The famous scholar Yahya ibn Ma‘in reportedly swore by Allahﷻ that this narrator was a liar. When such a narrator appears in a chain, the narration becomes unreliable. Another narrator in the chain is Abu Sahr, who is also considered weak by some scholars. Because of these weaknesses, the hadith cannot be considered authentic.
Another Version in Al-Hakim
Another version appears in the book of Al-Hakim. But it includes a narrator named Muhammad ibn Ishaq. Although he is generally reliable, he sometimes used ambiguous narration methods. If he does not clearly state from whom he heard the narration, scholars consider it weak. In this narration he used such wording. Therefore, that chain is also weak.
Logical Problem with the Narration
There is also a theological issue. When a person dies, his connection with the world ends. That is the meaning of death. The Prophetﷺ ﷺ does not directly hear people in the world. Instead, Allahﷻ has appointed angels to convey the greetings (salawat and salam) of believers to him. The Prophetﷺ himself said that angels deliver the greetings of his followers to him. So, if Isa were to go to the Prophetﷺ’s grave and call him directly, that would contradict the established understanding. Therefore, this narration cannot be accepted as authentic.
Conclusion
The hadith about Isa calling the Prophetﷺ from his grave is not authentic. It contains weak narrators and contradicts stronger narrations. Therefore, scholars reject it.