Where did Jesus (as) die, and is he not to be buried beside the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw)?

Wherever Jesus (as) died, he died on this earth and not in heaven, as the Holy Qur’an makes clear in many verses. And the expectation that a Messiah will only be accepted once he lies buried beside the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) leads nowhere.

Many Muslims have been taught that Jesus (as) was lifted alive into heaven and will one day return. Usually a single verse is cited for this idea, and that verse can be understood quite differently. Against it stand many verses which state clearly that Jesus (as) died and that his soul returned to God. Anyone who must choose between one ambiguous verse and many clear ones follows the clear ones.

The question of exactly where Jesus (as) died is secondary in comparison. We do not know where most other prophets died either, and that does not weaken our faith. What matters is that Jesus (as) died on this earth and is not living on in heaven. The Holy Qur’an says that all the messengers before the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) have passed away, and it tells how God gave Jesus (as) and his mother a refuge in a peaceful place after the danger.

Some say that the returning Jesus (as) will be buried beside the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) after his death, and that this is how he will be recognised. One only has to think this expectation through. Whoever believes it will reject anyone who appears as the Messiah during his lifetime, saying: Only when you have died and been buried there will I accept you. So the whole Muslim world would reject him while he lives. Would it then allow a rejected man to be buried in that place?

A sign that can only be fulfilled after death helps no one recognise a prophet while he is active among people. Yet God sends His messengers so that they may be followed in their lifetime. It is therefore wiser to understand such promises spiritually and to judge the Messiah by his life, his teaching and its fruits.