Appearance
“Before His Death”: Whose Death?
وَإِن مِّنْ أَهْلِ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ إِلَّا لَيُؤْمِنَنَّ بِهِۦ قَبْلَ مَوْتِهِۦ ۖ وَيَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ يَكُونُ عَلَيْهِمْ شَهِيدًا
“There is none among the People of the Book but will surely believe in him before his death; and on the Day of Resurrection he will be a witness against them” (4:159)
The question
In There is none among the People of the Book but will surely believe in him before his death, whose death is meant: Jesus’ at his return, or each of the People of the Book’s own?
Views answered: al-Zamakhsharī, Fakhr al-Rāzī, Tafsīr al-ʿAyyāshī, al-Taḥrīr wa-l-Tanwīr
Jawādī Āmulī’s argument
Of the verse’s five pronouns, only “his death” is unclear. Āyatullāh Jawādī Āmulī finds that referring it to Jesus does not fit the verse’s universal “none among the People of the Book”, since it would leave only the few alive at his descent; he sees no problem in the descent itself, and reports Fakhr al-Rāzī’s answer to the theologians’ objection. He prefers the second reading: each of the People of the Book believes in Jesus before his own death, when the conjecture about the Messiah is lifted. He sets aside the readings that take “him” as the Prophet, except by way of application, or as the “raising” of the previous verse.
Views compared
The views are given as al-Tasnim reports them, with the works its notes cite. Each point opens al-Tasnim at that place.
“His death” as Jesus’ death Read →
A reading al-Zamakhsharī also mentions
Those of the People of the Book alive when the Messiah descends and joins the Imam of the Time will believe in him.Jawādī Āmulī
This does not accord with the verse: “none among the People of the Book” is universal, while this reading leaves only a very small group and excludes those of past centuries.Can the Messiah descend? Read →
Some theologians
If he returns while religious obligation remains, he would either be a prophet after the Seal of the Prophets, or a prophet stripped of prophethood; both are impossible.Jawādī Āmulī
There is no problem in the descent itself. Fakhr al-Rāzī answers that every prophethood ended with the mission of Muḥammad, so the Messiah would follow his religion; his prophethood is not taken away but has ended.“His death” as each person’s death Read →
The second possibility
Each of the People of the Book believes in Jesus before his own death.Jawādī Āmulī
Preferred. So much was said about the Messiah, from his birth to his death, out of conjecture; at death the truth becomes clear to all of them, whether their faith then benefits them or not.“In him” as the Prophet Read →
Tafsīr al-ʿAyyāshī
At the time of death the Prophet’s truthfulness becomes clear to everyone.Jawādī Āmulī
The Prophet is not named in the verse, so this is not its meaning, though he can be its referent by way of application (jary) or of the narrations.“In him” as the raising Read →
al-Taḥrīr wa-l-Tanwīr
At death they will believe in his being raised, since now they all believe he was crucified.Jawādī Āmulī
This needs a noun drawn artificially from the verb, reaches back to the previous verse, and the raising is not a fundamental of religion to be believed in; his prophethood is.Reading guide
Each step opens al-Tasnim at that point.