The hadith usually quoted states:
Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said “How will you be when the son of Mary descends amongst you and is your imam among you.”(Sahih Bukhari, Volume 4, Book 55, Hadith #658)
Now the next part states “imamukum Minkum”. This is yet another proof in the same exact hadith that shows he would be an imam from amongst ourselves rather than from somewhere else. Qur’an has made it clear that Isa(as) was only sent for the children of Bani Israel rather than for mankind. Allah states:
“And will make him a Messenger to the children of Israel (to say): ‘I come to you with a Sign from your Lord, which is, that I will fashion out for you a creation out of clay after the manner of a bird, then I will breathe into it a new spirit and it will become a soaring being by the command of Allah; and I will heal the night-blind and the leprous, and I will quicken the dead, by the command of Allah; and I will announce to you what you will eat and what you will store up in your houses. Surely, therein is a Sign for you, if you be believers.” (Chapter 3 Verse 50)
Now we know that in Islam the successors would come from amongst us rather than from Bani Israel or any other nation:
Allah has promised to those among you who believe and do good works that He will surely make them Successors in the earth, as He made Successors from among those who were before them; and that He will surely establish for them their religion which He has chosen for them; and that He will surely give them in exchange security and peace after their fear: They will worship Me, and they will not associate anything with Me. Then whoso is ungrateful after that, they will be the rebellious.(Chapter 24 Verse 56)
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ كَثِيرٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا إِسْرَائِيلُ، أَخْبَرَنَا عُثْمَانُ بْنُ الْمُغِيرَةِ، عَنْ مُجَاهِدٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ قَالَ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم “ رَأَيْتُ عِيسَى وَمُوسَى وَإِبْرَاهِيمَ، فَأَمَّا عِيسَى فَأَحْمَرُ جَعْدٌ عَرِيضُ الصَّدْرِ، وَأَمَّا مُوسَى فَآدَمُ جَسِيمٌ سَبْطٌ كَأَنَّهُ مِنْ رِجَالِ الزُّطِّ ”.
Narrated Ibn `Abbas: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “I saw Moses, Jesus and Abraham (on the night of my Ascension to the heavens). Jesus was of red complexion, curly hair and a broad chest. Moses was of brown complexion, straight hair and tall stature as if he was from the people of Az-Zutt.” (Bukhari Volume 5, book 55, hadith 648)
Description of the Latter day Messiah(as)
حَدَّثَنَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ الْمُنْذِرِ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو ضَمْرَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا مُوسَى، عَنْ نَافِعٍ، قَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ ذَكَرَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَوْمًا بَيْنَ ظَهْرَىِ النَّاسِ الْمَسِيحَ الدَّجَّالَ، فَقَالَ ” إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَيْسَ بِأَعْوَرَ، أَلاَ إِنَّ الْمَسِيحَ الدَّجَّالَ أَعْوَرُ الْعَيْنِ الْيُمْنَى، كَأَنَّ عَيْنَهُ عِنَبَةٌ طَافِيَةٌ ”. ” وَأَرَانِي اللَّيْلَةَ عِنْدَ الْكَعْبَةِ فِي الْمَنَامِ، فَإِذَا رَجُلٌ آدَمُ كَأَحْسَنِ مَا يُرَى مِنْ أُدْمِ الرِّجَالِ، تَضْرِبُ لِمَّتُهُ بَيْنَ مَنْكِبَيْهِ، رَجِلُ الشَّعَرِ، يَقْطُرُ رَأْسُهُ مَاءً، وَاضِعًا يَدَيْهِ عَلَى مَنْكِبَىْ رَجُلَيْنِ وَهْوَ يَطُوفُ بِالْبَيْتِ. فَقُلْتُ مَنْ هَذَا فَقَالُوا هَذَا الْمَسِيحُ ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ. ثُمَّ رَأَيْتُ رَجُلاً وَرَاءَهُ جَعْدًا قَطَطًا أَعْوَرَ عَيْنِ الْيُمْنَى كَأَشْبَهِ مَنْ رَأَيْتُ بِابْنِ قَطَنٍ، وَاضِعًا يَدَيْهِ عَلَى مَنْكِبَىْ رَجُلٍ، يَطُوفُ بِالْبَيْتِ، فَقُلْتُ مَنْ هَذَا قَالُوا الْمَسِيحُ الدَّجَّالُ ”. تَابَعَهُ عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ عَنْ نَافِعٍ.
Narrated `Abdullah: The Prophet (ﷺ) mentioned the Masih Ad-Dajjal in front of the people saying, Allah is not one-eyed while Masih Ad-Dajjal is blind in the right eye and his eye looks like a bulging out grape. While sleeping near the Ka`ba last night, I saw in my dream a man of brown color the best one can see amongst brown color and his hair was long that it fell between his shoulders. His hair was lank and water was dribbling from his head and he was placing his hands on the shoulders of two men while circumambulating the Ka`ba. I asked, ‘Who is this?’ They replied, ‘This is Jesus, son of Mary.’ Behind him I saw a man who had very curly hair and was blind in the right eye, resembling Ibn Qatan (i.e. an infidel) in appearance. He was placing his hands on the shoulders of a person while performing Tawaf around the Ka`ba. I asked, ‘Who is this? ‘They replied, ‘The Masih, Ad-Dajjal.’ (sahih Bukhari Volume 4, book 55, Hadith #649)
There have been attempts to state for example there is a saying that the prophet did not mention Isa(as) being of reddish complexion ever but this is totally contradictory to the facts and nor can we attribute it to the sahaba as its clear all the descriptions of the messiah sent to Bani Israel always mention reddish complexion and all latter day descriptions mention brown. There is a clear reason to this and why the Prophet Muhammad(saw) had made this distinction.
Another beautiful point to notice is that all Muslims know that the one to revive Islam in the end times would be this messiah. We all know that Isa(as) was of Bani Israel but the Prophet(saw) made it clear that this person would be of the lineage of Salman Farsi(ra) meaning from the Persian Lineage as Ahmad(as) was
Narrated Abu Huraira: While we were sitting with the Prophet (ﷺ) Surat Al-Jumu’a was revealed to him, and when the Verse, “And He (Allah) has sent him (Muhammad) also to other (Muslims)…..’ (62.3) was recited by the Prophet, I said, “Who are they, O Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ)?” The Prophet (ﷺ) did not reply till I repeated my question thrice. At that time, Salman Al-Farisi was with us. So Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) put his hand on Salman, saying, “If Faith were at (the place of) Ath-Thuraiya (pleiades, the highest star), even then a man from these people (i.e. Salman’s folk) would attain it.” (Bukhari, Volume 6, Book 60, Hadith #4897)
Imam Bukhari(ra) made it clear himself by arranging these Hadith in this order. The past Isa(As) together after the other and the latter day Messiah(as) ones right after the other. Its clear they refer to two different people or there would not have been two different personalities nor Would Muhammad(saw) ask who the second person was since he had already seen Jesus Son Of Mary many times in his dreams before.
Another interesting thing to note is that When Nabi(saw) mentions the Isa(As) of the past, he mentions his company with the dead which include Moses(As) since he was a prophet in the Ummah of Moses(as). But when Nabi(Saw) mentions the latter day Messiah(as) he mentions its company with dajjal rather then with the dead.
Now we know that firstly this refers to the latter day messiah(as) and we also know that Jesus(as) was not Persian. We also know that yes Ahmad(As) was of Persian lineage which clearly shows us that this Hadith refers to him. Some say that this refers to men but its clear that the Hadith is talking about Muhammad(Saw) coming in the latter days in spiritual sense which shows it is a man since he himself was a man. Even if someone says its men it is still fulfilled as we have khilafat. Secondly some say this was for Imam Abu Hanifa(ra) but by saying this you are only disgracing Islam by claiming that Islam was already at the pleides during the time of Imam Abu Hanifa(ra).
Now some say why Isa(as)?Why did our ummah need someone like him? Well the answer is quite clear. The Prophet Muhammad(saw) stated:
Narrated ‘Abdullah bin ‘Amr: That the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “What befell the children of Isra’il will befall my Ummah, step by step, such that if there was one who had intercourse with his mother in the open, then there would be someone from my Ummah who would do that. Indeed the children of Isra’il split into seventy-two sects, and my Ummah will split into seventy-three sects. All of them are in the Fire Except one sect.” He said: “And which is it O Messenger of Allah?” He said: “What I am upon and my Companions.(Jami’at Tirmidhi #2641)
Muhammad(saw) made it clear that we would become just like the Jews which shows that we would also be given a messiah who would be rejected by the majority and would be declared a disbeliever by the majority as was Isa(as) of Bani Israel.
“Verily, We have sent to you a Messenger, who is a witness over you, even as We sent a Messenger to Pharaoh.” (Chapter 73 Verse 16)
As Moses(as) was given a messiah in his ummah from his people, same was to happen to the Holy Prophet Muhammad(saw). Just as Isa(as) came around 1400 years after Moses(as), Ahmad(As) came around 1400 years after Muhammad(saw).
Another Hadith states:
Narrated Abu Huraira:Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “The Hour will not be established until the son of Mary descends amongst you as a just ruler, he will break the cross, kill the pigs, and abolish the Jizya tax. Money will be in abundance so that nobody will accept it (as charitable gifts).(Sahih Bukhari Volume 3, Book 43, Hadith #656)
Now any logical person knows that the breaking of the cross is not physically the latter day messiah running around breaking crosses rather it is metaphorical for breaking the ideology of Christianity and the same with the killing of the swines, the jizya and the money. If you take the whole hadith to be metaphorical what makes you believe the latter day messiah is not metaphorical whom Quran says has already died? This hadith makes it evident that the latter day Messiah would be given the title of Isa ibn Maryam but would not be that same Isa(As) of 2000 years ago who has died.
Another Hadith states: “… A man from among the people of the Cross will raise the Cross and will say: ‘The Cross has prevailed.’ Then a man among the Muslims will become angry and will go and break the Cross….”( : Sunan Ibn Majah 4089)
This clearly states that a man from AMONG the Muslims would be the one who becomes angry and breaks the cross. In some ahadith the title used is Isa Ibn Maryam, in some Mahdi (who we know would be from the Muslims), and in this hadith it clearly states he would be from among the Muslims. This is clear and sufficient proof. We know that the messiah and mahdi are one person which itself proves that the messiah would be from amongst us rather then Isa(as) of 2000 years ago who will never return according to the Qur’an and has died.