“We granted not everlasting life to any human being before thee. If then thou shouldst die, shall they live here for ever?” (Chapter 21 Verse 35)
Allah has made it clear according to this ayah that no human being is given everlasting life. Many non Ahmadis have tried to exclude Isa(As) from many ayahs of the Quran but no chance is given here. Now the only reply the non Ahmadis give in regards to this ayah is that they also believe Isa(As) will die, so how can this ayah be used as a daleel?
The truth is that the word being used here is khuld and it in reality refers to one living a life without his body deteriorating. All bodies deteriorate no matter who the human being is. This is also the law of Allah and as we know there is no change in his law. Here are some quotes from Imam Raghib who has written these statements under the root word of khuld which is khalada. Statements are provided as well from Lisanul Arab and Aqrabul Mawarid.
Aqrabul Mawarid: The Arabic phrase Khaladur-Rajulu means that despite the passing by of many years, the effects of old age were kept away from him.”
Lisanul Arab: The phrase Al Mukhalladu minar-rijal means he who lives many years but does not grow old”
This makes the meaning of the ayah extremely clear and most indefinitely proves the death of Isa(as). The second part of the ayah itself shows that Allah is addressing the Holy Prophet Muhammad(saw) by saying “if then thou shouldst die, shall they live here for ever?” This is showing us that no one before The Holy Prophet(saw) has lived such a life where his body was not deteriorated. How can you believe a prophet sent 2000 years ago is alive while our prophet Muhammad(saw) the seal of them all has died?
This ayah makes it clear that all people are subject to Allah’s law and that no one can escape death. Khulud is to remain in the same condition without deterioration. A negation of khlud shows that under the influence of time, everyone grows older and eventually death approaches them. By Allah if Our Creator wanted to keep anyone alive for this long it would have indeed been my Master Muhammad(saw). However, the laws of Allah are clear that He does not give such long lives which are everlasting.
Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmood Ahmadra states in his tafseer: “The verse seems to signify that all the different Dispensations and religious systems before the Holy Prophetsaw were decreed and destined to suffer spiritual decay and death and that it was only the Dispensation of the Holy Prophetsaw — the Islamic Dispensation, which was to live and continue till the end of the time. This is to say that all avenues to spiritual progress are closed after the Holy Prophetsaw and only the door of Islam is left open to mankind to attain salvation and nearness to God.
The words “if then thou shouldst die shall they live for ever,” also seem to signify that if the Islamic Dispensation were to die, which is inconceivable, then there will be no spiritual light left and all humanity will suffer spiritual death. The implication of the verse may also be that no human being is immune from decay or death, not even the Holy Prophetsaw. Eternity and everlastingness are God’s own exclusive attributes” (Five Volume Commentary of The Holy Qur’an, Page 1692)