We are Muslims who love Jesus, believe in all his miracles and noble morality, know that he will come back to the world again to save humanity and we are eagerly waiting for this great and blessed event to happen.

Islam gives us this expectation. The Qur'an is definite in its assertion that Jesus is alive and that he will come back again to this world. Our Prophet Mohammed, may God bless him and grant him peace, announced in great detail that Jesus would come back to the earth miraculously in the last days and bring peace, justice and happiness by uniting Christians and Muslims in a common religion and morality. This is God's great and wonderful promise and there is no doubt that it will be fulfilled.

Moreover, the Prophet Mohammed and those great figures of Islam who interpreted his words have given an account of the signs that will precede the coming of Jesus and have indicated a specific period of time for that coming.

Nearly all of the signs have come to pass. The indicated time period is the first half of the 21st century in which we are now living. (According to the Muslim calendar, this refers to the middle of the 14th century.)

It is very important for a Muslim that Jesus is going to come back to the earth again. He is a Prophet born by a miracle of God without a father; he invited the Children of Israel to follow the true path and showed them many miracles. He is the Messiah and, as the Qur'an says, he is the "word of God" (Qur'an, 4:171). Together with his return to earth, the lack of understanding between Christians and Muslims who believe in the same God, share the same moral values and, as the Qur'an says, are closer to one another in love than all other people (Qur'an, 5:82) will be repaired, and these two greatest of the world's religious communities will be united. The members of the world's third monotheistic religion, the Jews, will also accept Jesus as their true Messiah and find their way to the true religion (Qur'an, 4:159).

So by the return of Jesus, the three monotheistic religions will unite, there will be one single religion on earth based on faith in God. This religion will defeat the atheistic philosophies and pagan beliefs with intellectual means; the world will be saved from wars, conflicts, racial and ethnic hostility, cruelty and injustice. Humanity will enter a "Golden Age" of peace, happiness and well-being.

Certainly, this will be the greatest event in the history of the world. In this situation in which the three monotheistic religions will unite, the whole American continent, Europe, the Islamic world, Russia and Israel will be allied on the basis of a shared faith, and no such unity has ever occurred before. The peace, well-being, stability and happiness to be established in the world by this union has never been known in any previous period; its likeness has never been seen.

And, when Jesus returns to earth, it will be one of the greatest wonders in the history of the world.

The return of Jesus to the earth after 2000 years and the beginning of his new life in his mature years without a mother and father will be a great wonder. And he will show people new miracles. As a result, materialist philosophy, which has already collapsed on the levels of science and philosophy, will suffer irrevocable ruin for all the world to see, and people will witness the clear proofs for the existence and power of God.

So, in the light of the signs in the Qur'an, the sayings of our Prophet and the interpretations of leading scholars in Islam, we believe that this blessed period is very near. As Muslims, we are very excited about the imminent return of Jesus and are doing all we can to prepare ourselves and the world to receive this blessed guest.

Thus, we call on Christians to be as sensitive, aware and eager as possible about this.

Is the Christian World Ready for Jesus?

The love of Jesus has given to Christians throughout history a proper morality. In the Qur'an, God describes Christians as "most affectionate to those who believe" and says that "That is because some of them are priests and monks and because they are not arrogant." (Qur'an, 5:82)

In another verse, Christians' positive morality is mentioned:

Because of their love for Jesus, Christians throughout history have endured all kinds of cruelty, chosen to forgo the pleasures of life and live with suffering and performed deeds of great self-sacrifice. These are indications of a deep sincerity. But in this age when the return of Jesus is near, this sincerity must be stronger, and service to Jesus' religion must be performed more effectively.

But some Christians today give the impression that they are not sensitive enough to Jesus' impending return. However:

- According to Christian scriptures Jesus will return to earth.

It is stated several times in the New Testament that Jesus will return to earth. "So Christ . . . will appear a second time . . . to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him." (Heb. 9: 28) In many other passages in the New Testament it is announced that Jesus will return. Seeing that this promise will most certainly come true, all Christians must make this the basis of their worldview, constantly expect this Second Coming and to influence the world accordingly.

- According to Christian scriptures, the return of Jesus is near.

Many Christians believe that the Second Coming is near. This is because almost all the predictions in both the New and Old Testaments regarding the return of the Messiah have been fulfilled. The growth of religious belief all over the world, the beginning of the collapse of atheist philosophies and the return to faith are important signs and under these circumstances, Christians should not remain indifferent about the Second Coming.

- According to Christian scriptures, the return of Jesus will be the greatest event in history.

Since Christian scriptures say that the Second Coming is definitely near, this ought to be the most important item on the agenda of the Christian world. Great preparations are made for the visit to a country of an important head of state. Seeing that Jesus, who is a more important guest than any head of state, will come soon again to the world, should not preparations for his arrival be kept continually in view?

Thus;

- Seeing that Jesus will bring all people together when he comes, Christians should leave aside their differences, arguments and hostilities that will soon have no significance anyway.

- Since Christians and Muslims who believe in Jesus will be united in a common faith when he comes, both communities must try from this moment to overcome the prejudice and distrust between them.

In the "Book of Revelation," the last book in the New Testament, it says: "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah and he will reign for ever and ever." (Rev. 11:15)

All Christians should be eager, excited, aware and filled with love as they await this blessed event. And we, as Muslims who have this eagerness, excitement, awareness and love, say to Christians:

Come, let us prepare together for the coming return of Jesus. Let us have respect for one another's differences in belief knowing that Jesus will teach us the truth anyway. Let us strive to fill the world with peace, brotherhood, mercy and love as he wants to see it. Let us struggle together in word and deed against philosophies and ideologies that are hostile to him and reject God.

Let us wait together for this glad tiding and the greatest miracle in the world history.