Do Muslims believe Jesus will come back?
Yes. Muslims believe Jesus will come back to earth before the Day of Judgment. This "second coming" is part of mainstream Islamic belief, based on the Quran and many authentic hadith. He will return as a just leader, defeat the false messiah (the Dajjal), live a normal life and later die like every human being.
Why Muslims believe he will return
Muslims believe Jesus was not killed but raised up to God (Quran 4:158). Because he is still alive with God, his return is the natural next part of his story. The Quran hints at it:
Many commentators explain this verse as meaning that the return of Jesus is one of the major signs that the end is near. Another verse says that every one of the People of the Scripture "will surely believe in him [i.e., Jesus] before his death" (Quran 4:159), which many scholars link to his return.
What the hadith say he will do
The Prophet ﷺ described the return in detail. He said: "By Him in Whose Hands my soul is, surely (Jesus,) the son of Mary will soon descend amongst you and will judge mankind justly" (Sahih al-Bukhari 3448). The same hadith says he "will break the Cross and kill the pigs" and that money will be so plentiful "that nobody will accept it."
Scholars explain "break the Cross" as making clear that he was never crucified and never claimed to be God, not as an act of disrespect toward Christians.
Another long hadith says he will descend "at the white minaret in the eastern side of Damascus," find the Dajjal and kill him "at the gate of Ludd" (Sahih Muslim 2937). After that, a time of peace and blessing follows.
How this differs from Christian belief
- Shared: both faiths expect Jesus to return near the end of time and to defeat evil.
- Different role: in Islam he returns as a prophet and follower of the final message, not as God coming to judge the world.
- Different ending: Muslims believe he will live on earth for a time, then die naturally. One hadith says he "will live on the earth for forty years and then he will die. The Muslims will pray over him" (Sunan Abi Dawud 4324, graded sahih by al-Albani). The Quran has Jesus say, "Peace is on me the day I was born and the day I will die and the day I am raised alive" (Quran 19:33).
Muslims believe judgment itself belongs to God alone. See Do Muslims and Christians believe in the same God?
Should it make you anxious?
Not at all. The signs of the end are meant to remind people to live well, not to scare them or start date predictions. Nobody knows when the Hour will come except God. What you can do is pray, be kind and keep learning. See What happens in the grave in Islam?
- Muslims believe Jesus will return before the Day of Judgment.
- He will rule justly and defeat the Dajjal (false messiah).
- He will later die naturally, like all humans.
- Christians also expect his return, but with a different role.
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