The Ruling on the Prophethood of 'Isa ibn Maryam When He Descends in the Last Times

Question:
May Allah reward you. This questioner asks: Will 'Isa ibn Maryam be a prophet when he descends in the last times? And how is this reconciled with the sealing of prophethood by Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)?

Answer:
Yes, the Messiah, 'Isa ibn Maryam (peace be upon him), will descend in the last times, as the hadiths have been mass-transmitted regarding this and the Qur'an indicates it. However, he will not come with a new message or a new Shari'ah, because he will be a follower of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). He will rule by Islam, thus becoming a follower of our Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). This does not mean that his descent and his following of our Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) removes the attribute of prophethood that was established for him previously. He is a prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), but he is a prophet who follows a prophet, a follower of a prophet. So he is among the followers of our Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), ruling by his Shari'ah. Yes.