Well, I would not like to have anything lead iinto sectarian discussions. Therefore, I’d just like to put a case forth in support of Hazrat Isa (AS) being dead- because there lies the life of Islam and the death of Christianity. The only reason that Chrisitianity is still alive today is because of the ignorance of the people that propagate the fact that Jesus is alive in the heavens. When the Arab’s told Hazoor Akram (SAW) to go to the heavens as a sign, and he replied that he was only a Bashir (warner) and Rasool (messenger), then that should have been enough proof that Jesus was dead. Otherwise, the Christian missionaries could use this same reasoning to tell Muslims that their Prophet (SAW) could not ascend to space but Jesus (AS) could. If Jesus (AS) could, that would make him more than a messenger- a son of God. You see, let Jesus die, for with that you cut the legs off of Christianity.
Holy Quran relating to Jesus death:
Hazrat Maulvi Sher Ali (RA) translation (if you want to check your own Holy Quran, then subtract one from the verse number because we include bismilla as a verse):
[3:56] Remember the time when Allah said, ‘O Jesus, I will cause thee to die a natural death and will raise thee to Myself, and will clear thee of the charges of those who disbelieve, and will exalt those who follow thee above those who disbelieve, until the Day of Resurrection; then to Me shall be your return, and I will judge between you concerning that wherein you differ.’
Jesus died a natural death, and his soul was raised.
[3:145] And Muhammad is but a messenger. Verily all Messengers have passed away before him. If then he dies or is slain, will you turn back on your heels? And he who turns back on his heels shall not harm Allah at all. And Allah will certainly reward the grateful.
It clearly states that all the messengers had died before the Holy Prophet (SAW)
[5:117] And when Allah will say, 'O Jesus, son of Mary, didst thou say to men, ‘Take me and my mother for two gods beside Allah?’ he will answer, 'Holy art THOU, I could never say that which I had no right. If I had said it, Thou wouldst have surely known it. Thou knowest what is in my mind, and I know not what is in Thy mind. It is Thou alone Who art the Knower of all hidden things;
[5:118] 'I said nothing to them except that which Thou didst command me - Worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord. And I was a witness over them as long as I remained among them, but since Thou didst cause me to die, Thou, hast been the Watcher over them, and Thou art Witness over all things;
As these verses point out, as long as Jesus (AS) was alive he looked over his followers and made sure that they would not go astray. It was only after his death that they started worshipping him. From these verses alone it makes it CLEAR as a CRYSTAL that Jesus (AS) has died. If he was alive, then what excuse could he give for his followers? How could he tell God that he had been a witness over them and made sure they followed the right path, but then in the end started to worship him?
[5:76] The Messiah, son of Mary, was only a Messenger; surely Messengers like unto him had passed away before him. And his mother was a truthful woman. They both used to eat food. See how We explain the Signs for their good, and see how they are turned away.
Messengers pass away, as they are only human. They are not in space. They are born of mothers and eat food, they do not go on self-sustaining in the heavens.
[23:51] And We made the son of Mary and his mother a Sign, and gave them shelter on an elevated land of green valleys and springs of running water.
Green valleys and springs of running water is Kashmir- the eventual resting place of Jesus, which has been categorically proven in the book “Jesus in India” by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (AS).
[21:35] We granted not everlasting life to any mortal before thee. If they shouldst die, shall they live here for ever?
So anyone who believes that Jesus is still in the heavens living, this is another clear refutaion.
Hadith of the Holy Prophet (SAW) relating to Jesus (AS) journeying and death:
Kanz-ul-Ummal (Volume 2) which is a comprehensive Book of Hadith, has on page 34 a Hadith from Abu Huraira: God directed Jesus (on whom be peace) ‘0 Jesus! Move from one place to another’ – go from one country to another lest thou shouldst be recognised and persecuted.
Again, in the same Book, on the report of Jabar, there is the Hadith saying Jesus always used to travel; he went from one country to another, and at nightfall wherever he was he used to eat the vegetation of the jungle and to drink pure water.
Again, in the same book, there is a report from Abdullah bin Umar: The Holy Prophet declared that the most favoured in the sight of God are the poor. Asked, what was meant by the poor? Were they the people who, like Jesus the Messiah, fled from their country with their faith?
Hazrat Ibn Abbas (RA) relates that the HOly Prophet (SAW), delivered a sermon and said:
"…O, people, a number of people from the followers of my Ummah would be taken to the hell. Thereupon, I shall say, O my Lord, these are my companions. Then I would be told: You do not know what they contrived after you. At that time, I shall say precisely what the righteous servant- Jesus, son of Mary- said: “And I was witness over them as long as I remained among them, but since Thou didst cause me to die, Thou has been the watcher over them” [Al-Bukhari, Kitab-ul-Tafseer, Sura Maaida, page:1411. Vol:3]
Hazrat Abdulla Bin Abbas relates that Hazrat Abu Bakr RA), came when the Holy Prophet (SAW) had passed away and at the time Hazrat Umar was addressing the people. Hazrat Abu Bakr asked Hazrat Umar to sit down. However, Hazrat Umar did not sit but the people left him and paid heed to Hazrat Abu Bakr. Hazrat Abu Bakr said: O people those amongst you who worshipped Muhammad (SAW), let them know Muhammad (SAW) has passed away. But those amongst you who worshipped Allah, let them believe firmly that Allah lives on and will never die. Allah has said that Muhammad (SAW) is but a messenger and all messengers before him have passed away. [Bukhari vol. 3, page 1343-1344].
The HOly Prophet (SAW), said: Gabriel informed me that every successive prophet has lived to half the age of his predecessor. And verily Jesus, son of Mary lived to 120 years. Therefore, I think, I may reach the age of sixty. (Kanzulummal vol 11 page 479]
The Holy Prophet (SAW) said to the group of Najran: Do you not know that our Lord is living and He will never die, whereas Jesus has already died? [Asbab al Nazul, page 68]
-Important note: in the 1990 eddition of this book “Asbab alNzul” the part of the sentence referring to the death of Isa (AS) was deleted, whereas it was written in the old edition, see page no 70-72 of this book. This is clear manipulation by the opponents of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat and thus Muslims are following in the footsteps of the Jews, as the Holy Prophet (SAW) had prophecied that Muslims would resemble them in every respect.
The Holy Prophet (SAW) said, “If Moses and Jesus were alive they would have had no alternative but to follow me” [Ibn Kathir: Tafsir ul Quran vol 1. page 378]
Various sources:
In Rauzat-us-Safa, a well-known book of history, on pages 130 - 135, occurs, in the Persian language, an account, which, briefly translated, is as follows.
“Jesus (on whom be peace) was named the Messiah because he was a great traveller. He wore a woolen scarf on his head, and a woolen cloak on his body. He had a stick in his hand; he used to wander from country to country and from city to city. At nightfall he would stay where he was. He ate jungle vegetables, drank jungle water, and went on his travels on foot. His companions, in one of his travels, once bought a horse for him; he rode the horse one day, but as he could not make any provision for the feeding of the horse, he returned it. Journeying from his country, he arrived at Nasibain, which was at a distance of several hundred miles from his home. With him were a few of his disciples who he sent into the city to preach. In the city, however, there were current wrong and unfounded rumours about Jesus (on whom be peace) and his mother. The governor of the city, therefore, arrested the disciples and then summoned Jesus. Jesus miraculously healed some persons and exhibited other miracles. The king of the territory of Nasibain, therefore, with all his armies and his people, became a follower of his. The legend of the ‘coming down of food’ contained in the Holy Quran belongs to the days of his travels.”
Hazrat Hafiz Imam Ibn Qayyum says: And what is asserted about the Messiah- that he was lifted towards heaven at the age of 33 years- has not been supported by any hadith and cannot, therefore, win our conviction. [Zad al Maad vol. 1 page 84]