Is Jesus in India Illogical?
Firstly, to argue that Isa (عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ) never set foot in what is now India a person must have a rationalist mindset as they are using a rationalist mindset to say that India and Palestine are so far why would Isa(as) even go there?
The people who mock Isa (عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ) going to India are usually Non-Ahmadi Muslims however the rationalist mindset they are using ]
Fine, let's use the rationalist mindset comparing Ahmadi, Non Ahmadi Muslim, and Christian views on the crucifixion.
What most likely happened according to common sense?
A) Jesus(pbuh) had a face switch and some other man was crucified? (Mainstream Non Ahmadi Muslim View)
B) A man was unconscious so he appeared to be dead but he was not dead (Ahmadi Muslim View)
C) A Man died for a few days and came back to life? (Christian View)
Common Sense tell us that the correct answer would be B, which is the Ahmadi View. So if Non Ahmadi Muslims want to look at the journey of Isa (عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ) from Palestine to Kashmir in a rationalist mindset why don't they look at their other beliefs with such a rationalist mindset? The fact of the matter is that they have only employed this rationalist mindset to appeal to other people's rationalist mindset and had they applied the same mindset to their own view of their religion they would quickly mock it and leave
So why would Isa (عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ) go to India exactly? Well we have to understand who did Isa (عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ) come for?
The Gospel of Matthew relates:
<22> And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and cried, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely possessed by a demon." <23> But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, "Send her away, for she is crying after us." <24> He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." (Matthew 15:22-24)
As the Quran is supposed to be used as a Furqan for judging earlier scriptures we find that the Quran supports this narrative.
[3:50]
وَ رَسُوۡلًا اِلٰی بَنِیۡۤ اِسۡرَآءِیۡلَ ۬ۙ اَنِّیۡ قَدۡ جِئۡتُکُمۡ بِاٰیَۃٍ مِّنۡ رَّبِّکُمۡ ۙ اَنِّیۡۤ اَخۡلُقُ لَکُمۡ مِّنَ الطِّیۡنِ کَہَیۡـَٔۃِ الطَّیۡرِ فَاَنۡفُخُ فِیۡہِ فَیَکُوۡنُ طَیۡرًۢا بِاِذۡنِ اللّٰہِ ۚ وَ اُبۡرِیٴُ الۡاَکۡمَہَ وَ الۡاَبۡرَصَ وَ اُحۡیِ الۡمَوۡتٰی بِاِذۡنِ اللّٰہِ ۚ وَ اُنَبِّئُکُمۡ بِمَا تَاۡکُلُوۡنَ وَ مَا تَدَّخِرُوۡنَ ۙ فِیۡ بُیُوۡتِکُمۡ ؕ اِنَّ فِیۡ ذٰلِکَ لَاٰیَۃً لَّکُمۡ اِنۡ کُنۡتُمۡ مُّؤۡمِنِیۡنَ ﴿ۚ۵۰﴾
ENGLISH
“And will make him a Messenger to the children of Israel (to say): ‘I come to you with a Sign from your Lord, which is, that I will fashion out for you a creation out of clay after the manner of a bird, then I will breathe into it a new spirit and it will become a soaring being by the command of Allah; and I will heal the night-blind and the leprous, and I will quicken the dead, by the command of Allah; and I will announce to you what you will eat and what you will store up in your houses. Surely, therein is a Sign for you, if you be believers.
And:
[61:7]
وَ اِذۡ قَالَ عِیۡسَی ابۡنُ مَرۡیَمَ یٰبَنِیۡۤ اِسۡرَآءِیۡلَ اِنِّیۡ رَسُوۡلُ اللّٰہِ اِلَیۡکُمۡ مُّصَدِّقًا لِّمَا بَیۡنَ یَدَیَّ مِنَ التَّوۡرٰٮۃِ وَ مُبَشِّرًۢا بِرَسُوۡلٍ یَّاۡتِیۡ مِنۡۢ بَعۡدِی اسۡمُہٗۤ اَحۡمَدُ ؕ فَلَمَّا جَآءَہُمۡ بِالۡبَیِّنٰتِ قَالُوۡا ہٰذَا سِحۡرٌ مُّبِیۡنٌ ﴿۷﴾
ENGLISH
And remember when Jesus, son of Mary, said, ‘O children of Israel, surely I am Allah’s Messenger unto you, fulfilling that which is before me of the Torah, and giving glad tidings of a Messenger who will come after me. His name will be Ahmad.’ And when he came to them with clear proofs, they said, ‘This is clear enchantment.’
It is well recorded that there were only 2 tribes of Israel in Palestine. Before we go further it's important to realize that Jews and Israelites are not the same. Israelites were the descendants of of Israel, David and Jews were named after Judah. As Isa (عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ) came for the house of Israel and not specifically the house of Judah he had to locate these tribes and preach to them. The word "lost" in lost sheep clearly shows us he had to go to the ten other tribes. Historical evidence shows us that the tribes had gone to the east.
The second century historian Josephus wrote in his book Antiquities of the Jews that the ten tribes were ‘beyond Euphrates’ in his time, east of present day Iraq and in the Persian empire of the time which extended into India.
It is also notable that early Church history documents the existence of a Gospel in the Hebrew language found in India, which also confirms Israelites in India. St Jerome (c 400 A.D) wrote that the scholar Pantaenus in the second century came across the document in his travels. St Jerome further wrote that the Israelites in his time continue to live in the Persian empire.
Now it is established that Isa (عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ) had a reason to go to India and that Jews were located in the East it is clear that this idea is not as crazy as it seems.
There is no independent evidence of Jesus having ever existed in the West, not in Roman records, or Jewish records, or any other independent records. The earliest religious record of him in the West is found about 30 years after the attempted crucifixion. However, there is independent evidence of Jesus having lived in the east. This evidence is found in the Puranas, and other historic records quoted in Jesus in India.
So, what this means is there is more independent evidence of Jesus(pbuh) being in India than ever being in Palestine. It is something interesting to think about.
