What is correct, and what is the meaning of "The messengers have passed away before him" in the verse (Muhammad is no more than a messenger; the messengers have passed away before him. If he dies or is killed, will you turn back on your heels? And he who turns back on his heels will not harm Allah in the least. And Allah will reward the grateful) [Al Imran/144], which seems to contradict other verses indicating that prophets do not die?

First: A Muslim is advised not to delve into doubts and rebuttals to them until after strengthening faith and acquiring knowledge of Islamic rulings, in order to preserve the religion from weak responses and to protect Muslims from being drawn into doubts that may weaken hearts.

Second: Allah's saying: "And Muhammad is not but a messenger. [Other] messengers have passed on before him. So if he was to die or be killed, would you turn back on your heels? And he who turns back on his heels will not harm Allah at all; but Allah will reward the grateful" (Aal 'Imran: 144) is a reproach to the believers for their panic and distress upon hearing the news of his death at Uhud. Its meaning is that Muhammad is a messenger like other messengers who have passed on and died, so they must adhere to his religion after him.

Third: Allah's saying concerning the Messiah, Jesus: "The Messiah, son of Mary, was not but a messenger; [other] messengers had passed on before him. And his mother was a woman of truth. They both used to eat food. Look how We make clear to them the signs; then look how they are deluded" (Al-Ma'idah: 75) means that Jesus was not the first messenger, but rather one of the messengers who preceded him.

Fourth: Jesus, peace be upon him, will die according to the clear text of the Quran, as in Allah's saying: "And there is none from the People of the Scripture but that he will surely believe in him before his death; and on the Day of Resurrection he will be a witness against them" (An-Nisa: 159). This verse indicates that he will be raised alive and then descend at the end of time, so that the People of the Scripture will believe in him before his (Jesus') death, and then he will die like other human beings.