I discuss surah 4 verse 157 in its context and how its interpretation has been the subject of vigorous debate among Muslims for centuries.
I read from ‘The Crucifixion and the Qur’an: A Study in the History of Muslim Thought’ by Todd Lawson https://www.amazon.co.uk/Crucifixion-Quran-History-Muslim-Thought/dp/1851686355
A new translation of 4:157 says:
and for boasting, “We killed the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, the messenger of Allah.” But they neither killed nor crucified him—it was only made to appear so. Even those who argue for this ˹crucifixion˺ are in doubt. They have no knowledge whatsoever—only making assumptions. They certainly did not kill him.
Dr. Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran https://quran.com/4/157
Categories: Bible, Crucifixion, Dr Tim Winter, Islam, Jesus, New Testament scholarship, Qur'an, Recommended reading, Scholars
I don’t think Muslims should debate Christians on the authenticity of the crucifixion. The only time the crucifixion of Christ is brought up in the Quran is as a response to the mockery of the Jews.
Muslims believe that all prophets and messengers of Allah were protected / guarded by an angel (Jibreel).
Either Jibreel would warn or save them if they were in danger situation.
Even in the Bible says so in Psalm 91:10-16
Therefore “They neither killed nor crucified him”.
Yeah but what about when the Quran says ” And they were covered with humiliation and misery, and they drew on themselves the Wrath of Allah. That was because they used to disbelieve the Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) of Allah and killed the Prophets wrongfully. That was because they disobeyed and used to transgress the bounds (in their disobedience to Allah,”
That is a stupid and ridiculous doctrine. You people create division with your man-made beliefs. Today this day, I separate from both Sunni and Shia. The hadiths are not a credible source of info. I believe we have all been worshipping wrong. The Bible, though corrupted, goes hand in hand with the Quran. The Quran is a declaration of God’s covenant with mankind. JESUS closed the covenant with the nation of Israel. But the decendents of Abraham are still blessed. Thanks to Ishmael through Muhamed we have revelation. But the hadiths have corrupted the faith and these grand mufti people are lovers and corruptors
Salam Aliekum dear Sam: Your notion about Psalm 91: 10-16 concerns the true Messiah (pbh) and he will, as the Quran states, be protected from harm – from the Children of Israel! In other words, no matter what they tried to do to him (pbh), stoning or what not, they could not harm him.
That is one reason why Saul hated this ‘new’ sect because he could not believe GOD would be a liar. However, when he ‘converted’ he eventually learned the truth especially in front of his face when he visited Jerusalem and spent some time interviewing and being interviewed by the Apostles who knew Jesus (pbh) personally. And Paul admits that Jesus (pbh) was NOT PUT ON A WOODEN CROSS IN 1Cor. in that WE preach Christ crucified to the Jews as a STUMBLING BLOCK and to the Gentiles (Greeks) as something stupid (FOOLISHNESS)! This is done for a very good reason which I discuss in one article on my website (islamtheway.org) called Battle Plans.
In truth, Jesus (pbh) although not put on a wooden ‘stake’ for death purposes, was ‘crucified in the flesh’ but this took me 3 books to get that understanding over! Anyway, in total truth, Jesus (pbh) was not the one who was placed on the cross. The man who took the place of Jesus (pbh) was mentioned in Luke’s Gospel and why not! After all, he is credited as being a historian of sorts.
Why all of this? ALLAH had a PLAN and HE carries it out for HIS REASONS and HE does not need to ask the human race for their permission on how HE PLANS THINGS. A partial understanding, however, is given in another article of mine which has not been put in as of yet and that is the article about Paul being from the Tribe of Benjamin and how that will relate to ‘those who thought they could outwitt ALLAH’! Suffice it to say that the Jews would go on and pay a very heavy price for their decleration that ALLAH’s hands are tied!
Both muslims and christians can agree that jews didn’t kill Jesus, if it was in fact ROMANS who did it..
Like Quran says we are only making assumptions.
Fact: Jesus was not a Christian.
Fact: Jesus worship only God alone not trinity.
Fact: Christian is a religion who worship Jesus
This is my silly assumption:
I would say Romans did not kill Jesus but Christians.
Christians believe Jesus must die.
Why?
Because Christians believe if Jesus didn’t die then human’s sins would never be forgiven. If nobody kill Jesus then Christians would do it. They would chase Jesus everywhere and try to kill him so human’s sins would be forgiven.
Actually Jesus would run away if he met a Christian.
Jesus claimed to be the Son of God and that is why the Pharisees crucified him, because he was telling blasphemy. Now if another person is replaced for crucifiction, then after 3 days, when Jesus comes again before the public, do you think the Pharisees will trust him. Definitely they will try to crucify him again, or else, they should accept the divinity of Jesus. Either of this should happen.
Jesus himself has talked about his suffering several times. Then the prophet Isaiah who lived almost 800 years before Jesus also prophesied about the sufferings of Messiah. (Isaiah 53). Jesus came to this world itself for this purpose. He is not a coward who runs away from the purpose for which He was born.
Again, all the disciples of Jesus were brutally murdered. Will you sacrifice your life for a fake man or a fake story?
Christianity came into existence after Christ came. So how can Jesus be a Christian!!!
Trinity means (God the Father, God the Son and Holy Spirit), Jesus worshipped God the Father alone. He himself is the Son of God. So it is impossible to worship himself. Again Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Jesus that he gave us after he was raised to heaven. So Holy Spiirt was not there when Jesus was on earth. So Jesus worshipped God the Father alone.
Christian is a person who follows Christ and his teachings.
Do you worship God The Father alone?
first 9 page. otherways he is racist https://sheldonemrylibrary.com/Books/Who%20Killed%20Christ.pdf
Shabir Ally, Imran Hosein and Khalil Andani believes Jesus was crucified. Even Nouman Ali Khan said that we can’t know for sure what happened to Jesus.
I’ve also noticed that there is an islamic understanding that the difference between sleep and death is that while our soul is taken in both cases, death is when God keeps our soul. So if Allah took Jesus soul for 3 days, then gave it back, would that be death or sleep?
Shabir Ally and Khalil Andani are products of Western academia, not traditional Islamic learning. Andani is also an Ismaili.
Back to Quran if you have a doubt.
“…..Even those who argue for this ˹crucifixion˺ are in doubt. They have no knowledge whatsoever—only making assumptions. They certainly did not kill him.”.
Does the original arabic say “those who argue for this crucifixion”? And who are ‘they’ referred to in the sentence “they did not kill him” ?
Why should God support a person who is claiming to be the Son of God??? Why should Allah raise him to heaven? Definitely he should be punished. Why should Allah save his messenger Jesus who is claiming that He is God’s Son?
Mark 14:61,
The High Priest questioned Jesus, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed God?”
Jesus said, “I AM” and you will all see the Son of Man seated on the right of the Almighty and coming with the clouds of heaven.”
The High Priest tore his clothes in anger and said, “We don’t need any more witnesses! You heard his blasphemy!!”
Another translation: “those who differ about him (Isa) are in doubt about it.”
They = The People of the Scripture
interesting view http://www.hope-of-israel.org/crosschr.htm
Somehow my comment didn’t go through. However, let me assure you that Jesus (pbh) was NOT Crucified and there is ample evidence for this. See my website islamtheway.org especially the article Blessed Are the Poor. I will leave you with my final article on this topic called: The Final Solution:
The Final Solution
The final solution to what occurred and how it occurred concerning the non-crucifixion of Jesus (pbh), believe it or not, can be found in the Quran! That knowledge is just so amazing that it seems almost inconceivable from any source. And the miracle, the very essence is there for all to behold but it requires some concentrated thinking!
Not only does this give the solution to exactly what and how the ‘miracle’ happened but it also puts the Quran in such a LIGHT that it stands out with abundance of brightness to those who believe. Yes, it is one thing to speak highly of the Quran as in ‘blah, blah, and blah’ but to actually show such DIVINE MIRACLES written from the beginning of the creation to actually come true is actually quite awe-inspiring!
This parallels the notion that Chapter 12 is about Yusef (pbh) and not numbered 13 or 15 or 32. That simply means that there was a DIVINE PRESENCE involved WHOSE PLAN IS PUT FORTH WITH TOTAL CONTROL! Just these two things out of countless other things brings home the idea that ALLAH is not just a name to name but a REALITY WORTHY OF ALL WORSHIP!
What did happen in the structure (sepulcher) that the Master (pbh) entered when that dead body, who was thought to be Jesus but was not, was laid on the stone surface? The Quran tells us and it has taken me (this slow poke) over 50 years to understand it, in part!
Here is the passage with the appropriate answer highlighted:
O Jesus the son of Mary! Recount MY favor to you and to your mother. Behold! I strengthened you with the Holy Spirit, so that you did speak to the people in childhood and in maturity. Behold! I taught you the Book and Wisdom, the Law and the Gospel and behold! You made out of clay, as it were, the figure of a bird, by MY Leave, and you breathed into it and it became a bird by MY Leave, and you healed those born blind, and the lepers, by MY Leave. And behold! You brought forth the dead by MY Leave. And behold! I did restrain the Children of Israel from (violence to) you when you did show them the clear Signs, and the unbelievers among them said: ‘This is nothing but evident magic.’ Quran (5:110)
To reverse the process of death and the leakage of bodily fluids etc. from what results from an inert ‘clay body’ that has died is quite a feat! Although the dead man’s soul (Simon Cyrene) was taken to heaven, his body, being left behind, must be incorporated into what could be called the perfect spiritual/physical presence of one willing to take on what amounted to his perfect replica (that of the dead man).
So, the result is that he, ONLY WITH ALLAH’s PERMISSION, could heal that bodily shell and become that lifeless being, being made whole again! Why not? After all it was his exact replica inside and out!!!
This in no way permits the notion that this act results in a true crucifixion of Jesus (pbh) because in reality Jesus (pbh) was never put on the cross and he did not even die!!!
The fate of this mysterious man found in the Gospel of Luke, our Christian historian, is not mentioned but the Catholic Concordance does mention that this Simon seems to have gone missing after the day he ended up carrying the cross up the hill for the crucifixion event and was never heard from again.
The reason for that is really simple! He died on the cross and his soul was taken into the heavens as was prophesied from the saying:
And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, TODAY {not tomorrow} you will be with me in Paradise.” {That is we will arise together but I will return} Luke (23:43)
That they said (in boast), “We killed Christ Jesus the son of Mary, the Messenger of ALLAH”; but they killed him not, nor crucified him, but so it was made to appear to them, and those who differ therein are full of doubts, with no (certain) knowledge, but only conjecture to follow, for of a surety they killed him not.
Nay, ALLAH raised him up unto HIMSELF; and ALLAH is EXAULTED in POWER, WISE. Quran (4:157-158)
What does this show? Literally it shows a man (Jesus) being judged and returned to a Vicegerent Power that he had in the beginning but with a PLUS added to it! And this would be explained by Barnabas in his writing (the Epistle to the Hebrews found in the New Testament)!
That PLUS will be seen when he returns as he left with two angels by his side as he went up to the heavens meaning that now he has a kingdom or paradise on Earth even if it is only temporal in nature:
YOU {O GOD} have made him a little lower than the angels; YOU have crowned him with glory and honor, and set him over the works of YOUR hands {as a MASTER VICEGERENT}. Hebrews (2:7)
YOU made him a little lower than the angels; YOU crowned him with glory and honor. Psalm (8:5)
ALLAH did indeed raise him up and cleared him against the slander labeled against him and permitted him to re-enter the Earth’s environs for 40 days (Acts 1:3) to have those, who would carry on his legacy, testify that Jesus (pbh) conquered all things including the ‘grave’ as in rising from the dead if you will!!!!!
Now some people may declare this miraculous statement found in the Quran as an ‘infancy’ miracle that Jesus (pbh) did when he was a youth for whatever reason. Others may declare this as a demonstration miracle done during his active ministry to show that he was a real prophet.
However, when viewed from another angle, it appears to show that ‘by the finger of GOD (Acts) or with ALLAH’s Permission (Quran) a lifeless lump of clay (or even any non-living substance that once had a life or could be made to come to life in some shape, form or manner) had to be ‘restored’ to its former self by bringing it back to life (bodily fluids and all or the same as any living creature that lives).
But, if one becomes that ‘form’ then literally it becomes you as you become it! Hence, the taking of someone dead and making that body alive but with the understanding that your spirit will be incorporated (inhabit) that shell of a body is the meaning we are looking for here.
In this case it (the body) could not resemble Simon because that shell of a body was made to totally resemble Jesus the son of Mary. And the SOUL (with the spiritual being merged with the physical) inhabiting that now lifeless body was none other than Jesus the son of Mary (pbh)!
In order for that to happen, he would have to become one with himself or as Paul and the New Testament try to explain about spiritual bodies and physical bodies under the concept of ‘heavenly bodies’ after the Judgment Day.
Basically, the regular body contains the spiritual body (the soul) but a ‘heavenly body’ would have the soul and physical body be at one with itself as in being merged with itself. Hence, Jesus became one with himself!
Surprisingly such an explanation is attempted in the New Testament but most people did not understand it without deep instruction! Hence, the failure to grasp the situation clearly! That is understandable due to the highly spiritual nature of the topic.
The only knowledge that we can be comfortable with is the fact that we have two natures, so to speak, the physical and the spiritual. If we tried leaving Earth’s dominions without a spacesuit, we would die. Jesus, however, was raised up body and soul but he didn’t need a space suit!!!
Who will transform our lowly {Earthly} body that it may be conformed to his {own} glorious body {raised up body}, according to the working by which he {Jesus} is able even to subdue all things to himself {by GOD’s WILL}. Philippians (3:21)
And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so also shall we {after Judgment} bear the likeness of the heavenly man. 1Cor. (15:49)
It {the body} is sown in dishonor {meaning mixed with the physical processes} and separated from the spiritual; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power {as it becomes complete within itself or to be said as a form of oneness}. 1Cor. (15:43)
We have some indication of this in Islamic hadiths. The two parts of man (physical and spiritual) must come together even for the ‘damned’. So when the person is placed in Hell, the body gets roasted through and through and is destroyed but not the soul.
Then the individual is issued another body to go through the process over again. Logically, he doesn’t cease to exist when his body is destroyed but occupies or lives on in a spiritual domain while awaiting another bodily form.
There are also hadiths giving descriptions of men and women in Paradise as to their ‘sexual nature’ or prowess as physical beings but with, what is thought to be, a spiritual essence which is far more potent than just the physical status one had on Earth. The age of these dwellers is said to be fixed at around 33 years reflecting the ‘prime’ of life which is yet another ‘SIGN’ as given to man from the one appointed as a SIGN to mankind (Jesus the son of Mary – Quran 43:61).
And when all things have been subjected to him, then the son {of man} himself will be made subject to HIM {ALLAH} WHO put all things under him {that HE WILLED to put under him}, so that GOD may be all in all {Glorified in the new kingdom (Jesus’ kingdom) to be placed on Earth as in being worshiped with one consent – meaning all (who believe) will believe in him before he dies (Quran)}. 1Cor. (15:28)
And (Jesus) shall be a SIGN (for the coming of) the Hour (of Judgment): therefore have no doubt about the (Hour), but follow you ME: this is a Straight Way. Quran (43:61)
And there is none of the People of the Book but must believe in him before his death {ON HIS RETURN}; and on the Day of Judgment he will be a witness against {the disbelievers amongst} them. Quran (4:159)
Lost indeed are they who treat it as a falsehood that they must meet ALLAH, until on a sudden the Hour is on them, and they say: “Ah! Woe unto us that we took no thought of it”; for they bear their burdens on their backs, and evil indeed are the burdens that they bear? Quran (6:31)
Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the {Jewish} disciples were assembled {in a locked room which could not be entered except through force}, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.” John (20:19)
For the physical man who dies before the Final Judgment and is buried:
His spirit {man’s spirit} departs, he returns to his earth; in that very day his plans perish {when he dies}. Psalms (146:4)
Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world {our adam}, and death through sin {for the wages of sin is death… – Romans (6:23)}, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned. Romans (5:12)
For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive {as what we were meant to be in the beginning meaning to be like him in the heavenly sense and so we have yet another meaning of him being a SIGN unto mankind} 1Cor. (15:22)
And as it is appointed for men to die once {their final term of appointment}, but after this the Judgment. Hebrews (9:27)
So, when he finally left the Earth after 40 days, as Acts declared he did, he had accomplished his message and demonstrated that he indeed was that one whom we call the Messiah. But as all creatures must die, he has to return (as himself) to fulfill that part of the human legacy that all men must undergo (death) and then raise up with Muhammad (pbh) as the hadith foretells at the end of days from the City of Medina (as he will be buried with the rich in spirit {Muhammad, Abu Bakr and ‘Umar bin al-Khattab} – Isaiah (Chapter 53:9).