Nassir H. Sabah
It is conventionally believed that, according to the Quran, Jesus was not crucified but that God raised him to Heaven and had someone like him crucified instead. Although this was the interpretation of some early commentators, this narrative is not in fact supported by a careful reading of the verses concerned.
The two verses commonly cited in this regard are:
“And for their saying, ‘We slew the Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, the messenger of God’ – though they did not slay him; nor did they crucify him, but it appeared so unto them. Those who differ concerning him are in doubt thereof. They have no knowledge of it, but follow only conjecture; they slew him not for certain.” (Q4:157)
وَقَوْلِهِمْ إِنَّا قَتَلْنَا ٱلْمَسِيحَ عِيسَى ٱبْنَ مَرْيَمَ رَسُولَ ٱللَّهِ وَمَا قَتَلُوهُ وَمَا صَلَبُوهُ وَلَـٰكِن شُبِّهَ لَهُمْ ۚ وَإِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱخْتَلَفُوا۟ فِيهِ لَفِى شَكٍّ مِّنْهُ ۚ مَا لَهُم بِهِۦ مِنْ عِلْمٍ إِلَّا ٱتِّبَاعَ ٱلظَّنِّ ۚ وَمَا قَتَلُوهُ يَقِينًۢا
“But God raised him up unto Himself, and God is Mighty, Wise.” (Q4:158) بَل رَّفَعَهُ ٱللَّهُ إِلَيْهِ ۚ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ عَزِيزًا حَكِيمًا
The above translations are from The Study Quran1, a relatively recent and extensive translation and commentary of the Quran.
Three phrases in these verses have been the subject of misinterpretation:
First, “nor did they crucify him” in verse 4:157 is taken at face value to mean that Jesus was not placed on the cross, whereas in actual fact it means that he did not die on the cross, as pointed out in The Holy Qur’an: Arabic Text with English Translation and Commentary2 by Maulana Muhammad Ali (MMA). Even in common Arabic parlance today, when one says that someone was hanged, the meaning is that this person was put to death by hanging. If, for example, the rope broke in the process, and the person was spared death, he is not referred to as having been “hanged”.
In support of his interpretation that Jesus, although placed on the cross, did not die on the cross, MMA cites the following:
“(1) Jesus remained on the cross for a few hours only (Mark 15:25; John 19:14) but death by crucifixion was always tardy.
(2) The two men crucified with Jesus were still alive when taken down from the cross; the presumption is that Jesus too was alive.
(3) The breaking of legs was resorted to in the case of the two criminals, but was dispensed with in the case of Jesus (John 19:32,33).
(4) The side of Jesus being pierced, blood rushed out and this was a certain sign of life.
(5) Even Pilate did not believe that Jesus actually died in so short a time (Mark 15:44).”
Second, the Arabic phrase shubbiha la-hum in verse 4:157 can have two interpretations: (i) to be made to resemble someone or something, and (ii) the matter appeared to those involved to have been in some way other than the way it was. As pointed out by MMA, the grammatical construction of the sentence would imply in the case of the first interpretation “that Jesus was made to resemble someone, not that someone was made to resemble Jesus”. Hence many commentators accept the second interpretation, as in the translation above.
Third, the statement “God raised him up unto Himself” in verse 4:158 was understood literally by some commentators to mean a physical lifting of Jesus to heaven. The verb used, rafa’a, is evidently used in several instances in the Quran allegorically to mean “elevating in status”, as in: “And did We not elevate thy renown?” (Q94:4) وَرَفَعْنَا لَكَ ذِكْرَكَ, and in: “…and have raised some of them above others in rank…” (Q43:32) وَرَفَعْنَا بَعْضَهُمْ فَوْقَ بَعْضٍ دَرَجَـٰتٍ.
MMA continues with his comments on the death of Jesus as follows:
“(6) Jesus was not buried like the two criminals, but was given into the charge of a wealthy disciple of his, who lavished care on him and put him in a spacious tomb hewn in the side of a rock (Mark 15:46).
(7) When the tomb was seen on the third day, the stone was found to have been removed from its mouth (Mark 16:4), which would not have been the case if there had been a supernatural rising.
(8) Mary, when she saw him took him for the gardener (John 20:15), which shows that Jesus had disguised himself as a gardener.
(9) Such disguise would not have been needed if Jesus had risen from the dead.
(10) It was in the same body of flesh that the disciples saw Jesus, and the wounds were still deep enough for a man to thrust his hand in (John 20:25-28).
(11) He still felt hunger and ate as his disciples ate (Luke 24:39-43).
(12) Jesus Christ undertook a journey to Galilee with two of his disciples walking side by side with him (Matt. 28:10), which shows that he was fleeing for refuge; a journey to Galilee was not necessary to rise to Heaven.
(13) In all his post-crucifixion appearances Jesus is found hiding himself as if he feared being discovered.
(14) Jesus Christ prayed the whole night before his arrest to be saved from the accursed death on the cross, and he also asked his disciples to pray for him; the prayers of a righteous man in distress and affliction are always accepted. He seems to have even received a promise from God to be saved, and it was to this promise that he referred when he cried out on the cross: ‘My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me?’ Heb. 5:7 makes the matter still more clear, for there it is plainly stated that the prayer of Jesus was accepted: ‘When he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto Him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared.’”
- Nasr, S.H. (editor-in-chief) (2015) The Study Quran: A New Translation and Commentary, New York, HarperOne.
- Maulana Muhammad Ali (1951) The Holy Qurʾan, Arabic Text, Translation and Commentary, 4th edn, Lahore (Pakistan), Ahmadiyyah Anjuman Isha’at Islam.
