The Muslim believes that the crucifixion took place, but that it was not Christ but another on whom his likeness fell, as Sura al-Nisa' 4:156 indicates, Yet they did not slay him, neither crucified him, only a likeness of that was shown to them...and they slew him not of a certainty - no indeed; God raised him up to him. The statement in the Qur'an is confused and ambiguous and no conclusion can be based on it. To me, it is as though the Qur'an, not wishing to deny the crucifixion categorically, stated I did not see!

It is permissible to expound this Qur'anic verse in this way, they slew him not of a certainty, meaning, they could not hurt his real person because the Jews thought that by crucifying Jesus they would eradicate his memory and make his name ridiculed among men. The verse shows the Jews that they failed to do this. For his death became a means of spreading his name and glorifying his cause. Further, that the cross did not extinguish him, because physical death is not extinction nor perdition. Though Christ died, yet God raised him up and this death was the prelude of his raising. To clarify this let me give you an example. Suppose I insult, curse and belittle you. But you are noble-minded and do not recompense me in kind. Could you not rightly say to me, You did not insult or degrade me but raised and honoured me in people's eyes, because of my forbearance and degraded yourself by reason of your vulgarity? The truth is that the crucifixion was attributed to the Roman Governor Pilate, who ordered it, and not to the Jews!

As for the words, a likeness...was shown to them, who does this refer to? It could not be to Christ, since he is the one likened to not the likeness. If you say it refers to the victim, no victim has been mentioned. Thus you see that the verse is vague. If God had intended to rescue Christ from dying on the cross he would have done it with a crystal-clear miracle demonstrating to the Jews their inability to harm his prophet and messenger. However, the miracle which the Muslims devise in order to save Christ did not achieve the desired result, in spite of the deception involved which ill befits the Lord, as it did not demonstrate to the Jews God's power and their impotence. Had God regarded crucifixion as demeaning to his holiness, would it have been reasonable for him to perform a miracle which actually shows his disdain? But he raised up Christ to himself in order to save himself that scorn, according to the belief of most Muslims.

We have found verses in the Qur'an which hint, if not declare, that Christ actually died. It serves to clarify the obscure portions of the former verse as you will see from Sura Al Imran 3:48, When God said, 'Jesus I will take thee to Me and will raise thee to Me, and I will purify thee of those who believe not.'  Some commentators have said that the word mutawaffeeka (will take thee to Me) means to put you to sleep. One cannot see at all the wisdom of putting someone to sleep before raising them. I wish the learned successors can enlighten us where the predecessors have failed!

The truth is will take thee to Me means death, and this is according to Ibn Abbas and Mohammad Ibn Ishaq. They differed regarding the duration of death. Wahb said that Christ remained dead for three hours, then was raised. Mohammad Ibn Ishaq said that he was dead seven hours, then God raised him. Ibn Anas said that God caused him to die when he raised him up to heaven. As for the Imam al-Baidawi he believed that Christ actually died for three hours. In the language dictionary it says of the verb 'tawaffa' God made him die, that is, he took his soul, of so and so, that he died, meaning his soul was taken and he died.

The word mutawaffeeka and the derivatives of this verb (tawaffa) in this sense occur 23 times in the Qur'an. In all but two cases it means absolute death. In these two exceptions the context refers to figurative death during sleep, It is He who recalls you by night, and He knows what you work by day (Sura al-An'am 6:60); and in Sura al-Zumar 39:43, God takes the souls at the time of their death, and that which has not died, in its sleep.

Some commentators have said that the waw (and) in the phrase mutawaffeeka is a play on words to mystify the reader. In their opinion the real meaning is that Christ will come again and die. Oh God! Save us from the evil of deception! Would it hurt if they considered these words in their real sense? If the Qur'an intended what they desire, it would surely not have couched it in an ambiguous statement!

As you see in Sura Maryam 19:15, Peace be upon him, (refers to John) the day he was born, and the day he dies, and the day he is raised up alive! And in Sura Maryam 19:34, Peace be upon me (Jesus) the day I was born, and the day I die, and the day I am raised up alive!

There is no disputing that all Muslims believe that (Yahya) John was born and died according to the first verse. Then why not believe the same of Isa the Christ according to the second verse? Because the order of the two verses is the same and the words are practically the same. The context in the second can only mean one thing.

As we find in Sura Maryam 19:32, ...and He has enjoined me to pray, and to give the alms, so long as I live. Legally, alms (Zakat) is a certain sum of money given by the Muslim, in the way of God, to the non-Hashimite Muslim, not being his slave, etc. According to authorities wherever 'Zakat' is found in the Qur'an it means money except its saying, and a tenderness from Us, and purity, (Sura Maryam 19:14) where purity is intended.

Now if Christ went up to heaven without dying as most of our Muslim brethren believe, it was his duty to pay alms according to the commandment. Are there, I wonder, poor Muslims in heaven to whom his alms would be given? If, on the other hand, Christ is still alive on earth, where is he and who are the recipients of his alms (Zakat)?

When we learn that he is not on earth and that he is not giving alms, we know of a certainty that he died and therefore his obligation to pay alms has been removed!

As we read in Sura al-Ma'ida 5:117, I was a witness over them, while I remained among them; but when you let me die (fall asleep or take me to you) you were yourself the watcher over them! Of this Al-Razi and Al-Jalalayn said: This verse will be said by Christ Isa to God most likely on the day of reckoning. And while Al-Razi explained the words to let me die by ascension, he had forgotten that he had previously explained it with making him fall asleep where it occurs in Sura Al Imran 3:55 Oh Isa, truly I let you fall asleep and will lift you up to me. Therefore if we go with Razi and other translators, agreeing that falling asleep means only lifting up, these words will come into existence on the last day of judgement and mean that Christ never will die. This is contradicting the text of the Qur'an that All that dwells upon the earth is perishing, yet still abides the Face of thy Lord, majestic, splendid (Sura al-Rahman 55:26,27). All things perish, except His Face (Sura al-Qasas 28:88).

This also contradicts the belief of many Muslim scholars who believe that Christ in fact died, contrary to those among them who believe that Christ has to die in this world before the Day of Resurrection. What harm would it do if they believed that take me to Thyself (mutawaffeeka) here does mean death and that this saying occurred before the Qur'an as the introduction to the verse indicates, when he said which indicates past tense and not future. In that case this Qur'anic text falls into line with the Torah and the Gospel and the belief of the Christians about the crucifixion and death of Christ.

Oh God, I beseech you reveal the Truth to those who seek it and grant Light to those who need it, you are the best to be invoked, Oh most Bountiful of Givers!

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