THE QUR’AN CONFIRMS THE DEATH OF JESUS

 

The Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ are central to the Christian faith. The Bible attaches great importance to the death of Jesus. One reference work says that the death of Jesus is mentioned some 175 times in the Christian Greek Scriptures (New Testament). On the way to Jerusalem to celebrate his final Passover, Jesus told his disciples:

Mark 10:34-35: The Son of man will be delivered to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and will deliver him to men of the nations, and they will make fun of him and will spit upon him and scourge him and kill him.

However, Muslims strongly deny that Jesus was put to death by execution on the stake. They believe that God rescued him from death and raised him to heaven – without experiencing death. This discrepancy between Islam and Christianity is crucial to the seeker of truth. Either Islam is true or Christianity is. But certainly not the both. Therefore, if it can be proven beyond doubt that Jesus actually died before his ascension to heaven, then not only will Christianity stand vindicated but Islam will also be proven to be false. What is important for Muslims to note is the fact that while the Qur’an denies the death of Jesus, at the same instance, in numerous verses it proves that Jesus actually died before his ascension to heaven. We will now prove this fact with absolute certainty.

Muslims are taught to believe that Jesus did not die but was bodily raised directly to heaven. The general Islamic view is that someone else was executed in the place of Jesus, with most Muslims believing that it was Judas Iscariot. According to Islam, Judas Iscariot was made to look like Jesus on the night before Christ was executed. And as a result, the unbelieving Jews supposedly thought that they had killed Jesus when it was Judas Iscariot. The idea that Jesus did not die developed from the following Qur’anic verse:

Surah 4:157: And their saying: Surely we have killed the Messiah, Isa son of Marium, the messenger of Allah; and they did not kill him nor did they crucify him, but it appeared to them so (like Isa) and most surely those who differ therein are only in a doubt about it; they have no knowledge respecting it, but only follow a conjecture, and they killed him not for sure. (Shakir)

And another translation renders it as follows:

And because of their saying: We slew the Messiah Jesus son of Mary, Allah’s messenger They slew him not nor crucified, but it appeared so unto them; and lo! those who disagree concerning it are in doubt thereof; they have no knowledge thereof save pursuit of a conjecture; they slew him not for certain. (Pickthall)

The denial of the execution of Jesus by impalement is based entirely on this single verse in the entire Qur’an. This Qur’anic verse contradicts the Bible’s clear testimony regarding the absolute certainty of the death of Jesus. Muslims willingly accept the teaching of this single Qur’anic verse despite the fact that Muhammad came hundreds of years after the event, lived hundreds of miles away, and did not provide a single piece of evidence to substantiate his claim. The Qur’an is clearly in error for the following valid reasons.

The writings of the Bible were completed some six-hundred years before the arrival of the Qur’an. Since the Qur’an contradicts the essential teachings of the Bible regarding the death of Jesus while at the same instant affirming the authority of the Bible as a reliable guide, the Qur’an is evidently in error. How is it possible for Allah to deny the death of Jesus Christ and at the same instant validate the authority of the Bible? If the Bible is wrong about the death of Jesus, then it surely cannot be a reliable guidance for mankind. As such, would it not be an enormous error for Allah to give Christians the following commandment in the Qur’an? Consider the commandment of Allah in this Qur’anic verse:

Surah 5:68: Say: “O followers of the Bible! You have no valid ground for your beliefs – unless you truly observe the Torah and the Gospel, and all that has been bestowed from on high upon you by your Sustainer!” (Asad)

And Allah even commanded Muhammad to seek guidance from those who studied the Bible:

Surah 10:94: If thou wert in doubt as to what We have revealed unto thee, then ask those who have been reading the Book from before thee: the Truth hath indeed come to thee from thy Lord: so be in no wise of those in doubt. (Yusuf Ali)

“And if thou (Muhammad) art in doubt concerning that which We reveal unto thee, then question those who read the Scripture that was before thee.” (Pickthall)

And in another Qur’anic verse Allah also gave Muhammad the same commandment to consult those who studied the Scriptures of the Bible:

Surah 21:7: “And We sent not before you (O Muhammad) but men to whom We inspired, so ask the people of the Reminder (Scriptures – the Taurat (Torah), the Injeel (Gospel)) if you do not know.” (Hilali-Khan)

At the time when these Qur’anic verses were revealed to Muhammad, all the Bibles in circulation throughout the world declared that Jesus died on the execution stake. The only Torah and Gospel that were available for Christians are the ones compiled in these Bibles. Therefore, when Allah commanded the Christians to observe the Torah and the Gospel, he was commanding them to observe the very Scriptures which prophesy and teach that Jesus was executed on the stake at the instigation of the Jews. And Allah also commanded Muhammad to consult the very people whose Scriptures confirms the death of Jesus. By affirming the Bible as the authoritative Word of God and yet at the same time denying the death of Jesus Christ, we find the Qur’an contradicting itself.

In fact, the Qur’an exposes the ignorance of Allah. He wrongly assumed that his denial of the death of Jesus did not conflict with his commandment that the Bible is the only reliable and authoritative guidance for Christians. The command for Christians to observe the Torah and the Gospel is still the standing order in the Qur’an today. These conflicting teachings prove that the author of the Qur’an is an impostor impersonating as the true God. This cast doubts on the inspiration of the Qur’an. The Qur’an is clearly in error since it affirms the authority of the Holy Bible while denying one of its essential teachings.

INTERNAL CONTRADICTION

Even more troubling for Muslims is the fact that when the Qur’an denies the death of Jesus, it not only contradicts the Bible’s clear testimony, but it also contradicts its very own teachings. This is not an uncommon occurrence in the Qur’an. We will now study the internal contradictions in the Qur’an. Reflect carefully on the evidences. The Qur’anic verse provided below records the statement of Jesus Christ:

Surah 19:33: Peace on me the day I was born, and the day I die, and the day I shall be raised alive! (Pickthall)

“There was peace on me the day I was born, and will be the day I die, and on the day I will be raised from the dead.” (A. Ali)

Muslim apologists find themselves in a dilemma when confronted with Qur’anic verses such as the ones cited above. Knowing that the above testimony of Jesus in Surah 19:33 clearly proves that he died before his ascension to heaven, Muslim apologists try to explain away the clear teaching of this Qur’anic verse. They respond by saying that the death of Jesus mentioned here will take place in the future. They assert that Jesus will die only after he comes back the second time and then be raised back to life. With no rhyme or reason they desperately cling to this twisted explanation to evade an obvious contradiction in the Qur’an.

Well, what evidence do they provide to make such an outrageous claim? None! But, this interpretation poses a serious problem for them. Why? Because the very same phrase used by Jesus is also expressed just a few verses earlier regarding John the Baptist. We can read an almost identical passage about John the Baptist in Surah 19:15. Note the similarity in the wordings:

Surah 19:15: And peace on him on the day he was born, and on the day he dies, and on the day he is raised to life. (Shakir)

According to Islamic belief, John the Baptist lived and died. And Muslims believe that he will be raised to life in Paradise on the Day of Resurrection. Muslims have no trouble whatsoever in recognizing the fact that this Qur’anic verse is not speaking about the death of John the Baptist in some distant future but his immediate death. Not only do they clearly understand but they also correctly apply the chronological sequence of the event mentioned here in the case of John. Yet, in the case of Jesus, we find Muslims having Jesus ascending to God before dying, destroying the very chronological sequence that Allah himself revealed in the Qur’an. They deliberately distort and destroy the chronological sequence of the event, even though the chronological sequence is identical in both cases. Since no Muslim shift the death of John to the future, no one should now shift the death of Jesus to the future.

Muslim apologists would rather make completely unsupportable arguments than admit that the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is clearly taught in this Qur’anic verse. Of course, their refusal to come to terms with the truth is because they are aware that a correct interpretation of Surah 19:33 will lead to a contradiction in the Qur’an. It will contradict Surah 4:157 which denies the death of Jesus. Either Jesus died or he did not. It cannot be both. Since the Qur’an teaches both, Allah has left Muslims with little choice other than to deceive and manipulate a Qur’anic verse that really needs no explanation.

For the interpretation of the Muslims to be true, Surah 19:33 should state: “Peace on me the day I was born, and the day I shall be raised alive and the day I shall die.” Only when it is rendered in this manner, it will be in harmony with their absurd claim. Since Surah 19:33 and Surah 19:15 are identical in the description of the sequence of events, why don’t Muslims also shift the death of John the Baptist to the future – after his resurrection – as they did in the case of Jesus? Why the discrepancy?

In fact, there is not a single passage in the entire Qur’an that shows that Jesus will return to die. Since the fulfillment of the parallel statement in the case of John the Baptist proves that he actually died before his resurrection, Jesus, too, must have died accordingly before his ascension. Muslims have a habit of shifting the goal posts to suit their agenda. The absolute supposition of Surah 19:33 can be seen from the comment made by Yusuf Ali, the renowned translator of the Qur’an:

“…, Christ was not crucified (S. IV. 157). But those who believe that he never died should ponder over this verse.” (Ali, “The Holy Qur’an,” p.774, f. 2485.)

We will now expose the lies of these Muslim apologists even further. We will look at two separate Qur’anic verses to prove that Jesus actually died before his ascension to heaven. The first is Surah 3:55. This Qur’anic verse specifically points to the fact that Jesus died before his ascension to heaven. Allah said to Jesus:

Surah 3:55: Lo! God said: “O Jesus! Verily, I shall cause thee to die, and shall exalt thee unto Me, and cleanse thee of the presence of those who are bent on denying the truth; and I shall place those who follow thee far above those who are bent on denying the truth, unto the Day of Resurrection.” (Asad)

God said, “O Jesus, I shall cause you to die and will raise you up to Me and shall clear you of the calumnies of the disbelievers, and shall place those who follow you above those who deny the truth, until the Day of Judgement.” (W. Khan)

Surah 3:55 is part of a passage in the Qur’an that recounts the birth, death and ascension of Jesus. Two conditions are stipulated about Jesus in this Qur’anic verse: First, Allah will cause his death. Second, he will be raised to heaven. The second condition cannot take place till the first condition is met. In other words, before Jesus can be raised, he must first die. The sequence of the events is very clearly outlined with no ambiguity whatsoever. It plainly testifies that Allah will first cause Jesus to die and then raise him up to heaven. Therefore, whenever the Qur’an states the Jesus was raised to heaven, it has to be only after Allah caused him to die. The fact that Allah dictated the phrase, “cause thee to die” before the words “exalt thee” reveals the determined thoughts of Allah. What right has Muslims to change the order of the words of Allah in the Qur’an?

More remarkably, this Qur’anic verse shows that the death and ascension of Jesus occurred long before the “Day of Judgement.” This is verified by the fact that after stating the death and ascension of Jesus, this Qur’anic verse states that the disciples of Jesus will be placed above the disbelievers until the “Day of Judgement” – clearly a future event that is yet to occur. This proves that the death of Jesus occurred long before the arrival of the “Day of Judgement.” Since his Second Coming is closely related to the time of the arrival of the “Day of Judgement,” his death clearly took place long before his Second Coming. Therefore, the statement that Jesus will die only after his Second Coming is a deliberate lie concocted by Muslims to conceal an obvious error in the Qur’an.

According to the Qur’an, the Second Coming of Jesus serves as a sign of the nearness of the “Day of Judgement.” The “Day of Judgement” is also referred to as the “Last Hour” in some translations of the Qur’an:

Surah 43:61: And surely when he, (Jesus), descends from heaven, he will be a sign of the nearness of the Last Hour. So do not doubt it at all. And keep following Me. This is the straight path. (Mohammad Tahir-ul-Qadri)

Now, let’s look at the second Qur’anic verse which also strongly supports the fact that Jesus actually died before his ascension to heaven. This verse is important because it gives us a time-frame. In this verse, Jesus is conversing with Allah after his ascension to heaven. And this is what Jesus said to Allah:

Surah 5:117: Nothing did I tell them beyond what Thou didst bid me to say: `Worship God, who is my Sustainer as well as your Sustainer.’ And I bore witness to what they did as long as I dwelt in their midst; but since Thou hast caused me to die, Thou alone hast been their keeper: for Thou art witness unto everything. (Asad)

I was a witness to what they did as long as I remained among them, and when You did cause me to die, You were the watcher over them. You are the witness of all things. (W. Khan)

Study the wordings of this Qur’anic passage carefully. This Qur’anic verse clearly shows that now in presence of Allah, after his ascension to heaven, Jesus spoke of his death as already having occurred. “Thou hast caused me to die.” Thus, Allah caused him to die before his ascension to heaven. The claim that he will die only after his ascension and during his Second Coming is a deceitful attempt by Muslim apologists to cover an obvious contradiction in the Qur’an. Jesus clearly died before his ascension. The words of Jesus in the above Qur’anic verse clearly confirm the following sequence of events:

One: When Jesus was with his disciples on earth, he bore witness to them. Two: But then Allah caused him to die. Three: And now in heaven, Jesus says that Allah alone watches over them at present.

In the above Qur’anic verse, the term “die” is translated from the Arabic word, “mutawaffika.” The term “mutawaffika” occurs over 25 times in the Qur’an, and in each case it refers to the death of someone. Especially enlightening is its usage in the following Qur’anic verse:

Surah 39:42: It is Allah that takes (mutawaffika) the souls of men at death; and those that die not He takes (mutawaffika) during their sleep: those on whom He has passed the decree of death. (Yusuf Ali)

It is important to note that even if some Qur’an translators use the phrase, “Thou didst take me up” (mutawaffika) instead of “Thou didst cause me to die” (mutawaffika) in their translations, it means the same thing in the Arabic Qur’an. It means death.

ALL MESSENGERS WILL DIE

We will now consider two Surahs that use the same pattern of words to state categorically that all messengers of God will certainly pass away in death:

Surah 5:75: The Messiah, son of Marium is but a messenger; messengers before him have indeed passed away; and his mother was a truthful woman; they both used to eat food. See how We make the communications clear to them, then behold, how they are turned away. (Shakir)

Surah 3:144: And Muhammad is no more than a messenger; the messengers have already passed away before him; if then he dies or is killed will you turn back upon your heels? (Shakir)

The first Surah clearly states that all messengers “before” Jesus “have indeed passed away.” A fact that no Muslims will deny. And the second Surah states that all messengers “before” Muhammad “have already passed away” in death. Islam teaches that no prophet arose between Jesus and Muhammad. Therefore, the immediate messenger who was sent forth “before” Muhammad was Jesus. As such, the second Surah specifically confirms that Jesus who came immediately before Muhammad must have also died – just as the rest of the messengers. If he did not die, then Muslims have to reject this Qur’anic verse as false.

In Arabic, the term for messengers used in the above two Surahs is “al-rasul” which literally means “the messengers.” According to grammatical rules of classic Arabic, owing to the prefix “al” (the), the word messengers in the above two Qur’anic verses really means “all messengers.” (Ref. Bahr al-Muhit, Volume 3, p. 68).

Additionally, if Surah 3:144 intends to exclude Jesus as one of the messengers who passed away before Muhammad, then it would have read, “All the Apostles before Muhammad died with the exception of Isa son of Maryam.” But we find no such thing. Hence Surah 3:144 proves that Jesus must have died as the Gospels clearly and honestly testify. Moreover, this disproves the Muslim claim that God would not allow his messenger to die violently at the hands of their enemies. The Qur’an itself teaches that evil men in the past have “killed the prophets” of God. We will just cite one example out of the many to prove our point:

Surah 2:91: When it is said to them, “Believe in what Allah Hath sent down,” they say, “We believe in what was sent down to us:” yet they reject all besides, even if it be Truth confirming what is with them. Say: “Why then have ye slain the prophets of Allah in times gone by, if ye did indeed believe?” (Yusuf Ali)

The Muslim assertion that Jesus did not die prior to his ascension contradicts yet again the following Qur’anic verse. According to the Qur’an, every soul must experience death. We have provided three different translations:

Surah 21:35: Every soul must taste of death, and We try you with evil and with good, for ordeal. And unto Us ye will be returned. (Pickthall)

Every human being is bound to taste death; and We test you (all) through the bad and the good (things of life) by way of trial: and unto Us you all must return. (Asad)

Every Soul -no exception- shall taste death. (Al-Muntakhab)

And the following Qur’anic verse punctuates the fact that all messengers of Allah will die. It emphasizes that none of the messengers who came before Muhammad were “exempt from death.”

Surah 21:7-8: Before thee, also, the messengers We sent were but men, to whom We granted inspiration: If ye realise this not, ask of those who possess the Message. Nor did We give them bodies that ate no food, nor were they exempt from death. (Yusuf Ali)

And the Qur’an makes it clear that this includes Jesus Christ since he is also identified as one of the messengers:

Surah 5:75: The Messiah, the son of Mary, is only a Messenger: Messengers like him have passed away before him. (H. S. Aziz)

Of course, Christians believe that Jesus Christ is more than a Messenger. As we can see, the denial of the death of Jesus creates many theological problems for Muslims. The only way out of this difficulty is for Muslims to deny the Qur’an. Because of a single contradictory statement in Surah 4:157, Muslims have to now torture themselves to re-interpret the rest of the Qur’anic verses that clearly point to the death of Jesus Christ. Muslim are torn between accepting all the Qur’anic verses that speaks about the death of Jesus and the single account in Surah 4:157 that denies his death.

As stated earlier, one of the excuses that Muslims use to deny the death of Jesus is by falsely reasoning that God would not allow his prophets or messengers to die in such a violent manner at the hands of their enemies. However, when interpreting Surah 3:144 and Surah 5:75, Muslim scholars in their Tafsirs (Commentaries) have understood that it includes death both naturally and by murder or execution:

Qanwa ‘ala Baidawi, Volume 3, p.124:

“The Holy Prophet would leave the world as had done previous prophets, by natural death or murder.”

It is vital to note that the Arabic word “khala” which is translated as “passed away” in Surah 3:144 and Surah 5:75, always refers to the death of the person when used in connection with that individual. (Ref.  Lisan al-‘Arab and Aqrab al-Mawarad).

Surah 3:144 further clarifies the meaning of this Arabic term “khala” by qualifying it with the words “if he dies or is killed” regarding the manner of Muhammad’s death. Therefore, when the Qur’an speaks of the “passing away” of all previous prophets, it refers both to the “dying a natural death” and “being killed.” As such, it is inexcusable for Muslims to deny the violent execution of Jesus at the hands of his enemies.

PROPHETIC EVIDENCE

Unlike the Qur’an which is confusing, the Gospel accounts of the Bible are quite consistent in the narratives regarding the death of Jesus. What Muslims failed to understand is that the death of Jesus was not something which caught him unaware destroying his plans. On the contrary, the very purpose for which he came into the world was to die a sacrificial death so as to open the way of salvation for mankind. The death of Jesus on the execution stake was not an afterthought. Neither was it an unforeseen tragedy. It was God’s purpose right from the beginning. In harmony with his Father’s will, it was the conscious choice of Jesus to lay down his life. Thus, the death of Jesus is a certainty in Christianity. Even before his death, Jesus declared:

Mark 10:45: For even the Son of man came, not to be ministered to, but to minister and to give his life as a ransom in exchange for many.

In fact, centuries before the arrival of Jesus, God “announced beforehand through the mouth all the prophets that his Christ would suffer.” And Jesus fulfilled all these prophecies to the letter:

Acts 3:18: But in this way God has fulfilled the things he announced beforehand through the mouth of all the prophets that his Christ would suffer.

Given below are some examples of the astounding prophecies dealing with the Arrest, Trial and Death of Jesus Christ. They are all taken from written Biblical records of the Jewish prophets who were the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. These prophetic accounts were written between 500 to 1000 years before the birth of Jesus.

Betrayed by a close companion
Prophecy: Psalms 41:9 — Fulfillment: Matthew 26:47-50; John 13:18

Betrayed for thirty pieces of silver
Prophecy: Zechariah 11:12 — Fulfillment: Matthew 26:14-15

Shepherd struck, flock scattered
Prophecy: Zechariah 13:7 — Fulfillment: Matthew 26:31, 56

Use of false witnesses
Prophecy: Psalms 27:12 — Fulfillment: Matthew 26:59-61

Tried and condemned
Prophecy: Isaiah 53:8 — Fulfillment: John 19:1-16

Silent before his accusers
Prophecy: Isaiah 53:7 — Fulfillment: Matthew 27:12-14

Struck and spat on him
Prophecy: Isaiah 50:6 — Fulfillment: Matthew 26:67

Pierced for our transgression
Prophecy: Isaiah 53:5 — Fulfillment: John 19:34

Pierced while on the stake
Prophecy: Zechariah 12:10 — Fulfillment: John 19:37

Reviled while impaled on the stake
Prophecy: Psalm 22:7-8 — Fulfillment: Matthew 27:39-43

Lots cast for his garments
Prophecy: Psalm 22:18 — Fulfillment: John 19:23-24

Poured out his life to the very death
Prophecy: Isaiah 53:12 — Fulfillment: Matthew 26:27-28; Luke 23:46

Counted among the sinners
Prophecy: Isaiah 53:12 — Fulfillment: Luke 23:32-33; Matthew 26:55-56

The Messiah will be cut off
Prophecy: Daniel 9:26 — Fulfillment: Matthew 26:2

No bones broken
Prophecy: Psalm 34:20 — Fulfillment: John 19: 32-36

Buried with the rich
Prophecy: Isaiah 53:9 — Fulfillment: Matthew 27:57-60

Will not be allowed to remain in death
Prophecy: Psalm 16:10 — Fulfillment: Acts 13:34-37

Exalted to the right hand of God
Prophecy: Psalm 110:1 — Fulfillment: Romans 8:34

The above prophecies and their fulfillments show the unity and cohesiveness between the Hebrew (Old Testament) and the Christian Greek Scriptures (New Testament). These prophecies were written over the centuries by the ancient prophets of God. And they point harmoniously to the circumstances leading to the death of Jesus Christ. The Book of Isaiah was written more than 700 years before the birth of Jesus. Please read Isaiah 53:1-12 and see the astounding prophecy which details the sacrificial death of Jesus in the outworking of God’s divine purpose to redeem sinful mankind.

The fundamental Christian belief is that Jesus died and rose from the dead. In contrast, Muhammad claimed that he never died. Can we then put away all these evidences and place our trust in the judgment of one man who denies the death of Jesus when he lived some hundreds of miles away from the place of the event and some 600 years after the event, and who by his own admission is an illiterate? In contrast to the clear teachings of the Holy Bible, the Qur’an gives contradictory statements.

ISLAM’S CONFUSION

Muhammad’s claim about the death of Jesus is confusing – even to Muslims. Islam does not give us a clear identity of the person who was nailed on the stake. Some Muslims believe it was Jesus who was nailed to the stake but he did not die. Others believe that he was not even placed on the stake but was taken up to heaven while somebody else was impaled in his place. And Muslims have differences of opinion about who this other somebody was. Some believe it was Judas Iscariot while others say it was Simon of Cyrene. And still others believe it was one of the Roman soldiers. No Muslims seem to know conclusively. And all these different opinions have been suggested in different Muslim writings as a possible replacement of Jesus Christ. Some Muslims even believe Jesus was impaled on the stake. Yet he somehow revived in the tomb and died in India at the age of 120. Talk about clarity!

While secularist may not accept the Christian doctrine of salvation through the death of Jesus, they still recognize his death as an historical fact. Disagreeing with the doctrine would not change what actually happened in history. One can reject a doctrine but not history. Muslims confuse doctrine with history. Even if Muslims reject the Christian doctrine of salvation through the death of Jesus, they cannot reject the solid testimony of history.

TESTIMONY OF A ROMAN HISTORIAN

A number of secular writers who lived close to the time of Jesus made specific mention of him. Among them was the Roman historian and Senator, Cornelius Tacitus. He is considered as one of the most respected historians. He recorded the history of Rome under the emperors. Regarding a fire that devastated Rome in 64 C.E., Cornelius Tacitus relates that it was rumored that Emperor Nero was responsible for the disaster. Cornelius Tacitus wrote that Nero tried to place the blame on a group whom the populace called Christians. And Cornelius Tacitus added:

“Christus, from whom their name is derived, was executed at the hands of the procurator Pontius Pilate in the reign of Tiberius.” — Annals (Book 15, Chapter 44)

Now compare how accurately the historical account of Cornelius Tacitus agrees with the earlier recorded account in the Holy Bible:

Mark 15:15: “At that Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released Barabbas to them, and, after having Jesus whipped, he handed him over to be executed.”

Luke 23:24-25: “So Pilate gave sentence for their demand to be met: he released the man that had been thrown into prison for sedition and murder and whom they were demanding, but he surrendered Jesus to their will.”

There are substantial historical evidences for the death of Jesus on the stake. The Old Testament prophets testified to the death of Jesus through numerous prophecies. Jesus himself testified to his death on multiple occasions. Eyewitnesses testified to the death of Jesus on the torture stake. Non-Christian historians also testified that Jesus died. Surprisingly the Qur’an also testifies to the fact that Jesus died.

THE PROBLEM WITH SURAH 4:157

The Muslims denial of the execution and death of Jesus is based entirely on a single verse in the Qur’an. If it were not for Surah 4:157, Muslims would plainly understand Surah 3:55 and Surah 19:33 as referring to the death of Jesus. Let us look at Surah 4:157 once again and analyze this Qur’anic verse further. We will now deal with other obvious errors in this Qur’anic verse:

Surah 4:157: And their saying: Surely we have killed the Messiah, Isa son of Marium, the messenger of Allah; and they did not kill him nor did they crucify him, but it appeared to them so (like Isa) and most surely those who differ therein are only in a doubt about it; they have no knowledge respecting it, but only follow a conjecture, and they killed him not for sure. (Shakir)

If you read the context of this account, you will understand that it the Jews who are saying: “Surely we have killed the Messiah, Isa son of Marium, the messenger of Allah.” Think! Would the unbelieving Jews identify Jesus as the “Messiah” when they have rejected him as the Messiah in the first place? It must be remembered that the Jewish religious leaders even objected when Pilate wrote a title referring to Jesus as “King of the Jews.” (John 19:19-22). As hysterical as they were in their rejection of Jesus, would it be logical for the Jews to address Jesus as the “Messiah”? Surely, had they recognized Jesus as the Messiah, do you think they would want to kill him? And equally ridiculous is statement in this Qur’anic verse where we find the Jews addressing Jesus as the “messenger of Allah.”

Furthermore, the hostile Jews who rejected Jesus will never proclaim “we have killed the Messiah” as this Qur’anic verse claims. They will never say this even in sarcasm. This is because the Messiah is a reverential figure for whom the Jews are waiting for deliverance. Not even in mockery will the Jews say that they have killed the Messiah. And the Jews are still devotedly waiting for the Messiah to come.

Surah 4:157: And they did not kill him, nor did they crucify him; but another was made to resemble him to them. (Sahih International)

Because of this Qur’anic verse, Muslims believe that Allah took Jesus to heaven while someone else was nailed to the stake. Most Muslims believe that it was Judas Iscariot. Thus, according to the Qur’an, the person on the stake was made to “resemble” Jesus. This means Judas, died in the place of Christ. This is a massive theological problem because Surah 4:157 presents Allah as a deceiver who misleads people into believing a lie for no valid reason at all. Allah deceived people into believing that Jesus had died on the stake when in fact he did not. If Allah was able to lift up Jesus instantly to safety, what is the advantage of this whole deception? Does not the deception of having someone replace Jesus actually conceal the powerful act of Allah’s saving power? Thus, the entirety of Islam is but a mockery of the truth.

If Islam is correct, then Allah started this whole idea that Jesus died on the stake when he tricked his enemies into thinking that they had killed him. And the Disciples of Christ were also deceived into believing that he died. So who is responsible for the erroneous teaching of Christianity that Jesus died on the stake? And this now leads to even more theological problems for Islam.

If the Disciples of Christ were deceived unintentionally by Allah, then it means that Allah did not realize that he was about to start the largest false religion in the world. However, if the Disciples of Christ were deceived intentionally, then Allah, like Satan, is in the business of starting false religions. Ironically, millions of Christians from around the world refuse to accept Islam because they are fooled by Allah to believe that Jesus died on the stake. In other words, Allah is directly responsible for their failure to become Muslims. In the final result, all this goes back to the deceiver – Allah. Therefore, the Allah of Islam is either dreadfully ignorant or maliciously deceptive. Either way, Allah cannot be trusted.

Muslims, how sure are you that Allah is not deceiving you also? It would be in your eternal interest to search for the God of truth who by his very nature cannot lie or deceive.

Hebrews 6:18: It is impossible for God to lie.

Yes! Jesus died. He died in order to redeem mankind from sin and death. Centuries before Jesus was sent to the earth, the prophet Isaiah was inspired to write about the suffering and the death of the Messiah. And how the ransom sacrifice of Jesus would provide atonement for the sins of those who repent. Regarding the death of Jesus, Isaiah prophesied:

Isaiah 53:5: But he was being pierced for our transgression; he was being crushed for our errors. The chastisement meant for our peace was upon him, and because of his wounds there has been a healing for us.