Killed, Crucified, or Raised?

Qur’an 4:157–158 · Al-Nisāʾ · With other faiths

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

“And for their saying, ‘We killed the Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, the messenger of God’—though they did not kill him nor did they crucify him, but so it was made to appear to them. Indeed those who differ concerning him are surely in doubt about him: they do not have any knowledge of that beyond following conjectures, and certainly they did not kill him.” (4:157)

بَل رَّفَعَهُ ٱللَّهُ إِلَيْهِ ۚ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ عَزِيزًا حَكِيمًا

“Rather God raised him up toward Himself, and God is all-mighty, all-wise” (4:158)

The question

Was Jesus killed or crucified, as some of the Children of Israel claimed and the Gospels relate, and what does it mean that God “raised him up toward Himself”?

Views answered: the claim of the Children of Israel · the four Gospels · With: ʿAllāmah Ṭabāṭabāʾī

Jawādī Āmulī’s argument

Āyatullāh Jawādī Āmulī reads the verse as denying both killing and crucifixion, since a man may be hanged on a cross and survive. In the turmoil they mistook and crucified someone who resembled him; the report that God cast his likeness on a leader of unbelief he finds unlikely. The Christians’ certainty is conjecture, and the four Gospels, written down by disciples who were not protected from error in hearing, remembering or writing, cannot settle the matter. “Raised toward Himself” cannot mean taking him to another land or raising his rank. Of the remaining possibilities, natural death, ascension or occultation, no proof settles one, and I shall take you (3:55) is not explicit in death; but the word “rather” and the unity of the pronouns show that Jesus was raised alive, body and soul, as ʿAllāmah Ṭabāṭabāʾī also states, either by ascension or in occultation.

Views compared

The other views are given as al-Tasnim reports them. Each point opens al-Tasnim at that place.

“We killed the Messiah” Read →

The claim of the Children of Israel

They boasted of killing Jesus, as they had killed Zechariah, John and other prophets.

Jawādī Āmulī

They lied. The verse denies both killing and crucifixion, because hanging on a cross need not kill; denying only the killing would have left room for the crucifixion.

So it was made to appear to them Read →

A report, cited from al-Tafsīr al-Kabīr

God cast the Messiah’s likeness upon one of the leaders of unbelief who stirred up the sedition, and he was punished in his place.

Jawādī Āmulī

Unlikely. In the turmoil they erred in identifying him and crucified someone who resembled him; the confusion does not mean God made the matter confusing for them.

The Christians’ certainty Read →

Those who differ about him

They speak about the Messiah with confidence.

Jawādī Āmulī

The Qur’an answers them with three expressions: they have no knowledge, they follow conjecture, and they have no certainty; conjecture is no substitute for the truth (10:36).

The witness of the Gospels Read →

The four Gospels

Matthew, Mark, Luke and John relate that Jesus was killed or crucified.

Jawādī Āmulī

These are not the Gospel God gave the Messiah but notes of his teaching compiled by disciples who were not infallible in receiving, preserving or writing it. The Gospel of Barnabas denies the crucifixion, but Christians reject it.

Rather God raised him up toward Himself Read →

Readings of “raising”

Migration to another land; a raising in rank; or, after that, natural death, ascension to heaven, or occultation. In al-Mizan ↗

Jawādī Āmulī

Not migration, since a resolute prophet’s mission covers the whole earth; not rank, which he always had. “Rather” and the unity of the pronouns show he was raised alive, body and soul, toward God (not “to heaven”), either by ascension or in occultation, as ʿAllāmah Ṭabāṭabāʾī also states.

Reading guide

Each step opens al-Tasnim at that point.

1. The claim, and why both killing and crucifixion are denied
2. Someone who resembled him
3. Conjecture and doubt
4. The Gospels and the Gospel of Barnabas
5. What “raising” cannot mean
6. Three possibilities, and the verse 3:55
7. Raised alive: two contextual indicators

The whole commentary on 4:157 → · ʿAllāmah Ṭabāṭabāʾī on 4:157–158 in al-Mizan ↗