Denial of the Messiah’s Killing and Crucifixion

One of the things that causes the disbelief (kufr) of the fanatical Children of Israel is their false notion about the killing of Jesus: “and for their saying, ‘We killed the Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, the messenger of God’” They were intent on killing the Messiah and had no qualms about this matter, just as they martyred Zechariah and John and other prophets: “and their killing of the prophets unjustly”.(6) But regarding the Messiah they lied, and this lie reveals their audacity and transgression.

They did not kill him nor crucify him, but the matter was made dubious to them: “though they did not kill him nor did they crucify him, but so it was made to appear to them.”(7)

Since there is a possibility of survival in crucifixion (ṣalb) and consequently there is no necessary correlation between crucifixion and killing, they are placed opposite each other, just as in the verse “Indeed the requital of those who wage war against God and His Messenger, and try to cause corruption on the earth, is that they shall be slain or crucified”(8) they are opposite each other.

The secret of combining killing and crucifixion and negating both is that it is possible for killing not to be true while hanging on the cross is true, because sometimes it is possible for someone to be hanged on the cross and not die; and even supposing he dies, there is a difference between killing and crucifixion: although both share the common element of causing death, hanging on the cross is called a special type of killing. So if it had only negated killing, it would have been possible for his crucifixion to be mentioned, therefore it also negated that: “though they did not kill him nor did they crucify him” (4:157).

Based on this, two meanings are conceived for the verse:

1. They killed a mistaken individual; not the real individual.

2. God informs that you should know with certainty that they never killed the Messiah, but rather they crucified someone who resembled him.(9)

This latter possibility is not unlikely, because sedition (fitna) and turmoil occurred and the Children of Israel attacked with the intention of killing Jesus and in such tumult they erred in identifying the subject and crucified someone who resembled him: “but so it was made to appear to them” (4:157) in such a way that either there was actually an individual who resembled him. Alternatively, as some have narrated, God cast the resemblance of the Messiah upon one of the leaders of disbelief (kufr) who was the instigator of sedition, and brought him to the bitter punishment of his deed,(10) although this meaning is unlikely; that is, the confusion does not mean that God made the matter confusing for them.

The phrase “and certainly they did not kill him” (4:157) which is mentioned at the end of the verse is a final summary in which the word “kill” (qatl) encompasses both killing and crucifixion; unlike “kill” in “though they did not kill him” which, by virtue of being contrasted with crucifixion, was opposed to it. So they neither killed the Messiah in the ordinary manner nor hanged him.

Note:

1. The exegesis of “and certainly they did not kill him” as meaning certain news is unlikely, since all of God’s statements are definitive. What can be the clear meaning of this expression is that certain killing did not occur, but rather suspected, doubtful and mistaken killing took place.

2. From the divine report “they did not kill him nor did they crucify him”, definitive knowledge is obtained.