Allāh Taʿālā said:
“And they said, ‘We have killed the Masīḥ, ʿĪsā, son of Maryam, the Messenger of Allāh.’ They did not kill him, nor did they crucify him, *it was only made to appear so; (but another was made to resemble him to them).* They have no knowledge whatsoever—only making assumptions. They certainly did not kill him. (157) Rather, Allah raised him up to Himself. And Allah is Almighty, All-Wise. (158) Every one of the People of the Book will definitely believe in him before his death. And on the Day of Judgment Jesus will be a witness against them.”[1]
The Arabic of the Qurʾān “ولكن شبه لهم” can be translated both ways:
- But it was made to appear so.
- But another was made to appear like him.
If the second translation is taken, then we can say that the Qurʾān has clearly mentioned it.[2]
If the first translation is taken, then the question arises, how were they made to believe such? For this, we go to the next source of interpretation, which is the Sunnah. This includes ḥadiths and statements of the Ṣaḥābah and Tābiʿīn.
The greatest mufassir of the Qurʾān Majīd, whom the Prophet ﷺ prayed for to be given the knowledge of tafsīr, Sayyidunā ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿAbbās (رضي الله عنهما) said:
“When Allāh intended to raise ʿĪsā (عليه السلام) to the heavens, ʿĪsā (عليه السلام) came out to his companions, who were twelve in number, from a spring in the house, while his head was dripping with water and said, ‘Among you there are those who will disbelieve in me twelve times after bringing faith in me.’
He then proposed, ‘Which one of you is prepared to bear my [physical] resemblance, be killed in my place and [end up] with me in my rank [in Paradise]?’
A young man, who was the youngest among them stood and [offered himself] by saying ‘I’. However, ʿĪsā (عليه السلام) ordered him, ‘Be seated,’ and repeated the proposal [to his companions]. [Again,] the young man stood up but ʿĪsā (عليه السلام) instructed him to sit down and then once again repeated his offer. The young man stood up once more and said, ‘I [am ready].’
ʿĪsā (عليه السلام) then said, ‘[In that case] you have been selected.’
The young man was then given the [physical] resemblance of ʿĪsā (عليه السلام) [by Allāh] while ʿĪsā (عليه السلام) was raised from a window of the house to the heavens. Later the Jewish pursuers came and seized the [young man] who looked like ʿĪsā (عليه السلام) and killed him. Then, they crucified him.
Some of them disbelieved in ʿĪsā (عليه السلام) twelve times after bringing faith in him. They separated into three sects. One sect said: “God was amongst us as long as He wishes and then went up to the heavens.” They are the Yaʿqūbiyyah. Another sect said: “The son of God was amongst us and then God raised him to Him.” They are the Nusṭūriyyah. A third sect said: “The servant of Allāh and His messenger was amongst us as long as Allāh wished and the He raised him to Him.” They are the Believers (Muslimūn). The two non-believing sects attacked the Muslim one, fought against it and killed it. So Islām remained suppressed until Allāh sent Muḥammad ﷺ.
Then Allāh revealed on him: “A group of Banī ʾIsrāʾīl believed,” meaning the sect which brought faith in the era of ʿĪsā (عليه السلام). “And a group disbelieved,” meaning the sects which disbelieved in the era of ʿĪsā (عليه السلام). “So we supported those who believed,” in the era of ʿĪsā (عليه السلام) “against their enemy,” by Muḥammad’s religion being victorious over the religion of the kuffār “so they became victorious.”
This narration is collected with a sound chain by the following giants in tafsīr and ḥadīth:
- A main teacher of ʾImām Bukhārī and Muslim, Abū Bakr Ibn ʾAbī Shaybah (رحمه الله) [d.235 AH] in his ‘Al-Muṣannaf’[3]
- Another teacher of Imām Bukhārī and Muslim, ʿAbd ibn Ḥumayd (رحمه الله) in his ‘Al-Tafsīr’ [d.249 AH][4]
- ʾImām Nasāʾī (رحمه الله) [d.303 AH] in his ‘As-Sunan Al-Kubrā’[5]
- ʾImām Ibn Jarīr At-Tabrī (رحمه الله) [d.310 AH] in his ‘Al-Tafsīr’[6]
- ʾImām Ibn Abī Ḥātim (رحمه الله) [d.327 AH] in his ‘Al–Tafsīr’[7]
- ʾImām Ibn Mardawayh (رحمه الله) [d.410 AH] in his ‘Al-Tafsīr’[8]
After mentioning this narration in his blessed tafsīr, the great mufassir and muḥaddith Ḥāfiẓ Ibn Kathīr (رحمه الله) graded this narration as ṣaḥīḥ (authentic).[9]
Under this ḥadīth, the great Syrian ḥadīth expert, Muḥaddith Shaykh Muḥammad Awwāmah (حفطه الله) mentioned the quote of the great Egyptian Ḥadīth expert, Ḥāfiẓ Ibn Ḥajar that even though this is a statement of Ibn ʿAbbās it is not one which he could have said unless he heard it from the Messenger of Allāh, and he was not one who relied on Israelites, therefore it is a Prophetic ḥadīth in ruling.[10]
The above is based on the Qurʾān and Sunnah which have truly been preserved meticulously. As for the modern deviant scholars who are rejecting this, then they are basing their falsehood on so called Christian ‘historical facts’, while such sources have not been preserved, rather they have been altered by the sinful hands of man by their own admission.
As for using emotional blackmail as evidence like saying how can an innocent man be crucified, then this is not the only sacrifice in Islām. For instance, even though Allāh did not allow the knife to cut, Ibrāhīm (عليه السلام) did go through with Allāh Taʿālā’s command to sacrifice his son.[11] Furthermore, Khidhar (عليه السلام) killed the ‘innocent’ boy on the command of Allāh Taʿālā.[12] I ask you as a regular Muslim, which one of you will not give your life for the Prophet ﷺ? It is an honour of the highest caliber for the believers who will enter Paradise living therein forever. We also gave our lives in jihād.[13]
May Allāh allow us to live and die on ʾĪmān and Islām. Āmīn.
And Allāh Taʿālā knows best.
Ibn Suleman
4th Dhul Ḥijjah 1445/11th June 2024
Dārul ʾIftāʾ
Sirājul ʿUlūm Institute
Reviewed and concurred by:
Muftī Muhammad Mahdi (Guiding Stars Academy)
Muftī Reza Deonarine
Muftī Ayinda Ahmad
[1] 4:159
[2] Iḥtisāb-e-Qādyāniyat Vol.2 Pg.
[3] #32537
[4] See: Imām Suyūṭī’s Al-Durr Manthūr Vol.5 Pg.96
[5] #11527
[6] Vol.22 Pg.622
[7] #6233
[8] See: Suyūṭī’s Al-Durr Manthūr Vol.5 Pg.96
[9] Vol4. Pg.337
[10] Taʿlīq on Al-Muṣannaf Vol.16 Pg.550
[11] Sūrah Aṣ-Ṣāfāt: 102-105
[12] Sūrah Al-Kahaf: 74 & 80-81 We cannot practice on these commands. They عليهم السلام received revelation from Allāh.
[13] Sūrah Al-Tawbah: 111