Was Jesus Crucified?
The Bible, the Qur'an, and History
Samuel Green
INTRODUCTION
Was Jesus crucified? This is a question Christians and Muslims often discuss. Christians are taught from the Bible and history that Jesus was publicly crucified and killed on a Roman cross around AD 33. His death on the cross is a central part of the Christian faith. Muslims, however, are taught that Jesus only appeared to be crucified and killed. Muslim leaders give a variety of explanations as to what it means that Jesus only appeared to be crucified and killed, these include that no one was crucified; someone else was crucified in Jesus’ place; Jesus was crucified but survived; or we cannot know what happened to Jesus.
How can we know which understanding is true? To answer this, we need to understand each view, examine the evidence for it, and then make a decision. This is what we will do in this article. First, we will consider which explanation of the crucifixion in the Qur’an makes the best sense. Then, we will consider the evidence from the Bible; then the evidence from history outside of the Bible. After this we will be able to make an informed decision and answer the question, was Jesus crucified?
This article has the following chapters:
The Qur’an and the Crucifixion
The Bible and the Crucifixion
History and the Crucifixion
If you are a Christian you should not assume you know what your Muslim friend believes about the crucifixion. Instead, ask what he or she believes happened to Jesus. You may like to read this article with your friend and discuss the ideas in it. It is available as a printable booklet.
If you are a Muslim, please read this article and work out for yourself which explanation of the Qur’an makes the best sense. Then consider the evidence from the Bible and history.
THE QUR’AN AND THE CRUCIFIXION
What does the Qur’an say about the crucifixion of Jesus? Muslim leaders and scholars give a variety of answers to this question. In this chapter we will consider these answers. Then we will read the verses ourselves and evaluate which answer makes the most sense.
Islamic explanations of the crucifixion
Explanation 1. No one was crucified. It was a vision.
In this explanation, there was no historical crucifixion. People saw an illusion or communal vision of Jesus being crucified and thought it was real.1
Explanation 2. No one was crucified. It is a myth made up by Christians.
Nasir al-Din al-Baydawi suggests the crucifixion story is a myth or a false report that Christians developed over time.2 There was no historical crucifixion. The crucifixion only appeared to have happened because people started saying it happened.
Explanation 3. Someone was substituted for Jesus.
The substitute theory is that there was a real crucifixion, and it appeared to be Jesus, but it was someone else. Many classical Islamic scholars hold this view.3 The idea of a substitute does not come from the Qur’an or from an explanation attributed to Muhammad, but from other interpreters of the Qur’an. Al-Tabari records eleven such explanations which differ widely in detail.4 Some say the substitute was a volunteer disciple, or that the Romans mistakenly crucified Barabbas or Simon of Cyrene, or that it was Judas, who was being punished for betraying Jesus.
Explanation 4. We do not know what happened.
This view says we cannot know any more than what the verses in the Qur’an say, and the verses only say that the Jewish leaders did not crucify or kill Jesus, even though it appeared they did. What exactly happened we do not know from the Qur'an. This view is held by the significant 20th century commentators Abdul A`la Maududi and Sayyid Qutb.5
The Qur’an explicitly states that the Jews did not succeed in putting Jesus to death and that Allah raised him to Himself, but it is silent about the nature and details of the matter and does neither say explicitly whether Allah raised him body and soul together from the earth to some place in heaven, nor that he died like other mortals and only his soul was raised to heaven. Therefore, on the basis of the Qur’an neither aspect can be definitely denied or affirmed. (S. Abdul A`La Maududi)6
Explanation 5. Jesus was crucified by the Romans, not the Jewish Leaders.
The Qur’an says that the Jews did not crucify or kill Jesus; it never says “Jesus was not crucified or killed.” This observation has led some to suggest that the Qur’an is not denying the historical crucifixion of Jesus, but denying that it was the Jews who did it. They say it was the Romans who crucified Jesus and it only appeared to be the Jews.7
Explanation 6. Jesus’ body was crucified, but his soul was taken in sleep.
This explanation says that Jesus’ soul left his body without him being killed and only his body was crucified, so he appeared to die.8 This idea is based on a teaching in the Qur’an that says God takes our soul not only at death but also when we sleep.
God takes the souls at the time of their death; and in their sleep those that have not died. (Qur’an 39:42)
Therefore, when Jesus was on the cross, he fainted and was asleep due to exhaustion, and his soul was taken by God and not returned. It appeared to the unbelievers that they had killed Jesus but they had not.
Explanation 7. Refuting the Jewish Talmud
This explanation says the Qur’an is refuting the death of Jesus as it is presented in the Jewish Talmud.9 The Talmud says that Jesus was stoned and then crucified. The Qur’an is said to be correcting this by saying he was not stoned and then crucified this way. Thus the Qur’an is rejecting the Jewish account in the Talmud but not the Christian account in the Bible.
Explanation 8. Jesus was crucified but survived.
Ahmadiya10 Muslims and Shabir Ally11 believe that Jesus was crucified, he fainted and appeared dead, but survived. Therefore, the crucifixion only appeared to be successful at killing him.
When teaching the Qur’an, Ahmed Deedat refused to give an explanation of what happened to Jesus.12 However, he repeatedly claimed that the Bible taught Jesus was crucified but survived.13
The Bible, the Qur'an, and History
Samuel Green
INTRODUCTION
Was Jesus crucified? This is a question Christians and Muslims often discuss. Christians are taught from the Bible and history that Jesus was publicly crucified and killed on a Roman cross around AD 33. His death on the cross is a central part of the Christian faith. Muslims, however, are taught that Jesus only appeared to be crucified and killed. Muslim leaders give a variety of explanations as to what it means that Jesus only appeared to be crucified and killed, these include that no one was crucified; someone else was crucified in Jesus’ place; Jesus was crucified but survived; or we cannot know what happened to Jesus.
How can we know which understanding is true? To answer this, we need to understand each view, examine the evidence for it, and then make a decision. This is what we will do in this article. First, we will consider which explanation of the crucifixion in the Qur’an makes the best sense. Then, we will consider the evidence from the Bible; then the evidence from history outside of the Bible. After this we will be able to make an informed decision and answer the question, was Jesus crucified?
This article has the following chapters:
The Qur’an and the Crucifixion
The Bible and the Crucifixion
History and the Crucifixion
If you are a Christian you should not assume you know what your Muslim friend believes about the crucifixion. Instead, ask what he or she believes happened to Jesus. You may like to read this article with your friend and discuss the ideas in it. It is available as a printable booklet.
If you are a Muslim, please read this article and work out for yourself which explanation of the Qur’an makes the best sense. Then consider the evidence from the Bible and history.
THE QUR’AN AND THE CRUCIFIXION
What does the Qur’an say about the crucifixion of Jesus? Muslim leaders and scholars give a variety of answers to this question. In this chapter we will consider these answers. Then we will read the verses ourselves and evaluate which answer makes the most sense.
Islamic explanations of the crucifixion
Explanation 1. No one was crucified. It was a vision.
In this explanation, there was no historical crucifixion. People saw an illusion or communal vision of Jesus being crucified and thought it was real.1
Explanation 2. No one was crucified. It is a myth made up by Christians.
Nasir al-Din al-Baydawi suggests the crucifixion story is a myth or a false report that Christians developed over time.2 There was no historical crucifixion. The crucifixion only appeared to have happened because people started saying it happened.
Explanation 3. Someone was substituted for Jesus.
The substitute theory is that there was a real crucifixion, and it appeared to be Jesus, but it was someone else. Many classical Islamic scholars hold this view.3 The idea of a substitute does not come from the Qur’an or from an explanation attributed to Muhammad, but from other interpreters of the Qur’an. Al-Tabari records eleven such explanations which differ widely in detail.4 Some say the substitute was a volunteer disciple, or that the Romans mistakenly crucified Barabbas or Simon of Cyrene, or that it was Judas, who was being punished for betraying Jesus.
Explanation 4. We do not know what happened.
This view says we cannot know any more than what the verses in the Qur’an say, and the verses only say that the Jewish leaders did not crucify or kill Jesus, even though it appeared they did. What exactly happened we do not know from the Qur'an. This view is held by the significant 20th century commentators Abdul A`la Maududi and Sayyid Qutb.5
The Qur’an explicitly states that the Jews did not succeed in putting Jesus to death and that Allah raised him to Himself, but it is silent about the nature and details of the matter and does neither say explicitly whether Allah raised him body and soul together from the earth to some place in heaven, nor that he died like other mortals and only his soul was raised to heaven. Therefore, on the basis of the Qur’an neither aspect can be definitely denied or affirmed. (S. Abdul A`La Maududi)6
Explanation 5. Jesus was crucified by the Romans, not the Jewish Leaders.
The Qur’an says that the Jews did not crucify or kill Jesus; it never says “Jesus was not crucified or killed.” This observation has led some to suggest that the Qur’an is not denying the historical crucifixion of Jesus, but denying that it was the Jews who did it. They say it was the Romans who crucified Jesus and it only appeared to be the Jews.7
Explanation 6. Jesus’ body was crucified, but his soul was taken in sleep.
This explanation says that Jesus’ soul left his body without him being killed and only his body was crucified, so he appeared to die.8 This idea is based on a teaching in the Qur’an that says God takes our soul not only at death but also when we sleep.
God takes the souls at the time of their death; and in their sleep those that have not died. (Qur’an 39:42)
Therefore, when Jesus was on the cross, he fainted and was asleep due to exhaustion, and his soul was taken by God and not returned. It appeared to the unbelievers that they had killed Jesus but they had not.
Explanation 7. Refuting the Jewish Talmud
This explanation says the Qur’an is refuting the death of Jesus as it is presented in the Jewish Talmud.9 The Talmud says that Jesus was stoned and then crucified. The Qur’an is said to be correcting this by saying he was not stoned and then crucified this way. Thus the Qur’an is rejecting the Jewish account in the Talmud but not the Christian account in the Bible.
Explanation 8. Jesus was crucified but survived.
Ahmadiya10 Muslims and Shabir Ally11 believe that Jesus was crucified, he fainted and appeared dead, but survived. Therefore, the crucifixion only appeared to be successful at killing him.
When teaching the Qur’an, Ahmed Deedat refused to give an explanation of what happened to Jesus.12 However, he repeatedly claimed that the Bible taught Jesus was crucified but survived.13
