WHY THE QUR’AN HAS THE TRUE INSIGHT INTO THE CRUCIFIXION

 his is what the Qur’an says about the crucifixion of Jesus:

They did not kill him, nor did they crucify him, though it was made to appear like that to them; those that disagreed about him are full of doubt, with no knowledge to follow, only supposition: they certainly did not kill him. God raised him up to Himself. God is almighty and wise. [4:157-158]

We can see that the Qur’an states that Jesus was not crucified; rather, it was made to appear so. A major view among scholars is that God gave someone else Jesus's appearance and it was this other person who was substituted for Jesus on the cross, causing his enemies to believe that Jesus was crucified.

From an observational perspective, would anyone be able to tell the difference between Jesus being crucified, and it being made to appear like he was? If you think about it, these scenarios would appear identical for all intents and purposes and would end up being recorded the same way.


⬇️⬇️

Can the Qur’an’s claim that Jesus was not crucified, but that it was made to appear so, be accurate? Unlike the Gospels, the Qur’an states in no uncertain terms that it is divinely revealed:

Nor could this Qur’an have been devised by anyone other than God. It is a confirmation of what was revealed before it and an explanation of the Scripture– let there be no doubt about it– it is from the Lord of the Worlds. [10:37]


⬇️⬇️

If the Qur’an is from God, then this means that it is not limited by the apparent; in fact, it reveals the reality of history. The Qur’an proclaims that it reveals knowledge of the unseen:

“That is from the news of the unseen which We reveal to you, [O Muḥammad]. You knew it not, neither you nor your people before this…” [11:49].

Having knowledge of the unseen is a quality of God, not human beings. As we’ve seen the Gospel crucifixion narratives have contradictions and fabrications. Furthermore, the Old Testament actually supports the Qur’anic narrative on the crucifixion. Recall that Jesus endorsed Psalm 91 as a prophecy about himself, and that it rules out any possibility of a crucified Messiah:

No harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent. “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. [Psalm 91:10-15]

We can see how psalm 91 foretold that the angels would “lift him up” and the Qur’an states that “God raised him up”:


⬇️⬇️

The Jews know that the Messiah cannot be crucified, as stated in the Old Testament prophecy. If he was crucified, he cannot be the Messiah, so the claim that Jesus was put to death in fact justifies their rejection of him. The Qur’an removes this stumbling block and paves the way for the Jewish people to accept Jesus. Additionally, we find the claims of the Qur’an also reflected in the New Testament

Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed,“My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” [Matthew 26:39]

These words that have been attributed to Jesus are a clear indication that he did not want to be crucified. This should be a point of reflection for Christians, for if the primary mission of Jesus was to die on the cross, then why did he pray to God to avoid the crucifixion?