Are you sure that Christ died on the cross?
The image of Christ in the contemporary Christian imagination is often associated with a man with soft features, long hair, a weak body, a pale face, hanging on the cross, with his head bowed in a scene of death and pain.
This image has become so familiar that many have come to link Christ's identity to this appearance, as if it were a fixed description of his person mentioned in the four Gospels.
So is this the true image of Christ, or an untrue image drawn by the church ?
And did the four Gospels describe Christ with this appearance ?
And do the four Gospels tell us what Christ looked like physically, or did the common image of him come from drawings and church tradition to make its followers think it is Christ ?
First: What do the four Gospels say about Christ's appearance?
If we return to the four Gospels : Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, searching for a clear physical description of Christ, we will find that they do not mention any detailed description of Christ's features, nor do they specify his height, the color of his eyes, the nature of his hair, his body build, or his facial features.
None of these Gospels explicitly tells us that Christ was long-haired, or weak in build, and of soft features.
These church paintings and images that da Vinci painted around the year 1498 AD are not the true image of Christ, yet the untrue image of Christ became associated in the minds of millions as being of Christ.
The image you see on church walls, or in films, or in drawings that depict Christ with specific features, is not evidence that this was Christ's true appearance, and we do not know with certainty what Christ, peace be upon him, looked like, and it is not correct to present any modern painting as his confirmed true image.
And more important than his facial features is that we know what Christ called to : the worship of God, obedience to Him, and following His commandments.
Nevertheless, an untrue image spread across the different centuries claiming to be of Christ, until people became accustomed to looking at it as if they knew the reality of his form.
While some Christian beliefs exceeded the status of Christ as a messenger from God to worshipping him as a god ?
Christ did not come to turn people away from God, but came as a messenger calling them to worship God alone and follow His commandments.
The Qur'an says on the tongue of Christ : ( 51) Indeed, Allah is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him. That is the straight path." )
[The Noble Qur'an 3 : 51].
Contemplate the origin of the message that the prophets brought: Is not God the One Creator who sent His messengers to guide humanity ?
Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon them, called to the worship of God alone, obedience to Him, and adherence to His commandments. They did not call people to worship themselves, nor to take human symbols as a substitute for obeying the Creator, but called them to believe in God and draw near to Him through worship and good deeds.
Second : Did Christ come to be crucified as atonement for the sins of mankind ?
There is another, more important question, because it relates not only to Christ's appearance, but to his message and the eternal destiny of man:
Did Christ say clearly in the four Gospels :
" I have come into the world to be crucified, and to bear the penalty of the sins of mankind in their place, and whoever believes in my crucifixion and resurrection will obtain eternal salvation "?
There is no text in the four Gospels in which Christ declares that he came to be crucified to atone for the sins of mankind, and Christ never promised that at all.
When were the Gospels written ? And did Christ write a gospel or order it to be written ?
Jesus Christ himself did not write the story of his life, and did not leave any writings. The writing of the Gospels began 40 years after Jesus departed.
The Gospel of Mark : around the year 70 AD, a long time after Christ departed.
The Gospel of Matthew: around the year 80 AD, a long time after Christ departed.
The Gospel of Luke : between 80 and 90 AD, a long time after Christ departed.
The Gospel of John : around the year 110 AD, a long time after Christ departed.
All of them were written tens of years after Christ departed, and they are not from the words of Christ himself, nor from the words of Christ's disciples, and their true authors are unknown in their real names and their fathers' names.
If these Gospels are the essence of faith, why did Jesus not write even a single line of them with his own hand ?
And why did Christ not order anyone to collect or record them ?
And how do we call these Gospels "holy books" when they are not the words of God, nor even the words of Jesus, but books written by unknown persons whom Jesus did not know, and who had no direct relationship with him ?
Were the writers of the four Gospels eyewitnesses to the event of Christ's crucifixion ?
There is no clear declaration in the four Gospels in which one of their writers says : " I am an eyewitness to the crucifixion of Christ, and I saw these events myself. "
The accounts in the Gospel mention the trial, the crucifixion, and the burial, but the presence of these details in the text does not by itself prove that the writer of the Gospel saw them himself, and none of them declared that he was an eyewitness to the crucifixion of Christ.
And there is no explicit text in any of the four Gospels saying that Jesus ordered the writing of a book called " The New Testament ."
Contemplate this fact that deserves pause : None of the writers of the four Gospels says clearly in the text of his Gospel :
" I lived with Christ, and I witnessed the events of his life myself, and he ordered me to write this Gospel for people ."
If these Gospels are the primary source through which people learn about the life of Christ and his teachings, where is the clear declaration from their writers of their identity, their direct testimony, and Christ's commissioning them to write them ?
And what deserves contemplation even more is that none of the writers of the four Gospels declared in the text of his Gospel with a clear phrase that he was one of Christ's disciples who lived with him, or that he is writing what he witnessed himself during his life.
We also do not find a text in which Christ says that he commissioned Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John to author these four books specifically.
Also, the titles of the Gospels in circulation do not, in themselves, contain a declaration from their authors that they are eyewitnesses.
Third: The cross in ancient civilizations before Christianity : What is its origin, and what did it symbolize ?
The origin of the cross :
Ancient civilizations knew the cross, and it was a pagan symbol, appearing for the first time in ancient Babylon.
" The shape of the cross originated in the land of the ancient Chaldeans, and was used as a symbol of the god Tammuz ."
The cross in the land of Mesopotamia and Babylon was a symbol of the sun and divine authority.
Notes from the British Museum mention that the cross was used as an amulet in Babylon during the Kassite period, around 1500–1000 BC, and among the striking details is that one of the Kassite seals preserved in the British Museum shows a cross sign.
In ancient Egyptian civilization, the cross symbolizes life and immortality. It appears in inscriptions and antiquities in the hands of the ancient Egyptian gods, and sometimes being presented to kings, as an expression of granting life, and is used as a symbol of fertility.
" In Egyptian antiquities and tombs, the cross was found, and many scholars consider it to symbolize the phallus and represent the male genital organ, or sexual intercourse... In Egyptian tombs, the cross was found "
( cross next to the phallus ) (" A Brief History of Sex Worship ").
It is clear that the symbol of the cross has pagan origins and meanings.
Davis Dictionary of the Bible says :
" The use of the cross before Christianity, in one way or another, as a sacred symbol among the Chaldeans, Phoenicians, Egyptians, and many other nations ."
In the Roman Empire, a Roman execution tool, the Romans used crucifixion to punish categories of those sentenced, especially slaves, criminals, some rebels, and inhabitants of provinces subject to Roman rule.
Fourth: Why did the cross become a sacred symbol in Christianity ?
And what was the role of Emperor Constantine ?
Before the cross became the most famous symbol of Christianity, crucifixion in the Roman Empire was a humiliating and terrifying means of execution.
So how did a tool associated with punishment and death turn into a sacred symbol that Christians raise in churches and carry around their necks?
To understand this transformation, one should look at the history of Christianity in the early centuries, and at the role played by Emperor Constantine in the fourth century AD.
The Bible does not indicate in any place that the early Christians used the cross as a religious symbol.
Christians in the first century did not use the cross in worship.
1- There is no explicit command from Christ to wear the cross
When reading the four Gospels, we do not find Christ saying to his followers : Make crosses, or wear them around your necks, or hang them in your houses, as a sign of your faith. Nor do we find in them a command that makes possessing the cross or wearing it a condition for following Christ or obtaining God's pleasure.
2- Emperor Constantine and the historical shift in the status of the cross
So how did a tool of execution turn into a sacred symbol?
And what was the role played by Emperor Constantine in this transformation ?
By the middle of the third century AD, the churches had moved away from the essence of the message to which Christ called: the worship of God alone without a partner. And instead of worship remaining pure for God the Creator, religious beliefs and traditions began to form that raised the status of Christ to the level of divinity and worship.
And to increase the prestige of the deviant church system, pagans were allowed to join the churches, and they were allowed to a large extent to keep their pagan symbols and forms.
And thus, the symbol of the Tau ( T ) was adopted in its most common form, with a horizontal bar at the bottom, to represent the cross of Christ.
Emperor Constantine, the pagan, supported and adopted the symbol of the cross specifically with the aim of winning over the pagans and persuading them to enter Christianity.
Fifth: Was Jesus Christ hung on a cross or on a piece of wood or a stake ?
The New Testament contradicts itself in the accounts of the execution and the tools of execution, and does not use the word cross alone. The Gospel accounts do not agree on what Christ was crucified on: a stake, a piece of wood, or a cross.
Biblical texts that use the word " wood " or
" stake "
1- Acts 5 : 30
" The God of our fathers raised Jesus whom you killed by hanging him on a tree ."
Here the Greek expression xylon ( ξύλον ) appears, which can mean wood, a piece of wood, or a tree, according to the context.
Acts 10 : 39
Peter speaks about the killing of Jesus :
" hanging him on a tree ."
Galatians 3 : 13
Paul says that Christ became a curse for us, then quotes the phrase :
" Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree ." This phrase is quoted from Deuteronomy 21 : 23, where hanging a person on the tree is associated with the curse if he was a criminal and had the punishment of execution.
1 Peter 2 : 24
" Who himself bore our sins in his body on the tree ."
Among the examples :
John 19 : 17 :
Jesus carried his cross.
Mark 15 : 30 :
The cross is mentioned in the crucifixion account.
Galatians 6 : 14 :
Paul speaks about the cross of Christ.
The most important detail : The word
" wood " does not specify the shape of the execution tool
The Greek word xylon does not necessarily mean a living tree, nor does it necessarily mean a single wooden pole.
Its basic meaning is wood, and it may be used to indicate a tree, a piece of wood, or a wooden tool.
Therefore, its occurrence in the New Testament is not sufficient by itself to prove that the execution tool was in the traditional image of the cross that people know today.
And here an important point appears : translating the word as " wood " does not prove that Christ was hung on a " cross, " nor does it prove that the tool was in the shape of the letter T or †. And there is no evidence specifying the shape of the cross.
The image of the cross that we see today is not what the texts of the four Gospels establish ; there are differences in wording and contradictory accounts, while the church drew in people's minds a specific image of the execution tool across the centuries.
Jesus did not die :
The Jews and the Roman authorities were not able to harm Jesus.
And God declared clearly that He raised Jesus to Himself, and purified him from the false claims that were said about him.
God Almighty said :
".{ 55) [ Mention ] when Allah said, " O Jesus, indeed I will take you and raise you to Myself and purify [ i.e., free ] you from those who disbelieve and make those who follow you [in submission to Allah alone] superior to those who disbelieve until the Day of Resurrection. Then to Me is your return, and I will judge between you concerning that in which you used to differ. }"
( Qur'an 3 : 55 )
Belief in Jesus, peace be upon him, does not mean deifying him, but believing that he is the servant of God and His messenger, and that he called people to worship God alone.
Hence, the Muslim believes in Christ, loves him, and honors him, and also believes in all the prophets of God.
Islam calls man to believe in Jesus as a messenger from God, to worship God alone, and to follow the truth that He revealed to His prophets.
Sixth : When did the cross appear as a symbol in churches ? From rooms to church towers across history
Some historical references indicate the appearance of crosses in churches and rooms around 431 AD, and their placement on church towers around 568 AD.
People acquire crosses
"to feel religious," but the second commandment clearly prohibits any representation of the form of the Father or Christ or any other images.
What does the second commandment say ?
It is stated in the Book of Exodus :
" You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them ."
( Exodus 20 : 4 –5 )
Any image, painting, or statue of Jesus Christ or God is considered a clear violation of the second commandment, and this includes all crosses.
Can symbols turn into a substitute for pure worship of God ?
The first commandment says:
" You shall have no other gods before me ."
( Exodus 20 : 3 )
So all these symbols become objects of worship, which also violates the first commandment.
Islam : God's final call to guide humanity to worship Him alone
Have you ever wondered : Why did God create us ?
And did He leave man to search alone for the path of truth, or did He send messengers to him and reveal books to introduce him to his Creator, explain to him how to worship Him, and what path leads him to salvation ?
From the perspective of Islam, God did not leave humanity without guidance, but sent messengers throughout the ages, from Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus, peace be upon them, up to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, whom God sent as the seal of the prophets, and revealed to him the Qur'an as guidance for humanity.
The call of all the prophets was based on one great principle : worshiping God alone, not associating anyone with Him, obeying Him, and following His guidance.
God Almighty said :
( 36. And We certainly sent into every nation a messenger, [saying], "Worship Allah and avoid taghut." And among them were those whom Allah guided, and among them were those upon whom error was [deservedly] decreed. So proceed [i.e., travel] through the earth and observe how was the end of the deniers. )
[ The Noble Qur'an 16 : 36 ]
The essence of the prophets' message is that man directs worship to God alone, his Creator, without making between himself and God another god.
First : Why did God send Muhammad ﷺ ?
Muslims believe that God sent Muhammad ﷺ to all people, and that the Qur'an is the final revelation that He sent down to guide humanity.
God Almighty said :
(27) Say, "Show me those whom you have attached to Him as partners. No! Rather, He [alone] is Allah, the Exalted in Might, the Wise."
(28) And We have not sent you except comprehensively to mankind as a bringer of good tidings and a warner. But most of the people do not know. )
[ The Noble Qur'an 34 : 28 ]
And God the Exalted said :
( 40) Muhammad is not the father of [any] one of your men, but [he is] the messenger of Allah and seal [i.e., the last] of the prophets. And ever is Allah, of all things, Knowing. )
[ The Noble Qur'an 33 : 40 ]
So the Qur'an, according to Islamic belief, is not a call to a new god, nor a call to reject the previous prophets, but a call to worship the God to whom all the prophets called, and to correct what Islam sees as deviations in beliefs and acts of worship.
Second : Is Islam a new religion or an extension of the call of the prophets ?
Islam... is not a new religion, but is the religion of all the prophets.
Some may think that Islam began with Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), but the truth is that all the prophets came with one message: submission to God and worshiping Him alone, and this is Islam.
God the Exalted said :
{ 85) And whoever desires other than Islam as religion – never will it be accepted from him, and he, in the Hereafter, will be among the losers. }
[ The Noble Qur'an 3 : 85 ]
Islam does not ask you to reject Moses or Jesus, peace be upon them, but affirms belief in them and in all the prophets of God.
God Almighty said :
( 136) Say,
[ O believers ], " We have believed in Allah and what has been revealed to us and what has been revealed to Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and the Descendants [al-Asbat] and what was given to Moses and Jesus and what was given to the prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and we are Muslims [in submission] to Him." )
[ The Noble Qur'an 2 : 136 ]
Contemplate the meaning of this verse : The Muslim believes in Moses and Jesus, and believes that they are messengers from God, just as he believes in Muhammad ﷺ. So a person's Islam is not valid while he denies Jesus, peace be upon him, or any prophet whose prophethood is established.
But Islam also calls to the worship of God alone, and rejects the deification of any human being, however high his status.
And the Qur'an says about Jesus, peace be upon him :
( 59) He [i.e., Jesus] was not but a servant upon whom We bestowed favor, and We made him an example for the Children of Israel. )
[ The Noble Qur'an 43 : 59 ]
So in Islam, Jesus the Messiah is a noble messenger, born by a miracle, and God supported him with miracles, but he is the servant of God and His messenger, and not a god to be worshiped.
Third : Why does Islam call you to worship God alone ?
Because God, in Islamic belief, is the Creator who brought you into existence in this world, and He is the One who deserves worship, supplication, and reliance.
God Almighty said :
( 1) Say, "He is Allah, [who is] One,
( 2) Allah, the Eternal Refuge.
( 3) He neither begets nor is born, (4) Nor is there to Him any equivalent." )
[ The Noble Qur'an 112 :1 – 4 ]
And the Qur'an affirms that the relationship between man and his Lord does not need an intermediary to whom man directs worship.
God Almighty said :
( 186) And when My servants ask you, [O Muhammad], concerning Me- indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me. So let them respond to me [by obedience] and believe in Me that they may be [rightly] guided. )
[ The Noble Qur'an 2 : 186 ]
So you can call upon God directly, seek His forgiveness, and ask for His mercy and guidance. You do not need to worship a human being, a statue, or a symbol in order to turn to your Creator.
And Islam does not say that man does not sin; rather, it opens before him the door of repentance and return to God.
God Almighty said :
( 53) Say, " O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful ." )
[The Noble Qur'an 39 : 53 ]
And this is a call not to despair : no matter how much a person errs, he can repent to God sincerely, seek His forgiveness, and begin a new life based on faith and good deeds.
Fourth : Is entering Islam difficult ?
Among the greatest things that distinguish entering Islam is that it does not need complicated rituals, nor the payment of money, nor necessarily changing your name, nor waiting for special ceremonies.
The basis of entering Islam is that you believe in God alone, and believe that Muhammad is the Messenger of God, and accept the message of Islam truthfully and with conviction.
And a person expresses this with the two testimonies :
The testimony of entering Islam
I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, and I bear witness that Jesus is the Messenger of Allah.
And its meaning :
I believe that God alone is deserving of worship, and I believe that Muhammad is the Messenger of God.
And the Muslim also believes that Jesus, peace be upon him, is the Messenger of God, and that belief in him is part of the Islamic creed.
It is not required that you have learned all the rulings of Islam before entering it.
So if you are convinced of the truth and want to embrace it, you do not have to wait until you become knowledgeable in all the details of the religion ; rather, you learn gradually, and begin with prayer and the rest of the obligations according to your ability, and ask trustworthy scholars about what you need to know.
Fifth : What does God require of you after entering Islam ?
Islam is not just the utterance of words, but a faith whose effect appears in a person's life. Among the most important things it calls you to :
· That you worship God alone, and devote supplication and worship to Him.
· That you learn prayer and maintain it.
· That you be truthful, fulfill trusts, and do good to people.
· That you repent from sins, and strive to reform yourself.
· That you believe in all the prophets of God, and read the Qur'an to learn about the teachings of Islam.
And you are not required to become a person without mistakes in one day ; rather, that you be sincere in your faith, and strive for obedience, learning, and repentance.
Sixth : Why should you take your decision seriously ?
Because Islam does not present itself as merely an inherited identity or a family tradition, but as a heavenly message of faith in God and a response to His guidance.
God Almighty said :
(19) Indeed, the religion in the sight of Allah is Islam. )
[ The Noble Qur'an 3 : 19 ]
And God the Exalted said :
(85) And whoever desires other than Islam as religion – never will it be accepted from him, and he, in the Hereafter, will be among the losers. )
[The Noble Qur'an 3 : 85 ]
At the same time, Islam teaches that God does not wrong anyone, and that man is responsible for his faith and his choices, and that the door of repentance is open to whoever returns to Him sincerely.
The matter is not merely moving from one religious name to another ; rather, that you search for your Creator, understand what He calls you to, and then make your decision based on knowledge and conviction.
A final word : You can start today
If you are searching for God, or want to understand the message of Jesus, peace be upon him, in the light of the Qur'an, or wonder about the meaning of worshiping God alone, then start by reading the Qur'an with contemplation, and reflect on what it says about God, the prophets, and the purpose of life.
Do not let fear of the unknown or the abundance of questions prevent you from searching. You are not required to know everything before you begin, but to be sincere in seeking the truth and ready to follow it when it becomes clear to you.
If you are convinced that God is one with no partner, and that Muhammad is the Messenger of God, and that Islam is the truth, then entering it is clear and simple: pronounce the two testimonies believing in their meaning, and begin your journey in learning, worship, and drawing near to God.
We ask God to guide every seeker of truth to what pleases Him, and to expand his chest to guidance and tranquility
