Does the Qur’an teach that Jesus did not die? Interpreting Surah 4.157

[Randy_Carson]

Does the Qur’an teach that Jesus did not die?
Interpreting Surah 4.157
Adapted from Islam and the Crucifixion
By Ali Ibn Hassan

Islam and the Crucifixion | Catholic Answers Magazine

Many Muslim apologists argue that Jesus did not die, and they use the following verse from the Qur’an as the basis for that argument:

“They did not kill him and they did not crucify him, rather it only appeared so to them.” (4.157)

Elsewhere in the Qur’an, however, Jesus says to God,

“I was a witness to them as long as I remained among them. You became the watcher of them when you made me die.” (Surah 5.116-8)

In other places (19.33, 5.75, and 5:17), Jesus’ death is referred to like any other human’s or prophet’s. And the murder of a prophet at the hands of the people who oppose them is entirely in line with 2.61, 2.87, 2.91, 3.21, 3.183, and 4.155. Additionally, verse 3.55a, which states,

“God said, ‘O Jesus, I will make you die, raise you up to me, purify you from those who disbelieved, and lift those who have followed you above the disbelievers until the day of resurrection, then you will all return to me.”

Here, a sequence is clearly laid out—God Himself causes Jesus to die and then raises him to heaven.

Taking this knowledge and applying it back to our original verse (4.157-8)—“they did not kill him and they did not crucify him, rather it only appeared so to them”—we can see here the sequence is the same as 3.55a. It was not the Jews but rather God Himself who caused Jesus to die, and then made him ascend to heaven. This is roughly compatible with Christian theology, which maintains that the Father permitted Jesus to die at the hands of the Romans, and then raised him in glory.

Reinforcing this interpretation is an understanding of the context of verse 4.157, which is anti-Jewish polemic, pointing to the Crucifixion as one of six alleged examples of Jewish faithlessness. Viewed this way, it can be argued that verse 4.157 is intended to defend Jesus from the claims of the Jews, not to make a claim about whether or not Jesus died.

 

[Trishie]

As Muhammad (around 570-632 A.D.) introduced Islam in 610 A.D. and dictated the Qur’an, so long after Jesus,
Muslim teaching cannot be taken as authoritative regarding Jesus.

 

[AmbroseSJ]

Good points Randy. Muslims themselves have difficulty interpreting the Qur’an since it was written after the death of Mohammed by followers at different times in different places. Therefore they often try to p(name removed by moderator)oint where and when the Surah was written in order to properly understand its context. However, there is no consensus with some sayings, and much debate about a lot of these passages. Good article though!

 

[Mintaka]

Given that a lot of ahadith also say that Jesus did not die on the Cross, you can see that there is a lot of Docetism in Islam. In fact, the Quran seems to claim that Jesus just ascended to Heaven without dying first.

Here’s an article about some of the other Gnostic and Docetist bits.

One of the more nasty things you will encounter are ahadith claiming that Mary’s virgin birth was possible because she was a hermaphrodite, and that her status among women and virginity was possible because God made her look exactly like a man. And I think there’s one explaining how she wasn’t really Jewish, too.

Yeah… the vaunted Islamic respect for Our Lady… not always that respectful. It depends a lot on what the individual person has been taught, or what traditions are believed and taught in his area.

But yeah, the rest of the Quran is so messed up about everything regarding Jesus (and everything else, frankly), that it is basically not much use even for argumentation.