(Continued)
Swoon hypothesis
In the swoon hypothesis, Jesus was crucified but did not die. He fainted (swooned) and the Romans thought he was dead. He later awoke and a rumor naturally started that he had risen from the dead. The interpretation that Jesus taken down alive from the cross is considered valid, linguisticly, even if it’s not the common interpretation. Prominent Islamic scholars like Ahmed Deedat have written, at length and in extreme detail on this belief. In his book, CRUCIFIXION OR CRUCI-FICTION, Jesus was not on the cross long enough to die, due to circumstantial reasons, which he establishes using verses of Old and New Testaments.[3].
Also, supporting the swoon hypothesis, Shabir Ally said [4]
We see that the quranic text ends with a summary which says wama qataloohu yaqeenan, “they did not kill him definitely”, Bal rafaAAahu Allahu ilayhi, “but God raised him to himself.” I take this to be a summary of the whole discussion on what has happened to Jesus. There was a plot to kill him but they neither killed him nor crucified him, crucified him in the sense of killing him by crucifixion. That is a definition that has been given in Tafsir-Ul-Qur’an by Abdul Majid Daryabadi, which is a Sunni Tafsir on the Qur’an.
Jesus died
Yusuf ibn Abd-al-Barr, an 11th century Maliki jurist, writes that there have been differences of opinion on this issue[5] and Sunnis accept the second coming of Jesus only through individual reports by narrators who are of sound character - a view supported by majority of Muslims.[6]. (see Jesus’ second coming) However, some Islamic scholars like Sheikh Mohammed Al-Ghazali, Javed Ahmed Ghamidi, and Amin Ahsan Islahi argue that Jesus was indeed rescued but was given death by God before he was ascended bodily as God never allows to dishonor His messengers, even their dead bodies.[7][1][8][9]
Thomas McElwain states that the context of the verse is clearly within the discussion of Jewish ridicule of Christians, not in context of whether or not Jesus died. He continues that the text could be interpreted as denying the death of Jesus at the hands of Jews rather than denying his death. He however adds that “the expressions against the crucifixion are strong, so that to interpret the meaning for Romans rather than Jews to have committed the act is also suspect” and that if this meaning is correct, “it would have been more effective to state that the Romans killed Jesus, rather than to empha*sise that the Jews were not in possession of the facts.”
Verses used in support of the contention that Jesus died are listed below.
5.117
According to some translations, Jesus says in the Qur’an:
I was a witness of them so long as I was among them, but when Thou didst cause me to die, (literally mutawafik) Thou wert the watcher over them, and Thou art witness of all things.
—Qur’an, [Qur’an 5:117]
The majority of Muslims translate verb “mutawafik” (متوفيك) “to terminate a period of time” while others translate it “to die.” Islamic scholars like Javed Ahmed Ghamidi and Amin Ahsan Islahi consider it as physical death of Jesus, and hence question the return of Jesus.[7][8] Geoffrey Parrinder discusses different interpretations of the Qur’anic verse [Qur’an 19:33] and writes in his conclusion that ‘the cumulative effect of the Qur’anic verse is strongly in favor of a real death’.[10]
For understanding the traditional translation, see this article.
3.55
O Jesus! I will cause you to die of natural causes and I will exalt you in honor in My Court…
—Qur’an, [Qur’an 3:55] as per QXP translation
The following translations or translators translate “to die” [11]
QXP translation
Muhammad Asad
George Sale
Mohamed Ahmed*
Maulana Muhammad Ali
Free Minds Muslims A Qur’an alone translation
JM Rodwell
However, majority of Quranic translators including Yusuf Ali, M. H. Shakir and Marmaduke William Pickthall, do not translate as “to die”.
3.144
According to Qur’an, every prophet (messenger) dies. However, this verse is still valid to Islamic view of Jesus, as he will descend before the Day of Judgment and die a natural death [12] (see second coming).
And Muhammad is no more than a messenger; the messengers have already died before him…
—Qur’an, [Qur’an 3:144]
Some of the companions thought that the Prophet was not dead. Abu Bakr went in, and seeing that life had departed, ascended the pulpit and read this verse, which had a magical effect upon his hearers, all of them being convinced that the Prophet had died, as all prophets had died before him. . . . This verse affords a conclusive proof that Jesus Christ was also dead; otherwise Abu Bakr’s argument could not have silenced the doubters of the Prophet’s death."
Esoteric interpretations
An alternative, more esoteric interpretation is expounded by certain Islamic philosophers and some Sufi and Isma’ili commentators. They interpret the Quranic passages on the death of Jesus thus: the Jews intended to destroy the person of Jesus completely; in fact, they crucified only his nasut (material being), his lahut (spiritual being) remained alive.[13]
Source:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_view_of_Jesus%27_death
And there ya go, Islam’s view on Jesus’ death. The article on Islam’s view of Jesus himself is also very interesting and shows how Mohemmed really got his information wrong about Jesus. I wonder if the angel he was talking to got his sources wrong?
EDIT: It’s strange that Muslims ignore the fact that Jesus’ heart was pierced by a lance, and blood and water gushed out - which,
in medical terms, means he died. However, the authors of the gospels wouldn’t have known that in their time. So, by all accounts, Jesus really did die on the Cross.
