“Allah said, O Jesus, I shall cause you to die and will raise you up to Me and shall purify you of the ungrateful disbelieving people, and shall place those who follow you above those who deny the truth, until the Day of Judgement; then to Me shall all return and I will judge between you regarding your disputes.” (Qur’an 3:55)
﷽
Dr Kahlan Al-Kharusi, assistant Mufti of Oman on questions in relation to the so-called “Second Coming” of Jesus and the Mahdi.
If you are interested in reading more, you may wish to read the following:
https://primaquran.com/2022/10/04/what-happened-to-jesus-and-how-did-he-die/
May Allah Guide the Ummah.
May Allah Forgive the Ummah.
Prima Quran 
If I may ask, was this always the Ibadi perspective, or has it become accepted more recently ?
This has always been the view of the early Ibadi community as was preserved by the Ibadis of the East. However, the Ibadis of the West became influenced by the beliefs of those around them. There was brief period where there were those among them who held that view. However, the school today both east and west has coalesced around the evidence that he (Jesus) is dead and will not return.
How very intereting. I must confess that in my recent interactions with the Sunni world on twitter I have recieved to statements regarding the Crucifixion:
Firstly: An unhesitating affirmation of the Substitution theory. Furthermore any historical sources affirming the death of Christ are unreliable and inferior to the Quran, which apparantly states that Christ never died.
Secondly: That the Quranic reference to the Crucifixion is amougst the ambiguous verses of Islamic book, whose meaning is known only to God. As such one should not pry into what it means, but rather believe and leave the meaning to God. Either way it is of little import to the Islamic view of Christ.
Forgive me, I realise that I must seem a very slow minded block-head, yet neither of the answers seem terribly intellectually satisfactory. The Crucifixion is, in the eyes of the worlds largest religious group, the most important event in the history of the human race, and clarity regarding it is rather important.
1) The Qur’an neither denies nor affirms an event known to others as ‘Crucifixion’ where it assumed that Christ Jesus (as) was nailed to a patibulum.
2) The whole concept or idea of a ‘Crucifixion’ is alien to the Qur’an. It is completely alien.
3) To assert some type of Roman nailing of a individual to a patibulum and than hoisted on to a beam is the largest most stunning abuse of Qur’an 4:157 that I as a Muslim have ever come across.
4) “That the Quranic reference to the Crucifixion is amougst the ambiguous verses of Islamic book.” It is beyond ambiguous it simply is not there.
5) I have not received any satisfactory answers from Sunni Muslims, or the Nizari Ismaili’ or the Qadiani Ahmadiyyah movement on grounds for justification for posting a Roman patibulum and nails in Qur’an 4:157. I have received zero justification.
6) Qur’an 4:157 does not even address Christians at all. They are no where mentioned in the context.
7) The context of Qur’an 4:157 is addressing the Jews and Jewish claims made about Christ Jesus.
8) There is absolutely no mention of Romans any where in the context of Qur’an 4:157.
9) If I was to entertain even for a moment the bizarre misunderstandings of either the Sunni Muslims, or the Nizari Ismaili’ or the Qadiani Ahmadiyyah I would be forced to abandon Islam as a faith. In total. Why?
10) Because their misunderstandings directly make the Creator of the Universe ignorant about Jewish Law. May Allah (swt) protect us from the perverts. Thus it would make the Qur’an a very human document, much like the Bible.
11) Jews do not put people on a patibulum and nail their hands and feet.
12) The Talmud specifically mentions that they killed Jesus (though they call him by other insulting names like the son of a Roman soldier) That they killed Jesus as is their law in Deuteronomy 21:22-23.
13) Galatians 3:13 is a misquotation of Deuteronomy 21:22-23. Jews get highly offended when Christians came along and misquoted what they feel are God’s words. Deuteronomy 21:22-23 is clearly speaking of a post antem impailment punishment on a tree. Galatians 3:13 is ante-mortem suspension punishment. This is one (of many reasons) why we know this document is not inspired by God.
I written an entire article on this subject here: https://primaquran.com/2023/06/18/crucifixion-or-impaled-understanding-quran-4157/comment-page-1/
As regard the so called idea of Jesus being nailed (hands and feet) to a patibulum and hoisted upon on a beam or a pole. I am convinced it is one of the greatest literary fictions foisted on the entirety of mankind.
I would love an opportunity to sit across from Dr. Bart Erhman and not discuss Tacitus, or Josephus, or Pliny the Younger or any other document other than the prima-facie document aka the New Testament Text. After all if the New Testament itself says surprisingly little or next to nothing about the alleged method of Christ execution than why trust any other document? Surely the New Testament itself is sufficient.
So when we go to this prima-facie document what do we find? We find the following:
Matthew, Mark, Luke mention nothing at all about nails in the hands and/or feet.
Remember none of the synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke) mention anything at all about nails.
“Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit des not flesh and bones, as you see me have.” (Luke 24:39)
Only in John’s Gospel do we get:
“Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” (John 20:25)
Nothing about nails in the feet!
WHAT DOES JESUS SAY ABOUT THE FORM OF HIS EXECUTION?
Quite curious when Jesus begins to speak of the passion (according to the evangelist) he does not say much regarding the execution form. He is surprisingly vague.
IN THE GOSPEL OF MARK JESUS DOESN’T MENTION (σταυρόω) stauroó IN CONNECTION TO HIS DEATH AT ALL!
IN THE GOSPEL OF LUKE JESUS DOESN’T MENTION (σταυρόω) stauroó IN CONNECTION TO HIS DEATH AT ALL!
IN THE GOSPEL OF JOHN JESUS DOESN’T MENTION (σταυρόω) stauroó IN CONNECTION TO HIS DEATH AT ALL!
THE ONLY GOSPEL WHERE JESUS MENTIONS (σταυρόω) stauroó TWICE IN CONNECTION TO HIS DEATH IS THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW!
HOW THE WORD (σταυρόω) stauroó IS USED IN CONNECTION WITH JESUS TRIAL
As soon as the chief priests and their officials saw him, they shouted, “CrΣταύρωσον! CrΣταύρωσον !” (Stauroson) But Pilate answered, “You take him and σταυρώσατε (staurosate) him. As for me, I find no basis for a charge against him.” (John 19:6)
Why would Pilate tell the chief priest and their officials to “crucify” or σταυρώσατε (staurosate) Jesus if:
1) They had no power to do so.
2) Pilate was aware of their laws? Meaning: Jews don’t crucify people! They do not suspend people on a double cross!
Not to mention the issue that was brought up in regard to the Galatians 3:13 abuse of the text of Deuteronomy 21:22-23 just an absolutely free handed abuse of the source text.
Thank you very much for your thorough reply. Would you recomend any Ibadi sources supporting your thesis.
Yet I must confess that I remain puzzled, given that the Substitution theory seems to have significant support within early Islam, as even St John of Damascus states that the Muslims believed that a ‘shadow’ of Jesus had been Crucified.
It is furthermore particularly curious that the overwhelming majority of (Salafi) Dawah to Christians in the West places immense importance upon affirming that Jesus did not die. Are they truly so in the wrong on this utterly pivotal issue ?
“Thank you very much for your thorough reply. Would you recomend any Ibadi sources supporting your thesis.”
I am an Ibadi and I am telling you out position on the matter.
“even St John of Damascus states that the Muslims believed that a ‘shadow’ of Jesus had been Crucified.”
We deal with proofs and evidences and not the claims of those who are in opposition to our faith.
Also I am cautious of anyone who served in the Umayyad imperium. So in regard to his father or grandfather were there attempts to try and harmonize Islam with the Christian faith?
A sort of early chrislam, it is hard to say.
If I as a Muslim claim certain things about Christianity my claims have to be examined in light of the sources that Christians hold to.
More importantly what type of Muslim or type of Christian am I engaging?
“Are they truly so in the wrong on this utterly pivotal issue ?”
Allow me to paint a picture and where this conundrum comes from.
1) The Qur’an is often revealed with what is called asbaab an nuzul (occasion for the revelation) in other words these verses were revealed here and and at this time to address this or that situation.
When it comes to Qur’an 4:157 we have NO asbaab an nuzul literature. If we did we would quote it.
2) We have no hadith, no narrations from the Blessed Messenger (saw) that comments on Qur’an 4:157. Not even of the rank of daif (weak) or mawdu’ (fabricated)! Nothing!
3) When the Blessed Prophet when debating with a delegations of Christians in Narjan, Yemen this text (4:157) was not brought up.
So where did this come from? Munabih Ibn Wahb whom is presumed to be a Christian convert to Islam. He would relate Israliyyat material (information from various Christian Jewish sources, rather apocryphal, authentic, or a mix of the two).
Even then there is not a single source that says any Muslim went up to a former Christian or Jew and said: “What are your thoughts on Qur’an 4:157” and they replied: “Well it basically means Jesus (as) had nails driven through his hands and feet and he was put on a patibulum and suspended on a pole.
No instance.
In fact the materials that they quote from seem to be form of Christians Docetism. That presents major problems for the Ismaili Nizari spin. It also presents major problems for the Qadiani Ahmadiyyah spin. Because Docetic as you know denied that Christ was bodily crucified.
Where as all the early accounts that have come to be taken by Sunni Islam are of disparate narrations that someone was made to look like Jesus and that person was put on the patibulum and suspended.
Our school interprets the Qur’an in light of the Qur’an. Tafsir al-Quran bi-l-Quran.
If you were to travel to Oman or M’zab Algeria you would see the people as if no other book existed except the Qur’an. Even though we take from the oral traditions, the argument can be made that our school is the oldest of all extant legal schools.
Thank you very much for your always informative replys. Please please be assured that I am not attempting to be irritating, fallacious or ill mannered.
I have been interacting with Muslims for nigh seven years, and with very few exceptions they have all stated that the saving of Christ from the Cross and his return at the end of time is a promient aspect of the Islamic religion.
Indeed prominent modern Salafi speakers such as Muhammad Hijab, Zakir Hussein, Ali Dawah and Adnan Rashid have stated that the saving of Christ from the Cross and his return at the end of time are amoungst the leading proofs of the truth of Islam. Furthermore this view is constantly supported Islamic missionary tracts produced by organisations such as the Sapience Institute, IERA and Many Prophets One Message. It is a significant aspect of Islamic rhtoric in the West.
Consequently to encounter an individual as clearly knowledgeable as you (particularly given your education at Zaytuna) who coherently argues that Christ is dead, will not return and that the Crucifion is unmentioned in the Quran causes me to have sincere curiosity. Yet thank you so very much for your time, and God love you.
“Thank you very much for your always informative replys. Please please be assured that I am not attempting to be irritating, fallacious or ill mannered.”
You have not been and if I have indicated any irritation in my reply then do forgive me and may God forgive me.
“ndeed prominent modern Salafi speakers such as Muhammad Hijab, Zakir Hussein, Ali Dawah and Adnan Rashid have stated that the saving of Christ from the Cross and his return at the end of time are amoungst the leading proofs of the truth of Islam. Furthermore this view is constantly supported Islamic missionary tracts produced by organisations such as the Sapience Institute, IERA and Many Prophets One Message. It is a significant aspect of Islamic rhtoric in the West.”
This is expected as Sunni Islam is the dominant expression of Islam, and the most vocal and well financed wing of it is the Salafist understanding.
“Yet thank you so very much for your time, and God love you.”
God love you as well.
Dear sir-Thank you again for your informative replys. Despite our theological and historical differences, I have the greatest respect for you. Yet, If i may ask, is it really true that no authenitic early Hadith refer to the Crucifixion of Jesus at all, even as a critique ? Is the Crucifixion of Jesus truly absent from early Isam ?
This is an exhaustive list of hadith here: I usually do not like to quote wikipedia and my purpose of doing so here is not to say that wikipedia is authoritative on any manner but to showcase the amount of hadith works across Sunni, Shi’a and the Ibadi branches of Islam.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_hadith_books
This is quite an exhaustive collection. So let those who claim that an authentic hadith of the Blessed Messenger (saw) exist it should not be a challenge to pull a drop from an ocean.
1) It is neither in the Qur’an.
2) No authentic hadith from the Blessed Messenger (saw) on the matter.
3) Not used in discussion by the Prophet (saw) with the Christians.
Thank you for your patience. Having combed through ‘sunnah.com’ for any reference to the Crucifixion, there truly does not seem to be any direct reference to it at all.
There are many references to Christ refurning to fight the Dajjal, to the immaculate nature of his birth, to the sparing of Christ and Mary from the claws of the devil, to the physical resemblence of Christ, and to the various exploits of Christ during the End Times.
Yet there does not seem to be any reference to to the Crucifixion of Jesus at all. Indeed, and this is purely my opinion, when Crucifixion is refered to in the Sunni Hadith Corpus, it seems to be exclusivly in refrence to the execution of Criminals.
To be fair that wikipedia source is an exhaustive list of hadith and hadith canons. Sunnah.com to my knowledge covers bukhari, muslim, abu dawud, tirmidhi, ibn majah, an nasa’i the musnad of Imam Ahmed some hadith transmissions from Ibn Khuzayma.
So there is quite a chunk that is left out. It could very well “IF” it exist be in those other collections. I say it is doubtful because there does not seem to be a trace of it in the main collections of either the Sunni, Shi’a or Ibadi.
Thank you once more for your kind reply. Please be assured that your replys are proving very useful to my academic MA reserch into the varied opinions regarding the fate of Jesus within Islam. Yet with regard to the Sunni hadith books listed on Sunnah.com, ranging from Sahih al Bukhari to Hisn al Muslim, would you concur with my concusion that they make no reference to the Crucifixion of Jesus at all ? It seems, as I said before, that the act of crucifixion is referenced solely as a criminal punishment in these texts.
I would concur with the premise that there is no mention of Jesus (as) death on a patibulum with nails in his hands and feet as per the hadith tradition. However, when I gave you that exhaustive list I would not be honest in saying that I have read that exhaustive list, I have not. Therefore the possibility remains. Yet, in that which is most readily available to us I do not find anything.
Another important point “It seems, as I said before, that the act of crucifixion is referenced solely as a criminal punishment in these texts.” I wince at the word ‘crucifixion’ here as a reference to criminal punishment.
ibadi school
12 Jafari Shi’a shool
Zaydi school.
Maliki schoool
Shafi’i school
Hanbali school
Hanafi school
dhahiri school.
NONE of these schools put a person on a patibulum and drive nails through their hands and feet. NONE.
Moreover Paul Williams of Blogging Theology has repeatedly proclaimed that the Quran unequivically supposes the Substitution theory, and that those who say otherwise (such as Khalil Andani) are simply attempting to placate western academia.
Long before Andani (who himself is far from academic) he recently supported his colleague in making fallacious claims against the Ibadi. Something that if he and his colleague would like to debate in a open pubic platform we would be more than happy to oblige.
But long before Andani you have the Qadiani=Ahmadiyyah who assert the supposed historicity of the Crucifixion. I have not really seen any engagement from you on this.
You seem very keen in any Islamic interpretations that fit your presuppositions. That is understandable.
However, before you become too fascinated with Andani do note something that he does and I hope God has opened your eyes wide to it.
He will often break out this chart that states to the effect: Christian Theological Claims Muslims (can) accept
Strangely absent are:
1) The Virgin Birth of Christ Jesus
2) The Return of Christ Jesus.
I hope in the future that God will open your eyes WIDE to this and it will not escape you.
So you might want to ask yourself why are those two subjects (one of which is a keystone to the divinity and incarnation of Christ Jesus) strangely absent from the chart.
2) The Return of Christ Jesus. This one is a given. Because Andani believes that Karim the Son of Joan Barbara Yarde-Buller aka Aga Khan IV is the commander of the faithful and the living Imam of our time. So the Jesus of John Damascus would have to submit to the authority of Aga Khan (should he return).
So all that Paul Williams is doing is what should be expected and that is to showcase the earliest strand of Islamic misunderstanding of Qur’an 4:157 which lies within the Sunni tradition.
we our school has never been concerned with this as the crucifixion is not central to Christianity.
The Qur’an has already dealt a death blow to Christianity with:
“Then learned Adam from his Lord words of inspiration, and his Lord turned towards him; for He is Oft-Returning, Most Merciful” (Qur’an 2:35-37)
So there is no obsession with denying some supposed event popularly known in the west as the Crucifixion.
The crux of the matter (pardon the pun) has already been dealt with by the Qur’an. Anything beyond that is superfluous.
Another point on this Karim the son Joan Barbara Yarde-Buller is that supposedly he became the commander of the faithful and the Imam of all Muslims at the age of 20. He is currently 83. 63 years you can tear the internet upside down and inside out and let me know if you ever find any video, or any evidence of that man reciting the Qur’an …….ever.
This among other reasons is why that sect is on it’s way out…
I even spoke with Khalil in private via X (Twitter) asking him if there was an open forum and Karim (Aga Khan) were pressed with deep theological and philosophical questions would he(Aga Khan) be able to extrapolate the information for us.
My point is that Khalil is a better representative of his school than his own Imam is. Khalil did not offer up anything meaningful in that engagement.
To put into perspective imagine if I could explain Islam better than the Blessed Prophet (saw) himself.
Certainly that would merit pensive reflection.
Consequently, and please do correct me if I am wrong, the Quranic narrative does not adress the Crucifixion at all ? It truly is of no importance in the slightest ? Assuming that this is indeed the case might it not be said that the various Sunni attempts to ‘disprove’ the death of Christ are not only devoid of point, but are anti-quranic ?
“Consequently, and please do correct me if I am wrong, the Quranic narrative does not adress the Crucifixion at all.”
That is correct. Neither to affirm not to negate. The Qur’an addresses Jewish claims
The People of the Book demand that you ˹O Prophet˺ bring down for them a revelation in writing from heaven.1 They demanded what is even greater than this from Moses, saying, “Make Allah visible to us!” So a thunderbolt struck them for their wrongdoing. Then they took the calf for worship after receiving clear signs. Still We forgave them for that ˹after their repentance˺ and gave Moses compelling proof. –
The above verses are addressing the children of Israel (Jews)
We raised the Mount over them ˹as a warning˺ for ˹breaking˺ their covenant and said, “Enter the gate ˹of Jerusalem˺ with humility.” We also warned them, “Do not break the Sabbath,” and took from them a firm covenant.
The above verses are addressing the children of Israel (Jews)
˹They were condemned˺ for breaking their covenant, rejecting Allah’s signs, killing the prophets unjustly, and for saying, “Our hearts are unreceptive!”1—it is Allah Who has sealed their hearts for their disbelief, so they do not believe except for a few—
The above verses are addressing the children of Israel (Jews)
and for their denial and outrageous accusation against Mary,
The above verse is addressing the children of Israel (Jews) -Christians would not be saying anything about the blessed Virgin (as).
and for boasting, “We killed the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, the messenger of Allah.” But they neither killed nor did they impale him—it was only made to appear so. They are in doubt. They have no knowledge whatsoever—only making assumptions. They certainly did not kill him.
The above verses are addressed to the Children of Israel (Jews)
This is absolutely no mention of Romans or Christians in any of these verses.
4:157 kill nor impale (salabu)
https://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/9985
If a man commits a sin for which he is sentenced to death, and he is put to death, you shall [then] hang him on a pole.
But you shall not leave his body on the pole overnight. Rather, you shall bury him on that [same] day, for a hanging [human corpse] is a blasphemy of God, and you shall not defile your land, which the Lord, your God, is giving you as an inheritance.
https://www.sefaria.org/Deuteronomy.21.22?lang=bi&aliyot=0
If any party is guilty of a capital offense and is put to death, and you impale the body on a stake, you must not let the corpse remain on the stake overnight, but must bury it the same day. For an impaled body is an affront to God: you shall not defile the land that your God יהוה is giving you to possess
This is Jewish law. They stone to death AND THEN IMPALE.
This where the author of Galatians 3:13 makes their error. Deuteronomy 21:22-23 is post mortem impailment where as the author behind Galatians 3:13 is trying desperately to connect Deuteronomy 21:22-23 to ante mortem suspension punishment.
the whole of Qur’an 4:153 up until 4:162 is all about the children of israel (jews).
Allah (swt) is reminding them of what they did and their claims.
In the Qur’an Jesus (as) is charged by the Jews for witchcraft and sorcery. In Jewish Torah such a person would be stoned to death (they did not kill him) THEN impailed upon a tree (nor did they salabu him)
The second is most important because the one who is impailed is cursed of Allah.
So for Jews to become Muslim they would need to accept Jesus (as) as the Messiah they will not happen if they believe the claimant to being Messiah was stoned to death and impailed on a tree by the Jewish Sanhedrin for witchcraft.
When the Qur’an engages Christians what is are the doctrines it engages with?
deity of Christ, sonship of Jesus. (those are the barriers to Islam)
” Sunni attempts to ‘disprove’ the death of Christ are not only devoid of point, but are anti-quranic ?”
Sunni, Nizari Ismaili, Qadiani-Ahmadi ALL OF THEM have to introduce extra-Qur’anic narratives, material.
When we talk about the death of Jesus (as) no one even discusses Qur’an 4:157
the two text in question are Qur’an 3:55 and Qur’an 5:117 and we simply ask why are these text not given consistent exegesis with the word mutawaffika
Dear Sir
Thank you for all of the well argued information you have provided. I must confess that it has confirmed a sentiment of mine, namely that all of the countless Muslim-Christian debates regarding the Crucifixion, of which there possibly thousands on YouTube, really are quite pointless. Your school of thought provides a refreshing alternative.
God love you
Toby
P.S If I may ask one final question, what is the Ibadi view of the disciples ? I only ask since the Sunni consensus seems to be that they were, with the exception of Judas, good and loyal believers in the message of Christ.
Well, I hope it will not be the final question. Maybe just the final question on this thread?
“And there is none of the People of the Book but must believe in him before his death; and on the Day of Judgment he will be a witness against them.” (Qur’an 4:159)
It is important to note that from the (Qur’an 4:153-to 4:159) the entire theme is directed towards Jews.
None among the Jews that Jesus preached to but that it is prerequisite for them to believe in him before their death.
Jesus is a witness against those who witnessed his preaching and rejected him.
If the people died believing in Jesus than he would be a witness for them not against them.
This is confirmed by: “I said not to them except what You commanded me – to worship Allah , my Lord and your Lord. And I was a witness over them as long as I was among them; but when you caused me to die, You were the Observer over them, and You are, over all things, Witness. (Qur’an 5:117)
Who else would he be a witness against?
What is so special about those particular Jews who are alive when Jesus (as) supposedly returns that they get to witness and see Jesus (as) where as the Jews who have lived for the last 2000 years simply died upon batil (falsehood)?
As regard Jesus (as) and his personal disciples the Qur’an nor the Sunnah (to my knowledge) list their number or their names.
“But when Jesus felt [persistence in] disbelief from them, he said, “Who are my supporters for [the cause of] Allah ?” The disciples said,” We are supporters for Allah. We have believed in Allah and testify that we are Muslims [submitting to Him].”
(Qur’an 3:52)
To my knowledge (not saying there is nothing) you may find the Ibadi school having the least to say about Christianity or Judaism as our school was more or less busy with keeping from being persecuted by the dominant schools.
Thus much of our scholarly effort is in regards to people outside our circle is in justifying our position to other schools, and/or refuting their positions.
Though as an individual when I looked into the matter the primary document of Christians is the New Testament and I imagine if the Prophet Muhammed (saw) had contradictory accounts of his encounter with the Angel Gabriel (as) it may raise some alarm.
So when Paul who never met the historical Jesus (as) but only claims to have seen him in a vision in Acts chapters 9,22 & 26 all of them being contradictory accounts it raises some concern.
I hope this helps.
perfect article