What is the meaning of the saying of Allah the Exalted: "And their saying, 'We killed the Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary, the messenger of Allah,' and they did not kill him, nor did they crucify him, but it was made to appear to them so," up to His saying
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The questioner : Allah the Exalted says: [An-Nisa 4:157] up to His saying: [An-Nisa 4:159] And Allah the Exalted says in Surat al-Ma'idah: [Al-Ma'idah 5:117] He saysThe questioner : What is the meaning of these two verses regarding the Prophet Jesus, the son of Mary? Did Allah the Exalted take him, or is he still alive? And if he is alive, what is the meaning of His saying: [Al-Ma'idah 5:117]?
The Shaykh : These verses regarding Jesus, the son of Mary, in which Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, clarifies the falsehood of the Jews' claim when they said: "We killed the Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary, the messenger of Allah." The Jews claimed this, but Allah refuted them by saying:[An-Nisa 4:157] meaning that Allah cast a likeness of him upon a man who was there, so they killed that man and crucified him, and claimed that they had killed the Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary, and crucified him. But Allah the Exalted refuted them, then He affirmed that by saying: [An-Nisa 4:157-158] So Jesus, the son of Mary, was not killed and did not die; rather, Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, raised him to Himself alive, according to the stronger opinion among the scholars that he was raised alive. As for the fact that the Jews did not kill him, that is the text of the Qur'an. Whoever claims that they killed him has lied about the Qur'an, and whoever lies about the Qur'an is a disbeliever in Allah, Mighty and Majestic, for Allah says: [An-Nisa 4:157]
It remains to look at His saying:[Al-Ma'idah 5:117] and His saying: [An-Nisa 4:158] and His saying: [An-Nisa 4:157] and the like. How are these verses reconciled?
The answer is that the reconciliation between them is that the meaning of "taking" (tawaffa) in His saying: is either seizing, for seizing a thing is called tawaffa, as in their saying: "He received his right in full" (tawaffa haqqahu), meaning he seized it complete and full. Or, the meaning of "taking" is sleep, for sleep is called tawaffa, as Allah the Exalted said: [Az-Zumar 39:42] And He said: [Al-An'am 6:60] The meaning of that is that Allah the Exalted cast sleep upon him, then raised him from the earth while he was sleeping. The meaning of "taking" is not the taking of death, because Jesus, peace and blessings be upon him, has not died now, and he will descend in the last of times, descending to the earth to judge between people by the Shari'ah of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and he will not accept the jizyah, nor accept anything except Islam. By this, it becomes clear that there is no contradiction between His saying: [Al-Ma'idah 5:117] and His saying: [An-Nisa 4:157] and His saying: [An-Nisa 4:158].
And [for] their saying, "Indeed, we have killed the Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary, the messenger of Allah." And they did not kill him, nor did they crucify him; but [another] was made to resemble him to them. And indeed, those who differ over it are in doubt about it. They have no knowledge of it except the following of assumption. And they did not kill him, for certain.
وَقَوْلِهِمْ إِنَّا قَتَلْنَا الْمَسِيحَ عِيسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَمَا قَتَلُوهُ وَمَا صَلَبُوهُ وَلَكِنْ شُبِّهَ لَهُمْ وَإِنَّ الَّذِينَ اخْتَلَفُوا فِيهِ لَفِي شَكٍّ مِنْهُ مَا لَهُمْ بِهِ مِنْ عِلْمٍ إِلَّا اتِّبَاعَ الظَّنِّ وَمَا قَتَلُوهُ يَقِينًاAnd there is none from the People of the Scripture but that he will surely believe in Jesus before his death. And on the Day of Resurrection he will be against them a witness.
وَإِنْ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ إِلَّا لَيُؤْمِنَنَّ بِهِ قَبْلَ مَوْتِهِ وَيَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ يَكُونُ عَلَيْهِمْ شَهِيدًاI 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 took me up, You were the Observer over them, and You are, over all things, Witness.
مَا قُلْتُ لَهُمْ إِلَّا مَا أَمَرْتَنِي بِهِ أَنِ اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ رَبِّي وَرَبَّكُمْ وَكُنتُ عَلَيْهِمْ شَهِيدًا مَا دُمْتُ فِيهِمْ فَلَمَّا تَوَفَّيْتَنِي كُنتَ أَنْتَ الرَّقِيبَ عَلَيْهِمْ وَأَنْتَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ شَهِيدٌbut when You took me up, You were the Observer over them
فَلَمَّا تَوَفَّيْتَنِي كُنتَ أَنْتَ الرَّقِيبَ عَلَيْهِمْThe Shaykh : These verses regarding Jesus, the son of Mary, in which Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, clarifies the falsehood of the Jews' claim when they said: "We killed the Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary, the messenger of Allah." The Jews claimed this, but Allah refuted them by saying:
And they did not kill him, nor did they crucify him; but [another] was made to resemble him to them
وَمَا قَتَلُوهُ وَمَا صَلَبُوهُ وَلَكِنْ شُبِّهَ لَهُمْ(158) Rather, Allah raised him to Himself. And ever is Allah Exalted in Might and Wise.
وَمَا قَتَلُوهُ يَقِينًا * بَلْ رَفَعَهُ اللَّهُ إِلَيْهِ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ عَزِيزًا حَكِيمًاAnd they did not kill him, for certain.
وَمَا قَتَلُوهُ يَقِينًاIt remains to look at His saying:
but when You took me up, You were the Observer over them
فَلَمَّا تَوَفَّيْتَنِي كُنتَ أَنْتَ الرَّقِيبَ عَلَيْهِمْRather, Allah raised him to Himself
بَلْ رَفَعَهُ اللَّهُ إِلَيْهِAnd they did not kill him, for certain.
وَمَا قَتَلُوهُ يَقِينًاThe answer is that the reconciliation between them is that the meaning of "taking" (tawaffa) in His saying: