Page 72 - World Religions I - Islam

guide to mankind, and He sent down the criterion (of judgment between right and wrong)." -
Al-Imran (The Family of Imran) 3:3
o "And in their footsteps We sent Jesus the son of Mary, confirming the Law that had come
before him: We sent him the Gospel; therein was guidance and light, and confirmation of
the Law that had come before him - a guidance and an admonition to those who fear Allah.
Let the people of the Gospel judge by what Allah hath revealed therein. If any do fail to
judge by (the light of) what Allah hath revealed, they are (no better than) those who rebel." -
Al-Ma'idah (The Table Spread) 5:46-47
o Concerning Jesus: "And Allah will teach him the Book and Wisdom, the Law and the Gospel." -
Al-Imran (The Family of Imran) 3:48
o Jesus said, "(I have come to you), to attest the Law which was before me. And to make
lawful to you part of what was (before) forbidden to you. I have come to you with a Sign
from your Lord. So fear Allah, and obey me."
 The Qur'an rejects the divinity of Jesus. - Al-Imran (The Family of Imran) 3:50
o "In blasphemy indeed are those that say that Allah is Christ the son of Mary. Say: 'Who then
hath the least power against Allah, if His will were to destroy Christ the son of Mary, his
mother, or everyone that is on the earth? For to Allah belongeth the dominion of the
heavens and the earth, and all that is between. He createth what he pleaseth. For Allah hath
power over all things.'" - Al-Ma'idah (The Table Spread) 5:17
 The Qur'an emphatically denies the crucifixion or death attributed to Jesus by the Bible.
o The Jews and the Romans who sought to kill Jesus were fooled into thinking that they had
killed him, but instead he was raised up (interpreted as a bodily ascension) to God into
heaven. In Surah 19:33, Jesus prophecies the day of his death and resurrection. Muslims
deny that this refers to any death or resurrection in his immediate lifetime, and claims that
it instead refers to a period of time when Jesus will return during the Last Days, rule for 40
years, and then die (although no resurrection is acknowledged).
o "That they said (in boast), 'We killed Christ Jesus the son of Mary, the Messenger of Allah'. But
they killed him not, nor crucified him, but so it was made to appear to them, and those who
differ therein are full of doubts, with no (certain) knowledge, but only conjecture to follow,
for of a surety they killed him not. Nay, Allah raised him up unto Himself; and Allah is Exalted
in Power, Wise." - An-Nisa' (Women) 4:157-158
o There are a variety of Muslim interpretations of Surah 4:157. Some believe the Biblical
account but that Jesus' crucifixion didn't last long enough for him to die. Others believe that
God gave someone Jesus' appearance, causing everyone to believe that Jesus was crucified.
Still others content that God doesn't use deceit and therefore the crucifixion did not occur.
Those who hold to the substitution interpretation tend to believe that Judas Iscariot, Jesus'
traitor, was the one who was crucified in Jesus' place. The medieval apocryphal Gospel of
Barnabas contends such a view.
o The Qur'anic exegesis of Ibn Kathir claims that Jesus asked for a volunteer from his disciples
to take his place on the cross, claiming that the one who volunteers would be admitted to
Paradise. One disciple insisted on being the volunteer, at which point "the resemblance of
Jesus was cast over [him]" and he was mistakenly crucified in place of Jesus (Al-Nisa, Al-
Kubra, 6:489).
o According to Muslim scholarship, "The crucifixion of Jesus does not play a role in the Islamic
perspective any more than does his superhuman origin, for salvation in Islam results from
the recognition of the absoluteness of God and not from a sacrificial mystery."82 By denying
the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ, the Qur'an negates the heart of the gospel. For the
apostle Paul said: "...and if Christ had not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in

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