Commentary on a verse of the Holy Quran

MARCH 1985 HOLY QUR’AN COMMENTARY In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Ever Merciful We praise Him and invoke His blessings on His Noble Prophet COMMENTARY ON VERSES OF THE HOLY QUR’AN (Wa Qaulehim. Inna Qatalnal Masiha Eisabna Maryama Rasoolallahe, Wa Maa Qatalooho Wa Maa Salabooho Wa Laakin Shubbeha Lahum, Wa Innallazeenakhtalafoo Feehe Lafee Shakkin Minho.) “And their saying, ‘We did kill the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, the Messenger of Allah’; whereas they slew him not, nor crucified him, but he was made to appear to them like one crucified; and those who differ therein are certainly in a state of doubt about it: (4-158). This and the preceding verse mention two main objections of the Jews against Jesus: (1) his alleged illegitimate birth, and (2) his sup- posed death on the Cross which, according to Jewish Law, was an accursed death (Deut. 21:23). The words, We did kill the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, the Messenger of Allah, are spoken ironically and tauntingly, meaning, “we have killed Jesus who posed as the Messiah and a Messenger of God.” The argument of the Jews was that because Jesus died on the Cross, he could not be a true Prophet according to Jewish Law. The inference was based on their sacred Scriptures; for, according to the Bible, he who is hanged is accursed of God, and a false Prophet shall THE REVIEW OF RELIGIONS MARCH 1985 meet with destruction. Says the Bible: “His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is ac- cursed of God) that thy land be not defiled, which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance’ (Deut. 21:23). Again: “My hand shall be upon false prophets that see vanity, and that divine lies” (Ezek. 13:9). Again: “Therefore thus saith the Lord concerning the prophets that prophesy in My name, and I sent them not, yet they say, “Sword and famine shall not be in this land, by sword and famine shall those prophets be consumed” (Jer. 14:15). On the strength of such verses of the Bible, the Jews claimed that, as Jesus had been crucified and met with destruction, he could not be a true Prophet of God, but was a false claimant and an accursed one. Regarding the charge about the alleged death of Jesus by crucifix- ion, the Qur’an says that the act of crucifixion having not been com- pleted, and Jesus having been taken down alive from the Cross, the charge carries no weight. It should, however, be noted that the Qur’an does not deny the mere hanging of Jesus on the Cross; it only denies his death on it. Two different views prevail among the Jews regarding Jesus’ s alleged death by crucifixion. Some of them hold that Jesus was first killed and then his dead body was hung on the Cross, while others are of the view that he was put to death by being fixed to the Cross. The former view is reflected in Acts 5:30 where we read “which ye slew and hanged on a tree.” The Qur’an refutes both these views by saying, they slew him not, nor crucified him. The words may also signify that the Qur’an first rejects the slaying of Jesus in any form, and then proceeds to deny the particular way of killing by hanging on the Cross. The verb