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light, and confirmation of the Law that had come before him: a guidance and an
admonition to those who fear God’ s displeasure (5:46)
They do blaspheme who say: ‘God is Christ the son of Mary.’ But Christ said: ‘O
children of Israel! worship God my Lord and your Lord. Whoever joins other gods
with God, - God will forbid him the Garden, and the Fire will be his abode: There will
for wrong-doers be no one to help’ They do blaspheme who say: ‘God is one of three
in a Trinity:’ for there is no god except one God. If they desist not from their word (
of blasphemy), verily, a grievous penalty will befall the blasphemers among them.
Why turn they not to God, and seek His forgiveness? For God is Most Forgiving,
Most Merciful, Christ the son of Mary was no more than an apostle; many were the
apostles that passed away before him. His mother was woman of truth. They had both
to eat their (daily) food. See how God does make His Signs clear to them; yet see in
what ways they are deluded away from the truth! … Say: ‘O People of the Book!
exceed not in you religion the bounds (of what is proper), trespassing beyond the
truth. Nor follow the vain desires of people who went wrong in times gone by, who
misled many, and strayed (themselves) from the even Way (5:72-75; cf. 4:171-172)
The beginning of Jesus was controversial. So was his end. In between he was
persistent in carrying out his mission, strengthened by the Book of God, by wisdom,
by the Clear Signs and by the holy spirit. Yet very few were those who accepted him
whole-heartedly. Although tolerant and peace-minded, Jesus could not tolerate the
hypocrisy of the children of Israel and their devotion to the letter of the Law at the
expense of its spirit. He was rejected and opposed by them, and they plotted to kill
him. It was customary among them to reject some of their prophets and kill some.
Jesus was no exception to this rule. In fact they believed that they did crucify him.
The story was climaxed and dramatized at this stage, and religious mournings became
sacred for the Christians as was wailing for the Jews
A plot was planned to crucify Jesus; an actual execution on the cross took place;
someone was really crucified. But it was not Jesus; it was someone else who was
crucified in his place
As for Jesus himself, God came to his rescue and saved him from the enemies. God
crowned his mission on the earth by saving him from violent death and raising him up
high to Heaven. Whether he was raised in rank by means of excellence or whether he
was raised alive in soul and body or in soul only after he died a natural death has not
much bearing on the Islamic beliefs. It is no article of Faith, because what is
important and binding to a Muslim is what God reveals; and God revealed that Jesus
was not crucified but was raised to Him. The Qur’ an related the end of Jesus as
follows:
The people of the Book ask you (Muhammad ) to cause a book to descend to them
from Heaven: indeed they asked Moses for an even greater (miracle), for they said:
‘Show us God in public’ . But they were dazed, for their presumption, with a thunder
and lightning. Yet they worshipped the Calf even after Clear Signs had come to them;
even so We forgave them; and gave Moses manifest proofs of authority. And for their
Covenant We raised over them (the towering height ) of Mount (Sinai); and (on
another occasion) We said: ‘Enter the gate with humility’ ; and (once again) We
commanded them: ‘Transgress not in the matter of Sabbath’ . And We took from them
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