AsSalamu Alaikum and welcome once again to Simon focus.
This program is discussed on Jesus, the beloved messenger of Allah. And today’s topic will be the end of Jesus ministry. I’m your host Rashad Nish, and here with me from St. Mary’s University is Dr. Jamal Badawi as I like about the demonic cinema. Could you give our viewers as somebody please have last week’s bullet? Certainly. Last week we continue to discuss some of the aspects about Jesus peace be upon him as mentioned in the Quran, especially some the description of Jesus in terms of his purity, and his closeness to Allah. And he indicated that this expressions purity and closeness to Allah has been used with respect to others. And particularly with respect to prophets, you give
an example of Prophet john the baptist, who was called himself purity.
We also examined his mission according to the Quran, and he said it was basically the same like all other prophets, the pure unadulterated the monotheistic faiths, and that he was a messenger of Allah and His servant. And we indicated also that like many other prophets, also he called for social justice and resistance, to oppression not to yield to oppression as some people might have misunderstood me his mission will give examples also, even from Matthew chapter 610 11 and 12.
It will also indicated that there is sufficient evidence
with respect to the scope of the mission of Prophet Jesus and that it was restricted to the Israelites, just as the Quran mentioned that. It is also mentioned, for example, in Matthew chapter 10, verse five and six in chapter 15, verse 24.
We discussed briefly some of the Americans given to Prophet Jesus by the creators. And we indicated that all of them were done by the permission and with the power of Allah, like on other prophets were,
as well as revelation given to Jesus we said that like many other prophets, also he received revelation from Allah, the Quran call it an engine, which is the kind of scriptures or revelation came to him, and indicates that this is not exactly the same as the four gospels, because the four gospels are biographies about him after him. Whereas the Quran when speaks about an engine, it speaks about what has been taught to Jesus to communicate to mankind. In towards the end of the program, we mentioned also the verse in the Quran, or the area dealing with the end of his ministry on Earth. Now, can I ask you to recite that passage again, because it is crucial to our topic? Okay,
that appears in Surah number four,
a a number 157 and 158. Let me read it from Yusuf Ali’s translation,
that they use the skylights. They said in boast, we can’t Christ Jesus, the son of Mary, the apostle of God are apostle of Allah. But they killed him, not not crucified him. But so it was made to appear to them.
But those
that’s insane, and those who differ there in are full of doubts, with no certain knowledge, but only conjectures to follow. For assurity they killed him not May, Allah raised him up unto himself. And Allah is Exalted in Power wise.
Now this passage was a number of questions isn’t not First of all, does that mean that the crown negates categorically? all the events related to the crucifixion as found in the gospels? Well, not really not 100% as some people might think,
even in such a controversial topic where there is a fundamental difference between what the Quran teaches and what the present sacred writing of Jews and Christians are particularly Christians and defending specifically for the New Testament, say even in that issue, there are still some areas of similarity
or at least, to put it more carefully, there are certain elements in the New Testament, which are not inconsistent
With what the Quran says, at least with respect to two areas, one is the opposition of the Israelites to Prophet Jesus peace be upon him and the conspiracy to to get him crucified or killed.
A second basic area of similarity and again and put that Catholic basic area of similarity is that
then someone agreed to impose tradition someone was crucified and believed
to be Jesus believed by Jews, who thought that they contain as diverse, you know, explains, or by his followers, even many the tradition that has come down to us.
But the main difference really in the story of crucifixion relates essentially to the identity of who actually was the person who was crucified. As far as the evidence in the Quran about this areas of similarity you might say. One is that in Surah, number three, in Isaiah number 54,
we find that the Quran specifically speaks about that sidelights planning or plotting, let’s say they plotted or planned but Allah is the best to plan. Of course, plotting here means plotting to get Jesus crucified. So the question of conspiracy is their intention or plan to kill him or to get him killed.
Secondly, in the in the area, we just decided that in sort of fall,
we’ll find again, that It simply says that the the Israelites boasted that they can Jesus.
And of course, we would not be in a position to boast or say we can Jesus, unless there seemed to be something that happened in front of them, that led them to believe that they have already got rid of Jesus and gotten into Jesus and he was already crucified.
The word even that’s used here, it was so nice to appear to them
should be Arabic. Again, it means that they had been some sort of illusion or some something that happened somehow, that led them to believe that they have already crucified Jesus. So even this area, there are some areas of similarity. But of course, there is a basic idea of difference, the identity who died or who was actually killed, or put on the cross. Now, luckily, some Christian writers suggest that the reason why Muslims will not accept the crucifixion story, and I’ve noticed, for example, in the gospels, is that they feel it is not, how shall I say be sitting for profit to be crucified? Now, how would you respond to that? That explanation common as it may be, is very
erroneous. And I heard it
several times from clergy theologians, all the way from South Africa, North America, as seen, it’s also in writing. And no matter how common it is, it is very, very erroneous, to start with. The Muslim belief is not really founded or based on, you know, some sorts of theorizing or giving some reasons to say no, no, it’s not good for a profit to be crucified. So we should reject this. The Muslim belief is based on the Quran, which is the word of Allah and the word of Allah is definitely the truth, the ultimate truth, especially in matters which is called by unseen, the things that cannot be fully proven or destroyed, you know, something that goes back to the past or something
that will happen in the future, it is based on the word of Allah.
Now, there is absolutely no difference that we know of in the Quran, which refers to this notion, or idea that if a prophet is killed, or crucified, crucifixion is just one month of killing really, that this is something to dishonor him. In fact, the evidence is contrary to that claim. The Quran clearly indicates that the person who dies or offers his life or is martyred for the sake of Allah in the path of Allah. In fact, that’s the highest or ultimate owner that anyone can can hope to attain. Indeed, in the Quran, we find documentation in numerous yet are passages in the Quran, about other prophets who were killed before and it doesn’t, you know, present that as something that the
little deposition several prophets have been mentioned in the Quran has has been killed especially when the Quran addresses that sidelights and what they did to their prophets. I think it’s common knowledge. That prophet john the baptist, who was a contemporary of Jesus was killed and again the Quran honors him tremendously. So this absolutely
You know, this is your notes for that particular assumption. I suspect that the some of the Christian writers or missionaries in particular, who make that claim are simply projecting not the Quran, but projecting their own background. Because it is my understanding that in the book of Deuteronomy in the Torah, or what is normally referred to as the Torah,
it says that a prophet was or a false prophet shall die. And somehow there is a connection between dishonor and the killing of the Prophet. But as far as the Quran is concerned, there’s absolutely no basis for that that’s not the least The reason is that Allah saying that in the Quran, the word of the Creator is definitely the ultimate truth. Maybe I asked you that question this time. Now, some people state that the Quran teaches that another person was crucified as a substitute for Jesus. Is that true? Once again, we have to be quite careful because this is a no it’s a common statement also by missionaries, which are, which is based in fact, on interpretations by scholars rather than the
text of the Quran itself. I mean, if a person says that some Muslims or some interpreters give this as an explanation, fine, but sometimes, it is written in such a way as if this is the Muslim belief, something that is based on the Quran, there is no other possible explanation.
To start with nowhere in the Quran, for example, does it say that does it say for example, explicitly, and clearly that no Jesus was not killed or crucified, but another person or give a name or something like that and say another person was substituted or, you know, replace Jesus on the cross, there’s no such thing.
In fact, if you refer back to the, to the passage, or verse that we recited earlier, that’s for 157 158,
the original Arabic word says should be, should be held at home, which means it’s so neat appears to them, or it’s what appears to them
could be interpreted, of course, one possible valid interpretations that may be someone else, other than Jesus was crucified. And people are people around. So that actually it was Jesus not that other person. It is a possibility. But it’s not the only one. That’s the point I’m trying to emphasize. In other words, the text of the Quran, as the
specific word of Allah, as revealed to the last prophet is one thing. And the interpretation of others, whether they are non Muslims or even Muslims, for that matter, is something else we cannot equate the physiology of the verse itself, the wording of the verse, could mean substitution also by a human could be substitution by an engine. Or it could even refer to some other miracle that we don’t fully know or understand, which also gave the same kind of impression that it was Christ who died on the cross, and that the ultimate point made is that Allah saved him from the cross in the last moment, so it is one interpretation, but we can say it is de what the Quran say.
The common reaction to this explanation is that there is unanimity that Jesus was crucified, and that only the crown is different. Now, maybe I can ask you to comment on that. Okay To start with, and they have to be quite honest and frank on
the Quran to the Muslim is the word of Allah. It is the last revelation, being the word of Allah, it has intrinsic truth in itself. It possesses that truth, because the information is coming from someone who does not make errors does not get misled by any illusion, the one who knows everything, the Creator Himself, and that’s such must be true.
Secondly,
it should be clear also, that the Quran and the truth in the Quran being the word of Allah does not need any confirmation by any human being theologian, historian, or otherwise, because it just like saying, some human being is confirming the word of his creators. That’s, that’s the reverse logic for the Muslim.
Another point is that what Allah says, as, as the truth revealed to us, is not contingent on what people say. Nor is it contingent on the presence or absence of unanimity. Even if people are unanimous in one respect to the other. And Allah say something.
Even all the unanimous opinion if it existed, even could be wrong because the word Allah cannot be erroneous.
Having indicates
This frame of reference from the Quranic standpoint, let me add one thing that might sound quite surprising to many, even to many of our Christian brethren. It is not true, is not true historically, that there has there have been unanimity that it was Jesus Christ who died on the cross. I know some people might be hitting that for the first time. That’s interesting. Yes, I give you a reference to that. George seals, Christian writers theologian and missionary himself Christian missionary. In his introduction to the translation of the Quran, it made the translations sometimes back.
And he mentioned this, that some of the early Christian sects
believed actually that it was not Jesus was crucified. And he gave several names of sects, including, for example, the Corinthians and a silly dance
is actually less with be less legions, and Corinthians and others. While I understand that many of those sects were regarded at a later time as heretical, we all realize historically that there was a certain time in the history of the development of the Christian thought or Christian belief, where any belief or even report even historical reports that seem to differ with the dogmas that the official church enunciated. And the clergy append, was regarded as heretical and was punished very severely. And as you know, from history, sometimes even death was the penalty for deviating from the acceptable interpretation given by the by the official church. So what I’m saying is that lion, even
if unanimity existed, it does not negate the ultimate truth revealed by Allah. But even then, that unanimity is not true. Historically, it’s not.
Is there any trace, beyond early Christianity of those who held that Jesus was not crucified? Yes, indeed, it continued.
In the 16th century, for example, 16th or 17th century
in Austria,
a gospel was discovered an old gospel attributed to St. Barnabas, who was one of the closest associate of Jesus, and he’s spoken of very highly, especially in the book of Acts attributed to him, I’m just not saying it is right or wrong and just simply attributed to St. Barnabas.
Even though I do realize that this is not one of the canonized gospels, even though I know it has been condemned by the church as fabrication or apocrypha at best.
But it’s interesting in a way that it was discovered by Christian in a Christian country in a Christian language. So the idea of someone else, you know, finding some or writing such an old document and putting there among Christina is rather unlikely. But in any case, we’re not getting into the merits or demerits of the Gospel of Barnabas. All I’m saying that in that gospel also, it indicates even though it gives the same basic story of Jesus, but one of the fundamental differences from the canonized gospels that it says that it was not Jesus, who was crucified.
In addition to this, something if we take something even more recent, comparatively, the Naga Hamadi scrolls, which were discovered in Egypt in the early 40s, and was made available for the first time in English in 1977.
Again, indicate that it was not Jesus, who was crucified. And these are very, very old scrolls. And some scholars say that they might be as old or some even might be older than the canonized gospel that that you have today. And mention of that of those gods who was made in a very interesting book, which also presents an alternative explanation, but basically agreeing that it was not Jesus was crucified. It is a book that perhaps has come up recently, relatively recently and may not be known to many of the viewers. It was written by Michael vigeant. It’s da si, je e n t.
Richard Lee, and Henry Lincoln. And the title of the book is holy blood, holy grail, gr aim was published in 1982.
So what I’m saying here is that
even not only the early Christianity, but even in latest times and comparatively very recently with additional discoveries. It is far from unanimous really to say that the crucifixion of Jesus, the typical story
If Crucifixion and Resurrection after three days, is really the ultimate
agreement among all Christians. However, since our focus so far has been up to this point, we can get into some other areas. But so far we have been focusing more on what the Quran, Allah says, we can perhaps come back to this issue of crucifixion in the light of the New Testament, in the light of the Old Testament prophecies that some present as an argument to support that this actually was bound to happen. But in brief, what I’m saying basically that
the common notion that Muslims only are the ones who reject or deny that Jesus was put onto the cross
is not is not true at all. Actually, it is not
true. Now, here’s an interesting claim, by some that they claim that Jesus predicted both his crucifixion and his resurrection, and this according to a crowd. Now, is there any evidence for that claim?
That’s not true to start with. But again, instead of just outside dismissing of the claim, I think we should look into the basis that something can present as an argument for this.
And just heading to Jesus, the Quran code same as saying, a Samana, yo, ma,
ma, ma, ma, ma, ma Sahaja, let’s insert a number 19, marry, or marry, that is peace be upon me. He says, the day I was born, and the day I die, and the day I come back to life, or resurrect again.
And some people have been tempted without further careful study of the Quran to say, look, you know, here is Jesus, even in the very early days of immediately after his verse is talking about his day of birth, his death, and resurrection. And they say this year means death on the cross resurrection resurrection after three days.
But I think that’s far from appropriate interpretation. Because if the verse actually said, and when I die on the cross, and when I reflect after three days, nobody can argue that would be a conclusive indication that this actually is indeed a prediction or prophecy of what is being described in the canonize the Gospels.
Furthermore,
it to say that it could mean that also is erroneous, because this area has to be interpreted also within the context of the Quran, within the context of the other area that we just decided early in the program, and sort of for a 157 and 158, which says categorically and clearly and in no uncertain terms, nothing that you can interpret this way or that way. They killed him not. Nor did they crucify him. So how could it be interpreted to refer to the support of a story which is rejected already elsewhere in the Quran, in addition to this, what actually was quoted on the Tango, Jesus peace be upon him are three stages which apply to every human being, we all of us pass through the
three stages, birth, death, and all of us, of course, would be resurrected in the Day of Judgment. So that applies to everybody. So when that are this particular passage is put into the proper context of the Quran, we find that it applies to Jesus peace be upon him, it applies to all other prophets apply to you and me, all human beings. And doctrine is quite clear, for example, in Surah, 55,
as a man, that every soul will have the test of death, everybody will have the test of this. And the Quran is replete with passages that shows that all of us again will be resurrected in the Day of Judgment.
Dr. Jamal was that expression about Jesus numbers, both the death and the resurrection, used in the Quran in reference to any other person?
Well, yes, it was the particular reputation that we had, for example, was Salam Allah Yeah, peace be upon me, the day I was born, the day I die. And the day I come back to life, almost identically was used. In fact, it’s exactly the same way except that, instead of saying, peace be upon me. It says, peace be upon him. And it speaks about john the baptist.
And it’s in the same vein also, that it says about john the baptist peace be upon him the day he was born, the day he dies, and the day he comes back to life again, exactly the same so there is no uniqueness really, and that respect and probably refers to the color
An experience of every human being and above all, Jesus peace be upon him was a human being a great human being a holy person. But there
are many other passages in the crowd, which refers to the death of Jesus. There are some passages also that has been, again, interpreted sometimes out of context, you know, to refer to the crucifixion, but in fact, it doesn’t. But since again, the question came up, perhaps we could, we should all present these verses quite clearly.
Particularly two of them.
The first one actually represent a promise by Allah to save Jesus or to recall him that appears in Surah number three, that is in passages 454 and 55. These are quite crucial. So maybe I just try to read them and try and get the translation.
The first, okay 354. Here,
yeah.
And the unbelievers plotted and planned and got to plan and the best of planners is God or Allah. Then passage justifies. It says, Behold, Allah said, Oh, Jesus, I will take the, the original adequate motivasi can do will come to the term later, I will take the or I will record the that could be another translation that some people use, I will take me and raise you to myself. And clearly you have the falsehoods that is of those who bless him. And then it goes on. So here we find a term with our speaker in Arabic, which sometimes is translated as,
you know, calling you or taking you. And some people said, All right, that could possibly be the first to death. That’s one.
The second related
passage that is usually referred to, as in Surah, number five, and passage 120. Again, it reads in the translation,
never said it to them. Jesus says that is describing the scene in the Day of Judgment. When God questions in Allah questions, did you tell people to worship me in song, never said it to them that Jesus would say, except that what you did commanded me, that is worship Allah, my Lord, and your Lord, and I was a witness over them while I dwelt among them. But when did take me up, there was Titanic, again the same good, there was a time when you did take me up or record me, you was the watcher over them, and you are a witness to all things. Now, the most crucial term used in both of these verses, there was a tiny and what are a few can come from a root word,
which has two meanings. One is a lexical meaning. As magnanimous duty explains a lexical meaning is to fulfill, to give or receive, to study to take or receive, to receive you. And the Quran in numerous verses also use the derivatives from that route, to mean to fulfill something to complete something which could mean when God told Jesus I’m going to complete or finish your mission, or recall you. But the other meaning, which is more metaphoric meaning is to take you in essence have to take your soul or causing you to die, because of the difference of opinion, or the difference in the linguistic meaning of it of ways in which the word can be taken. And we find that many Muslim
interpreters have different as to what exactly it means and how could it be explained perhaps, when you have another opportunity? You could elaborate on that a little bit. We have time. Thank you very much, Dr. Joel. I thank all of you for joining us here in assignment focus. If you have any questions, any comments, please write to us our address and our phone number will be appearing on your screen. From all of us. Also, like I hope to see you here next week.
