My paper “The Non-Crucifixion Verse: A Historical, Contextual, and Linguistic Analysis” has been published in The American Journal of Islam and Society. This is the most detailed justification of the majority view that the Qur’an denies that Jesus was crucified. Below is the abstract but the paper is available in full here.
Abstract
Over the centuries, there has been almost a consensus among Muslims and non-Muslims that the crucifixion of Jesus is denied in the Qur’an, mainly because of al-Nisāʾ 4:157. This overwhelmingly accepted interpretation has been challenged in recent times, albeit by a small minority of scholars, by suggesting novel interpretations of 4:157 and seeking support from history and other verses. This study first reviews how, from the early days of Islam, denying the crucifixion of Jesus was always seen by both Muslims and non-Muslims as the established Islamic view. It analyses the theological arguments of the minority view, promoted by some early Ismāʿīlī scholars and modern scholars, that the Qur’an does not deny Jesus’ crucifixion. A new attempt, which has been gathering some support, linking 4:157 to the Talmud is then critiqued. This study shows that the immediate context of 4:157 and the broader Qur’anic narrative also refute the new interpretation. A detailed linguistic analysis of the verse in question further shows that it cannot be reasonably read to mean anything other than rejecting that Jesus was crucified. In summary, history and a detailed study of 4:157 and related verses show that there is hardly any basis to justify challenging the centuries-long semi-consensus that the Qur’an denies the crucifixion of Jesus.
2 thoughts on “The Non-Crucifixion Verse: A Historical, Contextual, and Linguistic Analysis”
Dear Dr. Loay,
I have a question about something, is the quran denying the crucifixion of jesus or is it denying he was crucified by Jews?
This is the main text I got it from:
Well, it denies that the Jews crucified Jesus. This is for many reasons that have been explained by scholars such as Reynolds, Cole, and whatnot. But to summarize: (1) in Q4, there’s this long list of objections the surah gives to the Jewish claims, this is such as accusing Mary of infidelity, the hand of God being chained, etc, (2) it’s frequent in the Qur’an that God is the ultimate controller of life/death, and no human can do.. *that*. And so, the Jews couldn’t have killed Jesus, God is the only one who relates death/life to individuals. (3) There seems to be some sort of intertextuality with Acts as it quotes Psalm 118.22-3, which has the Jews scheming and claiming the death of Jesus.
However, it seems to accept that Jesus died: (1) two verses before the reference to the crucifixion seems to infer that the Israelites murdered prophets; 4:157, (2) the Quran repeatedly presents the Jews as killers of the Prophets (Q2:91; Q3.21, 112, 181, 183; 4.155), this is in intertextuality with Acts, which claims that the Jews are ‘prophet-killers’. (3) the silence of denial that Pontius Pilate or the Romans crucified Jesus even though its’ in some major Christian creeds (such as the Nicene creed) speaks volumes. (4) the Qur’an seems to indicate that prophets died previously including John the Baptist, who got martyed, and so it logically does not make sense to specifically deny Jesus’ death. (5) Jacob of Serugh seems to insult/condemn the Jews for claiming that they killed Christ, even though he accepts that Jesus once died. (6) “Peace upon me on the day I was born, on the day I die, and on the day I will be sent forth alive” (Q 19.33), Jesus – speaking miraculously as an infant – implies that his death will be like that of any other human. “This sūrā, the assumption would be that it already lay in the past like John’s” (N. Robinson, “Jesus”) (7) In a verse that is part of a larger dialogue (vv. 116–8) between God/Jesus.
And another thing do you belive he died in heaven and is not coming back?
Sincerly,
Hisham
Dear Hisham,
My paper, which this page has a link to, already answers this question. Have you read it?
The answer to your second question is in my other paper, which you find a link to on this page
https://www.louayfatoohi.com/historical-jesus/the-end-of-jesus-life-on-earth-in-the-quran/
I hope this helps.