Does the Qur’an actually leave room for the crucifixion of Jesus, or is an alternative interpretation an impossible departure from centuries of consensus?
This video is a presentation I originally gave for “The Prometheans” YouTube channel. In this session, I explore the Qur’an’s stance on the crucifixion of Jesus—specifically focusing on Verse 4:157, which I call the “non-crucifixion verse”.
I examine whether the Qur’an offers an unambiguous denial or if there is room for alternative interpretations. Key topics include:
- Early Sources: Why early Muslim and non-Muslim commentators were unanimous in their understanding of a crucifixion denial.
- The Ismaili Departure: How late Ismaili sources broke from consensus and why their position was driven by doctrine rather than textual analysis.
- Modern Scholarship: An evaluation of contemporary Muslim and Western scholars who claim the Qur’an does not deny the crucifixion. I argue that these modern claims are often driven by external objectives rather than a literal reading of the text.
For those looking for a deeper academic dive, you can access my two open-access papers here:
Louay Fatoohi, “The Non-Crucifixion Verse: A Historical, Contextual, and Linguistic Analysis,” American Journal of Islam and Society 40 (2023), no. 1, pp 39-76.
Louay Fatoohi, “The End of Jesus’ Life on Earth in the Qur’ān”, Australian Journal of Islamic Studies 8 (2023), no. 1., pp 1-24.
